bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Lack of mortality in 22 children with sickle cell anemia and severe malarial anemia
Authors: Opoka Robert O. , Bangirana Paul , Idro Richard , Shabani Estela , Namazzi Ruth , John Chandy C. 
Published: August 2017

AbstractRetrospective studies suggest that there is high mortality in children with sickle cell anemia (SCA) and severe malaria. We assessed mortality in Ugandan children with severe malarial anemia (SMA, n = 232) or cerebral malaria (CM, n = 267) by sickle cell hemoglobin genotype. Admission and 2‐year follow‐up mortality did not differ among children with SMA who had homozygous form of sickle cell hemoglobin (HbSS) versus normal form of adult hemoglobin (admission, 0/22, 0%, vs. 1/208, 0.5%; follow‐up, 1/22, 4.5%; 7/207, 3.4%, respectively; all P > 0.6). The single child with CM and HbSS survived. The study findings highlight the need for large prospective studies of malaria‐related mortality in children with SCA.
Catalytic chain transfer polymerization of isobutylene: The role of nucleophilic impurities
Authors: Rajasekhar Tota , Haldar Ujjal , Emert Jack , Dimitrov Philip , Severt Rich , Faust Rudolf 
Published: August 2017

ABSTRACTFast polymerization of isobutylene (IB) initiated by tert‐butyl chloride using ethylaluminum dichloride·bis(2‐chloroethyl) ether complex (T. Rajasekhar, J. Emert, R. Faust, Polym. Chem. 2017, 8, 2852) was drastically slowed down in the presence of impurities, such as propionic acid, acetone, methanol, and acetonitrile. The effect of impurities on the polymerization rate was neutralized by using two different approaches. First, addition of a small amount of iron trichloride (FeCl3) scavenged the impurity and formed an insoluble
·impurity complex in hexanes. The polymerization rate and exo‐olefin content were virtually identical to that obtained in the absence of impurities. Heterogeneous phase scavenger (FeCl3) exhibited better performance than homogenous phase scavengers. In the second approach, conducting the polymerization in wet hexanes, the fast polymerization of IB was retained in the presence of impurities with a slight decrease in exo‐olefin content. 1H NMR studies suggest that nucleophilic impurities are protonated in the presence of water, and thereby neutralized. Mechanistic studies suggest that the rate constant of activation (ka), rate constant of propagation (kp), and rate constant of β‐proton elimination (ktr) are not affected by the presence of impurities. To account for the retardation of polymerization in the presence of impurities, delay of proton transfer to monomer in the chain transfer step is proposed. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017, 55, 3697–3704
Effects of additives and post‐treatment on the thermoelectric performance of vapor‐phase polymerized PEDOT films
Authors: Jia Yanhua , Li Xuejing , Jiang Fengxing , Li Changcun , Wang Tongzhou , Jiang Qinglin , Hou Jian , Xu Jingkun 
Published: August 2017

ABSTRACTVapor‐phase polymerization (VPP) is an important method for the fabrication of high‐quality conducting polymers, especially poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT). In this work, the effects of additives and post‐treatment solvents on the thermoelectric (TE) performance of VPP‐PEDOT films were systematically investigated. The use of 1‐butyl‐3‐menthylinidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([BMIm][BF4], an ionic liquid) was shown to significantly enhance the electrical conductivity of VPP‐PEDOT films compared with other additives. The VPP‐PEDOT film post‐treated with mixed ethylene glycol (EG)/[BMIm][BF4] solvent displayed the high power factor of 45.3 μW m−1 K−2 which is 122% higher than that prepared without any additive or post‐treatment solvent, along with enhanced electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient. This work highlighted the superior effect of the [BMIm][BF4] additive and the EG/[BMIm][BF4] solvent post‐treatment on the TE performance of the VPP‐PEDOT film. These results should help with developing the VPP method to fabricate high‐performance PEDOT films. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2017, 55, 1738–1744
Accessory‐lobed accessory cardiac bronchus: Presentation and treatment in a pediatric patient
Authors: Volpe Andrea , Bozzetto Sara , Baraldi Eugenio , Gamba Piergiorgio 
Published: August 2017

AbstractAccessory cardiac bronchus (ACB) is a supernumerary bronchus usually arising from right main or intermediate bronchus. We report the case of a 9‐year‐old male who presented a 6‐month history characterized by two right pneumonia episodes followed by persistent productive cough, recurrent bloody sputum, and chest x‐ray persistence of a segmental thickening of right inferior lobe. Bronchoscopy revealed no abnormalities. Computed tomography documented an accessory‐lobed ACB originating from right lower brochus. Surgical removal of ACB and related parenchyma was approached thoracoscopically and converted to thoracotomy for evidence of a bronchial injury. Two‐year follow‐up showed no recurrent infections or respiratory symptoms.
Small airway oscillometry indices: Repeatability and bronchodilator responsiveness in young children
Authors: Knihtilä Hanna , Kotaniemi‐Syrjänen Anne , Pelkonen Anna S. , Kalliola Satu , Mäkelä Mika J. , Malmberg Leo Pekka 
Published: August 2017

AbstractIntroductionThe impulse oscillometry (IOS) indices absolute and relative difference between respiratory resistance at 5 and 20 Hz (R5‐20 and R5‐20%, respectively) and the area under the reactance curve (AX) are postulated to reflect small airway function. Data on their cutoff values to evaluate bronchodilator responsiveness (BDR) or between‐visit changes after interventions are limited in young children.MethodsWe evaluated the BDR of 103 healthy children aged 2‐7 years, who received either salbutamol (n = 84) or placebo (n = 19) in order to determine cutoff values for BDR of R5‐20, R5‐20%, and AX. We then determined the repeatability within and between two IOS measurements 7‐14 days apart in young children aged 4‐8 years with asthmatic symptoms (n = 43), including cutoff values for significant between‐visit changes.ResultsThe investigated IOS parameters showed marked BDR (fifth percentile cutoff of 75‐110% of the baseline value) in healthy children, whereas no significant changes were seen after inhalation of placebo. The agreement within the triplicate IOS measurement was excellent (ICC > 0.80), and the agreement of results between visits was good (ICC > 0.60). A change in R5‐20, R5‐20%, and AX of 0.65, 1.08, and 0.84 z‐scores, respectively, would exceed 95% confidence intervals for between‐visit variability.ConclusionWe introduce cutoff values for BDR of R5‐20, R5‐20%, and AX, and their repeatability indices and cutoff limits for significant between‐visit changes. These IOS parameters may show greater variability than the conventional IOS indices during follow‐up, but the between‐visit agreement remains good, providing potentially useful endpoints for monitoring lung function in young children.
Evaluation of transfer media containing different concentrations of hyaluronan for human in vitro fertilization
Authors: Nishihara Takuji , Morimoto Yoshiharu 
Published: August 2017

AbstractPurposeThe aim of the present prospective study was to investigate the efficacy of hyaluronan (HA) using two different concentrations as embryo transfer media for in vitro fertilization embryo transfer cycles.MethodsA total of 169 cycles undergoing fresh embryo transfer on day 2 or 3, 561 cycles undergoing frozen‐thawed embryo transfer on day 2 or 3, and 484 cycles of frozen‐thawed blastocyst transfer were included in this study. Patients were randomly divided into two groups: transferred with low (l‐HA) or high (h‐HA) concentrations of HA in transfer media.ResultsIn the case of fresh embryo transfer cycles, no significant differences were observed in the pregnancy (l‐HA 27.2%, h‐HA 31.2%), implantation (l‐HA 22.1%, h‐HA 24.2%), or abortion (l‐HA 24.0%, h‐HA 20.8%) rates between the two groups. In the case of frozen‐thawed embryo transfer cycles, no significant differences were noted in the pregnancy (l‐HA 20.9%, h‐HA 22.9%), implantation (l‐HA 13.4%, h‐HA 15.8%), or abortion (l‐HA 17.2%, h‐HA 21.5%) rates. In the case of frozen‐thawed blastocyst transfer cycles, no significant differences were observed in the pregnancy (l‐HA 46.0%, h‐HA 41.8%), implantation (l‐HA 45.8%, h‐HA 41.3%), or abortion (l‐HA 17.6%, h‐HA 26.9%) rates.ConclusionThe present results showed that pregnancy, implantation, and abortion rates with transfer media containing different HA concentrations were similar.
Concise Review: Musculoskeletal Stem Cells to Treat Age-Related Osteoporosis
Authors: Kiernan Jeffrey , Davies John E. , Stanford William L. 
Published: August 2017

Abstract
Age-related (type-II) osteoporosis is a common and debilitating condition driven in part by the loss of bone marrow (BM) mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) and their osteoblast progeny, leading to reduced bone formation. Current pharmacological regiments targeting age-related osteoporosis do not directly treat the disease by increasing bone formation, but instead use bisphosphonates to reduce bone resorption—a treatment designed for postmenopausal (type-I) osteoporosis. Recently, the bone regenerative capacity of MSCs has been found within a very rare population of skeletal stem cells (SSCs) residing within the larger heterogeneous BM-MSC pool. The osteoregenerative potential of SSCs would be an ideal candidate for cell-based therapies to treat degenerative bone diseases such as osteoporosis. However, to date, clinical and translational studies attempting to improve bone formation through cell transplantation have used the larger, nonspecific, MSC pool. In this review, we will outline the physiological basis of age-related osteoporosis, as well as discuss relevant preclinical studies that use exogenous MSC transplantation with the aim of treating osteoporosis in murine models. We will also discuss results from specific clinical trials aimed at treating other systemic bone diseases, and how the discovery of SSC could help realize the full regenerative potential of MSC therapy to increase bone formation. Finally, we will outline how ancillary clinical trials could be initiated to assess MSC/SSC-mediated bone formation gains in existing and potentially unrelated clinical trials, setting the stage for a dedicated clinical investigation to treat age-related osteoporosis.
Effectiveness of instrumental reminiscence intervention on improving coping in healthy older adults
Authors: Satorres E. , Viguer P. , Fortuna F.B. , Meléndez J.C. 
Published: August 2017

AbstractReminiscence is a psychological intervention that uses the recall of past events, feelings, and thoughts to facilitate pleasure, quality of life, and adjustment to present life. The main goal of this study was to investigate the effect of a reminiscence intervention programme on coping strategies. One hundred fifty healthy older adults attended the reminiscence sessions. In order to evaluate the effects of the programme and find out if its effects lasted over time, we used an experimental design with pretest, posttest, and follow‐up assessments, comparing a control group to the intervention group. Repeated‐measures analysis of variance showed significant differences in problem‐solving coping, positive reappraisal, social support seeking, and avoidance coping with the treatment group obtaining higher scores than the control group in all cases. The effects declined after 3 months, but some differences were found in the treatment group obtaining higher scores in problem‐solving coping and positive reappraisal and lower in overt emotional expression. The study suggests that reminiscence therapy contributes to mental health by enhancing coping strategies that can allow the elderly to cope successfully and overcome psychological distress.
Galangin suppresses H2O2‐induced aging in human dermal fibroblasts
Authors: Wen Su‐Ying , Chen Jia‐Yi , Weng Yueh‐Shan , Aneja Ritu , Chen Chih‐Jung , Huang Chih‐Yang , Kuo Wei‐Wen 
Published: August 2017

AbstractHuman skin aging is a progressive process that includes intrinsic aging and extrinsic photodamage, both of which can cause an accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), resulting in dermal fibrosis dysfunction and wrinkle formation. Galangin is a flavonoid that exhibits anti‐inflammatory and antioxidative potential. Previous studies have reported that galangin has antioxidative activity against ROS‐mediated stress. The aim of the present study is to determine the antiaging effects of galangin on dermal fibroblasts exposed to H2O2. In this study, we established a hydrogen peroxide‐induced inflammation and aging model using human HS68 dermal fibroblasts. Stimulation of fibroblasts with H2O2 is associated with skin aging and increased expression of inflammation‐related proteins, along with downregulation of collagen I/III formation and expression of antioxidative proteins. Galangin effectively reduced NF‐κB activation, the expression of inflammation‐related proteins and cell aging. Galangin also reversed H2O2‐activated cell senescence in HS68 cells. Our results reveal that galangin protects human dermal fibroblasts by inhibiting NF‐κB activation, decreases the expression of inflammatory factors and upregulates IGF1R/Akt‐related proteins, indicating that galangin may be a potential candidate for developing natural antiaging products that protect skin from damage caused by ROS.
Hippocampus as a wormhole: gateway to consciousness
Authors: Behrendt Ralf‐Peter 
Published: August 2017

Commentary on: Faw M, Faw B. Neurotypical subjective experience is caused by a hippocampal simulation. WIREs Cogn Sci 2017, e1412. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1412This article is categorized under:

Philosophy > Consciousness
Neuroscience > Anatomy
Response to ‘Hippocampus as a wormhole: gateway to consciousness’
Authors: Faw Matt , Faw Bill 
Published: August 2017

Reply to: Behrendt R‐P. Hippocampus as a wormhole: gateway to consciousness. WIREs Cogn Sci 2017, e1446. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1446.This article is categorized under:

Philosophy > Consciousness
Neuroscience > Anatomy
Mind‐body problem and hippocampus
Authors: Behrendt Ralf‐Peter 
Published: August 2017

Commentary on Faw's comprehensive response to a previous commentary (‘Hippocampus as a wormhole’ by Ralf‐Peter Behrendt, doi: 10.1002/wcs.1446) on Faw and Faw's paper (doi: 10.1002/wcs.1412). WIREs Cogn Sci 2017, e1447. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1447.This article is categorized under:

Philosophy > Consciousness
Neuroscience > Anatomy
Emerging issues in public health: a perspective on Ghana’s healthcare expenditure, policies and outcomes
Authors: Adua Eric , Frimpong Kwasi , Li Xia , Wang Wei 
Published: August 2017

Abstract
Ghana’s healthcare expenditure has increased over the past two decades. Increased healthcare expenditures are required to enhance the acquisition of better hospital resources that may improve healthcare. This study presents an overview of healthcare expenditures and health outcomes (i.e. infant mortality, under-5 mortality and life expectancy) from 1995 to 2014 in Ghana. Infant and under-5 mortalities have declined by 50 and 25%, respectively, as of 2014, while life expectancy has increased from 60.7 to 64.8 years. Private spending on health, especially out-of-pocket payments, declined but is higher than the World Health Organization’s recommended financial threshold. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are rising with healthcare costs leading to catastrophically high healthcare expenditures in the future. While government’s investments on healthcare have yielded positive results, the improvement in the health outcomes cannot be attributed to increased health expenditure alone. Therefore, this paper outlines policies on maternal health, national health insurance and healthcare reforms that have influenced health outcomes. In parallel, the paper highlights challenges of the Ghana health system of which the major ones are (1) inadequate financial investments in health and (2) limited health workforce and facilities. These challenges can be ameliorated by (1) establishing new health institutions and expanding existed ones; (2) providing incentives to discourage the exodus of health workers; (3) introduction of the concept of predictive, preventive and personalized medicine (PPPM) for treating NCDs; and (4) alternative insurance schemes for vulnerable groups. This, coupled with the will of the government to curb misappropriation of funds, will be important to achieving better health outcomes.
Hybridizing sine cosine algorithm with multi-orthogonal search strategy for engineering design problems
Authors: Rizk-Allah Rizk M. 
Published: August 2017

AbstractThis paper presents a new algorithm based on hybridizing the sine cosine algorithm (SCA) with a multi-orthogonal search strategy (MOSS), named multi-orthogonal sine cosine algorithm (MOSCA), for solving engineering design problems. The proposed MOSCA integrates the advantages of the SCA and MOSS to eliminate SCA's disadvantages, like unbalanced exploitation and the trapping in local optima. The proposed MOSCA works in two stages, firstly, the SCA phase starts the search process to enhance exploration capability. Secondly, the MOSS phase starts its search from SCA found so far to boost the exploitation tendencies. In this regard, MOSS phase can assist SCA phase to search based on deeper exploration/exploitation patterns as an alternative. Therefore, the MOSCA can be more robust, statistically sound, and quickly convergent. The performance of the MOSCA algorithm is investigated by applying it on eighteen benchmark problems and four engineering design problems. The experimental results indicate that MOSCA is a promising algorithm and outperforms the other algorithms in most cases.Highlights MOSCA is presented to solve design and manufacturing optimization problems efficiently. MOSCA is based on two phases namely, sine cosine algorithm (SCA) and multi-orthogonal search strategy (MOSS). The integrated MOSCA enhances exploration tendency and exploitation capability. The MOSCA can be more robust, statistically sound, and quickly convergent. New approach produced successful results compared to the literature studies.
Ginseng polysaccharide serves as a potential radiosensitizer through inducing apoptosis and autophagy in the treatment of osteosarcoma
Authors: Zhang Xiao‐Yu , Sun Ke , Zhu Qi , Song Tao , Liu Yang 
Published: August 2017

AbstractRecent studies have confirmed that the combined use of anti‐cancer drugs with ionizing radiation (IR) could improve the sensitivity of osteosarcoma (OS) cells. Therefore, it is necessary to identify potential effective drugs for the enhancement of IR‐radiosensitivity. In the current study, we found that 20, 10, 5, and 1 μM of ginseng polysaccharide (GPS) significantly suppressed MG‐63 cell viability with or without γ‐ray radiation in a dose‐ and time‐dependent manner. Strikingly, 20 μM of GPS combined with 5 Gy treatment suppressed colony formation capacity by nearly 13.75∼fold compared with IR treatment alone. Our results showed that GPS could markedly induce early apoptosis and autophagy in MG‐63 cells. A higher drug concentration and a greater exposure dose were directly associated with more apoptosis and autophagy in cells. Western blot analysis showed that GPS decreased the phosphorylation of p38 and AKT as well as the protein expression of Bax and cleaved‐caspase3. In summary, GPS inhibited proliferation and increased apoptosis and autophagic death in OS cells, indicating that GPS may be a potential effective auxiliary drug for improving the IR sensitivity of OS patients.
Cardiovascular risk factors and hearing loss among adults in a tertiary center of Northwestern Nigeria
Authors: Yikawe Stephen Semen , Iseh Kufre Robert , Sabir Anas Ahmad , Inoh Mfon Ime , Solomon Joseph Hassan , Aliyu Nasiru 
Published: August 2017

ObjectiveTo assess the effect of cardiovascular risk factors on hearing impairment.MethodsThis was a cross sectional study conducted in Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto. A pretested questionnaire was used to obtain information about the biodata and medical history of participants after which, they were examined and had their hearing thresholds measured.ResultsIn this study, total of 220 participants were recruited. Within these participants, 112 (55.5%) were females, while 98 (44.5%) were males. The average age of the participants was (45.24 ± 12.21) years. The mean of pure tone average among the participants was (19.15 ± 9.28) dB HL. Thirty‐six (16.4%) of the participants had some degree of hearing loss. Besides, 30 of them (13.6%) had hypertension, while 23 (10.5%) presented with diabetes mellitus. In addition, 43 participants (19.5%) had BMI (body mass index) that was ≥25 kg/m2. Also, 9 out of the 220 participants (4.1%) had a history of cigarette smoking. Our studies indicated that hypertension, diabetes mellitus, BMI of ≥25 kg/m2, and aging were significantly associated with the risk of hearing loss. In contrast, cigarette smoking and sex were not associated with the hearing loss.ConclusionThis study showed that hypertension, diabetes mellitus, aging, and higher BMI were associated with increase risk of hearing loss.
Volume Adjustable Topology Optimization with Multiple Displacement Constraints
Authors: Huang C. W. , Chou K. W. 
Published: August 2017

AbstractMost topology optimization methods seek optimal topologies that satisfy a minimum compliance with a pre-specified volume constraint in the design domain. However, practical designs often include various functional constraints and the optimal solid volume ratios are unknown a priori, which implies a gap between topology optimization methods and practical designs in industries. This paper studies the performance-based topology optimization (PTO) problem that searches for the optimal topology with minimum compliance to satisfy the pre-specified functional constraints without a pre-specified volume constraint. A novel element-based evolutionary switching method (ESM), which can automatically adjust solid volume ratio and material distribution, is developed and implemented using the commercial finite element software ABAQUS. The effects of displacement constraints on the optimal topologies are investigated, and the differences between PTO problems and the topology optimization problem which has a volume constraint are discussed. Numerical examples demonstrate that the optimal topologies are mainly determined by the load pattern and locally changed with respect to the location of the active displacement constraints. In addition, the displacement constraints to a large extent control the solid volume ratio of optimal topologies according to the allowable displacements in PTO problems. Finally, the proposed ESM could provide conservative solutions to the topology optimization with multiple displacement constraints problems.