bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Association of Abnormal Liver Enzymes with All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality: A Large Prospective Population-Based Study
Authors: Kolahdoozan Shadi , Motamed-Gorji Nazgol , Sharafkhah Maryam , Sepanlou Sadaf G. , Afshar Pedram , Malekzadeh Reza , Poustchi Hossein , Merat Shahin
Published: October 2019

Background: While the association of elevated levels of liver enzymes (ALT, AST, ALP and GGT) with mortality has been suggested in many studies, evidence of their association appears to be contradictory. The current study aims to investigate the associations of entire ranges of serum liver enzymes with mortality in a large cohort of adults. Methods: In the current study we used the data of repeated measurement phase in Golestan Cohort Study, which was conducted from 2010 to 2012. All liver enzyme levels were categorized into their quintile values, and the association of liver enzymes with mortality rates were evaluated using Cox proportional hazard regression models. Sensitivity analyses were performed by excluding data of first follow-up year, and patients with history of cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer or viral hepatitis. Results: We included 11,106 individuals with mean age of 56.22 (±7.97) years, 46.2% male. Median follow-up period was 7 years. In the total population, ALT demonstrated a U-shaped association with all-cause mortality; whereas AST showed no significant association. ALP and GGT had linear and positive associations with overall mortality in the total population. CVD-mortality showed associations with low ALT (aHR=1.53, 95% CI: 1.1-2.2), high ALP (aHR=1.79, 1.3-2.6) and high GGT (aHR=2.0, 1.4-2.9). Cancer-mortality was associated with high ALP (aHR=1.9, 1.2-2.9, while GGT had a U-shaped association with cancer mortality, with the middle category (Q3) associated with the lowest cancer-mortality risk (aHR=0.58, 0.4-0.9). High ALT and high AST were associated with cancer-mortality in total sample as well; although, these associations disappeared after the sensitivity analysis. Conclusion: Both low and high levels of ALT are associated with increased all-cause mortality, while only high levels of ALP and GGT have positive associations with all-cause mortality. High levels of all four liver enzymes are associated with cancer mortality. However, only the high levels of ALP and GGT are associated with CVD mortality. Evidence implies that abnormal liver enzymes may be manifestations of metabolic syndrome, CVD, and cancers rather than being their precursors. Yet, they may be useful markers for predicting the survival of patients.
Comparing effectiveness of Metoclopramide alone versus its combination with Dexamethasone for prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting after thyroidectomy at Menelik II Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Tilahun Tamiru , Aregawi Adugna , Gelgelu Temesgen Bati
Published: October 2019

Background Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is a common post- operative unpleasant experience and also common following thyroidectomy that may cause for hematoma and post-operative airway obstruction. Several agents have been tried to reduce severity and incidence PONV.This study intended to compare effectiveness of Metoclopramide alone and its combination with Dexamethasone for prevention of PONV after thyroidectomy at Menelik II Hospital.Methods Prospective cohort study was conducted on 76 American Society of Anesthesiologist (ASA) class I and II, adult patients undergone thyroidectomy. A systematic random sampling was applied to identify sample population through skip interval till required sample size was achieved. Study participants were grouped as Group = M (Metoclopramide alone) and Group = MD (Metoclopramide plus Dexamethasone).Following study participant received either 10 mg Metoclopramide or 5mg Metoclopramide plus 4mg Dexamethasone, PONV was recorded at 6, 12 and 24 hours post operatively. Continuous variables were expressed as mean ± SD or median-IQR as appropriate. Analysis was done by independent two sample t test, Manny Whitney U test and χ2 or fisher exact test. P-Value <0.05 was considered as statistically significant.Results The overall incidence of PONV with in the first 24 hours was significantly higher in Group M as compared to Group MD, 24(63.15%) versus 9 (23.68%) respectively with a P-value of < .01. Although difference was insignificant, severity of nausea at 6th, 12th and 24th was still higher in Group M. From side effects, Sedation was significantly lower in Group MD 6 (15.79%) versus 15 (39.47%) with a P-value of <.05. Despite difference was insignificant headache was found higher in Group M 10 (26.31) vs. 6 (10.52) respectively.Conclusions 5mg Metoclopramide combined with 4mg Dexamethasone has significant effects for prophylaxis of post-operative nausea and vomiting after thyroidectomy. Some side effects of drugs were also significantly reduced in combination group.
Identifying opportunities to strengthen school food environments in the Pacific: a case study in Samoa
Authors: Reeve Erica , Thow Anne-Marie , Bell Colin , Soti-Ulberg Christina
Published: October 2019

Background Despite global recommendations to prioritise policies that create healthy environments within education institutions, the implementation of effective healthy school food policies has proved challenging for many countries. This study examined the experience of Samoa in introducing a stronger policy to improve the healthiness of school food environments. Our aim was to identify opportunities to strengthen school food policy implementation in Samoa and other comparable contexts.Methods We used a qualitative case study approach, underpinned by policy science theory. We conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews with 30 informants, coupled with analysis of relevant documents, to generate a detailed understanding of the relevant policy implementation processes in Samoa, and the perspectives and capacities of key implementation actors. Data collection and analysis were guided by the Health Policy Analysis Triangle supplemented by other policy theories relevant to policy process.Results Samoa’s school food policy operationalizes international ‘best practice’ recommendations for school food policy, and provides insights into the outcomes resulting from high level political commitment. We found health policymakers and leaders in Samoa to be strongly committed to improving school food environments. Despite this, compliance to the school food policy had continued to face challenges. Key issues that negatively impacted on the policy’s effectiveness were the broader food environment in which schools were surrounded by unhealthy options, the lack of priority by stakeholders outside of health, and the high degree of agency exercised by actors in and around the school. We noted several opportunities for policies to be effectively implemented and sustained. Respondents identified community level leaders as potentially pivotal stakeholders, particularly in a context where school governance draws heavily on community representation.Conclusions The re-engagement of political and community leaders to identify the institutional and operational changes required, including a fully-enforceable accountability mechanism, may be needed to improve and embed effectiveness.
Meta-analysis reveals severe pollination limitation for the flowering plants growing in East Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains region.
Authors: Jiang Xianfeng , Xie Yanping
Published: October 2019

Pollination limitation widely occurs and has an important effect on flowering plants. East Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains region is one of the 24 biodiversity hot spots around the world. However, no study as we known has synthetically assessed the degree of pollination limitation in this area. The present study aims to reveal the degree of pollination limitation for the flowering plants growing on East Himalaya-Hengduan mountains, and test if the reproductive features, the floral traits or the elevation are closely correlated with the degree of pollination limitation. We complied data from 76 studies, with 96 species and 108 independent data records included. We found that flowering plants in this area undergo severe pollination limitation (overall hedges’d=2.004, with the 95% confident interval [1.3264, 2.6743]), which is much higher than the flowering plants growing in many other regions around the world. The degree of pollination limitation was tested to be related to the capacity of autonomous self-reproduction and the pollination pattern (generalized vs. specialized pollinated) of plants. In addition, we found a clear relationship between elevation and the degree of pollination limitation, which indicates that plants might undergo severe pollination limitation in higher places.
Patterns of Failure in triple negative breast cancer patients in an urban, predominately black population
Authors: Cherng Hua-Ren , Rice Stephanie R , Hamza Muhammad , Murali Shruti , Rosenblatt Paula , Tkaczuk Katherine H R , Bellavance Emily , Cheston Sally , Amin Neha , Nichols Elizabeth
Published: October 2019

Background: We sought to evaluate the comprehensive patterns of failure associated with treatment for triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) at a single urban institution.
Methods: A retrospective review of TNBC patients treated from 2005-2015 was conducted. Detailed patient, tumor and treatment characteristics were included. Information on patterns of treatment failure, including local, regional, distant and combinations of these three were collected. Chi-square testing was used to compare variables, while logistic regression with Kaplan-Meier estimate was used to calculate overall survival (OS) and freedom from recurrence (FFR).
Results: With a median follow-up of 46 months, 32 (16%) documented failures occurred. Locoregional failures comprised 84% of failure patterns whether isolated or in combination with distant failure. 5-year OS and FFR were 76.4% and 83.8%, respectively. On univariate analysis, treatment failure was associated with insurance type, smoking status, presence of LVSI, clinical detection of tumor, increasing clinical tumor size (>2 cm), and increasing pathologic tumor stage, nodal stage, and overall staging. On multivariate analysis, pathologic nodal staging was the most significant predictor of treatment failure.
Conclusion: Our work shows that with modern therapies, treatment outcomes for patients with TNBC are very good. 53% of patients failed in distant and locoregional sites simultaneously, with an additional 34% failing locally only. These results highlight the need for aggressive local therapies in high-risk patients as well as suggest a need for improved follow up care focusing on detecting locoregional failures. Integrated multidisciplinary care is essential in the management of these patients at time of failure.
Keywords: Triple negative, breast cancer, failure, patterns, predictors
Bom Surabaya 2018: Terorisme dan Kekerasan Atas Nama Agama
Authors: Tamawiwy August Corneles
Published: October 2019

The socio-political analysis of the acts of terrorism has produced phrases such as “terrorism/terrorist has no religion”. Such expressions overlook ethical-theological approaches in analyzing the acts of terrorism. This article aims to show that without an ethical-theological analysis, the socio-political interpretation of acts of terrorism is inadequate because of very strong theological elements that influence the person or group of people committing such acts of terror. Studying the case of the Surabaya Bombing in May 2018, this articledemonstrates that socio-political ideology is not strong enough to make a person or group of people to carry out acts of terrorism unless they are based on theologically informed belief.
Etika Animalitas
Authors: Borrong Robert Patannang
Published: October 2019

Why animal ethics? The importance of animal ethics for the Indonesian public is to respond to the extinction threat of some animal species in Indonesia, like Tiger in Sumatera, Orang Utan in Kalimantan, Anoa in Sulawesi, and Cendrawasih in Papua. The way humans consume animals is often cruel, causing pain and suffering on the part of the animals. Such an attitude indicates the lack of moral standing in animal sphere. Philosophically and theologically, animal has sentience and intrinsic values which with humans have to recognise as the moral standard for animal.Using the theological-ethical concept that human being was created in the image of God, which means that they are not only endowed with senses but also the intellect to make them moral standing creature, this article points to the capacity as well as responsibility of humans to the environment, specifically to the animal world (animalities). As such, animals have to be regarded as having moral standing in the context of human beings’moral attitude and treat. Animals have to be respected and loved morally because they have sense, sentience and intrinsic value. Animals have feeling of pleasure and suffering which with human beings must honor and make as a moral standard. Like human beings, animals have the right to enjoy contentment and to be protected as the good creatures created by God. Although consuming animals can be considered part of natural order and natural recycle, animals have the right to enjoy liberation and prosperity during they are living, and to be avoided from suffering. In this sense, life and death must be accepted in balance. As a conclusion, in relating to animals, humans should demonstrate the virtues of respect, love, justice, and restrained attitudes. Animal ethics, thus, concerns with the sustainability of the peace and welfare of the whole creation on the planet earth.
Paulus dalam Konflik Antarumat Beragama: Membaca Konflik di Maluku Utara Berdasarkan Sikap Nasionalisme Paulus
Authors: Nataniel Demianus
Published: October 2019

The imagination reflected in this article is what if Paul as a nationalist Jew living in the Roman imperium milieu became part of the North Maluku people in the late twentieth century. What would he likely have done when recognizing that there were signs that the conflict involving Muslims and Christians tended to develop into a religious war? Based on the discourses among scholars in the New Perspectives on Paul, arguing that Paul’sletters were part of his rhethoric againts his opponents including Roman imperialism, this article shows that as an educated leader, he was trying hard to prevent a religious war form occuring. Such an imagining is helpful for reflecting on the context of post-conflict North Maluku, where, as Christopher Duncan assumes, there has never been a truly reconciliation.
Study on dynamic characteristic of closed-cell aluminum foam
Authors: Lei Qiang , Ren Junlong , Ren Hongyi , Chao Hongxiao , Du Wenbin
Published: October 2019

Closed-cell aluminum foam has been widely used in aerospace, rail transit and mechanical for its outstanding performance. But for a long time, the research on its vibration damping performance is only limited to the material damping test, there are relatively few studies on its dynamic characteristics. In this paper, we studied the relationship between dynamic characteristic and feature parameters. Modal assurance criterion and Finite element method were used to verify the accuracy of experimental model. It turned out that the average pore diameter of closed-cell aluminum foam conforms to Gaussian distribution. The modal analysis method can be used in the research of dynamic characteristic of closed-cell aluminum foam. Its damping ratio showed increasing trend with the increase of porosity, natural frequency and the decrease of mean pore size. Each order natural frequency increases along with the increase of porosity.
Shadow effect compensation method for ultrasonic transducer array model
Authors: Yang Yingpeng , Chen Xiao
Published: October 2019

Although ultrasonic wind meter is widely used in wind speed measurement, the disadvantages of the ultrasonic wind meter structure by its measurement way still exist. The ultrasonic probe will stop on the way of the wind, which in turn produces a shadow area at the back of the probe, probe produce turbulence ahead. Therefore, it will result in error during the process of our normal wind speed measurement. At present, the ultrasonic wind speed Angle compensation formula is deduced by using the wind speed compensation formula on the path. The measurement data and the compensation formula are used for fitting comparison. It is observed that the Angle compensation function of wind and ultrasonic path fits well with the measured data, and the wind speed error after compensation is reduced from 14.65 % to 1.74 %. The modified measurement of accuracy of wind speed and direction can be used in two-dimensional ultrasonic orthogonal wind array model.
Dynamic characteristics of aero-engine’s rotor under large maneuvering flight
Authors: Zheng Nan , Luo Gui-Huo , Kuang Xi , Chen Li-Jia , Liao Xue-Min
Published: October 2019

In view of the large maneuvering overload of the rotor system in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), the dynamic characteristics of rotor system under large maneuvering overload conditions were analyzed in this paper. The finite element model of rotor system under large maneuvering overload was first established by Timoshenko beam element theory and finite element method. The motion differential equations of the rotor system were derived by Lagrange equation, and the additional damping matrix, stiffness matrix and excitation force were obtained. Critical speeds and unbalance response were calculated by characteristic equation method and Newmark-β numerical integration method respectively. The calculation results showed that the additional damping and stiffness leaded the critical speeds of the rotor system to change under large maneuvering flight, and the additional excitation force resulted in a certain static displacement of the whirling orbits.
Identification and location of ship pipeline leakage based on VMD
Authors: Wu Jiechang , Li Yannan , Liu Shuyong , Feng Xuejiao
Published: October 2019

Pipeline plays an important role in various systems of the ship. However, due to the harsh environment, leakage often occurs in ship pipeline. This paper proposes a method to identity and locate the pipeline leakage. Using the variational mode decomposition (VMD) algorithm, the vibration signal is decomposed into band-limited intrinsic mode functions (BIMFs). The effective BIMFs are then selected by the correlation coefficient. Center frequency and energy value of the effective BIMFs are extracted as feature vector. Radial Basis Function (RBF) neural network is then used as a tool to identify and locate the leakage. The proposed method is finally verified by experiments.
Investigation and optimization of the cable force of a combined highway and railway steel truss cable-stayed bridge in completion state
Authors: Li Haohong , Liu Shuyang , Shan Qiuwei , Zhang Liangliang , Wu Bo
Published: October 2019

In order to study the reasonable cable force of a highway and rail dual-purpose steel truss cable-stayed bridge in the completion state, this paper employs four methods, i.e. the rigid supported continuous beam method, bending minimum energy method, influence matrix method and BP neural network method combined with a genetic algorithm. The Baijusi Yangtze river bridge, with a main span of 660 m in the completion state, is chosen as the object of study. Through comparative analysis, it is found that the rigid supported continuous beam combined with the influence matrix method can determine the reasonable cable force of the highway and rail dual-purpose steel truss cable-stayed bridge more quickly and effectively.
Level set medical image segmentation aided by cooperative quantum particle optimization with Lévy flights
Authors: Li Desheng , Deng Na , Chen Xu
Published: October 2019

Image segmentation plays an important part of image processing, and is also the premise and basis of image analysis and image understanding and recognition. Among the level set based methods, the original Local Binary Fitting (LBF) algorithm is a successful deterministic algorithm that suffers from sensitization to size of the local minimum, image contours, shapes, and initial positions. Among them, Level Set method promotes the two-dimensional problem to the three-dimensional one and then solves it using implicit method to express closed curve of plane. In this article, a novel Level Set model aided by PSO was proposed to solve automated medical image segmentation. The experimental result of segmentations on the benchmark shows that our proposed method is effective to both simple and complex medical images.
Presencia de Salmonella spp. en tortugas de río en cautiverio y en libertad en Urabá, Colombia
Authors: Penagos Gaviria Melissa , Trujillo Garcés Camila , Pérez-García Janeth , Sánchez-Jiménez Miryan Margot , Cardona-Castro Nora
Published: October 2019

La salmonelosis es una enfermedad infecciosa de alta prevalencia a nivel mundial en la cual las tortugas han sido reconocidas como portadores crónicos.Diferentes estudios han reportado la presencia de Salmonella spp. en tortugas de río en diferentes países, sin embargo, ha sido poco reportada en individuos en libertad. El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar la presencia de Salmonella spp. en tortugas de río en cautiverio (n= 55) y en libertad(n= 50) en el Urabá antioqueño (Colombia) entre 2015-2016. Se incluyeron las especies Trachemys venusta, Rhinoclemmys melanosterna y Kinosternonleucostomum. Se tomó la muestra de materia fecal por hisopado cloacal, se cultivó y de las colonias aisladas se realizó extracción de ADN y reacción en cadena de polimerasa (PCR). De la población muestreada (n=105) se encontraron dos individuos positivos a Salmonella spp., ambos en cautiverio, machos,adultos y pertenecientes a la especie R. melanosterna. Los resultados obtenidos no excluyen la posibilidad de infección debido a la intermitencia en la excreción de la bacteria en heces. Esta investigación aporta evidencia a la presencia de la bacteria en las tortugas de la región de estudio y la necesidad de implementar medidas preventivas que disminuyan el contacto con estas especies, y por lo tanto la probabilidad de transmisión de salmonelosis no tifoidea en la población humana de la región.
El kikuyo, una gramínea presente en los sistemas de rumiantes en trópico alto colombiano
Authors: Vargas Martínez Juan de Jesús , Sierra Alarcón Andrea Milena , Mancipe Muñoz Edgar Augusto , Avellaneda Avellaneda Yesid
Published: October 2019

Los sistemas de producción de rumiantes en Colombia están soportados en el uso de forrajes, principalmente el kikuyo en el trópico alto (Cenchrusclandestinus, previamente Pennisetum clandestinum). El objetivo de este trabajo fue recopilar la información relacionada con el kikuyo e identificar nuevos campos de investigación que permitan promover un manejo eficientey sostenible de los sistemas de producción bovino soportados en praderas de kikuyo. Los trabajos sugieren que el kikuyo presenta gran resiliencia ante condiciones ambientales adversas, lo que lo perfilan como una especie de interés ante los nuevos escenarios de variabilidad climática.Además, la literatura reporta estrategias de manejo que promueven el aumento en la producción animal, el mejoramiento en la calidad final del producto y la disminución en el impacto sobre el ambiente. Sin embargo, el kikuyo presenta limitaciones en la respuesta agronómica y composicional que hace necesario desarrollar trabajos de investigación que permitan profundizar en el conocimiento de las relaciones entre las condiciones edafoclimáticas y de manejo que promueva el desarrollo de modelos de optimización de los sistemas de producción.Finalmente, se debe promover programas que permitan conocer las características fenotípicas y genotípicas del kikuyo y definir programas de mejoramiento genético que potencialicen la expresión de esta gramínea en condiciones ambientales específicas.
Acetogeninas, alternativa en el tratamiento de cáncer en caninos
Authors: Gaviria Calle Mónica Marcela , Posada Arias Silvia , Mira Hernández Juliana
Published: October 2019

El cáncer es una enfermedad que implica la alteración de procesos celulares,como metabolismo celular, activación o silenciamiento de genes y crecimiento descontrolado. Es una las principales causas de muerte en humanos, así como en animales de compañía, por lo cual cada vez es másimportante la búsqueda y desarrollo de medicamentos. Algunos de los medicamentos que se producen para tratar el cáncer, provienen de plantas,como el taxol y la vincristina. La necesidad de ampliar el uso de productos naturales para tratar esta enfermedad, no solo en humanos sino en animales de compañía como caninos, abre las puertas a la búsqueda de actividad biológica de plantas que son usadas popularmente por presentar algún efecto con la enfermedad. Este es el caso de la guanábana (Annonamuricata), de la cual se han extraído metabolitos secundarios (acetogeninas)que presentan in vitro mayor toxicidad en líneas celulares cancerígenas comparadas con líneas celulares normales. El fin de esta revisión fue realizar una aproximación de los usos de estos metabolitos en cáncer, para ello fue hecha una búsqueda en PubMed con diferentes palabras claves y se concluyó, que las acetogeninas comprenden una fuente potencial para el desarrollo de medicamentos contra el cáncer.
Insights on the canine mitral valve in the course of myxomatous mitral valve disease
Authors: Orozco Sonia C , Olivera-Angel Martha , Vargas-Pinto Pedro
Published: October 2019

Myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) is the most common heart alteration in dogs. A vast extent of research has been focused on echocardiographic tissue Doppler and strain indices and the medical treatment of this condition, which are beyond the scope of this article. This review intends to include less known information of the mitral valve, acknowledge the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) consensus on MMVD and state different surgical approaches and devices, all valuable information for small animal clinicians and cardiologists. Also, during the last decade studies have been oriented towards to understand valve’s mechanical structure and function, genes involved in the etiology and molecular signaling pathways. Advances have been made in understanding the mitral valve, but more assessment and efforts are needed in this specific area.
Tüketim Kültürü ve İkna Bağlaminda Reklamda Retorik Figürlerin Kullanimi Üzerine Bir İnceleme
Authors: Keba Ekinci Deniz
Published: October 2019

Sanayi devrimiyle ivme kazanan tüketim olgusu
zamanla ihtiyaçtan çok görev haline gelmiştir. Eğlenceden kimliklere varıncaya
dek her şeyin tüketilebildiği bir ortamda tüketim, bireyin varoluş sebebine
dönüşmüştür. Tüketim alışkanlığının devamını sağlayabilmek ve daha fazla
tüketime yönlendirmek amacıyla markalar; ürünlerini farklılaştırmak, pazarlamak
ve satmak gibi nihai hedeflerini gerçekleştirmek adına tüketicileri ikna etme
çabası içine girmişlerdir. Toplumsal bir etkileme biçimi olan, Platon,
Aristotales gibi antik Yunan düşünürlerinin alt yapısını oluşturduğu ikna
iletişimi günümüze kadar çeşitli yöntemlerle gerçekleştirilmiştir. Bu bağlamda,
markalar reklamcılık ve tanıtım faaliyetlerinde “ikna etme sanatı” olarak
adlandırılan retorik disiplininden faydalanmışlardır. Bu çalışmada, tüketim
kültürünün yaşandığı günümüzde, yazılı basın araçlarından biri olan dergilerde,
tüketime özendirme amacıyla yayınlanan basılı reklamlarda kullanılan retoriksel
figürler incelenmiştir. Bu çerçevede araştırmanın
ana konusunu Türkiye’de 2015 yılında dergilere en fazla reklam veren Loreal
Türkiye ve P&G markalarının reklamlarının retorik yapısının incelenmesi
oluşturmaktadır. Reklamlar Aristotales’in retorik üçlemesi ve figürlerin
kullanımı kapsamında analiz edilmiştir. Sonuç
olarak, reklamlarda sözel ve görsel retorik firgürler kullanılarak, yapay
gereksinimlerin oluşturulduğu söylenebilir.
Core-Shell Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Nanocomposites for Biomedical and Environmental Applications
Authors: Shah Nasrullah , Gul Saba , Mazhar Ul-Islam
Published: October 2019

:

Core-shell polymers represent a class of composite particles comprising of minimum two dissimilar
constituents, one at the center known as a core which is occupied by the other called shell. Core-shell molecularly
imprinting polymers (CSMIPs) are composites prepared via printing a template molecule (analyte) in the coreshell
assembly followed by their elimination to provide the everlasting cavities specific to the template molecules.
Various other types of CSMIPs with a partial shell, hollow-core and empty-shell are also prepared. Numerous
methods have been reported for synthesizing the CSMIPs. CSMIPs composites could develop the ability to identify
template molecules, increase the relative adsorption selectivity and offer higher adsorption capacity. Keen
features are measured that permits these polymers to be utilized in numerous applications. It has been developed
as a modern technique with the probability for an extensive range of uses in selective adsorption, biomedical
fields, food processing, environmental applications, in utilizing the plant's extracts for further applications, and
sensors. This review covers the approaches of developing the CSMIPs synthetic schemes, and their application
with special emphasis on uses in the biomedical field, food care subjects, plant extracts analysis and in environmental
studies.
Retraction Note: Low Doses of CPS49 and Flavopiridol Combination as Potential Treatment for Advanced Prostate Cancer
Authors: Zalazar Florencia , Luca Paola De , Gardner Kevin , Figg William D. , Meiss Roberto , Spallanzani Raúl G. , Vallecorsa Pablo , Elguero Belén , Cotignola Javier , Vazquez Elba , Siervi Adriana De
Published: October 2019

:

Due to some inconsistencies in the figures provided by the first author that have come to light, and after a thorough investigation we would like to retract our paper: “Low doses of CPS49 and flavopiridol combination as potential treatment for advanced prostate cancer. By: Zalazar F, De Luca P, Gardner K, Figg WD, Meiss R, Spallanzani RG, Vallecorsa P, Elguero B,
Cotignola J, Vazquez E, De Siervi A. Curr. Pharm. Biotechnol., 2015, 16(6), 553-63.

:

Submission of a manuscript to the respective journals implies that all authors have read and agreed to the content of the
Copyright Letter or the Terms and Conditions. As such this article represents a severe abuse of the scientific publishing system.
Bentham Science Publishers takes a very strong view on this matter and apologizes to the readers of the journal for any
inconvenience this may cause.
Modern Treatments for Gliomas Improve Outcome
Authors: Giambattista Joshua , Omene Egiroh , Souied Osama , Hsu Fred H.C.
Published: October 2019

Glioma is the most common type of tumor in the central nervous system (CNS). Diagnosis
is through history, physical examination, radiology, histology and molecular profiles. Magnetic
resonance imaging is a standard workup for all CNS tumors. Multidisciplinary team management
is strongly recommended. The management of low-grade gliomas is still controversial
with regards to early surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or watchful waiting watchful waiting.
Patients with suspected high-grade gliomas should undergo an assessment by neurosurgeons for
the consideration of maximum safe resection to achieve optimal tumor debulking, and to provide
adequate tissue for histologic and molecular diagnosis. Post-operative radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy
are given depending on disease grade and patient performance. Glioblastoma are mostly
considered incurable. Treatment approaches in the elderly, pediatric population and recurrent
gliomas are discussed with the latest updates in the literature. Treatment considerations include
performance status, neurocognitive functioning, and co-morbidities. Important genetic mutations,
clinical trials and guidelines are summarized in this review.
Multi-Targeted Design and Development of Dihydroisoquinolines as Potent Antimalarials
Authors: Mule Raviraj V. , Rochlani Sneha P. , Choudhari Prafulla B. , Dhavale Rakesh P. , Bhatia Manish S.
Published: October 2019

Background:

Malaria is a serious parasitic infection with greater morbidity and motility
in recent decades. Cysteine protease and DHODH enzyme serve as a potential target for antimalarial
agents which inhibit parasite multiplication in the erythrocyte stage. Development of new leads
which specifically target cysteine protease and DHODH enzyme can reduce the side effects and
overcome multidrug resistance.

Objectives:

Representing the design and development of antimalarial agents by targeting cysteine
protease and DHODH (Dihydroorotate dehydrogenase) enzyme by structure-based drug design.

Methods:

In present work, the rational development of antimalarial agents by targeting cysteine
protease and DHODH has been made by integrating binding confirmation from virtual analysis and
synthetic procedures.

Result:

A novel series of dihydroisoquinolines was designed by structure-based drug design.
Compounds from the dataset were screened for interaction at the target site by performing molecular
docking study and subsequently, all molecules were screened for drug-like properties and toxicity,
prior to synthesis molecules subjected to virtual filters. Designed molecules which exceed these
virtual filters were synthesized, characterized and finally screened for antimalarial activity.

Conclusion:

In this work, it has been observed that compound A1, A5, A6 and A9 showed desirable
biological activity towards targets and also specific hydrogen bonding interaction with the targets.
Further optimization in leads yields a drug-like candidate and may overcome multidrug resistance.
Development of 'S', 'N' Heterocycles as Antimycobacterials Targeting Fatty Acid Biosynthesis
Authors: Dahiwade Lalita K. , Rochlani Sneha P. , Choudhari Prafulla B. , Dhavale Rakesh P. , More Harinath N.
Published: October 2019

Background:

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a causative organism of tuberculosis,
which is the most deadly disease after cancer in the current decade. The development of multidrug
and broadly drug- resistant strains makes the tuberculosis problem more and more critical. In the last
40 years, only one molecule is added to the treatment regimen. Generally, drug design and development
programs are targeted proteins whose function is known to be essential to the bacterial cell.

Objectives:

Here are the development of 'S', 'N’ heterocycles as antimycobacterials targeting fatty
acid biosynthesis are reported.

Material and Methods:

In the present communication, rational development of anti-mycobacterial
agent's targeting fatty acid biosynthesis has been done by integrating the pocket modeling and virtual
analysis.

Results:

The identified potential 33 lead compounds were synthesized, characterized by physicochemical
and spectroscopic methods like IR, NMR spectroscopy and further screened for antimycobacterial
activity using isoniazid as standard. All the designed compounds have shown profound
antimycobacterial activity.

Conclusion:

In this present communication, we found that 3c, 3f, 3l and 4k molecules had expressive
desirable biological activity and specific interactions with fatty acids. Further optimization of
these leads is necessary for the development of potential antimycobacterial drug candidates having
fewer side effects.
Epigenetics, Maternal Diet and Metabolic Programming
Authors: Ramírez-Alarcón Karina , Sánchez-Agurto Ángela , Lamperti Liliana , Martorell Miquel
Published: October 2019

Background:

The maternal environment influences embryonic and fetal life. Nutritional deficits or excesses alter the trajectory of fetus/offspring’s development. The concept of “developmental programming” and “developmental origins of health and disease” consists of the idea that maternal diet may remodel the genome and lead to epigenetic changes. These changes are induced during early life, permanently altering the phenotype in the posterior adult stage, favoring the development of metabolic diseases such as obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, hyperinsulinemia, and metabolic syndrome. In this review, it is aimed to overview epigenetics, maternal diet and metabolic programming factors and determine which of these might affect future generations.

Scope and Approach:

Nutrients interfere with the epigenome by influencing the supply and use of methyl groups through DNA transmethylation and demethylation mechanisms. They also influence the remodeling of chromatin and arginine or lysine residues at the N-terminal tails of histone, thus altering miRNA expression. Fats, proteins, B vitamins and folates act as important cofactors in methylation processes. The metabolism of carbon in the methyl groups of choline, folic acid and methionine to S-Adenosyl Methionine (SAM), acts as methyl donors to methyl DNA, RNA, and proteins. B-complex vitamins are important since they act as coenzymes during this process.

Key Findings and Conclusion:

Nutrients, during pregnancy, potentially influence susceptibility to diseases in adulthood. Additionally, the deficit or excess of nutrients alter the epigenetic machinery, affecting genes and influencing the genome of the offspring and therefore, predisposing the development of chronic diseases in adults.
Exopolysaccharide Produced from Rhizobium spp. - An Interesting Product for Industry and Environment
Authors: Castellane Tereza Cristina Luque , de Sousa Bruna Fernanda Silva , Lemos Eliana Gertrudes de Macedo
Published: October 2019

:

Most legume species, such as soybeans, beans, and clover, have the ability to establish a
symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the soil, which promotes plant growth and
productivity. Exopolysaccharide macromolecules are particularly necessary for binding the bacteria
to root hairs and initiating the deformation of root hairs, thus trapping the bacteria to initiate root invasion
through a tube-like infection thread. Very few studies have focused on the isolation and characterization
of new rhizobial exopolysaccharides, despite their unique and specific biological and
physicochemical properties. However, rhizobial exopolysaccharides may be studied in detail in the
near future, for the development of suitable substitutes for xanthan gum. This review discusses some
analytical strategies for characterization of rhizobial exopolysaccharide, the relation between their
structure and properties, and a novel application of rhizobial exopolysaccharides. The potential application
of exopolysaccharides and living cells as biosorbents has also been reviewed.
Total Hip Arthroplasty in Patient with Melorheostosis (Case Report)
Authors: Kuzin V. V. , Egiazaryan K. A. , Raksha A. P. , Ratyev A. P. , Kuzin A. V. , Zhavoronkov E. A. , Chebotarev V. V.
Published: October 2019

Melorheostosis is a rare mesenchymal dysplasia of bone manifesting as regions of sclerosing and thickening of bone tissue. This disease may involve the adjacent soft tissues and lead to joint pain, limitation of joint motion, stiffness resulting from abnormal ossification and soft-tissue contractures due to periarticular fibrosis. The paper describes a clinical case of a patient who presented with pain and stiffness in the proximal part of the left hip which patient suffered for the last 10 years. At first the patient had intermittent pain in the lower back and left hip during and after walking. Radiographs revealed dense sclerotic and wavy cortex and hyperostosis involving the left iliac crest, the acetabulum, and the femur. CT angiography with contrast was performed for preoperative planning. During the procedure the authors performed total hip arthroplasty of the left hip with excision of fibro-ossifications in the left ilioinguinal area. Severe periarticular fibrosis of the soft tissue was observed intraoperatively and cartilage-like formation was visible around the joint. A sample of the ossification bone was resected for histologic confirmation of the diagnosis; extensive cortical sclerosis with varying thickness typical of melorheostosis was found. Early postoperative period went without complications following routine post-THR protocol. Postoperative X-rays at 6, 12, 24 months did not reveal any complications or new ossifications. Full ROM and pain-free function were achieved in the left hip and lower back of the patient. The present clinical case of total hip arthroplasty with excision of fibroossifications provided good clinical outcome for melorheostosis of the left hip.
Building a Successful Massive Open Online Course About Multiple Sclerosis: A Process Description (Preprint)
Authors: Claflin Suzi B , Gates Rachael , Maher Maree , Taylor Bruce V
Published: October 2019

BACKGROUND

Over the course of a year, we developed and tested a 6-week massive open online course (MOOC) on multiple sclerosis (MS) in consultation with the MS community. The course targeted the MS community and interested laypeople and was titled Understanding MS. The primary purpose of the course was to improve MS knowledge, health literacy, and resilience among participants. The final version of the MOOC made available for open enrollment was ranked first among all MOOCs released in 2019 (n>2400) based on participant reviews.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to present a detailed description and assessment of the development process of the Understanding MS MOOC.

METHODS

The development process included a course development focus group; the creation of more than 50 content videos and related text, quizzes, activities, and discussion prompts; the creation of original images and animations; a pilot study; and collaborations with people living with MS, MS nurses, allied health care practitioners, and neurologists and researchers from 4 universities.

RESULTS

Overall, the process was efficient and effective. With a few small changes, we recommend this approach to those seeking to develop a similar course. This process led to the development of a highly reviewed MOOC with excellent user satisfaction.

CONCLUSIONS

We identified 5 key lessons from this process: (1) community support is essential, (2) stakeholder involvement improves content quality, (3) plan for research from the beginning, (4) coordination between the academic lead and project manager team ensures a consistent voice, and (5) a network of collaborators is a key resource.
EVALUATION OF ANTIOXIDANT, ANTIBACTERIAL, ANTIHEMOLYTIC, AND PHYOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF FICUS BENJAMINA, FICUS INFECTORIA, AND FICUS KRISHNAE
Authors: SINGH JASSAL PRABHJOT , SHARMA MONIKA
Published: October 2019

Objective: The study was conducted for the evaluation of antioxidant, antibacterial, antihemolytic, and phytochemical activity of Ficus benjamina (FB), Ficus infectoria (FI), and Ficus krishnae (FK).

Methods: The antioxidant analysis of FB, FI, and FK was done by 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging and nitric oxide (NO) scavenging assay. Evaluation was performed for antibacterial activity against Clostridium perfringens and Staphylococcus aureus by an agar well diffusion method. Hemolytic assay was performed with red blood cell suspension for evaluating antihemolytic activity. Standard protocols were used for phytochemical activity.

Results: In the results of DPPH antioxidant activity assay, it was found that DPPH inhibition was significantly increased with increasing amount of extract. For NO scavenging assay, ANOVA revealed that the inhibition of NO is not significantly affected with an increase in the amount of extract used. Results of antibacterial activity revealed that methanolic extract of FI shows a maximum zone of inhibition (30.5 mm) against S. aureus and aqueous extract of FK shows a maximum zone of inhibition (28 mm) against C. perfringens. The antihemolytic activity of FB, FI, and FK was performed by measuring percentage inhibition of plant extracts at different concentrations. FK has shown maximum percentage inhibition activity, i.e., 28.64 % at 60 μg/ml, whereas FB shows minimum inhibition activity, i.e. 2.7 % at 40 μg/ml. Flavonoid content was found to be 0.593 μg/ml, 0.783 μg/ml, and 1.023 μg/ml, whereas phenolic content was found to be 0.267 μg/ml, 0.298 μg/ml, and 0.355 μg/ml for FB, FI, and FK, respectively.

Conclusion: FB, FI, and FK extracts contain various phytochemicals which confirm that these plants can be used for therapeutic use and traditional medicine. The methanolic as well as aqueous extracts of the plants have shown the potential to kill the tested microorganism (C. perfringens and S. aureus) and hence can be used as an antibiotic and potential antibacterial.
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF PHYTOCHEMICAL, ANTIBACTERIAL, AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF DIFFERENT EXTRACTS OF AZADIRACHTA INDICA LEAVES
Authors: SHARMA GAURAV , THAKUR ANKITA , LAL SOHAN , KUMAR NADDA ROHIT
Published: October 2019

Objective: The objective of the present study was the analysis of phytochemicals in various extracts of Azadirachta indica leaves, comparative evaluation of antibacterial activity of the various extracts of A. indica leaves against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, and comparative evaluation of antioxidant activity in various extracts of A. indica leaves using 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay.

Methods: Various extracts were prepared by crushing the samples. Antibacterial susceptibility test, various phytochemical tests for qualitative analysis, and DPPH radical scavenging assay for antioxidant activity were performed.

Results: The result suggested that alkaloids, flavonoids, and terpenoids were present in all the four extracts. Tannins were absent in the ethyl acetate extract, and phenols were only present in the ethyl acetate extract. Sterols and phlobatannins were absent in all the four extracts. Saponins were only present in the aqueous extract, and amino acids were only present in the ethyl acetate extract. The bacterial strains S. aureus and E. coli were used against the different extracts of A. indica leaves, i.e., methanol, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and aqueous.

Conclusion: The results suggested that bioactive compounds found in leaves of A. indica contribute to its pharmacological activities.
CONSUMMATED REVIEW ON PROSTATITIS
Authors: AG HARINE , M SUMITRA , V CHITRA
Published: October 2019

Prostatitis is an inflammatory disease, when the prostate is vulnerable to infectious stimuli like urinary pathogens, are changes in the lifestyle leads to inflammation in the prostate gland. It is a pathological state where the swelling of prostate occur to most of the men and mainly elderly. Recently, prostatitis is a dangerous threat for men almost 50% total men population. The review comprises complete information regarding prostatitis and its related complications. The compilation of the data is about the disease from classification of prostatitis, causative agents, symptoms, treatment, mitigation, natural and alternative therapy to improve the quality of life. Awareness of this disease is not known to the majority of the population when it is left untreated identification and treatment at the right time help in increase in recovering from the pathological condition of the victim to overcome.
COMPOSITION OF THE ESSENTIAL OIL FROM MIMOSA PUDICA LINN.
Authors: TK VISMAYAVISWAN , J DHARANI , R SRIPATHI , S RAVI
Published: October 2019

Objectives: To determine the composition of the essential oil obtained from Mimosa pudicaÂ L. (Mimosaceae)Â Methods: The essential oilÂ Â  of M. pudica was obtained by hydro distillation using a Clevenger apparatus and the chemical composition was determined by GC-MS analysis.Â Results: About 23 compounds were identified from the essential oil which constitutes about 98.92 % of the oil. Among the compounds identified phthalic acid dioctyl ester (27.76 %), Î±-Linolenic acid (20.34 %), Cinnamaldehyde (16.24 %) are the major compounds.Â  Î±-Linolenic acid is an n-3 fatty acid.Â Conclusion: Î±-Linolenic acid is one of the essential fatty acids, which is necessary for health and cannot be produced within the human body.Â Mimosa pudicaÂ L. (Mimosaceae) appears to be a promising herb to undergo a wide exploration