bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Economic Valuation Of Gedo Natural Forest Conservation Benefits, Ethiopia
Authors: Tolera Tadesse
Published: March 2022

Forest ecosystem economic valuation is responsible for ecologically aware and reasonable gains to the country and particularly to the surrounding groups through different means. Thus, the central objective of this study was to analyze the economic valuation Gedo Natural Forest conservation benefits of using the contingent valuation method. Both primary and secondary data were employed in this study. The interview responses of 342 households nominated from three kebeles around Gedo natural forest were collected in purpose and random sampling procedures through a semi-structure questionnaire. The mean willingness to pay calculated by means of Krinsky Robb technique after running of Seemingly Unrelated Bivariate Probit Regression from the dichotomous choice format and open-ended questions was 24.97 and 23.91 birr per year, respectively. The outcomes of Tobit model shown that the total livestock unit, total annual income of the household, and the amount of credit utilization are meaningful variables positively and significantly related to the likelihood of willingness to pay for the conservation benefits of Gedo natural forest. On the other hand, the households’ family size, the households’ age, and initial bid value were other important variables negatively and significantly influence households’ willingness to pay for the conservation benefits of Gedo natural forest. The liable body could, therefore, apply the scenario of willingness to pay in the study area, so that the Gedo natural forest could be conserved, measurable benefit to the households could be practical, and future awareness of respective household could be raised.
A Genetic Correlation Scan Identifies Blood Proteins Associated With Bone Mineral Density
Authors: Xu Jiawen , Zhang Shaoyun , Si Haibo , Zeng Yi , Wu Yuangang , Liu Yuan , Li Mingyang , Wu Limin , Shen Bin
Published: March 2022

Introduction: Osteoporosis is a common metabolic bone disease characterized by low bone mass. However, limited efforts were paid to explore the functional relevance of blood proteome to bone mineral density across different life stages. Methods: Using genome-wide association study summary data of blood proteome and two independent research of bone mineral density, we conducted a genetic correlation scan of bone mineral density and blood proteome. Linkage disequilibrium score regression analysis was conducted to assess the genetic correlations between each of the 3,283 plasma proteins and bone mineral density. Results: Linkage disequilibrium score regression identified 18 plasma proteins showing genetic correlation signals with bone mineral density in TB-BMD cohort, such as MYOM2 (coefficient=0.3755, P value=0.0328) among subjects aged 0-15, POSTN (coefficient =-0.5694, P value=0.0192) among subjects aged 30-45 and PARK7 (coefficient =-0.3613, P value =0.0052) among subjects aged over 60. Conclusions: Our results identified multiple plasma proteins associated with bone mineral density and provided novel clues for revealing the functional relevance of plasma proteins to bone mineral density.
Experiences of working as early career allied health professionals and doctors in rural and remote environments: a qualitative systematic review
Authors: Dymmott Alison , George Stacey , Campbell Narelle , Brebner Chris
Published: March 2022

Background: Maintaining a health professional workforce in rural and remote areas pose a significant challenge internationally. A range of strategies have been used to improve recruitment and retention with varying levels of success. To date, strategies are generally developed based on the collective experience of all health professions, rather than targeted to professional groups with differing educational and support contexts. This review sought to explore, compare and synthesise the evidence examining the experience of early career rural and remote allied health professionals and doctors to better understand both the profession specific, and common factors that influence their experience. The results of this review will generate relevant workforce recommendations. Methods: This review considered qualitative studies that include early career allied health professionals’ or doctors' experiences of working in rural or remote areas and the personal and professional factors that impact on this experience. A systematic search was completed (CINAHL (EBSCO), Embase, MEDLINE (Ovid), Web of Science, Informit, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, Google Scholar, and WorldWideScience.org) to identify published and unpublished studies. Studies published since 2000 in English were considered for the review. Identified studies were screened for inclusion and critically appraised by two independent reviewers. Data was extracted and assigned a level of credibility. Data synthesis adhered to the JBI meta-aggregative approach.Results: Of the 1408 identified articles, 32 papers were eligible for inclusion. One study was rated as low in quality and all other studies moderate or high quality. A total of 24 categories and 334 findings and associated illustrations were aggregated into three synthesised findings for both professional groups including: making a difference through professional and organisational factors, working in rural areas can offer unique and rewarding opportunities for early career allied health professionals and doctors, acknowledging personal and community influences that make a difference. The synthesised findings illustrate a range of similar and different experiences for early career allied health professionals and doctors in rural and remote areas. Conclusions: Strategies to enhance the experience of both allied health professionals and doctors in rural and remote areas include enabling career paths through structured training programs, hands on learning opportunities, quality supervision and community involvement. Systematic review registration number: PROSPERO CRD42021223187
Novel Electrochemical Synthesis and Characterization of Zn(II) Metal Organic Framework for Photo-catalytic and Sensing Applications
Authors: Kaur Manpreet , Dhaliwal Karamjit Singh , Kaur Harpreet , Malik Ashok Kumar
Published: March 2022

Multidentate 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid (organic linker), Zn (II) based Zn-BTC has been synthesized via electrochemical method. Quantitative and Qualitative analyses of synthesized metal-organic framework (MOF) have been done using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy, Energy Dispersive X- Ray Spectroscopy (EDS) and Photoluminescence (PL). Powder X-Ray Diffraction (PXRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) have been used for crystallographic and morphological & topographical analyses, respectively. Crystallographic studies confirm the formation of face-centered cubic (fcc) crystal structure with good crystallinity. Photo-catalytic activity of synthesized MOF has been tested using Methylene Blue (MB) dye as a test contaminant in aqueous media under sunlight irradiation. Recorded results reveal that the synthesized MOF efficiently degrade MB dye upto 96% under sunlight exposure after 270 min. Photoluminescence studies indicate that Zn-BTC could be used as an efficient material for sensing of nitroaromatic compounds (NACs): 4-Nitroaniline (4-NA), 2-Nitroaniline (2-NA), 3- Nitroaniline (3-NA), 2,4-Dinitrotoulene (2,4-DNT), 4-Nitrotoulene (4-NT) in N,N’-Dimethylformamide (DMF) by fluorescence quenching and shows maximum quenching efficiency towards 3-NA (72.80%). Notably, the variation in luminescence intensity of 3-NA@Zn-BTC shows a linear relationship over its different concentrations from 0-1000 ppb range with KSV = 2.7 x 104 M-1 and R2 = 0.9924 with limit of detection 0.889 ppb (6.43µM) (LOD). The possible ways of luminescence quenching are successfully explained by the combination of Photoinduced Electron Transfer (PET) and Resonance Energy Transfer (RET) mechanisms. Additionally, the Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations have been employed to support the experimental results. Zn-BTC fully demonstrates the power of a multi component MOF, which provides a feasible pathway for the design of novel material towards fast responding luminescence sensing and photocatalytic degradation of pollutants.
Presenting an Agile Supply Chain Mathematical Model for Covid 19 (Corona) Drugs Using Metaheuristic Algorithms (Case Study: Pharmaceutical Industry)
Authors: Shayannia Seyed Ahmad
Published: March 2022

This article focuses on the strategic issue of an agile supply chain. Different goals are considered in supply chain design. Today, the concept of sustainability in supply chains plays an important role in goal setting. In general, sustainability leads to less economic, social, and environmental risks, and attention to this type of sustainability covers many criteria in the literature. Therefore, in this study, optimization of the stability of a supply chain network has been considered. In addition, a lesser-known aspect of sustainability, the political aspect, has been added to the previous aspects. This paper assumes four levels, namely supplier, wholesaler, retailer, and customer. An optimal network structure is designed to consider economic, social and environmental sustainability and the new measure of political sustainability. The design of this supply chain is done by defining a mathematical model that has several objective functions, including economic, political, and environmental goals. These objective functions select the relationships and links between the levels in a supply chain network. For this purpose, a directional graph corresponding to a supply chain is designed. Then, with the help of an ideal multi-objective planning problem, an optimal configuration is obtained, which is a subgraph of the main network graph. The target problem has been modeled for a holding company which is a supply chain for Covid-19 drugs. Then the problem was solved using Multi-Objective Particle Swarm Optimization (MOPSO) metaheuristics algorithm and NSGAII multi-objective genetic algorithm. A comparison was carried out between these two methods and the results indicated that MOPSO performed better.
The Significance of Nonlinear Terms in the Governing Equations to Describe the Large Deformation of Thin-Walled Cylindrical Shell Under Transient Pressures
Authors: Li Yanze , Fu Jiawei , Qian Linfang , Wang Haoyu
Published: March 2022

The significance of the nonlinear terms in the governing equations to describe the transiently large deformation of a thin-walled cylindrical shell under impact pressures is discussed in this paper. Firstly, the first P-K stress tensor is adopted to depict the motion equations of the shell with respect to the original configuration. More nonlinear terms are retained when the first P-K stress is transformed into the symmetrical second P-K stress. Moreover, the Green strain tensor is employed in the geometrical equation to describe the nonlinearly large deformation of shell, and the curvature change is expressed to involve large deformation as well. Without considering all these nonlinear terms, the governing equation can degenerate to that in references. The circumferential displacement is kept in the motion equations, and the wall thickness change is taken into account. Dividing these nonlinear terms into two parts according to their affiliations, four groups of governing equations involving different nonlinear terms are obtained. Then, the deformation behavior of a shell subjected to a specified loading is solved using different governing equations and compared with FEM results to reveal the significance of these nonlinear terms. It is found that the nonlinear terms from geometrical equations should be kept while the nonlinear terms in equilibrium equations can be ignored.
Identification of the Key Genes of Immune Infiltration in Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Qi Bin , Wang Hai-Yan , Ma Xiao , Chi Yu-Feng , Gui Chun
Published: March 2022

Background: Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a common cause of heart failure. In this study, we screened the immune infiltration-related genes associated with DCM to explore the potential molecular mechanisms and provide a basis for the early diagnosis and development of new immunotherapeutic targets.Methods: A dataset related to DCM was downloaded from the GEO database. R software was applied to the genetic differential analysis of DCM patients and healthy individuals, and the obtained differential expressed genes (DEGs) were screened for differentially expressed immune-related genes (DEIRGs) after comparison with the immune microsatellite database. Gene functional analysis was performed to establish a protein interaction network (PPI). The CIBERSORT algorithm was used to assess immune infiltration in patients with DCM versus normal controls, the hub genes were screened by the MOCDE app, and the hubs were validated in multiple datasets.Results: A total of 246 DEGs were screened (adj. P < 0.05 and |logFC| > 0.3), and a total of 170 DEIRGs were compared. Gene Ontology analysis showed significant (adj. P < 0.05) Biological Process entries of 591, Cellular Component of 10 and Molecular Function of 39; Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes showed a total of 20 significant entries, mainly focused on cytokines involved in immune response related, etc. A protein interaction network consisting of 28 hub DEGs was constructed in combination with the PPI network interactions. DEIRG was mainly distributed in the T cell receptor pathway by immune infiltration detection analysis, and significant changes in central memory T cells were found by analysis of T cell-related subpathways, where INSR, HLA-B, IFITM1 and HBEGF were significantly differentially expressed. Finally, HLA-B was found to be significantly differentially expressed by multiple microarray verification.Conclusions: HLA-B is closely related to the pathogenesis of DCM, and its altered expression may be associated with the immune response involving T cells, which ultimately leads to DCM. The detailed mechanism needs to be further explored.
The Relationship between Attachment to Pets and Psychopathological Symptoms: The Mediating Effect of Adult Attachment Style
Authors: Lass-Hennemann Johanna , Schäfer Sarah K. , Sopp M. Roxanne , Michael Tanja
Published: March 2022

Background: Research suggests that companion animals have a beneficial effect on mental health. However, there are also studies finding null or negative relationships between pet ownership and mental health. It has been suggested that attachment to pets accounts for these diverging findings. Interestingly, there is some research suggesting that attachment to pets differs from attachment to humans with studies showing that humans with an insecure attachment style form a particularly strong attachment to their companion animals. Human attachment style also seems to play a role in mental health with secure attachment being associated with superior mental health. Thus, one may assume that attachment to humans plays a role in the relationship between attachment to pets and mental health. However, to our knowledge, only one study so far has investigated attachment to both pets and humans, while assessing mental health.Methods: Thus, in this cross-sectional online survey (N = 610) we assessed attachment to pets and humans. We further collected pet specific data as well as mental health burden in a sample of German dog owners (Mage = 33.12; 92.79% female). We hypothesized that the relationship between attachment to one’s dog and mental health is mediated by attachment to other people.Results: We found that a stronger attachment to one’s dog was associated with lower comfort with depending on or trusting in others, whereby lower comfort with depending on or trusting in others was related to higher mental health burden. Moreover, a stronger attachment to one’s dog was also related to a greater fear of being rejected and unloved (Anxiety), which was, in turn, associated with a higher mental health burden.Conclusions: Our findings suggest that a strong attachment to pets does not have a detrimental effect on mental health by itself, but that this effect is fully mediated by an insecure attachment to other people.
Elevated miR-145-5p is Associated with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Associated Skeletal Muscle Dysfunction and Triggers Apoptotic Cell Death in C2C12 Myotubes
Authors: Jin Jing , Li Fanyi , Fan Caihong , Wu Yu , He Chunhui
Published: March 2022

Skeletal muscle dysfunction is a common comorbidity of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and the molecular mechanisms regarding to the pathogenesis of this disease have not been elucidated. In this study, a novel miR-145-5p was significantly upregulated in the serum collected from patients with COPD-associated muscle atrophy, in contrast with the normal participants. Then, the primary myotubes was isolated and cultured in vitro, and we evidenced that silencing of miR-145-5p suppressed cell death and elongated cell survival during cell culture process. Consistently, upregulation of miR-145-5p induced cell apoptosis and restrain cell viability in the C2C12 cells, suggesting that miR-145-5p contributes to myotube cell death. Further experiments evidenced that miR-145-5p decreased the expression levels of phosphorylated PI3K (p-PI3K), Akt (p-Akt) and mTOR (p-mTOR) to inactivate the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway in the C2C12 cells, and this pathway was also reactivated by miR-145-5p ablation in the primary myotube cells. Finally, we proved that the protective effects of miR-145-5p ablation on the primary myotube cells were abrogated by co-treating cells with PI3K inhibitor LY294002. Taken together, we concluded that miR-145-5p promoted myotube cell death to facilitate COPD-associated muscle dysfunctions via inactivating the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.
Demographic and Public Health Characteristics of COVID-19 Mortality in a State in South-South Nigeria
Authors: Owhonda Golden C , Patrick Foster A , Eze-Emiri Chidinma N , Igwe Ezinne O , Arugu Godswill Melford , Des-Wosu Ihuoma , Nwadiuto Ifeoma
Published: March 2022

Background
COVID-19 has accounted for approximately six million deaths globally. Several risk factors have been identified. However, population profile varies in different population groups.
Aim
The study aim is to describe the population profile of COVID-19 mortality in Rivers State, Nigeria using captured population-based health records.
Study design:
Retrospective cohort study
Methods
Using electronic State Health Records, a secondary data analysis was conducted on recorded COVID-19 mortality. Data were obtained from the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) at the State Ministry of Health. Data was accessed from the PHEOC database, and it included COVID-19 related mortality. Data were collected on demographics, pre-existing comorbidity, symptoms, facility managed, patient status, treatment outcome, and dates of related events. Cohort characteristics were described using means and proportions.
Results
There were 191 COVID-19 deaths identified. The mean age was 57.08; of which 144 were male (75.4%). The 51–65-year age group had the highest mortality count (38.9%). Over 50% of the patients were hypertensive and diabetes was the second most common comorbidity (28.8%). Running nose, cough, fever and breathing difficulties were the most reported COVID-19 symptoms.
Conclusion
Data from this study shows higher mortality in men from COVID-19; and, among cases with hypertension and diabetes. Additionally, age and the presence of comorbidities may be associated with COVID-19 mortality. Future research in this area could further explain these findings.
Association Between Constipation and the Development of Asthma: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Liu Lu , Zhang Xiangli , Jiang Zhengdong , Wang Guizuo , Wu Hua , Chen Ruilin , Zhang Yongqing , Li Manxiang , Yang Shumei
Published: March 2022

Background
Constipation has been hypothesized to be associated with the increased risk of wheezing or asthma. However, the relation remains a subject of debate. We conducted this meta-analysis to assess whether constipation influence the risk of wheezing/asthma.
Methods
PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science were systematically searched for studies published between 1955 and January 2022. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed the quality of each study. Results were pooled using fixed-effect models or random-effects models as appropriate.
Results
In total, 3 original articles with 178762 participants which met the criteria were included in this meta-analysis. Constipation was associated with an increased risk of wheezing/asthma in later life (RR = 2.14, 95% CI = 1.30 to 3.54, P < 0.01).
Conclusions
The meta-analysis suggests an association between constipation and the subsequent development of wheezing/asthma. Well-designed and highly standardized prospective studies that adequately address concerns for potential confounding factors are required to validate the risk identified in our current meta-analysis.
A Novel Clinical Tool to Detect Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea Hypopnea Syndrome
Authors: Ye Yanqing , Yan Zelin , Huang Yuanshou , Li Li , Wang Shiming , Huang Xiaoxing , Zhou Jingmeng , Chen Liyi , Ou Chun-Quan , Chen Huaihong
Published: March 2022

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is a disease with high morbidity and is associated with adverse health outcomes. Screening potential severe OSAHS patients will improve the quality of patient management and prognosis, while the accuracy and feasibility of existing screening tools are not so satisfactory. The purpose of this study is to develop and validate a well-feasible clinical predictive model for screening potential severe OSAHS patients. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study including 1,920 adults with overnight polysomnography among which 979 cases were diagnosed with severe OSAHS. Based on demography, symptoms, and hematological data, a multivariate logistic regression model was constructed and cross-validated and then a nomogram was developed to identify severe OSAHS. Moreover, we compared the performance of our model with two most commonly used screening tools, Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) and Stop-Bang Questionnaire (SBQ), among patients who completed the questionnaires.Results: Severe OSAHS was associated with male, BMI≥ 27 kg/m2, high blood pressure, choke, sleepiness, apnea, white blood cell count ≥ 9.5×109/L, hemoglobin ≥ 175g/L, triglycerides ≥ 1.7 mmol/L. The AUC of the final model was 0.75 (95% CI: 0.67-0.82), with sensitivity and specificity under the optimal threshold selected by maximizing Youden Index of 71% and 68%. Among patients having the information of ESS or SBQ, the AUC of our model was statistically significantly greater than that of ESS (0.74 vs 0.58, P=0.006) and not less than that of SBQ (0.78 vs 0.66, P=0.073). Conclusion: Based on common clinical examination on admission, we develop a novel model and a nomogram for identifying severe OSAHS from inpatient with suspected OSAHS, which provides physicians with a visual and easy-to-use tool for screening severe OSAHS.
Comprehensive assessment of depression risk and its behavioral determinants among adolescents: a multi-country study
Authors: Sultana Sabera , Rahman Md. Mizanur , Hashizume Masahiro
Published: March 2022

Background: Mental illness has become a widespread public health concern internationally. This study aimed to generate a depression risk index for adolescents. Furthermore, we developed risk indexes for potential lifestyle and social risk factors of depression among adolescents. In addition, we investigated the country-specific prevalence for each risk index. Finally, we conducted comprehensive assessment of the associations between depression risk and lifestyle and social risk factors.Methods: We used the most recent data available from 20 nationally representative Global School-based Student Health Surveys. Our analytical sample included 51,597 adolescents. The outcome of interest was depression risk, which considered feelings of anxiety, loneliness, and suicidal attempts or tendencies. We developed four lifestyle risk indexes (dietary habits, physical activity, sedentary behavior, and tobacco use) and three social risk indexes (exposure to school violence, interactions with parents, and interactions with friends) which were considered as exposure variables in this study. Multilevel logistic regression models were used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).Results: In total, 26.4% of the participants had a risk of depression. Increased odds of depression risk were found among participants with high risk index values for unhealthy dietary habits (OR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.07–1.23), unhealthy sedentary behavior (OR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.43–1.63), tobacco use (OR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.41–1.76), exposure to school violence (OR, 3.06; 95% CI, 2.88–3.26), insufficient interactions with parents (OR, 2.09; 95% CI, 1.92–2.28), and insufficient interactions with friends (OR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.69–1.96) compared with participants with low risk index values. However, there were no significant associations between physical inactivity and risk of depression among adolescent boys or girls. Conclusions: High prevalence rates for depression risk, as well as unhealthy lifestyle factors and social behaviors among adolescents were found in every country, and higher risk index values were associated with increased risk of depression.
Heap Based Optimizer Algorithm for Solving Feature Selection Problems in High-Dimensional Cancer Microarray Data
Authors: ALWESHAH MOHAMMED , Jebril Hadeel , Alkhalaileh Saleh , Kassaymeh Sofian , AlZubi Tareq Mahmod
Published: March 2022

Feature selection (FS) is an important preprocessing step that has been commonly used in several fields to improve the performance of learning algorithms. In the field of medical data mining, a huge number of features are used in diagnosing disease, but these features have a lot of non-relevant weak correlations and redundant characteristics, which causes a number of problems that adversely affect diagnostic predictive accuracy. Work on FS has grown extensively many fields due to increased demand for methods that can reduce the dimensionality of data by choosing the best subset of features according to specific criteria in order to maximize prediction accuracy and minimize irrelevant features. In recent times, metaheuristics have been preferred over conventional optimization methods for solving FS problems in order to try to obtain an almost optimal solution in a finite time. Metaheuristics are general-purpose algorithms that can be used to solve almost any optimization problem because they generate “appropriate” solutions in a reasonable amount of time, which is especially useful when seeking to solve complicated problems. Many popular implementations have shown the utility of metaheuristics in different ways by contrasting their performance on well-known problems with that of other algorithms or applications .There are many metaheuristic algorithms in the literature such as those based on swarm intelligence, including particle swarm optimizations and ant colony optimization. The major objective of this research is to provide an increased degree of accuracy to resolve FS problems by conducting different experiments using a metaheuristic algorithm, namely the heap-based optimizer algorithm (HBO). The HBO is used with a k-nearest neighbor classifier in a wrapper to improve the FS process. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated and compared against seven approaches in the literature that are applied on nine high-dimensional data sets that contain, a low number of samples and multiple classes. The findings reveal that the HBO decreases the number of features for classification tasks, and is able to achieve high accuracy in two data sets as compared to the other approaches, the BHBO achieved the best convergence speed as compared to the competing methods. It is therefore concluded that the proposed HBO method can be used to optimize the FS process, whether in terms of classification accuracy or selection size.
Stressfulness of the Design Influences Consistency of Cognitive Measures and Their Correlation With Animal Personality Traits in Wild Mice (Mus Musculus)
Authors: Delacoux Mathilde , Guenther Anja
Published: March 2022

Individual variation in cognition is being increasingly recognized as an important evolutionary force but contradictory results so far hamper a general understanding of consistency and association with other behaviors. Partly, this might be caused by external factors imposed by the design. Stress, for example, is known to influence cognition, with mild stress improving learning abilities, while strong or chronical stress impairs them. Also, there might be intraspecific variation in how stressful a given situation is perceived. We investigated two personality traits (stress coping and voluntary exploration), spatial learning with 2 mazes and problem-solving in low- and high-stress tests with a group of 30 female wild mice. For each test, perceived stress was assessed by measuring body temperature change with infrared thermography. None of the learning measures were significantly repeatable between the 2 stress conditions, indicating that the stress level impacts learning. We found correlations between learning and personality traits; however, they differed between the 2 stress conditions and between the cognitive tasks suggesting that different mechanisms underlie these processes. These findings could explain some of the contradicting findings in the literature and argue for very careful design of cognitive test setups to draw evolutionary implications.
HIV post-exposure prophylaxis: In-take, completion rates and reasons for non-completion among health care workers at a regional referral hospital
Authors: Muzoora Dan Musiime , Atwine Daniel , Nyanzi Daniel J. , Yadesa Tadele Mekuriya
Published: March 2022

Background: Worldwide, 19.2% of healthcare workers (HCWs) get occupationally exposed to Human immune deficiency virus (HIV) annually, resulting in approximately 1,000 new HIV infections but the use of HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is largely undocumented. We aimed at assessing the prevalence of ever taking PEP, completion rates and the self-reported reasons for non-completion among HCWs.Methods: In a cross-sectional study, we randomly selected and enrolled 206 HCWs from records of HCWs at a large Regional Referral Hospital between March and October 2020, which included medical staff, cleaners and medical students. Participants’ socio-demographic, medical, PEP initiation and completion information was obtained using a self-administered questionnaire. Comparison of “ever taking PEP” and completing PEP across gender, health cadre, age, religion and marital status categories of the HCWs was done using Pearson’s chi square test in STATA 15.0 software.Results: Majority of HCWs were aged above 35years (41.8%), female (54.4%) and qualified medical workers (64.6). Overall, 37.4% (95% CI: 30.9 - 44.2) reported to have ever taken PEP, of whom 72.7% (95% CI: 61.5 - 81.7) completed their mandatory 28days of treatment. Reasons for PEP non-completion were: drug side effects (81%), the source patient testing HIV negative (14.3%) and not finding reason to complete the treatment (4.7%).Conclusion: The prevalence of ever taking PEP is high, indicating a high rate of HCW occupational exposure to HIV. About a third of HCWs, majorly females, married and above 35-year-old do not complete PEP treatment, with the major reason being drug-related side effects. To avoid potential HIV sero-conversion, counselling on adverse events and sensitization of HCWs on good occupational safety and infection control measures, and dangers of PEP non-completion should be emphasized.
Exploring the limits of the Jenkinson-Collison classification scheme for atmospheric circulation: A global assessment based on various reanalyses
Authors: Fernández-Granja Juan Antonio , Brands Swen , Bedia Joaquín , Casanueva Ana , Fernández Jesús
Published: March 2022

The Jenkinson-Collison weather typing scheme (JC-WT) is an automated method used to classify the regional atmospheric circulation into a reduced number of typical recurrent patterns, identified in the early 1970ies on the basis of expert knowledge. Originally developed for the British Isles, the method since then has seen many applications. Encouraged by the estimate that the JC-WT approach can in principle be applied to any mid-to-high latitude region(Jones et al, 2013), the present study explores whether it can be used anywhere in the extratropics, including the Southern Hemisphere. To this aim, JC-WT is applied at each grid-box of a global 2.5° regular grid excluding the inner tropics ( ± 5° band) where the method cannot be applied. Thereby, 6-hourly JC-WT catalogues are obtained for 5 distinct reanalyses, covering the period 1979-2005, which are then applied to explore 1) the method's limits of applicability and 2) observational uncertainties inherent to reanalysis datasets. Using evaluation criteria such as the diversity of occurring circulation types and the frequency of unclassified situations, we extract empirically derived applicability thresholds which suggest that JC-WT can be generally used anywhere polewards of 22.5°. Seasonal variations compromise this finding along the equatorward limits of the domain, and so does the effect of large orographic barriers such as the Tibetan Plateau, the Andes, Greenland and Antarctica. In some regions, the JC-WT classifications obtained from the distinct reanalyses substantially differ from each other and this should be taken into account by further applications of the method.
A Psychosocial And Lifestyle Assessment For Childhood Obesity: A Scoping Literature Review And Focus Groups With Healthcare Professionals
Authors: Koetsier MSc Leandra Wilona , Eynde MSc Emma van den , Mil Prof. dr. E.G.A.H. van , de Vries MSc Ralph , Baan Prof. dr. Caroline A. , Seidell Prof. dr. ir. Jaap C. , Halberstadt Jutka , Velde MSc Marianne van der
Published: March 2022

Background: Childhood obesity is a complex disease resulting from the interaction of multiple factors. The effective management of childhood obesity requires assessing the psychosocial and lifestyle factors that may play a role in the development and maintenance of obesity. The aim of this study was to add knowledge for further development of a psychosocial and lifestyle assessment for childhood obesity. Methods: Two methods were used. First, a scoping review (in PubMed, Embase, PsycInfo, IBSS, Scopus and Web of Science) was performed by systematically searching for scientific literature on psychosocial and lifestyle assessments for childhood obesity. Data were analysed by extracting data in Microsoft Excel. Second, focus group discussions were held with healthcare professionals from a variety of disciplines and domains to explore their experiences and views about assessing psychosocial and lifestyle factors within the Dutch integrated care approach. Data were analysed using template analyses, complemented with open coding in MAXQDA.Results: The results provide an overview of relevant psychosocial and lifestyle factors that should be assessed and were classified as child, family, parental and lifestyle (e.g. nutrition, physical activity and sleep factors) and structured into psychological and social aspects. Insights into how to assess psychosocial and lifestyle factors were identified as well, including talking about psychosocial factors, lifestyle and weight; the professional-patient relationship; and attitudes of healthcare professionals. Conclusions: This study provides an overview of psychosocial and lifestyle factors that should be identified within the context of childhood obesity care, as they may contribute to the development and maintenance of obesity. The results highlight the importance of both what is assessed and how it is assessed. The results of this study can be used to develop practical tools for facilitating healthcare professionals in conducting a psychosocial and lifestyle assessment.
Quantitative T2 mapping monitoring the maturation of engineered elastic cartilage in a rabbit model
Authors: Yang Guojun , Li Xue , Zhang Weiwei , Wu Nier , Chen Haifeng , Liu Xia , Jiang Haiyue
Published: March 2022

Background: Cartilage tissue engineering provides a promising approach to reconstruct craniofacial defects, and a noninvasive method is needed to assess its effectiveness. Although magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been used to evaluate articular cartilage in vivo, few studies focused on its feasibility in monitoring engineered elastic cartilage (EC). Methods: Auricular cartilage, silk fibroin (SF) scaffold, and EC consisting of rabbit auricular chondrocytes and SF scaffold were transplanted subcutaneously into the rabbit back. In eight weeks after transplantation, grafts were imaged by MRI using PROSET, PDW VISTA SPAIR, 3D T2 VISTA, 2D MIXED T2 Multislice, and SAG TE multiecho sequences, followed by histological examination and biochemical analysis. Statistical analyses were performed to identify the association between T2 values and biochemical indicator values of EC. Results: In vivo imaging shows that 2D MIXED T2 Multislice sequence (T2 mapping) clearly distinguished the native cartilage, engineered cartilage and fibrous tissue. T2 values showed high correlations with cartilage-specific biochemical parameters at different time points, especially the elastic cartilage specific protein elastin (ELN, r= -0.939, P < 0.001). Conclusion: Quantitative T2 mapping can effectively detect the in vivo maturity of engineered elastic cartilage after subcutaneously transplantation. This study would promote the clinical application of MRI T2 mapping in monitoring engineered elastic cartilage in the repair of craniofacial defects.
Nurses Practices' Errors Regarding Medication Administration in different Critical Care Units at a Teaching Hospital in Upper Egypt.: An Observational study
Authors: khalil nahla , Abd-baky marwa , Taha nasser , Fathy Al shimaa
Published: March 2022

Background Medication administration errors are a constant occurrence on the unit, and patient safety must be a focus. The current study aimed to is to assess critical care nurses Practices' errors regarding medication administration in different critical care settings.Methods: A convenient sample consisted of 60 nurses was obtained from different critical care units at a Teaching Hospital in Upper Egypt utilizing a descriptive exploratory design. The selected critical care units were; medical Intensive care, neurosurgical care, coronary care, chest care and finally stroke unit. Demographic data of the studied nurses and medication administration checklist were utilized to assess nurses' practice concerning medication administration errors. Results: The observational checklist of nurses' practices in preparation and administration of medications were unsatisfactory. Moreover, the current findings revealed a positive correlation between total practice and age as well as nurses' years of experience. On the other hand, negative correlation was found between nurses practice and nurse- patients ratio.Conclusions: Critical care nurses' practice was unsatisfactory in preparation and during administration of medications in different critical care units regardless of their demographic qualifications. Continuing nursing education about types of errors that occur in the use of high alert medications and double check of administered medication
FUNDC1 Mediated Mitophagy in Epileptic Hippocampal Neuronal Injury Induced by Magnesium-free Fluid
Authors: Zhang Yinna , Lian Yajun , Lian Xiaolei , Feng Rui , Sheng Hanqing
Published: March 2022

Mitophagy plays a key role in epileptic neuronal injury, and recent studies have shown that FUNDC1 plays an important role in regulating mitophagy. However, the specific effect of FUNDC1 on neuronal damage in epilepsy is unknown. In this study, we investigated the role of FUNDC1 in mitophagy and neuronal apoptosis using a hippocampal neuronal culture model of acquired epilepsy (AE) in vitro. We found that mitophagy levels were significantly increased in this model, as indicated by elevated LC3A/B ratios. FUNDC1 overexpression using lentiviral vectors enhanced mitophagy, whereas FUNDC1 down-regulation using lentiviral vectors impaired this process. Overexpression of FUNDC1 significantly decreased AE-induced ROS, enhanced cell viability, reduced oxidative stress, and reduced neuronal apoptosis in epileptic hippocampus, while FUNDC1 down-regulation caused the opposite effect. In conclusion, we demonstrated that FUNDC1 is an important modulator of AE-induced neuronal apoptosis by controlling mitophagy function.
Bispiral approach for calculation of powder spectra of electron paramagnetic and nuclear magnetic resonance
Authors: Grachev Valentin G.
Published: March 2022

Simulation of powder spectra uses a summation of spectra calculated for N reference directions of external magnetic field. Usually, the directions are regularly or randomly distributed points on a sphere. Due to an excessive number of points with the same polar angle 𝜃 but with different azimuthal angles 𝜑, axial distributions produce jugged spectra, especially for spin systems with weak azimuthal anisotropy. To improve quality of obtained spectra, a triangulation and subsequent interpolation of resonance fields/frequencies for hundred additional directions between triangle vertices or average over a range of magnetic fields/frequencies (tent) are applied. Single spiral method with graduate steps on both 𝜃 and 𝜑 angles works better for systems with weak azimuthal anisotropy, but allows only few interpolation points along the spiral. Proposed bispiral approach combines best features of both spiral and triangular approaches: exact calculation for 𝑁 reference spiral directions, joining neighbor points of two spirals into a triangular net, and interpolation over hundred directions or the tent average. For systems with C1 symmetry the angular space between primary and complementary spirals is exactly equal to the phase space of magnetic fields (hemisphere). For systems with higher symmetry, the angular space can be significantly reduced by a choice of the 𝜑-shift for the second spiral, on a par with the space reduction for axial distributions. The bispiral approach with interpolation over triangles offers manyfold reduction of the calculation time for large spin or multi-spin systems with high ranks of spin-Hamiltonians in comparison with the single spiral grid.
The Splicing Factor 1–FLOWERING LOCUS M Module Spatially Regulates Temperature-Dependent Flowering by Modulating FLOWERING LOCUS T and LEAFY Expression
Authors: Lee Keh Chien , Lee Hee Tae , Jeong Hwa Hyun , Park Jae-Hyeok , Kim Young-Cheon , Lee Jeong Hwan , Kim Jeong-Kook
Published: March 2022

Alternative splicing mediated by various splicing factors is important for the regulation of plant growth and development. Our recent reports have shown that a temperature-dependent interaction between Arabidopsis thaliana splicing factor 1 (AtSF1) and FLOWERING LOCUS M (FLM) pre-mRNA introns controls the differential production of FLM-β transcripts at different temperatures, eventually resulting in temperature-responsive flowering. However, the molecular and genetic interactions between the AtSF1-FLM module and floral activator genes remain unknown. Here, we aimed to identify the interactions among AtSF1, FLM, FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT), and LEAFY (LFY) by performing molecular and genetic analyses. FT and TWIN SISTER OF FT (TSF) expression in atsf1-2 mutants significantly increased in the morning and middle of the night at 16 and 23 °C, respectively, under long-day conditions. In addition, ft mutation suppressed the early flowering of atsf1-2 and atsf1-2 flm-3 mutants and masked the temperature response of atsf1-2 flm-3 mutants, suggesting that FT is a downstream target gene of the AtSF1-FLM module. LFY expression significantly increased in the diurnal samples of atsf1-2 mutants and in the shoot apex regions of atsf1-2 ft-10 mutants at different temperatures. The chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay revealed that FLM directly binds to the genomic regions of LFY but not of APETALA1 (AP1). Moreover, lfy mutation suppressed the early flowering of flm-3 mutants, suggesting that LFY is another target of the AtSF1-FLM module. Our results reveal that the AtSF1-FLM module spatially modulates temperature-dependent flowering by regulating FT and LFY expressions.
Effect of Ginsenoside Rg1 on Renal Function and Its Signaling Pathway in an in Vivo and in Vitro Model of Sepsis
Authors: Guo Jun , Yuan Zhenhui , Wang Rong
Published: March 2022

Objective: To dissect the mechanism of the traditional Chinese medicine Ginsenoside Rg1 against sepsis-associated acute kidney injury (SAKI), we chose to investigate its contribution to the inhibition of lipid peroxidation and ferroptosis. Methods: A SAKI animal model was used and urinary and serum samples were collected. Production of cytokines and biomarkers such as NGAL, KIM-1, IL-18 and IL-6 were examined by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Proteins such as Gpx4, Ara70, and P53 levels were detected by western blot analysis. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were also detected with specific dyes. Results: We have established a cecal ligation and perforation (CLP) model to simulate SAKI in rats and showed that Rg1 treatment of this model could greatly mitigate the biomarkers of SAKI and progression of symptoms in vivo. In addition, we have shown that Rg1 treatment could reduce ROS level and ferroptosis to mitigate cell death in SAKI-derived cells and efficiently function as a protective agent against oxidation and ferroptosis. Finally, we demonstrated that Rg1 has the potential to be a potent cell death inhibitor as effective as Fer-1.Conclusion: Altogether, we have identified a promising cell death inhibitor in SAKI that could exhibit potent activity as effective as Fer-1.
Design method of using shape memory alloy braces for mitigating residual displacements of BRBFs
Authors: qiu canxing , Du Xiuli
Published: March 2022

Owing to excellent energy-dissipating capability, buckling-restrained braced frames (BRBFs) are popular seismically resisting systems which can well meet the collapse prevention target under strong earthquakes. However, one major concern of BRBFs is the excessive residual displacements after earthquakes, which delays the post-event recovery process. To reduce the residual displacements within tolerant range, this study proposes supplementing SMA braces (SMABs) to address this issue. A design method toward increasing the post-yield stiffness of the global system is developed for this solution. The general trend is first observed through conducting nonlinear time-history analysis (NLTHA) on single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) systems, based on the comparisons made between the original and retrofitted SDOF systems. And then NLTHA is carried out on two benchmark low-to-medium rise BRBFs. The performance indexes of interest include the maximum demand of drifts and accelerations, and the residual drift. Both the SDOF analysis and seismic performance evaluation on multi-story frames show that the designed SMABs could well reduce the residual displacements for the BRBFs, and meanwhile they nearly do not amplify the maximum accelerations. Finally, the efficacy of the design method is further confirmed by parametric analyses, in which the SMABs were sized based on different design parameters and changed hysteretic parameters of the SMAs and the designed frames were subjected to ground motions corresponding to several intensity levels.