bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Primary healthcare centers engagement in tuberculosis treatment in Ukraine
Authors: Geliukh Evgenia , Nabirova Dilyara , Davtyan Karapet , Yesypenko Svetlana , Zachariah Rony 
Published: August 2019

Introduction: We assessed the influence of a result-based financing (RBF) model, which included incentives for Primary Healthcare facilities on TB treatment outcomes.
Methodology: We compared TB patients > 17 years and their treatment outcomes among those who did and did not benefit from RBF-model in 14 districts of Odeska oblast, Ukraine in 2017. Log-binomial regression was used to examine factors associated with being included in RBF-model.
Results: Of 2,269 reported TB patients, 308 (14%) were included in RBF-model. Most patients in the RBF-model were from rural areas 229 (74%), unemployed 218 (71%), and HIV-infected 131 (43%). Individuals from urban areas (Adjusted risk ratio, ARR =0.9, 95% Confidence Interval, CI:0.89-0.94), having drug-resistant TB (ARR = 0.3, 95% CI: 0.18-0.45), and relapse TB (ARR = 0.6, 95% CI:0.40-0.83) were less likely to be included in RBF-model. Favorable outcomes in new/relapse cases with RBF-model was 89% compared with 41% (p < 0.001) without RBF. Similarly, for other retreatment this was 83% versus 40% (p < 0.001). Failures in the no-RBF group was 29% for new and relapse cases while for other retreatment cases, it was 26% (significantly higher than in the RBF-model).
Conclusion: RBF-model is effective in achieving high levels of favorable TB treatment outcomes. Almost three-in-ten TB patients in non-RBF category failed TB treatment despite having drug-susceptible TB. Efforts are now needed to include it within ongoing public health reforms and assess the feasibility of scaling-up this intervention through implementation research and dedicated funding.
Engaging people who inject drugs and their peers in HIV testing and harm reduction in Ukraine: do they make a difference?
Authors: Kravchenko Nataliia , Denisiuk Olga , Kuznetsova Julia , Jayaraj Joshua , Zachariah Rony , Smyrnov Pavlo 
Published: August 2019

Introduction: People Who Inject Drugs (PWID) should be offered HIV-testing and harm reduction services. We assessed the effectiveness of including PWID and their peers in HIV-testing by comparing for a period before (2013-2014) and after their introduction (2015-2017), the a) numbers HIV tested b) number enrolled in harm reduction and c) frequency of HIV-testing.
Methodology: An analysis of programme data involved PWID aged ≥ 14 years (1st January 2013-31st December 2017) in Ukraine. Between 2013-2014, HIV-testing (VCT) was done by trained health workers. From 2015, this was Directly Assisted HIV Self-testing (DAST) done by social workers and peers. Optimized HIV case finding (OCF) was introduced (in 2016) as an overlapping strategy with DAST.
Results: A total of 844,837 HIV tests were done with 23,427 (2.8%) HIV-positive results. With VCT, there were 164,417 HIV tests compared to 639,685 after engagement of PWID and their peers (>3-fold increase). The highest HIV positive yield (20%) was when OCF was included. With increasing HIV-testing caseload, a progressive decrease in enrollment in harm reduction was seen (85% in 2014 to 47% in 2017, X2 for trend P < 0.001). OCF resulted in enrollment into harm reduction of 2722 HIV-positives, which was 35% higher than through DAST alone (7,5%). HIV re-testing almost doubled with DAST.
Conclusion: Active engagement of PWID and their peers in HIV-testing increased uptake of HIV-testing. Including OCF has a synergistic effect in HIV-positive yield. Strategies are urgently needed to ensure that individuals who are HIV tested are enrolled in harm reduction.
Schémas précoces inadaptés, tempérament et caractère chez des patients présentant une dépendance aux substances psychoactives
Authors: Berrewaerts Joëlle , Pallincourt Romain , Wildemeersch Géraldine , Desseilles Martin , Kempeneers Philippe 
Published: August 2019

Le questionnaire des schémas de Young (YSQ-S3) et celui des tempéraments et des caractères de Cloninger (TCI-R) ont été remplis par 49 femmes et 56 hommes présentant un trouble lié à l’utilisation d’une substance, tel que défini par le DSM-IV-TR. Pour 84,8 % des personnes, le principal produit incriminé était l’alcool, soit à titre unique (73,3 %), soit en combinaison avec d’autres produits. Leur âge moyen est de 45,5 ans et s’étend de 21 à 64 ans. Pour le YSQ-S3, on relève une sur-activation de cinq schémas précoces inadaptés (SPI) dans l’échantillon : manque affectif, abandon/instabilité, abnégation, négativité/pessimisme et idéaux exigeants. Pour le TCI-R, on observe une surpondération des notes d’évitement du danger et une sous-pondération des notes d’autodétermination. D’un autre côté, des régressions linéaires montrent qu’une faible autodétermination, telle que mesurée par le TCI-R, permet de prédire une large palette de SPI. À un degré moindre, l’évitement du danger apparaît, également, comme un prédicteur significatif des SPI. Par ailleurs, la particularité d’un profil de réponse au TCI-R ne paraît guère à même de prédire un profil de réponse particulier au YSQ-S3.
Entre curriculum formel et curriculum caché. Quelle morale l’école enseigne-t-elle en réalité ?
Authors: Maulini Olivier 
Published: August 2019

L’enseignement de la morale, du civisme ou de la citoyenneté à l’école est en partie gouverné par le curriculum formel et les débats d’idées qui cherchent à l’orienter. Mais quelle morale l’école enseigne-t-elle en réalité, dans l’ordinaire de ses pratiques et les plis du curriculum caché ? Une synthèse des recherches menées sur vingt ans dans l’enseignement obligatoire de Suisse romande montre que l’ethos localement dominant est d’abord celui de la responsabilité des élèves et de la cohésion des classes dans un cadre de travail adapté. Ailleurs, dans chaque établissement, la confiance et la complémentarité sont les composantes valorisées d’un dialogue apaisé. Savoir vivre ensemble est un objectif du plan d’études, mais aussi la vertu immédiate du convivialisme ainsi pratiqué. Cette configuration est-elle propre à la Suisse ou illustre-t-elle une tension démocratique entre deux perspectives : décréter le bien commun en surplomb ou le chercher collectivement par la contradiction ?
OX40 Agonist Tumor Immunotherapy Does Not Impact Regulatory T Cell Suppressive Function
Authors: Polesso Fanny , Sarker Minhaz , Weinberg Andrew D. , Murray Susan E. , Moran Amy E. 
Published: August 2019

Abstract
OX40 is a costimulatory molecule from the TNFR family. In mice, it is expressed on Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) constitutively and on conventional CD4 (Tconv) and CD8 T cells after Ag encounter. OX40 agonists are in clinical development to enhance antitumor immune responses, and one proposed mechanism of action is loss of Treg suppressive function. Studies have postulated that agonist OX40 therapy can impair Treg suppressive function. Using tools developed since the initial studies were published, we evaluated a direct effect of OX40 agonism on Treg function. We conclude that OX40 agonist Abs do not intrinsically impair Treg function but rather enhance Tconv cell IL-2 production, increasing Treg and Tconv cell proliferation. OX40-stimulated Tregs retain suppressive function, but also gain IFN-γ, TNF-α, and granzyme B expression. These data help resolve mechanistic questions regarding OX40 agonist immunotherapy and thus are relevant to developing combination therapies that target distinct T cell functions.
Initial trends of individual donation nucleic acid testing in voluntary & replacement donors from a tertiary care centre in north India
Authors: Hans Rekha , Marwaha Neelam , Sharma Suresh , Sachdev Suchet , Sharma Ratti Ram 
Published: August 2019

Background & objectives:
Individual donation nucleic acid testing (ID-NAT) is considered as sensitive technology to assess blood safety from viral transfusion-transmissible infections (TTIs) in blood donors. The present study was aimed to analyze the results of ID-NAT for three years (2013-2015) with special reference to different types of donors and their age ranges in a tertiary care centre in north India.

Methods:
The results of ID-NAT for three years were retrospectively analyzed at our centre. A total of 168,433 donations were tested with ID-NAT, of which 10,467 were tested with Procleix® Ultrio® reagents and 157,966 were tested with Procleix® UltrioPlus® reagents, and the results were compared with those of serology to calculate the NAT yield in voluntary, replacement, first-time and repeat donors.

Results:
A combined NAT yield was observed as one in 1031 out of 167,069 seronegative donations with HBV yield as one in 1465, HCV yield as one in 3885 and HIV-1 as one in 167,069. Yield for co-infection (HCV and HBV) was one in 41,767. A high NAT yield was observed in replacement donors (1 in 498) as compared to voluntary donors (1 in 1320).

Interpretation & conclusions:
Addition of NAT to serology improved the blood safety in our centre interdicting possibility of 150 TTIs annually. It has also reemphasized the safety of voluntary over replacement donors. The results also highlight the need of proper counselling, notification and referral guidelines of NAT yield donors in our country and other countries which lack them.
Transport Infrastructure and Economic Growth: From Diminishing Returns to International Trade
Authors: Šlander Sonja , Ogorevc Marko 
Published: August 2019

The economic effects of transport infrastructure have been at the forefront of economic research and development policies for the last three decades, after the estimates in the early studies uncovered transport investment as one of the main drivers of economic growth. This is still widely accepted, and the aim of this paper is to challenge this view by analyzing 657 estimates from 48 production function studies. Our results confirm a positive yet small average output elasticity of transport network, but further add to the literature by showing that the marginal returns of transport infrastructure have been falling since 1950s, especially in the USA and China, while the output elasticities in Europe have been stable but low throughout the entire period. Furthermore, the paper reviews studies on the effeets of new roads on firm-level performance, and concludes, based on the evidence of small marginal returns of transport infrastructure on both macro- and micro-economic level, that a a much more targeted approach to public investment in transport infrastructure is needed, at least in the developed countries.
Analytics of Systemic Crises and the Role of Global Financial Safety Nets
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: August 2019

In response to the global crisis, the Fund overhauled its lending toolkit and boosted its resources, strengthening its ability to pre-empt financial crises. This paper—with the companion paper on Mapping Cross-Border Financial Linkages—takes another look at the recent global crisis in the context of a broader review of past systemic crises to (i) assess whether rising linkages across countries is a source of latent systemic instability and (ii) ascertain whether the global financial safety net (GFSN) is adequate to contain crisis and contagion risks arising from such systemic instability. This paper develops a new methodology to identify systemic crises and reviews associated policy responses from a global, rather than country-level, perspective
Statement by the Managing Director on the Work Program of the Executive Board - Executive Board Meeting - June 11, 2014
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: August 2019

The Global Policy Agenda (GPA) presented to the IMFC in April 2014 identified a range of actions needed to transform the modest, uneven, and fragile recovery into more rapid, balanced, and sustainable growth. These actions included policies to manage monetary normalization and the associated policy spillovers and spillbacks; reforms to ensure robust growth while reducing vulnerabilities; and steps to facilitate external rebalancing. The GPA also outlined how the Fund would support the membership through assessments and policy advice provided in bilateral and multilateral surveillance, capacity building, and financial support
Impact of Big Five Personality Traits on Entrepreneurial Intention of Engineering Undergraduates
Authors: Udayanganie W M I , Jusoh Mazuki , Chinna Karuthan 
Published: August 2019

The purpose of this paper is to identify the influence of Big Five personality traits of extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability and openness to experience on entrepreneurial intention of engineering undergraduates. Entrepreneurship for engineers is not new to the world. Recent changes in the world and engineering present both challenges and opportunities to engineering education. Engineering education is changing to meet these challenges. A study was conducted with the sample of 202 final year undergraduates in engineering faculties in Sri Lanka. Exploratory Factor Analysis, Multiple Regression and Structural Equation Modeling were applied to analyze the relationships of these variables. The results demonstrate that entrepreneurial personality traits which relate significantly to entrepreneurial intention of undergraduates are characterized by high emotional stability and openness to experience. The findings are discussed and interpreted to provide important implications to practitioners and academics.
Deep Vegetal Foreign Bodies in Cats: A Retrospective Study of 10 Cases
Authors: Cola Veronica , Del Magno Sara , Valentini Simona , Zanardi Stefano , Foglia Armando , Spinella Giuseppe , Capitani Ombretta , Buracco Paolo , Pisoni Luciano 
Published: August 2019

ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to describe the anatomic locations and treatments available for deeply located vegetal foreign bodies in cats. Ten cases of migrating vegetal foreign bodies (vFBs) requiring surgical removal are reported. The diagnoses of vFBs in the thoracic cavity (4/10), retroperitoneal space (2/10), and paratracheal region (1/10) were obtained by ultrasound examination; however, in the perineum or penile urethra (2/10) and peritoneum (1/10), the vFBs were found during surgery. Intraoperative ultrasound guidance helped remove vFBs from the retroperitoneal space and paratracheal tissues. Clinical signs resolved in 8 out of 10 cases, 1 out of 10 cases had recurrent draining fistula, and 1 out of 10 was euthanized for ethical reasons. The intrathoracic was the most common location in the present study, followed by retroperitoneal space and urethra/perineum. Ultrasound guidance was essential for the diagnosis and/or treatment of vFBs located in the thoracic, retroperitoneal, and cervical regions.
Effects of Right Atrioventricular Expanded Polytetrafluoroethylene Path Graft Reconstruction on Arrhythmogenicity and Ventricular Function in Dogs
Authors: Aoki Takuma , Doiguchi Makoto 
Published: August 2019

ABSTRACTRight atrioventricular pericardial autografts, including the coronary groove, may cause myocardial ischemia. Our aim was to explore the effects of this procedure using an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) patch on arrhythmogenicity and right ventricular function. Four healthy beagles and one client-owned golden retriever with recurrent cardiac tamponade as a result of hemangiosarcoma were included. The four healthy dogs underwent right atrioventricular ePTFE patch graft reconstruction after complete resection of the right auricle. Right ventricular function and arrhythmia were evaluated using tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion and tissue Doppler imaging on echocardiography and Holter electrocardiography, respectively, before and after surgery. The golden retriever underwent right atrioventricular ePTFE patch graft reconstruction followed by resection of the cardiac mass. None of the echocardiographic values, not involving systolic function, changed after surgery in the four healthy dogs. Transient arrhythmias tended to increase 1 day after surgery. The dog with recurrent cardiac tamponade exhibited more severe arrhythmia and required transient antiarrhythmic treatment for 3 days and survived the cardiac tamponade for 434 days after surgery. We showed that an ePTFE patch can serve as a suitable alternative material for right atrioventricular patch graft reconstruction, although transient arrhythmias may occur following surgery.
Digital fordobling af lærere
Authors: Nortvig Anne-Mette 
Published: August 2019

Digitale læringsplatforme forventes anvendt i alle fag i skolen i stadig større grad, men dette synes ikke altid meningsfuldt i praktisk-musiske fag, hvor der snarere arbejdes praktisk, kropsligt og analogt end digitalt. Som deltagende skole i det større projekt om Anvendelse af Digitale Læringsplatforme i Folkeskolen eksperimenterede en gruppe lærere med en digital læringsplatform i blandt andet musik samt håndværk og design med henblik på at lade platformen bidrage til løsninger på udfordringer i undervisningen frem for at lade den være omdrejningspunktet for projektet. Denne artikel beskriver og diskuterer på baggrund af disse eksperimenter, hvordan lærere i folkeskolen kan inddrage en digital læringsplatform på meningsfulde måder i praktisk-musiske fag.
Artiklen bidrager med narrativer og casebeskrivelser af disse it-didaktiske design, og de belyses gennem lærernes observationer og evalueringer af eksperimenterne med den digitale læringsplatform. Artiklen introducerer og diskuterer endvidere begrebet om "den digitalt fordoblede lærer" og peger på, hvordan en sådan med fordel kan inddrages i klasser, hvor elever har brug for gentagelse, øvelse og fysisk tilstedevær fra lærerens side.
Maternal Vitamin D Status and Risk of Preeclampsia in Abuja, Nigeria
Authors: Omonua Kate Ifeoma , Onafowokan Olutunde , Adewole Nathaniel , Nwegbu Maxwell , Isah Aliyu Yabaji , Omonua Odiase Special 
Published: August 2019

Aim: To determine the relationship between maternal serum 25(OH) D concentrations and development of preeclampsia.
Study Design: A cross sectional comparative study.
Place and Duration of Study: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Abuja, between March 2016 and February 2017.
Methodology: We included 55 women with preeclampsia and 55 healthy women. Data obtained included sociodemographic characteristics, clothing style and duration of exposure to sun light. ELISA method was used for evaluation of serum vitamin D levels.
Results: The prevalence of VD deficiency in the population was 15%, while 16.8% and 73% of the participants had insufficient and normal levels respectively. The prevalence of VD deficiency in women with preeclampsia was 20.4% while that in healthy pregnant women was 9.4% (P=.19). The mean serum 25-OH-D level of women with pre-eclampsia was significantly lower than that of healthy women (34.5±14.9 vs. 43.5±15.1, P = .003). Preeclamptic women with vitamin D insufficiency delivered at a higher gestational age than those with vitamin D deficiency (37.67(2.77) weeks vs. 33.55(2.38) weeks respectively, P = .007). In the adjusted analysis of cases with vitamin D defficiency, the odds of developing preeclampsia was not statistically significant [odds ratio (OR) = 3.27, CI = 0.99-10.83, P =.05]. However, the odds of developing preeclampsia in women with Vitamin D insufficiency was statistically significant (OR = 3.20, CI = 1.02–10.06, = 0.046).
Conclusion: In conclusion, an association between vitamin D deficiency and preeclampsia was not demonstrated in this study. The results however suggest that maternal vitamin D insufficiency in late pregnancy is an independent risk factor for preeclampsia.
Mild Hyperoxia Stimulation Increases Regional Tissue Oxygen Pressure in Rat Hippocampus via Oxygen Radical
Authors: Yoshizato H. , Kwon Osung , Ato S. , Ogasawara R. , Hanai Y. , Yoshimura Y. 
Published: August 2019

Aims: The purpose of this study is to examine a rise of the local tissue oxygen pressure in hippocampus (Hip-pO2) which means neuronal activation by mild hyperoxia through oxygen radical.
Study Design: Study was an animal experiment with rat.
Place and Duration of Study: Department of Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagaya Institute of Technology, between January 2014 and January 2018.
Methodology: Rats were exposed to air or mild oxygen gas. At the same time, Local tissue oxygen pressure in hippocampus (Hip-pO2) were measured for 20 min with or without treatment of two type of radical scavengers.
Results: The Hip-pO2 levels were significantly increased by mild hyperoxia exposure (50-60% above resting level). The mild hyperoxia-induced enhancement of the Hip-pO2 levels were inhibited by MnTMPyP (radical scavenger), but not by NADPH oxidase (NOX) inhibitor Apocynin.
Conclusion: These findings suggested that mild hyperoxia could activate hippocampus through generation of oxygen radicals.
Ultrasound Measurement of the Abdominal Aortic Diameter in a Normotensive and Hypertensive Adult Nigerian Population in Enugu
Authors: Agu O. D. , Uduma F. U. , Njeze N. R. , Mgbor S. O. , Obikili E. N. , Eze K. C. 
Published: August 2019

Background: Hypertension has direct effect on abdominal aortic diameter. Some of its manifestations are aortic aneurysm and dissection.
Aims: To compare the AAD among adult normotensive and hypertensive subjects as well as correlating with age, sex and blood pressure.
Materials and Methods: Participants will be randomly selected from hypertensives attending Cardiology Clinic, in University of Nigeria teaching hospital (UNTH) Enugu, Nigeria. Controls will be apparently healthy normotensive volunteers. Participants’ demographics, weight, height and blood pressure will be documented. Ultrasound measurements of infrarenal AAD will be taken at 2 cm below the origin of the superior mesenteric artery. Data will be statistically analyzed and a p-value of ≤ 0.05 will be considered significant.
Results: 300 participants: comprising of 150 normotensives and 150 hypertensives were studied. The mean values for AAD in normotensive males and females were 16.66 ± 2.04 mm and 15.36 ± 1.97 mm respectively. Whereas the values for hypertensives, changed to 18.89 ± 2.64 mm and 16.57 ± 2.54 mm respectively. The AAD showed a positive correlation with systolic blood pressure (r2 = 0.317, P ≤ 0.001) but not with diastolic blood pressure.
Conclusion: Abdominal aortic diameter was significantly larger among hypertensives than normotensives. The diameter increased with age in both normotensive and hypertensive subjects.
Long‐term maintenance of functional primary human hepatocytes using small molecules
Authors: Katsuda Takeshi , Kawamata Masaki , Inoue Ayako , Yamaguchi Tomoko , Abe Maki , Ochiya Takahiro 
Published: August 2019

The immediate deterioration of primary human hepatocytes (PHHs) during culture limits their utility in drug discovery studies. Here, we report that a cocktail of four small molecule signaling inhibitors, termed YPAC, is useful for maintaining various hepatic functions of PHHs, including albumin and urea productivity, glycogen storage, and cytochrome P450 (CYP) expression. Most importantly, we found that YPAC allows PHHs to retain enzymatic activities of CYP1A2, CYP2B6, and CYP3A4 even after 40 days of culture, and that inducibility of CYP3A4 activity in response to the prototypical inducers rifampicin and phenobarbital is also maintained. Our novel approach could facilitate drug discovery studies.