bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Efficacy of Poppy, Papaver nudicaule extract as an Anesthetic for the Common Carp, Cyprinus carpio
Authors: Et al. Al-hamadany
Published: March 2020

Aqueous extract of poppy plant) Papaver nudicaule) with five concentrations (50, 100, 150, 200 and 250) mg/l were used to anesthetize fingerlings of the common carp Cyprinus carpio (Mean total length 8.91 ± 0.31 cm and mean total weight 7.72 ± 1.19 gm) instead of the traditional use of MS-222. Results showed that extracted solution of poppy have partial and overall anesthesia effect on these fishes with inverse relationship between the concentrations used and the time needed to reach partial and overall anesthesia, and also direct relationship between concentrations used and time needed for fish recovery. Best results were obtained by using a concentration of 250 mg/l, where time for partial anesthesia was 8 ± 1.52 min., time for overall anesthesia was 10 ± 1.70 min., time needed for partial recovery was 25 ± 2.43 min. and time needed for overall recovery was 35 ± 2.23 min. Fish behavior observations revealed a difference ranging from slow swimming with increasing in breathing rates movements to vertical swimming near the surface, then laying at bottom and too much decrease in breathing rates movements. Results appeared that there were no significant differences (p≥0.01) between glucose concentration in fish blood plasma after recovery and control fishes. So it was concluded that these. The results showed also that there were no significant differences (p≥0.01) in ALP, AST, ALT, LDH and CK among fishes after recovery comparing with the control fishes. Experimental fishes exhibited no stress during anesthesia by using poppy extracted solution. This indicated that the treated fishes exhibited no physiological effects stress which might lead to poor health condition later. The study demonstrated that poppy can be used as an effective anesthetic, as we obtained acceptable induction and recovery times. The poppy can be recommended as suitable anesthetics for fishes (200 or 250 mg/l).
Indirect Spectrofluorometric Method for the Determination of Cefotaxime Sodium, Ciprofloxacin Hydrochloride and Famotidine in Pharmaceuticals Using Bromate-Bromide and Acriflavine Dye
Authors: Et al. Saeed
Published: March 2020

An Indirect simple sensitive and applicable spectrofluorometric method has been developed for the determination of Cefotaxime Sodium (CEF), ciprofloxacin Hydrochloride (CIP) and Famotidine (FAM) using reaction system bromate-bromide and acriflavine (AF) as fluorescent dye. The method is based on the oxidation of drugs with known excess bromate-bromide mixture in acidic medium and subsequent determination of unreacted oxidant by quenching fluorescence of AF. Fluorescence intensity of residual AF was measured at 528 nm after excitation at 402 nm. The fluorescence-concentration plots were rectilinear over the ranges 0.1-3.0, 0.05-2.6 and 0.1-3.8 µg ml-1 with lower detection limits of 0.013, 0.018 and 0.021 µg ml-1 and quantitation limits of 0.044, 0.060 and 0.069 µg ml-1 for CEF, CIP and FAM respectively. The common excipients and additives didn’t interfere in their determination. The developed method was successfully applied for determination of the studied drugs in their dosage forms resulted in a good agreement with standard British pharmacopeia method and standard addition procedure.
The Spatial Analysis for Bassia eriophora (Schrad.) Asch. Plant Distributed in all IRAQ by Using RS & GIS Techniques
Authors: Et al. Al Ramahi
Published: March 2020

Most vegetation’s are Land cover (LC) for the globe, and there is an increased attention to plants since they represent an element of balance to natural ecology and maintain the natural balance of rapid changes due to systematic and random human uses, including the subject of the current study (Bassia eriophora ) Which represent an essential part of the United Nations system for land cover classification (LCCS), developed by the World Food Organization (FAO) and the world Organization for environmental program (UNEP), to observe basic environmental elements with modern techniques. Although this plant is distributed all over Iraq, we found that this plant exists primarily in the middle and southern parts of Iraq in wet areas and near rivers or catchment area or water basins.  The main idea is how to use this techniques to monitor the distribution of the plants (Bassia eriophora), in order to utilize and take provisions of plant growth and diffusion, Moreover, know and control the breadth of these areas in Iraq and prepare for them, and understanding climates and the variable plantation habitats and mapping patterns, may lead to a successful environmental protection and dominance plan. In this study, monitoring the distribution of Bassia eriophora in Iraq by apply remote sensing (RS) and geographic information systems (GIS) techniques. The data was obtained from (BAG) National Herbarium of Iraq, Ministry of Agriculture. (BUNH) Iraq Natural History Research Centre and Museum, University of Baghdad the University Herbarium (BUH) in College of Science at University of Baghdad. This data contains only the address (place of germination), this information (addresses) was detected, identified and covered for all areas sampled by the techniques of satellite imagery and images taken from the air and some data records where the main features of these areas.
The Influence of Magnetohydrodynamic Flow and Slip Condition on Generalized Burgers’ Fluid with Fractional Derivative
Authors: Et al. Nassief
Published: March 2020

This paper investigates the effect of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) of an incompressible generalized burgers’ fluid including a gradient constant pressure and an exponentially accelerate plate where no slip hypothesis between the burgers’ fluid and an exponential plate is no longer valid. The constitutive relationship can establish of the fluid model process by fractional calculus, by using Laplace and Finite Fourier sine transforms. We obtain a solution for shear stress and velocity distribution. Furthermore, 3D figures are drawn to exhibit the effect of magneto hydrodynamic and different parameters for the velocity distribution.
A New Two Derivative FSAL Runge-Kutta Method of Order Five in Four Stages
Authors: Et al. Hussain
Published: March 2020

A new efficient Two Derivative Runge-Kutta method (TDRK) of order five is developed for the numerical solution of the special first order ordinary differential equations (ODEs). The new method is derived using the property of First Same As Last (FSAL). We analyzed the stability of our method. The numerical results are presented to illustrate the efficiency of the new method in comparison with some well-known RK methods.
Psychiatric morbidity and poor follow-up underlie suboptimal functional and survival outcomes in Huntington's disease
Authors: Ratna Nikhil , Kamble Nitish L , V Sowmya D , Purushottam Meera , Pal Pramod K , Jain Sanjeev
Published: March 2020

BACKGROUND: Huntington’s disease (HD), an inherited, often late-onset, neurodegenerative disorder, is considered to be a rare, orphan disease. Research into its genetic correlates and services for those affected are inadequate in most low-middle income countries, including India. The apparent ‘incurability’ often deters symptomatic and rehabilitative care, resulting in poor quality of life and sub-optimal outcomes. There are no studies assessing disease burden and outcomes from India.
METHODS: We attempted to evaluate individuals diagnosed to have HD at our tertiary-care center between 2013 and 2016 for clinical symptoms, functionality, mortality, follow up status through a structured interview, clinical data from medical records and UHDRS-TFC scoring.
RESULTS: Of the 144 patients, 25% were untraceable, and another 17 (11.8%) had already died. Mean age at death and duration of illness at the time of death, were 53 years and 7 years respectively, perhaps due to suicides and other comorbidities at an early age. The patients who could be contacted (n=81) were assessed for morbidity and total functional capacity (TFC). Mean CAG repeat length and TFC score were 44.2 and 7.5 respectively. Most individuals (66%) were in TFC stage I and II and could perhaps benefit from several interventions. The TFC score correlated inversely with duration of illness (p<0.0001). The majority were being taken care of at home, irrespective of the physical and mental disability. There was a high prevalence of psychiatric morbidity (91%) including suicidal tendency (22%). Three of the 17 who died had committed suicide, and several other families reported suicidal history in other family members. Only about half the patients (57%) maintained a regular clinical follow-up.
CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the poor follow-up rates, significant suicidality and other psychiatric symptoms, sub-optimal survival durations and functional outcomes highlighting the need for holistic care for the majority who appear to be amenable to interventions.
Evaluating the impact of the weather conditions on the influenza propagation
Authors: Singh David E. , marinescu maria-cristina , Carretero Jesus , Delgado-Sanz Concepcion , Gomez-Barroso Diana , Larrauri Amparo
Published: March 2020

Background: Predicting the details of how an epidemic evolves is highly valuable as health institutions need to better plan towards limiting the infection propagation effects and optimizing their prediction and response capabilities. Simulation is a cost- and time-effective way of predicting the evolution of the infection as the joint influence of many different factors: interaction patterns, personal characteristics, travel patterns, meteorological conditions, previous vaccination, etc. The work presented in this paper extends EpiGraph, our influenza epidemic simulator, by introducing a meteorological model as a modular component that interacts with the rest of EpiGraph's modules to refine our previous simulation results. Our goal is to estimate the effects of changes in temperature and relative humidity on the patterns of epidemic influenza based on data provided by the Spanish Influenza Sentinel Surveillance System (SISSS) and the Spanish Meteorological Agency (AEMET). Methods: Our meteorological model is based on the regression model developed by Barreca and Shimshack, and it is tuned with influenza surveillance data obtained from SISSS. After pre-processing this data to clean it and reconstruct missing samples, we obtain new values for the reproduction number of each urban region in Spain, every 10 minutes during 2011. We simulate the propagation of the influenza by setting the date of the epidemic onset and the initial influenza-illness rates for each urban region. Results: We show that the simulation results have the same propagation shape as the weekly influenza rates as recorded by SISSS. We perform experiments for a realistic scenario based on actual meteorological data from 2010-2011, and for synthetic values assumed under simplified predicted climate change conditions. Results show that a diminishing relative humidity of 10\% produces an increment of about 1.6\% in the final infection rate. The effect of temperature changes on the infection spread is also noticeable, with a decrease of 1.1\% per extra degree. Conclusions: Using a tool like ours could help predict the shape of developing epidemics and its peaks, and would permit to quickly run scenarios to determine the evolution of the epidemic under different conditions. We make EpiGraph source code and epidemic data publicly available.
Effect of arsenic stress on 5-methylcytosine, photosynthetic parameters and nutrient content in arsenic hyperaccumulator Pteris cretica (L.) var. Albo-lineata
Authors: Zemanová Veronika , Popov Marek , Pavlíková Daniela , Kotrba Pavel , Hnilička František , Česká Jana , Pavlík Milan
Published: March 2020

Background: Arsenic toxicity induces a range of metabolic responses in plants, including DNA methylation. The focus of this paper was on the relationship between As-induced stress and plant senescence in the hyperaccumulator Pteris cretica var. Albo-lineata (Pc-Al). We assume difference in physiological parameters and level of DNA methylation in young and old fronds as symptoms of As toxicity.Results: The As accumulation of Pc-Al fronds, grown in pots of haplic chernozem contaminated with 100 mg As kg-1 for 122 days, decreased with age. Content of As was higher in young than old fronds for variants with 100 mg As kg-1 (2800 and 2000 mg As kg-1 dry matter, respectively). The highest As content was determined in old fronds of Pc-Al grown in pots with 250 mg As kg-1. The increase with age was confirmed for determined nutrients – Cu, Mg, Mn, S and Zn. A significant elevation of all analysed nutrients was showed in old fronds. Arsenic accumulation affected DNA methylation status in fronds, but content of 5-methylcytosine (5mC) decreased only in old fronds of Pc-Al (from 25% to 12%). Determined photosynthetic processes showed a decrease of fluorescence, photosynthetic rate and chlorophylls of As treatments in young and old fronds. Water potential was decreased by As in both fronds. Thinning of the sclerenchymatous inner cortex and a reduction in average tracheid metaxylem in the vascular cylinder was showed in roots of As treatment. Irrespective to fronds age, physiological parameters positively correlated with a 5mC while negatively with direct As toxicity. Opposite results were found for contents of Cu, Mg, Mn, S and Zn.Conclusions: The results of this paper point to changes in the metabolism of the hyperaccumulator plant Pc-Al, upon low and high exposure to As contamination. The significant impact of As on DNA methylation was found in old fronds. Irrespective to fronds age, significant correlations were confirmed for 5mC and As toxicity. Our analysis of the very low water potential values and lignification of cell walls in roots showed that transports of assimilated metabolites and water between roots and fronds were reduced. As was showed by our results, epigenetic changes could affect studied parameters of the As hyperaccumulator plant Pc-Al, especially in old fronds.
High-throughput Sequencing Study of the Effect of Transabdominal Hysterectomy on Intestinal Flora in Patients with Uterine Fibroids
Authors: Wang Wantong , Li Yibing , Wu Qijun , Pan Xin , He Xinhui , Ma Xiaoxin
Published: March 2020

Background: To investigate the effect of transabdominal hysterectomy on the diversity of the intestinal flora in patients with uterine fibroids. Patients with uterine fibroids were selected from September 2018 to December 2018, in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, and stool specimens were collected from patients before and after surgery. Results :High-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene was used to detect the changes in microbial community structure and diversity, and the effects of total hysterectomy on the intestinal flora were further analyzed. Estrogen levels decreased after trans-abdominal hysterectomy. High-throughput sequencing showed that after abdominal hysterectomy, the abundance and diversity of the intestinal flora decreased. The abundance changes were mainly due to Proteobacteria, where their abundance increased. Conclusions :Trans-abdominal hysterectomy changes the intestinal flora of the body by lowering the level of estrogen in the body, which reduces the diversity and abundance of the intestinal flora .
Oxidative stress and gut-derived lipopolysaccharides in children affected by Paediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal infections.
Authors: Loffredo Lorenzo , Spalice Alberto , Salvatori Francesca , Giovanna De Castro , Guido Cristiana Alessia , Zicari Anna Maria , Ciacci Paolo , Battaglia Simona , Brindisi Giulia , Ettorre Evaristo , Nocella Cristina , Salvatori Guglielmo , Duse Marzia , Violi Francesco , Carnevale Roberto
Published: March 2020

Background: pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections syndrome (PANDAS) identifies patients with acute onset of obsessive-compulsive and tic disorders. The objective of this study was to assess NOX2 levels, as well as serum 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α (iso-PGF2α) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) derived from Gram-negative bacteria in the gut of patients with PANDAS.

Methods: a cross sectional study was performed to compare serum levels of soluble NOX2-dp (sNOX-2-dp), isoprostanes and LPS in 60 consecutive subjects, including 30 children affected by PANDAS and 30 controls (CT) matched for age and gender. Serum zonulin was used to assess gut permeability.
Results: compared with CT, PANDAS children had higher values of sNOX-2-dp, 8-iso-PGF2-alpha and LPS. Simple linear regression analysis showed that sNOX2-dp was signiﬁcantly correlated with serum LPS (Rs=0.359; p=0.005), zonulin (Rs=0.444; p<0.001) and iso-PGF2α (Rs=0.704; p<0.001). LPS signiﬁcantly correlated with serum zonulin (Rs=0.610; p<0.001), and iso-PGF2α (Rs=0.591; p=0.001). A multiple linear regression analysis was performed to define the independent predictors of sNOX-2-dp. Isoprostanes and zonulin emerged as the only independent predictive variables associated with sNOX2-dp (R2=68%).
Conclusion: this study provides evidences that children affected by PANDAS have high circulating levels of sNOX2-dp, isoprostanes and of LPS that could be potentially implicated in the process of neuroinflammation.
How are systematic reviews of prevalence conducted? A methodological study
Authors: Migliavaca Celina Borges , Stein Cinara , Colpani Verônica , Barker Timothy Hugh , Munn Zachary , Falavigna Maicon
Published: March 2020

Background: There is a notable lack of methodological and reporting guidance for systematic reviews of prevalence data. This information void has the potential to result in reviews that are inconsistent and inadequate to inform healthcare policy and decision making. The aim of this meta-epidemiological study is to describe the methodology of recently published prevalence systematic reviews.
Methods: We searched MEDLINE (via PubMed) from February 2017 to February 2018 for systematic reviews of prevalence studies. We included systematic reviews assessing the prevalence of any clinical condition using patients as the unit of measurement and we summarized data related to reporting of and methodology of the reviews.
Results: A total of 235 systematic reviews of prevalence were analyzed. The median number of authors was 5 (interquartile range [IQR] 4-7), the median number of databases searched was 4 (3-6) and the median of studies included in each review was 24 (IQR 15-41.5). Search strategies were presented for 68% of reviews. Forty five percent of reviews received external funding, and 24% did not provide funding information. Twenty three percent of included reviews had published or registered the systematic review protocol. Reporting guidelines were used in 72% of reviews. The quality of included studies was assessed in 80% of reviews. Twelve reviews assessed the overall quality of evidence (50% of them using GRADE). Meta-analysis was conducted in 65% of reviews; 1% used Bayesian methods. Random effect meta-analysis was used in 94% of reviews; among them, 75% did not report the variance estimator used. Among the reviews with meta-analysis, 70% did not report how data was transformed; 59% percent conducted subgroup analysis, 38% conducted meta-regression and 2% estimated prediction interval; I 2 was estimated in 95% of analysis. Publication bias was examined in 48%. The most common software used was STATA (55%).
Conclusions: Our results indicate that there are significant inconsistencies regarding how these reviews are conducted. Many of these differences arose in the assessment of methodological quality and the formal synthesis of comparable data. This variability indicates the need for clearer reporting standards and consensus on methodological guidance for systematic reviews of prevalence data.
A genetic variant in the promoter of lncRNA MALAT1 is related to susceptibility of ischemic stroke
Authors: Wang Yan , Gu Xi-Xi , Huang Hua-Tuo , Liu Chun-Hong , Wei Ye-Sheng
Published: March 2020

Background: Metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript-1 ( MALAT1 ) was aberrantly expressed in diverse diseases. Particularly in ischemic stroke (IS), the abnormal expression of MALAT1 played important roles including promotion of angiogenesis, inhibition of apoptosis and inflammation and regulation of autophagy. However, the effects of genetic variation (single nucleotide polymorphisms, SNPs) of MALAT1 on IS have rarely been explored. This study aimed to investigate whether SNPs in promoter of MALAT1 were associated with the susceptibility to IS.
Methods: A total of 316 IS patients and 320 age-, gender-, and ethnicity-matched controls were enrolled in this study. Four polymorphisms in the promoter of MALAT1 (i.e., rs600231, rs1194338, rs4102217, and rs591291) were genotyped by using a custom-by-design 48-Plex SNPscan kit.
Results: The rs1194338 C>A variant in the promoter of MALAT1 was associated with the risk of IS (AC vs. CC: adjusted OR = 0.623, 95% CI, 0.417-0.932, P = 0.021; AA vs. CC: adjusted OR = 0.474, 95% CI, 0.226-0.991, P = 0.047; Dominant model: adjusted OR = 0.596, 95% CI, 0.406-0.874, P = 0.008; A vs. C adjusted OR = 0.658, 95% CI, 0.487-0.890, P = 0.007). The haplotype analysis showed that rs600231-rs1194338-rs4102217-rs591291 (A-C-G-C) had a 1.3-fold increased risk of IS (95% CI, 1.029-1.644, P = 0.027). Logistic regression analysis identified some independent impact factors for IS including rs1194338 AC/AA, TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C, Apo-A1, Apo-B and NEFA ( P < 0.05).
Conclusions: These results suggest that the rs1194338 AC/AA genotypes may be a protective factor for IS.
Keywords: Ischemic stroke, Polymorphism, Metastasis associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1
The impact of peri-natal stress on psychosis risk: results from the Bo-FEP incidence study
Authors: De Matteis Tiziano , D'Andrea Giuseppe , Lal Jatin , Berardi Domenico , Tarricone Ilaria
Published: March 2020

Objective: According to the gene-environment interaction model the pathogenesis of psychosis relies on an adverse neuro-socio-developmental pathway. Perinatal stress represents an important risk factor for the development of psychosis because of the increasingly evident interference with socio-neuro-development in the earlier phases of life. We aim to investigate the correlation of perinatal risk factors with the onset of psychosis with a case-control – incidence study.
Results: Patients (and their mothers) were eligible if they presented with first-episode psychosis at the Bologna West Community Mental Health Centre (Bo-West CMHC) between 2002 and 2012. The Bo-West CMHC serves a catchment area of about 200,000 people. The controls were recruited in the same catchment area and study period. 42 patients, 26 controls and their mothers were included. We collected the history of peri-natal stress and calculated crude and adjusted Odds Ratios for onset of first-episode psychosis. Adjusted logistic regression showed that psychosis onset was significantly associated with stressful situations during pregnancy, lower level of maternal physical health before or during pregnancy, use of anti-inflammatory drugs during pregnancy, and low level of maternal education. The results of our study suggest that stress during perinatal period increases the risk of developing psychosis.
Ethno-veterinary practices of Poaceae taxa in Punjab, Pakistan
Authors: Majeed Muhammad , Bhatti Khizar Hayat , Amjad Muhammad Shoaib , Abbasi Arshad Mehmood , Rashid Audil , Nawaz Fahim , Mehmood Ansar , Mahmood Majid , Ahmad Khawaja Shafique
Published: March 2020

Background: Plant species of Poaceae family are not only used as fodder and forage but also contribute substantially in the treatment of various health disorders, particularly in livestock. Consequently, present study was aimed to document the therapeutic uses Poaceae taxa by the inhabitants of the Punjab Province to treat various veterinary health disorders. Methods: Semi structured interviews, group discussion and field walks were conducted to collected data. Furthermore, quantitative indices includingcultural significance index (CSI), relative frequency of citations (RFC), fidelity level (FL), and relative popularity level (RPL) andJaccard Index (JI) were adopted for data analysis. Results: Traditional uses of 149 plants belonging to 60 genera, 16 tribes of 5 sub families of Poaceae were recorded. Whole plant and leaves were the most consistent grazing parts with 40.94 and 29.53% contribution and decoction (35 reports) was the most preferred mode of administration. Majority of the plant species were employed to treat infectious diseases (25.93 %). and digestive disorders (14.10 %). Triticum aestivum depicted highest CSI, RFC and RPL levels at 8.00, 0.96, 1.00, respectively, followed by Oryza sativa and Poa annua . Likewise, T. aestivum and Saccharum spontaneum had 100 % FL and ROP. Jaccard index ranged from 12.25 to 0.37. Twelve plant species namely Chrysopogon zizanioides (anti-inflammatory), Pennisetum lansatum (improve bull fertility), Cymbopogon citratus (glandular secretion), Sorghum saccharatum and Themeda triandra (malaria), Aristida funiculate (anticancer) , Koeleria argentia (skin allergies), Tetrapogon villosus (antibacterial), Cynodon radiates (eyes infection), Sporobolus nervosa (Jaundice), Enneapogon persicus (antifungal), and Panicum repens (dysfunctional cattle organs) were reported for the first time with novelethnoveterinary uses. Conclusion: Inhabitants of the study area had strong association with surrounding plant biodiversity and possess significant knowledge on therapeutic uses of grasses and other members of Poaceae to treat various health disorders in animals. Plant species with maximum cultural and medicinal values could be a potential source of novel drugs to cure health disorders in animals and human as well.
Spatial heterogeneity and determinants of childhood anaemia in Nigeria
Authors: Ugwu Chigozie Louisa Jane , Zewotir Temesgen
Published: March 2020

Background Childhood anaemia is highly prevalent in Nigeria. According to the 2015 Nigeria Malaria Indicator Survey (NMIS) report, more than 68% of children aged 6-59 months were found to be anaemic. This estimate is far above the World Health Organization’s 40% cut off point which classifies anaemia a severe public health challenge in the country. Identifying environmental, health, socioeconomic and demographic influential factors and mapping the prevalence of anaemia can help guide geographically targeted intervention programmes to reduce the risk of anaemia associated morbidity among vulnerable children in Nigeria. Methods Geographically linked national level datasets obtained from the 2015 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) and Malaria Indicator Survey (NMIS) programmes were used for this study. For the analysis, a binary structured additive regression (BSAR) model was explored. This model incorporated a Markov Random Field (MRF) prior, with posterior parameters estimated via Bayesian framework. Results After accounting for the spatial heterogeneity, we found a strong negative association between the odds of anaemia and the child’s demographic variables in terms of increasing age and being female. Increased odds of anaemia were also associated with child’s malaria and fever status, living in a rural environment, lower household wealth quintile, having younger and illiterate mothers. We also found that a decreased distance to vegetated areas was associated with increased childhood anaemia risk, while the odds of anaemia decreased as cluster altitude increased at 95% credible interval. The maps of the posterior means of the spatial random effects revealed evidence of spatial variation in the odds of childhood anaemia, while accounting for the model covariates (Fig. 4). Greater risk of anaemia was observed for children who resided in Adamawa, Ebonyi, Edo, Cross river, FCT, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano and Kebbi states in Nigeria. Conclusions In this study, a binary structured additive regression model was utilized, allowing for a flexible semiparametric predictor that accounted for the effects of different types of covariates, while simultaneously incorporating spatial variables directly. Our results revealed significant spatial variability of childhood anaemia, suggesting that spatially targeted interventions could result in efficiency gains for anaemia control in Nigeria.
Violence –related injuries in a rapidly developing Middle Eastern country: A Retrospective Study from a Level 1Trauma Center
Authors: Mollazehi Monira , El-Menyar Ayman , Mekkodathil Ahammed , Consunji Rafael , Al-Thani Hassan
Published: March 2020

Background Violence is a global public health problem leading to injuries, long-term physical, sexual or mental health problems and mortality. The burden of violence-related injuries remains understudied in the Arabian Gulf region. The present study aimed to describe the epidemiology of violence-related injuries in Qatar. Methods A retrospective analysis of trauma registry data from a level 1 trauma center was conducted by including all patients presented to the hospital following violence-related injuries in the duration between June 2010 and June 2017. Results The incidence rate of violence-related injuries was 4.6 per 100,000 population per year; significantly higher rate in males (5.5/100,000 males/year vs. 1.8/100,000 females/year) and in younger population, specifically in 25-34 years age-group (41%). South Asians (55%) were the principal victims. Interpersonal violence (IPV: 71%) was the major contributor. Three quarters of the pediatric injuries were caused by IPV and mortality was 8% which in fact was higher than the overall mortality. In-hospital mortality was 6.4%. Higher case fatality rate was reported in females (16% vs.5%, p=0.001). Conclusions Although the rate of violence-related injuries in Qatar was low, its disproportionate burden in the South Asians and young population warrants an evidence-based public health approach in violence prevention that addressing the risk factors. In addition, its burden in the pediatric population is also alarming.
Age-and cause-specific contributions to the life expectancy gap between Medical Aid recipients and National Health Insurance beneficiaries in Korea, 2008-2017
Authors: Bahk Jinwook , Kang Hee-Yeon , Khang Young-Ho
Published: March 2020

Background Recipients of Medical Aid, a government-funded social assistance program for the poor, have a shorter life expectancy than National Health Insurance beneficiaries in Korea. This study aims to explore the contributions of age and major causes of death to the life expectancy difference between the two groups.Methods We used the National Health Information Database provided by the National Health Insurance Service individually linked to mortality registration data of Statistics Korea between 2008 and 2017. Annual abridged life tables were constructed and Arriaga’s life expectancy decomposition method was employed to estimate age- and cause-specific contributions to the life expectancy gap between National Health Insurance beneficiaries and Medical Aid recipients.Results The life expectancy difference between National Health Insurance beneficiaries and Medical Aid recipients was 14.5 years during the period of 2008-2017. The age groups between 30 and 64 years accounted for 78.7% and 67.5% of the total life expectancy gap in men and women, respectively. Cancer was the leading cause of death contributing to excess mortality among Medical Aid recipients compared to National Health Insurance beneficiaries. More specifically, alcohol-attributable deaths (such as alcoholic liver disease, liver cancer, liver cirrhosis, and alcohol/substance abuse), suicide, and cardiometabolic risk factor–related deaths (such as cerebrovascular disease, ischemic heart disease, and diabetes) were the leading contributors to the life expectancy gap.Conclusions To decrease excess deaths in Medical Aid recipients and reduce health inequalities, effective policies for tobacco and alcohol regulation, suicide prevention, and interventions to address cardiometabolic risk factors are needed.
Mixed Methods Research on Satisfaction with Basic Medical Insurance for Urban and Rural Residents in China
Authors: Liu Xiaofang , Yang Fang , Cheng Wenwei , Wu Yanyan , Cheng Jin , Sun Weichu , Yan Xiaofang , Luo Mingming , Mo Xiankun , Hu Mi , Lin Qian , Shi Jingcheng
Published: March 2020

Background There are few studies on satisfaction with integrated basic medical insurance for urban and rural residents (URRBMI), and satisfaction is not very high due to the complexity of its policies and differences among the insured. The aim of the present study was to explore the factors that influence satisfaction with URRBMI in China and to provide scientific suggestions for the government to effectively manage and improve the policy.Methods An explanatory sequential design in mixed method research was used. Quantitative study adopted a three-stage stratified cluster sampling method to randomly select the guardians of pupils who had participated in the URRBMI ( n =1335). A quantitative study was conducted to calculate latent variables’ score and path coefficient between latent variables by SmartPLS3. 0. With public trust, public satisfaction and perceived quality as the target variables, the important-performance analysis (IPA) was used to explore the important but insufficient performance factors, which were the key elements to improve satisfaction of URRBMI. A purposeful sampling strategy was used to get qualitative research subjects from quantitative research subjects according to satisfaction level. A qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews and the thematic analysis method was used to summarize the interview data.Results Perceived quality to perceived value with a total effect of 0.676 ( t =31.964, P <0.001), perceived quality to public satisfaction with a total effect of 0.737 ( t =41.270, P <0.001), and public satisfaction to public trust with a total effect of 0.634 ( t =31.305, P <0.001) were three strongest paths. IPA showed that public satisfaction and perceived quality were key factors for public trust and that perceived quality was of high importance and low performance for public satisfaction. The policy quality was a determining factor for perceived quality. Qualitative research showed that the most unsatisfactory aspect for the insured was the policy quality.Conclusions This study found that improving quality is key to improving public satisfaction and public trust. The government should focus on improving and ameliorating the quality of basic medical insurance for urban and rural residents to enhance satisfaction and trust among the insured.
Timely Completion of Vaccination among Children in Gondar Town Administration, Northwest, Ethiopia: A Multi-Level Analysis
Authors: Mekonnen Zeleke Abebaw , Gelaye Kassahun Alemu , Were Martin C. , Tilahun Binyam
Published: March 2020

Background Timely vaccination is key to prevent unnecessary childhood mortality from vaccine-preventable diseases. Despite the substantial efforts to improve vaccination completeness, the effort towards timeliness of vaccination is limited with non-attendance and delays to vaccination appointments remaining a big challenge in developing countries. There is also a limited evidence on timeliness of vaccination. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the magnitude and associated factors for timely completion of vaccination among children in Gondar town administration, north-west, Ethiopia.Methods This study employed a community-based cross sectional study design. A sample size of 821 children aged 12-23 months were considered. Two stages random sampling technique was applied. To account the effect of clustering, both bivariable and multivariable multilevel logistic regression analysis were applied. The measures of association estimates were expressed as adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with their 95% confidence intervals.Results Of the 774 children included for the analysis, 498 (64.3%) were fully vaccinated while 247 (31.9%) were fully vaccinated on-time. Caregivers of greater than 35 years old (AOR= 0.469; 95% CI: 0.253-0.869], who had secondary education and above (AOR = 2.391; 95% CI: 1.317- 4.343), from richest households (AOR = 2.381; 95% CI: 1.502-3.773), children whose mothers attended four and more ante natal care visits (AOR = 2.844; 95% CI: 1.310-6.174) and who had two or more post natal care visits (AOR =2.054; 95%CI:1.377-3.063) were positively associated with on-time full vaccination. In contrary, being vaccinated at health post (AOR=0.144; 95%CI: 0.048-0.428) and caregivers who travelled more than 30 minutes (AOR= 0.158; 95%CI: 0.033-0.739) were negatively associated with on-time full vaccination. The random effects indicated that 26% of the variability in on-time full vaccination was attributable to differences between communities.Conclusion In this study, untimely vaccination was found to be high. Different individual and contextual factors were found to be associated with on-time full vaccination. Therefore, tailored strategies have to be designed and implemented to address people and the communities where they live. Moreover, timeliness of vaccination should be considered as another important indicator of the immunization program performance in Ethiopia.
The quality of life after motorcycle traffic injuries: a cohort study in northwest of Iran
Authors: Gheshlaghi Leili Abedi , Sharifi Hamid , Noroozi Mehdi , Barouni Mohsen , Sadeghi-bazargan Homayoun
Published: March 2020

Background: Quality of life (QOL) after motorcycle accident is an important and dynamic concept but the conducted research about QOL's injured motorcyclists is much less. Therefore, in this study we investigated the QOL of injured motorcyclists up to three months after their accident and determining the associated factors.Methods: In present study, 190 injured motorcyclists who admitted at the two referral specialized hospitals (Emam Reza and Shohada) in Tabriz, between June 2018 and January 2019, and agreed to participate were included in the study. All injured motorcyclists were contacted through the telephone one and 171 of them (90%) three months after their accident to complete an EQ-5D-3L questionnaire. The baseline measurement (such as demographic variables, time and place of accident, vehicles and individuals), were gathered by using face to face interview in the hospitals. The QOL score in this study could vary between 1-3. The higher score showed the lower QOL. The Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) models were used to determine the factors affecting these motorcyclists’ QOL .Results: The injured motorcyclist’s QOL was relatively better three months after the accident (mean ± Standard Deviation: 2.15 ± 0.65) in comparison with their status a month after the accident (mean ± SD: 1.78 ± 0.51) (p<0.001). The multivariable model showed that individuals whose pelvis (Coef: 0.29, (95% Confidence Intervals [CI]: 0.16, 0.42), P= 0.001) and knee (Coef: 0.26, (95% CI: 0.10, 0.42), P= 0.001) were injured, experienced a lower QOL. Also, those whose accident had happened in rainy weather experienced lower QOL (Coef: 0.33, (95% CI: 0.12, 0.53), P= 0.001). Those who were in an accident with a vehicle experienced a better QOL than others (Coef: -0.26, (95% CI: -0.43, -0.09), P=0.002).Conclusion: The results showed the QOL of the injured people was improving from the first follow-up to the second one. It is recommended that by designing multi-year cohort studies, the QOL of motorcyclists be assessed for a longer time in order to identify the effective factors that improve the QOL of injured motorcyclists.
Multilevel Logistic Regression Analysis of Intimate Partner Violence and Its Associated Factors in Ethiopia
Authors: Workie Mekuanint Simeneh
Published: March 2020

Background Intimate Partner Violence is a great public health concern with economic, physical, mental, sexual and reproductive health consequences. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of intimate partner violence against women and associated factors in Ethiopia.Methods A secondary data analysis was carried out based on the Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey 2016. Both single and multilevel logistic regressions were employed.Results Among ever-married women (15-49 years old) who have been participated in this study, 22.3%, 7.6% and 6.1% of women have experienced emotional, sexual and physical violence respectively. The prevalence of intimate partner violence was found to be 25.6%. Partner’s desire for children, number of living children, women ever chewed chat, husband/partner drinks alcohol, respondent's occupation, number of other wives, type of place of residence were found to be significant determinants of intimate partner violence.Conclusion More than 1 in 4 ever married women in Ethiopia have experienced violence from their intimate partners. The government’s effort towards elimination of violence against women should be well strengthened by addressing intimate partner violence disparity in Ethiopian regions and also taking in to account other identified factors of intimate partner violence in this study.
Who exercises for mood regulation? Results from the Guangdong National Physique Monitoring data
Authors: Li Tong , Lou Jingjing , Hu Ying , Zheng Xiabing , Zheng Liangrong , Zhu Qi , Yang Weirui , Zhang Yaqi , Guan Nianhong
Published: March 2020

Purpose: This study focused on different exercise motivations, especially mood regulation and their relation to the possible influencing factors of adults in China.Methods: 5242 participants aged 20-69 years from 2016 to 2018 were recruited in this study to finish the questionnaire of Guangdong National Physique Monitoring organized by the Guangzhou Institute of Sports Science. Multiple statistical analyses methods were used to study each exercise motivation and its sociodemographic characteristics (gender, age, education and job), exercise measurements (frequency, duration and intensity) and physical conditions (BMI, abdominal obesity and basic diseases). An exercise index that is good for mental health (index 1: 45 min per session and 3-5 times per week; index 2: exercise motivation of mood regulation and exercise 60-120 min per week) was also used to investigate the number and type of people who were more likely to meet the index.Results: Substantial evidence showed that exercise is good for mood regulation, but 44.9% (2355/5242) of participants showed exercise inactivity in this study. Only older participants and those with an average level of education showed a significant association with mood regulation. Few people met the index that is good for mental health (16.64% (872/5242) met index 1 and 2.84% (149/5242) met index 2), and higher education showed a significant association with a reduction in the mental health burden and the prevention of depression.Conclusion: This investigation suggests motivating people to be more active, educating people on the mental health benefits of exercise.
Patterns and predictors of private and public health care utilization in an informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Wambiya Elvis , Otieno Peter O , Mutua Martin Kavao , Donfouet Hermann Pythagore Pierre , Mohamed Shukri F
Published: March 2020

BackgroundKnowledge of health care utilization is particularly crucial in low-and middle-income countries where inequalities in burden of disease and access to primary health care exist. Inconclusive evidence exists on health-seeking and utilization of health facilities in the informal settlements in Kenya. This study assessed the patterns and predictors of private and public health care utilization in an urban informal settlement in Kenya.MethodsThis cross-sectional study used data from the Lown scholars study conducted between June and July 2018. It was nested within the Nairobi Urban Health and Demographic Surveillance System. Households were selected using simple random sampling and data obtained for all household members who reported having sought care for an illness in the 12 months preceding the study. Data were collected on health-seeking behaviour and explanatory variables (predisposing, enabling, and need) using an adaptation of Andersen’s conceptual framework. Health care utilization patterns by explanatory variables were described using proportions and multinomial logistic regression used to identify the predictors of private or public health care use.ResultsThree hundred and sixty-four members from 300 households sought care for an illness in the 12 months preceding the study. Almost half (47%) of the respondents sought care from private facilities while about 33% and 20% used public and other facilities, respectively. Health care utilization was influenced by enabling and need factors. Health insurance coverage was associated with private health facility use (aOR 3.06; 95% CI 1.48 – 6.31). Satisfaction with the quality of care was associated with lower use of public facilities (aOR 0.31; CI 0.11 – 0.84) while satisfaction with cost of care was associated with higher use of public facilities (aOR 2.09; CI 1.01 – 4.29). Members who reported an acute infection were more likely to use private facilities (aOR 3.07; 95% CI 1.52 – 6.18).ConclusionsHealth care utilization in the urban informal settlements favours private health facility use. As Kenya commits to achieving universal health coverage, interventions to improve health care access in informal and low-resource settlements should be modelled around enabling and need factors, particularly health care financing and quality of health care provision.
A Study on Self-Assessed Life Expectancy Among Older Adults in Côte d’Ivoire
Authors: Moussa Richard K , Diaby Vakaramoko
Published: March 2020

Background: The purpose of this study was to estimate individuals’ expected longevity based on self-assessed survival probabilities and determine the predictors of such subjective life expectancy in a sample of elderly people in Côte d’Ivoire.Methods: Paper-based questionnaires were administered to a sample (n=267) of older adults residing in the city of Dabou, Côte d’Ivoire in May 2017. Information on subjective expectations regarding health, comorbidities, and self-assessed survival probabilities were collected. The subjective expectations were related to sociodemographic, health and lifestyle indicators. A spline-based approach was used to estimate the overall distribution of life expectancy for each individual using two to four points of self-assessed survival probabilities. A finite mixture of regression models was used to identify clusters/components of the overall subjective life expectancy distribution of the study participants. Results: The mean subjective life expectancy in older people varied according to four components/clusters. The average subjective life expectancy among the elderly was 79.51, 78.89, 80.02 and 77.79 years in the first, second, third and fourth component of the subjects' overall subjective life expectancy, respectively. The effect of sociodemographic characteristics, comorbidities, and lifestyle on subjective life expectancy varied across components. For instance, a U-shape relationship between household per capita income and subjective life expectancy was found for individuals classified into the third component, and an inverse U-shape relationship was found for individuals classified into the fourth component.Conclusion: We extended the estimation of subjective life expectancy by accounting for heterogeneity in the distribution of the estimated subjective life expectancy. This approach improved the usual methods for estimating individual subjective life expectancies and may provide insight into the elderly’s perception of aging, which could be used to forecast the demand for health services and long-term care needs.