bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Knowledge and Attitude towards 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Among Health Care Workers in Tripoli, Libya
Authors: Atia Ahmed , Abdo Mohammed 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
The rising incidence of COVID-19 continues to cause distress, worry, and fear amongst the public, mostly for healthcare workers, as they are the most vulnerable individuals at risk of contracting this new SARS-CoV-2 outbreak. This study measured levels of knowledge and attitude regarding COVID-19 among health care workers in Libya. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among healthcare workers in Libya between April 22 and June 16, 2020 using online pre-validate questionnaire. We obtained 272 valid participants from 28.7% nurses, 25.3% physicians, 34.2% pharmacists, and 11.8% other health care workers. The majority of respondents (54.4%) were from the western part of Libya, and most of participants (41.2%) used international health websites as a source of information. Most of the participants (89.3%) perceived that they had adequate knowledge about COVID-19, and (95.6%) of respondents affirmed that COVID-19 can be life-threatening disease. All participants agreed that the transmission of COVID-19 can be prevented by using standard and isolation precautions given by the health care authorities. In addition, most participants had good attitude toward the adequate information about COVID-19 in Libyan society. Readiness for the pandemic were low among government institutions as spotted from this study. Therefore, an effective educational training program should be implemented to ensure maintenance of appropriate practices during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The effectiveness and cost effectiveness of a hospital avoidance program in a residential aged care facility: a prospective cohort study and modelled decision analysis
Authors: Carter Hannah , Lee Xing J. , Dwyer Trudy , O’Neill Barbara , Jeffrey Dee , Doran Chris , Parkinson Lynne , Osborne Sonya , Reid-Searl Kerry , Graves Nicholas 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
Background: Residential aged care facility residents experience high rates of hospital admissions which are stressful, costly and often preventable. The EDDIE program is a hospital avoidance initiative designed to enable nursing and care staff to detect, refer and quickly respond to early signals of a deteriorating resident. The program was implemented in a 96-bed residential aged care facility in regional Australia. Methods: A prospective pre-post cohort study design was used to collect data on costs of program delivery, hospital admission rates and length of stay for the 12 months prior to, and following, the intervention. A Markov decision model was developed to synthesize study data with published literature in order to estimate the cost-effectiveness of the program. Quality adjusted life years (QALYs) were adopted as the measure of effectiveness. Results: The EDDIE program was associated with a 19% reduction in annual hospital admissions and a 31% reduction in the average length of stay. The cost-effectiveness analysis found the program to be both more effective and less costly than usual care, with 0.06 QALYs gained and $249,000 health system costs saved in a modelled cohort of 96 residents. A probabilistic sensitivity analysis estimated that there was an 86% probability that the program was cost-effective after taking the uncertainty of the model inputs into account. Conclusions: This study provides promising evidence for the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a nurse led, early intervention program in preventing unnecessary hospital admissions within a residential aged care facility. Further research in multi-site randomised studies is needed to confirm the generalisability of these results.
Dysphagia and Masticatory Performance as a Mediator of the Xerostomia to Quality of Life Relation in the Older Population
Authors: Lu Ting-Yu , Chen Jen-Hao , Du Je-Kan , Lin Ying-Chun , Ho Pei-Shan , Lee Chien-Hung , Hu Chih-yang , Huang Hsiao-Ling 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
Background: The impact of poor oral health on older adults’ quality of life is a public health problem. In this study, the mediating effects of dental status, occlusal condition, dysphagia, and masticatory performance on the association between xerostomia and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) were assessed in the older adult population. Methods: Stratified cluster sampling was used to recruit 1076 community-dwelling adults aged 65 years and older from Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Community care centers were randomly selected according to their geographic classifications (urban, rural, or mountainous areas). Assessments of dental status and occlusal condition were performed by dentists. Information on demographics, physical function, xerostomia, dysphagia and depression was collected through face-to-face interviews. Masticatory performance was evaluated using color-changeable chewing gum. OHRQoL was measured using the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index. Hierarchical regression models were used to assess the relationships between OHRQoL and physical function, dental status and oral function in older adults. Path analysis was used to estimate direct and indirect pathways between xerostomia and OHRQoL.Results: Participants with xerostomia exhibited a 0.20 OHRQoL reduction (p < .001) compared with patients with no xerostomia, and the direct effect accounted for 83.3% of the total effect. Dysphagia and masticatory performance were found to exert significant mediating effects on the association between xerostomia and OHRQoL (βs = 0.20 and −0.12, respectively; both p < .001; βs = 0.06 and −0.09, respectively; both p < .05). Moreover, potential mediating effects of the number of functional teeth (βs = −0.11 and −0.43, respectively; both p < .001) and occlusal condition (βs = 0.09 and 0.13, respectively; both p < .05) on the relationship between xerostomia and masticatory performance were noted.Conclusions: Dysphagia and masticatory performance may serve as pathways through which xerostomia affects quality of life. Early oral function intervention may be a valuable and actionable target for older adults to maintain quality of life. Our results further suggest that checkup and screening for oral dysfunction are essential to prevent or delay the onset of complications.
Progesterone levels predict pregnancy outcome in individuals with fallopian tube associated infertility
Authors: BO Wenjia , Zhang Ning 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
Background: To investigate the predictive value of human chorionic gonadotropin and progesterone levels on pregnancy outcomes in patients receiving in vitro fertilization due to simple fallopian tube factors. METHODS:We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 854 cycles from the simple fallopian tube factor in vitro fertilization fresh embryo transfer. The clinical data of 854 cycles from January 2010 to December 2018 was divided into 7 groups according to the progesterone level on human chrionic gonadotropin day. Live birth rates and observe trends were calculated. The receiver operating characteristic curve was established to determine the optimal cutoff value for progesterone, which was used to further divide the data into 3 groups: Group 1 (progesterone ≦ 1.0 ng/ml), Group 2 (1.0 ng/ml ≤ progesterone ≤ 1.25 ng/ml), and Group 3 (progesterone≥1.25ng/ml). We then compared the ovulation results and clinical outcomes between the 3 groups. RESULTS There were no significant differences in age, infertility years, Gonadotropin dosage, Gonadotropin days, Luteinizing hormone level on human chrionic gonadotropinday, 2pronuclear fertilization rate, clinical pregnancy rate, live birth rates, full-term birth rate, and preterm birth rate among the three groups, but body mass index(P = 0.001), basal luteinizing hormone (P = 0.034), estrogen peak (P ＜0.001), number of oocytes obtained (P＜0.001) were significantly different. CONCLUSION The level of progesterone on human chrionic gonadotropin day does not affect the clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rates after in vitro fertilization. However, progesterone levels between 1.0-1.25ng/ml may lead to good clinical pregnancy outcomes.
Identification of dysregulated long noncoding RNA and associated mechanism in gastric cancer
Authors: Shao Liang , Ming Yanan , Zhou Zhaoming 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
BackgroundsGastric cancer (GC) is one of the most malignant epithelial tumors. The incidence of GC varies worldwide, and nearly half of the cases occur in Asian countries, especially in Japan and China. GC is the 3rd leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the world, and current prognosis of advanced GC remains dismal despite improvements in diagnosis and therapy. Our current study aimed to identify significant long noncoding RNAs with the prognostic potential and preliminarily to investigate the underlying mechanisms the identified long noncoding RNAs.MethodsWe retrieved articles reporting human LncRNA microarray in GC patients and pooled eligible studies for meta-analysis. GEO2R and Qigen’s IPA analysis was utilized for searching potential interacted molecules with differentially expressed LncRNA in GC. The expression of eligible LncRNA and molecules in GC were validated in public GC dataset by GEPIA website. And Kaplan Meier plots was employed to analyze the correlation between target molecules and prognosis of GC.ResultsThis study identified a variety of reports to investigate the expression of lncRNAs in GC development using high-throughput lncRNA detection. Eight of them were further verified with significant expression in GC tissues by using Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA). Next, the molecular interactions with eight lncRNAs were further identified by using Qiagen’s IPA system. Simultaneously, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of GC were also identified via the GEO2R online tool and datasets (GSE54129, GSE19826, and GSE79973). Finally, through Venn diagram analysis, our study found that IGF2BP3 and FOLR1 have strong relationship with lncRNAs H19 and PVT1 respectively in the background of stomach cancer. The expression of IGF2BP3 and FOLR1 in GC was further revealed to be correlate to a worsening prognosis for GC patients by Kaplan Meier plots. IGF2BP3 promotes the expression of H19 and PEG10, the down-regulation of which might improve the GC prognosis. FOLR1 is a crucial component of cell metabolism and DNA synthesis/repair required for cancer cell division. Currently, there is no evidence to report IGF2BP3 and FOLR1 to correlate to GC prognosis.ConclusionIn summary, using an integrated bioinformatic approach we identified eight lncRNAs with prognostic potential in GC patients and further revealed two axes - H19-IGF2BP3 and PVT1-FOLR1 – that might interpret the underlying mechanism involving in prognosis of GC and provide new insights into the etiology and management of GC patients.
Screening of Graves' Disease Susceptibility Genes by Whole Exome Sequencing in a Three-generation Family
Authors: Hu Zhuoqing , Li Wei , Li Miaosheng , Wei Hao , Hu Zhihui , Chen Yanting , Luo Ai , Li Wangen 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
Background: Graves’ disease(GD) has a tendency for familial aggregation, but it is uncommon to occur in more than two generations. However, little is known about susceptibility genes for GD in the three-generation family.Methods: DNA were extracted from three-generation familial GD patient with a strong genetic background in a Chinese Han population. The Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) was utilized to screen the genome for SNVs associated with GD and the Sanger Sequencing was used to confirm the potential disease-causing genes.Results: In the case study, there were five patients with Graves’ disease(GD) from a three-generation family. The SNVs of MAP7D2(c. 452C>T: p. A151V), SLC1A7(c. 1204C>T: p. R402C), TRAF3IP3(c. 209A>T: p. N70I), PTPRB(c. 3472A>G: p. S1158G), PIK3R3(c. 121C>T: p. P41S), DISC1(c. 1591G>C: p. G531R) were found to be associated with the familial GD and the Sanger sequencing had confirmed these variations. Furthermore, PolyPhen-2 score showed that the variants in TRAF3IP3, PTPRB, PIK3R3 are more likely to change protein functions.Conclusion: The MAP7D2, SLC1A7, TRAF3IP3, PTPRB, PIK3R3, DISC1 may be the candidate susceptibility genes for familial GD from a three generations family.
High Anemia Prevalence in Korean Older Adults, an Advent Healthcare Problem: 2007-2016 KNHANES
Authors: Chueh Hee won , Jung Hye Lim , Shim Ye Jee , Choi Hyoung Soo , Han Jin Yeong 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
BACKGROUND: Anemia is associated with high morbidity and mortality in older people. However, the prevalence and characteristics of anemia in older individuals are not fully understood, and national data on these aspects in older Korean adults are lacking. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and characteristics of anemia in older adults using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES), which is a nationwide cross-sectional epidemiological study conducted by the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare.METHODS: Data from a total of 62,825 participants of the 2007-2016 KNHANES were compiled and analyzed to investigate differences in participant characteristics and potential risk factors for anemia. Differences in clinical characteristics of participants were compared across subgroups using the chi-square test for categorical variables and independent t-test for continuous variables. Univariate and multivariate analyses using logistic regression were performed to identify related clinical factors.RESULTS: The prevalence of anemia was higher in the population aged ≥ 65 years than in the younger population. Anemia was also more prevalent among females than among males, but this difference was not significant in people aged >85 years. Being underweight, receiving a social allowance, living alone, and having comorbidities such as hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes mellitus (DM), cancer, and chronic renal failure (CRF) were more common among older adults with anemia than among the population without anemia. In univariate and multivariate analyses, older age, female sex, underweight, and presence of comorbidities including rheumatoid arthritis, DM, cancer, and CRF were associated with an increased risk of anemia. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that age, female sex, underweight, and the presence of comorbidities such as rheumatoid arthritis, DM, cancer, and CRF were associated with an increased risk of anemia in older Korean adults. Further study on causal relationships between anemia and other variables in the older population is necessary.
Mild behavioral impairment is related to frailty in non-dementia older adults: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Fan Shaoyi , Liang Ximin , Yun Tianchan , Pei Zhong , Hu Bin , Ismail Zahinoor , Yang Zhimin , Xu Fuping 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
Background: Frailty and cognitive decline are highly prevalent among older adults. However, the relationship between frailty and mild behavioral impairment (MBI), a dementia risk syndrome characterized by later-life emergence of persistent neuropsychiatric symptoms, has yet to be elucidated. We aimed to evaluate the associations between MBI and frailty in older adults without dementia.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a consecutive series of 137 older adults without dementia in the Anti-Aging Study, recruited from primary care clinics, were enrolled. Frailty was estimated using the Fried phenotype. MBI was evaluated by the Mild Behavioral Impairment Checklist (MBI-C) at a cut-off point of >8. Cognition was assessed with the Chinese versions of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-BC) and Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE). Multivariable logistic regression was performed to estimate the relationship between MBI and objective cognition with frailty status.Results: At baseline, 30.7% of the older adults had frailty and 18.2% had MBI (MBI+ status). Multivariable logistic regression analysis demonstrated that compared to those without MBI (MBI- status), MBI+ was more likely to have frailty (odds ratio [OR] = 7.44, 95% CI = 1.49-37.21, p = 0.02). Frailty and MBI were both significantly associated with both MMSE and MoCA-BC score (p<0.05).Conclusions: Both frailty and MBI status were associated with higher odds of cognitive impairment. MBI was significantly associated with an increased risk of having frailty in the absence of dementia. This association merits further study to identify potential strategies for the early detection, prevention and therapeutic intervention of frailty.
Variations in haematological and biochemical parameters in healthy ponies
Authors: Olga Witkowska-Piłaszewicz , Cywinska Anna , Katarzyna Michlik-Połczyńska , Michal Czopowicz , Katarzyna Strzelec , Anna Biazik , Marta Parzeniecka-Jaworska , Mark Crisman , Lucjan Witkowski 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
Background: Breed specific reference ranges for selected blood parameters are recommended for proper interpretation of blood tests, but there are only few reports dealing with ponies. The purpose of this study was to investigate if blood parameters differ among ponies’ classes and to check if general normal values for equine species are applicable to ponies.Results: All, except total protein concentration, biochemical parameter significantly (p<0.05) differed among ponies’ classes. The most pronounced difference was noted in blood lactate concentrations, higher (p<0.001) in the smallest ponies (class A). In all groups of ponies muscle enzymes (aspartate aminotransferase and creatine kinase) and urea were high when compared to normal values for equine species, but triglycerides and creatinine were low. Blood lactate concentration was high in comparison with normal values for horses only in class A ponies’.Conclusions: In healthy ponies, blood lactate concentration significantly differs between height classes. Normal values for equine species should not be directly applied to interpret the lactate, triglycerides, aspartate aminotransferase and creatine kinase values in ponies.
Noise-Robust Range Alignment Method for Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar Based on Aperture Segmentation and Average Range Profile Correlation
Authors: Lu Yue , Yang Jian , Zhang Yue , Xu Shiyou 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
Range alignment is an essential procedure in the translation motion compensation of inverse synthetic aperture radar imaging. Global optimization or maximum-correlation-based algorithms have been used to realize range alignment. However, it is still challenging to achieve range alignment in low signal-to-noise ratio scenarios, which are common in inverse synthetic aperture radar imaging. In this paper, a novelanti-noise range alignment approach is proposed. In this new method, the target motion is modelled as a uniformly accelerated motion during a short sub-aperture time. Minimum entropy optimization is implemented to estimate the motion parameters in each sub-aperture. These estimated parameters can be used to align the profiles of the current sub-aperture. Once the range profiles of eachsub-aperture are aligned, the non-coherent accumulation gain is obtained by averaging all profiles in each sub-aperture, which can be used as valuable information. The accumulation and correlation method is applied to align the average range profiles of each sub-aperture because the former step focuses mainly on alignment within the sub-apertures. Experimental results based on simulated and real measured data demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm in low signal-to-noise ratio scenarios.
Anti-tumor effect of miR-1291 in colorectal cancer
Authors: Wang Jiaqi , Hirose Haruka , Yokoyama Yuhki , Shimomura Yuki , Ikeshima Ryo , Tsujimura Naoto , Bonkobara Saki , Takeda Koki , Hata Tsuyoshi , Inoue Akira , Hiraki Masayuki , Ohtsuka Masahisa , Nishida Naohiro , Takahashi Hidekazu , Haraguchi Naotsugu , Tanaka Shinji , Wu Xin , Tanaka Susumu , Mori Masaki , Yamamoto Hirofumi 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
Background: MiR-1291 has an anti-tumor effect in carcinoma of kidney, esophagus, pancreas, and prostate. However, it’s role in colorectal cancer (CRC) has not been elucidated.Methods: In this study, we explored the effect of miR-1291 in CRC cells (HCT116, DLD-1, and HT29) in vitro, and performed a tumor growth inhibitory assay in a mouse therapeutic model using DLD-1 cells. Flow cytometric analysis and Western blotting were performed to examine a role of miR-1291 in cell cycle regulation. We performed luciferase reporter assay to verify the interaction between DCLK1 and miR-1291 in HCT116 cells. Cancer stemness was evaluated by identifying the expression of BMI1 and CD133, as well as performing sphere formation assay. Results: We found that miR-1291 significantly suppressed the proliferation, invasion, cell mobility, and colony formation capability of CRC cell lines. MiR-1291 caused altered expression of the cell cycle-regulatory proteins, representatively CDK inhibitors p21WAF1/CIP1 and p27KIP1 or CDK4. Moreover, intravenous administration of miR-1291 loaded on the super carbonate apatite delivery system significantly inhibited a tumor growth in the DLD-1 xenograft mouse model. A luciferase reporter assay showed that miR-1291 directly bound the 3’ UTR sequence of DCLK1 and suppressed its expression at both the mRNA and protein levels in HCT116 expressing the DCLK1 protein. In addition, miR-1291 suppressed cancer stem cell (CSC) markers BMI1 and CD133 as well as sphere formation ability in HCT116 cells. Conclusions: Taken together, these findings indicate that miR-1291 has an anti-tumor effect by modulating multiple functions, including cell cycle, invasiveness, and cancer stemness. Our data suggest that miR-1291 could be a promising nucleic acid medicine against CRC.