bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Malaria Intermittent Preventive Treatment in Nigeria: A Qualitative study to explore barriers and facilitators
Authors: Mahmud Fatima Muhammad , Nedjat Saharnaz , Sajadi Haniye Sadat , Parseian Mahbubeh , Majdzadeh Reza 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
Background : Sulphadoxine pyrimethamine (SP) used as a preventive treatment for malaria is low among pregnant women in Nigeria. However, there is limited evidence on the barriers and facilitators of intermittent preventive treatment (IPTp) use in pregnant women. This study aimed to explore the barriers and facilitators of IPTp use among pregnant women in Kano state, Nigeria.Methods: This qualitative study used a conventional content analysis method. Purposive sampling strategy was used to select study participants. A total of 14 key informant interviews were conducted with policy makers, malaria experts and health care providers. Three focus group discussions (FGD) were also conducted among pregnant women. Furthermore, separate three FGDs were conducted among husbands whom were selected using opportunistic maximum variation sampling method. MaxqDA 10 software was used for data analysis, i.e., to develop categories, subcategories and themes.Results: Malaria policy implementation, antenatal care attendance, accessibility of intermittent preventive treatment in the communities, strengthening IPTp service delivery were the facilitators of IPTp use while political reluctance, high population density, inadequate budget to implement IPTp related policies emerged as barriers to IPTp use.Conclusion: The political will to allocate sufficient budget could help improve service delivery and IPTp use among pregnant women and facilitate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Agenda to end malaria in 2030.
An Outbreak of Gastroenteritis Associated with a Novel GII.8 Sapovirus Variant-Transmitted by Vomit in Shenzhen, China, 2019
Authors: Yan Yuxiao , Li Yuan , Wen Shi , Jin Miao , Kong Xiangyu , LI Huiying , Zhang Qing , Pang Lili , Jiang Li , Liu Junying , Li Yuning , Duan Zhaojun 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
Human Sapovirus (SaVs) has been reported as one of the causative agents of acute gastroenteritis worldwide. We investigated an outbreak of SaV that affected 428 students of a primary school during spring activities from 24th February to 11th March 2019 in Shenzhen city, China. The single factor analysis showed that the students which saw others vomiting in classroom or playground, saw vomitus less than 1.5 meters are susceptible (P < 0.05). Seven of eleven fecal samples from patients were positive for GII.8 SaV genotype. In this study, we obtained the genome sequence of a sapovirus GII.8 strain SZ08 comprehensively analyzed the genetic diversity. The phylogenetic analysis showed that the GII.8 strain SZ08 formed an independent branch and became a novel variant of GII.8 genotype.
Computational Predictions for Protein Sequences of COVID-19 Virus via Machine Learning Algorithms
Authors: Alkady Walaa , Zanaty Muhammad , Afify Heba M. 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
The coronavirus infection is increasingly evolving to be an international epidemic in 27 countries as a serious respiratory disease. Therefore, the computational biology carrying this virus that correlated with the human population is urgently needed. In this paper, the classification of the human protein sequences of COVID-19 according to the country is applied by machine learning algorithms. The proposed model is based on the distinguishing of 9238 sequences by three stages including data preprocessing, data labeling, and classification. In the first stage, the function of data preprocessing converts the amino acids of COVID-19 protein sequences to eight groups of numbers based on volume and dipole of the amino acids. In the second stage, there are two methods for data labeling of 27 countries from 0 to 26. The first method is based on the selection of one number for each country according to the code number of countries while the second method is based on binary elements only for each country. The classification algorithms are executed to discover different COVID-19 protein sequences according to their countries. The findings are concluded that the accuracy of 100% performed by country based binary labeling method with Linear Regression (LR) or K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) or Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifiers. Further, it found that the USA with large data records in infection rate has more priority for correct classification compared to other countries with a low data rate. The unbalanced data for COVID-19 protein sequences is considered a major issue, especially the available data in USA represented 76% from a total of 9238 sequences. As a consequence, this proposed model will help as a diagnostic bioinformatics tool for the COVID-19 protein sequences among different countries.
Air quality changes and Grey relational analysis of pollutants exceeding standards during the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan
Authors: Ji Junhong , Chang Runqi 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
The COVID-19 has spread widely around the world, and the air quality during that period has changed significantly. On the contrary, air quality also can affect the development of the pandemic. Therefore, it is pretty necessary to study air quality changes during the pandemic. This paper achieves this goal by applying the Over-standard multiples method and Grey relational analysis to study the individual and overall change trends of pollutants in Wuhan during the same period in the past seven years. The result shows that the concentrations of SO2 and O3 increased affected by the pandemic but still meet the standard. However, the pandemic promoted a decrease in PM2.5, PM10, and NO2 concentrations, but it had just reached the standard or even exceeded the standard. This article discussed the feasibility of using Grey relational analysis to analyze pollutants exceeding the standard from an overall perspective and provided new ideas for future research.
Extremely severe case of COVID-19 pneumonia recovered despite bad prognostic indicators: a didactic report
Authors: Bentivegna Enrico , Luciani M. , Spuntarelli V , Speranza M L , Guerritore L , Sentimentale A , Martelletti P 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
Introduction: COVID-19 is a highly infectious respiratory disease caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - Coronavirus - 2 (SARS-COV2). Starting from Wuhan (China) where it was firstly reported, it rapidly spread to the rest of the world, causing a pandemic with more than 300.000 deaths to date. Case presentation: we report an extremely severe case of coronavirus pneumonia in an over-80 years old patient with hypertension, coronary heart disease, chronic heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Despite several bad anamnestic indicators, the severe clinical conditions and complications that arose during hospitalization, the patient recovered and was discharged.Conclusions: Although a higher vulnerability of geriatric patients has been observed, the literature on elderly COVID-19 patients have remained very scarce, especially in those over 80. The aim of this paper is to describe an extremely severe case of coronavirus pneumonia in an over-80 years old patient that, despite a clearly poor anamnestic and clinical prognostic forecast was successfully discharged thanks to a careful evaluation of the case and of the complications that have arisen. Several efforts have been made to identify therapeutic strategies and prognostic indicators of COVID-19 but there is still much to learn. With this report, we hope to provide important elements to better understand this disease.
Integrated analysis of RNA binding proteins in human colorectal cancer
Authors: Fan Xuehui , Liu Lili , Shi Yue , Guo Fanghan , Wang Haining , Zhao Xiuli , Zhong Di , Li Guozhong 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
Background: Though RNA-binding proteins play an essential role in a variety of different tumors, there is still limited effort made on the systematic analysis of RNA binding proteins (RBPs) in the survival of colorectal cancer(CRC).Methods: An analysis was conducted of the CRC transcriptome data collected from the TCGA database and RBPs were extracted from CRC. R software was applied to analyze the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of RBPs. To identify the pathways and functional annotation of RBPs DEGs, Gene Ontology (GO) function, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were carried out using the database for annotation, visualization and integrated discovery. The interactive gene database search tool was employed to conduct protein-protein interaction analysis, while Cytoscape software was applied for visual processing. Based on the COX regression analysis of the prognostic value of interacting RBPs and survival time, the RBPs related to survival were screened out, and a prognostic model was constructed. The data stored in TCGA database was taken as the Train group, while the chip data obtained from the GEO database was treated as the Test group to verify the model. Then, both survival analysis and ROC curve verification were conducted. Finally, the risk curves and nomograms of the two groups were drawn to predict the survival period.Results: There were 314 genes up-regulated by RBPs DEGs and 155 genes down-regulated, from which twelve RBPs (NOP14, MRPS23, MAK16, TDRD6, POP1, TDRD5, TDRD7, PPARGC1A, LIN28B, CELF4, LRRFIP2, MSI2) with prognostic markers were obtained.Conclusions: These twelve genes may be applicable as the predictor of CRC and play an essential role in the pathogenesis of CRC. In spite of this, it remains necessary to further explore the underlying mechanism.
Forecast predictions for the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil by statistical modeling using the Weibull distribution for daily new cases and deaths
Authors: Moreau Vitor Hugo 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
COVID-19 has killed more than 330.000 people worldwide and more than 21,000 Brazilians. Since there are no specific drugs or vaccines, the available tools against COVID-19 are preventive, such as the use of personal protective equipment, social distancing, lockdowns and mass testing. Such measures are hindered in Brazil due to a restrict budget, low educational level of the population and misleading attitudes from the federal authorities. Predictions for COVID-19 are of pivotal importance to subsidize and mobilize health authorities’ efforts in applying the necessary preventive strategies. The Weibull distribution was used to model the forecast prediction of COVID-19, in four scenarios, based on the curve of daily new deaths as a function of time. The date in which the number of daily new deaths will fall below the rate of 3 deaths per million, the mean level considered by some countries to relax stay-at-home measures, was estimated. If the daily new deaths curve was bended today (i. e. about 1,250 deaths per day), the predicted date would be on June 18th. Analysis of the lethality rate allowed the estimation of daily new cases and total death toll at the end of the outbreak. Our results suggest that each additional day that lasts to bend the daily new deaths curve can correspond to additional 3,718 deaths at the end of COVID-19 outbreak in Brazil (R2 = 0.9938). Predictions of the outbreak can be used to guide Brazilian health authorities in the decision making to properly fight COVID-19 pandemic.
Effect of iron treatment and equilibrium pH on the kinetics of removal of some substituted phenols from synthetic wastewater onto Nostoc sp. biomass
Authors: Gururani Namrata , Bhatt Devesh , Srivastava Anjana , Srivastava Prakash Chandra 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
Substituted phenols, such as 4-Nitrophenol (4-NP) and 2,4-Dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP), that are present in industrial wastewaters are considered as priority pollutants due to their toxic effects. Their removal by biosorption presents an eco-friendly, cost-effective method. The kinetics of removal of 4-NP and 2,4-DCP by untreated Nostoc sp. (UNB) and Fe-treated Nostoc sp. biomass (FNB) were studied at three different pH (4.0, 7.0 and 9.0). The highest sorption of both phenols (2.28 mg 4-NP and 1.51 mg 2,4-DCP g−1) coupled with the lowest cumulative percentage desorption was recorded with FNB at pH 7.0. The sorption of both phenols by UNB and FNB was best accounted for by pseudo-second-order kinetics. Compared to UNB, FNB had significantly higher equilibrium sorption capacities for both phenols at all the three pH values and also higher sorption rate constants of 4-NP at pH 4 and 9 and of 2,4-DCP at pH 4 and 7. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis showed that –OH and COO− groups of UNB interacted with Fe+3. The sorption of 4-NP and 2,4-DCP on UNB was likely through H-bonding/structural cation bridging with the phenolic group, while their sorption onto FNB appeared to be a complexation reaction with very low reversibility.
Surfactant removal and biomass production in a microalgal-bacterial process: effect of feeding regime
Authors: Serejo Mayara L. , Farias Sarah L. , Ruas Graziele , Paulo Paula L. , Boncz Marc A. 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
The influence of the feeding regime on surfactant and nutrient removal and biomass production was evaluated in three high rate algal ponds for primary domestic wastewater treatment. Feeding times of 24, 12 and 0.1 h d−1 were studied in each reactor at a similar hydraulic retention time of 7.0 days and organic load of 2.3 mg m−2 d−1. Semi-continuous feeding at 12 and 0.1 h d−1 showed better microalgal biomass production (0.21–0.23 g L−1) and nutrient removal, including nitrogen (74–76%) and phosphorus (80–86%), when compared to biomass production (0.13 g L−1) and nitrogen (69%) and phosphorus (46%) removals obtained at continuous feeding (24 h d−1). Additionally, the removal efficiency of surfactant in the three reactors ranged between 90 and 97%, where the best result was obtained at 0.1 h d−1, resulting in surfactant concentrations in the treated effluent (0.3 mg L−1) below the maximum freshwater discharge limits.
Characterization of Bacteriological Isolates from Patients and Environment Samples of Burn Ward: A Study from a Tertiary Care Hospital of India
Authors: Sharma Shiwani , Datta Priya , Gupta Varsha , Kumari Pooja , Kaur Gursimran , Chander Jagdish 
Published: June 2020

Objective:
Source of infection in a burn patient is from the patient’s flora, contaminated
environmental surfaces and transmitted from health care workers. Insufficiently disinfected hospital
environmental surface provides a niche for multidrug resistant bacteria. This study was carried
out to assess the bacteriological profile of the pathogens from burn wounds and the surrounding environmental
areas.

Methods:
During 6 months, wound swabs from burn patients were collected on admission (after 48
hours of admission), on day 5 and then weekly. Environmental samples were also collected from
burn ward and studied for the bacteriological and anti-microgram profiles.

Results:
Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Acinetobacter baumannii were the
major bacterial isolates from the wound swabs and the environmental samples. ESBL was detected
in 56.6% of our Enterobacteriaceae isolates. The environmental sites from which these bacterial isolates
were found were nursing counter, sink, dressing trolley, medicine locker and patient’s bed.
The percentage of MRSA decreased from 50 to 5% and there was an increased role of Enterococci
species causing infections (13.63%).

Conclusions:
In this study, there appears that the colonizers of the environment may play a role in
the causation of infection in burn patients. In burns ward, rigorous implementation of infection control
program should be warranted, which includes and hygiene and use of personal protective equipment,
environmental disinfection, cohort nursing care and antibiotics stewardship programme.
Screening of Cystic Echinococcosis and Toxocariasis in Urmia Municipal Workers, Northwest Iran
Authors: Asadi Negar , Tappeh Khosrow Hazrati , Mohebbi Iraj , Yousefi Elham , Khademvatan Shahram 
Published: June 2020

Background:Echinococcus granulosus and Toxocara spp., the causative agents of hydatid cyst and toxocariasis in humans and animals, are zoonotic infections with medical and veterinary significance respectively.Aim:Herein, we aimed to investigate the seroprevalence of toxocariasis and cystic echinococcosis in Urmia municipal workers (gardeners and sweepers) in 2018 using ELISA assay.Objective:There is no precise report on the seroprevalence of toxocariasis and cystic echinococcosis in Urmia municipal workers using ELISA assay. Therefore, this study found an opportunity to investigate this subject.Methods:A total of 220 blood samples were obtained from municipal workers with an average age of 41.31 ± 9.42. Commercial anti-Toxocara canis and hydatid cyst ELISA kits were used to assess the seroprevalence rates.Results:Approximately, 14.5% and 2.3% of individuals were seropositive for toxocariasis and hydatidosis, respectively. Consuming unboiled milk and/or raw/uncooked meat and rural conditions are risk factors for toxocariasis. Regarding hydatidosis, consuming unwashed vegetables was the only statistically significant risk factor. Toxocara infection (p = 0.01), but not hydatid cyst (p = 0.05), is more prevalent among sweepers than municipal gardeners.Conclusion:Due to the occupational condition of municipal workers, they’re exposed to many infectious agents; thus, more researches should be done on these populations.
Pleural Effusion as a Sign of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pneumonia: A Case Report
Authors: Ahmadinejad Zahra , Salahshour Faeze , Dadras Omid , Rezaei Hesan , SeyedAlinaghi SeyedAhmad 
Published: June 2020

Background:
Recently, COVID-19 infection has become a public health concern. On
March 12th, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced it as a global pandemic. Early
diagnosis of atypical cases of COVID-19 infection is critical in reducing the transmission and controlling
the present pandemic. In the present report, we described a patient with the chief complaints
of dyspnea and dry cough referred to the oncology center at Imam Khomeini Hospital,
Tehran, with the differential diagnosis of lung cancer who was diagnosed and treated for
COVID-19 infection in follow up.

Case presentation:
A 59-year-old patient complained of fever, dry cough, and dyspnea from two
weeks ago. The patient had been referred to this center with the differential diagnosis of lung cancer
due to the massive pleural effusion in the initial chest CT scan. Dyspnea was the patient’s main
complaint at the time of admission in this center and the oxygen saturation was 84%. In the new chest
CT scan, similar findings were observed. Due to the severe respiratory distress, a chest tube
was placed in the chest cavity to remove the pleural effusion fluid on day one. The patient’s felt relieved
immediately after the procedure; however, the oxygen saturation did not rise above 85% despite
the oxygen therapy. The cytology of pleural fluid was negative for malignant cells. On day 2,
the lymphopenia and high level of CRP suggested the COVID-19 infection. Therefore, a control chest
CT scan was conducted and the test for COVID-19 was performed. The CT report indicated the
clear pattern of COVID-19’s lung involvement in the absence of pleural effusion. Thus, the treatment
for COVID-19 was immediately initiated. On day 4, the test reported positive for COVID-19.

Conclusion:
Currently, it is important to bear in mind the COVID-19 infection in evaluating patients
with respiratory symptoms. This report indicated how misleading the presentation of a chest
CT scan could be in clinical judgment. Therefore, we recommend ruling out the COVID-19 infection
in all the patients with any pattern of lung involvement to avoid missing the potential cases of
this vicious infection.
An Efficient in vitro Assay to Predict Resistance and Pathogenicity in the Fusarium Head Blight-Hordeum Vulgare Pathosystem
Authors: Sakr Nachaat 
Published: June 2020

Background:
Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) worldwide is affected seriously by Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) disease caused by several Fusarium species. In vitro assays permitting for easy, efficient and reliable prediction of the head blight reaction in the whole plant should be investigated.

Objective and Methods:
The in vitro ability of 16 fungal isolates of four FHB species to confer disease on individual plant organs was evaluated using a coleoptile infection assay. Four quantitative components (Seed Germination (SG), Coleoptile Length (CL), Coleoptile Weight (CW) and Root Weight (RW)) were analyzed in two widely cultivated barley cultivars, Arabi Aswad (AS) and Arabi Abiad (AB), with known quantitative resistance.

Results:
Differences in inoculated pathogenicity and resistance treatments were observed on young plant parts relative to water controls, indicating that these FHB species were found to be suitable for the differential expression of all tested quantitative components. There was a wide variation in pathogenicity among the 16 FHB isolates and susceptibility among AS and AB. The 16 FHB isolates can be separated into the first group with larger number of isolates, upon infection with which AB really was more susceptible to FHB infection than AS, and isolates of the second group with leaser number of isolates for which AS and AB react was the opposite. On AB, rather susceptible, inoculation with FHB species resulted in significantly less SG, CL, CW and RW, compared with AS, which showed a greater resistance. The very good resistance of AS was confirmed by the measurements of quantitative resistance components described in this study. When infected with FHB isolates, all indicators of a more susceptible cultivar seemed to be 10-20% less than those of a resistant cultivar. Moreover, the values of all analyzed components were significantly correlated with the data of pathogenic indices generated in vitro, and under controlled and field conditions with a large diversity depending on AS and AB.

Conclusion:
Appropriate in vitro conditions were determined for the coleoptile infection assay to maximize differences in disease reactions components among FHB isolates and the two barley cultivars. Results suggest that all measured components predict resistance and pathogenicity occurring at the earliest and latest barley development stages during FHB infection. Our data also highlighted, for the first time, the utility of CW and RW for the determination of resistance and pathogenicity in the FHB-barley pathosystem. The coleoptile infection test was confirmed to be adequate to in vitro, growth chamber and field data by the presence of the first group, which prevailed in all other tests generated under different experimental conditions. The in vitro coleoptile infection assay may offer a real possibility of simple, rapid and reliable screening of resistance in barley cultivars and pathogenicity of FHB species.