bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Surgical Site Infection after Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Surgeries- A Retrospective Evaluation from a Single Center of Western India
Authors: Vasavada Bhavin B. , Patel Hardik
Published: May 2020

Aim: Aim of our study to evaluate various factors responsible for surgical site infection after gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary surgeries. Material and Methods: Patient who underwent gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary surgery in our department were evaluated retrospectively. Various factors associated with surgical site infection were evaluated using univariate and multivariate analysis. Surgical site infection was defined as any culture positive discharge from the wound within 30 days of surgery.Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 23. Results: We evaluated total 331 patients operated between April 2018 to March 2020. 14 patients were lost to follow up after discharge and before completing post operative day 30. 18 patients expired before 30 days without developing SSI and were excluded from the study as per exclusion criteria. 299 patient included in the study. Total 20 patients developed surgical site infection. It showed SSI rate in our study population was 6.68%. On univariate analysis prolonged hospital stay, more blood product used, higher cdc grade of surgery, higher ASA grade, more operative time, open surgeries,colorectal and HPB surgeries were associated with surgical site infections. On multivariate analysis only prolonged hospital stay independently predicted Surgical Site Infectins. (p=0.014,0dds ratio 1.223, 95% confidence interal 1.042-1.435). Conclusion: Prolonged hospital stay independently predicts surgical site infections after gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary surgery.
Statistical Modeling of COVID-19 Pandemic Stages Worldwide
Authors: Datta Ranadeep , Trivedi Prabhat Kumar , Kumawat Ayush , Kumar Rahul , Bhardwaj Isha , Kumari Neha , Agiwal Varun , Kumar Saurabh , Kumar Ashok , Shukla Ashutosh , Kumar Jitendra
Published: May 2020

COVID-19 is an infectious disease, growth of which depends upon the linked stages of the epidemic, the average number of people one person can infect and the time it takes for those people to become infectious themselves. We have studied the COVID-19 time series to understand the growth behaviour of COVID-19 cases series. A structural break occurs in the COVID-19 series at the change time form one stage to another. We have performed the structural break analysis of data available for 207 countries till April 20, 2020. There are 42 countries which have recorded five breaks in COVID cases series. This means that these countries are in the sixth stage of growth transmission and show a downward pattern in reporting in the daily cases, whereas countries with two and three breaks, record the rapid growth pattern in the daily cases. From this study, we conclude that the more the breaks in the series, there is more possibility to determine the constant or decreasing rate of daily cases. It is well fitted using lognormal distribution as this distribution is archived at its highest peak after some period and then suddenly it decreases at a longer time period. This can be seen in various countries like China, Australia, New Zealand and so on.
Developing of guidance for laboratory practice of islamic science-integrated plant anatomy-physiology
Authors: Ali Ahmad , Arif Wiwin Pramita
Published: May 2020

The research aims to develop a valid, effective, and practice guidance for laboratory practice of Islamic science-integrated plant anatomy-physiology. The study is development research of Plomp development model. The study consists of five phases, namely the preliminary investigation phase, design phase, realization or construction phase, test, evaluation, and revision phase, and implementation phase. Devices developed were tested to students of Biology Education Department, Universitas Islam Negeri (UIN) Alauddin, Makassar in the Even Semester 2017/2018 Academic Year. The research results indicate that the laboratory practice guidance developed has met valid criteria with content validation average of one practice criteria with device applicability in category three meaning that most of the devices are implemented. Effective criteria with 92% of students who performed the laboratory practice give positive responses to the overall item questioned, and 100% assistants provide positive response on 93.33% items asked.
Wettability State and Phase Distributions During Steam Injection with and without Chemical Additives: An Experimental Analysis Using Visual Micromodels
Authors: Pratama Randy Agra , Babadagli Tayfun
Published: May 2020

Phase change plays an essential role in wettability during steam injection, and oil becomes the wetting phase in the steam zone. This study investigates this unfavorable phenomenon using visual data obtained from micromodel experiments and how the wettability can be reversed using chemicals. All measurements were conducted at temperatures up to 200°C on glass-bead micromodels. The models were initially saturated with brine solution and then displaced by two types of mineral oils (450 and 111,600 cp at 25°C). Steam was then constantly injected into the micromodels to evaluate the effect of phase change and wettability status on residual saturation development. Next, chemical additives, screened from the previous contact-angle and thermal-stability measurements, were added to the steam to observe their ability in modifying phase distribution and wettability state. The results showed that phase distribution and residual oil saturation are critically sensitive to the steam phase. At any circumstances, wettability alteration with chemicals was possible. The shape and characteristics of the trapped oil with and without chemicals were identified through micromodel images, and suggestions were made as to the conditions (pressure, temperature, and time to apply during the injection application) at which these chemicals show optimal performance.
Phase Behavior, Wettability Alteration, and Oil Recovery of Low-Salinity Surfactant Solutions in Carbonate Reservoirs
Authors: Veiskarami Sepideh , Jafari Arezou , Soleymanzadeh Aboozar
Published: May 2020

Recent investigations have shown that treatment with injected brine composition can improve oil production. Various mechanisms have been suggested to go through the phenomenon; nevertheless, wettability alteration is one of the most commonly proposed mechanisms in the literature. Wettability alteration of the porous media toward a more favorable state reduces the capillary pressure, consequently contributing to the oil detachment from pore walls.

In this study, phase behavior, oil recovery, and wettability alteration toward a more favorable state were investigated using a combination of formulations of surfactant and modified low-salinity (LS) brine. Phase behaviors of these various formulations were examined experimentally through observations on relative phase volumes. Experiments were performed in various water/oil ratios (WORs) in the presence of two different oil samples, namely C1 and C2. These experiments were conducted to clarify the impact of each affecting parameter; in particular, the impact of resin and asphaltene of crude oil on the performance of LS surfactant (LSS) flooding. Hereafter, the optimal formulation was flooded into the oil-wet micromodel. Optimum formulations increased the capillary number more than four orders of magnitude higher than that under formation brine (FB) flooding, thus causing oil recovery rates of 61 and 67% for oil samples C1 and C2, respectively. Likewise, the wettability alteration potential of optimized formulations was studied through contact angle measurements. Results showed that LS and LSS solutions could act as possible wettability alternating methods for oil-wet carbonate rocks. Using the optimum formulation resulted in a wettability alteration index (WAI) of 0.66 for sample C1 and 0.49 for sample C2, while using LS brine itself ended in 0.51 and 0.29 for oil samples C1 and C2, respectively.
Evaluation of Mineralogy per Geological Layers by Approximate Bayesian Computation
Authors: Bruned Vianney , Cleynen Alice , Mas André , Wlodarczyk Sylvain
Published: May 2020

We propose a new three-step methodology to perform an automated mineralogical inversion from wellbore logs. The approach is derived from a Bayesian linear-regression model with no prior knowledge of the mineral composition of the rock. The first step makes use of approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) for each depth sample to evaluate all the possible mineral proportions that are consistent with the measured log responses. The second step gathers these candidates for a given stratum and computes through a density-based clustering algorithm the most probable mineralogical compositions. Finally, for each stratum and for the most probable combinations, a mineralogical inversion is performed with an associated confidence estimate. The advantage of this approach is to explore all possible mineralogy hypotheses that match the wellbore data. This pipeline is tested on both synthetic and real data sets.
Predicting the Concentration of Hydrogen Sulfide in Hydrocarbon-Bearing Clastic Reservoirs: Introducing the Iron-Chlorite-Pyrite-Hydrogen Sulfide Model
Authors: Bryndzia L. Taras , Villegas Esra Inan
Published: May 2020

A thermodynamic mineral model, based on the sulfidation of iron (Fe)-chlorite to pyrite and hydrogen sulfide (H2S), has been developed for predicting the concentration of H2S (0 to 50 ppm) in hydrocarbon-bearing clastic reservoirs. The model replaces decades-old correlations used for H2S prediction in clastic reservoirs globally. This study established that the primary control on f H2S in the subsurface is temperature and reservoir redox state, represented by the oxygen fugacity (fO2). This discovery represents a fundamental advance in our understanding of the controls of H2S stability in subsurface formations and presents a thermodynamic basis for quantitative prediction of the concentration of H2S in clastic hydrocarbon-bearing reservoirs.

fO2 is accurately modeled by the metastable pyrite-pyrrhotite-magnetite fO2 buffer with an FeS activity in pyrrhotite of 0.315. The modeled fO2 is used as one of the inputs to the pyrite-chlorite-H2S mineral model. The veracity of this mineral-based model has been demonstrated for pressures of 20,000 + psi (137.9 + MPa) and temperatures of 225°C. The model predicts f H2S and can be used to estimate the partial pressure and concentration of H2S in both liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons, vent clouds, and coexisting aqueous phase [i.e., H2S(aq)]. H2S fugacity coefficients may be estimated at any pressure and temperature and must account for the fluid type and composition. Results from the new model are robust and consistent with measured H2S data from dry gas, oil, and retrograde gas condensate containing up to ∼10 mol% CO2.

We demonstrate for our global H2S data set (n = 97) a 1:1 comparison between measured concentrations of H2S and model estimates based on our new thermodynamic mineral model. In most cases, the model can reproduce reported H2S values to within ±3 ppm. Sensitivity analyses of input parameters, that is, pressure, temperature, salinity (aH2O), and chlorite composition (XFe in Fe-chlorite), are evaluated using Monte Carlo simulation. Tornado plots generated by the Monte Carlo simulations showed that estimated concentrations of H2S are generally insensitive to uncertainties in pressure (±1,000 psi), Fe-chlorite composition (XFe = 0.65 ± 0.15), and salinity (aH2O = 0.93 ± 0.05). However, H2S concentrations are most sensitive to uncertainties in temperature and composition of the hydrocarbon phase.

Numerous disciplines require H2S prediction as the basis of their respective discipline's work that is delivered to the business. The new H2S model replaces the model from Grimes and McNeil (2005) and should be the foundation on which many H2S-related applications, including corrosion studies, gas-sweetening process-system specification, and dispersion modeling, establish the appropriate subsurface and surface requirements.
Use of technology for public health surveillance reporting: opportunities, challenges and lessons learnt from Kenya
Authors: Njeru Ian , Kareko David , Kisangau Ngina , Langat Daniel , Liku Nzisa , Owiso George , Dolan Samantha , Rabinowitz Peter , Macharia Daniel , Ekechi Chinyere , Widdowson Marc-Alain
Published: May 2020

Background: Infectious diseases remain one of the greatest threats to public health globally. Effective public health surveillance systems are therefore needed to provide timely and accurate information for early detection and response. In 2016, Kenya transitioned its surveillance system from a standalone web-based surveillance system to the more sustainable and integrated District Health Information System 2 (DHIS2). As part of Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) initiatives in Kenya, training on use of the new system was conducted among surveillance officers. We evaluated the surveillance indicators during the transition period in order to assess the impact of this training on surveillance metrics and identify challenges affecting reporting rates. Methods: From February to May 2017, we analysed surveillance data for 13 intervention and 13 comparison counties. An intervention county was defined as one that had received refresher training on DHIS2 while a comparison county was one that had not received training. We evaluated the impact of the training by analysing completeness and timeliness of reporting 15 weeks before and 12 weeks after the training. A chi-square test of independence was used to compare the reporting rates between the two groups. A structured questionnaire was administered to the training participants to assess the challenges affecting surveillance reporting. Results: The completeness of reporting increased significantly after the training by 17 percentage points (from 45% to 62%) for the intervention group compared to 3 percentage points (49% to 52%) for the comparison group. Timeliness of reporting increased significantly by 21 percentage points (from 30% to 51%) for the intervention group compared to 7 percentage points (from 31% to 38%) for the comparison group. Major challenges identified for the low reporting rates included lack of budget support from government, lack of airtime for reporting, health workers strike, health facilities not sending surveillance data, use of wrong denominator to calculate reporting rates and surveillance officers being given other competing tasks. Conclusions: Training plays an important role in improving public health surveillance reporting. However, to improve surveillance reporting rates to the desired national targets, other challenges affecting reporting must be identified and addressed accordingly.
Active and latent tuberculosis in refugees and asylum seekers: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Proenca Raquel , Souza Fernanda Mattos , Bastos Mayara Lisboa , Caetano Rosangela , Braga Jose Ueleres , Faerstein Eduardo , Trajman Anete
Published: May 2020

Background: In 2018, there were 70.8 million refugees, asylum seekers and persons displaced by wars and conflicts worldwide. Many of these individuals face a high risk for tuberculosis in their country of origin, which may be accentuated by adverse conditions endured during their journey. We summarised the prevalence of active and latent tuberculosis infection in refugees and asylum seekers through a systematic literature review and meta-analyses by country of origin and host continent. Methods: Articles published in Medline, EMBASE, Web of Science and LILACS from January 2000 to August 2017 were searched for, without language restriction. Two independent authors performed the study selection, data extraction and quality assessment. Random effect models were used to estimate average measures of active and latent tuberculosis prevalence. Sub-group meta-analyses were performed according to country of origin and host continent.Results: Sixty-seven out of 767 identified articles were included, of which 16 entered the meta-analyses. Average prevalence of active and latent tuberculosis was 1331 per 100 thousand inhabitants [95% confidence interval (CI) = 542-2384] and 37% (95% CI = 23-52%), respectively, both with high level of heterogeneity (variation in estimative attributable to heterogeneity [I2] = 98.2% and 99.8%). Prevalence varied more according to countries of origin than host continent. Ninety-one per cent of studies reported routine screening of recently arrived immigrants in the host country; two-thirds confirmed tuberculosis bacteriologically. Many studies failed to provide relevant information.Conclusion: Tuberculosis is a major health problem among refugees and asylum seekers and should be given special attention in any host continent. To protect this vulnerable population, ensuring access to healthcare for early detection for prevention and treatment of the disease is essential.
Comparing national dementia plans and strategies in Europe – Is there a focus of care for people with dementia from a migration background?
Authors: Schmachtenberg Tim , Monsees Jessica , Hoffmann Wolfgang , Berg Neeltje van den , Stentzel Ulrike , Thyrian Jochen René
Published: May 2020

Background People with migration background and dementia are a vulnerable group. Providing care for this group is a public health challenge in Europe. An increasing number of countries are issuing national dementia plans, but a systematic overview of national dementia plans of European countries focusing on care for people with migration background is lacking. This study aims to illustrate how European countries identify the dementia-related needs of people with migration background and whether there are specific healthcare services for them at the national level. Methods A qualitative analysis of national dementia plans of the EU and EFTA (European Free Trade Association) countries was carried out. Using the discourse analysis model according to Rainer Keller (2011), documents were systematically screened for their relation to migration via keyword and context analysis. The content of the migration-related sections was analyzed using the methods of paraphrasing, memos, comments, and open coding. Results Twenty-three of the 35 EU and ETFA countries have a national dementia plan, ten of these documents refer to migration and one country (Austria) has a national dementia plan with a chapter on migration. Eight national dementia plans identify that people with migration background and dementia have special needs, and actions to care for this group are planned in nine countries. However, only Norway, Northern Ireland, and the Netherlands refer to available healthcare services for people with migration background. Overall, the topic of migration plays a subordinate role in the national dementia plans of European countries.Conclusions The current lack of migrant-specific healthcare services in almost all European countries may lead to denying the right to appropriate care to a growing population. The topic of migration must be given greater attention in national dementia plans. European countries should develop strategies with specific services that address the needs of people with migration background. To improve comparability at the European level, a common definition of migration is needed. Further studies should include country-specific problems related to dementia and migration.
Functional analyses of miRNA-146b-5p during myogenic proliferation and differentiation in chicken myoblasts
Authors: Lee Jeong Hyo , Kim Seo Woo , Han Ji Seon , Shin Seung Pyo , Lee Sang In , Park Tae Sub
Published: May 2020

Background: In the poultry and livestock industries, precise genetic information is crucial for improving economic traits. Thus, functional genomic studies help to generate faster, healthier, and more efficient animal production. Chicken myoblast cells, which are required for muscle development and regeneration, are particularly important because chicken growth is closely related to muscle mass. Results: In this study, we induced expression of microRNA-146b-5p mediated by the piggyBac transposon system in primary chicken myoblast (pCM) cells. Subsequently, we analyzed and compared the proliferation and differentiation capacity and also examined the expression of related genes in regular pCM (rpCM) cells and pCM cells overexpressing miRNA-146b-5p (pCM-146b OE cells). pCM-146b OE cells showed increased proliferation and upregulated gene expression related to cell proliferation. In addition, next-generation sequencing analyses were performed to compare global gene expression patterns between rpCM cells and pCM-146b OE cells. We found that the higher proliferation in pCM-146b OE cells was the result of upregulation of gene sets related to the cell cycle. Moreover, miRNA-146b-5p overexpression had inhibitory effects on myotube differentiation in pCM cells. Conclusions: Collectively these results demonstrate that miR-146b-5p is closely related to the proliferation and differentiation of chicken myogenic cells as a modulator of post-transcription.
Examining correlations between opioid dispensing and opioid-related hospitalizations in Canada, 2007 - 2016
Authors: Jones Wayne , Kurdyak Paul , Fischer Benedikt
Published: May 2020

Background: High levels of opioid-related mortality, as well as morbidity, contribute to the excessive opioid-related disease burden in North America, induced by high availability of opioids. While correlations between opioid dispensing levels and mortality outcomes are well-established, fewer evidence exists on correlations with morbidity (e.g., hospitalizations).Methods: We examined possible overtime correlations between medical opioid dispensing and opioid-related hospitalizations in Canada, by province, 2007 – 2016. For dispensing, we examined annual volumes of medical opioid dispensing from a representative, stratified sample of retail pharmacies across Canada. Raw dispensing information for ‘strong opioids’ was converted into Defined Daily Doses per 1,000 population per day (DDD/1,000/day). Opioid-related hospitalization rates referred to opioid poisoning-related admissions by province, for fiscal years 2007-08 to 2016-17, drawn from the national Hospital Morbidity Database. We assessed possible correlations between opioid dispensing and hospitalizations by province using the Pearson product moment correlation; correlation values (r) and confidence intervals were reported.Results: Significant correlations for overtime correlations between population-levels of opioid dispensing and opioid-related hospitalizations were observed for three provinces: Quebec (r=0.87, CI: 0.49–0.97; p=0.002); New Brunswick (r=0.85;CI: 0.43–0.97; p=0.004) and Nova Scotia (r=0.78; CI:0.25–0.95; p=0.012), with Saskatchewan (r=0.073; CI:-0.07–0.91;p=0.073) featuring borderline significance.Conclusions: The correlations observed further contribute to evidence on opioid dispensing levels as a systemic driver of population-level harms. Notably, correlations were not identified principally in provinces with reported high contribution levels (>50%) of illicit opioids to mortality, which are not captured by dispensing data and so may have distorted potential effects due to contamination.
Motivations and expectations driving community participation in entomological research projects: Target Malaria as a case study in Bana, Western Burkina Faso
Authors: Barry Nourou , Toé Patrice , Pare/Toe Lea , Lezaun Javier , Drabo Mouhamed , Dabiré Roch , Diabate Abdoulaye
Published: May 2020

Background Most field entomology research projects require active participation by local community members. Since 2012, Target Malaria, a not-for-profit research consortium, has been working with residents in the village of Bana, in Western Burkina Faso, in various studies involving mosquito collections, releases and recaptures. The long-term goal of this work is to develop innovative solutions to combat malaria in Africa with the help of mosquito modification technologies. Since the start of the project, Bana residents have played an important role in research activities, yet the motivations and expectations that drive their participation remain under-investigated. This study examines the factors that motivate some members of the local community to contribute to the implementation of Target Malaria’s activities, and, more broadly, explores the reasons that animate citizen participation in entomological research work in malaria-endemic regions. Methods A qualitative approach was used to survey the factors motivating members of the local community to assist in the implementation of Target Malaria’s entomological research activities in Bana. Eighty-five individual in-depth and semi-structured interviews were conducted, followed by three focus groups, one with youths who had participated in mosquito collections, and two with adult men and women from the village. All data collected were fully transcribed, processed, and subjected to thematic content analysis. Results Data showed that the willingness of local community members to participate in entomological research activities was informed by a wide range of motivational factors. Although interviewees expressed their motivations under different semantic registers, the data showed a degree of consistency around five categories of motivation: (a) enhance domestic protection from mosquitoes and malaria, (b) contribute to a future world free of the disease, (c) acquire knowledge and skills, (d) earn financial compensation, and (e) gain social prestige for the village.Conclusion These varying motivations reflect a set of differing personal and collective perceptions about the participation process, combining short and long-term, individual and collective motivations. Beyond the specific circumstances of this case, our study highlights the complex reasons that drive collective participation in entomological research and vector control activities. Detailed knowledge of community expectations should underpin any effort to mobilize local participation in field research activities.
Non-communicable diseases are key to further narrow gender gap in life expectancy in Shanghai, China
Authors: Chen Hanyi , Zhou Yi , Sun Lianghong , Chen Yichen , Qu Xiaobin , Chen Hua , Rajbhandari-Thapa Janani , Xiao Shaotan
Published: May 2020

Background To address change in gender gap of life expectancy (GGLE) in Shanghai from 1973 to 2018, and to identify the major causes of death and age groups associated with the change overtime.Methods Retrospective demographic analysis with application of Joinpoint regression to evaluate the temporal trend in GGLE. Causes of death were coded in accordance with International Classification of Diseases and mapped with the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) cause list. Life table technique and decomposition method was used to express changes in GGLE.Results Trend of GGLE in Shanghai experienced two phases ie., a decrease from 8.4 to 4.2 years in the descent phase (1973-1999) and a fluctuation between 4.0 and 4.9 years in the plateau phase (1999-2018). The reduced age-specific mortality rates tended to concentrate to a narrower age range, from age 0-9 and above 30 years in the descent phase to age above 55 years in the plateau phase. Gastroesophageal and liver cancer, communicable, chronic respiratory and digestive diseases were once the major contributors to narrow GGLE in the descent phase. While importance should be attached to a widening effect on GGLE by lung cancer, cardiovascular diseases, other neoplasms like colorectal and pancreatic cancer and diabetes in recent plateau phase.Conclusions Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have made GGLE enter a plateau phase from a descent phase in Shanghai China. Public efforts to reduce excess mortalities for male NCDs, cancers, cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes in particular and health policies focused on the middle-aged and elderly population might further narrow GGLE and ensure improvement in health and health equity in Shanghai China.
Clostridioides difficile ribotype distribution in a large teaching hospital in Serbia
Authors: Korać Miloš , Rupnik Maja , Nikolić Nataša , Jovanović Milica , Tošić Tanja , Malinić Jovan , Mitrović Nikola , Marković Marko , Vujović Ankica , Peruničić Sanja , Bojović Ksenija , Djordjević Vladimir , Barać Aleksandra , Milošević Ivana
Published: May 2020

Background: The global epidemic of nosocomial diarrhea caused by Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile started in 2000, with high mortality rates and emergence of a new hypervirulent strain NAP1/BI/027. The aim of this study was to assess the presence of ribotype 027 and other C. difficile ribotypes in a Serbian University Hospital, compare the temporal variability of ribotypes three years apart, as well as to compare clinical, demographic and laboratory characteristics and disease outcome among patients infected with 027 and non-027 ribotype. This was a prospective observational cohort study addressing four-month intervals during 2014/2015 and 2017/2018. Results: Ribotyping was performed in 64 non-duplicate C. difficile strains. Ribotype 027 was the most prevalent, and was detected in 53 (82.8%) patients (43/45 and 10/19 patients in 2014-2015 and 2017/2018, respectively). Other detected ribotypes were 001/072 in 4 (6,3%), 002 in 4 (6,3%), 014/020 in 2 (3,1%) and 176 in 1 (1,5%) patient. The percentage of the patients infected with ribotype 027 significantly decreased during the three-year period, from 95.6% to 52.6% (p<0.001). Ribotype 027 infection was associated with fluoroquinolone treatment more frequently than infection with other ribotypes [33 (62.3%) vs. 2 (18.2%), p= 0.010)]. A severe C. difficile infection was diagnosed more often in patients with the detected ribotype 027 compared to those infected with non-027 ribotypes (p=0.006). No significant difference in the mortality and recurrence rates was found between the patients infected with ribotype 027 and those infected with other ribotypes [10/53 (18.8%) vs. 2/11 (18.2%), p=0.708, and 10/35 (28.6%) vs. 0/2 (0%), p=1.000, respectively].Conclusion: C. difficile ribotype 027 was the most prevalent ribotype among patients in a large Serbian hospital, but there is a clear decreasing trend.
Regional heterogeneities of health literacy in China: a population-based study
Authors: Li Zhenhua , Tian Yongquan , Xiao Shuiyuan , Gong Zhicheng , Qian Long
Published: May 2020

Background: Few studies have described the geographic variation in health literacy in China. This study aimed to investigate the regional heterogeneities in health literacy levels in the Chinese population, in order to formulate targeted health literacy promotion strategies in different economic and cultural contexts.Methods: Multi-stage stratification, clustering, and random sampling methods were used to select 70 study sites from 25 provinces or municipalities in China in 2017. Health literacy was measured using the National Resident Health Literacy Monitoring Questionnaire. MapInfo software was used to map the geographic distribution. Multiple logistic regression was used to adjust for the factors associated with the health literacy level in the total and regional samples.Results: A total of 3,482 participants were included in the study, including 1,792 (51.5%) males and 1,690 (48.5%) females. Notable geographic variation was observed in the health literacy level. The proportion of respondents with adequate health literacy was 22.3% overall, 33.0% in the eastern region, 23.1% in the central region, and 17.6% in the western region. The proportion of adequate health literacy in the different provinces or municipalities ranged from 10.5%(Xinjiang) to 47.0%(Beijing). Being a female (odds ratio [OR]=1.360, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.153-1.605), having a higher education level (OR=1.860, 95% CI: 1.671-2.070), having a better economic status (OR=1.353, 95% CI: 1.220-1.502), having a better self-rated health status (OR=1.263, 95% CI: 1.081-1.476), and having more community health education (OR=1.192, 95% CI: 1.034-1.374) were independently associated with adequate health literacy.Conclusions: The health literacy level of Chinese people is still low, and there are heterogeneities among different regions, between urban and rural areas, and among different social groups. The methods used to improve the health literacy levels of people in different regions should be adapted to local conditions. In the central and eastern regions, low-income people are the focus of health literacy improvement efforts. Special emphasis should be placed on the degree of health knowledge publicity and the accessibility of health knowledge and skills in the central and western regions.
SYBA: Bayesian estimation of synthetic accessibility of organic compounds
Authors: Voršilák Milan , Kolář Michal , Čmelo Ivan , Svozil Daniel
Published: May 2020

SYBA (SYnthetic Bayesian Accessibility) is a fragment-based method for the rapid classification of organic compounds as easy- (ES) or hard-to-synthesize (HS). It is based on a Bernoulli naïve Bayes classifier that is used to assign SYBA score contributions to individual fragments based on their frequencies in the database of ES and HS molecules. SYBA was trained on ES molecules available in the ZINC15 database and on HS molecules generated by the Nonpher methodology. SYBA was compared with a random forest, that was utilized as a baseline method, as well as with other two methods for synthetic accessibility assessment: SAScore and SCScore. When used with their suggested thresholds, SYBA improves over random forest classification, albeit marginally, and outperforms SAScore and SCScore. However, upon the optimization of SAScore threshold (that changes from 6.0 to ~4.5), SAScore yields similar results as SYBA. Because SYBA is based merely on fragment contributions, it can be used for the analysis of the contribution of individual molecular parts to compound synthetic accessibility. SYBA is publicly available at https://github.com/lich-uct/syba under the GNU General Public License.
The use of Lactobacillus plantarum 299v (DSM 9843) in cancer patients receiving home enteral nutrition – study protocol for a randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled trial
Authors: Karolina Kaźmierczak-Siedlecka , Folwarski Marcin , Skonieczna-Żydecka Karolina , Ruszkowski Jakub , Makarewicz Wojciech
Published: May 2020

Background Nutritional treatment is one of the most important components of multidisciplinary anti-cancer therapy. Home enteral nutrition is considered as a safe procedure, however, it may be associated with the risk of side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhoea. It is uncertain whether diarrhoea is the result of the enteral formula administration or gut dysbiosis. One of the methods which may be used to alter the composition of gut microbiota is the administration of a probiotic strain. Lactobacillus plantarum 299v ingestion was found to diminish the adverse events of irritable bowel syndrome and Clostridium difficile infection - entities that share the symptoms with enteral nutrition side effects. Therefore, the primary aim of this study is to determine the effect of Lactobacillus plantarum 299v on nutritional status of cancer patients receiving home enteral nutrition. The secondary aims are to evaluate the role of this probiotic strain in the improvement of enteral nutrition tolerance and patients’ quality of life. Methods Forty patients with cancer receiving home enteral nutrition will be enrolled in this clinical trial and randomized to receive one capsule of Lactobacillus plantarum 299v (Sanprobi IBS®) twice a day or placebo for 12 weeks in a double-blind manner. Laboratory tests (the level of albumin, total protein, transferrin, and total lymphocyte count), anthropometric parameters (body mass, the content of fat mass, muscle mass, and total body water), Nutritional Risk Screening (NRS 2002), enteral nutrition tolerance as well as quality of life will be measured. Measurements will be obtained at the baseline and after 4 and 12 weeks of treatment. Discussion The adverse events observed during administration of enteral nutrition have an negative impact on enteral formula tolerance and as a consequence patients’ quality of life. The previous studies have demonstrated that probiotics may reduce the gastrointestinal symptoms related to enteral nutrition. Thus, administration of Lactobacillus plantarum 299v may be effective in improvement of nutritional status, enteral nutrition tolerance, and quality of life of cancer patients receiving home enteral nutrition. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03940768
Night sleep duration and risk of each lipid profile abnormality in a Chinese population: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Song Qiaofeng , Liu Xiaoxue , Zhou Wenhua , Wu Shouling , Wang Xizhu
Published: May 2020

Background To explore the associations between sleep duration and abnormalities in each serum lipid level in a Chinese population. Methods A prospective study was conducted with 34,260 participants from the general Chinese population. Sleep duration was categorized as ≤5, 6, 7, 8 or ≥9 h. Each lipid profile abnormality was defined according to the Chinese Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Dyslipidemia in Adults (2016). The Cox proportional hazards model was used to assess these associations. Results Compared with a 7 h sleep duration, long sleep duration (≥9 h) was significantly associated with low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels (hazard ratio (HR): 1.24; 95% CI: 1.12–1.38). In subgroup analyses, the positive association between long sleep duration and low HDL-C levels in men and in the different age groups were more pronounced than the association in women. No significant interactions were observed in the association between sleep duration and each abnormal serum lipid level by sex/age in the study population( P - interaction>0.05). Conclusions These findings suggest that long sleep duration is associated with low HDL-C levels among the Kailuan community population.
Serum concentration of asprosin in new-onset type 2 diabetes
Authors: Naiemian Shakiba , naeemipour Mohsen , Zarei Mehdi , Gohari Ali , Behroozikhah Mohammad Reza , Heydari Hafez , Miri Mohammad
Published: May 2020

Background: Asprosin, a newly identified adipokine, is pathologically increased in individuals with insulin resistance. However, the available evidence on the association of asprosin and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) status is still scarce. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the relationship between serum concentrations of asprosin and T2DM status. Methods: This observational study was performed based on 194 adults (97 newly diagnosed T2DM and 97 healthy individuals). Anthropometric and biochemical variables were determined in all participants. Serum concentrations of asprosin were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: In patients with T2DM, the serum concentrations of asprosin were significantly higher than the healthy controls (4.18 [IQR: 4.4] vs. 3.5 [IQR: 1.85], P< 0.001). The concentrations of asprosin were significantly correlated with body mass index (BMI) and fasting blood glucose (FBG) in healthy subjects and with BMI, FBG, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and quantitative insulin check index (QUICKI), triacylglycerol (TAG) and total cholesterol/ high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TC/HDL-C) ratio in the T2DM group. In fully adjusted model, the odds ratio (OR) of T2DM with serum concentrations of asprosin was approximately 1.547 (95% CI 1.293-1.850, P< 0.001) compared to the control group. Multiple stepwise regression analysis indicated that FBG and HOMA-IR were independently associated with asprosin in T2DM. Conclusion: Our findings indicated that serum concentrations of asprosin are increased in patients with T2DM. Also, asprosin is correlated with insulin resistance and TC/HDL-C ratio (atherosclerotic risk factor of cardiovascular diseases) in patients with T2DM.
Identification and Validation of an Individualized Autophagy-Clinical Prognostic Index in Gastric Cancer Patients
Authors: Qiu Jieping , Sun Mengyu , Wang Yaoqun , Chen Bo
Published: May 2020

Background : The purpose of this study is to perform bioinformatics analysis of autophagy-related genes in gastric cancer, and to construct a multi-gene joint signature for predicting the prognosis of gastric cancer. Methods : GO and KEGG analysis were applied for differentially expressed autophagy-related genes in gastric cancer, and PPI network was constructed in Cytoscape software. In order to optimize the prognosis evaluation system of gastric cancer, we established a prognosis model integrating autophagy-related genes. We used single factor Cox proportional risk regression analysis to screen genes related to prognosis from 204 autophagy-related genes in The Atlas Cancer Genome (TCGA) gastric cancer cohort. Then, the generated genes were applied to the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO). Finally, the selected genes were further included in the multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analysis to establish the prognosis model. According to the median risk score, patients were divided into high-risk group and low-risk group, and survival analysis was conducted to evaluate the prognostic value of risk score. Finally, by combining clinic-pathological features and prognostic gene signatures, a nomogram was established to predict individual survival probability. Results : GO analysis showed that the 28 differently expressed autophagy-related genes was enriched in cell growth, neuron death, and regulation of cell growth. KEGG analysis showed that the 28 differently expressed autophagy-related genes were related to platinum drug resistance, apoptosis and p53 signaling pathway. The risk score was constructed based on 4 genes (GRID2, ATG4D,GABARAPL2, CXCR4), and gastric cancer patients were significantly divided into high-risk and low-risk groups according to overall survival. In multivariate Cox regression analysis, risk score was still an independent prognostic factor (HR = 1.922, 95% CI = 1.573-2.349, P < 0.001). Cumulative curve showed that the survival time of patients with low-risk score was significantly longer than that of patients with high-risk score (P < 0.001). The external data GSE62254 proved that nomograph had a great ability to evaluate the prognosis of individual gastric cancer patients. Conclusions: This study provides a potential prognostic marker for predicting the prognosis of GC patients and the molecular biology of GC autophagy.
Salivary β2- microglobulin Levels in Patients with Erosive Oral Lichen Planus and Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Nosratzehi Fatemeh , Nosratzehi Tahereh , Alijani Ebrahim , Rad Soha Saberi
Published: May 2020

Obectives: β2 microglobulin, as a biomarker, is used for the diagnosis oforal malignant and pre-malignant lesions. The components of the microglobulin system can directly or indirectly helpgrow and develop tumors. The present study aims to comparebeta-2 microglobulin levels in patients with lichen planus of the esophagus, oral squamous cell carcinoma, and healthy individuals. Further, it evaluated the salivaryβ2- microglobulin level in malignantand pre-malignant lesions. Oral lichen planus(OLP) is a chronic skin-mucus disorder. Of the total 75 patients referred to Oral Medicine at Dentistry School of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, 25 were healthy and 25 had oral Lichen Planus(OLP) and the rest had squamous cell carcinoma(SCC). To collect the saliva samples, unstimulated spitting was used. They were collectedbetween 9 and 12 a.mSalivary beta2microglobin was recorded based on the factory instructions by ELISA optical density method with 450nm wavelength for each sample.The data were analyzed using descriptive, Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney and Pearson’s correlation coefficient (SPSS 21).Results: The salivary β2 microglobulin level in patients with squamous cell carcinoma(SCC) and oral lichen plan(OLP) is significantly higher than that inhealthy group. Thus, this index is usedfor assessing early malignant transformationand oral pre-malignantlesion.
Knockdown of Son, a mouse homologue of the ZTTK syndrome gene, causes neuronal migration defects and dendritic spine abnormalities.
Authors: Ueda Masashi , Matsuki Tohru , Fukada Masahide , Eda Shima , Toya Akie , Iio Akio , Tabata Hidenori , Nakayama Atsuo
Published: May 2020

Zhu-Tokita-Takenouchi-Kim (ZTTK) syndrome, a rare congenital anomaly syndrome characterized by intellectual disability, brain malformation, facial dysmorphism, musculoskeletal abnormalities, and some visceral malformations is caused by de novo heterozygous mutations of the SON gene. The nuclear protein SON is involved in gene transcription and RNA splicing; however, the roles of SON in neural development remain undetermined. We investigated the effects of Son knockdown on neural development in mice and found that Son knockdown in neural progenitors resulted in defective migration during corticogenesis and reduced spine density on mature cortical neurons. The induction of human wild-type SON expression rescued these neural abnormalities, confirming that the abnormalities were caused by SON insufficiency. We also applied truncated SON proteins encoded by disease-associated mutant SON genes for rescue experiments and found that a truncated SON protein encoded by the most prevalent SON mutant found in ZTTK syndrome rescued the neural abnormalities while another much shorter mutant SON protein did not. These data indicate that SON insufficiency causes neuronal migration defects and dendritic spine abnormalities, which seem neuropathological bases of the neural symptoms of ZTTK syndrome. In addition, the results support that the neural abnormalities in ZTTK syndrome are caused by SON haploinsufficiency independent of the types of mutation that results in functional or dysfunctional proteins.
Lumbar degenerative disease after oblique lateral interbody fusion:sagittal spinopelvic alignment and its impact on low back pain
Authors: Li Jia , Zhang Di , Shen Yong , Qi Xiangbei
Published: May 2020

Background: We determined the incidence and risk factors of low back pain (LBP) in patients with lumbar degenerative disease after single-level oblique lateral interbody fusion (OLIF). Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 120 lumbar degenerative disease patients who underwent single-level OLIF. We compared preoperative and postoperative radiographic parameters, including segmental lordosis (SL), lumbar lordosis (LL), disk height (DH), pelvic incidence (PI), pelvic tilt (PT), sacral slope (SS), thoracic kyphosis (TK), C7-sagittal vertical axis (SVA). Clinical outcomes were evaluated using Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores and visual analog scale (VAS) scores for back and leg pain. All patients were followed up for at least 2 years. Results: Thirty-eight patients had postoperative LBP (VAS score for back pain ≥ 3; LBP group); the remaining 82 patients were in the non-LBP group. Age (P = 0.082), gender (P = 0.425), body mass index (P = 0.138), diagnosis (degenerative spondylolisthesis vs. lumbar spinal stenosis; P = 0.529), surgical level (P = 0.651), blood loss (P = 0.889), and operative time (P = 0.731) did not differ between the groups. In both groups, the ODI and VAS scores for back pain and leg pain significantly improved at the final follow-up compared to the preoperative scores (P = 0.003). Except for the VAS score for back pain (P = 0.000), none of the scores significantly differed between the two groups at the final follow-up (P > 0.05). In the non-LBP group, LL, SL, DH, TK, and SS significantly improved, while PT and C7-SVA significantly decreased at the final follow-up as compared to the preoperative values. In both groups, DH significantly improved postoperatively, with no significant between-group difference (P = 0.325). At the final follow-up, LL, PI-LL mismatch, PT, and C7-SVA showed significantly greater improvement in the non-LBP group than in the LBP group (P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis identified PT, PI-LL mismatch, and C7-SVA as significant risk factors for LBP after OLIF. Conclusion: OLIF for single-level lumbar degenerative disease had satisfactory clinical outcomes. PT, PI-LL mismatch, and C7-SVA were significant risk factors for postoperative LBP. Patients with appropriately decreased PT, improved C7-SVA, and PI-LL match experienced less LBP.