bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Electrochemical Characteristics of Various Ni-P Composite Coatings in 0.6M NaCl Solution
Authors: Azadi Mahboobeh , Tavakolli Hossein , Haghighatkhah Saeid , Amjadi Eranegh Freshteh
Published: October 2020

In this paper, various Ni-P composite coatings containing toner, MoS2, and nano-SiO2 particles were deposited on steel substrates by the electroless method. Then, the electrochemical properties of these coatings after a heat treatment process were compared. The microstructural evaluations were also done by using the optical and electron microscopy methods. Both Tafel polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques were utilized to survey the electrochemical behavior of such coatings. The surface morphology of all coatings contained cauliflower-like nodules. The X-ray diffraction patterns showed the crystalline phases of Ni and Ni3P for all coatings after the heat-treatment step. Obtained results showed that all composite coatings exhibited lower corrosion rates with respect to Ni-P coatings. Such a reduction was about 21.6-92.2%. This behavior was attributed to the presence of reinforcement as barriers for corrosive ion diffusion through the coating plus the changes in detected phases and thickness. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy test results also demonstrated that the increase in the polarization resistance for composites coatings was about 18.4-85.3% after 1 h immersion in a 0.6M NaCl solution; however, when the immersion time increased to 24 h, such increased resistance changed to 18.1 to 73.1%. Totally, despite the lower deposition rate, the presence of MoS2 and nano-SiO2 particles were more effective than toner particles to raise the corrosion rate of the Ni-P coating.
A Proposed Extended Version of the Hadi-Vencheh Model to Improve Multiple Criteria ABC Inventory Classification
Authors: Chang Hung-Chieh , Lin Pei-Chun
Published: October 2020

In this paper, we present an extended version of the Hadi-Vencheh model for multiple criteria ABC inventory classification. The proposed model is a nonlinear weighted product model (WPM) which determines a common set of weights for all the items. Our proposed nonlinear WPM incorporates multiple criteria with different measure units, without converting the performance of each inventory item in terms of each criterion into a normalized attribute value, thereby providing an improvement over the model proposed by Hadi-Vencheh. Our study mainly includes various criteria for ABC classification, and demonstrates an efficient algorithm for solving nonlinear programming problems in which the feasible solution set does not have to be convex. The algorithm presented in this study improves the solution efficiency of the Canonical Coordinates Method (CCM) algorithm substantially when applied to large scale, nonlinear programming problems. The modified algorithm was tested to compare our proposed model results to the results derived using the Hadi-Vencheh model and demonstrate the algorithm's efficacy. The practical implications of the study are to develop an efficient nonlinear optimization solver by optimizing the quality of existing solutions, thus improving time and space efficiency.
Identification, Epidemiology, and Seasonal Variation of Neisseria meningitides in Al-Nasiriya city. South of Iraq.
Authors: Rahman Neamah Sukaina , Abdullah Younus
Published: October 2020

In order to investigate the incidence of Neisseria meningitides meningitis in AL Nasiriya city, and to evaluate the effects of sociodemographic factors on infection, the current study involved (219) patients suffering from meningitis who attended in AL-Hussein Teaching Hospital in for two consecutive years (beginning of 2015 to the end of 2016). CSF samples are collected from the study population by the technician then transported immediately to the laboratory for the detection of the bacterial pathogens. The results showed that there are 57 (26.02%) patients infected with Neisseria meningitides. Of them 29 (50.87%) cases occurred during 2015 and (28) cases (49.13%) occurred during 2016. Our results also found that Neisseria meningitides meningitis infection was significantly higher in men than in females (P-value =0.046), and in patients from the age group (44-66 years old). Seasonal variation was also seen in the occurrence of meningococcal meningitis infections during the study period. The present study concluded that meningococcal meningitis infections were influenced by sociodemographic factors, the infections appear to be dominant in the long warm seasons of Iraqi weather.
A Brief Review on Glutamate Decarboxylase From Lactic Acid Bacteria
Authors: Yogeswara Ida Bagus Agung , Maneerat Suppasil , Haltrich Dietmar
Published: October 2020

Glutamate decarboxylase (L-glutamate-1-carboxylase, GAD; EC 4.1.1.15) is a pyridoxal 5-phosphate-dependent enzyme, which catalyzes the irreversible α-decarboxylation of L-glutamic acid to γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and CO2. The enzyme is widely distributed in eukaryotes as well as prokaryotes, where it – together with its reaction product GABA - fulfils very different physiological functions. The occurrence of gad genes encoding GAD has been shown for many microorganisms, and GABA-producing lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have been a focus of research during recent years. A wide range of traditional foods produced by fermentation based on LAB offer the potential of providing new functional food products enriched with GABA that may offer certain health-benefits. Different GAD enzymes and genes from several strains of LAB have been isolated and characterized recently. GABA-producing LAB, biochemical properties of their GAD enzymes, and possible applications are reviewed here.
PEMANFAATAN TEKNOLOGI BIOPORI UNTUK MENINGKATKAN DERAJAT KESEHATAN LINGKUNGAN DI DESA BULUHCINA KECAMATAN SIAK HULU, KABUPATEN KAMPAR
Authors: Chandra Fifia , Masdar Huriatul
Published: October 2020

Buluhcina Village, Siak Hulu Subdistrict, Kampar Regency is located on the banks of the Kampar river. Flood occurs almost every year so that pools of water are formed. The behavior of the people of Buluhcina Village in processing the organic waste they produced remain poor. Therefore, there must be a way to overcome it by applying biopori technology in Buluhcina Village, Siak District, Kampar Regency. Counseling activities and training on household waste management were held in the Buluhcina Village Hall, Siak Hulu District, Kampar Regency on October 5th, 2019. The activity was attended by 16 participants. The result showed the increases the level of knowledge about organic household waste management after counseling, from 55.69 ± 10.216 to 72.44 ± 12.101 (p <0.002).
 
Keywords: Biopori infiltration holes, organic household waste management, organic waste.
 
ABSTRAK
Desa Buluhcina Kecamatan Siak Hulu Kabupaten Kampar terletak di pinggiran sungai Kampar. Hampir setiap tahunnya Desa Buluhcina ini terjadi banjir. Jika banjir sudah surut maka akan terjadi genangan-genangan air pada halaman rumah masyarakat atau di lahan kosong. Selain itu jika terjadi hujan genangan-genangan air ini pasti banyak terjadi. Perilaku masyarakat desa Buluhcina dalam mengolah sampah organik yang mereka hasilkan tergolong buruk. Oleh karena itu perlu dilakukan cara untuk menanggulangi kondisi tersebut salah satunya dengan cara mengelola sampah rumah tangga organik dengan menerapkan teknologi lubang resapan biopori di Desa Buluhcina Kecamatan Siak Kabupaten Kampar. Kegiatan penyuluhan dan pelatihan pengelolaan sampah rumah tangga organik berlangsung di Balai Desa Buluhcina, Kecamatan Siak Hulu, Kabupaten Kampar pada tanggal 5 Oktober 2019. Kegiatan tersebut diikuri oleh 16 peserta. Analisis ketercapaian menunjukkan terjadinya peningkatan yang bermakna pada tingkat pengetahuan tentang pengelolaan sampah rumah tangga organik setelah penyuluhan, yaitu dari 55,69 ± 10,216 menjadi 72,44 ± 12,101 (p<0,002).
 
Kata kunci: Lubang resapan biopori, pengelolaan sampah rumah tangga organik, sampah organik.
Analisis Kinerja Dalam Rangka Penyusunan Peta Strategi Instalasi Farmasi Rumah Sakit Airlangga Jombang dengan Pendekatan Balanced Scorecard
Authors: Indrayanti Dian , Sunarni Titik , Purwidyaningrum Ika
Published: October 2020

Instalasi Farmasi RS Airlangga selalu berupaya meningkatkan kualitas pelayanan, maka perlu dilakukan analisis kinerja dan pemetaan strategi Instalasi Farmasi. Tujuan penelitian mengevaluasi kinerja Instalasi Farmasi RS Airlangga ditinjau melalui empat perspektif balanced scorecard dan menentukan peta strategi berdasarkan hasil evaluasi kinerja. Penelitian ini merupakan non eksperimental rancangan deskriptif eksploratif. Pengumpulan data secara retrospektif dan concurrent berupa data kualitatif dan kuantitatif. Penelitian menggunakan indikator keempat perspektif balanced scorecard yang menentukan kinerja Instalasi Farmasi RS Airlangga dan kemudian menjadi dasar penyusunan peta strategi. Hasil penelitian perspektif keuangan nilai ITOR  tahun 2018 mengalami penurunan dibanding 2016 dan 2017; nilai GPM dan GROS belum memenuhi standart. Perspektif bisnis internal menunjukan ketersediaan obat belum memenuhi standar, dispensing time memenuhi standar; Tingkat Pasien terlayani pasien perhari 95%; pemberian label belum lengkap; pemberian informasi obat yang kurang lengkap; perspektif pertumbuhan dan pembelajaran menunjukkan semangat kerja dan kepuasan kerja karyawan pada kategori tinggi; pelatihan karyawan belum maksimal; produktifitas karyawan dalam kategori baik; pada perspektif pelanggan menunjukkan kepuasan pasien yang tinggi; keterjaringan pasien belum mencapai standar, tingkat pertumbuhan customer tahun 2018 mengalami peningkatan 8,06% dibanding 2017. Kesimpulan penelitian keempat perspektif dianalisis belum mencapai target yang ditetapkan. Diharapkan instalasi farmasi meningkatkan kinerja sehingga membawa organisasi ke arah yang lebih baik sebelumnya.Pemetaaan strategi di instalasi farmasi RS Airlangga diperlukan perbaikan dari setiap indikator-indikator pengukuran kinerja dalam tiap perspektif untuk mendukung pencapaian strategi.
Formulasi dan Uji Stabilitas Serbuk Perasan Jeruk Nipis (Citrus aurantifolia (Cristm.) Swingle) dengan Variasi Konsentrasi Carbopol 940
Authors: Forestryana Dyera , Rahman Shella Y
Published: October 2020

Jerawat umumnya disebabkan oleh Propionibacterium acnes yang dapat dihambat pertumbuhannya oleh air perasan jeruk nipis (Citrus aurantifolia (Cristm.) Swingle). Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk melakukan formulasi dan pengujian stabilitas gel antijerawat serbuk perasan jeruk nipis yang di freeze dried menggunakan variasi konsentrasi Carbopol 940 sebagai gelling agent. Tiga formula dengan variasi konsentrasi Carbopol 940 4, 6, dan 8% diaplikasikan dalam pengujian stabilitas gel serbuk perasan jeruk nipis yang diperoleh secara liofilisasi. Pengujian stabilitas dilakukan sebelum dan sesudah freeze thaw terhadap sediaan yang meliputi organoleptis, homogenitas, viskositas, daya sebar, daya lekat, dan pH. Analisis data dilakukan secara deskriptif terhadap pengujian organoleptis dan homogenitas, sedangkan viskositas, daya sebar, daya lekat dan pH dianalisis secara statistik (taraf kepercayaan 95%). Hasil menunjukkan bahwa tidak terdapat perubahan sebelum dan sesudah freeze thaw pada pengujian homogenitas dan organoleptis. Daya sebar, daya lekat, dan viskositas gel seruk perasan jeruk nipis  tidak mengalami perubahan yang bermakna untuk tiga formula sehingga dapat dinyatakan sediaan gel stabil sebelum dan sesudah freeze thaw. Namun, terdapat pengaruh yang bermakna terhadap penurunan pH setelah pengujian freeze thaw. Formula 3 (Carbopol 940 8%) memiliki kestabilan yang baik pada pengujian sebelum dan sesudah freeze thaw. 
Produção de protetores faciais para profissionais de saúde contra o coronavírus
Authors: Monteiro Carlos , Braatz Alessandro , Sena Luciano , Luiz Aldelir , Silveira Gisele , Nassiffe Riad , Larsen Bogo Damian
Published: October 2020

Devido à pandemia de COVID-19, surgiu a necessidade de aumentar a proteção daqueles que atuam na linha de frente contra o novo coronavírus – como trabalhadores da saúde em UTI, centros de triagem e atendimento de emergência – na tentativa de minimizar o contágio e a disseminação do vírus. Essa proteção se trata de uma viseira transparente para o rosto, também chamada de protetor facial. Sua norma está descrita na ABNT NBR ISO 13688:2017. Para contribuir nesse processo, servidores (docentes e técnica administrativa em educação) do Instituto Federal Catarinense (IFC) Campus Blumenau se propuseram a arrecadar materiais e a fabricar 1085 protetores faciais, utilizando as impressoras 3D do campus, para distribuí-los aos trabalhadores da saúde mais expostos de Blumenau e da região.
Nutricompartilha: educação alimentar e nutricional em diferentes contextos
Authors: Grasselli Cristiane , Prudencio Trujillo Granja Igor , Gabriele da Silva Geovana , Paula da Silva Crislaine , Cruz Trombeta Fernanda , Quelen Feitoza Lais , De Melo Rosa Gabriel , Manara Ribeiro Mariana , Da Cruz Della Torre Ana Clara , Goulart Torlai Magalhães Natália , Eduarda Crabbis Belisa
Published: October 2020

O projeto de extensão Nutricompartilha foi criado em 2017, e trabalha a premissa da Educação Alimentar e Nutricional (EAN) por meio de orientações em grupo. O objetivo foi promover a aquisição de hábitos alimentares saudáveis pela sociedade e enriquecer a formação dos extensionistas. O projeto baseou suas ações nos princípios do Guia Alimentar para População Brasileira, tendo um público-alvo amplo em suas atividades, como discentes, docentes e funcionários da Universidade Federal de Alfenas, bem como usuários de uma Unidade Básica de Saúde. No ano de 2017, o Nutricompartilha buscou atingir alunos, servidores e professores da UNIFAL/MG que apresentavam sobrepeso e obesidade, com o intuito de discutir práticas alimentares saudáveis e acessíveis. No ano de 2018, foram elaboradas dinâmicas baseadas no modelo transteórico, destinadas a pacientes e agentes de saúde de uma Unidade Básica de Saúde. Em 2019, foram realizadas oficinas culinárias e dinâmicas em grupo com a comunidade universitária da Universidade Federal de Alfenas. O projeto Nutricompartilha atingiu aproximadamente 150 pessoas ao longo de três anos, com produção e distribuição de materiais educativos, relatos da aplicação, no cotidiano, dos conhecimentos adquiridos. Foi possível observar grande envolvimento dos participantes nas atividades, mensurado por meio de questionários de avaliação das atividades e pela percepção dos extensionistas. O projeto proporcionou importante vivência no trabalho em saúde para os extensionistas, explorando o aprendizado mútuo e o compromisso social e ético.
Apresentação
Authors: Linhaus de Oliveira Kátia , Taques Fernando José
Published: October 2020

Apresentação da edição nº 13 da Revista Extensão Tecnológica.
Development, reliability and validity of the Safe Use of Mobility Aids Checklist (SUMAC) for 4-wheeled walker use in people living with dementia
Authors: Hunter Susan , Divine Alison , Omana Humberto , Madou Edward , Holmes Jeffrey
Published: October 2020

Background: Balance and gait problems are common and progressive in dementia. Use of a mobility aid provides physical support and confidence. Yet, mobility aid use in people with dementia increases falls three-fold. An assessment tool of mobility aid safety in people with dementia does not currently exist. The objectives of this study were: 1) to develop a tool for the evaluation of physical function and safe use of a 4-wheeled walker in people with dementia, and 2) to evaluate its construct and criterion validity, inter-rater and test-retest reliability and minimal detectable change.Methods: Healthcare professionals (HCP) experienced in rehabilitation of people with dementia participated in focus groups for item generation of the new tool, The Safe Use of Mobility Aid Checklist (SUMAC). The SUMAC evaluates physical function (PF) and safe use of the equipment (EQ) on nine tasks of daily life. Reliability was evaluated by HCP (n=5) scored participant videos of people with dementia (n=10) using a 4-wheeled walker performing the SUMAC. Inter-rater and test-retest reliability was assessed using intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC). Construct validity evaluated scores of the HCPs to a consensus HCP panel using Spearman’s rank-order correlations. Criterion validity evaluated SUMAC-PF to the Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA) gait subscale using Spearman’s rank-order correlations. Results: Three focus groups (n=17) generated a tool comprised of nine tasks and the components within each task for physical function and safe use. Inter-rater reliability was statistically significant for SUMAC-PF (ICC=0.92, 95%CI (0.81, 0.98), p<0.001) and SUMAC-EQ (ICC=0.82, 95%CI (0.54, 0.95), p<0.001). Test-retest reliability was statistically significant for SUMAC-PF (ICC=0.89, 95%CI (0.81, 0.94), p<0.001) and SUMAC-EQ (ICC=0.88, 95%CI (0.79, 0.93), p<0.001). As hypothesized, the POMA gait subscale correlated strongly with the SUMAC-PF (rs=0.84), but not EQ (rs=0.39).Conclusions: The focus groups and research team developed a tool of nine tasks with evaluation on physical function and safe use of a 4-wheeled walker for people with dementia. The SUMAC tool has demonstrated content validity for the whole scale and good construct and criterion validity for the SUMAC-PF and SUMAC-EQ. The subscores of the SUMAC demonstrated excellent to good inter-rater and test-retest reliability.
The differences of clinical characteristics and outcomes between imported and local patients of COVID-19 in Hunan: A two-center retrospective study
Authors: Wang Chang , Zhou Lizhi , Chen Juan , Yang Yong , Huang Tianlong , Fu Min , Li Ya , George Daniel , Chen Xiangyu
Published: October 2020

Background: The clinical characteristics and outcomes of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pneumonia are different in Hubei compared to other regions in China. But there are few comparative studies on the differences between imported and local patients which may provide information of the different courses of the virus after transmission. Methods: We investigated 169 cases of COVID-19 pneumonia in two centers in Hunan Province, and divided them into two groups according to epidemiological history, "imported patients" refers to patient with a clear history of travel in Wuhan within 14 days before onset, and " local patients” refers to local resident without a recent history of travel in Wuhan, aiming to analyze the difference in clinical characteristics and outcomes between the two groups. All the epidemiological, clinical, imaging, and laboratory data were analyzed and contrasted. Results: The incidence of fever on admission in imported patients was significantly higher than local patients. There was a significantly higher proportion of abnormal pulmonary signs, hypokalemia, hyponatremia, prolonged PT, elevated D-dimer and elevated blood glucose in imported patients. Compared with local patients, the proportion using antibiotics, glucocorticoids and gamma globulin were significantly higher in imported patients. The moderate type was more common in local patients, and the severe type were more frequent in imported patients. In addition, the median duration of viral clearance was longer in imported patients. Conclusions: In summary, we found that imported cases were more likely to develop into severe cases, compared with local patients and required more powerful treatments.Trial registration: Registered 21st March 2020, and this study has been approved by the Medical Ethics Committee (Approved Number. 2020017).
GWAS unveils features between early- and late-flowering pearl millets
Authors: Diack Oumar , Kanfany Ghislain , Gueye Mame Codou , Sy Ousmane , Fofana Amadou , Tall Hamidou , Serba Desalegn D. , Zekraoui Leila , Berthouly-Salazar Cécile , Vigouroux Yves , Diouf Diaga , KANE NDJIDO ARDO
Published: October 2020

Background: Pearl millet, a nutritious food for around 100 million people in Africa and India, displays extensive genetic diversity and a high degree of admixture with wild relatives. Two major morphotypes can be distinguished in Senegal: early-flowering Souna and late-flowering Sanio. Phenotypic variabilities related to flowering time play an important role in the adaptation of pearl millet to climate variability. A better understanding of the genetic makeup of these variabilities would make it possible to breed pearl millet to suit regions with different climates. The aim of this study was to characterize the genetic basis of these phenotypic differences.Results: We defined a core collection that captures most of the diversity of cultivated pearl millets in Senegal and includes 60 early-flowering Souna and 31 late-flowering Sanio morphotypes. Sixteen agro-morphological traits were evaluated in the panel in the 2016 and 2017 rainy seasons. Phenological and phenotypic traits related with yield, flowering time, and biomass helped differentiate early- and late-flowering morphotypes. Further, using genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS), 21,663 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) markers with more than 5% of minor allele frequencies were discovered. Sparse non-negative matrix factorization (sNMF) analysis confirmed the genetic structure in two gene pools associated with differences in flowering time. Two chromosomal regions on linkage groups (LG 3) (~89.7Mb) and (LG 6) (~68.1Mb) differentiated two clusters among the early-flowering Souna. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was used to link phenotypic variation to the SNPs, and 18 genes were linked to flowering time, plant height, tillering, and biomass (P-value ˂ 2.3E-06).Conclusions: The diversity of early- and late-flowering pearl millet morphotypes in Senegal was captured using a heuristic approach. Key phenological and phenotypic traits, SNPs, and candidate genes underlying flowering time, tillering, biomass yield and plant height of pearl millet were identified. Chromosome rearrangements in LG3 and LG6 were inferred as a source of variation in early-flowering morphotypes. Using candidate genes underlying these features between pearl millet morphotypes will be of paramount importance in breeding for resilience to climatic variability.
Response of Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) Genotypes to Combined Application of Phosphorus and Foliar Zinc Fertilizers in Central Tigray, Ethiopia
Authors: Berhe Hintsa Meresa , Abera Dereje Assefa , Yemane Yemane Tsehaye
Published: October 2020

Background: Adequate phosphorus (P) and foliar zinc (Zn) in groundnut required for obtaining Zn-enriched grain and optimum yield. However, it was very low in the area. Due to that objective of the study was to investigate the response of groundnut genotypes to combined application of phosphorus and zinc on yield and nutritional contents. A field experiment was conducted at Sheka-Tekli in 2017/18 cropping season. Methods:The treatments were consisted of three groundnut genotypes (ICGV00308, ICGV91114 and Sedi) as main plot and four combined PZn fertilizer levels (00), 10 kg P/ha +0.50 g Zn/L, 20 kg P/ha +1 g Zn/L and 30 kg P/ha+1.5 g Zn/L as sub plot were assigned in split plot design with tree replications.Result: The result indicated that yield and yield components respond significantly to the main and interaction effects. The highest significant seed yield (2,529 kg/ha) and protein content (37.79%) were obtained in response to the application of P30Zn1.5 fertilizer on sedi variety in the loamy sand soil. The percentage of crude protein and fat content had significantly affected by interaction components. Most of the yield component traits showed strong positive correlation with seed yield. While the lowest seed yield was recorded from ICGV00308 without fertilizer. The highest fat content (43.95%) was gained from genotype ICGV00308 at P30Zn1.5 fertilizer. From the interaction of sedi with P30Zn1.5 fertilizer was recorded highest protein content. Based on economic analysis the highest MRR (380.58%) was obtained from ICGV00308 genotype at P10Zn0.5 fertilizer. Conclusion: From the result of the study, application of PZn fertilizer increases seed yield of groundnut. Therefore, based on the MRR result ICGV00308 genotype at P10Zn0.5 fertilizer was optimum for groundnut production in the study area and similar agro-ecologies.
Insufficient tuberculosis treatment leads to earlier and higher mortality in individuals co-infected with HIV in Southern China: A cohort study
Authors: Zheng Zhigang , Nehl Eric J. , Zhou Chongxing , Li Jianjun , Xie Zhouhua , Zhou Zijun , Liang Hao
Published: October 2020

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) are the leading causes of death globally. However, little is known about the long-term mortality risk and timeline of death in those co-infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). This study sought to understand the long-term mortality risk, factors, timeline of death in those with HIV-mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) coinfection, particularly in those TB treatment are insufficient. Methods: TB-cause specific deaths, classified using a modified ‘Coding of Cause of Death in HIV’ protocol. A longitudinal cross-registration-system checking approach was used to confirm HIV/MTB co-infection between two observational cohorts. The changes of mortality from the end of TB treatment (6 months) to post-treatment year (PTY) 5 (60 months) was investigated by different TB treatment outcomes. General linear model was used to estimate the mean mortality at each time-point and change between time-points. Cox’s proportional hazard regression measured the mortality hazard risk (HR) at each time-point. The Mantel-Haenszel stratification was used to identify mortality risk factors. Mortality density was calculated by person year of followed-up. Results: At the end point, mortality among HIV/MTB coinfection was 34.7%. From the end of TB treatment to PTY5, mortality of percentage and of person year in individuals with TBFMA were significant higher than those with TBC and TBCR. Compared to individuals with TBC and with TBCR, individuals with TBFMA were tend to die earlier, mortality was significantly higher (HR TBFMA-TBC = 3.0, 95% confidence interval: 2.5-3.6, HR TBFMA-TBCR = 2.9, 95% CI: 2.5-3.4, P < 0.0001). Those who were naïve to antiretroviral therapy, were farmers, had lower CD4 counts (≤200 cells/μL ) and were ≥50 years of age were at the highest risk of mortality. Mortality risk for participants with TBFMA was significant higher across all stratifications except those with a CD4 count of ≤200 cells/μL. Conclusions: Earlier and long-term mortality of HIV/MTB co-infection is a significant problem when TB treatment fails or is inadequate.
Topical application of adipose tissue derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) reduced cerebral edema in experimental traumatic brain injury (TBI)- a preliminary study
Authors: MA Hui , Cui Lian Xu , Lam Ping Kuen , Tong Cindy SW , Lo Kin KY , Wong George KC , Poon Wai Sang
Published: October 2020

Background: Our previous studies showed that topical application of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) improved functional recovery in rat traumatic brain injury (TBI) model, and hypoxic precondition further enhanced the therapeutic effects of MSCs. There was no previous study on the attenuation of cerebral edema by MSCs. Objective: We investigated whether topical application of normoxic and hypoxic MSCs could reduce cerebral edema in an experimental TBI model. Methods: 2 million normoxic (N=24) and hypoxic (N=24) MSCs were applied topically to exposed cerebral cortex in a controlled cortical impact (CCI) model. The MSCs were fixed in position with fibrin glue. No treatment was given to control animals (TBI only: n=24). After surgery, four animals in each group were sacrificed daily (day 1 to day 6) for edema evaluation. Normal animals without TBI were used as reference (n=4). The expressions of GFAP, AQP4 and MMP9 were also investigated by immunofluorescence staining and RT-PCR at day 3. Results: The edema peaked within 3 days after TBI. Compared with the control, hypoxic MSCs reduced brain water content significantly (p<0.05). Both hypoxic and normoxic MSCs downregulated the expression of MMP9 and normalized AQP4 distribution to astrocytes end feet. Conclusion: Our preliminary study showed that topical application of hypoxic MSCs suppressed both vasogenic and cytotoxic edema formation.
A Thermo-Dynamical Theory of Consciousness
Authors: Bajaj Gaurav
Published: October 2020

Humans have always thought of consciousness as property possessed by a living organism, without being able to properly define it in scientific terms. Many articles have been published to explain what consciousness is. In this article, consciousness has been defined as a quantity (‘variable’ would be a better word according to mathematics), which is linked with entropy of the system. The article explains consciousness, its role in the universe, not only in living systems, but also in non-living thermo-dynamical systems. Not only that, the article also explains its role with quantum biology, a newly emerging field of biology.
A Firefly Algorithm Based Hybrid Method for Structural Topology Optimization
Authors: Gebremedhen Hailu Shimels , Woldemichael Dereje Engida , Hashim Fakhruldin Mohd
Published: October 2020

In this paper, a firefly algorithm based hybrid algorithm through retaining global convergence of firefly algorithm and ability to generate connected topologies of optimality criteria (OC) method is proposed as an alternative method to solve stress-based topology optimization problems. The lower and upper limit of design variables (0 and 1) were used to find initial material distribution to initialize the firefly algorithm based section of the hybrid algorithm. Input parameters, the number of fireflies, and the number of function evaluations were determined before the implementation of the firefly algorithm to solve formulated problems. Since the direct application of the firefly algorithm cannot generate connected topologies, outputs from the firefly algorithm were used as an initial input material distribution for the OC method. The proposed method was validated using two-dimensional benchmark problems and the results were compared with results using the OC method. Weight percentage reduction, maximum stress-induced, optimal material distribution, and compliance were used to compare results. Results from the proposed method showed that the proposed method can generate connected topologies which are free from the interference of end-users, and only depend on boundary conditions or design variables. From the results, the objective function (weight of the design domain) can be further reduced in the range of 5% to 15% compared to the OC method.
Effect of advanced chelate technology based trace minerals on growth performance, mineral digestibility, tibia characteristics, and antioxidant status in broiler chickens
Authors: Ghasemi Hossein Ali , Hajkhodadadi Iman , Hafizi Maryam , Taherpour Kamran , Nazaran Mohammad Hassan
Published: October 2020

Background: Compared to the corresponding source of inorganic trace minerals (TM), chelated supplements are characterized by better physical heterogeneity and chemical stability and appear to be better absorbed in the gut due to possibly decreased interaction with other feed components. Methods: This study was designed in broiler chickens to determine the effects of replacing inorganic trace minerals (TM) with an advanced chelate technology based supplement (Bonzachicken) on growth performance, mineral digestibility, tibia bone quality, and antioxidant status. A total of 625 male 1-d-old broiler chickens were allocated to 25 pens and assigned to 5 dietary treatments in a completely randomized design. Chelated TM (CTM) supplement was compared at 3 levels to no TM (NTM) or inorganic TM. A corn–soy-based control diet was supplemented with inorganic TM at the commercially recommended levels (ITM), i.e., iron, zinc, manganese, copper, selenium, iodine, and chromium at 80, 92, 100, 16, 0.3, 1.2, and 0.1 mg/kg, respectively, and varying concentration of CTM, i.e., match to 25, 50, and 100 % of the ITM (diets CTM25, CTM50, and CTM100, respectively). Results: Diets CTM50 and CTM100 increased average daily gain (ADG), European performance index (EPI), and tibia length compared to the NTM diet (P < 0.05). Broilers fed the CTM100 diet had lowest overall FCR and serum malondialdehyde level and highest EPI, tibia ash, zinc, manganese, and copper contents, and serum total antioxidant capacity (P < 0.05). The apparent ileal digestibilities of phosphorus and zinc were lower in the ITM group compared with the CTM25 and CTM50 groups (P < 0.05). Broiler chickens fed any of the diets, except diet CTM25, exhibited higher serum glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities than those fed the NTM diet, where the best glutathione peroxidase activity was found for CTM100 treatment (P < 0.05). Conclusions: These results indicate that while CTM supplementation to 25 and 50% of the commercially recommended levels could support growth performance, bone mineralization, and antioxidant status, a totally replacing ITM by equivalent levels of CTM could also improve performance index and glutathione peroxidase activity of broiler chickens under the conditions of this study.
gCAnno: a graph-based single cell type annotation method
Authors: Yang Xiaofei , Gao Shenghan , Wang Tingjie , Yang Boyu , Dang Ningxin , Ye Kai
Published: October 2020

BackgroundCurrent single cell analysis methods annotate cell types at cluster-level rather than ideally at single cell level. Multiple exchangeable clustering methods and many tunable parameters have a substantial impact on the clustering outcome, often leading to incorrect cluster-level annotation or multiple runs of subsequent clustering steps. To address these limitations, methods based on well-annotated reference atlas has been proposed. However, these methods are currently not robust enough to handle datasets with different noise levels or from different platforms.ResultsHere, we present gCAnno, a graph-based Cell type Annotation method. First, gCAnno constructs cell type-gene bipartite graph and adopts graph embedding to obtain cell type specific genes. Then, naïve Bayes (gCAnno-Bayes) and SVM (gCAnno-SVM) classifiers are built for annotation. We compared the performance of gCAnno to other state-of-art methods on multiple single cell datasets, either with various noise levels or from different platforms. The results showed that gCAnno outperforms other state-of-art methods with higher accuracy and robustness.ConclusionsgCAnno is a robust and accurate cell type annotation tool for single cell RNA analysis. The source code of gCAnno is publicly available at https://github.com/xjtu-omics/gCAnno.
Comparison of frontal alpha asymmetry among schizophrenia patients, major depressive disorder patients, and healthy controls
Authors: Jang Kuk-In , Lee Chany , Lee Sangmin , Huh Seung , Chae Jeong-Ho
Published: October 2020

Background: Electroencephalography (EEG) frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA) has been observed in several psychiatric disorders. Dominance in left or right frontal alpha activity remains inconsistent in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), patients with schizophrenia, and healthy controls. This study compared FAA among patients with MDD and schizophrenia, and healthy controls.Methods: We recruited 20 patients with MDD, 18 patients with schizophrenia, and 16 healthy individuals. The EEG alpha frequency ranged from 8 Hz to 12 Hz. FAA was expressed as the difference between absolute power values of right and left hemisphere electrodes in the alpha frequency range (common-log-transformed frontal right- and left-hemisphere electrodes: F4–F3, F8–F7, FP2–FP1, AF4–AF3, F6–F5, and F2–F1). Hamilton depression and anxiety rating scales were evaluated in patients with MDD. Positive and negative syndrome scales were evaluated in patients with schizophrenia.Results: Patients with schizophrenia showed significantly lower left FAA than healthy controls (F4–F3, schizophrenia vs. healthy controls: -0.10 ± 0.04 vs. -0.05 ± 0.05). There were no significant differences in FAA between patients with schizophrenia and MDD as well as between patients with MDD and healthy controls.Conclusions: The present study suggests that FAA indicates a relatively lower activation of left frontal electrodes in schizophrenia. The left-lateralized FAA could be a neuropathological attribute in patients with schizophrenia, but a lack of sample size and information such as medication and duration of illness might obscure the interpretation and generalization of our findings. Thus, further studies to verify the findings would be warranted.
Mental State of Central Sterile Supply Department Staff During COVID-19 Epidemic and CART Analysis 
Authors: Pan Wei , Hu Juan , Yi Liangying
Published: October 2020

Background: During the COVID-19 epidemic, the central sterile supply department (CSSD) staff handled many devices, implements and non-disposable protective articles used by suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients. As a result, the CSSD staff may have experienced psychological stress, however, the mental state of the CSSD staff during the COVID-19 epidemic has been rarely studied. We aim to investigate the mental state of the CSSD staff and relevant influencing factors experienced during the COVID-19 epidemic.Methods: The survey utilising a general information questionnaire, Chinese perceived stress scale (CPSS), self-rating anxiety scale (SAS), and Connor-Davidson resilience scale (CD-RISC) was conducted with 423 CSSD staff members from 35 hospitals in Sichuan Province, China. Data was analysed in SPSS24.0. Classification and regression tree (CART) was utilised to analyse variables and find variation between groups. A chi-square test was performed on enumeration data, and t-test and analysis of variance were performed on measurement data.Results: The CSSD staff’s SAS score was 37.39 ± 8.458, their CPSS score was 19.21 ± 7.265, and their CD-RISC score was 64.26 ± 15.129 (Tenacity factor score: 31.70 ± 8.066, Strength factor score: 21.60 ± 5.066, Optimism factor scores: 10.96 ± 3.189). The CPSS score was positively correlated with the SAS score (r = 0.66; P < 0.01), the CPSS score was negatively correlated with the CD-RISC score (r = -0.617, P < 0.01), and the SAS score was negatively correlated with the CD-RISC score (r = -0.477, P < 0.01). The job position, age, and political status of the CSSD staff were the main factors affecting their mental state; for example, the CPSS score and SAS score of the CSSD nurses were significantly different from those of the CSSD logistic staff (P < 0.01). Conclusion: During the epidemic, the CSSD staff’s psychological resilience was at a low level; the anxiety level of the CSSD nurses was higher than that of the CSSD logistic staff. Therefore, more attention should be given to the mental health of the CSSD staff, including taking protective measures regarding the risk factors to ensure they can maintain a healthy mental state.
Key facets to build up eHealth and mHealth interventions to enhance physical activity, sedentary behavior and nutrition in healthy subjects – An umbrella review
Authors: Fiedler Janis , Eckert Tobias , Wunsch Kathrin , Woll Alexander
Published: October 2020

Background: Electronic (eHealth) and mobile (mHealth) health interventions can provide a large coverage, and are promising tools to change health behavior (i.e. physical activity, sedentary behavior and healthy eating). However, the determinants of intervention effectiveness in primary prevention has not been explored yet. Therefore, the objectives of this umbrella review were to evaluate intervention effectiveness, to explore the impact of pre-defined determinants of effectiveness (i.e. theoretical foundations, behavior change techniques, social contexts or just-in-time adaptive interventions), and to provide recommendations for future research and practice in the field of primary prevention delivered via e/mHealth technology.Methods: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library were searched for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (reviews) published between January 1990 and May 2020. Reviews reporting on e/mHealth behavior change interventions in physical activity, sedentary behavior and/or healthy eating for healthy subjects (i.e. subjects without physical or physiological morbidities which would influence the realization of behaviors targeted by the respective interventions) were included if they also investigated respective theoretical foundations, behavior change techniques, social contexts or just-in-time adaptive interventions. Included studies were ranked concerning their methodological quality and qualitatively synthesized.Results: The systematic search reveled eleven systematic reviews and meta-analyses of moderate quality. The majority of original research studies within the reviews found e/mHealth interventions to be effective, but the results showed a high heterogeneity concerning assessment methods and outcomes, making them difficult to compare. Whereas theoretical foundation and behavior change techniques were suggested to be potential positive determinants of effective interventions, the impact of social context remains unclear. None of the reviews included just-in-time adaptive interventions.Conclusion: Findings of this umbrella review support the use of e/mHealth to enhance physical activity and healthy eating and reduce sedentary behavior. The general lack of precise reporting and comparison of confounding variables in reviews and original research studies as well as the limited number of reviews for each health behavior constrains the generalization and interpretation of results. Further research is needed on study-level to investigate effects of versatile determinants of e/mHealth efficiency, using a theoretical foundation and additionally explore the impact of social contexts and more sophisticated approaches like just-in-time adaptive interventions.Trial registration: The protocol for this umbrella review was a priori registered with PROSPERO: CRD42020147902.
Clinical characteristics of 134 convalescent patients with COVID-19 in Guizhou, China
Authors: Zhang Siqin , Liu Lin , Yang Bin , Li Rou , Luo Jianhua , Huang Jing , Long Yanjun , Huang Ying , Zhou Jianping , Zha Yan , Zhang Xiangyan
Published: October 2020

Background: Previous studies have focused on the clinical characteristics of hospitalized patients with the novel 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Limited data are available for convalescent patients. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical characteristics of discharged COVID-19 patients.Methods: In this retrospective study, we extracted data for 134 convalescent patients with COVID-19 in Guizhou Provincial Staff Hospital from February 15 to March 31, 2020. Cases were analyzed on the basis of demographic, clinical, and laboratory data as well as radiological features. Results: Of 134 convalescent patients with COVID-19, 19 (14.2%) were severe cases, while 115 (85.8%) were non-severe cases. The median patient age was 33 years (IQR, 21.8 to 46.3), and the cohort included 69 men and 65 women. Compared with non-severe cases, severe patients were older and had more chronic comorbidities, especially hypertension, diabetes, and thyroid disease (P<0.05). Leukopenia was present in 32.1% of the convalescent patients and lymphocytopenia was present in 6.7%, both of which were more common in severe patients. 48 (35.8%) of discharged patients had elevated levels of alanine aminotransferase, which was more common in adults than in children (40.2% vs 13.6%, P=0.018). A normal chest CT was found in 61 (45.5%) patients during rehabilitation. Severe patients had more ground-glass opacity, bilateral patchy shadowing, and fibrosis. No significant differences were observed in the positive rate of IgG and/or IgM antibodies between severe and non-severe patients.Conclusion: Leukopenia, lymphopenia, ground-glass opacity, and fibrosis are common in discharged severe COVID-19 patients, and liver injury is common in discharged adult patients. We suggest physicians develop follow-up treatment plans based on the different clinical characteristics of convalescent patients.
Research of insomnia on traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis and treatment based on machine learning
Authors: Tang Yuqi , Li Zechen , Yang Dongdong , Fang Yu , Gao Shanshan , Liang Shan , Liu Tao
Published: October 2020

Background: Insomnia as one of the dominant diseases of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been extensively studied in recent years. To explore the novel approaches of research on TCM diagnosis and treatment, this paper presents a strategy for the research of insomnia based on machine learning. Methods: First of all, 654 insomnia cases have been collected from an experienced doctor of TCM as sample data. Secondly, in the light of the characteristics of TCM diagnosis and treatment, the contents of research samples have been divided into four parts: the basic information, the four diagnostic methods, the treatment based on syndrome differentiation and the main prescription. And then, these four parts have been analyzed by three analysis methods, including frequency analysis, association rules and hierarchical cluster analysis. Finally, a comprehensive study of the whole four parts has been conducted by random forest. Results: Researches of the above four parts revealed some essential connections. Simultaneously, based on the algorithm model established by the random forest, the accuracy of predicting the main prescription by the combinations of the four diagnostic methods and the treatment based on syndrome differentiation was 0.85. Furthermore, having been extracted features through applying the random forest, the syndrome differentiation of five zang-organs was proven to be the most significant parameter of the TCM diagnosis and treatment.Conclusions: The results indicate that the machine learning methods are worthy of being adopted to study the dominant diseases of TCM for exploring the crucial rules of the diagnosis and treatment.
Anastomosis technique for pancreatojejunostomy and early removal of drainage tubes may reduce postoperative pancreatic fistula
Authors: Kawaida Hiromichi , Kono Hiroshi , Amemiya Hidetake , Hosomura Naohiro , Watanabe Mitsuaki , Saito Ryo , Nakata Yuuki , Shoda Katsutoshi , Shimizu Hiroki , Furuya Shinji , Akaike Hidenori , Kawaguchi Yoshihiko , Sudo Makoto , Matsuda Masanori , Itakura Jun , Fujii Hideki , Ichikawa Daisuke
Published: October 2020

Background: Postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) is one of the most serious complications after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). Various factors have been reported as POPF risks, but the most serious of these is soft pancreas. To reduce POPF occurrences, many changes to the PD process have been proposed. This study evaluates short-term results of anastomosis technique for PD.Methods: In total, 120 patients with soft pancreases who had undergone PD at Yamanashi University between January 2012 and August 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. We divided these patients into two groups depending on the time PD was performed: a conventional group (n=67) and a modified group (n = 56).Results: The rate of clinically relevant POPF was significantly lower in the modified group than that in the conventional group (5.4% vs 22.4%, p-value < 0.001), with there being only one case of POPF in the modified group. There were no cases of POPF-related hemorrhaging in the modified group. On the third day after the operation, the amylase levels in the drainage fluid for the modified group became less than half (1696 vs 650 U/L). Multivariate analysis showed that the modified method was the independent predictors to prevent clinical POPF (p-value = 0.002).Conclusions: Our novel anastomosis technique for pancreatojejunostomy reduced POPF in PD, especially in cases where the patient had a soft pancreas.