bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The scope, presentation, and management of genitourinary complications in patients presenting with high-grade urethral complications after radiotherapy for prostate cancer
Authors: Doiron R. Christopher , Witten Jon , Rourke Keith F. 
Published: July 2020

Introduction: The scope of complications arising after radiotherapy (RT) treatment for prostate cancer is underrecognized and not well-described. The objective of this study is to describe the presentation, scope, and management of genitourinary complications (GU) in patients referred for high-grade urethral complications or sphincter weakness incontinence after prostate RT.
Methods: A retrospective review was performed of patients referred to a reconstructive urologist for management of grade 4 urethral complications and sphincter weakness incontinence after prostate RT from December 2004 to December 2015. Patients’ signs, symptoms, complications, and treatments are described.
Results: A total of 120 patients were identified with a mean age of 67.8 years; 55.8% (n=67) received external beam radiotherapy (EBRT), 38.3% (n=46) brachytherapy (BT), and 5.8% (n=7) combination RT. The mean time to first complication after RT was 57.7 months (1–219) and number of complications per patient was 5.12.2. The most common associated complications were urethral stenosis (n=106, 88.3%), sphincter weakness urinary incontinence (n=55, 45.8%), radiation cystitis (n=61, 50.8%), refractory storage lower urinary tract symptoms (n=106, 88.3%), genitourinary pain (n=28, 23.3%), and prostate necrosis/abscess (n=17, 14.2%). Patients required a mean of 7.44.4 treatments over a 33-month period, including urethral dilation/urethrotomy (n= 93, 77.5%), urethroplasty (n=53, 44.2%), transurethral resection (n=52, 43.3%), cystolithopaxy (n=14, 11.7%), artificial urinary sphincter (n=8, 6.7%), and urinary diversion (n=8, 6.7%). Patients with RT combined with other modalities had more complications (6.2 vs. 4.2, p=0.001), higher rates of incontinence (93.8% vs. 29.5%, p=0.001), necrosis (31.3% vs. 8.0%, p=0.003), erectile dysfunction (84.4% vs. 51.1%, p=0.001), and hematuria (59.4% vs. 36.4%, p=0.04).
Conclusions: Urethral complications related to prostate RT are seldom an isolated problem and require a substantial amount of urological resources and interventions.
Knowledge and Adaptation Strategies of Eggplant Farmers to the Effect of Bacterial Wilt Disease in Nsukka Agricultural Zone of Enugu State, Nigeria
Authors: Iwuchukwu Juliana Chinasa , Arihi Gift Nwakaego , Obazi Sunday Alagba , Udoye Charles Ekene , Ohagwu Violet Amara 
Published: July 2020

Aim: To ascertain knowledge and adaptation strategies of eggplant (Solanum melongena) farmers to the effect of bacterial wilt disease in Nsukka Agricultural zone of Enugu state, Nigeria.
Study Design: Multi-stage and Simple Random Sampling Design/Technique were used in the study.
Place and Duration of Study: Department of Agricultural Extension, University of Nigeria, Nsukka Enugu State, Nigeria. The study took place between October 2017 and September 2018.
Methodology: One hundred and eight eggplant farmers were selected from three blocks and nine circles for the study. Percentage and mean scores were used to present the data.
Results: Findings reveal that the majority (96.30%) of the respondents had high knowledge on eggplant bacterial wilt disease. Some of the major effects of bacterial wilt disease on eggplant as perceived by the respondents were reduction in yield/output (x̅=2.84) and reduction in quality of harvested eggplant (x̅=2.81). Some adaptive strategies employed by the respondents to the effect of bacterial wilt disease were use of fertilizer (97.20%) and early planting of eggplants (96.30%). Constraints to egg plant farmers’ adaptation to bacterial wilt disease were: drudgery involved in controlling the disease (x̅=2.83) and high cost of good/disease free planting material (x̅= 2.80). Proper weeding (84.30%) and fumigation of the entire farmland before cultivation (79.60%) were some of the possible solutions to the destructive effects of bacterial wilt diseases.
Conclusion: The respondents had high knowledge on bacterial wilt disease, which helps them to adapt to the deleterious effects of the disease on their eggplants.
Recommendation: The study recommends that governments and non-governmental organizations should invest in eggplants research in order to solve farmers’ problems; through evolvement and provision of resistant variety, recommended agronomic practices and agrochemicals of eggplants to farmers. Dissemination of output of the research through extension will boost the capacity of the farmers in order to adapt and overcome the disease.
Policy Implications: The investments on eggplants should be innovative and it should explore possible production and management strategies that not only boost but also, make eggplant enterprises sustainable. Policy must be focused on educating eggplant farmers on improved production and management practices on eggplant enterprises. This can be disseminated by agricultural extension workers and other relevant institutions. Policy must also focus on specific and pragmatic programs such as input supply programs (improved seeds, resistant varieties, fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides etc.) at affordable or subsidized prices. This must be designed in such a way that it identifies the right pathways to get to the eggplant farmers on appropriate time.
Azithromycin and Hydroxychloroquine Accelerate Recovery of Outpatients with Mild/Moderate COVID-19
Authors: Guérin Violaine , Lévy Pierre , Thomas Jean-Louis , Lardenois Thierry , Lacrosse Philippe , Sarrazin Emmanuel , Andreis Natacha Regensberg-de , Wonner Martine 
Published: July 2020

Aims: The challenge regarding COVID-19 is to prevent complications and fatal evolution. Azithromycin (AZM) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) have proven their antiviral effect in vitro. We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of AZM alone or combined to HCQ, prescribed, at an early stage, in patients with Covid-19, in a primary care setting.
Study Design: Retrospective observational study.
Place and Duration of Study: Patients have been followed by private practitioners in France, between March and April 2020.
Methodology: Eighty-eight patients received either no or a symptomatic treatment (NST) (n=34) or AZM alone (n=34) or AZM+HCQ (n=20). The efficacy end point was the time to clinical recovery and the safety end point was the occurrence of cardiovascular events. To improve the evidence level, a case-control analysis was performed on a sample of 57 patients (19/group) matched for age, sex and BMI.
Results: The mean (SD) times to achieve clinical recovery were respectively 25.8 days (11.1), 12.9 days (13.4) and 9.2 days (9.3), showing a statistically significant difference between NST and AZM alone (p<0.0001) or AZM+HCQ (p<0.0001). The statistical difference between NST and AZM was confirmed (p=0.0149) as well as the difference with AZM+HCQ (p=0.0002). No cardiac toxicity was recorded in any patient. No statistical difference was shown between AZM and AZM+HCQ groups, although the dual therapy tended to be more effective in patients over 50 years, based on an analysis using the cox model.
Conclusion: AZM and AZM+HCQ favourably impacted the course of the disease. We need trials, ideally prospective/double blind, to show if a statistical difference can be evidenced with a broader group, and clarify the indications of each treatment depending on initial clinical presentation.
Comparative Analysis of Minerals, Heavy Metals and Amino Acids Compositions of the Seeds and Juice of Cucumis metuliferus
Authors: Ani Onuabuchi Nnenna , Achikanu Cosmas Ezekaibeya , Onyishi Chukwuebuka Kenechukwu 
Published: July 2020

The aim of this study was to compare the minerals, heavy metals and amino acids compositions of the seeds and juice of Cucumis metuliferus. The minerals and heavy metals content were evaluated using FS240AA agilent atomic absorption spectrometer according to the method of American Public Health Association while the amino acids content was evaluated using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). From the mineral analysis, concentrations of calcium (23.416 ppm), aluminum (0.094 ppm), manganese (0.242 ppm) and iron (1.243 ppm) were higher in the juice than in the seeds with respective values of 20.084 ppm, 0.079 ppm, 0.221 ppm and 0.934 ppm while the concentrations of magnesium (29.749 ppm), zinc (4.184 ppm), copper (0.125 ppm), sodium (8.927 ppm) and potassium (7.594 ppm) were higher in the seeds than in the juice with respective values of 20.592 ppm, 1.271 ppm, 0.030 ppm, 8.594 ppm and 6.833 ppm. The juice had higher concentrations of heavy metals such as arsenic (20.082 ppm), lead (4.135 ppm), cobalt (0.178 ppm), silver (0.074 ppm), selenium (7.246 ppm) and mercury (4.609 ppm) as against the seed with respective values of 0.578 ppm, 1.455 ppm while cobalt, silver, selenium and mercury were not detected. However, the concentrations of cadmium (0.389 ppm), chromium (0.545 ppm) and nickel (0.288 ppm) were higher in the seeds than in the juice with respective values of 0.082 ppm, 0.252 ppm and 0.016 ppm. From the result of amino acid analysis, 18 amino acids were found in both the seeds and juice which include 9 essential and 9 non-essential amino acids respectively. The qualitative composition of amino acids in both the seeds and the juice was same, but the quantitative contents differed although non-significantly from each other with prevalence of amino acids in the seeds. Aspartate was the most abundant of the amino acids found while cysteine was the least. These results suggest that the seeds and juice of Cucumis metuliferus contain adequate essential minerals which are beneficial to human health. The contaminant levels of heavy metals highlights the necessity on the quality and safety concerns about their use and handling. The amino acids analysis showed that both the seeds and juice of Cucumis metuliferus are good sources of amino acid and could be used as food supplement. The amino acid content may also provide useful information for determination of the protein quality of Cucumis metuliferus.
Comparative Growth and Ions Response to Phosphorus Application for Two Brassica Species under Salt Stress
Authors: Zaman Badar-uz- , Nawaz Sundas 
Published: July 2020

The genetic level differences between Brassica species can have potential impact on their performance under salt stress conditions together with Phosphorus and Potassium applications. In this study we hypothesized that certain level of salt stress mitigation can be done with applications of Phosphorus and Potassium solutions. Germinated seeds of Brassica juncea (var. Khanpur raya) and B. napus (Faisal canola), raised to 10 days seedlings stage and transferred to continuously aerated nutrient solution For salt stress, applied NaCl @60 mM in the nutrient solution’ also applied phosphorus as potassium di hydrogen phosphate (PDP) @ 0 and 10 mM in triplicates. Khanpur raya and Faisal canola responded significantly (p< 0.01) to the application of PDP for growth and ions relations under salt stress and non-stress. Under stress conditions, shoot fresh mass (SFM) of Khanpur raya increased 10 percent with 10 mM of applied PDP than its control whereas SFM of Faisal canola increased 8 percent than its control. Root fresh mass (RFM) of Khanpur raya increased 8 percent with 10 mM of applied PDP than its control whereas RFM of Faisal canola increase 10 percent than its control. Dry mass of Khanpur raya increased 11 percent with 10 mM of applied PDP than its control whereas SDM of Faisal canola increased 6 percent than its control. Root dry mass (RDM) of Khanpur raya increased 18 percent with 10 Mm of applied PDP than its control whereas RDM of Faisal canola increased 19 percent than its control. In Khanpur raya Na+ /K+ ratio decreased 21 percent than the control, whereas this ratio decreased 24 percent in Faisal canola than its control. Under salt stress, physiological P-use in shoot and root of Khanpur raya increased 11 and 8 percent respectively than that of Faisal canola.
Heavy Metal Stabilization in Sewage Sludge Composting Process
Authors: Rehana M. R. , Joseph Biju , Gladis R. 
Published: July 2020

The most important factor limiting the soil application of sewage sludge is the presence of heavy metals.
This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of composting on nutrient content, heavy metal (Cd, Cr, Ni and Pb) concentration and heavy metal fractions in the sewage composts with different bulking agents (sawdust and coirpith), heavy metal adsorbent (zeolite) and liming materials (lime and flyash). Experimental results revealed that sewage sludge composts were rich in organic carbon and plant nutrients. Total nutrients and heavy metal concentration showed an increasing trend towards the maturity of composts. Heavy metal fractionation studies pointed out that mobile fractions of heavy metals such as exchangeable and carbonate fractions decreased at the end of composting whereas the residual fractions increased which indicates that composting of sewage sludge with heavy metal adsorbent and different bulking agents decreased the mobility and bioavailability of heavy metals. The compost C8 (Sewage sludge + sawdust + zeolite (50:30:20) + flyash) was superior with respect to stabilization of heavy metals studied. The concentration of Cd, Cr and Pb were within the permissible limit as per Fertilizer Control Order (FCO). The addition of coal flyash and zeolite enhanced the stabilization of heavy metals due to the higher alkalinity and ion exchange capacity of flyash and zeolite respectively. Polyphenolic group and organic compounds present in sawdust also have the ability to bind heavy metal. The study revealed that composting is an effective technology for reducing the heavy metal bioavailability and the heavy metal speciation studies of the matured composts revealed that considerable portion of the heavy metals were associated with immobile fractions indicating less bioavailability and ecotoxicity.
Implications of Stress and Study Habits on Academic Outcome of Undergraduate Nursing Students in Selected Universities in South-West, Nigeria
Authors: Mustapha Sinmileoluwa, , Onibokun Adenike , Abiodun Omolola Lydia 
Published: July 2020

Introduction: Stress is a physical and emotional reaction that individuals exhibit as a result of the threat from demanding circumstance(s). Excessive exposure to stress may result in mental and physical problems which may diminish a student's sense of worth and might affect his or her academic outcome. This high level of stress has been widely reported among undergraduate nursing students throughout their academic program.
Aims: This study determined the implications of stress and study habit on the academic outcome of undergraduate nursing students.
Study Design: A descriptive cross-sectional design was used for this study.
Place and Duration of Study: Department of Nursing, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Osogbo Osun State and Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo Ogun State between April, 2018 and May, 2018.
Methodology: A convenient sampling technique was used to select 156 participants from a target population of 762 undergraduate students (200 – 500 Level) in the selected institutions. Data were obtained using a self-developed questionnaire which consists of three sections that address the objectives of this study. Hypotheses were tested at 5% level of significance.
Results: Findings from the study show that 20.1% of the respondents usually experience tiredness when they are about to study, 22% reported using stimulants to help them read for a longer period. Furthermore, 42.0% of the student engaged in personal studies and 41.4% used group discussions. 23.7% of the students claimed that proper preparation for tests and examinations improved their academic outcome. Overall, 57.7% of the respondents go through moderate level of stress while 9.6% go through high level stress. The findings from the study show that there is no significant association between studying habits and academic outcome of the undergraduate nursing students (p. Value > 0.005).
Conclusion: Nursing students (who are the future nurses), face considerable levels of physical, psychological and mental stress during the course of their training, which in turn affects their academic performance. There is also no significant association between studying habits and academic outcome of the undergraduate nursing students (p. Value > 0.005). It is therefore important to identify stressors among such students and equip them with and/or provide appropriate coping mechanisms that can help the students adjust to stressful situations, and in turn emerge as excellent health care professionals.
Classification of Control and Neurodegenerative Disease Subjects Using Tree Based Classifiers
Authors: Shah Syed Ahsin Ali , Habib Nazneen , Aziz Wajid , Khan Ehsan Ullah , Nadeem Malik Sajjad Ahmed 
Published: July 2020

Background: The medical researchers are developing different non-invasive methods for early detection of Neurodegenerative Diseases (NDDs) when pharmacological interventions are still possible to further prevent the disease progression. The NDDs are associated with the degradation in the complex gait dynamics and motor activity. The classification of gait data using machine learning techniques can assist the physicians for early diagnosis of the neural disorder when clinical manifestation of the diseases is not yet apparent.
Aims: The present study was undertaken to classify the control and NDD subjects using decision trees based classifiers (Random Forest (RF), J48 and REPTree).
Methodology: The data used in the study comprises of 16 control, 20 Huntington’s Disease (HD), 15 Parkinson’s Disease (PD), and 13 Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) subjects, which were taken from publicly available database from Physionet. The age range of control subjects was 20-74, HD subjects was 36-70, PD subjects was 44-80, and ALS subjects was 29-71. There were 13 attributes associated with the data. Important features/attributes of the data were selected using correlation feature selection - subset evaluation (cfs) method. Three tree based machine learning algorithms (RF, J48 and REPTree) were used to classify the control and NDD subjects. The performance of classifiers were evaluated using Precision, Recall, F-Measure, MAE and RMSE.
Results: In order to evaluate the performance of tree based classifiers, two different settings of data i.e. complete features and selected features were used. In classifying control vs HD subjects, RF provides the robust separation with classification accuracy of 84.79% using complete features and 83.94% using selected features. While in classifying control vs PD subjects, and control vs ALS subjects, RF also provides the best separation with classification accuracy of 86.51% and 94.95% respectively using complete features and 85.19% and 93.64% respectively using selected features.
Conclusion: The variability analysis of physiological signals provides a valuable non-invasive tool for quantifying the system of dynamics of healthy subjects and to examine the alternations in the controlling mechanism of these systems with aging and disease. It is concluded that selected features encode adequate information about neural control of the gait. Moreover, the selected features along with tree based machine learning algorithms can play a vital for early detection of NDDs, when pharmacological interventions are still possible.
Variation of Vertical Total Electron Content (TEC) Over West Africa during Geomagnetic Storms
Authors: Okpala Kingsley Chukwudi , Ugwu Ernest Benjamin , Attah Okwudili Joseph , Obiegbuna Dominic , Anamezie Rose Chigoziri , Egbunu Friday 
Published: July 2020

Changes in vertical total electron content (VTEC) over West Africa which were associated with four geomagnetic storms in 2015 have been studied. The spatial evolution of the quiet time TEC over West Africa for four months (vis; March, June, October and December) which may give rise to unique features of the storm TEC were also evaluated. Quiet-time VTEC (i.e Sq VTEC) was obtained using the hourly means of the international quietest days for each month when a storm of interest occurred. The change in TEC ( ) was obtained after removing the quiet time VTEC from the storm day VTEC. A significant latitudinal variation in VTEC was observed at 22:00LT over West Africa and this was accompanied by the usual broad peak at about 14-17UT. The latitudinal disparity observed in the Sq at 22.00LT was likely driven by the intesification of the fountain effect. The maximum observed during the storms in 2015 were of the other of 16 TECU. These results have important implications for our present understanding of TEC evolution during a geomagnetic and its direct effect on the technologies that depend on it.
Chloride Channels
Authors: Akabas Myles H 
Published: July 2020

Abstract

Chloride channels are integral membrane proteins that regulate the movement of chloride ions across cellular membranes. They perform a vital role in physiological processes such as epithelial transport, the regulation of nerve and muscle cell membrane excitability, cell volume regulation and in determining the pH within cytoplasmic membrane‐bound organelles. Several distinct protein families form chloride channels whose opening is regulated by different stimuli including neurotransmitter binding, changes in the concentrations of intracellular second messengers including cAMP and Ca
2+
, and phosphorylation. High‐resolution protein structures of many types of chloride channels have been solved by x‐ray crystallography and cryo‐electron microscopy. Mutations in genes encoding chloride channels impair their function and cause a variety of genetic diseases. Several clinically useful medicines act by modulating the activity of specific types of chloride channels.

Key Concepts

Chloride channels are ion channels that facilitate the movement of chloride ions across cell membranes.

Chloride channels play fundamental roles in diverse physiological processes.

Several distinct gene families encode proteins that function as chloride channels and have unique atomic structures.

Genetic diseases result due to mutations in chloride channels that impair their function.

The mechanism of action of a number of drugs used clinically involves chloride channels as specific targets.
Norepinephrine and Epinephrine: Introduction
Authors: Stanford Susan Clare 
Published: July 2020

Abstract

The catecholamines, norepinephrine and epinephrine (formerly named noradrenaline and adrenaline) are released from the adrenal gland and neurons in the brain. Norepinephrine is also released from the majority of postganglionic, sympathetic neurons in the peripheral (autonomic) nervous system. Conversion of the amino acid, tyrosine, to
l
‐3,4‐dihydroxyphenylalanine is the rate‐limiting step in the synthetic pathway for both these catecholamines. This process is regulated by several hormones and neurotransmitters, which act via intracellular messengers to help ensure that the rate of catecholamine synthesis matches the rate of their release. In the periphery, norepinephrine and epinephrine are essential for maintaining a stable internal body state (‘homoeostasis’). In the central nervous system, norepinephrine has an important role in the regulation of attention/vigilance/alarm and its synchronization with the autonomic nervous system, but little is known about the function of neuronal epinephrine.

Key Concepts

The distribution of norepinephrine and epinephrine in the periphery.

The distribution of norepinephrine and epinephrine in and brain.

Regulation of the biosynthesis of norepinephrine and epinephrine.

The role of norepinephrine and epinephrine in the periphery.

The role(s) of norepinephrine and epinephrine in the brain.