bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Haemostasis and prevention of bleeding related to ER: The role of a novel self‐assembling peptide
Authors: Subramaniam Sharmila , Kandiah Kesavan , Thayalasekaran Sreedhari , Longcroft-Wheaton Gaius , Bhandari Pradeep 
Published: November 2018

BackgroundEndoscopic resection is now commonly used for removal of early gastrointestinal lesions. However, the risk of the procedure may be heightened by intraprocedural or delayed bleeding. A novel, self‐assembling peptide (PuraStat®) was recently licensed for use as a haemostat.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of this haemostat when used to control intraprocedural bleeding or to prevent delayed bleeding in endoscopic resection.MethodsPuraStat® was used on 100 patients undergoing endoscopic resection in a tertiary referral centre. The efficacy, safety, feasibility of use and delayed bleeding rates were measured.ResultsForty‐eight oesophageal, 31 colorectal, 11 gastric and 10 duodenal procedures were included. The mean lesion size was 3.7 cm and 30% of the patients were on antithrombotic therapy. Intraprocedural bleeding occurred in 64%. PuraStat® was an effective haemostat in 75% of these cases. Only a small amount was required for haemostasis (mean = 1.76 ml) and it took on average 69.5 seconds to stop a bleed. The delayed bleeding rate was 3%.ConclusionsPuraStat® is an effective haemostat for use in controlling bleeds during endoscopic resection. It is safe, easy to use and did not interfere with the procedure.
Iron metabolism under conditions of ineffective erythropoiesis in β-thalassemia
Authors: Rivella Stefano 
Published: November 2018

Abstract
β-Thalassemia (BT) is an inherited genetic disorder that is characterized by ineffective erythropoiesis (IE), leading to anemia and abnormal iron metabolism. IE is an abnormal expansion of the number of erythroid progenitor cells with unproductive synthesis of enucleated erythrocytes, leading to anemia and hypoxia. Anemic patients affected by BT suffer from iron overload, even in the absence of chronic blood transfusion, suggesting the presence of ≥1 erythroid factor with the ability to modulate iron metabolism and dietary iron absorption. Recent studies suggest that decreased erythroid cell differentiation and survival also contribute to IE, aggravating the anemia in BT. Furthermore, hypoxia can also affect and increase iron absorption. Understanding the relationship between iron metabolism and IE could provide important insights into the BT condition and help to develop novel treatments. In fact, genetic or pharmacological manipulations of iron metabolism or erythroid cell differentiation and survival have been shown to improve IE, iron overload, and anemia in animal models of BT. Based on those findings, new therapeutic approaches and drugs have been proposed; clinical trials are underway that have the potential to improve erythrocyte production, as well as to reduce the iron overload and organ toxicity in BT and in other disorders characterized by IE.
Oncolytic viruses and checkpoint inhibitors: combination therapy in clinical trials
Authors: LaRocca Christopher J. , Warner Susanne G. 
Published: November 2018

AbstractAdvances in the understanding of cancer immunotherapy and the development of multiple checkpoint inhibitors have dramatically changed the current landscape of cancer treatment. Recent large‐scale phase III trials (e.g. PHOCUS, OPTiM) are establishing use of oncolytic viruses as another tool in the cancer therapeutics armamentarium. These viruses do not simply lyse cells to achieve their cancer‐killing effects, but also cause dramatic changes in the tumor immune microenvironment. This review will highlight the major vector platforms that are currently in development (including adenoviruses, reoviruses, vaccinia viruses, herpesviruses, and coxsackieviruses) and how they are combined with checkpoint inhibitors. These vectors employ a variety of engineered capsid modifications to enhance infectivity, genome deletions or promoter elements to confer selective replication, and encode a variety of transgenes to enhance anti‐tumor or immunogenic effects. Pre‐clinical and clinical data have shown that oncolytic vectors can induce anti‐tumor immunity and markedly increase immune cell infiltration (including cytotoxic CD8+ T cells) into the local tumor microenvironment. This “priming” by the viral infection can change a ‘cold’ tumor microenvironment into a ‘hot’ one with the influx of a multitude of immune cells and cytokines. This alteration sets the stage for subsequent checkpoint inhibitor delivery, as they are most effective in an environment with a large lymphocytic infiltrate. There are multiple ongoing clinical trials that are currently combining oncolytic viruses with checkpoint inhibitors (e.g. CAPTIVE, CAPRA, and Masterkey‐265), and the initial results are encouraging. It is clear that oncolytic viruses and checkpoint inhibitors will continue to evolve together as a combination therapy for multiple types of cancers.
A MODEST review
Authors: Varri Anna Lisa , Cai Maxwell Xu , Concha-Ramírez Francisca , Dinnbier František , Lützgendorf Nora , Pavlík Václav , Rastello Sara , Sollima Antonio , Wang Long , Zocchi Alice 
Published: November 2018

AbstractWe present an account of the state of the art in the fields explored by the research community invested in “Modeling and Observing DEnse STellar systems”. For this purpose, we take as a basis the activities of the MODEST-17 conference, which was held at Charles University, Prague, in September 2017. Reviewed topics include recent advances in fundamental stellar dynamics, numerical methods for the solution of the gravitational N-body problem, formation and evolution of young and old star clusters and galactic nuclei, their elusive stellar populations, planetary systems, and exotic compact objects, with timely attention to black holes of different classes of mass and their role as sources of gravitational waves.Such a breadth of topics reflects the growing role played by collisional stellar dynamics in numerous areas of modern astrophysics. Indeed, in the next decade many revolutionary instruments will enable the derivation of positions and velocities of individual stars in the Milky Way and its satellites, and will detect signals from a range of astrophysical sources in different portions of the electromagnetic and gravitational spectrum, with an unprecedented sensitivity. On the one hand, this wealth of data will allow us to address a number of long-standing open questions in star cluster studies; on the other hand, many unexpected properties of these systems will come to light, stimulating further progress of our understanding of their formation and evolution.
Reporting children’s food consumption: a comparison of reliability between a 2-day food record and a 7-day food diary
Authors: Rangelov Natalie , Marques-Vidal Pedro , Suggs L. Suzanne 
Published: November 2018

Abstract
Background
Monitoring eating behavior of children is critical to understanding risks for developing nutrition-related diseases in later life. While accurately assessing children’s food intake is important, collecting reliable data about children’s food intake remains challenging. Limited validated tools exist, and issues of dietary intake assessment such as recall accurateness, portion size estimation, and participant burden persist. In a previous study conducted in Switzerland, a 7-day food diary assessing eating behavior of school-aged children was developed and tested for reliability, showing high levels of agreement between parents and children. In this study, a shorter, 2-day food consumption record was developed and tested. The objective of this study was to compare the reliability of the two instruments, measuring the level of agreement between children and their parents when reporting a child’s food consumption.

Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted in Switzerland (April–June 2014) among 589 children and one of their parents, where 299 completed a 7-day diary and 290 completed a 2-day tick box record. Children and parents independently reported what the child ate at six eating occasions. To assess agreement, Cohen’s Kappa, Kendall’s tau-b and Spearman’s non-parametric correlations were used. Lin’s concordance correlation coefficient and corresponding 95% confidence interval was also computed.

Results
With the 2-day food record, Kendall’s tau-b correlations ranged from 0.66 (whole grains) to 0.85 (proteins). Kappa values showed moderate to substantial agreement for all food categories, ranging from 0.47 for dairy products to 0.75 for fat meat and fast food. Agreement between child’s and parent’s reporting was similar for both genders. Large Kendall’s tau-b and Spearman’s correlations were found for almost all foods in all school grades.

Conclusions
The 2-day tick box food record showed a higher level of agreement between parents and children of all ages (7–14) and for both genders as compared to the 7-day food diary. Moreover, the 2-day food record tool simplifies data collection and data entry procedures, while providing reliable data about children’s food intake. Thus, this instrument could be used to reliably collect food intake directly from children without parental involvement.
Task Sharing and Shifting to Provide Pathology Diagnostic Services: The Kenya Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsy Cytology and Bone Marrow Aspiration and Trephine Biopsy Training Program
Authors: Sayed Shahin , Field Andrew , Rajab Jamilla , Mutuiri Anderson , Githanga Jessie , Mungania Mary , Okinda Nancy , Moloo Zahir , Abdillah Abubakar , Ayara Brian , Chesori Erick , Muthua Julia , Obosy Leah , Massawa Thaddeus , Obiero Okoth , Kagotho Elizabeth , Shikuku Peter K. , Gachii Andrew K. , Migide Eunida , Muninzwa Donstefano , Dawsey Sanford M. , Muchiri Lucy 
Published: November 2018

Purpose Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) cytology is a simple, inexpensive, and accurate diagnostic test for benign, infectious, and malignant lesions of the breast, thyroid, lymph nodes, and other organs. Similarly, bone marrow aspiration and trephine (BMAT) biopsy procedures are relatively simple and inexpensive techniques that are important for diagnosing and monitoring many hematologic diseases including leukemias and lymphomas. However, the scarcity of pathologists in Kenya limits patient access to these simple diagnostic tests. We describe a task sharing and shifting program that sought to improve the provision of FNABs and BMAT biopsies in tertiary public hospitals in Kenya. Methods Between January 2016 and February 2017, we trained pathologists, pathology residents, and technologists from the University of Nairobi and Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi, in FNAB and BMAT biopsies, who in turn trained pathologists, medical officers (MO), clinical officers (CO), and technologists at five tertiary public hospitals. The program involved curriculum development, training workshops, the establishment of new and strengthening existing FNAB and BMAT biopsy clinics, interim site visits, audits, and stakeholder workshops. Results Fifty-one medical personnel at the tertiary hospitals were trained. The FNAB numbers increased by 41% to 1,681, with 139 malignant diagnoses (7.1%). BMAT biopsy numbers increased by 268% to 140, with 34 malignant cases. Between 60% and 100% of the FNAB and BMAT biopsy procedures were performed by MO and CO over the project period. One new FNAB and two new BMAT biopsy clinics were established. Conclusion This project demonstrates a successful model of task sharing and shifting from specialist pathologists to MO and CO that improved access to important FNAB and BMAT biopsy services in a low-resource setting.
Genomic architecture differences at the HTT locus underlie symptomatic and pre-symptomatic cases of Huntington’s disease.
Authors: Salter Matthew , Powell Ryan , Back Jennifer , Grand Francis , Koutsothanasi Christina , Green Jayne , Hunter Ewan , Ramadass Aroul , Westra Jurjen , Akoulitchev Alexandre 
Published: November 2018

Background:Huntington’s disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative condition that causes degeneration of neurons in the brain, ultimately leading to death. The root cause of HD is an expanded trinucleotide cytosine-adenine-guanine (CAG) repeat in the “huntingtin gene” (HTT). While there is a rough correlation between the number of CAG repeats and disease onset, the development of clinical symptoms can vary by decades within individuals and little is known about this pre-symptomatic phase.Methods:Using peripheral blood samples from HD patients and healthy controls we usedEpiSwitch™, a validated high-resolution industrial platform for the detection of chromosome conformations, to assess chromatin architecture in the immediate vicinity of theHTTgene. We evaluated chromatin conformations at 20 sites across 225 kb of theHTTlocus in healthy controls, verified symptomatic HD patients (CAG, n>39) and patients with CAG expansions who had not yet manifested clinical symptoms of HD.Results:Discrete chromosome conformations were observed across the patient groups. We found two constitutive interactions (occurring in all patient groups) and seven conditional interactions which were present in HD, but not in healthy controls. Most important, we observed three conditional interactions that were present only in HD patients manifesting clinical symptoms (symptomatic cases), but not in presymptomatic cases. Of the patients in the symptomatic HD cohort, 86% (6 out of 7) demonstrated at least one of the specific chromosome conformations associated with symptomatic HD.Conclusion:Our results provide the first evidence that chromatin architecture at theHTTlocus is systemically altered in patients with HD, with conditional differences between clinical stages. Given the high clinical need in having a molecular tool to assess disease progression in HD, these results strongly suggest that the non-invasive assessment of chromosome conformation signatures can be a valuable addition to prognostic assessment of HD patients.
Effects of virtual reality and motor imagery techniques using Fugl Meyer Assessment scale in post-stroke patients
Authors: Alves Suélen Santos , Ocamoto Gabriela Nagai , de Camargo Patrícia Silva , Santos Adriana Teresa Silva , Terra Andreia Maria Silva Vilela 
Published: November 2018

Background/Aims:To compare the effects of motor imagery and virtual reality techniques through the Fugl Meyer Assessment scale in post-stroke individuals.Methods:The volunteers were allocated into three groups: control group without intervention, but receiving conventional therapy (control group); a group that received a motor imagery programme (motor imagery group); and a group that received a virtual reality programme (virtual reality group). The Fugl Meyer Upper Extremity Scale was the evaluation method adopted.Findings:There were significant differences between the motor imagery group programme intragroup comparison (P=0.005) and the virtual reality group intragroup comparison (P=0.000). There was no significant difference between the control group intragroup comparison (P=0.160), between the intergroup comparisons in the control group and the motor imagery group (P=0.163), and the intergroup comparisons between the motor imagery group and the virtual reality group (P=0.689). There was statistical significance for the intergroup comparison of the control group and the virtual reality group (P=0.031).Conclusions:Motor imagery and virtual reality are both able to increase motor function through the Fugl Meyer Upper Extremity Scale. Virtual reality has not proved to be more effective than motor imagery. Virtual reality might be more effective than conventional therapy; however, further studies with standardised protocols are necessary.
Uncontrolled gelatin degradation in non-healing chronic wounds
Authors: Trøstrup Hannah , Holstein Per , Karlsmark Tonny , Moser Claus , Ågren Magnus S. 
Published: November 2018

Objective:To compare matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 and the antiproteinase tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP)-1 in wound fluids and sera from patients with chronic non-healing or acute healing wounds. In addition, the functional consequences on MMP-9 activity and general gelatinase activity were assessed.Method:In this observational study, samples were collected from patients with venous leg ulcers (VLUs), patients with type 2 diabetes with neuropathic foot ulcers (DFUs), and from another cohort of VLU patients with sterile split-thickness skin graft donor sites after autologous skin grafting, serving as healing control wounds. MMP-9 and TIMP-1 concentrations were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. MMP-9 and gelatinase activities were determined in wound fluids in subsets of the patients.Results:A total of 24 patients took part in the study. No significant differences in MMP-9 wound fluid levels were found among the three groups. TIMP-1 levels were markedly and significantly lower in the two chronic wound groups resulting in a severely unbalanced MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio, especially notable in the VLU group and possibly in the elevated endogenous MMP-9 activity (p<0.01) compared with the acute wound fluids. At least 20% of the chronic wound fluids displayed atypical patterns on gelatin zymography and showed high general gelatinase activity that was not inhibited by either TIMP-1 or by a gelatinase inhibitor (AG3340). MMP-9 levels were higher in the sera of the patients with type 2 diabetes.Conclusion:We hypothesise that non-MMP proteinases contribute to matrix destruction in a significant number of chronic wounds. Blocking the excessive MMP-9 activity may be insufficient to normalise wound healing. The reasons and effects of the very low TIMP-1 levels in chronic wounds need further clarification.
Effects of haem oxygenase-1 expression on oxidative injury and biological behaviours of rat dermal fibroblasts
Authors: Li Qing-ling , Guo Ruo-mi , Zhao Kun , Lin Diao-zhu , Ye Xiao-ming , Chen Li-hong 
Published: November 2018

Objective: This study investigated the effects of high haem oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression on oxidative injury and the biological behaviours of rat dermal fibroblasts, under high glucose conditions. Method: Rat dermal fibroblasts were cultured in normal glucose (1.0g/l), high glucose (4.5g/l) or haemin (5μm). A bilirubin kit, real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting measured the protease activity, mRNA, and protein levels of HO-1, respectively. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit measured media levels of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and collagen (hydroxyproline) secretion. Cell proliferation was measured using flow cytometry. Cell apoptosis was measured using Hoechst 33258 staining and flow cytometry. The transwell method and scratch test evaluated cell migration. Results: HO-1 expression exhibited a time-dependent change that was lowest in the high glucose (HG) group at 96 hours compared with the normal glucose (NG) group. In the HG group, the 8-OHdG, ROS and cell apoptosis were increased, and collagen secretion, cell proliferation and cell migration (horizontal and vertical) were decreased compared with the NG group at 96 hours. Haemin treatment sustained high HO-1 expression for at least 96 hours, and the cells exhibited decreased 8-OHdG and ROS, increased collagen synthesis, improved proliferation and migration ability, and decreased apoptosis in the NG and haemin (NH) group/HG and haemin (HH) group compared with the NG/HG groups. These cells recovered from oxidative injury and biological behaviours dysfunction. Conclusion: Haemin induces HO-1 expression in fibroblasts and it may influence the oxidative injury and biological behaviours of fibroblasts. These findings suggest that HO-1 may accelerate the healing of diabetic wounds via alleviation of oxidative injury and improvement of biological behaviours of fibroblasts.
A Multi-level Evidence-based Cyber Crime Prosecution Information System
Authors: Adah Agana Moses , Wario Ruth 
Published: November 2018

This research work was designed to utilize multi-level cyber crime detection and control system to provide enhanced real-time evidence to cyber crime investigators to aid them in prosecuting cyber criminals. The design was based on a robust system combining user-identity, device identity, geographical location and user activities to provide evidences to uniquely identify a cyber user and detect crimes committed. The system captures the user’s facial image and biometric finger print as mandatory login parameters in addition to username and password before granting access. The system was tested and implemented in a real time cyber security website www.ganamos.org. The results showed that it is possible to divulge the identity of cyber users and associate their activities with the devices they use, the date, time and location of operation. These can provide real-time evidences to law enforcement agencies to track down and prosecute cyber criminals.
Optimal Sizing of UPQC to Mitigate Power Quality Issues Using ANF Controller
Authors: Vadivu U. Senthil , K. Keshavan B. 
Published: November 2018

A design of compact converter based Unified Power Quality Conditioner (UPQC) is proposed to alleviate the power quality issues on both linear and non-linear load by means of a four switch three phase series and shunt converter with DC link capacitor. DC-link voltage regulation is obtained by Photovoltaic based boost converter. The recommended four switch converter system not only reduces the switching losses but also the cost of the converter as well as it reduces the number of active elements. Balancing of capacitors leg, filters and transformer are chosen based on the amount of sag and swell magnitude. The proposed scheme is implemented using sinusoidal pulse width modulation, simple space vector pulse width modulation and PI-Fuzzy control strategy to verify power quality issues like sag, swell and harmonics compensation added with the control performances. The performance of the optimized system is validated through simulations using MATLAB/SIMULINK.
Grundy Number of Some Chordal Graphs
Authors: Nagarathinam R. , Parvathi N. , . . 
Published: November 2018

For a given graph G and integer k, the Coloring problem is that of testing whether G has a k-coloring, that is, whether there exists a vertex mapping c : V → {1, 2, . . .} such that c(u) 12â‰ "> c(v) for every edge uv ∈ E. For proper coloring, colors assigned must be minimum, but for Grundy coloring which should be maximum. In this instance, Grundy numbers of chordal graphs like Cartesian product of two path graphs, join of the path and complete graphs and the line graph of tadpole have been executed
Wearable Sensor and Internet of Things Technology for Better Medical Science: A Review
Authors: Olivia Putri Arisa , A. M. Ali Musab , Saad Mohammad , Samsul Hidayat Sidiq 
Published: November 2018

E-health becomes one of the internet's products for healthcare. The problems of health service such as far hospital and expensive examination fees become the emergence of this technology. Consequently, people reluctant to check their health to hospital. E-health provides information on disease prevention, detecting early symptoms, and monitoring the patient's condition based on medical parameters from a far distance. Internet of things became the main concept in this system, which combines wearable sensors, communication systems, and mobile user interfaces. Reliable and valid system, easily carried, help the doctor to monitor patients from far distance expectantly to overcome the problems. The aims of this paper review are describing how an internet of things technology and wearable sensor help medical science and find the best way to create a health monitoring system.Â Â Â