bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
APLICACIÓN DE DOS METODOLOGÍAS PARA LA EVALUACIÓN DE LA CALIDAD DEL AGUA DE CUERPOS SUPERFICIALES DESTINADOS A LA PESCA EN EL SUR DEL ESTADO DE VERACRUZ, MÉXICO
Authors: García-Rodríguez Gabriela , Sandoval-Rojas Martha Elvira , Corona-Romano Ernesto Ramón , de Jesús-de la Rosa Rosa Erika , Martínez-Romay Benito , García-Gil Esther , García-Gil Edith
Published: February 2021

Se realizó la evaluación de la calidad del agua para protección de la vida acuática en 16 puntos de muestreo de cuerpos superficiales ubicados en una región entre Jáltipan y Texistepec, Veracruz, México. El estudio se realizó durante el periodo de estiaje y se aplicaron dos metodologías para evaluar la calidad del agua. Se seleccionaron los parámetros de caracterización: pH, temperatura, oxígeno disuelto (OD), conductividad específica, turbidez, sólidos disueltos totales (SDT), sólidos suspendidos totales (SST), cloruros, dureza, alcalinidad, demanda bioquímica de oxígeno (DBO5), demanda química de oxígeno (DQO), fósforo total, nitrógeno total Kjeldahl (NTK), nitrógeno orgánico (N-Org), nitrógeno de amonios (N-NH4+), nitrógeno de nitritos (N-NO2–) y nitrógeno de nitratos (N-NO3–). La primera metodología es una modificación de la propuesta por la National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) de los EU, basada en ocho parámetros: OD, pH, temperatura, DBO5, SDT, turbidez, N-NO3 y fósforo total; la segunda está basada en la propuesta por la CNA. De esta metodología se contemplaron 13 parámetros de los 18 originales. Se obtuvieron índices de calidad del agua para cada punto estudiado, observándose que la calidad fluctuó de contaminada a excelente de acuerdo con los resultados alcanzados. En comparación con los Criterios Ecológicos de Calidad del Agua para protección de la vida acuática, los parámetros que más afectan la calidad del agua por incumplir las recomendaciones son OD, fósforo total y N-NH4+. Un parámetro que no se incluye en las metodologías utilizadas es la DQO; si se considera la Escala de Clasificación del Agua de Conagua conforme a la DQO, la cual es menos exigente que la normatividad internacional, los valores alcanzados por este parámetro en la zona de estudio clasifican al agua de contaminada a fuertemente contaminada.
A reading hypothesis of Escola Nova
Authors: Nascimento Victor Wladimir Cerqueira
Published: February 2021

This article examines the representations of Escola Nova in the History of Brazilian Education, specifically the relations between liberalism and biopower. The production of consensus around the Escolanovista movement lies not only in the fact that it is a privileged periodization by historians of education, but also, and mainly, by the theoretical-interpretative matrices adopted in the studies, especially Marxism and the theory of representations. It starts here from the assumption that the “enthusiasm for education” of the Escolanovista movement implies an art of governing populations and its “pedagogical optimism” is guided by the idea of forming a New Man, a Homo oeconomicus.
CHARACTERIZATION OF CINNAMON BARK (Cinnamomum burmannii) HYDROSOL IN VARIATIONS OPENING VALVE OF PILOT PLAN-SCALE STEAM DISTILLATION
Authors: Khasanah Lia Umi , Utami Rohula , Kawiji Kawiji , Manuhara Godras Jati
Published: February 2021

Cinnamon is one of the natural flavor commodities that has not been utilized optimally. One of its derivatives product is essential oil. Essential oils are obtained through the distillation process. The by-product of the distillation process is hydrosol. Hydrosol is an emulsion from essential oil which is bound by water molecules. The hydrosol used in this research was a by-product of processing of cinnamon bark essential oils using Pilot Plan-scale steam distillation. The Pilot Plant-scale steam distillation is using 50 % of destilation tank capacity, with a variety of valve openings (¼, ½, and ¾). The study aimed determine characterization of cinnamon bark hydrosols including total phenol, antioxidant activity of reducing power method, antioxidant activity of radical scavenging (DPPH) method, total flavonoids, and antimicrobial activity against Pseudomonas fluorosence; Aspergillus niger; Bacillus plantarum; Staphylococcus aureus; and E.coli. The results showed that variety of valve openings effected the chemical characteristics of cinnamon bark hydrosols including total phenol, total flavonoids, antioxidant activity (reducing power and DPPH methods). The hydrosols of ¾ valve openings treatment showed antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas fluorescens. All hydrosol samples showed no antimicrobial activity against Aspergillus niger and Lactobacillus plantarum. This hydrosol characterization will be used for further recommendations related to the use of hydrosols in the food.
Schirmer strip and conjunctival swab for viral detection on the ocular surface of adults: a scoping review
Authors: Sabage Luís Expedito , Mazzo Alessandra , Sabage Josmar , Olivo Taylor Endrigo Toscano , Santos Carlos Ferreira dos , Lourençone Luiz Fernando Manzoni
Published: February 2021

Purpose Schirmer Strips and Conjunctival swabs are used in ophthalmology for tears and fluids collection. During the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the biggest challenges is accurate diagnosis, and it is known that, in some cases, ocular manifestations are one of the first symptoms. In this context, this study has the objective of raising scientific evidence that highlights the use of Schirmer strips and conjunctival swabs as a method of sample collection for viral analysis to support future research on this theme. Methods A literature search was conducted in the PubMed, Web of Science and BVS databases, following the Scoping Review protocol defined by Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) after the guiding question “Is it possible to detect viruses on the ocular surface with Schirmer Test and/or conjunctival swab?”.Results A total of 418 studies were identified, and after discerning analysis, 36 English written studies were selected. Three researchers analyzed studies after virus research, collection methods, and sample analysis. Publications were mainly on adenovirus, herpes simplex virus and SARS-CoV-2, and there is also evidence of ocular detection of more viruses types. Conjuntival swab analyzed through Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) or Reverse Transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR) were the most used methods.Conclusions Studies have generally been conducted to understand viral infection, to develop accurate diagnostic methods and to follow the patients’ response to treatment. Most studies were performed with a small number of patients and lacked clear definitions of collection time and viral persistence since the onset of diseases. Viruses can be detected on the ocular surface through the analysis of Schirmer strips and conjunctival swabs. However, additional studies with larger populations and time permanence are necessary to develop more assertive conclusions on the theme.
Lesion Segmentation in Breast Ultrasound Images using Optimized Marked Watershed Method
Authors: Shen Xiaoyan , Ma He , Liu Ruibo , Li Hong , He Jiachuan , Wu Xinran
Published: February 2021

Background: Breast cancer is one of the most serious diseases threatening women’s health. Early screening based on ultrasound can help to detect and treat tumors in early stage. However, due to the lack of radiologists with professional skills, ultrasound based breast cancer screening has not been widely used in rural area. Computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) technology can eﬀectively alleviates this problem. Since Breast Ultrasound (BUS) images have low resolution and speckle noise, lesion segmentation, which is an important step in CAD system, is challenging.Results: Two datasets were used for evaluation. Dataset A comprises 500 BUS images from local hospitals, while dataset B comprises 205 BUS images from open source. The experimental results show that the proposed method outperformed its related classic segmentation methods and the state-of-the-art deep learning model, RDAU–NET. And its’ Accuracy(Acc), Dice eﬃcient(DSC) and Jaccard Index(JI) reached 96.25%, 78.4% and 65.34% on dataset A, and ACC, DC and Sen reached 97.96%, 86.25% and 88.79% on dataset B.Conclusions: We proposed an adaptive morphology snake based on marked watershed(AMSMW) algorithm for BUS images segmentation. It was proven to be robust, eﬃcient and eﬀective. In addition, it was found to be more sensitive to malignant lesions than benign lesions. What’s more, since the Rectangular Region of Interest(RROI) in the proposed method is drawn manually, we will consider adding deep learning network to automatically identify RROI, and completely liberate the hands of radiologists.Methods: The proposed method consists of two main steps. In the ﬁrst step, we used Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization(CLAHE) and Side Window Filter(SWF) to preprocess BUS images. Therefore, lesion contours can be eﬀectively highlighted and the inﬂuence of noise can be eliminated to a great extent. In the second step, we proposed adaptative morphology snake(AMS) as an embedded segmentation function of AMSMW. It can adjust working parameters adaptively, according to diﬀerent lesions’ size. By combining segmentation results of AMS with marker region obtained by morphological method, we got the marker region of marked watershed (MW). Finally, we obtained candidate contours by MW. And the best lesion contour was chosen by maximum Average Radial Derivative(ARD).
Energy consumption and economic development in Guangdong, China: Distribution, relationship and causes
Authors: Hu Mengmeng , Wang Yafei , Xia Beicheng , Huang Guohe
Published: February 2021

Analysing the relationship between energy consumption and economic growth is essential to achieve the goal of sustainable development. We employ hot spot analysis to discover the spatial agglomeration of GDP per capita and energy intensity in Guangdong, China, from 2005–2018. Furthermore, panel vector autoregression coupled with a system generalized method of moments is performed to examine the dynamic causal relationship between energy consumption and economic growth under the framework of the Cobb-Douglas production function. Using a multivariate model and grouped studies based on the differences in regional economic development, we show that the GDP per capita of the Pearl River Delta (PRD) is significantly higher than that of the peripheral municipalities. However, energy intensity shows an entirely different spatial distribution. The development of the regional economy depends on its own “assembling effect”. GDP explains approximately 68.3% of the total variation in energy consumption in the PRD and only approximately 34.5% of that in the peripheral municipalities. We do not confirm Granger causality between energy consumption and economic development. Guangdong can decrease its energy consumption growth without substantially sacrificing its economic growth. The analysis framework of this paper has significant implications for regions in balancing economic development and energy consumption.
Efficient Molecular Modelling of Butterfly-Shaped Hole Transport Materials With Remarkable Photovoltaic Properties For High-Performance Organic Solar Cells
Authors: Mehboob Muhammad Yasir , Adnan Muhammad , Hussain Riaz , Irshad Zobia
Published: February 2021

Currently, organic solar cells (OSCs) with non-fullerene electron acceptors offer the highest efficiencies among all reported OSCs. To further improve the efficiencies and stabilities of fullerene-free organic solar cells, end-capped acceptor variations is built with strong electron withdrawing groups. In this report, we have theoretically calculated five new butterfly-shaped fullerene-free acceptors (FD1-FD6) by making end-capped modifications on reference molecule (R) with the purpose to study the improvement in photophysical, opto-electronic, and photo-voltaic properties of newly designed molecules by employing density functional theory (DFT) and time dependent (TD-DFT). Besides, some properties like position of frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs), excitation and binding energy, hole-electron overlap, density of states, overlap density of states, molecular electrostatic potential, open circuit voltage, transition density matrix, and reorganizational energy of electron and hole are also considered and associated with experimentally synthesized reference compound. All calculated molecules displayed a good red-shifting with high charge mobility of electrons among low binding and excitation energies as opposed to reference molecule. Furthermore, all designed molecules (FD1-FD6) and the reference R shows narrow band-gap along-with great charge shifting capability. This theoretical framework proves that end-capped acceptors variation is a modest and effective strategy to accomplish the desirable opto-electronic properties. Therefore, FD1-FD6 are suggested to experimentalist for out-looking future developments to fabricate highly efficient solar cells devices.
A thinner endometrium is associated with lower newborn birth weight during in vitro fertilization–frozen-embryo transfer: cohort study
Authors: Zhang Yinfeng , Luo Haining , Han Ying , Zhang Bolun , Ma Junfang , Qu Pengpeng , Zhang Yunshan
Published: February 2021

BackgroundThe purpose of this study is to explore the influence of endometrial thickness (EMT) before embryo transfer on birth weight after in vitro fertilization–frozen-embryo transfer (IVF–FET).MethodsThis was a retrospective cohort study. We collected the medical records associated with singleton live births from Tianjin Central Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital from June 2015 to February 2019 after IVF–frozen-embryo transfer (FET). Patients were ≤ 42 years at delivery. Outcomes related to newborns were birth weight, gestational age, delivery mode, low birth weight, and prevalence of macrosomia. Outcomes related to pregnant women were gestational hypertension, gestational diabetes mellitus, premature rupture of membranes and placenta previa.ResultsThe birth weight of singleton newborns was higher for newborns delivered by patients with EMT > 12 mm before embryo transfer than newborns delivered by patients with a thinner endometrium. Regression analysis showed that the EMT ≥ 12 mm group had a gain in mean birth weight of 85.107 g compared with that in the EMT < 8 mm group, whereas the group with EMT of 8–12 mm had an increase in mean birth weight of 25.942 g compared with that in the EMT < 8 mm group. Hypertension during pregnancy, premature rupture of membranes, placenta previa, newborn sex, gestational age, delivery mode, number of implanted embryos, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) level, estradiol (E2) level, and pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) were all independent predictors of newborn birth weight. The regression model for predicting the newborn birth weight was: Y (birth weight) = 25.942×(EMT of 8–12 mm) + 85.107×(EMT > 12 mm) + 123.483×(hypertension during pregnancy) + 148.859×(premature rupture of membranes) + 182.342×(placental position) − 126.242×(newborn sex) + 23.837×(number of days of pregnancy) + 130.487×(delivery mode) − 55.023×(number of implanted embryos) − 6.215×FSH level − 1.124×E2 level + 22.218×BMI − 4468.101.Conclusion(s)EMT before embryo transfer in patients undergoing their first freeze–thaw embryo transfer cycle is related to the weight of newborn singletons. The newborn birth weight for patients with a thinner endometrium is lower. EMT should be increased before embryo transfer to improve neonatal outcomes after fertility treatment.
Roles of Paper Composition and Humidity on the Adhesion between Paper Sheet and Glass: A Molecular Dynamics Study
Authors: Park Hyunhang , Lee Sung Hoon , Morin Elizabeth I. , Antony Andrew C.
Published: February 2021

Understanding adhesion behavior between paper materials and inorganic substrate is important to minimize surface contamination by paper fragments. In this work, we investigate adhesion mechanisms between paper sheet and glass in terms of molecular interaction. Molecular dynamics simulations are employed to calculate adhesion force between paper sheet and the silica glass surfaces. Pulling and sliding tests are simulated to find the effects of the paper compositions such as mannan, glucan, and glucuronoxylan and humidity on the adhesion. Simulation results reveal that crystalline cellulose film of mannan unit (uni-directional hydroxyl groups) shows higher adhesion than that of glucan unit (bi-directional hydroxyl groups). Also, addition of just a few glucuronoxylan (xylan) hemicellulose molecules on the cellulose film remarkably enhances adhesion force, because of carboxylic acid groups with strong polarity in xylan. In addition, introduction of humidity leads to a further increase of adhesion due to hydrogen bonds bridged by water molecules. The adhesion force is maximized around 10 H2O/nm2 because as the humidity increases, hydrogen bond interactions are saturated, whereas the Van der Waals interactions decrease due to thicker water layer. It is discussed that consideration of the capillary force for paper may result in different adhesion response that reflects more realistic situation.
A Network Meta-analysis and Systematic Review of Left Bundle Branch Pacing, His Bundle Pacing, Biventricular Pacing or RV Pacing in Patients Requiring Permanent Pacemaker
Authors: Tokavanich Nithi , Prasitlumkum Narut , Mongkonsritragoon Wimwipa , Cheungpasitporn Wisit , Thongprayoon Charat , Vallabhajosyula Saraschandra , Chokesuwattanaskul Ronpichai
Published: February 2021

Background: Cardiac dyssynchronization is the proposed mechanism for pacemaker-induced cardiomyopathy. The standard of treatment is biventricular pacing. Left bundle branch pacing and His bundle pacing are novel interventions that imitate the natural conductionof the heart with, theoretically, less interventricular dysynchrony. One of the surrogate markers of interventricular synchrony is QRS duration. Our study aimed to compare the change of QRS duration before and after implantation between types of cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED): left bundle branch pacing versus His bundle pacing versus biventricular pacing and conventional right ventricular pacing. Methods: A literature search for studies that reported an interval change of QRS duration after CIED implantation was conducted utilizing the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases. All relevant work through September 2020 from these databases was included in this analysis. A random-effects model network meta-analysis was used to analyze QRS duration changes (i.e., electrical cardiac synchronization) across different CIED implantations. Results: The mean study sample size, from 16 included studies, was 185 subjects. According to SUCRA analysis for the studies analyzed, the His bundle pacing intervention resulted in the most dramatic decline in QRS duration (mean difference -53 ms, 95% CI -67, -39), followed by left bundle branch pacing (mean difference -46 ms, 95% CI -60, -33) and biventricular pacing (mean difference -19 ms, 95% CI -37, -1.8), when compared to conventional right ventricle apical lead placement. Conclusion: Our network meta-analysis found that His bundle branch pacing devices have the greatest effect on QRS duration reduction after implantation, followed by left bundle branch pacing. Physiologic pacing interventions result in improved electrocardiography markers of cardiac synchronicity, narrower QRS duration, and might lower electromechanical dyssynchrony.
Anxiety and Internet Research Before Percutaneous Ultrasound-guided Diagnostic Procedures
Authors: Meira Marcio , Bitencourt Almir Galvão Vieira , Travesso Demian Jungklaus , Chojniak Rubens , Barbosa Paula Nicole Vieira Pinto
Published: February 2021

Invasive procedures guided by ultrasound (US) are part of the routine medical diagnostic investigation. The lack of knowledge related to technical aspects about them can lead the patient to seek complementary information on the internet, which can trigger anxiety. However, the intersection between the areas of Radiology and Psychology is poorly studied. Here we show the profile of an anxious patient before an US-guided intervention. One hundred thirty-three patients were evaluated. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was applied for psychometry. Higher anxiety scores were significantly observed in female patient, in those who believe they had received inadequate information from the referring physician, and in those who assessed the online information to be unreliable or difficult to access. Patients who defined themselves as proactive in online searching reported lower anxiety. Our results show that the profile of an anxious patient before an US-guided intervention can be established. The recognition of this profile can guide measures to reduce anxiety in patients who will undergo an US-guided invasive procedure.
Graphene Oxide/L-phenylalanine/polymethacrylamide Nanocomposite as an Efficient Fluorescent Nanosensor for Heavy Metals Detection in Aqueous Media
Authors: Barzegarzadeh Mehdi , Amini-Fazl Mohammad Sadegh , Yazdi-Amirkhiz Seyed Yasin
Published: February 2021

The application and fabrication of grapheme-based nanomaterials have, caught great attention in the field of sensors in recent years. In this study, a graphene oxide (GO)-based heavy metals nanosensor was prepared via the surface reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) method. First, GO was prepared from graphene and was modified with L-phenylalanine (LP). Then a RAFT agent was attached chemically into the surface of GO-LP. Next, GO-LP/polymethacrylamide (GO-LP/PMAM) was prepared via the polymerization of methacrylamide (MAM) monomers on the surface of the GO. The surface morphology and chemical properties of the prepared materials were examined by FT-IR, SEM, TGA, UV and PL techniques. The results of PL indicated that the PL intensity of GO-LP/PMAM compared to GO and GO-LP spectra in the water was stronger. Finally, the modified GO was employed as an excellent nanosensor for the selective detection of Cu (II) ions in the range of 0.25-2 mM (correlation coefficient R2 0.9903). Absence any obvious alteration in the fluorescence intensity after the addition of other metal ions indicated the great selectivity for Cu (II). Based on the experimental results, the surface-functionalized GO with RAFT strategy could be successfully employed as a promising nanosensor for selective detecting of Cu (II) ions.
A Novel Radiomics-Platelet Nomogram for the Prediction of Gastroesophageal Varices Needing Treatment in Cirrhotic Patients
Authors: Lin Yiken , Li Lijuan , Yu Dexin , Liu Zhuyun , Zhang Shuhong , Wang Qiuzhi , Li Yueyue , Cheng Baoquan , Qiao Jianping , Gao yanjing
Published: February 2021

Background and aimsHighly accurate noninvasive methods for predicting gastroesophageal varices needing treatment (VNT) are desired. Radiomics is a newly emerging technology of image analysis. This study aims to develop and validate a novel noninvasive method based on radiomics for predicting VNT in cirrhosis.MethodsIn this retrospective-prospective study, a total of 245 cirrhotic patients were divided as the training set, internal validation set and external validation set. Radiomics features were extracted from portal-phase computed tomography (CT) images of each patient. A radiomics signature (Rad-score) was constructed with the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator algorithm and 10-folds cross-validation in the training set. Combined with independent risk factors, a radiomics nomogram was built with a multivariate logistic regression model. ResultsThe rad-score, consisting of 14 features from the gastroesophageal region and 5 from the splenic hilum region, was effective for VNT classification. The diagnostic performance was further improved by combining the rad-score with platelet counts, achieving an AUC of 0.987(95% CI, 0.969-1.00), 0.973(95% CI, 0.939-1.00) and 0.947(95% CI, 0.876-1.00) in the training set, internal validation set and external validation set respectively. In efficacy and safety assessment, the radiomics nomogram could spare more than 40% of endoscopic examinations with a low risk of missing VNT (<5%), and no more than 8.3% of unnecessary endoscopic examinations still be performed.Conclusions﻿In this study, we developed and validated a novel, diagnostic radiomics-based nomogram which is a reliable and noninvasive method to predict VNT in cirrhotic patients.
European River Lamprey Lampetra Fluviatilis in the Upper Volga: Distribution and Biology
Authors: Zvezdin Aleksandr , Kucheryavyy Aleksandr , Kolotei Anzhelika , Polyakova Natalia , Pavlov Dmitrii
Published: February 2021

After the construction of the Volga Hydroelectric Station and other dams, migration routes of the Caspian lamprey were obstructed. The ecological niches vacated by this species attracted another lamprey of the genus Lampetra to the Upper Volga, which probably came from the Baltic Sea via the system of shipways developed in the 18 th and 19 th centuries. Based on collected samples and observations from sites in the Upper Volga basin, we provide diagnostic characters of adults, and information on spawning behavior. Silver coloration of Lampetra fluviatilis was noted for the first time and a new size-related subsample of “large” specimens was delimited, in addition to the previously described “dwarf”, “small” and “common” adult resident sizes categories. The three water systems: the Vyshnii Volochek, the Tikhvin and the Mariinskaya, are possible invasion pathways, based on the migration capabilities of the lampreys. Dispersal and colonization of the Caspian basin was likely a combination of upstream and downstreams migrations. First, the lampreys migrated upstream along the rivers of the Baltic basin until they reached the water-parting line, followed by mostly downstream dispersal into rivers of the Caspian basin. Dispersal in the Volga River was similar, in accordance with the migration cycle of this opportunistic lamprey species.
The Effects of Educational Intervention on Operating Room Nurses' Application of Electrosurgical Units
Authors: Fereidouni Armin , Amiri Mina , Bijani Mostafa , Moayedi Seyed Alireza , Torabizadeh Camellia
Published: February 2021

Background: An electrosurgical unit is one of the most essential pieces of equipment in operating rooms. Over 80% of operations today make use of electrosurgical units. Training operating room nurses in correct application of electrosurgical units and evaluation of their application play a key role in making optimal use of the units and extending their lifetime, reducing occupational hazards for surgical teams, and enhancing the safety of patients. The present study aims to investigate the effects of an educational intervention on operating room nurses' application of electrosurgical units. Methods: The present study is a quasi-experimental work of research conducted in all the operating rooms of the hospitals located in Shiraz, Iran. Data were collected from 200 observations of 200 surgeries (100 before intervention and 100 after). The content of education was derived from a literature review and standard guidelines and was presented as a poster in the operating rooms. The data collection instruments consisted of a Demographic Information Questionnaire, a surgery checklist, and the checklist for operating room Nurses' application of electrosurgical units. Data were collected once before the intervention and then again one month after the intervention. The collected data were analyzed using the descriptive statistics of chi-square test and paired t-test at a significance level of 0.05 in SPSS v. 18.Results: The average age of the participating nurses was 31.540±6.772 years. The majority of the participants were female. The results showed a statistically significant difference between the means and standard deviations of the nurses' application of electrosurgical units scores before (18.330±2.666) and after (20.820±3.400) intervention. Conclusion: Introducing operating room nurses to the standard guidelines for application of electrosurgical units can improve the quality of services provided by the nurses, increase the safety of patients, and reduce occupational hazards. Thus, to improve operating room nurses' professional performance in application of electrosurgical units, medical managers and policy-makers should attach more importance to on-the-job training programs.
What Is the Optimal Timing of Thawing for Transferring Vitrified-warmed Cleavage Stage of Slow-growing Embryos? A Cohort Retrospective Study
Authors: Geng Lan , Wu Jia-hui , Luo Jia-qi , Shi Yu , Qian Wei-ping , Kallen Amanda , Xia Xi
Published: February 2021

PurposeTo evaluate optimal thawing time, the early thawing or the routine thawing time, for transferring vitrified-warmed, and cultured overnight cleavage stage of the slow-growing embryos on Day 3 in frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycle. MethodsThis was a retrospective cohort study from January 2017 to July 2018, a total of 705 slow-growing embryos FET cycles in which the patients were aged <40. Thawing cleavage stage slow-growing Day 3 embryos on either the 2nd or 3rd day after ovulation in natural cycle or the equivalent timing of the artificial cycles. ResultsFor slow growing embryos, the clinical pregnancy rate of early thawing group (152/468 (32.5%)) was significantly higher than that of routine thawing group (55/235 (23.4%)) (OR 1.39(CI 1.06-1.81), p=0.01), while there was no statistically significant difference in pregnancy loss in early thawing group (39/170 (22.9%)) versus in routine thawing group (16/62 (25.8%)) (OR 0.89 (CI 0.53-1.47), p =0.65). ConclusionFor slow-growing embryos, higher pregnancy outcomes were shown in early thawing strategy as compared to the routine thawing, which suggested that the improvement of endometrium-embryo synchronism may correct the time difference brought by the slow-growing embryos.
Excessive Iodine Induces Thyroid Follicular Epithelial Cells Apoptosis by Activating HIF-1α-mediated Hypoxia Pathway in Hashimoto Thyroiditis
Authors: zhang lili , Liu Lin , Wang Ping , Qian Linxue
Published: February 2021

Purpose Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT) is considered the most common autoimmune thyroid disease. A growing body of evidence suggests that HT incidence correlates with excessive iodine intake. We should probe the effects of excessive iodine intake in HT development and its possible mechanism. Methods The study recruited 20 patients: 10 with HT and 10 with nodular goiter. We detected the expression of an apoptosis-related protein caspase-3 by immunohistochemistry. In vitro study, we explored the proliferation and apoptosis status in thyroid follicular cells (TFCs) stimulated at different iodine concentrations by MTT and flow cytometry. Then we performed RNA sequence analysis of Nthy-ori3-1 cells treated for 48h with different KI concentrations to probe the underlying mechanism. Finally, we used RT-PCR to verify its results. Results We identified apoptosis in thyroid tissue obtained from HT patients coincides with the increase of caspase-3 levels. In vitro study, iodine suppressed proliferation of TFCs and promoted TFCs apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. RNA sequence results showed that high concentration of iodine activate the hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α)-mediated hypoxia pathway coincide with the upregulation of N-myc downregulated gene-1 (NDRG1) expression. Conclusions Our study confirmed that excessive iodine adsorption activates the HIF-1α-mediated hypoxia pathway to promote apoptosis of TFCs, which may be an important risk factor contributing to HT development.
Psychometric Properties of Instruments to Measure Parenting Practices and Children's Movement Behaviors in Low-income Families From Brazil
Authors: Goncalves Widjane Sheila Ferreira , Byrne Rebecca , Lira Pedro Israel Cabral , Viana Marcelo Tavares , Trost Stewart
Published: February 2021

Background: Childhood obesity has increased remarkably in low and middle-income (LMIC) countries. Movement behaviors (physical activity, screen time, and sleep) are crucial in the development of overweight and obesity in young children. Yet, few studies have investigated the relationship between children´s movement behaviors and parenting practices because validated measures for use among families from LMIC are lacking. This study evaluated the psychometric properties of previously validated measures of young children’s physical activity, screen time, and sleep and parenting practices, translated and culturally adapted to Brazilian families. Methods: A total of 78 parent-child dyads completed an interviewer-administered survey twice within 7 days. Child physical activity, sedentary time and sleep were concurrently measured using a wrist-worn accelerometer. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha and Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC’s). Concurrent validity was evaluated by calculating Spearman correlations between parent reported child behaviors and accelerometer measured behaviors. Results: Parenting practices scales exhibited acceptable internal consistency with alpha coefficients ranging from 0.66 - 0.88. Test-retest reliability ICC’s were acceptable and ranged from 0.82 - 0.99. Parent reported child physical activity was positively correlated with objectively measured total movement (rho= 0.29 - 0.46, p < .05) and energetic play (rho=0.29 – 0.40, p < .05). Parent reported child screen time was positively correlated with objectively measured sedentary time; (rho = 0.26, p < .05), and inversely correlated with total movement (rho = - 0.39 – - 0.41, p < .05) and energetic play (rho = - 0.37 – - 0.41, p < .05). Parent reported night-time sleep duration was significantly correlated with accelerometer measured sleep duration on weekdays (rho = 0.29, p < .05), but not weekends. Conclusions: Measurement tools to assess children’s movement behaviors and parenting practices, translated and culturally adapted for use in Brazilian families, exhibited acceptable evidence of concurrent validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability.
Effect of Micro Textures on the Cutting Performance of Circular Saw Blade Under Fluid Lubrication
Authors: Lu Yang , Deng JIanxin , sun Qinghao , Ge Dongliang , Wu Jiaxing , Zhang Zhihui
Published: February 2021

In this paper, linear micro textures that parallel to the sawtooth edge were fabricated on the surface of the high speed steel W6Mo5Cr4V2 circular saw blade by laser engraving. Further, cutting performance of micro textured circular saw blade (TCS) and traditional circular saw blade (CS), including sawing arc length, sawing force, sawing temperature, machined surface roughness and wear mechanism, were investigated in sawing 304 stainless steel pipes under the cutting fluid condition. Results showed that the largest sawing arc length and sawing force were occurred on the circular saw blade sawing outward from the inner wall. In addition, TCS circular saw blade exhibited better cutting performance and the mechanisms were found, on the one hand, the effective sawtooth-chip contact length was reduced due to the micro textures fabricated on the sawtooth surface, on the other hand, cutting fluid can be better penetrated into the micro textures and formed stable lubrication film in sawtooth-chip contact interface.
Implementation of Targeted Screening for Poverty in a Large Primary Care Team in Toronto, Canada: A Feasibility Study
Authors: Wintemute Kimberly , Noor Meh , Bhatt Aashka , Bloch Gary , Arackal Suja , Kalia Sumeet , Aliarzadeh Babak , Tona Sabrina La , Lo Joyce , Pinto Andrew , Greiver Michelle
Published: February 2021

BackgroundPoverty has a significant influence on health. Efforts to optimize income and reduce poverty could make a difference to the lives of patients and their families. Routine screening for poverty in primary care is an important first step but rarely occurs in Canada. We aimed to implement a targeted screening and referral process in a large, distributed primary care team in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.MethodsThis implementation evaluation was conducted with a large community-based primary care team in north Toronto. The primary care team serves relatively wealthy neighborhoods that contain pockets of poverty. Physicians were invited to participate. We implemented targeted screening by combining census information on neighborhood-level deprivation with postal codes in patient records. For physicians agreeing to participate, we added prompts to screen for poverty to the charts of adult patients living in the most deprived areas. Standardized electronic medical record templates recommended a referral to a team case worker for income optimization, for those patients screening positive. We recorded the number and percentages of participants at each stage, from screening to receiving advice on income optimization. ResultsThe primary care team included 86 physicians distributed across 19 clinical locations. Thirty-four physicians (39%) participated. Their practices provided care for 27,290 patients aged 18 or older; 852 patients (3%) were found to be living in the most deprived neighborhoods. 509 (60%) had at least one office visit over the 6 months of follow up, and 128 (25%) of those seen were screened. Only 25 (20%) of these patients screened positive for poverty, and 13 (52%) were referred. Eight patients (62% of those referred) were ultimately seen by a caseworker for income optimization.Discussion & ConclusionsWe implemented a targeted poverty screening program combined with resources to optimize income for patients in a large, distributed community-based primary care team. However, only a small number of patients were identified and linked to the intervention Further efforts to scale and spread screening and mitigation of poverty are warranted; these should include broadening the targeted population beyond those living in the most deprived areas.
Tailoring Nano-copolymer/CNTs Composite and Its Application in Drug Delivery
Authors: Darwish M. K. , Said M. S. , El-Sayed A. A. , Sobh R. A. , Khalek A. A. Abdel
Published: February 2021

This work aimed to overcome the main drawbacks of some essential anticancer drugs as 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) by controlled loading with novel drug carriers. By a differential microemulsion technique, nanosized particles derived from a copolymer of poly(methyl methacrylate (MMA) and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA)) with different monomer ratios have been synthesized and used as a drug carrier. Poly(MMA-co-HEMA)/MWCNT nanocomposite was also synthesized using an in-situ microemulsion polymerization technique and used as a 5-FU carrier. Different techniques have characterized these ground-breaking drug delivery systems such as FT-IR, XRD, TEM, TGA, zeta potential, and a particle size analyzer. The effects of monomer feed composition, 5-FU content, and MWCNTs content on morphological and structural properties, in-vitro 5-FU release, and entrapment efficiency (EE%) have been studied. It was noted that the inclusion of MWCNTs in the 5-FU-loaded polymer increases the thermal stability and raises the entrapment efficiency (EE%) to hit 99% at CNTs:5-FU ratio of 2:1. The anticancer drug release from the co-polymeric nanospheres depends on the HEMA ratio, 5-FU/copolymer ratio, CNT/5-FU ratio, and the pH of the medium. The optimized nanocomposite demonstrated higher anti-tumor activity against the cell lines CaCo-2, MCF-7, and HepG-2 and higher cytotoxicity against HepG-2 relative to CaCo-2 and MCF-7.
Recovery-oriented practices and role perceptions of healthcare staff providing community-based mental healthcare as team in Central and Eastern Europe: an observational study
Authors: Roth Catharina , Wensing Michel , Kuzman Martina Rojnic , Bjedov Sarah , Medved Sara , Istvanovic Ana , Grbic Danijela Stimac , Pavic Ivana , Tomcuk Aleksander , Dedovic Jovo , Djurisic Tatijana , Nica Raluca Ileana , Rotaru Tiberiu , Novotni Antoni , Bajraktarov Stojan , Milutinovic Milos , Nakov Vladimir , Zarkov Zahari , Dinolova Roumyana , Walters Bethany Hipple , Shields-Zeeman Laura , Petrea Ionela
Published: February 2021

Background: CMHTs deliver healthcare that supports the recovery of people with mental illness. They should achieve a sufficient level of good quality teamwork, composed of individual professional skills as well their adaptation within the clearly defined roles in teams in order to work efficiently. This paper analyses to what extent team members of five CMHTs newly implemented in five countries had introduced aspects of the recovery-oriented approach and evaluates what the team members’ perceptions on their collaborative care roles and their level of confidence with this role are.Method: A quantitative survey was administered among 66 professionals and peer worker including the Recovery Self-Assessment Tool Provider Version (RSA-P), the Team Member Self-Assessment Tool (TMSA), and demographic questions. Result: The RSA-P showed that all teams had the perception that they provide recovery–oriented practice to a moderately high degree after a training week on recovery-oriented care. Healthcare providers with fewer years of professional experience perceived more frequently that they operated in a recovery-oriented way (p=0.036, B -0.268). Nurses and peer workers did not feel confident or responsible to fulfil specific roles.Conclusion: Trainings on community-based practices and collaborative teamwork may facilitates recovery-oriented care and helps to improve team cohesion. Trial registration: Each trial was registered before participant enrolment in the clinicaltrials.gov database: Croatia, Zagreb (Trial Reg. No. NCT03862209); Montenegro, Kotor (Trial Reg. No. NCT03837340); Romania, Suceava (Trial Reg. No. NCT03884933); Macedonia, Skopje (Trial Reg. No. NCT03892473); Bulgaria, Sofia (Trial Reg. No. NCT03922425)
Salivary protein glycopatterns for natural regulation of oral microbiota
Authors: Li Zheng , Shu Jian , Hanjie Yu , Wang Yan , Ren Xiameng , Zhang Kun , Tang Zhen , Chen Wentian , Li Baozhen
Published: February 2021

The oral microbiota is the direct precursor of dental caries and periodontitis, which are the most common microbial-induced diseases worldwide. The distinct microenvironment at the oral barrier breeds unique microbial communities, which are regulated by host factors (inflammation or dietary sugars)1. Increasing evidence indicates that dysbiosis of oral microbial communities is associated with many human diseases2-5. Our studies demonstrated that human disease could induce different alterations in salivary protein glycopatterns6. However, the relationship between salivary protein glycopatterns and oral microbial communities is unknown. Here, we report that altered salivary protein glycopatterns, namely, fucosylated or sialylated structures induced by gastric cancer (GC) or type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), respectively, are also drivers of dysbiosis of oral microbial communities and ultimately dental caries and periodontitis. The fucosylated neoglycoproteins and sialic acid (SA) α2-3 galactose (Gal) structure can inhibit the growth or/and adhesion of Aggregatibacter segnis and Candida albicans from the oral cavity of patients with GC and T2DM, respectively. These findings provide a novel theory that dynamic communities of oral microbiota are regulated naturally by host salivary protein glycopatterns, having important implications for developing new carbohydrate drugs for oral and body health.
Using an online CBT-based intervention to improve academic performance in students with low mood: A pre-post study with historical control
Authors: Awadalla Suheir , Davies Bethan , Glazebrook Cristine
Published: February 2021

Background

Online CBT-based interventions have shown potential to improve mental health in university students. However, their impacts in West Asian cultures and on educational achievement have yet to be fully investigated. This study aims to explore the feasibility, acceptability and potential effectiveness of a self-directed, internet-delivered, cognitive-behavioural skills training program (MoodGYM) in reducing depression and improving academic performance in university students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Methods

This exploratory pre-post intervention study with an historic control group recruited 50 students from one UAE university, with GPA < 2 and self-reporting at least one of two key depressive symptoms. Pre-intervention, participants completed an online survey including most recent grade point average (GPA), number of attendance warnings and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Participants were then sent a link to MoodGYM. After eight weeks, 44 participants repeated the survey and provided feedback on MoodGYM (88% follow-up). A subgroup of 19 students with GPA scores < 2 at baseline formed an historical control group for change in GPA and attendance warnings.
Results

Total HADS-Depression scores fell at post intervention (P = 0.004) and the proportion of participants scoring above the cut-off for depression (HADS-D ≥ 8) fell from 77.2–27.3% (p < 0.001). There was also a substantial fall in HADS-Anxiety scores (p < 0.001) and the proportion of participants above the cut-off for anxiety (HADS-A ≥ 8) fell from 50% to 11.4 % (p = 0.001). GPA scores improved substantially over time (p < 0.001, d = 1.3) and attendance warnings reduced (p = 0.008, d = 0.6). Compared to historic control, the intervention group had higher GPA at follow-up (p < 0.030 d = 0.6) fewer attendance warnings (p = 0.036 d = 0.7). Most students (79.6%) evaluated MoodGYM as useful and all students completed at least 2 MoodGYM modules. More modules completed (p = 0.005) and greater reduction in attendance warnings (p = 0.007) were independently associated with greater improvement in GPA scores at follow-up.
Conclusions

This study provides support for a web based mental health promotion intervention (MoodGYM) to improve academic achievement in university students with depressive symptoms. Further research is needed to explore how MoodGYM can be best implemented within University settings.
Post-operative Uric Acid: A Predictor for 30-days Mortality of Acute Type A Aortic Dissection Repair
Authors: Xu Qian , Ma Shulun , Hu Qinghua , Huang Lingjin , Wu Dongkai , Chen Xuliang , Lin Guoqiang , Luo Wanjun
Published: February 2021

Background: Hyperuricemia is associated with aortic dissection and cardiovascular diseases. The implication of high serum uric acid (UA) level after acute aortic dissection repair remains unknown. The aim of this study is to explore the role of peri-operative serum UA level in predicting 30-days mortality with acute type A aortic dissection (AAAD) patients, who underwent surgery. Methods and Results: 209 consecutive AAAD patients were included, 14.3% (n=30) were dead within 30 days after surgery. By univariate analysis, we found AAAD repair patients with 30-days mortality had a higher prevalence of cerebral malperfusion, lower pre-operative fibrinogen, longer cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic crossclamp time, and higher post-operative day 1 (POD1) creatinine and urea levels. Both pre-operative (433.80±152.59 vs. 373.46±108.31mmol/L, P=0.038) and POD1 (559.78±162.23 vs. 391.29±145.19 mmol/L, P=0.000) UA level were higher in mortality group than in survival group. In regression model, only cerebral malperfusion (OR, 7.937, 95% CI, 1.252-50.323; P=0.028) and POD1 UA level (OR, 1.006; 95% CI, 1.003-1.009; P=0.000) were independent predictors of 30-days mortality in AAAD repair patients. According to the ROC curve, the POD1 UA level provided positive value for 30-days mortality in AAAD repair patients with 0.799 areas under the curve. The optimum cutoff value selected by ROC curve was 500.15 mmol/L, with a sensitivity of 69.2% and a specificity of 81.7%. Conclusion: Pre- and post-operative hyperuricemia are potentially associated with worsened outcomes in AAAD surgery patients. The POD1 UA level has a predictive role in 30-days mortality in AAAD repair patients.