bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of N8-GP Activity Using a One-Stage Clotting Assay: A Single-Center Experience
Authors: Hegemann Inga , Koch Karin , Clausen Wan Hui Ong , Ezban Mirella , Brand-Staufer Brigitte
Published: October 2019

N8-GP (ESPEROCT®; turoctocog alfa pegol; Novo Nordisk A/S, Bagsvaerd, Denmark) is an extended half-life recombinant factor VIII (FVIII) molecule. FVIII-deficient plasma spiked with N8-GP can be accurately measured using many activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT)-based one-stage clotting assay reagents with normal human plasma calibrators. To date, there are few data on the measurement accuracy of samples from patients treated with N8-GP. Here, we measure patient samples during routine treatment monitoring. Three previously treated patients with severe hemophilia A (HA) without inhibitors (baseline FVIII activity <0.01 IU/mL) received 50 IU/kg N8-GP every fourth day or twice weekly over 5 years as part of the pathfinder2 trial. Patient samples were monitored using the Pathromtin® SL aPTT reagent (Siemens Healthcare GmbH, Erlangen, Germany), a BCS® XP System analyzer (Siemens), and Standard Human Plasma (Siemens) or product-specific calibrators. Patient age ranged from 36 to 62 years. Overall, measurements performed using product-specific or Standard Human Plasma calibrators were in good agreement, with ratios randomly distributed around 1.0. Peak ratios tended to be closer to 1.0 than trough samples. Pathromtin® SL with Standard Human Plasma calibrator consistently and accurately measured FVIII activity in samples from severe HA patients receiving N8-GP prophylaxis.
Quantitative Pretreatment CT Parameters as Predictors of Tumor Response of Neuroendocrine Tumor Liver Metastasis to Transcatheter Arterial Bland Embolization
Authors: Liu Yiming , Chen Wenchuan , Cui Wei , Liu Haikuan , Zhou Xiangfei , Chen Luohai , Li Jiaping , Chen Minhu , Chen Jie , Wang Yu
Published: October 2019

Purpose: To assess whether parameters on preprocedural CT can be utilized to predict the response of NETLM to transcatheter arterial bland embolization (TAE). Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 135 target lesions from 48 NETLM patients who underwent TAE and with complete preprocedural multiphasic CT. Parameters on preprocedural CT including the longest diameter, mean attenuation value in nonenhanced, arterial, and portal-venous phases were collected from each target lesion. Radiological responses were assessed according to RECIST 1.1. The parameters of responder lesions and nonresponder lesions were compared. Arterial enhancement index (AEI) and portal-venous enhancement index (PEI) were calculated. The predictive function of AEI and PEI on tumor response was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results: A total of 72.6% target lesions had a partial response. For patients, the objective response rate was 72.9%. Mean attenuation values of responder lesions were significantly higher than nonresponder lesions in both arterial and portal-venous phases (105.36 ± 37.24 vs. 76.01 ± 19.19, p < 0.001; 96.61 ± 24.04 vs. 82.12 ± 21.37, p = 0.002). ROC curve showed that both AEI and PEI were effective in predicting tumor response (area under the curve [AUC] 0.757, p < 0.001; AUC 0.655, p = 0.005). Conclusion: AEI and PEI, parameters from evaluation of CT pretreatment attenuation of NETLMs, could predict response to TAE treatment.
ГРОМАДСЬКЕ ЗДОРОВ’Я ТА ПОВЕДІНКОВА ЕКОНОМІКА
Authors: Smiyanov V. A. , Kurganskaya V. O. , Smiyanova O. I. , Dryga N. O.
Published: October 2019

Мета: висвітити основні принципи поведінкової економіки, зокрема, заохочувальні фактори, важливість інформації, її контекст та подачу, соціальні фактори, що зумовлюють певну поведінку в людей, а також результати впровадження їх у практичну медицину.

Матеріали і методи. Структура аналізу дослідження включала: опис первинної інформації, становлення факторів та закономірностей, узагальнення отриманих результатів у висновках дослідження та розробку перспектив подальших досліджень на основі висновків.

Результати. Поведінкова економіка доводить, що люди не є повністю раціональними та передбачуваними в своїй поведінці, зокрема у питаннях здоров’я, як це передбачається стандартною економічною теорією. Більшість людей у суспільстві є «поведінковою», – може страждати від упереджень, які ускладнюють досягнення тієї чи іншої поведінки, якій би бажано було віддати перевагу. Незалежно від того, чи є людина раціональною, чи схильною до поведінкових упереджень,  існують певні фактори, що впливають на прийняття нею оптимального рішення та призводять до свідомого недотримання виконання певних медичних рекомендацій, відмови від вакцинації, порушення режиму харчування тощо. Відповідно, це потребує додаткового втручання на свідомість людей, які не завжди здатні комплексно оцінити майбутні переваги, переборюючи теперішній дискомфорт. Виявлення та розуміння  цих факторів може дозволити успішно впливати на поведінку людей та на їх рішення в питаннях здоров’я.

Висновки. З метою досягнення позитивних результатів у галузі громадського здоров’я необхідно вивчати, враховувати та застосовувати принципи, що ґрунтуються на поведінкових реакціях. Впровадження принципів поведінкової економіки в медичну галузь допоможе заохочувати пацієнтів  вести здоровий спосіб життя з систематичним дотриманням медичних рекомендацій.
СУЧАСНІ УЯВЛЕННЯ ПРО ВПЛИВ ЙОГИ НА ОРГАНІЗМ ЛЮДИНИ
Authors: Sheiko N. I. , Kivezhdi K. B.
Published: October 2019

Мета: провести огляд наукової літератури, присвяченої впливу йоги на організм людини як у стані здоров’я, так і у пацієнтів з хронічними хворобами. Матеріали і методи. Проведено огляд літератури з обраної теми в наукометричних базах даних Web of Science, PubMed, Google Scholar. Результати. Серцево-судинні захворювання є основною причиною захворюваності та смертності в країнах, що розвиваються. Фізичні вправи та йога сприяють зменшенню рівня серцево-судинних захворювань і можливих ускладнень, що виникають через них. Доведено, що йога сприяє фізичному і психічному здоров’ю шляхом виконання пози («асан»), регульованого дихання («пранаяма») і медитації («дх’яна»). Численні дослідження показали, що йога має швидкий регулюючий вплив на нервову систему та стрес. Також доведено, що коротка релаксаційна підготовка на основі йоги нормалізує функцію автономної нервової системи шляхом нормалізації як симпатичних, так і парасимпатичних впливів до більш фізіологічного середнього діапазону контрольних значень. Відповідно до літературних даних, під впливом курсів йоги відбувалась нормалізація або зниження артеріального тиску, рівня глюкози в крові, зникала тривожність, покращувався психоемоційний стан онкохворих та вагітних, оптимізувались показники роботи шлунково-кишкового тракту та опорно-рухової системи. Висновки. Згідно з проведеним оглядом літератури, йога має значний позитивний вплив на різні системи органів людини та може використовуватись як допоміжна ланка лікування більшості основних захворювань, зокрема артеріальної гіпертензії. У зв’язку з позитивним впливом йоги на психоемоційний стан людини, її можна рекомендувати з метою профілактики виникнення хронічних стресзалежних станів, починаючи з дитячого віку.
A percepção de universitários sobre as consequências do beber pesado episódico
Authors: Espíndola Marília Ignácio de , Schneider Daniela Ribeiro , Bartilott Carolina Bunn
Published: October 2019

OBJETIVO: verificar a percepção de universitários brasileiros sobre os riscos de um comportamento chamado de Beber Pesado Episódico (BPE).MÉTODO: estudo possui delineamento descritivo exploratório, de corte transversal, de natureza quantitativa, Participaram 2641 estudantes de todas as regiões do Brasil. Constatou-se que 24,8% dos respondentes consideram-se um bebedor pesado.RESULTADOS: verificou-se que a bebida mais utilizada na prática do BPE é a cerveja. Os homens praticaram mais o BPE (31,7%) do que as mulheres (19,5%). Dos que já praticaram o BPE, 75,8% responderam que repetiram esse consumo.CONCLUSÃO: uma parcela significativa dos universitários pratica o BPE e sua maioria tem uma baixa percepção do risco relacionado a esse comportamento.
Physical Activity and Subsequent Risk of Hospitalization With Peripheral Artery Disease and Critical Limb Ischemia in the ARIC Study
Authors: Lu Yifei , Ballew Shoshana H. , Kwak Lucia , Selvin Elizabeth , Kalbaugh Corey A. , Schrack Jennifer A. , Matsushita Kunihiro , Szklo Moyses
Published: October 2019

Background

Whether physical activity is a determinant of peripheral artery disease (PAD) remains unclear. We therefore assessed the association of physical activity (amount and intensity) with subsequent risk of hospitalization with PAD and its severe form, critical limb ischemia, in the ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) study.

Methods and Results

We included 12 513 participants free of cardiovascular disease at baseline (1987–1989), with a mean age of 53.9 years, 55.3% women, and 25.0% black. Physical activity was assessed using a modified Baecke questionnaire and categorized into poor (no moderate [3 to <6 metabolic equivalents] or vigorous [≥6 metabolic equivalents] exercise), intermediate (1–74 min/wk vigorous or 1–149 min/wk moderate plus vigorous exercise), and recommended (≥75 min/wk vigorous or ≥150 min/wk moderate plus vigorous exercise). We also modeled moderate and vigorous exercise individually. All analyses applied Cox regression models. Intermediate and recommended exercise were seen in 24.7% and 38.1%, respectively. During a median follow‐up of 25.4 years, 434 incident hospitalizations with PAD (166 critical limb ischemia) were documented. Recommended versus poor activity was associated with a lower demographically adjusted PAD risk (hazard ratio, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.54–0.85) but attenuated after accounting for lifestyle factors (hazard ratio, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.66–1.05). When analyzing moderate and vigorous exercise separately, vigorous exercise was robustly related to lower risk of hospitalization with PAD, and critical limb ischemia in particular (hazard ratio, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.54–0.97 per 200 metabolic equivalents*min/wk increment in the most extended model).

Conclusions

Higher amount and intensity of physical activity were related to lower risks of hospitalization with PAD and critical limb ischemia, further highlighting the importance of engaging in physical activity for vascular health.
Religious Doubt, Depressive Symptoms, and Rumination at an Advanced Age
Authors: Thauvoye Evalyne , Nijsten Eline , Dezutter Jessie
Published: October 2019

Individuals in late adulthood are often confronted with difficulties and challenges that elicit existential questions and doubts, including religious doubts. Although research has shown that unresolved religious doubts increase the risk for depression, it remains unclear how they are related to each other in late adulthood and which mechanisms are underlying this relationship. Therefore, in a longitudinal study of 329 older adults aged 65-99 and living in a nursing home, the relation between religious doubt and depressive symptoms was explored as well as the mediation effect of rumination on this relationship. The results confirmed the relation between religious doubt and the experience of depressive symptoms, with a bidirectional influence over time. However, the findings indicated that this reciprocal relationship was not mediated by rumination. The study highlights the importance of identifying older adults who experience religious doubt and who are at risk for or suffer from depressive symptoms.
Does Ramadan Affect Happiness? Evidence from Turkey
Authors: Ugur Zeynep B.
Published: October 2019

The lunar month of Ramadan is an important time period for Muslims around the world. In this study, we examine whether Ramadan brings happiness to individuals. For this purpose, we conducted a survey once before Ramadan, three times during Ramadan, and once after Ramadan. Our results show that with every week in Ramadan, a small boost of happiness is reported. Yet, two weeks after Ramadan, people seem to return to their baseline level of happiness. We suggest that Ramadan is associated with higher well-being due to increased socialization as non-fasting and those who fast partially also has statistically higher happiness scores than pre-Ramadan sample. Yet, those who have highest happiness scores are those who fasted fully.
Can We Win the War on Science? Understanding the Link between Political Populism and Anti-Science Politics
Authors: Szabados Krisztián
Published: October 2019

The rise of populism coincides with a new wave of anti-intellectualism, articulated in the “War on Science.” This paper argues that there is no empirical evidence that the global surge of populism is accompanied by a general anti-science trend. However, there are similarities between the dissemination of scientific falsehoods in mass media and social media and the ways populist politicians use media to their end. First, this paper analyzes the history and the underlying sociological, psychological and cultural causes of the anti-science dispositions. Then, through the case studies of the U.S., Russia, Turkey and Hungary, the attitudes populist leaders exhibit towards science is discussed. Finally, the paper synthesizes the applicable scholarly literature from various disciplines to create an adequate framework for a comprehensive, multidisciplinary communication strategy for the pro-science camp.
Mapping Antiglobalist Populism
Authors: Steger Manfred B.
Published: October 2019

This article argues that the current explosion of right-wing national-populism is intricately connected to shifting perceptions of globalization in the world. I contend that a return to the once dominant but now frequently criticized ideational approach to the study of populism as ideology or discourse can provide insightful, if incomplete, explanations of the current populist moment. After a brief opening overview of some influential conceptual perspectives on populism, the article offers an appraisal of some major criticisms leveled against the ideological paradigm by advocates of competing approaches. I argue that the widespread portrayal of populism as a “thin-centered” ideology does not capture the ideational constellation of what I call antiglobalist populism. The currently dominant strain is reflected most prominently in “Trumpism” and similar European manifestations. To make my case, I apply the qualitative method of morphological discourse analysis (MDA) to key 2016 campaign speeches delivered by then presidential candidate Donald J. Trump and to related public remarks presented by British national-populist leader Nigel Farage on American soil. The research findings presented in this article suggest that globalization-related concepts have moved to the core and adjacent symbolic environment of antiglobalist populism. Thus, the general assumption of a “thin” conceptual core of national-populism no longer holds because its morphology has been significantly enriched. Bringing ideology back into populism studies serves the much-needed rehabilitation of a valuable perspective that has been written off too prematurely by many populism scholars.
Sporidesmium guizhouense sp. nov. (Sordariomycetes incertae sedis), a new species from a freshwater habitat in Guizhou Province, China

Authors: LIU LING-LING , YANG JING , LIU NING-GUO , CHEN YA-YA , GUI XIAO-XIA , LIU ZUO-YI
Published: October 2019

During a survey of freshwater fungi in Guizhou Province, China, a collection from a submerged decaying twig in Baihua Lake was identified as a new species of Sporidesmium sensu lato based on morphological characters and phylogenetic analyses of combined LSU, SSU, ITS, TEF1α and RPB2 sequence data. Phylogenetic analyses supported its placement in Sordariomycetes but the fungus grouped distant from Sporidesmium sensu stricto, and its ordinal or familial position within the class remained inconclusive. Sporidesmium guizhouense sp. nov. is introduced with an illustrated account and notes on its taxonomy, phylogeny and systematic position are provided.
Three new species of Diaporthe from China based on morphological characters and DNA sequence data analyses

Authors: ZHOU HAO , HOU CHENG-LIN
Published: October 2019

In the present study, nine endophytic strains of Diaporthe from China were identified based on analyses of morphological characters and combined sequences of rDNA ITS, partial sequences from the translation elongation factor 1-α (tef1), β tubulin (tub2), histone H3 (his3), and calmodulin (cal) genes. Three new Diaporthe species, Diaporthe anhuiensis, Diaporthe huangshanensis and Diaporthe shennongjiaensis, are introduced in this paper with full descriptions and comparison with similar taxa. And two other known species, Diaporthe citrichinensis and Diaporthe eres are also described.
Lectotypification of the names of all accepted species of Agenium (Poaceae, Andropogoneae)

Authors: COSTA MITCHEL IAGO ALVES , ZULOAGA FERNANDO OMAR , WELKER CASSIANO A. DORNELES
Published: October 2019

Agenium is a taxonomically complicated and poorly known grass genus, comprising four species from South America. In this paper, lectotypes are designated for the names of all accepted species of Agenium (A. goyazense, A. leptocladum, A. majus, and A. villosum), and images of the chosen lectotypes are presented.
Kalanchoe porphyrocalyx var. sambiranensis, a new variety in a Madagascan Kalanchoe (Crassulaceae subfam. Kalanchooideae)

Authors: SMITH GIDEON F. , FIGUEIREDO ESTRELA
Published: October 2019

Boiteau & Mannoni (1948: 58) proposed recognition of two varieties, apart from the typical one, in the Madagascan Kalanchoe porphyrocalyx (Baker 1883: 142) Baillon (1885: 469) (Crassulaceae subfam. Kalanchooideae). For one of these, the combination K. porphyrocalyx var. sulphurea (Baker 1887: 471) Boiteau & Mannoni (1948: 58) was validly published. However, for the other one their proposed ‘Kalanchoe porphyrocalyx var. sambiranensis Humbert ex Boiteau & Mannoni’ (Boiteau & Mannoni 1948: 58) was not validly published as it lacked a description or diagnosis in Latin, which by then had been one of the requirements for the valid publication of, inter alia, the scientific names of species and infraspecific taxa for 13 years, i.e., since 1 January 1935 (Art. 39.1 of the ICN, Turland et al. 2018). A valid combination for, along with a description of K. porphyrocalyx var. sambiranensis Humbert ex Gideon F.Sm. & Figueiredo, are published here.
New Zealand forest-dwelling skinks of the Oligosoma oliveri (McCann)
species-complex (Reptilia: Scincidae): reinstatement of O. pachysomaticum (Robb) and an assessment of historical distribution ranges
Authors: JEWELL TONY R.
Published: October 2019

The forest-dwelling skinks of the Oligosoma oliveri (‘marbled skink’) species-complex, from the North Island of New Zealand, have proven difficult taxonomically because all mainland populations are extinct, obscuring patterns of distribution and population interaction. Twenty-four small insular populations have survived off the north-east coast of the North Island, which are at present classified into three species. In this paper I re-assess the available phenotypic, ecological, biogeographic and phylogenetic evidence associated with these skinks. As a result, O. pachysomaticum (Robb) is raised from synonymy with O. oliveri (McCann) and more precise historical distribution limits are inferred for each member of the group. Implications for the conservation management of each species are also discussed.
Description of new species of Pseudamaurops Jeannel, 1948 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae) from Greece and North Macedonia
Authors: BEKCHIEV ROSTISLAV , HLAVÁČ PETER
Published: October 2019

Two new species of Pseudamaurops Jeannel, 1948 are described, P. hristovskii sp. n. from North Macedonia and P. tymficus sp. n. from Greece. Redescriptions of P. albanicus (Apfelbeck, 1907) and P. muellerianus (Ravasini, 1923) are provided, and an identification key for the genus is provided.
Three new species of Syllis Savigny in Lamarck, 1818 (Annelida: Syllidae) from the south coast of South Africa
Authors: SEDICK SAFIYYA , SIMON CAROL
Published: October 2019

Over the last five decades, only two new species of Syllis (Syllidae, Annelida) have been described from South Africa, suggesting a greatly underestimated richness and the expectation that many more indigenous species still remain undescribed. In this paper, we describe three new species from algal turf along a rocky shore on the south coast of South Africa. All three species are characterised by having pseudo-simple chaetae by loss of blade and enlargement of shafts together with compound heterogomph bidentate falcigers. Syllis zahri sp. nov. (up to 5 mm long) is characterised by light pink to light brown colouration on its prostomium and anterior chaetigers, dark transverse bars that fade towards the posterior region, superior anterior chaetae having short spines and posterior parapodia with distally hollow aciculae. Syllis jaylani sp. nov. (up to 7 mm long) is narrow anteriorly, relatively wider at midbody and tapers posteriorly toward the pygidium, has a pharyngeal tooth slightly back from the anterior margin, strongly bidentate chaetae with teeth perpendicular to the main shaft, thin sinuose bidentate ventral simple chaetae with a serrated edge and pseudo-simple chaetae with a serrated edge in anterior parapodia. Syllis bunaa sp. nov. (up to 9 mm long) shows a characteristic dark brown colouration on its prostomium and anterior region, is distinctly rounded dorsally, and has unidentate or minutely bidentate chaetae, up to three pseudo-simple chaetae on parapodia along the whole body and posterior ventral simple chaetae that are thick with rounded tips or sinuose with a serrated inner edge.
Immature stages of Neptis reducta Fruhstorfer, 1908 (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Neptini): morphology, ecology and food specialty
Authors: HSU YU-FENG , LU CHEN-CHIH , HUANG HANG-CHI , LIANG JIA-YUAN , HUANG CHIA-LUNG
Published: October 2019

Neptis reducta Fruhsorfer, 1908 is currently recognized as a nymphalid butterfly found only in Taiwan and Thailand, with previously recorded larval hostplant and immature biology involving mis-identifications. The present study recognizes Aphananthe aspera (Cannabaceae) as the sole larval hostplant for N. reducta, and the nymphalid butterfly is the first known lepidopterous insect specialized on Aphananthe.
Antimicrobial and Toxicity Study of Zinc Oxide Sol–Gel Solution for Food Preservation Applications
Authors: Vettumperumal R. , Sunder R. , Elayaraja S. , Jebasingh S. E. J. , Sudhakar S. , Kalyanaraman S.
Published: October 2019

Food technology is being envisioned as a hurriedly developing field as it has potential applications to revolutionize food security systems and retaining the conditions of the food quality. Ubiquitously bacterial contamination is considered as an unresolved problem in food preservation
and packing. The present study is mainly focused on the antibacterial activity and toxicity study of zinc oxide (ZnO) solution prepared by sol–gel method for food preservation applications. The presence of zinc oxide is confirmed from the X-ray diffraction pattern (XRD) and UV-Visible
absorption spectrum. Antibacterial and fungal activity of ZnO sol–gel solution is carried out using disc diffusion method and the superior antibacterial and antifungal behaviour of ZnO is observed. The minimal inhibitory concentration of ZnO solution is analysed and tartan with the McFarland
standard. The non toxicity behaviour of ZnO is observed by the ZnO treated rat livers and intestine analysis. Foods are packed with ZnO coated aluminium (Al) foil and the preserved food is without any contaminations compared to the uncoated foil.
Comparative Study on Control Methods for Air Conditioning of Industrial Paint Booths
Authors: Ayaz Murat , Aygül Volkan , Düzenli˙ Ferhat , Tasdemi˙rci˙ Erkutay
Published: October 2019

It is of great importance that each product in industrial production facilities is to be produced in the same quality and standard. Especially in the automotive industry, the painting process needs to be done under certain environmental conditions according to the paint properties used.
Therefore, the temperature, humidity and air quality values of the paint booth are very important for a quality painting operation. In this study, adaptive control has been proposed to control of one-zone heating-ventilation system for the paint booths. The system has been modelled by using
the Matlab/Simulink. Performance of the proposed control method has been compared with conventional control methods such as On/Off, PID, fuzzy logic in terms of accuracy, efficiency and response time. Simulation results show that the proposed adaptive control is effective in the Heating, Ventilating,
and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems temperature control applications. In addition, energy efficiency in HVAC systems has been provided with the proposed control model. Furthermore, thermal analysis of the system has been done to corroborate simulation results.
X-ray Absorption Fine Structure Studies of Zirconium Complexes
Authors: Sharma M. , Tripathi J. , Mishra A. , Jha S. N. , Yadav A. K. , Shrivastava B. D.
Published: October 2019

Zirconium complexes derived with Schiff-base ligands take a central role in the expansion of coordination chemistry and have been receiving huge attention due to its pharmacological, dental and industrial characteristics. The present research paper deals with the characterization of
Zirconium complexes with X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) at Zirconium K-edge. Characterization was done at BL-9 EXAFS beamline available at Indus-2 synchrotron radiation source (2.5 GeV, 125 mA), Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore (M.P.), India. Both X-ray absorption near
edge structure (XANES) and Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) techniques were used to explore out the local environment around the Zirconium complexes. A computer software package IFEFFIT was used to analyze physical parameters. Edge width reveals that complexes have octahedral
geometry and chemical shifts of complexes from zirconium metal reveals oxidation state of Zirconium in their complexes. The bond length of first coordinating shell of the complexes has been determined by Fourier transform method and compares this bond length with different methods.
Effect of Annealing Temperature of CoCr2O4 on Structural and Vibrational Properties
Authors: Joshi Prachi , Saxena Pallavi , Varshney M. D. , Rai V. N. , Mishra A.
Published: October 2019

CoCr2O4 nanoparticles were prepared by low-temperature sol–gel auto combustion method. In this paper, we have investigated the structural behavior of CoCr2O4 nanoparticles annealed at two different temperatures (600 °C and 800 °C).
From the X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of CoCr2O4, we have found that there is no change in crystalline structure and it was indexed in the cubic spinel structure with space group Fd3m. It was observed that average crystallite size increases with calcination
temperature. High calcination temperature reduced the noise level and enhanced the accuracy of calculated parameters. For both the samples of CoCr2O4, we observed Raman scattering modes at around 471, 516, 539, 561, 590, 626 and 688 cm–1. The additional
modes in vibrational spectra appear due to the disorder effect.
Metamaterials Reconfigurable Multiband Antenna
Authors: Labiad Abdelhadi , Bouras Khadidja , Bouzouad Mouloud
Published: October 2019

In this paper a Metamaterials Reconfigurable Multiband Antenna is designed. The design consists of a rectangular patch antenna surrounded by an arrangement of cross shaped metamaterials cells that have two different behaviours and can be controlled electronically in order to switch
between the two different behaviours; therefore, the antenna will have a controllable size according to the surrounding area behaviour. The obtained results show that the antenna operates at different frequencies. We demonstrate the possibility to design a metamaterials based frequency agile
antenna.
Fingerprint Image De-Noising Using Wavelet Transform with the Comparison of Filtered and After Compression Filtered Noise Image
Authors: Mondal Munmun , Islam Md. Rafiqul
Published: October 2019

Fingerprint is becoming the part of our day to day life right from our home to workplace. Now a days for security and safety purpose prime importance is given by it. Also, Fingerprint identification is one of the most popular biometric technologies and which is highly used in criminal
investigations, commercial applications, and so on. The performance of a fingerprint image-matching algorithm depends heavily on the quality of the input fingerprint images. It is very important to acquire good quality images. The use of wavelet transform improves the quality of an image and
reduces noise level. So, in this research, different compression techniques are used to overcome this problem. Also, we have used different wavelets transformation for compression of fingerprint images. Image quality before compression and after compression are measured by Mean Squared Error
(MSE), Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) and Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR). This work is done in MATLAB using DSP and wavelet toolbox. At last, we have compared the filtered noise image method and the compression filtered noise image method.
A question-entailment approach to question answering
Authors: Ben Abacha Asma , Demner-Fushman Dina
Published: October 2019

Background

One of the challenges in large-scale information retrieval (IR) is developing fine-grained and domain-specific methods to answer natural language questions. Despite the availability of numerous sources and datasets for answer retrieval, Question Answering (QA) remains a challenging problem due to the difficulty of the question understanding and answer extraction tasks. One of the promising tracks investigated in QA is mapping new questions to formerly answered questions that are “similar”.

Results

We propose a novel QA approach based on Recognizing Question Entailment (RQE) and we describe the QA system and resources that we built and evaluated on real medical questions. First, we compare logistic regression and deep learning methods for RQE using different kinds of datasets including textual inference, question similarity, and entailment in both the open and clinical domains. Second, we combine IR models with the best RQE method to select entailed questions and rank the retrieved answers. To study the end-to-end QA approach, we built the MedQuAD collection of 47,457 question-answer pairs from trusted medical sources which we introduce and share in the scope of this paper. Following the evaluation process used in TREC 2017 LiveQA, we find that our approach exceeds the best results of the medical task with a 29.8% increase over the best official score.

Conclusions

The evaluation results support the relevance of question entailment for QA and highlight the effectiveness of combining IR and RQE for future QA efforts. Our findings also show that relying on a restricted set of reliable answer sources can bring a substantial improvement in medical QA.
‘Modified STOPP-START criteria for Sri Lanka’; translating to a resource limited healthcare setting by Delphi consensus
Authors: Samaranayake N. R. , Balasuriya A. , Fernando G. H. , Samaraweera D. , Shanika L. G. T. , Wanigasuriya J. K. P. , Wijekoon C. N. , Wanigatunge C. A.
Published: October 2019

Background

‘Screening tool of older people’s prescriptions (STOPP) and screening tool to alert to right treatment (START)’ criteria is a useful tool to assess the appropriateness of medicines among older adults. However, the original STOPP/START criteria developed in the West, may not be directly applicable to resource limited healthcare settings like Sri Lanka. Hence, we aimed to modify STOPP/START criteria (Version 2) to suit Sri Lanka.

Method

Two investigators (a clinical pharmacologist and a pharmacist) reviewed and flagged criteria that were unfeasible to Sri Lanka based on their previous research experiences on using STOPP/START version 1. A Delphi consensus methodology was conducted among six experts, including geriatricians, clinical pharmacologists, physicians and a pharmacist, to review and assess each criterion (including the ones flagged by the researchers) for suitability to Sri Lanka.

Results

Two Delphi validation rounds were conducted. A final meeting was held with the participation of all experts to resolve disagreements and to establish 100% consensus. The expert panel agreed on a list of 105 criteria, including 70 STOPP and 35 START criteria, indicating an 8% reduction in criteria compared to the original version. Modifications included complete removal (n = 11), re-wording (n = 25), splitting (n = 1) of original criteria and adding a new criterion (n = 1). Main reasons for modifications were unavailability of some medicines in the country, unavailability or inaccessibility of specific clinical information required for assessment of criteria, and adherence to treatment guidelines commonly used in the country.

Conclusion

A list of ‘Modified STOPP/START criteria for Sri Lanka’ was developed. These criteria are currently being validated through a multi-centre study.
The liver fibrosis index is superior to the APRI and FIB-4 for predicting liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B patients in China
Authors: Huang Dedong , Lin Taofa , Wang Shaoyang , Cheng Lieyun , Xie Liping , Lu Youguang , Chen Muxing , Zhu Lingling , Shi Jie
Published: October 2019

Background

The purpose of this study was to prospectively investigate the value of real-time ultrasound elastography (RTE) for the diagnosis of liver fibrosis (LF) in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), to correlate the elastography findings with the histologic stage of LF and to compare RTE findings with those from noninvasive tests of LF calculated using laboratory blood parameters.

Methods

Liver biopsies, laboratory blood testing, and RTE were performed in 91 patients with CHB. The LF index (LFI) was calculated using a multiple linear regression equation involving 11 parameters, which represented the degree of LF. The higher the LFI is, the greater the degree of LF.

Results

The mean aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) and the mean fibrosis index based on four factors (FIB-4) were significantly different for the 5 stages of LF, respectively. The APRI (r = 0.43, P = 0.006), FIB-4 (r = 0.51, P = 0.012) and LFI (r = 0.562, P = 0.004) were correlated with the stages of LF. For discriminating stage F0 from F1, only the LFI had significant power (P = 0.026) for predicting stage F1. For discriminating stage F4 from F3, only the LFI had statistically significant power (P = 0.024) in predicting stage F4. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) of the LFI for diagnosing significant, advanced LF and liver cirrhosis were significantly higher than those of the APRI and FIB-4, and the LFI had better sensitivity and specificity.

Conclusions

The LFI calculated by RTE is reliable for the assessment of LF in patients with CHB and has better discrimination power than the APRI and FIB-4.
Efficacy and safety of cyclosporine a for patients with steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome: a meta-analysis
Authors: Li Hong-Yan , Zhang Xialan , Zhou Tianbiao , Zhong Zhiqing , Zhong Hongzhen
Published: October 2019

Background

The purpose of this study was to determine efficacy and safety of cyclosporine A (CsA) for patients with steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS).

Methods

The Cochrane Library and PubMed were searched to extract the associated studies on Oct 10, 2018, and the meta-analysis method was used to pool and analyze the applicable investigations included in this study. The P(opulation) I(ntervention) C(omparison) O(utcome) of the study were defined as follows: P: Patients with SRNS; I: treated with CsA, cyclophosphamide (CYC), tacrolimus (TAC) or placebo/not treatment (P/NT); C: CsA vs. placebo/nontreatment (P/NT), CsA vs. CYC, CsA vs. TAC; O: complete remission (CR), total remission (TR; complete or partial remission (PR)), urine erythrocyte number, proteinuria levels, albumin, proteinuria, serum creatinine, and plasma cholesterol, etc. Data were extracted and pooled using RevMan 5.3.

Results

In the therapeutic regimen of CsA vs. placebo/nontreatment (P/NT), the results indicated that the CsA group had high values of CR, TR, and low values of proteinuria, serum creatinine, and plasma cholesterol when compared with those in the placebo group. In comparing CsA vs. cyclophosphamide (CYC), the results indicated that the CsA group had higher TR than the CYC group. In comparing CsA vs. tacrolimus (TAC), the results revealed insignificant differences in CR, and TR between the CsA and TAC groups. The safety of CsA was also assessed. The incidence of gum hyperplasia in CsA group was higher than that in the P/NT group, with no differences in incidence of infections or hypertension between CsA and P/NT groups. There was no difference in the incidence of hypertension between the CsA and TAC groups.

Conclusions

CsA is an effective and safe agent in the therapy of patients with SRNS.
Evaluation of the vitamin D and biomedical statuses of young children with β-thalassemia major at a single center in southern China
Authors: Yu Uet , Chen Li , Wang Xiaodong , Zhang Xiaoling , Li Yue , Wen Feiqiu , Liu Sixi
Published: October 2019

Background

In young children, β-thalassemia major (β-TM) is associated with potentially severe clinical characteristics, including poor growth, feeding difficulties, hepatosplenomegaly, bone metabolic disorders, and skeletal abnormalities.

Methods

In this study, we reviewed the demographic and clinical characteristics (e.g., age, sex, duration of blood transfusion and chelating therapy, and vitamin supplementation) and serum biomarker levels (e.g., iron accumulation, bone metabolism, liver, kidney, and thyroid function markers) of 32 patients that received regular blood transfusion at a single center in southern China with the aim of stratifying the risk of severe complications such as osteopenia, endocrinopathies, and multi-organ failures.

Results

Although all patients exhibited moderately to strongly elevated serum ferritin levels, this biomarker was significantly higher in children older than ≥5 years, compared to younger children (*p < 0.05, 1512 ± 192.6 vs. 2337 ± 299.8 ng/ml, Mann-Whitney U test). Older children had a significantly lower 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 (25(OH)D3) level, compared to younger children (**p < 0.01, 34.25 ± 11.06 vs. 23.05 ± 9.95 ng/ml, Mann-Whitney U test). No age-related differences were observed in serum calcium, phosphorus, and PTH levels. Regarding liver function, the serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level was significantly increased in children older than ≥5 years, compared to younger children (*p < 0.05, 19.17 ± 2.44 vs. 43.45 ± 9.82I U/ml, Mann-Whitney U test). However, no age-related differences were observed in the serum levels of other liver or kidney and thyroid biomarkers.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that in older children, hepatic iron overload may be associated with a low serum concentration of 25(OH)D3, an indicator of vitamin D deficiency and altered bone metabolism. Iron accumulation may also be associated with a higher concentration of ALT, a sensitive marker of liver malfunction. These findings may provide important clinical indications of the need for intervention to prevent severe complications in children with β thalassemia.
A pitfall of bilateral inferior petrosal sinus sampling in cyclic Cushing’s syndrome
Authors: Albani Adriana , Berr Christina M. , Beuschlein Felix , Treitl Marcus , Hallfeldt Klaus , Honegger Jürgen , Schnauder Günter , Reincke Martin
Published: October 2019

Background

Clinical care of patients with cyclic Cushing’s syndrome (CS) is challenging. Classical pitfalls include incorrect subtyping, unnecessary surgical procedures and delayed definite treatment.

Case presentation

A 43-year-old female suffered from a rapidly cycling ectopic CS. She experienced six cycles of severe hypercortisolism within a 2 year period (maximum plasma cortisol 5316 nmol/L, normal range 124.2–662.4 nmol/L; maximum urinary free cortisol 79,469 nmol/24 h, normal range < 414 nmol/24 h) lasting 2–9 weeks. The episodes were associated with pronounced hypokalemia (lowest K+ value recorded 2.4 mmol/l) and progressive signs and symptoms of CS. A bilateral inferior petrosal sinus sampling (BIPSS) performed during a trough phase was false positive for pituitary ACTH overproduction resulting in unnecessary transsphenoidal surgery while a second BIPSS performed during an active phase was indicative for ectopic CS. The 18F-DOPA PET/CT showed a pancreatic lesion, which was subsequently partially removed. Surprisingly, the histopathology was conclusive for ACTH-positive lymph node metastasis located in the retro-duodenal tissue of an occult neuroendocrine tumor WHO grade II. The primary tumor has not been identified so far and, because of the persistent hypercortisolism, the patient underwent bilateral adrenalectomy. Two years later, ACTH levels started to increase progressively. Percutaneous biopsy of a newly identified suspected lesion in the fifth thoracic vertebra revealed a metastasis with positive staining for ACTH, synaptophysin and chromogranin A. Therapy with carboplatin and etoposide was started and, since then, the patient underwent 12 cycles of chemotherapy.

Conclusions

We report the challenging case of a rapidly cycling CS secondary to ACTH-secreting neuroendocrine intestinal tumor of unknown primary. We highlight the importance of performing diagnostic tests only during the phases of active cortisol secretion and as soon as first symptoms appear to avoid pitfalls.
The VENUSS prognostic model to predict disease recurrence following surgery for non-metastatic papillary renal cell carcinoma: development and evaluation using the ASSURE prospective clinical trial cohort
Authors: Klatte Tobias , Gallagher Kevin M. , Afferi Luca , Volpe Alessandro , Kroeger Nils , Ribback Silvia , McNeill Alan , Riddick Antony C. P. , Armitage James N. , ‘Aho Tevita F. , Eisen Tim , Fife Kate , Bex Axel , Pantuck Allan J. , Stewart Grant D.
Published: October 2019

Background

The current World Health Organization classification recognises 12 major subtypes of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Although these subtypes differ on molecular and clinical levels, they are generally managed as the same disease, simply because they occur in the same organ. Specifically, there is a paucity of tools to risk-stratify patients with papillary RCC (PRCC). The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a tool to risk-stratify patients with clinically non-metastatic PRCC following curative surgery.

Methods

We studied clinicopathological variables and outcomes of 556 patients, who underwent full resection of sporadic, unilateral, non-metastatic (T1–4, N0–1, M0) PRCC at five institutions. Based on multivariable Fine-Gray competing risks regression models, we developed a prognostic scoring system to predict disease recurrence. This was further evaluated in the 150 PRCC patients recruited to the ASSURE trial. We compared the discrimination, calibration and decision-curve clinical net benefit against the Tumour, Node, Metastasis (TNM) stage group, University of California Integrated Staging System (UISS) and the 2018 Leibovich prognostic groups.

Results

We developed the VENUSS score from significant variables on multivariable analysis, which were the presence of VEnous tumour thrombus, NUclear grade, Size, T and N Stage. We created three risk groups based on the VENUSS score, with a 5-year cumulative incidence of recurrence equalling 2.9% in low-risk, 15.4% in intermediate-risk and 54.5% in high-risk patients. 91.7% of low-risk patients had oligometastatic recurrent disease, compared to 16.7% of intermediate-risk and 40.0% of high-risk patients. Discrimination, calibration and clinical net benefit from VENUSS appeared to be superior to UISS, TNM and Leibovich prognostic groups.

Conclusions

We developed and tested a prognostic model for patients with clinically non-metastatic PRCC, which is based on routine pathological variables. This model may be superior to standard models and could be used for tailoring postoperative surveillance and defining inclusion for prospective adjuvant clinical trials.
Does public service motivation matter in Moroccan public hospitals? A multiple embedded case study
Authors: Belrhiti Zakaria , Van Damme Wim , Belalia Abdelmounim , Marchal Bruno
Published: October 2019

Background

The motivation of health workers is a key concern of policy makers, practitioners and researchers. Public Service Motivation (PSM), defined as the altruistic desire to serve the common interest, to serve others and to help patients and their families regardless of financial or external rewards, has been shown to be key to the performance of public servants. Yet, limited attention has been paid to this kind of motivation in health care settings in low- and middle-income countries. Little is known about PSM and its contextual specificity in the Moroccan health system. We set out to qualitatively explore the meaning of PSM and its expression among health workers in four public hospitals.

Methods

We adopted a multiple embedded case study design to explore PSM in two well-performing and two poor-performing hospitals. We carried out 68 individual interviews, eight focus group discussions and 11 group discussions with different cadres (doctors, administrators and nurses). We carried out thematic analysis using NVivo 10.

Results

Our analysis shows that public service motivation is a notion that seems natural to the health workers we interviewed. Daily interactions with patients catalysed health providers’ affective motives (compassion and self- sacrifice), a central element of PSM. It also provided them with job satisfaction aligned with their intrinsic motivation. Managers and administrative personnel express other PSM components: attraction to public policy making and commitment to public values. A striking result is that health workers expressed strong religious beliefs about expected rewards from God when properly serving patients.

Conclusion

This study highlights the presence of PSM as a driver of motivation among health workers in four Moroccon hospitals, and the prominence of intrinsic motivation and compassion in the motivation of frontline health workers. Religious beliefs were found to shape the expression of PSM in Morocco.