bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Simple approach based on maternal characteristics and mean arterial pressure for the prediction of preeclampsia in the first trimester of pregnancy
Authors: Rocha Rebeca Silveira , Alves Júlio Augusto Gurgel , Maia e Holanda Moura Sammya Bezerra , Araujo Júnior Edward , Peixoto Alberto Borges , Santana Eduardo Félix Martins , Martins Wellington P. , Vasconcelos Camila Teixeira Moreira , Da Silva Costa Fabricio , Oriá Mônica Oliveira Batista 
Published: April 2017

Abstract

Aim:
To propose a simple model for predicting preeclampsia (PE) in the 1st trimester of pregnancy on the basis of maternal characteristics (MC) and mean arterial pressure (MAP).

Methods:
A prospective cohort was performed to predict PE between 11 and 13+6 weeks of gestation. The MC evaluated were maternal age, skin color, parity, previous PE, smoking, family history of PE, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and body mass index (BMI). Mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) was measured at the time of the 1st trimester ultrasound. The outcome measures were the incidences of total PE, preterm PE (delivery <37 weeks) and term PE (delivery ≥37 weeks). We performed logistic regression analysis to determine which factors made significant contributions for the prediction of the three outcomes.

Results:
We analyzed 733 pregnant women; 55 developed PE, 21 of those developed preterm PE and 34 term PE. For total PE, the best model was MC+MAP, which had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC ROC) of 0.79 [95% confidence interval (CI)=0.76–0.82]. For preterm PE, the best model was MC+MAP, with an AUC ROC of 0.84 (95% CI=0.81–0.87). For term PE, the best model was MC, with an AUC ROC of 0.75 (0.72–0.79). The MC+MAP model demonstrated a detection rate of 67% cases of preterm PE, with a false-positive rate of 10%, positive predictive value of 17% and negative predictive value of 99%.

Conclusion:
The MC+MAP model showed good accuracy in predicting preterm PE in the 1st trimester of gestation.
Evaluation of susceptibility to antimycobacterial drugs inMycobacterium tuberculosiscomplex strains isolated from cattle in Poland
Authors: Krajewska-Wędzina Monika , Zabost Anna , Augustynowicz-Kopeć Ewa , Weiner Marcin , Szulowski Krzysztof 
Published: April 2017

AbstractIntroduction:Tuberculosis is a highly infectious disease affecting humans and animals. It is caused by theMycobacterium tuberculosiscomplex (MTBC) –Mycobacterium bovisandMycobacterium caprae, which are aetiological factors of bovine tuberculosis (bTB). In Poland, the bTB eradication programme exists. Animals diagnosed with tuberculosis are in the majority of cases not treated, but removed from their herd and then sanitary slaughtered.Material and Methods:In total, 134 MTBC strains isolated from cattle in Poland were subjected to microbiological analysis. The resistance phenotype was tested for first-line antimycobacterial drugs used in tuberculosis treatment in humans: streptomycin, isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol, and pyrazinamide. The strains were isolated from tissues collectedpost mortem, so the test for drug resistance fulfilled only epidemiological criterion.Results:The analysis of drug-resistance of MTBC strains revealed that strains classified asM. boviswere susceptible to 4 antimycobacterial drugs: isoniazid, rifampicin, streptomycin, and ethambutol, and resistant to pyrazynamide. The strains classified asM. capraewere sensitive to all tested drugs.Conclusion:The results indicate that despite enormously dynamic changes in mycobacterial phenotype, Polish strains of MTBC isolated from cattle have not acquired environmental resistance. The strains classified asM. bovisare characterised by natural resistance to pyrazinamide, which is typical for this species.
Prevalence of arrhythmias in dogs examined between 2008 and 2014
Authors: Noszczyk-Nowak Agnieszka , Michałek Marcin , Kałuża Ewelina , Cepiel Alicja , Pasławska Urszula 
Published: April 2017

AbstractIntroduction:The prevalence of arrhythmias in dogs and the influence of sex, breed, age, and body weight were analysed over a seven-year span.Material and Methods:In total, 1189 referrals for cardiological examination by electrocardiography were received at one academic centre in Poland between 2008 and 2014. The largest proportion of the examined dogs were cross-breeds with body weight below 25 kg (n = 153, 12.87%), followed by German Shepherds (n = 122, 10.26%), Labrador Retrievers (n = 68, 5.72%), Yorkshire Terriers (n = 63, 5.3%), and Boxers (n = 60, 5.05%). Retrospective analysis was made of 1201 standing or right recumbent electrocardiograms without pharmacological sedation. The prevalence of arrhythmias was examined in terms of sex, age, body weight, and breed of the dogs.Results:A total of 630 (52.46%) electrocardiograms showed no signs of arrhythmia, but 96 (7.99%) and 475 (39.55%) pointed to physiological and pathological arrhythmias respectively. The most commonly diagnosed type was atrial fibrillation with 33.68% incidence, followed by ventricular arrhythmias (28%), sinus pauses (27.58%), supraventricular arrhythmias (24%), and atrioventricular blocks (22.95%). Pathological arrhythmias were most commonly found in male dogs and in German Shepherds.Conclusions:Atrial fibrillation predominated, followed by premature ventricular complexes. Male dogs were generally more prone to heart rhythm disturbances.
Ejaculate traits and sperm morphology depending on ejaculate volume in Duroc boars
Authors: Górski Krzysztof , Kondracki Stanisław , Wysokińska Anna 
Published: April 2017

AbstractIntroduction:The aim of this study was to evaluate the dependence between ejaculate traits, sperm morphology, and ejaculate volume in Duroc boars.Material and Methods:The analysis involved 121 ejaculates collected from 12 Duroc boars kept in three artificial insemination centres located in central Poland. Ejaculates were collected manually at one-month intervals, over a period of 10 months. At least 10 ejaculates were collected from each boar. The material was divided by ejaculate volume and each ejaculate was assigned to one of three volume groups: 160 mL and lower, 161–200 mL, and 201 mL and higher. The ejaculates were assessed to identify the basic physical traits and determine the incidence of morphological abnormalities in the spermatozoa, specifying major and minor abnormalities. Furthermore, the morphological structure indices for the spermatozoa were also calculated.Results:In large-volume ejaculates, spermatozoa were more elongated in shape, their heads were more elongated and had the largest flagella. With an increase in the ejaculate volume, sperm concentration in the ejaculate decreased. Moreover, while the total number of sperm in the ejaculate increased, the number of insemination doses obtained from a single ejaculate were higher.Conclusion:The volume of ejaculate has little impact on the occurrence of morphological abnormalities and the size of sperm cells. Ejaculate volume is important for the shape of the sperm cells.
Risk-Based Maintenance Assessment in the Manufacturing Industry: Minimisation of Suboptimal Prioritisation
Authors: Ratnayake R.M. Chandima , Antosz Katarzyna 
Published: April 2017

Abstract
Manufacturing firms continuously strive to increase the efficiency and effectiveness in the maintenance management processes. Focus is placed on eliminating the unexpected failures which cause unnecessary costs and the production losses. Risk-based maintenance (RBM) strategies enable to address the above through the identification of probability and consequences of potential failures whilst providing a way for prioritisation of maintenance actions based on the risk of possible failures. Such prioritisations enable to identify the optimal maintenance strategy, intervals of maintenance tasks, and optimal level of spare parts inventory. However, the risk assessment activities are performed with the support of a risk matrix. Suboptimal classifications and/or prioritisations arise due to the inherent nature of the risk matrix. This is caused by the fact that there are no means to incorporate actual circumstances at the boundary of the input ranges or at the levels of linguistic data and risk categories. In this paper, a risk matrix is first developed in collaboration with one of the manufacturing firms in Poland. Then, it illustrates the use of fuzzy logic for minimisation of suboptimal prioritisation and/or classifications using a fuzzy inference system (FIS) together with illustrative membership functions and a rule base. Finally, an illustrative risk assessment is also demonstrated to illustrate the methodology.
Original paper. Do Umbilical Cord Wrapped Around the Fetal Body Can Mimic Signs of Aortal Coarctation?
Authors: Więckowska Katarzyna , Zych-Krekora Katarzyna , Słodki Maciej , Respondek-Liberska Maria 
Published: April 2017

Abstract
Objectives: Coarctation of the aorta (CoA) is an irreversible congenital heart defect. Its prenatal diagnosis is not rare a subject to false-positive conclusion. We present a novel hypothesis explaining the basis of this error.
Methods: Ten cases of prenatal suspicion of the coarctation of the aorta (based on disproportion at the level of 4 chamber view and mediastinum) coincidenced with the umbilical cord wrapped around the fetal body were found in the Filemaker datebase of the Fetal Cardiology Department. Only single pregnancies were taken into account. In all cases another cardiac and extracardiac malformations were excluded.
Results: The mean maternal age was 29,6 years. The mean gestational age was 33 7/8 weeks. All fetuses were in a good cardiovascular condition. The usual position of the umbilical cord was neck, but they were also location such as nucha, abdomen or lower limb. At birth, all newborns had normal anatomy of the heart. We conclude that the explanation of the false diagnosis was haemodynamic, resulting from the compression of the fetal neck by the umbilical cord that resulted in a disproportion of cardiac blood flow, “mimicking” CoA.
Conclusions:
1. Functional disturbances can mimic prenatal CoA.
2. Umbilical cord position (specially enlacing the fetus neck) should be taken into consideration in suspected cases of fetal CoA.
Nutrition of students of schools in Łódź in light of the survey
Authors: Cisińska Anna 
Published: April 2017

Abstract
Introduction. Nutrition is vital for both human health and condition, but in a special way, it is essential for proper physical and intellectual development during adolescence. Providing the body with essential nutrients, including vitamins and trace elements also affects the functioning of a young person in a school environment. There is the energetic value of food, as well the time and frequency of its consumption, which affects the effectiveness of nutrition. At the same time, the irregularities in nutrition lead to many disorders and diseases, including overweight, obesity, anemia, anorexia.
Aim. The aim of the study was to collect information about mid-schools students and draw conclusions that might be useful for further planning of educational activities promoting health.
Material and methods. The survey questionnaire was conducted among 218 students of classes I-III selected at random. They were all students of junior high schools located in Łódź, both public and non-public ones. The analysis was conducted on the basis of anonymous questionnaires.
Results. In the study group, it was observed that the first and second breakfast was eaten by 60.5% and 42.6% of students respectively. Over 11% never ate breakfast before going to school. A high percentage of children (80%) declared that usually they ate sandwiches.
Conclusions. Abnormalities in nutrition relate to a significant proportion of junior high school students. They often result from ignorance, haste, routines or negligence for which mostly parents are responsible. The scale of the phenomenon points to the need to implement educational activities among students and information campaigns targeted at parents, which should be carried at schools.
The quality of life of patients with chronic pain, hospitalized in conservative treatment wards
Authors: Bielan Olga , Gutowska Julia , Ejdys Mariola 
Published: April 2017

Abstract
Introduction. Pain is one of the most frequent human ailment. Not not only is it the first and often the only symptom of ongoing disease process, but also a warning of impending danger. According to the European epidemiological studies, it is estimated that chronic pain occurs in 19% of the population. This means that within a year this condition is diagnosed in 7 million patients in Poland. Treatment of chronic pain is complicated due to the variety of its origin.
Aim. Influence of chronic pain in hospitalized patients on their daily quality of life.
Material and methods. The study included 80 patients with a chronic spinal pain syndrome. To evaluate the intensity of pain, the numerical scale (NRS), the verbal scale (VRS) and the abbreviated version of the McGill Questionnaire were used. To measure the quality of life, the SF-36 was used.
Results. The results of analysis of the collected material confirmed the impact of chronic pain on the quality of life of the hospitalized. Assessment of pain intensity decreased in the group of patients after one week of treatment. On the other hand, in assessing the overall perception of health, quality of life and its various dimensions, a difference between the two groups and the different stages of the study was observed. Own study confirms the equivalence of psychosocial factors modulating the level of pain and the quality of life.
Conclusions. There is a relationship between pain intensity and the level of quality of life as well as its individual components before and after the treatment in patients with chronic spinal pain. Some significant changes between the variables were separated in the accepted stages of the study among people with chronic pain.
Waterfilling: Balancing the Tor network with maximum diversity
Authors: Rochet Florentin , Pereira Olivier 
Published: April 2017

Abstract
We present the Waterfilling circuit selection method, which we designed in order to mitigate the risks of a successful end-to-end traffic correlation attack. Waterfilling proceeds by balancing the Tor network load as evenly as possible on endpoints of user paths. We simulate the use of Waterfilling thanks to the TorPS and Shadow tools. Applying several security metrics, we show that the adoption of Waterfilling considerably increases the number of nodes that an adversary needs to control in order to be able to mount a successful attack, while somewhat decreasing the minimum amount of bandwidth required to do so. Moreover, we evaluate Waterfilling in Shadow and show that it does not impact significantly the performance of the network. Furthermore, Waterfilling reduces the benefits that an attacker could obtain by hacking into a top bandwidth Tor relay, hence limiting the risks raised by such relays. Waterfilling does not require any major change in Tor, and can co-exist with the current circuit selection algorithm.
PrivateRide: A Privacy-Enhanced Ride-Hailing Service
Authors: Pham Anh , Dacosta Italo , Jacot-Guillarmod Bastien , Huguenin Kévin , Hajar Taha , Tramèr Florian , Gligor Virgil , Hubaux Jean-Pierre 
Published: April 2017

Abstract
In the past few years, we have witnessed a rise in the popularity of ride-hailing services (RHSs), an online marketplace that enables accredited drivers to use their own cars to drive ride-hailing users. Unlike other transportation services, RHSs raise significant privacy concerns, as providers are able to track the precise mobility patterns of millions of riders worldwide. We present the first survey and analysis of the privacy threats in RHSs. Our analysis exposes high-risk privacy threats that do not occur in conventional taxi services. Therefore, we propose PrivateRide, a privacy-enhancing and practical solution that offers anonymity and location privacy for riders, and protects drivers’ information from harvesting attacks. PrivateRide lowers the high-risk privacy threats in RHSs to a level that is at least as low as that of many taxi services. Using real data-sets from Uber and taxi rides, we show that PrivateRide significantly enhances riders’ privacy, while preserving tangible accuracy in ride matching and fare calculation, with only negligible effects on convenience. Moreover, by using our Android implementation for experimental evaluations, we show that PrivateRide’s overhead during ride setup is negligible. In short, we enable privacy-conscious riders to achieve levels of privacy that are not possible in current RHSs and even in some conventional taxi services, thereby offering a potential business differentiator.
Externally Verifiable Oblivious RAM
Authors: Gancher Joshua , Groce Adam , Ledger Alex 
Published: April 2017

Abstract
We present the idea of externally verifiable oblivious RAM (ORAM). Our goal is to allow a client and server carrying out an ORAM protocol to have disputes adjudicated by a third party, allowing for the enforcement of penalties against an unreliable or malicious server. We give a security definition that guarantees protection not only against a malicious server but also against a client making false accusations. We then give modifications of the Path ORAM [15] and Ring ORAM [9] protocols that meet this security definition. These protocols both have the same asymptotic runtimes as the semi-honest original versions and require the external verifier to be involved only when the client or server deviates from the protocol. Finally, we implement externally verified ORAM, along with an automated cryptocurrency contract to use as the external verifier.
Website Fingerprinting Defenses at the Application Layer
Authors: Cherubin Giovanni , Hayes Jamie , Juarez Marc 
Published: April 2017

Abstract

Website Fingerprinting (WF) allows a passive network adversary to learn the websites that a client visits by analyzing traffic patterns that are unique to each website. It has been recently shown that these attacks are particularly effective against .onion sites, anonymous web servers hosted within the Tor network. Given the sensitive nature of the content of these services, the implications of WF on the Tor network are alarming. Prior work has only considered defenses at the client-side arguing that web servers lack of incentives to adopt countermeasures. Furthermore, most of these defenses have been designed to operate on the stream of network packets, making practical deployment difficult. In this paper, we propose two application-level defenses including the first server-side defense against WF, as .onion services have incentives to support it. The other defense is a lightweight client-side defense implemented as a browser add-on, improving ease of deployment over previous approaches. In our evaluations, the server-side defense is able to reduce WF accuracy on Tor .onion sites from 69.6% to 10% and the client-side defense reduces accuracy from 64% to 31.5%.
Development of generative structures of polar Caryophyllaceae plants: the Arctic Cerastium alpinum and Silene involucrata, and the Antarctic Colobanthus quitensis
Authors: Kellmann-Sopyła Wioleta , Koc Justyna , Górecki Ryszard J. , Domaciuk Marcin , Giełwanowska Irena 
Published: April 2017

AbstractThe embryology of three polar flowering plants of the family Caryophyllaceae was studied using the methods and techniques of the light, normal and fluorescence microscopes, and the electron microscopes, scanning and transmission. The analyzed species wereColobanthus quitensisof West Antarctic (King George Island, South Shetlands Islands) as well asCerastium alpinumandSilene involucrataof the Arctic (Spitsbergen, Svalbard). In all evaluated species, flowering responses were adapted to the short Arctic and Australian summer, and adaptations to autogamy and anemogamy were also observed. The microsporangia of the analyzed plants produced small numbers of microspore mother cells that were differentiated into a dozen or dozens of trinucleate pollen grains. The majority of mature pollen grains remained inside microsporangia and germinated in the thecae. The monosporous Polygonum type (the most common type in angiosperms) of embryo sac development was observed in the studied species. The egg apparatus had an egg cell and two synergids with typical polarization. A well-developed filiform apparatus was differentiated in the micropylar end of the synergids. In mature diaspores of the analyzed plants of the family Caryophyllaceae, a large and peripherally located embryo was, in most part, adjacent to perisperm cells filled with reserve substances, whereas the radicle was surrounded by micropylar endosperm composed of a single layer of cells with thick, intensely stained cytoplasm, organelles and reserve substances. The testae of the analyzed plants were characterized by species-specific primary and secondary sculpture, and they contained large amounts of osmophilic material with varied density. Seeds ofC. quitensis,C. alpinumandS. involucrataare very small, light and compact shaped.
Perspectives on the Nutritional Management of Metabolic Syndrome in Asia: People, Practice and Programmes
Authors: Phing Chee Huei 
Published: April 2017

AbstractNumerous Asian countries have a high prevalence of metabolic syndrome, also associated with cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus. Healthcare expenditure varies among Asian countries, and is influenced by poverty factor and large populations. The effect of metabolic syndrome on nutritional management in Asia demonstrates the essential for clinicians to equalize the needs for higher standards of dietetics practice; as they execute optimal care processes with the aim of improving outcomes, alongside setting of workforce limitations, inadequate expertise in metabolic syndrome nutrition practice, as well as ethnic diversity among Asians. This paper presents some aspects of dietetics practice and the possibility that an alteration in practice is mandatory if dietitians are to play an active role in preventing or decelerating the evolution of the metabolic syndrome.
The Diabetes-Tuberculosis Co-Epidemic: The Interaction between Individual and Socio-Economic Risk Factors
Authors: Firănescu Adela-Gabriela , Popa Adina , Roşu Maria-Magdalena , Protasiewicz Diana Cristina , Popa Simona Georgiana , Ioana Mihai , Moța Maria 
Published: April 2017

Abstract
Worldwide, tuberculosis (TB) is a major cause of morbi-mortality, about 30% of the population having a Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) have a threefold increased risk of developing the disease. The prevalence of DM is rapidly increasing, especially in countries with low and middle income, where TB incidence is also increased, thus baffling the efforts for TB control. The DM-TB co-epidemic is more frequent in married, older men, with reduced level of education, low income, without a steady job, with lifestyle habits such as alcohol consumption, smoking, sedentarism, living in an urban environment, in crowded areas, in insanitary conditions. These patients have a higher body mass index (BMI) compared with those without DM and frequently present family history of TB, family history of DM, longer duration of DM and reduced glycemic control. TB associated with DM is usually asymptomatic, more contagious, multidrug resistant and is significantly associated with an increased risk of therapy failure, relapse and even death. Thus, the DM-TB comorbidity represents a threat to public health and requires the implementation of urgent measures in order to both prevent and manage the two diseases.
Contribution to Dynamical Properties of Machine Aggregates with Gearing
Authors: Riečičiarová Eva , Oravcová Jarmila 
Published: April 2017

Abstract
This contribution is focused on the impact of real gearing to the dynamics of gearing and a machine aggregate system. It is shown that a mechanical reduction gearbox is the source of excitation with a large range of frequencies. The mechanical part of drives, with respect to its electrical part, is the subject of control which should ensure optimal movement modes with regards to the technological process.