bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The role of mass media exposure on Tuberculosis knowledge and attitude among migrant and seasonal farmworkers in Northwest Ethiopia
Authors: Gelaye Kassahun Alemu , Debalkie Getu , Ayele Tadesse Awoke , Wami Sintayehu Daba , sisay Malede mequanent , Fetene Destaw , Wolde Haileab Fekadu , Akalu Temesgen Yihunie
Published: January 2020

Background Globally, tuberculosis (TB) is the 9 th leading cause of death. Despite no country achieved its target, the world health organization (WHO) proposed a 90-90-90 approach to fastening the end TB strategy. Improvement and progression of TB control need good knowledge and a favorable attitude towards the disease. However, interventions designed don’t take migrants and seasonal farmworkers into account. Therefore, this study aimed at estimating the level of knowledge and attitude on Tuberculosis among migrant and seasonal farmworkers in northwest Ethiopia. Methods Community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in the West Gondar zone from October to November 2018. A two-stage cluster sampling was used to select 949 migrant and seasonal farmworkers. Both bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed. A p-value of <0.05 was used to declare statistical significance. The goodness of fit was checked using Hosmer and Lemeshow test. Results In this study, (41.8%), (95% CI: 38.73, 45.01) and (50.5%), (95% CI: 47.29, 53.65) of migrants and seasonal farmworkers had good knowledge and a favorable attitude, respectively. The odds of good knowledge among mass media exposed migrants were AOR=1.42, 95% CI: (1.02, 2.01). Moreover, urban residence and having good knowledge increase the odds of favorable attitude by 1.66, (AOR=1.7; 95% CI: 1.05, 2.62) and 4.3 (AOR=4.3, 95%CI: 3.26, 5.75), respectively. Conclusion In this study, the overall knowledge and attitude of migrant and seasonal farmworkers on TB were low. Family size and mass media exposure significantly affect knowledge of the migrants on TB. On the other hand, the attitude was affected by urban residence, health information, and having good knowledge. Health promotion interventions, focused on TB cause, mode of transmission, prevention, and treatment are important to migrant and seasonal farmworkers to improve the knowledge and attitude of migrants and seasonal farmworkers.
Microaneurysms Detection in Color Fundus Images based on Naive Bayesian Classification
Authors: Long Shengchun , Chen Jiali , Hu Ante , Liu Haipeng , Chen Zhiqing , Zheng Dingchang
Published: January 2020

Background: As a major complication of diabetes, diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of visual impairment and blindness due to delayed diagnosis and intervention. Microaneurysm appears as the earliest symptom of DR. Accurate and reliable detection of microaneurysms in color fundus images has great importance for DR screening. Methods: A microaneurysms detection method based on Naive Bayesian classifier is proposed for the early diagnosis of DR. First, blood vessels were enhanced and segmented using the analysis of eigenvalues of Hessian matrix. Next, with blood vessels excluded, microaneurysm candidate regions were obtained according to shape characteristics. After image segmented to patches, the features of each microaneurysm candidate patch were extracted, and each candidate patch was classified using Naive Bayes into microaneurysm or non- microaneurysm. The proposed algorithm was trained and tested on e-ophtha MA database, and further tested on another independent DIARETDB1 database. Results of microaneurysms detection on the two databases were evaluated on lesion level and compared with existing algorithms. Results: The proposed method has achieved better performance compared with existing algorithms. On e-ophtha MA and DIARETDB1 databases, the area under curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.845 and 0.831, respectively. The free-response ROC (FROC) score on the two databases was 0.362 and 0.207, respectively. Conclusions: The proposed method based on Naive Bayesian classification of image patches can effectively detect microaneurysms in color fundus images and provide an effective scientific basis for early clinical DR diagnosis.
Clinical efficacy of submucosal injection of triamcinolone acetonide in the treatment of type II/III interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome
Authors: Jiang Tao , Zhou Xiaozhou , Chen Zhipeng , Xiong Tailing , Fu Jian , Liu Zhengchao , Yan Dishi , Zhou Zhansong , Shen Wenhao
Published: January 2020

Background: To evaluate the efficacy of submucosal injection of triamcinolone acetonide for the treatment of type II/III interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome.
Methods: A retrospective analysis of the clinical data of type II/III interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome patients treated in our department from April 2016 to August 2018 was conducted, and changes in International Prostate Symptom Scores and the Pelvic Pain and Urgency/Frequency symptom scale after surgery were evaluated to explore factors that may affect patient outcomes.
Results: A total of 27 female patients and 8 male patients were enrolled, with type II patients accounting for 62.9% of the sample, and the median follow-up duration was 31 months (range: 12-40 months). Twenty-two patients (74.3%) had significantly improved questionnaire scores at 4 weeks postoperatively. Treatment efficacy was sustained for at least 1 year in 15 patients, and persistent effectiveness was noted in 10 (28.6%) patients. Patients with an advanced age (p=0.015), high pain scores (p=0.040), and higher International Prostate Symptom Scores (p=0.037) and Pelvic Pain and Urgency/Frequency symptom scale scores (p=0.020) were more likely to benefit from submucosal injection of triamcinolone acetonide. Gender, disease duration, and the presence of Hunner’s lesions had no predictive value for treatment outcomes.
Conclusion: Submucosal injection of triamcinolone acetonide can improve the clinical symptoms and quality of life in both men and women with type II/III interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome. Patients with an advanced age and more severe interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome related symptoms may benefit more from triamcinolone acetonide injection.
Assessment of two POC technologies for CD4 count in Morocco
Authors: Elharti Elmir , Abbadi Halima , Bensghir Rajae , Filali Kamal Marhoum El , Elmrabet Hajar , Oumzil Hicham
Published: January 2020

Background : In the era of “test and treat strategy”, CD4 testing remains an important tool for monitoring HIV-infected individuals. Since conventional methods of CD4 count measurement are costly and cumbersome, POC CD4 counting technique are more affordable and practical for countries with limited resources. Before introducing such methods in Morocco, we decided to assess their reliability. Methods : in this study 92 blood samples from HIV-infected patients, were tested by PIMA to generate absolute CD4 count and by FACSPresto to derive percentage and absolute CD4 count. Flow cytometry using FacsCalibur, was used as reference method for CD4 count comparison. Linear regression, Bland and Altman analysis were performed to assess correlation and agreement between POC methods and the reference method. In addition, sensibility and specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) at 350 CD4 count threshold were also determined. Finally, because FACSPresto can also measure hemoglobin (Hb) concentration, 52 samples were used to compare FACSPresto against an automated hematology analyzer. Results : With PIMA technology, the coefficient of determination R 2 was 0.93. Regarding FACSPresto, R 2 was 0.93 and 0.96for absolute CD4 count and percentage CD4 count, respectively. Bland and Altman analysis displayed a mean bias of -32.3 cells/µl with a limit of agreement (LOA): -181.3 to116.8, for Pima. The mean bias for FACSPresto was -8.1 cells/µl with LOA:-158.2 to 142.0for absolute CD4 count and 0.2 with LOA:-3.8 to 4.3, for CD4 percentage. Moreover, with a threshold of 350 CD4 count, sensibility, specificity, PPV, NPV, were 98%, 87%, 89%, 86%, and 88%, 96%,93% and 92% for PIMA and FACSPresto, respectively. Finally, the hemoglobin measurement evaluation displayed an R 2 of 0.80 and a mean bias of-0.12 with a LOA between -1.75 and 1.51. Conclusion : When compared to the reference method, PIMA and FACSPresto have shown good performance, for CD4 counting. The introduction of such POC technology will speed up the uptake of patients in the continuum of HIV care, in our country.
Amaryllidaceae alkaloids with anti-Trypanosoma cruzi activity
Authors: Martinez-Peinado Nieves , Cortes-Serra Nuria , Torras-Claveria Laura , Pinazo Maria-Jesus , Gascon Joaquim , Bastida Jaume , Alonso-Padilla Julio
Published: January 2020

Background: Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, is a neglected disease that affects ~7 million people worldwide. Development of new drugs to treat the infection remains a priority since those currently available have frequent side effects and limited efficacy at the chronic stage. Natural products provide a pool of diversity structures to lead the chemical synthesis of novel molecules for this purpose. Herein we analyzed the anti- T. cruzi activity of 9 alkaloids derived from plants of the Amaryllidaceae family. Methods: the activity of each alkaloid was assessed by means of a newly developed anti- T. cruzi phenotypic assay. We further evaluated the compounds that inhibited the parasite growth on two distinct cytotoxicity assays to discard those that were toxic to host cells and assure parasite selectivity. Results: we identified a single compound (hippeastrine 2 ) that was selectively active against the parasite yielding selectivity indexes of 12.7 and 35.2 against Vero and HepG2 cells, respectively. Conclusions: results reported here suggest that natural products are an interesting source of new compounds for the development of drugs against Chagas disease.
SHiNeMaS : A web tool dedicated to seed lots history, phenotyping and cultural practices
Authors: De Oliveira Yannick , Burlot Laura , Goldringer Isabelle , Madi Darkawi , Rivière Pierre , Steinbach Delphine , Frank Gaëlle Van , Thomas Mathieu
Published: January 2020

Motivation

In 2005, researchers from the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (Institut national de recherche pour l’agriculture, l’alimentation et l’environnement, INRAE) started a collaboration with the French farmers' seed network Réseau Semences Paysannes (RSP) on bread wheat participatory breeding (PPB). The aims were: (1) to study on-farm management of crop diversity; (2) to develop population-varieties adapted to organic and low inputs agriculture (3) to co-develop tools and methods adapted to on-farm experiments. In this project, researchers and farmers' organizations needed to map the history and life cycle of the population-varieties using network formalism to represent relationships between seed lots. All this information had to be centralized and stored in a database.

Results

We describe here SHiNeMaS (Seeds History and Network Management System) a web tool with its database. SHiNeMaS aims to provide useful interfaces to track seed lots history and related data (phenotyping, environment, cultural practices). Although SHiNeMaS has been developed in the context of bread wheat participatory breeding program, the database has been designed to manage any kind of cultivated plant species and even mix of species at the field. SHiNeMaS is available under Affero GPL licence and uses free technologies such as Python language, Django framework or PostgreSQL database management system (DBMS).

Conclusion

We developed SHiNeMaS, a web tool with its database, dedicated to the management of the history of seed lots and related data like phenotyping, environmental information and cultural practices. SHiNeMaS is used in production in our laboratory for 5 years now and farmers' organizations facilitators manages their own information in the system.
Microstructural Observation and Transcriptome Analysis of Pistil Abortion in ‘Li Guang’ Apricot
Authors: Zhao Tong , Cheng Li , Chen Cuilian , Zhang De , Zhang Zhongxing , Wang Shuangcheng , Zhang Jiqiang , Zhu Yanfang , Wang Yan-xiu
Published: January 2020

Background: ‘Li Guang’ apricot, a famous local variety, originated in Dunhuang city, Gansu Province,China. It has a long flowering period and a large amount of flowers, but serious pistil abortion has become one of the key factors affecting the fruit set, yield and quality. The distribution and regulation of hormones play an important role in signal molecules of flower abortion. The critical mechanisms of hormone metabolism and the expression levels of genes involved in these processes are, however, poorly understood.
Results: To clarify the critical molecular mechanisms of hormone-induced abortion in apricot, normal and abortive flower buds were taken as materials, the pistil abortion of apricot flower was studied by paraffin section, and the RNA seq was used to identify the genes related to flowering regulation. The pistil style was lower than filament. Microstructure showed that the pollen grains of abortive flowers were decreased sharply, the ovaries shrunk and the ovule primordia developed stagnately. Through RNA-Seq, 6647 differentially expressed genes, including 2543 up-regulated and 4104 down-regulated genes, were identified. According to the KEGG Pathway, the pyruvate metabolism, plant hormone signal transduction, spliceosome, RNA transport, protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum and other metabolic pathways were significantly enriched. It revealed that AUX1, AUX / IAA, TIR1, ARF, GH3 and SAUR , vital genes displayed identical differential expression profiles to auxin transduction pathway, and ABF , SnRK2 , PP2C to abscisic acid, JAZ, MYC2 to jasmonic acid. The qRT-PCR assay with independent samples showed that the expression levels of these selected genes were basically consistent with RNA-Seq results.
Conclusions : In the whole differentiate stage of flower, pistil abortion represent versatile style . In this process, the changes of hormones play an important role in pistil abortion, especially IAA,GA,and CTK. Related genes involved in hormones synthesis expression regulate the content of hormones and to adapt to the occurrence of pistil abortion under adversity. At the same time, the ethylene response signal factor ERF1/2 (DN70415) was up-regulated in normal flowers, which further indicated that ethylene might be the key regulatory factor affecting the abortion of ‘Liguang’ apricot flowers.
Effectiveness of oral health education on eight to ten year old school children in rural area of Magway Region, Myanmar
Authors: Swe Kyu Kyu
Published: January 2020

Background: Oral diseases are common and widespread around the world. Many oral health problems are preventable and early onset is reversible. Myanmar faces many challenges in rendering oral health services and about 70 percent of total population resides in rural areas. These relate to the availability and accessibility of oral health services. Therefore, oral health education is one key element to prevent oral diseases and to promote oral health.Methods: A quasi-experimental study was carried out at Basic Education Middle Schools in rural areas of Magway Township to study the effectiveness of oral health education on knowledge and behavior of eight to ten years old school children. A total of 220 school children, 110 from intervention school and 110 from control school, participated in this study from 2015 to 2017. Data for knowledge and behavior were collected before and after intervention in the two groups by using self-administered questionnaire. Tooth brushing method data were collected by direct observation with checklist. Oral health education was provided at eight weekly intervals for one year in the intervention group. After one year and six months, oral health knowledge and behavior were determined in the intervention group only to measure retention. Chi-square test, two samples t test, One way repeated measure ANOVA were used for data analysis. The study was approved by the Ethics Review Committee of University of Public Health in Yangon, Myanmar.Results: After education, a positive net effect of intervention and significant improvement was found in the intervention group compared to the control group regarding oral health knowledge (p<0.05) except one that is foods that can cause dental caries (p=0.107) and behavior (p<0.001). Retention of mean ± standard deviation on knowledge and behavioral scores were 2.45±1.12, 3.79±1.12, 4.07±0.98 and 1.56±0.90, 3.60±1.21, 3.24±1.31 at baseline, at one year after education and at six months after cessation of education respectively, and, total knowledge and behavioral scores were significantly improved (p<0.001) among the school children in the intervention group.Conclusion: The repeated oral health education was effective to promote and sustain oral health knowledge and behavior. Word counts: 342
Determinants of ectopic pregnancy among pregnant women attending referral hospitals in Southwestern parts of Oromia regional state, Southwest Ethiopia: A multi-center case control study
Authors: Gerema Urge , Alemayehu Tilahun , Chane Getachew , Desta Diliab , Diriba Amenu
Published: January 2020

Background: Ectopic pregnancy is an abnormal condition in which implantation of the blastocyst occurs outside the endometrium of the uterus. It is gynecological important, particularly in the developing world, because of the associated enormous rate of high morbidity, during the first trimester of pregnancy. A better understanding of its risk factors can help to prevent its prevalence. However, the determinants of ectopic pregnancy are not well understood and few researches conducted in our country were based on secondary data covering small scale area. Objective: This study aimed to identify determinants of ectopic pregnancy among pregnant women attending referral hospitals in Southwestern part of Oromia regional state, Southwest Ethiopia. Methods: Hospital based case control study was employed from June 1 to September 30, 2019. The study was conducted in five referral hospitals in Southwestern part of Oromia regional state. 59 cases and 118 controls were sampled. Data were entered by using Epidata version 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS version 23. Descriptive statistics were used to explore the data. All explanatory variables with p -value of <0.25 in bi-variable analysis, then entered into multivariable logistic regression. Associated factors were identified at 95% confidence interval (p <0.05). Results : One hundred seventy-four pregnant women (58 cases and 116 controls) were participating in the study. Prior two or more induced abortions [AOR=3.95:95% CI: 1.22-13.05], previous history of caesarean section [AOR=3.4:95% CI: 1.11-10.94], marital status (being single) [AOR=4.04:95%CI: 1.23-13.21], reporting prior recurrent sexual transmitted infection [AOR=2.25:95%CI: 1.00-5.51], prior history of tubal surgery [AOR= 3.32:95%CI: 1.09-10.13] , were more likely to have an ectopic pregnancy with their respective AOR with 95%CI. Conclusion and Recommendation: It was found that having a history of more than two induced abortions during previous pregnancies, marital status (single) , recurrent Sexual transmitted infection, prior history of tubal surgery and experiencing prior caesarean section were found to be determinants of ectopic pregnancy. Hospitals should give emphasis on prevention and early detection of risks of ectopic pregnancy and create awareness in order to reduce the burden of ectopic pregnancy.
Long-term efficacy and recurrence of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy for idiopathic choroidal neovascularization
Authors: Wu Qianru , Chen Xiaoyong , Feng Kang , Liu Yuling , Zhang Chun , Zhao Lin
Published: January 2020

Background Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) is a common cause of visual impairment. Intravitreal injection of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) drugs has previously shown to be effective in the treatment of ICNV. However, the prognostic factors and incidence of recurrence has not been fully demonstrated. The follow-up period in previous studies has also been relatively short. This study aimed to evaluate the long-term efficacy and recurrence of intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy for idiopathic choroidal neovascularization (ICNV). Methods This retrospective study included 35 patients (35 eyes) with ICNV from Peking University Third Hospital from July 2012 to October 2017. All patients received “treat and extend” treatment regimen. Intravitreal bevacizumab or ranibizumab were administered for each injection. To evaluate CNV recurrence, we continued to follow-up 27 of the 35 patients for at least 2 years after the initial diagnosis, and the longest period was 5 years. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central retinal thickness (CRT) were recorded. Parameters that affect prognosis and recurrence were analyzed. Results The mean follow-up period after diagnosis was 168.0±34.82 months. BCVA improved from 56.20 ± 14.13 to 73.31±12.57 ( P <0.01) and CRT decreased from 353.6±98.70μm to 273.1±53.56μm ( P <0.001) one month after the last injection during the initial follow-up period. Better baseline BCVA indicated a better morphological improvement ( P =0.026) in OCT. Those with high baseline BCVA (more than 60 letters) showed significant resolution of CNV lesions ( P =0.036). 6 patients (22.2%) relapsed. The mean recurrence period was 90.83±49.02 weeks after diagnosis. Patients with recurrence underwent 3.67±0.816 injections, which was significantly higher than that without recurrence. The morphological improvement was compared between the two groups, and there was no statistical difference. Conclusions Intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy was effective on ICNV, which could improve BCVA and make CNV lesions subsided. High baseline BCVA indicated a better prognosis. Re-treatment with anti-VEGF could effectively lead to resolution of recurrent ICNV. Disease recurrence had no significant effect on the long-term prognosis and had no correlation with the morphological improvement during treatment, suggesting that long-term follow-up should be performed in all ICNV patients.
Association of 5p15.2 and 15q14 with High Myopia in Tujia and Miao Chinese Populations
Authors: Wang Junwen , Liu Fang , Song Xiusheng , Li Tuo
Published: January 2020

Background In previous studies, rs6885224 and rs634990 polymorphisms have been reported to be associated with high myopia in many populations. In Tujia and Miao minority area, there is still no report on whether the two SNPs are associated with myopia, so we conducted a replication study to evaluate the association of single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the 5p15.2 and 15q14 regions with high myopia in Tujia and Miao Chinese populations. Methods We performed a comprehensive meta-analysis of 3816 cases and 4516 controls to assess whether rs6885224 in the 5p15.2 region and rs634990 in the 15q14 region were associated with high myopia. Then a total of 804 individuals were enrolled in our replication study. Genomic DNA was extracted from venous leukocytes. The two SNPs of interest, rs6885224 and rs634990, were genotyped by Sanger sequencing. The frequencies of alleles and genotypes were analysed using χ 2 tests, and ORs and 95%CIs were calculated. Results According to the results of the meta-analysis, rs6885224 in the CTNND2 gene showed no association with myopia [ p =0.893, OR=1.005, 95%CI (0.936-1.079)]. However, rs634990 in the 15q14 region showed a significant association with myopia [ p <0.05, OR=0.818, 95%CI (0.750-0.892)]. In our replication study, neither rs634990 nor rs6885224 showed any association with high myopia in the Tujia and Miao populations. In the allele frequency analysis of rs6885224, p =0.175, the OR=0.845, and the 95%CI=0.662-1.078, and in the analysis of rs634990, p =0.087, the OR=0.84, and the 95%CI=0.687-1.026. In the genotype frequency analysis of rs6885224, p =0.376, and in the analysis of rs634990, p =0.243. Conclusions Our meta-analysis results show that rs634990 was significantly associated with myopia, while rs6885224 was not. Nevertheless, in our replication study, these two SNPs showed no association with myopia in the Tujia and Miao Chinese populations. This is the first report involving Tujia and Miao ethnic groups from Enshi minority areas, but the sample size needs to be expanded and more stringent inclusion and exclusion criteria need to be formulated to verify this study result.
The Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in Chinese Women over 50 Years Old Deserves More Attention
Authors: Jiao Yang , Xie Xuan , Zhang Chunhong , Ming Jie , Xu Shaoyong , Wang Yangwei , Yao Xiaoli , Jia Aihua , Li Hui , Sui Jing , Qin Jianjun , Li Wenjie , Zhang Haixiong , Zhao Xin , Ji Qiuhe
Published: January 2020

Aims This study aimed to understand the characteristics of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in populations (especially females) over 50 years old in Xi’an, China, to avail adjusting prevention strategies in similar regions. Methods 3001 people were included, based on data from “Xi'an Community-Based Management of Diabetes in the Elderly”. The prevalence rate was calculated and analyzed stratifying by gender, age and geography. Results The overall prevalence rates for males and females were 41.9±8.3% and 41.4±11.3% according to 2019 Chinese Diabetes Society diagnosis criteria, 32.0±9.0% and 49.7±9.8% according to International Diabetes Federation diagnosis criteria. The prevalence increased with age in females, but not in males. The prevalence of MetS, as well as abdominal obesity and hypertension, was higher in rural females than in urban and suburban females. Logistic regression analysis showed the risk factors included age, premature menopause, low family income and education level, sedentary time >9 hours/day, weight-gain, and family history of hypertension. Conclusions In Xi'an, China, under the current social-economic conditions, the prevalence of MetS in females over 50 years of age stands higher level than that in males, and the prevalence in rural females is higher than that in urban and suburban females, which deserves more attention.
Sickness absence among young and middle-aged workers in Norway: The impact of a population-level intervention
Authors: Hanvold Therese Nordberg , Kristensen Petter , Corbett Karina , Hasting Rachel Louise , Mehlum Ingrid Sivesind
Published: January 2020

Background The study objective was to evaluate the impact of a population-level intervention (the IA Agreement) on the reduction of sickness absence (SA) among young and middle aged workers in Norway. Methods Using an observational design we conducted a quasi-experimental study to analyse registry data on individual SA for all employed individuals in 2000 (n=298 690) and 2005 (n=352 618), born in Norway between 1976 and 1967. The intervention of interest was the tripartite agreement for a more inclusive working life (the IA Agreement). We estimated difference in pre-post differences (DID) in SA between individuals working in IA companies with the intervention and companies without, in 2000 and 2005. We used logistic regression models and present odds ratios (DID OR) with accompanying 95% CI. We stratified analyses by sex, industry and company size. Results. We found no significant impact on the overall risk of sickness absence after implementing the intervention among young and middle aged workers. Stratified by sex, the intervention resulted in a slight decrease in SA among female workers (DID OR 0.93 (0.91-0.96)) while the intervention showed no impact among male workers (DID OR 1.01 (0.97-1.06)). We found that companies signing the IA Agreement were large companies (≥50­ employees) often within the manufacturing and health and social sectors. In large manufacturing companies, we found a reduction in SA among workers both in companies with and without the intervention, resulting in no statistically significant impact of the actual IA intervention on SA. In large health and social companies, we found an increase in SA among workers both in companies with and without the intervention. The increase was smaller among the workers in companies offering the IA intervention compared with workers in companies without, resulting in a positive impact of the actual IA intervention in the health and social industry. This impact was statistically significant only among female workers. Conclusions The results indicate that the impact of the IA Agreement on SA varies considerably depending on sex and industry. These findings suggest that reducing SA may warrant industry-specific interventions.
A Multi- country Perspectives on Social Networking Sites Utilization, Perceived Benefits & Potential for Improving Study Habits among Nursing Students
Authors: Valdez Glenn Ford D. , Cayaban Arcalyd Rose , AL-Fayyadh Sadeq , Korkmaz Mehmet , Obeid Samira , Sanchez Cheryl Lyn A , Ajzoon Muna B , Fouly Howeida , Cruz Jonas P
Published: January 2020

Background: The abundance of easy and accessible information and the fast developing social networking sites (SNS) have proven the world is small and within reach. The great implication of this interconnectedness can be somehow attributed to the change in the learning and sharing environment— something a classroom is lacking; and considering the potential implication of SNS in nursing education reveals that the benefit allows the students to communicate and interact with wider audience and beyond the classroom. The aim of this study is to identify the extent of social networking site utilization, the perceived benefits and the potential for improving study habits of nursing students in five countries (Israel, Iraq, Oman, Philippines & Turkey). Methods: The Study is a Quantitative –Cross-sectional study that determines the relationship between the utilization, the perceived benefits of social networking sites, and the potential for improving study habits among nursing students in the five participating countries (Israel, Iraq, Oman, Philippines, and Turkey). The basis of this paper is the careful analysis survey of students’ responses from a sample of 1,137 students from an online hosting site. The online instrument study focuses on the extent of utilization and benefits of social networking sites according to its accessibility, usability, efficiency and reliability. Results: Our findings in correlation using Pearson R- reveals a significant positive correlation between the extent of doing possible study habits and the extent of utilization of social networking sites in terms of the four domains, namely, accessibility (r=0.246), usability (r=0.377), reliability (r=0.287) and efficiency (r=0.387). Conclusion: It can be concluded that a significant positive correlation between students’ study habits and the extent of utilization means that the more students devote themselves on study habits, the higher the level of social networking site utilization. There are positive and negative implications in using social networking sites among nursing students and there is greater potential in further improving the approaches to nursing education through adaptation of curricula based around the proper utilization of social networking sites.
Association between Aminotransferase/alanine Aminotransferase Ratio and Cardiovascular Disease mortality in Patients on Peritoneal Dialysis
Authors: Feng Xiaoran , Wen Yueqiang , Peng FenFen , Wang Niansong , Zhan Xiaojiang , Wu Xianfeng
Published: January 2020

Objectives Elevated aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase (AST/ALT) ratio is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) among the general population. However, an association between AST/ALT ratio and CVD mortality in patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD) has received little attention.Methods A total of 2224 incident PD patients from multi-centers were enrolled from November 1, 2005, to June 30, 2017, in this retrospective cohort study. The primary endpoint was CVD mortality. Eligible patients were divided into high and normal groups according to the AST/ALT ratio cut-off for CVD mortality with the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The associations between the AST/ALT ratio and CVD mortality were evaluated by the Cox regression model.Results Of eligible 1579 patients with a mean age of 49.3±14.6 years, 55.4% of patients were male, 18.1% of patients had diabetes, and 64.2% of patients had hypertension. The prevalence of a high AST/ALT ratio was 76.6% in the cohort population. During a follow-up period with 4659.6 patient-years, 316 patients died, of which 193 (61.1%) deaths were caused by CVD episodes. The incidence of CVD mortality in the high group was significantly higher than that in the normal group (13.1% versus 9.2%, P=0.024). Cumulative CVD mortality rates were significantly different between the two groups by Kaplan-Meier analysis [hazards ratio (HR)=1.50, 95% confidence index (CI) 1.09-2.07, P=0.014]. After adjusting for confounding factors, a higher AST/ALT ratio was independently associated with an increased risk of CVD mortality compared with their counterparts (HR=1.43, 95%CI 1.08-2.41, P=0.002).Conclusions PD patients with high baseline AST/ALT ratio levels may be at a significant risk of CVD mortality.
Effects of royal jelly and tocotrienol rich fraction in obesity treatment of calorie-restricted obese rats: a focus on white fat browning properties and thermogenic capacity
Authors: Alamdari Naimeh Mesri , Irandoost Pardis , Roshanravan Neda , Vafa Mohammadreza , Jafarabadi Mohammad Asghari , Alipour Shahriar , Roshangar Leila , Alivand Mohammad Reza , Farsi Farnaz , Shidfar Farzad
Published: January 2020

Background: Obesity has reached an alarming rate worldwide. Promoting thermogenesis via increasing brown adipose tissue (BAT) function or white adipose tissue (WAT) browning has been propounded as a new approach to fight against obesity. The goal of the study was to evaluate the effect of Royal Jelly (RJ) and tocotrienol rich fraction (TRF) on BAT activation and WAT browning during calorie restriction diet (CRD) in obesity model. Methods: In this experimental study 50 obese Wistar rats were randomly divided into 5 groups and received one of the following treatments for 8 weeks: High-fat diet (HFD), CRD, RJ+CRD, TRF+CRD, RJ+TRF+CRD. Effects of RJ and TRF, individually and their combination on body weight and the expression of key thermoregulatory genes in WAT, BAT were examined by quantitative real-time (qRT-PCR). Morphological alterations were assessed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Results: RJ (-67.21g ±4.84g) and RJ+TRF (-73.29g ±4.51g) significantly reduced weight gain relative to the CRD group (-40.70g ±6.50g, P<0.001). Compared with the CRD group, RJ and RJ+TRF remarkably enhanced the uncoupling protein1 (UCP1) expression in WAT (5.81, 4.72 fold, P<0.001) and BAT (4.99, 4.75 fold, P<0.001). The expression of PR domain containing 16(PRDM 16), cAMP response element-binding protein1 (CREB1), P38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (P38MAPK), Bone morphogenetic protein8B (BMP8B) increased significantly following RJ and RJ+TRF treatment (P<0.001).However, the expression levels of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein beta (CEBPβ) and Bone morphogenetic protein7 (BMP7) did not change remarkably. Multilocular beige cells in WAT and compacted dense adipocytes in BAT of RJ and RJ+TRF received groups were observed. TRF did not demonstrate substantial effects on the expression of mentioned thermoregulatory genes and brown fat-like phenotype. Conclusion: Our results suggest that Royal Jelly promotes thermogenesis and browning of WAT, contributing to an increase in energy expenditure. Thus, Royal Jelly may give rise to a novel dietary choice to attenuate obesity.
A cross-sectional study on caregivers’ perspective of the quality of life and adherence of paediatric HIV patients to highly active antiretroviral therapy
Authors: Lahai Michael , James Peter Bai. , Wannang Noel N. , Wurie Haja R. , Conteh Sorie , Bah Abdulai Jawo , Samai Mohamed H
Published: January 2020

Background Poor compliance to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) can result in poor quality of life in children living with HIV/AIDS because of low plasma drug concentration and the possibility of drug resistance. This study evaluates the response of caregivers for determination of adherence and the four quality of life domains in children (aged 14 years and under) on HAART. Methods Cross-sectional study of 188 children accompanied by their caregivers’ at Ola During Children’s Hospital and Makeni Government Hospital between September and November 2016, with ethical approval obtained from the Sierra Leone Ethics and Scientific Review Committee. Adherence to HAART and Quality of life was assessed using the WHO Quality of life summary questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF). Results The study revealed 5.9% adherence amongst pediatric patients. Caregiver HIV status and caregiver type was also found to be associated with quality of life domains with high mean values for HIV positive caregivers and caregiver type that includes any member of the nuclear family (father, mother or siblings). Conclusion This study showed strong association for involvement of caregiver that includes the nuclear family, caregiver’s knowledge of their HIV status and adherence to HAART. Therefore, involvement of any member of the nuclear family, HIV positive parents living positively with HIV/AIDS and good adherence to therapy can improve the quality of life of pediatric HIV/AIDS patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy.
Utilization pattern of kangaroo mother care after introduction in eight selected neonatal intensive care units in China
Authors: Liu Xin , Li Zhankui , Chen Xiaohui , Cao Bei , Yue Shaojie , Yang Changyi , Liu QiongYu , Yang Chuanzhong , Zhao Gengli , Feng Qi
Published: January 2020

Background To describe the utilization of kangaroo mother care (KMC) in eight self-selected neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) participating in premature birth and infant’s intervention program. Methods A cross-sectional study of preterm infants discharged from eight NICUs in April 2018. For infants was collected this included postnatal day and corrected gestational age (GA) at KMC initiation, frequency and duration of KMC provision and whether the infant was receiving respiratory support. Results 135 preterm infants received KMC, 21.2% of all preterm infants discharged. 91.1% of those who received KMC were below 34 weeks GA, 91.1% had a birth weight below 2000g, and 20.7% needed respiratory support at KMC initiation. Average KMC exposure was greater in infants born at GA <28 weeks that babies born at greater GA. Conclusion After advocacy, training and promotion, intermittent KMC was initiated on more immature and high-risk infants, and well-accepted by medical staff and parents.
Impact of Geographic Access to Primary Care provider on Pediatric Behavioral Health Screening
Authors: Upadhyay Navneet , Aparasu Rajender , Rowan Paul J , Fleming Marc L. , Balkrishnan Rajesh , Chen Hua
Published: January 2020

Objective : To assess the impact of geographic access to primary care providers (PCPs) on the receipt of behavioral disorder screening among children and adolescents from different racial/ethnic groups. Data Sources/Study Setting: The primary data source was 2013-2016 administrative claims data from a large pediatric Medicaid Managed Care Plan linked to the US Census data and the National Provider Identifier (NPI) Registry. Study Design: The study was a retrospective cohort design which was conducted using data obtained from multiple sources. Data Collection/Extraction Methods : Geographic access was measured as one way travel distance to the nearest PCP estimated based on google map, and the PCP density per 10,000 population within a 10-mile travel radius from the population weighted centroid of each individual’s zip code. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted to examine the association between the geographic access measures and the likelihood of receiving behavioral disorder screening within each racial/ethnic group. Principal Findings : Behavioral disorder screening rate was 12.6% among 457,870 children and adolescents who met the inclusion criteria. Multivariable analyses revealed that the travel distance to the nearest PCP was negatively associated with the screening uptake among Hispanics (10-20 vs. 0-10 miles: OR=0.78, 95%CI [0.71-0.86]; 20-30 vs. 0-10 miles: OR=0.35, 95%CI [0.23-0.54]). Similar effects associated with the travel distance were not observed in Blacks and Whites. Among those having access to ≥1 PCP within 10 miles of travel distance, the increase in PCP density had a greater positive impact on the receipt of behavioral disorder screening in minorities than that in Whites. Conclusion : Minorities, especially Hispanics, were more sensitive than Whites to the geographic access barriers to PCPs for pediatric behavioral disorder screening.
Small for Gestational Age is a Risk Factor for Thyroid Dysfunction in Preterm Newborns
Authors: Liu Chunhua , Wang Kaiyan , Guo Jizhong , Chen Jiru , Chen Mei , Xie Zhexi , Chen Pu , Wu Beiyan , Lin Niyang
Published: January 2020

Background Thyroid hormones play an important role in the normal growth and maturation of the central nervous system. However, few publications addressed the altered thyroid hormone levels in preterm small for gestational age (SGA) newborns. We hypothesized preterm SGA infants have higher thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) concentrations than appropriate for gestational age (AGA) ones within the normal range and an increased incidence of thyroid dysfunction. Methods The study was designed to compare thyroid hormone levels within the normal range and the incidence of thyroid dysfunction in the SGA and AGA groups to test the hypothesis. Blood samples were collected between 72 and 96 hours of life and analyzed with TSH, free thyroxine (FT4) and free triiodothyronine (FT3) assays. Thyroid function test (TFT) results, and neonatal demographic and clinical factors were analyzed to identify the associations between SGA birth and altered thyroid concentrations and thyroid dysfunction. Results TSH and FT4 concentrations were significantly higher in the SGA group than the AGA group ((4.89(interquartile range (IQR): 2.62~7.59) vs. 3.15(IQR: 1.86~5.42) mU/L, p=0.015), and (18.64±4.39 vs. 17.40±3.70 pmol/L, p=0.037), respectively). The higher TSH levels were associated with being SGA or Z-score of birth weight (BW) for GA after adjusting for potential confounders (( β SGA =1.28 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.45~2.12), p=0.003) or ( β Z-score =-0.25 (95%CI -0.48~-0.03), p=0.028), respectively). However, we did not find a significant association between SGA birth and altered FT4 concentrations. Furthermore, compared with the AGA group, the SGA group presented an increased incidence of transient hypothyroxinemia with delayed TSH elevation (dTSHe) (odds ratio (OR) =8.75(95%CI 0.71~78.02)), a higher percentage receiving levothyroxine (L-T4) therapy (OR=1.80 (95%CI 0.98~3.21)), and a higher rate of follow-up within the first 6 months of life (OR=1.82 (95%CI 0.93~3.39)). Conclusions Preterm SGA newborns had significantly higher TSH concentrations within the normal range and an increased incidence of thyroid dysfunction. The SGA newborns with these features should be closely followed up with periodical TFTs and endocrinologic evaluation.
The burden of traditional neonatal uvulectomy among admissions to neonatal intensive care units, North Central Ethiopia, 2019: A triangulated crossectional study
Authors: Bayih Wubet Alebachew , Minuye Biniam , Yeshambel Abebaw , Mesfin Demeke
Published: January 2020

Background Traditional neonatal uvulectomy is unsupervised, unscientific and potentially dangerous cultural malpractice. This malpractice is often accompanied with life threatening neonatal morbidities such as infection, anemia, aspiration and oropharyngeal injury. However, there is no current regional and even national data about the burden, associated factors and perception of traditional uvulectomy among neonatal admissions to neonatal intensive care units. Methods A quantitative cross sectional study supplemented with phenomenological study was employed on 422 mother-neonate pairs admitted to Debre Tabor General Hospital from September 2018 to August 2019. Eight women who were not included in the quantitative part were involved for the qualitative study. Systematic and purposive sampling methods were used to select study participants for the quantitative and qualitative study respectively. Binary logistic regression models were fitted to declare statistical significance at p-value ≤ 0.05 and 95% CI. Result Complications of traditional uvulectomy contributed 15.90% of the overall neonatal admissions. At admission, most of the victim neonates had septic presentation (88.1%) followed by anemia (55.2%). From multivariable analysis, having male neonate [AOR= 4.87; 95% CI: 1.10, 21.59], antenatal couple counseling about traditional neonatal uvulectomy [AOR=0.053; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.35], home delivery [AOR= 6.02 ; 95% CI: 1.15, 31.61], postnatal couple counseling about traditional neonatal uvulectomy [AOR= 0.101; 95% CI: 0.02, 0.65], prior history of traditional neonatal uvulectomy [AOR= 7.15; 95% CI: 1.18, 43.21] and knowing at least one disadvantage of traditional neonatal uvulectomy [AOR= 0.068; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.44] were independent predictors of the malpractice. Furthermore, maternal perception of no modern medicine to treat elongated uvula was the most explained reason to do the malpractice. Conclusion The burden of traditional uvulectomy was high. Fortunately, its predictors are modifiable. Therefore, different community groups including women health development armies, elders, religious fathers, health professionals and criminal prosecutors should be actively mobilized against this malpractice. Besides, parental couple counseling about the key message of no traditional neonatal uvulectomy should be properly implemented in the routine antenatal and postnatal programs of the health care delivery system at south Gondar zone.
Patients’ confidence in treatment decisions for early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)
Authors: Pompili Cecilia , Holch Patricia , Rogers Zoe , Absolom Kate , Clayton Beverly , Franks Kevin , Bekker Hilary , Velikova Galina
Published: January 2020

Background In early-stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) patients, little is known about how to measure patient participation in Shared-Decision Making (SDM). We examined the psychometric properties and clinical acceptability of the Decision Self-Efficacy scale (DSE) in a cohort of patients undergoing to Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SABR) or Video-assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS) to capture patient involvement in treatment decisions. Methods In the context of a prospective longitudinal study (Life after Lung Cancer-LiLAC) involving 244 patients with early-stage NSCLC, 158 (64.7%) patients completed the DSE either on paper or electronically online prior to treatment with SABR or VATS pulmonary resection. DSE psychometric properties were examined using: principal components analysis of item properties and internal structure, and internal construct validity; we also performed a sensitivity analysis according to Karnofsky Performance Status, gender, age and treatment received (VATS or SABR) difference. Results Two subscales within the DSE were identified: the main factor accounting for almost 72% of the variance related to overcoming barriers to decision making (seven items) and a second factor explaining an additional 9.1% of the variance was related to information seeking processes (four items). We calculated a value of 0.96 for Cronbach’s alpha for the total DSE score, 0.94 for Factor 1 and 0.95 for Factor 2. DSE scores did not differ by gender ( p =0.37), between the two treatment groups (p=0.09) and between younger and older patients ( p =0.4). However, patients with a Karnofsky performance score (PS) >1 have a DSE mean of 73.8 (SD 26) compared to patients with a PS 0-1 who have a DSE mean of 85.8 (SD 20.3 p =0.002). Conclusion Findings provide preliminary evidence for the reliability and validity of the DSE questionnaire in this population. However, future studies are warranted to identify the most appropriate SDM tool for clinical practice in the lung cancer treatment field.