bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Hearing Protection Devices on Speech Intelligibility of Persian Employees
Authors: Karami Mina , Aliabadi Mohsen , Golmohammadi Rostam , Nahrani Morteza Hamidi 
Published: July 2020

Abstract
Objective
This study aimed to investigate the effect of hearing protection devices (HPDs) on speech intelligibility in Persian work environments. Three current earmuffs and three earplugs and one of the prototype of molded earplug were tested on 15 male subjects which were randomly selected. The noise reduction of HPDs was measured based on the Real Ear attenuation at Threshold (REAT) method. Speech intelligibilities during using HPDs were determined based on the speech discrimination score (SDS). Data were analyzed using SPSS, version 22.
Results
The actual to nominal noise reduction rating values were from 47–84% for HPDs. The earmuffs show higher ratios of actual to nominal noise reduction compared with the earplugs. At two signal to noise ratios, no significant differences were observed in in speech intelligibility using HPDs (p > 0.05). However, at S/N = 0, the speech intelligibility descriptively has been improved by using common earmuffs up to 9.07%. There was a significant difference up to 21.27% in speech intelligibility for proposed molded earplugs at S/N = 0(p < 0.05). It is concluded that, if the trend of signal to noise ratio is positive, the HPDs will reduce the ability to understand speech.
Patterns Contributing to Severe Complications After Liver Resection: An Aggregate Root Cause Analysis of a Prospective Cohort
Authors: Houssaini Kholoud , Lahnaoui Oumayma , Souadka Amine , Majbar Mohamed-Anass , Ghannam Abdelilah , Ahmadi Brahim El , Belkhadir Zakaria , Amrani Leila , Mohsine Raouf , Benkabbou Amine 
Published: July 2020

Abstract
Background
The Aggregate Root Cause Analysis (AggRCA) was designed to improve the understanding of system vulnerabilities contributing to patient harm, including surgical complications. It remains poorly used due to methodological complexity and resource limitations. This study aimed to identify the main patterns contributing to severe complications after liver resection (SC) using an AggRCA.
Methods
This was a retrospective qualitative study aimed to identify the main patterns contributing to severe complications (SC). All consecutive SC (Clavien-Dindo > 3a within the first 90 days after liver resection) that occurred between January 1st, 2018 and December 31st, 2019 were identified from a prospective electronic database and included in an AggRCA. This included a structured MMR (Morbidity and Mortality Review) reporting tool based on 50 contributory factors adapted from 6 ALARM categories: “Patient”, “Tasks”, “Individual staff”, “Team”, “Work environment”, and “Management and Institutional context”. Data resulting from individual-participant RCA of single-cases were validated collectively then aggregated. The main patterns were suggested from the contributory factors reported in more than half of the cases.
Results
Among 105 consecutive liver resections, 15 cases (14.3%) including 5 deaths (4.8%) met the inclusion criteria. AggRCA resulted in the identification of 36 contributory factors. Eight contributory factors were reported in more than half of the cases and were compiled in three entangled patterns: (1) Disrupted perioperative process, (2) Unplanned intraoperative change, (3) Ineffective communication.
Conclusion
A pragmatic aggregated RCA process improved our understanding of system vulnerabilities based on the analysis of a limited number of events and a reasonable resource intensity. The identification of patterns contributing to SC lay the rationale of future contextualized safety interventions beyond the scope of liver resections.
Two-Year Outcomes After Full-Thickness Astigmatic Keratotomy Combined with Small-Incision Lenticule Extraction for High Astigmatism
Authors: Kim Bu Ki , Chung Young Taek 
Published: July 2020

Abstract
Purpose: To evaluate clinical outcomes after full-thickness astigmatic keratotomy (FTAK) combined with small-incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) in eyes with high astigmatism.Methods: This study comprised 75 eyes of 43 patients with over 4.0 diopters (D) of astigmatism who were treated with SMILE after FTAK. Visual acuities and refractive measurements were evaluated at 1 month after FTAK, and 1, 6, 12, and 24 months after SMILE. Vector analysis of the astigmatic changes was performed using the Alpins method.Results: Twenty-four months after the combined procedure, the average spherical equivalent was reduced from -6.56 ± 2.38 D to -0.36 ± 0.42 D (p < 0.001). The uncorrected and corrected distance visual acuities improved from 1.54 ± 5.53 to -0.02 ± 0.09 and from -0.03 ± 0.07 D to -0.07 ± 0.08 D (both p < 0.001), respectively. The preoperative mean astigmatism was -5.48 ± 1.17 D, which was reduced to -2.27 ± 0.97 D and -0.34 ± 0.26 D at 1 month after FTAK and 24 months after SMILE, respectively (p <0.001). The surgically-induced astigmatism after FTAK, SMILE, and FTAK and SMILE combined was 3.38 ± 1.18 D, 2.22 ± 0.84 D, and 5.39 ± 1.20 D, respectively. Furthermore, the correction index of FTAK, SMILE, and FTAK and SMILE combined was 0.63 ± 0.17, 0.90 ± 0.40, and 0.98 ± 0.06, respectively. There were no intraoperative or postoperative complications. Conclusion: Our surgical procedure combining FTAK and SMILE showed good and stable clinical outcomes during two-year follow-up for the treatment of high astigmatism.
Knockdown long noncoding RNA SLC8A1-AS1 attenuate cell invasion and migration in glioma via suppression of Wnt-β catenin signaling pathways
Authors: He Ling , Yang Hui , Zhu Xiao-long , Zhang Yan , Lv Kun 
Published: July 2020

Abstract
Background

Glioma, as the most common aggressive malignant tumor in the central nervous system, is still an insurmountable disease in neural system. The potential mechanism of its carcinogenesis remains largely unclear.
Methods

In the present study, we identified dysregulated lncRNA solute carrier family 8 member A1 antisense RNA 1 (SLC8A1-AS1) as associated with glioma based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)data. Validation experiment was conducted to confirm a high expression level of lncRNA SLC8A1-AS1 in glioma tissues.
Results

Down-regulation of lncRNA SLC8A1-AS1 suppressed proliferation, clone formation, migration and invasion of glioma cells in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, lncRNA SLC8A1-AS1 silencing decreased the activity of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and suppressed the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) in glioma cells.
Conclusions

Collectively, these findings provide a novel insights into the function and mechanism of lncRNA SLC8A1-AS1 in the pathogenesis of glioma and highlight its potential as a therapeutic target for glioma intervention.
Effectiveness and Safety of Xinkeshu Tablet (XKS) on Coronary Heart Disease Patients Combined with Anxiety and Depression Symptoms After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Protocol for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Chen Mingtai , Chen Yingnan , Men Ling , Zhong Xiaoling , Yang Shudong , Luan Jienan 
Published: July 2020

Abstract
Backgroud: It’s known that coronary heart disease (CHD) patients after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was significantly associated with anxiety and depression symptoms. Several studies have showed that Xinkeshu tablet (XKS), a kind of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) , could effectively improve post-PCI postoperative mood disorders in CHD patients. However, the intensity of evidence has been poor, limiting the further clinical application of XKS to patients above. This systematic review and meta-analysis will assess studies of the effectiveness and safety of XKS in CHD patients with anxiety and depression symptoms after PCI. Methods: A systematic literature search for articles up to July 2020 will be performed in following electronic databases: PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Scientific Journals Database (VIP) Database, Chinese Biomedical Database (CBM), Chinese Biomedical Literature Service System (SinoMed) and Wanfang Database. Inclusion criteria are randomized controlled trials of XKS applied on patients with CHD and depression. The primary outcome measures will be CHD-related clinical evaluation (frequency of acute attack angina, severity of angina pectoris, electrocardiographic changes, amount of nitroglycerin) and the scores or reducing fractions of depressive and anxiety measuring scales (the Hospital Anxiety / Depression Scale or other widely used anxiety / depression scale). The safety outcome measures will be adverse events, liver and kidney function. RevMan 5.3 software will be used for data synthesis, sensitivity analysis, subgroup analysis and risk of bias assessment. A funnel plot will be developed to evaluate reporting bias. Stata 12.0 will be used for meta-regression and Egger tests. We will use the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system to assess the quality of evidence. Discussion: This study will provide a high-quality synthesis of the effects and safety of XKS for CHD patients with anxiety and depression symptoms after PCI. Ethics and dissemination This systematic review does not require ethics approval and will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal. Trial registration number PROSPERO CRD42019131346.
Characteristics of hepatic solitary necrotic nodules on contrast-enhanced ultrasonography
Authors: Lu Chunyu , Tang Shaoshan , Zhang Xiaoyue , Wang Yang , Wang Kaiming , Shen Peng 
Published: July 2020

Abstract
Background:To summarize the characteristics of solitary necrotic nodules (SNN) in the liver observed under contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS), and to improve the differential diagnoses value of CEUS on liver focal lesions.Methods:Conventional ultrasonography (US) and CEUS were performed in 24 patients who were confirmed to have SNN by pathological assessment. The US data and dynamic enhancement patterns of CEUS were recorded and retrospectively analyzed.Results:All patients underwent CEUS, and of these, 10 patients underwent surgical resection, while 14 patients underwent a puncture biopsy to confirm SNN. Among the 24 patients, 13 patients had a single lesion and 11 patients had multiple lesions. Eleven patients presented no enhancement in all three phases, while the other 13 patients presented with a peripheral thin rim-like enhancement in the arterial phase, an iso-enhancement in the portal phase and delayed phase, and no enhancement in the interior of the lesions. Conclusions:SNN has characteristic findings on the CEUS, which play an important role in the differential diagnoses of liver focal lesions.
Three-Dimensional (3D) Magnetic Resonance Volume Assessment and Loco-regional Failure in Anal Cancer: Early Evaluation Case-Control Study
Authors: Sekhar Hema , Kochhar Rohit , Carrington Bernadette , Kaye Thomas , Tolan Damian , Saunders Mark , Sperrin Matthew , Sebag-Montefiore David , Herk Marcel van , Renehan Andrew 
Published: July 2020

Abstract
Background: The primary aim was to test the hypothesis that deriving pre-treatment 3D magnetic resonance tumour volume (mrTV) quantification improves performance characteristics for the prediction of loco-regional failure compared with standard maximal tumour diameter (1D) assessment in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the anus undergoing chemoradiotherapy. Methods: We performed an early evaluation case-control study at two UK centres (2007-2014) in 39 patients with loco-regional failure (cases), and 41 patients disease-free at 3 years (controls). mrTV was determined using the summation of areas method (Volsum). Reproducibility was assessed using intraclass concordance correlation (ICC) and Bland-Altman limits of agreements. We derived receiver operating curves using logistic regression models and expressed accuracy as area under the curve (ROCAUC). Results: The median time per patient for Volsum quantification was 7.00 (inter-quartile range, IQR: 0.57-12.48) minutes. Intra and inter-observer reproducibilities were generally good (ICCs from 0.79 to 0.89) but with wide limits of agreement (intra-observer: -28% to 31%; inter-observer: -28% to 46%). Median mrTVs were greater for cases (32.6 IQR: 21.5-53.1 cm3) than controls (9.9 IQR: 5.7-18.1 cm3, p <0.0001). The ROCAUC for mrT-size predicting loco-regional failure was 0.74 (95% CI: 0.63-0.85) improving to 0.82 (95% CI: 0.72-0.92) when replaced with mrTV (test for ROC differences, p = 0.024). Conclusion: Preliminary results suggest that the replacement of mrTV for mrT-size improves prediction of loco-regional failure after chemoradiotherapy for squamous cell carcinoma of the anus. However, mrTV calculation is time consuming and variation in its reproducibility are drawbacks with the current technology.
A Novel Combinational Nanodrug Delivery System Induces Synergistic Inhibition of Lung Adenocarcinoma Cells In vitro
Authors: Fan Mingliang , Li Jiping 
Published: July 2020

Background:
The combination of two or more therapeutic drugs is an attractive approach
to improve the treatment of experimental tumors. Leveraging nanocarriers for combinational drug
delivery can allow control over drug biological fate and promote co-localization in the same area of
the body. However, there are certain concerns regarding the biodegradability and potential longterm
toxicity arising from these synthetic nanoscale carriers.

Objective:
Our aim was to develop a combinational nanodrug delivery system formed by selfassembling
of amphiphilic drug molecules.minimizing potential toxicities associated with using
additional synthetic nanocarriers.

Methods:
A novel prodrug chlorambucil gemcitabine conjugate was synthesized, this prodrug was
used for the encapsulation of an additional hydrophobic anticancer drug paclitaxel, taking the form
of combinational nanodrugs. Particle size and zeta potential were evaluated, cytotoxicity assay and
apoptosis/cell cycle analysis were also performed to validate the anticancer efficacy of the combinational
nanodrugs.

Results:
The combinational nanodrugs were acquired by means of nanoprecipitation. In A549 lung
adenocarcinoma cell line, cellular assays revealed that co-delivery of low dosage paclitaxel with
chlorambucil gemcitabine conjugate can act synergistically to inhibit cell growth and induce accumulation
of cells in the G2/M phase with a concomitant decrease in G0/G1 compartment.

Conclusion:
Chlorambucil gemcitabine conjugate and paclitaxel can co-assemble into composite
nanoparticles by a nanoprecipitation process and the resulting combinational nanodrugs showed a
synergistic anticancer effect. This synthetic nanocarrier-free approach might broaden the nanodrug
concept and have potential in cancer therapy.
Role of Lactate Dehydrogenase in the Prediction of Severity in Pre- Eclampsia
Authors: Khidri Feriha F. , Shaikh Fozia , Khowaja Imran-ul-Hassan , Riaz Hina 
Published: July 2020

Background:
Pre-eclampsia is a hypertensive pregnancy disorder accompanied by proteinuria.
Serum Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) is a biochemical marker that reflects the severity and
progression of pre-eclampsia.

Methods:
A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Liaquat University of Medical and Health
Sciences (LUMHS). One hundred pre-eclamptic women were enrolled and categorized into mild
(n=30) and severe pre-eclamptic groups (n=70) to ascertain the function of LDH as a prognostic
marker and to assess its association with severity and gestational age in pre-eclamptic women.

Results:
The significant differences in mean concentrations of LDH between mild and severe preeclamptic
women (p-value <0.0001) and early and late-onset pre-eclamptic women (p-value=0.049)
were found. Significant differences were also found in the LDH range between mild and severe preeclamptic
women presented with late-onset pre-eclampsia (p-value= 0.004). Statistically significant
differences (p-value= 0.019) in the levels of LDH were found with systolic blood pressure and proteinuria
(p-value= 0.048).

Conclusion:
LDH is the prognostic marker representing the severity of pre-eclampsia. An increased
level of LDH directs adequate monitoring and management; and by early detection of preeclampsia,
serious consequences and complications may be prevented.
Free Area of the Spinal Canal and Torg’s Ratio in Acute Cervical Trauma and Degenerative Disease: MANCOVA and Correlational Analyses
Authors: Martinez-Martinez Lidieth , Perez-Perez Jose Domingo , Soto-Hernandez Jose Luis , Corona-Cedillo Roberto , Roldan-Valadez Ernesto 
Published: July 2020

Background:
The two of the most common indications for magnetic resonance (MR)
imaging of the cervical spine include acute spine trauma and degenerative disease.

Objective:
We aimed to correlate the measurements of the free area of the spinal canal (FASC), a
new approach to the cervical spinal canal compromise, with the Torg´s ratio quantification of the
cervical spine.

Methods:
A cross-sectional study including 50 cervical-spine MR evaluations of patients with
acute cervical trauma or degenerative disease was performed. We used multivariate analysis of covariance
(MANCOVA) to identify the type of lesion, intervertebral level and gender differences between
FASC and Torg´s ratio quantification of the cervical spine; age was the controlled covariate.
Correlates between FASC and Torg´s ratio were obtained at each intervertebral level.

Results:
There was a non-significant interaction between the type of lesion, gender and intervertebral
levels between FASC and Torg´s ratio measurements, F (8, 456) 0.260, p = .978; Wilks' Lambda
0.991; with a small effect size (partial η2 = .005). Among the main effects, only the gender was
statistically significant: F (2, 228) = 3.682, p = .027. The age (controlled covariate) was non-significantly
related to FASC and Torg´s ratio quantification: F (2, 228) = .098, p = .907. The Pearson´s
correlation coefficient depicted a poor, non-significant agreement between FASC and Torg´s ratio.

Conclusions:
FASC provides an integrative evaluation of the cervical spinal canal compromise in
acute, cervical spine trauma and degenerative disease. Further observations and correlation with
specific neurological symptoms, surgical findings and clinical outcomes are necessary to assess the
usefulness of FASC in clinical settings.
Virtual Screening of Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors Based on Machine Learning Combined with Molecule Docking Methods
Authors: Yan Jinyu , Huang Weiguang , Zhang Chi , Huo Haizhong , Chen Fuxue 
Published: July 2020

Objective:
The aim of this study was to screen for compounds with relatively high
inhibitory activity on acetylcholinesterase.

Methods:
Classification models for acetylcholinesterase inhibitors based on KNN (1-nearest
neighbors), and a quantitative prediction model based on support vector machine regression were
used. The interaction of the compounds and receptors was analyzed using the molecular simulation
method.

Results:
The radial basis kernel function was selected as the kernel function for support vector
machine regression, and a total of 19 descriptors were selected to construct the quantitative
prediction model.
The Strategic Positioning of Moroccan Seaports: An Application of the Boston Consulting Group Growth-share Matrix
Authors: Birafane Mahdi , Liu Wei , Khalikov Sarvar 
Published: July 2020

Background:
Under the current challenges of global and regional changing environments in the seaport industry faced by market players and the increase of competition among port business entities, the necessity of pursuing a competitive strategic positioning by strategic business units is a compulsory plan to ensure constructive and sustained growth.

Aims and Objectives:
In this context, the purpose of this study is to analyze the competitive position of the eight (largest, most important, busiest) seaports of Morocco in the four-years period from 2014 to 2017 using a dynamic portfolio analysis known as the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) matrix. This study aims to overcome the regional challenges that have a substantial impact on seaport activities by highlighting competitive strategic positioning, which will enable seaport operators to visualize the position of selected ports, monitor their progress, and predict the future trends of the studied ports.

Results:
The finding reveals the competitive strategic positioning of analyzed ports is varying over the studied period.

Conclusion:
The Tangier MED, Jorf Lasfar and Casablanca ports were found to be stars in 2017, while in 2015 they had a combined position of stars and cash cows. Other studied seaports were found to be in an unfavorable strategic position.
wLEACH: Real-Time Meteorological Data Based Wind LEACH
Authors: Monali Chaudhari , Bhaskar Anand K.A. 
Published: July 2020

Introduction:Nowadays, Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) plays an important role in various fields. The limited power capability of the sensor nodes in the WSN brings constraints on the performance of the network. Low Energy Adaptive Clustering Hierarchy (LEACH) is a promising protocol for WSN that suffers from higher energy consumption.Objective:The primary objective of this study is to give an alternate harvesting resource power to sensor nodes in the LEACH algorithm which can be equally capable of providing the same or sometimes better results.Methods:This study is based on real-time meteorological data. A real-time wind speed data is taken for the starting of a day to the end of the day on an hourly basis from the weather forecast. Now to convert this rotational energy into electrical energy, we used two types of wind turbines. For the proposed methodology, a micro wind turbine generator and 300watt wind turbine are used. Then this converted electrical energy is given to sensor nodes. For the clustering, the wind power operated nodes are given maximum preference to be elected as the cluster heads based on realtime wind meteorological data. We consider 10 wind-powered sensor nodes. As we increase the number of wind-powered sensor nodes in the network, the performance is increased in terms of a lifetime but then increases the complexity of the network. These wind-powered nodes remain alive in the network. Since the deployment of the sensor nodes is random, each simulation runs for 5 times and the average of first node dead, half node dead and last node dead is considered.Results:The experimental results for the micro wind turbine generator are compared based on with and without the MPPT controller. MPPT controller gives the maximum power by using the tip speed ratio control, power signal feedback control, and hill climb search control method. Therefore, the network lifetime should be higher for the MPPT based wind generator. Network lifetime and Energy consumption are compared for a micro wind turbine generator and 300watt wind turbine. Finally, the performance of the proposed system is compared with the modified solar LEACH implemented using real-time meteorological data.Conclusion:This paper has investigated the wind-based LEACH which uses the real-time meteorological data for the selection of the cluster head. Two types of wind generators are considered for the implementation and it is found that the performance of the commercial 300W wind turbine and the micro wind turbine with and without MPPT is almost similar since the data from both wind turbines are given on hourly basis. The performance of the wLEACH is compared with the sLEACH which shows that the network lifespan of the wLEACH is also nearly the same compared to the sLEACH. However, it was found that wind power generation is cheaper and efficient than solar power generation. Therefore, it is inferred that this proposed wLEACH provides a costefficient solution.