bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Metabolic syndrome among obese patients attending the medical clinics of the three teaching hospitals at Sana’s City, Yemen
Authors: Bamashmoos Mohammed A. , Al Serouri Abdul W. 
Published: December 2019

Background: Yemen faces major challenges in improving the health status of its population as it is entering an epidemiological transition with rising non-communicable diseases e.g. obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). We designed this study to find out the prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome (MS) and its components among obese Yemeni patients. Methods: All obese (waist circumference >102 cm (40 inch) in male and >88 cm (35 inch) in female) attending the outpatients medical clinics at the three teaching hospitals in Sana'a city, were examined and their blood pressure (BP), fasting samples of plasma glucose, triglycerides, and HDL cholesterol were measured. The prevalence of MS obtained based on the Adult Treatment Panel III and presence of at least 3 of the following: systolic BP ≥130 mm Hg and/or diastolic BP ≥ 85 mm Hg or on treatment for high BP, fasting glucose ≥110 mg/dl or on diabetes treatment, triglycerides ≥150 mg/dl, and HDL cholesterol <40 mg/dl in men and <50 mg/dl in women. Results: 200 obese were identified during study period with an overall MS prevalence of 46%. The metabolic co-morbidities were raised BP (68%), high triglycerides (66%), reduced high density lipoprotein (64%), and raised fasting blood glucose (40%).Conclusion: Prevalence of MS is high among obese Yemeni patients and high BP was the commonest co-morbidity. These findings highlight an urgent need to develop strategies for prevention, detection, and treatment of MS that could contribute to decreasing the rising incidence of CVD and diabetes. Keywords: Metabolic syndrome, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, Yemen.
Functional food availability, a limitation to peoples’ health on Islands
Authors: Kramadhati Rameshwar , Dinh Tuyetha , Mekamkwe Judith , Ndungu Patrick , Nguyen Erick 
Published: December 2019

Background: All foods are imported to markets in smaller islands in the Caribbean. Before export of foods to these destinations, the foods are subjected to several preservative procedures like irradiation, pesticide spray and prolonged refrigeration etc., to last the extended transport periods. This reduces availability of protective elements and the nutrient contents of the foods to scanty levels, especially to common people with low and middle incomes. Hence the majority of people in these categories on the small islands become vulnerable to ill health.Aims and Objectives: To assess 1. Food availability 2. Normal transport period for foods to reach from the suppliers, and 3. Current level of prevalence of non-infective chronic diseases in the area. Methods: Data were collected from two sources. One set of data was collected from the three supermarkets on the island to obtain information on source, transport time and nature of foods imported; and the second from 200 randomly selected responses of diseased persons for information on the age, gender and cause of death. Results: All the foods were imported and the time taken for the food (including protective foods) to reach the island was about 3 weeks. The major causes of death were malignancy (30%), diabetes and its complications (25%), cardio vascular diseases (19.5%), STD / HIV (8.5%) and other causes (17.0%). A review of prevalence of chronic diseases like hypertension, diabetes, heart diseases, arthritis and associated functional limitations, in the region reveals that their prevalence is proportionately high on the island compared to nearby developed mainland regions. Body mass index of ≥25 was reported to be as high as 58.3%. The health care facilities available are seen to be limited and public health activity to prevent or manage the prevailing chronic health issues, appeared to be meager. Conclusion: There is a need to address the problem through public health actions to lower the incidence of the chronic degenerative diseases in the area: 1. Educate the community about the ways to improve their nutrition and life styles, 2. Make available health and nutrition promoting foods to all the people living in the islands, 3. Strengthen health services to tackle chronic degenerative diseases in the region.Key Words: Foods, Nutrition, Chronic diseases, Mortality, Protective foods, Functional foods
The Effects of Intravenous Vitamin C Administration on hs-CRP and Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Levels in Haemodialysis Patients
Authors: Khosroshahi Hamid Taiebi , Talebi Yashar , Ahmadzadeh Siamak , Habibzadeh Afshin , Mousavi Seyyed Ehsan , Khalilzadeh Mohammadreza 
Published: December 2019

Background: It has been proved that pre-inflammatory factors increase mortality and morbidity of cardio-vascular diseases especially in hemodialysis patients. There is a great evidence for the increase of pre-inflammatory factors and vitamin C deficiency in dialysis patients. Limited data, however, are available regarding the effects of vitamin C supplementation on reduction of inflammatory markers in such patients.Objectives: The aim of this study is to determine the changes of hs-CRP and Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α) levels after administration of vitamin C in End Stage Renal Disease patients (ESRD) on Hemodialysis Methods and Materials: In this clinical trial, vitamin C was administered intravenously (IV), (500 mg two times per week) for 2 months in 41 chronic hemodialysis patients and the hs-CRP and TNF-α levels of these patients were compared with a control group with no vitamin C as treatment. Besides hs-CRP and TNF-α, detailed laboratory results were evaluated before and after the study. The statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 16 at the end of the study. Results: The hs-CRP and TNF-α levels reduced significantly in hemodialysis patients after vitamin C supplementation (hs-CRP decreased from 7.27±3.70 to 6.60± 3.75, P< 0.001 and TNF-α decreased from 25.61±12.28 to 22.82±22.83, P= 0.006), whereas the levels of these pro-inflammatory factors increased in hemodialysis patients without vitamin C supplementation (hs-CRP increased from 7.13±3.56 to 7.73±3.83, P= 0.049 and TNF-α increased from 21.32±5.64 to 23.63±15.59, P= 0.353). Vitamin C supplementation also reduced ESR level and increased Hb level significantly but it had no influence on lipid profile.Conclusion: According to the findings of this study, it seems that vitamin C administration can reduce hs-CRP and TNF-α level in hemodialysis patients and as a result prevent atherosclerosis. It can be concluded that administration of vitamin C supplementation is beneficial in hemodialysis patients.Key words: hemodialysis, hs-CRP, TNF-α, Vitamin C
Nutrigenomics of Neuradaptogen Amino-Acid-Therapy and Neurometabolic Optimizers: Overcoming carbohydrate bingeing and overeating through neurometabolic mechanisms
Authors: Blum Kenneth , Bagchi Debasis , Bowirrat Abdalla , Downs B. William , Waite Roger L. , Giordano John , Morse Siohban , Madigan Margaret , Downs Jaclyn M. , Braverman Eric R. , Polanin Margaret , Barh Debmayla , Fornari Frank , Simpatico Thomas 
Published: December 2019

Despite progress that has been made in the treatment of obesity, the epidemic continues to rise worldwide. While pharmacological treatment of obesity may be effective, medications may have significant side effects and can be potentially fatal. This review will provide significant evidence to substantiate the existence of Reward Deficiency Syndrome in Obesity and the role of catecholaminergic pathways in aberrant substance seeking behavior, in particular cravings for carbohydrates. The genetic basis for generalized craving behavior will be established. Evidence to support the augmentation of precursor amino acid therapy and enkephalinase, MOA and COMT inhibition leading to enhanced levels of neurotransmitters: serotonin, enkephalins, GABA and dopamine/norepinephrine as well increasing insulin sensitivity (affecting dopamine neuronal synthesis regulation) through the use of certain neurometabolic optimizers will also be provided. This review article cites many published studies to support a conceptual paradigm shift towards the use of this proposed nutrigenomic formula. The analysis and research preceding this formulation is outlined. This formulation has a generalized anti-craving effect and can inhibit carbohydrate bingeing, inducing significant healthy fat loss and prevention of relapse. This is the first time that components of this formula have been combined, at the dosage levels indicated with the goal of promoting successful and sustainable body recomposition. We are encouraging other laboratories to further evaluate Neuroadtagen Amino-Acid Therapy (NAAT)/Nurometabolic optimizers as a putative anti-obesity complex in larger controlled blinded studies and await interpretation of must these needed studies. Keywords: NAAT, Dopamine, Genes, Polymorphisms, Obesity, Craving Behavior, Overeating, Reward Deficiency Syndome, Nutrigenomics.
The new SIMD Implementation of the Smith-Waterman Algorithm on	Cell Microprocessor
Authors: Rudnicki Witold R. , Jankowski Aleksander , Modzelewski Aleksander , Piotrowski Aleksander , Zadrożny Adam 
Published: December 2019

Algorithms for estimating similarity between two macromolecular sequences are of profound importance for molecular biology. The standard methods utilize so-called primary structure, that is a string of characters denoting the sequence of monomers in hetero-polymer. These methods find the substrings of maximal similarity, as defined by the so-called similarity matrix, for a pair of two molecules. The problem is solved either by the exact dynamic programming method, or by approximate heuristic methods. The approximate algorithms are almost two orders of magnitude faster in comparison with the standard version of the exact Smith-Waterman algorithm, when executed on the same hardware, hence the exact algorithm is relatively rarely used. Recently a very efficient implementation of Smith- Waterman algorithm utilizing SIMD extensions to the standard instruction set reduced the speed advantage of heuristic algorithms to factor of three. Here we present an improved implementation of the Smith-Waterman algorithm on the Cell processor. Implementation presented here achieves execution speed of approximately 9 GCUPS. The performance is independent on the scoring system. It is 4 to 10 times faster than best Smith-Waterman implementation running on a PC and 1.5 to 3 times faster than the same implementation running on Sony PlayStation 3. It is also 5 times faster than the recent implementation of the Smith- Waterman utilizing Nvidia GPU. Our implementation running on Sony PlayStation 3 has performance which is directly comparable with that of BLAST running on PC, being up to 4 times faster in the best case and no more than two times slower in the worst case. This performance level opens possibility for using the exact Smith-Waterman algorithm in applications, where currently approximate algorithms are used.
Strategic human resource management and tacit knowledge transfer: A case study
Authors: Aït Razouk Abdelwahab , Bayad Mohamed , Wannenmacher Delphine 
Published: December 2019

What is the link between Strategic Human Resources Management (SHRM) and Knowledge transfer? That is the question we should answer in our study that is meant to be innovative thanks to the connection with Strategic Human Resources Management, considered as major factor of competencies management. To our knowledge, few studies considered this question, except some lone attempts which did not find an objective answer. The field of SHRM has gone threw a marked evolution for more than two decades, from an accounting approach to a competencies based one. The latest approach, as outcome of this evolution, advances the internal organizational capacities rather than the external constraints. We develop our analysis in this perspective (competencies based approach). Our study reports an exploratory case study which aims at understanding the HRM contribution to tacit knowledge transfer in a French crystal manufacture we named “Alpha enterprise”.
Systemic inflammation and CD11b expression by neutrophils in	preterm newborns with respiratory distress syndrome not treated by	surfactant
Authors: Gad Ghada I. , Awwaad Khaled S. , Abdallah Khaled O. , ELawady Mohamed H. 
Published: December 2019

Objectives: To evaluate CD11b expression by neutrophils in the first 12 hours of life in preterm newborns with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) as a marker of systemic inflammation and an indicator for severity of illness. Subjects and methods: In this prospective case-control study, we obtained peripheral blood samples from subjects during the first 12 hours of life. We measured CD11b expression by neutrophils using flow cytometry. Surfactant was not used for treatment of RDS due to economic reasons. The clinical severity of RDS was graded into 4 sub-categories based on the initial radiographic findings. Expression of CD11b was compared between groups. Correlation analyses between CD11b, RDS severity, and clinical outcomes were done using spearman correlation coefficient. Results: We studied 60 preterms with RDS (Cases) and 30 Controls. CD11b expression was significantly increased in Cases compared to Controls and differed significantly among the 4 radiological sub-categories within Cases; the highest being in RDS grade 4 and lowest in RDS grade 1. CD11b expression was significantly higher among RDS neonates who received mechanical ventilation compared to those who did not, and in neonates who developed bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) or died compared to those who did not. CD11b expression in Cases was negatively correlated with gestational age and positively correlated with the severity of RDS. Conclusion: CD11b expression as a marker of systemic neutrophil activation is markedly increased in preterm newborns with RDS who did not receive surfactant. It can serve as an indicator for the severity of illness and adverse outcomes of RDS. The response of CD11b expression to surfactant treatment and its impact on outcomes in infants with RDS needs to be explored.
Evaluation of serum iron and iron storage in neonates undergoing	extracorporeal membrane oxygenation
Authors: Gaitatzes Chrysanthe G. , Rais-Bahrami K. 
Published: December 2019

Objective: To evaluate iron storage indices in neonates undergoing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support. Study design: Thirty neonatal ECMO patients were evaluated by measuring pre- and post- ECMO iron, ferritin, transferrin, and total iron binding capacity (TIBC). Each patient's post-ECMO values were compared to his/her pre-ECMO measurements. Multivariate regression analysis was used to evaluate factors affecting serum iron and iron storage indices. Results: All measured iron storage indices were increased during ECMO in the majority of our patients. The increase in serum iron and TIBC was dependent on the amount of blood transfused during ECMO (p = 0.038 for iron; p = 0.026 for TIBC). Change in ferritin level was dependent on both the duration of ECMO (p = 0.012) and the amount of blood transfused (p = 0.01). Conclusion: We observed increases in iron indices measured in neonates on ECMO. We recommend individualized attention to the iron storage indices in neonatal ECMO patients.
Obstetricians' attitudes and practices of life support for	extremely premature low birth weight infants in El Salvador
Authors: Martinez Alma M. , Mathes Erin D. , Foster-Rosales Anne F. , Partridge John Colin 
Published: December 2019

Background: The increasing availability of costly life-support technologies in developing countries raises questions about the utility of resuscitation and intensive care for extremely premature infants. Objective: To characterize obstetricians' attitudes and resuscitation practices for preterm infants in El Salvador. Design/Methods: Surveys (n = 214) were mailed to Salvadoran perinatal providers in 2000, and 100 more were distributed at a Latin American obstetrics and gynecology conference in December 2000. Survey questions covered counseling practices, resuscitation thresholds for prematurity, attitudes on life support, and demographics. Results: Of 111 Salvadoran respondents, more providers counsel parents antenatally (41% at 25 wks to 58% at 29 wks) as gestational age increased. Median thresholds for resuscitation were 26 weeks for intubation and ventilation and 27 weeks for cardiac massage or pharmacologic resuscitation, and 1000 grams for each of these interventions. Seventy-two percent of respondents would use all interventions to save life regardless of anticipated outcome, a stance correlated with religious activity (p = 0.03). Decisions to limit resuscitation were influenced by congenital anomalies (62%) more than parental wishes (28%), infant pain (21%) and moral or religious considerations (27%). Older obstetricians were more likely to withdraw support from an extremely premature infant with perinatal HIV exposure (p = 0.006), but not with severe intraventricular hemorrhage or a major congenital anomaly. Fifty-five percent felt their institution was "not aggressive enough" in caring for infants < 26 wks gestation. Less religious obstetricians were more likely to perceive their unit as "too aggressive." Over 80% believed that physicians (44%), rather than parents (15%), should make final resuscitation decisions when consensus cannot be reached. Conclusions: In El Salvador, the obstetric management of extreme prematurity is influenced by providers' level of religious activity. The majority of obstetricians regard care in their unit as not aggressive enough, despite using higher resuscitation thresholds than in other developing countries. Local economic constraints influence resuscitation options available to obstetricians and parents of extremely premature infants.
Live births of infants less than 23 weeks gestation	disproportionately affect infant mortality rates in the United States
Authors: Paul David A. , Thompson John M.D. , Gibson Eric 
Published: December 2019

Objective: The aim of the study was to determine if states with high infant mortality rates (IMR) have more live births of infants < 23 weeks gestation than states with low IMR, and to determine if there are racial differences in births < 23 weeks in low and high IMR states. Study Design: Data were assessed using United States linked birth and death certificate data from 1997–2000. Ten states with the highest IMR over the 4-year study period were compared to 10 states with the lowest IMR. Statistical analysis was carried out by logistic regression. Results: After controlling for potential confounders, the odds of death from a birth < 23 weeks gestation were significantly higher in the states with the highest overall IMR. IMR was adjusted by removing live births < 23 weeks. African American infants < 23 weeks in high IMR states contributed to a greater percentage of IMR (25%) compared to African American infants in low IMR states (20%), or Caucasian infants in high IMR (15%), or low IMR (13%) states. Conclusions: States with high IMR are more likely to have live births of infants < 23 weeks gestation, compared to those states with low IMR. The contribution to the IMR from births < 23 weeks in high IMR states is disproportionately from African American infants.
Unilateral disruptive lung malformation: Genetics, embryology,	management and follow-up
Authors: Dembinski Jörg 
Published: December 2019

Unilateral pulmonary malformation presenting as agenesis, aplasia or dysplasia is rare with variable outcome. Neonatal presentation does not allow for a reliable prognosis, ranging from mild repiratory distress to severe pulmonary failure requiring mechanical ventilation. Unilateral lung malformation frequently indicates other, singular or complex defects (e.g.: renal, vascular). Disrupted regulation of factors involved in early lung morphogenesis (e.g. T-box-genes, Pitx2, FGgf 10 and cell signaling pathways such as sonic hedgehog and Wnt) may be involved in the etiology of pulmonary malformation. Suspected lung agenesis, aplasia and dysplasia on fetal ultrasound should direct perinatal management and complete diagnostic work-up. Consideration of associated anomalies frequently observed improves identification and management of these potentially vital conditions. Presence of additional defects, predominantly vascular and/or genitourinary anomalies, contribute significantly to prognosis. Pulmonary hypertension may result from reduced lung vascular capacity. Development of thoracic deformity significantly impacts quality of life in these patients. Interdisciplinary management is required in presence of additional defects. This article reviews the current experience on neonatal management and long-term-follow-up including discussion of prenatal diagnosis, the embryo-genetic basics of lung development and suggestions for diagnostic work-up.
Male gender is related to the development of parenteral	nutrition-associated cholestasis in neonates
Authors: Takemoto Koji , Nakayama Atsushi , Ito Masatoki , Sato Yoshiaki , Saito Akiko , Torii Yuka , Kaneko Ken-ichiro , Ando Hisami , Hayakawa Masahiro 
Published: December 2019

Objective: The development of cholestatic jaundice is a well-recognized complication of parenteral nutrition (PN). The etiology of PN-associated cholestasis (PNAC) has not been fully established. The aim of this study was to identify the risk factors for PNAC in newborn infants. Methods: Patients who received PN containing amino acids for more than a week were enrolled. The roles of gestational age, small for gestational age, sex, surgery, sepsis, days of starting enteral feeding (EF), days until EF more than 100 mL/kg per day was attained, and composition of PN in the development of PNAC were evaluated by multiple logistic regression analysis. Results: Fifty-eight infants were exposed to PN for more than a week during the study period. Cholestasis developed in 12 of 58 subjects after the start of PN. Male gender was associated significantly with a higher incidence of cholestasis compared with female gender (83.3% vs 45.7%, respectively). Other confounding factors did not correlate significantly with the development of cholestasis. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that male gender was the only independent factor (odds ratio, 8.2; 95% CI, 1.4–47.0) associated with cholestasis. Conclusions: Male infants had a significantly higher risk of development of PN-associated cholestasis compared with female infants.
Cord blood lymphocytes show higher ATP production compared to	peripheral blood lymphocytes from children and adults
Authors: Jayaram Archana , Zeevi Adrianna , Goyal Rakesh K. , Bentlejewski Carol , Lin Yan , Michaels Marian G. 
Published: December 2019

Background: Data on the developmental maturation of the neonatal immune system remains sparse. This study compared the immune response of cord blood (CB) to that of healthy children and adults in response to mitogens, Phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and Concanavalin-A (Con-A). Methods: De-identified CB samples were obtained from healthy women > 36 weeks gestation. Blood was obtained from children attending routine healthcare visits and healthy adults. The Cylex® assay was used to measure ATP production by CD4+ and CD3+ cells in response to PHA and Con-A, respectively. Results: Samples from 17 CB, 16 children and 14 adults were evaluated. After PHA stimulation, ATP production by CB was significantly higher (median 863 ng/mL, 95% CI 735.3–978.6) than children (median 370 ng/mL, 95% CI 225.1–603.1; p< 0.001) and adults (median 522 ng/mL, 95% CI 431.3–609.8; p< 0.001). Similarly, CB showed increased ATP production following Con-A stimulation (median 662 ng/mL, 95% CI 506.4–944.1) compared to children (median 93.4 ng/mL, 95% CI 31.8–163.9; p< 0.001) and adults (median 290 ng/mL, 95% CI 231.8–406.6; p < 0.001). Conclusions: This pilot study shows that CB lymphocytes have a robust in vitro response to mitogen stimulation. Further studies to validate these findings and elucidate their significance in neonatal immune function are warranted.