bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Efficacy and Safety of Bilastine in the Treatment of Allergic Rhinitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Singh Randhawa Aranjit , Mohd Noor Norhayati , Md Daud Mohd Khairi , Abdullah Baharudin 
Published: January 2022

Bilastine is a non-sedating second generation H1 oral antihistamine (OAH) for treating allergic rhinitis (AR) patients. The effect of bilastine has not previously been evaluated in a meta-analysis. The aim of this review was to determine the efficacy and safety of bilastine in treating AR. An electronic literature search was performed using Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, Science Direct and Google Scholar up to March 2021. Randomized controlled trials comparing bilastine with placebo and standard pharmacotherapy were included. The included studies must have diagnosis of AR established by clinicians and the outcomes must have a minimum of 2 weeks of follow-up period. The primary outcomes assessed were total symptom score (TSS), nasal symptom score (NSS) and non-nasal symptom score (NNSS). The secondary outcomes were discomfort due to rhinitis, quality of life (QOL) and adverse events. The risk of bias and quality of evidence for all studies were appraised. The meta-analysis was done using Review Manager 5.3 software based on the random-effects model. The search identified 135 records after removal of duplicates. Following screening and review of the records, fifteen full-text articles were assessed for eligibility. Five trials involving 3,329 patients met the inclusion criteria. Bilastine was superior to placebo in improving TSS, NSS, NNSS, rhinitis discomfort score and QOL but has comparable efficacy with other OAHs in TSS, NSS, NNS, rhinitis discomfort score and QOL. There was no difference in adverse effects when bilastine was compared against placebo and other OAHs except for somnolence. Bilastine has fewer incidence of somnolence compared to cetirizine. The overall quality of evidence ranged from moderate to high quality. Bilastine is effective and safe in treating the overall symptoms of AR with comparable efficacy and safety with other OAHs except somnolence. Whilst bilastine has similar efficacy to cetirizine, somnolence is notably less in bilastine.
Extracts of Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Nees Leaves Exert Anti-Gout Effects by Lowering Uric Acid Levels and Reducing Monosodium Urate Crystal-Induced Inflammation
Authors: Rahmi Eldiza Puji , Kumolosasi Endang , Jalil Juriyati , Buang Fhataheya , Jamal Jamia Azdina 
Published: January 2022

Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Nees has been found to have anti-inflammatory and immunostimulatory effects. This study was to investigate antihyperuricemic and anti-inflammatory effects of A. paniculata leaf extracts. Andrographolide, 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide, and neoandrographolide were quantified in 80% ethanol (EtOH80) and water extracts using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analysis. Antihyperuricemic activity was evaluated using a spectrophotometric in vitro inhibitory xanthine oxidase (XO) assay. The most active extract and andrographolide were further investigated in a hyperuricemic rat model induced by potassium oxonate to determine serum uric acid levels, liver XO activity, followed by Western blot analysis for renal urate transporter URAT1, GLUT9, and OAT1 to investigate the excretion of uric acid via kidney. Anti-inflammatory activity was assessed by in vitro interleukin assay for interleukin (IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) in monosodium urate (MSU) crystal-induced human fibroblast-like synoviocyte (HFLS) cells using ELISA-kits, followed by Western blot analysis for the expression of MyD88, NLRP3, NF-κB p65, and caspase-1 proteins to investigate the inflammation pathway. In vivo assay of the most active extract and andrographolide were performed based on the swelling rate and inhibition of pro-inflammatory mediator release from synovial fluid of a rat knee joint induced by MSU crystals. The results showed that the EtOH80 extract had a greater amount of andrographolide (11.34% w/w) than the water extract (1.38% w/w). In the XO inhibitory activity, none of the samples exhibited greater than 50% inhibition. However, in a rat model, EtOH80 extract (200 mg/kg/day) and andrographolide (30 mg/kg/day) decreased serum uric acid levels and reduced liver XO activity, reduced the protein expression levels of URAT1 and GLUT9, and restored the decrease in OAT1 levels. In the in vitro anti-inflammatory study, EtOH80 extract and andrographolide significantly decreased production of IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α, as well as inhibited the synthesis of MyD88, NLRP3, NF-κB p65, and caspase-1 in a concentration-dependent manner, almost comparable to dexamethasone. The EtOH80 extract (200 mg/kg/day) and andrographolide (30 mg/kg) significantly decreased swelling rate and IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in the synovial fluid of rat models in a time-dependent manner, comparable to indomethacin (3 mg/kg/day). In conclusion, the findings show that EtOH80 extract has a substantial anti-gout effect by lowering uric acid levels and suppressing pro-inflammatory mediator production due to the andrographolide content, that might be beneficial in the treatment of gouty-inflammation.
Mediation Effect of Self-Efficacy and Resilience on the Psychological Well-Being of Lebanese People During the Crises of the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Beirut Explosion
Authors: Hong Jihoon , Mreydem Hussein Walid , Abou Ali Bayan Tarek , Saleh Nada Omar , Hammoudi Sajida Fawaz , Lee Jukab , Ahn Junseok , Park Jangho , Hong Youjin , Suh Sooyeon , Chung Seockhoon 
Published: January 2022

Introduction: Self-efficacy signifies an individual's belief in their own ability to perform the actions required to achieve a particular performance. In this study, we used an online survey to assess the mediation effect of resilience and self-efficacy on the overall psychological well-being of Lebanese people during the crises of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Beirut explosion.Methods: Overall, 567 Lebanese people participated in an online survey between March 17–28, 2021. The survey included the Stress and Anxiety to Viral Epidemics-6 items (SAVE-6), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale-2 items, WHO-5 Well-being Index, General Self-Efficacy scale, and a single item on insomnia. We also assessed their risk perception regarding exposure to COVID-19 or explosions.Results: About 53% of participants were assessed as having depression (PHQ-9 ≥ 10) in the recent crisis. About half of participants (53.2%) reported feeling more stressed by COVID-19 than by the Beirut explosion, and 23.4% felt more stressed by the Beirut explosion than by COVID-19. Only the SAVE-6 score differed significantly between groups with greater stress responses to COVID-19 and the Beirut explosion. Self-efficacy mediated the influence of depression on people's psychological well-being, and self-efficacy and resilience mediated the influence of viral anxiety on psychological well-being.Conclusion: Self-efficacy is important for reducing people's depression and improving their psychological well-being during the Lebanon crises and also mediates the influence of anxiety in response to the viral epidemic on their psychological well-being in some people.
Vaccinators' Perception of HPV Vaccination in the Saa Health District of Cameroon
Authors: Haddison Eposi , Tambasho Afizu , Kouamen Gael , Ngwafor Randolph 
Published: January 2022

Introduction: Cervical cancer is the second most prevalent cancer among women in Cameroon. In November 2020, the HPV vaccine was introduced into the expanded programme on immunisation. However, uptake of the vaccine has been slow in the Centre region as opposed to other regions in the country. We therefore sought to describe vaccinators' perception of HPV vaccination in Saa health district.Methods: A self-administered questionnaire with both open-ended and closed questions was used to assess the perception of HPV vaccination among 24 vaccinators from the Saa health district. Quantitative data were summarised as proportions while qualitative data were deductively and inductively coded and thematically analysed.Results: Most vaccinators (75%, n = 18) had a good knowledge about cervical cancer and HPV vaccination. Fourteen (58.3%, n = 14) vaccinators correctly reported the target group, number and spacing of doses for the HPV vaccine. Fourteen (58.3%) vaccinators favoured HPV vaccination while the others (n = 10) were sceptical. Sceptics felt manufacturers hadn't given enough proof of the safety of the vaccine and lacked confidence in government's assessment of the epidemiological situation. The COVID 19 pandemic, fear of infertility and the negative influence of social media were perceived as the main reasons for community hesitancy. Vaccinators criticised health authorities for failing to sensitise the population about the HPV vaccine before its introduction.Conclusion: Vaccinators' perceptions of HPV vaccination may influence the offer of HPV vaccination services. Measures to increase acceptance of HPV vaccination and ownership of the activity among vaccinators have to be put in place.
A Nationwide Virtual Research Education Program for Medical Students in Pakistan: Methodological Framework, Feasibility Testing, and Outcomes
Authors: Noorali Ali Aahil , Inam Maha , Shahbaz Hamna , Rauf Hareem , Aamir Faiqa Binte , Khalid Farah , Abbas Saadia , Saeed Abdullah , Musharraf Muhammad Daniyal , Merchant Asma Altaf Hussain , Hasan Babar S. , Rasheed Muneera A. , Jehan Fyezah , Tariq Muhammad , Haider Adil Hussain 
Published: January 2022

Introduction: Equipping young medical trainees with fundamental research skills can be a promising strategy to address the need for professionals who can understand and responsibly communicate evolving scientific evidence during a pandemic. Despite an ardent interest to partake in research, most educational institutions in Pakistan and other low-middle income countries have not yet adopted a comprehensive strategy for research skills education. The authors aimed to design and assess the feasibility of implementing the first nation-wide virtual research workshop for medical students in Pakistan.Methods: The course “Beginners Guide to Research,” designed as a nation-wide virtual research workshop series, was conducted for medical students across Pakistan in June 2020. Four interactive live workshops took place online on alternate days from June 22nd, 2020, to June 27th, 2020, each lasting 1–2 h. Outcomes included: (i) reach, (ii) efficacy as indexed by pre-post change in score pertaining to knowledge and application of research and (iii) self-rated perceptions about understanding of research on a Likert scale.Results: 3,862 participants enrolled from 41 cities and 123 institutions. Enrolled participants belonged to the following provinces: Sindh (n = 1,852, 48.0%), Punjab (n = 1,767, 45.8%), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (n = 109, 2.8%), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (n = 84, 2.2%) Balochistan (n = 42, 1.1%). We also saw a few registrations from international students (n = 8, 0.2%). Mean (SD) age of enrolled medical students was 21.1 (2.1) years, 2,453 (63.5%) participants were female and 2,394 (62.0%) were from private-sector medical colleges. Two thousand ninety-three participants participants filled out all four pre-test and post-test forms. The total median knowledge score improved from 39.7 to 60.3% with the highest improvements in concepts of research bioethics and literature search (p &lt; 0.001) with greater change for females compared to males (+20.6 vs. +16.2%, p &lt; 0.001) and private institutions compared to public ones (+16.2 vs. +22.1%, p &lt; 0.001).Conclusion: The overwhelming enrollment and significant improvement in learning outcomes (&gt;50% of baseline) indicate feasibility of a medical student-led research course during a pandemic, highlighting its role in catering to the research needs in the LMICs.
Single-Use vs. Reusable Digital Flexible Ureteroscope to Treat Upper Urinary Calculi: A Propensity-Score Matching Analysis
Authors: Huang Fang , Zhang Xiaoqiong , Cui Yu , Zhu Zewu , Li Yongchao , Chen Jinbo , Zeng Feng , Li Yang , Chen Zhiyong , Chen Hequn 
Published: January 2022

Objective: The purpose of this research was to compare the treatment outcomes and costs of a single-use and reusable digital flexible ureteroscope for upper urinary calculi.Methods: Four hundred forty patients with reusable digital flexible ureteroscope and 151 patients with single-use flexible digital ureteroscope were included in this study. Through exclusion and inclusion criteria and 1:1 propensity-score matching analysis based on baseline characteristics, ultimately, 238 patients (119:119) were compared in terms of treatment outcomes. The cost analysis was based on the costs of purchase, repair, and reprocessing divided by the number of all procedures in each group (450 procedures with reusable digital flexible ureteroscope and 160 procedures with single-use digital flexible ureteroscope).Results: There was no statistical significance in mean operation time (P = 0.666). The single-use digital flexible ureteroscope group has a shorter mean length of hospital stay than the reusable digital flexible ureteroscope group (P = 0.026). And the two groups have a similar incidence of postoperative complications (P = 0.678). No significant difference was observed in the final stone-free rate (P = 0.599) and the probability of secondary lithotripsy (P = 0.811) between the two groups. After 275 procedures, the total costs of a single-use flexible ureteroscope would exceed the reusable flexible ureteroscope.Conclusion: Our data demonstrated that the single-use digital flexible ureteroscope is an alternative to reusable digital flexible ureteroscopy in terms of surgical efficacy and safety for upper urinary calculi. In terms of the economics of the two types of equipment, institutions should consider their financial situation, the number of FURS procedures, the volume of the patient's calculus, surgeon experience, and local dealerships' annual maintenance contract when making the choice.
Trust in Institutions and the COVID-19 Threat: A Cross-Sectional Study on the Public Perception of Official Recommendations and of Othering in Switzerland
Authors: Gilles Ingrid , Le Pogam Marie-Annick , Perriraz Margaux , Bangerter Adrian , Green Eva G. T. , Staerklé Christian , Krings Franciska , Wagner-Egger Pascal , Peytremann-Bridevaux Isabelle 
Published: January 2022

Objectives: To explore how perceived disease threat and trust in institutions relate to vaccination intent, perceived effectiveness of official recommendations, and to othering strategies.Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of Swiss adults in July 2020. Outcome variables were vaccination intent, perceived effectiveness of official recommendations and othering strategies (labelling a given social group as responsible for the disease and distancing from it). Independent variables were perceived disease threat, trust in various institutions, perceived health-related measures, and sociodemographic variables. Linear and logistic regressions were performed.Results: The response rate was 20.2% (1518/7500). Perceived disease threat and trust in medical/scientific institutions were positively associated with vaccination intent and perceived effectiveness of official recommendations for coronavirus mitigation measures. Only disease threat was associated with a perception of effectiveness among othering strategies. Age and education levels were associated with vaccination intent.Conclusion: Reinforcing trust in medical/scientific institutions can help strengthen the perceived effectiveness of official recommendations and vaccination. It however does not prevent adherence to ineffective protecting measures such as othering strategies, where decreasing perceptions of epidemic threat appears to be more efficient.
Biocontrol Potential and Catabolic Profile of Endophytic Diaporthe eres Strain 1420S from Prunus domestica L. in Poland—A Preliminary Study
Authors: Abramczyk Barbara , Marzec-Grządziel Anna , Grządziel Jarosław , Król Ewa , Gałązka Anna , Oleszek Wiesław 
Published: January 2022

Recently, Diaporthe has been considered the most frequently isolated genera of endophytic fungi, having a broad spectrum of host plants and a worldwide distribution. The endophytic Diaporthe strain used in the present work came from the Fungal Collection of Phytopathology and Mycology Subdepartment, University of Life Sciences in Lublin (Poland), and was isolated from healthy Prunus domestica shoots during previous studies. Due to the possibility of using the Diaporthe endophytes as a promising option for plant disease management, the main goal of the research was to study the antagonistic effect of endophytic Diaporthe strain against six phytopathogens: Verticillium dahliae, Botrytis cinerea, Fusarium avenaceum, F. sprotrichioides, Alternaria alternata, and Trichothecium roseum based on the dual culture assay and to determine the catabolic profile of the endophyte by using Biolog FF Plates. The dual-culture test assay revealed the ability of the endophytic Diaporthe to limit the growth of all tested pathogens. The growth inhibition percentage ranged from 20% (V. dahliae) to 40% (T. roseum). A distinct zone of inhibition occurred between the endophytic Diaporthe and the pathogens T. roseum, V. dahliae, and B. cinerea in the co-growth combinations. As for the catabolic profile results, the most intensive utilization of carbon substrates was observed after 168 h of incubation. The growth of the analyzed strain was observed on 79 media containing carbohydrates, carboxylic acids, amino acids, amines and amides, polymers, and others. The most effective decomposition was observed in the polymers group, the least in amines and amides. Molecular identification indicated that this strain was closely related to the Diaporthe eres species complex.
Automated Aircraft Dent Inspection via a Modified Fourier Transform Profilometry Algorithm
Authors: Lafiosca Pasquale , Fan Ip-Shing , Avdelidis Nicolas P. 
Published: January 2022

The search for dents is a consistent part of the aircraft inspection workload. The engineer is required to find, measure, and report each dent over the aircraft skin. This process is not only hazardous, but also extremely subject to human factors and environmental conditions. This study discusses the feasibility of automated dent scanning via a single-shot triangular stereo Fourier transform algorithm, designed to be compatible with the use of an unmanned aerial vehicle. The original algorithm is modified introducing two main contributions. First, the automatic estimation of the pass-band filter removes the user interaction in the phase filtering process. Secondly, the employment of a virtual reference plane reduces unwrapping errors, leading to improved accuracy independently of the chosen unwrapping algorithm. Static experiments reached a mean absolute error of ∼0.1 mm at a distance of 60 cm, while dynamic experiments showed ∼0.3 mm at a distance of 120 cm. On average, the mean absolute error decreased by ∼34%, proving the validity of the proposed single-shot 3D reconstruction algorithm and suggesting its applicability for future automated dent inspections.
Third-Order Differential Subordination Results for Analytic Functions Associated with a Certain Differential Operator
Authors: Darweesh Amal Mohammed , Atshan Waggas Galib , Battor Ali Hussein , Lupaş Alina Alb 
Published: January 2022

In this research, we study suitable classes of admissible functions and establish the properties of third-order differential subordination by making use a certain differential operator of analytic functions in U and have the normalized Taylor–Maclaurin series of the form: f(z)=z+∑n=2∞anzn, (z∈U). Some new results on differential subordination with some corollaries are obtained. These properties and results are symmetry to the properties of the differential superordination to form the sandwich theorems.
Modeling of optical properties of hybrid metal-organic nanostructures
Authors: Ponyavina A. N. , Barbarchyk K. A. , Zamkovets A. D. , Tikhomirov S. A. 
Published: January 2022

To model spectral characteristics of hybrid metal-organic nanostructures, the extended Mie theory was used, which makes it possible to calculate the extinction efficiency factor (Qext) and the scattering efficiency factor in the near zone (QNF) of two-layer spherical particles placed in an absorbing matrix. Two-layer plasmon nanospheres consisting of a metallic core (Ag, Cu) coated with dielectric shells and located into the copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) matrix were considered. The influence of dielectric shell thickness and refractive index on the characteristics of the surface plasmon resonance of absorption (SPRA) was studied. The possibility of the SPRA band tuning by changing the optical and geometrical parameters of dielectric shells was shown. It was established that dielectric shells allow to shift the surface plasmon resonance band of plasmonic nanoparticles absorption both to short- and long-wavelength spectral range depending on the relation between shell and matrix refractive indexes.
Acousto-optic Light Pulse Shaper for Measuring the Parameters of Photo-detectors
Authors: Hasanov A. R. , Hasanov R. A. , Rustamov A. R. , Ahmadov R. A. , Sadikhov M. V. 
Published: January 2022

The paper emphasizes that intensive utilization of the optical range increases the need for the development of new optoelectronic devices. Accordingly, there is a growth in the need for effective methods and tools to study photoelectric properties of semiconductor materials, including photo-detectors.In the paper we have analyzed the well-known methods and tools for measuring the photo-detector parameters, defined the restrictions in their applications, and proved that it is relevant to create a measuring system, the parameters of which are easily adapted to the study of photoelectric characteristics of a wide range of semiconductor materials, including photo-detectors.The scheme and principle of operation of the acousto-optic processor and the features of the photo-elastic effect are discussed, and it is proved that they can be used to form a light pulse of required duration and power. The expressions obtained for calculating the response at the acousto-optic processor output enable us to estimate separately the effects of time of crossing the optical beam by the elastic wave packet and the photo-detector inertia.The capability to determine the time of crossing the optical beam by the elastic wave packet and taking it into account as a device error has been substantiated. The proposed formulas have been tested and by numerical analysis based on the datasheet specifications of the FD-24K photodiode, the effectiveness of the obtained expressions has been convincingly proven.The inertia parameters of a particular sample of the FD-24K photodiode are experimentally studied. The emphasis is upon measuring the rise time of the transient response of the object under study. The exact rise time value of the transient response of the experimental FD-24K sample was approximately 7 μs, which is less than that indicated (≤10 μs) in the product certificate. In real life, such a measurement is necessary when selecting the photodiode pairs with identical parameters.By comparing the results of numerical analysis and experimental studies, it has been convincingly proven that the features of the photo-elastic effect can be used to construct a light pulse shaper with the required parameters.