bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Global temporal changes in the proportion of children with advanced disease at the start of combination antiretroviral therapy in an era of changing criteria for treatment initiation
Authors: Panayidou Klea , Davies Mary‐Ann , Anderegg Nanina , Egger Matthias ,   The IeDEA, COHERE, PHACS and IMPAACT 219C Collaborations Writing Group
Published: December 2018

AbstractIntroductionThe CD4 cell count and percent at initiation of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) are measures of advanced HIV disease and thus are important indicators of programme performance for children living with HIV. In particular, World Health Organization (WHO) 2017 guidelines on advanced HIV disease noted that >80% of children aged <5 years started cART with WHO Stage 3 or 4 disease or severe immune suppression. We compared temporal trends in CD4 measures at cART start in children from low‐, middle‐ and high‐income countries, and examined the effect of WHO treatment initiation guidelines on reducing the proportion of children initiating cART with advanced disease.MethodsWe included children aged <16 years from the International Epidemiology Databases to Evaluate acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) (IeDEA) Collaboration (Caribbean, Central and South America, Asia‐Pacific, and West, Central, East and Southern Africa), the Collaboration of Observational HIV Epidemiological Research in Europe (COHERE), the North American Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study (PHACS) and International Maternal Pediatric Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials (IMPAACT) 219C study. Severe immunodeficiency was defined using WHO guidelines. We used generalized weighted additive mixed effect models to analyse temporal trends in CD4 measurements and piecewise regression to examine the impact of 2006 and 2010 WHO cART initiation guidelines.ResultsWe included 52,153 children from fourteen low‐, eight lower middle‐, five upper middle‐ and five high‐income countries. From 2004 to 2013, the estimated percentage of children starting cART with severe immunodeficiency declined from 70% to 42% (low‐income), 67% to 64% (lower middle‐income) and 61% to 43% (upper middle‐income countries). In high‐income countries, severe immunodeficiency at cART initiation declined from 45% (1996) to 14% (2012). There were annual decreases in the percentage of children with severe immunodeficiency at cART initiation after the WHO guidelines revisions in 2006 (low‐, lower middle‐ and upper middle‐income countries) and 2010 (all countries).ConclusionsBy 2013, less than half of children initiating cART had severe immunodeficiency worldwide. WHO treatment initiation guidelines have contributed to reducing the proportion of children and adolescents starting cART with advanced disease. However, considerable global inequity remains, in 2013, >40% of children in low‐ and middle‐income countries started cART with severe immunodeficiency compared to <20% in high‐income countries.
How to avoid interfering electrochemical reactions in ESI‐MS analysis
Authors: Lübbert Christian , Peukert Wolfgang 
Published: December 2018

AbstractThe presence of electrochemical reactions occurring in an electrospray processes at the point where the current enters the liquid is discussed since the early 1990's. This current transfer to the liquid results in oxidation or reduction of either electrolyte species in the liquid sprayed or of the electrode material in contact with the liquid. As a result, new chemical species are generated. These products of the electrochemical reaction might be detected as altered species in mass spectra; they might be volatile and not recognized at all or accumulate on the electrode surface and cause cross contamination later on. In other cases, it might happen that the products of the electrochemical reactions are the only detectable species formed from an otherwise nondetectable analyte. An electrospray setup in which electrochemical reactions do not interfere with the analyte under investigation excludes the electrochemical reaction as source of sample contamination and sample altering and may serve as reference setup for experiments focused on the electrochemical reaction itself. We present a simple and inexpensive current coupling approach and specify operation conditions for which any impact of the electrochemical reaction on the sample under investigation is inherently excluded. On the basis of a practical example, we show the impact of the electrochemical reaction on sample composition and demonstrate the benefit of using the proposed current coupling method. Because of the obvious benefit of this method and its simple realization, it has the potential to be employed as standard feeding approach, especially for electrosprays operated at small flow rates.
Effects of statins on multispecies oral biofilm identify simvastatin as a drug candidate targeting Porphyromonas gingivalis
Authors: Kamińska Marta , Aliko Ardita , Hellvard Annelie , Bielecka Ewa , Binder Veronika , Marczyk Agata , Potempa Jan , Delaleu Nicolas , Kantyka Tomasz , Mydel Piotr 
Published: December 2018

AbstractBackgroundStatins effectively reduce risk of cardiovascular‐related morbidity and mortality in patients with hyperlipidemia, hypertension, or type 2 diabetes. In addition to lowering cholesterol levels, several studies have attributed statins with immunomodulatory and bactericidal properties. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate statins' antimicrobial activity against periodontal homeostasis bacteria.MethodsStatin effect on bacterial growth was tested using planktonic monocultures and multibacterial biofilms. The latter consisted of five microbial species (Porphyromonas gingivalis, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Actinomyces naeslundii, Tannerella forsythia, and Streptococcus gordonii) associated with dysbiosis of the oral microbiota underlying establishment and perpetuation of periodontitis.ResultsAll four tested statins efficiently inhibited P. gingivalis growth and significantly decreased the cumulative bacterial load in developing and established biofilms. Simvastatin was most efficient and decreased P. gingivalis counts more than 1,300‐fold relative to the control.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that similar effects on bacterial composition of the dental plaque may occur in vivo in patients on statins, thus, leading to a shift of the oral microbiome from a dysbiotic to a more homeostatic one. Simvastatin, being highly effective against P. gingivalis while not affecting commensal microbiota, possesses many properties qualifying it as a potential adjunctive treatment for chronic periodontitis. Further studies are needed to evaluate whether similar effects on bacterial composition of the dental plaque may occur in vivo in patients on statins, thus, leading to a shift of the oral microflora from dysbiotic to a more homeostatic one.
Isolation of antioxidative peptide from the protein hydrolysate of Caragana ambigua seeds and its mechanism for retarding lipid auto‐oxidation
Authors: Jie Yu , Zhao Hongfei , Sun Xiaoqi , Lv Xinran , Zhang Zhuo , Zhang Bolin 
Published: December 2018

AbstractBACKGROUNDPeptides can act as antioxidants in emulsion, although the mechanism involved is poorly understood. Caragana ambigua seed is a potential protein source for which the commercial applications have not been explored yet. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the bio‐economic potential of C. ambigua by isolating and characterizing antioxidative peptides from the protein hydrolysate of its seeds for the purpose of protecting lipids from oxidation.RESULTSA novel decapeptide, identified as QITEGEDGGG, was purified by high‐protein liquid chromotography based on the enrichment of antioxidant fractions, and its antioxidative activity for walnut oil was evaluated in terms of its effect on oil quality, primary and secondary peroxide formation, oxidation kinetics, and structure of oil droplets. A molecular simulation involving the peptide and fatty acid was carried out aiming to understand the mechanism underlying the prevention of lipid oxidation by the peptide. The peptide effectively scavenged superoxide anions (86.46%), inhibited the rate of linoleic acid oxidation (60.37%) and delayed auto‐oxidation of walnut oil. Its inhibition of lipid oxidation was attributed to the protection of phenolic compounds and polyunsaturated fatty acids of walnut oil.CONCLUSIONThe findings of the present study will help in the exploitation of novel antioxidant peptides of lipids from woody seed‐based protein sources such the seeds of C. ambigua trees. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
Receipt of sentinel lymph node biopsy for thin melanoma is associated with distance traveled for care
Authors: Kang Ravinder , Columbo Jesse A. , Trooboff Spencer W. , Servos Mariah M. , Goodney Philip P. , Wong Sandra L. 
Published: December 2018

BackgroundSentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is not routinely recommended for thin melanoma. However, it is considered when high‐risk features, clinicopathological, or sociodemographic, are present. It was our objective to evaluate the impact of travel distance on decision‐making for SLNB in thin melanoma.MethodsWe used the National Cancer DataBase (1998‐2011) to identified patients with thin melanoma (≤1 mm thickness). The primary exposure was distance traveled for care, categorized as short (<12.5 miles), intermediate (12.5‐49.9 miles), or long (≥50 miles). The primary outcome was receipt of SLNB.ResultsWe identified 21 124 cases of thin melanoma; 48.8%, 38.2%, and 13.0% traveled short, intermediate, and long distances, respectively. Overall, SLNB was performed in 32.8% of patients. Traveling farther was associated with a step‐wise increase in the likelihood of undergoing a SLNB (P‐trend < 0.001). Even after adjusting for patient, disease, and facility factors, we found that patients who traveled an intermediate distance were 18% more likely to undergo a SLNB (OR:1.18; 95%CI: 1.10,1.27), and those who traveled a long distance were 24% more likely (OR:1.24; 95%CI: 1.11,1.39) compared with those who traveled a short distance.ConclusionsThe distance patients travel for surgical care appears to be an independent factor influencing the receipt of SLNB.
Nutrient enrichment homogenizes taxonomic and functional diversity of benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages in shallow lakes
Authors: Zhang You , Cheng Long , Li Kuanyi , Zhang Lu , Cai Yongjiu , Wang Xiaolong , Heino Jani 
Published: December 2018

AbstractEutrophication alters the trophic dynamics in lakes and may result in biotic homogenization. How nutrient enrichment drives patterns of taxonomic and functional (i.e., trait‐based) homogenization of macroinvertebrate assemblages at within‐lake (local) and among‐lake (regional) scales is, however, not well understood. Taxonomic and functional compositions of macroinvertebrate assemblages in 41 lakes of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and Huaihe River were analyzed at within‐lake and among‐lake scales. Our results indicated that there was a significant difference in macroinvertebrate assemblages among lakes under different trophic status, and that total phosphorus was the major environmental factor that regulated both taxonomic and functional beta diversity of macroinvertebrate assemblages. That the abundances of pollution‐tolerant species (e.g., Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri and Microchironomus tabarui) increased with trophic state contributed the most to among‐lake dissimilarity. Functional beta diversity was significantly positively correlated with taxonomic beta diversity, while functional beta diversity was on average lower than taxonomic beta diversity. A combination of univariate and multivariate techniques revealed that nutrient enrichment homogenized taxonomic and functional diversity of benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages in shallow lakes at within‐lake and among‐lake scales, and that there was an overall trend toward taxonomic homogenization that exceeded the trend of functional homogenization. Thus, taxonomic and functional compositions should be considered simultaneously to improve understanding of the response of aquatic communities to anthropogenic disturbance, as the loss and gain of species may be influenced by species‐specific features, and functional composition may exhibit a relatively high correspondence with changes in environmental conditions.
On the Lipschitz equivalence of self‐affine sets
Authors: Luo Jun Jason 
Published: December 2018

AbstractRecently Lipschitz equivalence of self‐similar sets on has been studied extensively in the literature. However for self‐affine sets the problem is more awkward and there are very few results. In this paper, we introduce a w‐Lipschitz equivalence by repacing the Euclidean norm with a pseudo‐norm w. Under the open set condition, we prove that any two totally disconnected integral self‐affine sets with a common matrix are w‐Lipschitz equivalent if and only if their digit sets have equal cardinality. The main methods used are the technique of pseudo‐norm and Gromov hyperbolic graph theory on iterated function systems.
Evolution of efficacious pangenotypic hepatitis C virus therapies
Authors: Ashraf Muhammad Usman , Iman Kanzal , Khalid Muhammad Farhan , Salman Hafiz Muhammad , Shafi Talha , Rafi Momal , Javaid Nida , Hussain Rashid , Ahmad Fayyaz , Shahzad‐Ul‐Hussan Syed , Mirza Shaper , Shafiq Muhammad , Afzal Samia , Hamera Sadia , Anwar Saima , Qazi Romena , Idrees Muhammad , Qureshi Sohail A. , Chaudhary Safee Ullah 
Published: December 2018

AbstractHepatitis C compromises the quality of life of more than 350 million individuals worldwide. Over the last decade, therapeutic regimens for treating hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections have undergone rapid advancements. Initially, structure‐based drug design was used to develop molecules that inhibit viral enzymes. Subsequently, establishment of cell‐based replicon systems enabled investigations into various stages of HCV life cycle including its entry, replication, translation, and assembly, as well as role of host proteins. Collectively, these approaches have facilitated identification of important molecules that are deemed essential for HCV life cycle. The expanded set of putative virus and host‐encoded targets has brought us one step closer to developing robust strategies for efficacious, pangenotypic, and well‐tolerated medicines against HCV. Herein, we provide an overview of the development of various classes of virus and host‐directed therapies that are currently in use along with others that are undergoing clinical evaluation.
Multi‐area lymphaticovenous anastomosis with multi‐lymphosome injection in indocyanine green lymphography: A prospective study
Authors: Hara Hisako , Mihara Makoto 
Published: December 2018

BackgroundDetecting more number of functional lymphatic vessels is the essential point in lymphaticovenous anastomosis (LVA). The purpose of this prospective study was to elucidate the efficacy of multi‐area injection in indocyanine green (ICG) lymphography in LVA.MethodsWe injected ICG into the first web spaces of the feet or the second web space of the hands, subcutaneously. In multi‐area injection group, we injected additional ICG in other areas. We determined the incision design of LVA on the line at about 5 cm distal to dermal backflow point. In control group, we determined the incision site based on the linear pattern in ICG lymphography and lymphoscintigraphic findings. We performed LVA, and evaluated the circumference change and the intraoperative condition of the collecting lymphatic vessels based on Normal, Ectasis, Contraction, and Sclerosis Type (NECST) classification.ResultsSixty patients (115 limbs) in multi‐injection group and 49 patients (81 limbs) in control group were included. We injected ICG into an average of 1.9 sites in multi‐injection group. The average number of anastomoses per limb was 3.3 in both groups. The average circumference change was −1.83% in multi‐injection group and −0.34% in control group (P = .021). The percentage of the Ectasis type lymphatic vessels was 59.0% in multi‐injection group and 40.2% in control group (P = 3.30 × 10−5).ConclusionsBy injecting ICG into multiple sites in the affected limbs, we could detect a greater number of functional lymphatic vessels (Ectasis type) during LVA. This could lead to a better surgical result.
A low‐profile 28‐GHz Rotman lens‐fed array beamformer for 5G conformal subsystems
Authors: Rahimian Ardavan , Abbasi Qammer H. , Alomainy Akram , Alfadhl Yasir 
Published: December 2018

AbstractThis paper reports on the first demonstration of an experimental millimeter‐wave (mm‐wave) beamforming based on the conformal Rotman lens. The passive switched‐beam network is intended for operation in the 28‐GHz band, covering the 18‐38 GHz range, for the deployment in the fifth generation (5G) subsystems. The primary objective of this work is to conduct the feasibility of designing a beamforming network (BFN) based on the liquid‐crystal polymer substrate, and to evaluate the performances in terms of the scattering (S)‐parameters and surface currents for the proposed flexural case of the convex‐circumferential bending. A prototype has been accurately fabricated, and a setup has also been deployed to conduct the measurements. The performance in terms of the linear progressive phase behavior, as the main figure of merit, has been shown. The BFN exhibits significant characteristics to be used as a low‐profile unit of the transceivers with the in‐built beam steering for the conformal 5G subsystems.
Defected ground structured compact MIMO antenna with low mutual coupling for automotive communications
Authors: Madhav Boddapati T. P. , Usha Devi Yalavarthi , Anilkumar Tirunagari 
Published: December 2018

AbstractThis paper presents the analysis of a T‐stub loaded two element MIMO antenna placed in the vehicular environment at different positions on the vehicle. The MIMO antenna consists of two collinear printed dipoles as the elements. It operates for millimetre wave frequencies from 24.6–42.1 GHz and 50.1–52.5 GHz with a bandwidth of 17.5 GHz and 2.4 GHz respectively. The two elements of the MIMO antenna have the minimum mutual coupling of −89.5dB over the operating band. The envelop correlation coefficient (ECC) of the MIMO antenna is less than 0.01 throughout the band and the diversity gain (DG) is about 10. The MIMO antenna is placed at four different positions on the vehicle in virtual vehicular environment using ANSYS SAVANT. The measured results are matching with the simulation results and the proposed MIMO antenna can be used for future 5G communications for different automotive applications.
Measuring intra‐axonal T2 in white matter with direction‐averaged diffusion MRI
Authors: McKinnon Emilie T. , Jensen Jens H. 
Published: December 2018

PurposeTo demonstrate how the T2 relaxation time of intra‐axonal water (T2a) in white matter can be measured with direction‐averaged diffusion MRI.MethodsFor b‐values larger than about 4000 s/mm2, the direction‐averaged diffusion MRI signal from white matter is dominated by the contribution from water within axons, which enables T2a to be estimated by acquiring data for multiple TE values and fitting a mono‐exponential decay curve. If given a value of the intra‐axonal diffusivity, an extension of the method allows the extra‐axonal relaxation time (T2e) to be calculated also. This approach was applied to estimate T2a in white matter for 3 healthy subjects at 3 T, as well as T2e for a selected set of assumed intra‐axonal diffusivities.ResultsThe estimated T2a values ranged from about 50 ms to 110 ms, with considerable variation among white matter regions. For white matter tracts with primarily collinear fibers, T2a was found to depend on the angle of the tract relative to the main magnetic field, which is consistent with T2a being affected by magnetic field inhomogeneities arising from spatial differences in magnetic susceptibility. The T2e values were significantly smaller than the T2a values across white matter regions for several plausible choices of the intra‐axonal diffusivity.ConclusionThe relaxation time for intra‐axonal water in white matter can be determined in a straightforward manner by measuring the direction‐averaged diffusion MRI signal with a large b‐value for multiple TEs. In healthy brain, T2a is greater than T2e and varies considerably with anatomical region.
Impact of VNF placements on QoE monitoring in the cloud
Authors: Dinh‐Xuan Lam , Popp Christian , Burger Valentin , Wamser Florian , Hoßfeld Tobias 
Published: December 2018

SummaryThe fast growth of video streaming is responsible for a huge amount of traffic over the past few years. Because of the variety of video content on the Internet, a potential market is emerging for video providers. However, a rapid increase in video traffic and users poses challenges for network operators maintaining user expectation. To address this problem, network operators need a mechanism to monitor the quality of experience (QoE) perceived by the user. This allows reacting to quality degradation to improve the service. With the paradigm of network function virtualization, network operators are able to deploy such a video monitoring function in the cloud. In this work, we investigate the feasibility of deploying a virtual network function (VNF) for video buffer and QoE monitoring on the Amazon Web Service cloud.To this end, we implement a VNF to analyze video flows in the network by using deep packet inspection. We investigate the influence of different points of presence (PoP) in the cloud and mobile network on the performance of the VNF for monitoring video buffer and QoE. Our findings show that the accuracy of the QoE monitoring decreases with the distance of the PoP to the client. This is not only due to the delay and bottleneck between the monitoring point and the client but also due to the client mobile access network.
Reporting adverse events—Swedish Registered Nurses experience in a municipal home care context
Authors: Pejner Margaretha Norell , Kihlgren Annica 
Published: December 2018

AbstractAimTo describe how Registered Nurses in a municipal home care context experience adverse event reports.DesignA qualitative design was used.MethodTwelve semistructured individual interviews with Registered Nurses in a municipal home care context were collected on two occasions and analysed with qualitative content analysis.ResultsThe results show that conflicts exist between being able to trust the managers and their feedback, being loyal to colleagues and retaining professional pride. These are described in the theme “Contradiction” and the three categories: “Awareness”; “Uncertainty”; and “Concealment.”
Mix‐&‐Read Determination of Mercury(II) at Trace Levels with Hybrid Mesoporous Silica Materials Incorporating Fluorescent Probes by a Simple Mix‐&‐Load Technique
Authors: Climent Estela , Hecht Mandy , Witthuhn Heike , Gawlitza Kornelia , Rurack Knut 
Published: December 2018

AbstractInvited for this month's cover picture is the group of Dr. Knut Rurack at the Department of Analytical Chemistry; Reference Materials at the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und ‐prüfung (BAM) in Berlin (Germany). The cover picture shows how differences in color and fluorescence on a test strip can be easily read out with a mobile device. Two reference spots frame the sensitive spot that indicates the presence of trace amounts of HgII below the threshold in a natural water sample. This dipstick contains a hybrid material that combines boron‐dipyrromethene (BODIPY) probes sterically loaded into specifically tailored mesoporous silica particles, allowing for ultrasensitive HgII detection through enhanced fluorescence in a few seconds. The applicability in real water samples and fish extracts are also studied. Read the full text of their Full Paper at 10.1002/open.201800277.