bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Oxytocin administration for induction and augmentation of labour in Polish maternity units– an observational study
Authors: Baranowska Barbara , Kajdy Anna , Kiersnowska Iwona , Sys Dorota , Tataj-Puzyna Urszula , Daly Déirdre , Rabijewski Michał , Bączek Grażyna , Węgrzynowska Maria
Published: December 2020

Background: There is not enough data regarding practices and protocols that healthcare personnel follow and the amount of oxytocin that women receive during labour. Empirical evidence indicates that compliance with the guidelines improves the quality of healthcare and reduces adverse effects. The study aimed to evaluate practices of oxytocin provision for labour induction and augmentation in Polish maternity units. Methods: The article presents a prospective observational study. Data collection took place in two selected maternity units between January 15 and July 31, 2019 (n=545). The analysis included the total amount and cumulative dose of oxytocin during labour. We analysed the relationship between the cumulative dose of oxytocin and short term perinatal outcomes (mode of delivery, use of epidural anaesthesia, Apgar scores, birth weight and postpartum blood loss). The study examines the compliance of oxytocin supply during labour with national guidelines in the following five criteria: medium, start dose, escalation rate, interval, the continuation of infusion after established labour. Results: The average total amount of oxytocin administrated to women before birth was 7.329µg following labour induction and 3.952µg following labour augmentation. The actual administration of oxytocin deviated both from the unit and national guidelines in 93.6% of all observed labours (mainly because of continuation of infusion after established labour). We found no statistically significant correlation between the cumulative dose of oxytocin administered and mode of delivery, immediate postpartum blood loss or Apgar scores. There was no observed effect of cumulative dose oxytocin on short-term perinatal outcomes. Hospitals with similar protocols did not differ significantly in terms of total oxytocin amount, rates of induction and augmentation - the only observed difference was the mode of delivery. Conclusions: There was no practical effect of cumulative dose oxytocin on short-term perinatal outcomes. In the study, we observed significant discrepancies between protocols and practice.
Apparent density, trypanosome infection rates and host preference of tsetse flies in the sleeping sickness endemic focus of Northwestern Uganda
Authors: Opiro Robert , Opoke Robert , Angwech Harriet , Nakafu Esther , Oloya Francis A. , Openy Geoffrey , Njahira Moses , Macharia Mercy , Echodu Richard , Malinga Geoffrey M. , Opiyo Elizabeth A.
Published: December 2020

Background: African trypanosomiasis, caused by protozoa of the genus Trypanosoma and transmitted by the tsetse fly, is a serious parasitic disease of humans and animals. Reliable data on the vector distribution, feeding preference and the trypanosome species they carry is pertinent to planning sustainable control strategies.Methodology: We deployed 109 biconical traps in 10 villages in two districts of northwestern Uganda to obtain information on the apparent density, trypanosome infection rates and blood meal sources of tsetse flies. A subset (272) of the collected samples was analyzed for detection of trypanosomes species and sub-species using a nested PCR protocol based on primers amplifying the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) region of ribosomal DNA. 34 blood-engorged adult tsetse midguts were analyzed for blood meal sources by sequencing of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase 1 (COI) and cytochrome b (cytb) genes. Results: Out of the 109 traps deployed, we captured 622 Glossina fuscipes fuscipes tsetse flies (269 males and 353 females). Apparent density (AD) ranged from 0.6 to 3.7 flies/trap/day in the two districts. 29 (10.7%) of the flies were infected with one or more trypanosome species. Infection rate was not significantly associated with age group (χ2 = 5.001, df=2, p = 0.082), sex of the fly (χ2 = 0.099, df = 1, p = 0.753), district of origin (χ2= 0.629, df = 1, p = 0.428) and village of origin (χ2= 9.252, df = 9, p = 0.414). Nested PCR revealed several species of trypanosomes: T. vivax (6.62%), T. congolense (2.57%), T. brucei and T. simiae each at 0.73%. Blood meal analyses revealed five principal vertebrate hosts, namely, cattle (Bos taurus), humans (Homo sapiens), Nile monitor lizard (Varanus niloticus), African mud turtle (Pelusio schapini) and the African Savanna elephant (Loxodonta africana).Conclusion: We found an infection rate of 10.78 %, with all infections attributed to trypanosome species that are causative agents for the animal disease only. However, more verification of this finding using large-scale passive and active screening of human and tsetse samples should be done. Cattle and humans appear to be the most important tsetse hosts in the region and should be considered in the design of interventions.
Predicting COVID-19 Disease Progression and Patient Outcomes based on Temporal Deep Learning
Authors: Sun Chenxi , Hong Shenda , Song Moxian , Li Hongyan , Wang Zhenjie
Published: December 2020

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused health concerns worldwide since December 2019. From the beginning of infection, patients will progress through different symptom stages, such as fever, dyspnea or even death. Identifying disease progression and predicting patient outcome at an early stage helps target treatment and resource allocation. However, there is no clear COVID-19 stage definition, and few studies have addressed characterizing COVID-19 progression, making the need for this study evident.Methods: We proposed a temporal deep learning method, based on a time-aware long short-term memory (T-LSTM) neural network and used an online open dataset, including blood samples of 485 patients from Wuhan, China, to train the model. Our method can grasp the dynamic relations in irregularly sampled time series, which is ignored by existing works. Specifically, our method predicted the outcome of COVID-19 patients by considering both the biomarkers and the irregular time intervals. Then, we used the patient representations, extracted from T-LSTM units, to subtype the patient stages and describe the disease progression of COVID-19.Results: Using our method, the accuracy of the outcome of prediction results was more than 90% at 12 days and 98%, 95% and 93% at 3, 6, and 9 days, respectively. Most importantly, we found 4 stages of COVID-19 progression with different patient statuses and mortality risks. We ranked 40 biomarkers related to disease and gave the reference values of them for each stage. Top 5 is Lymph, LDH, hs-CRP, Indirect Bilirubin, Creatinine. Besides, we have found 3 complications - myocardial injury, liver function injury and renal function injury. Predicting which of the 4 stages the patient is currently in can help doctors better assess and cure the patient. Conclusions: To combat the COVID-19 epidemic, this paper aims to help clinicians better assess and treat infected patients, provide relevant researchers with potential disease progression patterns, and enable more effective use of medical resources. Our method predicted patient outcomes with high accuracy and identified a four-stage disease progression. We hope that the obtained results and patterns will aid in fighting the disease.
Efficacy-specific Herbal Group Detection from Traditional Chinese Medicine Prescriptions via Hierarchical Attentive Neural Network Model
Authors: Chen li , Liu Xinglong , Zhang Siyuan , Yi Hong , Lu Yongmei , Yao Pan
Published: December 2020

Background: Mining massive prescriptions in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) accumulated in the lengthy period of several thousand years to discover essential herbal groups for distinct efficacies is of significance for TCM modernization, thus starting to draw attentions recently. However, most existing methods for the task treat herbs with different surface forms orthogonally and determine efficacy-specific herbal groups based on the raw frequencies an herbal group occur in a collection of prescriptions. Such methods entirely overlook the fact that prescriptions in TCM are formed empirically by different people at different historical stages, and thus full of herbs with different surface forms expressing the same material, or even noisy and redundant herbs. Methods: We propose a two-stage approach for efficacy-specific herbal group detection from prescriptions in TCM. For the first stage we devise a hierarchical attentive neural network model to capture essential herbs in a prescription for its efficacy, where herbs are encoded with dense real-valued vectors learned automatically to identify their differences on the semantical level. For the second stage, frequent patterns are mined to discover essential herbal groups for an efficacy from distilled prescriptions obtained in the first stage. Results: We verify the effectiveness of our proposed approach from two aspects, the first one is the ability of the hierarchical attentive neural network model to distill a prescription, and the second one is the accuracy in discovering efficacy-specific herbal groups. Conclusion: The experimental results demonstrate that the hierarchical attentive neural network model is capable to capture herbs in a prescription essential to its efficacy, and the distilled prescriptions significantly could improve the performance of efficacy-specific herbal group detection.
Development and evaluation of recombinant GRA8 protein for the serodiagnosis of Toxoplasma gondii infection in goats
Authors: Jirapattharasate Charoonluk , Udonsom Ruenruetai , Prachasuphap Apichai , Jongpitisub Kodcharad , Dhepakson Panadda
Published: December 2020

Background The development of sensitive and specific methods for detecting Toxoplasma gondii infection is critical for preventing and controlling toxoplasmosis in humans and other animals. Recently, various recombinant proteins have been used in serological tests for diagnosing toxoplasmosis. The production of these antigens is associated with live tachyzoites obtained from cell cultures or laboratory animals for genomic extraction to amplify target genes. Synthetic genes have gained a key role in recombinant protein production. For the first time, we demonstrated the production of the recombinant protein of the T. gondii dense granular antigen 8 (TgGRA8) gene based on commercial gene synthesis. Recombinant TgGRA8 plasmids were successfully expressed in an Escherichia coli system. The recombinant protein was affinity-purified and characterized via sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blotting. Furthermore, the diagnostic potential of the recombinant protein was assessed using 306 field serum samples from goats via indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA) and the latex agglutination test (LAT).Results Western blotting using known positive serum samples from goats identified a single antigen at the expected molecular weight of TgGRA8 (27 kDa). iELISA illustrated that 15.40% of goat samples were positive for T. gondii-specific IgG antibodies. In addition, TgGRA8 provided high sensitivity and specificity, with significant concordance (91.83) and kappa values (0.69) compared with the results obtained using LAT.Conclusion Our findings highlight the production of a recombinant protein from a synthetic TgGRA8 gene and the ability to detect T. gondii infection in field samples. The sensitivity and specificity of TgGRA8 demonstrated that this protein could be a good serological marker for detecting specific IgG in goat sera
Identification of DNA repair-related genes predicting pathogenesis and prognosis for liver cancer
Authors: Zhu Wenjing , Zhang Qiliang , Liu Min , Yan Meixing , Chu Xiao , Li Yongchun
Published: December 2020

Background Liver cancer (LC) is one of the most fatal cancers throughout the world. More efficient and sensitive gene signatures that could accurately predict survival in LC patients are vitally needed to promote a better individualized and effective treatment. Material/Methods 422 LC and adjacent normal tissues with both RNA-Seq and clinical data in TCGA were embedded in our study. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was applied to identify genes and hallmark gene sets that are more valuable for liver cancer therapy. Cox regression analysis was used to identify genes related to overall survival (OS) and build the prediction model. cBioPortal database was used to examine the alterations of the panel mRNA signature. ROC curves and Kaplan–Meier curves were used to validate the prediction model. Besides, the expression of the genes in the model were validated using quantitative real-time PCR in clinical tissue specimens.Results The panel of DNA repair-related mRNA signature consisted of seven mRNAs: RFC4 (replication factor C subunit 4), ZWINT (ZW10 interacting kinetochore protein), UPF3B (UPF3B regulator of nonsense mediated mRNA decay), NCBP2 (nuclear cap binding protein subunit 2), ADA (adenosine deaminase), SF3A3 (splicing factor 3a subunit 3) and GTF2H1 (general transcription factor IIH subunit 1). On-line analysis of cBioPortal database found that the expression of the panel mRNA has a wide variation ranging from 7% to 10%. All the mRNAs were significantly upregulated in LC tissues compared to normal tissues (P < 0.05). The risk model is closely related to the OS of LC patients. The hazard ratio (HR) is 2.184 (95%CI [confidence interval]:1.523-3.132) and log-rank P-value<0.0001. For clinical specimen validation, we found that all of the genes in the model upregulated in liver cancer tissues versus normal liver tissues, which was consistent with the results predicted.Conclusions Our study demonstrated a mRNA signature including seven mRNA for prognosis prediction of LC. This panel gene signature provides a new criterion for accurate diagnosis and therapeutic target of LC.
Investigating the molecular control of deer antler extract on articular cartilage
Authors: Yao Baojin , Zhou Zhenwei , Zhang Mei , Leng Xiangyang , Zhao Daqing
Published: December 2020

Background: Deer antler is considered as a precious traditional Chinese medicinal material, and has been widely used to reinforce kidney’s yang, nourish essence and strengthen bone function. The most prominent bioactive components in deer antler are water-soluble proteins that play potential roles in bone formation and repair. The aim of this study was to explore the molecular control and therapeutic targets of deer antler extract (DAE) on articular cartilage.Methods: DAE was prepared as previously described. All rats were randomly divided into Blank group and DAE group (10 rats per group) after 7-day adaptive feeding. The rats in DAE group were orally administrated with DAE at a dose of 0.2 g/kg per day for 3 weeks and the rats in Blank group were fed with drinking water. Total RNA was isolated from the articular cartilage of knee joints. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) experiment combined with quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) verification assay were carried out to explore the molecular control and therapeutic targets of DAE on articular cartilage.Results: We demonstrated that DAE significantly increased the expression levels of functional genes involved in cartilage formation, growth and repair, and decreased the expression levels of susceptibility genes involved in the pathophysiology of osteoarthritis.Conclusions: DAE might serve as a candidate supplement for maintaining cartilage homeostasis, and preventing cartilage degeneration and inflammation. These effects were possibly achieved by accelerating the expression of functional genes involved in chondrocyte commitment, survival, proliferation and differentiation, and suppressing the expression of susceptibility genes involved in the pathophysiology of osteoarthritis. Thus, our findings will contribute towards deepening the knowledge about the molecular control and therapeutic targets of DAE on the treatment of cartilage related diseases.
Reliability of genomic variants across different next-generation sequencing platforms and bioinformatic processing pipelines
Authors: Weißbach Stephan , Sys Stanislav Jur`Evic , Hewel Charlotte , Todorov Hristo , Schweiger Susann , Winter Jennifer , Pfenninger Markus , Torkamani Ali , Evans Doug , Burger Joachim , Everschor-Sitte Karin , May-Simera Helen , Gerber Susanne
Published: December 2020

Background Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) is the fundament of various studies, providing insights into questions from biology and medicine. Nevertheless, integrating data from different experimental backgrounds can introduce strong biases. In order to methodically investigate the magnitude of systematic errors in single nucleotide variant calls, we performed a cross-sectional observational study on a genomic cohort of 99 subjects each sequenced via (i) Illumina HiSeq X, (ii) Illumina HiSeq, and (iii) Complete Genomics and processed with the respective bioinformatic pipeline. We also repeated variant calling for the Illumina cohorts with GATK, which allowed us to investigate the effect of the bioinformatics analysis strategy separately from the sequencing platform's impact.Results The number of detected variants/variant classes per individual was highly dependent on the experimental setup. We observed a statistically significant overrepresentation of variants uniquely called by a single setup, indicating potential systematic biases. Insertion/deletion polymorphisms (InDels) were associated with decreased concordance compared to single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The discrepancies in InDel absolute numbers were particularly prominent in introns, Alu elements, simple repeats, and regions with medium GC content. Notably, reprocessing sequencing data following the best practice recommendations of GATK considerably improved concordance between the respective setups.Conclusion We provide empirical evidence of systematic heterogeneity in variant calls between alternative experimental and data analysis setups. Furthermore, our results demonstrate the benefit of reprocessing genomic data with harmonized pipelines when integrating data from different studies.
The German Corona Consensus Dataset (GECCO): A standardized dataset for COVID-19 research in university medicine and beyond
Authors: Sass Julian , Bartschke Alexander , Lehne Moritz , Essenwanger Andrea , Rinaldi Eugenia , Rudolph Stefanie , Heitmann Kai U. , Vehreschild Jörg J. , von Kalle Christof , Thun Sylvia
Published: December 2020

Background: The current COVID-19 pandemic has led to a surge of research activity. While this research provides important insights, the multitude of studies results in an increasing fragmentation of information. To ensure comparability across projects and institutions, standard datasets are needed. Here, we introduce the “German Corona Consensus Dataset” (GECCO), a uniform dataset that uses international terminologies and health IT standards to improve interoperability of COVID-19 data, in particular for university medicine. Methods: Based on previous work (e.g., the ISARIC-WHO COVID-19 case report form) and in coordination with experts from university hospitals, professional associations and research initiatives, data elements relevant for COVID-19 research were collected, prioritized and consolidated into a compact core dataset. The dataset was mapped to international terminologies, and the Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) standard was used to define interoperable, machine-readable data formats. Results: A core dataset consisting of 81 data elements with 281 response options was defined, including information about, for example, demography, medical history, symptoms, therapy, medications or laboratory values of COVID-19 patients. Data elements and response options were mapped to SNOMED CT, LOINC, UCUM, ICD-10-GM and ATC, and FHIR profiles for interoperable data exchange were defined. Conclusion: GECCO provides a compact, interoperable dataset that can help to make COVID-19 research data more comparable across studies and institutions. The dataset will be further refined in the future by adding domain-specific extension modules for more specialized use cases.
Survey of Perceptions and Educational Needs of Primary Care Providers Regarding Management of Patients with Class II and III Obesity in Ontario, Canada
Authors: Zevin Boris , Martin Mary Imelda , Dalgarno Nancy , Chan Linda , Sivapalan Nardhana , Houlden Robyn , Birtwhistle Richard , Smith Karen , Barber David
Published: December 2020

Background: Primary care providers (PCPs) are typically the primary contact for patients with obesity seeking medical and surgical weight loss interventions; however, previous studies suggest that fewer than 7% of eligible adult patients are referred to publically funded medical and surgical weight loss interventions (MSWLI).Methods: We performed an anonymous survey study between October 2017 and June 2018 to explore the knowledge, experiences, perceptions, and educational needs of PCPs in Southeastern Ontario in managing patients with class II and III obesity. Results: Surveys were distributed to 591 PCPs (n=538 family physicians; n=53 nurse practitioners) identified as practicing in the Southeastern Ontario and 103 (15.6%) participated. PCPs serving a rural population estimated that 14.2±10.9% of patients would qualify for MSWLI compared to 9.9±8.5% of patients of PCPs serving an urban population (p=.049). Overall, 57.5% of respondents did not feel competent prescribing MSWLI to patients with class II/III obesity, while 69.8% stated they had ‘good’ knowledge of the referral criteria for MSWLI. 22.2% of respondents were hesitant to refer patients for bariatric surgery (BS) due to concerns about postoperative surgical complications and risks associated with surgery. Only 25% of respondents were comfortable providing long-term follow up after BS, and only 39.1% had participated in continuing education on management of patients with class II/III obesity in the past five years. Conclusion: The majority of PCPs believe there is a need for additional education about MSWLI for patients with class II/III obesity. Future studies are needed to develop and compare the effectiveness of additional education and professional development around risks of contemporary BS, indications to consider referral for MSWLI, management and long-term follow-up of patients after BS.
CD9 is a leukemic stem cell-specific marker in human acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Liu Yongliang , Wang Guiqin , Zhang Jiasi , Chen Xue , Xu Huailong , Heng Gang , Chen Jun , Zhao Yongchun , Li Jiatao , Ni Yuanli , Zhang Yingzi , Shan Juanjuan , Qian Cheng
Published: December 2020

Background: Leukemia stem cells (LSCs) are responsible for the initiation, progressing and relapse of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Therefore, the therapy strategy of targeting LSCs is hopeful to eradicate AML. In this study, we aimed to identify LSCs-specific surface markers and uncover the underlying mechanism of AML LSCs.Methods: Microarray gene expression data were used to investigate the candidate AML-LSCs specific markers. CD9 expression was evaluated by flow cytometry (FC) in AML cell lines, patients with AML and normal donors. The biological characteristics of CD9-positive (CD9+) cells were analyzed by in vitro proliferation, chemotherapeutic drug resistance, migration and in vivo xenotransplantation assays. The molecular mechanism involved in CD9+ cell function was investigated by gene expression profiling. Effects of alpha-2-macroglobulin (A2M) on CD9+ cells were analyzed in the aspects of proliferation, drug resistance and migration.Results：CD9, as a cell surface protein, is specifically expressed on AML LSCs, but barely can be detected on normal hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). CD9+ cells exhibits more resistance to chemotherapy drugs and higher migration potential than CD9-negative (CD9-) cells. More importantly, CD9+ cells possess the ability to reconstitute human AML in immunocompromised mice and promote leukemia growth, suggesting CD9+ cells define the LSCs population. Furthermore, we identified A2M as an important role in CD9+ LSCs stemness maintenance. Knock down of A2M impairs drug-resistance and migration of CD9+ cells.Conclusion: Our findings suggested that CD9 is a new biomarker of AML LSCs and may serve as a promising therapeutic target.
Bile acid, glucose, lipid profile, and liver enzyme changes in prediabetic patients 1 year after sleeve gastrectomy
Authors: Mak Tsz Kin , Huang Shifang , Guan Bingsheng , Au Hoyin , Chong Tsz Hong , Peng Juzheng , Chen Fazhi , Liang Chuqiao , Lai Wanjing , Ho LongLam , Wang Cunchuan , yang jingge
Published: December 2020

Background: Few articles have studied individuals with prediabetes after sleeve gastrectomy. Bile acid and lipid levels remain inconsistent in postbariatric patients. The purpose of this study was to explore bile acid, glucose, lipid, and liver enzyme changes in patients with different diabetes statuses who underwent sleeve gastrectomy. The impact of bariatric surgery and its potential benefits for prediabetic patients was also discussed.Methods: A total of 202 overweight and obese patients who underwent bariatric surgery in our hospital between January 2016 and October 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into prediabetes (n=32), nondiabetes (n=144), and diabetes (n=26) groups and analysed. Glucose and lipid data were collected from medical records at baseline and at each follow-up visit.Result: Significant improvements in body weight, glucose and lipid levels, and liver enzymes (P≤0.05) in prediabetic patients were found throughout the first year postoperatively. Improvement in glycaemic control was first seen one month postoperatively, followed by persistent improvement in the next 12 months. Total bile acid (TBA) decreased, which was associated with ALT improvement in prediabetic patients 1-year post-surgery. There were no significant differences in HbA1c, glucose, or triglycerides (TGs) between prediabetic and T2DM patients or between prediabetic and nondiabetic patients at 12 months post-surgery.Conclusion: LSG is highly effective at interfering with glucose and lipid levels as well as total bile acid levels in prediabetic patients in the first year postoperatively. Thus, LSG is indeed an alternative for overweight and obese prediabetic patients.
Sociodemographic, health-related, and social predictors of subjective well-being among Chinese oldest-old: a national community-based cohort study
Authors: Cheng Gang , Yan Yan
Published: December 2020

Background: There is still a lack of a relatively comprehensive multifactor analysis of subjective well-being (SWB) among Chinese oldest-old. This study aimed to explore sociodemographic, health-related, and social predictors of SWB among Chinese oldest-old using a large and representative sample.Methods: The study included 49,069 individuals aged 80 and older from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey, a prospective, nationwide, community-based study conducted from 1998 to 2014. SWB was measured by eight items covering life satisfaction, positive affect (optimism, happiness, personal control, and conscientiousness), and negative affect (anxiety, loneliness, and uselessness). Generalized estimating equation models were used to explore the predictors of SWB.Results: We found that age, gender, ethnic group, education, primary occupation before retirement, current marital status, and place of residence were sociodemographic predictors of SWB among the Chinese oldest-old. The health-related predictors included self-rated health, visual function, hearing function, diet quality, smoking status, drinking status, and exercise status. SWB was influenced by some social factors, such as the number of biological siblings, the number of children, leisure activities, financial independence, and access to adequate medical service. In particular, self-rated health, access to adequate medical services, exercise status, and place of residence exert a stronger effect than other factors.Conclusions: SWB in the oldest-old is influenced by a large number of complex sociodemographic, health-related, and social factors. Special attention should be paid to the mental health of centenarians, women, rural residents, widowed, physically disabled, and childless oldest-old people. Relevant agencies can improve physical activities, leisure activities, financial support, and medical services to promote the well-being of the oldest-old.
Screening of plant species for phytoremediation of synthetic textile dye wastewater
Authors: Kaur Navjeet , Kaushal Jyotsna , Mahajan Pooja , Srivas Arun Lal
Published: December 2020

Most of the dyes are carcinogenic and mutagenic in nature. Plants are potential candidates to remediate textile dye wastewater from contaminated sites. The present study aimed to screen potential plant species for removal of synthetic dye solution of triarylmethane dye Methylene Blue (MB) and diazo dye Congo Red (CR). The six plants selected for screening are Trachyspermum ammi (T. ammi), Tagetes erecta (T. erecta), Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (H. rosa- sinensis), Chrysanthemum indicum (C. indicum), Bryophyllum fedtschenkoi (B. fedtschenkoi), and Catharanthus roseus (C. roseus). The phytotreatment of dyes was done up to 40 h for two different concentrations of dyes i.e. 10 and 20 mg L−1. Among screened plant species, the maximum decolorization was obtained from T. ammi followed by B. fedtschenkoi. Both of these plant species showed active growth even after the phytoremediation process. T. ammi decolorized the MB dye 99 (10 mg L−1) and 86% (20 mg L−1) while the decolorization of the CR dye solution was up to 95 (10 mg L−1) and 84% (20 mg L−1). T. ammi found to have maximum potential among screened plants for the removal of MB and CR dye from synthetic dye solution and can be used for phytoremediation of wastewater contaminated with synthetic dyes.
Exploring Equity and Inclusion in Malawi’s National Disability Mainstreaming Strategy and Implementation Plan
Authors: Ebuenyi Ikenna D , Smith Emma M. , Munthali Alister , Msowoya Steven W. , Kafumba Juba , Jamali Monica Z. , MacLachlan Malcolm
Published: December 2020

Background: Equity and inclusion are important principles in policy development and implementation. The aim of this study is to explore the extent to which equity and inclusion were considered in the development of Malawi’s National Disability Mainstreaming Strategy and Implementation Plan. Methods: We applied an analytical methodology to review the Malawi’s National Disability Mainstreaming Strategy and Implementation Plan using the EquIPP (Equity and Inclusion in Policy Processes) tool. The EquIPP tool assesses 17 Key Actions to explore the extent of equity and inclusion. Results: The development of the Malawi National Disability Mainstreaming Strategy and Implementation Plan was informed by a desire to promote the rights, opportunities and wellbeing of persons with disability in Malawi. The majority (58%) of the Key Actions received a rating of three, indicating evidence of clear, but incomplete or only partial engagement of persons with disabilities in the policy process. Three (18%) of the Key Actions received a rating of four indicating that all reasonable steps to engage in the policy development process were observed. Four (23%) of the Key Actions received a score five indicating a reference to Key Action in the core documents in the policy development process. Conclusion: The development of disability policies and associated implementation strategies requires equitable and inclusive processes that consider input from all stakeholders especially those whose wellbeing depend on such policies. It is pivotal for government and organisations in the process of policy or strategy development and implementation, to involve stakeholders in a virtuous process of co-production – co-implementation – co-evaluation, which may strengthen both the sense of inclusion and the effectiveness of the policy life-cycle.
Design and Psychometric Evaluation of the Fathers' Fear of Childbirth Scale: A Mixed Method Study
Authors: Ghaffari Seyedeh Fatemeh , Nia Hamid Sharif , Elyasi Forouzan , Mohammadpoorsaravimozafar Zohre , Shahhosseini Zohreh
Published: December 2020

Background: Fear of childbirth is reported in 13% of fathers, and it may have adverse consequences for the health of fathers as well as their families. Due to the lack of a valid and reliable questionnaire to measure fathers' fear of childbirth, this study was conducted to develop the Fathers' Fear of Childbirth Scale and evaluate its psychometric properties. Methods: This mixed method study was conducted in two phases. In the qualitative phase (or item generation), semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 expectant fathers, and a literature review was performed to generate the Fathers' Fear of Childbirth Scale items pool. In the quantitative phase (or psychometric evaluation), reliability as well as face, content, and construct validity of this scale were evaluated. To establish construct validity, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed. Reliability was evaluated through internal consistency and composite reliability measures. Results: The primary version of Fathers' Fear of Childbirth Scale contained 32 items, which were reduced to 17 items while establishing construct validity. Exploratory factor analysis extracted two factors, namely fear of childbirth process (12 items) and fear of hospital (5 items). These factors explained 50.82% of the total variance. Goodness of fit indices within the confirmatory factor analysis was acceptable. Internal consistency and composite reliability indices of all the factors were greater than 0.70. Conclusion: The Fathers' Fear of Childbirth Scale has a suitable validity and reliability for assessing fear of childbirth in fathers. It is a simple report instrument that can be easily implemented by health care professionals.
A high-resolution brain proteome map uncovers the Inter-hemispheric laterality & Inter-regional protein expression changes
Authors: Srivast Sanjeeva , Biswas Deeptarup , Shenoy Sanjyot , Chetanya Chetanya , Athithyan Arunachalam , Lachén-Montes Mercedes , Ghosh Susmita , Ausín Karina , Zelaya María , Fernández-Irigoyen Joaquín , Manna Akash , Roy Sudesh , Barpanda Abhilash , Ball Graham , Santamaría Enrique , Talukdar Arunansu
Published: December 2020

The human brain has always been a black box full of mysteries. Here we present one of the most comprehensive proteomics investigation of the brain, focusing on inter-hemispheric differences. An extensive mass spectrometry-based analysis of 19 brain regions from both left and right hemispheres measured more than 3300 proteins and 38700 peptides. This high-resolution data provides a comprehensive coverage of experimentally measured (non-hypothetical) proteins across various regions to characterize inter-hemispheric differences. We also tried to understand the brain proteins in terms of synapse analysis. The study has attempted to investigate the expression of neuroanatomical allied region and brain disorder protein markers in 19 region and sub-region of brain. Furthermore, we have developed the most comprehensive Brain Proteome Database, based on our, and publicly available curated data representing more than 9000 proteins (with isoforms) and around 90000 peptides at www.brainprot.org, which can aid in understanding the human brain’s complexity.
Sources to the History of the Education Society ‘Prosvita’ in Sumy (1917-1918)
Authors: Artyukh Vyacheslav O. , Ivanushchenko Hennadiy M.
Published: December 2020

This work is dedicated to the publication and analysis of 15 previously unknown documents from the history of ‘Prosvita’ society during the Ukrainian Revolution (1917-1918). Some of the documents are now stored in the funds of the State Archive of Sumy Oblast and the Central State Archive of Supreme Authorities and Governments of Ukraine, the another section are newspaper publications in rare editions and a memoir. The contents of the documents testify that in Sumy the ‘Prosvita’ Society was established on April 9, 1917, and already on May 21 strongly declared itself, becoming the organizer of the Shevchenko festival. At the same time, the Society made proposals to name one of the city streets by the name of Taras Shevchenko, and erect a monument in memory of him. Sumy ‘Prosvita’ took an active part in the Ukrainianization of the local state administrations when the Hetman Pavlo Skoropadskyj was a ruler of Ukraine. At ‘Prosvita’, courses in Ukrainian Studies and Ukrainian were opened for civil servants, teachers, and all who were interested. In October 1918, during the discussion around the introduction of two state languages in Ukraine – the Ukrainian and Russian, congresses of the ‘Prosvita’ societies of Sumy district unambiguously had spoken in favor of the Ukrainian language as the only state language and a resolution was sent to Hetman Skoropadskyj. Also, ‘Prosvita’ constantly had organized literary meetings and concerts, lectures, most often in its premises. Here, the famous Ukrainian writer Hnat Hotkevych had lectured on the history of Ukraine from October 15, 1918. In addition, lectures on national issues here were read by Yakiv Mamontov, V. Kolomiets, Mykola Yukhnovsky. On October 3, 1918, a concert of the famous kobzar Ivan Kuchuhura-Kucherenko was scheduled in the premises of ‘Prosvita’. Also, theatrical activity was one of the main activities of ‘Prosvita’. Prosvita in Sumy had staged performances at the Korepanov Theatre, which they rented. A Ukrainian choir also performed at the ‘Prosvita’. In 1918, at the time of the Ukrainian State of Hetman P. Skoropadskyj, the most significant in the activity of Sumy ‘Prosvita’ was the opening by virtue of his efforts, Ukrainian grammar schools. Grammar schools were started to act in Sumy and in Nyzhnia Syrovatka and Yunakivka villages. The documents provided make it possible to carry out a reasoned reconstruction of national and cultural life in Sumy during the Ukrainian Revolution, they will undoubtedly interest historians and local historians and will stimulate further research in this direction, as they shed additional light on the history of cultural and educational work in Sumy, as well as wider the role of “Prosvita” in the processes of modern Ukrainian national formation.

Keywords: Sumy, “Prosvita”, revolution, Ukrainianization, education, Ukrainian language, theatre, Taras Shevchenko.
Upper temperature limits of orogenic gold deposit formation: Constraints from TiO2 polymorphs in the Dongyuan Au deposit, Jiangnan Orogen, China
Authors: Wu Shenghua , Mao Jingwen , Yu Hong , Tan Daorong , Geng Xinxia
Published: December 2020

Gold (Au) deposits have formed in orogenic belts throughout Earth’s history. However, the upper temperature limits of orogenic Au vein formation are difficult to constrain because measurements made on fluid inclusions focus on intermediate to late-stage minerals (e.g., quartz and calcite) or are based on P-T estimates for the metamorphic mineral assemblages of the host rocks. We conducted a study of TiO2 polymorphs that are among the earliest minerals that grew in Au-bearing veins of the Dongyuan deposit, Jiangnan orogenic Au belt, South China. Based on Raman analyzes, we identified TiO2 polymorphs of anatase (with Raman peaks at 396, 515, and 638 cm−1), rutile (with Raman peaks at 235, 447, and 613 cm−1), and anatase–rutile intergrowths. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) confirmed the polymorphs identifying the [111] zone axis of anatase, [110] zone axis of rutile, and [111] and [111] zone axes of rutile–anatase intergrowths. The TiO2 polymorphs in the Dongyuan Au veins constrain a temperature range for early mineral precipitation in the veins of 450–550 °C. The results show that ore-forming fluids for this orogenic Au deposit emplaced in the shallow crust originated from deeper and hotter crustal levels (e.g., high-grade metamorphic rocks in the middle to lower crust).
Regional smart specialization in Ukraine: JRC methodology applicability
Authors: Ivashchenko Alla , Kornyliuk Anna , Polishchuk Yevheniia , Romanchenko Tetiana , Reshetnikova Iryna
Published: December 2020

Regional development is related to the effective management of disruptive industries on the local level. In the European Union, the innovation regional development policy is based on a smart specialization strategy, which neighboring countries try to apply as well. In their regional strategies, they notice the goals which are designed within the Joint Research Center methodology. It allows revealing the most efficient industries in the region, leading to a new level of regional competence on the global level. The study aims to identify smart specialization priorities based on JRC methodology in certain Ukrainian regions and assess its applicability in emerging markets (Ukrainian case) and develop the set of recommendations considering the specificity of the national economy. The methodology is based on the static and dynamic analysis of economic (the indicators of the growth of average salaries and the number of employees indicators are calculated) and innovation (the indicators of productive, process, organizational, and marketing innovations are analyzed) potential of the region, which is examined in the article. It is revealed that the JRC methodology in identifying the smart specialization priorities has limited application in Ukraine. The restrictions related to the lack of data on innovations and other economic indicators. The analysis of certain regions shows what industries should be recommended as the priorities of smart specialization. However, discussions of the calculated results with the key stakeholders have differences which are not acceptable in the regional innovation policy development. As a result, the experts’ opinions are recommended to consider the priorities of different regions in Ukraine and other developing countries, which are on the path of smart specialization during stakeholders’ communication sessions.
Hubungan Kekerabatan Fenetik Pisang di Kecamatan Kabawetan, Kabupaten Kepahiang, Provinsi Bengkulu
Authors: Riandini Evelyne
Published: December 2020

Study of the genetic relationship between bananas carried out in Kabawetan Subdistrict, Kepahiang District, Bengkulu Province, from April to October 2019. Data collection on banana exploration studies is carried out in several locations of houses and community gardens in the form of wild plants and cultivation. Morphological data were compiled based on observations of morphological characters of specimens in the field, the character status was adapted from banana descriptors (IPGRI 1996). Morphological characterization results were observed and continued with character selection based on kinship in the form of a tree phenogram. Data were analyzed using the Numerical Taxonomy System (NTsys-pc) 2.02 program with the Unweight Pair Group Arithmetic Mean Method (UPGMA). The results found 6 types of banana diversity collection from 32 pseudo stands (individuals). The collection results obtained in the field are 1 collection of wild bananas and 5 cultivation collections. There are 6 banana distribution locations, namely Mekasari Village, Sumbersari Village, Babakan Village Bogor, Sumbersari Village, Tugu Rejo Village, Sido Rejo Village. Kinship of 6 types was found to have a similarity coefficient between 0.27 - 0.63. Phenograms divide into 2 large groups of 6 types of bananas, namely group A and group B, these two groups are separated by a similarity coefficient value of 0.27. Group A has a total of 5 types of bananas namely kapal, kapok , gembor, and jantan bananas.
Seismic responses analysis of multi-story suspended floors system
Authors: He Qingguang , Yin Ao , Fan Ziheng , He Lei
Published: December 2020

One of the forefront of structural engineering is to realize the good resistance of building structure to earthquake loads. The performance philosophy of design structure has recently changed from preventing collapse to controlling the damage of structures under earthquake loading, which requires the development of new structural systems with great potential. An innovative multi-story suspended floors system model is proposed and its seismic responses are analytically studied in this paper to investigate the seismic performance of the system under strong earthquake loading. The system comprises a reinforced concrete frame with floors suspended from the columns using hangar rods. The characteristic of this suspended structure is that the lifting points of suspended floors are set on the columns. The equations of motion for this system are derived through the Lagrange equation and the structural responses are calculated in time-domain by the Newmark-beta method. A comparison between seismic responses of the innovative system and conventional frame system shows that the multi-story suspended floors system has excellent seismic performances. By establishing the relationship between the period ratio and seismic response of the system, the optimal period ratio is found to improve the seismic performance of the whole system. Finally, structural parameters such as the hangar rod length, damping ratio, and stiffness provided by the cushioning devices, the mass of suspended floors are optimized, considering seismic responses of rooftop and suspended floors as optimization objectives. It is shown that suitable parameters can be found to improve seismic performance and vibration control of the whole system.
Ankle lesions and shortening of the forearm on a female from the Roman city of Augusta Emerita (Mérida, Spain): consequences of an accidental traumatic episode during growth?
Authors: Cortesão Silva Filipa , Márquez Pérez Juana
Published: December 2020

In one Roman funerary area (1st-2nd centuries AD) of Augusta Emerita, an adult female skeleton was found, showing multiple healed trauma, being one the first evidences of this kind documented in the capital of Lusitania. This study describes those lesions, reconstructs the possible events responsible and hypothetical impact on the subject’s quality of life. Macroscopic and radiological observation revealed fractures of the left distal third of the radius and the ulnar styloid process, as well as of the distal third of the left fibula. Those of the forearm, caused a shortening of about one centimetre, probably resulting from a fall during growth. The fracture of the fibula would have occurred from an underfoot accident resulting also in a heterotopic ossification of the distal anterior ligament. Since both fractures are well consolidated and without degenerative articular lesions, this woman probably did not suffer significant sequelae thereafter.
PRACA JAKO CZYNNIK WARUNKUJĄCY JAKOŚĆ ŻYCIA LUDZI MŁODYCH – PSYCHOSPOŁECZNA PERSPEKTYWA TEORETYCZNA
Authors: Wysocka Ewa
Published: December 2020

Praca człowieka bez wątpienia jest wartością uniwersalistyczną. Jest działalnością warunkującą jakość życia ludzkiego. Niniejszy artykuł osadza problematykę pracy w kontekście jakości życia młodzieży w ujęciu psychospołecznej perspektywy. Dyskurs posiadając charakter teoretyczny posiada egzemplifikację dotyczącą pracy z życiu młodych ludzi.
Janusz Korczak i polskie radio
Authors: Bystrzycka Ann
Published: December 2020

Artykuł poświęcony jest mało znanemu wątkowi pedagogicznej działalności Janusza Korczaka, jakim była współpraca z Polskim Radiem. W latach trzydziestych minionego stulecia systematycznie przygotowywał on i prezentował na falach eteru słuchowiska przeznaczone nie tylko dla dzieci, lecz również dla dorosłych, w których rozważał kwestie wychowawcze. Dwukrotnie zrywano współpracę z Korczakiem bez podawania jakiejkolwiek przyczyny. „Stary Doktór” nie tylko doceniał potęgę nowego medium społecznego, lecz również wiązał z nim duże nadzieje. Planował wykorzystać jego wszechmoc do zmiany sposobu myślenia na temat dziecka i jego problemów.