bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Pluronic-based nano-self-assemblies of bacitracin A with a new mechanism of action for an efficient in vivo therapeutic effect against bacterial peritonitis
Authors: Hong Wei , Liu Lipeng , Zhao Yining , Liu Yinghui , Zhang Dexian , Liu Mingchun 
Published: September 2018

Abstract
Background
Although assemblies of hydrophobic-modified bacitracin A with PLGA (Nano-BAPLGA) have demonstrated promising antibacterial activities against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, the desirable antibacterial potency has remained challenging due to the low solubility of Nano-BAPLGA. To address this tissue, a series of Pluronic copolymers (Pluronic® F127, Pluronic® P123 and Pluronic® P85) were selected to link the N-terminus of bacitracin A to construct Pluronic-based nano-self assemblies (Nano-BAF127, Nano-BAP123 and Nano-BAP85).

Results
Impressively, all the newly designed Pluronic-based Nano-BAs possessed higher solubility and stronger effectiveness against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria compared with Nano-BAPLGA, especially the modification with Pluronic® P85. Surface tension measurements indicated that Nano-BAP85 was much more tensioactive than Nano-BAPLGA, which usually translated into a good membranolytic effect. Fluorescence spectroscopy and electron microscopy analyses confirmed the speculation that the cell wall/membrane might be the main action target of Nano-BAP85 by permeabilizing the cell membrane and damaging the membrane integrity. In vivo results further demonstrated that Nano-BAP85 significantly suppressed bacterial growth and prolonged survival time in the bacterial peritonitis mouse model with negligible toxicity.

Conclusions
Collectively, the membrane targeting mechanism of action is entirely distinct from those of clinically used antibacterial agents. Furthermore, the new approach of construction nanoantibiotics based on the modification of commercially available antibiotics with Pluronic copolymers is demonstrated to have an efficient therapeutic effect against bacterial infection.
Feasibility of Implementing the Patient-Reported Outcomes Version of the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events in a Multicenter Trial: NCCTG N1048
Authors: Basch Ethan , Dueck Amylou C. , Rogak Lauren J. , Mitchell Sandra A. , Minasian Lori M. , Denicoff Andrea M. , Wind Jennifer K. , Shaw Mary C. , Heon Narre , Shi Qian , Ginos Brenda , Nelson Garth D. , Meyers Jeffrey P. , Chang George J. , Mamon Harvey J. , Weiser Martin R. , Kolevska Tatjana , Reeve Bryce B. , Bruner Deborah Watkins , Schrag Deborah 
Published: September 2018

Purpose The US National Cancer Institute (NCI) Patient-Reported Outcomes version of the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (PRO-CTCAE) was developed to enable patient reporting of symptomatic adverse events in oncology clinical research. This study was designed to assess the feasibility and resource requirements associated with implementing PRO-CTCAE in a multicenter trial. Methods Patients with locally advanced rectal cancer enrolled in the National Cancer Institute–sponsored North Central Cancer Treatment Group (Alliance) Preoperative Radiation or Selective Preoperative Radiation and Evaluation before Chemotherapy and Total Mesorectal Excision trial were asked to self-report 30 PRO-CTCAE items weekly from home during preoperative therapy, and every 6 months after surgery, via either the Web or an automated telephone system. If participants did not self-report within 3 days, a central coordinator called them to complete the items. Compliance was defined as the proportion of participants who completed PRO-CTCAE assessments at expected time points. Results The prespecified PRO-CTCAE analysis was conducted after the 500th patient completed the 6-month follow-up (median age, 56 years; 33% female; 12% nonwhite; 43% high school education or less; 5% Spanish speaking), across 165 sites. PRO-CTCAE was reported by participants at 4,491 of 4,882 expected preoperative time points (92.0% compliance), of which 3,771 (77.2%) were self-reported by participants and 720 (14.7%) were collected via central coordinator backup. Compliance at 6-month post-treatment follow-up was 333 of 468 (71.2%), with 122 (26.1%) via backup. Site research associates spent a median of 15 minutes on PRO-CTCAE work for each patient visit. Work by a central coordinator required a 50% time commitment. Conclusion Home-based reporting of PRO-CTCAE in a multicenter trial is feasible, with high patient compliance and low site administrative requirements. PRO-CTCAE data capture is improved through centralized backup calls.
Interaction between a Single-Stranded DNA and a Binding Protein Viewed by the Fragment Molecular Orbital Method
Authors: Komeiji Yuto , Okiyama Yoshio , Mochizuki Yuji , Fukuzawa Kaori 
Published: September 2018

Abstract
The interaction between a single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and a binding protein (Sulfolobus solfataricus ssDNA binding protein, SSB) were investigated by the ab initio fragment molecular orbital (FMO) method in explicit solvent. The calculated overall energy change upon complexation suggested that the ssDNA/SSB association is not strong. Nonetheless, more detailed analysis of interfragment interaction energy (IFIE) and pair interaction energy decomposition analysis (PIEDA) indicated that the ssDNA/SSB association is based upon a minute balance of various contributions of local structural parts of the molecules. The most stabilizing contribution was that by the electrostatic interaction between the sugar–phosphate backbone of ssDNA and charged side chains of SSB, and the second was that by the stacking interaction between bases of ssDNA and aromatic side chains of SSB. Thus, though the overall association energy change was small, the local interactions were suggested to contribute to the association.
Taxa: An R package implementing data standards and methods for taxonomic data
Authors: Foster Zachary S.L. , Chamberlain Scott , Grünwald Niklaus J. 
Published: September 2018

The taxa R package provides a set of tools for defining and manipulating taxonomic data. The recent and widespread application of DNA sequencing to community composition studies is making large data sets with taxonomic information commonplace. However, compared to typical tabular data, this information is encoded in many different ways and the hierarchical nature of taxonomic classifications makes it difficult to work with. There are many R packages that use taxonomic data to varying degrees but there is currently no cross-package standard for how this information is encoded and manipulated. We developed the R package taxa to provide a robust and flexible solution to storing and manipulating taxonomic data in R and any application-specific information associated with it. Taxa provides parsers that can read common sources of taxonomic information (taxon IDs, sequence IDs, taxon names, and classifications) from nearly any format while preserving associated data. Once parsed, the taxonomic data and any associated data can be manipulated using a cohesive set of functions modeled after the popular R package dplyr. These functions take into account the hierarchical nature of taxa and can modify the taxonomy or associated data in such a way that both are kept in sync. Taxa is currently being used by the metacoder and taxize packages, which provide broadly useful functionality that we hope will speed adoption by users and developers.
Cardiac catheterisation: the healthcare assistant and assistant practitioner's role
Authors: Flatman Lewis 
Published: September 2018

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death in the UK. Cardiac catheterisation is used to provide access to the coronary arteries, allowing cardiologists to take images and treat heart disease. This article aims to provide a brief overview of the arterial system and reasons for cardiac catheterisation. How healthcare assistants and assistant practitioners can support senior staff in preparation and post-procedural care is also explored throughout the article.
Equine obesity: current perspectives
Authors: Rendle David , McGregor Argo Caroline , Bowen Mark , Carslake Harry , German Alex , Harris Pat , Knowles Edd , Menzies-Gow Nicola , Morgan Ruth 
Published: September 2018

ForewordEquine obesity is now so common that is has become accepted by many as the norm ( Owers and Chubbock, 2012 ). Rates of obesity may be as high as 70% in some populations and obesity is often associated with morbidities that may ultimately result in mortality. Obesity is a common feature in animals diagnosed with equine metabolic syndrome, a conflation of metabolic disturbances including insulin dysregulation, which may lead to laminitis. Obesity is a risk factor for insulin dysregulation and is therefore implicated in laminitis risk. In addition to laminitis, adverse consequences of obesity include orthopaedic disease, hyperlipaemia, hyperthermia, infertility and poor performance. Over time, perception of what constitutes a healthy body condition in horses has shifted, with the result that potentially harmful excess adiposity may not be recognised by owners or those working in the equine industry ( Owers and Chubbock, 2012 ). In addition, increasing numbers of equines are kept as companions rather than athletes and live relatively inactive lifestyles favouring the development of obesity. Finally, owners of leisure horses often think their horses are working hard when, in reality, their exertions have minimal impact on their energy requirements. Despite increasing awareness within the veterinary profession and equine industry of the impact of obesity on equine welfare, little progress seems to have been made in tackling it. This document was commissioned in order to provide veterinary surgeons with up-to-date information on equine obesity and to equip them to tackle it within their own practices. Recommendations were developed using an informal two-round Delphi process, considering published and unpublished research relating to equine obesity using a round table forum and online discussion. Where research evidence was conflicting or absent, collective expert opinion based on the clinical experience of the group was applied. The opinions expressed are the consensus of views expressed by the authors. Where agreement was not reached, opposing views are presented such that readers can understand the arguments fully. The document is focused on the management of horses and ponies; while much of the information herein is applicable to donkeys it is important to recognise that the metabolism and management of donkeys are different and further research is required before specific recommendations can be made. The expert group was organised by UK-Vet Equine with sponsorship from Baileys Horse Feeds.
Range of motion in the talo-navicular and the calcaneo-cuboid joints evaluated by ultrasound during clubfoot treatment with normal references up to the age of four years
Authors: Johansson A. , Aurell Y. , Romanus B. 
Published: September 2018

Purpose Previous ultrasound studies of clubfeet have mainly focused on the first year of life. The purpose of this study was to improve the evaluation of the talo-navicular and calcaneo-cuboid joints by adding new variables, evaluating the repeatability of ultrasound measurements for normal feet and clubfeet and establishing values for normal feet up to four years of age. Methods A control group of 105 children divided into ten age groups, and 71 clubfeet in 46 children were examined. Four new variables were introduced: medial malleolus–Talar head–Navicular distance, medial tangent of the talus to the medial border of the navicular distance, the angle between the longitudinal axis of the talus and a line from the centre of the talar head to the medial corner of the navicular, the angle between the lateral borders of the calcaneus and the cuboid. The mobility in the talo-navicular and the calcaneo-cuboid joints was assessed by comparing measurements with the foot in adduction and abduction. Results The variables could be assessed with fair to very good intra- and inter-observer repeatability (intraclass correlation coefficient > 0.8 and ≥ 0.6, respectively), with a few exceptions. There was less movement in talo-navicular and calcaneo-cuboid joints in clubfeet than in controls. Conclusion Morphology of normal feet and clubfeet, as well as mobility in the talo-navicular and calcaneo-cuboid joints, can be assessed by ultrasound with a fair to very good reliability from birth to the age of four years. Level of Evidence III
The impact of educated users’ interactions on social media (Facebook) in the Arab world
Authors: Ziani Abdul-Karim , Elareshi Mokhtar 
Published: September 2018

Abstract
The use of Facebook (FB) is becoming ubiquitous among Arab online users, including Arab youths in higher education. This article investigates the perceptions of an FB group called Open Media Library (OML) regarding FB use in academia and education. It examines the extent to which motivation and trust drives members to use FB in academia and education. The study analyses their attitudes, their preferred topics and the gratification they receive from using FB, as well as whether they trust the information on FB. A total of 374 FB users, aged 18 and over, from nine Arab countries were surveyed. As stated in the literature, this article confirms that FB is mainly used for communication, collaboration, resource-sharing, intercultural communication and relationships. Communication and experience, the identification of news and events, maintaining friendships, entertainment, curiosity and escape were the motivating factors cited by most respondents for using FB in academia and education. Despite the popularity of FB, respondents still do not trust information on FB. The predictors of FB use include: education; exchange of views with others; and communication with family and friends.
The Arab Spring: Beyond media effects
Authors: Al-Azdee Mohammed , Metzgar Emily 
Published: September 2018

Abstract
We put primary and secondary data associated with members of the Arab League into a regression model to derive what we call the ‘Arab Spring Equation’. This formula indicates that international news coverage during the upheaval constituted a reliable index of protest intensity, a criterion consistent with the predictive power of sociopolitical and socio-economic indicators, but not indicators of communication technologies. Variables considered in the analysis included level of democratic development; level of corruption; degree of press freedom; rate of unemployment; rate of population growth; per capita gross domestic product (GDP); percentage of population living in poverty; rate of inflation; literacy rate; number of Internet users; number of mobile phone users; Internet penetration rate; military expenditure as percentage of GDP; and type of political rule. Results point to explanations related to the role of media in the Arab Spring beyond those attributed to the advent of communication technologies.
Existence of a Heteroclinic Solution for a~Double Well Potential Equation in an Infinite Cylinder of ℝ
N
Authors: Alves Claudianor O. 
Published: September 2018

Abstract
This paper is concerned with the existence of a heteroclinic solution for the following class of elliptic equations:

-

Δ
⁢
u

+

A
⁢

(

ϵ
⁢
x

,
y
)

⁢

V
′

⁢

(
u
)

=

0

in
⁢
Ω

,

-\Delta{u}+A(\epsilon x,y)V^{\prime}(u)=0\quad\mbox{in }\Omega,

where

ϵ
>
0

{\epsilon>0}

,

Ω
=

ℝ
×
𝒟

{\Omega=\mathbb{R}\times\mathcal{D}}

is an infinite cylinder of

ℝ
N

{\mathbb{R}^{N}}

with

N
≥
2

{N\geq 2}

. Here, we consider a large class of potentials V that includes the Ginzburg–Landau potential

V
⁢

(
t
)

=

(

t
2

-
1

)

2

{V(t)=(t^{2}-1)^{2}}

and two geometric conditions on the function A. In the first condition we assume that A is asymptotic at infinity to a periodic function, while in the second one A satisfies

0
<

A
0

=

A
⁢

(
0
,
y
)

=

inf

(
x
,
y
)

∈
Ω

⁡

A
⁢

(
x
,
y
)

<

lim inf

|

(
x
,
y
)

|

→

+
∞

⁡

A
⁢

(
x
,
y
)

=

A
∞

<
∞

for all
⁢
y

∈
𝒟

.

0<A_{0}=A(0,y)=\inf_{(x,y)\in\Omega}A(x,y)<\liminf_{|(x,y)|\to+\infty}A(x,y)=A% _{\infty}<\infty\quad\text{for all }y\in\mathcal{D}.
Anti-ganglioside antibodies: experience from the Italian Association of Neuroimmunology external quality assessment scheme
Authors: Franciotta Diego , Gastaldi Matteo , Biagioli Tiziana , Benedetti Luana , Giannotta Claudia , Bedin Roberta , Zardini Elisabetta , Nobile-Orazio Eduardo 
Published: September 2018

Abstract

Background
Anti-ganglioside antibodies are currently used in the differential diagnosis of suspected immune-mediated neuropathies. In-house and increasingly used commercial assays seem to perform suboptimally, and comparative information on their analytical performance are essentially lacking. Born within the frame of guidelines and standardization activities by the Italian Association of Neuroimmunology, this external quality assessment scheme (EQAS) is a real-life snapshot of the laboratory diagnostics in this field.

Methods
The EQAS consisted of five surplus, anonymized serum samples from patients with clinically-defined neuropathies and two serum samples from healthy blood donors. Eight laboratories used commercial line-/dot-blots, seven in-house/commercial ELISAs (in addition, 13 laboratories tested a recently released ELISA by Bühlmann). Only high anti-ganglioside antibody reactivities were considered, in accordance with consolidated recommendations.

Results
Large variations in anti-ganglioside antibody profiles were observed, even, although to a lesser extent, within homogeneous classes of assays. Concordance between the profiles and clinical phenotypes was also partial.

Conclusions
Although conducted on a relatively small, but representative number of Italian laboratories, this EQAS shows a critical between-laboratory disagreement in the test results of anti-ganglioside antibodies. Also considering the trend for using certified assays in generalist laboratories, strong efforts toward standardization and the identification of the best method(s) for their determinations are compellingly needed.
A Tensor Decomposition Algorithm for Large ODEs with Conservation Laws
Authors: Dolgov Sergey V. 
Published: September 2018

Abstract
We propose an algorithm for solution of high-dimensional evolutionary equations (ODEs and discretized time-dependent PDEs) in the Tensor Train (TT) decomposition, assuming that the solution and the right-hand side of the ODE admit such a decomposition with a low storage.
A linear ODE, discretized via one-step or Chebyshev differentiation schemes, turns into a large linear system.
The tensor decomposition allows to solve this system for several time points simultaneously using an extension of the Alternating Least Squares algorithm.
This method computes a reduced TT model of the solution, but in contrast to traditional offline-online reduction schemes, solving the original large problem is never required. Instead, the method solves a sequence of reduced Galerkin problems, which can be set up efficiently due to the TT decomposition of the right-hand side.
The reduced system allows a fast estimation of the time discretization error, and hence adaptation of the time steps.
Besides, conservation laws can be preserved exactly in the reduced model by expanding the approximation subspace with the generating vectors of the linear invariants and correction of the Euclidean norm.
In numerical experiments with the transport and the chemical master equations,
we demonstrate that the new method is faster than traditional time stepping and stochastic simulation algorithms, whereas the invariants are preserved up to the machine precision irrespectively of the TT approximation accuracy.
Effect of Chemical Reaction on Maxwell Nanofluid Slip Flow over a Stretching Sheet
Authors: Prasannakumara B.C. , Reddy M. Gnaneswara , Sudha Rani M.V.V.N.L. , Krishnamurthy M.R. 
Published: September 2018

Abstract
The main focus of the present study is to analyze the effect of chemical reaction and nonlinear thermal radiation on Maxwell fluid suspended with nanoparticles through a porous medium along horizontal stretching sheet. The governing partial differential equations of the defined problem are reduced into a set of nonlinear ordinary differential equations using adequate similarity transformations. Obtained set of similarity equations are then solved with the help of efficient numerical method fourth fifth order Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg method. The effects of different flow pertinent parameters on the flow fields like velocity, temperature, and concentration are shown in the form of graphs and tables. The detailed analysis of the problem is carried out based on the plotted graphs and tables. It is observed that an increase in the radiation parameter, temperature ratio parameter, Brownian motion parameter and thermophoretic parameter lead to increase in the thermal boundary layer thickness but quite opposite phenomenon can be seen for the effect of Prandtl number.
Contrast enhanced tomographic reconstruction of vascular blood flow with first order and second order adjoint methods
Authors: Sixou Bruno 
Published: September 2018

Abstract
In this work, we study the reconstruction of blood velocity with contrast enhanced computed tomography with a tomographic projections perpendicular to the main flow field direction. The inverse problem is regularized with a convection-diffusion partial differential equation. The velocity field is reconstructed with first order and second order adjoint methods with a receding optimal control method and tested on simple phantoms.
Informatics External Quality Assurance (IEQA) Down Under: evaluation of a pilot implementation
Authors: Hardie Rae-Anne , Moore Donna , Holzhauser Derek , Legg Michael , Georgiou Andrew , Badrick Tony 
Published: September 2018

AbstractExternal quality assurance (EQA) provides ongoing evaluation to verify that laboratory medicine results conform to quality standards expected for patient care. While attention has focused predominantly on test accuracy, the diagnostic phases, consisting of pre- and post-laboratory phases of testing, have thus far lagged in the development of an appropriate diagnostic-phase EQA program. One of the challenges faced by Australian EQA has been a lack of standardisation or “harmonisation” resulting from variations in reporting between different laboratory medicine providers. This may introduce interpretation errors and misunderstanding of results by clinicians, resulting in a threat to patient safety. While initiatives such as the Australian Pathology Information, Terminology and Units Standardisation (PITUS) program have produced Standards for Pathology Informatics in Australia (SPIA), conformity to these requires regular monitoring to maintain integrity of data between sending (laboratory medicine providers) and receiving (physicians, MyHealth Record, registries) organisations’ systems. The PITUS 16 Informatics EQA (IEQA) Project together with the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia Quality Assurance Programs (RCPAQAP) has created a system to perform quality assurance on the electronic laboratory message when the laboratory sends a result back to the EQA provider. The purpose of this study was to perform a small scale pilot implementation of an IEQA protocol, which was performed to test the suitability of the system to check compliance of existing Health Level-7 (HL7 v2.4) reporting standards localised and constrained by the RCPA SPIA. Here, we present key milestones from the implementation, including: (1) software development, (2) installation, and verification of the system and communication services, (3) implementation of the IEQA program and compliance testing of the received HL7 v2.4 report messages, (4) compilation of a draft Informatics Program Survey Report for each laboratory and (5) review consisting of presentation of a report showing the compliance checking tool to each participating laboratory.