bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Socio-Demographic Correlates of Hypertension Among Women (15-49years) in Lesotho: A Descriptive Analysis
Authors: Lebuso Mapitso , De Wet-Billings Nicole 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Hypertensive disorders are among the leading conditions for severe maternal morbidity across all regions and has a major impact on health care costs. The aim of this study was to determine the sociodemographic correlates of hypertension in Lesotho. Methods: For analysis, women of women of childbearing age (15–49 years) who have ever given birth in the five years preceding the 2014 LDHS. The dependent variable of this study is hypertension. Univariate and bivariate analyses were done. The correlation was tested using Pearson correlation coefficient while binary logistic regression are used to determine sociodemographic correlates of hypertension Results: Results from this study revealed that one out of every five respondents of the study had hypertension and 79.3 % of the respondents were in prehypertension stage. The situation adds to overall future risk of hypertension. About 20% percent who were at stage 2 of hypertension (SBP ≥ 160 (mmHg) or DBP SBP ≥ 100 (mmHg) were either living with a partner or widowed. Higher ages (45–49 years) of women was found to be significantly associated with high blood pressure levels. Conclusion: Chances of being diagnosed with high blood pressure increased with an increase with age of the respondents. Age was found to be most significant sociodemographic correlate of hypertension. To control hypertension programs should also focus on the psychosocial hypertension interventions for Basotho women in the higher risk groups.
Quality-Adjusted Life Years in Macular Edema: The Benefit of Anti-VEGF Agents in a Tertiary Center in Greece
Authors: Voutsas Nikolaos Theodore , Papageorgiou Eleni , Tantou Alexandra , Tsironi Evangelia , Kotoula Maria 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Introduction: Diabetic macular edema (DME), wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and macular edema due to central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) are leading causes of vision loss, currently managed with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injections (anti-VEGF). Aim of this study was to calculate QALYs in patients with DME, AMD and CRVO treated with anti-VEGF agents (QALYs+) in a Greek tertiary hospital setting and compare them to theoretical QALYs that the patients would have without treatment (QALYs-). Material and Methods: The study included 143 treatment-naive patients with macular edema due to DM (n=57), AMD (n=79) and CRVO (n=7), who received anti-VEGF injections as monotherapy according to the Treat-and-Extend (T&E) protocol. The anti-VEGF agents were ranibizumab and aflibercept in equivalent fractions. QALYs where calculated by the formula QALY = Utility Value * Time, where “time” refers to the follow-up period of the study. For QALYs-, we assumed that visual acuity remained unchanged during this period.Results: Mean follow-up time was 1+1.3 years in the DME group, 1.3 + 1.2 years in the AMD group and 0.5 +1 years in the CRVO group. For patients with DME, QALYs- were 0.75, and QALYs+ were 0.78 (QALY difference +0.033, p=0.439). For patients with AMD, QALYs- were 0.95 and QALYs+ were also 0.95 (QALY difference 0, p=0.45). QALYs- of patients with CRVO were 0.77, and QALYs+ were 0.80 (QALY difference +0.032, p=0.09).Discussion/Conclusion: QALYs+ were identical to QALYs- in patients with AMD and QALYs+ were minimally higher than QALYs- in patients with DME and CRVO in this specific Greek setting for a time horizon between 0.5 and 1.3 years. Possible explanations are the short time horizon used in this analysis and the inclusion of data from the better-seeing eye (BSE).
Women’s decision in family planning use and its determinants in Ethiopia. A systematic review and meta-analysis protocol
Authors: Anbesu Etsay Woldu , Aychiluhm Setognal Birara , Alemayehu Mussie 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Background
Low uptake of contraceptive use have much consequence on maternal and child health. Despite this effect, less emphasis was given to women’s decision-making on family planning use in Ethiopia. Though there are studies conducted in different parts of the country on women’s decision-making in family planning use, there are inconsistent findings. Thus, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the pooled prevalence of women’s decision-making in family planning use and its determinants in Ethiopia.
Methods
Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guideline will be followed to develop the review protocol. All observational studies will be retrieved using Medical Subject Heading (Mesh) terms or keywords from online databases PubMed, CINAHL, Google Scholar, and unpublished grey literature from May 10-11August/2021. The quality of the studies will be critically assessed using Joanna Briggs Institute checklist. Heterogeneity among studies will be examined using I-squared statistics. Funnel plots and Egger’s test will be used to examine publication bias. The Meta-analysis will be performed using STATA version 14 software. Statistical significance will be determined at 95% CI.
Discussion
Improving women’s autonomy on decision-making on reproductive health services including contraceptive use has a substantial advantage. There are studies on women’s decision-making in family planning use and this systematic review and meta-analysis will help policymakers to develop appropriate interventions.
Network Analyses of Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) Symptoms in Children
Authors: Gomez Rapson , Stavropoulos Vasileios , Gomez Andre , Watson Shaun 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Based on parent and teacher ratings of their children, this study used regularized partial correlation network analysis (EBIC glasso) to examine the structure of DSM-5 Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) symptoms. Parent and teachers (N = 934) from the general community in Malaysia completed questionnaires covering DSM-5 ODD symptoms. The most central ODD symptom for parent ratings was anger, followed by argue. For teacher ratings, it was anger, followed by defy. For both parent and teacher ratings, the networks revealed at least medium effect size connections for temper and argue, defy and argue, blames others and annoy, and spiteful and angry. Overall, the findings were highly comparable across parent and teacher ratings, and they showed a novel understanding of the structure of the ODD symptoms. The clinical implications of the findings for assessment and treatment of ODD are discussed.
Examining the Influence of Social Media Education Through Mobile- Phone on the Change in Physical Activity Behavior of Pregnant Women: An Intervention Study
Authors: Talebi Erfaneh , Mohaddesi Hamideh , Vahabzadeh Davoud , Rasuli Javad 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Background: Nowadays, a new model of health approach through mobile-phones is widely used to deal with improving physical activity and its beneficial effect on pregnancy. This study was aimed to determine the influence of social networking through mobile phones on changing the physical activity behavior in pregnant women.Methods: This randomized interventional study was conducted with parallel groups on 90 pregnant women referring to Urmia Health centers in 2018-2019. The participants from various social and economic backgrounds were randomly included. The participants were randomly assigned to a control and a treatment group. Demographic and Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire (PPAQ) questionnaires were filled. In addition to routine care, the treatment group received educational intervention through social network within 16 training sessions related to physical activities and nutrition in 8 weeks.Results: The mean physical activity level and weight in both control and treatment groups differed significantly after intervention (P<0.001). At the beginning of the study, control and treatment groups were not different in terms of daily physical activity level (P=0.17), meanwhile, there was a statistically significant difference at the end of intervention in the level of daily physical activity (P<0.001). Comparison of both groups, based on different categories of activity level at the end of the treatment, showed a non-significant difference in sedentary activities (P=0.89), but the intervention led to a significant difference based on the other level of activities; light (P<0.001), medium (P<0.001), and intense (P=0.05).Conclusion: Educational intervention based on social networks through mobile phones had an effective role in behavior change in physical activity during pregnancy.Trial registration code: IRCT20151004024340N15, Registration date: 2020/06/05
Gene-Coexpression Network Analysis Identifies Specific Modules and Hub Genes Related to Cold Stress in Rice
Authors: Zeng Zhichi , Zhang Sichen , Li Wenyan , Chen Baoshan , Li Wenlan 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Background: When plants are subjected to cold stress, they undergo a series of molecular and physiological changes to protect themselves from injury. Indica cultivars can usually withstand only mild cold stress in a relatively short period. Hormone-mediated defence response plays an important role in cold stress. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) is a very useful tool for studying the correlation between genes, identifying modules with high phenotype correlation, and identifying Hub genes in different modules. Many studies have elucidated the molecular mechanisms of cold tolerance in different plants, but little information about the recovery process after cold stress is available.Results: To understand the molecular mechanism of cold tolerance in rice, we performed comprehensive transcriptome analyses during cold treatment and recovery stage in two cultivars of near-isogenic lines (9311 and DC907). Twelve transcriptomes in two rice cultivars were determined. A total of 2509 new genes were predicted by fragment splicing and assembly, and 7506 differentially expressed genes were identified by pairwise comparison. A total of 26 modules were obtained by expression-network analysis, 12 of which were highly correlated with cold stress or recovery treatment. We further identified candidate Hub genes associated with specific modules and analysed their regulatory relationships based on coexpression data. Results showed that various plant-hormone regulatory genes acted together to protect plants from physiological damage under short-term low-temperature stress. We speculated that this may be common in rice. Under long-term cold stress, rice improved the tolerance to low-temperature stress by promoting autophagy, sugar synthesis, and metabolism.Conclusion: Through WGCNA analysis at the transcriptome level, we provided a potential regulatory mechanism for the cold stress and recovery of rice cultivars and identified candidate central genes. Our findings provided an important reference for the future cultivation of rice strains with good tolerance.
Uptake of HIV Testing and Counselling among the Youth in Kintampo South District, Ghana
Authors: Kabiri Mukasa , Akuffo Kwadwo Owusu , Nortey Priscillia , Eusebi Paolo , Danso-Appiah Anthony 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Background

HIV/AIDS remains a threat to global development and human security. Sub-Saharan Africa is the worst affected, with an estimated 25.7 million people living with HIV as at 2018 and the youth accounting for 33% of new infections. Despite the high proportion, there is paucity of data on testing and counselling among the youth and which factors influence their decision are largely unknown. This study assessed factors influencing uptake of HIV testing and counselling among the youth aged 15 to 24 years in Kintampo South District in Ghana.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study involving the youth who have lived in the Kintampo South District for not less than 6 months. A total of 309 respondents aged 15 to 24 years were drawn from four sub-districts of the six administrative sub-districts by simple random sampling. Simple proportions and logistic regression analyses were performed to elucidate factors influencing uptake of HIV testing and counselling. The level of acceptable statistical significance used was p<0.05.

Results

Overall, the proportion of the youth 15 to 24 years who ever tested for HIV was 50.2%. Lack of confidentiality and privacy, inconvenient facility opening hours, fear of positive results, and perceived poor attitude and mistrust of health service providers reportedly were the main barriers to uptake of HIV testing and counselling. Further logistic regression analyses showed that demographic factors including age, marital status and occupation as well as ever heard of HIV testing and counselling, convenience of test, willingness to test, importance of test and location of test, were key determinants of HIV testing and counselling.

Conclusion

Giving that about half of the respondents had never had a test and did not know their infection status, has serious implications for HIV control in the Kintampo South District. Even though a significant number of the youth showed interest in knowing their infection status, this did not reflect uptake of HIV testing. Public health effort targeted to the youth should be intensified to increase HIV testing and counselling among the youth in the Kintampo South District.
Peptide KRP Conjugated with Doxorubicin Exerts Anti-Tumor Activity by Regulating RPS6KA2 in Osteosarcoma
Authors: Yu Mei , Liu Jiameng , Lu Zhiyuan , Chen Yiyang , Zhang Dongjie , Liang Rui , Wang Hua 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Objectives: Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary solid malignant tumor of the bone in adolescents. Conventional treatment of OS by surgery and chemotherapy is not effective and the prognosis is poor. Our previous study demonstrated that a novel cell-penetrating peptide (KRP) that, coupled to doxorubicin (DOX), allowed specific tumor targeting. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of the KRP-DOX antitumor effect were not completely elucidated. Therefore, the present work aimed to identify key candidate genes by integrated bioinformatics analysis. Methods: Diﬀerentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened using the Network Analyst. The functions and pathway involvements of the DEGs were analyzed using the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) databases, respectively. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was used to identify hub genes. In addition, quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting were performed to assess the expression level of candidate biomarkers in OS cells after KRP-DOX treatment. Results: A total of 790 DEGs were identiﬁed. GO functional analysis and KEGG pathway analysis demonstrated that the DEGs were mostly enriched in the ribosome. DEGs were visualized by PPI networks. After treatment of OS cells with KRP-DOX, the downregulated ribosomal protein S6 kinase A2 (RPS6KA2) was found to be closely related to inhibition of OS proliferation. In agreement with the bioinformatics analysis, qRT-PCR and western blot results showed low expression of RPS6KA2 in osteosarcoma cells in the KRP-DOX treatment group.Conclusions: RPS6KA2 is signiﬁcantly associated with the KRP-DOX anti-tumor effect and may serve as a candidate biomarker and therapeutic target for OS.
Electrolyte Concentrations and Blood Gas Values in Neonatal Calves With Diarrhea
Authors: Choi Kyoung-Seong , Park Kwang-Man , Kang Jin-Hee , Ku Ji-yeong , Cha Seung-Eon , Kim Suhee , Yu Do-Hyeon , Park Jinho 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Portable blood analyzers, which recently have been introduced to veterinary medicine, can facilitate immediate identification of sick calves in livestock farms. However, no appropriate standard values exist for neonatal calves; therefore, reference values for adult cattle guide diagnosis and treatment of newborn calves. Our goal was to determine electrolyte, blood chemistry, and blood gas values from healthy calves and compare them to those for diarrheic calves, thus providing useful information for diagnosis and prognosis. We evaluated 193 calves (£1 month old), including those with (n = 88) and without diarrhea (n = 105), using two-tailed, independent t tests after determining normality (Shapiro−Wilk test). Electrolyte measurements in the diarrheic calves included significant decreases in sodium and significant increases in potassium, chloride, and blood urea nitrogen. Strong ion difference (SID), pH, bicarbonate, partial pressure of carbon dioxide, and base excess (BE) were significantly lower in the diarrheic calves (p < 0.001); the anion gap (AG) was significantly higher among diarrheic calves aged 1-10 days (p < 0.001) compared to healthy calves. Our results demonstrate that SID, pH, bicarbonate, and BE correlated strongly with metabolic acidosis, suggesting that these indicators, including AG, can be important tools for evaluating calves’ health status and for providing useful information to diagnose diarrhea.
Shifting Roles of Predisposing Agents, Spatial Contagion, And Accessible Host Quality Drive Phase Transitions of An Irruptive Herbivore
Authors: Howe Michael , Raffa Kenneth F , Aukema Brian , Gratton Claudio , Carroll Allan 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Irruptive forest insects such as bark beetles undergo intermittent outbreaks that cause landscape-scale tree mortality. Despite their enormous economic and ecological impacts we still have only limited understanding of the dynamics by which populations transition from normally stable endemic to irruptive densities. We investigated density-dependent changes in mountain pine beetle reliance on stressed hosts, host selection, spatial configuration of attacks, and the interaction of host selection and spatial configuration by performing a complete census of lodgepole pine across six stands and six years. Additionally, we compared the dynamics of mountain pine beetle with those of other bark beetles. We found that as population size increased, reliance on stressed trees decreased and new attacks shifted to larger trees with thicker phloem and higher growth rates that can support higher offspring production. Moreover, the spatial configuration of beetle-attacked trees shifted from random to spatially aggregated. Further, we found evidence that beetle utilization of larger trees was related to aggregation behavior as the size of tree attacked was positively correlated at 10-25 m, within the effective distance of pheromone-mediated signaling. In contrast, non-irruptive bark beetle species did not exhibit such density-dependent spatial aggregation at the stand scale or switches in host selection behavior. These results identify how density-dependent linkages between spatial configuration and host utilization can converge to drive population transitions from endemic to irruptive phases. Specifically, a combination of stand-level spatial aggregation, behavioral shifts, and higher quality of attainable hosts defines a critical threshold beyond which continual population growth becomes self-driving.
Identification of Potential miRNA-mRNA Regulatory Network Contributing to Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Yin Xi , Wang Miao , Wang Wei , Chen Tong , Song Ge , Niu Yixuan , Jiang Ziying , Gao Zhongbao , Wang Zhenfu 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease and the mechanism underlying PD pathogenesis is incompletely understood. Increasing evidence indicates that microRNA (miRNA) plays critical regulatory role in the pathogenesis of PD. This study aimed to determine the miRNA-mRNA regulatory network for PD. The differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmis) and genes (DEGs) between PD patients and healthy donors were screened from miRNA dataset GSE16658 and mRNA dataset GSE100054 downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Target genes of the DEmis were selected when predicted by 3 or 4 online databases and overlapped with DEGs from GSE100054. Next, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis was conducted by Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) and Metascape analytic tool. The correlation between the screened genes and PD was evaluated by the online tool Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD). The protein-protein interactions (PPI) network was built by STRING platform. Finally, we testify the expression of members of the miRNA-mRNA regulatory network in the blood samples collected from PD patients and healthy donors by using qRT-PCR. 1505 upregulated and 1302 downregulated DEGs, 77 upregulated DEmis and 112 downregulated DEmis were preliminarily screened from GEO database. Through further functional enrichment analysis, 10 PD-related hub genes were selected, including RAC1, IRS2, LEPR, PPARGC1A, CAMKK2, RAB10, RAB13, RAB27B, RAB11A and JAK2, which were mainly involved in Rab protein signaling transduction, AMPK signaling pathway and signaling by Leptin. The miRNA-mRNA regulatory network was constructed with 10 hub genes and their interacting miRNAs overlapped with DEmis, including miR-30e-5p, miR-142-3p, miR-101-3p, miR-32-3p, miR-508-5p, miR-642a-5p, miR-19a-3p and miR-21-5p. Analysis on clinical samples verified significant upregulation of LEPR and downregulation of miR-101-3p in PD patients compared with healthy donors. In the study, the potential miRNA-mRNA regulatory network was constructed in PD, which may provide novel insight into pathogenesis and treatment of PD.
Development of Website For Breastfeeding Women With Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Rasmussen Bodil , Wynter Karen , Nankervis Alison , McNamara Catharine , McCormick Margaret , Steele Cheryl , Carolan-Olah Mary , Holton Sara 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Background: Breastfeeding is an important contributor to child survival, nutrition and development and maternal health. Evidence indicates that breastfeeding rates were suboptimal in women with type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes, and they also tend to breastfeed for a shorter duration than other childbearing women. This study aims to identify information and support needs of women with pre-pregnancy diabetes who wish to breastfeed, from the perspectives of women themselves and from health professionals, and to develop a resource informed by these data.Methods: Women with pre-pregnancy diabetes were recruited from a high-risk pregnancy clinic at a large metropolitan health service in Melbourne and from a major consumer organisation invited to participate in a brief, online survey about preferred information and support about breastfeeding. Health professionals were invited to participate in a focus group, about essential content for a resource on breastfeeding for women with pre-pregnancy diabetes. A website was developed informed by the data from the women and health professionals. Review of the website was conducted by women with pre-pregnancy diabetes, and an expert advisory group including clinicians and consumer representatives.Results: Six women participated in the online survey; most indicated that they would prefer a website rather than other formats. Four health professionals attended a focus group. Both groups of participants reported that, for women with pre-pregnancy diabetes, current sources of information on breastfeeding are either not relevant or based on data less applicable to Australian conditions. A mobile-friendly website was developed using plain language and carefully selected images, and links to further support including a dedicated, private, moderated Facebook support group. Preliminary review indicates that the website is informative, easy to read and appealing.Conclusions: The content and format of this breastfeeding website resource were developed based on women with pre-pregnancy diabetes and health professionals’ contributions. It is expected that the provision of tailored evidence-based breastfeeding information and support via resources such as this, during pregnancy and the early postpartum period, will assist women with pre-pregnancy diabetes to make informed decisions about breastfeeding, and enhance rates of breastfeeding intentions, initiation and duration.