bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Health Effects of Removing Lead from Gasoline: A Systematic Review
Authors: Angrand Ruth C. , Collins Geoffrey , Landrigan Philip J. , Thomas Valerie M.
Published: March 2022

Background: Millions of tons of lead were added to gasoline worldwide beginning in 1922, and leaded gasoline has been a major source of population lead exposure. In 1960s, lead began to be removed from gasoline, and removal was completed in 2021. The purpose of this study is to characterize the association of the removal of lead from gasoline with declines in population mean blood lead levels (BPb). Methods: We examined published studies that reported population blood leaded levels for two or more years, and we calculated average concentrations of lead in gasoline corresponding to the years and locations of the blood lead level measurements. Results: Removal of lead from gasoline is associated with declines in BPb in all countries examined. In some countries, BPb continues to fall after lead has been eliminated from gasoline. Following elimination of lead from gasoline, BPb less than 1 mg/dL have been observed in several European and North American countries, and BPb less than 3 mg/dL have been documented in several studies from South America. There remain many countries for which no multi-year studies of populations BPb have been identified, including all of Central America, high population countries including Pakistan and Indonesia, and major lead producers including Australia and Russia. Removal of lead from gasoline has been a public health success. Elimination of lead from gasoline has enabled many countries to achieve population mean BPb levels of 1 mg/dL or lower. These actions have saved lives, increased children’s intelligence and created great economic benefit in countries worldwide.
Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) for characterization SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Perez Javier C. Ramirez , Durigon Daniele
Published: March 2022

Background: The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by SARSCoV-2 standard assay relies on RNA purification, one-step retrotranscription, and quantitative PCR to identify SARS-CoV-2 (RT-qPCR). However, this standard procedure usually takes 4.0 h, particularly for the RNA extraction step. The goal of this study was to evaluate the performance of SERS using AgNPs, a simple and cost-effective method for quickly characterizing SARS-CoV-2. The study focused on the urgent need for high-performance screening, eliminating the time-consuming RNA extraction phase and reducing the time to virus characterization.Results: AgNPs-SARS-CoV-2 samples prepared with inactivated SARS-CoV-2 produced SERS signals that were more than 105 times stronger than normal Raman (NR) spectra. According to the SERS spectra of the SARS-CoV-2 fingerprint, nucleic acids and aromatic amino acid side chains of these biomolecules may be adsorbed on the AgNPs surface's dense hot spots. With a virus detection limit of fewer than 103 vp/mL and RSDs of 20%, the SERS band intensities varied with the concentration of SARS-CoV-2.Conclusions: A novel, simple, fast, cost-effective, and accurate protocol for acquiring strong, sharp, and reproducible SERS signal intensities of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has been developed. The SERS spectra collected exhibited SARS-CoV-2 virus detection limit, consistency, sensitivity, selectivity, and reproducibility. In the SERS spectra of SARS-CoV-2, the main vibrational acute and intense signal was identified in the 500-1700 cm-1 range at 1007, 1221, 1270, and 1453 cm-1. These bands were identified in SARS-key CoV-2's structural proteins and nucleic acids, and were attributed to ubiquitous biomolecules. Our prospective contribution is aimed at combating the COVID-19 infectious disease in order to improve SARS-CoV-2 virus detection and characterization.
An integrative metabolomic and transcriptomic profiling study reveals major metabolic pathways and potential biomarkers of human preeclampsia placenta
Authors: Feng Yan , Lian Xinlei , Guo Kaimin , Zhang Guanglan , Huang Xuan
Published: March 2022

BACKGROUND
The etiology of preeclampsia (PE) remains unclear. With the utilization of metabolomics, several metabolic disorders, such as dysregulated lipid, amino acid, androgen and estrogen production, were found to be of great value in the pathogenesis of PE. Transcriptomics adds more in-depth information, and the integration of transcriptomics and metabolomics may yield further insight into PE pathogenesis than either alone.
OBJECTIVES
We investigated the placental metabolomics and transcriptomics of PE patients to identify affected metabolic pathways and potential biological targets for exploring the pathogenesis of disease.
METHODS
Integrated transcriptomics and metabolomics were used to analyze 5 paired human placentas with PE and normal pregnancies. This was followed by further validation of our findings in a publicly available dataset of 173 PE vs. 157 control placentas. In addition, weighted gene coexpression network construction was performed to assess the correlation between genetic alterations and diseases.
RESULTS
Several pathways were aberrantly altered in PE placenta at both the metabolic and transcriptional levels, including steroid hormone biosynthesis, cAMP signaling pathway, neuroactive ligand–receptor interactions, taste transduction and prion diseases. Additionally, we found 11 differential metabolites and 11 differentially expressed genes involved in the steroid hormone biosynthesis pathway, indicating impaired metabolism of steroid hormones in PE placenta. Furthermore, we found that CYP11A1, HSD3B2, and HSD17B6 are highly correlated with diseases.
CONCLUSION
Our findings have provided a profile of the molecular perturbations and metabolic signature underlying PE, which underscores the need to investigate the physiology of steroid hormone metabolites in the pathophysiology of PE.
STING promotes proliferation and induces drug resistance in colorectal cancer by regulating the AMPK mTOR pathway
Authors: Yao Huihui , Wang Suo , Zhou Xin , Zhou Guoqiang , Zhou Diyuan , Chen Guoliang , Shi Xinyu , Chen Junjie , Wu Guanting , Sun Liang , Yao Yizhou , Gu Wen , Wan Daiwei , He Songbing
Published: March 2022

Background: Despite a rapidly growing body of pertinent literature, what role the protein stimulator of interferon genes (STING) plays in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains unclear. We are committed to exploring whether STING can be adopted as an effective target and biomarker for CRC. Methods: STING expression was examined by immunohistochemistry to evaluate its association with clinicopathological factors. In addition, the effects of STING on various biological characteristics of CRC cells, such as proliferation, migration, invasiveness and drug resistance, were also studied. Gene set enrichment analysis was an indispensable tool to study the downstream mechanism of STING. Meanwhile, we explored the effect of STING on glucose uptake. Results: Our study suggested that the expression of STING was not only up-regulated in CRC, but also correlated with TNM stage and poor prognosis. Moreover, STING regulates cell migration, proliferation, invasiveness and drug resistance via mediating AMPK-mTOR pathway. Finally, we confirmed that STING regulates energy metabolism in CRC cells. Conclusions: STING may be a promising biomarker and a target for chemosensitization and inhibition of CRC progression.
Assessment of long-term sequelae of pulmonary dysfunction associated with COVID 19 by using pulmonary pulse transit time
Authors: Duran Mustafa , Uygun Turgut , Kurtipek Ercan
Published: March 2022

Purpose: Studies report deleterious impacts of acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on multiple organs in the human body, not only in the acute infection period but also in the long-term sequelae. Recently defined pulmonary pulse transit time” (pPTT) was found to be a useful parameter regarding the evaluation of pulmonary hemodynamics. The purpose of this study was to determine whether pPTT might be a favorable tool for detecting the long-term sequelae of pulmonary dysfunction associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID 19).Methods: We evaluated 102 eligible patients with a prior history of laboratory-confirmed COVID 19 hospitalization at least 1 year ago and 100 age and sex-matched healthy controls. All participants’ medical records, clinical, and demographic features were analyzed and underwent detailed 12- lead electrocardiography, echocardiographic assessment, and pulmonary function tests.Results: According to our study, pPTT was positively correlated with forced expiratory volume in the 1st second, peak expiratory flow, and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion, (r= 0.478; p<0.001, r= 0.294; p= 0.047, r= 0.314; p= 0.032) as well as negatively correlated with systolic pulmonary artery pressure, (r= -0.328; p= 0.021).Conclusion: Our data indicate pPTT might be a convenient method for early prediction of pulmonary dysfunction among COVID 19 survivors.
Ligand GA: a genetic algorithm for automated protein inhibitor design
Authors: Chalmers Gordon
Published: March 2022

Ligand GA is introduced in this work and approaches the problem of finding small molecules inhibiting protein functions by using the protein site to find close to optimal or optimal small molecule binders. Genetic algorithms (GA) are an effective means for approximating or solving computationally hard mathematics problems with large search spaces such as this one. The algorithm is designed to include constraints on the generated molecules from ADME restriction, localization in a binding site, specified hydrogen bond requirements, toxicity prevention from multiple proteins, sub-structure restrictions, and database inclusion. This algorithm and work is in the context of computational modeling, ligand design and docking to protein sites.
Unmasking factors associated with Personal Protective Equipment Use among Carpenters and Welders in urban district in Uganda
Authors: Nalugya Flavia , Walekhwa Abel Wilson , Ddamulira John Bosco
Published: March 2022

Background Use of Personal protective equipment is one of the measures to reduce occupational injuries. Carpentry and welding are associated with occupational hazards, in the process of performing these tasks, they suffer from work related injuries due to low or no use of personal protective equipment. Despite the known importance of workers using Personal Protective Equipment, there is limited documentation in Uganda. We therefore sought to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices towards the use of personal protective equipment among carpenters and welders in Seeta, Mukono district. Methods A cross sectional descriptive was conducted among people engaged in welding and carpentry. We collected data using both quantitative and qualitative techniques. Systematic simple random sampling was conducted to identify the study participants. Using Kish Leslie’s formula (Kish, 1959), we estimated the sample size of 152 respondents where 76 carpenters and 76 welders were interviewed. Four key informants were interviewed using key informant guide to understand the context of personal protective equipment use among the study participants. Quantitative data was collected using opened ended questionnaires and structured checklist embedded in android smartphones. For qualitative data, face to face interviews were conducted by the corresponding author. Quantitative data was entered in Epi-collect, cleaned and analyzed using STATA 13.0 and qualitative data was analyzed by conventional content analysis. Results Majority of the participants 96.7% (147/152) were males and the mean age was 31.42. Most of the participants 99.3% (151/152) reported to have heard about personal protective equipment and all reported that Personal Protective Equipment offers them protection (99.3%). Majority used boots/shoes 39.86% (61/152) where they reported using it while doing any work 78.29% (119/152). Being a carpenter (p=0.001) and never hearing about personal protective equipment (p=0.001) were statistically significant to always using a personal protective equipment at work places. Conclusions Our study highlighted that participants had good knowledge on the need to use of personal protective equipment at their workplace although few were having good practices of using them. We recommend the district local government authorities while enforcing the occupational health regulation should increase awareness among welders and carpenters in bid to protect their health.
A Retrospective Histopathological Study of Non-Melanocytic Skin Tumors
Authors: Parikh Kajal R , Dhotre Sanjay V , Satasiya Amit H
Published: March 2022

Background: Three most frequent primary skin cancers are basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and malignant melanoma. Together SCC and BCC are referred to as non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC). NMSCs comprise of 1-2% of all diagnosed cancers in India in contrast to one-third in whites. SCC represents 30%-65% of skin cancers in blacks and Indians, whereas BCC contributes to 65%-75% of skin cancers in whites.

Methods: Total 100 cases of Non-melanocytic skin Tumors were studied retrospectively by paraffin section and H&E staining.

 

Result: A histopathological study of 100 cases of non-melanocytic skin tumors was carried out in Department of pathology, B.J. Medical College, Ahmedabad over a period of two years from January 2015 to December 2017. Out of 100 cases, histopathologically 57 were diagnosed as benign and 43 as malignant lesions. Among 57 benign lesions, 31 (55%) were tumors of epidermal in origin, 10 (17%) were epidermal appendageal in origin and 16 (28%) were soft tissue in origin. Out of 43 malignant cases, 37 (87%) were tumors of epidermal origin, 04 (09%) were lymphoma, 01 (2%) was leiomyosarcoma and 01 (2%) was metastatic carcinoma.

 

Conclusion: Unlike in the western countries, in India Squamous cell carcinoma is the commonest histologic variety. Diagnosis of skin tumor can be done by correlating clinical features, gross and histologic appearances. In some cases, rare entities and problems of differential diagnosis may be solved with the help of immunohistochemical and/or electron microscopic studies.
TEORIAS CURRICULARES EMPREGADAS NAS PESQUISAS EDUCACIONAIS SOBRE CULTURAS E IDENTIDADES NA REGIÃO AMAZÔNICA BRASILEIRA: UM OLHAR PARA A FORMAÇÃO STRICTU SENSU
Authors: Scaramuzza Genivaldo Frois , Alves Maria Isabel Alonso , De Oliveira Flávia Lopes
Published: March 2022

Muitas são as pesquisas educacionais produzidas na região norte do Brasil, entre essas, destacamos aquelas que de uma forma ou outra abordam as temáticas das culturas e identidades regionais em sua articulação com os processos educacionais. O estudo que se apresenta buscou investigar as concepções epistemológicas do currículo expressas em produções acadêmicas strictu-sensu na área da educação na região norte do Brasil. A partir de pesquisas bibliográficas descritas como Estado do Conhecimento (ROMANOWSKI; ENS, 2006), o estudo sistematiza as pesquisas realizadas no período de 2015 a 2018 demonstrando tendências teóricas em uso nas análises das culturas regionais e mostra que o campo das teorias críticas e pós-críticas são amplamente utilizados para produzir reflexões sobre as culturas amazônicas. Essas reflexões transitam entre a ideia de uma essência cultural, ou seja, a ideia de uma cultura sem vínculo com a tradição. Observamos também que os pressupostos conceituais de origem marxistas são lentes teóricas de importância para a análise regional quando o tema principal é a vinculação entre cultura e desigualdade. Em termos gerais, podemos dizer que há certo equilíbrio teórico nas produções acadêmicas regionais no campo da educação quando os temas abordados são as culturas amazônicas.
Entornos personales de aprendizaje como marco de la educación flexible: explorando consensos, enunciando preguntas y marcando desafíos
Authors: Castañeda Linda , Attwell Graham , Dabbagh Nada
Published: March 2022

Los entornos personales de aprendizaje (PLE) son un concepto, una idea y un enfoque educativo que plantea una forma disruptiva de entender la forma en que aprende las personas en un ecosistema tecnológico enriquecido como el actual. Tras casi 20 años de historia y de interés académico, el alcance de los PLE –como tema y como práctica– sigue siendo limitado a pesar de que realidades como las expuestas por la crisis del CoVid-19 remarcan la importancia de su implementación y desarrollo. Este trabajo propone una investigación participativa y se plantea una aproximación dialógica al estado de la cuestión en torno a los PLE. Se utiliza un grupo focal de expertos que desarrollan colaborativamente mapas mentales mientras discuten sobre tres preguntas que ilustran los consensos, la actualidad y las necesidades futuras de investigación sobre el tema. Las conclusiones del trabajo ofrecen vectores de dirección que deberían, a juicio de estos expertos, ocupar los esfuerzos de investigación y desarrollo sobre PLE y contribuir a que este campo de estudio aporte de forma más decidida a la verdadera transformación educativa que prioriza las personas en comunidad como centro de interés.
El papel de la interacción en la educación superior: hacia modelos pedagógicos más flexibles
Authors: Forero Arango Ximena
Published: March 2022

Esta investigación es un aporte a la reflexión en el campo de la educación flexible en nivel de pregrado, para la segunda Universidad pública más grande de Colombia, fundada en 1803. El estudio se realizó desde un paradigma constructivista interpretativo, con enfoque cualitativo y diseño de Teoría Fundamentada. Para proponer un modelo pedagógico para la educación virtual, se hicieron dos implementaciones: la primera en un curso libre a través de Whatsapp, la segunda en un curso del pregrado de Periodismo que se desarrolló a través de Meet, Classroom y Whatsapp. Los datos mostraron que para la educación flexible en modalidad virtual, la interacción entre los participantes y con los recursos tiene un papel central. También se evidenció que las estrategias de mediación pueden valerse de diferentes canales de comunicación y actividades, con nuevas formas expresivas nativas del ciberespacio como los memes, los gifs, las emisiones en directo, los podcasts o los stickers.
Geleneksel Çocuk Oyunlarının Kültürlerarası Etkileşimi
Authors: Koyuncu Fatma , Bulut Gökçen Gülru
Published: March 2022

Bu çalışmanın amacı; ülkemiz koordinatörlüğünde Bulgaristan, İtalya, Romanya ve İspanya ülkeleriyle yürütülen Uluslararası Erasmus+ projesi kapsamında ülkeler hareketliliğinde oynanan, tanıtılan geleneksel çocuk oyunlarına yönelik öğrenci ve öğretmen görüşlerini incelemektir. Bu çalışma, proje ortakları olan 25 öğrenci ve 11 öğretmenin katılımıyla gerçekleştirilmiş bir özel durum çalışmasıdır. Çalışmada veri toplama aracı olarak araştırmacı-öğretmenler tarafından geliştirilen açık uçlu sorulardan oluşan öğretmen ve öğrenci görüşme formu kullanılmıştır. Öğretmen ve öğrencilerin görüşleri, betimsel analiz yöntemi ile analiz edilmiştir. Araştırmanın sonucunda katılımcıların geleneksel çocuk oyunları ile ilgili görüşleri, farklı kültürlerden gelen ve farklı dilleri konuşan çocukların geleneksel oyunların birleştirici ve evrensellik özelliği ile iletişimlerini sağlayarak ortak paydada buluştuklarını ortaya koymuştur. Bu çalışmayla katılımcı öğrenci ve öğretmen görüşleri doğrultusunda geleneksel çocuk oyunlarının isimleri farklı olsa da oyunun kuralları, hitap ettiği yaş grubu, kullanılan oyun materyali açısından oldukça benzer olduğu görülmüştür. Geleneksel çocuk oyunlarının kültürlerarası etkileşimi sayesinde öğrencilerde kültürel miras ve farklı kültürler hakkında farkındalık oluşturduğu, merak uyandırdığı, eğlenceli ve ilgi çekici olduğu, öğrencilerin sevgi, saygı, işbirliği, yardımlaşma, paylaşma, arkadaşlık kurma, kurallara uyma, takım ruhu, sabırlı olma gibi değerler ile zihinsel, iletişim ve dil, sosyal ve duygusal becerilerini geliştirdiği böylece geleneksel çocuk oyunlarının öğrencilerin gelişimlerine her açıdan olumlu katkılar sağlayabileceği sonucuna ulaşılmıştır.
Nanoengineered Therapeutic Scaffolds for Burn Wound Management
Authors: Abid Sharjeel , Ziauddin  , Hussain Tanveer , Nazir Ahsan , Mahmood Urwa , Hameed Misbah , Ramakrishna Seeram
Published: March 2022

Background:

Wound healing is a complex process, and selecting an appropriate treatment
is crucial and varies from one wound to another. Among injuries, burn wounds are more challenging
to treat. Different dressings and scaffolds come into play when skin is injured. These scaffolds provide
the optimum environment for wound healing. With the advancements in nanoengineering, scaffolds
have been engineered to improve wound healing with lower fatality rates.

Objectives:

Nanoengineered systems have emerged as one of the most promising candidates for burn
wound management. This review paper aims to provide an in-depth understanding of burn wounds
and the role of nanoengineering in burn wound management. The advantages of nanoengineered
scaffolds, their properties, and their proven effectiveness have been discussed. Nanoparticles and
nanofibers-based nanoengineered therapeutic scaffolds provide optimum protection, infection management,
and accelerated wound healing due to their unique characteristics. These scaffolds increase
cell attachment and proliferation for desired results.

Results:

The literature review suggested that the utilization of nanoengineered scaffolds has accelerated
burn wound healing. Nanofibers provide better cell attachment and proliferation among different
nanoengineered scaffolds because their 3D structure mimics the body's extracellular matrix.

Conclusion:

With these advanced nanoengineered scaffolds, better burn wound management is possible
due to sustained drug delivery, better cell attachment, and an infection-free environment.
An In Silico Approach for Brain Tumor Detection and Classification of
Magnetic Resonance Images
Authors: Hussain Ashfaq , Hussain Afzal
Published: March 2022

Background:

Early detection of cancer can be done using machine learning approaches
with high precision. A brain tumor is a very dangerous disease that may cause the death of cancerous
patients. Every year, thousands of people die from that disease all over the world. Proper detection
of cancerous cells in the body can save their lives.

Methods:

To segment the brain tumor region through brain MR images and to classify tumorous and
normal brain images into different classes is very crucial to cure death-causing diseases like cancer.
There are various techniques or methods for segmenting the tumorous part or area from the medical
images. Magnetic resonance imaging is the most important technique to capture the images of the
body parts because it has more information than any other imaging method, such as a CT scan, etc.
K-means clustering is used for the segmentation of the tumor region, and the SVM classifier is used
for classification purposes.

Results:

The classification was done through the support vector machines in MATLAB 2019a. 350
images were classified with an accuracy of 89.7 %.

Conclusion:

In this paper, MRI images have been used for tumor detection and classification of
those images into different classes with the help of MATLAB software. We calculated the accuracy
of the classification using machine learning techniques. Early detection of cancerous regions is effective
in curing death-causing diseases.
Unwinding Link between Coronavirus and Diabetes Patient
Authors: Bhadauria Shailendra Singh , Malviya Rishabha , Sharma Pramod Kumar
Published: March 2022

The COVID-19 illness is a highly contagious disease presently affecting more than 200 countries caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2). Persons with diabetes mellitus (DM), severe obesity, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension are more likely to be infected with COVID-19 and are at a higher risk of death. The COVID-19 pandemic is overlapping the preexisting diabetes pandemic to produce fast and very vulnerable groups of COVID-19 and diabetes patients. Evidence relating to COVID-19 and diabetes is less but continues to emerge. In this context, we present evidence identified through rapid reviews. The current manuscript aims to provide information on diabetic patients suffering from COVID-19. Consequently, diabetic people have a higher susceptibility to severe SARS-CoV- 2 infections since defects in the glucose metabolism exacerbate the COVID-19 pathogenesis. After an extensive literature survey, it can come to an end that specific care is required for diabetes patients suffering from the COVID-19 virus. COVID-19 infection in diabetic patients may lead to loss of life if immediate care is not taken. This paper gives insight into the COVID-19 disease complications relevant to diabetes and emphasizes the current information and emerging concepts for SARS-CoV-2 infections in patients with DM.
A Review on the Drug Delivery Strategies for Parasitic Infections: Scope
and Assertion
Authors: Lohan Sunidhi , Bhatia Meenakshi , Kumar Sunil , Kapoor Archana
Published: March 2022

Parasitic infections are prime causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Significant progress has been made to cure these infections, such as discovering antiparasitic drugs, developing new formulation strategies, site-directed drug delivery, chemotherapy, etc. Synthetic drugs are peri-lous and have various side effects, leading to the development of drug resistance and loss of health. Herbal medicines are economical and generally free from potential side effects; therefore, they are acclaiming recognition. However, it is difficult to produce antiparasitic vaccines; major efforts have been made and still, there are no licensed vaccines currently available to control human parasitic ailments. This systematic review assesses various techniques for the treatment of parasitic infec-tions. Moreover, the advancements and challenges involved in establishing novel trends in the de-velopment of more effective drug delivery systems are also investigated. Over the years, the inci-dences of several infectious ailments in humans have enhanced and it is estimated to further in-crease in the future. Over thirty new infective agents have been identified globally in the last 30 years; approximately 60 % of them are from zoonotic sources. Efficient drug delivery plays a key role in treating parasitic infections. The main goal of the modern antiparasitic drug delivery system is to minimize the potential side effects and deliver the drug directly to the target pathogens. There-fore, more sophisticated drug formulations than a simple tablet or solution are necessary for the treatment of many human parasitic diseases.
Impacts of aerobic exercise on children with asthma diagnosis: integrative review
Authors: Espinosa dos Santos Bianca , Macedo Lohanna Chrystina dos Santos Antunes de , Adomaitis Ana Paula Guimaraes , Castro Ane Milena Macêdo de , Teixeira de Almeida Juliana , Moraes dos Santos Mara Lisiane , Foerster Merey Leila Simone
Published: March 2022

Objective: To identify the impacts of aerobic exercise on the health of children with asthma, seeking to know protocols of rehabilitation programs and their impacts. Methods: Clinical trials published from 2010 to 2020 were selected, filtered by the descriptors: 'asthma', 'exercise' or 'physical training', 'children' OR 'adolescents' AND 'quality of life'. Results: Nineteen articles were included; the duration of the programs ranged from 4 to 24 weeks, 2 to 6 times/week, with the sessions varying from 30 min to 1h10min and intensity from 40% to 100% of the Maximum Heart Rate. The studies evaluated strength, lung capacity and function, inflammatory mediators, quality of life, and asthma control. Aerobic interventions made it possible to improve cardiorespiratory capacity, intracellular action of antioxidants, quality of life, and disease control. Significant results were found in protocols with playful exercises performed for 60 minutes, three times a week, and at least 12 weeks. Conclusion: The ease of reproducing the protocols can provide greater coverage of care and rehabilitation, which in the long term can help to reduce the hospitalization rate, cost, and hospital demand for severe exacerbations.
The reduction in grip strength is associated with a decrease in the distance covered in the 6MWT in elderly people residing in a long-stay institution
Authors: Reis Jéssica de Paula , Martinelli da Silva Mateus , Pavesi Raíssa Olegário Aguiar , Vidal Alessandra Paiva de Castro , Dias Fernanda Moura Vargas
Published: March 2022

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between handgrip strength (HGS), anthropometric parameters, perception of fatigue, and the distance covered in the 6-minute walk test (6MWD) in elderly people living in a long-stay institution (ILPI). Methods: Elderly people (n = 17; 77 ± 7 years) of both sexes, living in an LTCF in Espírito Santo, Brazil, participated in the study. Volunteers were evaluated using the 6-min walk test (6MWT), HGS, and Chalder's Fatigue Scale (EFC). Results: The means of the 6MWD (276 ± 81.6 m) and HGS (19.4 ± 10.5 Kg/f) of the elderly were below the predicted values. The 6MWD showed a moderate positive correlation with HGS (right r = 0.6; p = 0.008; left r = 0.5; p = 0.03) and with apex expansion (r = 0.5; p = 0.03), as well as a negative correlation with the body mass index (BMI) (r = -0.6; p = 0.01). Conclusion: In the environment of an ILPI, where there is a high prevalence of functional limitations and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in the elderly, comprehensive health care is a complex challenge. Thus, knowledge of these associations can highlight the importance of ensuring strategies to mitigate muscle weakness and immobility.
Quantifying Changes in the Language Used Around Mental Health on Twitter Over 10 Years: Observational Study
Authors: Stupinski Anne Marie , Alshaabi Thayer , Arnold Michael V , Adams Jane Lydia , Minot Joshua R , Price Matthew , Dodds Peter Sheridan , Danforth Christopher M
Published: March 2022

Background

Mental health challenges are thought to affect approximately 10% of the global population each year, with many of those affected going untreated because of the stigma and limited access to services. As social media lowers the barrier for joining difficult conversations and finding supportive groups, Twitter is an open source of language data describing the changing experience of a stigmatized group.

Objective

By measuring changes in the conversation around mental health on Twitter, we aim to quantify the hypothesized increase in discussions and awareness of the topic as well as the corresponding reduction in stigma around mental health.

Methods

We explored trends in words and phrases related to mental health through a collection of 1-, 2-, and 3-grams parsed from a data stream of approximately 10% of all English tweets from 2010 to 2021. We examined temporal dynamics of mental health language and measured levels of positivity of the messages. Finally, we used the ratio of original tweets to retweets to quantify the fraction of appearances of mental health language that was due to social amplification.

Results

We found that the popularity of the phrase mental health increased by nearly two orders of magnitude between 2012 and 2018. We observed that mentions of mental health spiked annually and reliably because of mental health awareness campaigns as well as unpredictably in response to mass shootings, celebrities dying by suicide, and popular fictional television stories portraying suicide. We found that the level of positivity of messages containing mental health, while stable through the growth period, has declined recently. Finally, we observed that since 2015, mentions of mental health have become increasingly due to retweets, suggesting that the stigma associated with the discussion of mental health on Twitter has diminished with time.

Conclusions

These results provide useful texture regarding the growing conversation around mental health on Twitter and suggest that more awareness and acceptance has been brought to the topic compared with past years.
A Yoga Exercise App Designed for Patients With Axial Spondylarthritis: Development and User Experience Study
Authors: Truong Minh Tam , Nwosu Obioma Bertrand , Gaytan Torres Maria Elena , Segura Vargas Maria Paula , Seifer Ann-Kristin , Nitschke Marlies , Ibrahim Alzhraa A , Knitza Johannes , Krusche Martin , Eskofier Bjoern M , Schett Georg , Morf Harriet
Published: March 2022

Background

Besides anti-inflammatory medication, physical exercise represents a cornerstone of modern treatment for patients with axial spondyloarthritis (AS). Digital health apps (DHAs) such as the yoga app YogiTherapy could remotely empower patients to autonomously and correctly perform exercises.

Objective

This study aimed to design and develop a smartphone-based app, YogiTherapy, for patients with AS. To gain additional insights into the usability of the graphical user interface (GUI) for further development of the app, this study focused exclusively on evaluating users’ interaction with the GUI.

Methods

The development of the app and the user experience study took place between October 2020 and March 2021. The DHA was designed by engineering students, rheumatologists, and patients with AS. After the initial development process, a pilot version of the app was evaluated by 5 patients and 5 rheumatologists. The participants had to interact with the app’s GUI and complete 5 navigation tasks within the app. Subsequently, the completion rate and experience questionnaire (attractiveness, perspicuity, efficiency, dependability, stimulation, and novelty) were completed by the patients.

Results

The results of the posttest questionnaires showed that most patients were already familiar with digital apps (4/5, 80%). The task completion rates of the usability test were 100% (5/5) for the tasks T1 and T2, which included selecting and starting a yoga lesson and navigating to an information page. Rheumatologists indicated that they were even more experienced with digital devices (2/5, 40% experts; 3/5, 60% intermediates). In this case, they scored task completion rates of 100% (5/5) for all 5 usability tasks T1 to T5. The mean results from the User Experience Questionnaire range from −3 (most negative) to +3 (most positive). According to rheumatologists’ evaluations, attractiveness (mean 2.267, SD 0.401) and stimulation (mean 2.250, SD 0.354) achieved the best mean results compared with dependability (mean 2.000, SD 0.395). Patients rated attractiveness at a mean of 2.167 (SD 0.565) and stimulation at a mean of 1.950 (SD 0.873). The lowest mean score was reported for perspicuity (mean 1.250, SD 1.425).

Conclusions

The newly developed and tested DHA YogiTherapy demonstrated moderate usability among rheumatologists and patients with rheumatic diseases. The app can be used by patients with AS as a complementary treatment. The initial evaluation of the GUI identified significant usability problems that need to be addressed before the start of a clinical evaluation. Prospective trials are also needed in the second step to prove the clinical benefits of the app.
Computer programs used in the field of hospital pharmacy for the management of dangerous drugs: systematic review (Preprint)
Authors: Climent-Ballester Seira , García-Salom Pedro , Sanz-Valero Javier
Published: March 2022

BACKGROUND

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OBJECTIVE

To review the scientific literature to determine what computer programs have been used in the field of hospital pharmacy for the management of dangerous drugs (HDs).

METHODS

The following electronic databases were searched from inception to July 30, 2021: MEDLINE (via PubMed), Embase, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences (LILACS) and Medicine in Spanish (MEDES). The following terms were used in the search strategy: “Antineoplastic Agents”, “Cytostatic Agents”, “Hazardous Substances”, “Medical Informatics Applications”, “Mobile Applications”, “Software”, “Software Design”, and “Pharmacy Service, Hospital”.

RESULTS

A total of 104 studies were retrieved form the databases, and 18 additional studies were obtained by manually searching the reference lists of the included studies and by consulting experts. Once the inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, 26 studies were ultimately included in this review. Most of the applications described in the included studies were used for the management of antineoplastic drugs. The most commonly controlled stage was electronic prescription; 18 studies and 7 interventions carried out in the preparation stage focused on evaluating the accuracy of chemotherapy preparations.

CONCLUSIONS

Antineoplastic electronic prescription software was the most widely implemented software at the hospital level. No software was found to control the entire HD process. Only one of the selected studies measured safety events in workers who handle HDs. Moreover, health personnel were found to be satisfied with the implementation of this type of technology for daily work with these medications. All studies reviewed herein considered patient safety as their final objective. However, none of the studies evaluated the risk of HD exposure among workers.
Virtual Reality Technology in Cognitive Rehabilitation Application: A Bibliometric Analysis (Preprint)
Authors: He Danni , Cao Shihua , Le Yuchao , Wang Mengxin , Chen Yanfei , Qian Beiying
Published: March 2022

BACKGROUND

In recent year, with the development of computer science and medical science, virtual reality (VR) technology has been regarded as a promising tool to improve cognitive function. Research on VR-based cognitive training has gained more and more attention.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the application status, research hotspots, and emerging trends of VR in cognitive rehabilitation in the past 20 years.

METHODS

Articles on the application of VR in cognitive rehabilitation from 2001 to 2021 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. CiteSpace software was used for visual analysis of authors and countries/regions, and Scimago Graphica software was used for the geographic visualization of published countries/regions. Keywords were clustered by gCLUTO software.

RESULTS

A total of 1,259 papers were included. In recent years, research on the application of VR in cognitive rehabilitation has been continuously hot, and the annual publication of relevant literature has shown a positive trend. The United States ranked first with 328 papers, and Italy ranked second with 140 papers. Giuseppe Riva, an Italian academic, was the most prolific author with 29 publications. The most frequently cited reference was Using Virtual Reality to Characterize Episodic Memory Profiles in Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease: Influence of Active and Passive Encoding. The most common keywords used by researchers include virtual reality, cognition, rehabilitation, performance, and older adult. The largest amount of research was funded by the European Commission.

CONCLUSIONS

The studies on the application of VR in cognitive rehabilitation have maintained an increasing trend, with research hotspots focusing on stroke, Alzheimer's disease, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The cooperation among authors and countries has been carried out to a certain extent. Remote rehabilitation based on VR will likely become the focus of future research. To achieve the wide application of virtual reality technology, we should pay attention to the requirements of patients, strengthen multidisciplinary cooperation, increase the fund investment, perfect the incentive mechanism.
The Effect of Transformational Leadership on Organizational Commitment and Work Performance
Authors: Almaududi Ausat Abu Muna , Suherlan Suherlan , Peirisal Tepi , Hirawan Zaenal
Published: March 2022

Introduction/Main Objectives: Organizations must be responsive in an increasingly complicated and competitive business environment.  Background Problems: To stay relevant, the leader's role must be maximized in cultivating and promoting the people resources they have. This is still a problem of leadership style applied in a business organization. Novelty: The transformational leadership style is the solution to a company's uneasiness in the face of a more dynamic and disruptive business environment, particularly for SMEs that are still learning how to execute the optimum leadership style.Research Methods: A quantitative technique based on variance Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and Partial Least Squares (PLs) was used to acquire a better understanding of the relationship between variables. An online questionnaire was used to collect responses from SMEs employees in the food and beverage sector in Karawang Regency, Indonesia.  Finding/Results: Transformational leadership has a good and significant impact on organizational commitment and work performance, according to the findings. Similarly, the commitment organizational to work performance. Organizational commitment, on the other hand, does not appear to be a significant mediating variable between transformational leadership and work performance. Conclusion: Although transformational leadership can have beneficial effects on employees like commitment and intimacy, it's important to remember that during the present Covid-19 pandemic, employees require a decent income from their work
Microvascular Angina. Could a Whole-Food Plant-Based Diet be the Answer?
Authors: Allen Kathleen Elizabeth , Yarber Clark , Rauch Judah , Ostfeld Robert J.
Published: March 2022

Discussed in this report are 2 patients with clinically diagnosed microvascular angina whose symptoms resolved after consuming a whole-food, plant-based dietary pattern.
Sleep Quality, Anxiety, Somatic Symptoms, and Features of Brain Structure in Parents of Children with Disabilities
Authors: Zhou Jing , Gao Shaohua , Sun Tongda , Gao Weiwei , Fu Wenxiu , Ying Zhiguo , Mao Wenqin
Published: March 2022

We investigated sleep quality, anxiety, and somatic symptoms of 330 parents of children aged 0–6 years with disabilities, and explored the features of their brain structure using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Scale, the Patient Health Questionnaire-15, and the Generalized
Anxiety Disorder-7. We compared these results with those of a control group of parents ( n = 330) of children with typical development. The parents of children with disabilities were divided into a poor-sleepquality subgroup and a good-sleep-quality subgroup, and then 20 parents from
each subgroup were randomly selected for analysis of variance of magnetic resonance imaging scanning. There were significant positive correlations between scores on the three scales for the parents of children with disabilities, and their mean scores for all scales were also significantly
higher than those of the control group. Moreover, among the parents of children with disabilities, those with poorer sleep quality had lower density of gray matter in brain regions related to emotional cognition. These results suggest that parents raising children with disabilities may have
poorer sleep and be more likely to have somatic symptoms and generalized anxiety than are parents of children with typical development; furthermore, these effects may correspond to changes in brain structure.
Representation of binary classification trees with binary features by quantum circuits
Authors: Heese Raoul , Bickert Patricia , Niederle Astrid Elisa
Published: March 2022

We propose a quantum representation of binary classification trees with binary features based on a probabilistic approach. By using the quantum computer as a processor for probability distributions, a probabilistic traversal of the decision tree can be realized via measurements of a quantum circuit. We describe how tree inductions and the prediction of class labels of query data can be integrated into this framework. An on-demand sampling method enables predictions with a constant number of classical memory slots, independent of the tree depth. We experimentally study our approach using both a quantum computing simulator and actual IBM quantum hardware. To our knowledge, this is the first realization of a decision tree classifier on a quantum device.
The Route to Health: China’s Belt and Road Initiative in COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Arsentyeva I. I.
Published: March 2022

This study examines the China’s Belt and Road Initiative in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has created new parameters for building the world order, putting forward life and health as the main values.

Aim. The study aims to analyze the Health Silk Road project as a Belt and Road’s important part which, according to the Chinese government’s statements, seeks to improve the health systems and health of the population of the participating countries.

Tasks. The author traces the genesis of the Health Silk Road project; describes the main measures taken by China within the framework of this initiative since the spring of 2020; determines its significance for the PRC’s domestic and foreign policy; analyzes the main benefits and risks for the project participants.

Methods. When working with scientific literature on the development of the Belt and Road Initiative under pandemic conditions, methods of critical and comparative analysis are applied. The author also analyzes the primary sources — statistical data, government documents, analytical materials, speeches by officials, papers of integration unions and international organizations, public opinion polls, etc.

Results. The demand for humanitarian (medical) cooperation at the present stage is substantiated; the PRC’s “mask diplomacy” and its importance for domestic and foreign policy, including impact on the image of the State, are characterized; the opinions of Western experts are analyzed; the assessment of the Build Back Better World Initiative undertaken by G7 countries as a “democratic alternative” to the Chinese project is given.

Conclusion. Based on the results of the study, it is concluded that the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the flexibility of China’s policy, which was able to adapt to the unstable international situation, find new opportunities and development vectors, including the Health Silk Road, which is likely to remain a significant direction of the Belt and Road Initiative in a post-COVID-19 world.