bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A Retrospective Study of Intestinal Parasite among Patients in the Ho Teaching Hospital, Ghana
Authors: Appiah Maxwell Afranie , Adzaklo Ebenezer Enam , Agboli Eric 
Published: August 2019

Aim: To assess the prevalence of intestinal parasite infections among patients who visit the Ho Teaching Hospital for stool examination from 2012 to 2016.
Study Design: Retrospective study.
Place and Duration of Study: Ho Teaching Hospital, August 2017 to January 2018.
Methodology: The hospital’s laboratory records were reviewed. Patients’ data were recorded using a well-designed data collection tool. Data was analyzed with Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 20.0.
Results: A total of 7045 patients visited the Ho Teaching Hospital laboratory for routine stool examination within the five-year period. From the 7045 patients, 703 of them were infected with at least one of the intestinal parasites. The overall prevalence of intestinal parasite infection for the five-year period was 10.0%. Intestinal flagellates (90.0%) were the most predominant intestinal parasites, and Entamoeba histolytica recorded 5.7%. Hookworm (0.9%) was the most prevailing soil-transmitted helminth. Ascaris lumbricoides (0.1%) and Schistosoma mansoni (0.1%) were the least recorded parasites. Highest infection was among patients within age group 20 to 29 years. However, age groups below 10 years recorded low infection. This study showed that age was a risk factor for acquiring intestinal parasite infection (P≤0.001).
Conclusion: Intestinal parasitic infections were recorded among patients who visited the Ho Teaching Hospital. However, most of the patients were infected with intestinal flagellates. Various stakeholders should provide advance techniques in laboratory investigation of stool samples to enhance accurate diagnosis. Sensitization of the public about the dangers of intestinal parasites should also be undertaken by the stakeholders.
Impact of Different Chemically Synthesized Silver Nanoparticles on Nosocomial Infection
Authors: Abdel-Raouf Mohamed , Aldeweik Hisham M. , Albannan Mohamed S. , Zaki Mohamed M. , Abdelkader Ahmed E. , Moemen Dalia 
Published: August 2019

Aim: Nosocomial infection (NI), or so-called hospital-acquired infection, is one of the most important problems facing us and the world at this time. This study aims to investigate the effect of minimum inhibition concentration of Ag-NPs on isolated bacteria from nosocomial infections.
Place and Duration of Study: Gastroenterology Surgical Center, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt, between July 2017 and July 2018.
Methodology: A total of 368 different samples of 100 patients were taken which staying for 3 days or more in Gastroenterology Surgical Center, Mansoura University, Egypt. Three different types of Ag-NPs ‎synthesized by three different chemical methods were used.
Results: The results showed that the highest rate of infection of NI was found in K. Pneumoniae with an estimated percentage of 40%. The size of spherical Citrated-Ag-NPs ‎‎ was found in the range of 15-57 nm. On the contrary, the size of spherical Polyvinyl-Pyrrolidone (PVP) and PVP Glucose Ag-NPs were found to be smaller with size ranging from 7.8-23 and 7.58-25 nm, respectively.
Conclusion: Our findings showed that PVP Glucose Ag-NPs had the highest impact on all types of isolated bacteria associated with nosocomial infections.
Improved Model for Detecting Fake Profiles in Online Social Network: A Case Study of Twitter
Authors: K. Ojo Adebola 
Published: August 2019

Online Social Network (OSN) is like a virtual community where people build social networks and relations with one another. The open access to the Internet has increased the growth of OSN which has attracted intruders to exploit the weaknesses of the Internet and OSN to their own gain. The rise in the usage of OSN has posed security threats to OSN users as they share personal and sensitive information online which could be exploited by these intruders by creating profiles to carry out a series of malicious activities on the social network. In fact, it is no gain saying that the intent of creating fake accounts has adverse effect and the Internet has made it quite easy to concede one’s identity; and this makes it difficult to detect fake accounts as they try to imitate real accounts. In this study, a model that can accurately identify fake profiles in OSN which uses Natural Language Processing Technique to eliminate or reduce the size of the dataset thereby improving the overall performance of the model was proposed. Principal Component Analysis was used for appropriate feature selection. After extraction, six attributes/features that influenced the classifier were found. Support Vector Machine (SVM), Naïve Bayes and Improved Support Vector Machine (ISVM) were used as Classifiers. ISVM introduced a penalty parameter to the standard SVM objective function to reduce the inequality constraints between the slack variables. This gave a better result of 90% than the SVM and Naïve Bayes which gave 77.4% and 77.3% respectively.
Antidiarrhoeal Effects of Hydromethanolic Leaves Extract of Ipomea asarifolia in Albino Rat Model
Authors: Ukwuani-Kwaja A. N. , Yakubu I. L. , Mustapha A. S. , Makun B. 
Published: August 2019

Aim: To evaluate the antidiarrhoea effect of hydromethanolic leave extract of I. asarifolia (HLEIA) on castor oil-induced diarrhea.
Place and Duration of Study: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life sciences, Kebbi State University of Science and Technology, Aliero, Kebbi state, Nigeria. P.M.B.1144. Kebbi State. Nigeria, between February 2015 and September 2016.
Methodology: In a continuous effort to search for bioactive agents from medicinal plants, the antidiarrhoea activity of I. asarifolia was investigated. The effect of hydromethanolic leave extract of I. asarifolia (HLEIA) on castor oil-induced diarrhoea, gastrointestinal transit and intestinal fluid accumulation (enteropooling) were assessed in albino rats. Qualitative phytochemical analysis was carried out using standard procedures while acute oral toxicity studies was determined using the staircase method.
Results: The phytochemical analysis showed the presence of alkaloid, terpenoid, tannin, saponin, phenols. The LD50 was estimated to be greater than 3000 mg/kg since there was no mortality recorded after 14 days of acute oral toxicity studies. Sub-chronic administration of graded doses (150 – 600 mg/kg) of HLEIA significantly (p<0.05) reduced diarrhoea episodes, decreased gastro intestinal movement and inhibited intestinal fluid accumulation compared to the control. The antidiarrhoea effect of treated group (600 mg/kg ) was comparable to that of the standard drug Loperamide.
Conclusion: The findings of the present study scientifically validate the use of I. asarifolia in the treatment of diarrhoea.
Improving the efficacy of osteosarcoma therapy: combining drugs that turn cancer cell ‘don't eat me’ signals off and ‘eat me’ signals on
Authors: Mohanty Suchismita , Aghighi Maryam , Yerneni Ketan , Theruvath Johanna Lena , Daldrup‐Link Heike E. 
Published: August 2019

The long‐term survival of osteosarcoma patients with metastatic or recurrent disease remains dismal, and new therapeutic options are urgently needed. The purpose of our study was to compare the efficacy of CD47 mAb plus doxorubicin combination therapy in mouse models of osteosarcoma with CD47 mAb and doxorubicin monotherapy. Forty‐eight NOD scid gamma (NSG) mice with intratibial MNNG/HOS tumors received CD47 mAb, doxorubicin, combination therapy, or control IgG treatment. Twenty‐four mice (n = 6 per group) underwent pre‐ and post‐treatment magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans with the macrophage marker ferumoxytol, bioluminescence imaging, and histological analysis. Tumor ferumoxytol enhancement, tumor flux, and tumor‐associated macrophages (TAM) density were compared between different groups using a one‐way ANOVA. Twenty‐four additional NSG mice underwent survival analyses with Kaplan–Meier curves and a log‐rank (Mantel–Cox) test. Intratibial osteosarcomas demonstrated significantly stronger ferumoxytol enhancement and significantly increased TAM quantities after CD47 mAb plus doxorubicin combination therapy compared to CD47 mAb (P = 0.02) and doxorubicin monotherapy (P = 0.001). Tumor‐bearing mice treated with CD47 mAb plus doxorubicin combination therapy demonstrated significantly reduced tumor size and prolonged survival compared to control groups that received CD47 mAb (P = 0.03), doxorubicin monotherapy (P = 0.01), and control IgG (P = 0.001). In conclusion, CD47 mAb plus doxorubicin therapy demonstrates an additive therapeutic effect in mouse models of osteosarcomas, which can be monitored with an immediately clinically applicable MRI technique.
A novel assay for measuring recombinant human lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase 3 activity
Authors: Du Xinming , Hu Jiachun , Zhang Qing , Liu Qi , Xiang Xinxin , Dong Jibin , Lou Bin , He Shuhua , Gu Xiang , Cao Yu , Li Yingxia , Ding Tingbo 
Published: August 2019

Lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase 3 (LPCAT3) is an important enzyme in phospholipid remodeling, a process that influences the biophysical properties of cell membranes and thus cell function. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that LPCAT3 is involved in several diseases, including atherosclerosis, non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis, and carcinoma. Thus, LPCAT3 may have potential as a therapeutic target for these diseases. In the present study, we devised an assay based on reversed‐phase HPLC to measure LPCAT3 activity, which may facilitate the identification of LPCAT3 inhibitors and activators. We found that optimal pH and temperature of recombinant human LPCAT3 are 6.0 and 30 °C, respectively. The enzyme Km values for substrates NBD‐labelled lysophosphatidylcholine and arachidonoyl CoA were 266.84 ± 3.65 and 11.03 ± 0.51 μmol·L−1, respectively, and the Vmax was 39.76 ± 1.86 pmol·min−1·U−1. Moreover, we used our new method to determine the IC50 of a known LPCAT inhibitor, TSI‐10. In conclusion, this novel assay can be used to measure the effects of compounds on LPCAT3 activity.
Variation in target volume and centroid position due to breath holding during four‐dimensional computed tomography scanning: A phantom study
Authors: Miyamae Yuta , Akimoto Mami , Sasaki Makoto , Fujimoto Takahiro , Yano Shinsuke , Nakamura Mitsuhiro 
Published: August 2019

AbstractThis study investigated the effects of respiratory motion, including unwanted breath holding, on the target volume and centroid position on four‐dimensional computed tomography (4DCT) imaging. Cine 4DCT images were reconstructed based on a time‐based sorting algorithm, and helical 4DCT images were reconstructed based on both the time‐based sorting algorithm and an amplitude‐based sorting algorithm. A spherical object 20 mm in diameter was moved according to several simulated respiratory motions, with a motion period of 4.0 s and maximum amplitude of 5 mm. The object was extracted automatically, and the target volume and centroid position in the craniocaudal direction were measured using a treatment planning system. When the respiratory motion included unwanted breath‐holding times shorter than the breathing cycle, the root mean square errors (RSME) between the reference and imaged target volumes were 18.8%, 14.0%, and 5.5% in time‐based images in cine mode, time‐based images in helical mode, and amplitude‐based images in helical mode, respectively. In helical mode, the RSME between the reference and imaged centroid position was reduced from 1.42 to 0.50 mm by changing the reconstruction method from time‐ to amplitude‐based sorting. When the respiratory motion included unwanted breath‐holding times equal to the breathing cycle, the RSME between the reference and imaged target volumes were 19.1%, 24.3%, and 15.6% in time‐based images in cine mode, time‐based images in helical mode, and amplitude‐based images in helical mode, respectively. In helical mode, the RSME between the reference and imaged centroid position was reduced from 1.61 to 0.83 mm by changing the reconstruction method from time‐ to amplitude‐based sorting. With respiratory motion including breath holding of shorter duration than the breathing cycle, the accuracies of the target volume and centroid position were improved by amplitude‐based sorting, particularly in helical 4DCT.
Risk of Serious Infection in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis Treated With Biologic Versus Nonbiologic Disease‐Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs
Authors: Ozen Gulsen , Pedro Sofia , England Bryant R. , Mehta Bella , Wolfe Frederick , Michaud Kaleb 
Published: August 2019

ObjectiveThe objective of this study is to examine the risk of serious infections (SIs) associated with biological disease‐modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) compared with conventional synthetic disease‐modifying antirheumatic drugs (csDMARDs) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).MethodsWe studied patients with RA who initiated bDMARDs or csDMARDs from 2001 to 2016 in FORWARD–The National Databank for Rheumatic Diseases. Disease‐modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) were categorized into three groups: (1) csDMARDs (bDMARD‐naïve; reference), (2) tumor necrosis factor α inhibitors (TNFis), and (3) non‐TNFi biologics (abatacept, rituximab, tocilizumab, and anakinra). SIs were defined as those requiring intravenous antibiotics or hospitalization or those resulting in death. We calculated the propensity score (PS), which reflected the probability of receiving a specific DMARD group, and estimated the hazard ratio (HR) (with the 95% confidence interval [CI]) for SI from multivariable Cox models, adjusting for PS and time‐varying confounders.ResultsA total of 694 (5.9%) first SIs were identified in 11 623 patients with RA during 27 552 patient‐years of follow‐up. The SI incidence rate per 1000 patient‐years was 22.4 (95% CI 19.2‐26.1) for csDMARDs, 26.9 (95% CI 24.5‐29.6) for TNFis, and 23.3 (95% CI 19.0‐28.5) for non‐TNFi bDMARDs. Adjusted HRs for SIs were 1.33 (95% CI 1.05‐1.68) for TNFis and 1.48 (95% CI 1.02‐2.16) for non‐TNFi bDMARDs, compared with csDMARDs. The SI risk with non‐TNFi bDMARDs versus TNFis was not different. Other risk factors for SI were older age, higher comorbidity burden (particularly pulmonary disease), higher weighted cumulative prednisone dose, disability and disease activity, and number of prior csDMARD failures.ConclusionTNFis and non‐TNFi bDMARDs were associated with an increased SI risk compared with csDMARDs in RA, even after accounting for risk‐associated patient characteristics.
Site‐Selective Nitrene Transfer to Conjugated Olefins Directed by Oxazoline Peptide Ligands
Authors: Storch Golo , van den Heuvel Naudin , Miller Scott J. 
Published: August 2019

AbstractSite‐selective nitrene transfer to di‐ and polyene substrates has been achieved using designed peptide‐embedded bioxazoline ligands capable of binding copper. In model 1,3‐diene substrates, the olefinic position proximal to a directing group was selectively functionalized. Additional studies indicate that this selectivity stems from non‐covalent substrate‐catalyst interactions. The peptide‐mediated nitrene transfer was also applied to polyene natural product retinol and selective proximal functionalization allowed access to a cis‐pyrroline modified retinoid.magnified image
Flexible Fabrication of Flexible Electronics: A General Laser Ablation Strategy for Robust Large‐Area Copper‐Based Electronics
Authors: Qin Ruzhan , Hu Mingjun , Zhang Naibai , Guo Zhongyue , Yan Ze , Li Jiebo , Liu Jinzhang , Shan Guangcun , Yang Jun 
Published: August 2019

AbstractAttributed to high power density and controllable digital program operation, lasers are a powerful tool in the preparation, prototype fabrication, and post‐processing of materials. In this paper, a general laser ablation strategy that can be conducted under ambient, room‐temperature, and mask‐free conditions is employed for the rapid fabrication of robust large‐area copper‐based flexible electronics. Micrometer‐scale thick copper layer cladded on flexible polymer substrate can be removed efficiently in one laser scanning pass based on laser‐induced heat evaporation effect. Metal grids with a width less than 10 microns and a thickness close to 2 microns can be produced in a reliable manner. As proof‐of‐concept demonstrations, flexible transparent conducting electrodes and a variety of flexible circuit boards (FCBs) with different precisions and dimensions are fabricated by this approach in a digitally controlled mode and their photoelectric properties under normal and deformation states are investigated. The results indicate that the method is robust and as‐prepared flexible electrodes and circuits are reliable and endurable, indicative of the potential of this method in scalable fabrication of sub‐millimeter flexible electronics through a straightforward and flexible fashion.
Reduction of skin innervation is associated with a severe fibromyalgia phenotype
Authors: Evdokimov Dimitar , Frank Johanna , Klitsch Alexander , Unterecker Stefan , Warrings Bodo , Serra Jordi , Papagianni Aikaterini , Saffer Nadine , Meyer zu Altenschildesche Caren , Kampik Daniel , Malik Rayaz A. , Sommer Claudia , Üçeyler Nurcan 
Published: August 2019

ObjectiveTo assess patterns and impact of small nerve fiber dysfunction and pathology in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS).MethodsOne hundred seventeen women with FMS underwent neurological examination, questionnaire assessment, neurophysiology assessment, and small fiber tests: skin punch biopsy, corneal confocal microscopy, microneurography, quantitative sensory testing including C‐tactile afferents, and pain‐related evoked potentials. Data were compared with those of women with major depressive disorder and chronic widespread pain (MD‐P) and healthy women.ResultsIntraepidermal nerve fiber density (IENFD) was reduced at different biopsy sites in 63% of FMS patients (MD‐P: 10%, controls: 18%; p < 0.001 for each). We found 4 patterns of skin innervation in FMS: normal, distally reduced, proximally reduced, and both distally and proximally reduced (p < 0.01 for each compared to controls). Microneurography revealed initial activity‐dependent acceleration of conduction velocity upon low frequencies of stimulation in 1A fibers, besides 1B fiber spontaneous activity and mechanical sensitization in FMS patients. FMS patients had elevated warm detection thresholds (p < 0.01), impaired C‐tactile afferents (p < 0.05), and reduced amplitudes (p < 0.001) of pain‐related evoked potentials compared to controls. Compared to FMS patients with normal skin innervation, those with generalized IENFD reduction had higher pain intensity and impairment due to pain, higher disease burden, more stabbing pain and paresthesias, and more anxiety (p < 0.05 for each). FMS patients with generalized IENFD reduction also had lower corneal nerve fiber density (p < 0.01) and length (p < 0.05).InterpretationThe extent of small fiber pathology is related to symptom severity in FMS. This knowledge may have implications for the diagnostic classification and treatment of patients with FMS. ANN NEUROL 2019;86:504–516
Probabilistic sweet spots predict motor outcome for deep brain stimulation in Parkinson disease
Authors: Dembek Till A. , Roediger Jan , Horn Andreas , Reker Paul , Oehrn Carina , Dafsari Haidar S. , Li Ningfei , Kühn Andrea A. , Fink Gereon R. , Visser‐Vandewalle Veerle , Barbe Michael T. , Timmermann Lars 
Published: August 2019

ObjectiveTo investigate whether functional sweet spots of deep brain stimulation (DBS) in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) can predict motor improvement in Parkinson disease (PD) patients.MethodsStimulation effects of 449 DBS settings in 21 PD patients were clinically and quantitatively assessed through standardized monopolar reviews and mapped into standard space. A sweet spot for best motor outcome was determined using voxelwise and nonparametric permutation statistics. Two independent cohorts were used to investigate whether stimulation overlap with the sweet spot could predict acute motor outcome (10 patients, 163 settings) and long‐term overall Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale Part III (UPDRS‐III) improvement (63 patients).ResultsSignificant clusters for suppression of rigidity and akinesia, as well as for overall motor improvement, resided around the dorsolateral border of the STN. Overlap of the volume of tissue activated with the sweet spot for overall motor improvement explained R2 = 37% of the variance in acute motor improvement, more than triple what was explained by overlap with the STN (R2 = 9%) and its sensorimotor subpart (R2 = 10%). In the second independent cohort, sweet spot overlap explained R2 = 20% of the variance in long‐term UPDRS‐III improvement, which was equivalent to the variance explained by overlap with the STN (R2 = 21%) and sensorimotor STN (R2 = 19%).InterpretationThis study is the first to predict clinical improvement of parkinsonian motor symptoms across cohorts based on local DBS effects only. The new approach revealed a distinct sweet spot for STN DBS in PD. Stimulation overlap with the sweet spot can predict short‐ and long‐term motor outcome and may be used to guide DBS programming. ANN NEUROL 2019;86:527–538
Carboxyboronate: A Versatile C1 Building Block
Authors: Holownia Aleksandra , Tien Chieh‐Hung , Diaz Diego B. , Larson Reed T. , Yudin Andrei K. 
Published: August 2019

AbstractThe synthesis and applications of carboxy‐MIDA‐boronate, a novel C1 building block, are described. This molecule is accessible via a ruthenium tetraoxide‐mediated cleavage of commercially available ethynyl‐MIDA‐boronate. In the course of this study, carboxy‐MIDA‐boronate was found to possess ambident reactivity towards nucleophiles. Carboxylic acid derivatization produces a broad range of previously unknown carbamoyl‐, oxycarbo‐ and thiocarboboronates. Carboxy‐MIDA‐boronate and its derivatives undergo condensations to access borylated heterocycles with boron at positions that are difficult to access using alternate methods. The resulting heterocycles participate in the Suzuki–Miyaura cross‐coupling reaction, enabling entry into diverse bis(heteroaryl) motifs. The carbon monoxide‐releasing capacity of carboxy‐MIDA‐boronate was also examined and applied in palladium‐catalyzed carbonylation.