bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
CLINICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL EFFECTS OF LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION WITH PENTOXIFYLLINE, VITAMIN E IN PATIENTS WITH NON-ALCOHOLIC STEATOHEPATITIS IN SULAIMANI
Authors: Ahmed Chra , Al-Tukmagi Haydar , Mohammed Mohammed 
Published: October 2019

Background
The burden of Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis is growing and current pharmacologic treatments are limited by adverse effects and inconsistent efficacy. Pilot studies suggest that Pentoxifylline and vitamin E can reduce degree and pattern of fatty liver, liver enzyme and inflammatory marker in patients with NASH.
Objectives
Evaluation of the clinical, biochemical and ultrasonographic effects of pentoxifylline, and vitamin E in patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.
Methods
A total of 110 participants with NASH which diagnosed by ultrasonography fatty infiltration and raised aminotransferase level were included, only 90 participants completed the study. Demographic data, anthropometric measures such as Body Mass Index (BMI), waist/hip ratio were taken, liver function test, lipid profile, blood glucose, serum creatinine and High sensitivity C-reactive protein (Hs-CRP). The patients were divided into three comparable groups in age, gender and BMI. All enrolled participants were treated by lifestyle modification but pharmacologically they were randomly divided into three groups and followed for 6 months. Group 1; treated with placebo as a control group (starch prepared by capsule 400mg twice daily). Group 2; treated with vitamin E soft gelatin capsule 400 IU twice daily.Group 3; treated with pentoxifylline caplet 400mg twice daily.
Results
Out of 110 participants, only 90 participants (48 male, 42 female) completed this study, with age range of 23-65 years with age mean was 42.1±11.2. All the three groups showed decreased steatosis by ultrasonography and a significant reduction in aminotransferase levels, Hs-CRP, lipid profile, blood glucose, blood pressure and waist circumference compared to baseline. In the pentoxifylline group, side effects such as nausea, heartburn and dizziness were noted while in vitamin E group; abdominal pain and blurred vision were recorded after the second visit.
Conclusions
Pentoxifylline or Vitamin E with dietary changes and exercise led to significant improvement in hepatic steatosis indicated by ultrasonography, reduction in aminotransferase levels and improved inflammatory marker (Hs-CRP).
SUBHYPNOTIC DOSES OF PROPOFOL VERSUS MIDAZOLAM TO PREVENT NAUSEA AND VOMITING DURING SPINAL ANESTHESIA FOR CAESAREAN SECTION
Authors: Khudadad Amir , Aghawaise Bafrin 
Published: October 2019

Background
Nausea and vomiting is a common complication in parturients with cesarean delivery under spinal anesthesia it may causes significant distress to the patient and increases the chance of aspiration pneumonitis, it also affects the surgical procedure. Many drugs have been used to prevent this complication but none proved to be effective to abolish it completely.
Objectives
Subhypnotic dose of Midazolam or Propofol were evaluated to prevent intraoperative nausea and vomiting during elective cesarean section under spinal anesthesia.
Methods
This study is a randomized control clinical trial, after local ethical committee approval A 93 consenting (ASAII ) parturients, who underwent spinal anesthesia for caesarean section were divided randomly into three groups received Propofol (20 milligram bolus and 0.1 milligram /kilogram/hour by infusion immediately after the bolus dose, 30 parturients ), Midazolam (1 milligram bolus and 1 milligram/hour by infusion after bolus dose, 31 parturients ), and placebo (saline, 32 parturients ) intravenously after umbilical cord clamping. Bupivacaine 0.5% (12.5-15 milligram) used for spinal anesthesia. Intraoperative and post delivery emetic episodes were recorded.
Results
The incidence of nausea and vomiting was significantly less in the propofol and Midazolam groups in compared to placebo group. There was insignificant difference between Propofol and Midazolam group in postoperative nausea and vomiting (P = 0.616) and there were no significant hemodynamic changes in all the groups.
Conclusion
The use of Propofol is as effective as Midazolam in decreasing nausea and vomiting during Caesarean section under spinal anesthesia.
Legal Protection to Creditors and Debtors in the Case of Withheld Fiducia Guarantee Object as Evidence of Criminal Case
Authors: Putra Andika , Ismansyah Ismansyah , Yulfasni Yulfasni 
Published: October 2019

Land is a very important means to carry out development, and the problem of land acquisition for these needs is not easy to solve because with the increasing development of land demand is also increasing while the land supply is very limited. Regarding the existence and function of land, there is a legal relationship between humans with land, including the act of transferring rights and release of land rights, in order to provide legal certainty for the act referred to, it is necessary to set forth in the form of a deed made before a Notary or before the District Head or before the Head of the National Land Agency. But today, the public is more entrusted to make this SPPHT before a Notary Public in order to ensure legal certainty, and also the Land Agency has suggested making a transitional deed through a Notary Deed to be more efficient. The method used is empirical juridical research. Research data were collected through field studies through interviews with resource persons to obtain primary data and literature studies to obtain primary data. The focus of this research is to find out and analyze how the process of releasing land rights for development through a notarial deed in the city of Padang. The results showed that 1) the release of rights before the Notary Public through the Signing of the Deed of Relinquishment of Land Rights which first checked all the requirements by the Notary, then the deed is perfectly signed into an authentic deed and guarantees legal certainty. 2) The process of land registration is based on the deed of release of rights made by a Notary in the City of Padang by submitting an application along with the Deed of Relinquishment of Land Rights and other requirements, then reviewing the field and issuing maps by the Land Agency.
Right-to-Carry Laws and Firearm Workplace Homicides: A Longitudinal Analysis (1992–2017)
Authors: Doucette Mitchell L. , Crifasi Cassandra K. , Frattaroli Shannon 
Published: October 2019

Objectives. To examine the impact of right-to-carry (RTC) firearm laws on firearm workplace homicides (WPHs) in the United States from 1992 to 2017.Methods. We employed 2 longitudinal methods to examine the average effect (pooled, cross-sectional, time-series analysis) and the state-specific effect (random effects meta-analysis) of RTC laws on WPHs committed by firearms from 1992 to 2017 in a 50-state panel. Both methods utilized a generalized linear mixed model with a negative binomial distribution.Results. From 1992 to 2017, the average effect of having an RTC law was significantly associated with 29% higher rates of firearm WPHs (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.14, 1.45). No other state-level policies were associated with firearm WPHs. Sensitivity analyses suggest robust findings. State-specific estimates suggest that passing an RTC law during our study period was significantly associated with 24% increase in firearm WPH rates (95% CI = 1.09, 1.40).Conclusions. This is the first study to our knowledge to examine the link between RTC firearm laws and firearm WPHs. Findings indicate that RTC laws likely pose a threat to worker safety and contribute to the recent body of literature that finds RTC laws are associated with increased incidence of violence.
Health Impact of Hurricanes Irma and Maria on St Thomas and St John, US Virgin Islands, 2017–2018
Authors: Chowdhury Muhammad Abdul Baker , Fiore Andrew J. , Cohen Scott A. , Wheatley Clayton , Wheatley Barnard , Balakrishnan Meenakshi Puthucode , Chami Michael , Scieszka Laura , Drabin Matthew , Roberts Kelsey A. , Toben Alexandra C. , Tyndall J. Adrian , Grattan Lynn M. , Morris J. Glenn 
Published: October 2019

Objectives. To assess the health impact of Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria on St Thomas, US Virgin Islands. Methods. We collected data from interviews conducted 6 and 9 months after the hurricanes, a review of 597 randomly selected emergency department (ED) encounters, and administrative records from 10 716 ED visits 3 months before, between, and 3 months after the hurricanes. Results. Informants described damaged hospital infrastructure, including flooding, structural damage, and lost staff. The greatest public health impact was on the elderly and persons with chronic diseases. In the setting of loss of the electronic medical record system, ED chart reviews were limited by problems with missing data. ED administrative data demonstrated that posthurricane patients, compared with prehurricane patients, were older and had less severe complaints. There was a significant increase in patients being seen for diabetes-related and respiratory complaints, especially asthma. Suboptimal recordkeeping for medical evacuees limited the ability to assess outcomes for patients with severe illnesses. Conclusions. Hurricanes Irma and Maria caused major disruptions to health care on St Thomas. Emphasis should be given to building a resilient health care system that will optimally respond to future hurricanes.
SNAP at the Community Scale: How Neighborhood Characteristics Affect Participation and Food Access
Authors: Cohen Nevin 
Published: October 2019

Cities are spatially diverse, with enclaves of particular demographic groups, clusters of businesses, and pockets of low-income individuals living amid affluence. This essay presents data from New York City to illustrate the importance of measuring and addressing neighborhood characteristics that affect Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation and the purchasing power of SNAP benefits: pockets of “eligible-but-not-enrolled” individuals, proximity between SNAP participants and jobs, and variations in food prices across neighborhoods. It concludes with 5 examples of how addressing these community-scale issues can increase SNAP participation and food access.
Refinement of Sampling and Analysis Techniques for Asbestos in Soil
Authors: Wroble Julie , Frederick Tim , Vallero Daniel 
Published: October 2019

ABSTRACT
Measuring the concentrations of asbestos in contaminated soils is challenging. Data are often highly variable. Variability in soil measurements has led to limitations in comparing results from sites nationally and difficulties in reproducing results, even from the same sites over time. The difficulties in collecting reproducible soil data limit the ability to extrapolate from concentrations in soil and compare to concentrations in air. This extrapolation is necessary if soil data are to be used in human health risk assessments. To address this substantial limitation of asbestos soil data, researchers from Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regions and the National Exposure Research Laboratory are conducting a series of efforts to advance the use of data that are collected, processed, and analyzed using the most reproducible methods. These soil data, collected from a variety of sites across the country, will be compared to air data from activity-based sampling in an attempt to establish a quantitative relationship between asbestos soil concentrations and airborne fiber concentrations. This research plan summary provides an update on the EPA efforts under way and the challenges that lie ahead.
Viable Mycobacterium tuberculosis in sputum after pulmonary tuberculosis cure
Authors: Ambreen Atiqa , Jamil Muhammad , Rahman Muhammad Aqeelur , Mustafa Tehmina 
Published: October 2019

Abstract
Background

Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) with detectable Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the sputum is a major source of transmission. In resource limited TB endemic settings, cure is declared through sputum smear examination for acid fast bacilli without performing culture. This may lead to erroneous treatment outcomes as viable bacteria may be missed due to the low sensitivity of direct smear method. The aim of this study was to investigate if sterilizing cure is achieved among the new pulmonary TB cases declared cured by sputum smear conversion and to evaluate the impact of addition of ethambutol in the continuation phase in achieving it.

Methods

New sputum smear-positive pulmonary TB patients registered at a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan from November 2013 to March 2014 were followed under standard Directly Observed Treatment Short Course strategy for six months. Half of these patients received ethambutol in addition to isoniazid and rifampicin in the continuation phase. Sputum specimens were examined on microscopy at 2 months and at the end of treatment. Sputa of patients with negative direct smear examination at the end of treatment were cultured.

Results

Among 5746 TB suspects, 1595 were new sputum smear positive pulmonary TB cases, and 533 were registered at our hospital. Among these, 504 converted sputum negative at 2 months and 348 converted at the end of six months of treatment and were declared cured. Sputa of 204/348 patients were cultured, and 12/204 (6%) were culture-positive. Culture positivity at 6 months was not associated with bacterial load, smoking, diabetes, presence of cavities, history of contact with TB patients, age, sex, socioeconomic status, or addition of ethambutol in the continuation phase.

Conclusion

Viable cultivable bacilli were detected in 6% of cured patients, which would have significant impact on the control of TB. This highlights the need for an inexpensive and accurate surrogate marker for culture as it is not feasible to perform culture in routine for monitoring treatment response in the low-resource settings. The treatment outcome did not improve by addition of ethambutol emphasizing the need to find the optimal duration of treatment for individual or carefully selected groups of patients.
A double-blind placebo-controlled trial of azithromycin to reduce mortality and improve growth in high risk young children with non-bloody diarrhoea in low resource settings: The Antibiotic for Children with Diarrhoea (ABCD) Trial Protocol
Authors: De Costa Ayesha 
Published: October 2019

Abstract
Background Acute diarrhoea is a common cause of illness and death among children in low-middle-income settings. WHO guidelines for the clinical management of acute watery diarrhoea in children focus on oral rehydration, supplemental zinc and feeding advice. Routine use of antibiotics is not recommended except when diarrhoea is bloody or cholera is suspected. Young children who are undernourished or have a dehydrating diarrhoea are more susceptible to death in 90-days after onset of diarrhoea. Given the mortality risk associated with diarrhoea in children with malnutrition or dehydrating diarrhoea, expanding the use of antibiotics for this subset of children could be an important intervention to reduce diarrhoea associated mortality and morbidity. We designed the ‘Antibiotics for Childhood Diarrhoea’ (ABCD) trial to test this intervention. Methods ABCD is a double-blind, randomised trial recruiting 11,500 children aged 2-23 months presenting with acute non-bloody diarrhoea who are dehydrated and/or undernourished (i.e. high risk for mortality). Enrolled children in Bangladesh, India, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Pakistan and Tanzania, are randomized (1:1) to oral azithromycin 10mg/kg or placebo once daily for 3 days and followed-up for 180 days. Primary efficacy endpoints are (i) all-cause mortality during the 180 days post-enrolment and (ii) change in linear growth 90 days post-enrolment. Discussion Expanding treatment of acute watery diarrhoea in high risk children to include an antibiotic may offer an opportunity to reduce deaths. These benefits may result from direct antimicrobial effects on pathogens or other incompletely understood mechanisms including improved nutrition, alterations in immune responsiveness or improved enteric function. The expansion of indications for antibiotic use raises concerns about the emergence of antimicrobial resistance both within treated children and the communities in which they live. ABCD will monitor antimicrobial resistance The ABCD trial has important policy implications. If the trial shows significant benefits of azithromycin use, this may provide evidence to support reconsideration of antibiotic indications in the present WHO diarrhoea management guidelines. Conversely, if there is no evidence of benefit, these results will support the current avoidance of antibiotics except in dysentery or cholera, thereby avoiding inappropriate use of antibiotics and reaffirming the current guidelines.
The performance of anthropometric measures to predict diabetes mellitus and hypertension among adults in Jordan
Authors: Khader Yousef , Batieha Anwar , Jaddou Hashem , El-Khateeb Mohammad , Ajlouni Kamel 
Published: October 2019

Abstract
Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate and compare the abilities of waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), hip circumference (HC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) to predict recently and previously diagnosed diabetes and hypertension and assess their appropriate cut-off values among Jordanian adults.
Methods: Data from the 2017 cardiovascular risk factors survey were analyzed to achieve the study objective. The survey collected extensive data from a national population-based sample of Jordanian residents. A structured questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic variables and clinical data. Blood samples were taken for biochemical measurements. Anthropometric characteristics were measured by the same team of trained field researchers.
Results: This study included a total of 1193 men and 2863 women. Their age ranged from 18 to 90 year with a mean (SD) of 43.8 (14.2) year. WHtR performed better than other anthropometric measures and had a good ability (AUC>0.80) among women and fair ability among men to predict newly diagnosed diabetes and previously diagnosed diabetes and hypertension. The appropriate cut-off points for anthropometric measures among women were 92 cm form WC, 104 cm for HC, 30 Kg/m 2 for BMI, 0.85 for WHR, and 0.60 for WHtR. For men, the appropriate cut-off points were 100 cm for WC, 104 cm for HC, 27 Kg/m 2 for BMI, 0.93 for WHR, and 0.57 for WHtR.
Conclusion: WHtR performed better than other anthropometric measures in predicting diabetes and hypertension among adult population in Jordan. We recommend WHtR as a measure of choice with a cut-off value of 0.6 for women and 0.57 for men to predict diabetes and hypertension among Jordanians.
Health professionals’ experiences of providing care for women survivors of sexual violence in psychiatric inpatient units.
Authors: O'Dwyer Carol , Tarzia Laura , Fernbacher Sabin , Hegarty Kelsey 
Published: October 2019

Abstract
Background: Survivors of sexual violence, who are predominantly women, commonly access mental health services. Psychiatric inpatient units in Australia are predominately mixed gender and may further retraumatise these women. Sexual violence is under-recognised by mental health professionals and there is a lack of adequate policy or direction for mental health service services. To date, only a small amount of research has focused on health professionals’ experiences of providing trauma-informed care to women in psychiatric settings, with most studies focused on specific practices or interventions. Qualitative data is particularly lacking on this topic. This is a critical gap in the knowledge given that health professionals are key to detecting and addressing victimisation. The aim of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of healthcare professionals’ experiences and perceptions in providing care to women who are survivors of sexual violence in psychiatric inpatient units.
Methods: This qualitative study utilised semi-structured interviews with 40 health professionals recruited from four psychiatric inpatient units within a large Australian public mental health organisation. Data were examined using thematic analysis.
Results: Three main typologies were developed to describe participants’ experiences of the care provided to women; 1) Dismissing and denying; 2) Acknowledging but unprepared; 3) Empathising but despairing.
Discussion: Gender, professional training, adherence to the biomedical model, and level of experience influenced health professionals’ experiences.
Conclusions: Health professionals in this study held varying attitudes towards female consumers and responses to sexual violence. Our findings suggest the need to address individual staff perceptions and promote trauma-informed and gender-sensitive care across all disciplines, genders and levels of experience.
Overweight and Obesity among children under five in Ethiopia: Further Analysis of 2016 National Demographic Health Survey: A Case Control Study
Authors: Weldearegay Haftom Gebrehiwot , Gebrehiwot Tesfay Gebregzabher , Abrha Mulugeta Woldu , Mulugeta Afework 
Published: October 2019

Abstract
Objective

The objective of this study was to assess the determinants of overweight and obesity among children under five years in Ethiopia.

Results

Data from a total of 672 (224 cases and 448 controls) under five years of age children were included in the study. Urban residence (AOR = 2.63, 95% CI: 1.29, 5.34), boys (AOR = 1.56, 95% CI: 1.10, 2.22) and age of the child less than six months (AOR=3.40, 95%CI: 2.05, 5.64) were the determinants for being childhood overweight and obesity.