bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Technology-Driven Solutions to Prompt Conversation, Aid Communication and Support Interaction for People With Dementia and Their Caregivers: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Hoel Viktoria , Feunou Carine Mendom , Wolf-Ostermann Karin
Published: November 2020

Background The impact of dementia on communication capabilities can result in difficulties in social interactions and between people with dementia and their conversation partner, as initiating and maintaining conversations becomes increasingly challenging. The role of technology in promoting social health and participation for people with dementia is increasing, but the usage on technological devices as a third party in social interactions to enhance communication quality is still in its infancy. The objective of this literature review is to provide a comprehensive description of technology-driven interventions for people with dementia and their conversation partners to enhance communication and facilitate positive social interactions. Methods A systematic search was conducted using PubMed, CINAHL and PsycINFO, where titles and abstracts were screened by two researchers independently. The reference lists of initially identified papers were hand-searched for further relevant studies. Quality appraisal of the included studies was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool.Results Twenty-six papers were included., where the most common technologies to facilitate communication and interactions were tablet-computers (n=11), social robots (n=7) and PCs (n=4). By analyzing the impacts of the device(s) on social interaction and communication, five major themes emerged: i) increased interaction; ii) better understanding of the person with dementia; iii) improved conversational quality; iv) reducing pressure on the conversation partner; and v) a conversational platform.Conclusion While the majority of the included studies are small-scale, they indicate promising findings on the potential of technology in helping dyads to interact in a way that relieves strain on the caregiver, enhances the relationship and engages people with dementia in social activities. Rigorous investigation using standard, comparable measurements is needed to demonstrate the effects of technological solutions, taking on the perspective on caregiving dyads as an entity rather than looking at outcomes for one member of the dyad in isolation.
Multidisciplinary Approach to Reduce Postoperative Complications and Improve the Activity of Patients With Hip Fracture: A 24-month Follow-up Survey
Authors: Imai Norio , Endo Naoto , Suda Ken , Suzuki Hayato
Published: November 2020

Background: Many multidisciplinary approaches such as fracture liaison services (FLS) have been introduced in the United Kingdom and Japan and have reduced medical complications and secondary fractures. This study investigated patient outcomes following the introduction of FLS.Methods: Patients who were over 50 years old and experienced fragility hip fractures between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2017, were enrolled in the study. We divided patients into a control group without FLS (94 patients; mean age: 83.8 years; 21 men and 73 women) and a FLS group (373 patients; mean age: 83.3 years; 69 men and 304 women).Results: The time from injury to surgery decreased significantly from 2.42 days to 1.83 days following the introduction of FLS (p = 0.003). The proportion of patients who underwent surgery within 36 hours of injury also increased significantly in the FLS group (p = 0.014). In the FLS group, a significant decrease was observed in the total number of cases with complications after admission (p = 0.004). Significantly more patients with a Barthel index (BI) of ≥80 were observed in the FLS group at 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months following injury (p = 0.046, 0.018, and 0.048, respectively). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that the BI at the time of injury, surgery within 36 hours of injury, and postoperative complications was associated with death within 12 or 24 months after the injury.Conclusions: Our results indicate that FLS contributed to earlier recovery and rehabilitation following surgery and accelerated the rehabilitation of medical complications following admission. Our FLS is expected to improve patient activity and decrease secondary hip fracture in patients who have undergone hip surgery.
Ocular Causes of Headache in Patients Presenting to a Sub-urban Eye Hospital
Authors: Parajuli Sanket , Shrestha Ruchi , Chapagain Senny , Singh Prerana , Shrestha Ramesh
Published: November 2020

Background: Headache one of the most frequent complaints for which the patients visit the medical practitioners. The current study was planned to determine the aetiology of headache in patients seen for an ocular examination in ophthalmology outpatient clinics in a sub urban Eye hospital.Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted in Reiyukai Eiko Masunaga eye hospital, Banepa, Nepal over a period of 3 months from 1st March 2020 to 1st June 2020. 200 patients with headache with or without ocular pain were enrolled in the study. The patients were assessed for any ocular cause of headache.Results: Of the 200 patients, 115(57.5%) were female and 85(42.5%) were male. The overall mean age was 37.19 years (range: 11-65 years). 69 of 200 patients had refractive error (34.5%).Most common error was astigmatism (69.5%) followed by myopia (17.3%) and hyperopia (13.05%). 58(29%) patients were above the age of 40 years and hence were presbyopic.14% had convergence insufficiency, 4.2% had accommodation insufficiency and 3.5% had fusional insufficiency Various ocular morbidities that were noted were, Corneal ulcer , disciform keratitis, epithelial defect, primary angle closure glaucoma, phacomorphic glaucoma, primary angle closure suspect,Chronic angle closure, ocular hypertension, anterior uveitis , posterior scleritis, optic neuritis, intracranial space occupying lesion indicated by papilledema , acute dacryocystitis, herpes zoster ophthalmicus , preseptal cellulitis and painful internal hordeolumConclusion: A detailed evaluation of patient with headache is necessary to properly identify and treat the cause of headache. The role of ophthalmologist in assessing the patients with headache has been emphasized by this study.
Lymphovascular invasion represents a superior prognostic and predictive pathological factor of the duration of adjuvant chemotherapy for stage III colon cancer patients
Authors: Peng Jianhong , Deng Yuxiang , Liu Songran , Zhang Rongxin , Zhu Ying , Lu Zhenhai , Pan Zhizhong , Fan Wenhua , Wu Xiaojun
Published: November 2020

Background
Lymphovascular invasion (LVI) and perineural invasion (PNI) can indicate poor survival outcomes in colorectal cancer, but few studies have focused on stage III colon cancer. The current study aimed to confirm the prognostic value of LVI and PNI and identify patients who could achieve benefit from a complete duration of adjuvant chemotherapy based on the two pathological factors.
Methods
We enrolled 402 consecutive patients with stage III colon cancer who receive colon tumor resection from November 2007 to June 2016 at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center. Survival analysis were performed by using Kaplan–Meier method with log-rank tests. Risk factors related to disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were identified through Cox proportional hazards analysis.
Results
A total of 141 (35.1%) patients presented with LVI, and 108 (26.9%) patients with PNI. The LVI-positive group was associated with poorer 3-year DFS (86.5% vs. 76.3%, P = 0.001) and OS (96.0% vs. 89.1%, P = 0.003) rates compared with the LVI-negative group. The PNI-positive group showed a worse survival outcome compared with the PNI-negative group in 3-year DFS rate (72.5% vs. 86.7%, P < 0.001). Moreover, LVI-positive group present better 3-year DFS and OS rate in patients completing 6–8 cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy than those less than 6 cycles (3-year DFS: 80.0% vs. 64.9%, P = 0.019; 3-year OS: 93.2% vs. 76.3%, P = 0.002).
Conclusions
LVI is a superior prognostic factor to PNI in stage III colon cancer patients undergoing curative treatment. Furthermore, LVI also represents an effective indicator for adjuvant chemotherapy duration.
Classification of Pregnancy Apps in Medical Technology Despite the Coronavirus
Authors: Habibi Mohammad Reza Mazaheri , Moghbeli fateme
Published: November 2020

BackgroundThe use of mobile applications is very popular among the public these days. Pregnant women are a segment of society who need constant care to monitor their condition and that of the fetus. Pregnant women find it very difficult to keep track of their condition. An application software is needed. But choosing a reliable application is important. MethodsThe article is a research article that uses PRISMA flowchart to extract articles. Given that there are many apps in the field of pregnancy and due to technological advances as well as the recent outbreak of coronavirus disease, so the articles of the last 10 years that have been scientifically published in the databases of Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct have been analyzed. The most widely used and at the same time the best app is introduced in terms of its high usability.ResultsAfter searching for the keywords m-health, pregnancy, mobile app, coronavirus, covid-19 and combining them in databases according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 23 articles were finally reached. In the initial search, 3, 18 and 292 articles were extracted in PubMed, Science Direct and Google Scholar, respectively. According to the search strategy, 23 articles were identified qualitatively by reviewing both authors. Then, the types of apps were divided into three general categories, pregnant entertainment apps, pregnant information apps, and monitoring apps for mothers' physical health. Finally, 10 apps were selected and the Amila app was introduced as the best due to its high usability.ConclusionConsidering that pregnant women are an important segment of society and in addition to their health, the health of the fetus is also important to them, and also despite the coronavirus and the difficulty of mothers traveling for check-ups and checking their condition, As a result, using trusted apps to maintain their health and reduce traffic in the current situation will be very important. Given that this research article was written with the aim of choosing the best app, so it can be a suggestion for pregnant women and even gynecologists to introduce such apps to their patients.
Rapid and Accurate Varieties Identification of Different Crop Seeds Under Sample-Limited Condition Based on Hyperspectral Imaging and Deep Transfer Learning
Authors: Wu Na , Liu Fei , Bao Yidan , Li Mu , Huang Wei , Meng Fanjia , Zhang Chu , He Yong
Published: November 2020

Background: Varieties identification of crop seeds is significant for breeders to screen out seeds with specific traits and for market regulators to detect seeds purity. Hyperspectral imaging technology provides a fast and non-destructive means for varieties identification. And deep learning algorithm is suitable for effective analysis of redundant spectral data. However, deep learning algorithms have serious big data dependency, while collecting high-quality large-scale samples was high-cost in many cases. This made it difficult to build an accurate identification model. This study aimed to explore a rapid and accurate method for varieties identification of different crop seeds under sample-limited condition based on hyperspectral imaging and deep transfer learning.Results: Three deep neural networks with typical structures were designed based on a samples-rich Pea dataset. Obtained the highest accuracy of 99.57 %, VGG-MODEL was transferred to classify four target datasets (Rice, Oat, Wheat, Cotton) with limited samples. The accuracies of deep transferred model achieved 95 %, 99 %, 80.8 %, and 83.86 % on the four datasets, respectively. Using training sets with different sizes, deep transferred model could always obtain higher performance than other traditional methods. Visualization of training process and classification results confirmed the portability of common features of seed spectra and provided an interpreted method for rapid and accurate varieties identification of crop seeds.Conclusions: This study combined hyperspectral imaging and deep transfer learning to identify varieties of different crop seeds, which was proved to be efficient under sample-limited condition. This facilitated crop variety screening process under the scenario of sample scarcity. It also provided a new idea for the detection of other qualities of crop seeds based on hyperspectral imaging under sample-limited condition.
Palliative Care Stakeholders in Canada
Authors: Xiao Jingjie , Brenneis Carleen , Fassbender Konrad
Published: November 2020

Background: Improving access to palliative care for Canadians requires a focused collective effort toward palliative and end-of-life care advocacy and policy. However, evolution of modern palliative care in Canada has resulted in stakeholders working in isolation. Identification of stakeholders is an important step to ensure that efforts to improve palliative care are coordinated. The purpose of this analysis is to collectively identify, classify and prioritize stakeholders who made contributions to national palliative care policies in Canada.Methods: A systematic grey literature search was conducted examining policy documents (i.e. policy reports, legislative bills, judicial court cases) in the field of palliative care, end-of-life, and medical assistance in dying, at the national level, over the last two decades. Organizations’ names were extracted directly or derived from individuals’ affiliations. We then classified stakeholders using an adapted classification approach and developed an algorithm to prioritize their contributions towards the publication of these documents.Results: Over 800 organizations contributed to 115 documents (41 policy reports, 11 legislative, 63 judicial). Discussions regarding national palliative care policy over the last two decades peaked in 2016. Stakeholder organizations contributing to national palliative care policy conversations throughout this period were classified into six types and broadly representative of society. The ranking algorithm identified the top 200 prioritized stakeholder organizations.Conclusions: Stakeholders from various societal sectors contributed to national palliative care conversions over the past two decades; however, not all the stakeholder organizations engaged to the same extent. The information is useful when a need arises for increased collaboration between stakeholders and can be a starting point to develop more effective engagement strategies.
Multi-omics Analysis Reveals Whether and how Naphthylacetic Acid Affects the Quality of Rehmannia Glutinosa
Authors: LI Jianjun , SHAO Luying , ZHU Jialin , MA Jingxiao , ZHOU Yanqing , LI Huimin
Published: November 2020

Background: Rehmannia glutinosa (R.glutinosa) is an important medicinal plant. The tuberous root of R.glutinosa is often used as herbal medicine. Naphthylacetic acid (NAA) as expansin can improve its yield, but knowledge about gene regulation and metabolome in its root is limited.Results: Full-length transcriptome, next generation transcriptome(NGS), small RNA and degradome sequencing and metabolomics were used to elucidate whether and how NAA affected its quality.30 differential expression metabolites (DEMs) (11 upregulated, 19downregulated) were identified, but catalpol and Rehmannioside D as quality standards were unchanged in its tuberous roots under control and NAA conditions (CKs and NTs); Their NGS identified 1,113 differentially expressed transcripts (DETs) (596 upregulated, 517downregulated) verified by RT-qPCR; Small RNA sequencing identified 78miRNAs (11known, 67 novel), of which 3 were differentially expressed miRNAs (1upregulated, 2downregulated). Among them, 274 differentially expressed miRNAs target transcripts (DEMTs) were predicted found and then validated by degradome sequencing; DETs and DEMTs were mainly related to metabolism. 4 miRNA-mRNA interaction pairs that regulates 4 metabolites (2 negatively correlated, 2 positively correlated) were identified; DETs, DEMs, differentially expressed miRNAs and DEMTs involved in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis regulated metabolites.Conclusions: The identification of DETs, DEMs, differentially expressed miRNAs and DEMTs could help to elucidate the regulatory networks and molecular mechanisms important for NAA-improving root quality of R.glutinosa.
Genome-wide Identification and Expression Analysis of Autophagy-related Genes (ATGs) in Medicago Truncatula
Authors: Yang Mingkang , Wang Liping , Guo Xu , Lin Chuanglie , Huang Wei , Chen Liang
Published: November 2020

Background: Autophagy is a highly conserved degradation process of cytoplasmic constituents in eukaryotes. Autophagy is known to be involved in the regulation of plant growth and development, as well as biotic and abiotic stress response. Although autophagy-related genes (ATGs) have been identified and characterized in many plant species, little is known about the autophagy process in Medicago truncatula. Results: In this study, 39 ATGs were identiﬁed in M. truncatula (MtATGs), and the gene structures and conserved domains of MtATGs were systematically characterized. In addition, many cis-elements which are related to hormone and stress responsiveness were identified in the promoters of MtATGs. Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis and interaction network analysis suggested that the function of MtATGs is evolutionarily conserved in Arabidopsis and M. truncatula. Gene expression analysis showed that most MtATGs were largely induced during seed development, but repressed by nodulation. Moreover, MtATGs were up-regulated in response to salt and drought stresses.﻿Conclusion: These results provide a comprehensive overview of the MtATGs, which provided important clues for further functional analysis of autophagy in M. truncatula.
Automated Tire Visual Inspection Based on Low Rank Matrix Recovery
Authors: Li Guangxu , Zheng Zhouzhou , Shao Yuyi , Shen Jinyue , Zhang Yan
Published: November 2020

Visual inspection is a challenging and widely employed process in industries. In this work, an automated tire visual inspection system is proposed based on low rank matrix recovery. Deep Network is employed to perform texture segmentation which benefits low rank decomposition in both quality and computational efficiency. We propose a dual optimization method to improve convergence speed and matrix sparsity by incorporating the improvement of the soft-threshold shrinkage operator by the weight matrix M. We investigated how incremental multiplier affects the decomposition accuracy and the convergence speed of the algorithm. On this basis, image blocks were decomposed into low-rank matrix and sparse matrix in which defects were separated. Comparative experiments have been performed on our dataset. Experimental results validate the theoretical analysis. The method is promising in false alarm, robustness and running time based on multi-core processor distributed computing. It can be extended to other real-time industrial applications.
“Chatty Devices” and Edge-based Activity Classiﬁcation
Authors: Lakoju Mike , Javed Amir , Rana Omer , Burnap Peter , Atiba Samuelson , Cherkaoui Soumaya
Published: November 2020

With increasing automation of manufacturing processes (focusing on technologies such as robotics and human-robot interaction), there is a realisation that the manufacturing process and the artefacts/products it produces can be better connected post-production. Built on this requirement, a “chatty” factory involves creating products which are able to send data back to the manufacturing/ production environment as they are used, whilst still ensuring user privacy. The intended use of a product during design phase may diﬀerent signiﬁcantly from actual usage. Understanding how this data can be used to support continuous product reﬁnement, and how the manufacturing process can be dynamically adapted based on the availability of this data provides a number of opportunities. We describe how data collected on product use be used to: (i) classify product use; (ii) associate a label with product use using unsupervised learning – making use of edge-based analytics; (iii) transmission of this data to a cloud environment where labels can be compared across diﬀerent products of the same type. Federated learning strategies are used on edge devices to ensure that any data captured from a product can be analysed locally (ensuring data privacy). Using a 6th gen. Apple iPad as a “chatty device” (with acceleration, orientation, angular velocity and magnetic ﬁeld sensors) we demonstrate how product use activities can achieve a classiﬁcation accuracy of 99.35%. A comparison is also undertaken with the Human Activity Recognition (HAR) data set, achieving an accuracy of 98%. Our approach demonstrates how semantic activity labels can be associated with product use, and subsequently used to improve product design.
Chronic Effects of Different Intensities of Interval Training on Hemodynamic, Autonomic and Cardiorespiratory Variables of Physically Active Elderly People
Authors: Sant'Ana Leandro , Vianna Jeferson , Ribeiro Aline , Reis Natália , Silva João Guilherme , Campos Yuri , Monteiro Estevão , Brown Amanda , Novaes Jefferson , Scartoni Fabiana , Machado Sérgio , Budde Henning
Published: November 2020

This study aimed to verify the chronic effects of interval training (IT) with different intensities in the hemodynamic, autonomic, and cardiorespiratory variables of physically active older people. Twenty-four physically active older men (age: 68.8 ± 6.8 years, body mass: 74.4 ± 18.1 kg, height: 170 ± 8 m, body mass index: 25.1 ± 2.2 kg / m²) participated in the study. Participants were randomized into three experimental groups: training group A (TGA, n = 8), training group B (TGB, n = 8), and control group (GC, n = 8). TGA and TGB groups performed 32 training sessions separated by a 48-hour interval. TGA showed 4-min with intensity relative to 55 to 60% of the HRmax and 1-min at 70 to 75% of the HRmax. TGB training group performed the same protocol but performed 4-min at 45 to 50% HRmax and 1-min at 60 to 65% HRmax. Both training groups performed each series for six times, totaling 30-min per session. The evaluations were carried out in the pre (baseline) moments after the 16th and 32nd intervention sessions. GC only carried out assessments. Hemodynamic variables (HRR, SBP, DBP, MBP, and DP), autonomic (HRV indices, in the time and frequency domain), and cardiorespiratory (VO2max estimated) variables were evaluated. There were no statistically significant differences in comparisons between protocols and moments (p>0.05). However, the size of the effect and the percentage delta indicated clinical results with relevant magnitudes between protocols and moments, indicating favorable responses to the IT intervention in hemodynamic, autonomic, and cardiorespiratory variables. IT can be an essential strategy in the prescription of training for conditional improvement of variables of cardioprotective function in physically active and healthy older people. However, other studies are suggested to establish the efficiency of this method for cardiovascular and cardiorespiratory variables in the elderly.
Timely poacher detection and localization using sentinel animal movement
Authors: de Knegt Henrik , Eikelboom Jasper , Langevelde Frank van , Spruyt W. François , Prins Herbert
Published: November 2020

Wildlife crime is one of the most profitable illegal industries worldwide. Current actions to reduce it are far from effective and fail to prevent population declines of many endangered species, pressing the need for innovative anti-poaching solutions. Here, we propose and test a real-time poacher early warning system that is based on the movement responses of non-targeted sentinel animals, which naturally respond to threats by fleeing and changing herd topology. We analyzed human-evasive movement patterns of 135 mammalian savanna herbivores of four different species, using an internet-of-things architecture with wearable sensors, wireless data transmission and machine learning algorithms. We show that the presence of human intruders can be accurately detected (86.1% accuracy) and localized (less than 500m error in 54.2% of the experimentally staged intrusions) by algorithmically identifying characteristic changes in sentinel movement. These behavioral signatures include, among others, an increase in movement speed, energy expenditure, body acceleration, directional persistence and herd coherence, and a decrease in suitability of selected habitat. The key to successful identification of these signatures lies in identifying systematic deviations from normal behavior under similar conditions, such as season, time of day and habitat. We also show that the indirect costs of predation are not limited to vigilance, but also include 1) long, high-speed flights; 2) energetically costly flight paths; and 3) suboptimal habitat selection during flights. The combination of wireless biologging, predictive analytics and sentinel animal behavior can benefit wildlife conservation via early poacher detection, but also solve challenges related to surveillance, safety and health.
Ultrasound-triggered Release of Calcein and Doxorubicin from HER2-targeted Liposomes in Breast Cancer Therapy
Authors: Amir Amal El , Ajith Saniha , AlSawaftah Nour , Abuwatfa Waad , Mukhopadhyay Debasmita , Paul Vinod , Husseini Ghaleb
Published: November 2020

The functionalization of liposomes with antibodies is a potential strategy to increase the specificity of liposomes and reduce side-effects of chemotherapeutic agents. The active targeting of Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor 2 (HER2) positive breast cancer cells can be achieved by coating liposomes with an anti-HER2 monoclonal antibody. In this study, we synthesized Calcein and Doxorubicin loaded immunoliposomes functionalized with the monoclonal antibody Trastuzumab. Both liposomes were characterized for size, phospholipid concentration and antibody conjugation. The effect of low-frequency ultrasound (LFUS)-induced drug release was tested using three power densities, 7.46, 9.85 and 17.31 mW/cm2; and the release data were modeled using six different kinetic models. LFUS results established the sonosensitivity of both carrier types, with immunoliposomes being more acoustically sensitive than control liposomes. Results also showed an increase in the release rate as the power density increased from 7.46 to 17.31 mW/cm2. Finally, the in vitro cell experiments showed enhanced uptake and cytotoxicity when breast cancer cell lines, SKBr3 and MDAMB-231, were treated with LFUS-triggered HER-liposomes.
Birth Achieved After Effective Ovarian Stimulation Combined With Dexamethasone in a Patient With Resistant Ovary Syndrome: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Li Huiying , Chang Tianli , Mei Qiaojuan , Mu Hongbei , Xiang Wenpei
Published: November 2020

Background: Resistant ovary syndrome (ROS) was a rare endocrine disorder and there have been few reports of live births. As the ovarian resistance to FSH leading the immature oocytes, some researchers reported few live births after in vitro maturation (IVM) of oocytes, but it didn’t work in all ROS patients. Case presentation: A 30-year-old woman was diagnosed as ROS. GnRH analogue triptorelin acetat was used to administer downregulation, combining with corticosteroid dexamethasone (administered orally at 0.75mg three times daily) from the beginning of the downregulation to the day of oocyte collection. After 28 days of downregulation, gonadotropin (Gonal-f 225 IU and HMG 150 IU per day at first) was given for hyperstimulation. On the 11th day of gonadotropin administration, 10000 IU of hCG was given. 36h later, oocytes were retrieved and followed by IVF procedure. Two months later, the frozen embryos were thawed and transferred. 8 metaphase II oocytes were retrieved and 3 embryos were developed, in which 1 embryo was transplanted after thawed. the β-hCG value in serum was 246.7 mIU/ ml. The patient got pregnant and gave a live birth at the 35th week of pregnancy by Caesarean section. Conclusion This is the first report about treatment ROS patient with ovarian stimulation combined with dexamethasone. In some cases of ROS, high doses of exogenous gonadotropins in combination with immunosuppressive therapy could be an effective approach in patients with ROS.
Validation of preimplantation genetic tests for aneuploidy (PGT-A) with DNA from spent culture media (SCM): concordance assessment and implication
Authors: Yin Baoli , Zhang Huijuan , Xie Juanke , Yao Yaxin , Wei Yubao , Zhang Cuilian , Meng Li
Published: November 2020

Background: Spent culture medium (SCM) as a source of DNA for preimplantation genetic tests aneuploidy (PGT-A) has been widely discussed. Methods: Seventy-five blastocysts donated for research provided a unique possibility in which multiple specimens, including trophectoderm (TE) biopsy, SCM, and paired corresponding whole blastocyst (WB) specimens from the same blastocyst source, could be utilized for the purpose of this preclinical validation.Results: To conduct a validation ploidy concordance assessment, we evaluated the full chromosomal concordance rates between SCM and WB (SCM-to-WB), and between TE and WB (TE-to-WB) as well as sensitivity, specificity and overall diagnostic accuracy. 78.67% (59/75) of NGS results in the SCM group are interpretable, which is significantly lower than their corresponding TE and WB groups. This discrepancy manifests itself in intrinsically low quantity and poor integrity DNA from SCM. Subsequently, remarkable differences in full concordance rates (including mosaicism, and segmental aneuploidies) are seen: 32.2% (SCM-to-WB, 19/59) and 69.33% (TE-to-WB, 52/75), (p < 0.001). In such cases, full concordance rates were 27.27% (15/55) in SCM-to-WB, and, 76% (57/75) in TE-to-WB (p < 0.001) Collectively, the NGS data from SCM also translated into lower sensitivities, Positive Predictive Value (PPV), Negative Predictive Value (NPV), overall diagnostic accuracies, and higher Negative Likelihood Ratio (NLR).Conclusions: Our study reveals that DNA is detectable in the majority of SCM samples. Individual chromosomal aberration, such as segmental aneuploidy and mosaicism, can be quantitatively and qualitatively measured. However, TE still provides a more accurate and reliable high-throughput methodology for PGT-A. While cell-free DNA in SCM has the potential to represent a useful strategy in reproductive medicine.
Development of the Active Ageing Awareness Questionnaire in Malaysia
Authors: Bahuri Nor Hana Ahmad , Rizal Hussein , Majid Hazreen Abdul , Said Mas Ayu , Su Tin Tin
Published: November 2020

BackgroundThe World Health Organization endorsed the Active Ageing Framework (AAF) in 2002, aiming to improve quality of life of future older people. Active ageing is defined as the process of optimising the opportunity of health, participation and security in order to enhance the quality of life as people age. However, little is known about the status of awareness of active ageing at the population level with no appropriate tool for assessment. The aim of this study is to develop the Awareness of Active Ageing Questionnaire (AAAQ) based on the AAF. MethodsThe content, linguistic and face validations, as well as test-retest reliability were conducted. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were performed to test the structural validity of the AAAQ. ResultsA total of 110 participants (mean ± SD = 50.19 ± 5.52) were selected for the pilot, 81 participants (mean ± SD = 49.40 ± 5.70) for the test-retest and 404 participants (mean ± SD = 49.90 ± 5.80) for the CFA and EFA tests. The 16 items AAAQ Malay version showed satisfactory reliability and validity. The Cronbach’s alpha was more than 0.7, and the model showed good fit: Cmin/df = 2.771, GFI = 0.903, TLI = 0.951, RMSEA = 0.08. Conclusions﻿The AAAQ is suitable for measuring the awareness of active ageing among middle-aged Malaysians and may be instrumental for the development of evidence-informed active ageing promotion programme.
Husband's Knowledge and Involvement in the Reproductive Rights of Women in Harar, Eastern Ethiopia
Authors: Mohammed Aminu , Alemayehu Tadesse , Desalew Assefa , Belay Yalelet , Sema Alekaw , Debella Adera , Dessie Yadeta
Published: November 2020

Objective: Reproductive rights violations are a serious public health concern worldwide, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa including Ethiopia, where more than 38.83% of victims are living. Understanding the status of husbands’ knowledge and involvement helps to set important programs and interventions. However, there is a paucity of data related to husbands' roles in women's reproductive rights in the study setting. Therefore, this study aimed to assess husbands’ knowledge and involvement in women's reproductive rights and associated factors in Harar, eastern Ethiopia. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 611 husbands in March 2020. A multi-stage sampling and a systematic random sampling technique were used to select districts and study participants. Data were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Data were entered using EpiData 3.1 and analyzed with SPSS Version 22. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine associated factors. An adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was used, and a p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The magnitude of husbands' knowledge and involvement were 48.3% and 40.1% respectively. Social media utilization (AOR=4.97; 95% CI: 2.79-8.85), Spousal discussion (AOR=2.33; 95% CI: 1.60-3.39), nearby facility types: hospital (AOR=3.21; 95% CI: 1.23-8.36) and health post (AOR=2.86; 95% CI: 1.20-6.94) were associated factors with knowledge of husbands. Likewise, experience of using reproductive health services (AOR=2.15; 95% CI: 1.52-3.03), spousal discussion (AOR=1.95; 95% CI: 1.35-2.82), social media use (AOR=1.74; 95% CI: 1.05-2.89) and age 40 to 49 years (AOR=1.99, 95%CI: 1.19-3.32) were associated with husbands involvement.Conclusions: Less than half of the husbands were knowledgeable and involved in the protection of partners’ reproductive rights. Promoting and creating effective media utilization is very important to create awareness of reproductive rights. Moreover, using reproductive health services and empowering women to have an open discussion is crucial to increase the knowledge and involvement of husbands.
Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice on Malaria Prevention Among Students of Hamelmalo Agricultural College
Authors: Araia Minassie Mengisteab , Mebrahtu Amanuel Hadgu , Weldegerghish Ghenet
Published: November 2020

Background: Malaria is one of the most severe public health problems worldwide with 300 to 500 million cases and about one million deaths reported annually. In Eritrea, malaria is one of the major public health problems, particularly in Gash Barka zone which bears more than 60% of the burden. Objective: To assess the knowledge, attitude, practice and misconceptions as well as association among knowledge of most vulnerable population and practice of the respondents on utilization of ITN with their demographic characteristics. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess KAP of Hamelmalo Agriculture College students in November 2016. Data was analyzed by SPSS version 20 and Stata version 13. Results: (99.3%) of respondents were aware of the existence of malaria as a disease. With regard to the malaria symptoms, fever was the most frequently reported by participant accounts 99.7%. 70.1% of respondents said they went to health facility if they get sick. Majority (85.1%) of the respondents owned ITN but only 69.2% slept last night in ITN. 228 (77.55%) perceive malaria as serious diseases only if it remains untreated however, 13 (4.42%) as an ordinary disease. Some misconceptions were found on the assessment of the students on factors associated with malaria infection and health seeking behavior. The predictors of ITN utilization was found to be age 20 (OR18.49, (CI 1.227-278.87) (P=0.035) and being resident of Zoba Debub (OR 0.094, (CI, 0.014-0.607)) (0.013) or Zoba Gash Barka (OR 0.027(CI, 0.02-0.258) (P=0.002). The association between age of respondent and level of knowledge was found to be statistically significant with OR ranging from 3.9 up to 37.5 for the differ age groups.Conclusion: The student of Hamelmalo Agricultural College has a fair knowledge, which is above 60% of the mean score and 50% on attitude and practice which is hard to accept, because we were proposing to get more than 50%. So there are still areas that need to be addressed, since the students are likely to influence the behavior of their parents addressing the existing misconception is important.
Removal of organic pollutants from polluted drain using a chemically modified aquatic biomass as new nano-biosorbent
Authors: Abdallah Maha , Prol Ahmed Eid Al
Published: November 2020

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Sacubitril/valsartan Decreased Atrial Fibrillation Susceptibility by Inhibiting Angiotensin II-induced Atrial Fibrosis through p-Smad2/3, p-JNK, and p-p38 Signaling Pathways
Authors: Li Song-Nan , Zhang Jing-Rui , Xi Hui , Li Chang-Yi , Zhao Lei
Published: November 2020

Background: Sacubitril/valsartan (SAC/VAL), combined inhibitors of angiotensin receptor (AT-R) and neprilysin receptor, prevents Angiotensin Ⅱ (AngⅡ) from binding AT1-R and blocks degradation of natriuretic peptides. Despite its efficacy in reducing ventricular fibrosis and preserving cardiac functions, which has been extensively demonstrated in myocardial infarction or pressure overload models, few studies have been conducted to determine whether SAC/VAL could attenuate atrial fibrosis and decrease atrial fibrillation (AF) susceptibility. Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups after implantation of an osmotic pump preloaded with AngⅡ and received corn oil, VAL, or SAC/VAL treatment for 28 days. Electrophysiological study was performed to determine inducibility and duration of AF. Echocardiography was performed before and 28 days after osmotic mini-pump implantation to evaluate cardiac functions. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was perfomed to detect the serum concentration of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and AngⅡ. Masson staining was performed to determine the extent of interstitial fibrosis. Immunohistochemical, and immunofluorescence staining as well as transwell and MTT assay were also performed. Western blot analysis was perfomed to figure out how SAC/VAL exerts its anti-fibrosis effects in atriums.Results: After 28 days of AngⅡ stimulation, rats in SAC/VAL group exhibited reduced reduced extent of atrial fibrosis, inhibited proliferation, migration, and differentiation of atrial fibroblasts and decreased susceptibility to atrial fibrillation. We further found that SAC/VAL exerted its effect on AngⅡ-induced atrial fibrosis by inhibiting the p-Smad2/3, p-JNK, and p-p38 MAPK signaling pathways in vivo. Conclusions: Our study provided experimental evidence for the inhibition of atrial fibrosis and reduced susceptibility to AF by SAC/VAL. These results emphasize the importance of SAC/VAL in the prevention of AngⅡ-induced atrial fibrosis and may help to enrich the options for atrial fibrillation pharmacotherapy.
Impact of Newborn Screening for Cystic Fibrosis on Clinical Outcomes of Pediatric Patients: 10 Years’ Experience in Lodz Voivodship.
Authors: Małgorzata Olszowiec-Chlebna , Ewa Mospinek , Jerzyńska Joanna
Published: November 2020

Background:Cystic Fibrosis newborn screening (CFNBS) is the optimal method to diagnose the disease during the asymptomatic period. The aim of the study was to determine how CFNBS affects long term clinical outcomes. Methods:Data from infants who were born in Lodz Voivodship, referred to CF center as a part of CFNBS according to IRT/DNA protocol were compered to the data of children with established CF diagnosis before the start of NBS in Poland (Group CF).Results:In 37 children (during 151 referred infants) the diagnosis of CF was established due to CF NBS (CF NBS Group). The average time of diagnosis was 1,59 month in Group CF NBS and 45,25 months in Group CF. Pulmonary exacerbation occurred on average 4,2 times in Group CFNBS and they were hospitalized on average 0,5 times compared to Group CF – respectively 6,77 and 2,14 (p<0,001). The number of PA infected patients increased between the fifth and eighth year of age (OR = 1,16 (95% CI: 1,04-19) (P = 0,007)) regardless of the study group (P = 0.984). Patients with SA MRSA infection have a higher risk of PA infections in subsequent years of their life (OR = 1.45 (95% CI: 1.03-2.03) (P = 0.032)). Conclusions:CF NBS has beneficial effects primarily on decrease of pulmonary exacerbations with hope for a longer life expectancy in these group.
Exposures to 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid With or Without Endotoxin Upregulate Small Cell Lung Cancer Pathway
Authors: Kaur Geetika , Kumar BV Sunil , Singh Baljit , Sethi RS
Published: November 2020

Background: Pesticide residues in food and environment along with airborne contaminants such as endotoxins pose health risk. Although herbicide 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) has been associated with increased risk of lung cancers such as small cell lung cancer (SCLC) among agricultural workers, there are no data on the SCLC signaling pathway upon 2,4-D exposure alone or in combination with endotoxin. Methods: We exposed Swiss albino mice (N=48) orally to high (9.58 mg kg -1 ) and low (5.12 mg kg -1 ) dosages of 2,4-D dissolved in corn oil for 90 days followed by E. coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or normal saline solution (80µl/animal. Lung samples and broncho-alveolar fluid (BALF) were subjected to Total histological score (THS) and TLC and DLC analyses, respectively. We used microarray and bioinformatics tools for transcriptomic analyses and differentially expressed genes were analyzed to predict the top canonical pathways followed by validation of selected genes qPCR and immunohistochemistry. Results: Total histological score (THS) along with broncho-alveolar fluid (BALF) analyses showed lung inflammation following long term dietary exposure to high or low doses of 2,4-D individually or in combination with LPS. Microarray analysis revealed exposure to high dose of 2,4-D alone or with endotoxin upregulated 2178 and 2142 and downregulated 1965 and 1719 genes, respectively (p<0.05; minimum cut off 1.5 log fold change). The low dose alone or with LPS upregulated 2133 and 2054 and downregulated 1838 and 1625 genes, respectively. Bioinformatics analysis showed SCLC as topmost dysregulated pathway along with differential expression of Itgb1, NF-kB1, p53, Cdk6 and Apaf1. Immunohistological and qPCR analyses also supported the transcriptomic data. Conclusions: Taken together, the data show exposures to high and low dose of 2,4-D with/without LPS induced lung inflammation and altered pulmonary transcriptome profile with the involvement of the SCLC pathway. The data from the study provides the insights of the potential damage on lungs caused by 2,4-D and endotoxin interaction and helps to better understand the mechanism of this complex relation.
TNFa is Involved in the Development of Disuse Muscle Atrophy Through the Acid Sphingomyelinase/ Ceramide Up-Regulation and Pro-Oxidant Signaling
Authors: Bryndina Irina G. , Ovchinina Natalia G. , Protopopov Vladimir A. , Sekunov Alexey V. , Shalagina Maria N.
Published: November 2020

Background: There is paucity of data indicating the role of cytokines including TNFa in the development of disuse muscle atrophy, despite the growing interest to this problem emerging in the recent years. The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that TNFa/ TNFR1 may be involved in the development of disuse muscle atrophy caused by unloading through aSMase/ ceramide/ ROS mechanism. Methods: The experiments were performed on male Wistar rats (180 – 230g) subjected to 4 or 14 days of hindlimb suspension (HS) and treated with clomipramine (HS+Clom) or vehicle. The following parameters were studied: TNFR1, aSMase, nSMase and Nox2 proteins and ceramide in detergent-resistant membrane (DRM) fraction isolated from soleus muscle homogenates, pro-oxidant/anti-oxidant and pro-apoptotic/anti-apoptotic activities, immune fluorescence intensity and distribution of ceramide, Nox2, Nox4 and caveolin-3 on longitudinal and transverse muscle sections. The relative muscle mass, cross-sectional area (CSA) and Feret’s diameter (FD) of muscle fibers were used to confirm muscle atrophy. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA followed by the Bonferroni post hoc test, or Cruskall-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U test. Results: Disuse caused an increase in membrane TNFR1, aSMase, ceramide abundance in DRM, up-regulation of pro-oxidant and pro-apoptotic capacities (increased Nox2, Nox4, TBA-active products, Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, elevated activity of caspase-3/7 and -6). The most of alterations were maximal on the 4 th day of unloading. The inhibitor of aSMase clomipramine attenuated ceramide accumulation, decreased pro-oxidant and pro-apoptotic activities and diminished muscle atrophy induced by unloading. It has been shown that in suspended for 14 days rats the loss in relative muscle mass, CSA and FD averaged -35%, -65% and -49%, respectively, whereas in clomipramine treated rats it was -25%, -45% and -25%, in comparison with the control values. Clomipramine also mitigated the inhibition of the mTORC1/p70S6 kinase inhibition caused by 14-day HS. Conclusions: The obtained results indicate the involvement of aSMase/ ceramide pathway in the development of disuse muscle atrophy. This effect may be triggered by TNFR1 and realized through enhanced prooxidant NADPH oxidase activity and pro-apoptotic signaling.
Genomic Analyses Reveal Distinct Genetic Architectures and Selective Pressures in Chinese Donkeys
Authors: Shen Jiafei , Yu Jie , Dai Xuelei , Wang Gang , Chen Ningbo , Lei Chuzhao , DANG RUIHUA
Published: November 2020

BackgroundDonkey (Equus asinus) is an important livestock animal in China because of its nourishment and medical value. After a long period of natural and artificial selection, the variety diversity and phenotype of donkey are very rich. However, due to the lack of genome-wide studies, its genomic value remains unclear.ResultsWe clarified the genetic and demographic characteristics of Chinese donkeys and the selective pressures on them by analyzing 78 whole genomes from 12 breeds. We found that Gunsha donkey had the lowest nucleotide diversity, longest length, and largest number of runs of homozygosity. Phylogenetic analysis revealed obvious geographical distribution trends in Chinese donkeys. In selective sweep, gene annotation, functional enrichment, and differential expression analyses between large and small body donkey groups, we identified selective signals, including NCAPG and LCORL, to be related to rapid growth and large body size.ConclusionOur findings improve the understanding of the evolutionary history and formation of different donkey breeds and provide theoretical insights into the genetic mechanism underlying breed characteristics and molecular breeding programs of donkey clades.