bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Kangaroo mother care knowledge, attitude, and practice among nursing staff in a hospital in Jakarta, Indonesia
Authors: Adisasmita Asri , Izati Yulia , Choirunisa Septyana , Pratomo Hadi , Adriyanti Luzy
Published: June 2021

Background

Kangaroo mother care (KMC) has been proven to decrease rates of morbidity and mortality among premature and low-birth-weight infants. Thus, this study aimed to obtain baseline data regarding KMC knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) among nursing staff caring for mothers and newborns in a hospital in Indonesia.

Methods

This cross-sectional study included 65 participants from three hospital wards at Koja District Hospital, North Jakarta. Participants included 29 perinatal ward nurses, 21 postnatal ward nurses and midwives, and 15 labor ward midwives. Data on KAP of KMC were collected using a self-administered questionnaire with closed-ended questions. Each questionnaire can be completed in approximately 1 hour.

Results

Among the included nursing staff, 12.3% (8/65) were determined to have received specific training on KMC, whereas 21.5% (14/65) had received more general training that included KMC content. About 46.2% of the nursing staff had good knowledge concerning KMC, 98.5% had good knowledge of KMC benefits, and 100% had a positive attitude toward KMC. All perinatal ward nurses had some experience assisting and implementing KMC. Some KAP that were observed among the nursing staff included lack of knowledge about the eligible infant weight for KMC and weight gain of infants receiving KMC, lack of education/training about KMC, and concerns regarding necessary equipment in KMC wards.

Conclusions

This study identified several issues that need to be addressed, including knowledge of feeding and weight gain, workload, incubator use, and the need for well-equipped KMC wards. We recommend that hospitals improve their nursing staff’s knowledge of KMC and establish well-equipped KMC wards.
Reduced health services at under-electrified primary healthcare facilities: Evidence from India
Authors: Shastry Vivek , Rai Varun
Published: June 2021

Primary healthcare systems worldwide suffer from major gaps in infrastructure and human resources. One key infrastructure gap is access to reliable electricity, absence of which can significantly affect the quantity and quality of healthcare services being delivered at rural primary health facilities. However, absence of granular empirical evidence is a barrier for quantitatively understanding the significance of electricity access as one of the determinants of access to reliable primary healthcare. Using data from India’s District Level Household and Facility Survey, we develop zero-inflated negative binomial models with co-variates and state-level fixed effects to estimate the relationship between levels of electricity access and the quantity of basic health services delivered at Primary Health Centers (PHCs). We find that lack of electricity access is associated with a significant and large decrease in the number of deliveries (64 percent), number of in-patients (39 percent), and number of out-patients (38 percent). We further find that lower level of electricity access at primary health centers is disproportionately associated with adverse effects on women’s access to safe and quality healthcare.
Association between Kihon check list score and geriatric depression among older adults from ORANGE registry
Authors: Kume Yu , Bae Seongryu , Lee Sangyoon , Makizako Hyuma , Matsuzaki-Kihara Yuriko , Miyano Ichiro , Kim Hunkyung , Shimada Hiroyuki , Ota Hidetaka
Published: June 2021

Objective

Older adults in Japan are tackling health-related challenges brought by comprehensive geriatric symptoms, such as physical and cognitive problems and social-psychological issues. In this nationwide study, we mainly focused on the Kihon checklist (KCL) as certificated necessity of long-term care for Japanese older adults and investigated whether the KCL score was associated with geriatric depression. In addition, we aimed to identify critical factors that influence the relationship between the KCL score and geriatric depression.

Methods

This survey was a cross-sectional observational study design, performed from 2013 to 2019. A total of 8,760 participants aged 65 years and over were recruited from five cohorts in Japan, consisting of 6,755 persons in Chubu, 1,328 in Kanto, 481 in Kyushu, 49 in Shikoku and 147 in Tohoku. After obtaining informed consent from each participant, assessments were conducted, and outcomes were evaluated according to the ORANGE protocol. We collected data on demographics, KCL, physical, cognitive and mental evaluations. To clarify the relationship between the KCL and geriatric depression or critical factors, a random intercept model of multi-level models was estimated using individual and provincial variables depending on five cohorts.

Results

The KCL score was correlated with depression status. Moreover, the results of a random intercept model showed that the KCL score and geriatric depression were associated, and its association was affected by provincial factors of slow walking speed, polypharmacy and sex difference.

Conclusions

These results suggest that provincial factors of low walking performance, polypharmacy and sex difference (female) might be clinically targeted to improve the KCL score in older adults.
Postoperative pancreatic fistula affects recurrence-free survival of pancreatic cancer patients
Authors: Dhayat Sameer A. , Tamim Ahmad N. J. , Jacob Marius , Ebeling Georg , Kerschke Laura , Kabar Iyad , Senninger Norbert
Published: June 2021

Purpose

Postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) with reported incidence rates up to 45% contributes substantially to overall morbidity. In this study, we conducted a retrospective evaluation of POPF along with its potential perioperative clinical risk factors and its effect on tumor recurrence.

Methods

Clinical data on patients who had received pancreatoduodenectomy (PD), distal pancreatectomy (DP), or duodenum-preserving pancreatic head resection (DPPHR) were prospectively collected between 2007 and 2016. A Picrosirius red staining score was developed to enable morphological classification of the resection margin of the pancreatic stump. The primary end point was the development of major complications. The secondary end points were overall and recurrence-free survival.

Results

340 patients underwent pancreatic resection including 222 (65.3%) PD, 87 (25.6%) DP, and 31 (9.1%) DPPHR. Postoperative major complications were observed in 74 patients (21.8%). In multivariable logistic regression analysis, POPF correlated with body mass index (BMI) (p = 0.025), prolonged stay in hospital (p<0.001), high Picrosirius red staining score (p = 0.049), and elevated postoperative levels of amylase or lipase in drain fluid (p≤0.001). Multivariable Cox regression analysis identified UICC stage (p<0.001), tumor differentiation (p<0.001), depth of invasion (p = 0.001), nodal invasion (p = 0.001), and the incidence of POPF grades B and C (p = 0.006) as independent prognostic markers of recurrence-free survival.

Conclusion

Besides the known clinicopathological risk factors BMI and amylase in the drain fluid, the incidence of POPF correlates with high Picrosirius red staining score in the resection margins of the pancreatic stumps of curatively resected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Furthermore, clinically relevant POPF seems to be a prognostic factor for tumor recurrence in PDAC.
Numerical prediction of the optimal shield tunneling strategy for tunnel construction in karst regions
Authors: Liu Zhen , Ming Weihua , Li Jieming , Zhou Cuiying , Zhang Lihai
Published: June 2021

Shield tunneling in karst areas poses significant challenges, as vibration caused by the shield machine can disturb the stability of the karst caves, ultimately resulting in the collapse of a tunnel. In the present study, a numerical model involving an iteration process was developed based on the Mindlin solution scheme to identify the optimal shield tunneling speed for minimizing the disturbance to karst cave stability. The developed model was then implemented to investigate an underground tunnel constructed in a karst region with different shield tunneling strategies. By using the variation in the energy density of a karst cave as a performance index, the model predicts that when approaching the affected zone of a karst carve (e.g., approximately 5 m from the carve), the shield tunneling machine should be controlled within a certain speed (i.e., < 30 mm/min). Once the shield tunneling machine moves into the affected zone of the cave, the speed of the machine needs to be decelerated to 11 mm/min, and the speed of 30 mm/min can be restored when the shield machine moves out of the affected zone. This finding demonstrates that the developed model could potentially be used to identify the optimal shield tunneling speed to minimize the disturbance to karst cave stability and ensure the safety of tunnel construction in karst regions.
School functioning of children with perinatal HIV-infection in high-income countries: A systematic review
Authors: van Opstal Stefanie E. M. , Wagener Marlies N. , Miedema Harald S. , Utens Elisabeth M. W. J. , Aarsen Femke K. , van der Knaap Linda C. , van Gorp Eric C. M. , van Rossum Annemarie M. C. , Roelofs Pepijn D. D. M.
Published: June 2021

Introduction

Since the introduction of combination antiretroviral therapy, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is a manageable chronic disease. However, school-age children (4–18 years) living with HIV could still experience problems with functioning at school, due to the impact of the virus itself, medication, comorbidities and social stigma. School functioning covers academic achievement, school attendance, and social relationships and is of utmost importance to optimize normal participation.

Methods

To gain insight in school functioning problems of perinatally HIV-infected children, we performed a systematic review of the literature in multiple databases from January 1997 up to February 2019. Studies were included if they described outcomes of school functioning of school-age children perinatally infected with HIV, in high-income countries. Meta-analyses were performed for sufficiently comparable studies.

Results and discussion

Results from 32 studies show that HIV-infected children experience more problems in various areas of school functioning in comparison with national norms, matched healthy controls, siblings and HIV-exposed uninfected (HEU) children. The most pronounced differences concerned the usage of special educational services, general learning problems, and mathematics and reading performance scores. Comparisons with both national norms and siblings/HEU children show that the differences between HIV-infected children and siblings/HEU children were less pronounced. Moreover, siblings/HEU children also reported significantly worse outcomes compared to national norms. This suggests that problems in school functioning cannot be solely attributed to the HIV-infection, but that multiple socio-economic and cultural factors may play a role herein.

Conclusion

Perinatally HIV-infected children seem vulnerable to problems in various areas of school functioning. Therefore, monitoring of school functioning should be an important aspect in the care for these children. A family-focused approach with special attention to a child’s socio-environmental context and additional attention for siblings and HEU children, is therefore recommended.
Literacy, power, and affective (dis)encounter: An ethnographic study on a low-income community in Spain
Authors: Guichot-Muñoz Elena , Balbás-Ortega María Jesús , García-Jiménez Eduardo
Published: June 2021

In areas of social exclusion, there are greater risks of facing discrimination at school. The teaching-learning processes may contribute toward the perpetuation of this inequality. This research analyzes a literacy event that takes place in a low-income school in Southern Spain. The new literacy studies have come to examine how power relationships and affective bonds work in such literacy practices. An ethnographic method was followed to facilitate a deeper understanding of multimodal literacy. Further, a social semiotics multimodal approach was adopted to analyze the meaning-making social process that takes place in the classroom. The participants comprised two teachers and 17 children, whose ages range from 5 to 7 years. Data were collected in the form of reports, audio recordings, video recordings, and photographs over a two-years period. The results obtained have revealed that the children have been taught writing and reading through a dominant orthodox model that fails to consider the community’s and families’ cultural capitals. They also show that the literacy process does not grant any affective quality. Neither is there an authentic dialogic space created between the school and the community. This lack of dialogue generates an inequality in the actual acquisition of comprehensive reading and writing skills at school, with instances of groups exclusion, owing to the anti-hegemonic practices of knowledge acquisition.
Associations of internalized and anticipated HIV stigma with returning to work for persons living with HIV
Authors: Lightner Joseph S. , Rajabiun Serena , Cabral Howard J. , Flaherty Jessica , Shank Jamie , Brooks Ronald
Published: June 2021

Introduction

Employment is particularly beneficial for persons living with HIV (PLWH). However, PLWH experiencing internalized stigma or anticipating that they may experience stigma may be less likely to seek employment due to additional barriers associated with HIV. The purpose of this study was to understand the associations between internalized and anticipated stigma and employment barriers for PLWH.

Methods

Participants (N = 712) from 12 sites across the United States were recruited and interviewed about barriers to employment, HIV stigma, and several other factors related to health. A series of unadjusted and adjusted linear regression models were conducted using cross-sectional data.

Results

Adjusted models suggest that greater anticipated stigma was related to increased employment barriers (β = 0.12, p = 0.04). Mental and physical health functioning also positively predicted employment barriers (β = -0.18, p <0.001; β = -0.40, p <0.001, respectively).

Discussion

Employment among PLWH has beneficial impacts on HIV-related health outcomes. This study suggests that anticipated stigma may limit and individual’s willingness to seek out employment, or may cause them to leave employment. Internalized stigma may not play as large of a role in employment as anticipated stigma for PLWH. HIV-related stigma reduction interventions focused on community-level and employers are essential to improve employment opportunities for PLWH.
Plasma ACE2 predicts outcome of COVID-19 in hospitalized patients
Authors: Kragstrup Tue W. , Singh Helene Søgaard , Grundberg Ida , Nielsen Ane Langkilde-Lauesen , Rivellese Felice , Mehta Arnav , Goldberg Marcia B. , Filbin Michael R. , Qvist Per , Bibby Bo Martin
Published: June 2021

Aims

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) binds to angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) enabling entrance of the virus into cells and causing the infection termed coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19). Here, we investigate associations between plasma ACE2 and outcome of COVID-19.

Methods and results

This analysis used data from a large longitudinal study of 306 COVID-19 positive patients and 78 COVID-19 negative patients (MGH Emergency Department COVID-19 Cohort). Comprehensive clinical data were collected on this cohort, including 28-day outcomes. The samples were run on the Olink® Explore 1536 platform which includes measurement of the ACE2 protein. High admission plasma ACE2 in COVID-19 patients was associated with increased maximal illness severity within 28 days with OR = 1.8, 95%-CI: 1.4–2.3 (P < 0.0001). Plasma ACE2 was significantly higher in COVID-19 patients with hypertension compared with patients without hypertension (P = 0.0045). Circulating ACE2 was also significantly higher in COVID-19 patients with pre-existing heart conditions and kidney disease compared with patients without these pre-existing conditions (P = 0.0363 and P = 0.0303, respectively).

Conclusion

This study suggests that measuring plasma ACE2 is potentially valuable in predicting COVID-19 outcomes. Further, ACE2 could be a link between COVID-19 illness severity and its established risk factors hypertension, pre-existing heart disease and pre-existing kidney disease.
Family aggregation of sleep characteristics: Results of the Heinz Nixdorf Recall and the Multi-Generation Study
Authors: Kowall Bernd , Lehnich Anna-Therese , Schramm Sara , Schmidt Börge , Erbel Raimund , Jöckel Karl-Heinz , Stang Andreas
Published: June 2021

Introduction

Poor sleep is a risk factor for adverse health events. For health prevention, it may be helpful to know whether poor sleep or sleep disorders in individuals are associated with sleep problems in their partners or children.

Methods

In the MultiGeneration Study (MGS, conducted from 2013 to 2016), 1237 partners (aged 27 to 90 years) and 1660 adult children (aged 18 to 66 years) of index persons were recruited. Index persons are participants of the Heinz Nixdorf Recall Study, a population-based cohort study in the Ruhr area (study start 1999–2001, 4841 participants aged 45–75 years). We used two analysis populations: one with 1181 index persons whose partners were in MGS, and one with 1083 index persons with at least one adult child in MGS. Sleep characteristics were assessed using questionnaires (including the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index). The exposure was the presence of a sleep characteristic of the index subject.

Results

Children showed the investigated sleep characteristics more often if these were also present in their parent (e.g., RR (relative risk) = 1.28 (95% CI: 1.06–1.55) for poor sleep quality). In partners, strong associations were observed for rising times and napping, but only weak associations for snoring, poor sleep quality and sleep disorders. Snoring of the bed partner is a risk factor for poor sleep (e.g., RR = 1.67 (0.91–3.07) for difficulties falling asleep).

Conclusion

Aggregation is observed for many sleep characteristics in people living in partnerships as well as in parents and their adult children.
Cardiac index predicts long-term outcomes in patients with heart failure
Authors: Ibe Tatsuro , Wada Hiroshi , Sakakura Kenichi , Ugata Yusuke , Maki Hisataka , Yamamoto Kei , Seguchi Masaru , Taniguchi Yousuke , Jinnouchi Hiroyuki , Fujita Hideo
Published: June 2021

Background

The role of cardiac index (CI) and right atrial pressure (RAP) for predicting long-term outcomes of heart failure has not been well established. The aim of this study was to investigate long-term cardiac outcomes in patients with heart failure having various combinations of CI and RAP.

Methods

A total of 787 heart failure patients who underwent right-heart catheterization were retrospectively categorized into the following four groups: Preserved CI (≥2.5 L/min/m2) and Low RAP (<8 mmHg) (PRE-CI/L-RAP; n = 285); Preserved CI (≥2.5 L/min/m2) and High RAP (≥8 mmHg) (PRE-CI/H-RAP; n = 242); Reduced CI (<2.5 L/min/m2) and Low RAP (<8 mmHg) (RED-CI/L-RAP; n = 123); and Reduced CI (<2.5 L/min/m2) and High RAP (≥8 mmHg) (RED-CI/H-RAP; n = 137). Survival analysis was applied to investigate which groups were associated with major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE).

Results

The RED-CI/L-RAP and RED-CI/H-RAP groups were significantly associated with MACE as compared with the PRE-CI/L-RAP and PRE-CI/H-RAP groups after adjustment for confounding factors (RED-CI/L-RAP vs. PRE-CI/L-RAP: HR 2.11 [95% CI 1.33–3.37],p= 0.002; RED-CI/H-RAP vs. PRE-CI/L-RAP: HR 2.18 [95% CI 1.37–3.49],p= 0.001; RED-CI/L-RAP vs. PRE-CI/H-RAP: HR 1.86 [95% CI 1.16–3.00],p= 0.01; RED-CI/H-RAP vs. PRE-CI/H-RAP: HR 1.92 [95% CI 1.26–2.92],p= 0.002), whereas the difference between the RED-CI/H-RAP and RED-CI/L-RAP groups was not significant (HR 1.03 [95% CI 0.64–1.66],p= 0.89).

Conclusions

The hemodynamic severity categorized by CI and RAP levels provided clear risk stratification in patients with symptomatic heart failure. Low CI was an independent predictor of long-term cardiac outcomes.
Local dynamic stability of the lower-limb as a means of post-hoc injury classification
Authors: Larson Jacob , Perkins Edmon , Oldfather Taylor , Zabala Michael
Published: June 2021

Since most sporting injuries occur at the lower extremity (50% to 66%) and many of those injuries occur at the knee (30% to 45%), it is important to have robust metrics to measure risk of knee injury. Dynamic measures of knee stability are not commonly used in existing metrics but could provide important context to knee health and improve injury screening effectiveness. This study used the Local Dynamic Stability (LDS) of knee kinematics during a repetitive vertical jump to perform a post-hoc previous injury classification of participants. This study analyzed the kinematics from twenty-seven female collegiate division 1 (D1) soccer, D1 basketball, and club soccer athletes from Auburn University (height = 171 ± 8.9cm, weight = 66.3 ± 8.6kg, age = 19.8 ± 1.9yr), with 7 subjects having sustained previous knee injury requiring surgery and 20 subjects with no history of injury. This study showed that LDS correctly identified 84% of previously injured and uninjured subjects using a multivariate logistic regression during a fatigue jump task. Findings showed no statistical difference in kinematic position at maximum knee flexion during all jumps between previously injured and uninjured subjects. Additionally, kinematic positioning at maximum knee flexion was not indicative of LDS values, which would indicate that future studies should look specifically at LDS with respect to injury prevention as it cannot be effectively inferred from kinematics. These points suggest that the LDS preserves information about subtle changes in movement patterns that traditional screening methods do not, and this information could allow for more effective injury screening tests in the future.
Nutritional deficiency in scarlet eggplant limits its growth by modifying the absorption and use efficiency of macronutrients
Authors: Teixeira Gelza Carliane Marques , Prado Renato de Mello , Oliveira Kamilla Silva , Buchelt Antonio Carlos , Rocha Antonio Márcio Souza , Santos Michelle de Souza
Published: June 2021

The intensity damages caused by nutritional deficiency in growing plants can vary with nutrients. The effects caused by nutrient omission in the plant nutritional efficiency in relation to the absorption and use of the missing nutrient, and the reasons why these damages reflect in other nutrients have not yet been reported in the culture of scarlet eggplant. A better understanding of the nutritional mechanisms involved may clarify why certain nutrients cause greater limitations than other during plants growth. Thus, this study was designed with the aim of evaluating the damages caused by macronutrients deficiency in the culture of scarlet eggplant in the accumulation of these nutrients, nutritional deficiency, plants growth and in visual symptoms. The experiment was carried out in a controlled environment where plants were cultivated in a hydroponic system. Treatments consisted of supplying a complete Hoagland and Arnon solution (CS), and other nutrient solutions with individual omissions of nitrogen (-N), phosphorus (-P), potassium (-K), calcium (-Ca), magnesium (-Mg) and sulphur (-S). When a nutrient deficiency arose, nutritional analyses, growth and visual symptoms were analyzed. The omissions of N, S and K in the nutrient solution resulted in lower accumulation of all macronutrients in both the above and below ground biomass. Individual omissions resulted in nutritional imbalances with reflexes in the absorption efficiencies and use of the missing nutrient, as well as of other nutrients, revealing that the metabolism involves multiple nutritional interactions. Losses of nutritional efficiencies of macronutrients caused detrimental effects on plants growth, with reduced height, stem diameter, number of leaves, leaf area, and biomass production in above ground and below ground. From the losses in production in above ground biomass, the order of macronutrients limitation was N, S, K, Ca, Mg, and P, with reductions of 99, 96, 94, 76, 51 and 46%, respectively, in comparison to plants cultivated in CS. The most limiting nutrients were N, S, and K, seen that its deficiencies affected the metabolism of all other nutrients. This study demonstrates the importance of an adequate nutritional management of N, S, and K in the cultivation of scarlet eggplant.
External validation of a claims-based model to predict left ventricular ejection fraction class in patients with heart failure
Authors: Mahesri Mufaddal , Chin Kristyn , Kumar Abheenava , Barve Aditya , Studer Rachel , Lahoz Raquel , Desai Rishi J.
Published: June 2021

Background

Ejection fraction (EF) is an important prognostic factor in heart failure (HF), but administrative claims databases lack information on EF. We previously developed a model to predict EF class from Medicare claims. Here, we evaluated the performance of this model in an external validation sample of commercial insurance enrollees.

Methods

Truven MarketScan claims linked to electronic medical records (EMR) data (IBM Explorys) containing EF measurements were used to identify a cohort of US patients with HF between 01-01-2012 and 10-31-2019. By applying the previously developed model, patients were classified into HF with reduced EF (HFrEF) or preserved EF (HFpEF). EF values recorded in EMR data were used to define gold-standard HFpEF (LVEF ≥45%) and HFrEF (LVEF<45%). Model performance was reported in terms of overall accuracy, positive predicted values (PPV), and sensitivity for HFrEF and HFpEF.

Results

A total of 7,001 HF patients with an average age of 71 years were identified, 1,700 (24.3%) of whom had HFrEF. An overall accuracy of 0.81 (95% CI: 0.80–0.82) was seen in this external validation sample. For HFpEF, the model had sensitivity of 0.96 (95%CI, 0.95–0.97) and PPV of 0.81 (95% CI, 0.81–0.82); while for HFrEF, the sensitivity was 0.32 (95%CI, 0.30–0.34) and PPV was 0.73 (95%CI, 0.69–0.76). These results were consistent with what was previously published in US Medicare claims data.

Conclusions

The successful validation of the Medicare claims-based model provides evidence that this model may be used to identify patient subgroups with specific EF class in commercial claims databases as well.
Structural and genetic convergence of HIV-1 neutralizing antibodies in vaccinated non-human primates
Authors: Cai Fangping , Chen Wei-Hung , Wu Weimin , Jones Julia A. , Choe Misook , Gohain Neelakshi , Shen Xiaoying , LaBranche Celia , Eaton Amanda , Sutherland Laura , Lee Esther M. , Hernandez Giovanna E. , Wu Nelson R. , Scearce Richard , Seaman Michael S. , Moody M. Anthony , Santra Sampa , Wiehe Kevin , Tomaras Georgia D. , Wagh Kshitij , Korber Bette , Bonsignori Mattia , Montefiori David C. , Haynes Barton F. , de Val Natalia , Joyce M. Gordon , Saunders Kevin O.
Published: June 2021

A primary goal of HIV-1 vaccine development is the consistent elicitation of protective, neutralizing antibodies. While highly similar neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) have been isolated from multiple HIV-infected individuals, it is unclear whether vaccination can consistently elicit highly similar nAbs in genetically diverse primates. Here, we show in three outbred rhesus macaques that immunization with Env elicits a genotypically and phenotypically conserved nAb response. From these vaccinated macaques, we isolated four antibody lineages that had commonalities in immunoglobulin variable, diversity, and joining gene segment usage. Atomic-level structures of the antigen binding fragments of the two most similar antibodies showed nearly identical paratopes. The Env binding modes of each of the four vaccine-induced nAbs were distinct from previously known monoclonal HIV-1 neutralizing antibodies, but were nearly identical to each other. The similarities of these antibodies show that the immune system in outbred primates can respond to HIV-1 Env vaccination with a similar structural and genotypic solution for recognizing a particular neutralizing epitope. These results support rational vaccine design for HIV-1 that aims to reproducibly elicit, in genetically diverse primates, nAbs with specific paratope structures capable of binding conserved epitopes.
Facilitated arts engagement with women veterans for health and well-being
Authors: Lenette Caroline , Johnston Tanja , Paramanathan Jandy , Poorun Sonia
Published: June 2021

To demonstrate the health and well-being benefits of facilitated arts engagement with women veterans, we draw on a key practice-based example from the Australian National Veterans Arts Museum (ANVAM), an organization with expertise in collaborative art-making with veterans. We outline ANVAM’s framework and the processes art therapists use to create facilitated art exhibitions. We discuss how veterans’ involvement with art-making has therapeutic benefits, can contribute new knowledge on health and well-being, and convey nuances of gender-specific experiences. We briefly outline the trend in evidence from academic literature on arts-health research with veterans and the sparse creative research with women veterans to highlight the potential of art-based methods in veteran health and well-being research, given growing numbers and the expanding roles of women in defence. Arts-health research using diverse methods has yielded promising results in this field. As such, interdisciplinary, co-designed, and strength-based art-based research with women veterans can add to knowledge co-creation on this topic.
Typologies of dual-earner households with adolescent children according to their satisfaction with food-related life
Authors:   Faculty of Health Medicine and Life Sciences/Health Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands, Beckers Elena , Schnettler Berta ,   Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias y Forestales, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile,   Scientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus (BIOREN-UFRO), Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile,   Centro de Excelencia en Psicología Económica y del Consumo. Núcleo de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad de La Frontera. Temuco, Chile,   Universidad Católica de Santiago de Guayaquil, Escuela de Economía, Guayaquil, Ecuador, Orellana Ligia ,   Centro de Excelencia en Psicología Económica y del Consumo. Núcleo de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad de La Frontera. Temuco, Chile, Hueche Clementina ,   Centro de Excelencia en Psicología Económica y del Consumo. Núcleo de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad de La Frontera. Temuco, Chile
Published: June 2021

Introduction/aim: The aim of this study was to identify family profiles based on the level of satisfaction with food-related life of three family members (mother, father and one adolescent), and to assess if these profiles differ according to the perceived family functioning of all three family members, the work-life balance and mental health of the parents, and the sociodemographic characteristics. Method: The sample was composed of 269 dual-earner parents with one child between 10 and 17 years of age in Temuco, Chile. Results: A cluster analysis was used to distinguish three family profiles: “mothers moderately satisfied with their food-related life, and fathers and adolescents satisfied” (Group 1, 32.7%), “families extremely satisfied with their food-related life” (Group 2, 55.0%) and “mothers and fathers satisfied with their food-related life, and adolescents moderately satisfied” (Group 3, 12.3%). Groups differed in the way that the three family members’ perceived family functioning, both parents’ work-life balance and perception of the financial situation of the household, as well as in the mother’s depression, anxiety, and stress levels. Conclusions: The results of this study can guide research on the links between food-related life and other life domains, and it may provide guidelines for campaigns and interventions to promote healthy eating habits and practices in different age groups.
Treated Clay Mineral as Adsorbent for the Removal of Heavy Metals from Aqueous Solution
Authors: Dim Paul Egwuonwu , Termtanun Mutsee
Published: June 2021

The decontamination of heavy metals present in aquatic bodies is a significant challenge that requires urgent attention. Analytical methods such as BET, XRF, SEM-EDX, and XRD was employed to characterize the raw clay (NT) and acid treated clay (AT). The adsorption of Cr (VI) and Fe (III) onto AT was performed using the batch method. The effects of time, adsorbent dose, temperature, and pH show that the optimal conditions are 50 min, 0.3 g, 35°C, and pH 6. The surface area of AT was 389.37 m2/g, and the adsorption equilibrium time of AT was 50 min. Langmuir isotherms had the best fit. Adsorption capacity is 18.15 and 39.80 mg/g for Cr (VI) and Fe (III) ions, respectively. An increase in area considerably improved the adsorption capacity of AT in the surface specific area. The interaction of Cr (VI) and Fe (III) ions onto AT indicated spontaneous and endothermic reaction. The chromium (VI) kinetic constant (k2 = 1.679) was faster compared to Fe (III) rate constant (k2 = 0.0526). It agreed correctly with the pseudo-second-order equation. The sum square error (SSE) value obtained confirmed the best-fit equations. The percent adsorbed for Cr (VI) and Fe (III) is 74 and 90%. The results revealed that iron has a higher affinity towards AT than chromium. The study revealed that AT could be suitable and effective in the adsorption of chromium and iron in the wastewater medium.
Different Chilling-Induced Symptoms and the Underlying Oxidative Stress and Antioxidative Defense in the Exocarp and Mesocarp of Immature Sponge Gourd (Luffa cylindrica) Fruit
Authors: Chuenchom Pichaya , Noichinda Sompoch , Bodhipadma Kitti , Wongs-Aree Chalermchai , Leung David W. M.
Published: June 2021

Immature sponge gourd fruit is consumed as a vegetable with a limited shelf life. Although cold storage is a simple and powerful tool for maintaining postharvest fruit quality, storage at a low temperature may not be appropriate for vegetables as some chilling injury (CI) of the immature sponge gourd fruit may occur. Therefore, this research aimed to elucidate the relationship between CI, oxidative stress, and the antioxidative defense mechanisms in the exocarp and mesocarp of immature sponge gourd fruit. After storage at 5°C for 6 days, visual CI symptoms, including browning and surface pitting, were found in the peel (exocarp) but not in the mesocarp. There were, however, more dead cells (stained by Evans blue) in the mesocarp of the fruit stored at 5°C. There was a more considerable increase in the electrolyte leakage rate in both fruit tissues held at 5°C than 25°C. The CI was correlated with malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in the tissues. The MDA of fruit exocarp at 5°C was 1.6 fold higher than that at 25°C on day 6, while the lipoxygenase (LOX) activity in mesocarp was 50% higher in fruit stored at a lower temperature. The action of ascorbate peroxidase (APX) was high in the exocarp of the fruit stored at 5°C, but there appeared to be a continuous depletion of the co-substrate or ascorbic acid. In conclusion, the CI in the exocarp was mainly associated with a high level of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In contrast, the CI in the mesocarp appeared to be primarily associated with increased lipid peroxidation by the elevated LOX activity under cold stress compared to storage at 25°C.
Fabrication and Experimental Testing of Hybrid Composite Material Having Biodegradable Bagasse Fiber in a Modified Epoxy Resin: Evaluation of Mechanical and Morphological Behavior
Authors: Dogra Vaishally , Kishore Chandra , Verma Akarsh , Rana Amit Kumar , Gaur Amit
Published: June 2021

Natural fibers such as bagasse, jute, sisal and coir are biodegradable as well as non-toxic in nature, so the use of natural fiber is safe. Bagasse contains about 50% cellulose, 25% hemicellulose, and 25% lignin. The present work has been undertaken to develop a composite using bagasse fiber as reinforcement and to study its mechanical properties, morphology, water absorption capacity and performance. The composites were prepared with different weight percentage of bagasse fiber by hand lay-up method. In the present research work, it can be concluded that with increase in wt.% of bagasse fiber in matrix material the rate of water absorption increases. Ultimate tensile strength, ultimate compressive and flexural strength of the composite are less than the pure epoxy while Young’s modulus is higher for composite. Ultimate tensile, ultimate compressive strength and flexural strength of composite is decreasing at all cross head speed with increase in wt.% of bagasse fiber while flexural strain is increasing. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) showed that for 5 wt.% of bagasse fiber the binding between epoxy and bagasse fiber is better than the 10 and 15 wt.% of bagasse fiber configuration. This was because of the increase in wt.% of bagasse fiber, which results in cavities and improper binding in the composite domain. Thus, as we increase the wt.% of bagasse fiber it causes the decrease in mechanical properties of composite.
Flecainide-Induced Atrial Flutter With 1:1 Conduction Complicated by Ventricular Fibrillation After Electrical Cardioversion
Authors: Colangelo Timothy , Johnson Drew , Ho Reginald
Published: June 2021

Flecainide, a widely prescribed class IC agent used to treat atrial arrhythmias, can in rare cases cause 1:1 atrial flutter with rapid conduction. We describe the case of a 59-year-old man who was on a maintenance regimen of flecainide for refractory atrial fibrillation. When 1:1 atrial flutter with rapid conduction developed, emergency medical technicians attempted synchronized cardioversion, which caused ventricular fibrillation necessitating defibrillation. The patient ultimately underwent radiofrequency ablation and cryoablation to resolve his symptomatic atrial flutter. We discuss the atrial proarrhythmic effects of flecainide and how to mitigate complications in high-risk patients.
Early-Onset Cardiomyopathy After Pacemaker Implanted in a Preterm Infant With Congenital Complete Heart Block and Anti-Ro/SSA Antibodies
Authors: Iqbal Marium , Umapathi Krishna Kishore , Morales Raymond , Mubayed Lamya , Bokowski John W. , Eltayeb Osama , Nguyen Hoang
Published: June 2021

Congenital complete heart block is a potentially fatal complication that can occur in neonates whose mothers have autoimmune disorders; it has rarely been reported in the presence of Sjögren syndrome. Pacemaker implantation is recommended to treat rhythm abnormalities in these neonates. We report the case of a late-preterm infant with Sjögren-syndrome-antibody–induced complete heart block who underwent temporary bipolar epicardial pacing as a bridge to permanent pacemaker implantation. Soon after the pacemaker was implanted, takotsubo cardiomyopathy developed. To our knowledge, this is the first report of reversible cardiomyopathy after pacemaker implantation in an infant.
The Interplay Between Tax Havens, Geographic Disclosures and Corporate Tax Avoidance: Evidence from European Union
Authors: Kobbi-Fakhfakh Sameh
Published: June 2021

This study examines the interplay between tax haven use, geographic disclosures and corporate tax avoidance. Based on a panel of 497 non-financial EU listed firms during the period 2006–2012, we provide evidence that corporate groups with affiliates in tax havens tend to have lower effective tax rates and lower geographic disclosures fineness scores. We, also, find a positive association between geographic disclosures fineness scores and the firms’ effective tax rates. We, further, find that the negative association between tax haven use and the effective tax rate is more pronounced for firms disclosing geographic information at a more aggregated level, showing a moderating effect of geographic disclosures fineness on such association. Our findings are based upon hand-collected data on corporate geographical dispersion, and corroborated by several additional and robustness tests. The research results should be of concern to policymakers and others interested in multinational companies’ segment reporting practices and tax planning activities.
Efficacy of individualized homeopathic medicines in primary dysmenorrhea: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trial
Authors: Ghosh Shubhamoy , Ravindra Rai Khushboo , Modak Amila , Maiti Shukdeb , Nath Arunava , Koley Munmun , Saha Subhranil
Published: June 2021

Objectives

Homeopathic treatment is claimed to be beneficial for primary dysmenorrhoea (PD); still, systematic research evidences remain compromised. This study was undertaken to examine the efficacy of individualized homeopathic medicines (IH) against placebo in the treatment of PD.

Methods

A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was conducted at the gynecology outpatient department of Mahesh Bhattacharyya Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital, West Bengal, India. Patients were randomized to receive either IH (n=64) or identical-looking placebo (n=64). Primary and secondary outcome measures were 0–10 numeric rating scales (NRS) measuring intensity of pain of dysmenorrhea and verbal multidimensional scoring system (VMSS) respectively; all measured at baseline, and every month, up to 3 months. Group differences and effect sizes (Cohen’s d) were calculated on intention-to-treat (ITT) sample.

Results

Groups were comparable at baseline (all p>0.05). Attrition rate was 10.9% (IH: 7, placebo: 7). Differences between groups in both pain NRS and VMSS favoured IH over placebo at all time points (all p<0.001, unpaired t-tests and two-ways repeated measures analysis of variance) with medium to large effect sizes. Natrum muriaticum and Pulsatilla nigricans (n=20 each; 15.6%) were the most frequently prescribed medicines. No harms, serious adverse events and intercurrent illnesses were recorded in either of the groups.

Conclusions

Homeopathic medicines acted significantly better than placebo in the treatment of PD. Independent replication is warranted. Trial registration: CTRI/2018/10/016013.
Review on nonlinearity effect in radio over fiber system and its mitigation
Authors: Jain Vishal , Bhatia Richa
Published: June 2021

Modern communication generation for high data rate requirement is fifth generation. The fifth generation has many advantages like low delay, high spectrum availability, high reliability, low jitter, and more capacity. To combat with the high capacity and high data rate requirement, optical fiber helps in the backhaul of 5G network. When fiber is used as a mode of propagation, many nonlinearities arises. This nonlinearity effect in the optical fiber communication is one of the most undesirable phenomena for the modern communication system which results in harmonic distortion, intermodulation distortion, phase distortion, and adjacent channel interference, etc. In most fiber optic communication systems, the major fiber nonlinear effect is the Kerr nonlinearity and Scattering effect that produced due to the variation of refractive index due to signal intensity. To minimize the effect of nonlinear distortion, some techniques are used which considerably improve the transmission capacity by reducing or compensating the effect of nonlinear distortion along with minimal infrastructure modifications and minimum cost for implementation. To overcome the effect of nonlinearity, fiber nonlinearity mitigation techniques are preferred to achieve the significant performance gains. Mitigation techniques can be implemented to improve and optimize the performance of optical communication network. In this paper, a brief description of the fiber nonlinearity effect and a review of various fiber nonlinearity compensation techniques are described.
Evaluation of the Durability of Hydrophobic Treatments on Concrete Architectural Heritage
Authors: Lucquiaud V. , Courard L. , Gérard O. , Michel F. , Handy M. , Aggoun S. , Cousture A.
Published: June 2021

The protection of historical concrete structures is a challenge for the coming years. Hydrophobic treatment may reduce the deterioration process while providing protection against water penetration. Existing commercial products - mainly silane or siloxane in either water or solvent based formulations - were submitted to different ageing processes including UV radiation, dry-wet cycles, thermal shocks, freeze-thaw cycles, carbonation and their effectiveness has been evaluated on the basis of contact angle, vapour and chloride permeability and, capillarity water absorption. The results obtained clearly show that hydrophobic treatments display a good behaviour under the main ageing conditions.
Adapting Hydrophobizing Impregnation Agents to the Object
Authors: Engel J. , Heinze P. , Plagge R.
Published: June 2021

In general, old buildings consume substantially more energy than new ones. Many historical buildings have brick-, natural stone and lavishly decorated facades that limit installation of outer insulation hence this is done on the inner side during energetic refurbishment. As a result, heat hardly gets into these walls during winter. Therefore, when driving rain penetrates into the facade in winter months, moisture cannot properly dry out and consequently, such facades remain wet for a very long time cooling down extremely, which increases the potential for frost damages. A solution is to match the degree of water repellency of the existing building materials in the specific construction with its driving rain load as well as to the properties of the chosen interior insulation. This should be done under the premise of a minimum intervention, i.e., do as much as necessary but as little as possible. One example is thoroughly discussed to illustrate this approach.
Life Cycle Cost Analysis on Impregnated Bridge Edge Beams
Authors: During O. , Malaga K.
Published: June 2021

The aim of this study is to perform a life cycle cost analysis (LCC), where the economic cost of extending service life by the impregnation of bridge edge beams is compared to the reparation of an edge beam. Previous economic analyses on bridge edge beams had shown that there was no clear economic benefit in impregnating the edge beams. However, results from this study pointed out that in most cases there is a clear economic benefit to impregnate the bridge edge beams even if it has to be repeated every 15 years.
The impact of COVID-19 on diagnostic biomarkers in neuropsychiatric and neuroimmunological diseases: a review
Authors: Dadkhah Masoomeh , Talei Sahand , Doostkamel Donya , Molaei Soheila , Rezaei Nima
Published: June 2021

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious respiratory disease, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Evidence-based emerging reports of neurological manifestations show that SARS-CoV-2 can attack the nervous system. However, little is known about the biomarkers in disease in neuropsychiatric and neuroimmunological disorders. One of the important keys in the management of COVID-19 is an accurate diagnosis. Biomarkers could provide valuable information in the early detection of disease etiology, diagnosis, further treatment, and prognosis. Moreover, ongoing investigations on hematologic, biochemical, and immunologic biomarkers in nonsevere, severe, or fatal forms of COVID-19 patients provide an urgent need for the identification of clinical and laboratory predictors. In addition, several cytokines acting through mechanisms to emerge immune response against SARS-CoV-2 infection are known to play a major role in neuroinflammation. Considering the neuroinvasive potential of SARS-CoV-2, which can be capable of triggering a cytokine storm, the current evidence on inflammation in psychiatry and neurodegenerative by emerging neuroinflammation is discussed in this review. We also highlighted the hematologic, biochemical, and immunologic biomarkers in COVID-19 diagnosis. COVID-19 prognostic biomarkers in patients with neuropsychiatric and neuroimmunological diseases are also explained.