bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Agricultural Land Use and Management Practice Influence on Efflux and Influx of Carbon between Soil and the Atmosphere: A Review
Authors: Hossain M. B. 
Published: June 2020

The objective of this paper is to formulate suitable policies and management practices that can firmly reduce CO2–C (carbon dioxide –carbon) emissions and sequester it in a sustainable way. Land use and management practices can influence both efflux and influx of carbon between soil and the atmosphere. Organic matter dynamics and nutrient cycling in the soil are closely related to nutrient immobilization and mineralization. Unplanned conversion of lands to agricultural production causes a sharp decrease in carbon stored in soil. In the atmosphere, 4.0 Gt C yr-1 is enriched by different sources. Increasing soil organic carbon (SOC) improves soil health and mitigate climate change. Histosol, clayey and fine particle size have good capacity to sequestrate C in soil. Land use pattern controls organic matter status in soil. Crop/grass, forestry/agroforestry, reduced tillage, quality of organic matter, soil biotic - abiotic are the major factors to sequestrate significant C in soil. The application of fertilizers especially nitrogen usually results in an increase in crop growth as well as a corresponding increase in root development takes place for building up active organicmatter in soil. Biochar amendments can impact soil C storage and net CO2 removals from the atmosphere in three different ways such as longer residence time due to resistant to microbial decay, plant productivity and reduce N2O emission. Wetland soil, effective management practices and control deforestation sequestrate 0.2, 2.0 and 1.6 Gt C yr-1, respectively. Based on these information, it is possible to increase 4‰ carbon a year the quantity of carbon contained in soils at 0-40 cm soil depth to halt carbon dioxide enrichment (4.0 Gt C yr-1) in the atmosphere.
The Roles of Hydrogen Peroxide Exposure in the Toxic Aggregation of Alpha-synuclein and Translocation of DNA Methyltransferase-1 in Human Neuroblastoma Cell Model of Parkinson's Disease
Authors: Olorunyomi O. A. , Mafulul S. G. , Jiyil K. M. , Smith D. P. 
Published: June 2020

Background: Oxidative stress has been implicated in neuronal damage in Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, the specific roles of reactive oxygen species such as Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and Iron in the pathogenesis of PD especially, alpha-synuclein (α-Syn) aggregation and translocation of nuclear DNA Methyltransferase-1(Dnmt1), are yet to be fully understood.
Aims: This study investigated and compared the effects of H2O2 and ferrous iron (Fe2+) on α-Syn aggregation and localization of Dnmt1 in human neuroblastoma cells (SH-SY5Y), using a Parkinson’s disease model expressing A53T mutation and wild typed (WT) α-Syn respectively.
Materials and Methods: The study was done using CellTox™ assay, Immunocytochemical and Enzyme-linked immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) methods. Statistical analysis of triplicate data were analysed on Microsoft Excel 2010 and Stats Direct© using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Dunnet comparison tests.
Results: Specifically, 100 µM of H2O2 caused significant reduction of cell viability, translocation of Dnmt1 from nucleus into the cytoplasm and expression of relatively higher amount of α-Syn proteins, compared to 500 µM iron after 24 hours treatment. H2O2 elicited the highest expression of both WT α-Syn (13.7 ± 0.5) ng/ml and (16.0 ± 0.2) ng/ml A53T α-Syn proteins respectively. While Iron caused the expression of (9.1± 1.1) ng/ml and (14.8 ± 1.1) ng/ml of WT and A53T α-Syn proteins respectively. The untreated controls expressed (3.2 ± 0.1) ng/ml and (7.5 ± 0.0) ng/ml of WT and A53T α-Syn proteins respectively. Furthermore, the A53T mutation also promoted the expression and aggregation of α-Syn, as evidenced with the relatively higher amount of A53T α-Syn protein compared to WT α-Syn expressed in control, H2O2 and Iron treated cells.
Conclusion: This study demonstrated that H2O2 and Fe2+ induced α-Syn aggregation and Dnmt-1 translocation, which promotes the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease. Likewise, the A53T genetic alterations increased the overexpression and aggregation of α-Syn proteins. Hence, novel therapies targeting reactive oxygen species, oxidative stress and mutations may be beneficial for long term treatment of Parkinson’s disease.
Detection of Fracture Bones in X-ray Images Categorization
Authors: Oyeranmi Adigun , Ronke Babatunde , Mohammed Rufai , Edwin Aigbokhan 
Published: June 2020

Fractured bone detection and categorization is currently receiving research attention in computer aided diagnosis system because of the ease it has brought to doctors in classification and interpretation of X-ray images. The choice of an efficient algorithm or combination of algorithms is paramount to accurately detect and categorize fractures in X-ray images, which is the first stage of diagnosis in treatment and correction of damaged bones for patients. This is what this research seeks to address. The research design involves data collection, preprocessing, segmentation, feature extraction, classification and evaluation of the proposed method. The sample dataset were x-ray images collected from the Department of Radiology, National Orthopedic Hospital, Igbobi-Lagos, Nigeria as well as Open Access Medical Image Repositories. The image preprocessing involves the conversion of images in RGB format to grayscale, sharpening and smoothing using Unsharp Masking Tool. The segmentation of the preprocessed image was carried out by adopting the Entropy method in the first stage and Canny edge method in the second stage while feature extraction was performed using Hough Transformation. Detection and classification of fracture image employed a combination of two algorithms; K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) for detecting fracture locations based on four classification types: (normal, comminute, oblique and transverse).Two performance assessment methods were employed to evaluate the developed system. The first evaluation was based on confusion matrix which evaluates fracture and non-fracture on the basis of TP (True Positive), TN (True negative), FP (False Positive) and FN (False Negative). The second appraisal was based on Kappa Statistics which evaluates the type of fracture by determining the accuracy of the categorized fracture bone type. The result of first assessment for fracture detection shows that 26 out of 40 preprocessed images were fractured, resulting to the following three values of performance metrics: accuracy value of 90%, sensitivity of 87% and specificity of 100%. The Kappa coefficient error assessment produced accuracy of 83% during classification. The proposed method can find suitable use in categorization of fracture types on different bone images based on the results obtained from the experiment.
Incidence of Septicemia in Children Attending University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Authors: Adedokun Amudatu Ambali , Onosakponome Evelyn Orevaeghene , Nyenke Clement Ugochukwu 
Published: June 2020

Introduction: Septicemia is an invasive infection where chemical substances released into the bloodstream causes morbidity and mortality in neonates. The developing countries carries major burden of the problem and Nigeria is not exceptional.
Objective: The study was carried out to determine age/sex-related prevalence, causative agents and antimicrobial sensitivity pattern of neonatal septicemia in children at University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Nigeria.
Methods: This retrospective study was carried out in the pediatric department for a period of twelve months. Blood culture test using thioglycollate broth and tryptone soya broth for isolation of microorganisms was adopted. Antimicrobial sensitivity pattern was done with disc diffusion method. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi square for significance.
Results: A total of 598 children were examined, of which 394(67.9%) children showed negative blood cultures, while 204(34.1%) children had positive bacterial cultures and 2 children (0.3%) were positive for Candida albicans. Overall, Klebsiella spp. was the most common pathogen, accounting for (37.8%) of the total isolates, which is followed by Staphylococcus aureus (28.4%), Escherichia coli (11.8%), unclassified Coliforms (8.3%), Pseudomonas spp. (4.9%), Proteus spp. (3.4%), Enterococcus spp. (2.9%) and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CONS) (2.5%) respectively. Early onset neonatal sepsis (EONNS) had Klebsiella spp as the most prevalent causative agent while Staphylococcus aureus was prevalent among the late onset neonatal sepsis (LONNS). Klebsiella spp. was susceptible to spafloxacin (87.0%) followed by ofloxacin (82.0%), amoxycillin-clavulanic acid (79.0%) and ceftazidime (65.0%) among the Gram negative organisms. In the category of Gram positive organisms, Staphylococcus aureus was highly sensitive to ofloxacin (81.0%) followed by spafloxacin (79.0%) and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (71.0%).
Conclusion: The study showed Klebsiella spp. and Staphylococcus aureus were the prevalent bacterial organisms of septicemia in children in University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital. Early diagnosis with use of appropriate antimicrobial treatment will effect intervention for management of the children.
Amegilla sp. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Visitors to Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum, Malvaceae) Flowers and Their Role in Crop Pollination at Djoumassi (North, Cameroon)
Authors: Moïse Adamou , Sanda Mazi , Taimanga . , Minéo Yatahaï Clément 
Published: June 2020

Aims: To evaluate the impact of a single flower visit of Amegilla sp. on the production of Gossypium hirsutum.
Study Design: A randomized complete block design was used in a split plot scheme of 437 m2 delimited and divided into eight subplots, each measuring 8*4.5 m2.
Place and Duration of Study: Locality of Djoumassi, Benoue Division, in the city of Garoua, the North Region of Cameroon from June through October 2018 and 2019.
Methodology: The experiments were carried out on 540 flowers labeled at bud stage and divided in four treatments: two differentiated according to the presence or absence flowers protection regarding insect visits; the third protected and uncovered when flowers were opened, to allow Amegilla sp. visits and the fourth with the flowers protected, uncovered when they were opened, then rebagged without any visit.
Results: Among 21 insect species recorded on G. hirsutum flowers, Amegilla sp. ranked second and harvested nectar and pollen. Throughout the pollination efficiency of a single flower visit, Amegilla sp. provoked a significant increase of the fruiting rate, the mean number of seeds per boll and the percentage of normal seeds by 14.89%, 12.93% and 7.01% respectively.
Conclusion: The conservation and installation of Amegilla sp. nests close to G. hirsutum fields is recommended to improve its boll production and seed quality.
Sleeping Duration, Bedtime and BMI and Their Rapport on Academic Performance among Adolescents
Authors: Rayyan Walid Abu , Salem Shadi , Dayyih Wael Abu , Shawareb Aseel Al , Awad Riad , Batarseh Yazan S. , Matubsi Hisham Y. Al 
Published: June 2020

Background: Proper development of cognitive skills during childhood is substantially connected with adequate sleeping. Sleeping is drastically undergoing pattern changes during the shifting from childhood to adolescence. The academic acquisition is a multifactorial process with devastating inputs. Academic achievement directly correlates with the behavioral attitudes of students. Shorter sleeping duration erodes the volume of brain gray matter in frontal and precuneus cortex regions. Moreover, the concomitant depletion of neurotransmitters is proportionally connected with inadequate sleeping.
Aims: To evaluate the associations between bedtime initiations, sleeping sufficiency and objective academic performance in a large sample of second secondary students.
Methods: The study sample consisted of 900 adolescents; 450boysand 450 girls in the second secondary class at Hail city in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Participants filled a questioner about their socioeconomic factors as bedtime, sleeping duration, mental games practicing, and physical activity. Weight and height were measured to assess body mass index (kg/m2). Data extracted from the questioner used to study the contribution of the concomitant factors on academic achievement.
Results: The mean weight was 73.57±8.34 kg IQR (44-126) while the mean height was (170.38±6.45) cm IQR (141-192). The mean BMI was 33.57±14.79(IQR 21.0–38.8). The overall prevalence of childhood obesity was 460 (49.6%; 95% CI: 55.3–66.8%) while the prevalence of overweight was 85 (9.04%; 95% CI: 7.3 –11.4%). The mean ministry academic score for the second secondary class was 70±9.99 IQR (44- 99) while the school academic score was 88.07±7.44 IQR (60-99). 51.6% of the students went to bed between 10-12 pm and only 17.6% slept between 8 and 10 hours.
Conclusion: We can summarize, the independent variables as bedtime, sleeping duration, and obesity ameliorate academic achievement in a counteractive way; high BMI above 35 and prolonged sleeping duration more than 10 hours significantly curb the total academic score, whereas, healthy bedtime of 8-10 pm concomitantly augment the academic achievement.
Assessment of the Knowledge and Self-medication Practices towards Antibiotics among Future Healthcare Professionals in Ajman, United Arab Emirates
Authors: Aboulilah Mariam , Ahmed Sara , Jarjouma Razan , Sabri Razan , Palaian Subish 
Published: June 2020

Objectives: The aim of the study is to assess the knowledge and self-medication behavior among health professions students regarding antibiotic usage.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed using a self-administrated questionnaire. A sample of 424 questionnaires was distributed randomly among health science students of a medical university in Ajman, UAE. The questionnaire is categorized into three sections which are Socio-demographic details of the participant, knowledge and self-medication practice of antibiotic. The data was entered in MS Excel spread sheet and analyzed as per the study objectives.
Key Findings: Upon assessing the knowledge of respondents, authors found 85.8% of the students were familiar with the term ‘antibiotic resistance’. Half of the students agreed that antibiotics treat common cold quickly. Regarding the self-medication practices, 55.6% (n= 236) of students reported that they always take antibiotic without prescription. Cold and flu was the common reason for using antibiotics. Augmentin (amoxicillin and clavulanic acid) was the common medication used among the students. Nearly one third of the respondents (32.78%; n=139) saved the antibiotics in case of reinfection.
Conclusions: In conclusion, antibiotic usage was common among study respondents. Preventive strategies, antibiotic stewardship programs, training, education programs and more restriction towards antibiotic dispensing should be implemented to avoid the misuse and antibiotic resistance.
The Mediator Effect of Visual Impairment in the Relationship between Poor Oral Health and Depression
Authors: Akano Obinna F. , Joseph Michael A. , Helzner Elizabeth , Afable Aimee 
Published: June 2020

Purpose: Visual impairment (VI) with a global estimate of 161 million has been associated with a lot of health concerns and physical conditions. This study investigates the mediator effect of visual impairment on the relationship between poor oral health and depression.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving secondary analysis using data from the 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Self-reported visual impairment was categorized as no and yes (a little difficulty, moderate difficulty, extreme difficulty and unable to do because of eyesight). The responses to oral health were dichotomized to 0-5 teeth removed and 6+ teeth removed (poor oral health). For depression, we used physician-diagnosed depression (yes or no) and self-rated depression (validated Patient Health Questionnaire-8) (PHQ-8). We examined the association between visual impairment and depression using multivariable logistic regression accounting for the survey’s complex design.
Results: After adjusting for socio-demographic variables, health behavior, BMI and diabetes; the model produced a significant relationship between poor oral health and depression. Controlling for visual impairment resulted in the attenuation of the effect poor oral health has on depression. Furthermore, after improving eyesight, a previously significant relationship between poor oral and depression became non-significant.
Conclusion: Controlling for visual impairment, by treating or preventing visual impairment, in patients with poor oral health, merely indicates a reduction in the outcome of depression.
Antimicrobial Resistance Pattern in Escherichia coli Isolated from Children Admitted at Selected Health Care Facilities in Moshi Municipality, Tanzania
Authors: Daud Mzelifa , Nyombi Balthazar 
Published: June 2020

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) development among Gram negative bacteria has become a significant public health threat worldwide. Currently there are fewer antimicrobials available for treatment and prevention of some of bacterial infections. Antimicrobial resistance development in some of bacterial strains undermines empirical treatment regimens, thereby limiting choice of appropriate antibiotic. As this problem continues to grow, epidemiological surveillance is warranted to generate data that is reliable to understand the distribution of AMR among healthcare settings and geographical regions.
Objective: The main objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and pattern of antibiotic resistance of Escherichia coli isolates from children admitted at selected health care facilities in Moshi municipality, Tanzania. This was descriptive cross sectional facility based study conducted from October 2017 to April 2018. The study aimed at answering the following questions; What are the carriage rates of Escherichia coli among children admitted at selected health facilities in Moshi municipality, What is the resistance rates of Escherichia coli isolated from children against the commonly used antibiotics in Moshi Municipality and What is the prevalence of the Extended spectrum beta lactamase producing Escherichia coli isolates from children admitted at health facilities in Moshi municipality?
Results: Escherichia coli were isolated from all 282 cultured archived rectal swabs and all isolates were susceptible to amikacin and meropenem. Extended spectrum beta lactamase producers were 13.1% and 86.9% were nonextended spectrum beta lactamase producers. Antimicrobial resistance was detected in 282 isolates on the commonly used antimicrobial agents: ampicillin (83%), trimethoprim (75.9%), cefuroxime (32.6%), ceftriaxone (30.1%), ceftazidime (29.4%), ciprofloxacin (27.7%), amoxicillin/clavunic (24%), gentamicin (21%), chloramphenicol (16.3%) and piperacillin-tazobactam (8.1%). All Extended spectrum beta lactamase producing isolates were resistant to Ampicillin.
Conclusion: Amikacin and meropenem is still the antibiotic of choice as a second line for treatment of infections caused by Escherichia coli. Majority of the isolates were resistant to ampicillin and Trimethoprim. Both ESBL and non ESBL producing Escherichia coli showed resistance to commonly used antibiotics, hence, further studies are warranted to understand mechanisms used by non ESBL producing Escherichia coli to develop resistance.
Nitric Acid
Authors: Groves Michael C.E 
Published: June 2020

AbstractNitric acid is a key chemical for many industries. Some 60 million tons are produced annually, of which 80% goes into nitrate production for fertilizers and explosives, the latter principally for mining. Other significant uses include the manufacture of intermediates for polyurethane and polyamide production. This article covers the birth and development of the Ostwald nitric acid manufacturing process and describes the modern commercial production methods for both “weak” (≤68 wt%) and “strong” (∼69–99 wt%) nitric acid. An overview of the present state of knowledge is given about the main chemical process steps of ammonia oxidation and nitrogen oxide absorption. Nitric acid plants are emitters of NOxand N2O, and the currently available technologies to limit these to their permitted levels are discussed. Further information includes health and safety aspects, shipping and handling regulations, and economics. The article concludes with a description of alternative production technologies and a brief outlook on the future of nitric acid.
Plant Layout
Authors: Moran Sean 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
Plant layout is a key aspect of process plant design, which is at the heart of plant safety, productivity, and efficiency. This article considers the stages of plant layout and general factors to be considered in layout design and summarizes a consensus methodology used by process engineers. Specific issues relevant to key equipment items (such as pumps, columns, tanks, and piping) are described, together with a summary of 2D and 3D computer‐aided design software tools available to the modern layout designer.
Crystal structure of the human NLRP9 pyrin domain reveals a bent N‐terminal loop that may regulate inflammasome assembly
Authors: Ha Hyun Ji , Park Hyun Ho 
Published: June 2020

Members of the NLR family pyrin domain containing (NLRPs) are pattern recognition receptors that participate in innate immunity. They form inflammasomes, which are platforms for caspase‐1 recruitment and activation. The NLRP pyrin domain (PYD) is critical for the assembly of inflammasomes due to its ability to mediate protein interactions. Despite intensive structural studies on inflammasomes with PYDs, the structure of the PYD of NLRP9—the least studied member of the family—remains unknown. Herein, we report the crystal structure of the human NLRP9 PYD at 2.1 Å resolution, which reveals a kinked N‐terminal loop oriented toward the interior of the helical bundle. Based on our findings, we propose a regulatory role for the kinked N‐terminal loop of NLRP9 PYD in inflammasome assembly.
Engineering Mono‐Chalcogen Nanomaterials for Omnipotent Anticancer Applications: Progress and Challenges
Authors: Xing Chenyang , Yin Peng , Peng Zhengchun , Zhang Han 
Published: June 2020

AbstractBelonging to the chalcogen group, the elements selenium (Se) and tellurium (Te) are located in Group VI‐A of the periodic table. Zero‐valent nanodimensioned Se (nano‐Se) and Te (nano‐Te) have displayed important biomedical applications in recent years. The past two decades have witnessed an explosion in novel cancer treatment strategies using nano‐Se and nano‐Te as aggressive weapons against tumors. Indeed, they are both inorganic nanomedicines that suppress tumor cell proliferation, diffusion, and metastasis. Abundant synthesis strategies for rational and precise surface decoration of nano‐Se and nano‐Te make them significant players in resisting cancers by means of powerful multi‐modal treatment methods. This review focuses on the design and engineering of nano‐Se‐ and nano‐Te‐based nanodelivery systems and their precise uses in cancer treatment. The corresponding anticancer molecular mechanisms of nano‐Se and nano‐Te are discussed in detail. Given their different photo‐induced behaviors, the presence or absence of near infrared illumination is used as a defining characteristic when describing the anticancer applications of nano‐Se and nano‐Te. Finally, the challenges and future prospects of nano‐Se and nano‐Te are summarized and highlighted.