bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Exploring Adaptations and Successful Implementation of Traditional Healers as Adherence Partners for People Living with HIV in Rural Mozambique: A Qualitative Assessment
Authors: Audet Carolyn M , Pettapiece-Phillips Mariah , Salato Jose 
Published: August 2020

Abstract
Background: Implementing evidence-based interventions to improve adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is essential to controlling the HIV epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa. Evidence-based community health worker interventions address barriers to medication retention by shifting the task from overburdened health facilities and emphasizing a more patient-centered approach in a comfortable location. Methods: We employed traditional healers to implement an evidence-based community health worker program for people living with HIV (PLHIV) in rural Mozambique. Participants received support services for 2 months after their first positive test. Healers were trained to provide counseling, HIV education, support with disclosure, and advocacy at the health unit. We interviewed 23 PLHIV and conducted focus groups with 19 traditional healers to explore implementation fidelity and identify unplanned adaptations made during the program. Results: Healers and PLHIV report counseling, HIV education sessions, and support with disclosure were largely delivered with fidelity. Due to the extreme poverty in the region, healers reported the need to add additional messages to support people who needed to take medication but had no food to mitigate the side effects. Patient advocacy at the health center proved difficult to implement. Negative attitudes towards PLHIV and traditional healers led to participants reporting extremely poor treatment by health care providers; the lack of respect made it difficult for healers to assist PLHIV with issues like long wait times, lost patient identification cards, or enduring medication side effects. Healers adopted directly observed therapy as an unplanned strategy to support non-adherent PLHIV.Conclusion: Given low levels of literacy and substantially different views on disease causation, healers delivered most core components of the intervention with fidelity. Healers attempted to implement the patient advocacy component but resistance from health care providers proved challenging. Future efforts will need to develop more effective strategies to overcome negative healer-clinician dynamic. Clinical Trials Registry: Name of the registry: Traditional Healers as Adherence Partners for Persons Living with HIV in Rural Mozambique (PLHIV). Trial registration number: NCT03076359. Date of registration: 3/6/2017, retrospectively registered. URL of trial registry record: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03076359?cond=Hiv&cntry=MZ&draw=2&rank=7
Application of Modified Green Algae Nannochloropsis sp. as Adsorbent in the Sequential Adsorption of Methylene Blue and Cu(II) Cations in Solution
Authors: Buhani  , Wijayanti Tri Agus , Suharso  , Sumadi  
Published: August 2020

Abstract
Biomass of algae is a very potent adsorbent for absorbing liquid waste containing heavy metals and organic dyes. This study purposes to confirm the ability of adsorbents from green algae Nannochloropsis sp. modified with silica (ASN) and followed by coating magnetite particles (ASN-MPs) to absorb simultaneously the mixture of methylene blue (ME) and Cu(II) cations in aqueous solution. Simultaneous sorption of ME and Cu(II) cations to ASN and ASN-MPs was carried out by the Batch method with the interaction pH condition 7, contact time (15–120 minutes), and initial concentrations of ME and Cu(II) cations (0.1–1.0 mmol·L− 1). The simultaneous sorption parameters of ME and Cu(II) cations by ASN-MPs trend to comply the pseudo-second-order kinetics model by rate constant values for pseudo-second-order (k2), respectively 8.98 × 10− 3 and 9.78 × 10− 3 (g·mmol− 1·min− 1). The ME adsorption pattern and Cu(II) cations in the competition on ASN-MPs adsorbents, each tends to follow the Freundlich and Langmuir adsorption isotherms. Based on adsorption data, Cu(II) cations have a greater adsorption rate and capacity (qexp) compared to ME at the same contact time and initial concentration. Modified adsorbent from algae Nannochloropsis sp. with silica matrix and magnetite particle coating, is an adsorbent that has a high effectiveness in the collective sorption of ME and Cu(II) cations. Therefore, these adsorbents can be used for the adsorption of cation mixtures of heavy metals and organic dyes that are cationic in solution.
Unmet Healthcare Needs of Elderly in Iran: A Case Study
Authors: Piroozi Bakhtiar , Abdullah Farman Zahir , Bolbanabad Amjad Mohamadi , Amerzadeh Mohammad , Rezaei Satar , Moradi Ghobad , Bidarpour Farzam , Afkhamzadeh Abdorrahim , Gholami Jamshid 
Published: August 2020

Abstract
Background: The aim of this study is to investigate the status of perceiving need, seeking behavior and utilization of health services in the elderly population of Sanandaj (west of Iran).Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted on 800 elderly people in Sanandaj. Subjects were selected using multistage sampling and data were collected using self-report questionnaires. A multivariate logistic model with odds ratios (ORs) was used to determine the relationship of independent variables with seeking perceived need. Also, Concentration Index was used to measure the inequality in using health services. Results: The perceived need for outpatient (during the last 30 days) and inpatient healthcare (during the last 12 months) were 69.7% and 29.7%, respectively. Among them unmet need for outpatients and inpatients healthcare was 46.6% and 17%, respectively. Having health insurance (adjusted OR 12.08; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.04-140.11), middle economic status (adjusted OR 5.18; 95% CI 1.30-20.51), and age group between 65-70 years (adjusted OR 7.60; CI 1.42-40.61) increased the chances of seeking inpatient care and age group between 60-65(adjusted OR 0.41; 95% CI 0.18-0.95)reduced the chances of seeking outpatient care. There was also inequality in using outpatient health services, concentrated in the Rich population.Conclusion: The elderly population suffers from unmet healthcare needs, especially in outpatient services. The most important reason for not seeking outpatient services was financial barriers and for inpatient services was self-medication. So, designing targeted policies and interventions to address barriers in conversion of need to demand in the elderly population is essential.
Cross Sectional Survey of Pakistani Muslims Coping Health Anxiety through Religiosity during COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Mahmood Qaisar Khalid , Sohail Malik Muhammad , Akram Muhammad Babar 
Published: August 2020

Abstract
This study aims to investigate the role of religiosity in coping with health anxiety during the outbreak of COVID-19, a deadliest pandemic of century which is still affecting billions of lives globally. Using online survey method, the researchers collected the data from 408 Pakistani Muslim respondents. Health anxiety and religious coping were measured through seven items Likert scales. Psychometric analysis showed that both scales, health anxiety (Cronbach’s alpha ά=.87, composite reliability CR=.869) and religious coping (Cronbach’s alpha ά=.893, composite reliability CR=.888), showed good internal consistency. Path analysis, structural equational modeling performed, was performed. All the fit indices (GFI=.932, CFI=.954, TLI=.941, RMSEA=.073 & RMR=.035) were within acceptable limit. The regression results indicated that those who were suffering with health anxiety opted religious coping (β=.54, R2=.29, p<.001). These findings can be helpful for psychiatrists, physicians and researchers to understand psychological complications pertaining infectious diseases.
Construction of a Genetic Map by Resequencing and Specific Locus Amplified Fragment sequencing (SLAF-seq) for QTL fine mapping of plant height in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)
Authors: Qiao Wenqing , Yan Gentu , Wang Ning , Huang Qun 
Published: August 2020

Abstract
Background: Gossypium hirsutum (upland cotton), the most widely cultivated cotton species in the world, is an important raw material for the textile industry. Using high-throughput sequencing to construct high-density genetic maps can be widely used in quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping and molecular marker-assisted breeding.Results: In this study, an F2 population was used to construct a genetic map by parental resequencing and progeny SLAF-seq. The F2 population consisted of Gossypium hirsutum L. cultivars: CCRI 49 and 396289. The genetic map contained 4,607 single nucleotide polymorphisms markers, which overlapped a total length of 3,063.4 cM with an average genetic distance of 0.898 cM between adjacent markers. A high-density genetic map was used to map the QTLs of plant height in four environments. 16 QTLs were obtained, which could explain 2.07%–19.04% of the phenotypic variation. A total of 1,028 candidate genes were identified in the confidence interval and were categorized according to function through cluster of orthologous groups analysis, gene ntology analysis, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis. Within the QTLs confidence interval, the D05 chromosome(ChrD05) was finely mapped using Mutmap-like strategy, and the reliability was validated by qRT-PCR of 18 candidate genes . Finally, we obtained 14 candidate genes that are most likely to be related to plant height.Conclusions: This study provides a successful application of parental sequencing and progeny SLAF-seq strategy in the genetic map of upland cotton in an F2 population. This study provides theoretical support for molecular marker-assisted breeding and plant height-heterosis in upland cotton and provides a fine mapping scheme for QTLs. In addition, the combination of multiple analytical methods also provided a solution for QTL fine mapping.
Design and Experimental Investigation of a Novel Spiral Microfluidic Chip to Separate Wide Size Range of Micro-Particles
Authors: Tabatabaei Seyed Ali , Zabetian Mohammad 
Published: August 2020

Abstract
Isolation of microparticles and biological cells on microfluidic chips has received considerable attention due to their applications in numerous areas such as medical and engineering fields. Microparticles separation are of great importance in bioassays owing to the need for a smaller sample and device size, and lower manufacturing costs. In this study, we first explain the concepts of separation and microfluidic science along with their applications in the medical sciences, and then, a conceptual design of a novel inertial microfluidic system is proposed and analyzed. The PDMS spiral microfluidic device was fabricated, and its effects on the separation of particles with sizes similar to biological particles were experimentally analyzed. This separation technique can be used in the process of separating cancer cells from the normal ones in the blood samples. These components required for testing were selected, assembled, and finally, a very affordable microfluidic kit was provided. Different experiments were designed, and the results were analyzed using appropriate software and methods. Separator system tests with polydisperse hollow glass particles (diameter 2–20 µm), and monodisperse Polystyrene particles (diameter 5,15 µm), and the results exhibit an acceptable chip performance with 86 percent of efficiency for both monodisperse particles and polydisperse particles. The microchannel collects particles with an average diameter of 15.8 µm, 9.4 µm, and 5.9 µm at the Proposed reservoirs. This chip can be integrated into a more extensive point-of-care diagnostic system to test blood samples.
Evolutionary processes involved in the emergence and expansion of an atypical O. sativa group in Madagascar.
Authors: Ahmadi Nourollah , Ramanantsoanirina Alain , Santos João D. , Frouin Julien , Radanielina Tendro 
Published: August 2020

Abstract
Understanding crops genetic diversity and the evolutionary processes that accompanied their world-wide spread is useful for designing effective breeding strategies. Madagascar Island was one of the last major Old World areas where human settlement was accompanied by the introduction of Oryza sativa. Early studies had reported the presence in the island of a rice group specific to Madagascar. Using 24K SNP, we compared diversity patterns at the whole genome and at haplotypes (30 SNP-long segments along the genome) levels, between 620 Malagasy and 1,929 Asian rice accessions. The haplotypes level analysis aimed at identifying local genotypic variations, relative to the whole genome level, using a group assignment method that relies on kernel density estimation in a Principal Component Analysis feature space. Migration bottleneck had resulted in 10–25% reduction of diversity among the Malagasy representatives of indica (G1) and japonica (G6) populations. Compared to their Asian counterpart, G1 and G6 showed slightly lower indica and japonica introgressions, suggesting the latter population had undergone less recombinations when migration to the island occurred. The origins of G1 and G6 was delineated to XI-2 indica subpopulation from the Indian subcontinent and to tropical japonica from the Malay Archipelago, respectively. The Malagasy-specific group (Gm) had a rather high gene diversity and an original haplotype pattern: much lower share of indica haplotypes, and much higher share of Aus and japonica haplotypes than G1 and indica. Its emergence and expansion are most probably due to inter-group recombination facilitated by sympatry between indica-cAus admixes and “Bulu” type landraces of G6 in the highlands of Madagascar, and to human selection for adaptation to the lowland ecosystems of the highlands. Pattern of rice genetic diversity was also tightly associated with the history of human settlement in the island. Emergence of the Gm group is associated with the latest arrivals of Austronesians, who founded the Merina kingdom in the central highlands and developed lowland rice cultivation. As an intermediary form between Aus, indica and japonica, the three pillars of O. sativa domestication, Gm represents a very valuable genetic resource in breeding for adaptation to cold tolerance in tropical highlands.
A Unified Framework to Integrate SPECT Perfusion Imaging with Dose-volume Metrics for Estimation of Radiation Pneumonitis
Authors: Li Peihan , Li Xinyi , Dai Liyan , Zheng Xiujuan , Wang Xiuying , Huang Qiu , Ma Xiumei 
Published: August 2020

Abstract
Background: Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) images provides functional information in both diagnosis and radiation therapy. This study aimed to evaluate a unified framework of different approaches and find the optimal one in integrating SPECT lung perfusion imaging into radiotherapy to estimate radiation pneumonitis.Methods: Twenty-five patients with thoracic tumors were included in this study. All patients had SPECT perfusion imaging before radiotherapeutic treatment. The SPECT images were registered to the planning computed tomography (CT) via a rigid-body transformation. Then a unified framework was presented to integrate functional information with anatomical information to generate functional dose-volume parameters. The framework contained different mapping approaches using uniform, thresholding, linear or non-linear functions. To compare the different approaches in the unified framework, the ability of predicting lung toxicity outcome was evaluated via the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.Results: Functional dose-volume metrics defined using the linear function achieves the highest value of area under the curve (AUC), compared to those defined with the other three types of mapping functions. With the linear mapping function, significant factors for predicting radiation pneumonia (p < 0.05) includes the functional mean lung dose (fMLD) with the threshold of 50-100% and lung volume receiving more than 30 Gy dose (fV_30) with the threshold of 60-100%, among which fMLD showed the highest prediction accuracy (AUC=0.772, threshold=50-100%). Conclusions: We proposed a framework of functional dose-volume metrics to predict the outcome of radiation pneumonitis. The metrics using the linear function outperform the others.
Validation of the BATT score for prehospital risk stratification of traumatic haemorrhagic death: Usefulness for tranexamic acid treatment criteria.
Authors: Ageron Francois-Xavier , Coats Timothy J , Darioli Vincent , Roberts Ian 
Published: August 2020

Abstract
Background: Tranexamic acid reduces surgical blood loss and reduces deaths from bleeding in trauma patients. Tranexamic acid must be given urgently, preferably by paramedics at the scene of the injury or in the ambulance. We developed a simple score (Bleeding Audit Triage Trauma score) to predict death from bleeding.Methods: We conducted an external validation of the BATT score using data from the UK Trauma Audit Research Network (TARN) from 1st January 2017 to 31st December 2018. We evaluated the impact of tranexamic acid treatment thresholds in trauma patients.Results: We included 104,862 trauma patients with an injury severity score of 9 or above. Tranexamic acid was administered to 9,915 (9%) patients. Of these 5,185 (52%) received prehospital tranexamic acid. The BATT score had good accuracy (Brier score=6%) and good discrimination (C-statistic 0.90; 95% CI 0.89-0.91). Calibration in the large showed no substantial difference between predicted and observed death due to bleeding (1.15% versus 1.16%; P=0.81). Pre-hospital tranexamic acid treatment of trauma patients with a BATT score of 2 or more would avoid 210 bleeding deaths by treating 61,598 patients instead of avoiding 55 deaths by treating 9,915 as currently. Conclusion: The BATT score identifies trauma patient at risk of significant haemorrhage. A score of 2 or more would be an appropriate threshold for pre-hospital tranexamic acid treatment.
Gene Expression Profiling of Orbital Muscles in Treatment-Resistant Ophthalmoplegic Myasthenia Gravis
Authors: Europa Tarin A , Nel Melissa , Heckmann Jeannine M 
Published: August 2020

Abstract
Background: Unbiased in silico approaches applied to genome-wide data prioritized putative functional gene variants associating with treatment-resistant ophthalmoplegic myasthenia gravis (OP-MG). Although altered expression of genes harbouring these variants, or associated pathways, were shown in patient-derived myocyte models, gene expression in orbital-derived muscle was required to test the validity of the predictions. Methods: We sampled orbicularis oculi muscle (OOM) and one paralysed extraocular muscle (EOM) from six individuals with OP-MG during blepharoptosis and re-alignment surgeries, respectively. For controls, the OOMs were sampled from four individuals without myasthenia undergoing surgery for non-muscle causes of ptosis, and one non-paralysed EOM. Using a qPCR array, expression of 120 genes was compared between OP-MG and control OOMs, profiling putative “OP-MG” genes, genes in related biological pathways and genes reported to be dysregulated in MG cases or experimental MG models, and in EOMs of cases with strabismus. Normalization was performed with two stable reference genes. Differential gene expression was compared between OP-MG and control samples using the ΔΔCT method. Co-expression was analysed by pairwise correlation of gene transcripts to infer expression networks. Results: Overall, transcript levels were similar in OOMs and EOMs (p=0.72). In OOMs, significant downregulated expression of eight genes was observed in OP-MG cases compared with controls (>2-fold; p≤0.016), including TFAM, a mitochondrial transcription factor, and genes related to the following pathways: atrophy signalling; muscle regeneration and contraction; glycogen synthesis; and extracellular matrix remodelling. Several microRNAs, known to be highly expressed in EOMs, are predicted to regulate some of these genes. Co-expression analyses of gene-pairs suggested high interconnectedness of gene expression networks in OP-MG muscle, but not controls (r>0.96, p<0.01). Significant inverse directions of gene-pair correlations were noted in OP-MG vs controls OOM networks (r≥0.92, p<0.001) involving most OP-MG genes overlapping prominently with muscle atrophy/contractility and oxidative metabolism genes. Conclusions: The gene expression in orbital muscles derived from OP-MG individuals compared with normal controls, support the pathogenic hypothesis previously generated from whole genome sequence analyses. Repression of gene transcripts in OP-MG orbital muscle implicate tissue-specific regulatory mechanisms, which may inform future biomarker discovery approaches.
Leukemia mortality in children from Latin America: Trends and predictions to 2030
Authors: Torres-Roman J. Smith , Valcarcel Bryan , Guerra-Canchari Pedro , Santos Camila Alves Dos , Barbosa Isabelle Ribeiro , Vecchia Carlo La , McGlynn Katherine A. , de Souza Dyego Leandro Bezerra 
Published: August 2020

Abstract
Background
Reports suggest that Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries have not achieved the downward mortality trends in leukemia seen in other countries. However, updated trends remain largely unknown in the region. Given that leukemia is the leading cause of cancer-related death in LAC children, we aimed to evaluate mortality trends in children (0-14y) from 15 LAC countries for the period 2000–2017 and to predict mortality until 2030.
Methods
We retrieved cancer mortality data through the World Health Organization Mortality Database. Age-standardized (world standard population) rates were computed for LAC countries. Joinpoint regression analysis was used to examine trends in the mortality rates of leukemia and provide an estimated annual percent change (EAPC). Nordpred was utilized for the calculation of predictions until 2030.
Results
Between 2013 and 2017, the highest mortality rates were reported in Venezuela, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Mexico, and Peru. Upward mortality trends were reported in Nicaragua (EAPC by 1.2% in boys, and EAPC by 2.0% in girls), Panama (EAPC by 1.8% in boys, and by 2.7% in girls), and Peru (EAPC by 1.4% in both sexes). Puerto Rico experienced large declines in mortality among both boys (APC by − 9.7%), and girls (EAPC by − 6.0%). Forecasting models predicted that leukemia mortality between 2015 and 2030, will increase in Argentina, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Peru, and Uruguay.
Conclusion
Leukemia mortality is predicted to increase unless efforts are made to intervene. Interventions include addressing the inequities in health care diagnosing cases earlier,, avoiding treatment abandonment, and proper supportive care such as infection control programs will reduce the mortality in a great proportion.