bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Science Diplomacy and the Making of the United Nations International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction
Authors: Schemper Lukas
Published: December 2019

The article discusses the creation of the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (idndr, 1990–1999), a global observance event that emanated neither from within the United Nations – for whom until then disaster management or rights of disaster victims had not been a real priority – nor from within civil society organizations or governments. In actuality, it was primarily a scientist-led initiative. This article suggests that this episode is a rare example of a joint effort on the part of a scientific community to create international scientific institutions to deal with the issue of disaster risk. The framing of the issue as “scientific” by earth scientists led the UN Secretariat and governments to embrace an issue that they had hitherto neglected. However, archival evidence also suggests that the eventual takeover of the project by the UN bureaucracy weakened the role of earth scientists in the idndr and changed its orientation.
International Days at the United Nations: Expanding the Scope of Diplomatic Histories
Authors: Baár Monika
Published: December 2019

The article argues that more thorough scholarly engagement with the United Nations’ international days has the potential for expanding the scope of diplomatic histories. It first provides a taxonomy of UN years by illuminating their repertoire, dynamics and peculiarities. Next, it discusses instances of how UN days are communicated to the public, emphasizing the role of media and celebrity diplomacy. Subsequently, the article demonstrates the crucial contribution of ngos, policy makers, and professionals who, as “outside-insiders” form the “Third UN.” Lastly, the article advances the argument that in order to obtain a more comprehensive account of UN days, another group of actors should be identified. These are comprised of organizations and individuals who are complete outsiders, but nevertheless contribute to the UN’s “marketplace of ideas” – a group that may be designated the “Fourth UN.”
The Religious Composition of Top Income and Wealth Groups, a Global Overview
Authors: de Pablo José Navarro
Published: December 2019

In this paper we focus on the top 10% of income earners, and within those at the individuals with more than 1 and 50 million in assets worldwide and their religion. This is a group of people with an inherent global outlook on their activities and social lives, who often share more interests in common with people along the same scale of wealth than with many of their fellow country-people at lower levels of income. The perception of political power gained by wealthy individuals punctually observed, has been found by research to be buttressed by the more active political participation by people in the upper ranges of income distribution and increased inequality is found to increase unequal political outcomes.

The social behaviour of this group of people at the top of the global income scale drives social policy, as these citizens tend to be better educated, connected, travelled and economically and politically active than the parts of the population that are worse off.

Religion, or the lack thereof, is a global social marker that influences behaviour on many levels, often at subconscious levels shared by whole societies, such as the perception of fairness and retribution, redistribution of resources and the wider relationship of society to economic resources.

Contemplated from a global perspective, religion as a shared cultural trait across nations may be a powerful unifier of interests and driver of political and economic action to tackle global problems such as climate change, environmental degradation, global poverty alleviation and other type of global externalities. Understanding the religious make-up of the group of people most active in shaping economic and cultural decisions globally should help in finding platforms for global cooperation.
A Seed Found Its Ground: John Dewey and the Construction of the Department of Education at Beijing Normal University
Authors: Xing LIU
Published: December 2019

Education did not exist as an independent field of studies in Chinese universities before Dewey’s visit to China in 1919. Dewey’s support accelerated the establishment of the Department of Education at Beijing Normal University (bnu), which was the first one in China. Dewey’s book Democracy and Education was used as a textbook, encyclopedia, and introduction to this modern discipline during his one-year bnu course, “Philosophy of Education.” bnu survived the 1922 Act and its education department became a stable and growing institution where Dewey’s ideas were studied and taught, which helped to keep Dewey’s influence in China strong and long lasting.
John Dewey and Chinese Education: Comparative Perspectives and Contemporary Interpretations
Authors: Zhixin SU
Published: December 2019

It has been widely claimed that no Western scholar has exerted greater influence on Chinese education than the American education philosopher John Dewey, who visited and lectured in China for more than two years between 1919 and 1921. A comparison of Chinese and American scholars’ evaluations of Dewey’s impact on Chinese education reveals many contradictions and controversies, especially in China during different historical periods. This paper examines the major differences between Chinese and American critics’ views on Dewey’s influence on Chinese education, with a focus on the dramatic changes in Chinese scholars’ perspectives in three distinct stages: from early praise and positive acceptance during the first 30 years after Dewey’s visit to China (1919–1949), to severe criticism and rejection over the next 30 years (1949–1979), and then to new interpretations since China’s opening up to the outside world in 1979. Although Dewey and his education theories were first extolled and then abandoned in China, they have received open and warm reappraisals from Chinese educators in recent decades and have emerged from rejection to renewed appreciation in Chinese education. To fully understand the significance and implications of Dewey’s visit to and lectures in China, both Chinese and American Dewey scholars need to create and sustain continued dialogue on this most fascinating episode in the intellectual histories of China and the US.
Preparation and studies of docetaxel proliposome
Authors: Zhu Ying , Luo Shiyao , Chen Yuejian , Raza Faisal , Han Han , Huang Zhewei , Li Yiping , Ge Liang
Published: December 2019

The taxanes, paclitaxel and docetaxel, are anticancer agents used in clinical trials against ovarian carcinoma, breast, lung and head/neck cancer. Docetaxel, more soluble than paclitaxel in water, is formulated using Tween 80 and ethanol. Tween 80, albeit less toxic than Cremophor EL,
may be responsible of some toxic effects. To eliminate these vehicles and improve the drug's antitumor efficacy, taxanes have been incorporated in liposomes, however the stability of the common liposomes was poor. We have prepared a well-characterized novel lyophilized liposome-based docetaxel
formulation that is sterile and easy-to-use. Of the several formulations examined, docetaxel-liposomes composed of ePC/CHOL 15:3 and co-surfactant poloxamer188/ePC/3:5 were chosen for further studies. This composition was found to give more stable liposomes than other formulations. It gave
95% entrapment efficiency and particle size of 200 nm after lyophilization. The pharmacokinetic parameters intravenously administration to the rats were determined and compared with those of commercial docetaxel formulations. Encapsulation of docetaxel in proliposomes produced marked differences
over the commercial preparations with an increased Cmax, prolonged elimination half-life, and an increased value for Area Under Curve (AUC). The obtained values for mean residence time (MRT) indicated that docetaxel remains longer for liposomal formulation. The docetaxel proliposome (PRDL)
was more effective than docetaxel injection (DXL-INJ) and plain docetaxel liposome (PDL) in the high, medium and low docetaxel dose trials.
Comment on “The Impact of Recent Forcing and Ocean Heat Uptake Data on Estimates of Climate Sensitivity”
Authors: Cowtan Kevin , Jacobs Peter
Published: December 2019

In 2018, Lewis and Curry presented a method for estimating the transient climate response (TCR) of the climate system from the temperature change between two time windows: an early baseline period in the nineteenth century and a modern period primarily in the twenty-first century. The results suggest a lower value of TCR than estimates from climate model simulations. Previous studies have identified uncertainty in the historical forcings, the impact of the time evolution of the forcing on temperature response, and observational issues as contributory factors to this disagreement. We investigate a further factor: uncertainty in the bias corrections applied to historical sea surface temperature data. This uncertainty can particularly affect the estimation of variables on decadal time scales and therefore affect the estimation of TCR using the window method as well as estimates of internal variability. We demonstrate that use of the whole historical record can mitigate the impacts of working with short time windows to some extent, particularly with respect to the early part of the record.
Reply to “Comment on ‘The Impact of Recent Forcing and Ocean Heat Uptake Data on Estimates of Climate Sensitivity’”
Authors: Lewis Nicholas , Curry Judith
Published: December 2019

Cowtan and Jacobs assert that the method used by Lewis and Curry in 2018 (LC18) to estimate the climate system’s transient climate response (TCR) from changes between two time windows is less robust—in particular against sea surface temperature bias correction uncertainty—than a method that uses the entire historical record. We demonstrate that TCR estimated using all data from the temperature record is closely in line with that estimated using the LC18 windows, as is the median TCR estimate using all pairs of individual years. We also show that the median TCR estimate from all pairs of decade-plus-length windows is closely in line with that estimated using the LC18 windows and that incorporating window selection uncertainty would make little difference to total uncertainty in TCR estimation. We find that, when differences in the evolution of forcing are accounted for, the relationship over time between warming in CMIP5 models and observations is consistent with the relationship between CMIP5 TCR and LC18’s TCR estimate but fluctuates as a result of multidecadal internal variability and volcanism. We also show that various other matters raised by Cowtan and Jacobs have negligible implications for TCR estimation in LC18.
Between the World and Me: Rituals for Crossing Over, in Memory of Dr. Katie Geneva Cannon
Authors: Thomas Linda E.
Published: December 2019

Katie Cannon’s scholarship offers commentary, challenges, and cautions, and it provides sources and norms that constitute a hermeneutic for Black women’s moral agency. She advances intellectual freedom through visionary, if not unorthodox, teaching and performance that leads to revolutionary possibilities. She foregrounds the varied ways of knowing passed on to us by ancient and sage folkways and lived morals by drawing on classic oral texts.
Daily stress spillover and crossover: Moderating effects of difficulties in emotion regulation in same-sex couples
Authors: Cooper Ashley N. , Tao Chun , Totenhagen Casey J. , Randall Ashley K. , Holley Sarah R.
Published: December 2019

Using daily diary data from 81 same-sex couples, we examined the link between stress experienced outside the relationship (external) and within the relationship (internal) for individuals (stress spillover) and their partners (stress crossover). Extending prior literature, we examined spillover and crossover of both common external (e.g., work stress) and sexual minority stress (e.g., discrimination based on sexual orientation) and the extent to which individuals’ own and their partner’s difficulties in emotion regulation moderated these associations. We found compelling evidence for spillover of common external stress and crossover of both types of stress. Further, we found both concurrent (same day) and lagged (next-day) stress spillover and crossover processes for both types of external stressors, moderated by both partners’ reported difficulties in emotion regulation. Findings related to stress spillover and crossover as well as implications for researchers and clinicians working with same-sex couples are discussed.
The boundaries of universality - migrant women and domestic violence before the Strasbourg Court
Authors: Wessels Janna
Published: December 2019

This article explores the boundaries encountered by women fleeing domestic violence in countries located outside the Council of Europe (‘CoE’) when claiming non-refoulement before the Strasbourg Court. The main argument is that these boundaries are embedded in the different standards the Court applies in its Article 3 ECHR case law. To develop this argument, the article conducts an exemplary critical analysis of A.A. and Others v. Sweden in comparison with, firstly, Opuz v. Turkey and secondly, Othman v. UK. The first comparison exposes a territorial bias in the case law. It shows that the risk assessment is much more lenient in cases of women seeking international protection in CoE Member States, than in cases of women who suffer domestic violence within their CoE home States. The second comparison reveals a gender bias in the jurisprudence of different types of non-refoulement cases. The assessment of available protection from an established risk is separately assessed in cases of men fleeing harm from State actors, but not in cases of women escaping ‘private’ harm. As a result, migrant women’s rights are limited by two intersecting and mutually reinforcing inequalities – both as migrants and as women. Taken together, these biases make the purportedly absolute prohibition of torture as laid down in Article 3 ECHR malleable in respect of migrant women. In order to respond to these dissonances, the article suggests a reformulation of the real risk assessment in migrant women’s cases: It should consist in a two-step assessment, establishing first the risk and then the available protection, and be guided by due diligence standards.
A New Look at Neuroticism: Should We Worry So Much About Worrying?
Authors: Weiss Alexander , Deary Ian J.
Published: December 2019

People with higher levels of neuroticism seem to have drawn the short straw of personality. However, there are multiple ways to score highly in neuroticism. Analyses of the short scale of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised in three large data sets have revealed that higher neuroticism can mean having elevated scores on all items, elevated scores mainly on items related to anxiety and tension, or elevated scores mainly on items related to worry and vulnerability. Epidemiological and molecular genetic studies have revealed that people in the first group are at greater risk for poorer mental and physical health but that people in the latter two groups, especially those beset by worry and feelings of vulnerability, have better physical health. These findings suggest that future research on neuroticism and health should focus on different ways that people can exhibit high neuroticism.
‘Sustainable’ Discourse: A Critical Analysis of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
Authors: Ala-Uddin Mohammad
Published: December 2019

Sustainability is a catchphrase in contemporary theory and practice of international development. It has become an epicentre of development debate following the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015 by the United Nations (UN). Many view the new set of goals as a significant step in the field of development, but scholars and practitioners still grapple with reaching a consensus on a common definition of sustainability. This article problematizes the notion and theoretical underpinning of sustainability. The author focusses on the discursive practices that played a dominant role in shaping the conception of sustainability, especially within the formation of the SDGs. Using the three-dimensional analytical framework of discourse studies outlined by Fairclough (1995, Critical discourse analysis, Boston, MA: Addison Wesley), the author interprets the text of the SDGs at micro level (discourse), meso level (discursive practices) and macro level (discursive events).
Precautionary principle, its interpretation and application by the Indian judiciary: ‘When I use a word it means just what I choose it to mean-neither more nor less’ Humpty Dumpty
Authors: Gill Gitanjali Nain
Published: December 2019

The precautionary principle is accepted in India as a fundamental tool to promote sustainable development and is employed within Indian environmental governance to promote better health and environmental decisions. Scientific uncertainty is at the core of the precautionary principle. The application of the precautionary principle is an open-ended issue. This article seeks to add to the limited empirical studies on the understanding, appreciation and application of the precautionary principle by key environmental actors, as differing legal responses and decisions may be irreversible before conclusive scientific knowledge and evidence become available. Building on researcher’s unique Indian data, and drawing on the theoretical insights developed by Charles Weiss, an explanatory environmental framework addresses the uncertainty of science by assembling a scale of legal standards arranged in a hierarchy of levels of increasing certainty familiar to lawyers and the judiciary. Reported Indian cases from the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal are selected to illustrate levels of scientific certainty or uncertainty and corresponding legal standards of proof constituting acceptable bases for legal decisions in practical context especially the precautionary principle. The article suggests India should develop a framework of guidelines that would provide an effective roadmap for decision-makers applying the precautionary principle.
Synthesis, crystal structure and bovine serum albumin–binding studies of a new Cd(II) complex incorporating 2,2′-(propane-1,3-diyl)bis(1H-imidazole-4,5-dicarboxylate)
Authors: Li Xiao-Fei , Ma Li-Gang , Yang Yan-Qiu , Liu Yan-Ju , Meng Xiang-Ru , Yang Huai-Xia
Published: December 2019

A new Cd(II) complex, [Cd(H4pbidc)(H2O)] n (1), incorporating 2,2′-(propane-1,3-diyl)bis(1H- imidazole-4,5-dicarboxylic acid) (H6pbidc) was synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, infrared spectra and X-ray single-crystal diffraction. In complex 1, each Cd(II) ion is hepta-coordinated, showing a significantly distorted pentagonal-bipyramidal coordination environment. Adjacent Cd(II) ions are alternately joined through two carboxylate oxygen atoms and two bridging water molecules resulting in a one-dimensional chain structure. In the solid state, adjacent chains are further linked by hydrogen bonds, forming a three-dimensional supramolecular architecture. Meanwhile, the interactions of complex 1 with bovine serum albumin were analysed by fluorescence measurements under physiological conditions. The results indicated that the fluorescence intensity of bovine serum albumin was decreased considerably upon the addition of complex 1 through a static quenching mechanism with formation of one binding site. The negative values of the thermodynamic parameters including enthalpy change (Δ H), entropy change (Δ S) and Gibbs free energy change (Δ G) showed that hydrogen bonding and van der Waals forces were the main interactions in the binding of complex 1 to bovine serum albumin, and the binding process is spontaneous in thermodynamics.
Towards an Ecological Handbook for Bible Translators
Authors: Pattemore Stephen
Published: December 2019

The urgency of the ecological crisis has come too late for the West to change significantly the language of its Bible translations. Yet in many “ecological hotspots,” first Bible translations are being made. Previously I argued for minority-language Bibles that are “green to the core,” taking account of the contemporary ecological crisis. These would involve a careful choice of vocabulary and paratextual materials to help the audience understand texts that impact the earth in their first context and in the contemporary world, in an effort to demonstrate that care of the earth is part of the “normal Christian life.” This paper examines passages from Revelation to help frame them in these terms for the translator and suggest relevant translation choices and places where notes might prove helpful. The aim is to provide a model for an “Ecological Guide to Translating the Bible.”
Elevated levels of serum, but not salivary, brain-derived neurotrophic factor following mild traumatic brain injury in collegiate athletes post return-to-play
Authors: Susa Taylor R , Brandt Ryan D , Kangas Keara J , Bammert Catherine E , Ottem Erich N , Moore Marguerite T , Carlson Joshua M
Published: December 2019

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) helps restore neuronal function following mild traumatic brain injury. BDNF levels can be obtained in blood serum and more recently in saliva. However, the relationship between serum and salivary BDNF is poorly understood—especially in relation to alterations in BDNF levels following mild traumatic brain injury. In this study, serum and salivary BDNF were collected from a sample of 42 collegiate student athletes. Half of the participants were recently cleared by a physician and/or an athletic trainer to return-to-play after experiencing a sports-related concussion. The other half had not experienced a concussion within the past year and were matched by age, sex, sport, and time of sample. Results suggest that incidences of depression, anxiety, and stress were all elevated in the concussion group, relative to the control participants. When controlling for stress-related negative affect, serum BDNF was elevated in the concussion group. However, there was no difference in salivary BDNF. Serum and salivary BDNF were uncorrelated across the entire sample. Yet, these measures of BDNF were correlated in the concussion group, but not the control group. In sum, serum BDNF is elevated in concussion post return-to-play; however, further research is needed to explore the utility of salivary BDNF following concussion.
Feature extraction and classification of heart sound using 1D convolutional neural networks
Authors: Li Fen , Liu Ming , Zhao Yuejin , Kong Lingqin , Dong Liquan , Liu Xiaohua , Hui Mei
Published: December 2019

We proposed a one-dimensional convolutional neural network (CNN) model, which divides heart sound signals into normal and abnormal directly independent of ECG. The deep features of heart sounds were extracted by the denoising autoencoder (DAE) algorithm as the input feature of 1D CNN. The experimental results showed that the model using deep features has stronger anti-interference ability than using mel-frequency cepstral coefficients, and the proposed 1D CNN model has higher classification accuracy precision, higherF-score, and better classification ability than backpropagation neural network (BP) model. In addition, the improved 1D CNN has a classification accuracy rate of 99.01%.
Biodegradation of dicofol by Microbacterium sp. D-2 isolated from pesticide-contaminated agricultural soil
Authors: Lu Peng , Liu Hong-ming , Liu Ai-min
Published: December 2019

Dicofol is an organochlorine insecticide widely used to prevent pests worldwide. Consequently, serious environmental problems have arisen from the application of dicofol. Bioremediation is an effective solution for dicofol persistence in the environment. In this study, a bacterial strain D-2, identified to genus Microbacterium, capable of degrading dicofol was isolated from dicofol-contaminated agricultural soil. This represents the first dicofol degrading bacterium isolated from this genus. Microbacterium sp. D-2 degraded 50 mg/L dicofol within 24 h at a rate of 85.1%. Dicofol was dechlorinated by D-2 and the further degradation metabolite was indentified as p,p′-dichlorobenzophenone(DCBP). Soils inoculated with Microbacterium sp. D-2 degraded 81.9% of the dicofol, while soils without D-2 only degraded 20.5% of the dicofol present. This finding suggests that strain D-2 has great potential in bioremediation of dicofol-contaminated soils.
A rapid method for evaluating the variables affecting traffic flow in a touristic road, Iran
Authors: Kardani-Yazd Neda , Kardani-Yazd Nadia , Mansouri Daneshvar Mohammad Reza
Published: December 2019

Background

This study aimed to evaluate variables that influence traffic flow and its contribution to touristic transportation in a touristic road, Iran. The traffic flow data were extracted from the hour-by-hour data in 2018 from a local traffic control center in addition to three daily indices, including climatic comfort indicator, temperature inversion indicator, and temporal indicator of local calendar events, which were obtained from databases and equations. The data time series were arranged into diurnal, weekly, and monthly scales to apply in correlation tests.

Results

Results revealed that a rate of 18–25% of total transportation (about 3,500,000–5,000,000 vehicles from total 19,828,619 vehicles) was assumed as a touristic portion of the traffic flow in the study area. The relationships between independent variables and traffic flow data exposed the effective and considerable role of the local climate on the traffic flow at above 98% of confidence level, without a strong association between calendar effect and traffic flow. Statistical results in all temporal cycles revealed the significant positive and negative effects of the local climatic comfort index and temperature inversion index on the traffic flow, respectively.

Conclusions

The finding of this study described that the traffic flow and touristic transportation in the study area are more affected by the local climatic comfort and temperature inversion indices, but are less affected by the local calendar holidays and occasional vacations. Hence, the decision-makers in the study area sternly need a fundamental climatic calendar for management, tourism transportation, and traffic flow instead of the current local calendar.
Prevalence of Pre Diabetes and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus among cement industry workers
Authors: Meo Sultan Ayoub , Muneif Yasser Abdullah Bin , Ben Nasser Abdullah , AlSadhan Mohammad Abdullah , Hashem Raed Fuad , Alobaisi Abdullah Saud
Published: December 2019

Objectives: Occupational and environmental pollution have become an imperative jeopardy for developing devastating metabolic diseases. Limited animal model studies have examined the impact of exposure to cement dust on metabolic conditions. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of pre-diabetes and Type-2 diabetic mellitus (T2DM) among non-smoking cement mill workers.

Methods: This epidemiological cross sectional study was conducted in the “Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia” during the period Oct 2016 to June 2017. Initially 310 cement mill workers were interviewed; after the interview and clinical history taking, 186 non-smoking cement mill employees were finally recruited. The cement mill employees were exposed to cement dust-related pollution in a cement industry for eight hours a day for six days a week. The mean age was 36.56 ± 0.78 years, mean BMI was 25.70 ± 0.29 m/kg2, and mean period of employment in the cement industry was 82.77 ± 6.95 months. HbA1c was measured using the Dimension Xpand Plus Integrated Chemistry System (USA).

Results: The cement mill employees were divided into three groups: non-diabetics group, with glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) <5.7%; pre-diabetics group, with HbA1c 5.7-6.4%; and diabetics group, with HbA1c >6.4%. Among the cement mill personnel, 79 (42.47%) were non-diabetics, 28 (15.05%) were pre-diabetics, and 79 (42.47%) were diabetics. The prevalence of pre-diabetes and T2DM among cement mill employees was considerably associated with the period of employment in the cement industry (p=0.032).

Conclusions: Exposure to cement dust was associated with an increased prevalence of pre- diabetes and T2DM among cement industry employees.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.1.1266

How to cite this:Meo SA, Bin-Muneif YA, BenOmran NA, AlSadhan MA, Hashem RF, Alobaisi AS. Prevalence of Pre Diabetes and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus among cement industry workers. Pak J Med Sci. 2020;36(1):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.1.1266

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Magnesium Sulfate in combination with Nifedipine in the treatment of Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension
Authors: Xiang Cuiping , Zhou Xuegui , Zheng Xiaoxia
Published: December 2019

Objective: To investigate the effect of magnesium sulfate combined with nifedipine in the treatment of pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome (PIHS).

Methods: Total 118 pregnant women with PIHS who were admitted to our hospital from April 2017 to June 2018 were randomly divided into control group (59 cases) and observation group (59 cases). The observation group was treated by magnesium sulfate in combination with nifedipine, while the control group was treated by magnesium sulfate. The therapeutic effect, serum leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF), Apelin level, blood pressure, blood viscosity, urinary protein, S/D and Umbilical Artery Resistance Index (UARI) were compared between the two groups.

Results: The effective rate of the observation group was 94.9%, higher than 83.1% of the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The decrease level of systolic and diastolic blood pressure in the observation group was better than that in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The decrease of blood viscosity, urinary protein, S/D and UARI in the observation group was greater than that in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The improvement of serum LIF and Apelin levels in the observation group was better than that in the control group (P<0.05), and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05).

Conclusion: Magnesium sulfate combined with nifedipine in the treatment of PIHS has a significant effect, which can effectively control edema, blood pressure, proteinuria and protect kidney. It is worth clinical promotion.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.1.706How to cite this:Xiang C, Zhou X, Zheng X. Magnesium Sulfate in combination with Nifedipine in the treatment of Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension. Pak J Med Sci. 2020;36(1):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.1.706

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Medical-rehabilitation endeavors, care interventions and connotations of a medical-social type, in a complex polypathological case: paraplegia, spondylodiscitis, kidney failure in the haemodialysis stage, and bilateral nephrostomies post operated bladder neoplasm
Authors: SAGLAM Ali Osman , STAVRICĂ Alexandru , ALBEȘTEANU Ana Carmen , POPESCU Laura Georgiana , NIRLU Luminița , MARINESCU Florin , ONOSE Gelu
Published: December 2019

Abstract
Introduction Paraplegia or paralysis of lower extremities is caused mainly by disorders of the spinal cord and cauda equina. They are classified as traumatic and non traumatic. Non traumatic paraplegia has multiple causes such as cancer, infection, intervertebral disc disease, vertebral injury and spinal cord vascular disease.
The current case report presents the case of a male patients with paraplegia related to the thoracic spondylodiscitis in a patient on haemodialysis. Material and method. Having the patient’s consent and The Teaching Emergency Hospital “Bagdasar-Arseni” Ethics Committee’s approval, N.O. 17464/14.06.2019, a 72 years old patient, which known with operated bladder neoplasm (2015-neobladder), Chronic kidney failure in haemodialysis program and spondylodiscitis T10-T11 operated in 29.12.2018. Results and discussions. The patient improved on most of the assessment scales/scores implemented in our clinic’s Division Motor FIM ( Functional İndependence Measure) from 43/91 to 54/91,AIS (American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale) from 85/100 motor to 92/100. Conclusions. İnfectious diseases are important causes of non-traumatic paraplegia. The risk of infection on haemodialysis patient is further increased because of frequent routine skin penetration for venipuncture and operative procedures such as placement of venous catheters and vascular grafts.
Key words: paraplegia, haemodialysis, spondylodiscitis, neoplasm, nephrostomy,
Development of an IgY-based lateral flow immunoassay for detection of fumonisin B in maize
Authors: Tran Tien Viet , Do Binh Nhu , Nguyen Thao Phuong Thi , Tran Tung Thanh , Tran Son Cao , Nguyen Ba Van , Nguyen Chuyen Van , Le Hoa Quang
Published: December 2019

Fumonisins are among the most prevalent mycotoxins in maize, causing substantial economic losses and potential health risks in humans and animals. In the present study, in-house polyclonal IgY antibody against fumonisin B1 (FB1) and B2 (FB2) was applied for the development of a competitive lateral flow immunoassay detecting these mycotoxins in maize grains with the limit of detection of 4000 µg/kg, which corresponds to the maximum residue limit adopted by the European Commission. To this end, factors affecting the test performance including nitrocellulose membrane type, dilution factor of maize homogenates in running buffer, amount of detection conjugate, and incubation time between detection conjugate and samples were optimized. Under the optimal condition (UniSart® CN140 nitrocellulose membrane, FB1-BSA immobilized at 1 µg/cm, 1:10 dilution factor, 436 ng of gold nanoparticle conjugate, 30 minutes of incubation), the developed test could detect both FB1 and FB2 in maize with limit of detection of 4000 µg/kg, and showed no cross-reactivity to deoxynivalenol, ochratoxin A, aflatoxin B1 and zearalenone. When applied to detect FB1 and FB2 in naturally contaminated maize samples, results obtained from the developed assay were in good agreement with those from the high-performance liquid chromatography method. This lateral flow immunoassay is particularly suitable for screening of fumonisins in maize because of its simplicity and cost-effectiveness.
Recent advances in managing and understanding pyoderma gangrenosum
Authors: Fletcher Josh , Alhusayen Raed , Alavi Afsaneh
Published: December 2019

Pyoderma Gangrenosum (PG) is a rare neutrophilic dermatosis with multiple different clinical presentations and associated comorbidities. PG has historically been a challenging disorder to diagnose, leading to the development of new diagnostic criteria rather than the traditional approach of a diagnosis of exclusion. The pathophysiology is thought to involve both innate and adaptive immune system dysregulation, neutrophilic abnormalities, environmental, and genetic factors. As of today, no gold standard therapy exists for the treatment of PG, and the literature is restricted to mainly case reports, case series, and 2 small randomized clinical trials. Topical, systemic, and biologic therapy, as well as adequate analgesia and proper wound care all play a role in the management of PG. Recent studies have identified additional cytokines and signalling cascades thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of PG, ultimately leading to the development of new targeted therapies. This review will focus on recent advances in the pathophysiology, clinical presentation and associated comorbidities, diagnosis, and management of PG.
Small bridge
Authors: Drobyshyevskiy Boris
Published: December 2019

The practice of bridge construction has shown that the service life of small bridges is 2-3 times less than that of large ones. In the monograph the reasons of their low durability are revealed. New design and technological solutions of small bridges with high technical and economic indicators are proposed. They are based, in particular, on the rejection of deformation joints, which are the "pain point" of any bridge structure. Another classification of bridges is physically justified, where the areas of application of small seamless and large bridges are clearly marked.
For students and teachers, as well as anyone interested in the problems of bridge construction.
Review of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome: a predominantly female condition
Authors: Eftekhari Helen , Hayat Sajad
Published: December 2019

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome is a debilitating and underdiagnosed condition, affecting five times as many women of childbearing age as it does men. The true prevalence is difficult to estimate, with charities reporting up to potentially 3 million people with the condition in the United States. There is a lack of awareness and knowledge regarding how to manage people with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. This results in a difficult journey to diagnosis. The average length of time to diagnosis from symptom onset is 4 years in the UK with dismissals of symptoms and misdiagnosis being common experiences. The largest online survey by an American charity found that 75% of women were misdiagnosed with anxiety compared with 25% of men. This article aims to raise awareness of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, its underlying pathophysiology, diagnosis and the impact on quality of life, as well as the management and socioeconomic impact of the condition. Cardiac nurses who meet people with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome can improve the patient experience. Being aware of the condition, validating the experiences of these young, predominantly female, patients to rebuild trust, and providing support can make a huge difference.
Improving safety in theatre-to-recovery unit handover: a reflection
Authors: Dunkley Andrew Mark
Published: December 2019

This is a reflection on the transfer of patient care from the theatre team to the recovery team and focuses on aspects in patient safety during handover and the implementation of systems that may improve it.
Dementia 5. Alcohol-related brain damage (ARBD): diagnosis, treatment and medical management
Authors: Nazarko Linda
Published: December 2019

Alcohol misuse is often a hidden problem and alcohol-related brain damage is thought to account for around 10% of cases of dementia ( Brust, 2010 ; Gupta and Warner, 2008 ). In England, an estimated 589 101 adults are alcohol-dependent and 24% of adults in England and Scotland regularly drink more than Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) guidelines ( Burton et al, 2016 ). Alcohol misuse can affect many aspects of health and can lead to alcohol-related brain damage (ARBD). This article, the fifth in a series on dementia, explains about the pathophysiology and clinical features of ARBD, and how it is diagnosed, treated and managed.
Successful treatment of a diabetic foot ulcer with exposed bone using Trigona honey: a case study
Authors: Astrada Adam , Nakagami Gojiro , Jais Suriadi , Sanada Hiromi
Published: December 2019

Many studies have shown that honey might improve wound healing. However, its efficacy for large wounds which may be followed by a systemic effect remains unclear. The effectiveness of honey-based dressings in treating large diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) is still unknown. This study presents the case of a 38-year-old female patient presenting with an extensive infected DFU with exposed bone. The DFU was treated with propolis-enriched Trigona honey, used as a single treatment, in a home visit setting. After two months' follow-up, the wound exhibited complete re-epithelialisation despite the patient's initial poor condition.
Efek Penggunaan Cairan Ionik sebagai Aditif terhadap Konduktivitas Ionik Elektrolit Baterai Ion Litium
Authors: Septiana Atut Reni , Kartini Evvy , Honggowiranto Wagiyo , Sudaryanto Sudaryanto , Hidayat Rahmat
Published: December 2019

Teknologi baterai litium ion merupakan alternatif penyuplai energi pada peralatan portabel, divais elektronik, dan aplikasi tenaga tinggi seperti kendaraan listrik dan penyimpanan daya untuk energi terbarukan. Pada baterai litium ion, elektrolit memainkan peranan penting pada performa baterai. Elektrolit baterai litium ion, pada umumnya terdiri dari garam litium yang dilarutkan dalam pelarut organik dan aditif. Namun, LiPF6 tidak stabil secara termal dan mempengaruhi performa baterai secara signifikan. Selain itu, pelarut standar (konvensional) juga memiliki beberapa kekurangan jika diaplikasikan pada kendaraan listrik. Terkait dengan masalah tersebut, penggunaan elektrolit jenis lainnya, yakni garam litium, seperti lithium bis (trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide (LiTFSI) yang dapat dikombinasikan dengan cairan ionik menjadi sangat penting untuk dikaji. Oleh karena itu, dalam penelitian ini telah dikaji karakteristik konduktivitas ionik elektrolit berbasis LiTFSI. Pengukuran konduktivitas ionik elektrolit (LiTFSI) dalam pelarut karbonat dengan dan tanpa cairan ionik BMIMTFSI sebagai aditif telah dilakukan. Konduktivitas ionik elektrolit LiTFSI dalam pelarut karbonat dengan tambahan cairan ionik lebih tinggi dibandingkan LiTFSI tanpa tambahan cairan ionik, masing-masing yaitu 3.1 mS/cm and 2.7 mS/cm.
Development of a handheld dual-channel optical fiber fluorescence sensor based on a smartphone
Authors: Liu Ting , Wang Wenqi , Ding He , Liu Zhiqun , Zhang Suzhi , Yi Dingrong
Published: December 2019

In order to meet the needs of on-site, accurate, fast, and remote detection, we design a smartphone-based handheld dual-channel optical fiber fluorescence sensor (DOFFS), which is composed of a semiconductor laser for exciting fluorescence signals, a smartphone with a dual-bandpass filter for collecting fluorescence signals, a fiber coupler for transmitting light, and batteries for laser power supply. All the components are integrated into a 3D printed shell, on the side of which there are two fiber flanges used for fiber probe connection. The fluorescence signals of green and red quantum dots modified on the fiber probes can be captured by the smartphone camera and calculated by a self-developed Android application. The comparisons of single-channel and dual-channel fluorescence signals with pH show that the performance of the sensor is good. The proposed sensor not only can simultaneously detect dual-channel signals for fast detection needs, but it also is handheld with a small size of

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and inner power supply, and the fiber probes can be easily replaced, supporting remote and on-site applications. It is a potential tool for many occasions in many fields.
In-fiber Mach–Zehnder interferometer based on multi-core microfiber for humidity and temperature sensing
Authors: Cheng Junni
Published: December 2019

A novel relative humidity (RH) sensor, based on an in-line microfiber interferometer (MFI), is proposed and demonstrated in an experiment. The microfiber interferometer is fabricated by tapering multi-core fiber down to the micrometer scale in diameter, and the coupling occurs between the center core mode and the multiple side core modes. To enhance the sensing performance, the microfiber sensor is fixed as U-shaped. The variation of RH is monitored by observing the wavelength shift of the transmission spectrum. The experimental results show that the sensor has a good linear response to RH. A thinner MFI diameter of 8.52 µm can offer a better RH sensitivity of 59.8 pm/(%RH) in the range of 35–95% RH. When temperature changes from 35°C to 85°C, the temperature sensitivity of the sensor is 4.2 pm/°C, which demonstrates that the sensor is insensitive to temperature. The simultaneous measurement of temperature and RH can be realized by cascading with fiber Bragg grating. The microfiber sensor is easy to fabricate and does not have any functional coating, which makes it widely used in accurate RH measuring.
Effect of moving microalgae on underwater wireless optical links
Authors: Guerra Victor , Rufo Julio , Rabadan Jose , Perez-Jimenez Rafael
Published: December 2019

Underwater wireless optical communications is a promising technique for
addressing short-range data networks, as it provides cost,
performance, and complexity improvements as compared with other
alternatives, such as acoustic communications or radio frequency
links. It is a part of the optical wireless communications research
area, since for these applications, broad optical sources such as
visible LED lamps can be used. Unless those links are designed for
short distances (about 1 m, as in data-muling services on
internet-of-things submerged systems), they are still severely
affected by channel perturbations, such as scattering due to the
presence of particles. This effect is particularly important when
considering sensing applications for algae or aquaculture farming,
which are becoming a crucial economic resource in many maritime areas.
In this work, the effects of moving microalgae on underwater
short-range optical links are studied so as to estimate a model for
this scattering under dynamic conditions. The statistical parameters
over experimentally measured received signal level and signal-to-noise
ratio (SNR) are calculated, and the experimental setup is described.
Results show that in clear water (no-algae scenario), the
water-pump-induced movement effect over the mean and variance of the
received optical power can be neglected, while when microalgae are
present, the average optical power value decreases and the variance
increases with all measured wavelengths. Finally, the SNR penalty due
to the movement of microalgae is statistically evaluated.
Excitation of surface plasmon polaritons in a gold nanoslab on ion-exchanged waveguide technology
Authors: Tellez-Limon Ricardo , Blaize Sylvain , Gardillou Florent , Coello Victor , Salas-Montiel Rafael
Published: December 2019

Integrated metaphotonic devices has opened new horizons to control
light-guiding properties at nanoscale; particularly interesting is the
application of plasmonic nanostructures coupled to dielectric
waveguides to reduce the inherent light propagation losses in metallic
metamaterials. In this contribution, we show the feasibility of using
ion-exchanged glass waveguides (IExWg) as a platform for the efficient
excitation of surface plasmon polaritons (SPP). These IExWg provide
high coupling efficiency and low butt-coupling with conventional
dielectric optical waveguides and fibers, overcoming the hard
fabrication tunability of commonly used CMOS-guiding platforms. We
present a near-field scanning optical microscopy characterization of
the propagation characteristics of SPP supported in a gold nanoslab
fabricated on top of an IExWg. We found that the SPP can be only be
excited with the fundamental TM photonic mode of the waveguide. Thanks
to the low propagation loss, low birefringence, and compatibility with
optical fibers, glass waveguide technology is a promising platform for
the development of integrated plasmonic devices operating at visible
and near infrared wavelengths with potential applications in single
molecule emission routing or biosensing devices.