bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of pre-consultation testing on clinicians’ adherence to malaria test results and waiting time among children under 5 years in the Northern Zone of Volta Region of Ghana
Authors: Gmanyami Jonathan Mawutor , Ameko Asiwome , Ahiafe Saviour Selase , Bosoka Samuel Adolf , Kweku Margaret , Ansah Evelyn Korkor
Published: March 2020

Background

The Ministry of Health, Ghana, in accordance with global policy, recommends that all suspected malaria cases be confirmed parasitologically before treatment. Not all clinicians, however, base their treatment on test results. Patients also spend a lot of time at health facilities waiting to consult a clinician before being asked to go for testing and to see a clinician with test results. The purpose of the study was to determine if testing all children aged 6 to 59 months with fever reporting at an outpatients department (OPD) for malaria before consultation with a clinician (pre-consultation testing) will influence clinicians to adhere to test results and also reduce the time spent by such patients.

Methods

A quasi-experimental study design was used involving two randomly selected government-owned hospitals in the Northern Volta, Ghana. In each hospital, 439 children were recruited between November 2018 and January 2019. The intervention hospital implemented pre-consultation testing. In the comparator arm, standard practices, which involved patients seeing the clinician before he/she decides whether to send the patient for testing or not, were maintained.

Results

Out of 878 children screened the overall prevalence of malaria was 31.9% by malaria rapid diagnostic test (RDT) and 26.7% by microscopy. Clinicians in the intervention arm adhered more to the malaria test results than those in the comparator arm (93.2 vs. 84.3%; p < 0.001). The proportion of children who tested negative but were still diagnosed with malaria was significantly lower in the intervention arm compared to the comparator arm (8.4 vs. 21.2%: p < 0.001). Clinicians and mothers/caregivers in both arms preferred pre-consulting testing. Six out of every 10 mothers/caregivers in the comparator arm viewed the waiting time as ‘too long’’ compared to 4 out of every 10 mothers in the intervention arm. On average, patient waiting time was significantly lower in the intervention arm (2.61 h) than in the comparator arm (3.42 h).

Conclusion

Pre-consultation testing significantly improves clinicians’ adherence to malaria test results, shortens patients’ waiting time and leads to overall patient satisfaction. There is a need to establish RDT corners at OPDs of health facilities to implement pre-consultation testing.
Analysis of lymph node metastasis in early gastric cancer: a single institutional experience from China
Authors: Chen Jinggui , Zhao Guangfa , Wang Yanong
Published: March 2020

Background

Lymph node metastasis (LNM) has a strong influence on the prognosis of patients with early gastric cancer (EGC). The aim of this study was to reveal the incidence of LNM and evaluate risk factors for LNM to determine the appropriate treatment for EGC in a Chinese population.

Methods

Patients who underwent radical gastrectomy with lymph node dissection for EGC between 2012 and 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to identify clinicopathological features that were risk factors for LNM.

Results

A total of 1033 patients with EGC were enrolled. Of these patients, 668 (64.7%) were men, and 365 (35.3%) were women, ranging in age from 19 to 82 years (mean 56.9 ± 10.9 years). LNM was detected in 173(16.7%) patients with EGC. Among 508 patients with mucosal cancer, 44 (8.7%) patients had LNM. In 525 patients with submucosal cancer, the incidence of LNM was 24.6% (129/525). The age, gender, tumor size, type of differentiation, Lauren classification, and lymphovascular and perineural invasion showed a significant correlation with the rate of LNM in EGC by univariate and multivariate analyses. Patients with submucosal gastric cancer had an older age, a higher proportion of proximal lesion, larger tumor size, more frequent lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion, and more LNM than patients with mucosal gastric cancer.

Conclusions

Our study revealed a relatively high incidence of LNM in EGC, compared with Japanese and Korean cohorts. Female sex, large tumor size, undifferentiated-type, and lymphovascular invasion were independent risk factors for LNM in EGC. Radical gastrectomy with lymphadenectomy should be performed in EGC patients with a high risk of LNM.
Changing demographic trends among South African occupational therapists: 2002 to 2018
Authors: Ned Lieketseng , Tiwari Ritika , Buchanan Helen , Van Niekerk Lana , Sherry Kate , Chikte Usuf
Published: March 2020

Background

South Africa’s quadruple burden of disease, coupled with health system challenges and other factors, predicts a high burden of disability within the population. Human Resources for Health policy and planning need to take account of this challenge. Occupational therapists are part of the health rehabilitation team, and their supply and status in the workforce need to be better understood.

Methods

The study was a retrospective record-based review of the Health Professions Council of South Africa database from 2002 to 2018. The data obtained from the Health Professions Council of South Africa was analysed for the following variables: geographical location, population groups, age, practice type and sex. Data was entered on a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS version 22.0).

Results

In 2018, there were 5180 occupational therapists registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa with a ratio of 0.9 occupational therapists per 10 000 population. There has been an average annual increase of 7.1% over the time period of 2002–2018. The majority of occupational therapists are located in the more densely populated and urbanised provinces, namely Gauteng, Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. Most of the registered occupational therapists are under the age of 40 years (67.7%). The majority (66%) are classified as white followed by those classified as black and coloured. Females make up 95% of the registered occupational therapists. Nationally, 74.8% of occupational therapists are deployed in the private sector catering for 16% of the population while approximately 25.2% are employed in the public sector catering for 84% of the population.

Conclusions

Under-resourcing and disparities in the profile and distribution of occupational therapy human resources remain an abiding concern which negatively impacts on rehabilitation service provision and equitable health and rehabilitation outcomes.
Protocol: low cost fast and efficient generation of molecular tools for small RNA analysis
Authors: López-Márquez Diego , Del-Espino Ángel , Bejarano Eduardo R. , Beuzón Carmen R. , Ruiz-Albert Javier
Published: March 2020

Background

Small RNAs are sequence-dependent negative regulators of gene expression involved in many relevant plant processes such as development, genome stability, or stress response. Functional characterization of sRNAs in plants typically relies on the modification of the steady state levels of these molecules. State-of-the-art strategies to reduce plant sRNA levels include molecular tools such as Target Mimics (MIMs or TMs), Short Tandem Target Mimic (STTMs), or molecular SPONGES (SPs). Construction of these tools routinely involve many different molecular biology techniques, steps, and reagents rendering such processes expensive, time consuming, and difficult to implement, particularly high-throughput approaches.

Results

We have developed a vector and a cloning strategy that significantly reduces the number of steps required for the generation of MIMs against any given small RNA (sRNA). Our pGREEN-based binary expression vector (pGREEN-DLM100) contains the IPS1 gene from A. thaliana bisected by a ccdB cassette that is itself flanked by restriction sites for a type IIS endonuclease. Using a single digestion plus a sticky-end ligation step, the ccdB cassette that functions as a negative (counter) selection system is replaced by a pair of 28 nt self-annealing primers that provide specificity against the selected target miRNA/siRNA. The method considerably reduces the number of steps and the time required to generate the construct, minimizes the errors derived from long-range PCRs, bypasses bottlenecks derived from subcloning steps, and eliminates the need for any additional cloning technics and reagents, overall saving time and reagents.

Conclusions

Our streamlined system guarantees a low cost, fast and efficient cloning process that it can be easily implemented into high-throughput strategies, since the same digested plasmid can be used for any given sRNA. We believe this method represents a significant technical improvement on state-of-the-art methods to facilitate the characterization of functional aspects of sRNA biology.
A combination of spearmint and flaxseed extract improved endocrine and histomorphology of ovary in experimental PCOS
Authors: Mehraban Mina , Jelodar Gholamali , Rahmanifar Farhad
Published: March 2020

Background

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex reproduction and endocrine disorder of women in the reproductive age. Spearmint (Mentha spicataL.) has anti-androgenic activity and flaxseed (Linum usitatissimumL.) contains phytoestrogen and was reported to improve PCOS conditions. This study aimed to evaluate PCOS conditions following administration of a mixture of these two plants.

Methods

Twenty-four rats with regular cycles were randomly divided into four groups as control (C) and treatment-control (TC) received a combination of spearmint extract (SE) + flaxseed extract (FE). PCOS was induced in PCOS and treatment (T) groups by a single intramuscular injection of estradiol valerate. The treatment group received a combination of SE and FE for 30 days, 7 weeks after injection of estradiol valerate. Estrous cycles were monitored for 10 days and in the last day animals were sacrificed, ovaries were collected for the histomorphometric study and the serum levels of progesterone, testosterone, estradiol, and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) were measured.

Result

Significant rise in progesterone and a decrease in testosterone and estradiol with no significant change of DHEA in the T group, was observed in comparison with the PCOS group (P < 0.05). No significant difference noticed between T and control groups (C &CT) regarding evaluated hormones. A significant increase in primary, pre-antral and antral follicles noticed in the T group compared to the PCOS group. The number of cystic follicles decreased in the T group compared with the PCOS group. Granulosa layer thickness increased while the thickness of theca decreased significantly in the T group compared to the PCOS group (P < 0.05). No significant endocrine or histological differences noticed between C and TC groups.

Conclusion

A combination of flaxseed and spearmint extract improved the endocrine profile and the histomorphometric features of the ovary in the T group compared to the PCOS group.
Neuromuscular exercise and pain neuroscience education compared with pain neuroscience education alone in patients with chronic pain after primary total knee arthroplasty: study protocol for the NEPNEP randomized controlled trial
Authors: Larsen Jesper Bie , Skou Søren T. , Arendt-Nielsen Lars , Simonsen Ole , Madeleine Pascal
Published: March 2020

Background

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is considered an effective treatment for pain relief and improved physical performances in end-stage knee osteoarthritis. However, several studies have reported less favorable outcomes after TKA with chronic pain rates of approximately 20%. Exercise might be an effective treatment strategy for chronic pain following TKA, but no randomized controlled trials have evaluated its effect. Therefore, the purpose of this randomized controlled trial is to investigate whether a 12-week neuromuscular exercise (NEuroMuscular EXercise training program for patients with knee or hip osteoarthritis assigned for total joint replacement; NEMEX-TJR) program combined with pain neuroscience education (PNE) provides greater pain relief and improvement in physical performances than PNE alone at 12 months follow-up in a population of patients with chronic pain after primary TKA.

Methods

For this randomized controlled superiority trial, 120 patients with moderate-to-severe chronic pain after TKA are recruited from Aalborg University Hospital, Denmark. Patients are randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to one of two interventions: (a) NEMEX-TJR twice weekly for 12 weeks combined with two sessions of PNE or (b) two sessions of PNE given over 6 weeks. Assessment is performed at baseline before intervention and at 3, 6, and 12 months after initiation of the intervention. Outcome assessors are blinded toward group allocation. The primary outcome is the change in the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score4 (KOOS4), defined as the mean score for the KOOS subscales pain, symptoms, activities of daily living, and quality of life. Secondary outcomes include all KOOS subscale scores and scores for PainDETECT, the Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire, Global Perceived Effect, the Pain Catastrophizing Scale, pain intensities, temporal summation, conditioned pain modulation, and pressure pain thresholds. Physical performances are measured with walking, stair climbing, and chair standing tests as well as tests of muscle strength and power.

Discussion

The findings will be useful in establishing effective treatment strategies for chronic pain after TKA. The randomized controlled trial involves rigorous scientific methods and uses clinically applicable interventions. The study interventions are conducted in clinical settings, thereby enhancing the possibility of future implementation of the treatments in the health care systems.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03886259. Registered 22 March 2019. Ethics committee registration: N-20180046.
Wrist deformity, bother and function following wrist fracture in the elderly
Authors: Lawson Andrew , Santhakumar Partiban , Naylor Justine M. , Churches Tim , Frost Steve , Harris Ian A.
Published: March 2020

Objective

Wrist deformity in older people is common following treatment for a wrist fracture, particularly after non-surgical treatment. A cohort of older wrist fracture patients were surveyed by telephone regarding perceived deformity, bother with deformity and patient-reported wrist function. The objectives were to: (1) determine whether older patients with wrist fractures perceived a deformity of their wrist and if they were bothered by it; (2) test if there were associations between deformity and treatment-type and between deformity and function; (3) test for associations between bother and treatment-type and between bother and function; (4) measure the test–retest reliability of the ‘bother’ question.

Results

Of 98 eligible patients who were invited to participate, 41 responded. Out of 41, 14 (34%) believed they had a deformity and 4 (10%) reported that they were bothered by the appearance of their wrist. Deformity was associated with non-surgical treatment (RR = 3.85, p = 0.006) but was not significantly associated with functional outcomes (p = 0.15). All those who were bothered belonged to the non-surgical treatment group. Bother was significantly associated with poorer functional outcomes (p = 0.006) and this association was clinically significant (MD = 35 points). The deformity and bother questions were found to have excellent test–retest reliability; κ = 1.00 and κ = 0.92, respectively.
Improved detection of esp, hyl, asa1, gelE, cylA virulence genes among clinical isolates of Enterococci
Authors: Kiruthiga Alexander , Padmavathy Kesavaram , Shabana Praveen , Naveenkumar Venkatesan , Gnanadesikan Sumathi , Malaiyan Jeevan
Published: March 2020

Objective

Virulence factors (VFs) among the clinical strains of enterococci play a vital role in pathogenesis. This study was aimed to screen for cylA, asa1, gelE, esp and hyl among Enterococcus faecalis (n = 89) and E. faecium (n = 51) by multiplex PCR. The previously reported multiplex PCR was modified to 2 duplex (asa1 and gelE, cylA and esp) PCRs and 1 simplex (hyl) PCR. The idea of the modification of the multiplex PCR proposed here emerged in the course of the research study when majority of the isolates which phenotypically exhibited virulence traits were found to be negative for the respective gene.

Results

cylA, gelE and asa1 were significantly predominant in E. faecalis (59.55%, 85.39%, 86.51%) than E. faecium (1.96%, 60.78%, 9.80%) (p < 0.0001, p = 0.001967, p < 0.0001). hyl was detected in E. faecium (5.9%) only. The number of VFs detected in each isolate was recorded as the VF score. E. faecalis isolates had a VF score pattern of score 4 (34.83%), score 3 (26.96%), score 2 (28.08%) and score 1 (8.98%) while E. faecium had score 4 (1.96%), score 3 (7.84%), score 2 (25.49%) and score 1 (41.18%). This modification of the PCR protocol could resolve the problem of decreased detection of virulence determinants in enterococci.
Anserine and glucosamine supplementation attenuates the levels of inflammatory markers in rats with rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Zhao Jiang Minghao , Chen Xiang , Cheng Ke , Shi Qingming , Peng Kun
Published: March 2020

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disorder that affects the joint synovium. Anserine is a functional dipeptide containing methylhistidine and β-alanine, and is present in the brain and skeletal muscle of birds and mammals. Glucosamine is an amino sugar used in the synthesis of glycosylated proteins and lipids. We evaluated the effects of anserine and glucosamine on RA. Rats were assigned into the control group, RA group, anserine group (1 mg/kg), glucosamine group (200 mg/kg), or anserine plus glucosamine group (anserine, 1 mg/kg + glucosamine, 200 mg/kg). Treatment was continued for 45 consecutive days and was administered orally. The serum levels of catalase, glutathione peroxidase (Gpx), superoxide dismutase (SOD), reduced glutathione (GSH), lipid peroxidation, uric acid, nitric oxide, ceruloplasmin, zinc, copper, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-3, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6 were assayed. The mRNA and protein levels of nuclear factor (NF)-κB and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in synovial tissue were also determined. Anserine plus glucosamine significantly increased the catalase, SOD, Gpx, GSH, and zinc levels compared to the control, anserine, and glucosamine groups. Also, anserine plus glucosamine significantly reduced the PGE2, MMP-3, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 levels compared to the control, anserine, and glucosamine groups. Furthermore, anserine plus glucosamine significantly reduced the mRNA and protein levels of NF-κB and iNOS compared to the control, anserine, and glucosamine groups. Therefore, supplementation of anserine plus glucosamine shows therapeutic potential for RA.
Multiple solutions for fractional p-Laplace equation with concave-convex nonlinearities
Authors: Chen Qiang , Chen Caisheng , Shi Yanling
Published: March 2020

In this paper, we investigate the existence of solutions for the fractional p-Laplace equation $$ (-\Delta)_{p}^{s}u+V(x) \vert u \vert ^{p-2}u=h_{1}(x) \vert u \vert ^{q-2}u+h_{2}(x) \vert u \vert ^{r-2}u \quad \mbox{in } \mathbb{R}^{N}, $$(−Δ)psu+V(x)|u|p−2u=h1(x)|u|q−2u+h2(x)|u|r−2uin RN, where $N>sp$N>sp, $0< s<1
0$V(x)>0 and $h_{1}(x)$h1(x), $h_{2}(x)$h2(x) are allowed to change sign in $\mathbb {R}^{N}$RN. By using variant fountain theorem, we prove that the above equation admits infinitely many small and high energy solutions.
Simulation of advection–diffusion–dispersion equations based on a composite time discretization scheme
Authors: Bu Sunyoung , Bak Soyoon
Published: March 2020

In this work, we develop a high-order composite time discretization scheme based on classical collocation and integral deferred correction methods in a backward semi-Lagrangian framework (BSL) to simulate nonlinear advection–diffusion–dispersion problems. The third-order backward differentiation formula and fourth-order finite difference schemes are used in temporal and spatial discretizations, respectively. Additionally, to evaluate function values at non-grid points in BSL, the constrained interpolation profile method is used. Several numerical experiments demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed techniques in terms of accuracy and computation costs, compare with existing departure traceback schemes.
Disinfection exhibits systematic impacts on the drinking water microbiome
Authors: Dai Zihan , Sevillano-Rivera Maria C. , Calus Szymon T. , Bautista-de los Santos Q. Melina , Eren A. Murat , van der Wielen Paul W. J. J. , Ijaz Umer Z. , Pinto Ameet J.
Published: March 2020

Limiting microbial growth during drinking water distribution is achieved either by maintaining a disinfectant residual or through nutrient limitation without using a disinfectant. The impact of these contrasting approaches on the drinking water microbiome is not systematically understood. We use genome-resolved metagenomics to compare the structure, metabolic traits, and population genomes of drinking water microbiome samples from bulk drinking water across multiple full-scale disinfected and non-disinfected drinking water systems. Microbial communities cluster at the structural- and functional potential-level based on the presence/absence of a disinfectant residual. Disinfectant residual alone explained 17 and 6.5% of the variance in structure and functional potential of the drinking water microbiome, respectively, despite including multiple drinking water systems with variable source waters and source water communities and treatment strategies. The drinking water microbiome is structurally and functionally less diverse and variable across disinfected compared to non-disinfected systems. While bacteria were the most abundant domain, archaea and eukaryota were more abundant in non-disinfected and disinfected systems, respectively. Community-level differences in functional potential were driven by enrichment of genes associated with carbon and nitrogen fixation in non-disinfected systems and γ-aminobutyrate metabolism in disinfected systems likely associated with the recycling of amino acids. Genome-level analyses for a subset of phylogenetically-related microorganisms suggests that disinfection selects for microorganisms capable of using fatty acids, presumably from microbial decay products, via the glyoxylate cycle. Overall, we find that disinfection exhibits systematic selective pressures on the drinking water microbiome and may select for microorganisms able to utilize microbial decay products originating from disinfection-inactivated microorganisms.
Impacts of ocean current–atmosphere interactions on mesoscale eddy energetics in the Kuroshio extension region
Authors: Shan Xuan , Jing Zhao , Sun Bingrong , Wu Lixin
Published: March 2020

The surface ocean current’s imprint on the wind stress (known as the current feedback) has a significant influence on the wind power input to the ocean. In this study, we investigate the effect of the current feedback on mesoscale eddy energetics in the Kuroshio extension region using a high-resolution (9 km) coupled regional climate model. We perform three sets of simulations: one calculates the wind stress without the surface current, one includes only the mesoscale eddy’s current and another includes the entire current in the computation. In this way, the mesoscale eddy’s current feedback can be isolated and its contribution to the entire current feedback can be assessed. The simulation results show that the mesoscale eddy’s current feedback results in negative wind power input to mesoscale eddies and reduces the surface eddy kinetic energy (EKE) by ~ 20% in the Kuroshio extension region. This negative wind power is compensated primarily by the enhanced conversion from mean flow kinetic energy (MKE) and eddy potential energy (EPE) to EKE and secondarily by the reduced pressure flux divergence and horizontal dissipation. Compared to the mesoscale eddy’s current feedback, the entire current feedback has a similar impact on EKE and the wind power on mesoscale eddies, while it affects the EKE budget differently. It weakens the MKE to EKE conversion partly due to the reduced kinetic energy input to background flows by wind. Correspondingly, the negative wind power on mesoscale eddies is primarily compensated by the enhanced EPE to EKE conversion.
Optimization of immobilized Lactobacillus pentosus cell fermentation for lactic acid production
Authors: Wang Jianfei , Huang Jiaqi , Laffend Hannah , Jiang Shaoming , Zhang Jing , Ning Yuchen , Fang Mudannan , Liu Shijie
Published: March 2020

Parametric optimization is an effective way in fermentation process to improve product yield and productivity in order to save time, space and financial resources. In this study, Box–Behnken design was applied to optimize the conditions for lactic acid production by immobilized Lactobacillus pentosus ATCC 8041 cell fermentation. Two quadratic models and response surface methodology were performed to illustrate the effect of each parameters and their interactions on the lactic acid yield and glucose consumption rate in immobilized L. pentosus ATCC 8041 cell fermentation. The maximum lactic acid yield was obtained as 0.938 ± 0.003 g/g glucose with a productivity of 2.213 ± 0.008 g/(L × h) under the optimized conditions of 2.0 mm bead diameter, 5.60 pH, 115.3 g/L initial glucose concentration, and 398.2 mg biomass (CDW) in 100 mL hydrogel. The analysis of variance indicated that the quadratic model was significant and could be used to scale up the fermentation process.
Synthesizing efficacious genistein in conjugation with superparamagnetic Fe
3
O
4
decorated with bio-compatible carboxymethylated chitosan against acute leukemia lymphoma
Authors: Ghasemi Goorbandi Rachel , Mohammadi Mohammad Reza , Malekzadeh Kianoosh
Published: March 2020

Background

Genistein (C
15
H
10
O
5
) is a soy isoflavone with anti-cancer properties such as inhibition of cell growth, proliferation and tumor invasion, but effective dosage against hematopoietic malignant cells was not in non-toxic range. This property cause to impede its usage as chemotherapeutic agent. Therefore, this hypothesis raised that synthesizing biocompatible nanoparticle could assist to prevail this struggle.

Methods

Genistein covalently attached on Fe
3
O
4
nanoparticles decorated with carboxymethylated chitosan to fabricate Fe
3
O
4
-CMC-genistein in alkaline circumstance. This obtained nanoparticles were evaluated by TEM, DLS, FTIR, XRD and VSM and its anti-cancer effect by growth rate and MTT assays as well as flow cytometer on ALL cancer cell lines.

Results

Different evaluations indicated that the drug delivery vehicle had a mean diameter size around 12ƞm with well bounded components. This system presented high degree of magnetization and superparamagnetic properties as well as good water solubility. In comparison with pure genistein, significant growth inhibition on hematopoietic cancer cells in lower dose of genistein nano-conjugated onto Fe
3
O
4
-CMC. It increased long lasting effect of genistein in cancer cells also.

Conclusion

This delivery system for genistein could be remarkably promised and futuristic as biocompatible chemotherapeutic agent against hematopoietic malignant cells.
Prevalence and allele frequency of Congenital Colour Vision Deficiency (CCVD) among students at Hawassa University, Ethiopia
Authors: Mitiku Reta Gutema , Tolera Bekele Serbessa , Tolesa Zelalem Gebremariam
Published: March 2020

Background

The prevalence of congenital colour vision deficiency (CCVD) varies from race to race and differs in different geographic regions. Colour vision deficiency or colour blindness, is the inability or decreased ability of discriminating certain colour combinations and colour differences under normal lighting conditions. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of congenital colour vision deficiency among students at Hawassa University.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was employed involving 4004 students (females = 1171 and males = 2833) from four campuses, namely, Institutes of Technology, College of Health Science and Medicine, College of Agriculture and Main Campus. The Ishihara pseudo-isochromatic 24 plate edition was used to test the colour vision of students under natural day light condition.

Results

The prevalence of CCVD in the present study was 2.85%. A hundred and six (3.75%) males and eight (0.68%) females were affected with congenital colour vision deficiency. The frequencies of achromacy, deutan and protan in male subjects were 4 (0.14%), 82 (2.89%), and 24 (0.85%), respectively. Deutan was highest among students of Amhara ethnic origin (38, 2.51%), but the frequency of protan was highest amongst Oromo students (10, 0.8%).

Conclusion and recommendations

The overall prevalence of CCVD found in the present study was lower compared to the previous studies done in Ethiopia. There was clear variation in the prevalence of colour vision deficiency among students of various ethnic groups. Proper screening, education and counseling are needed to minimize impacts of CCVD in the country, and can also be beneficial for the affected subject in tackling difficulties in everyday work and for proper choice of future profession.
Facile fabrication of functional cellulose paper with high-capacity immobilization of Ag nanoparticles for catalytic applications for tannery wastewater
Authors: Yu Ruiquan , Lan Tianxiang , Jiang Jing , Peng Hao , Liang Ruifeng , Liu Gongyan
Published: March 2020

It has been a research goal to develop macroscopic materials with an optimized surface structure to affix silver nanoparticles which could contaminate water and maximize their practical functions. Cellulose paper is a versatile biomass material valued for its abundance, low cost, biocompatibility, and natural composition. Until now, its potential application in water purification has not been adequately explored. In this study, gallic acid-modified silver nanoparticles (GA@AgNPs) were loaded onto commercial cellulose filter paper using a simple lipoic acid modification process (GA@AgNPs-LA-CP). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to characterize the GA@AgNPs-LA-CP. The catalytic activity of the GA@AgNPs-LA-CP was evaluated by the reduction reaction of methylene blue (MB), Rhodamine B (RhB), and 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) with sodium borohydride (NaBH4). The GA@AgNPs-LA-CP exhibited excellent catalytic activity toward MB, RhB, and 4-NP, taking advantage of its high specific surface area generated by the cellulose fiber network structure. Interestingly, due to the electrostatic interactions between the cationic dyes and the GA@AgNPs, the as-prepared catalytic composite material serves as a better catalyst for MB and RhB, suggesting dual applications of the composite materials for organic wastewater treatment and the removal of harmful dyes. This implies that the immobilization of AgNPs on cellulose papers is an effective method and can be applied to efficient wastewater treatment applications.

Graphical abstract
Comorbid Conditions and GFR Predict Nonvertebral Fractures in Patients With Diabetes in an Ethnic-Specific Manner
Authors: Jain Rajesh K , Weiner Mark G , Zhao Huaqing , Vokes Tamara
Published: March 2020

Context

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with an increased risk of fracture, but it is not clear which diabetes and nondiabetes risk factors may be most important.

Objective

The aim of the study was to evaluate risk factors for incident major osteoporotic fractures (MOFs) of the hip, wrist, and humerus in African American (AA), Hispanic (HIS), and Caucasian (CA) subjects with DM.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study of 18 210 subjects with DM (7298 CA, 7009 AA and 3903 HIS) at least 40 years of age, being followed at a large healthcare system in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Results

In a global model in CA with DM, MOF were associated with dementia (HR 4.16; 95% CI, 2.13-8.12), OSA (HR 3.35; 95% CI, 1.78-6.29), COPD (HR 2.43; 95% CI, 1.51-3.92), and diabetic neuropathy (HR 2.52; 95% CI, 1.41-4.50). In AA, MOF were associated with prior MOF (HR 13.67; 95% CI, 5.48-34.1), dementia (HR 3.10; 95% CI, 1.07-8.98), glomerular filtration rate (GFR) less than 45 (HR 2.05; 95% CI, 1.11-3.79), thiazide use (HR 0.54; 95% CI, 0.31-0.93), metformin use (HR 0.59; 95% CI, 0.36-0.97), and chronic steroid use (HR 5.03; 95% CI, 1.51-16.7). In HIS, liver disease (HR 3.06; 95% CI, 1.38-6.79) and insulin use (HR 2.93; 95% CI, 1.76-4.87) were associated with MOF.

Conclusion

In patients with diabetes, the risk of fracture is related to both diabetes-specific variables and comorbid conditions, but these relationships vary by race/ethnicity.
Unexpected Shocks From a Subcutaneous Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Despite Attempted Reprogramming and Magnet Use: A Case Report
Authors: McFaul Colleen M. , Lombaard Stefan , Arora Vivek , Van Cleve William C. , Rooke G. Alec , Prutkin Jordan M.
Published: March 2020

We present the case of a patient with a subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (S-ICD) in situ. Device interrogation and reprogramming were unsuccessful due to a software mismatch between the device and programmer. The device manufacturer recommended magnet application to suspend antitachycardia therapy. Despite using this strategy, the S-ICD discharged multiple times. The S-ICD has unique perioperative considerations for the anesthesiologist. This case provides an example of the complexity of electrophysiologic devices in current use and the necessity of the anesthesia provider to stay up to date with evolving device management strategies.
Economic studies: history, theory, methodology
Authors: Balikoev Vladimir
Published: March 2020

It analyzes methodological problems of contemporary economic theory and concrete economic disciplines. In a simple and accessible form set out in historical perspective theory and methodology of economic research in a variety of economic doctrines from mercantilism to contemporary neoliberalism. Much attention is paid to the national identity of economic theory in the methodological aspect.
In detail and with specific examples, discusses the methodology of dialectics and dialectical materialism, the combination of historical
and logical, analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, etc., as well as their tools of research — a scientific theory, concept, paradigm, principle, Maxim. Similar to the analysis in the example are exposed to methodologies and tools for economic studies analysis of economic activities, banking, statistics, accounting, and financial management.
Addressed to students, undergraduates, graduate students, teachers and anyone interested in research methodology.
Consumption of growing up milk and stunting among Indonesian toddlers
Authors: Hidayana Irma , Shot Yen Tan , Hadihardjono Dian
Published: March 2020

[No abstract available]
Periodic acid-Schiff and alcian blue immunohistochemistry to detect mucin in mucinous breast carcinoma
Authors: Rustamadji Primariadewi , Wibowo Jason , Murtani Belinda , Magdalena Christy
Published: March 2020

BACKGROUND Detection of mucins has been shown to correlate with several clinicopathological characteristics in patients. Currently, periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) and alcian blue staining methods are the histochemistry staining techniques that are frequently used to detect mucin. This study was aimed to evaluate PAS and alcian blue staining in differentiating mucin characteristics between invasive carcinoma of no special type (ICNST) with mucinous degeneration and mucinous carcinoma.
METHODS This cross-sectional study of 33 cases included biopsies of mucinous breast carcinoma and ICNST with mucin degeneration that were histologically verified using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. The PAS and alcian blue staining were conducted in the Laboratory of Histochemistry, Department of Anatomical Pathology, Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital. Data were recorded using SPSS software, version 21 (IBM Corp, USA).
RESULTS There were 17 cases of ICNST with mucinous degeneration and 16 cases of mucinous carcinoma with age varied from 27 to 75 years. PAS had sensitivity of 87.5% and specificity of 41.2%. Alcian blue had sensitivity of 43.8% and specificity of 82.4%.
CONCLUSIONS PAS staining method is better than the alcian blue staining method in distinguishing between ICNST with mucinous degeneration and mucinous carcinoma. In the limited setting laboratory, PAS staining alone can be considered to detect mucin.
First trimester maternal upper arm circumference correlated to placental size and neonatal anthropometry
Authors: Wibowo Noroyono , Irwinda Rima , Rachman Lazuardy
Published: March 2020

BACKGROUND First maternal nutrition, represented by anthropometrics, is an important factor for fetal growth. This study aimed to determine the correlation between maternal nutritional status of first trimester pregnant women with placental size and neonatal anthropometry.

METHODS A retrospective cohort study (N = 134) was conducted in Jakarta and Riau during August–September 2017. Correlation between first trimester maternal nutritional status, placental size (placental weight and volume), and neonatal anthropometry (birth weight, birth length, head circumference, and abdominal circumference) were examined using Spearman correlation test.

RESULTS High maternal body mass index and upper arm circumference (UAC) are weakly correlated with high birth weight (r = 0.281, p<0.001 and r = 0.271, p<0.001), birth length (r = 0.176, p = 0.022 and r= 0.238, p = 0.002), head circumference (r = 0.251, p = 0.001 and r = 0.297, p<0.001), abdominal circumference (r = 0.227, p = 0.003 and r = 0.226, p = 0.003), placental weight (r = 0.198, p = 0.01 and r = 0.228, p<0.001), and placental volume (r = 0.194, p = 0.01 and r = 0.203, p = 0.008). In addition, high maternal height is also weakly correlated with high birth weight (r = 0.157, p = 0.043) and birth length (r = 0.158, p = 0.041).

CONCLUSIONS UAC can be reliably used to assess the nutritional status of pregnant women and to predict placental and newborn sizes.
Health consequences of thick forest fire smoke to healthy residents in Riau, Indonesia: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Zaini Jamal , Dwi Susanto Agus , Samoedro Erlang , Bionika Vonni Christiana , Antariksa Budhi
Published: March 2020

BACKGROUND Indonesia forest fire in 2015 emitted a huge amount of pollutants into the air. This study was aimed to assess the health consequences of forest fire smoke in healthy residents in Riau during forest fire disaster in 2015.

METHODS This cross-sectional study was performed in healthy residents who lived in Pekanbaru, Riau Province, Sumatera, for at least 6 months during forest fire disaster in 2015, and data were taken in October 2015. Questionnaires consisting of respiratory and non-respiratory symptoms were collected. Lung function was assessed by spirometry (MIR II Spirolab™ spirometer, Medical International Research, Italy) and exhaled carbon monoxide (CO) was assessed using piCO+ Smokerlyzer®. Heart rate at rest and oxygen saturation in the room air were measured using Onyx 9591 Pulse Oximeter®.

RESULTS A total of 89 subjects were mostly female (75.3%), housewife (37.7%), nonsmoker (86.5%) with mean age of 38.9 years old. The non-respiratory and respiratory symptoms were reported in 84.7% and 71.4% subjects, respectively. Lung function was impaired in 72.6% subjects, mostly with mild obstruction and mild restriction. Exhaled CO was highly detected over normal values (mean [standard deviation] = 32.6 [9.97] ppm) with predicted carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) of 5.74 (1.56).

CONCLUSIONS Forest fire smoke exposure increased the respiratory and nonrespiratory symptoms among healthy individuals, which showed impairment in lung function, exhaled CO, and predicted COHb. Long term health effects on healthy individuals exposed to forest fire smoke warrant further evaluation.
MusiJ: an ImageJ plugin for video nanoscopy
Authors: Acuña Sebastian , Ströhl Florian , Opstad Ida S. , Ahluwalia Balpreet S. , Agarwal Krishna
Published: March 2020

We present an open-source implementation of the fluctuation-based nanoscopy method MUSICAL for ImageJ. This implementation improves the algorithm’s computational efficiency and takes advantage of multi-threading to provide orders of magnitude faster reconstructions than the original MATLAB implementation. In addition, the plugin is capable of generating super-resolution videos from large stacks of time-lapse images via an interleaved reconstruction, thus enabling easy-to-use multi-color super-resolution imaging of dynamic systems.
Characteristics of microwave photonic signal generation using vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers with optical injection and feedback
Authors: Xue Chenpeng , Chang Da , Fan Yuanlong , Ji Songkun , Zhang Zuxing , Lin Hong , Spencer Paul S. , Hong Yanhua
Published: March 2020

Characteristics of microwave photonic signal generation based on the period-one dynamic in an optically injected vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser are studied systematically. The evolutions of the linewidth, power, and second-harmonic ratio of the generated microwave are investigated as a function of injection strength and frequency detuning. The effect of optical feedback on the linewidth and the phase noise of the generated microwave photonic signal is also studied in detail. With the help of optical feedback, the linewidth can be effectively reduced by increasing the feedback strength and feedback delay time. However, there is an optimal feedback delay time to minimize the phase noise.
Poisson distribution of extreme events in radiation of random distributed feedback fiber laser
Authors: Gorbunov O. A. , Sugavanam S. , Vatnik I. D. , Churkin D. V.
Published: March 2020

In the present Letter, we experimentally investigate extreme events in the time dynamics of the random distributed feedback fiber laser. We find that the probability of extreme events depends on the wavelength of the generated light. On spectrum tails, we register extreme events with intensity up to 50 times higher than the average generation power. Analysis of return times between successive rogue waves reveals their exponential distribution. Further investigation proves that the appearance of extreme waves in laser radiation obeys Poisson law. Characteristic radiation time varies from nanoseconds to tens of microseconds for most intense waves.
Measuring high orbital angular momentum of vortex beams with an improved multipoint interferometer
Authors: Zhao Qi , Dong Miao , Bai Yihua , Yang Yuanjie
Published: March 2020

A multipoint interferometer (MI), uniformly distributed point-like pinholes in a circle, was proposed to measure the orbital angular momentum (OAM) of vortex beams [Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 100801 (2008)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.101.100801], which can be used for measuring OAM of light from astronomical sources. This is a simple and robust method; however, it is noted that this method is only available for low topological charge because the diffracted intensity patterns for vortex beams with higher OAM will repeat periodically. Here, we propose an improved multipoint interferometer (IMI) for measuring the OAM of an optical vortex with high topological charge. The structure of our IMI is almost the same as the MI, but the size of each pinhole is larger than a point in the MI. Such a small change enables each pinhole to get more phase information from the incident beams; accordingly, the IMI can distinguish any vortex beams with different OAM. We demonstrate its viability both theoretically and experimentally.
Applying a mixed light field generated from a two-level atomic ensemble to two-photon interference
Authors: Zhou Shuyu , Zhang Shanchao , Wang Ying , Wang Yuzhu
Published: March 2020

A mixed light field generated from a two-level atomic ensemble can be used for two-photon interference. In this mixed light field, correlated paired photons generated from a four-wave mixing process provide a signal of two-photon interference, while Rayleigh scattered photons of the pump laser provide a stable reference to calibrate the normalized second-order correlation function. We demonstrate two-photon interference using the Hong–Ou–Mandel and Hanbury Brown–Twiss interferometers. A direct quantitative comparison between theoretical predictions and experimental data is performed under perturbed experimental conditions, which reveal this kind of light source has potential application for quantum metrology.
Dual-layered metasurfaces for asymmetric focusing
Authors: Yao Bingshuang , Zang Xiaofei , Li Zhen , Chen Lin , Xie Jingya , Zhu Yiming , Zhuang Songlin
Published: March 2020

Asymmetric transmission, defined as the difference between the forward and backward transmission, enables a plethora of applications for on-chip integration and telecommunications. However, the traditional method for asymmetric transmission is to control the propagation direction of the waves, hindering further applications. Metasurfaces, a kind of two-dimensional metamaterials, have shown an unprecedented ability to manipulate the propagation direction, phase, and polarization of electromagnetic waves. Here we propose and experimentally demonstrate a metasurface-based directional device consisting of a geometric metasurface with spatially rotated microrods and metallic gratings, which can simultaneously control the phase, polarization, and propagation direction of waves, resulting in asymmetric focusing in the terahertz region. These dual-layered metasurfaces for asymmetric focusing can work in a wide bandwidth ranging from 0.6 to 1.1 THz. The flexible and robust approach for designing broadband asymmetric focusing may open a new avenue for compact devices with potential applications in encryption, information processing, and communication.
Kontext und KI: Zum Potenzial der Beschäftigten für Künstliche Intelligenz und Machine-Learning
Authors: Pfeiffer Sabine
Published: March 2020

Die Bedeutung von Künstlicher Intelligenz und Machine Learning (KI/ML) im Unternehmen nimmt zu. Noch weitgehend unklar ist, ob das Potenzial der Beschäftigten ausreicht und passfähig ist, um die Potenziale dieser Technologie im Unternehmen schnell nutzbar zu machen. Neben den dafür nötigen KI/ML-spezifischen Programmierkenntnissen in der IT-Abteilung erfordert ein robuster und produktiver Einsatz von KI/ML im Unternehmen auch von den Beschäftigten in den anwendenden Fachabteilungen neue Kompetenzen. Sie müssen die Potenziale und Grenzen von KI/ML-Technologien verstehen (KI/ML-Kompetenz) und in der Lage sein, KI/ML-Systeme und ihre Ergebnisse in den fachlichen Kontext und an situative Anforderungen rückzubinden (Kontext-Kompetenz). Der Beitrag identifiziert diese Kompetenzen und zeigt empirisch, in welchem Ausmaß sie vorhanden sind oder entwickelt werden müssen. Dies geschieht auf der Basis der BIBB/BAuA-Erwerbstätigenbefragung 2018 für zwei Felder, die aktuell besonders relevant für den Einsatz von KI/ML sind: Predictive Maintenance und beratungsintensive Sachbearbeitung. Die Ergebnisse zeigen: Beschäftigte haben ein unterschätztes Potenzial für die erfolgreiche Umsetzung von KI/ML, es lohnt sich also, sie in allen Phasen der KI/ML-Umsetzung partizipativ zu involvieren.
Futuros
Authors: Marnoto Rita
Published: March 2020

https://doi.org/10.14195/0870-4112_3-3
Une pensée pour un nouvel avenir à inventer: à l’écoute de Jean-Luc Nancy
Authors: Ribeiro Fernanda
Published: March 2020

https://doi.org/10.14195/0870-4112_3-3