bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sentinel Lymph Node Mapping in Early Stage Endometrial Cancer Patients in Low-Resource Settings
Authors: Negm Mahmoud Abubakr , Refaie Ashraf Nasr , El-Sayed Magdi Ragab , Abdel Azeez Hesham R. , Gad Abdalla Hassan , Wasfy Mohamed Ahmed , Nasr Ahmed Abobakr
Published: December 2020

Background:

Lymph node status has a prognostic role in endometrial cancer patients and
it determines the adjuvant therapy to be administered postoperatively. Complete lymphadenectomy
carries the risk of serious complications. Sentinel Lymph Node mapping (SLN) may be a good option
to reduce these complications. Cervical injection of methylene blue may be a suitable technique
for SLN mapping, which can be applied in low-resource institutes.

Objective:

Assessment of the detection rate, sensitivity and false negative rate of SLN mapping
using cervical injection of methylene blue.

Methods:

A total of 76 patients with early stage endometrial cancer were included. Methylene blue
was injected into the cervix prior to surgery and open surgical approach was used. SLNs were detected
by direct visualization of stained lymph nodes after opening of pelvic spaces. SLNs were
excised and pelvic lymphadenectomy was performed. Para-aortic lymphadenectomy was performed
when indicated and surgically feasible. Specimens were examined by H&E staining.

Results:

The SLN detection rate was 47.4% and all detected SLNs were pelvic nodes. All patients
with lymph node metastasis had metastatic disease in their SLNs. The technique had 100% sensitivity,
100% negative predictive value and a 0% false-negative rate. An inverse relationship between
SLN detection and BMI was detected.

Conclusion:

Cervical injection of methylene blue dye with an open approach to detect SLNs in
patients with early stage endometrial cancer has a low detection rate. The most important factor
associated with failed mapping is increased BMI. Further trials are needed to investigate the usefulness
of this technique.
Recent Imaging Advancements for Lung Metastases in Children with Sarcoma
Authors: Facchini Giancarlo , Ceccarelli Luca , Tomà Paolo , Bartoloni Alessandra
Published: December 2020

In children and adolescents affected by musculoskeletal sarcomas (both soft tissue and
bone sarcomas), the presence of lung metastases is a frequent complication, that should be known
since the patient’s prognosis, as management, and treatment depend on it. During the staging
phase, the detection of lung metastases should be sensitive and specific, and it should be carried
out by minimizing the radiation exposure. To deal with this problem, imaging has reached important
goals in recent years, thanks to the development of cone-beam CT or low-dose computed tomography,
with some new iterative reconstruction methods, such as Veo and ASIR. Imaging is also
fundamental for the possibility to perform lung biopsies under CT guidance, with less morbidity,
less time-consumption, and shorter recovery time, compared to surgical biopsies.Moreover, important
results have also been demonstrated in the treatment of lung metastases, due to the improvement
of new mini-invasive image-guided percutaneous thermal ablation procedures, which proved
to be safe and effective also in young patients.
Effect of Achyranthes Aspera Linn. Leaves Extract on Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) in Diabetes-induced Rats by Flow cytometry and Possible Molecular Mechanism through Molecular Docking
Authors: Deshpande Trupti C. , Une Hemant D.
Published: December 2020

Background::

Oxidative stress is caused due to the overproduction of the reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the disturbance developed in the antioxidant potential of biochemical processes. ROS mostly form in the brain due to the high consumption of oxygen and the insufficiency of endogenous antioxidant resistance mechanisms. Cytochrome P450 2E1 has an excessive percentage of NADPH oxidase activity, which causes the production of ROS and increases oxidative stress.

Objectives::

We have studied the effect of ethyl acetate extract of Achyranthes Aspera (EAAA) on ROS in the brain of diabetes-induced rats. We have also investigated the possible molecular mechanism of reduction in ROS through molecular docking.

Methods:

To study the oxidative stress induced by ROS in diabetic rats, we estimated the ROS in rat brain through flow cytometry. The oral dose of EAAA 50mg/kg and 100 mg/kg was given to diabetesinduced rats. Results were articulated as mean ± standard deviation (SD). Data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Bonferroni as a post hoc test. We performed molecular docking of flavonoids on CYP2E1 to study the inhibitory potential.

Results::

The results have shown that EAAA reduces the generation of ROS in the diabetes-induced rat in a dose-dependent manner. The oral dose of EAAA 50mg/kg and 100 mg/kg was given to the rats and the ROS generation got affected accordingly. Luteolin, quercetin, and apigenin inhibited the CYP2E1 very effectively. Luteolin formed 4 hydrogen bonds with CYP2E1, which indicated its potential inhibition. Although, luteolin and apigenin showed a very good binding affinity with the enzyme.

Conclusion::

From the present work, we have concluded that the ethyl acetate extract of achyrantesaspera can effectively inhibit the ROS generation in the diabetes-induced rats by inhibiting the activity of CYP2E1.
Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells from Humans and Animals into Insulin-producing Cells: An Overview In Vitro Induction Forms
Authors: Câmara Bruna O.S. , Bertassoli Bruno M. , Ocarino Natália M. , Serakides Rogéria
Published: December 2020

The use of stem cells in cell therapies has shown promising results in the treatment of
several diseases, including diabetes mellitus, in both humans and animals. Mesenchymal stem cells
(MSCs) can be isolated from various locations, including bone marrow, adipose tissues, synovia,
muscles, dental pulp, umbilical cords, and the placenta. In vitro, by manipulating the composition
of the culture medium or transfection, MSCs can differentiate into several cell lineages, including
insulin-producing cells (IPCs). Unlike osteogenic, chondrogenic, and adipogenic differentiation,
for which the culture medium and time are similar between studies, studies involving the induction
of MSC differentiation in IPCs differ greatly. This divergence is usually evident in relation to the
differentiation technique used, the composition of the culture medium, the cultivation time, which
can vary from a few hours to several months, and the number of steps to complete differentiation.
However, although there is no “gold standard” differentiation medium composition, most prominent
studies mention the use of nicotinamide, exedin-4, ß-mercaptoethanol, fibroblast growth factor
b (FGFb), and glucose in the culture medium to promote the differentiation of MSCs into IPCs.
Therefore, the purpose of this review is to investigate the stages of MSC differentiation into IPCs
both in vivo and in vitro, as well as address differentiation techniques and molecular actions and
mechanisms by which some substances, such as nicotinamide, exedin-4, ß-mercaptoethanol, FGFb,
and glucose, participate in the differentiation process.
Study of Cord Blood Levels of Erythropoietin, Bilirubin and Reticulocyte Count as Early Predictors of Neonatal Hyperbilirubinemia
Authors: Elfarargy Mohamed S. , Al-Ashmawy Ghada M. , Abu-Risha Sally , Khattab Haidy
Published: December 2020

Background:

Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia is a serious neonatal problem which has
hazardous effects on the neonates when the level of indirect bilirubin is increased to the levels that
could cause kernicterus.

Aims:

The aim of this research is to study the cord blood levels of erythropoietin (EPO), bilirubin
and reticulocyte count (RC) as early predictors of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.

Methods:

This is a case-control study, which was conducted at Tanta University Hospital (TUH)
from July 2016 to March 2018 on 90 neonates. The studied neonates were divided into 2 groups:
Group 1 (45 neonates) who developed pathological hyperbilirubinemia and required treatment and
group 2(45 neonates) who did not develop pathological hyperbilirubinemia and did not require
treatment. Cord blood levels of EPO, bilirubin and RC were measured in all the studied neonates in
both groups.

Results:

There was a significant difference between both groups with regard to cord blood bilirubin
(CBB), hemoglobin, EPO and RC levels where the P. value is 0.001*,0.027,
*0.001*&0.001*respectively. There was a significant positive correlation between cord blood EPO
levels and both CBB and cord blood RC with r=0.610 and 0.579, respectively and P. value is
0.001* & 0.001* respectively. With regard to ROC curve, there were high cord blood EPO levels
where the cut off value was 22.5 mIU/ml while the sensitivity and specificity were 96 and89, respectively.
In the cord blood RC, the cut off value was 5.7% while the sensitivity and specificity
were 93 and 85, respectively, and lastly, CBB where the cut off value was 1.8 mg/dl while the sensitivity
and specificity were 89 and 78 respectively.

Conclusion:

Cord blood levels of EPO, bilirubin and RC were increased in cases of pathological
neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.

Recommendation:

Cord blood levels of EPO, bilirubin and RC could be used for early prediction
of pathological neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.
An Ultra-wideband Dielectric Resonator Antenna for WSN based IoT
Applications in Agriculture
Authors: Khosla Dishant , Malhi Kulwinder Singh
Published: December 2020

Background:

Agriculture sector is one of the prime and widely spread sectors. So to make it
autonomous and increase its yield, we require a major technological improvement. The only solution to
make advancement is with the use of wireless sensor networks. Internet of Things in this field is used to
provide connectivity to all real-time sensors and to collect that data in computer-based systems without
human involvement.

Objective:

IoT based system is used to monitor physical and environmental conditions of the agriculture
field through a network of wireless sensor. Here, a novel ultra-wideband Dielectric Resonator antenna is
designed that is used in Wi-Fi for transmission of data received from sensors. The antenna designed
should be easy to fabricate and compact in size and should provide high data rates. The complete designed
system should be reliable and cost effective one.

Method:

A proposed IoT based system monitors physical and environmental conditions using a wireless
sensor network consisting of power supply, soil moisture sensor (FC-28), humidity sensor (LM-35),
temperature sensor (HR-202), water level sensor, ARM 7 processor, Liquid Crystal Display (LCD),
Relay, motor and Wi-Fi module that is installed at remote locations and connected to the main system
comprises of a novel ultra-wideband Dielectric Resonator antenna.

Results:

The designed WSN based IoT system for agriculture application monitors temperature, humidity,
soil moisture, and water level in the field. For Wi-Fi module implementation ultra-wideband
inverted sigmoid shaped DRA is designed that provides an impedance bandwidth of 36.46 % at 6.226
GHz (5.51 - 7.78 GHz). The designed antenna provides a peak gain of 5.44 dB at a resonant frequency
of 6.226 GHz.

Conclusion:

The proposed IoT based system is used to monitors physical and environmental conditions
like soil moisture, humidity, temperature and water level and sends the data through Wi-Fi module
comprising of an ultra-wideband Dielectric Resonator antenna. The designed antenna is compact and
can be easily fabricated using printed circuit board technology. The complete system is cost-effective
and can be easily implemented.
A Review on State of Art Techniques of Antennas for Body Area Networks
Authors: Mahapatra Shaktijeet , Mohanty Mihir Narayan
Published: December 2020

In this paper, we explore some of the notable research works that will open a new dimension
in the field of antenna research applicable to body area networks. Different types of antennas for body
area networks include implantable antenna, ingestible pill antenna, and wearable antennas. The antennas
for body area networks gained the attention of the researchers after the demands of the compact as well
as efficient wearable devices increased. The design of antennas for body area network applications is
very interesting and challenging, as a researcher has to ensure that the antenna should have a small
footprint, and be flexible. Simultaneously, the radiation must be in a particular direction with a workable
gain, and low Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) to avoid damage. These antennas require performing
well in proximity to the living bodies that tend to degrade the performance. The antennas that are in
demand include implantable antennas, ingestible antennas, on-body antennas, and antennas for off-body
communications. In this paper, the earlier works have been analyzed well and verified with a compact
CPW-fed circular patch antenna design, backed by a metal conductor. This antenna exhibits the perfect
matching at two frequency bands. These are S11 (below -10 dB) bandwidth of 3.4 GHz ranging from
2.45 – 5.89 GHz and an S11 bandwidth of 0.99 GHz ranging from 9.10 – 10.09 GHz. While in contact
with the human body, the antenna exhibits a bandwidth of 2.54 GHz between 3.02-5.56 GHz and a
bandwidth of 3.01 GHz between 9.8-12.81 GHz. The SAR values are 0.82 W/kg and 0.56 W/kg. The
antenna is a suitable candidate for off-body communication in wearable applications.
Dispositivos electrónicos en prácticas de lectura y escritura: El caso de un estudiante con déficit visual
Authors: Villafuerte Jhonny Saulo , Pinoargote Vera Jose Carlos
Published: December 2020

La tecnología educativa ofrece recursos que pueden ser utilizados en la educación inclusiva, pero los docentes requieren de rutas que orienten su utilización en el contexto universitario. Este trabajo tiene como objetivo socializar el uso de herramientas disponibles en dispositivos electrónicos que pueden facilitar las prácticas de lectura y escritura de estudiantes universitarios con déficit visual progresivo. El caso de estudio corresponde a un estudiante universitario de 23 años y de sexo masculino, quien fue diagnosticado con el síndrome de Stargardt cuando tenía 14 años. Mediante la aplicación de la técnica prueba error durante el periodo 2017-2019 se identificó 5 herramientas informáticas que aportaron al mejoramiento de la comprensión lectora y escritura de textos en español e inglés. Se concluye que la tecnología educativa ayuda al informante a optimizar el uso de su remanente visual, lo que contribuye a su autonomía y rendimiento académico.
Aplicativos móveis como recursos pedagógicos: Design e aprendizagem
Authors: Bergmann Juliana Cristina Faggion
Published: December 2020

(Re)pensar os recursos pedagógicos é tarefa constante de todo profissional da educação, seja porque muda o aluno, seja porque muda o conteúdo ou o contexto escolar. Sempre que um destes elementos desestabiliza a totalidade do sistema, exige-se um novo equilíbrio, o que impulsiona o professor, agente planejador ou projetista, a buscar soluções que trazem uma nova estabilidade. A escola, por sua representatividade social, reflete naturalmente as mudanças da sociedade, em todos os seus níveis. Neste sentido, as Tecnologias Digitais de Informação e Comunicação se converteram em um elemento relevante de influência do contexto escolar. Especialmente pela expansão do acesso a diferentes tipos de dispositivos móveis – notebooks, tablets ou smartphones –, estas tecnologias se aproximam de alunos e professores de maneira consistente e concreta, dentro e fora da escola. Assim, neste trabalho, centramos nosso olhar nos aplicativos móveis como recursos pedagógicos para uso em classe, analisando-os como potencial de inovação e motivação para a aprendizagem. Para isso, desenvolvemos uma pesquisa de caráter bibliográfico, apresentando um panorama atual do design de aplicativos educacionais com a intenção de compreender os caminhos e as opções que os professores podem vislumbrar em suas práticas.
Monumento
Authors: Santos López Iria María , Torrente-Patiño Álvaro
Published: December 2020

Este artículo explica a grandes rasgos es Trabajo de Fin de Grado realizado y presentado por 3 estudiantes (Inés Pérez, Laura Pico e Iria Santos) de Comunicación Audiovisual en la Universidade da Coruña en el año 2017, cuyo nombre es Monumento y que se trataba de un contenido multiplataforma centrado fundamentalmente en un webdoc interactivo, que estuvo hospedado y activo en la web durante 1 año. El paper también muestra los resultados obtenidos tras su publicación entre los que destaca un premio a Mejor Webserie en V.O. en Gallego (Carballo Interplay, 2018).
Abordagem didática com o uso das TIC no ensino de Português Língua Estrangeira (PLE)
Authors: Dos Santos Priscila
Published: December 2020

O presente estudo pretende sugerir abordagens didáticas para o ensino de Português Língua Estrangeira (PLE) através das Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação (TIC) obras canônicas literárias em língua portuguesa, como o livro Vidas Secas, de Graciliano Ramos. Apoiadas ao Ensino de Línguas Baseado em Tarefas (ELBT), os propósitos subjacentes à elaboração deste estudo de caso foram incluir as TIC no ensino de PLE. As conclusões revelam que o recurso às TIC pode ser muito significativo para tratar os textos literários canônicos, já que estes são um recurso bastante versátil e útil para aprendizagem de línguas, bem como, para aumentar a motivação dos estudantes.
Youth perspective on social media discourse on “Lazy Nigerian Youths” conversations
Authors: Ezeh Nkiru Comfort , Mboso Augustine Godwin
Published: December 2020

The Social Media has emerged as a new platform for discourses. It has no doubt provided people with easier and faster accessibility to information and has become an outlet for them to share their views on socio-political issues. It has also been observed that negative and hate comments seem to dominate on social networks used for social and political communication. Anchored on Public Sphere Theory, focus group discussions were conducted with undergraduate youths in South-east Nigeria examined on the issue of President Mohammadu Buhari’s referring to Nigerian youths as lazy, while speaking at the Commonwealth Business Forum in Westminster on 18th April 2018. This article, therefore, explored the opinions advanced in the discourse based on the principles of freedom of expression and responsibility. The study suggests that while Twitter platform was more objective in the discussion of the issue of the day because it allows the use of filters to ensure that contents posted on the platform adhere strictly to rules and fair usage; Facebook and Whatsapp trailed with abuses and hate comments. The study recommended that owners of blogs and media houses who now post their contents on the social media should coordinate comments on such platforms and continue developing mechanisms that work to regulate the quality of posted content.
Solar Thermal Energy Stills for Desalination: A Review of Designs, Operational Parameters and Material Advances
Authors: Chamsa-ard Wisut , Fawcett Derek , Fung Chun Che , Poinern Gerrard ,   Murdoch Applied Nanotechnology Research Group, Department of Physics, Energy Studies and Nanotechnology
Published: December 2020

The demand for high-quality freshwater is increasing due to global population growth, intensifying agricultural practices and expanding industrial development. Additionally, many global regions have low levels of rainfall which makes them arid and incapable of supporting large human populations or agriculture. Currently, large quantities of fossil fuels are used to generate the power needed to drive energy intensive desalination processes that deliver high-quality freshwater to many of these regions. However, the use of fossil fuels has led to high greenhouse gas emissions, environmental degradation and global warming. Solar-thermal desalination is a low-cost, sustainable and eco-friendly strategy for producing high-quality freshwater without using energy derived from fossil fuels. However, in spite of recent developments to advance solar-thermal desalination, the most effective strategies for achieving higher performance levels still remains elusive. To tackle this problem, the present article reviews several solar-thermal still configurations, including materials, system design parameters, influencing factors and operational parameters. Moreover, recent material advances in plasmonic nanoparticle-based volumetric systems, nanomaterial enhanced phase change materials and interfacial solar evaporators are discussed. These new material advances can have the potential to significantly improve the conversion of light-to-heat, enhance vapor generation and promote greater water production rates.
The Digital Therapeutic Alliance and Human-Computer Interaction (Preprint)
Authors: D'Alfonso Simon , Lederman Reeva , Bucci Sandra , Berry Katherine
Published: December 2020

UNSTRUCTURED

The therapeutic alliance (TA), the relationship that develops between a therapist and a client/patient, is a critical factor in the outcome of psychological therapy. As mental health care is increasingly adopting digital technologies and offering therapeutic interventions that may not involve human therapists, the notion of a TA in digital mental health care requires exploration. To date, there has been some incipient work on developing measures to assess the conceptualization of a digital TA for mental health apps. However, the few measures that have been proposed have more or less been derivatives of measures from psychology used to assess the TA in traditional face-to-face therapy. This conceptual paper explores one such instrument that has been proposed in the literature, the Mobile Agnew Relationship Measure, and examines it through a human-computer interaction (HCI) lens. Through this process, we show how theories from HCI can play a role in shaping or generating a more suitable, purpose-built measure of the digital therapeutic alliance (DTA), and we contribute suggestions on how HCI methods and knowledge can be used to foster the DTA in mental health apps.
Development and usability of the EasySeating App as a tool for wheelchair and postural support devices prescription (Preprint)
Authors: Klein Adriana , Archanjo Marcelo , Suigh Rodrigo , de Deus Lopes Roseli
Published: December 2020

BACKGROUND

EasySeating is a mobile health (mHealth) app which supports the prescription of wheelchair and postural support devices (WPSD). It can be used by occupational therapists (OT) and physiotherapists (PT) who prescribe these devices. The app offers a framework for the prescription procedures, showing images, measurements, and details to guide the practitioner to decide the best equipment for wheelchair users.

OBJECTIVE

To present the development process and usability of the EasySeating app.

METHODS

This study was divided into three stages and was carried out as an interactive process with eighty-eight participants (n=88) which provided information for the software development and its usability. In the Stage 1, data was gathered to develop the first prototype, followed by Stage 2 where feedback from experts improved four of the prototypes. Finally, in Stage 3 the usability was tested. Data collection was performed through semi-structured interviews, focus groups and heuristic evaluation. Data analysis was descriptive and qualitative.

RESULTS

In Stage 1, practitioners reported the lack of a uniform terminology; based on this information we created the first prototype using a range of postural devices reported. In Stage 2, qualitative data was used to improve the app, including images and more options of devices. In Stage 3, the usability test improved the app in the following aspects: smartness, increased dialogue, and feedback with the practitioner.

CONCLUSIONS

The three stages enabled us to define a uniform terminology; to identify and recommend a framework for prescription, comprising rehabilitation practitioners, technicians, and wheelchair users; to document a method to develop an mHealth which can be reproduced by the international community who have interests in assistive technology assessment using technology: a new trend in an era of the fourth industrial revolution.

CLINICALTRIAL
Associations between digital health intervention engagement and dietary intake: A Systematic Review (Preprint)
Authors: Delaney Tessa , Mclaughlin Matthew , Hall Alix , Yoong Sze Lin , Brown Alison , O'Brien Kate , Dray Julia , Barnes Courtney , Hollis Jenna , Wyse Rebecca , Wiggers John , Sutherland Rachel , Wolfenden Luke
Published: December 2020

BACKGROUND

There has been a proliferation of digital health interventions (DHIs) targeting dietary intake. Despite their potential, the effectiveness of such interventions are thought to be dependent, in part, on user engagement. However, the relationship between engagement and the effectiveness of dietary DHIs is not well understood.

OBJECTIVE

As such, the aim of this systematic review is to describe the association between DHI engagement (both usage and subjective experience) and dietary intake.

METHODS

A comprehensive search for peer-reviewed literature was undertaken in four electronic databases (EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsychINFO, Scopus) from inception to December 2019. A hand search of targeted journals, grey literature searches and a search of relevant references of similar reviews was also conducted. Studies were eligible if they examined a quantitative association between objective measures of engagement with a DHI (subjective experience or usage) and measures of dietary intake in adults (aged ≥18 years). Authors single screened studies, with a pair of review authors assessing quality of studies and extracting relevant data. Narrative syntheses using vote counting was undertaken to explore to relationship between measures of engagement and dietary intake.

RESULTS

The search resulted in 10,653 citations, of which seven studies (from nine articles) were included in the review. The majority of studies (n=5) included usage measures of engagement rather than subjective experience (n=2). Logins were the most commonly reported usage measure (n=5 studies), and fruit and vegetable intake was the most common measure of dietary intake (n=4 studies). The heterogeneity of engagement and dietary intake measures limited the use of meta-analytic techniques, however narrative review (vote counting) found mixed evidence of an association with usage measures (5 of 12 associations indicating a positive relationship, 7 were inconclusive). No evidence regarding an association with subjective experience was found (0 of 2 associations were inconclusive). The majority of included studies (n=5) were rated poor quality according to the Newcastle Ottawa Scale.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings provide some evidence supporting an association between measures of usage and fruit and vegetable intake, however this was inconsistent. No evidence was found regarding an association with subjective experience. Given the limited number of studies included in the review and poor quality of available evidence further research examining the association between DHI engagement and dietary intake using consistent measures, with an additional focus on subjective experience is warranted.

CLINICALTRIAL

CRD42018112189
Integration of Kalman filter in the epidemiological model: a robust approach to predict COVID-19 outbreak in Bangladesh (Preprint)
Authors: Islam Md. Shariful , Hoque Md. Enamul , Amin Mohammad Ruhul
Published: December 2020

UNSTRUCTURED

As one of the most densely populated countries in the world, Bangladesh have been trying to contain the impact of a pandemic like COVID-19 since March, 2020. Although government announced an array of restricted measures to slow down the diffusion in the beginning of the pandemic, the lockdown has been lifted gradually by reopening all the industries, markets and offices with a notable exception of educational institutes. As the physical geography of Bangladesh is highly variable across the largest delta, the population of different region and their life style also differ. Thus, to get the real scenario of the current pandemic across Bangladesh, it is essential to analyze the transmission dynamics over the individual districts. In this article, we propose to integrate the Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF) with classic SIRD model to explain the epidemic evolution of individual districts in the country. We show that UKF-SIRD model results in a robust prediction of the transmission dynamics for 1-4 months. Then we apply the robust UKF-SIRD model over different regions in Bangladesh to estimates the course of the epidemic. Our analysis demonstrate that in addition to the densely populated areas, industrial areas and popular tourist spots are in the risk of higher COVID-19 transmission. In the light of these outcomes, we provide a set of suggestions to contain the pandemic in Bangladesh. All the data and relevant codebase is available at https://mjonyh.github.io.
Questions to the Article: An Artificial Intelligence Model to Predict the Mortality of COVID-19 Patients at Hospital Admission Time Using Routine Blood Samples (Preprint)
Authors: Kuo Shu-Chun , WEI CHIEN , Chou Willy
Published: December 2020

UNSTRUCTURED

The recent article published on December 23 27 in 2020 is well-written and of interest, but remains several questions that are required for clarifications, including (1) 30 feature variables with normalized format(mean=0 and SD=1) required to compare model accuracy with those with the raw-data format; (2)inconsistency in variable numbers between entry and preview panels in Figure 4 and reference typos; and (3) data-entry format with raw blood laboratory results in Figure 4 inconsistent with the model designed using normalized data to estimate parameters. We conducted a study using the training and testing data provided by the previous study. An artificial neural network(ANN) model was performed to estimate parameters and compare the model accuracy with those eight models provided by the previous study. We found that (1) normalized data yield higher accuracy than that with the raw data; (2) typos definitely exist at the bottom review (=32>30 variables in the entry) panels in Figure 4 and typos in Table 6; and (3)the ANN earns a probability of survival(=0.91) higher than that(=0.71) in the previous study using the similar entry data when the raw data are assumed in the app. We also demonstrated an author-made app using the visualization to display the prediction result, which is novel and innovative to make the result improved with a dashboard in comparison with the previous study.
Fighting the COVID-19 Infodemic with Supervised Machine Learning, Computational Linguistics, and Network Science (Preprint)
Authors: Abdeen Mohammad AR , Hamed Ahmed Abdeen , Wu Xindong
Published: December 2020

BACKGROUND

The spread of the Coronavirus pandemic has been accompanied by an infodemic. The false information that is embedded in the infodemic affects people’s ability to have access to safety and follow proper procedures to mitigate the risks.

OBJECTIVE

This research aims to target the falsehood part of the infodemic, which prominently proliferates in news articles. Specifically, we present a computational approach that predicts if a news article falls under the category of a COVID-19 safe or suspicious.

METHODS

Here, we present a novel supervised machine learning and a computational linguistic approach that analyzes the content of a given news article and assign a label to it. In particular, we designed an algorithm which we called NeoNet that is trained by a network of noun-phrases selected from a trustworthy COVID-19 news dataset. Noun-phrases are known to capture facts and eliminate subjectivity. When trained, the algorithm predicts a label for new articles and decides whether an article is suspicious.

RESULTS

The result shows that the NeoNet algorithm predicts a label of an article with a 98.8% precision using a non-pruned model and 95.8% precision using a pruned model. In five different comparisons, NeoNet surpassed NaiveBayes three times while the other two were too close to call in a pruned setting. When compared without pruning, NeoNet outperformed NaiveBayes in all the five experiments.

CONCLUSIONS

The infodemic that has accompanied the COVID-19 pandemic presents a significant challenge because of the spread of misinformation, disinformation, fake news, rumors, and conspiracy theories. However, using machine learning combined with the powerful computational linguistic methods can provide the necessary tools to inform the general public of whether a news article is COVID-19 SAFE or DISPUTED (when containing suspicious contents).

CLINICALTRIAL

N/A
Частота и структура осложнений в раннем и отдаленном послеоперационном периоде у больных с грыжами межпозвоночных дисков, оперированных методом микродискэктомии
Authors: Bublik L.O. , Uleshchenko D.V. , Shevchuk A.V.
Published: December 2020

Актуальность. Удаление межпозвоночных грыж является наиболее частой плановой операцией в хирургии позвоночника. Несмотря на высокую технологичность операций по поводу грыж межпозвоночных дисков, до настоящего времени сохраняется большое количество неудовлетворительных послеоперационных результатов. Материалы и методы. Проведен анализ данных клинических наблюдений хирургического лечения 54 пациентов с грыжами межпозвоночных дисков, которые находились на стационарном лечении в клинике хирургии позвоночника со спинальным (нейрохирургическим) центром ГУ «Институт травматологии и ортопедии НАМН Украины» в период с 2019 по 2020 г. Результаты. Среди наших наблюдений ликворея из поврежденных оболочек дурального мешка отмечалась в одном случае (1,9 %). В структуре осложнений поясничной микродиск-эктомии в раннем послеоперационном периоде выраженный болевой синдром после операции наблюдался у 11,1 % больных; неврологические нарушения с парезом стопы, которые были до операции, сохраняются у 5,6 %; увеличение двигательных нарушений, обусловленных проведением микродискэктомии в раннем послеоперационном периоде, не отмечалось; вторичное заживление послеоперационной раны отмечено у 6 (11,1 %) больных, спондилодисцита не было. Выводы. Причинами повторного хирургического вмешательства у пациентов после первичной микродискэктомии в отдаленном периоде являются рецидив грыжи межпозвонкового диска — 4 случая (7,4 %) и нестабильность оперированного сегмента — 1 случай (1,9 %).
Досвід застосування імуномодулюючої терапії в комплексному лікуванні хронічного тонзиліту в дітей
Authors: Marushko Yu.V. , Hyshchak T.V. , Lysovets O.V. , Marushko Ye.Yu.
Published: December 2020

Імуномодулююча терапія є важливою складовою лікування хворих на хронічний тонзиліт, викликаний β-гемолітичним стрептококом групи А, на фоні антибіотикотерапії вона дозволяє досягти більш ефективної елімінації збудника. Призначення препарату Імупрет у комплексному лікуванні загострення хронічного тонзиліту стрептококової етіології сприяє швидкому зникненню клінічних проявів захворювання, збільшує частоту елімінації збудника, зменшує частоту загострень хронічного тонзиліту.
Диагностика, клиника, лечение и прогноз при коарктации аорты у детей
Authors: Kalashnikova Ye.A. , Nikitina N.A. , Halich S.R.
Published: December 2020

В статье представлены литературные данные о частоте, этиологии, основных клинических проявлениях, современных методах ранней неонатальной и постнатальной диагностики, лечении и прогнозе коарктации аорты — врожденном пороке сердечно-сосудистой системы.
Современный взгляд на функциональные запоры у детей раннего возраста: особенности вскармливания и принципы немедикаментозной коррекции
Authors: Belousova O.Yu.
Published: December 2020

Статья посвящена проблеме хронического запора у детей. Даны рекомендации по профилактике этого состояния. Подчеркнуто, что к медикаментозной терапии рекомендуют прибегать только при отсутствии эффекта от диетотерапии, которая сводится не к строгой диете или соблюдению определенного лечебного стола, а к физиологическому рациону питания. В настоящее время доступны смеси, соответствующие рекомендациям Европейского союза относительно питания специального медицинского назначения, сочетающие в себе одновременно несколько функциональных компонентов, что позволяет решить проблему функциональных запоров у детей раннего возраста, находящихся на искусственном вскармливании. Примером такой инновационной смеси является Нутрилон Комфорт.
Прогностическое значение ренальной оксигенации в первые сутки жизни у недоношенных детей с гемодинамически значимым открытым артериальным протоком в ранней диагностике острого повреждения почек
Authors: Borysova T.P. , Obolonskaya O.U.
Published: December 2020

Актуальность. Гемодинамически значимый открытый артериальный проток (ГЗОАП) приводит к феномену «обкрадывания» большого круга кровообращения и гипоперфузии почек, что может способствовать развитию острого повреждения почек (ОПП) у недоношенных новорожденных. Изучение ренальной оксигенации в первый день жизни методом спектроскопии в ближней инфракрасной области может оказаться полезным для определения группы риска по развитию ОПП у этих пациентов. Цель исследования: оценить прогностическую значимость ренальной оксигенации в первые сутки жизни у недоношенных детей с ГЗОАП для ранней диагностики ОПП. Материалы и методы. Обследовано 74 недоношенных ребенка (гестационный возраст 29–36 недель), которые находились на лечении в отделении анестезиологии и интенсивной терапии новорожденных. Пациенты были разделены на три группы в зависимости от наличия открытого артериального протока (ОАП) и его гемодинамической значимости: I группа — 40 детей с ГЗОАП, II группа — 17 детей с ОАП без гемодинамических расстройств, III группа — 17 детей с закрытым артериальным протоком (ЗАП). В каждой из групп выделены подгруппы с наличием или отсутствием ОПП. Клиническое обследование и лечение недоношенных новорожденных осуществлялось по общепринятой методике. Диагностика и стратификация степени тяжести ОПП проводились по критериям неонатальной модификации KDIGO, для чего изучались концентрация сывороточного креатинина и уровень диуреза. Эхокардиография с допплерометрией выполнялась в 5–11 часов жизни. Региональную оксигенацию в почках (RrSO2) контролировали с помощью спектроскопии в ближнем инфракрасном диапазоне. Результаты. ОПП на третьи сутки жизни было диагностировано у 52,5 % детей с ГЗОАП, что в 2,2 раза чаще, чем у детей с ОАП без гемодинамической значимости (р < 0,05), и в 4,4 раза чаще, чем с ЗАП (р < 0,007). На пятые сутки жизни ОПП выявлено еще у двух детей с ГЗОАП, и общее количество увеличилось до 57,5 %. В группах детей с ОАП без гемодинамических расстройств и ЗАП на третий и пятый дни жизни имела место только ОПП І степени, в то время как у детей с ГЗОАП наблюдалась ІІ–ІІІ степень ОПП. Ренальная оксигенация в первые сутки жизни была ниже 68 % в основном у детей с ГЗОАП + ОПП. Крайне низкие уровни RrSO2 в первые сутки, ассоциированные с развитием ОПП на третьи сутки, в выборке ГЗОАП + ОПП составили 49–52 %. У детей с ГЗОАП с развившимся к третьим суткам жизни ОПП показатель RrSO2 в первые сутки жизни составил 56,1 ± 4,5 % против 63,90 ± 9,72 % у детей без ОПП (p < 0,01). Установлена обратная корреляционная зависимость между показателем RrSO2 в первый день жизни и концентрацией креатинина крови на третий день жизни (ρ = –0,434; р < 0,02). Выводы. Низкая ренальная оксигенация при ближней инфракрасной спектроскопии в первые сутки жизни связана с развитием острого повреждения почек на третьи сутки жизни у недоношенных детей с ГЗОАП.
Случай поздней диагностики инородного тела бронха у ребенка
Authors: Rechkina O.O. , Kravtsova O.M. , Promska N.V. , Opanasenko M.S. , Tereshkovych O.V. , Shpak O.I. , Levanda L.I.
Published: December 2020

Инородные тела дыхательных путей — достаточно частая и опасная проблема в педиатрии. По данным литературы, 70 % от всех случаев составляют инородные тела бронхов, чаще всего — правого (до 80 %). Диагностика основывается преимущественно на анамнестических данных и клинических проявлениях, характерных для того или иного вида обструкции. Рентгенологические исследования проводятся во всех случаях подозрения на инородное тело, но рентгеноконтрастными они бывают не более чем в 20 % случаев. То есть если факт аспирации был забыт или незамечен, постановка диагноза затрудняется, особенно при инородных телах мелких бронхов, которые долгое время себя никак не проявляют. Клинические признаки уже появляются, когда в этом месте развивается хроническое воспаление с гнойным процессом, что приводит к появлению осложнений — бронхоэктазов, фиброза или легочного кровотечения. При этом лечение часто только оперативное. Для наглядности представляем клинический случай поздней диагностики инородного тела мелкого бронха у ребенка подросткового возраста. Его особенности: отсутствие анамнестических данных об аспирации, относительно взрослый возраст ребенка, рентгенонеконтрастность инородного тела, нетипичное размещение, сохраненная вентиляция легких на поврежденном участке. Данный случай лишний раз подчеркивает необходимость настороженности педиатров в отношении этой патологии у детей любого возраста. Единственным надежным методом ранней диагностики инородных тел дыхательных путей является трахеобронхоскопия.
Человек, победивший две эпидемии (к 160-летию эпидемиолога В.А. Хавкина)
Authors: Ivanko O.H.
Published: December 2020

Целью публикации является приглашением вспомнить и почтить выдающегося эпидемиолога Владимира Ароновича Хавкина (1860–1930), который родился и учился в Украине, а работал во Франции, Индии и Великобритании. Упомянуты выдающиеся ученые, окружавшие В.А. Хавкина: Илья Мечников, Луи Пастер, Джозеф Листер. Разработанные и внедренные в медицинскую практику В.А. Хавкиным вакцины против холеры и чумы, спасшие многие миллионы человеческих жизней, с небольшими модификациями используют до сих пор. Названный в честь В.А. Хавкина Научно-исследовательский институт микробиологии и эпидемиологии в г. Мумбаи (Индия) и сейчас активно работает в области медицины, в том числе над проблемой преодоления пандемии COVID-19.
Педиатрическая гастроэнтерология и нутрициология: проблемы и перспективы
Authors: Shadrin O.H. , Belousova O.Yu.
Published: December 2020

Заболевания органов пищеварения у детей ввиду их широкой распространенности, особенностей клинического течения, высокого риска ранней манифестации и инвалидизации представляют собой серьезную медико-социальную проблему. Истоки многих хронических заболеваний пищеварительной системы взрослых, приводящих к временной утрате трудоспособности, лежат в детском и подростковом возрасте, то есть значение профилактики, своевременной диагностики и лечения этих заболеваний на ранних этапах их развития является очевидным.В настоящее время выделено самостоятельное научное направление и создана Национальная ассоциация педиатров-гастроэнтерологов и нутрициологов Украины, важнейшей задачей которой является решение актуальных проблем патологии пищеварительного тракта. Необходимость создания такого общества была продиктована проблемами и недостатками в системе оказания детской гастроэнтерологической помощи и отсутствием на тот момент единых нормативных документов по профилактическому питанию. На сегодняшний день удалось разработать стандарты лечения хронических заболеваний пищеварительных органов — «Уніфіковані клінічні Протоколи медичної допомоги дітям із захворюваннями органів травлення» (Приказ МЗ Украины № 59 от 29.01.2013). Эти рекомендации, разработанные в соответствии с международной практикой и принципами доказательной медицины, в настоящее время активно внедряются в практическую деятельность врачей-гастроэнтерологов и решают многочисленные вопросы, возникающие на всех этапах диагностики, лечения и профилактики гастроэнтерологической патологии.
Покращення ефективності лікування дітей, хворих на муковісцидоз, шляхом включення до стандартної терапії препарату Пульмозим
Authors: Reznichenko Yu.H. , Okul T.I. , Maliuha V.H. , Stelmakh O.V. , Volkova I.H. , Petrenko L.A. , Karpenko V.V.
Published: December 2020

Проаналізована ефективність лікування протягом року 12 дітей, хворих на муковісцидоз, препаратом Пульмозим на тлі стандартної терапії. Порівняно з лікуванням 20 хворих на муковісцидоз, які отримували стандартну терапію, встановлено: зменшення частоти загострень муковісцидозу, гострих респіраторних захворювань, покращення функції зовнішнього дихання та роботи серцево-судинної системи, що позитивно вплинуло на рівень успішності в школі. Це дозволяє рекомендувати постійне використання препарату Пульмозим для лікування дітей, хворих на муковісцидоз, щонайменше протягом одного року.
Нутриционные аспекты глобальной стратегии по прекращению детского ожирения
Authors: Chaichenko T.V.
Published: December 2020

В публикации приведен обзор материалов ведущих международных организаций здравоохранения, касающийся нутриционных аспектов глобальной стратегии, направленной на прекращение детского ожирения. Показано, что основной особенностью эпидемии ожирения является ее предупреждаемость. В рамках выводов комиссии наивысшего уровня по прекращению детского ожирения (ECHO) приведены литературные данные, являющиеся доказательной базой стратегии. Указано, что наиболее ранним значимым интервенционным профилактическим фактором является поддержка грудного вскармливания, избегание чрезмерной нагрузки белком и углеводами в раннем возрасте. Приведены нормы калоража и его распределения при использовании основных групп продуктов питания, рекомендованные Американской кардиологической ассоциацией в 2014 году, целесообразные с точки зрения обеспечения кардиоваскулярного здоровья. Также указаны рекомендованные рабочей группой по здоровой гидрации объемы употребления воды в разных возрастных периодах. Продемонстрирована необходимость учета порций и правильного чтения маркировки продуктов. Подчеркнута необходимость комплексных мероприятий с участием не только сектора здравоохранения, но и социального, экономического, образовательного, политического секторов, а также привлечения масс-медиа к профилактике детского ожирения.
Особливості перебігу моторно-секреторних порушень при гастроезофагеальній рефлюксній хворобі в осіб молодого віку із супутнім ожирінням
Authors: Oparin O.A. , Korniienko D.O.
Published: December 2020

Мета дослідження. Виявити особливості перебігу моторних та секреторних порушень при гастроезофагеальній рефлюксній хворобі залежно від наявності супутнього ожиріння в осіб молодого віку. Матеріали та результати дослідження. Під час дослідження були обстежені 50 хворих на гастро­езофагеальну рефлюксну хворобу, з яких залежно від наявності супутнього ожиріння було сформовано 2 групи. До першої групи увійшли хворі на гастроезофагеальну рефлюксну хворобу з супутнім ожирінням, до другої — хворі на гастроезофагеальну рефлюксну хворобу без супутньої патології. Контрольну групу становили 20 практично здорових осіб. У дослідженні було встановлено, що у хворих на гастроезофагеальну рефлюксну хворобу із супутнім ожирінням були значно виражені моторні порушення, які оцінювалися за допомогою ультразвукових методів дослідження (визначалися діаметр стравохідного отвору діафрагми, товщина стінки стравоходу, ширина просвіту стравоходу в нижній третині, а також наявність або відсутність рефлюксу), які знаходилися у тісному кореляційному зв’язку з особливостями клінічних проявів гастроезофагеальної рефлюксної хвороби, що визначалися за допомогою опитувальника GERDQ (міжнародний опитувальник для діагностики гастроезофагеальної рефлюксної хвороби), порівняно з групою хворих на гастроезофагеальну рефлюксну хворобу без супутньої патології.