Featured Issue: European Journal of General Medicine Vol.7 No.3

This is the first time we are featuring European Journal of General Medicine on our blog! The European Journal of General Medicine is a peer-reviewed medical journal published by the Medical Investigations Society.

The issue we are featuring today, no.3 of vol.7, includes "Coping, Anxiety and Depression in Turkish Patients with Cancer" by Karabulutlu et al. In this study, the levels of depression and anxiety were examined to determine appropriate strategies for helping cancer patients cope with stress. 
The study was conducted in July and August of 2005, and involved 96 cancer patients at the Medical Oncology Clinic of Ataturk University Research Hospital.
The qualitative research gathered was on the patients' demographic, type of treatment, and duration of the disease and treatment. Two scales, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD) and Strategies for Coping with Stress Scale were also used in the study.
The results showed that 61.5% of the patients studied had anxiety, and 81.3% had depression.

For the complete article and others from this issue, go to: http://bioline.org.br/titles?id=gm&year=2010&vol=07&num=03&keys=V7N3

Featured New Issue: VITAE Academia Biomédica Digital No.55

VITAE Academia Biomédica Digital vol.0 no.55 has been updated on Bioline. This issue features a number of articles including "Antibiotic Sales Regulation In Venezuela and Bacterial Resistance" by De Andrade et al. In this study, the impact of regulating the sale of antibiotics on bacterial resistance was determined. Results show that the consumption of antibiotics and bacterial resistance significantly increased following the implementation of the regulation. This study concludes by highlighting the importance of improving the education for health care professionals so that prescriptions are accurately prescribed.

In the article "Stages of iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia in children in the community Miguel Peña. Valencia. 2011 - 2012" by Barbella et al., the researchers aimed to evaluate the prevalence of iron deficiency anaemia in children attending the Centre for Integrative Medicine in Valencia, Carabobo. There are different stages of iron deficiencies characterized by increasing severity. Stage 1 is characterized by depleted iron stores, Stage II by low iron uptake to tissues and Stage III by iron deficiency anaemia. In this study the researchers highlighted the importance of diagnosing iron deficiency early, particularly at stage 1.

For other articles from this issue, go to: http://www.bioline.org.br/titles?id=va&year=2013&vol=0&num=55&keys=V0N55

Featured Issue: Nigerian Journal of Physiological Sciences Vol.27 No.2

In Toronto, the weather transitions from warm to cold during the Fall. One of the articles in this issue discusses the effect of the Harmattan season, which is another transition period for weather in Nigeria. During the Harmattan season, the winds are dry and pick up dust. One article in this issue, "Effect of road transport stress on Erthrocyte Osmotic Fragility (EOF) of healthy young adult Nigerians during the harmattan season", by Olorunshola et al., examines 23 young Nigerian males during the Harmattan season and after they've been affected by road transportation. The blood was collected from the subjects after overnight fasts and within 10 minutes after the subjects were transported at a speed of 65-75 km/h and a distance of 180 km. The results showed that transportation was stressful to the subjects and that erythrocyte osmotic fragility (EOF) could be used to measure the stress in humans. 

A review article included in this issue, "Rising environmental cadmium levels in developing countries: Threat to genome stability and health", by Anetor, is on the element Cadmium (Cd) and its effect on the environment. Cadmium is increasingly becoming known as an environment pollutant, associated with bone disease and emphysema among others. There is evidence that Cadmium may disrupt genomic processes and inhibits DNA repair mechanisms.

For further information from this article and others from this issue, go to: http://www.bioline.org.br/titles?id=np&year=2012&vol=27&num=02&keys=V27N2

Featured Issue: Nigerian Journal of Physiological Sciences Vol.26 No.2 & Vol.27 No.1

Professor Gabriel Ezeilo

Nigerian Journal of Physiological Sciences vol. 27 no. 2 was posted on Bioline in early September. This is the first time we are featuring NJPS on our blog!

Vol.26 no.2 includes "Variations in Haematological Parameters and Erythrocyte Osmotic Fragility of Pigs during Hot-Dry and Harmattan Season in Northern Guinea Savanna Zone of Nigeria" by Adenkola et al., which looks at the effect of seasons on the haematological patterns of pigs. The seasons compared were the hot-dry season, and the harmattan season, characterized by dry, dusty winds. The results showed that pigs were more stressed during the harmattan season that the hot-dry season. For other articles from this issue, go to: http://bioline.org.br/titles?id=np&year=2011&vol=26&num=02&keys=V26N2


Vol.27 no.1 includes "In Memoriam: Professor Gabriel Chukwujekwu Ezeilo MBBS (Lond), DTM&H (Liverpool), MSc (Roch. N.Y),MD (Lond), FRCP (Glas), FRCP (Edin) (1934 – 2011)" by A.R.A Alada, which is an editorial in honour of the passing of Professor Ezeilo, who was "among the first generation of Nigerian physiologists. He died on November 22, 2011. 

For the complete editorial, as well as another editorial on Professor Ezeilo, go to: http://bioline.org.br/titles?id=np&year=2012&vol=27&num=01&keys=V27N1

Featured Issues: Zoological Research Vol. 34 No. 3 & 4

Zoological Research has been updated on Bioline. Today we will be featuring issues 3 and 4 from vol. 34 of the journal. These issues include the following articles:

Issue 3 contains "Influence of surface water availability on mammal distributions in Nonggang National Nature Reserve, Guangxi, China" by Tian-Bo Chen et al. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diversity and abundance of different mammals in the Nonggang National Nature Reserve in Guangxi, China using infra-red camera traps. The study was conducted from March 2006 to June 2007 and October 2010 to May 2011.
The results suggested that medium- to large-sized mammals were effectively evaluated by the cameras, as were the cameras useful for monitoring illegal hunting.
You can find the full article and other articles from this issue here: http://www.bioline.org.br/titles?id=zr&year=2013&vol=34&num=03&keys=V34N

Issue 4 includes "Age structure and genetic diversity of Homatula pycnolepis in the Nujiang River basin" by Xing-Jian Yue et al. This study evaluates the age structure of Homatula pycnolepis, a species of Loach, which is a fish that lives in streams. The results showed that the Homatula pycnolepis located in the Xiaomengtong River of the Nujiang River basin in April 2008 were one and two years of age and no older. The results also showed that there was little genetic diversity among the Homatula pycnolepis, possibly "due to small populations and locale fishing pressures."
For the full article and others from issue 4, go to: http://www.bioline.org.br/titles?id=zr&year=2013&vol=34&num=04&keys=V34N4

Featured Issue: Ciência Florestal Vol. 22 No. 4

Today's featured journal is Ciência Florestal. This is the first time we are featuring this journal on our blog. Ciência Florestal is a journal from Brazil that was first published in 1991. It specializes in rural science and applied and technical research related to the forest sector. You can find more information on the journal here: http://www.bioline.org.br/cf

Vol. 22 no. 4 includes "Seedlings Growth of Prunus brasiliensis(Cham. & Schltdl.) D. Dietr. in Sewage Sludgebased Compost and Mineral Fertilizer" by Scheer et al. This article aims to evaluate the growth of the shrub Prunus brasiliensis grown in substrate composed of sewage sludge, ground tree pruning and granulated fertilizer in comparison with Prunus brasiliensis shrubs grown in commercial substrate, commonly used in tree nurseries.

Growth was evaluated based on height of the seedlings and the diametre and dry biomass of leaves and branches.

The results showed that Prunus brasiliensis had higher growth rates when grown in the substrate composed of sewage sludge compared to Prunus brasiliensis grown in commercial substrate.

For the complete article and other articles from this issue, check out Ciência Florestal vol.22 no.4 here: http://www.bioline.org.br/titles?id=cf&year=2012&vol=22&num=04&keys=V22N4

Welcome to the Malawi Medical Journal!

Bioline would like to welcome the Malawi Medical Journal, the newest journal to be added to the Bioline repository! 

The Malawi Medical Journal (MMJ) was added to Bioline in October 2013. The journal is published by the College of Medicine, University of Malawi and Medical Association of Malawi. MMJ features research studies, policy analysis, case reports and literature reviews addressing the health care issues in Malawi and Africa and functions to provide a forum for academic debates among health researchers and professionals. The Bioline Team is working hard to add the MMJ's back issues to the website. Here are some highlights from the issues that have been added so far:

A review article in vol. 19 no. 1 by authors Kalua and Nyasulu highlights the role of modifying factors in health education programs. Health education in health programs is vital in empowering individuals with the knowledge and skills to promote good health. Modifying factors such as individual characteristics, time, skills and financial resources play a pivotal role in influencing desirable health behaviors. It is therefore necessary to understand the modifying factors of a target population in order to ensure a successful health education program. This article and others from this issue can be viewed here.

Professor E. Molyneux from the Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine contributes an Editorial in vol. 19 no. 2. The Editorial highlights how Malawian medical school students receive a lack of political support. Molyneux raises important questions regarding the reasons why the medical students feel so unsupported and their overwhelming workloads. Molyneux questions whether it is possible to reduce the workload of interns. The articles in this issue can be found here.

In vol. 19 no. 3, Dr. G Malenga highlights the role of varying medical occupations. Malenga talks about the social, psychological and financial gains that the health sector can benefit from if grandmothers become consistent partners in Maternal and Child Health and/or Reproductive Health services in Malawi. This editorial recognizes the instrumental role grandmothers play in influencing decisions - such as those relating to health seeking behaviour within their extended families. This article and others from this issue can be accessed here.

Esha Homenauth -- A Student Perspective: Non-Communicable Diseases and Risk Behaviours in Developing Countries

An epidemiological transition linked to increases in urbanization, industrialization and globalization has resulted in the rise of Non-communicable diseases (NCD) globally (Aikins et al, 2010). Non-communicable diseases account for the major global public health challenges of the twentieth century. Overall disease burden associated with NCD is predicted to increase for middle and low income countries (WHO: The world report 2003). In Nigerian cities, the increase of motorized vehicles and sedentary occupations such as office work, parallels the increase in incidences of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancers and other high risk dietary and life-style behaviours. Evidence surrounding the growing burden of NCD and the risk factors in Sub Saharan Africa has sparked public health intervention. However, because of the lack of data on health and economic burdens associated with NCD, effective actions have not been implemented to reduce their incidences.

The study by Ok et al. (2013) published in vol. 13 no. 1 of African Health Sciences carried out in a university community in the city of Ibadan, Oyo State, South Western Nigeria, aimed to provide evidence of NCD in the public by documenting the self-reported prevalence of selected NCD and associated risk behaviours. Results showed that an unhealthy diet was the major risk behaviour associated with NCD. The high prevalence of unhealthy diet is supported by other studies that indicate only 5% of developing countries were reported to consume at least five servings of fruit and vegetables (Khatib O, 2004). 1 in 7 individuals reported at least one risk behaviour while 3 in 10 reported multiple risk behaviours. Additionally, hypertension was reported as the most prevalent NCD. This study agrees with previous findings that report diseases such as hypertension, cancer and diabetes as being caused by multiple risk behaviours (WHO: Global Burden of Disease, 2002).

The health system in developing countries will be unable to support the increase in disease burden if the present trend continues. The researchers highlight the need for intervention strategies targeted to recognize, prevent and reduce the risk behaviours associated with NCD. They also highlight the need for improved surveillance of NCD in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa such that non-communicable diseases are placed within the context of overall disease burden.

Non-communicable disease account for the leading cause of death in the developed world. Numerous studies highlight the incidence of NCD in western societies and indicate the need for early intervention. However, need for these interventions are also imperative for developing countries. From the perspective of a Health Studies student, this study provides relevant information regarding the burden of NCD and associated behaviours in developing countries. Developing countries are affected by both communicable and non-communicable diseases, as well as aspects of poverty, inequality and inadequate resources. The health care system is therefore strained due to the overall burden of these diseases making it important to devise a solution that targets the root of the problem - unhealthy diets. Though the solution may or may not be different in western societies, providing a healthy diet may be the first step in an intervention strategy to limit the prevalence of NCD. Unlike developed countries, the incidence of NCD are poorly reported or documented in developing countries, resulting in the health care system allocating little to no resources for its prevention.

Bioline International functions to limit the knowledge gap between developing and developed countries. Providing open access to this article and others in this issue allow relevant information about overall disease burden associated with non-communicable diseases in developing countries to surface so that effective measures can be put in place to limit the increase in incidences.

OK, I., ET, O., OA, A.(2013) Non communicable disease and risky behaviour in an urban university community Nigeria. African Health Sciences 13(1): 62 - 67

Accelerating Science Award Program honours Bioline International as a High-Impact Open Access Organization

Bioline International has been honoured by the Accelerating Science Award Program as a high-impact open access organization! 

"This inclusion could not have come at a better time," Bioline Director, Leslie Chan says, "as we are marking the 20th anniversary of Bioline this coming December. Bioline International is the collective effort of many partners and dedicated volunteers, and the project would not be possible without the long term commitment of our collaborators at the Centro de Referência em Informação Ambiental (CRIA), based in Campinas, Brazil, and in particular the work of Sidnei de Souza." Bioline co-founder, Barbara Kirsop, has exclaimed her excitement about the award. Fellow Bioline-partner Vanderlai Canhos at CRIA celebrates Barbara in this award, remarking in an email to Barbara: "You are Bioline's mother. Without your vision, commitment and persistence there would be no Bioline... Congratulations to all the partners in this effort!"

Excerpt from the ASAP Portfoli

The entire Bioline Team - spanning across the globe - wishes to extend many thanks again to the ASAP program for this honour.

The Accelerating Science Award Program (ASAP) is led by a coalition of open access organizations, such as PLOS, Google, and the Wellcome Trust. The ASAP awards celebrate "how the unrestricted exchange of information can advance science and medicine and benefit society". During Open Access Week 2013, the ASAP awards were hosted in Washington by the Scholarly Publishing & Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC) and the World Bank. ASAP celebrated Bioline as a "High-Impact Open Access Organization" by featuring the organization in the ASAP Portfolio.
Here's to Bioline's ability to provide 20 more years and beyond of open access and distribution of scholarly research from our partner journals in their mission to improve global health through the advancement of science and medicine!

Featured Issues: African Journal of Health Sciences Vol.17 No.3 & 4

This is our very first time featuring African Journal of Health Sciences on our blog! Today we will be featuring issues 3 and 4 from vol.17. 

This includes "Costing injuries in South Africa: preliminary results and challenges from a pilot study" by Bowman et al. This article aims to uncover the costs of injuries in the South African public health sector by providing a baseline for medical costs of the treatment of gunshot wounds, pedestrian-motor vehicle collision injuries, as well as falls and burns at a public health facility in Johannesburg, South Africa.

"Prescription status of Respiratory tract infection - a survey report" by Ramvikas et al. aims to investigate how respiratory tract infections are treated in developing countries, with a focus on South India. Treatment by means of self-medication and consumption of drugs prescribed by non-doctors were assessed. The results showed that out of 1000 respondents, those between 21 and 40 years of age were more prone to self-medication due to economic factors, lack of time and lack of treatment awareness among others. The authors conclude that pharmacists should educate patients to improve patient compliance and prevent diseases.

For the complete details of these studies and other articles from this issue, go to: http://www.bioline.org.br/titles?id=jh&year=2010&vol=17&num=3-4&keys=V17N3-4

A New Journal for Bioline Researchers: Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science

Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science is the newest member of the Bioline family! The Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science (BJMS) is a professional medical journal published quarterly every year (January, March, June and October). The journal provides a forum for discourse among medical professionals and other academic disciplines in Bangladesh. BJMS is a non-profit journal sponsored by Ibn Sina Trust, Bangladesh. It features editorials, research articles, review articles, special articles, case reports and short communications highlighting information of scientific importance. Bioline is currently adding older issues of the journal online and has vol. 1 no. 1 from 1994 online. This issue provides important historical documentation on issues of health in Bangladesh.

Within the vol. 1 no. 1 Editorial, Muazzam highlights the importance of diagnostic autopsy and the hope for clinicians to encourage this practice in order for medical science to develop in Bangladesh. He also brings attention to Laparoscopic cholecystectomy, a less invasive surgical procedure widely practiced in Japan and the USA that had begun to be implemented in Bangladesh at the time of publication.

The Special Article within vol. 1 no. 1 by Nayeem et al discusses Laparoscopic cholecystectomy as a revolutionary event in the field of surgery for management of gallbladder disease. Nayeem highlights how this surgery was likely to become the treatment of choice in the future to reduce patient death, hospital costs and pressure faced by surgical departments in Bangladesh. 

These articles and others in this issue can be viewed here.

Spotlight On: Professor Ruth Oniang'o

Photo: www.ajfand.net

Ruth Oniang'o is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of the African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development (AJFAND). Bioline International has been publishing AJFAND over ten years and our team is always impressed with the engaging articles published by the journal's authors.

Oniang'o is the first professor of nutrition in Kenya¹, and has since contributed greatly to the development and education of agriculture and nutrition. AJFAND, a peer reviewed journal, provides information and research on food and nutrition, as well as agriculture and food security. Oniang’o started AJFAND in 2001 out of her interest in providing a journal that focuses on development issues, the environment, as well as health and sanitation.¹ She continues to write the Editorials for each issue of the journal and brings up important topics central to the discussion of sustainability and nutrition in Africa. 

Oniang'o pursued her education in both the U.S. and Kenya.² She received her Bachelor’s of Science and Masters of Science in Food Science and Nutrition from Washington State University before earning her PhD from University of Nairobi.³
She later became the Professor of Food Science and Nutrition at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture & Technology in Nairobi, where she also founded the graduate studies program in Food Science and Nutrition. She has also advised the Food and Nutrition programs at other universities such as University of Namibia and University of Zimbabwe.⁴

As the founder and first executive director of the Rural Outreach Program (ROP), she has helped the livelihood of numerous families in Kenya through educating them and their farming communities.¹ This non-profit organization was founded in 1993.

Oniang'o is also an advocate of women's health care and child & youth nutrition. She has worked with UN organizations such as UNICEF⁵ and attended international summits such as World Nutrition Conference (1992), the World Food Summit (1996), and congresses such as those of International Union of Nutritional Sciences, International Union of Food Science and Technology, and Crop Science.

Oniang'o's work continues to be recognized around the world. She has won numerous achievements and awards such as the Silver Star medal (1995) and Woman of the Year (2000).⁴

We recently had the pleasure of interviewing Professor Oniang'o on open access and working with Bioline:

Bioline: What is the history of AJFAND?
Ruth Oniang'o: AJFAND stands for African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development. It started in 2001 as AJFNS (African Journal of Food and Nutritional Sciences. With AJFNS as a title and focus, we were not getting enough relevant articles. Yet, other authors in related fields were sending in their articles while others wrote to inquire about the journal and whether they could submit a manuscript for consideration.

Bioline: How and when did Bioline become involved?
Ruth Oniang'o: After 3 issues, the name changed and we also converted to an online version. Just before converting to online publishing, Dr. Leslie Chan visited Nairobi to participate in a 3-day forum for academic journal editors and administrators. That is when I first met him.
At that forum, more than 30 journals were represented. Here I announced that our journal was going online right away. I believe ours was the very first journal to embrace web publishing. I told them: Either we embrace the technology or close shop. Most of the other participants were not sure about that move. Soon after, Dr. Chan introduced Bioline to me and we joined right away.

Bioline: How has Bioline contributed to AJFAND's visbility?
Ruth Oniang'o: Joining the Bioline fraternity was really fortuitous. It gave us international visibility and recognition. It was able to provide a quality assurance mechanism while allowing us to maintaining our independence. I have been able to visit Bioline offices on a visit to the University of Toronto.

Bioline: What has your experience been like working with Bioline?
Ruth Oniang'o: We have had a smooth, cordial and respectful relationship. Bioline received our announcement when we publish just like anyone else, Bioline then checks the issue thoroughly and points out any anomalies, and then posts on its own website and announces.
Our association with Bioline has been most welcome and useful in a number of ways: 

1. Helping to link all the journals from different parts of the world they are able to understand the unique challenges faced by journals based in developing countries; 
2. Providing extremely useful quality assurance services; 
3. Keeping us abreast of what is happening globally in the publishing world;
4. Organizing or linking us to training opportunities; and
5. Giving us monthly alerts on how our journal is doing in terms of visits to the website.

Bioline: Why is open access important for journals like AJFAND?
Ruth Oniang'o: Open access is affordable as far as production costs. The reach is far without having to use an expensive and limiting postal service. Also, the journal virtually markets itself and reaches easily and for free to those who are targeted.

Bioline: Has the open access environment changed for AJFAND? If so, how?
Ruth Oniang'o: We started off as open access and have preferred to remain that way. Raising funds is not easy. But we try. Open access has worked well for us.

Bioline: What kinds of open access developments do you see in the future for AJFAND?
Ruth Oniang'o: We are soon getting into e-book publishing and would also like to diversify what we publish.

For more information on African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, as well as issues from 2002 and beyond, go to: http://www.bioline.org.br/nd

References:
1. Honorable Professor, founder and first Executive Director of Rural Outreach Program (ROP) and consultant. International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change. 
2. AJFAND Online CVs Posting template - CV-Ruth Oniang'o.pdf. African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development. 
3. Food Hero Series: Ruth Oniang'o, Kenya's Voice for Nutrition. The Food Think Tank. 
4. Profile: Professor Ruth Khasaya Oniang'o. Abeingo Community Network. 
5. Ruth Oniang'o. World public Health Nutrition Association.