bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Risk factors associated with HIV infection among men who have sex with men in China: a meta-analysis
Authors: Pu Jing , Qian Haoyu , Ren Yi , Zhang Linqi 
Published: October 2019

Abstract
Background: Although human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevalence in the general population is very low in China, high infection rate has been reported among men who have sex with men (MSM). We conducted a meta-analysis to identify HIV infection associated risk factors among MSM in China, thus we can further understand the high-risk population and provided basic information to further develop specific and effective interventions of HIV prevention. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted in several public databases, the relevant articles which published from January 2010 to June 2018 were identified, and a meta-analysis was performed according to these included studies. The odds ratio (OR) and its 95 % confidence intervals (CI) of each risk factor among MSM in China were pooled by using a random-effects model or fixed-effects model when appropriate. Results: A total of 23 articles were included and analyzed. The pooled results revealed that non-local residency (OR=2.31, 95% CI: 1.05, 5.08), education less than junior high school (OR=1.73, 95% CI: 1.36, 2.21), engaging in commercial sex (OR=2.99, 95% CI: 1.02, 8.72), preferred receptive sexual role (OR=2.43, 95% CI: 2.09, 2.83), having anal bleeding during anal intercourse (OR=2.22, 95% CI: 1.60, 3.07), having no HIV test in the last 12 months (OR=2.17, 95% CI: 1.45, 3.25), having unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) in the last 6 months (OR=2.06, 95% CI: 1.69, 2.50), recreational drugs use (OR=1.90, 95% CI: 1.53, 2.36), preferred versatile sexual role (OR=1.69, 95% CI: 1.35, 2.21), inadequate HIV related knowledge (OR=1.63, 95% CI: 1.26, 2.11), having multiple sexual partners (MSP) in the last 6 months (OR=1.35, 95% CI: 1.24, 2.47), having infection of syphilis (OR=3.22, 95% CI: 3.02, 3.44) and diagnosed with sexually transmitted infections (STI) in the last 12 months (OR=1.71, 95% CI: 1.30, 2.26) were significantly and positively related to HIV infection. Conclusions: Continuous education and further interventions such as Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) should be prioritized for those MSM who engaged in high-risk behaviors.
Subconjunctival injections of triamcinolone acetonide to treat uveitic macular edema
Authors: Qu Yi , Liu Xinshu , Liang Anyi , Zhao Chan , Gao Fei , Meifen Zhang 
Published: October 2019

Abstract
Background: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of subconjunctival triamcinolone acetonide (TA) injections for treating uveitic macular edema (UME). Methods: This retrospective case series study included patients with UME who received subconjunctival TA injections with a minimum follow-up period of 6 months. The main outcome was central macular thickness. The secondary outcomes included the best corrected visual acuity, recurrence rate and intraocular pressure. Results: In total, 68 patients (83 eyes) were enrolled in this study. The mean CMT decreased from 456.9 ± 171.1 μm at baseline to 324 ± 175.9 μm, 305.6 μm ± 147.7 μm, 331.8 ± 154.3 μm and 281.1 ± 147.6 μm at 1, 2, 3 and 6 months postinjection, respectively (all P < 0.01). A total of 21/83 eyes exhibited elevated IOPs, which was controlled with topical IOP-lowering agents in 14 eyes, whereas 7 eyes got subconjunctival TA deposit surgically removed. Conclusion: subconjunctival TA injections appear to be safe and effective for UME.Key Words: Triamcinolone acetonide; subconjunctival injection; uveitis; macular edema
Patients’ Perceptions Of Lumbar Spinal Stenosis And Experiences After Surgical Treatment
Authors: Bakke Liv , Kvangarsnes Marit , Sagen Anne Lise Major , Hermansen Erland 
Published: October 2019

Abstract
PURPOSE: Research has shown that surgery gives patients with lumbar spinal stenosis health advantages compared to conservative treatment. This qualitative study aimed to investigate the perception of symptoms from lumbar spinal stenosis by patients, and their experiences after surgery. The purpose was to create a comprehensive understanding of patients’ experiences before and after treatment. METHOD: We chose purposive sampling and conducted ten semi-structured interviews in early 2018. Thematic analysis was adopted. RESULTS: The patients stated that a strong and constant pain characterized their life situation before the operation. After surgery, the patients experienced rapid recovery from pain. The patients stated that the pain had led to considerable functional limitations. After surgery, they experienced remarkable improvement on a functional level. The patients shared their experience about how pain had prevented them from participating in meaningful activities and tasks. Some of the patients said that they had experienced depression due to the difficult situation before surgery. The patients found that treatment led to an improvement in their quality of life. CONCLUSION: The study showed that the patients who lived with severe symptoms of lumbar spinal stenosis experienced a decline in their quality in life. The condition prevented them from participating in daily activities. After surgery, they were able to participate in meaningful activities and tasks. They felt an increased participation in society. Social support and information from health care providers enables patients to make knowlege-based choises.
Sexual intercourse during pregnancy as a source of anxiety in pregnant women
Authors: wróbel beata , talkowski karol , zmarzły nikola , grabarek beniamin , boroń dariusz 
Published: October 2019

Abstract
Background: Pregnant women feel and accept the need for sexual activity and in most cases engage in intercourse during pregnancy. The aim of the study was to assessment of the occurrence of anxiety associated with the possibility that the fetus is at risk, which results from having sexual contacts by healthy women during pregnancy. Methods: 373 women were surveyed using a self-constructed questionnaire containing questions about sexual life during pregnancy. The examination took place between the first and the fifth day after delivery, when patients stayed in the Obstetric Ward. All women delivered healthy children on time. The obtained results were subjected to statistical analysis. Results: Among 373 examined women, 319 (85,5%) had intercourses during pregnancy, while 54 (14,5%) were not sexually active. In a group of sexually active women, 196 (52,2%) felt anxiety that pregnancy may be at risk due to this activity. Conclusions: It is advisable for the doctor and midwife to talk with a pregnant woman about differences in intercourse and quality of sex life during pregnancy, minimizing the occurrence of fear about fetus well-being.
Fluvial Erosion Rate of Cohesive Streambanks Is Directly Related to the Difference in Soil and Water Temperatures
Authors: Akinola Akinrotimi I. , Wynn‐Thompson Theresa , Olgun C. Guney , Mostaghimi Saied , Eick Matthew J. 
Published: October 2019

Despite decades of research in the field of cohesive soil scour, a major challenge in water resource engineering is an understanding of the fundamental processes governing the erosion of cohesive streambank soils. Given that cohesive soil erodibility is affected by many factors simultaneously, it is necessary to study these factors independently to obtain insights into the erosion process. Three natural soils with different mineralogies were chosen for this study: montmorillonite‐dominated fat clay, vermiculite‐dominated lean clay, and kaolinite‐ and illite‐dominated silty sand. The soils were remolded at maximum dry densities and optimum moisture contents and subjected to 15‐min erosion tests in a laboratory flume. Erosion tests were performed at water temperatures of 15 and 25°C and corresponding soil temperatures of 0, 15, and 25°C, and 15, 25, and 40°C. Test results show that, irrespective of soil type, erosion rate increased with an increase in water temperature but decreased with an increase in soil temperature. When soil and water temperatures were equal, there was no significant change in erosion rate (α = 0.05). Further analyses showed that, irrespective of soil type, erosion rate was a function of the difference in soil and water temperatures and not either temperature alone, indicating that the important thermal factor in the erosion process was the difference in soil and water temperatures. These results show the importance of accounting for soil and water temperatures in erosion studies and suggest that the use of stormwater control measures to control runoff temperatures may be necessary to combat streambank degradation resulting from urbanization.Core Ideas
Fluvial erosion of cohesive streambanks is affected by soil and water temperatures.
Soil and water temperatures have a coactive effect on cohesive streambank erosion.
Increases in stream temperature increase fluvial erosion rates of cohesive banks.
Increased streambank temperature reduces fluvial erosion rates of cohesive soils.
Urban stormwater runoff temperatures should be reduced to maintain channel stability.
Changes in Potential Nitrous Oxide Efflux during Grassland Restoration
Authors: Scott Drew A. , Rosenzweig Steven T. , Baer Sara G. , Blair John M. 
Published: October 2019

Nitrous oxide efflux from soil is an important ecological process in terms of global climate impacts, stratospheric chemistry, and soil fertility. The effects of grassland restoration on nitrous oxide (N2O) efflux in formerly cultivated agricultural soils are not well known. Restoration changes the storage and availability of soil C and N, with potential consequences for N2O efflux. We examined changes in potential N2O efflux across a 35‐yr chronosequence of grassland restorations, using laboratory incubations at moisture levels that maximized N2O emissions, to quantify the relationship between N2O efflux and soil properties known to change predictably during grassland restoration. We found that restoring cultivated agricultural land to grassland rapidly decreased N2O efflux from soils, although native prairie had a potential N2O efflux higher than the agricultural land. The oldest restoration had N2O efflux 50 times lower than native prairie. Changes in N2O efflux were more strongly correlated with N mineralization than C mineralization, according to multiple regression analysis. These results suggest that grassland restoration could mitigate N2O emissions for decades.Core IdeasNitrous oxide efflux decreased rapidly during grassland restoration.Nitrous oxide was best predicted by N mineralization.The oldest restoration had N2O efflux 50× lower than native prairie.
Rainfall and Streamflow Effects on Estuarine Staphylococcus aureus and Fecal Indicator Bacteria Concentrations
Authors: Economy Louise M. , Wiegner Tracy N. , Strauch Ayron M. , Awaya Jonathan D. , Gerken Tyler 
Published: October 2019

Pathogenic bacteria in nearshore waters are a public health threat, and many have watershed sources. Hence, understanding direct and indirect causes of bacterial loading can improve awareness and watershed management. Rainfall‐driven runoff influences river discharge, affecting pathogen transport to the ocean. This study assessed pathogen loading to nearshore waters under varying weather conditions within Hilo Bay, Hawaii, from 2014 to 2017. Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin‐resistant S. aureus (MRSA), and fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) were quantified in the bay, rivers, and potential watershed sources using culture‐based methods. Relationships between their concentrations with rainfall, river discharge, and water quality data were examined. Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA, and FIB were present within Hilo Bay and its rivers, as well as road runoff, sewage, and soils; MRSA was less prevalent. Staphylococcus aureus and FIB concentrations increased with rainfall and river discharge. Turbidity and salinity were the best water quality parameters for predicting bacteria concentrations, with positive and negative relationships, respectively. Our results suggest that more intense storms, especially after longer dry periods between events, will increase S. aureus and FIB loads to nearshore waters, as storms comprise >80% of annual river loads. Our models can be used to assess recreational water users’ health risks and predict future water quality conditions with changing rainfall patterns.Core Ideas
Staphylococcus aureus and FIB were present in the bay, rivers, road runoff, sewage, and soils.
MRSA was less prevalent in the environment than S. aureus and FIB.
S. aureus and FIB bay concentrations increased with rainfall and river discharge.
S. aureus and FIB bay concentrations varied with bay salinity and turbidity.
Bay bacteria concentrations can be modeled from hydrologic and water quality data.
REEU Programs Provide Hands‐On Horticulture Science Opportunities
Authors: Fontanier Charles , Hentges Casey , Brandenberger Lynn , Dunn Bruce , Maness Niels , Mitchell Shelley , Moss Justin , Zhang Lu 
Published: October 2019

ABSTRACTHorticulture programs seek to increase enrollment by emphasizing the scientific aspects of this discipline, thereby overcoming misperceptions about the degree. This effort is critical to reach an emerging urban and minority audience who might otherwise be unaware of agriculture‐related career opportunities. Research and Extension Experiences for Undergraduates (REEU) programs provide hands‐on opportunities to connect undergraduates to various aspects related to food and agricultural science. Using funding provided by the USDA, the Oklahoma State University (OSU) Horticulture and Landscape Architecture Department has established a horticulture sciences REEU program. Departmental faculty worked with two classes of 10 undergraduates in 2018 and 2019, involving them in both field and laboratory horticulture research. Programs like an REEU are adaptable to the expertise of the faculty. At OSU, individual participant research has included identifying bitterness compounds in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), comparing vegetable yield using different mulches, evaluating fertilizer and lighting effects in hydroponics, and evaluating drought‐resistant bermudagrasses (Cynodon spp.). The REEU program provides exposure to research methodology, equipment, and presentations. In some cases, it opens a door to a new university setting, establishes relationships in the industry, and provides opportunities to attend professional conferences. The REEU program should be considered by departments wanting to increase their exposure to new students, faculty looking to provide more opportunities to their advisees, and eager undergraduates wanting to make knowledgeable career choices.
Sward Responses of Bahiagrass Cultivars under No Nitrogen Fertilization
Authors: Santos Erick R. S. , Dubeux Jose C. B. , Mackowiak Cheryl , Blount Ann R. S. , Jaramillo David M. , Garcia Liza , Pereira‐Neto Jose D. , Ruiz‐Moreno Martin 
Published: October 2019

ABSTRACTBahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flüggé) is the base of cow‐calf operations in Florida. Nitrogen is usually the most limiting mineral in pasture‐based systems. Various bahiagrass cultivars have been released over the years; however, an evaluation of their performance under no N fertilization has not been reported. There is some evidence that bahiagrass can associate with free‐living bacteria and fix atmospheric N2. This study investigated the performance and potential biological N2 fixation (BNF) of six bahiagrass cultivars (‘Argentine’, ‘AU Sand Mountain’, ‘Pensacola’, ‘TifQuik’, ‘Tifton‐9’, and ‘UF‐Riata’) under no N fertilization during the growing seasons of 2014, 2015, and 2016. Results showed no differences among cultivars for total herbage accumulation (2835 kg dry matter ha−1), total N aboveground (28 kg N ha−1 yr−1), and BNF (9 kg N ha−1 yr−1). Pensacola had greater crude protein than Tifton‐9 (84 vs. 78 g kg−1, respectively), whereas AU Sand Mountain had greater in vitro digestible organic matter (494 g kg−1) than other cultivars, except for Argentine. Argentine had greater root‐rhizome mass (24,914 kg organic matter ha−1) than UF‐Riata and TifQuik (15,367 and 14,682 kg organic matter ha−1, respectively). Carbon and N stocks in belowground biomass were greater in Argentine (8575 and 155 kg ha−1, respectively) than UF‐Riata (4514 and 85 kg ha−1, respectively). Root‐rhizome/shoot ratio averaged 37 across cultivars. Managing bahiagrass cultivars under no N fertilization inhibits the cultivar herbage potential; however, cultivar differences in nutritive value and root‐rhizome responses can still be detected.
Formulation and Evaluation of Polyherbal Cream and Lotion for the Treatment of Psoriasis-Induced Secondary Infections
Authors: Joshi Priyanka , Joshi Sushil , Rajani Urvashi , Semwal Ruchi B. , Semwal Deepak K. 
Published: October 2019

Background:
Psoriasis is one of the most common skin diseases in humans and affects a
major population worldwide. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the efficacy of selected
polyherbal formulations against psoriasis-induced secondary infections.

Aim:
Psoriasis is one of the most common skin diseases in humans and affects a major population
worldwide. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the efficacy of selected polyherbal formulations
against psoriasis-induced secondary infections.

Methods:
Samples were collected from the scalp, behind the ears, chest and back of the patients.
The microscopic examination of fungal and bacterial growth was carried out with lactophenol cotton
blue stain and gram stain, respectively. Volatile constituents of essential oils were identified by
GC-MS analysis, in order to investigate the relation between chemical composition and biological
activity. Nutrient agar media was used for antibacterial activity whereas Sabourauds dextrose agar
media was used for antifungal activity.

Results:
A total of 24 isolates were obtained from 2 patients of scalp psoriasis. Anti-oxidant activity of
the samples was determined using DPPH radical scavenging method. In the present study, EOs
showed a good antifungal action against Malassezia pachydermatis and other microbial strains. The
GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of eugenol, linalool, citral, neral, limonene, terpenes, eucalyptol
and thymol in the essential oils. The formulated retention lotion 1 (L4), 2 (L5), 3 (L6) and Cream 1
(C1) showed DPPH radical scavenging activity by 23.52%, 24.48%, 28% and 5.08%, respectively.

Conclusion:
The present study concluded that most of the formulated lotions and creams showed
good antimicrobial activity and may be applied topically against scalp psoriasis.
Predicting Protein Phosphorylation Sites Based on Deep Learning
Authors: Long Haixia , Sun Zhao , Li Manzhi , Fu Hai Yan , Lin Ming Cai 
Published: October 2019

Background:
Protein phosphorylation is one of the most important Post-translational
Modifications (PTMs) occurring at amino acid residues serine (S), threonine (T), and tyrosine (Y).
It plays critical roles in protein structure and function predicting. With the development of novel
high-throughput sequencing technologies, there are a huge amount of protein sequences being
generated and stored in databases.

Objective:
It is of great importance in both basic research and drug development to quickly and accurately
predict which residues of S, T, or Y can be phosphorylated.

Methods:
In order to solve the problem, a novel hybrid deep learning model with a convolutional
neural network and bi-directional long short-term memory recurrent neural network
(CNN+BLSTM) is proposed for predicting phosphorylation sites in proteins. The model contains a
list of layers that transform the input data into an output class, in which the convolution layer captures
higher-level abstraction features of amino acid, while the recurrent layer captures long-term
dependencies between amino acids to improve predictions. The joint model learns interactions between
higher-level features derived from the protein sequence to predict the phosphorylated sites.

Results:
We applied our model together with two canonical methods namely iPhos-PseEn and
MusiteDeep. A 5-fold cross-validation process indicated that CNN+BLSTM outperforms the two
competitors in various evaluation metrics like the area under the receiver operating characteristic
and precision-recall curves, the Matthews correlation coefficient, F-measure, accuracy, and so on.

Conclusion:
CNN+BLSTM is promising in identifying potential protein phosphorylation for further
experimental validation.
A Machine Learning-based Diagnosis of Thyroid Cancer Using Thyroid Nodules Ultrasound Images
Authors: Ma Xuesi , Xi Baohang , Zhang Yi , Zhu Lijuan , Sui Xin , Tian Geng , Yang Jialiang 
Published: October 2019

Background::
Ultrasound test is one of the routine tests for the diagnosis of thyroid cancer.
The diagnosis accuracy depends largely on the correct interpretation of ultrasound images of
thyroid nodules. However, human eye-based image recognition is usually subjective and sometimes
error-prone especially for less experienced doctors, which presents a need for computeraided
diagnostic systems.

Objective: :
To our best knowledge, there is no well-maintained ultrasound image database for the
Chinese population. In addition, though there are several computational methods for image-based
thyroid cancer detection, a comparison among them is missing. Finally, the effects of features like
the choice of distance measures have not been assessed. The study aims to give the improvement
of these limitations and proposes a highly accurate image-based thyroid cancer diagnosis system,
which can better assist doctors in the diagnosis of thyroid cancer.

Methods::
We first establish a novel thyroid nodule ultrasound image database consisting of 508
images collected from the Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University in China. The clinical information
for the patients is also collected from the hospital, where 415 patients are diagnosed to
be benign and 93 are malignant by doctors following a standard diagnosis procedure. We develop
and apply five machine learning methods to the dataset including deep neural network, support
vector machine, the center clustering method, k-nearest neighbor, and logistic regression.

Results::
Experimental results show that deep neural network outperforms other diagnosis methods
with an average cross-validation accuracy of 0.87 in 10 runs. Meanwhile, we also explore the performance
of four image distance measures including the Euclidean distance, the Manhattan distance,
the Chebyshev distance, and the Minkowski distance, among which the Chebyshev distance
is the best. The resource can be directly used to aid doctors in thyroid cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Conclusions: :
The paper establishes a novel thyroid nodule ultrasound image database and develops
a high accurate image-based thyroid cancer diagnosis system which can better assist doctors in
the diagnosis of thyroid cancer.