bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Students’ scientific reasoning on temperature and heat topic: A comparative study of students in urban and rural area
Authors: Suryadi Ahmad , Yuliati Lia , Wisodo Hari
Published: May 2020

This study aims to describe the scientific reasoning level of students in urban and rural areas on heat and temperature topic. This current study involved 104 students from two schools in urban areas and three schools in rural areas. The instrument used was a six-item essay test. The result showed that the students' scientific reasoning score was still low. However, based on the Mann–Whitney test, the study found that there was a significant difference in scientific reasoning scores between students in urban and rural areas. Both students in urban and rural areas were indicated to have higher proportional reasoning when compared to the other kinds of scientific reasoning. In particular, students’ proportional reasoning in urban areas was higher than in rural areas. The result also showed that probabilistic reasoning and correlational reasoning of students in the rural area tended to be unstable compared to students in the urban area. The implication is that physics teachers in the rural area should make maximum use of the facilities in practicing student reasoning skills.
Impact of Surfactants on Hydrocarbon Mobility in Shales
Authors: Gupta Ishank , Rai Chandra S. , Sondergeld Carl H.
Published: May 2020

Unconventional reservoirs such as Wolfcamp and Eagle Ford formations have played an important role in boosting the oil and gas production in the United States, but unfortunately, primary recovery from these reservoirs seldom exceeds 10%. Thus, operators are exploring enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques such as miscible gas injection (huff ‘n’ puff) and surfactants to increase the production from shales. This study evaluates several commercial surfactants and the commonly used solvent limonene for their ability to increase hydrocarbon recovery. The results show that the various surfactants at 2 gallons per ton (gal/t) or 0.8 wt% concentration recover up to 29, 33, and 34% hydrocarbons from Lyons sandstone, Wolfcamp, and Eagle Ford rock samples, respectively. This is significantly more than the base case (no surfactants), which recovers only 16, 19, and 14%, respectively. The increased recovery by surfactants can be partially explained by the reduction in interfacial tension (IFT) between crude oil and brine (up to 90%) caused by the surfactant solutions. Another important reason governing the hydrocarbon recovery is the ability of the surfactants to prevent asphaltene precipitation. This study focused on the interaction of the surfactants with the asphaltenes and found some surfactants can cause a linear decrease in asphaltene precipitation with increasing surfactant concentration. Finally, the contact angle measurements were used to study the change in wettability of the rock surface caused by surfactant solutions that can preferentially change the oil-wet and mixed-wet pores to more water-wet pores, thereby further aiding the hydrocarbon recovery. This study shows that an integrated approach including a broad spectrum of measurements such as aqueous stability, IFT, contact angle, phase behavior, spontaneous imbibition hydrocarbon recovery, and asphaltene precipitation is required to adequately characterize any surfactant and its ability to increase the hydrocarbon recovery.
Values of different specimen preparation methods for the diagnosis of lung cancer by endobronchial ultrasound guided transbronchial needle aspiration
Authors: Xu YouZu , Lin Jian , chen meifang , Zheng HaiHong , Feng JiaXi
Published: May 2020

Background: Endobronchial ultrasound guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) has been become an important procedure for the diagnosis and staging of lung cancer. Our research identified the effects of different pathological preparation on the diagnosis of lung cancer for specimens obtained by biopsy. Methods: Patients were clinically considered if lung cancer was accompanied by mediastinal or hilar lymph node enlargement between March 2014 and November 2017. Specimens obtained by EBUS-TBNA were treated by three methods: traditional smear cytology, liquid-based cytology (LBC) and histopathology. Results: Of a total of 154 puncture sites from 153 patients, the total positive rate of combination for the three pathological treatment types (histopathology, direct traditional smear, and LBC) was 77.3%. The diagnostic positive rate for histopathology was 68.6%, direct traditional smear was 65.6%, and LBC was 60.4%; there was no significant differences among the three single pathological treatment types (P=0.29), but there was a statistically significant difference between the combination of three treatments and any single pathological treatment type (P=0.01). The diagnostic sensitivities of histopathology combined with traditional smear and histopathology combined LBC were 94.4% and 92.8%, respectively, the specificities and PPVs were both 100%, and the diagnostic accuracies were 95.5% and 94.2%, respectively; the sensitivities, specificities and diagnostic accuracies above were all higher than those of single specimen treatment and lower than those of the three combined. Conclusion: When EBUS-TBNA is used for the diagnosis and staging of lung cancer, the use of histopathological sections combined with direct cytological smear should be sufficient and is the most economical choice.
Soluble IL-2R as a predictor of familial breast cancer
Authors: Gonda Kenji , Horita Shoichiro , Maejima Yuko , Takenoshita Seiichi , Shimomura Kenju
Published: May 2020

Background: The incidence of breast cancer has been increasing annually, and breast cancer-related diseases, such as breast cancer in the young, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, and pancreatic cancer, have clearly and steadily increased in number and have become common among the family members of patients with breast cancer. Accordingly, an increase in the incidence of familial breast cancer (FBC) is anticipated in the future. Interleukin (IL)-2 is one of the cytokines that activate cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), which are important for cancer immunity. To identify the markers of increased risk for FBC, soluble IL-2 receptor (sIL-2R) levels and immunologic factors were investigated in patients with FBC and non-familial breast cancer (NFBC).Methods: Of the 106 untreated breast cancer patients who gave consent to participate in this study, 24 had FBC and 82 had NFBC. There were 11 healthy individuals included in this study. Serum and peripheral blood mononuclear cells were collected from all patients for measurement of sIL-2R, IL-10, Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), IL-17, regulatory T cells (Tregs), Myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), white blood cell (WBC) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. Prognosis was assessed and compared according to sIL-2R levels (low vs. high). Tissue samples from postoperative patients with high sIL-2R levels were stained with programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and Cluster of Differentiation (CD) 8.Results: sIL-2R level was significantly higher and had significantly stronger correlation with IL-10, VEGF, IL-17, Tregs, MDSCs levels, NLR, WBC count and CRP in FBC, than in NFBC. In cases with high sIL-2R levels, Tregs and MDSCs levels were significantly higher and the overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS) rates were significantly worse in FBC than in NFBC. Among the FBC cases with high sIL-2R levels, triple negative breast cancer tissues stained well for PD-L1and CD8.Conclusions: Compared with NFBC, FBC was associated with higher sIL-2R level, Th2 predominance, and less aggressive cancer immunosuppressive cells. In the present study, sIL-2R was identified as a biomarker that can predict the prognosis of FBC. The ability to prospectively identify patients who are less likely to have NFBC is a vital step in improving the overall survival of this population.
Psychometric properties of the North American version of the Flodén ATODAI (Attitudes Toward Organ Donor Advocacy Instrument): a validation study
Authors: Flodén Anne , Stadtler Maria , Collazo Stephanie E Jones , Mone Tom , Ash Rick , Fridlund Bengt
Published: May 2020

Background: Intensive and critical-care nurses are the key to successful donor management in the critical-care setting. No studies measuring attitudes toward organ donor advocacy existed before 2011, when the 51-item Swedish “Attitudes Toward Organ Donor Advocacy Scale” was developed. The aim of this study was to translate, adapt and establish the psychometric properties of the North American version of the Flodén ATODAI (Attitudes Toward Organ Donor Advocacy Instrument) in terms of validity and reliability. Methods: A multi-step approach was used: Initial translation; Back-translation; Review and synthesis of these translations; Expert panel (N=7) rated the prefinal version of the instrument for content validity index (CVI); International panel made adjustments guided by the expert panel. Reliability testing with test and retest of the adjusted 46-item version was conducted using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), weighted kappa (ҡ Weight), sign test, and Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (α), (N=50); and finally Delphi technique procedure with a preselected Delphi panel (N=15).Results: The CVI was determined to be greater than the 0.05 significance level. Item level (I-CVI) ranged 0.82-1.0, with a mean of 0.97. Scale level (S-CVI) on the entire instrument was 0.97. Test-retest procedure was performed to estimate stability. In total, 34 of the items had good-to-high ICC. Accepting an ICC of >0.70 resulted in a total of 24 items. Homogeneity reliability was estimated by α and was calculated for these items where α=0.90. In total, 20 of the items had a substantial or almost perfect ҡ Weight and 23 showed a moderate ҡ Weight. None of the items showed systematical differences. The Delphi technique procedure was used on the 22 items with ICC <0.70 resulted in adjustments establishing that consensus was achieved.Conclusions: Undertaking this multi-step, cross-cultural adaptation procedure has effectively ensured that the 46-item Flodén ATODAI [North America version] produces valid and reliable measurements.
The construction of a conceptual framework explaining the relation between barriers to change of management of neuropsychiatric symptoms in nursing homes: a qualitative study using focus groups
Authors: Teunenbroek Charlotte Frederike van , Verhagen Kim , Smalbrugge Martin , Persoon Anke , Zuidema Sytse U. , Gerritsen Debby L.
Published: May 2020

Background. Several efforts have been made to change management of neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) in nursing homes, however only few were successful. Numerous barriers to change in healthcare were identified, yet only one conceptual model is known to study their interrelationships . Unfortunately, this model does not discuss specific barriers encountered in nursing home practice. The aim of this study is to explore perceived barriers to change in the management of NPS in nursing homes and to construct a conceptual framework providing insight into the relative importance and interrelationships of these barriers when improving quality of care.Methods. Four focus groups were conducted in different dementia special care units of one Dutch nursing home. Participants were either nursing staff, treatment staff or relatives of residents. Qualitative thematic analysis was conducted according to the five phases defined by Braun & Clarke. Finally, a conceptual framework showing the interrelations of barrier-themes was constructed using text fragments of the focus groups. Results. We constructed a conceptual framework consisting of eight themes of barriers explaining the extent to which change in NPS-management can be achieved: 'organizational barriers', 'personal barriers', 'deficiency of staff knowledge', 'suboptimal communication', 'inadequate (multidisciplinary) collaboration', 'disorganization of processes', 'reactive coping' and 'differences in perception'. Addressing 'organizational barriers' and 'deficiency of staff knowledge' is a precondition for change. 'Suboptimal communication' and 'inadequate (multidisciplinary) collaboration' play a key role in the extent of change achieved via the themes 'differences in perception' and 'disorganization of processes'. Furthermore, 'personal barriers' influence all themes - except 'organizational barriers' - and may cause 'reactive coping', which in turn may lead to 'difficulties to structure processes'. Conclusions. A conceptual framework was created explaining the relationships between barriers towards achieving change focused on improving management of NPS in nursing homes. After this framework has been confirmed and refined in additional research, it can be used to study the interrelatedness of barriers to change, and to determine the importance of addressing them for achieving change in the provided care.
Anti-Müllerian hormone predictive levels to determine the likelihood of ovarian hyper-response in infertile women with polycystic ovarian morphology
Authors: Sene Azadeh Akbari , Ashrafi Mahnaz , Alaghmand-Fard Nasim , Mohammadi Neda , Alisaraie Mona Mortezapour , Alizadeh Ahad
Published: May 2020

The authors have withdrawn this preprint due to author disagreement.
Development of the “POP” scoring system for predicting obstetric and gynecological diseases in the emergency department: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: OKADA ASAMI , Okada Yohei , Fujita Hiroyuki , Iiduka Ryoji
Published: May 2020

Background: Obstetric and gynecological (OBGY) diseases are among the most important differential diagnoses for young women with acute abdominal pain. However, there are few established clinical prediction rules for screening OBGY diseases in emergency departments (EDs). This study aimed to develop a prediction model for diagnosing OBGY diseases in the ED.Methods: This single-center retrospective cohort study included female patients with acute abdominal pain who presented to our ED. We developed a logistic regression model for predicting OBGY diseases and assessed its diagnostic ability. This study included young female patients aged between 16 and 49 years who had abdominal pain and were examined at the ED between April 2017 and March 2018. Trauma patients and patients who were referred from other hospitals or from the OBGY department of our hospital were excluded.Results: Out of 27,991 patients, 740 were included. Sixty-five patients were diagnosed with OBGY diseases (8.8%). The "POP" scoring system (past history of OBGY diseases +1, no other symptoms +1, and peritoneal irritation signs +1) was developed. Cut-off values set between 0 and 1 points, sensitivity at 0.97, specificity at 0.39, and negative likelihood ratio (LR-) of 0.1 (95% CI: 0.02-0.31) were considered to rule-out, while cut-off values set between 2 and 3 points, sensitivity at 0.23 (95% CI 0.13-0.33), specificity at 0.99 (95% CI 0.98-1.00), and positive likelihood ratio (LR+) of 17.30 (95% CI: 7.88-37.99) were considered to rule-in.Conclusions: Our "POP" scoring system may be useful for screening OBGY diseases in the ED. Further research is necessary to assess the predictive performance and external validity of different data sets.
GC×GC-HRMS nontarget fingerprinting of organic micropollutants in urban freshwater sediments
Authors: Lübeck Josephine Susanne , Alexandrino Guilherme Lionello , Christensen Jan H
Published: May 2020

Background Sediments are sinks for organic micropollutants, which are traditionally analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Although GC-MS and GC-MS/MS (tandem MS) are preferred for target screening, they provide only limited chromatographic resolution for nontarget screening. In this study, a comprehensive two-dimensional GC-high-resolution MS method (GC×GC-HRMS) was developed for nontarget screening and source identification of organic micropollutants in sediments from an urban lake and channel in Copenhagen, Denmark. The GC×GC-HRMS data were processed by pixel-based chemometric analysis using baseline subtraction, alignment, normalisation, and scaling before principal component analysis (PCA) of the pre-processed GC×GC-HRMS base peak ion chromatograms (BPCs). The analysis was performed to identify organic micropollutants of high abundance and relevance in the urban sediments, to identify pollution sources. Tentative identifications were based on match factors and retention indices and tagged according to the level of identification confidence. Results The channel contained both significantly higher concentrations of micropollutants and a higher diversity of compounds compared to the lake. The PCA models were able to isolate distinct sources of chemicals such as a natural input (viz. a high relative abundance of mono-, di- and sesquiterpenes) and a weathered oil fingerprint (viz. alkanes, naphthenes and alkylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons). A dilution effect of the weathered oil fingerprint was observed in lake samples that were close to the channel. Several benzothiazole-like structures were identified in lake samples close to a high-traffic road which could indicate a significant input from asphalt or tire wear particles. Conclusions Several chemical fingerprints of different sources were described in urban freshwater sediments in Copenhagen using a pixel-based chemometric approach of GC×GC-HRMS chromatograms. Various micropollutants of anthropogenic origin were identified. Tailored pre-processing and careful interpretation of the identification results is inevitable and still requires further research for an automated workflow.
Medicinal plant use practice in four ethnic communities (Gurage, Mareqo, Qebena and Silti), South Central Ethiopia
Authors: Teka Alemtshay , Asfaw Zemede , Demissew Sebsebe , Damme Patrick Van
Published: May 2020

Background: Ethnic groups throughout the world have developed their own cultures expressed in the form of customs, taboos and traditional healthcare systems. Traditional medicine system is one of the widespread cultures known throughout the world which is very much tied to cultural practices of the community or ethnic group. Medicinal plant treasure found in Gurage and Silti Zones remained poorly characterized and understood. Therefore, this study was conducted in four ethnic groups: three from Gurage zone (Gurage, Qebena and Mareqo) and one from Silti zone (Silti) which have lived in close proximity and contact for many centuries in the respective Zones. In the present study unique and shared cultural elements in connection to traditional herbal medicine were examined through investigation of the diversity of medicinal plants. Moreover, attempts have been made to determine similarities among the society in the medicinal plants they have used in general and in medicinal plant species considered culturally most important.Methods: In a study that involved 320 randomly sampled informants semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, participant observation were used and qualitative and quantitative data were collected. Descriptive statistics, rank order priority (ROP), informant consensus factor, jaccard similarity coefficient and clustering were used for data analysis. Results: A total of 244 medicinal plant species and a fungal species used to treat human and/or livestock ailments were documented. The number of plants (80 plants, 33 %) with ROP value greater than 50% is considerably smaller than that of plants with ROP < 50% (164, 67 %). Jaccard similarity index and clustering analysis for all cited plants, among the respective studied districts, indicated that grouping generally followed the existing ethnic origin. On the contrary, clustering based on culturally important medicinal plant species (80 plant species, score ROP ≥ 50%) showed the influence of proximity and geographical orientation rather than ethnic relation. Conclusions: Culturally most important plants (80 spp.) are widely used and best shared with nearby communities and this could imply current (new) knowledge being practiced in the community. This knowledge must be documented and better utilized in a modern way including modernized use of traditional medicinal plants.
Physiological Effects of the Combined Stresses of Freezing-thawing, Acid Precipitation and Deicing Salt on Alfalfa Seedlings
Authors: Bao Guozhang , Tang Wenyi , An Qirui , Liu Yaoxin , Tian Jiaqi , Zhao Nan , Zhu Saning
Published: May 2020

Background: Frequent freeze-thaw phenomena, together with widely used deicing salt and intense acid precipitation, often occur in northeastern China, causing damage to various aspects of plants, such as the permeability of biological membranes, osmotic adjustment, and photosystems. Aiming to explore the resistance of alfalfa to freezing-thawing (F), acid precipitation (A) and deicing salt (D), this study used Medicago sativa cv. Dongmu-70 as the experimental material, and the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA), soluble protein, soluble sugars, proline and chlorophyll were evaluated.Results: As the temperature decreased, the MDA content in the seedlings of the group under combined stress (A-D-F) increased and was significantly higher than that of group F (by 69.48~136.40%). Compared with those in the control (CK) group, osmotic substances such as soluble sugars and proline in the treatment groups were higher, while the soluble protein content was lower. The chlorophyll contents in the seedlings of the treatment groups were lower than those of the CK group; however, the chlorophyll content displayed a non-significant change during the free-thaw cycle.Conclusion: Injury to the permeability of the biological membranes and photosystems of alfalfa results from stress. Moreover, alfalfa maintains osmotic balance by adaptively increasing the potential of osmotic substances such as soluble sugars and proline. Furthermore, the influence of stress from freezing-thawing and deicing salt is highly substantial, but the combined stresses of acid precipitation with the two factors mentioned above had little effect on the plants.
Misconceptions about transmission, symptoms and prevention of HIV/AIDS among adolescents in Ebonyi state, South-east Nigeria
Authors: Agu Ifunanya Clara , Mbachu Chinyere Ojiugo , Okeke Chinyere , Eze Irene , Agu Chibuike , Ezenwaka Uchenna , Ezumah Nkoli , Onwujekwe Obinna
Published: May 2020

Objectives: Nigeria has the second largest number of adolescents and young people living with HIV/AIDS in the world. Misconceptions about HIV/AIDS contribute to spread of HIV, and constrain uptake of preventive services. This paper explored misconceptions about HIV/AIDS among adolescents in south-east Nigeria. A qualitative study was conducted in six urban and rural local government areas of Ebonyi state. Data were collected through twelve focus group discussions (FGD) with unmarried adolescents aged 13-18 who were either attending school or out-of-school. The FGDs were conducted using a pre-tested topic guide. Data were coded manually and analyzed using a thematic framework approach.Results: There are persistent misconceptions about transmission of HIV/AIDS through mosquito bites and sharing of personal belongings. Some adolescents had inaccurate notions that a HIV infected person could be identified through changes in physical features such as abdominal swelling and longer fingernails. A few of them also reported that HIV could be treated with antibiotics. These misconceptions were expressed by both male and female adolescents. Adolescents have some mistaken beliefs about HIV/AIDS which constrain them from taking necessary preventive measures. Hence, the need to target adolescents with health education interventions on HIV/AIDS.
The Relationship between Personality Dimensions, Spirituality, Coping Strategies and Clinical Clerkship Satisfaction among Intern Nursing Students: A Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Rezapour-Mirsaleh Yasser , Aghabagheri Mahdi
Published: May 2020

Background: The clinical clerkship is a crucial stage in nursing training and dissatisfaction at this stage may cause a nurse quit in future. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship among personality dimensions, spirituality, coping strategies and clinical clerkship satisfaction in intern nursing students. Methods: This was a correlational, cross-sectional study. A total of 293 participants were selected using cluster random sampling. All participants were provided with standard questionnaires including personality dimensions (NEO_FFI), spirituality, coping strategies (WoCQ), and satisfaction with clinical clerkship. Data analyzed using Pearson correlation and hierarchical multiple regression.Results: The results showed that spirituality, problem-focused coping and extraversion (of personality dimensions) played a significant role in predicting clinical clerkship satisfaction among intern nursing students (p<.01). Regression analysis showed openness, extraversion, and spirituality could significantly predict problem-focused coping style in intern nursing students (p<.05). However, personality dimensions and spirituality were not good predictors for emotion-focused coping among intern nursing students.Conclusion: Personality dimensions, coping strategies and, in particular, spirituality are good predictors of clinical clerkship satisfaction among intern nursing students.
Smoking is associated with pneumonia development in lung cancer patients
Authors: Heo Jung Won , Yeo Chang Dong , Park Chan Kwon , Kim Sung Kyoung , Kim Ju Sang , Kim Jin Woo , Kim Seung Joon , Lee Sang Haak , Kang Hye Seon
Published: May 2020

Background: Various host factors can promote pneumonia susceptibility of lung cancer patients. However, data about risk factors for pneumonia in lung cancer patients receiving active treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgical intervention are limited. Thus, the purpose of this study was to identify risk factors for pneumonia development in lung cancer patients. Methods: The present study used a lung cancer cohort of the Catholic Medical Center at the Catholic University of Korea from January 2015 to December 2018. Pneumonia was defined by the presence of a new or progressive infiltration on chest imaging together with any of the following: new onset purulent sputum, change in character of chronic sputum, and fever. We ruled out noninfectious infiltration such as drug or radiation toxicity and hydrostatic pulmonary edema. We especially excluded those if computed tomography revealed sharp demarcation consolidation or ground glass opacity limited radiation field. Results: A total of 413 patients were enrolled in this study. Pneumonia occurred in 118 (28.6%) patients. The pneumonia group had significantly worse overall survival (OS) than the non -pneumonia group (456.7 ± 35.0 days vs. 813.4 ± 36.1 days, log rank p < 0.001). In patients with pneumonia, OS was shorter in ex-smokers and current smokers than in never smokers (592.0 ± 101.0 days vs. 737.0 ± 102.8 days vs. 1357.0 days, log rank p < 0.001). Age (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.046; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.019­–1.074; p = 0.001), clinical stage IV (HR: 1.759; 95% CI: 1.004–3.083; p = 0.048), neutropenia (HR: 2.620; 95% CI: 1.562–4.396; p < 0.001], and smoking (HR: 2.040; 95% CI: 1.100–3.784; p = 0.024) were independent risk factors of pneumonia development in lung cancer patients in multivariate analysis. In subgroup analysis for patients treated with chemotherapy, age (HR: 1.043; 95% CI: 1.012–1.074; p = 0.006), neutropenia (HR: 3.199; 95% CI: 1.826–5.605; p < 0.001), and smoking (HR: 2.125; 95% CI: 1.071–4.216; p = 0.031) were independent risk factors of pneumonia development. Conclusions: Smoking and neutropenia were risk factors affecting pneumonia development in the total group and subgroup of patients with lung cancer.
Association between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and extrahepatic cancers: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Liu Shou-Sheng , Ma Xue-Feng , Zhao Jie , Du Shui-Xian , Zhang Jie , Dong Meng-Zhen , Xin Yong-Ning
Published: May 2020

Background: NAFLD is tightly associated with various diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, and cancer. Previous studies had investigated the association between NAFLD and various extrahepatic cancers, but the available data to date is not conclusive. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between NAFLD and various extrahepatic cancers comprehensively. Methods: Searches were conducted of various electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Medline, and the Cochrane Library) to identify observational studies published between 1996 and January 2020 which investigated the association between NAFLD and extrahepatic cancers. The pooled OR/HR/IRR of the association between NAFLD and various extrahepatic cancers were analyzed. Results: A total of 26 studies were included to investigate the association between NAFLD and various extrahepatic cancers. As the results shown, the pooled OR values of the risk of colorectal cancer and adenomas in patients with NAFLD were 1.72 (95%CI: 1.40-2.11) and 1.38 (95%CI: 1.22-1.56), respectively. The pooled OR values of the risk of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma in patients with NAFLD were 2.40 (95%CI: 1.75-3.31) and 2.24 (95%CI: 1.58-3.17), respectively. The pooled OR value of the risk of breast cancer in patients with NAFLD was 1.68 (95%CI: 1.44-1.97). In addition, NAFLD was also tightly associatied with the risk of gastric cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, and esophagus cancer. Conclusions: NAFLD could significantly increase the development risk of colorectal adenomas and cancer, intrahepatic and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, breast cancer, gastric cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, and esophagus cancer.
Chronic vagus nerve stimulation for drug-resistant epilepsy may influence fasting blood glucose concentration
Authors: Liu Hongyun , Zhan Ping , Meng Fangang , Wang Weidong
Published: May 2020

Background Cervical vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has been widely accepted as adjunctive therapy for drug-resistant epilepsy and major depression. Its effects on glycemic control in humans were however poorly understood. The aim of our study was to investigate the potential effects of VNS on fasting blood glucose (FBG) in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. Methods Patients with drug-resistant epilepsy who had received VNS implants at the same hospital were retrospectively studied. Effects on FBG, weight, body mass index and blood pressure were evaluated at 4, 8 and 12 months of follow-up. Results 32 subjects (11 females/21males, 19±9 years, body mass index 22.2±4.0 kg/m 2 ) completed 12-month follow-up. At the 4 months, there were no significant changes in FBG concentrations from baseline to follow-up in both Sham-VNS (4.89±0.54 vs. 4.56±0.54 mmol/L, N=13, p=0.101) and VNS (4.80±0.54 vs. 4.50±0.56 mmol/L, N=19, p=0.117) groups. However, after 8 (4.90±0.42 mmol/L, N=32, p=0.001) and 12 (4.86±0.40 mmol/L, N=32, p=0.002) months of VNS, FBG levels significantly increased compared to baseline values (4.52±0.54 mmol/L, N=32). Changes in FBG concentrations at both 8 (R 2 =0.502, N=32, p<0.001) and 12 (R 2 =0.572, N=32, p<0.001) months were negatively correlated with baseline FBG levels. Conclusions Our study suggests that chronic cervical VNS elevates FBG levels with commonly used stimulation parameters in patients with epilepsy.
Student Nurses’ Knowledge Acquisition on Oral Medication Administration: Comparison of Lecture Demonstration Vs. Video Demonstration
Authors: Sugathapala Ravilal Devananda Udeshika Priyadarshani , Chandrika Mattaka Gamage Ruwini
Published: May 2020

Background Medication administration is one of the paramount nursing procedures, where nurses have to pay their utmost commitment. The vital aims are to reduce medication errors and ensure patient safety. The objectives of this study were to evaluate whether the nursing students could learn and retain the basic guidelines for medication administration when taught using a video-assisted teaching method compared with the lecture-demonstration method and to assess the students' attitudes towards the two types of teaching methods.Methods This study was conducted as a quasi-experimental study with a pre and post-test design. Forty-five students in the first year of the Bachelor's in nursing degree programme have participated in this study. All the participants completed a self- administered questionnaire, including background characteristics and questions of oral medication administration. Subsequently, participants were randomly assigned to two groups. Oral medication administration procedure was taught using two different teaching methods. Finally, the post-test knowledge scores in both groups were assessed and analysed using the paired-sample t-test.Results The results revealed that there is no significant difference in terms of age, gender and type of residence of students in both groups. When comparing the pre-test mean score and post-test mean score using paired sample t-test, there was a statistically significant difference in both video demonstration group (t = -4.533, p < 0.001) and lecture-demonstration group (t = -4.208, p < 0.001). Almost all the students obtained good knowledge scores disregard of the method used in teaching oral medication administration. However, when comparing post-test scores of both groups using an independent sample t-test, it was identified that there was no significant difference between the two groups. Therefore, it was difficult to identify which method is effective than the other. According to the student feedback obtained at the end of the study, 67% of them preferred to have more video demonstrations in their skills classes.Conclusion The results of this study suggest that oral medication administration can be effectively taught using both lecture demonstration and video-assisted teaching methods.
Longer duration of breastfeeding is associated with lower BMI among individuals aged 8-49 months in Poland.
Authors: Pruszkowska-Przybylska Paulina , Żądzińska Elżbieta
Published: May 2020

Objectives: Breastfeeding in the first years of life seems to be an important factor that affects shaping the body mass, and body mass/height proportion during first months of life as well as breastfeeding importantly differentiates body mass and body proportion at the later stages of the human ontogenesis. The aim of this study was to evaluate if duration of breastfeeding affects BMI in later life. Material: In the analysis 470 children born in time, aged 8-49 months were included. The data came from the nurseries in Lodz (central Poland) where children's parents filled the questionnaires and were collected in years 1993-1997. In the analysis was included information about: duration of breastfeeding, parental educational level, birth body weight, birth body length. The BMI was standardized on sex and age of the children. The stepwise regression models were used to evaluate the hypothesis. The obtained residues for BMI were used to verify only breastfeeding impact using the regression analysis. Results: The regression model included parental education level and birth parameters were used to adjust BMI on them and revealed that low educated mothers had children with higher BMI (Beta=0.213; p<0.015). Additionally, heavier newborns had higher BMI at the later stages of ontogenesis (Beta=0.207; p<0.001). There were made two regression analyses using BMI residues. The first one treated breastfeeding as categories, and revealed that children breastfed over 6 months vs. not breastfed or breastfed no longer than 1 month had lower BMI (Beta=-0.098; p<0.030). The second model treated duration of breastfeeding as a continuous variable, and showed that breastfeeding duration was inversely correlated with BMI residues (Beta=-0.092; p=0.042). Conclusions: Duration of breastfeeding differentiates the BMI among Polish children aged 8-49 months and seems to reduce BMI in further life. Trial registration: This study was conducted according to the guidelines laid down in the Declaration of Helsinki and all procedures involving research study participants were approved retrospectively by the Ethical Commission at the University of Lodz (NR21/KBBN- UŁ/I/2018). Written informed consent was obtained from all subjects' parents.
The Distribution and Consequences of Sexual Misconduct Perpetrated by Peacekeepers in Haiti: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Analysis
Authors: Vahedi Luissa , Stuart Heather , Lee Sabine , Bartels Susan A
Published: May 2020

Reports of sexual abuse and exploitation and children fathered by peacekeepers were made during the course of The United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). This research (1) Explores the association between location (rural, semi-urban, urban) and the sharing of narratives about sexual misconduct perpetrated by MINUSTAH peacekeepers; (2) Investigates the relationship between sharing narratives about sexual misconduct and the desire to engage with the UN/MINUSTAH. In 2017, a cross-sectional survey was administered by Haitian research assistants using SenseMaker®, a rapid mixed-methods data collection tool that allows participants to share a narrative on a topic of interest. In total, 2541 self-interpreted narratives pertaining to the experiences of women/girls in relation to MINUSTAH were collected across Haiti. After adjustment, narratives from rural areas were more likely (RRrural: 1.19; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.38) to address sexual misconduct, compared to narratives shared in urban areas. (2) Personal experiences of sexual misconduct were more likely (RRsex: 4.52; 95% CI: 3.34, 6.12) to be associated with rejection of the UN/MINUSTAH, compared to personal narratives of positive/neutral experiences. This research is an empirical steppingstone to understanding the distribution and consequences of peacekeeper perpetrated sexual abuse and exploitation in Haiti.
Tiotropium/Olodaterol Reduce Cigarette Smoking Extract-induced Cell Death in BEAS-2B Bronchial Epithelial Cells
Authors: Chen Cheng-Hsiung , Li Yi-Rong , Lin Sheng-Hao , Chang Hsiu-Hui , Chai Woei-Horng , Chan Po-Chiang , Lin Ching-Hsiung
Published: May 2020

Background COPD is characterized by progressive irreversible airflow limitation. Cigarette smoking is an important risk factor for destruction of lung parenchyma or emphysema. Disruption of epithelial layer integrity may contribute to lung injury in response to CS exposure. Tiotropium/Olodaterol act as bronchodilator to treatment COPD by preventing ASM contraction and muscle relaxation; however, the effect of dual bronchodilator on epithelial cell injury and its underlying mechanism is still unclear. In this study, we aim to evaluate the effect of Tiotropium/Olodaterol on CSE-mediate cell death, with a special focus on autophagy.Methods In this study, we investigated the effects of Tiotropium/Olodaterol on cell viability, the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP; Δφm), and autophagy in BEAS-2B bronchial epithelial cells. Result: Tiotropium/olodaterol significantly inhibit CSE-induce cell death, mitochondria dysfunction and autophagy in response to short-term treatment with CSE. Moreover, decrease in ERK and JNK activation after CSE treatment were reversed by Tiotropium/olodaterol treatment. Conclusion: Tiotropium/olodaterol have protective effect against CSE-induced cell death which may related to induction of autophagy via activating ERK and JNK. In this study, we provide a possible novel mechanism for dual bronchodilator in COPD treatment.
The Diagnostic Value of SPECT/CT in Predicting the Occurrence of Osteonecrosis Following Femoral Neck Fracture: a Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Yoon Jae Youn , Lee Soong Joon , Yoon Kang Sup , Yoon Pil Whan
Published: May 2020

BackgroundsOne of the most significant complications after a femoral neck fracture is osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH). The concomitant use of single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with computed tomography (CT) increases the sensitivity for detecting the anatomic location and severity of ONFH. In this study, we evaluated the diagnostic value of SPECT/CT for the occurrence of ONFH by quantifying the perfusion status of the femoral head.MethodsA total of 30 patients who had multiple pinnings for femur neck fractures were included in this study. We classified the perfusion status into three groups: normal perfusion, decreased perfusion, and avascular groups, and compared the occurrence of femoral head necrosis between them. For quantitative analysis, we evaluated the uptake ratio of both femur heads (head-to-head uptake ratio). If the patient’s contralateral hip was incomparable, we measured the uptake ratio from the superior dome of the ipsilateral acetabulum (head-to-acetabulum uptake ratio).ResultsTwenty-four patients out of 30 achieved bone union, whereas the others developed ONFH. When the population was divided into intact and defective perfusion groups on scintigraphy, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the test were 83.3%, 75.0%, and 76.7%, respectively. The mean head-to-head uptake ratio value with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was 1.10 (95% CI: 0.85–1.36). In the osteonecrosis group, the mean value of the head-to-head uptake ratio was 0.33 (95% CI: 0.28–0.38). In contrast, the ratio was 1.30 (95% CI: 1.03–1.57) in the non-osteonecrosis group, demonstrating a significant difference in the uptake ratio (P < 0.001). When the cutoff value of the uptake ratio was set to 0.5, both the sensitivity and specificity were 100%. There was also a significant difference in the head-to-acetabulum uptake ratio between the two groups (P < 0.001).ConclusionsSPECT/CT was useful in evaluating the perfusion status of the femoral head, showing high accuracy in predicting the occurrence of avascular necrosis. To demonstrate the reliability and validity of SPECT/CT, further prospective studies on a larger scale are warranted.
Nanoparticles can improve the positive rate of metastatic lymph node in thyroid cancer surgery
Authors: Su Xindi , Chai Fang , Lin Benrui , Qu Lu , Liu Keyi , Huo Jianping , Zhu Zhansheng , Rashid Rashid
Published: May 2020

Objective.

To investigate the application of carbon nanoparticles in lymph node dissection and parathyroid gland protection during thyroid cancer surgery.
Subjects and Methods.

Retrospective analysis was performed on 282 cases of thyroid cancer surgery in our hospital from 2018 to 2019. All patients underwent total thyroidectomy and cervical central lymph node dissection. Nanocarbon was not used in the control group, but was used in the experimental group. The general situation of the patients, the number of postoperative lymph nodes and the number of metastasis were collected, and the differences between serum parathyroid hormone and blood calcium were compared before and on the 3rd and 30th day after surgery.
Results.

There was no difference in age, sex and TNM stage between the two groups (P > 0.05). The number of metastatic lymph nodes in the experimental group (9.80 ± 4.80) was different from that in the control group (6.95 ± 3.86) (P < 0.05), and the number of metastatic lymph nodes in the experimental group was different from that in the control group (χ2 = 14.968, P < 0.05). There was no difference in blood calcium and PTH between the two groups before and at 3 and 30 days after surgery (P > 0. 05).
Conclusion.

The application of carbon nanoparticles in thyroid cancer surgery can significantly increase the number of lymph nodes seized and the positive rate of metastatic lymph node removal, but the protection of parathyroid gland is not obvious.
Orchestration of signaling by structural disorder in class 1 cytokine receptors
Authors: Seiffert Pernille , Bugge Katrine , Nygaard Mads , Haxholm Gitte W. , Martinsen Jacob H. , Pedersen Martin N. , Arleth Lise , Boomsma Wouter , Kragelund Birthe B.
Published: May 2020

Background
Class 1 cytokine receptors (C1CRs) are single-pass transmembrane proteins responsible for transmitting signals between the outside and the inside of cells. Remarkably, they orchestrate key biological processes such as proliferation, differentiation, immunity and growth through long disordered intracellular domains (ICDs), but without having intrinsic kinase activity. Despite these key roles, their characteristics remain rudimentarily understood.
Methods
The current paper asks the question of why disorder has evolved to govern signaling by the C1CRs by reviewing the literature in combination with new sequence and biophysical analyses of chain properties across the family.
Results
We uncover that the C1CR-ICDs are fully disordered and brimming with SLiMs. Many of these SLiMs are overlapping, jointly signifying a complex regulation of interactions, including network rewiring by isoforms. The C1CRs-ICDs have unique properties that distinguish them from most IDPs and we forward the perception that the C1CR-ICDs are far from simple strings with constitutively bound kinases. Rather, they carry both organizational and operational features left uncovered within their disorder, including mechanisms and complexities of regulatory functions.
Conclusions
Critically, the understanding of the fascinating ability of these long, completely disordered chains to orchestrate complex cellular signaling pathways is still in its infancy, and we urge a perceptional shift away from a simplistic view towards uncovering their full functionalities.
Related Factors and Therapeutic Effect of Rotator Cuff Delamination
Authors: Liu Bingli , Hu Jian , Yu Baoqing
Published: May 2020

Objective: This study aims to explore the related factors and treatment result of RCT with delamination. Materials and methods: From February 2016 to July 2019, a total 155 patients with RCT were enrolled into the present study. Among these patients, 66 were male and 89 were female, and their an average age was 56.4±7.8 years old (41-75 years old). The medical history of each patient was recorded before the operation, and the joint function was evaluated using the Constant score table. During the operation, the RCT was examined using an arthroscope, the delamination was evaluated, and the RCT type was classified. A proper suture technique was executed for these different types of rotator cuff injuries, and routine functional exercises were performed after the operation. Poisson chi-square test was used to analyze the related factors of delamination, and t-test was used to analyze the result of the treatment. Results: Among the 115 patients, 47 patients had delamination, while 68 cases had no delamination. The larger the RCT size, the greater probability of delamination. Furthermore, the delamination probability of a RCT with subacromial impact would also increase. However, there was no statistical correlation between disease history or trauma and delamination. All patients achieved good therapeutic results. Conclusion: The incidence of rotator cuff delamination remains high, and the occurrence of delamination is correlated to the size of the tear, and the determination of whether this is accompanied by subacromial impact. However, there is no correlation between delamination and trauma or disease duration. For rotator cuff tears with delamination, reasonable surgical techniques can be used to treat the rotator cuff injury, in order to obtain a good effect.Level of evidence: Level III, Retrospective Cohort Design, Treatment Study