bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessing the risk factors of preterm births in Kurdistan, Iran: a case-control study
Authors: Hemmatpour Siros , Mansori Majid , Moradi Ghobad , Sheikhahmadi Shobo , Bagheri Batool
Published: June 2020

Background Preterm birth is one of the most common causes of mortality in infants. Despite advances in health care and better access to health services in many countries, preterm birth has increased over the past two decades. Methods This case control study was conducted on two groups with 100 participants including 100 preterm infants (case) and 100 term infants (control) with gender match in Kurdistan Province-Iran in 2018. The required information was collected from medical files and interviewing the mothers as to demographical information, midwifery specifications, background diseases, disease over pregnancy term, and infants’ information. Conditional logistic regression test was used to estimate the final model and compute the risk ratio. Results Multivariate regression analysis showed that the risk of preterm birth in individual with AB blood type was higher (OR=5.04; 95% CI 1.40-18.08). In addition, the risk of preterm birth was higher in the mothers with a history of stillbirth (OR=13.63; 95% CI 1.39-133.5). Preterm birth was significantly related to the history of birth diseases, history of pregnancy diseases, and using medicine for specific diseases during pregnancy. Conclusions Blood type of mother, history of still birth, history of birth disease, history of pregnancy diseases, using medicines for specific diseases, and history of preterm birth were the risk factors of preterm birth. These factors need to be taken into account before and during pregnancy. Paying more attention to these factors attenuates the rate of preterm birth and premature infants and in turn the mortality rate of infants and mothers.
Effect of early oseltamivir on COVID-19-suspected outpatients without hypoxia.
Authors: Chiba Satoru
Published: June 2020

Background
Since December 2019, COVID-19 (corona virus disease 2019) outbreaks has occurred in China and many countries around the world. We evaluate the effectiveness of oseltamivir on COVID-19-suspected outpatients without hypoxia.
Methods
We studied 13 COVID-19-suspected medical staffs and their cohabitation families without hypoxia, who came to our adult fever clinic from March to May 2020. All patients received antiviral therapy (oseltamivir) and antibacterial therapy together.
Results
Most of the infected patients were female (8 [62%]); less than half had diabetes (one [8%]) and hypertension (three [23%]). Median age was 45 years (IQR 26–53). Oseltamivir administration made the temperature fall within 24 hours in part (8 [62%]). Clinical data were compared between patients receiving early treatment (ET) with oseltamivir, initiated within 24 hours, and patients administered late treatment (LT), initiated after this time point. Duration of fever was shorter in the ET group than in the LT group (33 ± 24 versus 94 ± 38 hours; p < 0.01). The time from fever onset to treatment initiation correlated with duration of fever (r = 0.74; p < 0.01) and the time from peak to decline (r = 0.55; p < 0.05).
Conclusions
Our findings suggest that early oseltamivir administration may lower the duration of fever in COVID-19-suspected outpatients without hypoxia when it is used in combination with antibacterial therapy.
Distributing Information in Small-World Networks: Four Social Cases of the Process of Contagion in Spain.
Authors: Belli Simone , Reyes Leonardo
Published: June 2020

This case study is part of a research project based in Spain between 2011 and 2014 on the social institutions and affective processes involved in what is normally referred to as social movement. Our purpose is to study how information circulates in small-world networks in which the dynamics are modeled with a stochastic version of the Greenberg-Hasting's excitable model. This is a three state model, in which a node can be in an excited, passive, or susceptible state. Only in the susceptible state does a node interact with its neighbors in the small-world network and its interaction depends on a probability of contagion. We introduce an infection probability, which is the only parameter in our implementation of the Greenberg-Hasting's model. The small-world network is characterized by a mean connectivity parameter and by a disorder parameter.The resulting dynamics are characterized by the average activity in the network. We have found transitions from inactive to active collective regimes, and we can induce this transition by varying. We search for different dynamics within small-world networks of citizens’ organizations by going through the following steps: identifying alliance patterns; looking for robust small-world attributes and how they are constructed; and interpreting the three modes of our model.
Changes in Serum Markers Failed to Predict Persistent Infection after Two-stage Exchange Arthroplasty
Authors: Jiang Qiao , Fu Jun , Chai Wei , Hao Li-bo , Zhou Yong-Gang , Xu Chi , CHEN Ji-Ying
Published: June 2020

Background

The 2018 International Consensus Meeting suggested that a variation trend toward normalization in serum markers was useful for determining the proper timing of reimplantation. However, the opposite results were found that by previous studies, and the normalization of serum markers was reported to fail to predict infection control. We investigated whether value changes and percent changes in four common serum markers (erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and fibrinogen) can predict persistent infection?

Methods

A retrospective review of 141 patients treated with two-stage revision from 2014 to 2018 was conducted. The variation trend in serum indicators was evaluated by the percent changes (using values of serum markers prereimplantation divided by values preresection) and value changes (using values of serum markers preresection minus values prereimplantation). Treatment success was defined according to the Delphi-based consensus criteria with a minimum follow-up of 1 year, and the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) was used to examine the usefulness of changes in serum markers.

Results

22 patients (15.60%) were persistently infected. No significant difference was found in either the value change or percent change in serum markers between reinfection and non-reinfection patients. When predicting persistent infection, the area under the curves (AUC) demonstrated that both percent changes and value changes in serum markers were poor indicators. The AUC of value changes was 0.533 for the CRP, 0.504 for the IL-6, 0.508 for the ESR and 0.586 for fibrinogen when predicted persistent PJI. In addition, the AUC indicated that percent changes in the CRP (0.464), the IL-6 (0.534), the ESR (0.527) and fibrinogen (0.586) were all poor markers.

Conclusions

We have shown that both value changes and percent changes in serum markers were not sufficiently rigorous to aid in persistent infection diagnosis. The proper timing of reimplantation must therefore take into account various clinical tests rather than the downward trend of serum markers only.
Profound CD8 T cell responses towards the SARS-CoV-2 ORF1ab in COVID-19 patients
Authors: Gangaev Anastasia , Ketelaars Steven L. C. , Patiwael Sanne , Dopler Anna , Isaeva Olga I. , Hoefakker Kelly , Biasi Sara De , Mussini Cristina , Guaraldi Giovanni , Girardis Massimo , Ormeno Cami M. P. Talavera , Hekking Paul J. M. , Lardy Neubury M. , Toebes Mireille , Balderas Robert , Schumacher Ton N. , Ovaa Huib , Cossarizza Andrea , Kvistborg Pia
Published: June 2020

A large global effort is currently ongoing to develop vaccines against SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19. While there is accumulating evidence on the antibody response against SARS-CoV-2, little is known about the SARS-CoV-2 antigens that are targeted by CD8 T cells. To address this issue, we have analyzed samples from 20 COVID-19 patients for T cell recognition of 500 predicted MHC class I epitopes. CD8 T cell reactivity against SARS-CoV- 2 was common. Remarkably, a substantial fraction of the observed CD8 T cell responses were directed towards the ORF1ab polyprotein 1ab, and these CD8 T cell responses were frequently of a very high magnitude. The fact that a major part of the SARS-CoV-2 specific CD8 T cell response is directed against a part of the viral genome that is not included in the majority of vaccine candidates currently in development may potentially influence their clinical activity and toxicity profile.
Autoimmune component in the etiology of sarcoidosis
Authors: Starshinova A. A. , Malkova A. M. , Zinchenko Yu. S. , Basantsova N. Yu. , Kudlay D. A. , Yablonskiy P. K.
Published: June 2020

The article presents a review of 60 publications from international and Russian databases (PubMed, Web of Science, and Elsevier) from 1960 to 2018 with the keywords "sarcoidosis," "autoimmune reactions," "antibodies," and "HLA-genotype" characterizing sarcoidosis as an autoimmune disease. The information is divided into sections: the role of triggers, clinical manifestations and combination with autoimmune diseases, immunogenetic predisposition, features of cellular immune response, humoral immune response, and immunosuppressive therapy.
BCG vaccination as protection from COVID-19: epidemiological and molecular biological aspects
Authors: Shvartz Ya. Sh. , Stavitskaya N. V. , Kudlay D. A.
Published: June 2020

The article presents a review of the recent hypothesis that the national policy of BCG-vaccination affects the spread of COVID-19 in different countries. It contains the information from 70 publications with epidemiological indicators, providing pros and cons of this hypothesis, with the description of possible mechanisms of non-specific antiviral action of BCG vaccine. It is concluded that there are not enough data to verify or refute the hypothesis, and at the moment the use of BCG vaccine to prevent the spread of the infection even in high-risk groups would be unreasonable.
Reheating and Magma Mixing Recorded by Zircon and Quartz from High-Silica Rhyolite in the Coqen Region, Southern Tibet
Authors: Chen Shao-Rong , Wang Qing , Zhu Di-Cheng , Weinberg Roberto F. , Zhang Liang-Liang , Zhao Zhi-Dan
Published: June 2020

Understanding the formation of high-silica rhyolites (HSRs, SiO2 = 75 wt%) is critical to revealing the evolution of felsic magma systems and magma chamber processes. This paper addresses HSR petrogenesis by investigating an integrated data set of whole-rock geochemistry, geochronology, and mineral composition of the ~74 Ma Nuocang HSR (SiO2 = 74.5–79.3 wt%) from the Coqen region in southern Tibet. Cathodoluminescence (CL) images show that zircons from the Nuocang HSRs can be divided into two textural types: (1) those with dark-CL cores displaying resorption features and overgrown by light-CL rims, and (2) those comprising a single light-CL zone, without dark-CL cores. In situ single-spot data and scanning images demonstrate that these two types of zircon have similar U-Pb ages (~74 Ma) and Hf isotopic compositions [εHf(t) = –9.09 to –5.39], indicating they were generated by the same magmatic system. However, they have different abundances of trace elements and trace element ratios. The dark-CL cores are likely crystallized from a highly evolved magma as indicated by their higher U, Th, Hf, Y, and heavy rare earth elements concentrations, lower Sm/Yb ratio, and more negative Eu anomalies. In contrast, the uniformly light-CL zircons and the light-CL rims are likely crystallized from less evolved and hotter magma, as indicated by their lower U-Th-REE abundances and higher Ti-in-zircon temperatures. This is consistent with the Ti-in-quartz geothermometer in quartz phenocrysts that reveals that the light-CL zones are hotter than dark-CL cores. We propose that the composition and temperature differences between cores and rims of zircons and quartz record a recharge and reheating event during the formation of the Nuocang HSRs. This implies that HSR is a result of mixing between a hotter, less evolved silicic magma and a cooler, highly evolved, and crystal-rich mush. This study shows that zircon and quartz with distinct internal textures can be combined to disentangle the multi-stage evolution of magma reservoirs, providing critical insights into the origin of HSRs.
Reflexiones ancestrales para la psicolonia en colomnia: Un debate comunal y comunero
Authors: León Romero Luis Eduardo , Pérez Gil Paola Andrea
Published: June 2020

Se propone una visión crítica desde la psicología ancestral indígena sobre el problema de lo comunitario en Colombia, un sentido filosófico de lo propio como comprensión cosmogónica y espiritual del origen del desorden epistemicida de la tradición política de estado; además, la ciencia que lo secunda en la ironía histórica de la negación de las causas primeras de lo comunitario y de los orígenes problemáticos de la guerra y sus violencias. En el fondo se encuentra el hallazgo investigativo fenomenológico de la ancestralidad indígena como origen de la tierra y de su gente. El resultado reflexivo de trasegar la ancestralidad colombiana y americana para visualizar un lado original de nuestra historia, en espíritu de comunalidad que, aunque oculta por más de cinco siglos, sigue en su creativa radicalidad (de raíz) esperando a que el psiquismo del mestizado destino de colonialismos y esclavitudes de la moderna infelicidad se dé la vuelta para despertar a las fuerzas originarias como órdenes de una conciencia ancestral psicosocial tan milenaria como nueva, potencia de cuidado reparador de los establecimientos y dependencias coloniales de hoy.
Comparison of the digital economy development parameters in the EU countries in the context of bridging the digital divide
Authors: Bilozubenko Vladimir , Yatchuk Olha , Wolanin Elżbieta , Serediuk Tetiana , Korneyev Maxim
Published: June 2020

The widespread use of information and communication technologies and subsequent transformations have led to the formation of a digital economy (DE). The European Union, as an international organization, has become the subject of building such an economy, striving to bring member countries closer in the field of digitalization.The aim of this paper is to compare the DE development parameters of the EU countries based on cluster analysis and determine the most significant of them to solve the problems of bridging the digital divide between countries. For clustering, a feature DE vector of 20 indicators was created and the k-means algorithm and the Euclidean distance metric were used. For classification, the decision tree method was applied.Three clusters of EU countries were identified by the level of DE development (leaders, followers and outsiders), which allowed assessing their positions relative to each other. Key parameters that determine countries’ positions in the general rating are identified. A parameter chart is generated to control the establishment of DE in the EU countries, which, in addition to key parameters, includes maximum, minimum and harmonic mean values of these parameters by cluster. This characterizes the landscape of DE development in the EU countries, assesses the digital divide and is the basis for decision-making in the area of bridging this divide.
Adipokines as Potential Biomarkers in the Neurorehabilitation of Obese Stroke Patients
Authors: Ciancarelli Irene , Morone Giovanni , Iosa Marco , Paolucci Stefano , Pignolo Loris , Tonin Paolo , Cerasa Antonio , Ciancarelli Maria Giuliana Tozzi
Published: June 2020

Background:

Limited studies concern the influence of obesity-induced dysregulation of
adipokines in functional recovery after stroke neurorehabilitation.

Objective:

To investigate the relationship between serum leptin, resistin, and adiponectin and functional
recovery before and after neurorehabilitation of obese stroke patients. The adipokine potential
significance as prognostic markers of rehabilitation outcomes was also verified.

Methods:

Twenty obese post-acute stroke patients before and after neurorehabilitation and thirteen
obese volunteers without-stroke, as controls, were examined. Adipokines were determined by commercially
available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. Functional deficits were assessed
before and after neurorehabilitation with the Barthel Index (BI), modified Rankin Scale
(mRS), and Functional Independence Measure (FIM).

Results:

Compared to controls, higher leptin and resistin values and lower adiponectin values were
observed in stroke patients before neurorehabilitation and no correlations were found between adipokines
and clinical outcome measures. Neurorehabilitation was associated with improved scores of
BI, mRS, and FIM. After neurorehabilitation, decreased values of Body Mass Index (BMI) and
resistin together increased adiponectin were detected in stroke patients, while leptin decreased but
not statistically. Comparing adipokine values assessed before neurorehabilitation with the outcome
measures after neurorehabilitation, correlations were observed for leptin with BI-score, mRS-score,
and FIM-score. No other adipokine levels nor BMI assessed before neurorehabilitation correlated
with the clinical measures after neurorehabilitation. The forward stepwise regression analysis identified
leptin as prognostic factor for BI, mRS, and FIM.

Conclusions:

Our data show the effectiveness of neurorehabilitation in modulating adipokines levels
and suggest that leptin could assume the significance of biomarker of functional recovery.
Heart Rate Variability Based Prediction of Personalized Drug Therapeutic Response: The Present Status and the Perspectives
Authors: Pei Zejun , Shi Manhong , Guo Junping , Shen Bairong
Published: June 2020

Heart rate variability (HRV) signals are reported to be associated with the personalized drug
response in many diseases such as major depressive disorder, epilepsy, chronic pain, hypertension, etc.
But the relationships between HRV signals and the personalized drug response in different diseases and
patients are complex and remain unclear. With the fast development of modern smart sensor technologies
and the popularization of big data paradigm, more and more data on the HRV and drug response
will be available, it then provides great opportunities to build models for predicting the association of
the HRV with personalized drug response precisely. We here review the present status of the HRV data
resources and models for predicting and evaluating of personalized drug responses in different diseases.
The future perspectives on the integration of knowledge and personalized data at different levels such as,
genomics, physiological signals, etc. for the application of HRV signals to the precision prediction of
drug therapy and their response will be provided.
Exploring the Potential of Neuroproteomics in Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Uddin Md. Sahab , Kabir Md. Tanvir , Jakaria Md. , Sobarzo-Sánchez Eduardo , Barreto George E. , Perveen Asma , Hafeez Abdul , Bin-Jumah May N. , Abdel-Daim Mohamed M. , Ashraf Ghulam M.
Published: June 2020

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is progressive brain amyloidosis that damages brain regions associated
with memory, thinking, behavioral and social skills. Neuropathologically, AD is characterized by
intraneuronal hyperphosphorylated tau inclusions as neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), and buildup of extracellular
amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptide as senile plaques. Several biomarker tests capturing these pathologies
have been developed. However, for the full clinical expression of the neurodegenerative events of
AD, there exist other central molecular pathways. In terms of understanding the unidentified underlying
processes for the progression and development of AD, a complete comprehension of the structure and
composition of atypical aggregation of proteins is essential. Presently, to aid the prognosis, diagnosis,
detection, and development of drug targets in AD, neuroproteomics is elected as one of the leading essential
tools for the efficient exploratory discovery of prospective biomarker candidates estimated to
play a crucial role. Therefore, the aim of this review is to present the role of neuroproteomics to analyze
the complexity of AD.
Learning the Edit Costs of Graph Edit Distance Applied to Ligand-Based Virtual Screening
Authors: Garcia-Hernandez Carlos , Fernández Alberto , Serratosa Francesc
Published: June 2020

Background:

Graph edit distance is a methodology used to solve error-tolerant graph matching.
This methodology estimates a distance between two graphs by determining the minimum number of
modifications required to transform one graph into the other. These modifications, known as edit operations,
have an edit cost associated that has to be determined depending on the problem.

Objective:

This study focuses on the use of optimization techniques in order to learn the edit costs used
when comparing graphs by means of the graph edit distance.

Methods:

Graphs represent reduced structural representations of molecules using pharmacophore-type
node descriptions to encode the relevant molecular properties. This reduction technique is known as extended
reduced graphs. The screening and statistical tools available on the ligand-based virtual screening
benchmarking platform and the RDKit were used.

Results:

In the experiments, the graph edit distance using learned costs performed better or equally good
than using predefined costs. This is exemplified with six publicly available datasets: DUD-E, MUV,
GLL&GDD, CAPST, NRLiSt BDB, and ULS-UDS.

Conclusion:

This study shows that the graph edit distance along with learned edit costs is useful to identify
bioactivity similarities in a structurally diverse group of molecules. Furthermore, the target-specific
edit costs might provide useful structure-activity information for future drug-design efforts.
Evaluation of Therapeutic Agents Targeting the Pathogenesis of Coronary Artery Spasm: A Mini Review
Authors: Zhao Xin , Tian Jinfan , Ye Zhishuai , Xu Mingyue , Song Xiantao , Huang Rongchong
Published: June 2020

Coronary artery spasm (CAS) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of ischemic heart
disease. The clinical manifestations of CAS include variant angina, myocardial infarction and sudden
death. Although endothelial dysfunction and hyperreactivity of vascular smooth muscle cells have been
associated with CAS, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Thus, there is a long way to go to
truly understand the pathogenesis of CAS to formulate effective treatments. This article discusses the
pathophysiological mechanisms as well as downstream molecular pathways of CAS, with a focus on
potential therapeutic targets.
A Deep Neural Network to Distinguish COVID-19 from other Chest Diseases Using X-ray Images
Authors: Albahli Saleh
Published: June 2020

Background:

Scanning a patient’s lungs to detect Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) may
lead to similar imaging of other chest diseases. Thus, a multidisciplinary approach is strongly required
to confirm the diagnosis. There are only a few works targeted at pathological x-ray images.
Most of the works only target single disease detection which is not good enough. Some works have
been provided for all classes. However, the results suffer due to lack of data for rare classes and data
unbalancing problem.

Methods:

Due to the rise in COVID-19 cases, medical facilities in many countries are overwhelmed
and there is a need for an intelligent system to detect it. Few works have been done regarding
the detection of the coronavirus but there are many cases where it can be misclassified as
some techniques are not efficient and can only identify specific diseases. This work is a deep learning-
based model to distinguish COVID-19 cases from other chest diseases.

Results:

A Deep Neural Network model provides a significant contribution in terms of detecting
COVID-19 and provides an effective analysis of chest-related diseases taking into account both
age and gender. Our model achieves 87% accuracy in terms of GAN-based synthetic data and presents
four different types of deep learning-based models that provide comparable results to other
state-of-the-art techniques.

Conclusion:

The healthcare industry may face unfavorable consequences if the gap in the identification
of all types of pneumonia is not filled with effective automation.
Management of Gastrointestinal Bleeding in Rendu-Osler Disease
Authors: Tortora Annalisa , Marmo Clelia , Gasbarrini Antonio , Costamagna Guido , Riccioni Maria Elena
Published: June 2020

Background:

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT, or Rendu-Osler-Weber disease)
is a rare inherited syndrome, characterized by artero-venous malformations (AVMs or telangiectasia)
with autosomal dominant transmission. AVMs can occur in any organ of the body but
most commonly it occurs in the nose, pulmonary, hepatic and cerebral circulations. In patients with
HHT, we report teleangectasia of mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract.

Methods:

Research and online content related to HHT online activity is reviewed, and DOC writing
excerpts are used to illustrate key themes.

Results:

Patients with HHT have a high rate of complications related to bleeding; of them gastrointestinal
bleeding accounts for 10.8%. Several therapies, both medical and endoscopic, were utilized
to reduce the need for transfusions and hospitalization.

Conclusion:

A combination of medical and endoscopic therapy is probably the best option.
Prophylactic Activity of Biogenic Selenium Nanoparticles Against Chronic Toxoplasma gondii Infection
Authors: Keyhani Amir , Shakibaie Mojtaba , Mahmoudvand Hossein , Jahanbakhsh Sareh , Kareshk Amir T. , Shojaee Saeedeh , Ziaali Naser
Published: June 2020

Background:

Studies showed that biogenic selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs)
have a number of pharmacological properties, such as antimicrobial ones.

Objective:

The present investigation assesses the efficacy of biogenic selenium nanoparticles
(SeNPs) as a new patent against latent toxoplasmosis in a mice model.

Methods:

Male BALB/c mice were orally treated with SeNPs at the doses of 2.5, 5, 10
mg/kg once a day for 14 days. On the 15th day, the mice were infected with the intraperitoneal
inoculation of 20-25 tissue cysts from the Tehran strain of Toxoplasma gondii. The
mean numbers of brain tissue cysts and the mRNA levels of TNF-α, IL-12, IL-10, IFN-γ,
and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in mice of each tested group were measured.
Moreover, serum clinical chemistry factors in treated mice were examined to determine
the safety of SeNPs.

Results:

The mean number of the brain tissue cysts was significantly (P<0.001) decreased
in mice treated with SeNPs at doses 2.5 (n=37), 5 (n=11), and 10 mg/kg (n=3) based on a
dose dependent manner compared with the control group (n=587). The mRNA levels of
IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-12, and iNO were significantly increased in mice treated with SeNPs at
the doses 10 mg/kg compared with control subgroups (p<0.05). No significant variation
(p>0.05) was observed in the clinical chemistry parameters among the mice in the control
subgroups compared with groups treated with SeNPs.

Conclusion:

The results of the present study showed a new patent in the treatment of toxoplasmosis;
so that taking the biogenic selenium nanoparticles in concentrations of
2.5-10 mg/kg for 2 weeks was able to prevent severe symptoms of the toxoplasmosis in a
mice model. This indicated the prophylactic effects of SeNPs with no considerable toxicity
against latent toxoplasmosis. However, more studies are required to elucidate the correct
anti-Toxoplasma mechanisms of SeNPs.
Are Oxidative Stress and Inflammation Mediators of Bone Loss Due to Estrogen Deficiency? A Review of Current Evidence
Authors: Mohamad Nur-Vaizura , Ima-Nirwana Soelaiman , Chin Kok-Yong
Published: June 2020

Osteoporosis is one of the major health issues associated with menopause-related estrogen
deficiency. Various reports suggest that the hormonal changes related to menopausal transition may
lead to the derangement of redox homeostasis and ultimately oxidative stress. Estrogen deficiency and
oxidative stress may enhance the expression of genes involved in inflammation. All these factors may
contribute, in synergy, to the development of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Previous studies suggest
that estrogen may act as an antioxidant to protect the bone against oxidative stress, and as an antiinflammatory
agent in suppressing pro-inflammatory and pro-osteoclastic cytokines. Thus, the focus of
the current review is to examine the relationship between estrogen deficiency, oxidative stress and
inflammation, and the impacts of these phenomena on skeletal health in postmenopausal women.
Association between Gasdermin A, Gasdermin B Polymorphisms and Allergic Rhinitis Amongst Jordanians
Authors: Zihlif Malek , Mahafza Tareq , Froukh Tawfiq , AL-Akhras Fatima M. , Alsalman Rami , Zuriekat Margaret , Naffa Randa
Published: June 2020

Background:

Gasdermin A (GSDMA) and Gasdermin B (GSDMB) have been associated
with childhood and to a lesser extent with adult asthma in many populations. In this study, we investigate
whether there is an association between GSDMA (rs7212938, T/G) and GSDMB (rs7216389,
T/C) at locus 17q21.2 and risk of Allergic Rhinitis among Jordanians. Also, we aimed to determine if
there is an association between such polymorphisms and the IgE level.

Methods:

The study included 112 rhinitis patients and 111 Healthy controls. Gasdermin A (GSDMA)
(rs72129The study included 112 rhinitis patients and 111 Healthy controls. Gasdermin A (GSDMA)
(rs7212938, T/G) and Gasdermin B (rs7216389, T/C) polymorphisms were genotyped using the PCRRFLP
method.38, T/G) and Gasdermin B (rs7216389, T/C) polymorphisms were genotyped using the
PCR-RFLP method.

Results:

On the genotype level, three analysis models were applied namely co-dominant, dominant and
recessive genotypes. GSDMB CC genotype was found to have a significant protective effect against
allergic Rhinitis (< 0.05). cc genotype was also significantly associated with higher IgE level among
the studied population.

Conclusion:

The GSDMB CC of homozygous minor genotype showed a protective effect against Allergic
rhinitis. It also was found to be significantly associated with lower IgE level among the studied
population. No association was found between GSDMA with the risk of allergic Rhinitis.
The Relationship between the Risks of Developing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Cardiovascular Diseases
Authors: Sotomayor-Beltran Carlos , Perez-Siguas Rosa , Matta-Solis Eduardo , Matta-Solis Hernan
Published: June 2020

Background:

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) has significantly increased in the past decades due to changes in lifestyles. This chronic disease is expected to be ranked in the seventh position by the year 2030 among the 15 leading causes of death. Poorly treated T2DM can be an important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases as well (CVD).

Objective:

We have sought to determine a relationship between the risks of developing T2DM and CVD in a healthcare facility in the district of Breña (Lima, Peru).

Methods:

The Finnish Diabetes Risk Score survey and the Pan American Health Organization risk calculator were used on a sample of 150 patients. The inclusion criteria were: patient age 40-80 years, attended their medical appointment more than once, were overweight or showed cholesterol levels above normal values and lived within the catchment area of the healthcare center where the study was carried out.

Results:

Only 8.7% of our sample was at a low risk of developing T2DM, whereas the rest was at a slightly elevated, moderate and high risk. Additionally, 79.3% of the patients were at low risk of developing CVD. Using the Fisher’s Exact test, there was a significant difference (p=0.026) between the risk grading of developing T2DM and CVD.

Conclusion:

The risk of developing CVD in our population is expected to rise in the future due to the already observed high risk of developing T2DM. It is hoped that this work serves Peruvian (and other) health authorities to bolster their prevention programs, especially focusing on lifestyle interventions (e.g. increased physical activity), which have proven to be successful and economical.
The Effects of the Spacer on Radiochemical and Biological Properties of New Radiolabeled Bombesin(7-14) Derivative
Authors: Rezazadeh Farzaneh , Karoubian Sara , Abediankenari Saied , Sadeghzadeh Nourollah , Jandaghi Manouchehr , Rasuli Shayan
Published: June 2020

Objective:

The aim of this study was to develop 99mTc-[HYNIC-X-D-Phe13]-BBN(7-14)NH2
derivatives using two different tripeptidic spacer groups (X=GGG and X=SSS) in order to improve its
pharmacokinetics, in vitro stability, specific binding, and affinity.

Background:

Bombesin (BBN), a 14-aminoacid amphibian peptide homolog of mammalian gastrinreleasing
peptide (GRP), has demonstrated the ability to bind with high affinity and specificity to GRP
receptor, which is overexpressed on a variety of human cancers.

Methods:

Peptide conjugates labeled with 99mTc using tricine-EDDA and radiochemical purity was
assessed by TLC and HPLC. The stability of radio conjugates was evaluated in the presence of saline
and human serum. Affinity, internalization, and also dissociation Constant was evaluated using MDAMB-
231 and PC-3 cell line. Biodistribution study was performed in BALB/C mice.

Results:

Labeling yield of ˃95% was obtained. The change introduced in the BBN sequence increased
plasma stability. In vitro blocking studies showed that binding and internalization of both radiolabeled
peptides are mediated by their receptors on the surface of MDA-MB-231 and PC-3 cells. Biodistribution
results demonstrated a rapid blood clearance, with predominantly renal excretion. Specific binding
in GRP receptor-positive tissues, such as pancreas was confirmed with a blocking study.

Conclusions:

The introduction of the spacer sequence between chelator and BBN(7-14) led to improved
bidistribution. Analog with tri-Gly spacer is the more promising radiopeptide for targeting GRP receptors
than Ser conjugates.

:

Therefore, these analogs can be considered as a candidate for the identification of bombesin-positive
tumors.
Graphene and its Composite Materials for Water Decontamination
Authors: Roy Manas , Saha Mitali
Published: June 2020

Acute water cataclysm on account of eco-noxious anthropogenic exploitation caused massive
setbacks on the global prerequisite of clean water. Subsequently, with the purpose of circumventing
the worldwide unpolluted water deficiency, wastewater treatment technologies have received
extraordinary precedence to disinfect water for a sustainable environment. Presently, diverse, efficient
materials are being used to remove organic/ inorganic noxious substances from wastewater,
among which graphene and its composites have received remarkable attention for water decontamination
technology by virtue of their substantial surface area, mechanical strength, mesoporosity,
nanosheet arrangement and outstanding absorption proficiency for the contaminant. The present review
accentuates the contemporary progresses in the implementation of graphene along with its
composite as a potential adsorbent for the exclusion of pernicious inorganic mixture of miscellaneous
pollutants, as photocatalysts for the breakdown of venomous organic toxins by employing photocatalytic
oxidation. The prospect of graphene and its nanocomposites towards comprehensive water
treatment approaches has been discussed.
Report-writing Disposition and Achievement Orientation: An exploratory research on MUET students
Authors: Voon Boo Ho , Ai Kiat Teo , Voon Joyce E.C.
Published: June 2020

This paper aimed to gauge the MUET students’ report-writing dispositions and achievement orientation as well as examine the influence of selected demographic variables on these two variables. The research was conducted on two groups of MUET students (79 students) in a government secondary school in Kuching. The findings indicated that the multi-item writing disposition and achievement orientation were reliable. These two variables were having a weak association. The report-writing dispositions of the surveyed MUET students were generally low, but their achievement orientations were satisfactory. The demographic variables had significant influences on their report-writing disposition, but not their achievement orientations.
Keywords: Report-writing disposition; Achievement orientation; MUET English.   
eISSN: 2398-4287 © 2020. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.   DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v5iSI1.2316
Tertiary Students’ Usage of Vocabulary Learning Strategies: A case study
Authors: Sidhu Gurnam Kaur , Mohamad Nor Nor Karina
Published: June 2020

Instructors often lament on students’ limited critical reading skills due to “vocabulary deficit.” Therefore, this study investigated the vocabulary size and vocabulary learning strategies of 120 ESL respondents in a tertiary institution in Malaysia. Data were collected using a vocabulary test, a questionnaire, and semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed that the most favoured strategies were “determination strategies” which reflected respondents’ usage of shallow thinking while least favoured were “cognitive strategies” that demanded higher-level mental processing. No significant difference was recorded in strategy use based on gender. No relationship was found between the respondents’ vocabulary size and vocabulary learning strategies.   
Keywords: tertiary students; vocabulary learning strategies; vocabulary size.   
eISSN: 2398-4287 © 2020. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.   DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v5iSI1.2318
The Effectiveness of Collaborative Teaching Method in Teaching Calculus I
Authors: Yusri Muhammad Yassar , Ahmad Shamsatun Nahar , Azman Ong Mohd Hanafi , Khalil Nosiah
Published: June 2020

The collaborative teaching method is a method that requires students working together in groups to solve problems to perform better in their studies. This paper aims to determine the method’s effectiveness in teaching Calculus I in UiTMCJ. Some students were chosen to participate in this study. They were taught Calculus I using this method and were assessed by using pre-assessment and post-assessment questions. The scores were analyzed using the paired T-test method. The results suggest that this method is effective to be used to teach Calculus I in UiTMCJ.   
Keywords: Collaborative teaching; Calculus I; concept, paired T-test.   
eISSN: 2398-4287 © 2020. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.   DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v5iSI1.2319
Influence of the Business Revenue, Recommendation, and Provider Models on Mobile Health App Adoption: Three-Country Experimental Vignette Study
Authors: Lupiáñez-Villanueva Francisco , Folkvord Frans , Vanden Abeele Mariek
Published: June 2020

Background

Despite the worldwide growth in mobile health (mHealth) tools and the possible benefits of mHealth for patients and health care providers, scientific research examining factors explaining the adoption level of mHealth tools remains scarce.

Objective

We performed an experimental vignette study to investigate how four factors related to the business model of an mHealth app affect its adoption and users’ willingness to pay: (1) the revenue model (ie, sharing data with third parties vs accepting advertisements); (2) the data protection model (General Data Protection Regulation [GDPR]-compliant data handling vs nonGDPR-compliant data handling); (3) the recommendation model (ie, doctor vs patient recommendation); and (4) the provider model (ie, pharmaceutical vs medical association provider). In addition, health consciousness, health information orientation, and electronic health literacy were explored as intrapersonal predictors of adoption.

Methods

We conducted an experimental study in three countries, Spain (N=800), Germany (N=800), and the Netherlands (N=416), to assess the influence of multiple business models and intrapersonal characteristics on the willingness to pay and intention to download a health app.

Results

The revenue model did not affect willingness to pay or intentions to download the app in all three countries. In the Netherlands, data protection increased willingness to pay for the health app (P<.001). Moreover, in all three countries, data protection increased the likelihood of downloading the app (P<.001). In Germany (P=.04) and the Netherlands (P=.007), a doctor recommendation increased both willingness to pay and intention to download the health app. For all three countries, apps manufactured in association with a medical organization were more likely to be downloaded (P<.001). Finally, in all three countries, men, younger individuals, those with higher levels of education, and people with a health information orientation were willing to pay more for adoption of the health app and had a higher intention to download the app.

Conclusions

The finding that people want their data protected by legislation but are not willing to pay more for data protection suggests that in the context of mHealth, app privacy protection cannot be leveraged as a selling point. However, people do value a doctor recommendation and apps manufactured by a medical association, which particularly influence their intention to download an mHealth app.
Diabetes Self-Management in the Age of Social Media: Large-Scale Analysis of Peer Interactions Using Semiautomated Methods
Authors: Myneni Sahiti , Lewis Brittney , Singh Tavleen , Paiva Kristi , Kim Seon Min , Cebula Adrian V , Villanueva Gloria , Wang Jing
Published: June 2020

Background

Online communities have been gaining popularity as support venues for chronic disease management. User engagement, information exposure, and social influence mechanisms can play a significant role in the utility of these platforms.

Objective

In this paper, we characterize peer interactions in an online community for chronic disease management. Our objective is to identify key communications and study their prevalence in online social interactions.

Methods

The American Diabetes Association Online community is an online social network for diabetes self-management. We analyzed 80,481 randomly selected deidentified peer-to-peer messages from 1212 members, posted between June 1, 2012, and May 30, 2019. Our mixed methods approach comprised qualitative coding and automated text analysis to identify, visualize, and analyze content-specific communication patterns underlying diabetes self-management.

Results

Qualitative analysis revealed that “social support” was the most prevalent theme (84.9%), followed by “readiness to change” (18.8%), “teachable moments” (14.7%), “pharmacotherapy” (13.7%), and “progress” (13.3%). The support vector machine classifier resulted in reasonable accuracy with a recall of 0.76 and precision 0.78 and allowed us to extend our thematic codes to the entire data set.

Conclusions

Modeling health-related communication through high throughput methods can enable the identification of specific content related to sustainable chronic disease management, which facilitates targeted health promotion.
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome on Facebook: Qualitative Descriptive Content Analysis to Guide Prevention Efforts
Authors: Pretorius Kelly , Choi Eunju , Kang Sookja , Mackert Michael
Published: June 2020

Background

Sudden unexpected infant death (SUID), which includes the diagnosis of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), is a leading cause of infant mortality in the United States. Despite prevention efforts, many parents continue to create unsafe infant sleep environments and use potentially dangerous infant sleep and monitoring devices, ultimately leading to sleep-related infant deaths. Analyzing Facebook conversations regarding SIDS may offer a unique maternal perspective to guide future research and prevention efforts.

Objective

This study aims to describe and analyze conversations among mothers engaged in discussions about SIDS on a Facebook mother’s group. We were interested in understanding maternal knowledge of SIDS, identifying information sources for SIDS, describing actual infant sleep practices, exploring opinions regarding infant sleep products and monitoring devices, and discovering evidence of provider communication regarding SIDS.

Methods

We extracted and analyzed 20 posts and 912 comments from 512 mothers who participated in a specific Facebook mother’s group and engaged in conversations about SIDS. There were 2 reviewers who coded the data using qualitative descriptive content analysis. Themes were induced after discussion among researchers and after the study objectives were addressed.

Results

The theme of social support emerged, specifically informational and emotional support. A variety of informational sources for SIDS and safe sleep were identified, as was a continuum of infant sleep practices (ranging from unsafe to safe sleep per the American Academy of Pediatrics standards). There was widespread discussion regarding infant sleep products and monitoring devices. Embedded within conversations were (1) confusion among commonly used medical terminology, (2) the practice of unsafe infant sleep, (3) inconsistency in provider communication about SIDS, and (4) maternal anxiety regarding SIDS.

Conclusions

We uncovered new findings in this analysis, such as the commonality of infant sleep products and monitoring devices and widespread maternal anxiety regarding SIDS. Additionally, mothers who participated in the Facebook group provided and received informational and emotional support regarding SIDS via this social media format. Such results can guide future prevention efforts by informing health communication regarding SUID and safe sleep. Future provider and public health agency communication on the topic of SUID and safe sleep should be simple and clear, address infant sleep products and monitoring devices, address maternal anxiety regarding SIDS, and address the common practice of unsafe sleep.