bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Concerns and Quality of Life of Cancer Survivors Across the Survivorship Trajectory
Authors: Chua Gek Phin , Ng Quan Sing , Tan Hiang Khoon , Ong Whee Sze 
Published: November 2019

Abstract
Background Survivors of cancer deal with a myriad of acute, chronic, and late effects of cancer and its treatment which can linger on for decades and inadvertently affect their quality of life (QOL). The aim of this study is to determine the main concerns of survivors at various stages of the cancer survivorship and to assess whether these concerns have any effect on their QOL. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted on cancer survivors diagnosed with colorectal, breast, lung, gynaecological, prostate or liver cancers who were seen at the National Cancer Centre Singapore between 11 April and 12 July 2017. Eligible study participants self-completed a questionnaire adapted from the Mayo Clinic Cancer Centre’s Cancer Survivors Survey of Needs.QOL was rated by participants on a scale of 0 – 10, with higher ratings denoting higher level of QOL. Results A total of 1107 cancer survivors filled in the questionnaire. The top 5 concerns among all survivors were cancer treatment and recurrence risk (51%), followed by long-term treatment effects (49%), fear of recurrence (47%), financial concerns (37%) and fatigue (37%). Cancer treatment and recurrence risk, long-term treatment effects and fear of recurrence were amongst the top concerns across the survivorship trajectory. Mean QOL was 7.3 on a scale of 0 – 10. Completed treatment patients had higher QOL score than the newly diagnosed and on treatment patients and the patients dealing with recurrence or second cancer patients. Predictors for QOL included the economic status and housing type of patients and whether patients were concerned with pain and fatigue. Conclusion This study confirms that cancer survivors in Singapore face multiple challenges and had various concerns at various stages of cancer survivorship, some of which negatively affect their QOL. It is critical to design patient care delivery systems that appropriately addresstheir key concerns at different stages of their cancer trajectory so as to enhance their coping skills throughout their cancer journey.
Comparative features of the mucous glands in the gastroduodenal junction in guinea pigs and chinchillas: microanatomy and histochemistry
Authors: Gal Adrian Florin , Rus Vasile , Andrei Sanda , Miclaus Viorel 
Published: November 2019

Abstract
Background: Mucous glands from the gastroduodenal junction are briefly represented by glandular cells in the stomach and by Brunner’s glands in the duodenum. The aim of the study was to describe the main histological/histochemical features of the gastroduodenal junction in guinea pigs and chinchillas. Results: The material was represented by tissue samples collected from the stomach and duodenum processed by paraffin technique. Histological sections were stained by Goldner’s trichrome stain, while mucous content was identified by Periodic acid–Schiff (PAS) stain (for neutral mucosubstances) and Alcian blue stain (for acid mucosubstances). In guinea pig, the pyloric glands were positive for both mucus types, whereas in chinchillas a low amount of mucin was identified. The Bruner glands, in guinea pigs displayed a weak reaction for the both mucin types. In chinchillas, the Bruner glands showed a significantly higher amount of PAS and Alcian blue-positives mucosubstances types. As observed, a higher amount of neutral mucus was identified in the pyloric glands in guinea pigs comparing to chinchillas. Contrariwise, chinchillas displayed a suggestively higher amount of mucus in Bruner glands comparing to guinea pigs. Conclusions: Concluding, this is the first report describing the comparative features of the mucous glands in the two rodents, with detailed histological and histochemical features.
Epidural filling with crystal-colloid solution prevented accidental dural- puncture-induced headache after cesarean section
Authors: Yu Jin , An Min , Yan Ya , Li Youchang , Liu Chaowen 
Published: November 2019

Abstract
Background: Post dural puncture headache (PDPH) is a common anaesthetic complication caused by spinal puncture or accidental dural puncture during intraspinal anesthesia operation. There is no panacea, either preventive or therapeutic for PDPH. Methods: This study retrospectively collected and analyzed data on the clinical features and outcomes of 20 puerperants with accidental dural punctures. Seventeen individuals received crystal-colloid solution fillers and three did not. Results: The average epidural catheter retaining time was 35.97 hours; the average frequency of epidural filling was 2.65 times, with an average volume of 65.88 ml per fill. One patient developed tinnitus and three complained of head swelling during filling. The average bed-stay was 72.65 hours, with intravenous infusion volume of 2308.82 ml per day in the first three postoperative days. Two patients complained of slight dizziness and mitigation, and five felt weak. One individual had intermittent headaches and dizziness till the seventh postoperative day. Conclusions: Epidural injection of crystal-colloid solution combined with hydration is an effective preventive strategy for PDPH after cesarean section based on this observational study.
Nicotine dependence and related factors among physicians: results from a cross-sectional survey in Estonia
Authors: Põld Mariliis , Pärna Kersti 
Published: November 2019

Abstract
Background
Smoking withdrawal can be difficult due to nicotine dependence (ND). Individual, environmental and social factors must be considered when researching ND. The objective of the present study is to describe ND and to analyse associations between ND and smoking-related and background factors among daily smoking Estonian physicians.
Methods
A cross-sectional postal survey was used to collect data from Estonian physicians in 2014. The initial sample consisted of all practising physicians in Estonia (n=5666). In total, 2939 physicians participated. The corrected response rate was 53.1%. The current study sample was restricted to physicians who smoked daily (n=171). The outcome variable was ND level, measured using the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND). The mean age of smoking initiation was calculated, along with the standard deviation and the distribution of ND levels with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). T-tests and chi-square tests were used to test for differences between groups. To compensate for non-response, the data were weighted. Using multiple logistic regression, the association between ND level (at-least-moderate vs low) and smoking-related and background factors was determined. Crude and fully adjusted odds ratios (ORs) with 95% CIs were calculated.
Results
The mean FTND score for daily smoking physicians was 2.8±2.1, and 60.8% of them had low, 33.1% moderate and 6.1% high ND levels. The mean age of smoking initiation differed statistically between physicians with low and at-least-moderate ND levels (21.0±5.1 and 18.4±3.3, respectively) (p<0.001). In the adjusted model, having at least moderate ND levels was associated with a younger age of smoking initiation (OR=0.82, 95% CI 0.72–0.94). After adjustment, ND levels were not significantly associated with the desire to quit, motives to quit and gender. No association was found between ND level and other background factors.
Conclusions
More than half of daily smoking Estonian physicians had low ND levels. A higher ND level was associated with a younger age of smoking initiation. Knowledge of ND and related factors is useful in the development of smoking cessation counselling services for physicians.
Circulating microRNA-762 promotes colorectal cancer proliferation and invasion by upregulating the Wnt-1/β-catenin pathway
Authors: Lai Peng-Sheng , Chang Wei-Min , Chen Ying-Yin , Lin Yi-Feng , Liao Hui-Fen , Chen Chung-Yu 
Published: November 2019

Abstract
Background: A number of microRNAs (miRNAs) have been demonstrated to be associated with the diagnosis, progression and prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the function of miRNA-762 (miR-762) in CRC remains unclear, and the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of miR‑762 in CRC require further investigation.
Methods: The circulating miRNAs from BALB/c mice with CRC CT26 cell implantation were assayed by microarray. Then, miR-762 mimic and inhibitor were transfected to CT26 cells for analysis of cell viability, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), cell cycle, and regulatory molecule expression. Human subjects were included for comparison the circulating miR-762 levels in CRC patients and control donors, as well as the patients with and without distant metastasis.
Results: The screening for miRNA levels in mice with CRC cell implantation indicated that plasma miR-762 was upregulated. Transfection of miR-762 mimic to CT26 cells increased cell viability, invasion, and EMT, whereas transfection of miR-762 inhibitor decreased the above abilities. Western blot analysis showed that miR-762 mimic transfection upregulated the expression of Wnt-1 and b-catenin, as well as increased the nuclear translocation of b-catenin. Further analysis showed that serum miR-762 levels in CRC patients were higher than in control donors. Among the CRC patients (n = 20), six patients with distant metastasis showed higher serum miR-762 levels than the patients without distant metastasis.
Conclusions: Circulating miR-762 could promote CRC disease development and progression through the Wnt/b-catenin signaling. miR-762 might be used as a biomarker for CRC diagnosis and targeted therapy.
The Effect of Photovoice on Speaking Skills at the Secondary School Level
Authors: Hidayat Rifqi Aziz , Rofiudin Rofiudin , Sulistianingsih Endang 
Published: November 2019

The students need to be fluent in speaking to express their ideas and what they think in their minds also to communicate with others. As a matter of fact, speaking using Bahasa is not a big deal for students since it is their mother tongue, but as they have to speak in English, it becomes a big problem. They can’t imagine what they want to speak, they are afraid and unconfident if they try to speak English. Therefore the teacher should provide the students' motivation to speak up and use the appropriate method in teaching speaking. Photovoice is a suitable method using a camera for supporting the process of teaching-learning. The purpose of the study is to identify the effect of using Photovoice on speaking skills at the secondary school level. We used a speaking test to complete and process the data. The participants of the study were the students at the secondary level. The outcome of the study revealed that the students who taught using Photovoice had better skills in speaking English than the students who were not taught using Photovoice. Through this method, the students become interested and active during the study. They seemed to enjoy and excited about an exhibition or presentation.
Cause analysis for a new type of devastating flash flood
Authors: Hou Jingming , Li Bingyao , Tong Yu , Ma Liping , Ball James , Luo Hui , Liang Qiuhua , Xia Junqiang 
Published: November 2019

Abstract
This work introduces an unprecedented flash flood that resulted in nine casualties in Shimen Valley, China, 2015. Through field survey and numerical simulation the causes of the disaster are systematically analyzed, finding that the intense storm, terrain features, and the large woody debris (LWD) played important roles. The intense storm induced fast runoff and, in turn, high discharges as a result of the steep catchment surfaces and channels. The flood flushed LWD and boulders downstream until blockage occurred in a contraction section, forming a debris lake. When the debris dam broke, a dam break wave rapidly propagated to the valley mouth, washing people away. After considering the disaster-inducing factors, measures for preventing similar floods are proposed. The analysis presented herein should help others manage flash floods in mountain areas.
Impact of mixing intensity on dissolved oxygen half-velocity constants in a sidestream deammonification environment
Authors: Xie Biao , Jin Chao , Parker Wayne J. 
Published: November 2019

AbstractA partial nitritation/anammox (PN/A) process was operated at two different mixing intensities to quantify the extent to which diffusional limitations impact process rates. At a steady-state operation, the total inorganic nitrogen removal efficiency in the bench-scale sequencing batch reactors was found to increase as mixing intensity decreased (62 and 84% for average velocity gradient (G) values of 15 and 5.3 s−1, respectively). The half-velocity constants with respect to bulk-phase dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration for ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing (anammox) organisms were estimated on the basis of nitrogen removal rates that were observed in activity tests. The activity tests were conducted over a range of bulk-phase DO concentrations. The best-fit values were estimated to be 0.68 ± 0.34 and 0.54 ± 0.56 mg O2/L for G values of 15 and 5.3 s−1, respectively. The AOB values were not statistically different (p = 0.19) between mixing conditions which were consistent with AOB dominating the surface of granules. The best-fit values were estimated to be 0.13 ± 0.09 and 0.55 ± 0.40 mg O2/L for G values of 15 and 5.3 s−1, respectively, and were statistically different . The results demonstrated that mixing conditions should be considered when designing PN/A processes and provide quantitative results that can be employed to improve models of these processes.This article has been made Open Access thanks to the kind support of CAWQ/ACQE (https://www.cawq.ca).
Control of halophenol formation in seawater during chlorination using UV/TiO2 pre-treatment
Authors: Ding Ning , Yin Xiufeng , Yang Zhe , Sun Yingxue 
Published: November 2019

Abstract
Seawater is a valuable water resource in coastal regions. However, during seawater chlorination, a group of halophenols (HPs) may be formed. These HPs have lower odor and taste detection thresholds than other disinfection by-products (DBPs), however these are usually more toxic than most of the abundantly detected DBPs. Hence, an effective approach for control of HP formation during seawater chlorination is required to minimize highly toxic HP formation. Pretreatment using TiO2 photocatalysis was applied in this study to assess its ability for removal of HP precursors. Seawater samples with external addition of 1 mg/L phenol were spiked with TiO2 from 0.1 to 10.0 g/L and exposed under UV light for 2 to 120 min. The UV absorbance at 254 nm and the excitation–emission matrix fluorescence of dissolved organic matter were measured for each treated sample. It was observed that the optimal treatment condition to achieve the highest UV254 removal was 4.0 g/L TiO2 with UV exposure of 30 min. By pretreatment using this method and stated dose and exposure, only two types of HPs were detected during chlorination, compared with four types of HPs formed in the untreated samples. Moreover, the pretreatment greatly reduced the concentration of 2,4,6-TBP from more than 400 μg/L to less than 1 μg/L. The significance of this research study is to identify the effectiveness of UV/TiO2 in reducing DBP formation by analyzing the mechanisms during the process, which indicates the use of UV/TiO2 pretreatment for control of HP formation in seawater during chlorination.
Evaluation of LVDD by CCTA with Dual-source CT in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients
Authors: Huang Zengfa , Xiao Jianwei , Li Zuoqin , Hu Yun , Xie Yuanliang , Zhang Shutong , Wang Xiang 
Published: November 2019

Background:
Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) is a common abnormality
among patients in T2DM.

Aim:
We aimed to evaluate the feasibility of coronary computed tomography angiography
(CCTA) for the assessment of LVDD in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients.

Methods:
80 consecutive T2DM patients who were referred for a clinically dual-source CCTA
examination to evaluate suspected coronary artery disease and also underwent 2D echocardiography
within 7 days of CCTA inclusion and exclusion criteria, were performed. Correlation between
CCTA and echocardiography was tested through linear regression and Bland-Altman analysis.

Results:
In total, 60 T2DM patients were included for the analysis. Pearson correlation showed
good correlation for E (r = 0.28; P = 0.028), E/A (r = 0.69; P < 0.01); E (r = -0.06; P = 0.776),
E/A (r = 0.54; P = 0.003) and E (r = 0.64; P < 0.01), E/A (r = 0.83; P < 0.01) in three groups, respectively.
Overall, diagnostic accuracy for assessment in CCTA of diastolic dysfunction was
79.76% (95% CI: 68%-91%), 71.43% (95% CI: 58%-85%) and 87.50 (95% CI: 79%-96%) in
three groups.

Conclusion:
The presented study proved that CCTA showed good correlations in the estimation
of LV filling pressures compared with echocardiography in T2DM patients. Accordingly, retrospectively
ECG-gated CCTA may provide valuable information on the evaluation of LVDD in
T2DM patients.
Automated Diagnostic Hybrid Lesion Detection System for Diabetic Retinopathy Abnormalities
Authors: Bhardwaj Charu , Jain Shruti , Sood Meenakshi 
Published: November 2019

Background:
Early diagnosis, monitoring disease progression, and timely treatment of
Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) abnormalities can efficiently prevent visual loss. A prediction system
for the early intervention and prevention of eye diseases is important. The contrast of raw fundus
image is also a hindrance in effective manual lesion detection technique.

Methods:
In this research paper, an automated lesion detection diagnostic scheme has been proposed
for early detection of retinal abnormalities of red and yellow pathological lesions. The algorithm
of the proposed Hybrid Lesion Detection (HLD) includes retinal image pre-processing,
blood vessel extraction, optical disc localization and detection stages for detecting the presence of
diabetic retinopathy lesions. Automated diagnostic systems assist the ophthalmologists practice
manual lesion detection techniques which are tedious and time-consuming. Detailed statistical
analysis is performed on the extracted shape, intensity and GLCM features and the optimal features
are selected to classify DR abnormalities. Exhaustive statistical investigation of the proposed
approach using visual and empirical analysis resulted in 31 significant features.

Results:
The results show that the HLD approach achieved good classification results in terms of
three statistical indices: accuracy, 98.9%; sensitivity, 97.8%; and specificity, 100% with significantly
less complexity.

Conclusion:
The proposed technique with optimal features demonstrates improvement in accuracy
as compared to state of the art techniques using the same database.
Latinidad, tradición clásica y nova ratio en el Imperial Colegio de la Santa Cruz de Santiago Tlatelolco
Authors: Téllez Nieto Heréndira 
Published: November 2019

This article offers a new perspective on the Colegio de Santa Cruz in Tlatelolco. On the one hand, it studies hitherto inedited sources and manuscripts; on the other, it reinterprets some well-known facts. I will highlight the main purpose of the Colegio in Tlatelolco and the development of the courses taught there, particularly those based on the nova ratio nebrisensis. Indeed, for friars arriving to the New World, the example of the universities and colegios where they had studied themselves was the one they were most familiar with. The cornerstone of these studies were the pedagogical reforms by the Spanish humanist Elio Antonio de Nebrija, which they followed closely for their grammatical and didactic ideas. Nebrija was considered the main representative of the Spanish Catholic humanism favoured by the Crown. In this article, I will analyse traces of this nova ratio in the works of the friars and students of the Colegio in Tlatelolco.
Images acquisition of multiphase dispersions in fermentation processes
Authors: Taboada B. , Larralde P. , Brito T. , Vega-Alvarado L. , Dí­az R. , Galindo E. , Corkidi G. 
Published: November 2019

Multiphase mixing is a common operation in fermentation process. However, one of the main problems for online automatic monitoring of dispersions occurring in microbial cultures in a mechanically stirred bioreactor, is the difficulty in acquiring images (in motion) clear enough to characterize its elements (mainly air, water, oil and biomass) and their interactions during cultivation. Once the images to be analyzed have been acquired, other problems arise related to the complexity and diversity of objects/artifacts captured in the visual field. The heterogeneous transparency of some objects, low contrast and similarity between different classes of objectsÂ are, among others, major problems for the automation of image analysis procedures. The purpose of this work is to present a system that allows the on-line acquisition of images inside a mechanically stirred tank.The images are digitally obtained by connecting a TV camera to a stereomicroscope. The scanning of the camera is synchronized to the flashing of a stroboscope, which acts as the light source and is equipped with a submergible probe. These illumination conditions allow obtaining high quality images that can be further analyzed to quantify size distributions of air bubbles and oil drops in multiphase dispersion, and to observe the dynamics of phase interactions (solid, liquid and gaseous) in a model culture.
Hallazgos recientes de helicobacter pylori resistente a antibióticos en la República Dominicana
Authors: Camarena Julio , Khoury Liliana 
Published: November 2019

Introducción: Helicobacter pylori ha sido designado como responsable de múltiples trastornos del tracto gastroin-testinal, por lo que el diagnóstico y erradicación de la mucosa gástrica constituye una prioridad en el cuidado del paciente ulceroso. La presencia de resistencia a los antibióticos utilizados en su erradicación representa un problema importante.
Método: propusimos hacer una investigación, de carácter prospectivo y experimental, para determinar la sensibilidad in vitro de la Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) a una selección de antibióticos utilizados en los esquemas de erradicación de bacterias.
Resultados: ciprofloxacino, levofloxacino, fosfomicina, fueron los antibióticos más altamente sensibles in vitro, estadísticamente significativos para el H pylori. La amoxi-cilina y la claritromicina fueron los menos sensibles.
Conclusión: estos resultados muestran cambios significa-tivos en el espectro de sensibilidad in vitro en relación con publicaciones anteriores en nuestro país. Los cambios en la sensibilidad a los antibióticos deben guiar el diseño de nuevas estrategias terapéuticas más eficaces y rentables.
MERKEL CELL CARCINOMA
Authors: Nocoń Krzysztof , Majewski Jakub , Kurek Józef , Stojiljković Goran , Stadnicki Antoni 
Published: November 2019

In XXI century Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a still very rare form of the skin cancer with an aggressive behavior. We present a case of 77-year-old female patient with a tumor with bluish skin, approx. 2 cm diameter, hard texture palpation of the right zygomatic area of the face. There were no enlarged lymph nodes in the head or neck. Tumor was surgically excised. The result of the histopathological examination including immunohistochemical tests allowed to diagnose Merkel cell carcinoma. After 6 months tumor recurrence was found. The right cheek tumor and the right lymphatic system of the neck was removed and radiotherapy was carried out. In imaging examination no pathological changes were found. The patient have complained about dry eye syndrome as side effect o treatment. A literature review concerning risk factors, diagnostic difficulties, classification and treatment of Merkel cell carcinoma is presented and discussed. Randomized studies are required to clarify diagnostic procedures, prognostic factors and treatment in clinical stages of the disease