bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Neuro Elutax SV drug-eluting balloon versus Wingspan stent system in symptomatic intracranial high-grade stenosis: a single-center experience
Authors: Gruber Philipp , Garcia-Esperon Carlos , Berberat Jatta , Kahles Timo , Hlavica Martin , Anon Javier , Diepers Michael , Nedeltchev Krassen , Remonda Luca
Published: April 2018

Background

Intracranial atherosclerotic disease is a well-known cause of ischemic stroke. Following the SAMMPRIS trial, medical treatment is favored over stenting. Drug-eluting balloons (DEB) are widely used in coronary angioplasty, showing better results than bare-surface balloons. There is little evidence of DEB employment in intracranial stenosis, especially of paclitaxel-eluted balloons (pDEB). The Neuro Elutax SV (Aachen Resonance) is the first CE certificated pDEB for intracranial use.

Objective

To compare pDEB Neuro Elutax SV (ElutaxDEB) with the Wingspan/Gateway stent system (WingspanStent).

Materials and methods

A single-center, open-label, retrospective cohort study of 19 patients with symptomatic atherosclerotic intracranial high-grade stenosis treated with either ElutaxDEB or WingspanStent from a tertiary stroke center in Switzerland.

Results

Eight patients (42%) received ElutaxDEB. Median clinical follow-up was 10 months for the WingspanStent and 9.5 months for ElutaxDEB (P=0.36). No differences were found in the clinical baseline characteristics, with a median stenosis grade of 80% for the WingspanStent and 81% for the ElutaxDEB (P=0.87). The compound endpoint ‘ischemic re-event and/or restenosis’ was significantly lower for ElutaxDEB (13% vs 64%; P=0.03, OR 0.08 (95% CI 0.007 to 0.93; P=0.043) than for the WingspanStent.

Conclusions

The ElutaxDEB may be a promising alternative treatment for patients with symptomatic high-grade intracranial stenosis showing a significantly lower rate of ischemic re-events or restenosis in comparison with the WingspanStent-treated patients with a similar safety profile. Further studies will be needed to definitively elucidate the role of pDEB in the management of symptomatic intracranial high-grade stenosis.
Republished: Tyrosine kinase inhibitor induced rapidly progressive vasculopathy after intracranial stent placement
Authors: Chen Ching-Jen , Sorace Brian J , Shakeri Aria , Park Min S , Southerland Andrew M , Worrall Bradford B , Kalani M Yashar S
Published: April 2018

Tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) has been associated with progressive peripheral arterial disease and, more recently, rare cases of intracranial vascular stenosis have been reported. We report the fourth case of TKI treatment associated intracranial vasculopathy and rapid progression of intracranial vascular stenosis following intracranial stent placement. This was a 49-year-old woman who developed right-sided weakness, paresthesias, numbness, and speech difficulties 7 years following TKI treatment for CML. Cerebral catheter angiography demonstrated 90% stenosis of the left supraclinoid internal carotid artery, for which the patient underwent intracranial stent placement with no residual stenosis and improved distal blood flow. Approximately 1 month following the procedure, the patient returned with similar symptoms. Catheter angiography demonstrated 70% and 50% stenosis just distal and proximal to the stent construct, respectively. Rapid disease progression and non-atherosclerotic vasculopathy may argue against endovascular therapy.
Lifting the veil on stroke outcomes: revisiting stroke centers’ transparency through public reporting of metrics
Authors: Fargen Kyle M , West James L , Mocco J
Published: April 2018

Public reporting of healthcare metrics provides transparency that allows patients and emergency medical providers to make informed decisions about where patients should receive care. Most previous reports about public reporting of health metrics have demonstrated significant improvements in outcome metrics after implementation. However, no mechanism exists, voluntary or otherwise, for the public reporting of outcomes of stroke care. We review the components of public reporting of health outcomes data and its limited history in stroke outcomes. We summarize the literature on public reporting in cardiovascular interventions, particularly percutaneous coronary interventions, as a close corollary to mechanical neurothrombectomy. The benefits, limitations, and controversies associated with reporting of cardiovascular outcomes are reviewed with a focus on the development of risk-avoidant behaviors. This article serves as a primer for discussion of the potential benefits, limitations, and unintended consequences of public reporting of stroke data.
Airway epithelial phosphoinositide 3-kinase-δ contributes to the modulation of fungi-induced innate immune response
Authors: Jeong Jae Seok , Lee Kyung Bae , Kim So Ri , Kim Dong Im , Park Hae Jin , Lee Hern-Ku , Kim Hyung Jin , Cho Seong Ho , Kolliputi Narasaiah , Kim Soon Ha , Lee Yong Chul
Published: April 2018

Background

Respiratory fungal exposure is known to be associated with severe allergic lung inflammation. Airway epithelium is an essential controller of allergic inflammation. An innate immune recognition receptor, nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich-containing family, pyrin-domain-containing-3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, and phosphoinositide 3 kinase (PI3K)-δ in airway epithelium are involved in various inflammatory processes.

Objectives

We investigated the role of NLRP3 inflammasome in fungi-induced allergic lung inflammation and examined the regulatory mechanism of NLRP3 inflammasome, focusing on PI3K-δ in airway epithelium.

Methods

We used two in vivo models induced by exposure to Aspergillus fumigatus (Af) and Alternaria alternata (Aa), as well as an Af-exposed in vitro system. We also checked NLRP3 expression in lung tissues from patients with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA).

Results

Assembly/activation of NLRP3 inflammasome was increased in the lung of Af-exposed mice. Elevation of NLRP3 inflammasome assembly/activation was observed in Af-stimulated murine and human epithelial cells. Similarly, pulmonary expression of NLRP3 in patients with ABPA was increased. Importantly, neutralisation of NLRP3 inflammasome derived IL-1β alleviated pathophysiological features of Af-induced allergic inflammation. Furthermore, PI3K-δ blockade improved Af-induced allergic inflammation through modulation of NLRP3 inflammasome, especially in epithelial cells. This modulatory role of PI3K-δ was mediated through the regulation of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) generation. NLRP3 inflammasome was also implicated in Aa-induced eosinophilic allergic inflammation, which was improved by PI3K-δ blockade.

Conclusion

These findings demonstrate that fungi-induced assembly/activation of NLRP3 inflammasome in airway epithelium may be modulated by PI3K-δ, which is mediated partly through the regulation of mtROS generation. Inhibition of PI3K-δ may have potential for treating fungi-induced severe allergic lung inflammation.
Solvable Subgroup Theorem for simplicial nonpositive curvature
Authors: Prytuła Tomasz
Published: April 2018

Given a group [Formula: see text] with bounded torsion that acts properly on a systolic complex, we show that every solvable subgroup of [Formula: see text] is finitely generated and virtually abelian of rank at most [Formula: see text]. In particular, this gives a new proof of the above theorem for systolic groups. The main tools used in the proof are the Product Decomposition Theorem and the Flat Torus Theorem.
A Novel Data Independent Approach for Conversion of Hand Punched Kannada Braille Script to Text and Speech
Authors: Shreekanth T. , Deeksha M. R. , Kaushik Karthikeya R.
Published: April 2018

In society, there exists a gap in communication between the sighted community and the visually challenged people due to different scripts followed to read and write. To bridge this gap there is a need for a system that supports automatic conversion of Braille script to text and speech in the corresponding language. Optical Braille Recognition (OBR) system converts the hand-punched Braille characters into their equivalent natural language characters. The Text-to-Speech (TTS) system converts the recognized characters into audible speech using speech synthesis techniques. Existing literature reveals that OBR and TTS systems have been well established independently for English. There is a scope for development of OBR and TTS systems for regional languages. In spite of Kannada being one of the most widely spoken regional languages in India, minimal work has been done towards Kannada OBR and TTS. There is no system that directly converts Braille script to speech, therefore, this development of Kannada Braille to text and speech system is one of a kind. The acquired image is processed and feature extraction is performed using [Formula: see text]-means algorithm and heuristics to convert the Braille characters to Kannada script. The concatenation based speech synthesis technique employing phoneme as the basic unit is used to convert Kannada TTS using Festival TTS framework. Performance evaluation of the proposed system is done using Kannada Braille database developed independently, and the results obtained are found to be satisfactory when compared to existing methods in the literature.
ConsensUs
Authors: Liu Weichen , Xiao Sijia , Browne Jacob T. , Yang Ming , Dow Steven P.
Published: April 2018

Groups often face difficulty reaching consensus. For complex decisions with multiple criteria, verbal and written discourse alone may impede groups from pinpointing and moving past fundamental disagreements. To help support consensus building, we introduce ConsensUs, a novel visualization tool that highlights disagreement by asking group members to quantify their subjective opinions across multiple criteria. To evaluate this approach, we conducted a between-subjects experiment with 87 participants on a comparative hiring task. The study compared three modes of sensemaking on a group decision: written discourse only, visualization only, and written discourse plus visualization. We confirmed that the visualization helped participants identify disagreements within the group and then measured subsequent changes to their individual opinions. The results show that disagreement highlighting led participants to align their ratings more with the opinions of other group members. While disagreement highlighting led to better score alignment, participants reported a number of reasons for shifting their score, from genuine consensus to appeasement. We discuss further research angles to understand how disagreement highlighting affects social processes and whether it produces objectively better decisions.
Role of Anti-MICA Antibodies in Graft Survival of Renal Transplant Recipients of India
Authors: Chowdhry Mohit , Makroo R. N. , Singh Mandhata , Kumar Manoj , Thakur Yogita , Sharma Vandana
Published: April 2018

Introduction. The MIC (MHC class I chain-related) genes are a group of nonclassical MHC genes, located in the MHC class 1 region of chromosome 6. The aim of the present study was to find the prevalence of MHC class 1 chain-related (MICA) alloantibodies in patients undergoing live-related donor renal transplantation and its role in short-term graft survival. The role of blood transfusion in the formation of these antibodies was also studied. Materials and Methods. Pretransplant samples of patients undergoing renal allograft transplantation were tested for anti-MICA antibodies. Association of various demographics, HLA-A + B + DRB1 mismatches, anti-HLA antibody screen, and anti-MICA antibodies was assessed using Pearson’s chi-square test. Results. Out of 646 serum samples, 94 (14.6%) were positive and 552 (85.4%) were negative for anti-MICA antibodies. Patients with anti-MICA antibody had a graft survival 89.3% as compared to 94.7% in patients without anti-MICA antibody (P<0.05). The hazard ratio for all patients was 3.0701 (P<0.05). Out of the 340 patients with no HLA antibodies, the presence of anti-MICA antibodies without any HLA antibodies (n=43) was associated with poor outcome in the patients (hazard ratio of 2.768, P<0.05). The presence of MICA antibodies with HLA antibodies did not decrease the graft survival (hazards ratio of 1.3750, P>0.05). Conclusion. Preformed MICA antibodies independently increase the risk of kidney rejection and therefore recommend that guidelines should be formed for mandatory testing of these antibodies prior to renal transplant.
Impact of Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy on Gastrointestinal Motility
Authors: Sioka Eleni , Tzovaras George , Perivoliotis Konstantinos , Bakalis Vissarion , Zachari Eleni , Magouliotis Dimitrios , Tassiopoulou Vassiliki , Potamianos Spyridon , Kapsoritakis Andreas , Poultsidi Antigoni , Tepetes Konstantinos , Chatzitheofilou Constantine , Zacharoulis Dimitris
Published: April 2018

Objective. Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) was considered mainly as a restrictive procedure due to anatomic alterations in the upper gastrointestinal tract. Additionally, due to neurohormonal alterations, LSG modifies the gastrointestinal motility, which controls appetite and feeling of satiety. Aim. The aim of the study was to review the impact of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy on gastrointestinal motility. Material and Methods. A search of the medical literature was undertaken in Pubmed, Web of Science, and Cochrane library. Esophageal, gastric, bowel motility were assessed separately. Results. Nine studies assessed esophageal motility. The data remain debatable attributing to the heterogeneity of follow-up timing, surgical technique, bougie size, and distance from pylorus. The stomach motility was assessed in eighteen studies. Functionally, the sleeve was divided into a passive sleeve and an accelerated antrum. All scintigraphic studies revealed accelerated gastric emptying after LSG except of one. Patients demonstrated a rapid gastroduodenal transit time. The resection of the gastric pacemaker had as a consequence aberrant distal ectopic pacemaking or bioelectrical quiescence after LSG. The bowel motility was the least studied. Small bowel transit time was reduced; opposite to that the initiation of cecal filling and the ileocecal valve transit was delayed. Conclusion. Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy has impacts on gastrointestinal motility. The data remain debatable for esophageal motility. Stomach and small bowel motility were accelerated, while the initiation of cecal filling and the ileocecal valve transit was delayed. Further pathophysiological studies are needed to evaluate the correlation of motility data with clinical symptoms.
2017 Update on Ovarian Cancer Peritoneal Carcinomatosis Multimodal-Treatment Considerations
Authors: Halkia Evgenia , Chrelias George , Chrelias Charalambos , Esquivel Jesus
Published: April 2018

Ovarian cancer peritoneal carcinomatosis requires a multimodal-treatment approach. Current treatment considerations are analyzed in this update and include the management of recurrent malignant ascites and the understanding of its pathophysiology, the role of peritoneal washing cytology in detecting peritoneal metastases, capsular invasion and ovarian cancer histologic type, interpretation of pretreatment Ca-125 levels at different time points of ovarian cancer therapeutic management, characteristics of 10-year survivors of high-grade ovarian cancer, and the role of lymphadenectomy in ovarian cancer peritoneal carcinomatosis. This update also includes current considerations on the role of cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy in ovarian cancer peritoneal carcinomatosis as well as relevant ongoing phase III randomized controlled trial protocols.
Effect of Harvest Period on the Proximate Composition and Functional and Sensory Properties of Gari Produced from Local and Improved Cassava (Manihot esculenta) Varieties
Authors: Laya Alphonse , Koubala Benoît Bargui , Kouninki Habiba , Nchiwan Nukenine Elias
Published: April 2018

This study is aimed at evaluating the proximate composition and functional and sensory characteristics of gari obtained from five cassava varieties (EN, AD, TMS92/0326, TMS96/1414, and IRAD4115). These cassavas were harvested during the dry season 12 months after planting (12MAP) and in the rainy season (15MAP). Results showed that the characteristics of gari varied significantly (p<0.05) with the variety and the harvest period. Gari from EN cassava harvested at 12MAP had the highest total carbohydrates (78.07% dry weight), starch (61%), and proteins content, while gari from TMS 96/1414 variety (12MAP) had high amino acids (10.25 mg/g) and phenolic compounds (9.31 mg/g) content. The gari from IRAD4115 had the highest value of ash content (20.62 mg/g) at 12MAP. The soluble sugar content was high in the gari from cassava harvested at 12MAP while free cyanide reduced significantly in gari from cassava harvested at 12MAP. The water absorption capacity, swelling power, and bulk density were significantly (p<0.05) high in the gari from EN cassava variety at 12MAP. Compared to commercial gari (3.30), gari from EN local cassava had the best overall acceptability (4.35) followed by those obtained from TMS92/0326 and TMS92/1414 varieties, respectively.
Combination of Medical and Surgical Treatments for Masseter Hypertrophy
Authors: Ayhan M. , İşler Sabri Cemil , Kasapoglu C.
Published: April 2018

Masseter hypertrophy (MH) is one of the uncommon conditions that swelling can be seen in the angular mandibular region of the face. The etiology of MH includes several factors, and various treatment methods are mentioned in the literature. Botulinum toxin type A application is most commonly used for the treatment because of its less invasive feature. As a surgical method, some treatment alternatives that aim to reduce muscle mass or reshape the bone tissue in the angular region are considered. In this case report, a 21-year-old male patient with unilateral masseter hypertrophy on the right side is presented. After the patient was diagnosed with MH, botulinum toxin treatment in two sessions at one-month intervals was done. Since the reduction in muscle volume was not in satisfactory dimensions after the botulinum toxin application, the masseter was reduced on the right side through an intraoral approach. At the same time, bone enlargements on each side of the angulus mandibula were reshaped and smoothened through an extraoral retro mandibular approach. Clinical and radiographic evaluation of the patient revealed more aesthetic and symmetrical appearance in the regular controls.
An Exploration of Neighborhood Residents’ Cognition of and Participation in Low‐Carbon Behaviors in Wuhan, China
Authors: Peng Wenjun , Wang Xiaoming , Guo Lijun
Published: April 2018

This paper analyzed neighborhood residents’ cognition of and participation in low‐carbon behaviors, basing on a questionnaire survey launched in a neighborhood in Wuhan, China. Results indicate that most respondents concerned the low‐carbon impact on their daily lives and expected the government to make differences in low‐carbon transition. Neighborhood residents’ participation in low‐carbon behaviors was mainly reflected in three aspects: home energy conservation (HEC), efficient resource consumption (ERC), and recycling habits (RH), which were extracted from the five categories out of the 15 observed variables. Many interviewees had high level of participation in low‐carbon behaviors that affect their economic interests. But these neighborhood residents rarely participated in public low‐carbon behaviors such as planting trees or cooperative low‐carbon behaviors. Therefore, these neighborhood residents’ participation in low‐carbon behaviors was still on the initial stage. Specific proposals were put forward to promote urban low‐carbonization further.
Dynamic Network Analysis Reveals Altered Temporal Variability in Brain Regions after Stroke: A Longitudinal Resting-State fMRI Study
Authors: Hu Jianping , Du Juan , Xu Qiang , Yang Fang , Zeng Fanyong , Weng Yifei , Dai Xi-jian , Qi Rongfeng , Liu Xiaoxue , Lu Guangming , Zhang Zhiqiang
Published: April 2018

Recent fMRI studies have demonstrated that resting-state functional connectivity (FC) is of nonstationarity. Temporal variability of FC reflects the dynamic nature of brain activity. Exploring temporal variability of FC offers a new approach to investigate reorganization and integration of brain networks after stroke. Here, we examined longitudinal alterations of FC temporal variability in brain networks after stroke. Nineteen stroke patients underwent resting fMRI scans across the acute stage (within-one-week after stroke), subacute stage (within-two-weeks after stroke), and early chronic stage (3-4 months after stroke). Nineteen age- and sex-matched healthy individuals were enrolled. Compared with the controls, stroke patients exhibited reduced regional temporal variability during the acute stages, which was recovered at the following two stages. Compared with the acute stage, the subacute stage exhibited increased temporal variability in the primary motor, auditory, and visual cortices. Across the three stages, the temporal variability in the ipsilesional precentral gyrus (PreCG) was increased first and then reduced. Increased temporal variability in the ipsilesional PreCG from the acute stage to the subacute stage was correlated with motor recovery from the acute stage to the early chronic stage. Our results demonstrated that temporal variability of brain network might be a potential tool for evaluating and predicting motor recovery after stroke.
Targeting Tissue Factor for Immunotherapy of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Using a Second-Generation ICON
Authors: Hu Zhiwei , Shen Rulong , Campbell Amanda , McMichael Elizabeth , Yu Lianbo , Ramaswamy Bhuvaneswari , London Cheryl A. , Xu Tian , Carson William E.
Published: April 2018

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a leading cause of breast cancer death and is often associated with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation. Due to the lack of validated target molecules, no targeted therapy for TNBC is approved. Tissue factor (TF) is a common yet specific surface target receptor for cancer cells, tumor vascular endothelial cells, and cancer stem cells in several types of solid cancers, including breast cancer. Here, we report evidence supporting the idea that TF is a surface target in TNBC. We used in vitro cancer lines and in vivo tumor xenografts in mice, all with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations, derived from patients' tumors. We showed that TF is overexpressed on TNBC cells and tumor neovasculature in 50% to 85% of TNBC patients (n = 161) and in TNBC cell line–derived xenografts (CDX) and patient-derived xenografts (PDX) from mice, but was not detected in adjacent normal breast tissue. We then describe the development of a second-generation TF-targeting immunoconjugate (called L-ICON1, for lighter or light chain ICON) with improved efficacy and safety profiles compared with the original ICON. We showed that L-ICON1 kills TNBC cells in vitro via antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity and can be used to treat human and murine TNBC CDX as well as PDX in vivo in orthotopic mouse models. Thus, TF could be a useful target for the development of immunotherapeutics for TNBC patients, with or without BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. Cancer Immunol Res; 6(6); 671–84. ©2018 AACR.
Vessel Morphologies of the Brain in Cytological Squash Preparations Are Useful for Intraoperative Diagnosis of High-Grade Astrocytomas
Authors: Fujita Hirotaka , Tajiri Takuma , Machida Tomohisa , Itoh Hitoshi , Hiraiwa Shinichiro , Imai Masaaki , Oda Shinri , Shimoda Masami , Inomoto Chie , Sugiyama Tomoko , Nakamura Naoya
Published: April 2018

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether intraoperative cytological evaluation of squash preparations is of benefit for differentiating high-grade from low-grade astrocytomas. Methods: Squash preparations of 42 astrocytomas were classified histologically according to the World Health Organization (WHO) 2007 classification system as grade II (n = 12), grade III (n = 11), and grade IV (n = 19) and were divided into 2 groups, namely a low-grade group (grade II) and a high-grade group (grades III and IV). The focus was on morphological cell and vessel characteristics, namely nuclear atypia, chromatin pattern, nuclear enlargement, variation in nuclear size, the presence of nucleoli, mitosis, tumor necrosis, cell density, multibranched vessels, and vascular dilatation, and these characteristics were compared between the low- and high-grade groups. Results: Nuclear atypia, the presence of coarse chromatin, variations in nuclear size, and cell density ≥200 per high-power field were significantly more prevalent in high- than in low-grade astrocytomas (p = 0.0407, p < 0.01, p < 0.01, and p < 0.01, respectively). Vessels with > 3 branches and a mean vessel diameter ≥20 μm were more prevalent in high- than in low-grade astrocytomas (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Squash preparation cytology provides added benefit for the intraoperative identification of high-grade astrocytoma.
Gemcitabine-Induced Cardiotoxicity in Patients Receiving Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Pancreatic Cancer: A Case Series
Authors: Alam Salma , Illo Chidi , Ma Yuk Ting , Punia Pankaj
Published: April 2018

Gemcitabine is not considered a cardiotoxic agent generally; so far only very few case reports have been reported in the literature on different aspects of cardiac side effects. Here we report a case series of 3 patients who developed congestive cardiac failure, when treated with gemcitabine monotherapy in the adjuvant setting for pancreatic cancers. Adjuvant chemotherapy with gemcitabine has been the standard of care for pancreatic cancer patients after successful surgery since the results of the CONKO-001 and ESPAC3 study were published. Gemcitabine was administered on days 1, 8, and 15 of a 28-day cycle at 1,000 mg/m2. All 3 patients developed symptoms suggestive of cardiac failure with a drop in ejection fraction on echocardiography, and responded to conservative treatment for heart failure after withdrawal of gemcitabine therapy. Early withdrawal of gemcitabine chemotherapy is recommended in addition to a need for studies required to evaluate the mechanism of cardiotoxicity. As per available literature, patients with diabetes and having received a total dose greater than 15,000 mg/m2 are generally at a higher risk and require close surveillance.
Biological Tools to Deal with Pollution : Selected Advances and Novel Perspectives
Authors: Ghanemi Abdelaziz , Boubertakh Besma
Published: April 2018

Pollution  represents  a  problem  common  to economy and  public  health. Indeed, the public health, because of the  divers’  type of pollutions, is facing divers challenges for which urgent solutions are required.The biology provides approaches not only to deal with the pollution, but also to  obtain  economic  benefits. Some living  organisms  have  particular metabolisms  that allow  them  to  assimilate  and  metabolite  the polluting agents  and thus reduce the  impact  they have on both environment  and public health.  On  the other  hand,  the  metabolic  properties  of  specific organisms make  the  polluting  elements raw materials to  synthesize  other elements that are benefits  for  economy  and  non-toxic  for  the  ecology and  the  biohealth. Yet, other options such as the regulations and laws are  required  to improve the efficiency of these approaches.
ICDS Scheme to the Growth Development in Preschoolers: A Systematic Review of Literature
Authors: Joseph Jemy Elizabeth
Published: April 2018

The health scenario in our country is rapidly changing, both in terms of the public health challenges that we face as well as our response to these challenges. As India becomes more and more developed and we have greater means at our disposal, our response to our health challenges must reflect our changing health and socio-economic status. India faces enormous challenges in the area of women’s and children’s health. These findings point to the importance of investing in various growth factors and sanitation, and educating the public about hygiene to promote health knowledge and better child outcomes. As importantly, such investments have the potential of making the feeding program more effective. ICDS therefore takes holistic view of the development of the child and attempts to improve both his/her prenatal and postnatal environment. Accordingly, besides children in their formative years (0-6 years), women between 15 to 45 years are also covered by the programme as these are child bearing years in the life of a women and her nutrition and health status has a bearing on the development of the child.
Reliability and Validaty of St George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) into Indonesian Version
Authors: Adnan Adnan , Perwitasari Dyah Aryani , Mulyani Ully Adhie
Published: April 2018

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the disease as the highest contributor to the disease burden in Indonesia. Tuberculosis can affect the patients’ quality of life, such as psychological, physical, and social functioning. St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) is a special instrument which was widely used to measure the patients’ quality of life with respiratory disease. The objective of this study was to validate the Indonesian version of the SGRQ as instrument to collect data. A descriptive cross section design with 61 subjects was conducted at the Pulmonary Clinics and Primary Health Centers in the region of Yogyakarta within 3 months. The validation process included the known group validity, convergent and discriminant validity and factor analysis. There were 14 items question numbers which did not meet the criteria for convergent validity and 9 items which did not meet the criteria for discriminant validity. Known group validity analysis on gender showed that of the three domains of SGRQ, the activity domain gave statistically significant result. The factor analysis showed the result of Kaiser Meyer Olkin analysis (KMO) was less than 0.5. With a few modifications, the Indonesian version of SGRQ is valid and reliable for measuring quality of life in tuberculosis patients.
Health Risk of Obesity in Native American Adolescents
Authors: Knisley Benjamin David , Crosby Grace , Barth Margaret , Carothers Linn
Published: April 2018

Recent reports demonstrate the need to improve methods for identifying obesity among adolescent minority populations, especially among Native American adolescents. Our study examined several anthropometric measures to see which one was the best indicator of obesity for Native American adolescents. We compared our data with that provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the national Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANESIII). We examined which measures differed significantly from the NHANESIII, and which were most effective for measuring obesity in Native American adolescents. Our study population represented a cross-sectional, epidemiological population (n=183) of Native American students (ages 14-18) from diverse tribal backgrounds at an urban residential high school. We obtained baseline anthropometric measurements of height, weight, waist, triceps skin-fold, and calf skin-fold measures from the Native American students and compared this information with reference data to assess weight classification by body mass indices (BMI) for our population. Under the conditions of our study, we found the calf skin-fold measure to be the best indicator of normal weight in male Native American adolescents, and the triceps skin-fold measure to be the best indicator of obesity in male Native American adolescents. The assessment of health risk by anthropometric measures we obtained appears appropriate for predicting obesity and developing effective interventions for Native American adolescents in general. Correlations between anthropometric measures and obesity in our study population may prove of significant interest for monitoring obesity prevention initiatives for Native American adolescents.
Microbial Air Contamination in an Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Chang Chih-Yi , Tseng Liang , Yang Lung-Shih
Published: April 2018

Unit layout affects every aspect of intensive care services, including patient safety. A previous study has shown that patients admitted to beds adjacent to the sink and to the door of a large bayroom had the highest number of positive blood cultures and the highest blood culture incidence density, respectively. The present study measures microbial air contamination in a medical intensive care unit of a medical center in central Taiwan. Of the 17 rooms, 8 rooms with distinct physical environmental characteristics were selected. Sampling tests were conducted between December 2013 and February 2014 with a microbial air sampler (MAS-100NT). TSA was used for bacteria collection and DG18 for fungi collection. The overall average bacterial and fungal concentrations were 83CFU/m3 and 69CFU/m3, respectively. The ranges were between 8-354 CFU/m3 and 0-1468 CFU/m3, respectively. A significant difference was found in the bacterial concentration (p=.005) between different room locations. The highest concentration was found in the rooms located at the front end of the circulation (99 CFU/m3), while the lowest was found in the rooms located at the rear end of the circulation (55CFU/m3). Differences in fungal concentrations for different room locations did not reach statistical significance. In addition, differences in bacterial and fungal concentrations for rooms with different sink locations did not reach statistical significance. Even though the microbial concentrations generally complied with standards, the results may help designers and hospital administrators develop a healthier environment for patients.
Black Cumin Seed Oilas Hepatoprotector in Decreasing SGPT and SGOT Activity and Increasing p53 Gene Expression in Sprague Dawley Rats Induced by Alloxan
Authors: Akrom Akrom , Darmawan Endang , Yuhelvia Liesma
Published: April 2018

The objective of this research was to determine the effect of BCSO on SGPT/SGOT levels and p53 expression in rats induced by alloxan. This study applied a post test only control group design. A total of 42 SD rats were divided into 6 groups. Group I was normal rats. Group II (negative control) was given alloxan. Group III and IV (treatment groups) were given BCSO with equivalent doses of 6.8 mg/kg and 68 mg/kg thymoquinone, respectively (BCSO 6.8 and BCSO68 groups). Group V (positive control) was given vitamin C. Group VI (control media) were given DMSO. BCSO and Vitamin C are given for 1 week. Alloxan was given on 7th day, i.p. On the 8th day did blood sampling for measurement of SGPT and SGOT levels. Liver retrieval was performed on the 9th day continued immunohistochemistry staining. The average levels of SGPT/SGOT were then analyzed with ANOVA test. p53 expression was analyzed by Kolmogorov Semirnov and Levene then followed by Kruskal Wallis and Mann-Whitney. Statistical tests performed on 95% confidence level. The results showed that the induction of alloxan increased levels of SGPT/SGOT. BCSO68 reduced SGPT /SGOT levels in alloxan-induced rats (p < 0.05). Both BCSO 6.8 and BCSO68 increased the expression of p53 in liver tissue of alloxan – induced rats. Average percentage of p53 expression in group I to group VI were 11.12 ± 0.37; 19.24 ± 4.47; 30.31 ± 1.59; 40.43 ± 1.74; 29.67 ± 0.47; 12.02 ± 1.01, respectively. The result of statistical analysis showed the value of p < 0.05 in all groups except in group III. It can be concluded that BCSO may have hepatoprotective effect and increase the expression of p53 in the liver of alloxan-induced rats.
Javanese Muslim with Diabetes in Yogyakarta Managing The Daily Self-Care Activity
Authors: Harbiyan Muflikh Try
Published: April 2018

Self-care, capability in performing certain activity in maintaining well-being in daily life, was regarded important especially among people with long-term condition such as diabetes. Locus of control and self-efficacy are among the self-agency factors that might influence how people engage with daily self-care activity in diabetes management. While, Javanese and Islamic values and norms are other parts of structure that support the effort. This study aimed to seek further into the experiences and perceptions among the Javanese Muslim on how they managed to do self-care in diabetes management. The study was done utilizing a mixed method approach with the usage of the Summary of Diabetes Self-care Activity (SDSCA) questionnaire to measure the level of self-care and followed by further interview to dig deeper into the perception and experiences and what are the opportunity or obstacle in performing daily self-care. A convenient sample of 100 participants has filled the questionnaires, with further 24 interviews. The study identified the moderate self-care practices as a separate notion, instead of an integrated and comprehensive concept amid the unavailability of a structured education program. Five themes were generated from the interviews, those are: education and knowledge, being in or out of control, Javanese way – sensitivity and surrender, peace of mind and role of Allah or God, and poor access to health care.
The Effects of Probiotic Lactobacillus casei Shirota Strain in Patients with Allergic Rhinitis Symptoms
Authors: Widuri Asti , Suryani Lilis
Published: April 2018

Allergic rhinitis is inflammatory reactions mediated by immunoglobulin E, after exposure to allergens. The symptoms are sneezing, runny nose and nasal congestion. Allergic rhinitis can be alleviated by the use of specific probiotics selected to confer immune effects, which can be demonstrated in the intestinal tract prior to an allergic reaction. The specific strains used in this study were selected based on their anti-inflammatory properties and an expected effect in promoting a Th1 type of immune response. To review the benefits of probiotics of Lactobacillus casei L Shirota strain in preventing allergy attacks that inhibit the production of IgE, IL-4 and reduce the symptoms. To review the benefits of probiotics of Lactobacillus casei L Shirota strain in preventing allergy attacks that inhibit the production of IgE, IL-4 and reduce the symptoms. The study design was quasi-experimental with pre and post test design. The subject were 45 patients who had a history of allergic rhinitis and positif skin prickt test result and filled out the questionnaires to get the allergic symptoms. The blood samples were taken for examining the IgE and IL-4 levels then after giving milk containing probiotics for 1 month, the researcher did the same examination. The mean IgE and IL-4 levels decrease before and after supplementation probiotics from 291.88 IU / L and 22.48 pg/ml to 141.43 IU / L and 17.83 pg/ml. The result of the statistical analysis paired t-test test was p = 0.00 on IgE level and p=0,056 on IL-4 level. The allergic rhinitis symptoms decreased significantly, the presentage of patients who had persistent and moderate 17.78% to 0% , who had persistent and mild 44.44% to 4.44%, who had intermittent and moderate 13.33% to 2.22%,and who had intermittent and mild 24.44% to 93.33%. Based on the Wilcoxon signed rank test showed a significance value of P = 0.00. Conclusion Probiotics is useful in preventing allergy attacks that inhibit the production of IgE, IL-4 and reduce the symptoms.
Cardiac Rehabilitation on Health Behaviors and Clinical Outcomes Among Myocardial Infarction Patients
Authors: Herliani Yusshy Kurnia , Matchim Yaowarat , Kritpracha Charuwan
Published: April 2018

The lack of adherence to health behaviors in cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is the leading cause of recurrent myocardial infarction (MI) in Indonesia. This randomized control trial (RCT) study was conducted to examine the effect of a family based self-efficacy enhancing cardiac rehabilitation program on self-efficacy in cardiac health behaviors, health behaviors, and clinical outcomes among MI patients in Indonesia. Sixty MI patients who met the inclusion criteria were randomized by the modified stratified-block method and assigned into either the control group or the experimental group. The patients in the experimental group received the program during phase I over two days and continued to phase II of CR with weekly follow-up sessions. Patients were asked to complete the Self-Efficacy in Cardiac Health Behaviors Scale (SECHBS) and the Modified Myocardial Infarction Health Behaviors Questionnaire (Modified MIHBQ). The results revealed that self-efficacy, health behaviors, and clinical outcomes such as fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, LDL, triglyceride, and BMI of the patients after receiving the intervention were significantly better than before receiving the intervention, except for blood pressure, and HDL levels. Self-efficacy, health behaviors, and clinical outcomes such as total cholesterol, LDL, and triglyceride were significantly better in patients in the experimental group than those in the control group (p < .05), except for blood pressure, HDL, BMI, and blood glucose levels (p > .05). In conclusion, the family based self-efficacy enhancing cardiac rehabilitation program shows evidence of effectiveness in enhancing self-efficacy, health behaviors, and some clinical outcomes in MI patients.
Perception of Community Health Workers in Indonesia Toward Patients with Mental Disorders
Authors: Wardaningsih Shanti , Kageyama Takayuki
Published: April 2018

In Indonesia, there are any community health volunteers called Kader. Although Kaders are members of mental health volunteer, they sometimes show negative attitude to psychotic persons, even they have already got some training about mental health. The aims of this study were to investigate 1) how is Kaders’s perception compare to the other countries, 2) how will they consult compare to the other countries 3) how is comparison of Kaders’ perception to mental disorder person between trained and untrained,. The method of this research is a descriptive explorative using survey study. This study was held on June to September 2013. It was conducted in five districts of Yogyakarta area with 619 respondents. The Questionnaires used contained three sections are follows; Part A is about Demographic Data, Part B two case vignettes (taken from MacArthur Health Module of the 1996 general Social Survey) and Part C about Kaders experiences. The perception of Kader as part of the community is lower than the general residence in the United States and Japan. The comparison between trained and untrained Kaders shown that trained Kaders has better perception toward patient with mental disorder. These results suggest that actual experiences in meeting the cases contributed to the improvement of Kaders’ perception better than the previous mental health training did. It might be Kaders with short experience are explored information Kaders should be trained with more structured curriculum and recruiting Kader is recommended to recruit the young generation. 
Microbial Analysis of Biomedical Wastes from Selected Health Facilities in Parts of Edo South and its Public Health Implication
Authors: Osagie Rachael Ngozi , Eyaufe Aidevbo Aibuovbo , Ireye Faith
Published: April 2018

This study, aimed at the microbial analysis of biomedical waste (BMW) was carried out using 100 samples of 10 different BMW collected in duplicates from 5 busy primary healthcare centers (PHCs).The research findings showed a high prevalence of E.coli (39%) and S.aureus (32%) which were both statistically significant at P≤0.05, while the least isolated organisms were K. pnuemoniae (10%) and B. subtilis (4%) and were statistically not significant at P≥0.05. Samples from dressings and beddings were found to contain the highest microbial loadof 25 and 13 respectively while the least number of isolates were from expired cytotoxic drugs (2) and lancets (1).The biochemical tests showed the presence of Gram positive and negative organisms with record of both aerobic and anaerobic isolates from the BMW. The investigation revealed that BMW contains mixed bacterial community with some being pathogenic and pose a public health hazard to both health workers and other community members, therefore adequate treatment measures should be given to all BMW before disposal.
The Effect of Ethanolic Extract of Roselle (Hibiscuss sabdariffa L) on Increasing SOD Activity
Authors: Rahman W Abdul , Nurkhasanah Nurkhasanah , Sulistyani Nanik
Published: April 2018

Free radicals were reactive species caused oxidation of lipids membrane and DNA. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is one of the primary antioxidants to inhibit free radicals. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of ethanol extract of roselle calyx on SOD enzyme activity of the Sprague Dawley (SD) rats induced by 7.12-dimethylbenzen[a]anthracene (DMBA). The animals age of four weeks divided in to five groups, groups I were normal group. Group II is the negative control group only induced by DMBA 75 mg/kgBW; and group III ,IV ,and V were treatment groups that treated by ethanolic extract of roselle calyx at dose of 10, 50 and 100 mg/kgBW/day for 7 days. After treatment with roselle, animals were induced by DMBA 75 mg/kgBW. On day 8 after DMBA induction, animals were fasted for 16 hours and blood was collected to measured SOD activity. Data were analyzed using One Way Analysis Of Variance (ANOVA) and LSD (P <0.05). The result showed the significancies on increasing of SOD activity at 10 mg/kgBW (50.87±1.98), 50 mg/kgBW (69.98±3.58) and 100 mg/kgBW (73.01±6.95) compared with DMBA (43.74±1.95) (p<0,05).
A Qualitative Evaluation of the Impact of the First Love Yourself (FLY) Women’s Support Group
Authors: Blackmon Valerie , Cassell Chalenna , McElderry Cathy Gilbert , Obisesan Olawunmi
Published: April 2018

Research has shown that social support groups not only have significant effects on the physical and mental health of individuals, but can also be used as predictors of health outcomes. It is, therefore, important that social workers and other public health professionals are aware of the social support groups that exist in communities so as to find ways to utilize these to meet health needs. The study aims to explore the First Love Yourself (FLY) group, an empowerment-based support group specifically designed to meet the needs of Healthy Start consumers, parents and consortium members. A qualitative analysis of the data gathered from this focus group study yielded several key themes. While participants described finding other community resources helpful, they reported having no other outlet for confidential self-expression and connection to peers other than the FLY group. Group members also reported having improved self-esteem, relationships with their children, partners, and family, and ability to cope as a result of participation in the group. Participants further described gaining knowledge and learning skills that were helpful. This included learning parenting, communication, stress and anger management, budgeting, goal-setting and coping skills and techniques. Finally, qualitative analysis of the data gained from the focus group with participants and the group leader revealed the presence of all 11 curative factors described by Yalom (2005). The primary areas for improvement noted by the group and its leader were related to the frequency of group meetings. Both audiences indicated that additional sessions would be beneficial.