bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tony Nevin: The embrace of translational work by a basic scientist
Authors: Charles Mace F.
Published: January 2018

Here I summarize John A. “Tony” Nevin's evolution as a translational author. All of his publications were classified by title and content as being primarily experimental analysis of behavior or translational. Translational works were subtyped as interpretative, descriptive research, or experimental research. During the first 20 years of his publication career, Tony published exclusively experimental analysis of behavior work. In 1982, he began a series of interpretative translational analyses on topics of significant social importance. These interpretative papers translated behavioral science into logical accounts of issues of war and peace, for example, and performed quantitative analyses of available data to show that social behavior, even at the level of the group or society, conforms to predictions based on established behavioral principles. Tony began experimental translational research in 1990, first to establish whether his analysis of behavioral momentum generalized to humans. Several experimental studies later addressed the persistence of clinically relevant behavior and treatment relapse. The objective descriptions of Tony's publication patterns are punctuated with anecdotes from our 32‐year collaboration and friendship.
Tissue distribution of some immune cells in bovine reproductive tract during follicular and luteal phase
Authors: Akbalik Mehmet Erdem , Liman Narin , Sagsoz Hakan , Guney Saruhan Berna
Published: January 2018

More recent studies indicate that immune cells which secrete their secretory products or cytokines play an important role in reproductive system. In our study, immune cell populations (CD8+ T lymphocytes, CD68+ macrophages, plasma cells, siderophages, eosinophils) and expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and class II were examined in female reproductive tract during follicular (n = 13) and luteal phase (n = 10). Plasma cells and eosinophil granulocytes are present in few numbers in luminal epithelium, but abundant in longitudinal muscle layer of uterus, whereas siderophages are the dominant cell type in stroma. Moreover, MHC‐I and ‐II+ cells are expressed by individual cells in organ layers, while CD8+ T cells and CD68+ macrophages are dominant in epithelium and muscle layer, respectively. In conclusion, we did not found significant changes in immune cells according to follicular and luteal phases, but localization and numbers in each organ have changed according to both organ and layers. These results indicate that these factors may play a crucial role not only to generate an immune response but also to have a role in regulation of physiological functions in female reproductive organs.
Hybrid feature extraction techniques for microscopic hepatic fibrosis classification
Authors: Ashour Dalia S. , Abou Rayia Dina M. , Maher Ata Mohamed , Ashour Amira S. , Abd Elnaby Mustafa M.
Published: January 2018

Chronic liver diseases' hallmark is the fibrosis that results in liver function failure in advanced stages. One of the serious parasitic diseases affecting the liver tissues is schistosomiasis. Immunologic reactions to Schistosoma eggs leads to accumulation of collagen in the hepatic parenchyma causing fibrosis. Thus, monitoring and reporting the staging of the histopathological information related to liver fibrosis are essential for accurate diagnosis and therapy of the chronic liver diseases. Automated assessment of the microscopic liver tissue images is an essential process. For accurate and timeless assessment, an automated image analysis and classification of different stages of fibrosis can be employed as an efficient procedure. In this work, granuloma stages, namely cellular, fibrocellular, and fibrotic granulomas along with normal liver samples were classified after features extraction. In this work, a new hybrid combination of statistical features with empirical mode decomposition (EMD) is proposed. These combined features are further classified using the back‐propagation neural network (BPNN). A comparative study of the used classifier with the support vector machine is also conducted. The comparative results established that the BPNN achieved superior accuracy of 98.3% compared to the linear SVM, quadratic SVM, and cubic SVM that provided 85%, 84%, and 80%; respectively. In conclusion, this work is of special value that provides promising results for early prediction of the liver fibrosis in schistosomiais and other fibrotic liver diseases in no time with expected better prognosis after treatment.
Pigmented macrophages and related aggregates in the spleen of european sea bass dosed with heavy metals: Ultrastructure and explorative morphometric analysis
Authors: Manera Maurizio , Sayyaf Dezfuli Bahram , DePasquale Joseph A. , Giari Luisa
Published: January 2018

The ultrastructure and morphometrics of pigmented macrophages (PMs) were assessed in the spleen of European sea bass experimentally dosed with Cd and Hg. PMs occurred either as solitary cells or as variably structured aggregations, defined as macrophage aggregates (MAs). Light microscopy revealed a high degree of morphological heterogeneity amongst MAs of all experimental groups. At the ultrastructural level, MAs showed a heterogeneous pigment content that was not influenced by the treatment. Cytoplasm rarefaction/vacuolation and euchromatic nuclei, were observed in PMs of dosed fish. Undosed and Cd‐dosed samples differ significantly with regard to the following morphometric features: the Minor axis of the best fitting ellipse, Aspect Ratio, and Roundness. In Cd‐dosed fish, MAs showed reduced size and complexity. Lacunarity showed significant differences between undosed and both Cd and Hg‐dosed samples. These results suggest that heavy metals, and especially Cd, may influence the dynamics of PM aggregation/disaggregation. Variability in splenic MAs was observed both by light and electron microscopy. However, only the morphometric techniques adequately and objectively described the phenomenon, allowing a quantitative/statistical comparison of morphology among experimental groups. These morphometric analyses could be usefully applied in toxicological and ecotoxicological, as well as morpho‐functional studies.
Decomposing planar cubic graphs
Authors: Hoffmann‐Ostenhof Arthur , Kaiser Tomáš , Ozeki Kenta
Published: January 2018

The 3‐Decomposition Conjecture states that every connected cubic graph can be decomposed into a spanning tree, a 2‐regular subgraph and a matching. We show that this conjecture holds for the class of connected plane cubic graphs.
Convenient Synthesis of Polyaza‐2‐(heteroaryl)pyridine Derivatives
Authors: Masaret Ghada S.
Published: January 2018

A simple and efficient method for the synthesis of new heterocyclic compounds containing pyridine and 1,3‐pyrimidine units has been developed. It is based on the reaction of the appropriate enaminone with some N‐nucleophiles.
Synthesis and Antimicrobial Activity of Novel Derivatives of 7‐aryl‐10‐thioxo‐7, 10, 11, 12 – tertahydro‐9H‐benzo[H] pyrimido [4,5‐b] quinoline‐8‐one
Authors: Kumbhar Digambar , Chandam Dattatray , Patil Reshma , Jadhav Sunetra , Patil Dayanand , Patravale Ajinkya , Deshmukh Madhukar
Published: January 2018

A highly competent synthesis of novel 7‐aryl‐10‐thioxo‐7, 10, 11, 12‐tertahydro‐9H‐benzo [H] pyrimido [4, 5‐b] quinoline‐8‐one derivatives has been reported through a Knoevenagel condensation followed by Michael addition and subsequent cyclization using ethanol:acetic acid (8:2 v/v). The mentioned protocol has advantages like high yields, cleaner reactions, operational simplicity, and environment friendliness. Moreover, these compounds were further screened against the plant pathogenic fungi like Colletotrichum truncatum, Ustilago maydis, Trichosporon, Trichothecium sp., Aspergillus oryze, Aspergillus terreus, and Aspergillus niger by agar well method bioassay. The results were elaborated for minimum inhibitory concentration determination using agar dilution method against fungal strains C. truncatum and U. maydis as well as broth dilution method for bacteria species Gram‐positive Bacillus megaterium and Gram‐negative Proteus vulgaris. Most of the tested compounds showed promising results towards the antimicrobial activity.
Solving the puzzle: The effects of contextual information and feedback on the interpretation of a crime scene
Authors: van den Eeden Claire A.J. , Ost James , de Poot Christianne J. , van Koppen Peter J.
Published: January 2018

In this study, we examined how the provision of contextual information and the ability to ask questions and obtain feedback affected mock investigators' interpretation of a crime scene. Participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 conditions in a 2 × 2 design and assessed two photographs of the same crime scene. Participants were instructed to write a narrative about what they thought had happened at the scene. Results showed that the provision of contextual information and the ability to ask questions had no effect on the lengths of the narratives participants produced. However, participants who received contextual information wrote a more factual narrative containing more descriptions of actions before, during, and after the crime. Across all conditions, most of the questions were asked about persons who could in some way be involved in the crime. Results of this study indicate that the provision of contextual information helped participants to focus on the more factual, rather than speculative elements, of the crime.
Comparison of modified two‐point dixon and chemical shift encoded MRI water‐fat separation methods for fetal fat quantification
Authors: Giza Stephanie A. , Miller Michael R. , Parthasarathy Prasiddha , de Vrijer Barbra , McKenzie Charles A.
Published: January 2018

BACKGROUND

Fetal fat is indicative of the energy balance within the fetus, which may be disrupted in pregnancy complications such as fetal growth restriction, macrosomia, and gestational diabetes. Water‐fat separated MRI is a technique sensitive to tissue lipid content, measured as fat fraction (FF), and can be used to accurately measure fat volumes. Modified two‐point Dixon and chemical shift encoded MRI (CSE‐MRI) are water‐fat separated MRI techniques that could be applied to imaging of fetal fat. Modified two‐point Dixon has biases present that are corrected in CSE‐MRI which may contribute to differences in the fat measurements.

PURPOSE

To compare the measurement of fetal fat volume and FF by modified two‐point Dixon and CSE‐MRI.

STUDY TYPE

Cross‐sectional study for comparison of two MRI pulse sequences.

POPULATION

Twenty‐one pregnant women with singleton pregnancies.

FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE

1.5T, modified two‐point Dixon and CSE‐MRI.

ASSESSMENT

Manual segmentation of total fetal fat volume and mean FF from modified 2‐point Dixon and CSE‐MRI FF images.

STATISTICAL TESTS

Reliability was assessed by calculating the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Agreement was assessed using a one‐sample t‐test on the fat measurements difference values (modified two‐point Dixon ‐ CSE‐MRI). The difference scores were tested against a value of 0, which would indicate that the measurements were identical.

RESULTS

The fat volume and FF measured by modified two‐point Dixon and CSE‐MRI had excellent reliability, demonstrated by ICCs of 0.93 (P < 0.001) and 0.90 (P < 0.001), respectively. They were not in agreement, with CSE‐MRI giving mean fat volumes 180 mL greater and mean FF 3.0% smaller than modified two‐point Dixon.

DATA CONCLUSION

The reliability between modified two‐point Dixon and CSE‐MRI indicates that either technique can be used to compare fetal fat measurements in different participants, but they are not in agreement possibly due to uncorrected biases in modified two‐point Dixon.

Level of Evidence: 4

Technical Efficacy: Stage 1

J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2018.
TSPO regulation in reactive gliotic diseases
Authors: McNeela Adam M. , Bernick Charles , Hines Rochelle M. , Hines Dustin J.
Published: January 2018

The brain is the most metabolically active organ in the body. This high metabolic demand is apparent in that 60% of the brain is comprised of mitochondria‐enriched cells. A disruption of the brain's ability to meet this immense metabolic demand is central to the pathogenesis of a multitude of neurological disorders, which range from depression to Alzheimer's disease. Central to these pathologies are glial signaling and energy metabolism cascades regulating apoptosis and inflammation. Thus, diseases causing inflammation and disruption of metabolism can be correlated with glial reactivity. Acutely, reactive gliosis provides a mechanism for limiting the progression of a disease. Following chronic activation, the ability of reactive gliosis to limit disease progression decreases and, in some cases, transitions into a harmful state. The necessity for a noninvasive biomarker of disease in the brain has linked reactive gliosis with an upregulation of translocator protein (TSPO). TSPO is an 18kDa protein that is both a therapeutic target for multiple acute and chronic neuroinflammatory diseases and the leading biomarker for Alzheimer's disease. Although a central function of TSPO is not well known, the protein was named for its ability to translocate cholesterol. Increased TSPO expression is an indicator of disrupted metabolic activity and increased reactive oxygen production. The changes in TSPO expression levels both temporally and spatially relate to the pathogenesis of stroke, Alzheimer's disease, traumatic brain injury, and depression. Therefore, research into the basic function and potential therapeutics targeting TSPO will have broad implications for many diseases of the brain.
Comparing damage on retrieved total elbow replacement bushings with lab worn specimens subjected to varied loading conditions
Authors: Willing Ryan
Published: January 2018

Complication rates following total elbow replacement (TER) with conventional implants are relatively high due to mechanical failure involving the UHMWPE bushings. Unfortunately, there are no standardized pre‐clinical durability testing protocols for assessing the durability of TER components. This study examines the damage observed on retrieved humeral bushings, and then uses in vitro durability testing with two different loading protocols to compare resulting damage. Damage on 25 pairs of retrieved humeral bushings was characterized using micro‐computed tomographic imaging techniques. The damage was compared with that of in vitro test specimens which were subjected to 200 K cycles of either high joint reaction force (high JRF) or high varus moment (high VM) loading. Material removal (mass loss) from bushing components was measured using gravimetric techniques. Thinning was less for retrieved bushings which were still assembled in their humeral component, versus bushings which were loose (0.3 ± 0.3 mm vs. 0.6 ± 0.3 mm, p = 0.02). Comparing in vitro test specimens, thinning due to high VM loading was 0.9 ± 0.3 mm, versus 0.2 ± 0.0 mm for high JRF loading (p = 0.08); however, the actual material removal rates from the humeral bushings were not different between the two protocols (48 ± 5 mm3/Mc vs. 43 ± 2 mm3/Mc, p = 1). Neither loading protocol could produce damage patterns fully representative of the spectrum of damage patterns observed on clinical retrievals. Pre‐clinical testing should employ multiple loading protocols to characterize implant performance under a broader spectrum of usage. © 2018 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 36:1998–2006, 2018.
Early Enteral Nutrition Is Associated With Significantly Lower Hospital Charges in Critically Ill Children
Authors: Mikhailov Theresa A. , Gertz Shira J. , Kuhn Evelyn M. , Scanlon Matthew C. , Rice Thomas B. , Goday Praveen S.
Published: January 2018

Background

Previous studies have shown that early enteral nutrition (EEN) is associated with lower mortality in critically ill children. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between EEN (provision of 25% of goal calories enterally over the first 48 hours) and pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and hospital charges in critically ill children.

Methods

We conducted a supplementary study to our previous multicenter retrospective study of nutrition and outcomes in critically ill patients who had a PICU length of stay (LOS) ≥96 hours for the years 2007–2008. From 2 centers, we obtained additional data for all charges incurred during the PICU and hospital stay, respectively, from administrative data sets at each institution.

Results

We obtained data for 859 patients who met the inclusion criteria (615 from the first center and 244 from the second center). In the combined data from both centers, total (P = .0006, adjusted for Pediatric Index of Mortality‐2 [PIM‐2] and center) and daily hospital charges (P < .001, adjusted for PIM‐2 and center) were significantly lower in patients who met the EEN goal than in patients who did not. Hospital LOS did not differ between patients who met the EEN goal and patients who did not. A significant interaction between EEN and centers prevented any comparison of PICU charges, daily PICU charges, and PICU LOS between those patients who met the EEN goal and those who did not.

Conclusion

In critically ill children who stay in the PICU >96 hours, EEN is associated with significantly lower hospital charges.
Dietary enzymatically treated Artemisia annua L. improves meat quality, antioxidant capacity and energy status of breast muscle in heat‐stressed broilers
Authors: Wan Xiaoli , Ahmad Hussain , Zhang Lili , Wang Zhiyue , Wang Tian
Published: January 2018

BACKGROUND

Heat stress (HS) is detrimental to animal‐origin food production. Artemisia annua L., a natural source of phenolic compounds and flavonoids, exhibits antioxidant properties. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary enzymatically treated Artemisia annua L. (EA) supplementation on meat quality, antioxidant capacity, and energy status of breast muscle in heat‐stressed broilers.

RESULTS

The inclusion of EA increased the redness, reduced drip loss, decreased reactive oxygen metabolites and thiobarbituric acid‐reactive substances, increased antioxidant enzyme activities, and reduced the ferric reducing antioxidant power and free‐radical scavenging abilities of breast muscle in heat‐treated broilers. Dietary EA supplementation increased adenosine phosphate concentrations and energy charge, and decreased the mRNA expression levels of heat‐shock protein 70 and 90, but increased the mRNA expression levels of avian uncoupling protein, peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor‐γ coactivator‐1α, and sirtuin 1 in the breast muscle of broilers exposed to HS.

CONCLUSION

Dietary EA supplementation improved meat quality, antioxidant capacity, and energy status in breast muscle of heat‐stressed broilers, which might be associated with altering pertinent mRNA expression; EA could therefore be used as a promising feed additive to mitigate HS in the poultry industry. This study recommended 1.00–1.25 g/kg EA in broiler diet. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
Comparison of two docking methods for peptide‐protein interactions
Authors: Yu Qiuying , Wang Fangyu , Hu Xiaofei , Xing Guangxu , Deng Ruiguang , Guo Junqing , Cheng Anchun , Wang Jing , Hao Junfang , Zhao Dong , Teng Man , Zhang Gaiping
Published: January 2018

BACKGROUND

The importance of peptides in regulatory interactions has caused peptide‐protein docking to attract the attention of many researchers. A variety of methods for molecular modeling of peptide‐protein docking, such as local search and global search, are currently used.

RESULTS

The interactions of 11 peptides and CSFV E2 protein were evaluated by the GalaxyPepDock and FlexX/ SYBYL programs, respectively. The assessment scores of all the peptides were correlated with their KD values. The final results showed that a moderate correlation coefficient was represented between KD values and CScores of predicted models by FlexX/ SYBYL.

CONCLUSION

Our results demonstrate that considering the flexibility of the peptide is better than searching for more potential binding sites on the target protein surface while performing peptide‐protein molecular docking. These data provide reasonable evidence for the molecular design of peptides and guidance for the functional assignment of target proteins. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
Current principles of surgery for retroperitoneal sarcomas
Authors: Fairweather Mark , Gonzalez Ricardo J. , Strauss Dirk , Raut Chandrajit P.
Published: January 2018

Surgery for primary retroperitoneal sarcomas (RPS) often requires a technically challenging, en bloc multivisceral resection to optimize outcomes. Surgery may also be appropriate for patients with localized recurrent RPS. Anatomic considerations and tumor biology driven by histologic subtype may guide the extent of resection in patients with RPS. This review provides an overview of the current surgical principles for primary and recurrent RPS.
Mid‐ to long‐term clinical outcome of giant cell tumor of bone treated with calcium phosphate cement following thorough curettage and phenolization
Authors: Takeuchi Akihiko , Suwanpramote Prakrit , Yamamoto Norio , Shirai Toshiharu , Hayashi Katsuhiro , Kimura Hiroaki , Miwa Shinji , Higuchi Takashi , Abe Kensaku , Tsuchiya Hiroyuki
Published: January 2018

Background and Objectives

Giant cell tumors of bone (GCTB) are intermediate and locally aggressive bone tumor. Calcium phosphate cement (CPC) is a bone void filler used in orthopaedic surgery. This study investigated the clinical outcome of GCTB treated with thorough curettage, phenolization, and CPC.

Methods

We investigated 26 patients with at least 36 months of follow‐up. The mean age and follow‐up were 37 years (range: 19‐63) and 87 months (range: 38‐169), respectively. Radiological outcomes including consolidation of CPC to the surrounding bone, cortical bone defect remodeling, and clinical outcomes were investigated.

Results

The consolidation of CPC to the surrounding bone was excellent in 22 cases (84.6%), good in three (11.5%), and acceptable in one (3.8%). Local recurrence occurred in three cases (11.5%). Pulmonary metastasis occurred in one case (3.8%). Cortical bone defect remodeling appeared in 22 cases (84.6%). The mean Musculoskeletal Tumour Society score was 28.7 (95.7%). Osteoarthritis, chronic synovitis, and fracture were observed in one case each (3.8%), which were managed conservatively.

Conclusions

Phenolization did not prevent the consolidation of CPC to the bone. CPC provided biological interface and long lasting stability without internal fixation, with comparable complication rates to other published series.
Enantioselective ultra high performance liquid and supercritical fluid chromatography: The race to the shortest chromatogram
Authors: Ciogli Alessia , Ismail Omar H. , Mazzoccanti Giulia , Villani Claudio , Gasparrini Francesco
Published: January 2018

The ever‐increasing need for enantiomerically pure chiral compounds has greatly expanded the number of enantioselective separation methods available for the precise and accurate measurements of the enantiomeric purity. The introduction of chiral stationary phases for liquid chromatography in the last decades has revolutionized the routine methods to determine enantiomeric purity of chiral drugs, agrochemicals, fragrances, and in general of organic and organometallic compounds. In recent years, additional efforts have been placed on faster, enantioselective analytical methods capable to fulfill the high throughput requirements of modern screening procedures. Efforts in this field, capitalizing on improved chromatographic particle technology and dedicated instrumentation, have led to highly efficient separations that are routinely completed on the seconds time scale. An overview of the recent achievements in the field of ultra‐high‐resolution chromatography on column packed with chiral stationary phases, both based on sub‐2 μm fully porous and sub‐3 μm superficially porous particles, will be given, with an emphasis on very recent studies on ultrafast chiral separations.
Importance of environmental indicators of sustainable development in the transitional selective tourism destination
Authors: Vučetić Aleksa Š.
Published: January 2018

The article seeks to explain the importance of environmental indicators of sustainable development in the transitional selective tourism destination, that is, in different types of selective tourism. The survey results reveal that there are statistically significant differences of environmental indicator importance among different types of selective tourism. This new research approach in the field of sustainable tourism development and its results can be a beneficial input for tourism policymakers in the process of identification and creation of an optimal set of measures and activities of protection and preservation of the quality of the environment in selective tourism destination.
Cost of agricultural productivity loss due to soil erosion in the European Union: From direct cost evaluation approaches to the use of macroeconomic models
Authors: Panagos Panos , Standardi Gabriele , Borrelli Pasquale , Lugato Emanuele , Montanarella Luca , Bosello Francesco
Published: January 2018

Much research has been carried out on modelling soil erosion rates under different climatic and land use conditions. Although some studies have addressed the issue of reduced crop productivity due to soil erosion, few have focused on the economic loss in terms of agricultural production and gross domestic product (GDP). In this study, soil erosion modellers and economists come together to carry out an economic evaluation of soil erosion in the European Union (EU). The study combines biophysical and macroeconomic models to estimate the cost of agricultural productivity loss due to soil erosion by water in the EU. The soil erosion rates, derived from the RUSLE2015 model, are used to estimate the loss in crop productivity (physical change in the production of plants) and to model their impact on the agricultural sector per country. A computable general equilibrium model is then used to estimate the impact of crop productivity change on agricultural production and GDP. The 12 million hectares of agricultural areas in the EU that suffer from severe erosion are estimated to lose around 0.43% of their crop productivity annually. The annual cost of this loss in agricultural productivity is estimated at around €1.25 billion. The computable general equilibrium model estimates the cost in the agricultural sector to be close to €300 million and the loss in GDP to be about €155 million. Italy emerges as the country that suffers the highest economic impact, whereas the agricultural sector in most Northern and Central European countries is only marginally affected by soil erosion losses.
Offer acceptance practices and geographic variability in allocation model for end‐stage liver disease at transplant
Authors: Wey Andrew , Pyke Joshua , Schladt David P. , Gentry Sommer E. , Weaver Tim , Salkowski Nicholas , Kasiske Bertram L. , Israni Ajay K. , Snyder Jon J.
Published: January 2018

Offer acceptance practices may cause geographic variability in allocation Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease (aMELD) score at transplant and could magnify the effect of donor supply and demand on aMELD variability. To evaluate these issues, offer acceptance practices of liver transplant programs and donation service areas (DSAs) were estimated using offers of livers from donors recovered between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2016. Offer acceptance practices were compared with liver yield, local placement of transplanted livers, donor supply and demand, and aMELD at transplant. Offer acceptance was associated with liver yield (odds ratio, 1.32; P < 0.001), local placement of transplanted livers (odds ratio, 1.34; P < 0.001), and aMELD at transplant (average aMELD difference, –1.62; P < 0.001). However, the ratio of donated livers to listed candidates in a DSA (ie, donor‐to‐candidate ratio) was associated with median aMELD at transplant (r = −0.45; P < 0.001), but not with offer acceptance (r = 0.09; P = 0.50). Additionally, the association between DSA‐level donor‐to‐candidate ratios and aMELD at transplant did not change after adjustment for offer acceptance. The average squared difference in median aMELD at transplant across DSAs was 24.6; removing the effect of donor‐to‐candidate ratios reduced the average squared differences more than removing the effect of program‐level offer acceptance (33% and 15% reduction, respectively). Offer acceptance practices and donor‐to‐candidate ratios independently contributed to geographic variability in aMELD at transplant. Thus, neither offer acceptance nor donor‐to‐candidate ratios can explain all of the geographic variability in aMELD at transplant. Liver Transplantation 24 478–487 2018 AASLD.
Collapse Transition of Cyclic Homopolymers and Block Copolymers
Authors: Kuriata Aleksander , Sikorski Andrzej
Published: January 2018

In order to determine the structure of cyclic homopolymer and multiblock copolymer polymers (rings) at various solvent qualities (temperatures), an idealized model of macromolecules is developed and studied. All atomic details are suppressed and chains are represented as a sequence of identical beads embedded in a square lattice. A simple square‐well potential is used for polymer–polymer interactions in order to mimic the influence of nonselective solvent. An efficient Monte Carlo sampling algorithm using local and nonlocal changes of chain conformation as well as the Replica Exchange technique is used to sample the conformational space. Simulation results concerning the structure of globules formed at low temperature are discussed and compared with theoretical predictions. The influence of the arrangements of blocks in the chain on its structure in different temperatures is shown.
Comprehensive review of cardiovascular toxicity of drugs and related agents
Authors: Mladěnka Přemysl , Applová Lenka , Patočka Jiří , Costa Vera Marisa , Remiao Fernando , Pourová Jana , Mladěnka Aleš , Karlíčková Jana , Jahodář Luděk , Vopršalová Marie , Varner Kurt J. , Štěrba Martin ,   TOX‐OER and CARDIOTOX Hradec Králové Researchers and Collaborators
Published: January 2018

Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in most developed countries of the world. Pharmaceuticals, illicit drugs, and toxins can significantly contribute to the overall cardiovascular burden and thus deserve attention. The present article is a systematic overview of drugs that may induce distinct cardiovascular toxicity. The compounds are classified into agents that have significant effects on the heart, blood vessels, or both. The mechanism(s) of toxic action are discussed and treatment modalities are briefly mentioned in relevant cases. Due to the large number of clinically relevant compounds discussed, this article could be of interest to a broad audience including pharmacologists and toxicologists, pharmacists, physicians, and medicinal chemists. Particular emphasis is given to clinically relevant topics including the cardiovascular toxicity of illicit sympathomimetic drugs (e.g., cocaine, amphetamines, cathinones), drugs that prolong the QT interval, antidysrhythmic drugs, digoxin and other cardioactive steroids, beta‐blockers, calcium channel blockers, female hormones, nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory, and anticancer compounds encompassing anthracyclines and novel targeted therapy interfering with the HER2 or the vascular endothelial growth factor pathway.
Multiplicity of forced oscillations for scalar retarded functional differential equations
Authors: Calamai Alessandro , Pera Maria Patrizia , Spadini Marco
Published: January 2018

We find multiplicity results for forced oscillations of a periodically perturbed autonomous second‐order equation, the perturbing term possibly depending on the whole history of the system. The techniques that we use are topological in nature, but the technical details are hidden in the proofs and completely transparent to the reader only interested in the results.
Diffusion sensitivity of 3D‐GRASE in arterial spin labeling perfusion
Authors: He Xiang , Wengler Kenneth , Schweitzer Mark E.
Published: January 2018

Purpose

To evaluate the role of true diffusion and flow‐related pseudodiffusion in cerebral blood flow (CBF) quantification using arterial spin labeling (ASL) with single‐shot or segmented 3D gradient and spin echo (GRASE) readouts.

Theory

The extended phase graph (EPG) algorithm, originally designed to model the effects of T1/T2 relaxation and true diffusion in MRI acquisitions utilizing multiple refocusing RF pulses, was augmented (aEPG). This augmentation accounted for flow‐related pseudodiffusion attenuation of intravascular MRI signal in the k‐space domain during 3D‐GRASE acquisition, which leads to blur along the partition direction in the image domain. Blurring of ASL signal into neighboring voxels can lead to underestimation of CBF in small, high‐flow structures such as cortical gray matter (GM).

Methods

The diffusion sensitivity of 3D‐GRASE was evaluated through aEPG simulations and in vivo experiments in 13 healthy subjects. The CBF estimation bias for different postlabeling delays, crusher gradient strengths, and segmentation factors along the partition (PAR) and phase‐encoding (PE) directions was numerically assessed by simulations and experimentally validated.

Results

In vivo experiments demonstrated systematic underestimation of mean GM CBF measured with segmented 3D‐GRASE. The GM CBF underestimation depended on ASL preparation and imaging parameters; it reached up to 25% at low‐segmentation schemes (1PAR × 2PE) but was considerably lower at high‐segmentation schemes (4PAR × 2PE or 8PAR × 2PE). Theoretical predictions showed that conventional T1/T2 relaxation and true diffusion may account for at most ∼25% of GM CBF estimation bias, whereas the pseudodiffusion effect constituted the major fraction in a typical ASL experiment.

Conclusion

The pseudodiffusion effect leads to considerable estimation bias in ASL‐based CBF quantification using 3D‐GRASE readouts. This bias can be substantially reduced by increasing the segmentation factors. Magn Reson Med 80:736–747, 2018. Published 2018. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Guillain‐BarrÉ syndrome subtype diagnosis: A prospective multicentric European study
Authors: Van den Bergh Peter Y. K. , Piéret Françoise , Woodard John L. , Attarian Shahram , Grapperon Aude‐Marie , Nicolas Guillaume , Brisset Marion , Cassereau Julien , Rajabally Yusuf A. , Van Parijs Vinciane , Verougstraete Donatienne , Jacquerye Philippe , Raymackers Jean‐Marc , Redant Céline , Michel Claure , Delmont Emilien ,   The University of Louvain GBS Electrodiagnosis Study Group
Published: January 2018

Introduction: There is uncertainty as to whether the Guillain‐Barré syndrome (GBS) subtypes, acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (AIDP) and acute motor axonal neuropathy (AMAN), can be diagnosed electrophysiologically. Methods: We prospectively included 58 GBS patients. Electrodiagnostic testing (EDX) was performed at means of 5 and 33 days after disease onset. Two traditional and one recent criteria sets were used to classify studies as demyelinating or axonal. Results were correlated with anti‐ganglioside antibodies and reversible conduction failure (RCF). Results: No classification shifts were observed, but more patients were classified as axonal with recent criteria. RCF and anti‐ganglioside antibodies were present in both subtypes, more frequently in the axonal subtype. Discussion: Serial EDX has no effect on GBS subtype proportions. The absence of exclusive correlation with RCF and anti‐ganglioside antibodies may challenge the concept of demyelinating and axonal GBS subtypes based upon electrophysiological criteria. Frequent RCF indicates that nodal/paranodal alterations may represent the main pathophysiology. Muscle Nerve 58: 23–28, 2018.
Outcomes following surgery for peroneal intraneural ganglion cysts
Authors: Wilson Thomas J. , Mauermann Michelle L. , Rock Michael G. , Spinner Robert J.
Published: January 2018

Introduction: The objective of this study was to answer the typical questions from patients regarding the likely neurologic outcome and likelihood of recurrence when discussing peroneal intraneural ganglion cysts preoperatively. Methods: Retrospective analysis of all patients who underwent surgery for a peroneal intraneural ganglion cyst between January 1, 2000, and April 1, 2017, was performed. Postoperative neurologic outcomes and radiologic recurrences are reported. Results: There were 65 patients. Average clinical follow‐up was 14 months. Median dorsiflexion and eversion preoperatively were 2/5 and 4/5, respectively. Median dorsiflexion and eversion at last follow‐up postoperatively were 5/5. Radiologic recurrence occurred in 6 (9%) patients, all extraneural. Discussion: The data support excellent postoperative motor outcomes, despite frequent dense weakness of peroneal‐innervated musculature preoperatively. The surgical approach appears to eliminate risk of intraneural recurrence and minimizes risk of extraneural recurrence. Muscle Nerve 57: 989–993, 2018
Three month clinical results with a rechargeable sacral neuromodulation system for the treatment of overactive bladder
Authors: Blok Bertil , Van Kerrebroeck Philip , de Wachter Stefan , Ruffion Alain , Van der Aa Frank , Jairam Ranjana , Perrouin‐Verbe Marie , Elneil Sohier
Published: January 2018

Aims

The primary aim of the RELAX‐OAB study is to confirm the safety and efficacy of the Axonics r‐SNM System, a miniaturized, rechargeable SNM system.

Methods

A total of 51 OAB patients were implanted in a single‐stage implant procedure. These results represent the 3‐month outcomes. Subject outcomes were evaluated using 3‐day bladder diaries and quality of life questionnaires.

Results

A total of 31 of 34 patients (91%) that responded during an initial trial period (“Test Responders”) continued to benefit from therapy with the Axonics r‐SNM System at 3‐months, defined as symptom improvement of ≥50% reduction in urinary voids or incontinence episodes or a return to <8 voids per day. Subjects who were Test Responders showed a statistically and clinically meaningful improvement in all aspects of quality of life (ICIQ‐OABqol). No serious device‐related adverse events (SADEs) occurred, and there were no unanticipated adverse events (UAEs). One subject was explanted due to an infection at the implant site and 19.6% of subjects experienced device related adverse events, most notably discomfort due to stimulation, which was resolved with reprogramming.

Conclusions

The Axonics r‐SNM System provides safe and effective SNM therapy with objective improvement in 91% of subjects. The data also demonstrates a significant improvement in all domains of quality of life. This miniaturized, rechargeable system is designed to last 15 or more years and is expected to provide clinical and cost benefits over current non‐rechargeable systems by eliminating replacement surgeries.
High luteinizing hormone weakens urinary continence mechanisms in association with prostaglandin E2 elevation in a postmenopausal rat model
Authors: Eriguchi Tomohiro , Kawamorita Naoki , Hayashi Natsuho , Satake Yohei , Izumi Hideaki , Kaiho Yasuhiro , Arai Yoichi
Published: January 2018

Aims

To explore the role of luteinizing hormone (LH) in the urinary continence mechanism, urethral function was investigated using a postmenopausal rat model with high serum LH concentrations and the postmenopausal rat model given a gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist to lower LH concentrations.

Methods

Adult female rats were divided into: 1) sham group; 2) ovariectomy group (OVX) with removal of bilateral ovaries; 3) OVX and GnRH‐antagonist administered group (OVX + G); and 4) sham and GnRH‐antagonist administered group (Sham + G). Urethral function was evaluated by the sneeze‐induced urethral continence reflex experiment, and serum LH and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) concentrations were measured.

Results

In the sneeze‐induced urethral continence reflex experiment, urethral baseline pressure (UBP) and the amplitude of the urethral response during sneezing (A‐URS) were measured. The UBP was significantly decreased in the OVX group than in the other groups. A‐URS was significantly lower in the OVX group than in the Sham group, but with no significant difference compared with the OVX + G group. Lowering the serum LH by a GnRH‐antagonist improved UBP to the same level as in the Sham group. The serum PGE2 concentration was significantly higher in the OVX group than in the other groups.

Conclusions

The results suggested that the increased serum LH concentration in the OVX rat model worsened the continence mechanism. This mechanism is probably associated with an increased PGE2 concentration, because PGE2 caused urethral smooth muscle relaxation. A GnRH‐antagonist might improve urinary incontinence by decreasing the serum LH and PGE2 concentrations.
Treatment of male stress urinary incontinence with the adjustable transobturator male system: Outcomes of a multi‐center Iberian study
Authors: Angulo Javier C. , Cruz Francisco , Esquinas Cristina , Arance Ignacio , Manso Margarida , Rodríguez Andrés , Pereira Javier , Ojea Antonio , Carballo Manuel , Rabassa Miguel , Teyrouz Antoine , Escribano Gregorio , Rodríguez Elena , Teba Fernando , Celada Guillermo , Madurga Blanca , Álvarez‐Ossorio Jose L. , Marcelino Jõao P. , Martins Francisco E.
Published: January 2018

Aim

To evaluate effectiveness and safety of the adjustable transobturator male system (ATOMS) for male stress urinary incontinence (SUI).

Material and Methods

A retrospective multicenter study was conducted in nine Iberian institutions using a board‐approved database for 215 patients intervened between 2012 and 2017, with no case excluded. Continence status, patient satisfaction, number, and grade of complications (Clavien‐Dindo) and factors affecting dry rate at adjustment were evaluated. Multivariate analysis defined the population at best success rate. Incontinence recurrence due to device failure and/or explant was evaluated and Kaplan‐Meier curve for durability performed.

Results

Adjustment was achieved at a mean 1.4 ± 1.9 fillings. Dry‐rate after adjustment was 80.5% (96.2% mild and 75.3% moderate‐severe), 121 (56.3%) used no pads, and 52 (24.2%) a security pad with urine loss under 10 mL. Mean basal daily pad‐test and pad‐count decreased from 484 ± 372.3 mL and 3.9 ± 2 pads to 63.5 ± 201.2 mL and 0.9 ± 1.5pads (both P < 0.0001). Satisfaction rate was 85.1% (94.3% mild and 82.1% moderate‐severe). Factors associated to dryness were: lesser severity of SUI (P < .0001), absence of radiotherapy (P = 0.0002) and device generation (P = 0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed absence of radiation (OR = 3.12; 1.36‐7.19), mild (OR = 19.61; 3.95‐100), and moderate (OR = 2.48; 1.1‐5.59) SUI were independent predictors. Complications presented in 33(15.35%); 66.7% grade 1, 9.1% grade 2, and 24.2% grade 3. At 24.3 ± 15 mo mean follow‐up device was explanted in seven (3.25%) and SUI worsened after adjustment in nine (4.2%). Dry‐rate at follow‐up was 73% and durability of device in dry patients at adjustment was 89.8% (82.9‐94) at 2‐years.

Conclusions

This study confirms ATOMS device is safe and achieves high treatment efficacy and patient satisfaction in a multicenter setting. Significantly better results are achieved in less severe and non‐irradiated cases. Durability of the device is reassuring in the short‐term.
Analysis of monitoring and multipath support on top of OpenFlow specification
Authors: Rezende Pedro H. A. , Coelho Paulo R. S. L. , Faina Luis F. , Camargos Lasaro J. , Pasquini Rafael
Published: January 2018

In general, traffic is pushed through a single path despite the existence of alternative paths in networks. For example, routing solutions based on spanning tree prune the topology to prevent loops, consequently preventing also the use of alternative paths. Research on quality of service frequently advocates that the use of alternative paths is interesting for enforcing Service Level Agreements (SLAs), bypassing bottlenecks created by shortest paths. In this paper, we are interested in analyzing the support for monitoring network traffic and for provisioning of multipaths in software‐defined networking (SDN), given the strong platform it provides for experimentation of new networked solutions. Our approach firstly enriches the topology view at the control plane with data gathered through fine grain data plane monitoring. On the basis of such enriched view, our system determines the path, or multipaths, necessary to enforce the specified SLA. We propose 2 extension modules to an OpenFlow controller: SDNMon, which monitors the data plane to enrich the topology information at the control plane, and MP‐Routing, which determines a set of paths, in the absence of a single path capable of enforcing the SLA. Both modules are extensively evaluated, and the results not only demonstrate what can be achieved in terms of accuracy in SDNMon and in terms of quality of service benefits in MP‐Routing but also highlight some limitations of OpenFlow specification. On the basis of our findings, we propose a set of new counters to Per Port and Per Flow granularity levels of OpenFlow specification.
Approximate decoupling of multivariate polynomials using weighted tensor decomposition
Authors: Hollander Gabriel , Dreesen Philippe , Ishteva Mariya , Schoukens Johan
Published: January 2018

Many scientific and engineering disciplines use multivariate polynomials. Decomposing a multivariate polynomial vector function into a sandwiched structure of univariate polynomials surrounded by linear transformations can provide useful insight into the function while reducing the number of parameters. Such a decoupled representation can be realized with techniques based on tensor decomposition methods, but these techniques have only been studied in the exact case. Generalizing the existing techniques to the noisy case is an important next step for the decoupling problem. For this extension, we have considered a weight factor during the tensor decomposition process, leading to an alternating weighted least squares scheme. In addition, we applied the proposed weighted decoupling algorithm in the area of system identification, and we observed smaller model errors with the weighted decoupling algorithm than those with the unweighted decoupling algorithm.
A geometric multigrid method for isogeometric compatible discretizations of the generalized Stokes and Oseen problems
Authors: Coley Christopher , Benzaken Joseph , Evans John A.
Published: January 2018

In this paper, we present a geometric multigrid methodology for the solution of matrix systems associated with isogeometric compatible discretizations of the generalized Stokes and Oseen problems. The methodology provably yields a pointwise divergence‐free velocity field independent of the number of pre‐smoothing steps, postsmoothing steps, grid levels, or cycles in a V‐cycle implementation, provided that the initial velocity guess is also divergence free. The methodology relies upon Scwharz‐style smoothers in conjunction with specially defined overlapping subdomains that respect the underlying topological structure of the generalized Stokes and Oseen problems. Numerical results in both two‐ and three‐dimensions demonstrate the robustness of the methodology through the invariance of convergence rates with respect to grid resolution and flow parameters for the generalized Stokes problem and the generalized Oseen problem, provided that it is not advection dominated.