bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improved throughput of Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA) processor implementation over Koblitz curve k-163 on Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)
Authors: Tawfeeq Firas Ghanim , Abdul-Hadi Alaa M.
Published: September 2020

The widespread use of the Internet of things (IoT) in different aspects of an individual’s life like banking, wireless intelligent devices and smartphones has led to new security and performance challenges under restricted resources. The Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA) is the most suitable choice for the environments due to the smaller size of the encryption key and changeable security related parameters. However, major performance metrics such as area, power, latency and throughput are still customisable and based on the design requirements of the device.

The present paper puts forward an enhancement for the throughput performance metric by proposing a more efficient design for the hardware implementation of ECDSA. The design raised the throughput to 0.08207 Mbit/s, leading to an increase of 6.95% from the existing design. It also includes the design and implementation of the Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter (UART) module. The present work is based on a 163-bit key-size over Koblitz curve k-163 and secure hash function SHA-1. A serial module for the underlying modular layer, high-speed architecture of Koblitz point addition and Koblitz point multiplication have been considered in this work, in addition to utilising the carry-save-multiplier, modular adder-subtractor and Extended Euclidean module for ECDSA protocols. All modules are designed using VHDL and implemented on the platform Virtex5 xc5vlx155t-3ff1738. Signature generation requires 0.55360ms, while its validation consumes 1.10947288ms. Thus, the total time required to complete both processes is equal to 1.66ms and the maximum frequency is approximately 83.477MHZ, consuming a power of 99mW with the efficiency approaching 3.39 * 10-6.
The Suggested Reciprocal Relationship between Maximum, Minimum and Optimum Usable Frequency Parameters Over Iraqi Zone
Authors: Hadi Khalid Abdul-Kareem , Abdulkareem Marwa D.
Published: September 2020

In this work, the relationship between the ionospheric parameters (Maximum Usable Frequency (MUF), Lowest Usable Frequency (LUF) and Optimum working Frequency (OWF)) has been studied for the ionosphere layer over the Iraqi zone. The capital Baghdad (44.42oE, 33.32oN) has been selected to represent the transmitter station and many other cities that spread over Iraqi region have represented as receiver stations. The REC533 communication model considered as one of the modern radio broadcasting version of ITU has been used to calculate the LUF parameter, while the MUF and OWF ionospheric parameters have been generated using ASAPS international communication model which represents one of the most advanced  and accurate HF sky wave propagation models. The study has been conducted for the annual and seasonal time periods of the years (2009 and 2014) of the solar cycle 24. The results of the seasonal and annual tests have indicated that the interrelationship between the MUF and OWF with LUF was a fourth order polynomial equation, while the reciprocal relationship between the MUF and OWF was a simple relationship that could be represented by a linear regression equation. The reciprocal relationships between MUF, LUF and OWF parameters (present values) have shown a good fitting with the data generated using the international models (predicted values) and theoretical values calculated from the criterion equation.
A Proposed Analytical Method for Solving Fuzzy Linear Initial Value Problems
Authors: Haydar Amal khalaf
Published: September 2020

In this article, we aim to define a universal set consisting of the subscripts of the fuzzy differential equation (5) except the two elements  and , subsets of that universal set are defined according to certain conditions. Then, we use the constructed universal set with its subsets for suggesting an analytical method which facilitates solving fuzzy initial value problems of any order by using the strongly generalized H-differentiability. Also, valid sets with graphs for solutions of fuzzy initial value problems of higher orders are found.
Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation for high-normal blood pressure: study protocol for a randomized controlled pilot trial
Authors: Wang Yu , Shi Guang-Xia , Tian Zhong-Xue , Liu Jun-Hong , Qi You-Sheng , Tu Jian-Feng , Yang Jing-Wen , Wang Li-Qiong , Liu Cun-Zhi
Published: September 2020

Background:High-normal blood pressure (BP) is associated with increased all-cause, cardiovascular mortality and frequently progresses to hypertension. Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) might be a non-pharmaceutical therapy option to control BP. This trial aims to determine the efficacy effectiveness and safety of TEAS combined with lifestyle modification for high-normal BP. Methods/design:This prospective, randomized and parallel clinical trial will be conducted in a community service center in China. Sixty participants with high-normal BP will be randomly allocated to receive TEAS plus lifestyle modification (intervention group) or lifestyle modification alone (control group) in a 1:1 ratio. In addition to lifestyle modification, the intervention group will receive TEAS at four acupoints for 30 minutes, 4 times weekly for 12 weeks for a total of 48 sessions at home. The control group will receive same lifestyle modification but no TEAS. The primary outcome will be the change in mean systolic blood pressure at 12-week from the baseline measurement. Secondary outcomes include the change of mean diastolic blood pressure, proportion of subjects with progression to hypertension, quality of life, physical activity, body mass index and waist circumference. Adverse events during the trial will be monitored.Discussion:This trial will explore the feasibility and provide potential evidence for the efficacy effectiveness and safety of TEAS plus lifestyle modification for high-normal BP. Furthermore, this pilot trial is being undertaken to determine the feasibility of a full scale definitive randomized controlled trial. The results of this study will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.Trial registration:Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR 1900024982. Registered on August 6, 2019.
An Integrated Breathlessness Service Program in an Ambulatory Hospice Center- Sharing of Local Experience and Clinical Results
Authors: Leung Carmen Wai Lim , Wong Kam Hung , Kwok YL Irene , Leung WM , Chan WC , Wan Sally , Tse Tiffany , Yeung PS , Wong Harry , Huang Joe
Published: September 2020

Background:To improve patients’ breathlessness and relieve their distress and anxiety. Methods:PROACTIVE group targets the lung cancer patients without significant breathlessness. These high-risk patients with their families will have proactive education on the measures for self-management on breathlessness so as to reduce its impact in due course. Patient’s self- efficacy in mastering breathlessness are related to their predominant place of care at their last 6 months of life, their frequency of unplanned hospital admission and emergency unit attendance for the management of breathlessness.THERAPEUTIC group recruits those cancer patients with significant breathlessness. The patient will have an Individual Comprehensive Breathlessness Assessment. Personalized pharmacological and non-pharmacological Interventions will be used. The care-givers will be empowered by providing relevant information and training up of their caring skills. Patient’s self-rating symptom control, stress and confident scores were regularly monitored on every visit. The absolute changes of self-rating scores during their disease course were recorded. Results:Total 292 patients have been recruited (Proactive 227; Therapeutic 65) and retrospective analyzed. In the Proactive group, 76.5% patients remained in community as their predominant place of care at their last 6 months of life. Their mean frequencies of unplanned hospital admission and emergency unit attendance per patient are 1.1 and 1.44, respectively (Corresponding local data were 2.5 and 3.4). In the Therapeutic group, 85% patients had moderate to high level breathlessness score at presentation which greatly affects their quality of life {significant emotion stress (34%) and unconfident feeling (50%)}. 78% patients had 3 or less attendances due to their rapid clinical deterioration. The interventions are effective in improving or stabilizing both breathless patient’s physical (44%/26%) and psychological status {emotional stress (17%/46%) and confident score (24%/28%)} despite their disease progressing.Conclusion:This Integrated Breathless Service Program is effective in improving both patients’ physical and psychological status. Adopting a proactive approach can equip the high-risk patients and their care-givers with knowledge and skills for handling breathlessness when in need. Hence this facilitates timely intervention especially when cancer patients tend to deteriorate rapidly that sometimes the therapeutic interventions may not have time to practice.
Identification and characterization of an immunodominant SARS-CoV-2-specific CD8 T cell response
Authors: Gangaev Anastasia , Ketelaars Steven L. C. , Isaeva Olga I , Patiwael Sanne , Dopler Anna , Hoefakker Kelly , Biasi Sara De , Gibellini Lara , Mussini Cristina , Guaraldi Giovanni , Girardis Massimo , Ormeno Cami M. P. Talavera , Hekking Paul J. M. , Lardy Neubury M. , Toebes Mireille , Balderas Robert , Schumacher Ton N. , Ovaa Huib , Cossarizza Andrea , Kvistborg Pia
Published: September 2020

Global efforts are ongoing to develop vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 causing COVID-19. While there is accumulating information on antibody responses against SARS-CoV-2, less is known about CD8 T-cell recognized SARS-CoV-2 epitopes and the functional state of SARS- CoV-2-specific CD8 T cells. To address these issues, we analyzed samples from 18 COVID- 19 patients for CD8 T-cell recognition of 500 peptide HLA class I complexes, restricted by 10 common HLA alleles. Several epitopes derived from ORF1ab were identified, including an immunodominant epitope restricted by HLA-A*01:01. The immunodominance was further supported by high TCR diversity within the CD8 T cells specific for this epitope. Noteworthy, the ORF1ab is not included in the majority of vaccine candidates in development, which may influence their clinical activity. In-depth characterization of identified SARS-CoV-2-specific CD8 T cell responses revealed a lack of cytokine production and a gene expression profile inhibiting T cell re-activation and migration while sustaining cell survival.
Lipidomics Analysis Reveals the Effect of Light Intensity on Lipid Metabolism and Leaf Color in Light-Sensitive Albino Tea Plant (Camellia Sinensis cv. Baijiguan)
Authors: Zhou Zhe , Chen Mingjie , Lin Lin , Chen Zhidan , Wu Quanjin , Sun Weijiang
Published: September 2020

Background: Camellia sinensis cv. Baijiguan is a light-sensitive albino tea germplasm. Under light stress, the development of thylakoid membrane structure is not complete, leading to the white color of leaves. Previous studies have shown that the change of lipid can cause the change of thylakoid membrane structure. However, there is no study on the effect of lipid on the leaf color of light-sensitive albino tea germplasm. Thus, we hypothesized that the changes of lipid composition in Baijiguan could affect the leaf color.Results: In order to understand the mechanisms of its light sensitivity, Baijiguan and Rougui were grown under three different conditions: normal light, shading, shading followed by the resuming of light. The total lipids were isolated from the second leaf， 156 lipid species were identified and analyzed by lipidomics. We found that under normal light condition，the newly-developed leaves showed the yellow color with incomplete development of thylakoid membrane, the defense enzyme activity was maintained at a high level, accelerated degradation of chlorophyll. The ratio of MGDG to DGDG of Baijiguan was lower than that of Rougui which kept normal green leaf color. The shading treatment, reduced the content of MGDG and DGDG; meanwhile chlorophyll accumulated, and the thylakoid membrane formed, the leaves turned into green color. When shade-treated leaves were reexposed to light, the MGDG to DGDG ratio increased significantly, the lipid content decreased significantly, and the albinism emerged again. Conclusion: Our data demonstrated that the effect of light intensity on Baijiguan leaf color was realized by changing the lipid content and components in the leaves, and offered a new insight about the mechanisms of its leaf albinism.
The Bibliometric Landscape of Infectious Disease Research in Panama (1990 - 2019): An Evaluation of the Country’s Capability on One Health
Authors: Loaiza Jose , Zapata Robinson , Kosagisharaf Rao , Gittens Rolando A. , Mendoza Enrique , Sanjur Oris I. , Urrutia Víctor Sánchez , Romero Luz I. , Franco Leticia , Armien Blas , González-Santamaría José , Ortega-Barría Eduardo
Published: September 2020

Background: This work aims to analyze the landscape of scientific publications on subjects related to One Health and infectious diseases in Panama. We asked the following specific questions: How does the One Health research landscape look like in Panama? Are historical research efforts aligned with the One Health concept? What infectious diseases have received more attention from the local scientific community since 1990?Methods: Boolean searches on the Web of Science, SCOPUS and PubMed were undertaken to evaluate the main trends of publications related to One Health and infectious disease research in the country of Panama, between 1990 and 2019. Results: 4,547 publications were identified since 1990, including 3,564 peer-reviewed articles interconnected with One Health related descriptors, and 211 articles focused particularly on infectious diseases. There was a pattern of exponential growth in the number of publications with various contributions from Panamanian institutions. The rates of multidisciplinary, inter-institutional and inter-sectoral research ranged from moderate to low, to very low, respectively. Research efforts have centered largely on protozoan, neglected and arthropod-borne diseases with a strong emphasis on malaria, Chagas and leishmaniasis. Conclusion: Panama has scientific capabilities on One Health to tackle future infectious disease threats, but the official collaboration schemes and strategic investment to develop further competencies need to be considered. Through future collaborative efforts, Panama can reduce the risk of pandemics by developing surveillance strategies to improve the prediction of disease spillover, spread and persistence while helping to mitigate the impact on public health and the economy, regionally.
Expression of Serum Cytokines Profile in Neonatal Sepsis
Authors: Kuang Mengjiao , Chen Suipeng , Huang Shirui , Gong Binbin , Lin Suzhen , Wang Huiyan , Wang Guiye , Tao Hongqun , Yu Jian , Yang Zuqin , Jiang Minghua , Xie Qipeng
Published: September 2020

Sepsis remained a major cause of neonatal death, but the pathologic mechanisms were poorly understood. The objective of this study was to characterize the serum cytokine/chemokine profile in neonates with sepsis. In this study, we enrolled 40 full-term neonates with sepsis and 19 neonates without infection as controls. Serum 40 cytokines/chemokines were analyzed using Luminex Bead Immunoassay System. Serum IL-17 was measured using enzyme-linked immune-absorbent assay. Our results showed that serum IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, IL-1β, MIF, CXCL13, CXCL1, CXCL2, CXCL5, CXCL6, CXCL16, CCL27, CCL2, CCL8, CCL3, CCL20, CCL23, CCL27 and CX3CL1 were significantly increased in neonates with sepsis compared to controls (all p<0.05). The levels of serum CXCL6, CXCL1, IL-6, CXCL10, CXCL11, CCL20, and IL-17 were higher in LOS than those in EOS (all p<0.05). Conversely, serum IL-16, CXCL16, CCL22 were lower in LOS than those in EOS (all p<0.05). The levels of CX3CL1, CXCL2, CCL8 and TNF-α were all positively correlated with SOFA scores. We suggest that excessive pro-inflammatory cytokines might involve in the damage of neonatal sepsis. In addition, chemokines significantly increased the recruitment of immune cells after infection to participate in the anti-infection defense of neonates, but they might lead to damage.
The effect of specific nutritional modification program on specific liver findings in children with chronic liver disease: A clinical trial
Authors: Jafari SeyedAli , Rezaeian Aramesh , Nomjuo Zahra , Ghayour-Mobarhan Majid , ghaneifar Zahra
Published: September 2020

Background: Liver disease leads to complex pathophysiological injuries that affect digestion, absorption, distribution, storage and use of food. The effect that chronic liver disease has on the nutritional status and health of the child is determined by the cause and severity of liver disease and the age of onset of liver disease. As liver disease progresses, so do the symptoms and complications of the disease. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of specific nutrition adjustment program on specific liver findings in children with chronic liver disease.Methods: In this clinical trial study, 75 children with chronic liver disease were randomly divided into two groups (45 in the intervention group and 30 in the control group). At the beginning of the study, the necessary experiments were taken from two groups. The intervention group received a nutritional adjustment program during 6 sessions of the workshop. After 12 weeks of follow-up, bilirubin level (total, direct), albumin level, PT, INR, transaminases (AST, ALT) were measured in both groups. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software version 16 and Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney tests.Results: At the beginning of the study, both groups were homogeneous in terms of demographic variables. In the post-intervention stage compared to the pre-intervention stage in the intervention group, the mean scores of prothrombin time (P = 0/040), albumin (P = 0/007), aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase (p˂0/001)were statistically significant:. But the mean score of total bilirubin (P = 0/063) in the post-intervention stage compared to before the intervention in the intervention group was not statistically significant.Conclusion: Nutrition education and encouragement of patients with chronic liver disease to follow a special diet can be an important factor in feeling healthy and preventing the progression of the disease.Trial registration: Name of registry: Zahra NamjouIRCT registration number: IRCT2015091424019N1 Registration date: 2016-01-30 Registration timing: retrospective
Clinical Determinants of the Severity of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Wu Yanling , Li Hu , Li Shengjin
Published: September 2020

Background: SARS-CoV-2 is an emerging pathogen, and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been declared a global pandemic. We aim to summarize current evidence regarding the risk of death and the severity of COVID-19 as well as risk factors for severe COVID-19.Methods: The PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases as well as some Chinese databases were searched for clinical and epidemiological studies on COVID-19. We conducted a meta-analysis to examine COVID-19-related death and risk factors for the severity of COVID-19.Results: A total of 55 studies fulfilled the criteria for this review. The case fatality risk ranged from 0 to 61.5%, with a pooled estimate of 3.3%. The risks of ICU admission, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)and severe COVID-19 were 24.9%, 20.9% and 26.6%, respectively. Factors related to the risk of severe COVID-19 were older age (MD=10.09, 95% CI:7.03, 13.16), male sex (OR=1.62, 95% CI:1.32, 1.99), hypertension (OR=2.34, 95% CI:1.47, 3.73), diabetes (OR=2.25, 95% CI:1.68, 3.03), chronic renal disease (OR=3.60, 95% CI:1.53, 8.46), heart disease (OR=2.76, 95% CI:1.78, 4.30), respiratory disease (OR=3.74, 95% CI:2.15, 6.49), cerebrovascular disease (OR=2.21, 95% CI:1.23, 3.98), higher D-dimer levels (SMD=0.62, 95% CI:0.28, 0.96), and higher IL-6 levels (SMD=2.21, 95% CI:0.11, 4.31). However, liver disease (OR=0.63, 95% CI: 0.36, 1.10) was found to be a nonsignificant predictor of the severity of COVID-19.Conclusions: The case fatality risk of COVID-19 and the risk of severe manifestations were not very high, and variances in the study designs and regions led to high heterogeneity among the studies. Male sex, older age, comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease and cerebrovascular disease could increase the risk of developing a severe case of COVID-19. Laboratory parameters, such as D-dimer and IL-6 levels, could affect the prognosis of COVID-19.
Transcriptional Regulation of Photomorphogenesis in Brassica Napus Under Different Light Quality
Authors: Zhang Xin , Liu Yang , Huang Yuqing , Wu Dezhi , Cai Shengguan
Published: September 2020

Background: Plants undergo skotomorphogenesis or photomorphogenesis upon the absence or presence of light. Although the light signaling pathway has been well documented in Arabidopsis, relatively little is known in other plant species including Brassica napus.Results: In this study, we examined the response of hypocotyl elongation to different light quality (white, blue, red and far-red light) in B. napus. The result showed each of tested light quality promoted photomorphogenesis, with less effect of red light than blue/far-red light. Subsequently, RNA-sequencing was performed to obtain the transcriptomic profile in B. napus in response to dark and different light quality. A total of 9748 genes were differentially expressed among treatments. Correlation analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) indicated the transcriptomic profile in red light exhibited an analogous pattern with that in dark to some extent, while blue/far-red light induced transcriptional profiles showed distinct patterns. Moreover, we found the differential expressions of PHYB, COP1 and BBXs homologs between two subgenomes, which may affect their interactions with up/downstream pathway. Finally, we constructed a transcriptional network including light signaling, phytohormone and cell elongation/modification, which explained the observed hypocotyl phenotype under different light quality.Conclusions: We partially explained why red light has reduced effect on photomorphogenesis in B. napus by RNA-seq and displayed gene expression of the key regulators in light signaling pathway and their contribution to photomorphogenesis under different light quality in B. napus. The result could improve new sight into understanding on transcriptional regulation of photomorphogenesis of B. napus.
Space Time Trends of Community Onset Staphylococcus Aureus Infections in Children Living in Southeastern United States: 2002-2010
Authors: Immergluck Lilly , Geng Ruijin , Li Chaohua , Edelson Mike , Waller Lance , Rust George S. , Xu Junjun , Leong Traci , Baltrus Peter
Published: September 2020

Background Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) remains a serious cause of infections in the U.S. and worldwide. Non antibiotic resistant Staphylococcus aureus (methicillin susceptible or MSSA) is the cause of half of all health care–associated staphylococcal infections, and methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) still is the leading cause of community onset skin and soft tissue infections in the U.S. This is the first study to spatially look at trends of both community onset MRSA and MSSA infections over nine years and determine ‘best’ to ‘worst’ infection trends over a nine year period (2002-2010),which spanned when community onset MRSA infections were occurring in epidemic proportions across the U.S. MethodsRetrospective study from 2002-2010, using electronic health records of children living in the southeastern U.S. (Atlanta, Georgia) with S. aureus infections and relevant U.S. census data (at the census tract level). The Proc Traj for SAS was applied to generate community onset MRSA and MSSA trajectory infection groups (low, high, very high, or deviant trends), and then, mapping of these trajectory groups using census tract boundaries.ResultsFrom community onset MRSA infection trend patterns (low, high, very high), only 0.8% of the census tracts showed a dramatic increase from 2002-2007 and then a gradual decline from 2008 to 2010. From community onset MSSA infection trend patterns (low and high), 85.7% of ‘high infection’ group persisted throughout the nine year period, compared to 14.3% of ‘low infection’ group over this same period. Low community onset MRSA and MSSA trend patterns were seen throughout the 20 counties of Atlanta, Georgia’s metropolitan statistical area, but more often seen in those counties less densley populated. Census tracts reflecting Atlanta’s ‘innercity’ had the highest proportion of the worst infection trend pattern (community onset MRSA-Very High-CO-MSSA-High or community onset MRSA-High-CO-MSSA-High). The deviant trend of community onset MRSA Very High- CO-MSSA Low infection were in census tracts east of downtown Atlanta. Conclusions ‘Trends’ of S. aureus infection patterns, stratified by antibiotic resistance, over geographic areas and time identify communities with higher risks for community onset MRSA infection compared to community onset MSSA infection.
Epidemiological Survey, Molecular Detection and Risk Factors of Camel ORF Virus in Arero District, Ethiopia
Authors: Diba Bareda , Shigute Birhanu Ayele , Gelalcha Benti Deresa , Adane Bedane , Plummer Paul J.
Published: September 2020

Background: While camels (dromedaries) were traditionally believed to be resistant to mostlivestock diseases, research has demonstrated that they are susceptible to a large number ofinfectious agents. Based on the clinical appearance of typical lesions, Camel contagiousecthyma (CCE), caused by a Orf virus, is thought to be one of the most common viraldiseases of camelids in Ethiopia. However, the epidemiology of the disease has not beenformally described and the causative agent has never been molecularly confirmed.Methods: a cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2013 to April 2014 inArero district of Borena Zone, to assess morbidity and mortality rates of the of diseaseconsistent with CCE, isolate and molecularly identify the causative agents and to find out thepotential risk factors. Molecular technique, namely, PCR based on B2L gene-specific primers ofORFV was used for the confirmatory diagnosis of CCE virus from the skin lesions.Results: Majority (86.8%) of the respondents indicated occurrence of CCE outbreaks in theirherds in the past one year (a year preceding the start of the study). The overall morbidity andmortality rates attributed to CCE was 43.6% (95 % CI: 41.2%–46%) and 6.3% (95 % CI: 5.2–7.6%) respectively. Confirmatory diagnosis of the suspected Orf virus isolates usingconventional PCR techniques generated the expected amplification product of 1200bp for oneof the samples. No product was amplified from the DNA samples of the negative control.This study showed that young camels (calves) had higher odds of becoming affected by CCEthan adults [OR=3.44 (95 % CI: 2.29 –4.09); (p<0.05)]. The disease had marked seasonalitywith most of the cases occurring during rainy season. Acacia trees significantly contribute tovirus dissemination through damaging the lips of browsing camels.Conclusions: This study confirms the presence and importance of CCE in Ethiopia andestablishes the basis for further research.
Human Ageing is Associated with More Rigid Concept Spaces
Authors: Devine Sean , Neumann Cassandra , Levari David , Wilson Robert , Eppinger Ben
Published: September 2020

Prevalence-induced concept change describes a cognitive mechanism by which someone’s definition of a concept shifts as the prevalence of instances of that concept changes. The phenomenon has real-world implications because this sensitivity to environmental characteristics may lead to substantial biases in judgements. While prevalence-induced concept change has been established in young adults, it is unclear how it changes as a function of human ageing. In this cross-sectional study, we explore how prevalence-induced concept change affects older adults’ lower-level, perceptual, and higher-order, ethical, judgements. We find that older adults are less sensitive to prevalence-induced concept change than younger adults across domains. Using a combination of computational and experimental approaches, we demonstrate that these changes in judgements are sensitive to the pace with which the stimuli occur in the environment and are affected by the effort that subjects invest in order to make accurate decisions. Based on findings from three experiments we argue that older adults’ concept spaces are more rigid than those of younger adults. However, what appear as an age-related cognitive “deficit” may turn out to be beneficial because it makes older adults less susceptible to biases in judgments.
Understanding the Barriers to Using Oral Anticoagulants Among Long-Term Aspirin Users With Atrial Fibrillation – A Qualitative Study
Authors: Ng Vanessa WS , Siu Chung-Wah , Chiu Patrick KC , Kng Carolyn PL , Jamieson Elizabeth , Wong Ian CK , Lam May PS
Published: September 2020

Background: Despite international treatment guidelines currently advocating oral anticoagulants (OACs) as the only appropriate stroke prevention therapy for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and evidence that OACs can greatly reduce the risk of stroke with similar risk of bleeding compared with aspirin, the underuse of OACs in patients with AF is common globally, especially in Asia. This study aimed to identify the barriers to prescribing and using OACs among long-term aspirin users with AF.Method: Face-to-face interviews were conducted with fourteen eligible patients with AF using a semi-structured interview guide. The interview recordings were transcribed verbatim and data was analyzed according to the principles of thematic analysis.Results: Five themes were developed: awareness of AF symptoms and diagnosis; knowledge and understanding of AF and stroke prevention therapy; role of decision-making in prescribing; willingness to switch from aspirin to OACs; and impact of OAC regimen on daily living. The majority of the patients were not aware of the symptoms and diagnosis of AF and only had a vague understanding of the illness and stroke prevention therapy, leading to their minimal involvement in decisions relating to their treatment. Some patients and their caregivers were particularly concerned about the bleeding complications from OACs and perceived aspirin to be a suitable alternative as they find the adverse effects from aspirin manageable and so preferred to remain on aspirin if switching to OACs was not compulsory. Lastly, the lifestyle modifications required when using warfarin, e.g. alternative dosing regimen, diet restriction, were seen as barriers to some patients and caregivers. Conclusion: The findings revealed patients’ knowledge gap in AF management which may be targeted using educational interventions to improve patients’ understanding of AF and its management and hence encourage active participation in the decision-making of their treatment in the future.
Sequence Representations and Their Utility for Predicting Protein-protein Interactions
Authors: Kimothi Dhananjay , Biyani Pravesh , Hogan James M. , Davis Melissa J.
Published: September 2020

Background: Protein-Protein Interactions (PPIs) are a crucial mechanism underpinning the function of the cell. Predicting the likely relationship between a pair of proteins is thus an important problem in bioinformatics, and a wide range of machine-learning based methods have been proposed for this task. Their success is heavily dependent on the construction of the feature vectors, with most using a set of physicochemical properties derived from the sequence. Few work directly with the sequence itself. Recent works on embedding sequences in a low dimensional vector space has shown the utility of this approach for tasks such as protein classification and sequence search. In this paper, we extend these ideas to the PPI prediction task, making inferences from the pair instead of the individual sequences.Methods: We propose a generic PPI prediction framework that constitutes a representation learning module for feature construction and a binary classifier. To construct the feature vector for a protein pair, we concatenate the distributed representations (embeddings) learned for the sequences of the constituent proteins. Each protein pair is represented as a 200-dimensional feature vector. To learn the embedding of a sequence, we use two established methods - Seq2Vec and BioVec, and we also introduce a novel feature construction method and call it SuperVecNW. The embeddings generated through SuperVecNW captures network information to some extent, along with the contextual information present in the sequences. Finally, we feed these feature vectors into a Random forest classifier to predict protein pair interactions.Results: To show the efficacy of our proposed approach, we evaluate its performance on human and yeast PPI datasets, benchmarking against the established methods. Furthermore, we test our approach on three well known networks: the one-core network (CD9), the multiple-core network (Ras-Raf-Mek-Erk-Elk-Srf pathway), and the cross-connection network (Wnt-related network) and demonstrate the improvement in predicting PPIs compared to the other methods.Conclusions: Naive low dimensional sequence embeddings provide better results on protein-protein interaction prediction task than most of the alternative representations based on other physiochemical properties. These methods require computationally modest effort due to their lower dimensionality. Advanced representation learning methods that enrich the sequence embeddings with meta information are expected to improve the results further.
Analysis and Comparison of Different Obesity Evaluation Indices and Their Effects on Hypertension, Diabetes, and Dyslipidaemia
Authors: Ting Yin , Zhang Jia-xing , Zhao Yi , Li Xiao-xia , Liu Xiu-ying , Li Nan , Zhang Yu-hong
Published: September 2020

Background: Standard measures that define obesity and related disorders varies widely, this study investigated the relationship between different anthropometric indices of obesity criteria and their correlation to hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidaemia in a local adult population in China.Methods: The study participants underwent the same questionnaire survey, bio-impedance body composition analysis, and blood laboratory test. The t-test and chi-square test were used to compare the characteristics of different groups, and the receiver operating characteristic curve was used to analyse the correlation of different indicators and explore their cut-off values.Results: The study comprised 14,926 participants, of whom 39.80% (5948/14,926) were male, and the mean age of the study population was 56.75±9.74 years. The waist circumference had the greatest influence on all factors, and BMI, AVI, and BRI were similarly correlated. WHtR had the largest AUC for predicting obesity in both sexes, and in addition, we provided a recommended cut-off value of BMI, WHR, WHtR, BAI, OBD, CI, AVI, ABSI and BRI. WHtR had the largest AUC for predicting diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidaemia, while BMI also served as a good predictive indicator (all P<0.001).Conclusions: Among the samples in this study, WHtR may be the best indicator for predicting obesity, hypertension, and dyslipidaemia, and AVI is a good indicator in Chinese adults specifically.
Association of Meat Consumption With NAFLD Risk and Liver-related Biomarkers in Older Chinese: A Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Peng Hewei , Xie Xiaoxu , Pan Xinting , Zheng Jing , Zeng Yidan , Cai Xiaoling , Hu Zhijian , Peng Xian-E
Published: September 2020

Background: High meats intake contributes to unhealthy status. The present study aims to evaluate the association of meat consumption with non-alcohol fatty liver disease (NAFLD) risk and liver-related biomarkers in middle-aged and elderly Chinese.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in individuals who were 45 years or older and underwent physical examination from April 2015 to August 2017 in Southeast China. NAFLD was evaluated by abdominal ultrasonography. Results: High consumptions of red meat (28.44-49.74 and >71.00 g/day) was positively associated with NAFLD risk on inverse probability of treatment weighting analysis, adjusting for smoking, tea intake, weekly hours of physical activity and presence of hypertension, dyslipidemia and diabetes (ORadjusted=1.948 and 1.1.716, respectively). Exposure-response relationship analysis presented that red meat intake was positively associated with NAFLD risk. Significant associations of red meat intakes with serum levels of γ-glutamyl transferase, alanine transaminase, aspartate aminotransferase, total triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were found (rs=0.176, 0.128, 0.060, 0.085 and -0.074, respectively). Conclusions: These findings suggest that reduction of meat consumption may decrease NAFLD risk and should warrant further investigations. Meat consumptions were measured by a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire.
MiR-25 Protects Against Apoptosis of Nucleus Pulposus Cells by Targeting SUMO2 in Intervertebral Disc Degeneration
Authors: Changbin Lei , Jiang Li , Guang Tang , Jiong Wang , Lin Hongsheng
Published: September 2020

Background MiR-25 was reported to be down-regulated in patients with intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). However, the potential role of miR-25 in IDD remained unclear. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effects of miR-25 on human intervertebral disc nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs).Methods We evaluated the expression of miR-25 and small ubiquitin-related modifier 2 (SUMO2) in human nucleus pulposus (NP) tissues by real-time PCR and western blotting. Then, the target relationship between miR-25 and SUMO2 was validated by luciferase reporter assay and biotin-coupled miRNA pulldown assay. The potential roles of miR-25 in NPC proliferation and apoptosis were confirmed using CCK-8 assay, EdU incorporation assay, and flow cytometry.Results MiR-25 was lowly expressed in the patients with IDD. In addition, miR-25 facilitated the growth of NPCs by increasing cell proliferation and inhibiting apoptosis. Furthermore, we elucidated that SUMO2 was a target gene of miR-25, and was regulated by miR-25 through p53 signaling pathway. Restore of SUMO2 expression abrogated the effects of miR-25 on NPCs.Conclusion MiR-25 promoted the proliferation, inhibited the apoptosis of NPCs, and suppressed the development of IDD via SUMO2-mediated p53 signaling axis.
Reduction of chronic malnutrition risk and chronic malnutrition through a public health intervention in children under one year of age in Bogotá, Colombia
Authors: Prieto Paula Andrea Castro , Ramírez Kenny Margarita Trujillo , López Sergio Moreno , Holguín Juan Sebastián , Pineda Diana María , Tomasi Simon , Varela Andrea Ramírez
Published: September 2020

Background: As Bogotá is one of the regions with the highest prevalence of chronic malnutrition (13%) in Colombia, exceeding the national figure of 10.8%, a public-private alliance was established to address this situation within the framework of intersectoral action: the private organizations Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá and Fundación Éxito, local government agencies of the Mayor's Office of Bogotá (Secretaría Distrital de Salud and the Secretariat de Integración Social) and agencies at the national level (Instituto Colombiano de Bienestar Familiar [Colombian Institute of Family Welfare], including its regional office in Bogotá). Therefore, the objective was to determine the effectiveness of an intersectoral public health intervention with the population under one year of age, classified as at risk of chronic malnutrition and with chronic malnutrition by anthropometry, residing in 3 prioritized territories of the Capital District. Methods: Pre-experimental, before and after study that sought to determine the magnitude of the change in nutritional status in children under one-year-old residing in 3 prioritized territories of Bogotá through a ten months public health nutrition intervention. Results: The intervention comprised 1126 children living in the following territories in Bogotá: Kennedy, San Cristóbal, and Engativá. A total of 43.3% children presented delay in height for age, and 56.7% presented risk of short stature. In the final measurement, data were obtained from 686 children, identifying that 17% of the children progressed from stunting to a stunting risk and that 4.5% recovered their growth trajectory, achieving an adequate height for their age. Conclusions: That children classified as at risk or stunting at the beginning of the intervention showed an increased probability of approaching or being in the appropriate growth trajectory according to the height-for-age indicator after the intervention. In addition, the risk of stunting is a reversible condition if interventions are implemented in a timely manner and with intersectoral action for which it is imperative to link the community itself as a key sector for direct action and to organize all actors and sectors having missionary purposes with this population.
On-Site Personal Protective Equipment Signage and Use by Road Construction Workers in Ghana: A Comparative Study of Foreign- and Locally-Owned Companies
Authors: Yankson Isaac Kofi , Nsiah-Achampong Nana Kwame , Okyere Paul , Afukaar Francis , Otupiri Easmon , Donkor Peter , Mock Charles , Owusu-Dabo Ellis
Published: September 2020

Background: Road construction work has its own specific set of risks and safety issues. It has not been adequately addressed in most low- and middle-income countries, especially in Africa. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of personal protective equipment (PPE) use during road construction activities by workers in foreign-owned against locally-owned road construction companies in Ghana.Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional survey was undertaken during January – March, 2020 to study 389 road construction workers who were actively working on site. They were unobtrusively observed to capture whether or not they wore the appropriate PPE at the time of the survey. The PPE of interest were: hard hat, goggles, shoes, nose masks, hearing protection, gloves, and reflective vests/apparel. On-site posted PPE signage was also checked. Results: Majority of workers were labourers (53.5%) and males (96.9%). Similar numbers of workers in foreign-owned (194) and locally-owned (195) companies were studied. Use of PPE varied considerably by type: goggles (11.3%), hard hat (27.0%), safety shoes (78.7%), gloves (30.6%), hearing protection (10.8%), reflective vest (44.5%) and nose mask (17.2%). For all types of PPE, use was higher among workers in foreign-owned companies compared with locally-owned companies: goggles (Odds ratio [OR] 55.2), hard hat (OR 20.2), safety shoes (OR 4.1), gloves (OR 23.7), hearing protection (OR 52.0), reflective vest (OR 5.3) and nose mask (OR 17.8) (p<0.001 for all ORs). No site had any signage to promote PPE use. Conclusions: Majority of workers used safety shoes. Less than half of workers used other types of PPE and use of some types (goggles and hearing protection) was minimal. Workers in foreign-owned companies were significantly more likely to use all of the types of PPE. Although there is still room for improvement in foreign-owned companies, locally-owned companies should be able to attain similar PPE use to that in foreign-owned companies. Road construction companies should place a premium on health and safety issues by hiring safety managers with professional training, providing staff with PPE, and training them on proper usage, as well as adopting safety protocols.
Developmental Delay and its Predictors among Under-Five Uncomplicated Severe Acute Malnourished Children: A Cross-Sectional Study in Rural Areas of Pakistan
Authors: Saleem Javeria , Zakaar Rubeena , Bukhari Gul Mehar Javaid , Fatima Aneela , Fischer Florian
Published: September 2020

Background: In developing countries, malnutrition in children and developmental delays are two major challenges for public health. To achieve the vision of the Sustainable Development Goals in the broader perspective of child health, an early identification of developmental delays and timely intervention is crucial. The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence of suspected developmental delay and their predictors in under-five uncomplicated severe acute malnourished children in rural areas of Pakistan.Methods: A multicentre cross-sectional study has been conducted among 185 uncomplicated severe acute malnourished children. We screened 6–59 months aged children for their nutritional status and clinical complications. Children fulfilling the inclusion criteria underwent the Denver Development Screening Tool II (DDSTII). The global developmental profile of children was calculated according to established protocols of DDSTII based on four important domains of development: personal and social behaviour, language, gross motor adaptive and fine motor adaptive skills. A pretested structured questionnaire on socio-demographic and nutritional factors was used for assessing predictors of developmental delay, which were analysed in a multivariate logistic regression model.Results: Out of 177 severe acute malnourished children, 69 (38.9%) had normal global development and 108 (61.1%) had delayed global development. Significant associations with global development delay were found for lower aged children (6-24 months vs. 25-59 month; AOR=4.53, 95% CI: 1.56–13.10, p<0.01), not exclusively breastfeed children (AOR=3.07, 95% CI: 1.24–7.56, p=0.01), and a history of contact with tuberculosis smear positive adult (AOR=2.67, 95% CI: 1.30–5.49, p<0.01). Conclusion: With about two thirds of study participants showing delayed or unstable global development, there is a high prevalence of suspected developmental delay among under-five uncomplicated severe acute malnourished children in rural areas Pakistan. Particularly children in their first two years of life with insufficient breastfeeding are at high risk. This emphasizes the need for providing adequate infrastructure and information to parents in remote areas.