bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Antimicrobial Sensitivity pattern of Bacteria Causing Urinary Tract Infection among Diabetic Patients
Authors: Thapa Pratima , Sunar Anita , Lamichanne Dipendra , K.C Apeksha , Dhungana Arjan , Paudel Rajan , Jaiswal Suresh , Tiwari Bishnu Raj 
Published: February 2020

Abstract
Urinary tract infection is the presence and active multiplication of microorganism within the urinary tract. UTIs are group of infections that affects any part of urinary tract. The cross sectional descriptive study was conducted to determine the antibiotic susceptibility pattern of bacteria causing urinary tract infection in diabetic and non-diabetic patient from February 2016 to March 2016. Among the total 601 urine sample, 250 were diabetics and 351 were non diabetics. All samples were investigated by standard laboratory procedures. Out of diabetic patient 111(44.4%) were female and 139(55.6%) were male and among non-diabetic, 234(66.7%) were female and 117(33.3%) were male. The UTI prevalence rate was found to be 78 (13%) was statistically significant (p = 0.02), among the significant growth 6.8% diabetic and 6.2% non-diabetic. Escherichia coli (54) was the most predominant organism (42.5% in diabetic and 57.5% non-diabetic) followed by Staphylococcus aureus (8). Amikacin, Cotrimoxazole and Nitrofurantoin were most sensitive to E. coli isolated in diabetic and non-diabetic patients among the tested antimicrobials. High rate of resistance was observed with Norfloxacin and Nalidixic acid. Gentamicin, Cefotaxime, Cotrimoxazole and Ciprofloxacin were highly sensitive to S. aureus in diabetic patients while Oxacillin and Azithromycin were resistance and in non-diabetic patient highly sensitive antimicrobials were Azithromycin, Gentamicin, Cefotaxime, Cotrimoxazole, Vancomycin and Ofloxacin while Oxacillin was resistance. The antimicrobial susceptibility testing of bacterial isolates should be performed before the treatment of UTI. Key words : Diabetic, Urinary tract infection, Antimicrobial sensitivity.
Progression free survival and overall survival of CDK 4/6 inhibitors plus endocrine therapy in metastatic breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Piezzo Michela , Chiodini Paolo , Riemma Maria , Cocco Stefania , Caputo Roberta , Cianniello Daniela , Gioia Germira Di , Lauro Vincenzo Di , Rella Francesca Di , Fusco Giuseppina , Iodice Giovanni , Nuzzo Francesco , Pacilio Carmen , Pensabene Matilde , De Laurentiis Michelino 
Published: February 2020

Abstract
PURPOSE: The introduction of CDK4/6 inhibitors plus endocrine therapy (ET) represents the most relevant advance in the management of HR-positive/HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer. We carried out a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with the aims of better characterising the efficacy of CDK4/6 inhibitors in some relevant subgroups and of testing heterogeneity between different compounds with particular focus on their ability to improve OS. METHODS: We performed a systematic literature search to identify phase II/III RCTs of CDK4/6 inhibitors plus ET in AI-sensitive and AI-resistant patients. Pooled estimates of HRs were computed for PFS, OS and ORR analysis, by using both a fixed and random effect model. Predefined subgroup analyses were performed to better understand treatment effect concerning specific patients’ characteristics. Pooled survival curves were generated by pooling the data of all trials. RESULTS: 8 RCTs were included. Adding a CDK4/6 inhibitors to ET is beneficial in terms of PFS irrespective of the presence or not of visceral metastases, the number of metastatic sites, and the length of the TFI. The addition of CDK4/6 inhibitors significantly improves OS in AI-sensitive (HR 0.75, 95%CI [0.63-0.89]) and AI-resistant patients (HR 0.77, 95%CI [0.67-0.89]). Pooled data from each single drug show that Palbociclib remains the only class member not showing a statistically significant HR for OS (HR 0.83, 95% CI [0.68-1.02]). CONCLUSION: Our meta-analysis confirms the efficacy of CDK4/6 inhibitors overall and in major patients subgroups, supporting the use of CDK4/6 inhibitors plus ET as standard treatment for most HR+ MBC patients.
A multi-level analysis of the association between built environmental factors and childhood overweight in the city of Hannover, Germany
Authors: Zhou Yusheng , Buck Christoph , Maier Werner , Lengerke Thomas von , Walter Ulla , Dreier Maren 
Published: February 2020

Abstract
Introduction In recent years, built environmental characteristics have been linked to childhood overweight, but the results remain inconsistent across studies. The present study examines associations between several built environmental features and body weight status (BMI) among a large sample of preschool children in the city of Hannover, Germany.Methods Walkability (index), green space availability and playground availability related to preschool children’s home environments was measured using the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and data from OpenstreetMap (OSM). These built environment characteristics were linked to the data from the 2010-2014 school entry examinations in the Hannover city (n = 22,678), and analysed using multi-level linear regression models to examine associations between the built environment features and the BMI percentiles of these children (4-8 years old). Several socio-demographic factors were included in the analysis, including migration background, family structure and parental educational level. Results No significant associations of built environmental factors on children’s BMI were detected, but the effect between green space availability and BMI was modified by the parental educational level. In children with lower compared to higher educated parents, a higher spatial availability of greenspace was significantly associated with reduced body weight. Conclusion The finding of no overall association between the built environment and body weight could be due to misclassification in the presence of suboptimal variable reliability. However, the environmental effects may also be restricted to the less privileged children, which may indicate that built environmental features might have the potential to reduce health inequalities. Future research should continue to monitor the disparities in diverse built environment features and how these are related to children’s health.
Modelling water yield with the InVEST model in a data scarce region of northwest China
Authors: Yang Xu , Chen Ruishan , Meadows Michael E. , Ji Guangxing , Xu Jianhua 
Published: February 2020

Abstract
The Bosten Lake basin is an important arid region of northwest China, and has exhibited a declining trend in both lake area and level of water during recent decades. Reliable information on water yield, an important attribute of available water resources in a region, is vital to assess the potential for socio-economic development. The Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model is applied here to simulate water yield in the Bosten Lake basin. The spatial and temporal dynamics of water yield, and the response of water yield to land use and precipitation change, are analysed for the period 1985 to 2015. The results show that, overall, water yield increased during 1985–2015, and that the magnitude of change was greater in the eastern part of the region. The water yield capacity, positively correlated with precipitation, is highest under grassland vegetation and lowest in cultivated and unused land. The paper demonstrates that statistical downscaling and climate reanalysis data can be used in the InVEST model to improve the accuracy of simulated water yield in data scarce regions.
Solid Lipid Nanoparticles for Oral Drug Delivery: A Review
Authors: Gautam Manish , Verma Madhu , Chauhan Iti , Yasir Mohd. , Singh Alok Pratap , Saraswat Pawan Kumar 
Published: February 2020

Background:
The high molecular weight and increasing lipophilicity of drug
face many problems starting from the drug development to formulation and conduction of
pharmacological, toxicological and pharmacokinetic studies to its biological application.
To overcome this problem, nano-sized formulations are in trend recently. The use of Solid
lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) offers new insight into the formulation of the poor soluble and
low bioavailable drug.

Objective:
The study aimed to investigate the literature concerning the development of
SLNs for oral drug delivery of poorly soluble drugs, with a view survey the various methods
of manufacturing and evaluation of formulation of SLNs and future prospects of SLNs
and application of SLNs in oral delivery systems.

Conclusion:
Oral drug delivery is looking ahead progressively into newer directions due
to the realization of various poor performance limiting factors such as reduced drug solubility
or absorption, rapid metabolism, high actuation in plasma level of drug and variability
caused due to food effect. These play a vital role in disappointing in vivo results, which
leads in the failure of the conventional delivery system. Since the last decade, oral drug
delivery has taken a new dimension with the increasing application of SLNs as a carrier
for the delivery of poorly water-soluble or lipophilic drugs. The site-specific and sustained
release effect of the drug is better achieved by using SLNs. This review highlights the various
pros and cons, manufacturing techniques, characterization, and future prospects of
SLNs in oral drug delivery systems.
Nigella sativa seed extract protects against cadmium-induced cardiotoxicity in rats
Authors: Uchendu Ikenna Kingsley , Nnedu Ebuka Bitrus , Ekeigwe Ifeoma Blessing 
Published: February 2020

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the protective effects of methanolic extract of Nigella sativa (MENS) (Black seed) against cardiotoxicity of cadmium in albino rats.
Methods: Twenty five (25) male albino rats, weighing (150-170g), were randomly grouped into five groups: A-E. Group B (Negative Control) received intraperitoneal administration of cadmium chloride (CdCl2, 5mg/kg) only, group C received CdCl2 and low dose MENS (300mg/kg, oral), group D received CdCl2 and high dose MENS (600mg/kg, oral), group E (Positive control) received CdCl2 and Vitamin C (200mg/kg, oral), for 7 days. No treatment was administered to group A (Normal control). Cardiac injury was assessed by measuring serum levels of Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and Creatine kinase (CK-MB) using standard methods. The heart was harvested for histopathological examination.
Results: CdCl2 induced significant cardiotoxicity with marked elevation in the levels of biochemical markers of cardiac functions (p<0.05 or p<0.01); these were however attenuated by MENS. Histopathological examination of the heart sections supported the biochemical findings.
Conclusion: Nigella sativa seed extract is potentially cardioprotective against harmful chemical toxins such as cadmium.
Keywords: Cadmium, CdCl2, Nigella sativa, Medicinal food, cardiotoxicity
Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activities of Flavonoids Extracted from Pistacia lentiscus L., Leaves
Authors: Bakli Sabrina , Daoud Harzallah , Amina Zerroug , Nouari Sadrati , Asma Bouguerra , Soufiane Gaamoune , Oumaima Naili 
Published: February 2020

Increasingly, the flavonoids becoming the subject of biomedical researches, and many groups have isolated and identified the structures of flavonoids possessing important biological activities. This assess investigates the antimicrobial fight and the antioxidant strengths of flavonoids extracted from Pistacia lentiscus L. leaves. The extract was first analyzed for its phenolic content, then the flavonoids were tested for their antimicrobial capacities by the method of diffusion against fourteen bacteria, two fungi and one yeast. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of flavonoids were determined using the dilution method on solid medium, however, the antioxidant activity was evaluated through the ability of the extract to scavenge DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) radicals and the reducing power essay. The results indicate that flavonoids extract contain other phenolics groups. On the other side, the Antibacterial tests exhibited different activities depending on the strains. Unlike, the MIC and the MBC showed that the flavonoids extract showed a best activity against Candida albicans and Vibrio cholerae. Concerning antioxidant activity, the results indicate a moderate capacity of the flavonoid extract. These preliminary results may justify the use of this plant in the treatment of some diseases and may be exploited for therapeutic purposes.
Keywords: Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, Pistacia lentiscus, flavonoids, MIC, MBC.
Bradford assay as a high-throughput bioanalytical screening method for conforming pathophysiological state of the animal
Authors: Mehata Abhishesh Kumar , Dehari Deepa 
Published: February 2020

Proteins are the essential components of the tissues that play a key role in the body. Its expression in the cell or tissue under a specified set of conditions and at a particular time regulates the different body conditions either as a normal body function or as a disease state. Protein is an important building block of muscles, skin, cartilage, bones and blood. Bradford assay is a reliable advanced and cost-effective protein estimation test for determining the exact concentration of protein in different tissues of the animal. In this study, we have taken a rat suffering from protein deficiency disorder and total protein concentration in the heart, brain, liver, blood and kidney was determined. It was found that the total protein concentration in different tissues of rat i.e., heart, brain, liver, plasma and kidney was found to be 8.39 ± 0.75, 10.46 ± 0.76, 6.74 ± 0.39, 8.12 ± 0.32 mg/g of tissue and 61.27 ± 0.95 mg/mL of plasma respectively (mean ± SEM). As compared to earlier published reports the total protein concentration in different tissues like hear, brain, liver and kidney found much lower to standard value as reported by Beyer, the reason behind obtaining this kind of results may be due to the presence of insufficient amount of the protein content in different tissue of animal as suffering from protein degeneration disorder. The rat was unable to digest and store the protein or catabolism was much faster than
anabolism.
Keywords: Anabolism, Bradford assay, Catabolism, Protein estimation.
The Phytochemical and Comparative Anticancer Study of Methanolic and Chloroform Extracts of Psidium guajava L. Leaves of Pakistani Origin
Authors: Abbas Muhammad , Ansari Muhammad Tayyab , Hassan Saeed Ul , Alvi Muhammad Nadeem , Abbas Musharraf 
Published: February 2020

The chief focus of our study is to evaluate the phytochemical and anti-cancer activity of methanol (PGM) and chloroform extracts (PGC) of the leaves of Psidium guajava (guava) collected from local area of district Sialkot, Pakistan. Shade dried milled leaves was subjected to extraction (maceration) with methanol and chloroform. Quantitative and qualitative screenings by GC-MS and phytochemical techniques were performed. Then different secondary metabolites and phytochemical compounds were identified which are typically associated with the existence of therapeutic characteristics. Psidium guajava has been extensively used as herbal remedies like, anti-diarrheal, antihypertensive, antibacterial, antifungal as well as to control obesity, ulcer, diabetes. In this study, both extracts of P. guajava were evaluated for their anticancer activities against HeLa cell-lines (cancerous cells). The healthiest anticancer response in the form of cell-line suppression was perceived with 200µg/mL of both extracts, PGM showed 81% and PGC exhibited 91% while the standard drug doxorubicin presented around 76% inhibition. The comparative better result was seen with chloroform extract than methanolic abstract. In conclusion, the chloroform and methanol extracts of our nominated plant from Pakistan origin has a good source of phytochemicals that revealed an outstanding anti-cancer potential.
Keywords: Psidium guajava, anticancer, phytochemicals, methanol extracts, secondary metabolites.
Digitalization in Political Relations: Planes for Perception and Mechanisms for Transformation
Authors: Konkov A. E. 
Published: February 2020

The process of digital technologies development and their comprehensive integration into people’s lives influences consecutively different social processes. Mostly such an influences relieves at the present moment in the economic sphere, where digital economy gets to be one of the key priorities all over the world. Also processes of digitalization are likely to touch education, health care, law, they filter through political relations too. The article dwells upon analyzing directions for such an infiltration and mechanisms for transforming political sphere of society because of their pressure, generalizes digital practices in the political discourse. The author attempts in particular to evaluate retrospectively prerequisites and initial characteristics for involving web instruments by political actors, to define specific features of digital environment as a new domain for social and political relations, to capture process and functional characteristics for applying consecutive technologies. The specific emphasize is made on Russian experience of regulating and applying the political dimension of digital technologies, which reveals the active search by government for some national vision of digital policy both inside and outside as far as state borders are not likely to apply to the web space. Based on approaching consecutive practices the author distinguishes three meaningful planes (directions) to consider digitalization in political relations: digital democracy, which characterizes upscaling deliberative mechanisms for public policy with web communication opportunities; digital bureaucracy, which reflects advanced skills of political establishment and emerging technocratic platforms based on advanced e-government: and also digital diplomacy, which makes it possible for involving new technologies into politi cal achievements on the international and supranational arena.
Wavelike Character of Pension Reforms. First-wave 1994–2008
Authors: Zhukova T. V. 
Published: February 2020

The article puts forward the hypothesis about the wave nature of pension systems reforms since the early 1990 under the effect of demographic and economic factors. In response to the results of previous works on this subject and statistical analysis results, wave’s mechanism has been identified. Conditions for starting the wave of pension reforms established with long-term demographic trend in periods of tension (the higher growth rates of age dependency ratio and others). The start and dynamic of the wave are determined by macroeconomic shocks arise from decreasing phase of business-cycle. The growth phase of pension reforms are followed by the period of deceleration. There is a factor that slowdowns responses to macroeconomic shocks (the decisions about pension reforms are not accepted instantly). Pension system adjusts to new conditions until further tightening. Quantitative and quality analysis of pension reforms across countries would allow to test this hypothesis. To that end an appropriate instruments have been developed: the classifier of pension reform (67 items with scoring system to estimate the depth of the changes), evaluation system for economic factors influences via sensitive to pension systems indicators and associated macroeconomic shocks. A cross-section of 24 countries generates a mix of pension reforms for the period of 1994–2019, two waves of pension reforms (1990–2008 and 2009 – present) is revealed, the hypothesis of waves nature of pension reforms is confirmed. The heart of pension systems transformations in the first way is identified. These are lowering of government pensions obligations, shifting the risks from state to population with the introduction of DCschemes. The suggestions that the implementation of second pillar is positive only for countries with well-developed financial market. The research of second-wave of pension reforms and projection of the third way will be dealt with in the next article.
Synthesis of Pullulan-Mediated Silver Nanoparticles (AgNPs) and their Antimicrobial Activities
Authors: Al-Owasi Yusra , Elshafie Abdulkhadir , Sivakumar Nallusamy , Al-Bahry Saif 
Published: February 2020

The synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), using plant extracts, bacteria, fungi and yeasts, and their antimicrobial activities have been widely investigated and well documented. However, pullulan AgNPs and their antimicrobial activities have not received much attention. The objective of this study was to synthesize pullulan AgNPs, characterize them, and test their antibacterial and antifungal activities. Pullulan was extracted from Aureobasidium mangrovei isolated from Oman and, using UV-Vis spectroscopy and Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR), found to be identical to the commercial pullulan obtained from Sigma, USA. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that most of the synthesized particles were poly-dispersed, irregular in shape, and most were spherical with an average size of 9.76 nm. Pullulan-mediated AgNPs were found to have antibacterial activities, and the ANOVA test showed that there were no significant differences between AgNO3, Pullulan and pullulan-mediated AgNPs for all the bacteria tested. Pullulan-mediated nanoparticles were found to have antifungal activity against Curvularia lunata, Fusarium incarnatum, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus ochraceus and Penicillium sp. The ANOVA test also revealed that there was a significant difference in antifungal activity between pullulan and pullulan-mediated AgNPs, pullulan-mediated nanoparticles having shown a higher inhibitory activity than pullulan. Pullulan and pullulan-mediated nanoparticles could be used in the food industry and are safer than silver nitrates.
A Dataset-Independent Model for Estimating Software Development Effort Using Soft Computing Techniques
Authors: Khazaiepoor Mahdi , Bardsiri Amid Khatibi , Keynia Farshid 
Published: February 2020

Abstract
During the recent years, numerous endeavours have been made in the area of software development effort estimation for calculating the software costs in the preliminary development stages. These studies have resulted in the offering of a great many of the models. Despite the large deal of efforts, the substantial problems of the offered methods are their dependency on the used data collection and, sometimes, their lack of appropriate efficiency. The current article attempts to present a model for software development effort estimation through making use of evolutionary algorithms and neural networks. The distinctive characteristic of this model is its lack of dependency on the collection of data used as well as its high efficiency. To evaluate the proposed model, six different data collections have been used in the area of software effort estimation. The reason for the application of several data collections is related to the investigation of the model performance independence of the data collection used. The evaluation scales have been MMRE, MdMRE and PRED (0.25). The results have indicated that the proposed model, besides delivering high efficiency in contrast to its counterparts, produces the best responses for all of the used data collections.