bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Up-Regulation of Urinary Exosomal Hsa-microRNA-200b-3p and Hsa-microRNA-206 in Patients of Steroid-induced Osteonecrosis of Femoral Head
Authors: Chen Delong , Zhang Gangyu , Li Ying , Zhang Meng , He Qi , Yang Junzheng , Wen Longfei , Zou Xuting , Li Ziqi , Wang Haibin , Chen Peng
Published: September 2020

Background:Urine exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) play vital roles in the occurrence and development of various diseases. However, less is known about miRNAs in steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head (SONFH). Here, we aimed to determine the value of miRNAs in urinary exosomes in the diagnosis of SONFH.Methods:RNA was extracted from urinary exosomes from 9 SONFH patients and 9 hip osteoarthritis (HOA) patients with age and gender matched and then miRNAs were analyzed by next generation sequencing. Next, the putative target genes of dysregulated miRNAs were predicted by miRNA databases. Furthermore, GO function, KEGG pathway, miRNAs-mRNAs network and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network were also constructed to analyze potentially pathological mechanisms. qRT-PCR and area under curve (AUC) analysis were performed to determine the diagnostic value of miRNAs. This study was approved by ethics review board in 1st Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine.Results:Intriguingly, 15 miRNAs including hsa-miR-200b-3p and hsa-miR-206 were significantly upregulated in exosomes from SONFH patients. Furthermore, qRT-PCR and area under curve (AUC) analysis of an independent cohort of 30 SONFH patients, 10 HOA patients and 10 healthy donors confirmed that hsa-miR-200b-3p and hsa-miR-206 were upregulated in SONFH samples which AUC values were 0.938 (95 % CI: 0.828-1) and 0.926 (95 % CI: 0.806-1) respectively. The enriched functions and pathways included Hippo, PI3K-Akt, TGF-β and Wnt signaling pathways. The top five hub genes (MAPK1, EP300, RHOA, PIK3CA, and CBL) were selected from PPI network, which consisted of 180 nodes and 518 edges. Conclusions:Collectively, our results showed that hsa-miR-200b-3p and hsa-miR-206 in urinary exosomes which might serve as non-invasive biomarkers for SONFH.
The T helper (Th) T Cytotoxic (Tc) Ratio in Hemophilia Disease
Authors: Khazaei Hossein Ali , Naderi Majid , Aliabad Ghasem Miri , Tabatabaei Seyed Mohammad Nasiraldin , Alidadi Ali , Moulaei Nezar Ali , Safdari Mohammad , Nahvi Hedayatollah , Cohan Nader , dehghan javid , Mehraban Ahmad , Jalili Arman , Khazaei amin , Khazaei Ehsan , Khazaei Bahman , Khazaei Behnam , Rezaei Nima
Published: September 2020

Background and Objectives:In this study, we investigated the T helper (Th) to T cytotoxic (Tc) ratio in children suffered from hemophilia disease. 80 diagnostic subjects referred to Ali Asghar hospital of Zahedan city, Zahedan-Iran, were selected and the ratio of these cells were analyzed by analytic descriptive methods.Method of study:Two mls of EDTA anti coagulated whole blood was collected. Immunophenotyping of lymphocytes count was carried out by FACS analysis using a double CD4 and CD8 kit. The mean ± SD of absolute numbers of CD4 and CD8 lymphocytes/ml was calculated and the ratio of CD4/CD8 was evaluated by statistical method.Results:We found 100% of patients were type A hemophilia. Among of them 66 (82.5%) were male. The mean age was 15±3.51 years. 12 (15%) of them had mild disease intensity and 68 (85%) had sever disease intensity. The ratio of CD4 and CD8 was obtained between 0.45 and 1.44 with mean1.79 ±0.78 and correlation with the gender and disease intesivity was 0.095 and 0.019 respectively.Conclusions:The results showed that the ratio of T helper (Th) to T cytotoxic (Tc) has significant correlation with
Prognostic Value of an Immunohistochemical Signature in Patients with Bladder Cancer Undergoing Radical Cystectomy
Authors: Wu Jie , Wen Jun-Miao , Wang Yu-Chen , Luo Wen-Jie , Wang Qi-Feng , Lv Hong , Dai Bo , Ye Ding-Wei , Zhu Yi-Ping
Published: September 2020

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess the prognostic value of a various of diagnostic immunohistochemical (IHC) markers and develop an IHC-based classifier to predict the disease-free survival (DFS) of patients with bladder cancer (BC) undergoing radical cystectomy (RC).METHODS: IHC was performed on tumor specimens from 366 patients with transitional cell BC. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression model was used to develop a multi-marker classifier for predicting DFS of patients with BC. The Kaplan–Meier estimate was performed to assess DFS, and univariate and multivariate Cox regression models were used to identify independent risk factors to predict DFS of patients with BC.RESULTS: Based on the LASSO Cox regression model, nine prognostic markers were identified in the training cohort. Patients were stratified into low- and high-risk groups using the IHC-based classifier. In the training cohort, the 10-year DFS was significantly better in low-risk patients (70.7%) compared with high-risk patients (17.9%) (p＜0.001); in the validation cohort, the 10-year DFS was 85.7% for the low-risk group and 20.4% for the high-risk group (p＜0.001). Multivariable Cox regression analyses showed that the high-risk group based on the nine-IHC-based classifier was associated with poorer DFS adjusted by clinicopathological characteristics. Finally, a nomogram comprising the nine-IHC classifier and clinicopathological factors was developed for clinical application.CONCLUSION: The nine-IHC-based classifier is a reliable prognostic tool, which can eventually guide clinical decision making regarding treatment strategy and follow-up scheduling of BC.
Using Real-World Data to Estimate the Changing Trends in the Prevalence and Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Xiamen of China, 2014-2019
Authors: He Weiwei , Xu Qiushi , Han Lili , Wu Ting , Shi Xiulin , Ye Lishan , Yao Guanhua , Li Xuejun
Published: September 2020

Background: The prevalence of diabetes is increasing worldwide. Our study aimed to estimate the changing trends in the prevalence and incidence of diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) among Xiamen residents and the floating population using real-world data.Methods: We used real-world data from the System of Xiamen Citizens Health Information from 2014 to 2019 to estimate the changing trends in prevalence and incidence of diagnosed T2DM. The systems included the diagnosis of diabetes and the prescription of hypoglycemic drugs. Prevalent cases of T2DM were individuals who diagnosed T2DM and/or using hypoglycemic drugs. Incident cases were individuals with diagnosed T2DM and/or using hypoglycemic drugs in 2014 who had not diagnosed and/or no used one in the past.Results: In 2014 and 2019, the prevalence of T2DM in Xiamen was 4.04% (95% CI 4.02-4.06) and 4.84% (95% CI 4.81-4.86), respectively. In 2014 and 2019, the incidence of T2DM in Xiamen was 1.41% (95% CI 1.39-1.42) and 1.50% (95% CI 1.48-1.51), respectively. There was an increase significant in the total of the prevalence and incidence of T2DM in Xiamen from 2014 to 2019 (0.80% (95% CI 0.76%-0.83%, P <0.001; 0.09% (95% CI 0.07-0.11), P<0.001, respectively). The prevalence and incidence of T2DM in people aged 18-39 years increased significantly from 2014 to 2019, while the prevalence and incidence of T2DM in people aged 40-69 years reduced significantly from 2014 to 2019. Conclusion: We found that there was an increasingly significant in the total of the prevalence and incidence of T2DM in Xiamen from 2014 to 2019. The prevalence and incidence of T2DM in people aged 18-39 years increased significantly, while that in people aged 40-69 years reduced significantly indicating that the prevalence and incidence of T2DM in Xiamen were significantly increased and showed a trend of younger age.
The Role of GPR56 in Neurofibromatosis type 1 Secondary to Scoliosis
Authors: Cai Siyi , Yang Yuemei , Jia Binghan , Wu Zhihong , Zhang Jianguo , Shen Jianxiong , qiu guixing
Published: September 2020

Background: Scoliosis is a common manifestation of neurofibromatosis type 1, causing significant morbidity. The etiology of dystrophic scoliosis in neurofibromatosis type 1(NF1) is not fully understood and its therapies are lacking. This article focused on how GPR56 affected the development of NF1 cells and the related factors of osteoblast and osteoclast. Methods: Through RNA-sequencing, G-protein-coupled receptor (GPR56) was found highly differential expressed in the NF1 with scoliosis samples. We measured the GPR56 how affected the NF1 cells in vitro. Then we tested the influence of GPR56 in osteoclasts and osteoblasts. Results: We reported that knockdown GPR56 promoted the proliferation and cell cycle progression of NF1 cell. Furthermore, knockdown GPR56 can inhibited the osteoblastic differentiation and osteoclast formation, but had greater influence on osteoblastic differentiation, which indicated that knockdown GPR56 can promote the deterioration of NF1 tumors, meanwhile break the dynamic balance of bone formation and bone absorption, leading to increased bone resorption and eventually scoliosis. Conclusions: In conclusion, we found that GPR56 may inhibit the proliferation and cell cycle progression of NF1. Furthermore, GPR56 can promote osteoblastic differentiation and osteoclast formation, but had greater influence on osteoblastic differentiation, which indicated that knockdown GPR56 can promote the deterioration of NF1 tumors, meanwhile break the dynamic balance of bone formation and bone absorption, leading to increased bone resorption.
The Use of Patient Reported Outcome Measures and Experiences in Patients With Anaemia Receiving Intravenous Ferric Carboxymaltose: A Cohort Study 
Authors: Wyssusek Kerstin , Town Cienwen , Norton Rose , Avedissian Annie Der
Published: September 2020

Background: Fatigue due to iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) has not been regularly evaluated in clinical studies. The aim of this study is to assess patient reported outcomes amongst individuals diagnosed with IDA before and after receiving intravenous ferric carboxymaltose. Fatigue and satisfaction will be measured using the validated Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy – Fatigue (FACIT-fatigue) scale and the validated Nordic Patient Experiences Questionnaire (NORPEQ), respectively.Methods: Thirty eligible patients receiving IV ferric carboxymaltose at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital were enrolled to participate in interviews; two patients were lost to follow up. Mean change in FACIT-fatigue score from the baseline day of IV ferric carboxymaltose treatment to week 4 post treatment was measured. Patient satisfaction with the overall process of treatment was measured on the day of treatments. Approval for Ethics exemption was obtained by the RBWH ethics committee.Results: A one-way ANOVA was conducted to compare the patient questionnaire results at baseline on the day of receiving the IV ferric carboxymaltose and after a four week follow up via telephone interview. There was a significant effect of improvement of FACIT-fatigue scores on follow up at the p<.05 level [F(1,54), = 7.60, p = .008]. Patient satisfaction was assessed by analysing NORPEQ, an 8-item questionnaire. Patients had reported overall higher satisfaction scores at baseline and follow-up, averaging 91% and 94%, respectively and were not significant in treatment at the p<.05 level [F(1,52), = 1.37, p = .246].Conclusions: The use of validated patient reported outcome measures and experiences provides valuable insights into the patients’ perspective. Physiological and biochemical data outcomes are often used as the gold-standard of medical research. However, patient experience and self-perceived physiological improvement are imperative when measuring the success of a medical intervention and the benefits it provides to patients and consumers. Further research is needed to combine the subjective patient experience data with objective physical, biochemical, or physiological data. Combined, they can provide a thorough and comprehensive assessment of an intervention. Furthermore, a comparison of outcomes administering IV iron or oral iron therapy would provide valuable information about efficacy.Trial registration: Not registered
Observation of an Ultrafast Exciton Transport Regime at Early Times in Quantum Dot Solids
Authors: Zhang Zhilong , Sung Jooyoung , Toolan Daniel , Han Sanyang , Weir Michael , Xiao James , Dowland Simon , Liu Mengxia , Ryan Anthony , Jones Richard , Huang Shujuan , Rao Akshay
Published: September 2020

Understanding and engineering exciton transport in quantum dot (QD) solids is both of fundamental interest and crucial to their broad applications in devices1-6. Till date, studies of exciton transport in QD solids on pico/nano-second timescales have led to the conclusion that closer packing of QDs enables faster exciton transport, while energetic/structural heterogeneity leads to reduction of exciton diffusivity over time7,8. Here we study PbS QD solids using transient absorption microscopy with 13 femtoseconds time resolution and 10 nm spatial precision. We find exciton diffusivities in the range of ~102 cm2 s-1 within the first few hundred femtoseconds after photoexcitation, followed by the transition to a slower transport regime with diffusivities in the range 10-1 to 1 cm2 s-1. Counterintuitively, the initial diffusivity is higher and the time before the transition to the slower transport phase is longer in QD solids with longer ligand lengths. This suggests a transition from early-time transport of delocalized excitons to later time hopping based transport of localized excitons, where QD packing density and heterogeneity accelerate the localization process. Our results reveal a new regime for exciton transport in QD solids and provide design rules to engineer desired transport properties in these systems on a range of timescales.
INITIAL GROWTH OF Clitoria fairchildiana UNDER ORGANIC SUBSTRATES
Authors: Da Silva Janildes de Jesus , Da Silva Braulio Caliane , Melo Moreira Flavia , Santos de Jesus Cavalcante Angela , Anda Rocabado Juan Manuel , Nobrega Rafaela Simao
Published: September 2020

Substratos orgânicos formulados a partir de adições de solo a compostos orgânicos de diferentesorigens podem interferir no crescimento inicial e qualidade de mudas de espécies arbóreas. Avaliamos ainteração entre tipos e proporções de compostos orgânicos (CO) na nodulação e produção de mudas deClitoria fairchildiana. O experimento foi disposto em delineamento inteiramente casualizado com fatorial2 x 5, dois tipos de CO [COP (de poda de árvore) e CLU (de lixo urbano)] e cinco proporções de compostoorgânico:solo (0:100; 20:80; 40:60; 60:40; 80:20; v:v), com cinco repetições. Avaliaram-se: a nodulaçãonatural (NN), altura da planta (H), diâmetro do caule (DC), número de folhas (NF) e comprimento da raiz(CR), massa seca da parte aérea (MSPA), massa seca de raízes (MSR), massa seca total (MST), relaçõesentre altura sobre massa seca da parte aérea (H/MSPA), massa seca da parte aérea sobre massa seca da raiz(MSPA/MSR) e o Índice de Qualidade de Dickson (IQD). As proporções de CO influenciaram H, NF, DC,CR, MSPA, MSR, MST, H/MSPA, MSPA/MSR e IQD das mudas de C. fairchildiana. Houve interação entreos tipos e proporções de CO para H, MSPA, MSR, MST, H/MSPA, IQD e CR. Substratos constituídos porproporções de COP ou de CLU adicionados a Latossolo reduzem o crescimento inicial e a nodulação naturaldas mudas. O substrato indicado para o crescimento inicial de mudas de C. fairchildiana pode ser constituídoapenas por Latossolo Amarelo.
POTENCIAL FISIOLÓGICO DAS SEMENTES DE Vigna radiata PRODUZIDAS EM DIFERENTES DENSIDADES POPULACIONAIS
Authors: Costa da Silva Edvan , Peixoto Nei , Arruda Natália , Cássia de Faria Ferreira Natália , Dos Santos Galvão Carolina , Sabini da Silva Luciana , Dos Reis Willian , Menechini Wagner
Published: September 2020

EO presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a qualidade fisiológica de sementes de feijãomungo em função do espaçamento entre fileiras e número de plantas por metro linear. O experimento foiconduzido na Universidade Estadual de Goiás, Câmpus Ipameri, utilizando-se sementes produzidas nomesmo local. Para avaliação da qualidade fisiológica das sementes foram realizados testes para determinação do teor de água, germinação e vigor. As análises foram realizadas no laboratório Multidisciplinar II. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi inteiramente casualizado, com os tratamentos dispostos em esquema fatorial 2 x 6, tendo como fatores os espaçamentos entre fileiras (25 e 50 cm) e números de plantas por metro linear (4, 8, 12, 16, 20 e 24 plantas), com quatro repetições. Os testes foram realizados com sementes armazenadas durante seis meses. De acordo com os resultados da análise de variância, na primeira contagem de germinação, comprimento de parte aérea, comprimento de raiz e condutividade elétrica houve interação significativa entre os fatores estudados. A massa seca de plântulas apresentou efeito significativo para os espaçamentos entre fileiras e números de plantas por metro linear de forma isolada. Para a massa de mil sementes, envelhecimento acelerado, emergência de plântulas em areia e índice de velocidade de emergência, verificou-se efeito significativo isolado apenas para os espaçamentos entre fileiras. A germinação não foi influenciada pelos espaçamentos entre fileiras e números de plantas por metro linear. O espaçamento entre fileiras de 50 cm, com 24 plantas m-1 linear entre fileiras, apresentaram melhor potencial fisiológico, evidenciado pela massa de mil sementes e condutividade elétrica. As sementes de feijão mungo produzidas em 24 plantas m-1 linear e espaçamento de 50 cm entre fileiras, apresentam melhor potencial fisiológico.
A general Bayesian approach to meet different inferential goals in poverty research for small areas
Authors: Lahiri Partha , Suntornchost Jiraphan
Published: September 2020

Poverty mapping that displays spatial distribution of various poverty indices is most useful to policymakers and researchers when they are disaggregated into small geographic units, such as cities, municipalities or other administrative partitions of a country. Typically, national household surveys that contain welfare variables such as income and expenditures provide limited or no data for small areas. It is well-known that while direct survey-weighted estimates are quite reliable for national or large geographical areas they are unreliable for small geographic areas. If the objective is to find areas with extreme poverty, these direct estimates will often select small areas due to the high variability in the estimates. Empirical best prediction and Bayesian methods have been proposed to improve on the direct point estimates. These estimates are, however, not appropriate for different inferential purposes. For example, for identifying areas with extreme poverty, these estimates would often select areas with large sample sizes. In this paper, using real life data, we illustrate how appropriate Bayesian methodology can be developed to address different inferential problems.
Stalk dry mass and industrial yield of 16 varieties of sugar cane cultivated under water restriction
Authors: Anjos João Carlos Rocha dos , Casaroli Derblai , Júnior José Alves , Evangelista Adão Wagner Pego , Battisti Rafael , Mesquita Marcio
Published: September 2020

The great extension of the cultivated area, associated with the low water availability to supply the sugarcane demand in the periods of drought and the high evapotranspiration demand, requires varieties adapted to these specific conditions. The aim of this study was to assess 16 sugarcane varieties regarding the efficiency in water use (EWU) and in photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), cultivated under a water restriction, in the production of stalks dry matter, sugar and alcohol. The experiment was carried out in the Brazilian savannah biome, Goiás State, during the 2011/2012 crop year, in a randomized blocks design, with four repetitions. The treatments consisted of 16 varieties of sugarcane cultivated on a supply of only 50% of the water demand demanded by the crop. The EWU and EUPAR of the varieties were evaluated for the production of stalk dry mass (SDM), sugar and alcohol. During the crop cycle there was sufficient precipitation to supply the water demand of sugarcane; however, the irregular distribution of rainfall resulted in a water deficit of -697 mm during its cycle. The varieties IAC 91-1099, CTC-15, CTC-11, SP 86-0042 and IAC 87-3396 showed higher EWU and better photosynthetically active radiation for the production of stalks dry matter, sugar and alcohol. IACSP 94-2094 and CTC 09 varieties presented the same efficiency in industrial yield and lower dry matter yield than the five following varieties IAC 91-1099, CTC-15, CTC-11, SP 86-0042 and IAC 87-3396. Therefore, these last varieties are the most efficient in water use and photosynthetically active radiation aiming the stalks dry matter, sugar and alcohol production under water restriction.
Application of metal nanoparticles for pre-sowing treatment of spring barley seeds
Authors: Yablokov Arthur Gagikovich , Bogoslovskaya Olga Aleksandrovna , Olkhovskaya Irina Pavlovna , Glushchenko Natalya Nikolaevna
Published: September 2020

This paper presents data on the pre-sowing treatment of spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) seeds by polymer coating with metal nanoparticles (NPs) affecting on seed germination and morphometric parameters of seedlings. Metal NPs [Fe (56.0 ± 0.9 nm, phase composition: Fe0 -27.9 ± 2.1%, Fe3O4 - 72.1 ± 3.6%); Zn (60.6 ± 3.7 nm, phase composition: Zn0 - 100%); Cu (65.0 ± 1.2 nm, phase composition: Cu0 - 100%)] were incorporated into a polymer coating about 10 microns thick, consisting of Na-carboxymethyl cellulose (Na-CMC) and polyethylene glycol-400 (PEG-400), with a dye rhodamine 6G (Rh6G). We developed and studied polymer compositions as with individual NPs in concentrations 10-4% - 10-10% and their combinations. To compare effects of NPs with metal ions, we tested polymer film coating with metal sulfates in equivalent amounts. Pre-sowing treatment of barley seeds with metal NPs or metal ions in the polymer coating affected germination, fresh green and root mass (FM and RM) of seedlings. Film thickness was less than 10% of the caryopsis shell. The surface of seeds treated with the polymer composition was uniform. The defects and irregularities were smoothed. There were no significant differences in the endosperm structure on sections of the treated and control samples. Iron, zinc and copper NPs composition at 10-8%, 10-4% and 10-8% concentrations were the best in laboratory experiments. In the field trials, it stimulated barley crop yields and decreased the moisture content of the bunker grain compared with the control.
Enhancement of rice (Oryza sativa L.) physiological and yield by application of nano-titanium dioxide
Authors: Phothi Rutairat , Theerakarunwong Chonlada Dechakiatkrai
Published: September 2020

Engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) are reported as potentially response to rice physiological and production. The research aimed to investigate the effects of suspended nano-titanium dioxide (sn-TiO2), which is non-toxic to ecology and on the physiology and yield of Thai rice. Selected rice cultivars of RD41 were soaked and sprayed with three difference concentrations of sn-TiO2 (T0.01, T0.02, T0.03 and C) through growing period. Tiller number per plants, stem height and leaf chlorophyll of rice RD41 cultivars were analyzed at tillering (40 days), flowering (70 days), and final harvesting (100 days), whereas the biomass and yield were evaluated at final harvesting (100 days). The results showed the concentration of T0.03 had highest effects on rice RD41 for all studies, which showed non-significance of differences at p <0.05 compared to T0.02. Application of T0.01, T0.02 and T0.03 treatments increased total biomass 33.69, 42.66 and 47.91 g plant -1, respectively, compared to control (30.49). Application of T0.02 enhanced the plant growth and caused increases in the yield of rice, which impacted food availability. According to the results obtained, the function of sn-TiO2 played a positive role in many aspects. For instance, sn-TiO2 could increase light harvesting to activate the photosynthesis rate of rice RD41. Besides, nitrogen metabolism was improved by sn-TiO2 and stimulated protein and pigments content. Moreover, our observed decreasing in injury indices compared to the control group, which caused improvement in cell enlargement, cell elongation and plant growth. Atomic absorption spectrometric result ensured that there is no unforeseen Ti contamination in all part of rice. These findings are important supplementary factors to the application of sn-TiO2 for the crop yield and quality with a proper concentration for their benefits potential.
Promoting SMEs effectiveness through innovative communication strategies and business-IT alignment
Authors: Ajibade Patrick , M. Mutula Stephen
Published: September 2020

The firm’s effective alignment of Information Communication Technology (ICT) capabilities with the SME’s business process to achieve agile communication strategies will distinguish profitable and failing firms in this global market milieu. The paper examined SMEs’ communication strategies in South Africa and Nigeria by evaluating their ability to align business and IT to promote innovation and competitive edge in their operations. Quantitative data from 230 SMEs in Nigeria and South Africa were presented. The findings indicated that the business manager’s knowledge of IT understanding is limited (= .29), the effectiveness of IT and business liaison and cooperation (= .30), and the dynamic of IT-based decision-making (= .33), and the SME’s knowledge sharing experiences through organization learning (= –.07). These findings showed a lack of communication effectiveness due to the inability to align ICT capabilities with the SME’s communications strategies. Similarly, an inverse correlation between communication and ICT infrastructure (–.26); between communication and skill (–.32); between communication and business and IT governance (–.71); between communication and ICT value that the SMEs derived from their use of information communication technology (–.78) due to lack of business and IT alignment. The paper recommends that SMEs must not rely on the acquisition of ICT infrastructure but must ensure its integration with their business processes.
AcknowledgmentThe financial assistance of the National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences- Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (NIHSS-CODESRIA) towards this research is hereby acknowledged. Opinions expressed and conclusions are those of the author and are not necessarily to be attributed to the NIHSS- CODESRIA.
Accuracy of Solar Eclipse Calculation Algorithm Based on Jet Propulsion Laboratory Data Nasa
Authors: Basthoni M
Published: September 2020

DE200 and DE405 are Development Ephemeris (DE) series released by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 1981 and 1997. NASA uses DE405 to predict solar eclipses in 2011-2020. While before 2011 and after 2020 NASA uses VSOP87/ELP200 theory-based DE200. Why NASA not only use more updated series DE405 and still use old release DE200? What is the difference of DE200  accuracy compared to DE405 to predict solar eclipse? This needs to be researched because the solar eclipse predicted by NASA is used as a reference by the researchers. To answer this question, this paper proposes a solar eclipse computation algorithm based on DE200 and DE405 data and the results will be compared with the results of observations of the March 9, 2016, solar eclipse that have been carried out langit selatan to find out a more accurate DE series. The results of this study indicate that the DE200 series is more accurate than DE405 with an average difference of 0.5 - 0.6 seconds with the results of observations.
Desmaterialização documental e vácuo informacional
Authors: Silva Alexandre Valdevino da , Miranda Májory Karoline Fernandes de Oliveira , Silveira Murilo Artur Araújo da
Published: September 2020

Este artigo reflete sobre a desmaterialização de um tipo documental e seus arranjos no contexto digital, observando que a desmaterialização do álbum sonoro é marcada por um fenômeno nomeado de vácuo informacional no contexto do serviço de música digital Spotify. A desmaterialização de tipos documentais mostra-se uma realidade consolidada em tempos de informação digital. Com as inovações tecnológicas, mudanças culturais, comportamentais e todo um arcabouço conceitual e epistémico atrelado a essas inovações floresce e se desenvolve num curto espaço de tempo. Revisita a noção de documento e neodocumentação, adotando-se a premissa Neodocumentalista a respeito do valor contextual que a materialidade do documento oferece. A pesquisa caracteriza-se como exploratória, bibliográfica, documental e telematizada e utiliza como corpus de pesquisa 112 álbuns sonoros da extinta gravadora pernambucana Rozenblit. Constata-se que a desmaterialização dos álbuns sonoros tem como característica principal o comprometimento da natureza ontológica do documento, da marca distintiva deste enquanto documento: a sua natureza informativa.
Activated Factor Seven (aFVII) versus Aminocaproic Acid for Treatment of Traumatic Retro-Peritoneal Hematoma
Authors: Mostafa Allam Mohamed Gaber Ibrahim
Published: September 2020

Introduction:

Off-labelled use of activated Factor VII (aFVII) in severe traumatic bleeding has been used as an alternative to aminocaproic.

Aim of Work:

The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy of aFVII with aminocaproic acid in the medical treatment of retroperitoneal bleeding, treatment of hypovolemic shock and preventing complications of massive blood transfusion.

Materials and Methods:

80 patients with traumatic retro-peritoneal hematoma were allocated into two groups of 40 patients each. Patients in Group A received aminocaproic acid, while patients of group B received aFVII.

The number of packed RBCs given to achieve the target Hb level and time to get to this target Hb level (>10 gm%) were recorded as indicators of control bleeding. Blood pressure, pulse, arterial blood gasses and urine output were recorded as indicators of successful treatment of hypovolemic shock. Hypoxic index, chest X-ray and coagulation profile were used as indicators for complications.

Results:

There was a significantly smaller number of packed RBCs given to patients of group B to achieve the target Hb level and this target Hb level was achieved in a shorter time. There was a significantly higher number of patients in group B compared to group A who had normal blood pressure, pulse and urine output, pH and bicarbonate concentration. There was a significantly smaller number of patients who developed DIC and TRALI in group B compared to group A.

Conclusion:

aFVII was more effective than aminocaproic acid and needed a shorter time to stop retroperitoneal bleeding, treat hypovolemic shock, restore adequate tissue perfusion and protect patients from complications of massive blood transfusion.
Association of Social Network Use With Increased Anxiety Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Anesthesiology, Intensive Care, and Emergency Medicine Teams: Cross-Sectional Web-Based Survey Study
Authors: Clavier Thomas , Popoff Benjamin , Selim Jean , Beuzelin Marion , Roussel Melanie , Compere Vincent , Veber Benoit , Besnier Emmanuel
Published: September 2020

Background

Critical care teams are on the front line of managing the COVID-19 pandemic, which is stressful for members of these teams.

Objective

Our objective was to assess whether the use of social networks is associated with increased anxiety related to the COVID-19 pandemic among members of critical care teams.

Methods

We distributed a web-based survey to physicians, residents, registered and auxiliary nurses, and nurse anesthetists providing critical care (anesthesiology, intensive care, or emergency medicine) in several French hospitals. The survey evaluated the respondents’ use of social networks, their sources of information on COVID-19, and their levels of anxiety and information regarding COVID-19 on analog scales from 0 to 10.

Results

We included 641 respondents in the final analysis; 553 (86.3%) used social networks, spending a median time of 60 minutes (IQR 30-90) per day on these networks. COVID-19–related anxiety was higher in social network users than in health care workers who did not use these networks (median 6, IQR 5-8 vs median 5, IQR 3-7) in univariate (P=.02) and multivariate (P<.001) analyses, with an average anxiety increase of 10% in social network users. Anxiety was higher among health care workers using social networks to obtain information on COVID-19 than among those using other sources (median 6, IQR 5-8 vs median 6, IQR 4-7; P=.04). Social network users considered that they were less informed about COVID-19 than those who did not use social networks (median 8, IQR 7-9 vs median 7, IQR 6-8; P<.01).

Conclusions

Our results suggest that social networks contribute to increased anxiety in critical care teams. To protect their mental health, critical care professionals should consider limiting their use of these networks during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Predicted Influences of Artificial Intelligence on Nursing Education: Scoping Review (Preprint)
Authors: Buchanan Christine , Howitt M Lyndsay , Wilson Rita , Booth Richard G , Risling Tracie , Bamford Megan
Published: September 2020

BACKGROUND

It is predicted that artificial intelligence (AI) will transform nursing across all domains of nursing practice, including administration, clinical care, education, policy, and research. Increasingly, researchers are exploring the potential influences of AI health technologies (AIHTs) on nursing in general and on nursing education more specifically. However, little emphasis has been placed on synthesizing this body of literature.

OBJECTIVE

A scoping review was conducted to summarize the current and predicted influences of AIHTs on nursing education over the next 10 years and beyond.

METHODS

This scoping review followed a previously published protocol from April 2020. Using an established scoping review methodology, the databases of MEDLINE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Embase, PsycINFO, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Central, Education Resources Information Centre, Scopus, Web of Science, and Proquest were searched. In addition to the use of these electronic databases, a targeted website search was performed to access relevant grey literature. Abstracts and full-text studies were independently screened by two reviewers using prespecified inclusion and exclusion criteria. Included literature focused on nursing education and digital health technologies that incorporate AI. Data were charted using a structured form and narratively summarized into categories.

RESULTS

A total of 27 articles were identified (20 expository papers, six studies with quantitative or prototyping methods, and one qualitative study). The population included nurses, nurse educators, and nursing students at the entry-to-practice, undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels. A variety of AIHTs were discussed, including virtual avatar apps, smart homes, predictive analytics, virtual or augmented reality, and robots. The two key categories derived from the literature were (1) influences of AI on nursing education in academic institutions and (2) influences of AI on nursing education in clinical practice.

CONCLUSIONS

Curricular reform is urgently needed within nursing education programs in academic institutions and clinical practice settings to prepare nurses and nursing students to practice safely and efficiently in the age of AI. Additionally, nurse educators need to adopt new and evolving pedagogies that incorporate AI to better support students at all levels of education. Finally, nursing students and practicing nurses must be equipped with the requisite knowledge and skills to effectively assess AIHTs and safely integrate those deemed appropriate to support person-centered compassionate nursing care in practice settings.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT

RR2-10.2196/17490
Transforming a Patient Registry Into a Customized Data Set for the Advanced Statistical Analysis of Health Risk Factors and for Medication-Related Hospitalization Research: Retrospective Hospital Patient Registry Study (Preprint)
Authors: Taushanov Zhivko , Verloo Henk , Wernli Boris , Di Giovanni Saviana , von Gunten Armin , Pereira Filipa
Published: September 2020

BACKGROUND

Hospital patient registries provide substantial longitudinal data sets describing the clinical and medical health statuses of inpatients and their pharmacological prescriptions. Despite the multiple advantages of routinely collecting multidimensional longitudinal data, those data sets are rarely suitable for advanced statistical analysis and they require customization and synthesis.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to describe the methods used to transform and synthesize a raw, multidimensional, hospital patient registry data set into an exploitable database for the further investigation of risk profiles and predictive and survival health outcomes among polymorbid, polymedicated, older inpatients in relation to their medicine prescriptions at hospital discharge.

METHODS

A raw, multidimensional data set from a public hospital was extracted from the hospital registry in a CSV (.csv) file and imported into the R statistical package for cleaning, customization, and synthesis. Patients fulfilling the criteria for inclusion were home-dwelling, polymedicated, older adults with multiple chronic conditions aged ≥65 who became hospitalized. The patient data set covered 140 variables from 20,422 hospitalizations of polymedicated, home-dwelling older adults from 2015 to 2018. Each variable, according to type, was explored and computed to describe distributions, missing values, and associations. Different clustering methods, expert opinion, recoding, and missing-value techniques were used to customize and synthesize these multidimensional data sets.

RESULTS

Sociodemographic data showed no missing values. Average age, hospital length of stay, and frequency of hospitalization were computed. Discharge details were recoded and summarized. Clinical data were cleaned up and best practices for managing missing values were applied. Seven clusters of medical diagnoses, surgical interventions, somatic, cognitive, and medicines data were extracted using empirical and statistical best practices, with each presenting the health status of the patients included in it as accurately as possible. Medical, comorbidity, and drug data were recoded and summarized.

CONCLUSIONS

A cleaner, better-structured data set was obtained, combining empirical and best-practice statistical approaches. The overall strategy delivered an exploitable, population-based database suitable for an advanced analysis of the descriptive, predictive, and survival statistics relating to polymedicated, home-dwelling older adults admitted as inpatients. More research is needed to develop best practices for customizing and synthesizing large, multidimensional, population-based registries.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT

RR2-10.1136/bmjopen-2019-030030
Knowledge Of Cybercrime And Cyber Safety Practices Among Youth: A focus group discussion (Preprint)
Authors: Omar Siti Zobidah , Kovalan Krishnapriyaa , Bolong Jusang , Abdullah Rusli , Ahmad Ghazali Akmar Hayati , Pitchan Adnan
Published: September 2020

BACKGROUND

Focus group discussion is a qualitative approach done to obtain an insight into social issues. This approach aims to gain data from a selected group of individuals rather than a random selection of participants. Youth were chosen as informants in this study because most youths engage with new media, the Internet, and social media compared to other age groups.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this paper is to examine the knowledge of cybercrime and to obtain an understanding of cyber safety practices among youth using a qualitative approach.

METHODS

A focus group discussion with a total of 20 informants was conducted among youth. These informants were divided into three groups. Discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

These discussions shows there were few themes of knowledge of cybercrime emerged, such as phishing, cyberbullying, hacking, scam, and forgery; and themes of cyber safety practices, such as software downloading, password usage, privacy setting information sharing, safe online shopping website, safe online banking website, preventing cyberbullying, and cybercrime report agencies have emerged.

CONCLUSIONS

Most of the youth have a knowledge and understanding on cybercrime and cyber safety. This create awareness among youth and educated them to become a safe Internet user. Further study emphasizing on awareness of youth on the Internet usage will be recommended.

CLINICALTRIAL

Not applicable
Analysis of the COVID-19 Epidemic Transmission Network in Mainland China: K-Core Decomposition Study (Preprint)
Authors: Qin Lei , Wang Yidan , Sun Qiang , Zhang Xiaomei , Shia Ben-Chang , Liu Chengcheng
Published: September 2020

BACKGROUND

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in December 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, frequent interregional contacts and the high rate of infection spread have catalyzed the formation of an epidemic network.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to identify influential nodes and highlight the hidden structural properties of the COVID-19 epidemic network, which we believe is central to prevention and control of the epidemic.

METHODS

We first constructed a network of the COVID-19 epidemic among 31 provinces in mainland China; after some basic characteristics were revealed by the degree distribution, the k-core decomposition method was employed to provide static and dynamic evidence to determine the influential nodes and hierarchical structure. We then exhibited the influence power of the above nodes and the evolution of this power.

RESULTS

Only a small fraction of the provinces studied showed relatively strong outward or inward epidemic transmission effects. The three provinces of Hubei, Beijing, and Guangzhou showed the highest out-degrees, and the three highest in-degrees were observed for the provinces of Beijing, Henan, and Liaoning. In terms of the hierarchical structure of the COVID-19 epidemic network over the whole period, more than half of the 31 provinces were located in the innermost core. Considering the correlation of the characteristics and coreness of each province, we identified some significant negative and positive factors. Specific to the dynamic transmission process of the COVID-19 epidemic, three provinces of Anhui, Beijing, and Guangdong always showed the highest coreness from the third to the sixth week; meanwhile, Hubei Province maintained the highest coreness until the fifth week and then suddenly dropped to the lowest in the sixth week. We also found that the out-strengths of the innermost nodes were greater than their in-strengths before January 27, 2020, at which point a reversal occurred.

CONCLUSIONS

Increasing our understanding of how epidemic networks form and function may help reduce the damaging effects of COVID-19 in China as well as in other countries and territories worldwide.
Health Apps for Combating COVID-19: Descriptive Review and Taxonomy (Preprint)
Authors: Almalki Manal , Giannicchi Anna
Published: September 2020

BACKGROUND

Mobile phone apps have been leveraged to combat the spread of COVID-19. However, little is known about these technologies’ characteristics, technical features, and various applications in health care when responding to this public health crisis. The lack of understanding has led developers and governments to make poor choices about apps’ designs, which resulted in creating less useful apps that are overall less appealing to consumers due to their technical flaws.

OBJECTIVE

This review aims to identify, analyze, and categorize health apps related to COVID-19 that are currently available for consumers in app stores; in particular, it focuses on exploring their key technical features and classifying the purposes that these apps were designed to serve.

METHODS

A review of health apps was conducted using the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines. The Apple Store and Google Play were searched between April 20 and September 11, 2020. An app was included if it was dedicated for this disease and was listed under the health and medical categories in these app stores. The descriptions of these apps were extracted from the apps’ web pages and thematically analyzed via open coding to identify both their key technical features and overall purpose. The characteristics of the included apps were summarized and presented with descriptive statistics.

RESULTS

Of the 298 health apps that were initially retrieved, 115 met the inclusion criteria. A total of 29 technical features were found in our sample of apps, which were then categorized into five key purposes of apps related to COVID-19. A total of 77 (67%) apps were developed by governments or national authorities and for the purpose of promoting users to track their personal health (9/29, 31%). Other purposes included raising awareness on how to combat COVID-19 (8/29, 27%), managing exposure to COVID-19 (6/29, 20%), monitoring health by health care professionals (5/29, 17%), and conducting research studies (1/29, 3.5%).

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides an overview and taxonomy of the health apps currently available in the market to combat COVID-19 based on their differences in basic technical features and purpose. As most of the apps were provided by governments or national authorities, it indicates the essential role these apps have as tools in public health crisis management. By involving most of the population in self-tracking their personal health and providing them with the technology to self-assess, the role of these apps is deemed to be a key driver for a participatory approach to curtail the spread of COVID-19. Further effort is required from researchers to evaluate these apps’ effectiveness and from governmental organizations to increase public awareness of these digital solutions.