bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Φυσική δραστηριότητα στο σχολείο και τον ελεύθερο χρόνο, διατροφικές συνήθειες, συνήθειες ύπνου και κοινωνικό-οικονομικά χαρακτηριστικά παιδιών δημοτικού στην περιοχή Θράκης
Authors: Δαμπουδάνη Νίκη
Published: June 2022

Σκοπός της παρούσας διατριβής ήταν η διερεύνηση της φυσικής δραστηριότητας στο σχολείο και στον ελεύθερο χρόνο παιδιών, ηλικίας 11-12 ετών, μαθητών σε δημοτικά σχολεία της Θράκης. Επιπλέον, καταγράφηκαν διατροφικές συνήθειες και χαρακτηριστικά του ύπνου και έγιναν συσχετίσεις με δείκτες κοινωνικό-οικονομικής κατάστασης των οικογενειών τους.ΜΕΘΟΔΟΣ:Πρόκειται για επιδημιολογική μελέτη επιπολασμού που περιελάμβανε παιδιά που φοιτούσαν σε 53 δημόσια δημοτικά σχολεία στην περιοχή της Θράκης. Μετά τις σχετικές εγκρίσεις, οι γονείς τους απάντησαν ανώνυμο ερωτηματολόγιο σχετικό με τους σκοπούς της έρευνας ενώ πραγματοποιήθηκαν μετρήσεις ύψους, βάρους και περιφέρειας μέσης των παιδιών. ΑΠΟΤΕΛΕΣΜΑΤΑ:Στη μελέτη συμπεριλήφθησαν συνολικά 1929 παιδιά (53% κορίτσια). Τα αγόρια σε σύγκριση με τα κορίτσια είχαν υψηλότερο βαθμό προτίμησης σε δραστηριότητες με κίνηση. Ο μέσος ΔΜΣ των παιδιών ήταν 20.36±3.58 kg/m2, με τον επιπολασμό του υπέρβαρου και της παχυσαρκίας να είναι μεγαλύτερος στα αγόρια σε σύγκριση με τα κορίτσια (p=0.001). Επιπλέον, τα αγόρια είχαν μεγαλύτερες τιμές τόσο στο zBMI (p<0.001) όσο και στο δείκτη WtHR (p<0.001). Ο επιπολασμός της κεντρικής παχυσαρκίας επί του συνόλου του δείγματος ήταν 20,3%, σημαντικά υψηλότερος στα αγόρια (22,8%) σε σύγκριση με τα κορίτσια (18,0%). Δεν παρατηρήθηκε στατιστικά σημαντική συσχέτιση ανάμεσα στις ώρες συμμετοχής σε οργανωμένη δραστηριότητα και τις τρεις κατηγορίες του BMI, τόσο για τα αγόρια (p=0.250) όσο και για τα κορίτσια (p=0.067). Οι ώρες συμμετοχής σε οργανωμένη φυσική δραστηριότητα, στα αγόρια είχαν σημαντική επίδραση μόνο στον δείκτη WtHR (p=0.032), ενώ στα κορίτσια στην περιφέρεια μέσης (p=0.013), στον ΔΜΣ (p=0.019) και στον δείκτη WHtR (p=0.004). Ως προς τη διατροφή: το 29,3% των παιδιών κατανάλωνε γρήγορο φαγητό από έξω (ψητοπωλεία, delivery) τουλάχιστον 1 φορά την εβδομάδα. Όσον αφορά τον ύπνο, το 71,1% των παιδιών τις ημέρες της σχολικής περιόδου και το 96,8% τα Σαββατοκύριακα είχαν επαρκή ύπνο (τουλάχιστον 9 ώρες ημερησίως). Ακόμη, το 23,9% των παιδιών, ανέφερε τουλάχιστον μία από τις εξεταζόμενες διαταραχές ύπνου. Σημαντικές συσχετίσεις, επίσης παρατηρήθηκαν μεταξύ του τόπου κατοικίας, του μορφωτικού επίπεδου των γονέων και της συχνότητας άθλησής τους τόσο με την οργανωμένη φυσική δραστηριότητα όσο και με το ελεύθερο παιχνίδι. Το μορφωτικό επίπεδο του πατέρα συσχετίστηκε σημαντικά με την προσήλωση στη μεσογειακή διατροφή και με την ώρα ύπνου. ΣΥΜΠΕΡΑΣΜΑΣτην περιοχή της Θράκης, τα αγόρια προεφηβικής ηλικίας σε σχέση με τα κορίτσια βρέθηκε να είναι σε μεγαλύτερο βαθμό υπέρβαρα, παχύσαρκα και με κεντρική παχυσαρκία, παρά τη δηλωμένη προτίμηση σε δραστηριότητες με άσκηση.Οι κοινωνικό-δημογραφικοί παράγοντες και τα οικογενειακά πρότυπα μπορούν να διαδραματίσουν σημαντικό ρόλο στην καθιέρωση ενός υγιεινού τρόπου ζωής με αύξηση της σωματικής δραστηριότητας και σωστή διατροφή.
Αξιολόγηση της επίδρασης της κατάστασης θρέψης στην εξέλιξη της νόσου και στην επιβίωση ασθενών με καρκίνο του μαστού
Authors: Μαντζώρου Μαρία
Published: June 2022

Εισαγωγή: Η κατάσταση θρέψης επηρεάζει την επιβίωση των ασθενών με καρκίνο. Υπάρχουν λίγες μελέτες που διερευνούν το ρόλο της κατάστασης θρέψης στην επιβίωση χωρίς υποτροπή σε γυναίκες με καρκίνο του μαστού, και ακόμη λιγότερες σχετικά με τον αντίκτυπο της υιοθέτησης της Μεσογειακής Διατροφής.Μέθοδοι: Στην παρούσα μελέτη συμμετείχαν 114 γυναίκες, ηλικίας 35-87 ετών, με καρκίνο του μαστού, από τη Λάρισα. Λήφθηκς υπόψιν η ιστοπαθολογική εκτίμηση, και μετρήθηκαν οι ανθρωπομετρικοί δείκτες από εκπαιδευμένη νοσηλεύτρια, ενώ ερωτηματολόγια σχετικά με την κατάσταση θρέψης (Mini Nutritional Assessment), την ποιότητα ζωής σχετιζόμενη με την υγεία (EORTC QLQ-C30), τη φυσική δραστηριότητα (International Physical Activity Questionnaire) και συμμόρφωση με το πρότυπο της Μεσογειακής Διατροφής (Mediterranean Diet Score). Οι συμμετέχοντες παρακολουθήθηκαν έως και 42 μήνες.Αποτελέσματα: Το 74% των ασθενών ήταν υπέρβαρες ή παχύσαρκες, ωστόσο το 4% των γυναικών βρισκόντουσαν σε υποθρεψία, και το 28% βρισκόντουσαν σε κίνδυνο υποσιτισμού. Το 41% ​​των γυναικών είχε καρκίνο σταδίου 1, το 40% είχε καρκίνο σταδίου 2 και το 18% είχε καρκίνο σταδίων 3 και 4. Το 51% των γυναικών είχαν χαμηλή προσκόλληση στη Μεσογειακή Διατροφή (MedDietScore ≤ 26). Το 59,7% των γυναικών είχαν χαμηλή ποιότητα ζωής. Το 55,3% των ασθενών είχαν χαμηλά επίπεδα φυσικής δραστηριότητας και το 22,8% είχαν υψηλά επίπεδα φυσικής δραστηριότητας. Το 19,3% των ασθενών υποτροπίασε εντός 42 μηνών.Η χαμηλή προσκόλληση στη Μεσογειακή Διατροφή σχετίστηκε με χειρότερη κατάσταση θρέψης και η υψηλή προσκόλληση στη Μεσογειακή Διατροφή συσχετίστηκε με μεγαλύτερη επιβίωση χωρίς υποτροπή. Η χειρότερη κατάσταση θρέψης σχετίστηκε με προχωρημένη νόσο και βραχύτερη επιβίωση χωρίς υποτροπή. Η βραχύτερη επιβίωση χωρίς υποτροπή συσχετίστηκε επίσης με φυσιολογικό Δείκτη Μάζας Σώματος, μεγαλύτερο μέγεθος όγκου, πιο προχωρημένο στάδιο νόσου, και χαμηλότερη ποιότητα ζωής σχετιζόμενη με την υγεία και χαμηλά επίπεδα φυσικής δραστηριότητας.Συμπέρασμα: Ο αντίκτυπος της Μεσογειακής Διατροφής στην επιβίωση χωρίς υποτροπή είναι ακόμη υπό διερεύνηση και μελλοντικές μελέτες παρέμβασης πρέπει να επικεντρωθούν στον ρόλο της υιοθέτησης της Μεσογειακής Διατροφής πριν από τη θεραπεία στην επιβίωση και την εξέλιξη της νόσου. Επιπλέον, η παρούσα μελέτη υπογραμμίζει επίσης τη σημασία μιας καλής κατάστασης θρέψης στην εξέλιξη της νόσου και την ανάγκη για διατροφική αξιολόγηση, διατροφική εκπαίδευση και διατροφική παρέμβαση σε γυναίκες με καρκίνο του μαστού.
Current views of community and hospital pharmacists on pharmaceutical care services in the United Arab Emirates: A mixed methodological study
Authors: Kharaba Zelal , Farhat Joviana , Mahboub Bassam S. , Buabeid Manal Ali , Alfoteih Yassen , Al-Worafi Yaser , Jaber Ammar , AlAhmad Mohammad
Published: June 2022

Background:The profession of pharmacy has evolved significantly in recent years in terms of professional service delivery. The aim of this study was to explore the current views of pharmacists in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on pharmaceutical care services and the nature of barriers encountered in practice using qualitative and quantitative assessment methods.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted among hospital and community pharmacists (n = 305) between March and May 2021, using qualitative and quantitative assessment methods. In the qualitative phase, 15 interviews were conducted to explore five main criteria: patient information, inadequate patient counseling, prescribing errors prevention and identifying drug-related problems, lack of participation in health awareness programs, and barriers to pharmaceutical care implementation. In the quantitative phase, 305 consenting pharmacists completed a questionnaire on seven criteria: demographic profile, pharmacist-physician interaction, patient counseling assessment, patient reports of adverse drug events, pharmacist participation in health awareness programs, perceptions of reducing prescribing errors and identifying drug-related problems, and barriers to appropriate pharmaceutical care implementation.Results:The results of both the qualitative and quantitative phases of the study revealed that pharmacists' influence on practice in the UAE is limited due to many factors, mainly lack of time and patients' ignorance of the pharmacist's role in the medical field. The mean responses regarding pharmacists' approach to patient counseling and patients' knowledge of pharmacists' role in managing adverse drug reactions were 77.1% and 59.7%, respectively. Active participation in health awareness programs was 64.8%. The mean positive response of participants in reducing prescribing errors and recognizing drug-related problems was 9.2%. Pharmacists' age and number of years in practice were the most important factors influencing the pharmaceutical care services implementation.Conclusion:The study has shown the need to shed light on the proper implementation of pharmaceutical care while maintaining a trusting relationship with physicians.
Python for gene expression
Authors: Bystrykh Leonid
Published: June 2022

Genome biology shows substantial progress in its analytical and computational part in the last decades. Differential gene expression is one of many computationally intense areas; it is largely developed under R programming language. Here we explain possible reasons for such dominance of R in gene expression data. Next, we discuss the prospects for Python to become competitive in this area of research in coming years. We indicate that Python can be used already in a field of a single cell differential gene expression. We pinpoint still missing parts in Python and possibilities for improvement.
A Rational Approach to Drug Repositioning in β-thalassemia: Induction of Fetal Hemoglobin by Established Drugs
Authors: Prosdocimi Marco , Zuccato Cristina , Cosenza Lucia Carmela , Borgatti Monica , Lampronti Ilaria , Finotti Alessia , Gambari Roberto
Published: June 2022

Drug repositioning and the relevance of orphan drug designation for β-thalassemia is reviewed. Drug repositioning and similar terms ('drug repurposing', 'drug reprofiling', 'drug redirecting', ‘drug rescue’, ‘drug re-tasking’ and/or 'drug rediscovery') have gained great attention, especially in the field or rare diseases (RDs), and represent relevant novel drug development strategies to be considered together with the “off-label” use of pharmaceutical products under clinical trial regimen. The most significant advantage of drug repositioning over traditional drug development is that the repositioned drug has already passed a significant number of short- and long-term toxicity tests, as well as it has already undergone pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) studies. The established safety of repositioned drugs is known to significantly reduce the probability of project failure. Furthermore, development of repurposed drugs can shorten much of the time needed to bring a drug to market. Finally, patent filing of repurposed drugs is expected to catch the attention of pharmaceutical industries interested in the development of therapeutic protocols for RDs. Repurposed molecules that could be proposed as potential drugs for β-thalassemia, will be reported, with some of the most solid examples, including sirolimus (rapamycin) that recently has been tested in a pilot clinical trial.
El papel de la revolucion de 1910 en el nacionalismo mexicano. Interpretaciones oficiales y alternativas en la prensa escrita (1968-1976)
Authors: Pascual-Gutiérrez Iris
Published: June 2022

Uno de los pilares fundamentales del sistema político autoritario imperante en México durante gran parte del siglo XX fue un intenso discurso nacionalista, caracterizada entre otros aspectos por una interpretación determinada de la historia del país. El presente trabajo propone una aproximación a las diferentes visiones que la prensa escrita mexicana ofreció entre 1968 y 1976 en torno a la revolución de 1910 como argumento del nacionalismo gubernamental. Analizaremos para ello artículos publicados por dos medios (el diario El Nacional y el semanario Siempre!) en tres hitos concretos de este marco cronológico (finales de 1968, 1973 y finales de 1976) para explorar la existencia de diferentes puntos de vista sobre esta cuestión. Las divergencias encontradas, con enfoques tanto oficialistas como críticos, pueden relacionarse con la compleja realidad mexicana de estos años, marcada por hitos como el movimiento estudiantil de 1968 o la “apertura democrática”.
El nacionalismo canario y el insularismo tinerfeño durante la transición democrática
Authors: del Pino García Sánchez Jenny
Published: June 2022

N El proceso transicional del estado dictatorial franquista hacia la democracia española permitió, tras la promulgación del texto constitucional del 1978, que la prensa, como vehículo informativo esencial y como conformadora de la opinión pública, sufriera una lenta pero imparable transformación hacia la pluralidad ideológica, y revivieran las tendencias nacionalistas pero, sobre todo, las insularistas de las islas capitalinas. Durante la dictadura, limitados por la Ley de Prensa de 1938, los medios se convierten en bocas de salida de un mismo mensaje, aquel que no era censurado por la dictadura, el que preconizaba con la nación unida, grande y libre. La transición supone, de facto, el inicio de la transformación de la prensa española porque, a pesar de que desde 1966 se contaba con una nueva ley de prensa que daba muestras de cierta libertad de información, esta seguía contando con un régimen sancionador feroz. Para corroborar la hipótesis planteada, la presente comunicación, recoge los principales rasgos obtenidos de una análisis pormenorizado y exhaustivo de una serie de hitos y acontecimientos relevantes para la sociedad tinerfeña enla prensa de la provincia durante el proceso transicional, teniendo en cuenta las peculiaridades informativasde los medios canarios.
Far West en Lengua Vasca: el periodismo pionero del semanario Vasco-Americano California’ko Eskual Herria (1893-1898)
Authors: Murua Uria Imanol
Published: June 2022

El primer medio de comunicación publicado íntegramente en euskera y que perduró en el tiempo no se publicó en el País Vasco sino en los Estados Unidos de América. California’ko Eskual Herria, un periodico de cuatro páginas que se publicó semanalmente en Los Angeles desde 1893 a 1898, practicó un periodismo de alto carácter informativo diferente al modelo más ideológico practicado en el mismo idioma por la prensa bilingüe del País Vasco. En esta investigación se ha analizado el modelo periodístico del semanario vasco-americano en base fundamentalmente a los géneros utilizados en sus textos informativos. El género más utilizado fue la noticia, también se publicaron numerosas crónicas pero no se han detectado textos que puedan ser catalogados como entrevistas o reportajes.
El cine biográfico español (1900-1939): causas de su producción y labor de la prensa cinematográfica
Authors: Úrbez Fernández Pablo
Published: June 2022

El presente artículo analiza revistas cinematográficas españolas y declaraciones de intelectuales entre 1900 y 1939, centrando el análisis en lo referente al cine biográfico. Este interés por el cine biográfico viene refrendado por su vinculación al contexto político-cultural, marcado por el regeneracionismo, la búsqueda de la identidad nacional y la paulatina asunción del cine como un instrumento pedagógico. De esta manera, las fuentes consultadas permiten entrever una creciente demanda de este tipo de películas, de las cuales se filmaron menos de veinte desde la aparición del cinematógrafo hasta el franquismo. Por otra parte, analizando las películas estrenadas, obtenemos también las claves de la manera de idear un filme biográfico en aquel entonces, así como comprender los porqués de la insatisfacción generalizada de la crítica especializada. La ineludible comparación con las cinematografías extranjeras y la presión por presentar honrosamente la Historia de España lastró el cine biográfico de aquel entonces
Cal dir. la lucha por el relato en el partido comunista
Authors: Senso Vila Carles Xavier
Published: June 2022

La revista Cal Dir fue voz del Partido Comunista del País Valenciano pero mucho más. Representó entre el 1 de marzo de 1977 y el 27 de septiembre de 1978 un experimento comunicativo sin precedentes en la prensa de partido, al estar capitaneada por una serie de jóvenes con una visión de la nueva democracia española alejada de los parámetros establecidos por el “aparato” del partido. Dicha pluralidad comunicativa y la excesiva representatividad de los eurorenovadores provocó continuos choques con la dirigencia central, sentenciando de muerte a la publicación cuando las estrecheces económicas se unieron a la pérdida de peso de los representantes valencianistas.
A deep-dive thematic analysis of low-harm hospital-acquired pressure ulcers
Authors: MacDonald Jenni
Published: June 2022

Preventing patient harm from pressure ulcers in health and social care settings remains high on local and national agendas. Furnishing staff with robust data and using a thematic analysis methodology allows care providers to embrace all available learning from incidents of pressure ulcers. This article explores this methodology and local findings with key next steps for the harm-free care and quality improvement strategies in an acute NHS foundation trust.
Effect of wrinkles on extreme ultraviolet pellicle reflectivity and local critical dimension
Authors: Lee Dong Gi , Kim Young Woong , Moon Seungchan , Ahn Jinho
Published: June 2022

Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) pellicles must have an EUV reflectance (EUVR) below 0.04% to prevent the reduction of critical dimension (CD). However, pellicle wrinkles cause localized CD variation by locally amplifying the EUVR. This study demonstrates that wrinkles can increase the pellicle’s EUVR by approximately four times, and the CD drop depends on the relative position of the reflected light from the wrinkle to the 0th- or 1st-order diffracted light. The CD decreases by 6 nm. Therefore, even if the pellicle satisfies the requirement for the EUVR, we need to tightly control the generation of wrinkles to suppress CD variation during the entire exposure process.
ADS-Net: attention-awareness and deep supervision based network for automatic detection of retinopathy of prematurity
Authors: Peng Yuanyuan , Chen Zhongyue , Zhu Weifang , Shi Fei , Wang Meng , Zhou Yi , Xiang Daoman , Chen Xinjian , Chen Feng
Published: June 2022

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a proliferative vascular disease, which is one of the most dangerous and severe ocular complications in premature infants. Automatic ROP detection system can assist ophthalmologists in the diagnosis of ROP, which is safe, objective, and cost-effective. Unfortunately, due to the large local redundancy and the complex global dependencies in medical image processing, it is challenging to learn the discriminative representation from ROP-related fundus images. To bridge this gap, a novel attention-awareness and deep supervision based network (ADS-Net) is proposed to detect the existence of ROP (Normal or ROP) and 3-level ROP grading (Mild, Moderate, or Severe). First, to balance the problems of large local redundancy and complex global dependencies in images, we design a multi-semantic feature aggregation (MsFA) module based on self-attention mechanism to take full advantage of convolution and self-attention, generating attention-aware expressive features. Then, to solve the challenge of difficult training of deep model and further improve ROP detection performance, we propose an optimization strategy with deeply supervised loss. Finally, the proposed ADS-Net is evaluated on ROP screening and grading tasks with per-image and per-examination strategies, respectively. In terms of per-image classification pattern, the proposed ADS-Net achieves 0.9552 and 0.9037 for Kappa index in ROP screening and grading, respectively. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed ADS-Net generally outperforms other state-of-the-art classification networks, showing the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Low-temperature NIR-VUV optical constants of (001) LaAlO3 crystal
Authors: Nepomniashchaia Natalia , Vetokhina Volha , Chvostova Dagmar , Bryknar Zdenek , Dejneka Alexandr , Tyunina Marina
Published: June 2022

The optical constants and dielectric function of (001) LaAlO3 crystal were investigated at low temperatures down to 10 K in the NIR-VUV spectral range (photon energies 0.8-8.8 eV). Reflection variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry and transmission spectroscopy were applied. Interband transitions were examined using the Tauc plots and the critical-point analysis. At room temperature, the indirect bandgap of 5.6 ± 0.01 eV and the lowest-energy direct transition at 7.2 ± 0.03 eV were detected. On cooling to 10 K, a blueshift of ∼0.2 eV and ∼0.1 eV was observed for the indirect and direct transitions, respectively. In the transparency spectral range, the index of refraction was found to be nearly temperature-independent and vary with photon energy from 2.0 (1 eV) to 2.5 (5.5 eV). It was suggested that the excellent thermal stability of the index of refraction may be related to the revealed thermally stable interband transitions. The results are of importance for modeling and design of modern optical devices.
Independent measurement of phase and amplitude modulation in phase change material-based devices
Authors: Sevison Gary A. , Malone Trent , Heenkenda Remona , Burrow Joshua A. , Sarangan Andrew , Hendrickson Joshua R. , Agha Imad
Published: June 2022

For active beam manipulation devices, such as those based on liquid crystals, phase-change materials, or electro-optic materials, measuring accumulated phase of the light passing through a layer of the material is imperative to understand the functionality of the overall device. In this work we discuss a way of measuring the phase accumulation through a switched layer of Ge2Sb2Te5, which is seeing rapid use as means to high speed dynamic reconfiguration of free space light. Utilizing an interferometer in the switching setup and modulating the phase of one arm, the intensity of a probe beam can be captured and phase data pulled from it. Simulations were used to discover the connection between the intensity modulations and the phase information. The technique was tested experimentally and it was found that within error, the measurement was robust and repeatable.
Ince-Gauss beams in a turbulent atmosphere: the effect of structural parameters on beam resilience
Authors: Narváez Castañeda Emmanuel , Guerra Vázquez José César , Ramírez Alarcón Roberto , Agha Imad , Zhan Qiwen , Plick William N.
Published: June 2022

In this work, we present an extensive analysis on the nature and performance of Ince-Gauss (IG) beams, elliptical solutions of the paraxial wave equation (PWE) that carry orbital angular momentum (OAM), as information carriers in a turbulent atmosphere. We perform numerical simulations of the propagation of these beams, and focus on the effects that the order, degree, and ellipticity parameters have on the robustness of the beams. We find that the choice of basis in which a mode is constructed does not greatly influence the mode performance compared to the effect that the combination of order and degree values have.
Exome sequencing in multiplex families with left-sided cardiac defects has high yield for disease gene discovery
Authors: Gordon David M. , Cunningham David , Zender Gloria , Lawrence Patrick J. , Penaloza Jacqueline S. , Lin Hui , Fitzgerald-Butt Sara M. , Myers Katherine , Duong Tiffany , Corsmeier Donald J. , Gaither Jeffrey B. , Kuck Harkness C. , Wijeratne Saranga , Moreland Blythe , Kelly Benjamin J. ,   Baylor-Johns Hopkins Center for Mendelian Genomics, Garg Vidu , White Peter , McBride Kim L.
Published: June 2022

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a common group of birth defects with a strong genetic contribution to their etiology, but historically the diagnostic yield from exome studies of isolated CHD has been low. Pleiotropy, variable expressivity, and the difficulty of accurately phenotyping newborns contribute to this problem. We hypothesized that performing exome sequencing on selected individuals in families with multiple members affected by left-sided CHD, then filtering variants by population frequency,in silicopredictive algorithms, and phenotypic annotations from publicly available databases would increase this yield and generate a list of candidate disease-causing variants that would show a high validation rate. In eight of the nineteen families in our study (42%), we established a well-known gene/phenotype link for a candidate variant or performed confirmation of a candidate variant’s effect on protein function, including variants in genes not previously described or firmly established as disease genes in the body of CHD literature:BMP10,CASZ1,ROCK1andSMYD1. Two plausible variants in different genes were found to segregate in the same family in two instances suggesting oligogenic inheritance. These results highlight the need for functional validation and demonstrate that in the era of next-generation sequencing, multiplex families with isolated CHD can still bring high yield to the discovery of novel disease genes.
Higher helminth ova counts and incomplete decomposition in sand-enveloped latrine pits in a coastal sub-district of Bangladesh
Authors: Rahman Mahbubur , Islam Mahfuza , Doza Solaiman , Naser Abu Mohammed , Shoab Abul Kasham , Rosenbaum Julia , Islam Md. Shariful , Unicomb Leanne , Clasen Thomas F. , Ercumen Ayse
Published: June 2022

Pit latrines are the most common latrine technology in rural Bangladesh, and untreated effluent from pits can directly contaminate surrounding aquifers. Sand barriers installed around the latrine pit can help reduce contamination but can also alter the decomposition of the fecal sludge and accelerate pit fill-up, which can counteract their benefits. We aimed to evaluate whether there was a difference in decomposition of fecal sludge and survival of soil-transmitted helminth (STH) ova among latrines where a 50-cm sand barrier was installed surrounding and at the bottom of the pit, compared to latrines without a sand barrier, in coastal Bangladesh. We assessed decomposition in latrine pits by measuring the carbon-nitrogen (C/N) ratio of fecal sludge. We enumerated Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura ova in the pit following 18 and 24 months of latrine use. We compared these outcomes between latrines with and without sand barriers using generalized linear models with robust standard errors to adjust for clustering at the village level. The C/N ratio in latrines with and without a sand barrier was 13.47 vs. 22.64 (mean difference: 9.16, 95% CI: 0.15, 18.18). Pits with sand barriers filled more quickly and were reportedly emptied three times more frequently than pits without; 27/34 latrines with sand barriers vs. 9/34 latrines without barriers were emptied in the previous six months. Most reported disposal methods were unsafe. Compared to latrines without sand barriers, latrines with sand barriers had significantly higher log10 mean counts of non-larvated A. lumbricoides ova (log10 mean difference: 0.35, 95% CI: 0.12, 0.58) and T. trichiura ova (log10 mean difference: 0.47, 95% CI: 0.20, 0.73). Larvated ova counts were similar for the two types of latrines for both A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura. Our findings suggest that sand barriers help contain helminth ova within the pits but pits with barriers fill up more quickly, leading to more frequent emptying of insufficiently decomposed fecal sludge. Further research is required on latrine technologies that can both isolate pathogens from the environment and achieve rapid decomposition.
Extracellular vesicles from Trichinella spiralis: Proteomic analysis and protective immunity
Authors: Gao Xin , Yang Yong , Liu Xiaolei , Xu Fengyan , Wang Yang , Liu Lei , Yang Yaming , Liu Mingyuan , Bai Xue
Published: June 2022

Trichinella spiralis (T. spiralis) derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been proposed to play a key role in regulating the host immune responses. In this study, we provided the first investigation of EVs proteomics released by T. spiralis muscle larvae (ML). T. spiralis ML EVs (Ts-ML-EVs) were successfully isolated and characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and western blotting. Using liquid chromatograph mass spectrometer (LC-MS/MS) analysis, we identified 753 proteins in the Ts-ML-EVs proteome and annotated by gene ontology (GO). These proteins were enriched in different categories by GO, kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) and domain analysis. GO enrichment analysis indicated association of protein deglutathionylation, lysosomal lumen and serine-type endopeptidase inhibitor activity with proteins which may be helpful during parasite-host interaction. Moreover, KEGG enrichment analysis revealed involvement of Ts-ML-EVs proteins in other glycan degradation, complement and coagulation cascades, proteasome and various metabolism pathways. In addition, BALB/c mice were immunized by subcutaneous injection of purified Ts-ML-EVs. Ts-ML-EVs group demonstrated a 23.4% reduction in adult worms and a 43.7% reduction in ML after parasite challenge. Cellular and humoral immune responses induced by Ts-ML-EVs were detected, including the levels of specific antibodies (IgG, IgM, IgE, IgG1 and IgG2a) as well as cytokines (IL-12, IFN-γ, IL-4 and IL-10) in serum. The results showed that Ts-ML-EVs could induce a Th1/Th2 mixed immune response with Th2 predominant. This study revealed a potential role of Ts-ML-EVs in T. spiralis biology, particularly in the interaction with host. This work provided a critical step to against T. spiralis infection based on Ts-ML-EVs.
Intron-derived small RNAs for silencing viral RNAs in mosquito cells
Authors: Tng Priscilla Y. L. , Carabajal Paladino Leonela Z. , Anderson Michelle A. E. , Adelman Zach N. , Fragkoudis Rennos , Noad Rob , Alphey Luke
Published: June 2022

Aedes aegyptiandAe.albopictusare the main vectors of mosquito-borne viruses of medical and veterinary significance. Many of these viruses have RNA genomes. Exogenously provided, e.g. transgene encoded, small RNAs could be used to inhibit virus replication, breaking the transmission cycle. We tested, inAe.aegyptiandAe.albopictuscell lines, reporter-based strategies for assessing the ability of two types of small RNAs to inhibit a chikungunya virus (CHIKV) derived target. Both types of small RNAs use aDrosophila melanogasterpre-miRNA-1based hairpin for their expression, either with perfect base-pairing in the stem region (shRNA-like) or containing two mismatches (miRNA-like). The pre-miRNA-1stem loop structure was encoded within an intron; this allows co-expression of one or more proteins, e.g. a fluorescent protein marker tracking the temporal and spatial expression of the small RNAsin vivo. Three reporter-based systems were used to assess the relative silencing efficiency of ten shRNA-like siRNAs and corresponding miRNA-like designs. Two systems used a luciferase reporter RNA with CHIKV RNA inserted either in the coding sequence or within the 3’ UTR. A third reporter used a CHIKV derived split replication system. All three reporters demonstrated that while silencing could be achieved with both miRNA-like and shRNA-like designs, the latter were substantially more effective. Dcr-2 was required for the shRNA-like siRNAs as demonstrated by loss of inhibition of the reporters in Dcr-2 deficient cell lines. These positive results in cell culture are encouraging for the potential use of this pre-miRNA-1-based system in transgenic mosquitoes.
Changes in interstitial cells and gastric excitability in a mouse model of sleeve gastrectomy
Authors: Moon Suk Bae , Hwang Sung Jin , Baker Sal , Kim Minkyung , Sasse Kent , Koh Sang Don , Sanders Kenton M. , Ward Sean M.
Published: June 2022

Obesity is a critical risk factor of several life-threatening diseases and the prevalence in adults has dramatically increased over the past ten years. In the USA the age-adjusted prevalence of obesity in adults was 42.4%, i.e., with a body mass index (BMI, weight (kg)/height (m)2) that exceeds 30 kg/m2. Obese individuals are at the higher risk of obesity-related diseases, co-morbid conditions, lower quality of life, and increased mortality more than those in the normal BMI range i.e., 18.5–24.9 kg/m2. Surgical treatment continues to be the most efficient and scientifically successful treatment for obese patients. Sleeve gastrectomy or vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) is a relatively new gastric procedure to reduce body weight but is now the most popular bariatric operation. To date there have been few studies examining the changes in the cellular components and pacemaker activity that occur in the gastric wall following VSG and whether normal gastric activity recovers following VSG. In the present study we used a murine model to investigate the chronological changes of gastric excitability including electrophysiological, molecular and morphological changes in the gastric musculature following VSG. There is a significant disruption in specialized interstitial cells of Cajal in the gastric antrum following sleeve gastrectomy. This is associated with a loss of gastric pacemaker activity and post-junctional neuroeffector responses. Over a 4-month recovery period there was a gradual return in interstitial cells of Cajal networks, pacemaker activity and neural responses. These data describe for the first time the changes in gastric interstitial cells of Cajal networks, pacemaker activity and neuroeffector responses and the time-dependent recovery of ICC networks and normalization of motor activity and neural responses following VSG.
Accuracy of two deep learning–based reconstruction methods compared with an adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction method for solid and ground-glass nodule volumetry on low-dose and ultra–low-dose chest computed tomography: A phantom study
Authors: Kim Cherry , Kwack Thomas , Kim Wooil , Cha Jaehyung , Yang Zepa , Yong Hwan Seok
Published: June 2022

No published studies have evaluated the accuracy of volumetric measurement of solid nodules and ground-glass nodules on low-dose or ultra–low-dose chest computed tomography, reconstructed using deep learning–based algorithms. This is an important issue in lung cancer screening. Our study aimed to investigate the accuracy of semiautomatic volume measurement of solid nodules and ground-glass nodules, using two deep learning–based image reconstruction algorithms (Truefidelity and ClariCT.AI), compared with iterative reconstruction (ASiR-V) in low-dose and ultra–low-dose settings. We performed computed tomography scans of solid nodules and ground-glass nodules of different diameters placed in a phantom at four radiation doses (120 kVp/220 mA, 120 kVp/90 mA, 120 kVp/40 mA, and 80 kVp/40 mA). Each scan was reconstructed using Truefidelity, ClariCT.AI, and ASiR-V. The solid nodule and ground-glass nodule volumes were measured semiautomatically. The gold-standard volumes could be calculated using the diameter since all nodule phantoms are perfectly spherical. Subsequently, absolute percentage measurement errors of the measured volumes were calculated. Image noise was also calculated. Across all nodules at all dose settings, the absolute percentage measurement errors of Truefidelity and ClariCT.AI were less than 11%; they were significantly lower with Truefidelity or ClariCT.AI than with ASiR-V (all P<0.05). The absolute percentage measurement errors for the smallest solid nodule (3 mm) reconstructed by Truefidelity or ClariCT.AI at all dose settings were significantly lower than those of this nodule reconstructed by ASiR-V (all P<0.05). Furthermore, the lowest absolute percentage measurement errors for ground-glass nodules were observed with Truefidelity or ClariCT.AI at all dose settings. The absolute percentage measurement errors for ground-glass nodules reconstructed with Truefidelity at ultra–low-dose settings were significantly lower than those of all sizes of ground-glass nodules reconstructed with ASiR-V (all P<0.05). Image noise was lowest with Truefidelity (all P<0.05). In conclusion, the deep learning–based algorithms were more accurate for volume measurements of both solid nodules and ground-glass nodules than ASiR-V at both low-dose and ultra–low-dose settings.
Awareness of hepatitis B post-exposure prophylaxis among healthcare providers in Wakiso district, Central Uganda
Authors: Isunju John Bosco , Wafula Solomon Tsebeni , Ndejjo Rawlance , Nuwematsiko Rebecca , Bakkabulindi Pamela , Nalugya Aisha , Muleme James , Kimara Winnie Kansiime , Kibira Simon P. S. , Nakiggala Joana , Mugambe Richard K. , Buregyeya Esther , Ssekamatte Tonny , Wanyenze Rhoda K.
Published: June 2022

Background

Healthcare providers (HCPs) are at an elevated occupational health risk of hepatitis B virus infections. Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is one of the measures recommended to avert this risk. However, there is limited evidence of HCPs’ awareness of hepatitis B PEP. Therefore, this study aimed to establish awareness of hepatitis B PEP among HCPs in Wakiso, a peri-urban district that surrounds Uganda’s capital, Kampala.

Methods

A total of 306 HCPs, selected from 55 healthcare facilities (HCFs) were interviewed using a validated structured questionnaire. The data were collected and entered using the Kobo Collect mobile application. Multivariable binary logistic regression was used to establish the factors associated with awareness of hepatitis B PEP.

Results

Of the 306 HCPs, 93 (30.4%) had ever heard about hepatitis B PEP and 16 (5.2%) had ever attended training where they were taught about hepatitis B PEP. Only 10.8% were aware of any hepatitis B PEP options, with 19 (6.2%) and 14 (4.6%) mentioning hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) and hepatitis B vaccine, respectively as PEP options. Individuals working in the maternity department were less likely to be aware of hepatitis B PEP (AOR = 0.10, 95% CI = 0.02–0.53). There was a positive association between working in a healthcare facility in an urban setting and awareness of hepatitis B PEP (AOR = 5.48, 95% CI = 1.42–21.20). Hepatitis B screening and vaccination were not associated with awareness of PEP.

Conclusions

Only one-tenth of the HCPs were aware of any hepatitis B PEP option. Awareness of hepatitis B PEP is associated with the main department of work and working in a healthcare facility in an urban setting. This study suggests a need to sensitise HCPs, especially those in rural HCFs and maternity wards on hepatitis B PEP. The use of innovative strategies such as e-communication channels, including mobile text messaging might be paramount in bridging the awareness gap.
Understanding the perceptions of parents and preschool principals on the determinants of weight management among Iranian preschoolers: A directed qualitative content analysis
Authors: Hamzavi Zarghani Najmeh , Ghofranipour Fazlollah , Mohammadi Eesa , Cardon Greet
Published: June 2022

The current study aimed to understand the perceptions and experiences of Iranian parents and principals of preschool children on weight management based on the PRECEDE-PROCEED Model (PPM), a comprehensive structure for assessing health needs for designing, implementing, and evaluating health promotion, and other public health programs. PRECEDE provides a structure for planning a targeted and focused public health program, and PROCEED provides a structure for implementing and evaluating the program. Data were gathered from 17 preschoolers’ parents and two principals using semi-structured interviews in the preschool setting in Tehran, the capital of Iran, in 2019. Data were analyzed manually through directed content analysis based on constructs in phases two and three of the PPM, simultaneously with data collection. This study identified genetic, behavioral (e.g., food preferences, physical activity, sedentary behaviors, the effect of parents’, peers’, principals’ and teachers’ behavior and also influence of grandparents’ and neighbors’ behaviors) and environmental (e.g., home, grandparents’ home and preschool) factors from the epidemiological construct. Also, predisposing (e.g., child’s attitude, parent’s and principals’ attitude, as well as parents’ knowledge and parents’ and principals’ beliefs), enabling (e.g., parental skills and skills of the principals and teachers, rules and laws in the preschools, and availability), and reinforcing (e.g., family support and influences, teachers’ encouragement and influences, and peers’ influences) factors were identified from the educational and ecological construct. Additionally, “quality of child-parent relationship” was determined as a new factor affecting preschoolers’ weight management promotion; however, it was not in the PPM. In the study, parents’ and principals’ experiences regarding preschoolers’ weight management promotion confirmed the genetic, behavioral, environmental, predisposing, enabling and reinforcing factors of the PPM. “Quality of child-parent relationship” factor may be related to the culture and family relationship type of Iranian people, which is suggested to be investigated in future studies.
Long-term outcomes after discontinuing biological drugs and tofacitinib in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A prospective cohort study
Authors: Mori Shunsuke , Okada Akitomo , Koga Tomohiro , Ueki Yukitaka
Published: June 2022

Objective

This study examined long-term outcomes of biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) and tofacitinib discontinuation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods

Ninety-seven RA patients who desired drug discontinuation after sustained remission or low disease activity for at least 48 weeks due to stable treatment with biological drugs or tofacitinib were enrolled into this study. All patients were prospectively followed until disease flare or the end of the study. Discontinued drugs (previous drugs) were reintroduced to treat flares.

Results

Following bDMARD/tofacitinib discontinuation (mean follow-up, 2.1 years; standard deviation, 2.0), disease flare occurred at a crude incidence rate of 0.36 per person-year. The median time to flare was 1.6 years (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.9–2.6), and the cumulative flare probability was estimated to be 45% at 1 year, 64% at 3 years, and 80% at 5 years. No or little radiological progression was shown in 87.1% of patients who maintained remission for 3 years. A Fine‒Gray competing risk regression analysis showed that predictive factors for a flare were longer RA duration at the start of bDMARD/tofacitinib treatment, previous failure of treatment with bDMARDs, and a shorter period of remission or low disease activity before drug discontinuation. Type of discontinued drug was not identified as a predictive factor after adjusting for other predictor variables. Restarting previous treatment regimens led to rapidly regaining disease control in 89% of flare patients within 1 month.

Conclusion

Discontinuation of bDMARD/tofacitinib may be a feasible strategy in RA patients, especially patients with early treated and longer-controlled RA. Flares are manageable in most RA patients and radiological progression is rare for at least 3 years in patients with sustained remission after bDMARD/tofacitinib discontinuation.
Awareness of diagnosis, treatment plan and prognosis among patients attending public hospitals and health centers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Authors: Teklu Alula M. , Abraha Mebratu , Legesse Tegenne , Bekele Mahteme , Getachew Abrham , Aseffa Bizuayehu , Molla Million , Belachew Frehiwot , Haregu Tilahun N.
Published: June 2022

Introduction

Providing patient-centered care is one of the key focus areas of the Ethiopian Health Service Transformation Plan. To this end, improving health literacy of the community is critical. However, there is limited evidence about the health literacy of Ethiopians, especially among those who visit health facilities.

Objective

The aim of this study was to examine awareness of diagnosis, treatment plan and prognosis among patients at the time of their exit from public hospitals and health centers.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 627 patients in two public hospitals and selected health centers in Addis Ababa, using a systematic random sampling technique from inpatient and outpatient departments (OPD). A total of 579 study participants had complete data and were included in this analysis. A structured, pre-tested and interview-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. We used proportions to describe the findings and logistic regression analyses to assess factors associated with awareness of diagnosis, treatment plan and prognosis.

Result

About three-fifths (61.9%) and 52.8% of the study participants knew correctly their diagnosis and treatment plan respectively. More than two-thirds, 68.4%, said that they knew about the prognosis of their illness. However, only 21 (3.6%) patient medical records had information on prognosis. Gynecologic patients had significantly lower awareness about their diagnosis and treatment plan as compared to those from a general outpatient department. Emergency patients had significantly lower awareness of their treatment plan (OR = 0.27; 95% CI: 0.11,0.68) and prognosis (OR = 0.21; 95% CI: 0.09,0.50) than new OPD patients. Patients who indicated they had a good experience at their clinical assessment had significantly lower awareness of their prognosis (OR = 0.25; 95% CI: 0.08, 0.81).

Conclusion

A significant proportion of patients didn’t know their correct diagnosis, treatment plan and prognosis. This was more pronounced among gynecologic and emergency patients. More efforts are needed to strengthen patient-provider interaction.
The Difference of Length of Stay, Surgical Site Infection, Post Surgical Pain, and Bile Leak in Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy and Open Cholecystectomy
Authors: Putri Dilla , Jaeri Santoso , Prasetyo Agung Aji , Prasetyo Sigit Adi
Published: June 2022

Background: The incidence of cholesistolithiasis is increased  due to the changes of diet to the western diet. The cholecystectomy is one of the treatments for cholecystolithiasis. It can be divided into laparoscopic cholecystectomy and laparotomy cholecystectomi. The previous study demonstrated that the laparoscopic cholecystectomy was better than laparotomy cholecystectomy for postoperative length of stay, surgical site infection, postoperative pain, and bile leak in cholecystolithiasis, but there is no official data  and research yet in Indonesia Objective: To determine the difference of  postoperative length of stay, surgical site infection, postoperative pain, and bile leak in laparoscopic cholecystectomy and laparotomy cholecystectomy.Methods: An analytic observational study with cross sectional design. Subject was patient who had undergone laparoscopic or laparotomy cholecystectomy from Dr Kariadi Hospital, Semarang and RSND Semarang during period of 2013 to 2019. The Mann Whitney-U test was used to determine the difference of length of stay as well the Chi Square test for determining the difference of surgical site infection, postoperative pain, and bile leak among both groups.Results: 34 (41.5%) men and 48 (58.5%) women with an age avarage of  49.84 ± 13.54 years were included. There were a significant difference between laparoscopic and laparotomy cholecystectomy in cholecystectolithiasis cases on postoperative hospital stay (p = 0.000), postoperative pain (p = 0.000), surgical site nfection (p = 0.000), and bile leak ( p = 0.013).Conclusion: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was better than open cholecystectomy in postoperative hospital stay, surgical site infection, postoperative pain, and bile leak for cholecystolithiasis cases. Keywords: bile leak , cholecystetomy, cholecystolithiasis, laparoscopy, laparotomy