bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Relationship between Iron Saturation Indices and Psychiatric Disorders among Persons Seeking Care at Selected Psychiatry Health Facilities in Ghana
Authors: Nchor Ignatius Abowini Awinibuno , Amidu Nafiu , Yussif Adams , Dapare Peter Paul M. , Akilla Martin Awe 
Published: March 2024

Aim: This study investigated the relationship between iron metabolism and psychiatric disorder and whether iron saturation indices could predict disease severity.
Study Design: The study was a case-control study.
Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted between December 2020 to March 2022 in some selected psychiatric facilities in Ghana.
Methodology: Venous blood was collected and serum iron, TIBC, ferritin, transferrin and full blood count were quantified to calculate intraindividual variation and to assess the relationships of these iron saturation indices to severity of psychiatric disorders.
Results: Serum iron (38.98±14.55 µmol/L), ferritin (100.23±84.98 ng/mL) and transferrin saturation (44.35±14.6%) were significantly (p<0.05) higher in group with psychiatric disorders compared with the controls (29.25±8.0 µmol/L; 75.25±42.71 ng/mL and 28.66±7.1%). However, total iron binding capacity (TIBC) (102.47±15.01 µmol/L), UIBC (73.22±13.12 µmol/L) and transferrin (4.08±0.6 g/L) concentrations were considerably greater in control group than in the case subjects (88.95±19.73 µmol/L; 49.97±18.32 µmol/L and 3.54±0.79 g/L). One unit increase in BMI is associated with 1.27 (aOR=1.27, p<0.001) times risk of psychiatric disorders and males are 6 (aOR=5.87, p<0.005) times at risk of disorders. At a cut off of ≤65.79 µmol/L, UIBC can distinguish psychiatric disorders from controls.
Conclusion: Serum iron and transferrin saturation appears to be good prognostic markers of diseases severity but serum iron at cut off of >35.23 µmol/L better classified individuals of severe form of psychiatric disorder.
Epidemiological Profile of Microorganisms Associated with Female Infertility at the Mother and Child University Hospital Center of N’Djamena: Risk Factors and Antibiotic Resistance
Authors: Bessimbaye Nadlaou , Désiré Daboulaye Allahsayim , Ambroise Douféné , Tidjani Abdelsalam 
Published: March 2024

Aims: the objective of this work was to determine the resistance phenotypes and the epidemiological profile of microorganisms associated with female infertility at the CHU-ME of N’Djamena.
Materials and Methods: we conducted a prospective, cross-sectional and analytical study on women admitted for maternity desire at the CHU-ME of N'Djamena and consenting from June 1, 2022 to February 26, 2023. Isolation and identification microorganisms responsible for female infertility were carried out in the laboratories using standard clinical microbiology methods.
Results: Of the 122 patients included in this series due to infertility, 88 (72.13%) tested positive for microbial infection compared to 34 (28%) negative tests (p = 0.01). The average age of infertile women was 34.24 years with extremes ranging from 19 to 45 years. The age groups most affected were 25 to 31 and 32 to 38. Primary infertility was 71.31% and secondary 28.68%. The microorganisms most associated with infertility were Chlamydia trachomatis (25.30%), Mycoplasma hominis (17.90%), Candida albicans (16.66%) and Staphylococcus aureus (16.04%) Streptococcus agalactiae (10 .49%) and Ureaplasma spp (8.14%). The risk factors most associated with infertility were advanced age (18.85%), surgical interventions (17.25%) and ovulation disorders (19.39%). The antecedents most associated with infertility were cesarean section 44 (36.07%) followed by miscarriages 29 (23.77).
The sensitivity of bacterial and fungal agents to antibiotics and antifungals was varied. The majority of bacteria were resistant to Cyclins, Betalactams and Macrolides with proportions of 66%, 47.66% and 34% respectively. Strains of Ureaplasma spp and Mycoplasma homonis develop average resistances of 86.52% and 36.16% respectively against fluoroquinolones.
The fungal strains were sensitive (54.33%) to the azole derivatives and resistant (70%) to the polyenes tested.
Conclusion: The present study made it possible to determine high prevalence of microorganisms and risk factors associated with female infertility. It also highlighted high prevalence of resistance of bacteria to beta-lactams and fluoroquinolones and of Candida albicans to polyenes.
Design and Creation of Superwetting/Antiwetting Surfaces
Authors: Feng X. J. , Jiang L. 
Published: November 2006

AbstractRecent achievements in the construction of surfaces with special wettabilities, such as superhydrophobicity, superhydrophilicity, superoleophobicity, superoleophilicity, superamphiphilicity, superamphiphobicity, superhydrophobicity/superoleophilicity, and reversible switching between superhydrophobicity and superhydrophilicity, are presented. Particular attention is paid to superhydrophobic surfaces created via various methods and surfaces with reversible superhydrophobicity and superhydrophilicity that are driven by various kinds of external stimuli. The control of the surface micro‐/nanostructure and the chemical composition is critical for these special properties. These surfaces with controllable wettability are of great importance for both fundamental research and practical applications.
Social lives of adult mysore slender lorises (Loris lydekkerianus lydekkerianus)
Authors: Nekaris K.A.I. 
Published: November 2006

AbstractDespite the persistent use of the word “solitary” to describe nocturnal primate social behavior, increasing numbers of studies are revealing sophisticated levels of social interactions among nocturnal primates. This study explores the relationships among 11 adult Mysore slender lorises (Loris lydekkerianus lydekkerianus) studied over 101/2 months in Tamil Nadu, India. When all observations regarding dependent offspring are excluded, the animals spent on average 38% of their activity in various forms of neutral, affiliative, and agonistic behaviors. Affiliative behaviors were the most common type of social interaction, and males in general were more social than females. Low values for Cole's index (CI) of association emphasize that females rarely interacted with same‐sex conspecifics, but commonly interacted with males. In turn, males also formed strong affiliative relationships with other adult males. This index also indicates that levels of affiliation are strongest among animals that share sleeping sites. The Hinde index (HI) suggests that males control proximity to females more than the reverse. A female's tolerance of multiple males in her home range and at a sleeping site may be related to high spatial variability of food resources. Such resources may constrain females with costly reproductive strategies (up to two sets of twins per annum) to a small home range. With their larger home ranges, males may be able to monopolize females by initiating social interactions, and also provide a benefit to females by contributing to parental care. Am. J. Primatol. 68:1171–1182, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Use of a tool‐set by Pan troglodytes troglodytes to obtain termites (Macrotermes) in the periphery of the Dja Biosphere Reserve, southeast Cameroon
Authors: Deblauwe Isra , Guislain Patrick , Dupain Jef , Van Elsacker Linda 
Published: November 2006

AbstractAt the northern periphery of the Dja Biosphere Reserve (southeastern Cameroon) we recorded a new use of a tool‐set by Pan troglodytes troglodytes to prey on Macrotermes muelleri, M. renouxi, M. lilljeborgi, and M. nobilis. We recovered 79 puncturing sticks and 47 fishing probes at 17 termite nests between 2002 and 2005. The mean length of the puncturing sticks (n = 77) and fishing probes (n = 45) was 52 cm and 56 cm, respectively, and the mean diameter was 9 mm and 4.5 mm, respectively. Sixty‐eight percent of 138 chimpanzee fecal samples contained major soldiers of four Macrotermes species. The chimpanzees in southeastern Cameroon appeared to be selective in their choice of plant material to make their tools. The tools found at our study site resemble those from other sites in this region. However, in southeastern Cameroon only one tool‐set type was found, whereas two tool‐set types have been reported in Congo. Our study suggests that, along with the different vegetation types and the availability of plant material around termite nests, the nest and gallery structure and foraging behavior of the different Macrotermes spp. at all Central African sites must be investigated before we can attribute differences in tool‐use behavior to culture. Am. J. Primatol. 68:1191–1196, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Asymmetric Resolution in Ester Reduction by NaBH4 at the Interface of Aqueous Aggregates of Amino Acid, Peptide, and Chiral‐Counterion‐Based Cationic Surfactants
Authors: Dasgupta Antara , Mitra Rajendra Narayan , Roy Sangita , Das Prasanta Kumar 
Published: November 2006

AbstractThis study provides insight into the physicochemical aspects of aqueous aggregates that comprise amino acid, peptide, and chiral‐counterion‐based cationic surfactants and their correlation with the proficiency of asymmetric resolution in ester reduction. The effects of the structural differences in the naturally occurring amino acid based and synthetic chiral‐counterion‐containing gemini surfactants on the surface properties as well as on other microstructural parameters were studied and correlated to the varied head groups of the surfactants. The supramolecular chirality induced from the head‐group region of chiral amphiphiles in aqueous self‐aggregates is evident from circular dichroism, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy studies. This large‐scale chirality at the interface of self‐aggregates was exploited towards asymmetric resolution in ester reduction by NaBH4. An enantiomeric excess of 53 % ((R)‐2‐phenylpropan‐1‐ol) was found in the case of the n‐hexyl ester of 2‐phenylpropionic acid as substrate in the aqueous aggregate of N,N′‐dihexadecyl‐N,N,N′,N′‐tetramethyl‐N,N′‐ethanediyldiammonium diquinate. Thus, a simple and environmentally benign pathway for asymmetric resolution in ester reduction by sodium borohydride alone is reported, which utilizes the varied spatial asymmetry at the interface of aqueous aggregates of cationic chiral amphiphiles.
Simulating α/β Selectivity at the Human Thyroid Hormone Receptor: Consensus Scoring Using Multidimensional QSAR
Authors: Vedani Angelo , Zumstein Martin , Lill Markus A. , Ernst Beat 
Published: November 2006

AbstractWe present a consensus‐scoring study on the human thyroid hormone receptor α and β using two receptor‐modeling concepts (software Quasar and Raptor) that are based on multidimensional QSAR and allow for the explicit simulation of induced fit. The binding mode of 82 agonists and indirect antagonists, spanning an activity range of seven orders of magnitude inKi, was identified through flexible docking to the respective X‐ray crystal structures (Yeti software) and represented by a 4D data set with up to four conformations per compound. The receptor surrogates for the thyroid α receptor converged at a cross‐validatedr2of 0.846/0.919 (64 training compounds; for Quasar and Raptor, respectively) and yielded a predictiver2of 0.812/0.814 (18 test compounds); the models for the thyroid β receptor resulted in a cross‐validatedr2of 0.823/0.909 and a predictiver2of 0.665/0.796, respectively. Consensus was achieved as, on average, the calculated activities of the training set differ only by a factor of 2.2 inKiand those of the test set by a factor of 2.8 when predicted by Quasar and Raptor, respectively.
Tumor infiltrating Foxp3+ regulatory T‐cells are associated with recurrence in pathologic stage I NSCLC patients
Authors: Petersen Rebecca P. , Campa Michael J. , Sperlazza Justin , Conlon Debbi , Joshi Mary‐Beth , Harpole David H. , Patz Edward F. 
Published: November 2006

AbstractBACKGROUND.Early stage lung cancer has a variable prognosis, and there are currently no markers that predict which patients will recur. This study examined the relation between tumor‐regulatory T (Treg) cells and total tumor‐infiltrating T‐cell lymphocytes (TIL) to determine whether they correlated with recurrence.METHODS.The authors reviewed all patients in our tissue databank from 1996 to 2001 and identified 64 consecutive pathologic stage I non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who had surgical resection and at least a 2.5 years disease‐free follow‐up or documented recurrence within 2 years. Immunohistochemical analyses were performed on paraffin‐embedded lung cancer tissue and the relation between Treg cells, TIL, and disease‐specific survival was determined. A risk index was devised deductively for various possible combinations of Treg cells and TIL.RESULTS.Treg cells and TIL were detected in 33 of 64 (51%) and 53 of 64 (83%) patients, respectively. When data were analyzed by using a Treg/TIL Combination Risk Index, patients with high‐risk and intermediate‐risk indices had hazard ratios of 8.2 (P = .007) and 3.3 (P = .109), respectively.CONCLUSIONS.Patients with stage I NSCLC who have a higher proportion of tumor Treg cells relative to TIL had a significantly higher risk of recurrence. These data may be useful, particularly if combined with a panel of tumor markers, to suggest at the time of diagnosis which patients with seemingly early‐stage NSCLC will relapse. Cancer 2006. © 2006 American Cancer Society.
A pilot study of epratuzumab and rituximab in combination with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone chemotherapy in patients with previously untreated, diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma
Authors: Micallef Ivana N. M. , Kahl Brad S. , Maurer Matthew J. , Dogan Ahmet , Ansell Stephen M. , Colgan Joseph P. , Geyer Susan , Inwards David J. , White William L. , Habermann Thomas M. 
Published: November 2006

AbstractBACKGROUND.In this pilot study, the authors assessed the feasibility of combination epratuzumab and rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (ER‐CHOP) in patients with newly diagnosed diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL).METHODS.Patients received chemotherapy on the following schedule: epratuzumab 360 mg/m2, rituximab 375 mg/m2, and standard‐dose CHOP every 3 weeks for 6 to 8 cycles. The primary endpoint was the incidence of grade 4 neutropenia and grade 3 or 4 antibody infusional toxicity. Secondary endpoints were the complete response (CR) rate, the overall response rate (ORR), and progression‐free survival (PFS). Weekly blood counts were obtained to monitor hematologic toxicity. Fifteen patients were enrolled and treated. Baseline patient characteristics included a median age of 63 years (range, 42–78 years), 60% of patients had stage III or IV disease, 7 patients had a low‐risk International Prognostic Index (IPI) score (0 or 1), 7 patients had an intermediate‐risk IPI score (2 or 3), and 1 patient was high risk.RESULTS.Grade 3 or 4 neutropenia was observed in 14 patients (93%) or in 28 of 92 treatment cycles (30%). Three patients developed grade ≥3 infection or fever. Eleven patients (73%) required dose reductions. No grade 3 antibody infusion‐related toxicity was reported. Thirteen of 15 patients responded (ORR, 87%,), including 10 CRs (67%), 3 partial responses (20%), 1 patient with stable disease, and 1 patient with disease progression. At a median follow‐up of 30 months, 13 of 15 patients remained alive. The 1‐year PFS and OS rates were 93% and 100%, respectively; and the 2‐year PFS and OS rates were 86% and 86%, respectively.CONCLUSIONS.ER‐CHOP every 21 days was feasible as treatment for newly diagnosed patients with DLBCL. A Phase II multicenter study is underway. Cancer 2006. © 2006 American Cancer Society.
Treatment effects, disease recurrence, and survival in obese women with early endometrial carcinoma
Authors: von Gruenigen Vivian E. , Tian Chunqiao , Frasure Heidi , Waggoner Steven , Keys Henry , Barakat Richard R. 
Published: November 2006

AbstractBACKGROUND.The objective was to examine whether rates of disease recurrence, treatment‐related adverse effects, and survival differed between obese or morbidly obese and nonobese patients.METHODS.Data from patients who participated in a randomized trial of surgery with or without adjuvant radiation therapy were retrospectively reviewed.RESULTS.Body mass index (BMI) data were available for 380 patients, of whom 24% were overweight (BMI, 25–29.9), 41% were obese (BMI, 30–39.9), and 12% were morbidly obese (BMI, ≥40). BMI did not significantly differ based on age, performance status, histology, tumor grade, myometrial invasion, or lymphovascular‐space involvement. BMI > 30 was more common in African Americans (73%) than non‐African Americans (50%). Patients with a BMI ≥ 40 compared with BMI < 30 (hazards ratio [HR], 0.42; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.09–1.84; P = .246) did not have lower recurrence rates. Compared with BMI < 30, there was no significant difference in survival in patients with BMI 30–39.9 (HR, 1.48; 95% CI, 0.82–2.70; P = .196); however, there was evidence for decreased survival in patients with BMI ≥ 40 (HR, 2.77; 95% CI, 1.21–6.36; P = .016). Unadjusted and adjusted BMI hazards ratios for African Americans versus non‐African Americans in the current study differed, thus suggesting a confounding effect of BMI on race. Eight (67%) of 12 deaths among 45 morbidly obese patients were from noncancerous causes. For patients who received adjuvant radiation therapy, increased BMI was significantly associated with less gastrointestinal (R, −0.22; P = .003) and more cutaneous (R, 0.17; P = .019) toxicities.RESULTS.In the current study, obesity was associated with higher mortality from causes other than endometrial cancer but not disease recurrence. Increased BMI was also associated with more cutaneous and less gastrointestinal toxicity in patients who received adjuvant radiation therapy. Future recommendations include lifestyle intervention trials to improve survival in obese endometrial cancer patients. Cancer 2006. © 2006 American Cancer Society.
Salivary analysis in oral cancer patients
Authors: Bahar Gideon , Feinmesser Raphael , Shpitzer Thomas , Popovtzer Aaron , Nagler Rafael M. 
Published: November 2006

AbstractBACKGROUND.Free radicals such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS), which induce oxidative and nitrative stress, are main contributors to oral carcinogenesis. The RNS (nitrosamines: nitrates, NO3, and nitrites, NO2) are also produced by the reaction of ROS and other free radicals with nitric oxide (NO) and are therefore in equilibrium with it.METHODS.Whole saliva was collected from a group of 25 consenting oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients and from a control group of 25 healthy age‐ and gender‐matched individuals. General and specific salivary antioxidant components, salivary nitrosamines, and oxidatively damaged salivary DNA and proteins were measured.RESULTS.The findings showed that oxidative and nitrative stress altered the salivary composition in OSCC patients. Analyzed salivary RNS were substantially higher (NO, 60%; NO2, 190%; NO3, 93%), whereas all salivary antioxidants were substantially reduced. The 8‐hydroxy‐deoxyguanosine (8‐OHdG) marker (a widely used indicator of DNA oxidation) increased by 65% and the salivary carbonylation level was significantly higher.CONCLUSIONS.The increase in ROS and RNS may have been the event that led to the consumption and reduction of salivary antioxidant systems, thus explaining the oxidative damage to the DNA and proteins, and possibly the promotion of OSCC. The oxidized proteins and DNA found in the saliva of the cancer patients seems to be the first demonstration of a direct link between salivary free radicals, antioxidants, and OSCC. This may be important for better understanding the pathogenesis of the disease and may contribute to its diagnosis and treatment. Cancer 2007. © 2006 American Cancer Society.
Sagdeev Potential and Sheath Criterion for a Multi‐Component Plasma
Authors: Alterkop B. , Boxman R. L. 
Published: November 2006

AbstractA charged sheath between a multi‐component plasma and an absorbing and conducting wall was considered analytically in the framework of a hydrodynamic model. The model accounted for the inertia and pressures of all the plasma components and both wall polarities. An existence criterion for the steady sheath with a monotonous distribution of the electric potential was derived based on analysis of the Sagdeev potential. The model was applied to some special cases of two‐and three‐component plasmas such as a plasma with macroparticles, and electro‐positive and ‐negative plasmas. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Optimising negative chirp of an electroabsorption modulator for use in high‐speed optical networks
Authors: Jamro M. Y. , Senior J. M. 
Published: November 2006

AbstractOptical networks using singlemode fiber rely on negative chirp to improve the transmission performance. In particular for an electroabsorption modulator (EAM) optimal chirp control is required when it is used to achieve various network functions in high‐speed optical networks. An approach to modelling the negative chirp for the EAM is presented that is suitable to apply to a cross‐absorption modulation scheme. A novel feature of this modelling process is that it allows cubic polynomials to incorporate the nonlinear coefficients of chirp describing the α‐parameter related to the nonlinear transmission coefficients. In addition to the two‐tone signal parameters (i.e. bias and modulating signal voltages), the model also includes wavelength‐temperature‐dependent absorption variation and the effects associated with the length of the device. It therefore enables accurate determination for the values of the nonlinear coefficients of the chirp responsible for the negative chirp of an EAM. Using this model an optimised range of ± 0.5 is obtained for the nonlinear coefficients of the chirp to exhibit negative chirp for specific values of nonlinear transmission coefficients (within a range of −10 and 2) at a reverse bias voltage of less than 2 V. Since negative chirp optimisation of an EAM can minimise the unwanted effects of dispersion on a singlemode fiber in high‐speed optical networks an improvement of performance without employing expensive dispersion compensation management techniques can be achieved. Copyright © 2006 AEIT.
New Composite DMFC Anode with PEDOT as a Mixed Conductor and Catalyst Support
Authors: Drillet J.‐F. , Dittmeyer R. , Jüttner K. , Li L. , Mangold K.‐M. 
Published: November 2006

AbstractThe conducting polymer PEDOT is tested as a carbon substitute material for the DMFC anode. Electrochemical experiments are carried out in a three‐electrode half‐cell at room temperature. The first part of this paper focuses on the characterization of PEDOT and PEDOT‐PSS as a diffusion layer material. PEDOT/C cyclic voltammograms are recorded in 1 M H2SO4 in the range between the hydrogen evolution and polymer over‐oxidation potentials. The incorporation of the PSS counter‐ion into the polymer matrix leads to higher impedance values compared to PEDOT without PSS. The second part deals with the study of PEDOT as a Pt catalyst support. It is found that the partial over‐oxidation of PEDOT enhances the activity of Pt for methanol oxidation. This can be explained by a change in the morphology of PEDOT that probably improves methanol diffusion within the reaction layer. The degradation of the conducting polymer is confirmed by SEM, EDX, and FTIR measurements.