bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Overweight and obesity among children under five in Ethiopia: further analysis of 2016 national demographic health survey: a case control study
Authors: Weldearegay Haftom Gebrehiwot , Gebrehiwot Tesfay Gebregzabher , Abrha Mulugeta Woldu , Mulugeta Afework
Published: October 2019

Objective

The objective of this study was to assess the determinants of overweight and obesity among children under 5 years in Ethiopia.

Results

Data from a total of 672 (224 cases and 448 controls) under 5 years of age children were included in the study. Urban residence (AOR = 2.63, 95% CI 1.29, 5.34), boys (AOR = 1.56, 95% CI 1.10, 2.22) and age of the child less than 6 months (AOR = 3.40, 95% CI 2.05, 5.64) were the determinants for being childhood overweight and obesity.
Stochastic modeling and analysis of vapor cloud explosions domino effects in chemical plants
Authors: Sierra Diego , Montecchi Leonardo , Mura Ivan
Published: October 2019

Because of the substances they process and the conditions of operation, chemical plants are systems prone to the occurrence of undesirable and potentially dangerous events. Major accidents may occur when a triggering event produces a cascading accident that propagates to other units, a scenario known as domino effect. Assessing the probability of experiencing a domino effect and estimating the magnitude of its consequences is a complex task, as it depends on the nature of the substances being processed, the operating conditions, the failure proneness of equipment units, the execution of preventive maintenance activities, and of course the plant layout. In this work, we propose a stochastic modeling methodology to perform a probabilistic analysis of the likelihood of domino effects caused by propagating vapor cloud explosions. Our methodology combines mathematical models of the physical characteristics of the explosion, with stochastic state-based models representing the actual propagation among equipment units and the effect of maintenance activities. Altogether, the models allow predicting the likelihood of major events occurrence and the associated costs. A case study is analyzed, where various layouts of atmospheric gasoline tanks are assessed in terms of the predicted consequences of domino effects occurrence. The results of the analyses show that our approach can provide precious insights to support decision-making for safety and cost management.
Impact of artificial intelligence on radiology: a EuroAIM survey among members of the European Society of Radiology
Authors:   European Society of Radiology (ESR)
Published: October 2019

We report the results of a survey conducted among ESR members in November and December 2018, asking for expectations about artificial intelligence (AI) in 5–10 years. Of 24,000 ESR members contacted, 675 (2.8%) completed the survey, 454 males (67%), 555 (82%) working at academic/public hospitals. AI impact was mostly expected (≥ 30% of responders) on breast, oncologic, thoracic, and neuro imaging, mainly involving mammography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance. Responders foresee AI impact on: job opportunities (375/675, 56%), 218/375 (58%) expecting increase, 157/375 (42%) reduction; reporting workload (504/675, 75%), 256/504 (51%) expecting reduction, 248/504 (49%) increase; radiologist’s profile, becoming more clinical (364/675, 54%) and more subspecialised (283/675, 42%). For 374/675 responders (55%) AI-only reports would be not accepted by patients, for 79/675 (12%) accepted, for 222/675 (33%) it is too early to answer. For 275/675 responders (41%) AI will make the radiologist-patient relation more interactive, for 140/675 (21%) more impersonal, for 259/675 (38%) unchanged. If AI allows time saving, radiologists should interact more with clinicians (437/675, 65%) and/or patients (322/675, 48%). For all responders, involvement in AI-projects is welcome, with different roles: supervision (434/675, 64%), task definition (359/675, 53%), image labelling (197/675, 29%). Of 675 responders, 321 (48%) do not currently use AI, 138 (20%) use AI, 205 (30%) are planning to do it. According to 277/675 responders (41%), radiologists will take responsibility for AI outcome, while 277/675 (41%) suggest shared responsibility with other professionals. To summarise, responders showed a general favourable attitude towards AI.
Epigenetic heterogeneity in cancer
Authors: Guo Mingzhou , Peng Yaojun , Gao Aiai , Du Chen , Herman James G.
Published: October 2019

Phenotypic and functional heterogeneity is one of the hallmarks of human cancers. Tumor genotype variations among tumors within different patients are known as interpatient heterogeneity, and variability among multiple tumors of the same type arising in the same patient is referred to as intra-patient heterogeneity. Subpopulations of cancer cells with distinct phenotypic and molecular features within a tumor are called intratumor heterogeneity (ITH). Since Nowell proposed the clonal evolution of tumor cell populations in 1976, tumor heterogeneity, especially ITH, was actively studied. Research has focused on the genetic basis of cancer, particularly mutational activation of oncogenes or inactivation of tumor-suppressor genes (TSGs). The phenomenon of ITH is commonly explained by Darwinian-like clonal evolution of a single tumor. Despite the monoclonal origin of most cancers, new clones arise during tumor progression due to the continuous acquisition of mutations. It is clear that disruption of the "epigenetic machinery" plays an important role in cancer development. Aberrant epigenetic changes occur more frequently than gene mutations in human cancers. The epigenome is at the intersection of the environment and genome. Epigenetic dysregulation occurs in the earliest stage of cancer. The current trend of epigenetic therapy is to use epigenetic drugs to reverse and/or delay future resistance to cancer therapies. A majority of cancer therapies fail to achieve durable responses, which is often attributed to ITH. Epigenetic therapy may reverse drug resistance in heterogeneous cancer. Complete understanding of genetic and epigenetic heterogeneity may assist in designing combinations of targeted therapies based on molecular information extracted from individual tumors.
Fabrication of transparent composites for non-invasive Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) analysis of modern art works
Authors: Alyami Abeer , Mirabile Antonio , Iacopino Daniela
Published: October 2019

Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) has become an invaluable tool for the identification of colorants in artworks, due to its enhanced sensitivity and ability to quench fluorescence interference compared to Raman spectroscopy. However, the application of SERS to artwork analysis is still limited by its inherent invasiveness and the need for extraction procedures. In this work non-invasive transparent SERS probes were fabricated by self-assembly of Ag nanoparticles into glass and PDMS surfaces and used for identification of dye content in artistic drawings. SERS measurements were performed directly on the selected analytical surfaces by laser back illumination through the SERS probe. The non-invasiveness of fabricated probes was tested by optical microscopy. It was found that Ag nanoparticle/glass probes left no Ag nanoparticle residue after four consecutive depositions on sacrificial surfaces, whereas Ag nanoparticle/PDMS composites could be deposited and subsequently peeled off the analytical surfaces leaving no contamination traces. The high conformability, flexibility and transparency of Ag nanoparticle/PDMS composites enabled good adhesion to the surface of analyzed artistic drawings and therefore the generation of in situ SERS spectra from artistic drawings. The use of this method allowed identification of main dye components in real artworks comprising a red BIC ballpoint drawing and a Japanese woodblock print.
Context-aware rule learning from smartphone data: survey, challenges and future directions
Authors: Sarker Iqbal H.
Published: October 2019

Smartphones are considered as one of the most essential and highly personal devices of individuals in our current world. Due to the popularity of context-aware technology and recent developments in smartphones, these devices can collect and process raw contextual data about users’ surrounding environment and their corresponding behavioral activities with their phones. Thus,smartphone data analyticsand building data-drivencontext-aware systemshave gained wide attention from both academia and industry in recent days. In order to build intelligent context-aware applications on smartphones, effectively learning a set ofcontext-aware rulesfrom smartphone data is the key. This requires advanced data analytical techniques with high precision andintelligent decision makingstrategies based on contexts. In comparison to traditional approaches,machine learningbased techniques provide more effective and efficient results for smartphone data analytics and corresponding context-aware rule learning. Thus, this article first makes asurveyon previous work in the area of contextual smartphone data analytics and then presents a discussion ofchallengesandfuture directionsfor effectively learning context-aware rules from smartphone data, in order to build rule-based automated and intelligent systems.
A novel low voltage ride through strategy for cascaded power electronic transformer
Authors: Han Jiexiang , Kong Xiangping , Li Peng , Zhang Zhe , Yin Xianggen
Published: October 2019

In view of the operating characteristics for voltage sags of AC side of the power electronic transformer(PET), a low-voltage ride through(LVRT) strategy adapted to bidirectional power exchange of PET is proposed for the purposes of maintaining the system stability, assisting the system voltage recovery and protecting PET safety. During the asymmetric voltage sag, the negative sequence current of PET is eliminated to ensure the symmetry of the injected current. According to the degree of positive sequence voltage sag, the reactive current injection is provided to assist in voltage recovery. According to the PET active power condition before the voltage sag, the level and direction of which are maintained as far as possible without exceeding the limit, for which the disturbance to the AC and DC grids is reduced. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed LVRT strategy is verified by simulation model.
A field data example of Marchenko multiple elimination
Authors: Zhang Lele , Slob Evert
Published: October 2019

Internal multiple reflections have been widely considered as coherent noise in measured seismic data, and many approaches have been developed for their attenuation. The Marchenko multiple elimination (MME) scheme eliminates internal multiple reflections without model information or adaptive subtraction. This scheme was originally derived from coupled Marchenko equations, but it was modified to make it model independent. It filters primary reflections with their two-way traveltimes and physical amplitudes from measured seismic data. The MME scheme is applied to a deepwater field data set from the Norwegian North Sea to evaluate its success in removing internal multiple reflections. The result indicates that most internal multiple reflections are successfully removed and primary reflections masked by overlapping internal multiple reflections are recovered.
Shake-Table Testing of a Full-Scale Two-Story Precast Wall-Slab-Wall Structure
Authors: Brunesi Emanuele , Peloso Simone , Pinho Rui , Nascimbene Roberto
Published: October 2019

Precast wall-slab-wall buildings can be found in many different earthquake-prone areas of the world. This type of building structure features no beams or columns but rather precast walls and slabs alone that are joined together by means of steel connectors and mortar, both of which will not necessarily prevent the formation of relative sliding between structural members when the structure is subjected to certain levels of horizontal excitation, rendering them particularly vulnerable to seismic loading. Given the scarce amount of information/data on the seismic behavior of these structures, a dynamic shake-table test was undertaken to investigate the response/performance of a full-scale two-story reinforced precast concrete wall-slab-wall structure, up to incipient/near collapse. The building mock-up was subjected to five test runs of progressively increased intensity and collapsed because of failure of the steel connectors used to join the longitudinal and transverse walls. Test data are openly available and archived at the Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure DesignSafe Data Depot.
Surface Faulting and Ground Deformation: Considerations on Their Lower Detectable Limit and on FDHA for Nuclear Installations
Authors: Serva Leonello , Livio Franz A. , Gürpinar Aybars
Published: October 2019

We performed a review of a representative data set on coseismic surface deformation, derived from both interferometric synthetic aperture radar imaging and from a traditional field survey of surface faulting. This analysis indicates a minimum threshold value of M w 5.4–5.5 for earthquake-induced ground deformation and faulting, with an inherently lower limit of detection that makes it hard to recognize surface deformation caused by M w < 4.5–5.0 events. Significant exceptions are represented by shallow (i.e., less than circa 5 km) events that occur in volcano-tectonic settings, where surface deformation and dislocation are also clearly detectable for M w circa 4.0. Furthermore, a statistically significant regression between the areal extent of surface deformation and maximum slip at surface is proposed. This correlation is discussed in relation to fault displacement hazard analysis for nuclear power plants. In particular, the deformation area is used to find a potential solution for the second and third criterion for defining a capable fault.
Honeybee caste lipidomics in relation to life-history stages and the long life of the queen
Authors: Martin N. , Hulbert A. J. , Brenner G. C. , Brown S. H. J. , Mitchell T. W. , Else P. L.
Published: October 2019

Honey bees have evolved a system in which fertilised eggs transit through the same developmental stages but can become either workers or queens. This difference is determined by their diet through development. Whereas workers live for weeks (normally 2-6 weeks), queens can live for years. Unfertilised eggs also develop through the same stages but result in a short living male caste (drones). Workers and drones are fed pollen throughout their late larval and adult life stages, while queens are fed exclusively on royal jelly and do not eat pollen. Pollen has high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) while royal jelly has a negligible amount of PUFA. To investigate the role of dietary PUFA lipids, and their oxidation in the longevity difference of honey bees, membrane fatty acid composition of the three castes was characterised at six different life-history stages (larvae, pupa, emergent, and different adult stages) through mass spectrometry. All castes were found to share a similar membrane phospholipid composition during early larval development. However, at pupation, drones and workers increased their level of PUFA, whilst queens increased their level of monounsaturated fatty acids. After emergence, worker bees further increased their level of PUFA by 5-fold across most phospholipid classes. In contrast, the membrane phospholipids of adult queens remained highly monounsaturated throughout their adult life. We postulate that this diet-induced increase in membrane PUFA results in more oxidative damage and is potentially responsible for the much shorter lifespans of worker bees compared to long-living queens.
History of social and political thought of Russia
Authors: Багдасарян Вардан , Bagdasaryan Vardan
Published: October 2019

The book presents the model development of national socio-political thought from the oldest manifestations of ethno-confessional discourse to the completion of the Soviet ideological project in connection with the collapse of the USSR. Special attention is paid to the state ideology of Russia and power representation at different historical stages. Political theories are considered in their relation to the Russian civilizational identity and in the context of the historical conflict "Russia-the West". The matrix of Russian social science consciousness reproduced by periods of national history is reconstructed.
It is focused on use in educational process in higher educational institutions at preparation of the bachelors trained in the directions of pedagogical education, historical profiles, history and political science.
Mity założycielskie bez granic w kontekście narodów Ameryki Łacińskiej
Authors: Ratke-Majewska Anna
Published: October 2019

Founding Myths without Borders in the Context of Latin American Nations Founding myths have a special place in the process of creating and sustaining the existence of a nation. A characteristic feature of this type of myths, often also of heroic myths, is that they are adequate only for one nation. However, it is different in Latin America, where some founding myths can be discussed in the context of several Latin American nations living in separate states of the region. The specificity of the Latin American continent has set the primary goal of this text, which is to answer the question of how the founding myths of the Latin American nations are shaped.
"Za Krakowską Bramę rzadko się człowiek wypuszczał…"
Authors: Kubiszyn Marta
Published: October 2019

"One Would Rarely Venture behind the Krakowska Gate…": Imaginary Boundaries of the Jewish District in Lublin in Memories of Pre‑war Inhabitants

Up until the World War II, Jews played an important role in the history of Lublin. At least since the 16th century, Jews had lived in the segregated district of Podzamcze, called the “Jewish Town”. Although they started to inhabit the Old Town in 1862 and eventually lived in all parts of Lublin by the interwar period, the former boundaries between the “Jewish” and “Christian” parts of the city remained strongly imprinted in social memory, affecting everyday existence. This article analyses the imaginary boundaries that delineated the “Jewish” district of Lublin in the pre‑World War II period. Drawing on oral testimonies of Christian residents of the city recorded in years 1998‑2005 and archival materials such as articles from local papers, documents of communal institutions, and photos from the 1920s and 1930s, the opposing categories of “ours” and “theirs” have been used to describe social relations in urban space. The author of the article argues that the persistence of segregation in shared memory is expressed not only in visual forms, but it also has sound, smell and taste dimensions.
Mobbing at the Workplace and its Relation to Employees’ Quality of Working Life and Overall Life: A Qualitative Study in Greece
Authors: Meramveliotakis Ilias , Kalaitzaki Argyroula
Published: October 2019

Mobbing is a type of psychological violence, in which an individual becomes the target of disrespectful or harmful behavior at the workplace. The aim of the present study was to examine the mobbing behaviors and its effect on employees’ quality of working life, physical and mental health. Potential measures and interventions implemented by both the employees and employers were also investigated. Qualitative data was collected using a semi-structured interview, in a convenience sample of 10 employees working in the private sector of management services, in Heraklion, Crete, Greece, who had been victims of mobbing. The semi-structured interview included questions about demographics, the mobbing behavior, the outcomes of mobbing at the individual and organizational level (i.e., mental and physical health, job satisfaction and productivity) and any potential measures undertaken. The results showed that employees had been mobbed by their superiors (80%) or colleagues (20%). The most frequently reported mobbing behaviors were employees being gossiped about, criticized for their capabilities, laughed at by others and ignored. High levels of mobbing reportedly affected employees’ mental health negatively as expressed by high levels of anxiety, sadness, irritability, aggression, fear, lack of pleasure, feelings of injustice, loneliness, withdrawal and memory problems. Employees’ physical health also decreased as was evident by health problems, eating disorders, vomiting, muscle aches, headaches, migraines, dizziness, stomach pains, hypertension, sleeping disorders and tachycardia. Mobbing also influenced employee’s workplace behavior, as they reported a gradual decrease in job satisfaction and job performance at a rate of at least 30-40%. The results of this study will guide policymakers to develop prevention and intervention programs focusing on reducing mobbing behaviors and improving employees’ quality of working life and overall quality of life.
Diabetes and Hypercholesterolemia Impair the Cytological Structure of the Anterior Pituitary Gland
Authors: Abdo Ahmed MR , El-Beeh Mohamed E , Qari Sameer H. , El-badry Dina A , El-Sayyad Hassan IH
Published: October 2019

Increase consumption of high fat diet was found to alter blood sugar level similar to diabetes and contributed to the development of obesity and affected the reproductive function of both sexes. The study aimed to clarify the influence of diabetes and or hypercholesterolemia on the cytological picture of cells of the anterior lobe of pituitary gland of male albino rats. Eighteen male albino rats weighing approximately 120 gram body weight were divided into three main groups; control, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes (single i.p. 40 mg streptozotocin/kg B.wt plus 100mg. nicotinamide /kg body weight) and hypercholesterolemia (diet containing 3% cholesterol). Dietary feeding on cholesterol and diabetes were carried out for 12 weeks. At the end of treatment, animals were sacrificed, and pituitary glands were separated and their anterior lobe was processed for cytological investigations by transmission electron microscopy. The present study revealed that the rats subjected to experimental diabetes and/ or hypercholesterolemia exhibited a decrease of the secretory granules within the gonadotroph cells somatotroph and corticotrophin cells. There was a detected intracellular accumulation of fat globules in both the gonado- and sommatotroph cells. The authors reported that the altered cytological structures of the secretory function of the anterior pituitary gland led to marked impairment of the male hormonal level and causing infertility.
Preliminary report of clinical experience with metal-on-highly-crosslinked-polyethylene hip resurfacing
Authors: Treacy Ronan B. C. , Holland James P. , Daniel Joseph , Ziaee Hena , McMinn Derek J. W.
Published: October 2019

Objectives

Modern metal-on-metal (MoM) hip resurfacing arthroplasty (HRA), while achieving good results with well-orientated, well-designed components in ideal patients, is contraindicated in women, men with head size under 50 mm, or metal hypersensitivity. These patients currently have no access to the benefits of HRA. Highly crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE) has demonstrated clinical success in total hip arthroplasty (THA) and, when used in HRA, potentially reduces metal ion-related sequelae. We report the early performance of HRA using a direct-to-bone cementless mono-bloc XLPE component coupled with a cobalt-chrome femoral head, in the patient group for whom HRA is currently contraindicated.

Methods

This is a cross-sectional, observational assessment of 88 consecutive metal-on-XLPE HRAs performed in 84 patients between 2015 and 2018 in three centres (three surgeons, including the designer surgeon). Mean follow-up is 1.6 years (0.7 to 3.9). Mean age at operation was 56 years (sd 11; 21 to 82), and 73% of implantations were in female patients. All patients were individually counselled, and a detailed informed consent was obtained prior to operation. Primary resurfacing was carried out in 85 hips, and three cases involved revision of previous MoM HRA. Clinical, radiological, and Oxford Hip Score (OHS) assessments were studied, along with implant survival.

Results

There was no loss to follow-up and no actual or impending revision or reoperation. Median OHS increased from 24 (interquartile range (IQR) 20 to 28) preoperatively to 48 (IQR 46 to 48) at the latest follow-up (48 being the best possible score). Radiographs showed one patient had a head-neck junction lucency. No other radiolucency, osteolysis, component migration, or femoral neck thinning was noted.

Conclusion

The results in this small consecutive cohort suggest that metal-on-monobloc-XLPE HRA is successful in the short term and merits further investigation as a conservative alternative to the current accepted standard of stemmed THA. However, we would stress that survival data with longer-term follow-up are needed prior to widespread adoption. Cite this article: R. B. C. Treacy, J. P. Holland, J. Daniel, H. Ziaee, D. J. W. McMinn. Preliminary report of clinical experience with metal-on-highly-crosslinked-polyethylene hip resurfacing. Bone Joint Res 2019;8:443–450. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.810.BJR-2019-0060.R1
Experiência do estágio docente na formação dos estudantes do Mestrado Acadêmico de Saúde Coletiva: a prática de ser professor
Authors: Santos Luciana Maia , Guzman Carolina Serna , Figueroa Cristian David Osorio , Pereira dos Santos Juliana Laranjeira , De Carvalho Rosely Cabral
Published: October 2019

A experiência de ser professor no Estágio Docência por mestrandos de Saúde Coletiva da Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana (UEFS) desvela possibilidades da prática do exercício de (des) construção de saberes em sala de aula e percepção das dificuldades nas práticas pedagógicas no ensino superior. O artigo pretende discutir o exercício da docência universitária de mestrandos do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde Coletiva – Mestrado Acadêmico em Práticas de Integração Ensino, Serviço e Comunidade (PIESC), módulo que integra o currículo do Curso de Medicina da UEFS. As atividades foram desenvolvidas nas Unidades de Saúde da Família (USF) em duas áreas do George Américo e no Campo Limpo, em Feira de Santana, Bahia, com alunos do 4o Ano de Medicina da UEFS. Foi trabalhada, na contextualização dessa prática, a situação de violência vivenciada em uma das Unidades de Saúde da Família, a partir da realização de oficinas na comunidade que tiveram como finalidade gerar competências e novos sentidos para a prática docente universitária. Recomenda-se uma discussão mais ampliada na formação de redes sociais de apoio suficientes para lidar com os problemas, discutindo o aprendizado dos alunos nos ambientes comunitários.
Kinetics Analysis of Circulating MicroRNAs Unveils Markers of Failed Myocardial Reperfusion
Authors: Coelho-Lima Jose , Mohammed Ashfaq , Cormack Suzanne , Jones Samuel , Ali Adnan , Panahi Pedram , Barter Matt , Bagnall Alan , Ali Simi , Young David , Spyridopoulos Ioakim
Published: October 2019

BACKGROUND

Failed myocardial reperfusion occurs in approximately 50% of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). It manifests as microvascular obstruction (MVO) on cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging. Although prognostically important, MVO is not routinely screened for. Our aim was to investigate the kinetics of circulating short noncoding ribonucleic acids [microRNAs (miRNAs)] following PPCI and their association with MVO in STEMI patients.

METHODS

Screening of 2083 miRNAs in plasma from STEMI patients with (n = 6) and without (n = 6) MVO was performed by next-generation sequencing. Two candidate miRNAs were selected and quantified at 13 time points within 3 h postreperfusion in 20 STEMI patients by reverse transcription and quantitative PCR. Subsequently, these 2 miRNAs were measured in a “validation” STEMI cohort (n = 50) that had CMR imaging performed at baseline and 3 months post-PPCI to evaluate their association with MVO.

RESULTS

miR-1 and miR-133b were rapidly released following PPCI in a monophasic or biphasic pattern. Both miRNAs were enriched in circulating microparticles. A second miR-1 peak (90–180 min postreperfusion) seemed to be associated with a higher index of microvascular resistance. In addition, miR-1 and miR-133b levels at 90 min post-PPCI were approximately 3-fold (P = 0.001) and 4.4-fold (P = 0.008) higher in patients with MVO, respectively. Finally, miR-1 was significantly increased in a subgroup of patients with worse left ventricular (LV) functional recovery 3 months post-PPCI.

CONCLUSIONS

miR-1 and miR-133b levels increase within 3 h of PPCI. They are positively associated with MVO and worse LV functional recovery post-PPCI.
A Novel Online Calculator Based on Serum Biomarkers to Detect Hepatocellular Carcinoma among Patients with Hepatitis B
Authors: Yang Tian , Xing Hao , Wang Guoqiang , Wang Nianyue , Liu Miaoxia , Yan Cunling , Li Huijun , Wei Lianhua , Li Shunjun , Fan Zhuping , Shi Ming , Chen Wei , Cai Shangli , Pawlik Timothy M , Soh Andrew , Beshiri Agim , Lau Wan Yee , Wu Mengchao , Zheng Yijie , Shen Feng
Published: October 2019

BACKGROUND

Early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) among hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected patients remains a challenge, especially in China. We sought to create an online calculator of serum biomarkers to detect HCC among patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).

METHODS

Participants with HBV-HCC, CHB, HBV-related liver cirrhosis (HBV-LC), benign hepatic tumors, and healthy controls (HCs) were recruited at 11 Chinese hospitals. Potential serum HCC biomarkers, protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-II (PIVKA-II), α-fetoprotein (AFP), lens culinaris agglutinin A-reactive fraction of AFP (AFP-L3) and α-L-fucosidase (AFU) were evaluated in the pilot cohort. The calculator was built in the training cohort via logistic regression model and validated in the validation cohort.

RESULTS

In the pilot study, PIVKA-II and AFP showed better diagnostic sensitivity and specificity compared with AFP-L3 and AFU and were chosen for further study. A combination of PIVKA-II and AFP demonstrated better diagnostic accuracy in differentiating patients with HBV-HCC from patients with CHB or HBV-LC than AFP or PIVKA-II alone [area under the curve (AUC), 0.922 (95% CI, 0.908–0.935), sensitivity 88.3% and specificity 85.1% for the training cohort; 0.902 (95% CI, 0.875–0.929), 87.8%, and 81.0%, respectively, for the validation cohort]. The nomogram including AFP, PIVKA-II, age, and sex performed well in predicting HBV-HCC with good calibration and discrimination [AUC, 0.941 (95% CI, 0.929–0.952)] and was validated in the validation cohort [AUC, 0.931 (95% CI, 0.909–0.953)].

CONCLUSIONS

Our results demonstrated that a web-based calculator including age, sex, AFP, and PIVKA-II accurately predicted the presence of HCC in patients with CHB.

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier

NCT03047603
Inadequate Reporting of Analytical Characteristics of Biomarkers Used in Clinical Research: A Threat to Interpretation and Replication of Study Findings
Authors: Sun Qian , Welsh Kerry J , Bruns David E , Sacks David B , Zhao Zhen
Published: October 2019

BACKGROUND

Analytical characteristics of methods to measure biomarkers determine how well the methods measure what they claim to measure. Transparent reporting of analytical characteristics allows readers to assess the validity and generalizability of clinical studies in which biomarkers are used. Our aims were to assess the reporting of analytical characteristics of biomarkers used in clinical research and to evaluate the extent of reported characterization procedures for assay precision.

METHODS

We searched 5 medical journals (Annals of Internal Medicine, JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, The Lancet, The New England Journal of Medicine, and PLOS Medicine) over a 10-year period for the term “biomarker” in the full-text field. We included studies in which biomarkers were used for inclusion/exclusion of study participants, for patient classification, or as a study outcome. We tabulated the frequencies of reporting of 11 key analytical characteristics (such as analytical accuracy of test results) in the included studies.

RESULTS

A total of 544 studies and 1299 biomarker uses met the inclusion criteria. No information on analytical characteristics was reported for 67% of the biomarkers. For 65 biomarkers (3%), ≥4 characteristics were reported (range, 4–8). The manufacturer of the measurement procedure could not be determined for 688 (53%) of the 1299 biomarkers. The extent of assessments of assay imprecision, when reported, did not meet expectations for clinical use of biomarkers.

CONCLUSIONS

Reporting of the analytical performance of biomarker measurements is variable and often absent from published clinical studies. We suggest that readers need fuller reporting of analytical characteristics to interpret study results, assess generalizability of conclusions, and compare results among clinical studies.
A ação política da Delegação do Porto do Secretariado Nacional de Informação
Authors: Ribeiro Carla Patrícia
Published: October 2019

O Secretariado de Propaganda Nacional, a partir de 1944 Secretariado Nacional de Informação, foi o primeiro dos novos organismos criados pelo Estado Novo, fundado em setembro de 1933. Pensado e criado num clima de estruturação e consolidação do novo regime, diretamente dependente da Presidência do Conselho, assumiu uma orientação claramente política, enquanto organismo de propaganda e informação. No âmbito da sua ação, o Secretariado mobilizou todo o leque das atividades culturais – artes plásticas, artes performativas, cinema, teatro, literatura – mas também os meios de comunicação – a imprensa e a radiodifusão. Em março de 1945, criava-se no Porto uma Delegação do Secretariado. Todavia, tradicionalmente o Porto não era uma cidade “da Situação” mas de resistência ao regime estadonovista. No presente artigo propõe-se uma primeira leitura da ação desta Delegação, sobre a qual pouco se sabe e nada parece ter sido escrito. Em particular, aborda-se a atuação política da Delegação no campo da imprensa e da radiodifusão privada portuenses, e como essas relações se conetaram com a sua função primordial de construção retórica do regime do Estado Novo.
O Conselho da Revolução e a imprensa (1976-1982)
Authors: Castaño David
Published: October 2019

Após a transição revolucionária (1974-1976), Portugal entrou numa nova fase, a da transição constitucional, que se prolongou entre 1976 e 1982. Durante estes seis anos, além dos tradicionais órgãos de soberania existentes nos regimes democráticos pluralistas, manteve-se em funções um órgão de soberania não eleito, composto exclusivamente por militares. Consagrado constitucionalmente na sequência dos dois pactos estabelecidos entre os partidos políticos e os militares responsáveis pelo derrube do anterior regime autoritário, ao Conselho da Revolução foram atribuídos vastos poderes.

Este papel central do Conselho da Revolução fez com que este órgão de soberania tivesse desde cedo atraído as atenções dos média, sector que também se encontrava num profundo processo de mudança e de adaptação aos novos tempos pós-revolucionários.

Este artigo analisa o atribulado relacionamento entre os órgãos de comunicação social e o Conselho da Revolução, revelando os atritos e ameaças à liberdade de imprensa mas também as cumplicidades e alianças estabelecidas.
Difficulties and Rights of Women in Pregnancy of Anencephalic Fetuses
Authors: Castro Eveline Oliveira Girão , Lóssio Neto Cláudio Couto , Melo Antonio Marlos Duarte de , Gonçalves Júnior Jucier , Farias Athena de Albuquerque
Published: October 2019

Abstract: Despite a series of advances in the establishment of specialized services for women in all regions of the country, many still face great difficulties in accessing abortion services.  Even in relation to anencephaly, there are still challenges for the proper structuring of legal abortion services, as it is difficult to identify health professionals available for abortion care permitted by law.  This article discusses the issues involved in these cases.  It was concluded that, due to the moral and religious stigma, there is a refusal of doctors related to the practice of abortion, despite the existence of Brazilian technical norms that regulate this practice.  However, the right to conscientious objection is not necessarily recognized in the absence of another medical professional to assist women when there is a risk of death.  Keywords: Anencephaly, Abortion, Women's Rights.
Incidence and Predictors of Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease and the Role of Cardiac Troponin Assays in Patients with Unstable Angina
Authors: Yang Sushan , Bhatia Nirmanmoh , Xu Meng , McPherson John A.
Published: October 2019

In a time when cardiac troponin assays are widely used to detect myocardial injury, data remain scarce concerning the incidence and predictors of substantial obstructive coronary artery disease that causes unstable angina.

This retrospective single-center study included consecutive patients hospitalized for unstable angina from January 2015 through January 2016. Patients with troponin I levels above the upper reference limit and those who did not undergo angiography were excluded. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictors of obstructive coronary artery disease that warranted revascularization and of major adverse cardiac events up to 6 months after discharge from the hospital.

Of the 114 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 46 (40%) had obstructive coronary artery disease. In the univariate analysis, male sex, white race, history of coronary artery disease, prior revascularization, hyperlipidemia, chronic kidney disease, aspirin use, long-acting nitrate use, and Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction score ≥3 were associated with obstructive coronary artery disease. History of coronary artery disease, prior revascularization, hyperlipidemia, and long-acting nitrate use were associated with major adverse cardiac events. Male sex was an independent predictor of obstructive coronary artery disease (adjusted odds ratio=4.82; 95% CI, 1.79–13; P=0.002) in the multivariate analysis.

Our results showed that coronary artery disease warranting revascularization is present in a considerable proportion of patients who have unstable angina. The association that we found between male sex and obstructive coronary artery disease suggests that the risk stratification of patients presenting with unstable angina may need to be refined to improve outcomes.
Aortic Valve Replacement in 8 Adults with Anomalous Aortic Origin of Coronary Artery
Authors: Alameddine Abdallah K. , Binnall Brian J. , Conlin Frederick T. , Broderick Patrick J.
Published: October 2019

Patients with anomalous origin of a coronary artery during aortic valve replacement (AVR) are at risk of coronary compromise. Large case series are lacking. In this retrospective study, we review our experience with this condition.

From August 2014 through June 2016, 8 adult patients (mean age, 74 ± 17.5 yr; age range, 33–86 yr; 5 men) with anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery underwent surgical or transcatheter AVR at our institution. Six patients had aortic stenosis; 2 had aortic insufficiency, one of whom had an associated aortic root aneurysm.

In 7 patients, the left anomalous coronary artery originated from the right aortic sinus, and in one, the right coronary artery arose from the left cusp. The anatomic course was revealed by means of 3-dimensional computed tomographic angiography. No patient underwent primary aortic reimplantation of the anomalous artery. Two had the artery mobilized from encircling the annulus too closely and then underwent coronary artery bypass grafting. Two high-risk patients underwent transcatheter AVR. After surgical AVR, 2 patients had perioperative myocardial infarction caused by coronary compression, so percutaneous coronary intervention was performed. One patient died of sepsis 3 months after discharge from the hospital.

In our patients, AVR sometimes led to severe perioperative complications. Successful AVR depended on 3-dimensional computed tomographic angiographic findings, individual anatomic variations, and appropriate treatment choices.
Anomalous Origin of the Right Coronary Artery from the Pulmonary Artery in a Neonate with Turner Syndrome and Aortic Arch Hypoplasia
Authors: Stefek Bryan P. , Imundo Jason R. , Clark Joseph B.
Published: October 2019

Anomalous origin of the right coronary artery from the pulmonary artery, a rare congenital cardiac defect, is typically not diagnosed during infancy. On the other hand, Turner syndrome is usually diagnosed early, and it is classically associated with bicuspid aortic valve and aortic coarctation. Individuals with Turner syndrome are also at increased risk for coronary artery anomalies. We present a case of anomalous right coronary artery from the pulmonary artery in a week-old neonate who also had Turner syndrome, patent ductus arteriosus, transverse aortic arch hypoplasia, and impaired ventricular function. Prostaglandin therapy through the ductus increased the patient's myocardial perfusion. Four months after corrective surgery, she was doing well. We discuss the reperfusion phenomenon in our patient's case, as well as other considerations in this combination of congenital defects.
MitraClip Deployed via Left Femoral Vein in an 85-Year-Old Woman with Mitral Regurgitation
Authors: Edupuganti Mohan Mallikarjuna Rao , Mutlu Deniz , Mego David M. , Marmagkiolis Kostas , Cilingiroglu Mehmet
Published: October 2019

The MitraClip system can be used to control regurgitant blood flow in patients with mitral regurgitation who cannot tolerate open surgery to replace the mitral valve. Technical limitations make the right femoral vein the standard access point for placing the MitraClip. However, this route is not always suitable. We present the case of an 85-year-old woman in whom we successfully used a left-sided approach for inserting a MitraClip because her right femoral vein was occluded. This apparently novel left femoral approach merits consideration as an option for device insertion when right femoral vein access is precluded.
Surgical Thrombectomy for Pulmonary Embolism: Updated Performance Rates and Outcomes
Authors: Alqahtani Fahad , Munir Muhammad Bilal , Aljohani Sami , Tarabishy Abdul , Almustafa Ahmad , Alkhouli Mohamad
Published: October 2019

Treatments for pulmonary embolism are numerous and often complex. Current data on surgical thrombectomy are important but are not readily available. We studied the National Inpatient Sample to evaluate trends in the performance rates and outcomes of surgical thrombectomy in the United States from 2003 through 2014. We think that our findings have meaningful application to the triage and risk stratification of patients who have hemodynamically significant pulmonary embolism.
Cucumber mosaic virus pada Tanaman Lada di Yogyakarta dan Bangka Belitung
Authors: Uge Emerensiana - , Sulandari Sri , Hartono Sedyo - , Somowiyarjo Susamto -
Published: October 2019

Cucumber mosaic virus on Black Pepper in Yogyakarta and Bangka BelitungPepper  (Piper  nigrum)  is  spice  crop  which  has  been  cultivated  a  long  time  ago  in  Indonesia. Stunting is one of disease on pepper caused by cucumber mosaic virus (CMV). The research aimed to diagnose the biological, morphological and nucleaic acid characters of CMV on pepper in Yogyakarta and Bangka Belitung. CMV infection on pepper in both area (Putat dan Kleben village, Yogyakarta and Air Buluh village, Bangka Belitung) showed typical symptoms such as mosaic, narrow leaves and stunting. The disease incidence and disease severity of stunting disease are varies. The virus able to transmitted by cutting, grafting and mechanically on Nicotiana tabacum and Chenopodium amaranticolor. However, it was unable to transmitted mechanically on pepper and by Aphis gossypii. The virus particles were isometric with diameter size 28-30 nm. RT-PCR using coat protein partial gene primer successfully amplified a DNA with size ± 500 bp from all three samples. The homology of nucleotide between three isolates was 98-97%, while the highest homology of those three strains CMV  from Yogyakarta and Bangka Belitung was 98% against strains from China in Brassica chinensis. Three strains CMV from pepper were in the same group, and separated from CMV pepper lines from Indonesia and other CMV isolates.
Aktivitas Metabolit Sekunder Cendawan Endofit terhadap Colletotrichum acutatum pada Cabai Merah
Authors: Saryanah Nur Alfi , Wiyono Suryo , Dadang Dadang
Published: October 2019

Activity of Fungal Endophyte Secondary Metabolites against Colletotrichum acutatum on Chili PepperColletotrichum acutatum is one of anthracnose causal agents on chili pepper that has been reported to be predominant species in a some regions of Java Island. Secondary metabolites of endophytic fungi have been reported to have a potency as antifungal agents against plant pathogen. However, its antifungal activity against C. acutatum has not been reported yet. This study was aimed to evaluate the antifungal activity of fungal endophyte secondary metabolite against C. acutatum at in vitro and in vivo assay. In vitro assay was conducted to evaluate antifungal activity of fungal endophyte CBR1D14 isolate culture filtrate (FCBR) and mycelia extract (MCBR) in inhibiting conidial germination of C. acutatum. The results of in vitro assay showed that ethyl acetate extract of FCBR (EA FCBR) had the highest activity in inhibiting C. acutatum conidial germination. Methanol fraction from the partition of EA FCBR (FM FCBR) and from the partition of MCBR ethyl acetate extract (FM MCBR) showed the ability in inhibiting C. acutatum conidial germination. In vivo assay to chili pepper fruit showed that the treatment of FM FCBR (IC95 609.9 µg mL-1) and FM MCBR (IC95 1178.27 µg mL-1) decreased anthracnose disease incidence and lesion diameter. The efficacy rate of FM FCBR and FM MCBR treatments against anthracnose was 36.72 and 48.68%, respectively. Bioautography test was done on silica gel thin layer chromatogram. Methanol fraction of FCBR and MCBR were separated into 3 bioautographic spots respectively (Rf 0.04, 0.07, 0.7 for FM FCBR and Rf 0.06, 0.52, 0.7 for FM MCBR).
Solution of a Moving Boundary Problem for Soybean Hydration by Numerical Approximation
Authors: Gulen Seda , Ozis Turgut
Published: October 2019

Mass or heat transfer may cause volume variation, and the food hydration model is one of them that undergoes hydration (or drying) conveying volume change. In this paper, the numerical approximate solution based on an integral method has been presented for soybean hydration model. Trace of the moving boundary and unknown moisture content at the center of the grain have been determined. The obtained results are well matched with numerical solutions in the literature.
Analysis of AWG-Based Optical Data Center Switches
Authors: Singh Preeti , Rai J.K. , Sharma Ajay K.
Published: October 2019

Optical packet switching (OPS) is an emerging area of research in next-generation datacenter applications. There is an exponential growth in the internet traffic due to applications such as social networking, cloud computing, video streaming, etc. Fiber optical network plays a critical role in various data center (DC) operations. Large bandwidth of the optical fiber made OPS, a promising technology for DCs. Arrayed waveguide gratings (AWGs) are used more frequently in the core of optical packet switches due to its low insertion loss and wavelength dependent routing pattern. Optical switching function can be performed by AWG if each input port is properly equipped with Tunable wavelength converters (TWCs). This paper presents analysis of four optical packet switches namely AWG and Feedback Loop Buffer based switch, AWG and Electronic Memory based switch, Petabit Optical Switch, AWG and Feedback Loop Buffer Loss Compensated based Switch. Switches are analyzed for Bit Error Rate (BER) and energy consumption. The power and noise analysis is performed for calculating the total power required for correct operation of switch and to determine the BER using physical layer analysis. Minimum power level is determined so that received bits are decoded correctly. Energy consumption per bit is also evaluated to identify architecture consuming less energy in the considered architectures.