bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Assessment of heavy metals and microbial contamination of gari from Liberia
Authors: Awoyale Wasiu , Asiedu Robert , Kawalawu William K. C. , Maziya‐Dixon Busie , Abass Adebayo , Edet Michael , Adetunji Medinat O. 
Published: November 2017

AbstractCassava is a staple mostly eaten in the form of gari, after rice in Liberia. The local method of gari processing often leads to product contamination, thus, a study was done to assess the heavy metals and microbial contamination of gari in eight counties of the country. A total of sixty‐one gari samples were collected and packaged in an airtight polyethylene bag for analyses, using standard methods. Results depict that the mean of the heavy metals in the gari samples is iron (Fe) 43.87 ppm, copper (Cu) 0.94 ppm, zinc (Zn) 5.49 ppm and aluminum (Al) 257.45 ppm. Yellow gari had the highest Fe (64.90 ppm), Cu (1.25 ppm) and Zn (7.85 ppm) content, but with the least Al content (87.15 ppm). The Fe content was lower in groundnut‐fortified gari (42.93 ppm), and the Cu (0.70 ppm) and Zn (3.50 ppm) content were lower in groundnut‐moringa‐fortified gari. The samples and counties have no significant statistical effect (p > .05) on the heavy metals composition of the products. No microbial growth was observed in groundnut‐fortified and groundnut‐moringa‐fortified gari but with coconut‐fortified gari having the highest total fungi count of 800 CFU/g. The major fungi identified in the gari samples are Penicillium and Aspergillus spps., but with their counts within the regulated level. Therefore, the gari consumed in Liberia are safe except for the high Fe and Al content, which needs to be addressed with the use of unpainted stainless steel materials as food contact surfaces.
Antihyperglycemic and antidyslipidemic activity of Musa paradisiaca‐based diet in alloxan‐induced diabetic rats
Authors: Ajiboye Basiru O. , Oloyede Hussein O. B. , Salawu Musa O. 
Published: November 2017

AbstractThis study was aimed at investigating the antihyperglycemic and antidyslipidemic activity of Musa paradisiaca‐based diets in alloxan‐induced diabetic mellitus rats. Diabetes was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of alloxan (150 mg/kg b.w) in 48 randomly selected rats. The rats were randomly grouped into four as follows: normal rats fed Dioscorea rotundata‐based diet, diabetic control rats fed D. rotundata‐based diet, diabetic rats fed D. rotundata‐based diet and administered metformin (14.2 mg/kg body weight) orally per day, and diabetic rats fed M. paradisiaca‐based diet. Body weight and fasting blood glucose level were monitored, on 28th days the rats were sacrificed, liver was excised. Thereafter, the hyperglycemic and dyslipidemic statii of the induced diabetic animals were determined. The M. paradisiaca‐based diet significantly (p < .05) reversed the levels of fasting blood glucose, with significant (p < .05) increase in insulin and glycogen concentrations. The diet also increased the activity of hexokinase with significant reduction (p < .05) in glucose‐6‐phosphatase and fructose‐1‐6‐diphosphatase activities. M. paradisiaca‐based diet demonstrated significant reduction (p < .05) in cholesterol, triacylglycerol (TG), very low‐density lipoprotein (VLDL), low‐density lipoprotein (LDL), and significant increase (p < .05) in high‐density lipoprotein (HDL) compared with those of diabetic control group. Also, M. paradisiaca‐based diet significantly (p < .05) reversed the activities of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase when compared with diabetic control animals. The consumption of this diet may be useful in ameliorating hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia in diabetes mellitus patients.
Should I stay or should I go? Hospital emergency department waiting times and demand
Authors: Sivey Peter 
Published: November 2017

AbstractIn the absence of the price mechanism, hospital emergency departments rely on waiting times, alongside prioritisation mechanisms, to restrain demand and clear the market. This paper estimates by how much the number of treatments demanded is reduced by a higher waiting time. I use variation in waiting times for low‐urgency patients caused by rare and resource‐intensive high‐urgency patients to estimate the relationship. I find that when waiting times are higher, more low‐urgency patients are deterred from treatment and leave the hospital during the waiting period without being treated. The waiting time elasticity of demand for low‐urgency patients is approximately −0.25 and is highest for the lowest‐urgency patients.
Intensity‐modulated radiotherapy for elderly patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Authors: Cao Caineng , Hu Qiaoying , Chen Xiaozhong 
Published: November 2017

AbstractBackgroundThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes and patterns of failure after intensity‐modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for elderly patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).MethodsFifty‐two patients treated with IMRT were eligible for study inclusion. Comorbidity was rated using the Adult Comorbidity Evaluation‐27 (ACE‐27) system.ResultsTwenty‐six patients (50.0%) had an ACE‐27 score of 1; and 6 (11.5%) had an ACE‐27 score of 2. Eleven patients had died and 5 (45.5%) of them died of NPC. Two patients had developed local recurrence only, 1 had developed regional recurrence only, and 7 had developed distant metastasis only. The locoregional failure‐free survival, distant failure‐free survival, cancer‐specific survival (CSS), and overall survival (OS) rates at 5 years were 92.6%, 83.7%, 84.9%, and 69.4%, respectively.ConclusionThe results of treating elderly patients with NPC by IMRT were excellent. Distant metastasis remains the most difficult treatment challenge for elderly patients with NPC.
The effect of short cardio on inhibitory control ability of obese people
Authors: Tang Donghui , Tao Shuang , Ma Jinlian , Hu Peijun , Long Dan , Wang Jun , Kong Dexing 
Published: November 2017

AbstractTo study the effect of short cardio on obese male college students’ inhibitory control ability, we investigate difference on brain activation patterns before and after short cardio by analyzing the resting state fMRI data. The experiment results of this study show that short cardio can improve the inhibitory control ability of obese people.
Segmentation of glioma tumors using convolutional neural networks
Authors: Anitha R. , Raja D. Siva Sundhara 
Published: November 2017

AbstractThe abnormal development of cells in brain leads to the formation of tumors in brain. In this article, image fusion based brain tumor detection and segmentation methodology is proposed using convolutional neural networks (CNN). This proposed methodology consists of image fusion, feature extraction, classification, and segmentation. Discrete wavelet transform (DWT) is used for image fusion and enhanced brain image is obtained by fusing the coefficients of the DWT transform. Further, Grey Level Co‐occurrence Matrix features are extracted and fed to the CNN classifier for glioma image classifications. Then, morphological operations with closing and opening functions are used to segment the tumor region in classified glioma brain image.
Epileptic seizure detection by combining robust‐principal component analysis and least square‐support vector machine
Authors: Chen Shanen , Zhang Xi , Yang Zhixian 
Published: November 2017

AbstractThe feature extraction from electroencephalogram (EEG) signals is widely used for computer‐aided epileptic seizure detection. However, multiple channels of EEG signals and their correlations have not been completely harnessed. In this article, a novel automatic seizure detection approach is proposed by analyzing the spatiotemporal correlation of multi‐channel EEG signals. This approach combines the maximum cross‐correlation, robust‐principal component analysis, and least square‐support vector machine to detect the events. Our proposed method delivers higher detection sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy than the state‐of‐the‐art approaches based on the 19 channels’ EEG signals of 37 absence epilepsy patients experiencing 57 seizure events.
Alterations of regional cerebral blood flow after NMDA receptor antagonist administration in patients with alcohol‐related dementia
Authors: Chon Younghoon , Jeong Hyeonseok S. , Im Jooyeon J. , Oh Jin Kyoung , Kim Young‐Do , Chung Yong‐An , Kim Dai‐Jin 
Published: November 2017

AbstractAlthough N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists may have beneficial influences on cognition in patients with alcohol‐related dementia (ARD), their effects on regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) remain unknown. This study evaluated changes in rCBF in ARD patients after administration of NMDA receptor antagonist for 12 weeks using technetium‐99m ethyl cysteinate dimer (Tc‐99m ECD) single‐photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Twenty‐eight ARD patients were administered memantine for 12 weeks and underwent clinical evaluations and brain SPECT scans at baseline and follow‐up. Whole‐brain changes in perfusion were examined on a voxel‐by‐voxel basis. At follow‐up, the patients showed reduced rCBF in the left medial frontal gyrus, left cingulate gyrus, left claustrum, right brainstem, left superior temporal gyrus, bilateral fusiform gyrus, and left cerebellum. On the other hand, increased rCBF was found in the bilateral uncus, left parahippocampal gyrus, bilateral superior frontal gyrus, right inferior parietal lobule, left cuneus, and left superior temporal gyrus. Perfusion increases in various brain areas including the superior frontal, parahippocampal, and inferior parietal areas, which may play important roles in the pathophysiology of ARD, suggest potential benefits of NMDA receptor antagonists on brain functions in patients with ARD.
Pseudo generalized Youden designs
Authors: Das Ashish , Horsley Daniel , Singh Rakhi 
Published: November 2017

AbstractYouden square designs, or Youden rectangles, are classical objects in design theory. Extensions of these were introduced in 1958 by Kiefer and in 1981 by Cheng, in the form of generalized Youden designs (GYDs) and pseudo Youden designs (PYDs), respectively. In this paper, we introduce a common generalization of both these objects, which we call a pseudo generalized Youden design (PGYD). PGYDs share the statistically desirable optimality properties of GYDs and PYDs, and we show that they exist in situations where neither GYDs nor PYDs do. We determine some numerical necessary conditions for the existence of PGYDs, classify their existence for small parameter sets, and provide constructions for families of PGYDs using patchwork methods based on affine planes.
Serum and urine metabolomics study reveals a distinct diagnostic model for cancer cachexia
Authors: Yang Quan‐Jun , Zhao Jiang‐Rong , Hao Juan , Li Bin , Huo Yan , Han Yong‐Long , Wan Li‐Li , Li Jie , Huang Jinlu , Lu Jin , Yang Gen‐Jin , Guo Cheng 
Published: November 2017

AbstractBackgroundCachexia is a multifactorial metabolic syndrome with high morbidity and mortality in patients with advanced cancer. The diagnosis of cancer cachexia depends on objective measures of clinical symptoms and a history of weight loss, which lag behind disease progression and have limited utility for the early diagnosis of cancer cachexia. In this study, we performed a nuclear magnetic resonance‐based metabolomics analysis to reveal the metabolic profile of cancer cachexia and establish a diagnostic model.MethodsEighty‐four cancer cachexia patients, 33 pre‐cachectic patients, 105 weight‐stable cancer patients, and 74 healthy controls were included in the training and validation sets. Comparative analysis was used to elucidate the distinct metabolites of cancer cachexia, while metabolic pathway analysis was employed to elucidate reprogramming pathways. Random forest, logistic regression, and receiver operating characteristic analyses were used to select and validate the biomarker metabolites and establish a diagnostic model.ResultsForty‐six cancer cachexia patients, 22 pre‐cachectic patients, 68 weight‐stable cancer patients, and 48 healthy controls were included in the training set, and 38 cancer cachexia patients, 11 pre‐cachectic patients, 37 weight‐stable cancer patients, and 26 healthy controls were included in the validation set. All four groups were age‐matched and sex‐matched in the training set. Metabolomics analysis showed a clear separation of the four groups. Overall, 45 metabolites and 18 metabolic pathways were associated with cancer cachexia. Using random forest analysis, 15 of these metabolites were identified as highly discriminating between disease states. Logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic analyses were used to create a distinct diagnostic model with an area under the curve of 0.991 based on three metabolites. The diagnostic equation was Logit(P) = −400.53 – 481.88 × log(Carnosine) −239.02 × log(Leucine) + 383.92 × log(Phenyl acetate), and the result showed 94.64% accuracy in the validation set.ConclusionsThis metabolomics study revealed a distinct metabolic profile of cancer cachexia and established and validated a diagnostic model. This research provided a feasible diagnostic tool for identifying at‐risk populations through the detection of serum metabolites.
Creativity as Identity Skill? Late Adolescents' Management of Identity, Complexity and Risk‐Taking
Authors: Sica Luigia S. , Ragozini Giancarlo , Di Palma Tiziana , Aleni Sestito Laura 
Published: November 2017

AbstractThe link between identity and creativity has received surprisingly little attention from developmental psychology researchers, although flexibility and the ability to generate multiple solutions to problems are key competences for contemporary society based on continuous innovation and de‐standardization of development trajectories. These competences are critical for identity formation processes, mainly during late adolescence when young people have to explore and commit to defining themselves. This study was concerned with exploring the relationships between creative and identity processes to identify typologies of ‘creativity‐identity interplay’ in late adolescence. The participants comprised 315 late adolescents attending the last 2 years of Italian high schools. Two self‐report measures were used: Utrecht‐Management of Identity Commitments Scale and Test of Divergent Feeling. Participation was voluntary and anonymity was guaranteed. Our findings confirm the relationship between identity and creativity, identify six identity statuses (moratorium, critical exploration, achievement, early closure, diffusion, and searching moratorium), and they describe differences in terms of creativity processes involved in identity formation. Suggestions for future research and limitations are discussed.
Rapid analysis of traditional Chinese medicine Pinellia ternata by microchip electrophoresis with electrochemical detection
Authors: Shih Tsung‐Ting , Lee Hui‐Ling , Chen Show‐Chuen , Kang Chih‐Yuan , Shen Ren‐Shang , Su Yi‐An 
Published: November 2017

AbstractTraditional Chinese herbal medicine has long enjoyed the reputation of the world's most advanced system of natural medicine. Pinellia ternata is one of the most commonly used herbs in the traditional Chinese medical science. In this study, five representative ingredients of Pinellia ternata guanosine, methionine, glycine, 3,4‐dihydroxybenzaldehyde, and homogentisic acid, were assayed using simple derivatization procedures. Under optimized experimental condition, five analytes in Pinellia ternata were rapidly separated and detected using microchip electrophoresis, affording the benefits of speed, minimal sample requirements, and sensitive on‐the‐chip electrochemical detection, in 5 min with linearity over a concentration of 20–500 μM (R2 = 0.994) with nearly complete recovery (95.6–98.5%).
Knowledge of Safety, Training, and Practice of Neonatal Cranial Ultrasound: A Survey of Operators
Authors: Lalzad Assema , Wong Flora , Singh Nabita , Coombs Peter , Brockley Cain , Brennan Sonja , Ditchfield Michael , Rao Padma , Watkins Andrew , Saxton Virginia , Schneider Michal 
Published: November 2017

ObjectivesUltrasound can lead to thermal and mechanical effects in interrogated tissues. This possibility suggests a potential risk during neonatal cranial ultrasound examinations. The aim of this study was to explore safety knowledge and training of neonatal cranial ultrasound among Australian operators who routinely perform these scans.MethodsAn online survey was administered on biosafety and training in neonatal cranial ultrasound, targeting all relevant professionals who can perform neonatal cranial ultrasound examinations in Australia: namely, radiologists, neonatologists, sonographers, and pediatricians. The survey was conducted between November 2013 and May 2014.ResultsA total of 282 responses were received. Twenty of 208 (10%) answered all ultrasound biosafety questions correctly, and 49 of 169 (29%) correctly defined the thermal index. Two‐thirds (134 of 214 [63%]) of respondents failed to recognize that reducing the overall scanning time is the most effective method of reducing the total power exposure. Only 13% (31 of 237) indicated that a predetermined fixed period of training or that a specified minimum number of supervised scans was used during training. The reported number of supervised scans during training was highly variable. Almost half of the participants (82 of 181 [45%]) stated that they had received supervision for 10 to 50 scans (median, 20 scans).ConclusionsThere is a need to educate operators on biosafety issues and approaches to minimize power outputs and reduce the overall duration of cranial ultrasound scans. Development of standardized training requirements may be warranted.
On the minimizers of the fusion frame potential
Authors: Heineken Sigrid B. , Llarena Juan P. , Morillas Patricia M. 
Published: November 2017

AbstractWe study the minimizers of the fusion frame potential in the case that both the weights and the dimensions of the subspaces are fixed and not necessarily equal. Using a concept of irregularity we provide a description of the local (that are also global) minimizers which projections are eigenoperators of the fusion frame operator. This result will be related to the existence of tight fusion frames. In this way we generalize results known for the classical vector frame potential.
Recent Advances in Nonfullerene Acceptors for Organic Solar Cells
Authors: Liu Fuchuan , Hou Tianyu , Xu Xiangfei , Sun Liya , Zhou Jiawang , Zhao Xingang , Zhang Shiming 
Published: November 2017

AbstractRecently, research on nonfullerene acceptors in organic solar cells has gradually become a hot topic due to such superior characteristics of light absorption and energy‐level‐convenient manipulation, multiformity of the photoactive material structures, as well as the extensive area in production compared to the fullerene derivatives. However, the nonfullerene acceptors evolved slowly before 2012 and, as a matter of fact, the power conversion efficiency values could only bear 2.0%. Strikingly, nonfullerene acceptors have developed at a fast pace since 2013, with the best device performance of 13.1% now. In this review, recent research progress on nonfullerene acceptors, including small molecules and polymers, are sorted and summarized on the basis of the different characteristics.
Self‐Assembled 3D Helical Hollow Superstructures with Enhanced Microwave Absorption Properties
Authors: Yang Yang , Zhang Jianqi , Zou Wenjun , Wu Sai , Wu Fan , Xie Aming , Wei Zhixiang 
Published: November 2017

AbstractHelical structures at different scales endow functional materials with special optical, electrical, and magnetic properties. However, methods for constructing and regulating single‐handed helicity, particularly complex 3D hierarchical structures, remain limited. In this study, co‐self‐assembly process combined with emulsion droplets is used to produce the various well‐defined 3D hollow superstructures of conducting polyaniline (PANI) with single‐handed helicity. The chirality of PANI is induced using enantiomeric r‐ or s‐camphorsulfonic acid as a dopant; the chirality of the dopant is then transferred to the supramolecular chirality of PANI assemblies and consequently to the helicity of 3D superstructures by incorporating emulsion droplets to serve collectively as soft templates. The twisting and anisotropism of these superstructures vary with the enhancement of the supramolecular chirality and result in the transformation of their morphologies from seashell‐like to spindle‐like and their cavity becoming more slender than their original shape. Due to the supramolecular chirality and hierarchical characteristics of these superstructures, enhanced microwave absorption performance is observed under a filler content of as low as 20 wt%, suggesting their promising application as microwave absorbers.
Comparison of sub‐ versus suprafascially raised anterolateral thigh free flaps with regard to donor‐site morbidity, function and aesthetics
Authors: Fischer Sebastian , Diehm Yannick , Hirche Christoph , Kremer Thomas , Daigeler Adrien , Kneser Ulrich , Hernekamp J. Frederick 
Published: November 2017

BackgroundAlthough the anterolateral thigh flap (ALT) is one of the most frequently applied free flaps in plastic surgery, it remains controversial if the flap should be raised in a sub‐ or suprafascial plane. The purpose of this study was to compare both harvest techniques regarding donor‐site morbidity and outcomes.MethodsWe included 40 pair‐matched patients, of whom 20 received a fasciocutaneous and 20 an adipocutaneous ALT free flap for extremity reconstruction. Patients were matched for age (±5 years), sex and affected extremity. Chart review focused on co‐morbidities, flap dimensions, course of perforator(s), postoperative complications, and surgery time. Follow‐up included sensation, range of motion, and muscle strength at the donor‐site. In addition, patients rated the aesthetic and functional outcome on a scale from 1 to 6 and completed a Quality of Life 36‐item Short‐Form Health Survey (SF‐36) as well as the lower extremity functional scale (LEFS) questionnaire.ResultsChart review did not reveal any significant differences among study groups. Follow‐up indicated better sensory outcomes after subfascial flap elevation, but without statistical significance. Range of motion and muscle strength were not impaired in any patient. Neither patients' ratings regarding aesthetic and functional outcomes nor scores of the SF‐36 or LEFS differed significantly among study groups.ConclusionSub‐ or suprafascial harvest of the ALT free flap for extremity reconstruction does not impact donor‐site morbidity or complications.