bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A comparative study on surgical site infection in cases of open and laparoscopic appendicectomy
Authors: Pandey Priyansh , Swarnkar Manish M. , Jain S. C. 
Published: September 2018

Background: Diagnosis of acute appendicitis is mostly based on clinical features pointing towards appendicitis. Several biochemical parameters, such as the white blood cell (WBC) count, and neutrophil percentage, are currently used to aid clinical diagnosis. Without immediate surgery, appendicitis may progress to perforation of the appendix. This study was carried out to determine rate of SSI in open versus laparoscopic appendicectomy for acute appendicitis and to identify independent risk factors for SSI.Methods: Appendicitis is a common cause of pain in right iliac fossa worldwide. The present study was carried out in the Department of General Surgery, Acharya Vinoba Bhave Rural Hospital, affiliated to Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Sawangi, Wardha, from August 2015 to July 2017. This study was conducted after the due clearance from Institutional Ethical committee. Total 132 patients admitted to the surgery ward with acute lower abdominal pain with clinical features of acute appendicitis on clinical examination, were studied prospectively.Results: In the present study, maximum patients were seen in less than 20 years of age and next commonest age group of presentation was 21-30 years. The male to female sex ratio was 1:1.3 in the laparoscopic appendectomy group while in the open appendectomy group was 1.81:1. The incidence of complicated intra-operative findings and mean white blood cell count was more in the open appendectomy group. The mean operative time, days for use of analgesics, time taken to return to soft diet and length of hospital stay for laparoscopic appendectomy group was less than the open appendectomy group. There were more cases of surgical site infection in the patients operated by open approach than laparoscopic approach.Conclusions: Wound class II versus III and NNIS index were found to be significantly associated with surgical site infection.
Management of staple line stricture with new laser four quadrant stricturoplasty: a case series
Authors: Porwal Ashwin , Maheshwari Jaya 
Published: September 2018

Background: To assess the outcomes of Laser Four Quadrant stricturoplasty surgery in patients with staple line anal stricture post MIPH and STARR surgery.Methods: A prospective observational study was planned with purposive sampling. Cases with staple line stricture during the period February 2014 to July 2015 were included. There were 30 patients included in the study after informed consent and ethical clearance from hospital ethical committee. The data collected was background data, history of previous surgery, duration of Laser Four Quadrant stricturoplasty and Hospital stay, post-operative relief of symptoms and any complications, assessment of pain on VAS up to one year follow up period, overall patients’ satisfaction.Results: Out of 30 patients, 22 anal stricture patients were post STARR surgery and 8 were post MIPH surgery. The mean surgery and hospitalization duration were 24.48±6.31 minutes and 13.72±4.30 hours respectively. Symptoms reported were Obstructed defecation (n=30), painful evacuation (n=30) and episodes of minor rectal bleeding (n=9). There was significant (p<0.0001) reduction in pain from preoperative 7.13±1.04 to 1.13±0.54, 0.27±0.45, 0.16±0.38 and 0.06±0.25 at baseline (post-operative), day 7, month 1 and month 3 respectively. At the end of one year, 86.67% patient were highly satisfied, 13.33 % were not satisfied. Recurrence was reported by 3 patients within 6 to 10 weeks post-surgery.Conclusions: Laser Four Quadrant Stricturoplasty is an easy and effective surgery for the treatment of staple line stricture with a low recurrence rate.
A study on clinicopathology of fistula in ano
Authors: Phinehas Emil , Parimala Mayandi , Ravishankar Jeyaraj 
Published: September 2018

Background: Perianal fistula is a common surgical problem which poses great discomfort to patients and causes prolonged morbidity when improperly managed or developed complications. Its management protocols are ill defined, and the efficacy of newer treatment modalities are not well established. The aim of the study was to study the clinicopathology of Perianal fistula and its prognostic factors.Methods: This was a prospective study conducted at the Department of General Surgery, Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital between August 2014 and July 2015. Purposive sampling method was used select patients with fistula in ano. After obtaining informed consent, patient details were collected in pre-tested structured questionnaire. Data entry and analysis were done using SPSS software.Results: Males between thirty and fifty years were the most affected population. Most of the patients had no co-morbidities while Diabetes Mellitus was the prevalent co-morbid factor, seen especially in the elderly. MRI fistulogram was the investigation of choice. Fistulotomy was the preferred procedure. Recurrence of fistula was an unavoidable morbidity.Conclusions: Proper preoperative evaluation which includes MRI fistulogram and planning the treatment is essential to prevent complications. Fistulotomy is the preferred treatment especially in patients with trans-sphincteric fistula and those with evidence of infection or secondary tract. The prognosis, if properly managed is very good, so proper management protocols need to be established.
Open versus primary repair following hemorrhoidectomy for Grade III hemorrhoids: a prospective comparative study
Authors: Moghadam Abdul Ghader Barazandeh , Mohammad Shoaibuddin , Khan Bushra 
Published: September 2018

Background: The debate on open versus primary closure following haemorrhoidectomy continues to be active. Despite other methods like doppler guided haemorrhoidal artery ligation, sclerotherapy, cryotherapy, banding; open haemorrhoidectomy is performed at many places. The never-ending discussion on the better choice between open versus primary repair led to the initiation of this work.Methods: This is a prospective comparative study of a contiguous and continuous cohort of 105 cases. Alternate cases were assigned for either of the procedures. Only grade III haemorrhoids were included. Grade I and II haemorrhoids, cases treated earlier and recurrent haemorrhoids were excluded. Multiple parameters like duration of surgery, intraoperative and post-operative bleeding, pain duration and severity, time taken to return to work, use of dressings and sitz bath, wound healing time and stenosis were studied. A blinded statistical analysis was done by a third-party statistician. Results: Primary haemorrhoidectomy took a significantly longer time (P value- 0.0043). Pain was significantly less with open haemorrhoidecomy (P value- 0.0023). Post-operative pain was significant in primary repair. Pain was assessed using visual analogue scale and verbal rating scale. Open haemorrhoidectomy took a significantly longer time to heal (P value: 0.0004) and return to work (P value: 0.0001). Primary repair had stenosis requiring dilatation in a few cases. Statistical analysis was done in all cases. Conclusions: Primary repair seems to be preferred because of shorter duration of recovery despite more pain and occasional anal stenosis.
A comparative study in between tropical honey and povidone dressing in diabetic wounds in a medical college of Northern India
Authors: Yadav Akhilesh Kumar , Dwivedi Sankalp , Desai Siddharth 
Published: September 2018

Background: The study was done to compare outcomes with dressings of honey to povidone iodine in the management of diabetic foot ulcers.Methods: The present study was carried out for a period of three years from June 2016 to July 2018 in a medical college of northern India. About 200 patients who presented with features of diabetic foot were selected randomly and included in this study and divided into two groups based upon the subsequent treatment of raw area with honey and povidone- iodine respectively.Results: A total of 200 patients were studied. Group I consist of 100 patients out of which 58 were males and 42 females while in Group II there were 56 males and 44 females. The age range in group I was 46 to 75 years while the age range in group II was 48 to 82 years. In case of group I time of healing was 7- 75 days with median of 28 while in group II time of healing was 7- 60 days with median of 18 days. In case of group II time of healing was 7-60 days with median of 18 days, hospital stay was 7- 34 days with median of 12 days.Conclusions: In terms of hospital stay, time of healing, allergy to material and need for amputation honey was found to be better than povidone iodine solution for dressing of diabetic foot ulcers.
Culturally Adapted, Web-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Spanish-Speaking Individuals With Substance Use Disorders: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Paris Manuel , Silva Michelle , Añez-Nava Luis , Jaramillo Yudilyn , Kiluk Brian D. , Gordon Melissa A. , Nich Charla , Frankforter Tami , Devore Kathleen , Ball Samuel A. , Carroll Kathleen M. 
Published: September 2018

Objectives. To evaluate whether adding Web-based cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT) to standard outpatient psychiatric or addiction treatment improved substance use outcomes. Methods. We conducted a randomized clinical trial in New Haven, Connecticut, between 2014 and 2017 comparing 8 weeks of standard outpatient treatment to the same treatment with access to a culturally adapted version of Web-based CBT with a 6-month follow-up. Participants were 92 treatment-seeking individuals with Spanish as their primary language and current substance use disorder, with few other restrictions. Results. Treatment completion and data availability were high (98% of the randomized sample). For the primary outcome (change in frequency of primary substance used), there was a significant effect of treatment condition by time (t 1, 718 = −2.64; 95% confidence interval = −0.61, 0.09; P = .01), indicating significantly greater reductions for those assigned to Web CBT, which were durable through the 6-month follow-up. The knowledge test indicated significantly greater increases for those assigned to Web CBT. Conclusions. Adding a culturally adapted version of Web-based CBT to standard treatment improved substance use outcomes. Public Health Implications. This approach has high potential to address health disparities by providing an easily accessible, inexpensive form of evidence-based treatment to a range of Latinos with substance use disorders.
The Physician’s Duty to Treat During Pandemics
Authors: Orentlicher David 
Published: September 2018

Physicians assume a primary ethical duty to place the welfare of their patients above their own interests. Thus, for example, physicians must not exploit the patient–physician relationship for personal financial gain through the practice of self-referral. But how far does the duty to patient welfare extend? Must physicians assume a serious risk to their own health to ensure that patients receive needed care? In the past, physicians were expected to provide care during pandemics without regard to the risk to their own health. In recent decades, however, the duty to treat during pandemics has suffered from erosion even while the risks to physicians from meeting the duty has gone down. After exploring the historical evolution of the duty to treat and the reasons for the duty, I conclude that restoring a strong duty to treat would protect patient welfare without subjecting physicians to undue health risks.
The Effect of the Australian National Firearms Agreement on Suicide and Homicide Mortality, 1978–2015
Authors: Gilmour Stuart , Wattanakamolkul Kittima , Sugai Maaya Kita 
Published: September 2018

Objectives. To investigate the impact of the Australian National Firearms Agreement (NFA) on suicide and assault mortality. Methods. We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional difference-in-difference study of the impact of the NFA on national mortality rates in the Australian population from 1961 to 2015. Results. The NFA had no additional statistically observable impact on firearm-related suicides in women (P = .09) and was associated with a statistically significant increase in the trend in men (P < .001). Trends in non–firearm-related suicide deaths declined by 4.4% per year (95% confidence interval [CI] = 4.1%, 4.8%) in men after the introduction of the NFA and increased in women by 0.3% (95% CI = 0.1%, 0.7%). Trends in non–firearm-related homicides declined by 2.2% per year (95% CI = 1.5, 3.8%) in women and 2.9% per year (95% CI = 2.0%, 3.7%) in men after the introduction of the NFA, with a statistically significant improvement in trends for women (P = .04) but not for men (P = .80). Conclusions. The NFA had no statistically observable additional impact on suicide or assault mortality attributable to firearms in Australia.
Rollover Protective Structures, Worker Safety, and Cost-Effectiveness: New York, 2011–2017
Authors: Myers Melvin , Kelsey Timothy , Tinc Pam , Sorensen Julie , Jenkins Paul 
Published: September 2018

Objectives. To measure cost-effectiveness of an intervention to increase retrofitting of rollover protective structures (ROPS) on tractors. Methods. Tractor overturns are the leading cause of farm fatalities. ROPS prevent these deaths. This study updates a 2011 cost-effectiveness assessment of a New York State intervention to increase use of ROPS. We subtracted intervention cost from the cost of injuries averted, then divided this figure by the number of averted injuries. We used related probabilities and costs of fatalities and injuries from published literature to calculate the program’s cost-effectiveness. Results. The total cost of the injuries averted from 2007 to 2017 was $6 018 742 versus a total program cost of $1 776 608. The one-time retrofit costs will continue to prevent injuries as long as the tractors are used, generating additional (projected) future savings of $12 136 512, $15 781 027, and $18 924 818 if retrofitted tractors remain in operation 15, 20, or 25 years after their retrofit. Conclusions. Social marketing was cost-effective for reducing injuries from tractor overturns. Public Health Implications. These results indicate that the intervention model is effective from both a public health and economic standpoint and should be expanded into other states.
Parent-Based Intervention to Improve Child Restraint Use Among Kindergarteners in China
Authors: Lei Huiqian , Gao Ran , Yang Jingzhen , Li Liping 
Published: September 2018

Objectives. To evaluate the effectiveness of parent-based child restraint system (CRS) education and hands-on CRS installation training. Methods. We conducted a randomized trial with cluster sampling from May 2016 to January 2017 in 6 selected kindergarten classes in Shantou and Chaozhou, China. Parents were randomly assigned to receive 1 of the 3 study conditions: CRS education only, CRS education plus hands-on CRS installation training, or control (child electricity safety). Results. Three months after the intervention, significantly higher CRS use was reported in the CRS education plus hands-on CRS installation training group than was reported in the control group (41.2% vs 18.5%; P = .011). However, no significant difference in CRS use was found between the CRS education only and the control groups (26.7% vs 18.5%; P = .33). The ratings on child passenger safety awareness increased significantly in both intervention groups but remained unchanged in the control group after the intervention. Conclusions. The CRS education plus hands-on CRS installation training increased the use of child restraints, but the CRS education only condition did not. Both intervention methods helped to improve child passenger safety awareness.
Substrate and operational conditions as regulators of fluid properties in full-scale continuous stirred-tank biogas reactors – implications for rheology-driven power requirements
Authors: Björn Annika , Šafarič Luka , Karlsson Anna , Danielsson Åsa , Ejlertsson Jörgen , Svensson Bo H. , Yekta Sepehr Shakeri 
Published: September 2018

Abstract
Understanding fluid rheology is important for optimal design and operation of continuous stirred-tank biogas reactors (CSTBRs) and is the basis for power requirement estimates. Conflicting results have been reported regarding the applicability of total solid (TS) and/or total volatile solid (TVS) contents of CSTBR fluids as proxies for rheological properties. Thus, the present study investigates relationships between rheological properties of 12 full-scale CSTBR fluids, their substrate profiles, and major operational conditions, including pH, TS and TVS contents, organic loading rate, hydraulic retention time, and temperature. Rheology-driven power requirements based on various fluid characteristics were evaluated for a general biogas reactor setup. The results revealed a significant correlation only between the rheological fluid properties and TS or TVS contents for sewage sludge digesters and thermophilic co-digesters (CD), but not for mesophilic CD. Furthermore, the calculated power requirements for pumping and mixing, based on the various fluid characteristics of the studied CSTBRs, varied broadly irrespective of TS and TVS contents. Thus, this study shows that the TS and/or TVS contents of digester fluid are not reliable estimators of the rheological properties in CSTBRs digesting substrates other than sewage sludge.
Equilibrium, kinetics and thermodynamics of Cu(II) biosorption on Chinese chestnut shell pretreated with steam explosion
Authors: Qie Li-Mei , Yao Zeng-Yu , Li Guo-Wei , Xie Sang-Bin , Yang Qi , Qi Jian-Hua 
Published: September 2018

AbstractThe shells of Chinese chestnuts (Castanea mollissima) are an agricultural residue. This work aimed to evaluate this feasibility of using steam explosion to modify this residue for Cu(II) biosorption from aqueous solutions. Equilibrium, kinetic and thermodynamic parameters were evaluated. The steam-explosion pretreatment increased the surface area of the chestnut shell and exposed more hydroxyl and carboxyl groups, which are binding sites for Cu(II). It changed the sorption from a spontaneous process driven by enthalpy to a nonspontaneous one driven by entropy. It increased the Cu(II) sorption capacity at higher temperatures while it decreased the capacity at lower ones. Compared with untreated chestnut shell, the steam-exploded shell is preferable for Cu(II) sorption at higher temperatures.
Genetic algorithm and artificial neural network model for prediction of discoloration dye from an electro-oxidation process in a press-type reactor
Authors: Picos Alain , Peralta-Hernández Juan M. 
Published: September 2018

Abstract
This study evaluates the effectiveness of an artificial neural network-genetic algorithm (ANN-GA) artificial intelligence (AI) model in the prediction of behavior and optimization of an electro-oxidation pilot press-type reactor, which treats a synthetic wastewater prepared with a dye. The ANN was built from real experimental data using as input the following variables: time, flow, j, dye concentration, and as output discoloration. The performance of the ANN was measured with MAPE (8.3868%), calculated from real and predicted values. The coupled AI model was used to find the best operational conditions: discoloration efficiency (above 90%) at j = 27 mA/cm2 and dye concentration of 230 mg/L.
Efficient removal of heavy metals from melting effluent using multifunctional hydrogel adsorbents
Authors: Ma Jianhong , Zhang Yuanmeng , Tang Yanhong , Wei Yuanfeng , Liu Yutang , Liu Chengbin 
Published: September 2018

Abstract
It is hard to balance high water permeability and good mechanical strength of hydrogel adsorbents. In this study, an enhanced double network hydrogel adsorbent of poly (vinyl alcohol)/poly(2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid) (PVA/PAMPS) was prepared via simple free-radical polymerization. Hydrophilic PAMPS guaranteed high swellability of the adsorbent, which made the sufficient diffusion of metal ions towards adsorbent inside. Meanwhile, the cross-linkage between PVA and PAMPS chains ensured good mechanical strength of the adsorbent. Significantly, the introduction of multifunctional groups (-NHR, -SO3H and -OH) endowed the adsorbent with both chelation and ion exchange function for enhancing heavy metal adsorption. The maximum adsorption capacities of Pb2+ and Cd2+ reached 340 and 155.1 mg/g, respectively. The adsorbent could efficiently remove heavy metals in melting effluent, especially Pb2+ and Cd2+. The removal efficiencies reached 88.1% for Pb2+, 91.4% for Cd2+, 70.4% for Zn2+, 77.4% for Cu2+, 42.5% for Mn2+, 45.1% for Ni2+ and 95.4% for Fe3+ using 2 g/L adsorbent in 2 h. Moreover, the adsorbent showed a good reusability, and the removal efficiencies maintained 94% for Pb2+ and 93% for Cd2+ in the fifth cycle (m/V = 1 g dry gel/L). This work developed a highly practical hydrogel adsorbent for heavy metal removal from wastewater.
A Review of Recent Advances and Research on Drug Target Identification Methods
Authors: Hu Yang , Zhao Tianyi , Zhang Ningyi , Zhang Ying , Cheng Liang 
Published: September 2018

Background:From a therapeutic viewpoint, understanding how drugs bind and regulate the functions of their target proteins to protect against disease is crucial. The identification of drug targets plays a significant role in drug discovery and studying the mechanisms of diseases. Therefore the development of methods to identify drug targets has become a popular issue.Methods:We systematically review the recent work on identifying drug targets from the view of data and method. We compiled several databases that collect data more comprehensively and introduced several commonly used databases. Then divided the methods into two categories: biological experiments and machine learning, each of which is subdivided into different subclasses and described in detail.Results:Machine learning algorithms are the majority of new methods. Generally, an optimal set of features is chosen to predict successful new drug targets with similar properties. The most widely used features include sequence properties, network topological features, structural properties, and subcellular locations. Since various machine learning methods exist, improving their performance requires combining a better subset of features and choosing the appropriate model for the various datasets involved.Conclusion:The application of experimental and computational methods in protein drug target identification has become increasingly popular in recent years. Current biological and computational methods still have many limitations due to unbalanced and incomplete datasets or imperfect feature selection methods