bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Informal caregivers’ views on the quality of health care services provided to older patients aged 80 or more in the hospital and 30 days after discharge
Authors: Lilleheie Ingvild , Debesay Jonas , Bye Asta , Bergland Astrid
Published: February 2020

Background In the European Union (EU), informal caregivers provide 60% of all care. Informal caregiving ranges from assistance with daily activities and provision of direct care to helping care recipients to navigate within complex healthcare and social services systems. While recent caregiver surveys document the impact of informal caregivers, systematic reviews show that they have unmet needs. Because of the political desire to reduce the length of hospital stays, older patients are discharged from the hospital ‘quicker and sicker’ than before. The transition between different levels of the healthcare system and the period after hospital discharge is critical for elderly patients. Caregivers’ perspectives on the quality of older patients’ care journeys between levels of the healthcare system may provide valuable information for healthcare providers and policymakers. This study aims to explore older patient’s informal caregivers’ views on healthcare quality in the hospital and in the first 30 days after hospitalisation. Method We conducted semi-structured individual interviews with 12 participants to explore and describe informal caregivers’ subjective experiences of providing care to older relatives. The interviews were then transcribed and analysed thematically. Results The analysis yielded the overarching theme ‘Informal caregivers – a health service alliance – quality contributor’, which was divided into four main themes: ‘Fast in, fast out’, ‘Scant information’, ‘Disclaimer of responsibility’ and ‘A struggle to secure professional care’. The healthcare system seemed to pay little attention to ensuring mutual understandings between those involved in discharge, treatment and coordination. The participants experienced that the healthcare providers’ main focus was on the patients’ diseases, although the health services are supposed to view patients holistically. Conclusion Based on the information given by informal caregivers, health services must take into account each person’s needs and preferences. To deliver quality healthcare, better coordination between inter-professional care teams and the persons they serve is necessary. Health professionals must strengthen the involvement of caregivers in transitions between care and healthcare. Future work should evaluate targeted strategies for formal caregivers to cooperate, support and empower family members as informal caregivers.
Treatment outcomes of drug-susceptible tuberculosis and its predictors among male prison inmates in Bauchi State, Nigeria, 2014-2018
Authors: Amede Peter Okpeh , Adedire Elizabeth , Usman Aishat , Ameh Celestine A. , Umar Faruk S. , Umeokonkwo Chukwuma David , Balogun Muhammad Shakir
Published: February 2020

Background : Tuberculosis (TB) is a contagious disease and its transmissibility potential is increased in congregate settings like the prisons. TB incidence rates are five to fifty times higher among prison inmates than the general population which has a direct impact on the outcome of TB treatment. There is paucity of information on TB treatment outcomes and its predictors in Nigerian prisons. We therefore assessed TB treatment outcomes among prison inmates in Bauchi State, Nigeria. Method: We conducted a retrospective data analysis of inmates with TB in the five main prisons in Bauchi State. We extracted sociodemographic, clinical and treatment outcome characteristics from TB treatment register of inmates treated for TB between January 2014 and December 2018, using a standardized checklist. We estimated the TB treatment success rate (TSR) and explored the relationship between the TSR and sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Related variables were modelled in multiple logistic regression to identify predictors of TSR at 5% level of significance. Results: All 216 inmates were male with mean (SD) age of 37.6±11.4 years. Seventy-six (35.2%) were cured, 61 (28.2%) completed treatment, 48 (22.2%) were lost to follow-up, 17 (7.9%) were transferred out without evaluation and 14 (6.5%) died. Overall TSR was 72.9%. Predictors of successful treatment outcome were age; 20-29 years (AOR=10.5; 95% CI: 3.2-35.1), 30-39 years (AOR=4.2; 95% CI: 1.3-13.1), pretreatment weight; ≥ 55kg (AOR= 13.3; 95% CI: 6.0-29.6), imprisonment for ≤ 2 years (AOR= 2.6; 95% CI: 1.3-5.4) and being HIV negative (AOR=3.3; 95% CI:1.4-7.8). Conclusion: The predictors of successful TB treatment outcome were being less than 40 years of age, having a pretreatment body weight of or greater than 55 kg, imprisonment for less than 2 years, and being HIV negative. We recommended that to improve TB TSR among prison inmates; age, duration of imprisonment, weight and TB/HIV co-infection should be the major consideration during pretreatment, psychological and nutritional counselling and a tracking system be developed by the prisons authority to follow-up inmates transferred-out to other health facilities to ensure they complete the treatment and outcomes evaluated.
Culture of IMR90 Cells
Authors: McCullough Shaun D.
Published: February 2020

This protocol describes the thawing, culturing, and cryopreservation of the human lung fibroblast cell line IMR90. The attached methods document is a formal version of the information included here. The attached worksheet is a fillable PDF that can be used to maintain cell passage records using this protocol. Please note: Deviation from the three-day passage cycle and cell plating density described here typically results in greater culture and experimental variability.Disclaimer: The contents of this article have been reviewed by the US Environmental Protection Agency and approved for publication and do not necessarily represent Agency policy. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendations for use.
Metabolomic analysis of the pharmacological active substances in four ginger varieties
Authors: Li Zhexin , Dang Shao-Fei , Fan Yan-Ru , Li Hong-Lei , Zhang Wen-Lin , Lan Jian-Bin , Qi Li-Wang , Tang Jianmin
Published: February 2020

Background: The bioactive compounds of ginger (Zingiber officinale), including gingerols, diarylheptanoids, and flavonoids, are important for human health because of their anticancer, anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. Results: The UPLC/Q-TOF-MS profiles of four ginger samples, Zingiber officinale 'Yujiang No.1' (YJ), Zingiber officinale 'Shandong dajiang' (SD), Zingiber officinale 'Shandong xiaojiang' (SX) and Zingiber officinale 'Luoping xiaohuangjiang' (LP) were compared to gain insight into the differences in their rhizome content. A total of 1,810 metabolites were detected across the four varieties with 111, 72, 57, and 92 metabolites shared between the LP/YJ, SX/YJ, SX/SD and LP/SD ginger samples, respectively, with a p value of < 0.05 and a fold change of ≥1. Among the four libraries, 186 differentially expressed metabolites were identified. The metabolic pathways associated with the production of the bioactive compounds of ginger included those for stilbenoid, diarylheptanoid, and gingerol biosynthesis, flavonoid biosynthesis, steroid hormone biosynthesis, and diterpenoid biosynthesis. Among the differentially accumulated metabolites, gingerols and α-zingiberene were found in higher amounts in the SD and LP than in the SX and YJ varieties. The steroid hormones and terpenoids were found in higher amounts in LP than the other ginger samples. Conclusion: The LP and SD varieties could be utilized as a source of medicinal ginger, while SX and YJ are more suited to incorporation into food because of their lighter taste related to their lower content of gingerols. The differences in active ingredients combined with analysis of the KEGG pathway allowed prediction of the metabolite synthetic pathways involved in the ginger component biosynthesis and lays the foundation for the further development and use of specific ginger varieties as medicinal resources.
Excavating thyroid carcinoma risk metabolic genes associated with biological clock by bioinformatics analysis: A study based on TCGA and GEO data
Authors: wang wendong , Zhang Jiali , Liu Zhengjiu , Zhang Haoting , Ren Linrui , Zhu Xiaobo , Chang Xiaotong
Published: February 2020

Background Thyroid carcinoma (TC) is malignant tumor of the endocrine gland with a significantly increased incidence in recent years, which related to metabolic diseases and biological clock disorder. The molecular mechanism and risk metabolic genes associated with biological clock of TC require conducting study. Methods We mined differentially expressed genes of TC (TC-DEGs) from TCGA and GEO database. Searching for biorhythm related genes (BRGs) based on core clock genes by STRING analysis. Next, we used a series of bioinformatics methods to analyze the TC-DEGs and BRGs, including chromosome location, GO and KEGG pathway annotation. Then, we extracted the expression of statistically significant TC metabolic genes by Perl program combined with a computational method of GSEA. Furthermore, screen the risk metabolic genes and reveal potential underlying KEGG pathways of the gene signatures. Results Our results identified 474 DEGs (P < 0.05; |log FC| > 1) in patients with TC compared with the normal controls using the available numerical mRNA expression values. The chromosomal assignments of TC-DEGs and BRGs were inhomogeneous. These genes were mainly distributed on Chrom01, 02, 11, 12, 04, 03 and X, none of the associated genes were distributed on sex Y chromosome. ARNTL and BHLHE40 belong to both the TC-DEGs and BRGs. PER2, NCOR1, RXRG, CCND1, SERPINE1 and PLAU were mined which act as the hub of signaling pathways linking “Thyroid hormone signaling pathway”, “Circadian rhythm”, “Transcriptional misregulation in cancer” and so on. One hundred and forty-one metabolic genes were extracted to train the prognostic model, and 11 risk genes were found, among them, 10 risk gene products have indirect interaction with ARNTL and BHLHE40. Such important genes for TC were regulated by many common conserved microRNAs. Conclusions Our study identified 8 key genes and 11 risk metabolic genes of thyroid carcinoma associated with biological clock by bioinformatics analysis. And the coding products of these genes form a clear interaction network, which is conducive to further study the molecular mechanism, reveal the role of circadian clock genes and metabolic genes in thyroid cancer.
Health System Challenges Affecting Maternal and Neonatal Health Care Service Utilisation in the Wake of Conflict in Torit County, Republic of South Sudan: A Cross Sectional Study 
Authors: Bayo Pontius , Belaid Loubna , Zarowsky Christina , Tahir Elijo Omoro , Ochola Emmanuel , Dimiti Alexander , Greco Donato
Published: February 2020

ObjectivesThis study examines health facility utilization for pregnancy and delivery care and the health system challenges, in the light of renewed conflict in 2016, in Torit County, South Sudan. We collected monthly facility data retrospectively on total Antenatal Care (ANC) visits, institutional deliveries, major obstetric, and neonatal complications treated from January 2015 to December 2016. We compared 2015 data with that of 2016 when conflict re-started. We also conducted a descriptive qualitative study based on key informant interviews and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) to explore the health system challenges. We used a thematic approach to analyse qualitative data. Results ANC visits declined by 21% between 2015 and 2016. The proportion of expected births that occurred in facilities declined from 23.6% in 2015 to 16.7% in 2016 (p< 0.001) while the proportion of obstetric complications treated in facilities declined from 58.9% in 2015 to 43.9% in 2016 (p<0.001). The low national budget to fund the health system, evacuation of international health staff, flight of local health workers and disruption of drugs and medical supplies are the health system challenges identified. Economic barriers and perceived poor quality of care were the two main obstacles to access of health care services.
Comparative transcriptome analysis of leaves from two grapevine species reveals an early gene expression profile associated with Elsinoe ampelina resistance
Authors: Gao Min , Wan Ran , Zhu Yanxun , Jiao Chen , Cheng Chenxia , Fei Zhangjun , Wang Xiping
Published: February 2020

Background: Anthracnose ( Elsinoe ampelina ) causes extensive damage to grapevine ( Vitis vinifera ) production worldwide, but the defense mechanisms exhibited by grape are not well understood.

Results: In present study, the transcriptome differences of two grape species that exhibit either strong resistance (HR) or sensitivity (HS) to E . ampelina were determined at different time points up to 72 hours post infection (hpi) using RNA-seq profiling. Approximately 172 million high quality reads were obtained from a total of 40 samples. As a result, 3414 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, with 2,246 in the HR grape V . q uinquangularis Shang-24 accession and 2,019 in the HS grape V . vinifera Red Globe. More up-regulated than down-regulated genes were identified both in the HR and HS samples at each time point except 48 hours post infection.

Conclusions: Gene ontology (GO) function and pathway enrichment analysis suggested that the grape transcriptional response to E . ampelina infection involves genes encoding protein kinases, transcription factors, metabolite synthesis, and phytohormone signaling. Although most of the GO functional categories and enriched pathways in response to E . ampelina infection were the same in the two species, the response was apparent much earlier in the HR grape (6 hours post infection and 24 hours post infection) than in the HS grape (48 hours post infection and 72 hours post infection), which may be associated with the contrasting resistance phenotypes. This study provides new insights into the grape defense system involved in responses to E . ampelina infection, and has identified several candidate genes that may be exploited in future biotechnological approaches to increase disease resistance in grapevine.
KIF4A and STIL act as pan-cancer diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers by bioinformatics analysis and verifcation in osteosarcoma
Authors: Pan Jiankang , Luo Yong , Lei Xiaohua , Mao Xinzhan
Published: February 2020

Background: Cancer is a disease of abnormal cell proliferation that is caused by aberrantly expressed cancer-related genes. Transcriptome analysis to identify differential gene expression between tumors and paring normal tissue can help to reveal the key process of cell proliferation in cancer. Methods: By screening RNA-seq data covering twelve types of cancer and their paring normal tissue from the cancer genome atlas (TCGA), we identified twenty-eight cell-cycle-related genes that were overexpressed in no less than ten types of cancers. Results: Among them, kinesin family member 4A (KIF4A) and stromal tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (STIL) exhibited upregulated expression in eleven types of cancer, making them promising pan-cancer diagnostic markers. The high expression of either KIF4A or STIL indicates poor prognosis in four types of cancer. We further conducted the expression of KIF4A and STIL by immunohistochemistry（IHC） in osteosarcoma（OS） and paring normal tissue samples from a cohort of 57 osteosarcoma patients,which confirmed the results of bioinformatics analysis . Conclusions: KIF4A and STIL can serve as pan-cancer diagnostic and prognostic markers. The fact that they both function in the mitotic chromosome segregation process further emphasizes the importance of mitosis regulation and chromosome stability in carcinogenesis and cancer development.
The role of hidden curriculum in the formation of professional ethics in the Iranian medical students
Authors: safari yahya , khatoni Alireza , Khodamoradi ehsan , Rezaei mansour
Published: February 2020

Background: Professionalism and medical ethics are a vital quality for doctors, which has been taken into account seriously in recent years. Perception of the factors affecting professionalism may help to develop more efficient approaches to promote this quality in medical education. Objective: This study was aimed to explain the role of hidden curriculum in the formation of professional ethics in the Iranian medical students. Methods: This qualitative study was performed on 15 medical interns using grounded theory. Sampling was started by purposive sampling and continued through theoretical sampling until complete data saturation. Data collection and analysis were done simultaneously. Results: The analysis of the participants’ interviews and reduction of findings using common themes yielded one class and four categories as well as a number of concepts as the role of hidden curriculum in the formation of professional ethics in medical students. The categories included the role of modeling in the formation of professional ethics, role of education in formation of professional ethics, role of environmental factors in the formation of professional ethics, and role of personal and inherent attributes in the formation of professional ethics. Conclusion: The curriculum developers and medical education authorities need to proceed in line with the findings of the present study to provide a proper learning environment in which the modeling, learning, and teaching conditions and supportive environmental atmosphere are taken into account in accordance with the inherent and individual characteristics of the learners in order to guarantee the formation of professional ethics in the medical students.
EUROPEAN AND UKRAINIAN IMPLEMENTATION EXPERIENCE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES
Authors: Yevdokymova A. , Kolosok S. , Petrenko N.
Published: February 2020

The paper considers the use of renewable energy sources, the economic efficiency of their full-scale implementation, the policies of European countries on the development of energy systems and domestic energy networks. Existing energy networks in most cases do not meet modern market requirements. First, it concerns energy supply based on the renewable energy sources as most of the electricity is supplied to the electric networks in a decentralized way and only then to the consumers. Therefore, the key tool for successful energy redistribution should be the expansion of powerful regional transmission networks and local distribution networks. At the same time, consumption and conventional energy generation should become more flexible to meet market requirements. The use of “smart technologies”, especially digitalization with the help of smart energy meters, should be the driving tool to create new economic opportunities and simplify the coordination of energy generation and consumption. The use of “smart technologies” for renewable energy should be the basis for the energy systems development in Ukraine. International practices indicate the effectiveness of these technologies. The main advantage of their implementation is the security of energy supply to consumers, which significantly reduces carbon dioxide emissions as well as technological energy losses in the electric grid. One more advantage is the optimization of existing energy systems and their intelligent automation that allows the efficient use of renewable energy sources, reduction of the transmission losses through networks, the increase of the stability level of electricity supplies, the reduction of the negative impact of energy systems on the environment and meeting consumers’ needs for reliable energy supply.
Keywords:
energy technologies, power grids, energy technologies, smart technologies, smart grids.
TRANSFORMATION PROCESSES IN THE CONTEXT OF THE TRANSITION TO THE "GREEN" ECONOMY, PROSPECTS FOR UKRAINE
Authors: Litvinenko A.
Published: February 2020

Over the past few decades the gradual increase in environmental pollution, poverty and the need for energy made it necessary to transform the existing model of the economy. At the end of the 20th century the concept of sustainable development was formed. It included some relevant goals, the achievement of which made it possible to solve major socio-economic problems.

The “green economy” is a system of economic relations between the state, economic entities and households arising from the production, distribution, exchange and consumption of goods and pursued in accordance with the objective of achieving the goals of sustainable development. The transition to the “green” economy will help to overcome poverty, provide humanity with renewable energy and gradually stop environmental pollution. The change of the existing model of economy requires a transformation in all its industries (manufacturing, finance, energy, etc.) and at all levels (from supranational to individual). Transformation processes, which include technical retrofitting, technology change, require significant funding. The establishment of an effective financial security mechanism will allow to attract the necessary investments for the implementation of projects in the field of transformation of economic sectors. It should be noted that the process of transition to a new model of economy in the world is already underway and the efforts of the world community aimed at achieving the goals of sustainable development are manifested in the creation of the necessary legal framework in the form of UN conventions and activities of international financial organizations providing financing for the implementation of projects in this field.
The transition to the green economy model opens a number of opportunities for Ukraine, such as gaining energy independence, overcoming poverty and improving the environment.
Keywords:
“green” economy, “green” results, transformation of economy, stable development.
CURRENT SITUATION OF THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF ENTERPRISES OF THE AGRARIAN SECTOR OF UKRAINE
Authors: Shkolnyk I. , Kryvozub V.
Published: February 2020

Agricultural sector is the one of the main domestic economy sectors, that providing the much of the net profit and currency income to the country, agricultural sector employs more then 10% of country population. One of the general factors of the agricultural development efficiency is financial security, that might to promote increase of efficiency, but in the other side this can to slow development of enterprises and reduce factory profitability. In turn financial security of agricultural sector is quite complex complicated and variegated and needs of the further research.
Financial security is an economic category can be considered like a complex of the methods, origins and objects as a financial instrument. Sufficient financial security of agricultural sectors enterprises forming problem based on high level risk in production process. Agricultural companies have possibility to use a wide range of methods, such as self-financing, budget international and market ministry. Based on research we systematized basic form of financial security, that are used by agriculture companies in their activity. There are: self-financing, inclusive financing, traditional (classic) financing, leasing and factoring, insurance, loan guarantee, forward contracts. In Ukraine we have situation, when agriculture companies don’t receive proper financial support by country. The programs that have been started, are unstable, but the positive point is that amount of financial resources, that are granted to agricultural sector, have been increased, that showing country interest in agricultural sector forming and developing. What about banking lending, so it isn’t just expensive, in main situations companies cannot get credit because there are have a weak credit history or have a low credit rating. One of the instruments, which is becoming more popular is the agrarian receipts. There are divided to two parts: financial and commodity. The amount of financial resources, that are attracted by agrarian receipts, are increasing for several years and have significant benefits for using by agriculture companies.
Keywords:
financial instruments, lending, budget financing, government support, leasing.
Intelligent agent for formal modelling of temporal multi-agent systems
Authors: Qasim Awais , Aziz Zeeshan , Kazmi Syed Asad Raza , Khalid Adnan , Fakhir Ilyas , Hassan Jawad
Published: February 2020

Software systems are becoming complex and dynamic with the passage of time, and to provide better fault tolerance and resource management they need to have the ability of self-adaptation. Multi-agent systems paradigm is an active area of research for modeling real-time systems. In this research, we have proposed a new agent named SA-ARTIS-agent, which is designed to work in hard real-time temporal constraints with the ability of self-adaptation. This agent can be used for the formal modeling of any self-adaptive real-time multi-agent system. Our agent integrates the MAPE-K feedback loop with ARTIS agent for the provision of self-adaptation. For an unambiguous description, we formally specify our SA-ARTIS-agent using Time-Communicating Object-Z (TCOZ) language. The objective of this research is to provide an intelligent agent with self-adaptive abilities for the execution of tasks with temporal constraints. Previous works in this domain have used Z language which is not expressive to model the distributed communication process of agents. The novelty of our work is that we specified the non-terminating behavior of agents using active class concept of TCOZ and expressed the distributed communication among agents. For communication between active entities, channel communication mechanism of TCOZ is utilized. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed agent using a real-time case study of traffic monitoring system.
Febrile illness after a beach day: a case of salmonella bacteremia from oral exposure to a sand dollar
Authors: Trigo Carlos E. , Patel Faisalmohemed
Published: February 2020

This case report discusses a rare presentation of salmonella bacteremia after an oral exposure to a sand dollar in a pediatric patient. A 2-year-old Hispanic male presented to the emergency department with a chief complaint of diarrhea and fever for 8 days after a family trip to Destin beach, Florida, during the sea turtle nesting season. The symptoms began a day after the patient took a bite on a sand dollar found on the beach that caused a small wound inside his cheek. The laboratory testing done in the emergency department was remarkable for blood and stool culture testing positive for non-typhoid salmonella. The sand dollar is a type of a sea urchin commonly found on sandy beaches and consists of an anatomical filtration system to consume sandy water. It could be inferred that the increased presence of sea turtles during the time of the patient's visit to Destin beach could have led to higher levels of salmonella in the seawater and consequently in the sand dollar, possibly leading to the inoculation of salmonella in this patient. To the best of our knowledge, this is a first case report that links oral exposure of the sand dollar to invasive salmonellosis.
Enhanced removal of refractory pollutant from aniline aerofloat wastewater using combined vacuum ultraviolet and ozone (VUV/O3) process
Authors: Deng Xiaoyu , Zhang Dachao , Wu Meng , Antwi Philip , Su Hao , Lai Cheng
Published: February 2020

Aerofloats, such as aniline aerofloat ((C6H5NH)2PSSH), are extensively employed for collection activities in wastewater particularly in cases where minerals are in flotation. Although this aniline aerofloat has efficient collection properties, they are ordinarily biologically persistent chemicals in which case their residual, as well as their byproducts, pose great environmental risks to water and soils. In this study, the removal efficiency of aniline aerofloat (AAF) by a combined vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) and ozone (O3) process (VUV/O3) was evaluated. Furthermore, the impacts of pH, O3, the concentration of AAF and coexisting ions (SiO32−, CO32−, Cl− (Na+), SO42−, Ca2+) were systematically studied. The experiments revealed that, with an initial AAF of 15 mg/L, AAF removal >88% was feasible with a reaction time of 60 min, pH of 8 and O3 of 6 g/h. The order of influence of the selected coexisting ions on the degradation of AAF by VUV/O3 was Ca2+ > CO32− > SiO32− > Cl− (Na+) >SO42−. Compared with VUV and O3 in terms of pollutant degradation rate, VUV/O3 showed a remarkable performance, followed by O3 and VUV. Additionally, the degradation kinetics of AAF by the VUV/O3 process agreed well with first-order elimination kinetics.
Treatment of fish processing industry wastewater using hydrodynamic cavitational reactor with biodegradability improvement
Authors: Dhanke Prashant , Wagh Sameer , Patil Abhijeet
Published: February 2020

Water generated from the fish processing industry is contaminated with organic matter. This organic matter present in wastewater increases the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD). A new technology, hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) is used to deal with this wastewater produced in fish processing plants. The orifice plate is used in the HC reactor to generate a cavitation effect. The intensification of this technique was carried out with the help of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and TiO2. The treatment of this wastewater is reported in terms of percent degradation in BOD and COD and in biodegradability index (BI). Operating parameters like inlet pressure, pH, operating temperature and H2O2 doses were used to find the optimum condition. 15 g/L of H2O2 gave 69.5% reduction of COD in the 120 min of treatment that also increases BI value to 0.93 at inlet pressure 8 bar, Plate-5, temperature (30 °C), and pH 4. In the ultrasonic cavitation (UC) reactor, COD reduction is 68.7% without TiO2 and with TiO2 it is 71.2%. Also, this HC and UC reactor reduced CFU count to a great extent at the same operating conditions.
“Avanço da Maré”, Riscos Ambientais e Estado
Authors: Mayara Silva Nascimento  , De Oliveira Wilson José Ferreira de , Moises Cruz Souza
Published: February 2020

Este artigo analisa a formação do problema público que conduziu àpolítica denominada defesa litorânea do bairro 13 de julho, em Aracaju/SE. Especificamente, narra a gênese da construção dos argumentosque sustentaram a retórica do risco iminente, como também as sucessivasetapas de seu desenvolvimento na agenda pública. Foi realizadaa codificação e análise de 83 artigos obtidos em alguns dos principaissites de notícias do estado de Sergipe por meio do software Nvivo 10.Os resultados obtidos permitiram constatar que a utilização de vínculose recursos jurídicos se tornou central na dinâmica de execuçãode tal política, devido ao grau de conflito entre os principais gruposenvolvidos. Conclui-se que para melhor dar conta do papel e lugar dajudicialização nos processos de execução das políticas públicas é precisoconsiderar de forma relacional o grau de oposição ou aliança entreos grupos envolvidos na formulação das políticas públicas, suas formasde controle das instâncias estatais e seus vínculos com os atores judiciais.

Palavras-chave: Políticas Públicas. Estado. Problema Público. Avançoda Maré.
Wolność synów Bożych na podstawie Rz 8, 12–17 i Ga 4, 1–7
Authors: Górska Hanna
Published: February 2020

Artykuł przedstawia powiązanie między stanem przybranego synostwa Bożego chrześcijan a wolnością człowieka na podstawie fragmentów Rz 8, 12–17 i Ga 4, 1–7. Na początku przedstawiony zostaje stan człowieka, zanim jeszcze zostanie obdarowany nową egzystencją, którą jest bycie Bożym dzieckiem. Omówione zostają rodzaje niewoli, które w tych dwóch fragmentach przedstawia św. Paweł oraz symbolika małoletniego dziedzica. W następnej części artykułu przedstawione zostaje greckie słownictwo, którego używa św. Paweł do opisania stanu nowej egzystencji chrześcijan, a mianowicie: ἡ υἱοθεσίά τό τέκνον, ὁ υἱός. Ostatnia część pracy poświęcona jest natomiast powiązaniu, które istnieje między przybranym synostwem Bożym oraz wolnością.
Surgeons’ Interactions With and Attitudes Toward E-Patients: Questionnaire Study in Germany and Oman
Authors: Masters Ken , Loda Teresa , Johannink Jonas , Al-Abri Rashid , Herrmann-Werner Anne
Published: February 2020

Background

Doctors’ interactions with and attitudes toward e-patients have an overall impact on health care delivery.

Objective

This study aimed to gauge surgeons’ interactions with e-patients, their attitudes toward those e-patient activities, the possible impact on the delivery of health care, and the reasons behind those activities and attitudes.

Methods

We created a paper-based and electronic survey form based on pertinent variables identified in the literature, and from March 2018 to July 2018 we surveyed 49 surgeons in Germany and 59 surgeons in Oman, asking them about their interactions with and attitudes toward e-patients. Data were stored in Microsoft Excel and SPSS, and descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, and chi-square tests were performed on the data.

Results

Of our sample, 71% (35/49) of the German surgeons and 56% (33/59) of the Omani surgeons communicated electronically with their patients. Although the German surgeons spent a greater percentage of Internet usage time on work-related activities (χ218=32.5; P=.02) than the Omani surgeons, there were many similarities in their activities. An outstanding difference was that the German surgeons used email with their patients more than the Omani surgeons (χ21=9.0; P=.003), and the Omani surgeons used social media, specifically WhatsApp, more than the German surgeons (χ21=18.6; P<.001). Overall, the surgeons were equally positive about the most common e-patient activities such as bringing material from the internet to the consultation (mean 4.11, SD 1.6), although the German surgeons (mean 3.43, SD 1.9) were more concerned (P=.001) than the Omani surgeons (mean 2.32, SD 1.3) about the potential loss of control and time consumption (German: mean 5.10, SD 1.4 and Omani: mean 3.92, SD 1.6; P<.001).

Conclusions

The interactions show a high degree of engagement with e-patients. The differences between the German and the Omani surgeons in the preferred methods of communication are possibly closely linked to cultural differences and recent historical events. These differences may, moreover, indicate e-patients’ desired method of electronic communication to include social media. The low impact of surgeons’ attitudes on the activities may also result from a normalization of many e-patient activities, irrespective of the doctors’ attitudes and influences.
Tackling Emerging and re-emerging health threats through cross-border zoning and joint multi-country action: Descriptve study (Preprint)
Authors: Maruta Talkmore
Published: February 2020

BACKGROUND

The weak disease surveillance systems between countries require establishment of harmonized consensus-based collaborations and implementation of cross-border surveillance approaches

OBJECTIVE

describes the process of establishment of cross-border infectious disease response collaborations in the Southern Africa and the observed progress to date

METHODS

Under the Southern Africa TB Health Systems Support project, 25 cross-border zones were identified using a defined zoning criteria. Established zones were led by multi-sectorial zonal committees with defined roles and responsibilities

RESULTS

Between November 2017 and January 2020, 13 of the 25 (52%) cross-border zones were operationalized. 13 joint work-plans were developed and are at different levels of implementation. Six of the 8 (75%) follow up meetings that were due were conducted. 13 tabletop simulation exercises and donning and doffing demonstrations were conducted. 2 field simulation exercises were conducted to test preparedness in a close to real life situation. 13 communication channels were established. 30 zonal members were trained in Threats Hazards Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA) and 3 zones subsequently identified and prioritized their hazards. Joint response for cholera, anthrax, Foot and Mouth Diseases and African Swine Fever outbreaks were conducted

CONCLUSIONS

Use of cross-border zoning led by multi-sectorial cross-border committees is one effective way of ensuring heightened preparedness and response to epidemics and events of public health concern at the local level
Visual Analytic Tools and Techniques in Population Health and Health Services Research: Scoping Review (Preprint)
Authors: Chishtie Jawad Ahmed , Marchand Jean-Sebastien , Turcotte Luke A , Bielska Iwona Anna , Babineau Jessica , Cepoiu-Martin Monica , Irvine Michael , Munce Sarah , Abudiab Sally , Bjelica Marko , Hossain Saima , Imran Muhammad , Jeji Tara , Jaglal Susan
Published: February 2020

BACKGROUND

Visual analytics (VA) promotes the understanding of data with visual, interactive techniques, using analytic and visual engines. The analytic engine includes automated techniques, whereas common visual outputs include flow maps and spatiotemporal hot spots.

OBJECTIVE

This scoping review aims to address a gap in the literature, with the specific objective to synthesize literature on the use of VA tools, techniques, and frameworks in interrelated health care areas of population health and health services research (HSR).

METHODS

Using the 2018 PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines, the review focuses on peer-reviewed journal articles and full conference papers from 2005 to March 2019. Two researchers were involved at each step, and another researcher arbitrated disagreements. A comprehensive abstraction platform captured data from diverse bodies of the literature, primarily from the computer and health sciences.

RESULTS

After screening 11,310 articles, findings from 55 articles were synthesized under the major headings of visual and analytic engines, visual presentation characteristics, tools used and their capabilities, application to health care areas, data types and sources, VA frameworks, frameworks used for VA applications, availability and innovation, and co-design initiatives. We found extensive application of VA methods used in areas of epidemiology, surveillance and modeling, health services access, use, and cost analyses. All articles included a distinct analytic and visualization engine, with varying levels of detail provided. Most tools were prototypes, with 5 in use at the time of publication. Seven articles presented methodological frameworks. Toward consistent reporting, we present a checklist, with an expanded definition for VA applications in health care, to assist researchers in sharing research for greater replicability. We summarized the results in a Tableau dashboard.

CONCLUSIONS

With the increasing availability and generation of big health care data, VA is a fast-growing method applied to complex health care data. What makes VA innovative is its capability to process multiple, varied data sources to demonstrate trends and patterns for exploratory analysis, leading to knowledge generation and decision support. This is the first review to bridge a critical gap in the literature on VA methods applied to the areas of population health and HSR, which further indicates possible avenues for the adoption of these methods in the future. This review is especially important in the wake of COVID-19 surveillance and response initiatives, where many VA products have taken center stage.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT

RR2-10.2196/14019
Influence of Social Media on Sexualized Drug Use and Chemsex Among Chinese Men Who Have Sex With Men: Observational Prospective Cohort Study (Preprint)
Authors: Wang Zixin , Yang Xue , Mo Phoenix K H , Fang Yuan , Ip Tsun Kwan Mary , Lau Joseph T F
Published: February 2020

BACKGROUND

Sexualized drug use (SDU; the use of any psychoactive substance before or during sexual intercourse) is prevalent among men who have sex with men (MSM) and may aggravate the worsening HIV epidemic in this key population.

OBJECTIVE

This observational prospective cohort study investigated factors predicting the occurrence of SDU within a 6-month follow-up period among a sample of MSM in Hong Kong. We hypothesized that perceptions related to SDU would mediate the association between the influence of social media/gay social networking apps and SDU during the follow-up period.

METHODS

Participants were Chinese-speaking men in Hong Kong, China who had anal intercourse with at least one man in the past year. Among 600 participants who completed the baseline telephone survey, 407 (67.8%) completed another telephone survey 6 months later. Logistic regression models and path analysis were fitted.

RESULTS

At Month 6, 6.9% (28/407) and 4.4% (18/407) of participants reported SDU and chemsex during the follow-up period. After adjustment for significant baseline background variables (use of pre-exposure prophylaxis; history of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections; anal intercourse with nonregular male sex partners, condomless anal intercourse with men, multiple male sex partnerships, and SDU at baseline), three constructs of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) were significantly associated with SDU during the follow-up period: (1) positive attitudes toward SDU (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.19, 95% CI 1.05-1.36), (2) perceived support for SDU from significant others (AOR 1.15, 95% CI 1.01-1.30), and (3) perceived behavioral control of refraining from SDU (AOR 0.76, 95% CI 0.59-0.98). Exposure to information supporting SDU on social media and gay social networking apps was also significantly associated with SDU (AOR 1.11, 95% CI 1.01-1.22). Bootstrapping analyses indicated that social media influence was indirectly associated with SDU through TPB-related perceptions of SDU (β=.04; B=.002, 95% CI 0.001-0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Social media and gay social networking apps may be a major source of influence on MSM’s perceptions and actual behaviors related to SDU.
The Assessment of Supportive Accountability in Adults Seeking Obesity Treatment: Psychometric Validation Study (Preprint)
Authors: Chhabria Karishma , Ross Kathryn M , Sacco Shane J , Leahey Tricia M
Published: February 2020

BACKGROUND

Technology-mediated obesity treatments are commonly affected by poor long-term adherence. Supportive Accountability Theory suggests that the provision of social support and oversight toward goals may help to maintain adherence in technology-mediated treatments. However, no tool exists to measure the construct of supportive accountability.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to develop and psychometrically validate a supportive accountability measure (SAM) by examining its performance in technology-mediated obesity treatment.

METHODS

Secondary data analyses were conducted in 2 obesity treatment studies to validate the SAM (20 items). Study 1 examined reliability, criterion validity, and construct validity using an exploratory factor analysis in individuals seeking obesity treatment. Study 2 examined the construct validity of SAM in technology-mediated interventions involving different self-monitoring tools and varying amounts of phone-based interventionist support. Participants received traditional self-monitoring tools (standard, in-home self-monitoring scale [SC group]), newer, technology-based self-monitoring tools (TECH group), or these newer technology tools plus additional phone-based support (TECH+PHONE group). Given that the TECH+PHONE group involves more interventionist support, we hypothesized that this group would have greater supportive accountability than the other 2 arms.

RESULTS

In Study 1 (n=353), the SAM showed strong reliability (Cronbach α=.92). A factor analysis revealed a 3-factor solution (representing Support for Healthy Eating Habits, Support for Exercise Habits, and Perceptions of Accountability) that explained 69% of the variance. Convergent validity was established using items from the motivation for weight loss scale, specifically the social regulation subscale (r=0.33; P<.001) and social pressure for weight loss subscale (r=0.23; P<.001). In Study 2 (n=80), the TECH+PHONE group reported significantly higher SAM scores at 6 months compared with the SC and TECH groups (r2=0.45; P<.001). Higher SAM scores were associated with higher adherence to weight management behaviors, including higher scores on subscales representing healthy dietary choices, the use of self-monitoring strategies, and positive psychological coping with weight management challenges. The association between total SAM scores and percent weight change was in the expected direction but not statistically significant (r=−0.26; P=.06).

CONCLUSIONS

The SAM has strong reliability and validity across the 2 studies. Future studies may consider using the SAM in technology-mediated weight loss treatment to better understand whether support and accountability are adequately represented and how supportive accountability impacts treatment adherence and outcomes.

CLINICALTRIAL

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01999244; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01999244
Data Imputation and Body Weight Variability Calculation Using Linear and Nonlinear Methods in Data Collected From Digital Smart Scales: Simulation and Validation Study (Preprint)
Authors: Turicchi Jake , O'Driscoll Ruairi , Finlayson Graham , Duarte Cristiana , Palmeira A L , Larsen Sofus C , Heitmann Berit L , Stubbs R James
Published: February 2020

BACKGROUND

Body weight variability (BWV) is common in the general population and may act as a risk factor for obesity or diseases. The correct identification of these patterns may have prognostic or predictive value in clinical and research settings. With advancements in technology allowing for the frequent collection of body weight data from electronic smart scales, new opportunities to analyze and identify patterns in body weight data are available.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to compare multiple methods of data imputation and BWV calculation using linear and nonlinear approaches

METHODS

In total, 50 participants from an ongoing weight loss maintenance study (the NoHoW study) were selected to develop the procedure. We addressed the following aspects of data analysis: cleaning, imputation, detrending, and calculation of total and local BWV. To test imputation, missing data were simulated at random and using real patterns of missingness. A total of 10 imputation strategies were tested. Next, BWV was calculated using linear and nonlinear approaches, and the effects of missing data and data imputation on these estimates were investigated.

RESULTS

Body weight imputation using structural modeling with Kalman smoothing or an exponentially weighted moving average provided the best agreement with observed values (root mean square error range 0.62%-0.64%). Imputation performance decreased with missingness and was similar between random and nonrandom simulations. Errors in BWV estimations from missing simulated data sets were low (2%-7% with 80% missing data or a mean of 67, SD 40.1 available body weights) compared with that of imputation strategies where errors were significantly greater, varying by imputation method.

CONCLUSIONS

The decision to impute body weight data depends on the purpose of the analysis. Directions for the best performing imputation methods are provided. For the purpose of estimating BWV, data imputation should not be conducted. Linear and nonlinear methods of estimating BWV provide reasonably accurate estimates under high proportions (80%) of missing data.