bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effect of metformin on Bax expression in pancreas and testis of normoglycemic albino rat: An immunohistochemical study
Authors: A Hashish Hagar 
Published: June 2020

Metformin is a famous drug used to reduce blood glucose level. It could be used in treatment of polycystic ovarian syndrome. Metformin also demonstrated an anticancer activity. Bax, is one of the cellular apoptotic markers. Metformin was documented to increase the level of Bax protein. Based on the known facts about metformin and its new role as a potential inducer of cellular apoptosis, the current study has been designed to investigate the probable effects of the in-vivo metformin administration on the pancreatic and testicular tissues in normoglycemic rats, and its probable effect on Bax expression as one of the markers of cellular apoptosis Twenty rats divided in two groups; control and treated. Metformin treated rats were given 400mg/kg /day through oro-gastric tube for one month. After one month, rats in all groups were sacrificed, the pancreas and testis were dissected outto prepare paraffin sections, stained by hematoxylin&eosin, Masson’s trichrome stains and Bax immunohistochemical stain. Metformin treated group showed reduced pancreatic islets’ size with degenerated cells in both endocrine and exocrine parts, more fibers surrounding pancreatic acini, islets and blood vessels. Bax immunostaining showed intense reaction especially in the islets of Langerhans. The seminiferous tubules (STs) of the testis were irregular with disturbed degenerated spermatogenic cells. Extensive fibers surrounding seminiferous tubules and in the wall of the blood vessels were detected. Bax immunostaining showed intense reaction in the testis germinal cells of the treated group.: Our study revealed that metformin induced expression of Bax in pancreatic and testicular tissues of normal rats when used for one month, which will affect their viability and function. Its effect on Bax expression might be promising as a possible treatment in case of cancer, however, it should be used with caution.
Correlation between haemoglobin levels and attention, concentration, learning and memory among older adult population in Chennai
Authors: Gopi M , Syed Meerasa Semmal , Arumugam Vasugi Gramani , Subhashini  , Buhari  
Published: June 2020

The older adults constitute a considerable part of the Indian population and due to advancements in the Medical field this population is fast growing. With the current advancements in treatment modalities there is an increased life expectancy. Low haemoglobin level is a potential contributing factors for cognitive impairment in older adults.The present study focuses on correlation between haemoglobin levels and attention, concentration, learning and memory among older adult population in Chennai. The present study was conducted in Sri Ramachandra Hospital OPD, Porur, Chennai. A total of 304 older subjects were included in this study. Older adults of both male and female were selected from the OPD based on theInclusion criteria - Age [50 to 65 years] matched subjects were selected. The Digit Span test,a subtest from Wechsler Adult Intelligence scale is used to assess the subjects attention and concentration. Ray auditory and verbal learning test (RAVLT) is used to measure learning and memory. The digit span forward test in males is higher when compared with the females, this difference is statistically significant. (t= 9.669 and p=0.000). The digit span backward test in males is higher when compared with the females, this difference is statistically significant. (t= 9.669 and p=0.000).The digit AVLT trial test scores in males is higher when compared with the females, this difference is statistically significant. (p=0.000)All the scores of normal haemoglobin group were higher than the low haemoglobin group and the results were statistically significant. (p=0.000). In this study, we were able to observe that lower haemoglobin levels were associated with decreased cognitive functions in the domains of attention, concentration, learning and memory among older adult population in Chennai.
Comparison of tactile sensation among blind and sighted individuals
Authors: Vadapalli Kiranmai , D Ravi , Vamsi Krishna D B , Jyothirmai V , Venkata Devarakonda Bhargava 
Published: June 2020

Blindness is a highly limiting disability affecting tens of millions of individuals worldwide. One of the current challenges in sight restoration and sensory aids for blind pertains to the possible visual acuity and capacity which can be transmitted through various restoration approaches. Compensation for sensory handicap by blind individual has been a subject of study and debate. Objects can be recognized by using any of our sensory modalities. But, the inputs about physical characteristics of a particular object perceived by vision and touch are unique and complex. Hence, in a blind individual, development of exceptional compensatory abilities in remaining senses in distinction to becoming severely handicapped due to the lack of the calibrating visual modality may look like a distant theoretical possibility.To compare tactile sensation among blind and sighted individuals.85 subjects in between age group of 18-27 years. Study Group-Consisted of total 21adventitiously(not congenitally blind) blind subjects. Control Group-Consisted of total 64 apparently healthy sighted subjects.: Results had been analysed using unpaired test by SPSS version 16. It was observed that mean values for two point discrimination on horizontal and longitudinal axes, mean values of the time taken for letter identification was significantly lower in the blind group than the sighted group. Results of the present study showed that the non sighted group outperformed the performance of the sighted group.
Effect of Yoga on Memory in Elderly Women
Authors: R Vaezi Aliakbar , Dehghani Tafti Arefeh , Behzadi Goodari Sanaz , Bidaki Reza 
Published: June 2020

Introduction: Cognitive impairment rate such as memory loss increases because of aging as a natural process. Based on the evidence, physical activity can lead to improved mental and cognitive function and also plays a preventive role against reducing cognitive function. the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of yoga exercises on memory of elderly women.
Methods: This experimental study was a randomized, controlled clinical trial that was conducted in 2018. Two elderly day care centers in Yazd city ,in central Iran were selected and randomly assigned to control and intervention groups. Then, according to the inclusion criteria, eligible people were selected from the centers and enrolled in the study. Participants were 58 elderly women who were assigned to control (n: 29) and intervention (n: 29) groups. Yoga exercises were held for 2 months (three 1-h sessions a week) for intervention group. The Wechsler Memory Scale was completed for both groups before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed by SPSS using descriptive and inferential statistics.
Results: The mean score of memory in the intervention group before intervention was 77.7 ± 17.8 and after the intervention reached 86.4 ± 17.3, with a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05), but in control group, no significant difference was observed. In the intervention group, mental control, logical and visual memory subscales increased significantly (p < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in other subscales. There was no significant difference in any of the subscales in control group (p > 0.05).
Conclusion: To improve the memory of the elderly, physical activity such as yoga exercise can be helpful. The elderly can routinely practice these exercises in elderly care centers.
In-Hospital Elderly Mortality in a Nigerian Tertiary Health Care Center
Authors: Obiora Uchendu Jude 
Published: June 2020

Introduction: The elderly represent a significant proportion of the populace and their mortality index is of public health significance. With dearth of vital registration, in-hospital based studies remains a desirable alternative. This study hopes to determine the epidemiologic pattern of elderly mortality with respect to sex, age, date and cause of death.
Methods: This is descriptive retrospective study of elderly deaths among hospitalized patients in a Nigerian Tertiary Care Center. The age, sex, date and causes of death were analyzed using SPSS 21 and results summarized in tables and figures.
Results: Elderly death constitute 24.7% of all hospital deaths with a crude mortality of 25.3%. Males constitute majority of the cases and 81.6% of the deaths occur within the 7th and 8th decades. Non-communicable diseases, communicable diseases and injuries constitute 80%, 12.5% and 7.6% of the cases respectively. Major specific causes of death include cerebrovascular accident, chronic kidney disease, chronic liver disease, sepsis, diabetes mellitus, road traffic accident, prostate and colorectal cancers accounting for 28.8%, 8.7%, 5.7%, 5.3%, 4.9%, 3.8%, 3.4% and 3.0% of all cases respectively.
The Effectiveness of a Chronic Disease Self-Management Program for Elderly People: a Systematic Review
Authors: Mansoor Khairunnisa , Maqbool Ahmed Khuwaja Hussain 
Published: June 2020

Introduction: Elderly population is increasing in Pakistan. Majority of people aged 50 – 64, suffer from two or more chronic conditions. Care of elderly people is sub-optimal. Healthcare system has limited resources to provide healthcare support to elderly people. Thus, there is need to empower the elderly to self-manage their health conditions. Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) is the most widely accepted self-management patient education program. It is designed to help people to gain confidence and skills to better manage their chronic conditions. Evidence of the effectiveness of CDSMP specifically for elderly people aged 60 years and above is lacking. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review was to determine the effects of the program among chronically ill elderly people.
Methods: MEDLINED, CINHAL, EMBASE, PSYINFO, JBI and ASSIA were searched between April and May, 2020 for studies that tested the effects of generic CDSMP. A total of 750 articles were identified, of which 5 were included in the core review (four randomized controlled trials and one quasi-experimental).
Results: Eligible 5 studies yielded 2971 participants (mean aged 60.4 to 76.0 years). Elder people who participated in CDSMP improved their self-efficacy to manage disease in general and to manage symptoms. The effects on health status were mixed. Self-rated health and health distress showed significant improvement. Some health behaviours showed improvement, particularly exercise component showed significant improvement. For health services utilization, there was no improvement.
Conclusion: The result of this review suggests that CDSMP is beneficial for elderly people who attended the structured CDSMP either through a trained care provider or layman. Experimental studies in low and middle income countries, with large sample sizes are suggested to further understand the impact of CDSMP.
Osteoporosis Risk Prediction Using Data Mining Algorithms
Authors: Jabarpour Efat , Abedini Amin , Keshtkar Abbasali 
Published: June 2020

Introduction: Osteoporosis is a disease that reduces bone density and loses the quality of bone microstructure leading to an increased risk of fractures. It is one of the major causes of inability and death in elderly people. The current study aims at determining the factors influencing the incidence of osteoporosis and providing a predictive model for the disease diagnosis to increase the diagnostic speed and reduce diagnostic costs.
Methods: An Individual's data including personal information, lifestyle, and disease information were reviewed. A new model has been presented based on the Cross-Industry Standard Process CRISP methodology. Besides, Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Bayes methods (Tree Augmented Naïve Bayes (TAN)) and Clementine12 have been used as data mining tools.
Results: Some features have been detected to affect this disease. The rules have been extracted that can be used as a pattern for the prediction of the patients' status. Classification precision was calculated to be 88.39% for SVM, and 91.29% for (TAN) when the precision of TAN is higher comparing to other methods.
Conclusion: The most effective factors concerning osteoporosis are detected and can be used for a new sample with defined characteristics to predict the possibility of osteoporosis in a person.
Protocatechuic Acid as a Topical Antimicrobial for Surgical Skin Antisepsis
Authors: Jalali Omid , Best Molly , Wong Alison , Schaeffer Brett , Bauer Brendon , Johnson Lanny 
Published: June 2020

Background:
There is a need for novel skin antiseptic agents to combat the health-care burdens associated with surgical site infection (SSI) and bacterial resistance. The purpose of this proof-of-principle pilot study was to investigate the potential of the phenolic compound protocatechuic acid (PCA) as a topical antimicrobial for surgical skin antisepsis.

Methods:
The Kirby-Bauer method of disc diffusion was used to investigate the in vitro antimicrobial activity and comparative effectiveness of PCA and 7 related compounds against SSI pathogens. To explore the in vivo efficacy of topical PCA for providing deep, penetrating skin antisepsis, living Cutibacterium acnes was intradermally injected into the skin of female BALB/c mice. Mice were assigned to treatment with daily applications of topical PCA at 3 doses (78, 39, and 19.5 mM) or no treatment (n = 2 mice per group). After 96 hours, infected skin samples were harvested to compare mean C. acnes counts by treatment.

Results:
Compared with other polyphenols, PCA demonstrated the broadest spectrum of antimicrobial activity against tested SSI pathogens, including drug-resistant organisms. At 96 hours following infection, the mean C. acnes burden in untreated mice was 6.65 log colony-forming units (CFUs) per gram of skin. Compared with the untreated group, daily topical application of 78 mM of PCA was associated with a significantly lower C. acnes CFU burden in mice skin (mean, 5.51 log CFUs per gram of skin; p = 0.0295). Both lower dosages of topical PCA failed to show an effect.

Conclusions:
PCA demonstrated laboratory efficacy against pathogens implicated in SSI, including drug-resistant organisms. In vivo, topical PCA demonstrated dose-dependent skin penetration and antimicrobial activity against mouse skin C. acnes loads. Human clinical studies exploring the antimicrobial efficacy of topical PCA for preoperative shoulder skin antisepsis are warranted.

Clinical Relevance:
Topical PCA may have the potential to improve current shoulder SSI treatment and prevention protocols.
Synoptic climatological approach associated with three recent summer heatwaves in the Canadian Arctic
Authors: Fazel-Rastgar Farahnaz 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
The observed unusually high temperatures in the Arctic during recent decades can be related to the Arctic sea ice declines in summer 2007, 2012 and 2016. Arctic dipole formation has been associated with all three heatwaves of 2007, 2012 and 2016 in the Canadian Arctic. Here, the differences in weather patterns are investigated and compared with normal climatological mean (1981–2010) structures. This study examines the high-resolution datasets from the North American Regional Reanalysis model. During the study periods, the north of Alaska has been affected by the low-pressure tongue. The maximum difference between Greenland high-pressure centre and Alaska low-pressure tongue for the summers of 2012, 2016 and 2007 are 8 hPa, 7 hPa and 6 hPa, respectively, corresponding and matching to the maximum summer surface Canadian Arctic temperature records. During anomalous summer heatwaves, low-level wind, temperatures, total clouds (%) and downward radiation flux at the surface are dramatically changed. This study shows the surface albedo has been reduced over most parts of the Canadian Arctic Ocean during the mentioned heatwaves (∼5–40%), with a higher change (specifically in the eastern Canadian Arctic region) during summer 2012 in comparison with summer 2016 and summer 2007, agreeing with the maximum surface temperature and sea ice decline records.
Filtration analysis and fouling mechanisms of PVDF membrane for POME treatment
Authors: Ahmad Mohd Azwan , Zainal Bidattul Syirat , Jamadon Nashrah Hani , Yaw Thomas Choong Shean , Abdullah Luqman Chuah 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
Palm oil mill effluent (POME) is a hazardous wastewater which contains high organic constituents and salt concentrations. The ultrafiltration (UF) process is a promising treatment design used for secondary treatment such as POME. However, membrane fouling is the major problem which limits the performance of the UF. This paper describes a detailed investigation of polyvinylidiene fluoride (PVDF) membrane for the treatment of POME. The fouling behavior was analyzed by water flux, fouling mechanism, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), particle size distribution (PSD) and Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX). It was found that a significant reduction in the permeate flux was caused by the build up of a fouling layer. Study on the fouling mechanism shows that cake filtration dominated the fouling activities on the membrane surface, compared to standard blocking, intermediate blocking, and complete blocking. This result is supported by membrane autopsy through SEM, PSD and EDX.
Data-driven runoff forecasting for Minjiang River: a case study
Authors: Wu Yuqiang , Wang Qinhui , Li Ge , Li Jidong 
Published: June 2020

AbstractLong-term runoff forecasting has the characteristics of a long forecast period, which can be widely applied in environmental protection, hydropower operation, flood prevention and waterlogging management, water transport management, and optimal allocation of water resources. Many models and methods are currently used for runoff prediction, and data-driven models for runoff prediction are now mainstream methods, but their prediction accuracy cannot meet the needs of production departments. To this end, the present research starts with this method and, based on a support vector machine (SVM), it introduces ant colony optimization (ACO) to optimize its penalty coefficient C, Kernel function parameter g, and insensitivity coefficient p, to construct a data-driven ACO-SVM model. The validity of the method is confirmed by taking the Minjiang River Basin as an example. The results show that the runoff predicted by use of ACO-SVM is more accurate than that of the default parameter SVM and the Bayesian method.
Sequential ‘acid leaching–anion exchange–aerobic composting’ process for recycle of municipal sludge
Authors: Wang Qing , Jin Wenbiao , Zhou Xu , Liang Shuang , Tu Renjie , Han Song-fang , Feng Xiaochi , Che Lin , He Zhongqi , Ding Wanqing 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
Municipal sludge disposal and recycle has become a prominent research theme. In this study, a sequential process for integral treatment of municipal sludge was primarily presented, combining acid leaching, anion exchange and aerobic composting. The aim of the process was to remove chromium (Cr) from the sludge and reuse the sludge as manure. Firstly, Cr was removed from municipal sludge via the acid leaching process; the removal rate was up to 57.43%. Then, ion exchange resin was used to remove Cr from leachate; the removal rate reached 95%. Aluminum sheet was used to replace the Cr from eluent; the replacement rate was 63.3%. The aerobic composting process could be successfully warmed up to above 55 °C and lasted for 4 days; the seed germination index reached 68.3%. After the composting process, the residual Cr in sludge mainly existed at a more stable residual state and organic binding state. Overall, this novel sequential process serves as a potential high-efficiency, green, low-energy way for municipal sludge recycle.
Application of Intelligent Computer-Assisted Taylor 3D External Fixation in the Treatment of Tibiofibular Fracture: Retrospective Case Study
Authors: Sheng Hongfeng , Xu Weixing , Xu Bin , Song Hongpu , Lu Di , Ding Weiguo , Mildredl Henry 
Published: June 2020

Background
With the development of modern society, severe and complex tibial fractures caused by high-energy injuries such as traffic accidents have gradually increased. At present, the commonly used methods for the treatment of tibial fractures include plate fixation, intramedullary nail fixation, and external fixation. Most of these fractures are open wounds with severe soft tissue injury and wound contamination, and some involve bone defects, which makes internal fixation treatment difficult.

Objective
This study aims to explore the use of intelligent computer-assisted Taylor 3D external fixation for the treatment of tibiofibular fractures.

Methods
In total, 70 patients were included and divided into the Taylor 3D external fixation (TSF) group (28 patients with severe tibial fractures treated with TSF) and the internal fixation group (42 patients with complicated tibiofibular fractures treated by internal fixation). After the treatment, the follow-up evaluation of TSF for the treatment of tibiofibular fractures noted the incidence of complications, as well as the efficacy and occurrence of internal fixation for the treatment of tibial fractures in our hospital.

Results
The results showed that TSF was superior to orthopedics in the treatment of tibiofibular fractures in terms of efficacy and complications.

Conclusions
TSF for the treatment of tibiofibular fractures is more effective than internal fixation and the incidence of complications is low. This is a new technology for the treatment of tibiofibular fractures that is worthy of clinical promotion.