bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections at a Tertiary Referral Hospital in Rwanda: Epidemiology and Risk Factors for Mortality
Authors: Mpirimbanyi Christophe , Rickard Jennifer , Furaha Charles , Ntirenganya Faustin 
Published: February 2018

AbstractBackgroundNecrotizing soft tissue infections (NSTI) are emergency surgical conditions with severe physiologic and metabolic derangement. These infections are associated with increased rates of mortality and morbidity worldwide, particularly in developing countries if not diagnosed and treated early.MethodsThis prospective, observational cohort study includes all patients aged 12 and above who presented at Department of Surgery, University Teaching Hospital of Kigali from April 2016 to January 2017 with NSTI. We describe epidemiology, operative management, and outcomes of care. We determined risk factors for mortality using multivariate logistic regression.ResultsWe identified 175 patients with confirmed diagnosis of NSTI. The majority of patients (53%) were male, and the mean age was 44 years. The median duration of symptoms was 8 days [interquartile range (IQR) 5–14]. The median length of hospital stay was 23 days (IQR 8–41). The overall mortality was 26%. Multivariate regression analysis revealed four independent predictors of mortality: presence of shock at admission [odds ratio (OR) 14.15, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.96–208.01, p = 0.050], renal failure (OR 8.92, 95% CI 1.55–51.29, p = 0.014), infection located on the trunk (OR 5.60, 95% CI 0.99–31.62, p = 0.050), and presence of skin gangrene (OR 4.04, 95% CI 1.18–13.76, p = 0.026).ConclusionIn Rwanda, NSTI mortality is high and associated with advanced disease. It is imperative that efforts are focused on early consultation, diagnosis, and surgical management to prevent adverse outcomes.
The UNGPs in the European Union: The Open Coordination of Business and Human Rights?
Authors: AUGENSTEIN Daniel , DAWSON Mark , THIELBÖRGER Pierre 
Published: February 2018

AbstractThe article examines the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) in the European Union via National Action Plans (NAPs). We argue that some of the shortcomings currently observed in the implementation process could effectively be addressed through the Open Method of Coordination (OMC) – a governance instrument already used by the European Union (EU) in other policy domains. The article sketches out the polycentric global governance approach envisaged by the UNGPs and discusses the institutional and policy background of their implementation in the EU. It provides an assessment of EU member states’ NAPs on business and human rights, as benchmarked against international NAP guidance, before relating experiences with the existing NAP process to the policy background and rationale of the OMC and considering the conditions for employing the OMC in the business and human rights domain. Building on a recent opinion of the EU Fundamental Rights Agency, the article concludes with a concrete proposal for developing an OMC on business and human rights in the EU.
The Management of the Khan Al-Assal Chemical Attack in Aleppo University Hospital (AUH)
Authors: Kaadan M. Ihsan , Cranmer Hilarie 
Published: February 2018

AbstractOn March 19, 2013, Khan al-Assal was attacked with chemical weapons. In total, 20 people were killed and an additional 124 were injured; 63 people were cared for at Aleppo University Hospital on that day, where 14 died, all of them were civilians; 7 men, 6 women, and 1 child. This is a brief first hand report, for what has now become a more frequent, more deadly and horrific event in the lives of many Syrians. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018;12:663–665)
NUMBER SYSTEMS WITH SIMPLICITY HIERARCHIES: A GENERALIZATION OF CONWAY’S THEORY OF SURREAL NUMBERS II
Authors: EHRLICH PHILIP , KAPLAN ELLIOT 
Published: February 2018

AbstractIn [16], the algebraico-tree-theoretic simplicity hierarchical structure of J. H. Conway’s ordered field ${\bf{No}}$ of surreal numbers was brought to the fore and employed to provide necessary and sufficient conditions for an ordered field to be isomorphic to an initial subfield of ${\bf{No}}$, i.e., a subfield of ${\bf{No}}$ that is an initial subtree of ${\bf{No}}$. In this sequel to [16], analogous results for ordered abelian groups and ordered domains are established which in turn are employed to characterize the convex subgroups and convex subdomains of initial subfields of ${\bf{No}}$ that are themselves initial. It is further shown that an initial subdomain of ${\bf{No}}$ is discrete if and only if it is a subdomain of ${\bf{No}}$’s canonical integer part ${\bf{Oz}}$ of omnific integers. Finally, making use of class models the results of [16] are extended by showing that the theories of nontrivial divisible ordered abelian groups and real-closed ordered fields are the sole theories of nontrivial densely ordered abelian groups and ordered fields all of whose models are isomorphic to initial subgroups and initial subfields of ${\bf{No}}$.
Sclerocollum saudii Al-Jahdali, 2010 (Acanthocephala: Cavisomidae) as a sentinel for heavy-metal pollution in the Red Sea
Authors: Hassanine R.M. El-S. , Al-Hasawi Z.M. , Hariri M.S. , Touliabah H. El-S. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractCurrently, fish helminth parasites, especially cestodes and acanthocephalans, are regarded as sentinel organisms to elucidate metal pollution in aquatic ecosystems. Here, 34 specimens of the fish Siganus rivulatus were collected in the Red Sea, from a seriously polluted, small lagoon named Sharm-Elmaya Bay, at Sharm El-Sheikh, South Sinai, Egypt; 22 (64.7%) were infected by Sclerocollum saudii (Acanthocephala: Cavisomidae). Thus, 22 natural infrapopulations (26–245 individuals) of this parasite were collected from infected fish. Samples of water and sediments from the bay, samples of muscle, intestine and liver from each fish, and samples from the parasite were taken for analysis of heavy metals (cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb)). Both Cd and Pb concentrations in sediments were higher than those in water. The concentration of these metals were significantly higher in tissues (intestine, liver and muscle) of non-infected fish than those in infected fish, with Pb concentrations consistently higher than those of Cd, and both were drastically decreased in the order: liver > intestine > muscle. Metal concentrations in this acanthocephalan were much higher than those in its fish host. There were strong negative relationships between metal concentrations in tissues (intestine, liver and muscle) of infected fish and infrapopulation size, and between metal concentrations in the acanthocephalan and its infrapopulation size. These relationships strongly suggest competition for these metals between the fish host and its acanthocephalan parasite, and intraspecific competition among acanthocephalan individuals for available metals in the fish intestine. Bioconcentration factors were relatively high, since the mean Cd concentration in S. saudii was 239, 68 and 329 times higher than those in intestine, liver and muscle tissues, respectively, of its fish host. Also, mean Pb concentration was 55, 13 and 289 times higher than those in these tissues, respectively. The host–parasite system described here seems to be promising for biomonitoring of metal pollution in the Red Sea.
Using MALDI-TOF MS to identify mosquitoes collected in Mali and their blood meals
Authors: Tandina Fatalmoudou , Niaré Sirama , Laroche Maureen , Koné Abdoulaye K , Diarra Adama Z , Ongoiba Abdoulaye , Berenger Jean Michel , Doumbo Ogobara K , Raoult Didier , Parola Philippe 
Published: February 2018

AbstractMatrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has been recently described as an innovative and effective tool for identifying arthropods and mosquito blood meal sources. To test this approach in the context of an entomological survey in the field, mosquitoes were collected from five ecologically distinct areas of Mali. We successfully analysed the blood meals from 651 mosquito abdomens crushed on Whatman filter paper (WFPs) in the field using MALDI-TOF MS. The legs of 826 mosquitoes were then submitted for MALDI-TOF MS analysis in order to identify the different mosquito species. Eight mosquito species were identified, including Anopheles gambiae Giles, Anopheles coluzzii, Anopheles arabiensis, Culex quinquefasciatus, Culex neavei, Culex perexiguus, Aedes aegypti and Aedes fowleri in Mali. The field mosquitoes for which MALDI-TOF MS did not provide successful identification were not previously available in our database. These specimens were subsequently molecularly identified. The WFP blood meal sources found in this study were matched against human blood (n = 619), chicken blood (n = 9), cow blood (n = 9), donkey blood (n = 6), dog blood (n = 5) and sheep blood (n = 3). This study reinforces the fact that MALDI-TOF MS is a promising tool for entomological surveys.
Dying for the group: Towards a general theory of extreme self-sacrifice
Authors: Whitehouse Harvey 
Published: February 2018

AbstractWhether upheld as heroic or reviled as terrorism, people have been willing to lay down their lives for the sake of their groups throughout history. Why? Previous theories of extreme self-sacrifice have highlighted a range of seemingly disparate factors, such as collective identity, outgroup hostility, and kin psychology. In this paper, I attempt to integrate many of these factors into a single overarching theory based on several decades of collaborative research with a range of special populations, from tribes in Papua New Guinea to Libyan insurgents and from Muslim fundamentalists in Indonesia to Brazilian football hooligans. These studies suggest that extreme self-sacrifice is motivated by identity fusion, a visceral sense of oneness with the group, resulting from intense collective experiences (e.g., painful rituals or the horrors of frontline combat) or from perceptions of shared biology. In ancient foraging societies, fusion would have enabled warlike bands to stand united despite strong temptations to scatter and flee. The fusion mechanism has often been exploited in cultural rituals, not only by tribal societies but also in specialized cells embedded in armies, cults, and terrorist organizations. With the rise of social complexity and the spread of states and empires, fusion has also been extended to much larger groups, including doctrinal religions, ethnicities, and ideological movements. Explaining extreme self-sacrifice is not only a scientific priority but also a practical challenge as we seek a collective response to suicide, terrorism, and other extreme expressions of outgroup hostility that continue to bedevil humanity today.
Comparison of trace element levels after cardiopulmonary bypass between cyanotic and acyanotic patients
Authors: Altin Firat H. , Kurt Bahar Ozturk , Tanidir Ibrahim C. , Kaya Mehmet , Yildiz Okan , Kahraman Meliha Z. , Celebi Sinem B. , Ozturk Erkut , Ozdemir Semra 
Published: February 2018

AbstractTrace elements are essential micronutrients for the human body. In this study, we evaluated the alterations in copper, chromium, manganese, selenium, magnesium, zinc, iron, arsenic, boron, and silicon levels in children with cyanotic and acyanotic CHD who underwent cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. Participants were divided into the following three groups: patients acyanotic CHDs (n=34), patients with cyanotic CHDs (n=30), and healthy controls (n=30). Blood samples were collected before the surgery and 1 hour after the sternum was closed. Serum trace elements were determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometer-ICAP 6000. The baseline serum arsenic, manganese, and zinc levels of both patient groups were lower compared with controls, but there was no significant difference between baseline serum trace element levels of cyanotic and acyanotic patients. In both the patient groups, there was a significant decrease in postoperative serum arsenic, boron, copper, and zinc levels, and a significant increase in postoperative serum iron and magnesium levels. Silicon levels increased in cyanotic patients. Alterations in trace element levels were in the same direction in cyanotic and acyanotic patients. Copper, zinc, and manganase replacement may be needed after on-pump cardiac surgery.
Suspected necrotising enterocolitis after surgery for CHD: an opportunity to improve practice and outcomes
Authors: Schuchardt Eleanor L. , Kaufman Jon , Lucas Bridget , Tiernan Kendra , Lujan Suzanne Osorio , Barrett Cindy 
Published: February 2018

AbstractInfants with CHD are at increased risk of necrotising enterocolitis, which can interfere with the achievement of adequate nutrition and, ultimately, growth and development. Necrotising enterocolitis is classified by severity as suspected, confirmed, and advanced. We sought to quantify the incidence of all types of necrotising enterocolitis among infants who underwent surgery, with a particular focus on suspected necrotising enterocolitis. This is a retrospective review of all infants <6 months of age who underwent cardiac surgery during 2012 and 2013 at Children’s Hospital Colorado. We examined the hospital course of 265 hospitalisations (n=251 patients) and found 18 patients (19 hospitalisations) with suspected necrotising enterocolitis and 16 patients (16 hospitalisations) with confirmed or advanced necrotising enterocolitis. Single-ventricle physiology, lower weight, and younger age were associated with necrotising enterocolitis. Patients with all types of necrotising enterocolitis experienced prolonged length of hospital stay. We found suspected necrotising enterocolitis to be as common as confirmed necrotising enterocolitis, and it frequently occurred early in the post-operative course. We speculate that suspected necrotising enterocolitis may often be overlooked in research owing to a reliance on billing codes. Nevertheless, suspected necrotising enterocolitis poses a substantial barrier to post-operative progression of the CHD patient, as does confirmed necrotising enterocolitis. Following the diagnosis of all types of necrotising enterocolitis, there was wide variability in practice patterns. In response to this variability, we developed care guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of necrotising enterocolitis in this population.
Birth weight is associated with dietary factors at the age of 6–8 years: the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children (PANIC) study
Authors: Eloranta Aino-Maija , Jääskeläinen Jarmo , Venäläinen Taisa , Jalkanen Henna , Kiiskinen Sanna , Mäntyselkä Aino , Schwab Ursula , Lindi Virpi , Lakka Timo A 
Published: February 2018

AbstractObjectiveLow and high birth weight have been associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes and CVD. Diet could partly mediate this association, e.g. by intra-uterine programming of unhealthy food preferences. We examined the association of birth weight with diet in Finnish children.DesignBirth weight standard deviation score (SDS) was calculated using national birth register data and Finnish references. Dietary factors were assessed using 4 d food records. Diet quality was defined by the Finnish Children Healthy Eating Index (FCHEI).SettingThe Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children (PANIC) study.SubjectsSingleton, full-term children (179 girls, 188 boys) aged 6–8 years.ResultsBirth weight was inversely associated (standardized regression coefficientβ; 95 % CI) with FCHEI (−0·15; −0·28, −0·03) in all children and in boys (−0·27; −0·45, −0·09) but not in girls (−0·01; −0·21, 0·18) after adjusting for potential confounders (P=0·044 for interaction). Moreover, higher birth weight was associated with lower fruit and berries consumption (−0·13; −0·25, 0·00), higher energy intake (0·17; 0·05, 0·29), higher sucrose intake (0·19; 0·06, 0·32) and lower fibre intake (−0·14; −0·26, −0·01). These associations were statistically non-significant after correction for multiple testing. Children with birth weight >1 SDS had higher sucrose intake (mean; 95 % CI) as a percentage of energy intake (14·3 E%; 12·6, 16·0 E%) than children with birth weight of −1 to 1 SDS (12·8 E%; 11·6, 14·0 E%) or <−1 SDS (12·4 E%; 10·8, 13·9 E%;P=0·036).ConclusionsHigher birth weight may be associated with unhealthy diet in childhood.
14-3-3ζ delivered by hepatocellular carcinoma-derived exosomes impaired anti-tumor function of tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes
Authors: Wang Xiaochen , Shen Haiyuan , Zhangyuan Guangyan , Huang Ruyi , Zhang Wenjie , He Qifeng , Jin Kangpeng , Zhuo Han , Zhang Zechuan , Wang Jincheng , Sun Beicheng , Lu Xiaojie 
Published: February 2018

AbstractIncreasing evidence shows that the anti-tumor functions of tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes (TILs) were inhibited significantly, but the underlying mechanisms remain not fully understood. In this study, we found that 14-3-3ζ expression was up-regulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells and in TILs. TILs with 14-3-3ζ high-expression (14-3-3ζhigh) exhibited impaired activation (CD69), proliferation (Ki67) and anti-tumor functions compared to 14-3-3ζ low expression (14-3-3ζlow) TILs. Flow cytometry assay showed that compared with 14-3-3ζlow CD8+T cells, 14-3-3ζhigh ones exhibited higher frequency of exhausted phenotypes as measured by inhibitory receptors such as PD-1, TIM-3, LAG3, and CTLA-4. 14-3-3ζ overexpression inhibited the activity and proliferation of peripheral blood CD3+ T cells, deviated the differentiation of naive T cells from effector T cells to regulatory T cells. Moreover, we found that 14-3-3ζ expression levels in TILs correlated positively with those in HCC cells. Naive T cells co-cultured with HCC cells or the visible components of culture medium of HCC cells exhibited increased 14-3-3ζ expression. Stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM) and confocal assay showed that 14-3-3ζ-containing exosomes derived from HCC cells could be swallowed by T cells, suggesting that 14-3-3ζ might be transmitted from HCC cells to TILs at least partially through exosomes. In conclusion, our study for the first time demonstrated that 14-3-3ζ is up-regulated in and inhibited the anti-tumor functions of tumor-infiltrating T cells in HCC microenvironment and that 14-3-3ζ might be transmitted from HCC cells to T cells at least partially through exosomes.
Oncogenic HSP60 regulates mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation to support Erk1/2 activation during pancreatic cancer cell growth
Authors: Zhou Chao , Sun Hongwei , Zheng Chen , Gao Jing , Fu Qingzi , Hu Nianqi , Shao Xiaoli , Zhou Yingying , Xiong Jingting , Nie Ke , Zhou Huaibin , Shen Lijun , Fang Hezhi , Lyu Jianxin 
Published: February 2018

AbstractHSP60 is a mitochondrial localized quality control protein responsible for maintaining mitochondrial function. Although HSP60 is considered both a tumor suppressor and promoter in different types of cancer, the role of HSP60 in human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains unknown. In this study, we demonstrated that HSP60 was aberrantly expressed in human pancreatic cancer tissues and cell lines. Analysis of the Cancer Genome Atlas database revealed that HSP60 expression is positively correlated with pancreatic cancer. Further, knockdown of HSP60 attenuated pancreatic ductal cancer cell proliferation and migration/invasion, whereas ectopic expression of HSP60 increased tumorigenesis. Using an in vivo tumorigenicity assay, we confirmed that HSP60 promoted the growth of pancreatic ductal cancer cells. Functional analyses demonstrated that HSP60 plays a key role in the regulation of mitochondrial function. Mechanistically, both HSP60 knockdown and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) inhibition by metformin decreased Erk1/2 phosphorylation and induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, whereas Erk1/2 reactivation with EGF promoted cell proliferation. Intriguingly, in vitro ATP supplementation partially restored Erk1/2 phosphorylation and promoted proliferation in PDAC cells with HSP60 knockdown and OXPHOS inhibition. These results suggest that mitochondrial ATP is an important sensor of Erk1/2 regulated apoptosis and the cell cycle in PDAC cells. Thus, our findings indicate for the first time that HSP60 may serve as a novel diagnostic target of human pancreatic cancer, and that inhibition of mitochondrial function using drugs such as metformin may be a beneficial therapeutic strategy targeting pancreatic cancer cells with aberrant function of the HSP60/OXPHOS/Erk1/2 phosphorylation axis.
UHRF1 depletion sensitizes retinoblastoma cells to chemotherapeutic drugs via downregulation of XRCC4
Authors: He Heng , Lee Chunsik , Kim Jong Kyong 
Published: February 2018

AbstractUHRF1 (ubiquitin-like with PHD and ring finger domains 1) is highly expressed in various human cancers including retinoblastoma, and associated with tumor-promoting effects such as inhibition of apoptosis and high proliferation. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying tumor-promoting functions of UHRF1 in retinoblastoma still remain elusive. Here, we show that stable knockdown of UHRF1 renders retinoblastoma cells sensitized to conventional chemotherapeutic drugs such as etoposide and camptothecin, resulting in enhanced DNA damage and apoptotic cell death. We found that UHRF1-depleted retinoblastoma cells can recognize DNA damages normally but have markedly low expression of XRCC4 (X-ray repair cross complementing 4) among the components of nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) repair complex. Conversely, overexpression of UHRF1 increased the XRCC4 expression and stable knockdown of XRCC4 sensitized retinoblastoma cells to etoposide treatment, suggesting that XRCC4 is a key mediator for the drug sensitivity upon UHRF1 depletion in retinoblastoma cells. Consistent with the findings, chromatin association of DNA ligase IV in response to acute DNA damage was found to be significantly reduced in UHRF1-depleted retinoblastoma cells and functional complementation for XRCC4 in UHRF1-depleted cells attenuated the drug sensitivity, demonstrating that XRCC4 downregulation in UHRF1-depleted cells impaired DNA repair and consequently induced robust apoptosis upon genotoxic drug treatment. In human primary retinoblastoma, high expression of UHRF1 and XRCC4 could be detected, and elevated XRCC4 expression correlated with reduced apoptosis markers, implying that UHRF1-mediated XRCC4 upregulation under pathophysiological conditions triggered by RB1 gene inactivation may confer protection against endogenous DNA damages that arise during retinoblastoma development. Taken together, these results present a new mechanistic insight into how UHRF1 mediates its tumor-promoting functions in retinoblastoma, and also provide a basis for UHRF1 targeting to improve the efficacy of current chemotherapy for retinoblastoma treatment.