bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatial Characterization of Tumor Perfusion Properties from 3D DCE-US Perfusion Maps are Early Predictors of Cancer Treatment Response
Authors: El Kaffas Ahmed , Hoogi Assaf , Zhou Jianhua , Durot Isabelle , Wang Huaijun , Rosenberg Jarrett , Tseng Albert , Sagreiya Hersh , Akhbardeh Alireza , Rubin Daniel L. , Kamaya Aya , Hristov Dimitre , Willmann Jürgen K.
Published: April 2020

There is a need for noninvasive repeatable biomarkers to detect early cancer treatment response and spare non-responders unnecessary morbidities and costs. Here, we introduce three-dimensional (3D) dynamic contrast enhanced ultrasound (DCE-US) perfusion map characterization as inexpensive, bedside and longitudinal indicator of tumor perfusion for prediction of vascular changes and therapy response. More specifically, we developed computational tools to generate perfusion maps in 3D of tumor blood flow, and identified repeatable quantitative features to use in machine-learning models to capture subtle multi-parametric perfusion properties, including heterogeneity. Models were developed and trained in mice data and tested in a separate mouse cohort, as well as early validation clinical data consisting of patients receiving therapy for liver metastases. Models had excellent (ROC-AUC > 0.9) prediction of response in pre-clinical data, as well as proof-of-concept clinical data. Significant correlations with histological assessments of tumor vasculature were noted (Spearman R > 0.70) in pre-clinical data. Our approach can identify responders based on early perfusion changes, using perfusion properties correlated to gold-standard vascular properties.
Prevalence and risk factors for colorectal polyps in a Chinese population: a retrospective study
Authors: Pan Jiaqi , Cen Li , Xu Lei , Miao Min , Li Youming , Yu Chaohui , Shen Zhe
Published: April 2020

The incidence of colorectal polyps is rising. Certain types of polyps are considered to be the precursor lesions for colorectal cancers. To investigate the prevalence and related factors of colorectal polyps in Chinese subjects, we first performed a cross-sectional study. A total of 3066 subjects were documented, and the prevalence of colorectal polyps was 18.1%. Then we evaluated the incidence and risk factors of polyps via a retrospective cohort study in the same population. 561 subjects who received at least twice surveillance colonoscopies with available reports during the study period and had no polyp at the first endoscopy were included in the retrospective cohort study, of whom 19.1% developed colorectal polyps. Regular smoking was independently associated with the presence and development of colorectal polyps. Further analyses indicated that polyps were associated with smoking status, daily cigarette consumption, and drinking habit. Moreover, smoking tends to be more relavent to rectal, small and single polyp. In conclusion, colorectal polyp is a common disease in China. Exploring the epidemiology and risk factors may improve the prevention of colorectal polyps, even colorectal cancer.
Different “metabolomic niches” of the highly diverse tree species of the French Guiana rainforests
Authors: Gargallo-Garriga Albert , Sardans Jordi , Granda Victor , Llusià Joan , Peguero Guille , Asensio Dolores , Ogaya Romà , Urbina Ifigenia , Van Langenhove Leandro , Verryckt Lore T. , Chave Jérome , Courtois Elodie A. , Stahl Clément , Grau Oriol , Klem Karel , Urban Otmar , Janssens Ivan A. , Peñuelas Josep
Published: April 2020

Tropical rainforests harbor a particularly high plant diversity. We hypothesize that potential causes underlying this high diversity should be linked to distinct overall functionality (defense and growth allocation, anti-stress mechanisms, reproduction) among the different sympatric taxa. In this study we tested the hypothesis of the existence of a metabolomic niche related to a species-specific differential use and allocation of metabolites. We tested this hypothesis by comparing leaf metabolomic profiles of 54 species in two rainforests of French Guiana. Species identity explained most of the variation in the metabolome, with a species-specific metabolomic profile across dry and wet seasons. In addition to this “homeostatic” species-specific metabolomic profile significantly linked to phylogenetic distances, also part of the variance (flexibility) of the metabolomic profile was explained by season within a single species. Our results support the hypothesis of the high diversity in tropical forest being related to a species-specific metabolomic niche and highlight ecometabolomics as a tool to identify this species functional diversity related and consistent with the ecological niche theory.
Spatio-temporal variability and pollution sources identification of the surface sediments of Shatt Al-Arab River, Southern Iraq
Authors: Allafta Hadi , Opp Christian
Published: April 2020

Water draining from heavily industrialized basins introduces significant amounts of pollutants to the rivers water and sediments. Heavy industrial activities in the Shatt Al-Arab basin result in increased pollutant loads to the river’s surface sediments. Therefore, it becomes crucial to investigate the influence of anthropogenic activities on both spatial and temporal scales. This study unfolded the extent, sources, and distributions of heavy metals pollution in the sediments of the Shatt Al-Arab River. Extensive samplings were performed during the dry and the wet seasons at 25 stations along the river course for the analysis of 11 heavy metals. The analysis revealed high pollution levels in the river sediments compared to both their historical values and international standards. Statistical analysis techniques such as Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Factor Analysis (FA) were applied. Statistical analysis showed that all the elements were well represented by four varifactors that explained a cumulative total variance of 74%. PCA/FA indicated that most investigated metals were of anthropogenic origins (i.e., industrial, residential, and agricultural sources). Pollution indices that were applied, such as Contamination Factor (CF) and Nemerow Pollution index (PN), indicated that sediments were: (i) considerably contaminated with Fe and Mo (ii) moderately contaminated with Cr, Zn, Ni, Cu, Pb and Mn and (iii) not contaminated with Co and V. The PNvalues indicated serious pollution in the river sediments in all sites, even though the pollution was not evenly distributed, i.e., the upstream reaches of the river were more polluted compared to the downstream parts. In contrast to many studies that have reported changes in heavy metals concentrations due to seasonal variations, our data showed no significant relationship between metals concentrations and seasonality. This study addresses several of the major limitations of the current knowledge on this river’s pollution sources and analysis, such as the limited number of analyzed pollutants and restricted samplings in the current literature. The findings necessitate the implementation of effective management strategies to control pollution in the river basin.
Three-Dimensional Rotational Angiography during Catheterization of Congenital Heart Disease – A ten Years’ experience at a single center
Authors: Söder Stefanie , Wällisch Wolfgang , Dittrich Sven , Cesnjevar Robert , Pfammatter Jean-Pierre , Glöckler Martin
Published: April 2020

This paper aims to assess the usability and advantages of three-dimensional rotational angiography (3DRA) in patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) and its application in the cath lab. Up to now, its use in CHD is not widespread or standardized. We analyzed all patients with CHD who underwent a 3DRA at our facility between January 2010 and May 2019. The 3DRAs were evaluated for radiation exposure, contrast dye consumption, diagnostic utility and image quality. We performed 872 3DRAs. 3DRA was used in 67.1% of the cases for interventional procedures and in 32.9% for diagnostic purposes. Two different acquisition programs were applied. The median dose-area product (DAP) for all 872 rotations was 54.1 µGym2 (21.7–147.5 µGym2) and 1.6 ml/kg (0.9–2.07 ml/kg) of contrast dye was used. Diagnostic utility of the generated 3D-model was rated superior to the native 3D angiography in 94% (819/872). 3DRA is an excellent and save diagnostic and interventional tool. However, 3DRA has not become a standard imaging procedure in pediatric cardiology up to now. Effort and advantage seems to be unbalanced, but new less invasive techniques may upgrade this method in future.
A randomized controlled trial of motor imagery combined with structured progressive circuit class therapy on gait in stroke survivors
Authors: Bovonsunthonchai Sunee , Aung Nilar , Hiengkaew Vimonwan , Tretriluxana Jarugool
Published: April 2020

Structured Progressive Circuit Class Therapy (SPCCT) was developed based on task-oriented therapy, providing benefits to patients’ motivation and motor function. Training with Motor Imagery (MI) alone can improve gait performance in stroke survivors, but a greater effect may be observed when combined with SPCCT. Health education (HE) is a basic component of stroke rehabilitation and can reduce depression and emotional distress. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effect of MI with SPCCT against HE with SPCCT on gait in stroke survivors. Two hundred and ninety stroke survivors from 3 hospitals in Yangon, Myanmar enrolled in the study. Of these, 40 stroke survivors who passed the selection criteria were randomized into an experimental (n = 20) or control (n = 20) group. The experimental group received MI training whereas the control group received HE for 25 minutes prior to having the same 65 minutes SPCCT program, with both groups receiving training 3 times a week over 4 weeks. Temporo-spatial gait variables and lower limb muscle strength of the affected side were assessed at baseline, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks after intervention. After 4 weeks of training, the experimental group showed greater improvement than the control group in all temporospatial gait variables, except for the unaffected step length and step time symmetry which showed no difference. In addition, greater improvements of the affected hip flexor and knee extensor muscle strength were found in the experimental group. In conclusion, a combination of MI with SPCCT provided a greater therapeutic effect on gait and lower limb muscle strengths in stroke survivors.
MiDaf16-like and MiSkn1-like gene families are reliable targets to develop biotechnological tools for the control and management of Meloidogyne incognita
Authors: Basso Marcos Fernando , Lourenço-Tessutti Isabela Tristan , Mendes Reneida Aparecida Godinho , Pinto Clidia Eduarda Moreira , Bournaud Caroline , Gillet François-Xavier , Togawa Roberto Coiti , de Macedo Leonardo Lima Pepino , de Almeida Engler Janice , Grossi-de-Sa Maria Fatima
Published: April 2020

Meloidogyne incognita is a plant-parasitic root-knot nematode (RKN, PPN) responsible for causing damage to several crops worldwide. In Caenorhabditis elegans, the DAF-16 and SKN-1 transcription factors (TFs) orchestrate aging, longevity, and defense responses to several stresses. Here, we report that MiDaf16-like1 and MiSkn1-like1, which are orthologous to DAF-16 and SKN-1 in C. elegans, and some of their targets, are modulated in M. incognita J2 during oxidative stress or plant parasitism. We used RNAi technology for the stable production of siRNAs in planta to downregulate the MiDaf16-like1 and MiSkn1-like1 genes of M. incognita during host plant parasitism. Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana tabacum overexpressing a hairpin-derived dsRNA targeting these genes individually (single-gene silencing) or simultaneously (double-gene silencing) were generated. T2 plants were challenged with M. incognita and the number of eggs, galls, and J2, and the nematode reproduction factor (NRF) were evaluated. Our data indicate that MiDaf16-like1, MiSkn1-like1 and some genes from their networks are modulated in M. incognita J2 during oxidative stress or plant parasitism. Transgenic A. thaliana and N. tabacum plants with single- or double-gene silencing showed significant reductions in the numbers of eggs, J2, and galls, and in NRF. Additionally, the double-gene silencing plants had the highest resistance level. Gene expression assays confirmed the downregulation of the MiDaf16-like1 and MiSkn1-like1 TFs and defense genes in their networks during nematode parasitism in the transgenic plants. All these findings demonstrate that these two TFs are potential targets for the development of biotechnological tools for nematode control and management in economically important crops.
40-Hz Binaural beats enhance training to mitigate the attentional blink
Authors: Ross Bernhard , Lopez Marc Danzell
Published: April 2020

This study investigated whether binaural beat stimulation could accelerate the training outcome in an attentional blink (AB) task. The AB refers to the lapse in detecting a target T2 in rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) after the identification of a preceding target T1. Binaural beats (BB) are assumed to entrain neural oscillations and support cognitive function. Participants were assigned into two groups and presented with BB sounds while performing the AB task on three subsequent days in a cross-over design. Group A was presented with 40-Hz BB during the first day and 16 Hz during the second day, while the order of beat frequencies was reversed in Group B. No sound was presented on the third day. MEG recordings confirmed a strong entrainment of gamma oscillations during 40-Hz BB stimulation and smaller gamma entrainment with 16-Hz BB. The rhythm of the visual stimulation elicited 10-Hz oscillations in occipital MEG sensors which were of similar magnitude for both BB frequencies. The AB performance did not increase within a session. However, participants improved between sessions, with overall improvement equal in both groups. Group A improved more after the first day than the second day. In contrast, group B gained more from the 40 Hz stimulation on the second day than from 16-Hz stimulation on the first day. Taken together, 40-Hz BB stimulation during training accelerates the training outcome. The improvement becomes evident not immediately, but after consolidation during sleep. Therefore, auditory beats stimulation is a promising method of non-invasive brain stimulation for enhancing training and learning which is well-suited to rehabilitation training.
Genotype-guided warfarin dosing may benefit patients with mechanical aortic valve replacements: randomized controlled study
Authors: Lee Kyung Eun , Yee Jeong , Lee Gwan Yung , Chung Jee Eun , Seong Jong Mi , Chang Byung Chul , Gwak Hye Sun
Published: April 2020

This prospective, single-blind, randomized study was designed to evaluate the effect of genotype-based warfarin dosing compared with standard warfarin dosing in Korean patients with mechanical cardiac valves. Patients were assigned to either the genotype-based dosing group or the standard dosing group using stratified block randomization. The genotype-based dosing equation was adopted from a previous study which included VKORC1 rs9934438, CYP2C9 rs1057910, CYP4F2 rs2108622, and age. Primary outcomes included the percentage of time in the therapeutic range (pTTR): (i) during the first week following initiation of warfarin therapy, (ii) during hospitalization and (iii) until the first outpatient visit. A total of 91 patients were included in the analysis, 42 treated with genotype-based warfarin dosing and 49 treated with standard warfarin dosing. The genotype frequency differences of the three SNPs included in this study (ie, VKORC1, CYP2C9, CYP4F2), between the genotype-based dosing and standard dosing groups were not different. The genotype-based dosing group trended toward higher pTTR when compared with the standard dosing group, although this difference was not statistically significant. In patients with aortic valve replacement, TTRTraditional and TTRRosendaal were significantly higher in the genotype-based dosing group when compared with the standard dosing group during the first week following treatment initiation [ie, 58.5% vs. 38.1% (p = 0.009) and 64.0% vs. 44.6% (p = 0.012), respectively]. Based on the results, the genotype-guided dosing did not offer a significant clinical advantage, but a possible benefit in patients with aortic valve replacement has been suggested.
Iodine accumulation of the liver in patients treated with amiodarone can be unmasked using material decomposition from multiphase spectral-detector CT
Authors: Laukamp Kai Roman , Lennartz Simon , Hashmi Ahmad , Obmann Markus , Ho Vivian , Große Hokamp Nils , Graner Frank Philipp , Gilkeson Robert , Persigehl Thorsten , Gupta Amit , Ramaiya Nikhil
Published: April 2020

Amiodarone accumulates in the liver, where it increases x-ray attenuation due to its iodine content. We evaluated liver attenuation in patients treated and not treated with amiodarone using true-non-contrast (TNC) and virtual-non-contrast (VNC) images acquired with spectral-detector-CT (SDCT). 142 patients, of which 21 have been treated with amiodarone, receiving SDCT-examinations (unenhanced-chest CT [TNC], CT-angiography of chest and abdomen [CTA-Chest, CTA-Abdomen]) were included. TNC, CTA-Chest, CTA-Abdomen, and corresponding VNC-images (VNC-Chest, VNC-Abdomen) were reconstructed. Liver-attenuation-index (LAI) was calculated as difference between liver- and spleen-attenuation. Liver-attenuation and LAI derived from TNC-images of patients receiving amiodarone were higher. Contrary to TNC, liver-attenuation and LAI were not higher in amiodarone patients in VNC-Chest and in VNC-Abdomen. To verify these initial results, a phantom scan was performed and an additional patient cohort included, both confirming that VNC is viable of accurately subtracting iodine of hepatic amiodarone-deposits. This might help to monitor liver-attenuation more accurately and thereby detect liver steatosis as a sign of liver damage earlier as well as to verify amiodarone accumulation in the liver.
Donor–acceptor fluorophores as efficient energy transfer photocatalysts for [2 + 2] photodimerization
Authors: Wu Qing-An , Chen Feng , Ren Chen-Chao , Liu Xue-Fen , Chen Hao , Xu Liang-Xuan , Yu Xiao-Cong , Luo Shu-Ping
Published: April 2020

Donor–acceptor fluorophores can act as efficient energy transfer photocatalysts to activate enone substrates, realizing photodimerization and isomerization reaction of enone substrates without precious metal photocatalysts.
Valence-dependent catalytic activities of iron terpyridine complexes for pollutant degradation
Authors: Ye Yu-Xin , Wen Cheng , Wang Jia-Wei , Pan Jinhui , Huang Siming , Liang Shuqi , Zhou Minjie , Tong Qing , Zhu Fang , Xu Jianqiao , Ouyang Gangfeng
Published: April 2020

The iron(iii)–terpyridine complex induced the formation of more high-valent iron-oxo centers and hydroxyl radicals than the iron(ii)–terpyridine complex, leading to a higher catalytic activity.
Self-assembling RuO2 nanogranulates with few carbon layers as an interconnected nanoporous structure for lithium–oxygen batteries
Authors: Lai Wei-Hong , Zheng Zhi , Wang Wanlin , Wang Lei , Lei Yao-Jie , Wang Yun-Xiao , Wang Jia-Zhao , Liu Hua-Kun , Chou Shu-Lei , Dou Shi-Xue
Published: April 2020

Interconnected nanoporous RuO2 nanogranulates coated with a few layers of carbon enable high-performance Li–O2 batteries with high stability.
Photoreforming of biomass in metal salt hydrate solutions
Authors: Pichler Christian M. , Uekert Taylor , Reisner Erwin
Published: April 2020

A combined process using LiBr metal salt hydrates and photoreforming converts cellulosic biomass into H2 and organic reaction products.
The excited-state relaxation mechanism of potential UVA-activated phototherapeutic molecules: trajectory surface hopping simulations of both 4-thiothymine and 2,4-dithiothymine
Authors: Cao Jun , Chen Dong-chu
Published: April 2020

Both molecules share energetically accessible crossing pathways, but have differences in atomic details during excited state relaxation.
2019 Best Papers published in the Environmental Science journals of the Royal Society of Chemistry
Authors: McNeill Kristopher , Novak Paige J. , Vikesland Peter J.
Published: April 2020

The Editors-in-Chief of the Environmental Science journals introduce the Best Papers of 2019.
l-Arginine/l-lysine functionalized chitosan–casein core–shell and pH-responsive nanoparticles: fabrication, characterization and bioavailability enhancement of hydrophobic and hydrophilic bioactive compounds
Authors: Du Zhiyang , Liu Jingbo , Zhang Hui , Chen Yuelin , Wu Xinling , Zhang Yanqun , Li Xinyu , Zhang Ting , Xiao Hang , Liu Boqun
Published: April 2020

This study developed novel oral delivery systems for the encapsulation, protection, and controlled release of hydrophobic and hydrophilic bioactive compounds based onl-arginine- orl-lysine-functionalized chitosan–casein nanoparticles.
Finding the true pathway for reversible isomerization of a single azobenzene molecule tumbling on Au(111) surface
Authors: Xie Zhen , Duan Sai , Wang Chuan-Kui , Luo Yi
Published: April 2020

The in-situ cis structure of azobenzene adsorbed on Au(111) is identified, which accordingly exhibits a novel tumbling pathway of the trans–cis isomerization that overcomes two energy barriers.
Copper(i)/Ganphos catalysis: enantioselective synthesis of diverse spirooxindoles using iminoesters and alkyl substituted methyleneindolinones
Authors: Cui Hao , Li Ke , Wang Yue , Song Manman , Wang Congcong , Wei Donghui , Li Er-Qing , Duan Zheng , Mathey François
Published: April 2020

A copper/Ganphos-catalyzed asymmetric 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of glycine iminoesters with alkyl substituted 3-methylene-2-oxindoles is described, producing the spiro[pyrrolidin-3,3′-oxindole]s in good yields with high ee.
Fluorescent chemosensors based on conjugated polymers with N-heterocyclic moieties: two decades of progress
Authors: Wang Taisheng , Zhang Na , Bai Wei , Bao Yinyin
Published: April 2020

A brief summary of representative fluorescent chemosensors based on conjugated polymers with N-heterocyclic moieties, followed by a discussion on the limitations and challenges of current systems, as well as possible future research directions.
Synthesis of dual emitting iodocuprates: can solvents switch the reaction outcome?
Authors: Artem'ev Alexander V. , Berezin Alexey S. , Taidakov Ilya V. , Bagryanskaya Irina Yu.
Published: April 2020

An unprecedented structure-directing effect of solvents in halocuprate self-assembly reactions was discovered. The compounds presented show remarkable dual luminescence, strongly changing the emission color upon varying temperature.
Ring-opening cyclization of activated spiro-aziridine oxindoles with heteroarenes: a facile synthetic approach to spiro-oxindole-fused pyrroloindolines
Authors: Bhandari Sonal , Sana Sravani , Lahoti Vandana , Tokala Ramya , Shankaraiah Nagula
Published: April 2020

Herein, we report a facile tandem approach for the synthesis of both spiro-oxindole-fused pyrroloindolines and benzofurano-pyrrolidines via a Lewis acid-catalyzed domino ring-opening annulation using activated spiro-aziridines and heteroarenes.
Stimulus-responsive adsorbent materials for CO2 capture and separation
Authors: Wang Maohuai , Zhou Sainan , Cao Shoufu , Wang Zhaojie , Liu Siyuan , Wei Shuxian , Chen Yong , Lu Xiaoqing
Published: April 2020

Stimulus-responsive adsorbent materials exhibit tunable CO2 capture and separation performance in response to pressure, temperature, light, electric field, magnetic field, guest molecules, pH, and redox.
Moisture-tolerant and high-quality α-CsPbI3 films for efficient and stable perovskite solar modules
Authors: Chen Ruihao , Hui Yong , Wu Binghui , Wang Yongke , Huang Xiaofeng , Xu Zhongyuan , Ruan Pengpeng , Zhang Wuyong , Cheng Fangwen , Zhang Weijie , Yin Jun , Li Jing , Zheng Nanfeng
Published: April 2020

Crown ether effectively stabilizes the cubic phase of CsPbI3 to inhibit the moisture invasion and phase transformation of CsPbI3 films, producing large-area devices and improving device performance.
Thermodynamic and dynamic dual regulation Bi2O2CO3/Bi5O7I enabling high-flux photogenerated charge migration for enhanced visible-light-driven photocatalysis
Authors: Guo Yan , Nan Jun , Xu Yongpeng , Cui Fuyi , Shi Wenxin , Zhu Yongfa
Published: April 2020

Dual regulation of the thermodynamics and dynamics of a Bi2O2CO3/Bi5O7I heterojunction enabling visiblelight-driven high-flux photogenerated charge migration.
Tree-inspired ultra-rapid steam generation and simultaneous energy harvesting under weak illumination
Authors: Tu Wenjing , Wang Zhenzhen , Wu Qingyao , Huang Hui , Liu Yang , Shao Mingwang , Yao Bowen , Kang Zhenhui
Published: April 2020

Tree-inspired ultra-rapid steam generation under weak illumination and simultaneous energy harvesting from low-grade environmental heat and solar energy.
Aqueous surface gels as low friction interfaces to mitigate implant-associated inflammation
Authors: Chau Allison L. , Rosas Jonah , Degen George D. , Månsson Lisa K. , Chen Jonathan , Valois Eric , Pitenis Angela A.
Published: April 2020

Soft implant surfaces should be designed with an eye toward natural, healthy biointerfaces, which use high water content aqueous gel gradients to reduce contact pressures and frictional shear stresses and thus reduce inflammation and discomfort.
Regulation of cell binding and entry by DNA origami mediated spatial distribution of aptamers
Authors: Liu Ke , Xu Cong , Liu Jinyao
Published: April 2020

Customizing the spatial distribution of aptamers on DNA origami nanoboxes can regulate the internalization and proliferation of cancer cells.
Loss-favored ultrasensitive refractive index sensor based on directional scattering from a single all-dielectric nanosphere
Authors: Ma Churong , Liu Ying , Zhao Feng , Xu Feng , Yan Jiahao , Li Xiangping , Guan Bai-Ou , Yang Guowei , Chen Kai
Published: April 2020

An ultrasensitive refractive index sensor based on a lossy all-dielectric nanosphere.
Lead-free polar borate crystal K3Nb3B2O12: a novel antiferroelectric structure type
Authors: Shan Pai , Xiong Junjie , Wang Zujian , He Chao , Yang Xiaoming , Su Rongbing , Long Xifa
Published: April 2020

K3Nb3B2O12is a new lead-free polar AFE crystal, representing a novel AFE structure type.
Organic and quantum-dot hybrid white LEDs using a narrow bandwidth blue TADF emitter
Authors: Tang Yang , Xie Guohua , Liang Xiao , Zheng You-Xuan , Yang Chuluo
Published: April 2020

By mixing a blue organoboron emitter, and green/red quantum dots, hybrid white LEDs with the primary RGB sharp peaks respectively at 464, 538 and 622 nm were demonstrated, accompanied with three individual bandwidths of 30, 34 and 31 nm.
Meta-analysis of diagnostic and prognostic value of miR-126 in non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Sun Lin , Zhou Hongbin , Yang Ying , Chen Jianguo , Wang Yong , She Min , Li Chang
Published: April 2020

In recent years, many studies on the relationship between the expression of microRNA-126 (miR-126) and the diagnostic and prognostic value of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have been made, but the results were still controversial. The aim is to explore the expression of miR-126 and the diagnosis and prognosis value of NSCLC, and to provide relevant evidence for clinical diagnosis and treatment. Literature related to miR-126 and NSCLC were searched in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, and Wanfang from the inception to February 2020. Stata 15.0 was used for meta-analysis. The diagnostic value data were used to calculate the pooled sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), and the prognostic value data were used to calculate the pooled risk ratio (hazard ratio, HR) of overall survival (OS) and its 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Thirteen studies were included, among which five were related to diagnosis containing 439 patients and 463 healthy controls, and eight related to prognosis containing 1102 patients. The results of miR-126 expression and diagnostic value of NSCLC showed that the pooled sensitivity was 0.83 (95% CI: 0.59–0.94), specificity = 0.83 (95% CI: 0.71–0.90), PLR = 4.78 (95% CI: 2.97–7.69), NLR = 0.20 (95% CI: 0.08–0.54), DOR = 23.48 (95% CI: 7.87–70.10), and the area under the summ ary receiver operating characteristic curve (SROC) was 0.89 (95% CI: 0.86–0.91). The results of prognostic value indicated that the expression of miR-126 was related to the OS of NSCLC (HR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.63–0.98). In conclusion, the expression of miR-126 has medium diagnostic value, and it is related to the prognosis of patients with NSCLC, with poor prognosis of miR-126 low expression.
Transformer with sparse self‐attention mechanism for image captioning
Authors: Wang Duofeng , Hu Haifeng , Chen Dihu
Published: April 2020

Recently, transformer has been applied to the image caption model, in which the convolutional neural network and the transformer encoder act as the image encoder of the model, and the transformer decoder acts as the decoder of the model. However, transformer may suffer from the interference of non‐critical objects of a scene and meet with difficulty to fully capture image information due to its self‐attention mechanism's dense characteristics. In this Letter, in order to address this issue, the authors propose a novel transformer model with decreasing attention gates and attention fusion module. Specifically, they firstly use attention gate to force transformer to overcome the interference of non‐critical objects and capture objects information more efficiently via truncating all the attention weights that smaller than gate threshold. Secondly, through inheriting attentional matrix from the previous layer of each network layer, the attention fusion module enables each network layer to consider other objects without losing the most critical ones. Their method is evaluated using the benchmark Microsoft COCO dataset and achieves better performance compared to the state‐of‐the‐art methods.
Pathogen inactivation and by-product formation in a full-scale contact tank
Authors: Kizilaslan Mehmet Anil , Demirel Ender , Aral Mustafa M.
Published: April 2020

Conventional designs of chlorine contact tanks in potable water treatment plants are insufficient in terms of disinfection efficiency due to low hydraulic and mixing efficiencies. Strong interaction of the turbulent flow with the solid baffles may adversely affect hydraulic, mixing and disinfection performance of the contact system. Recirculating and jet zones created in the tank may require high chlorine dosages to yield adequate disinfection levels, which can result in the formations of high disinfection by-products (DBPs) in the treated water. The use of treated water by the consumers with high chlorine dosages and DBPs may lead to environmental and health problems in the long-term. Disinfection efficiency of the tank can be increased by the modification of the baffles and required disinfection levels can be achieved using lower chlorine dosages. In this study, performance of a patented baffle design is evaluated by means of numerical simulations on a full-scale contact tank. Self-decomposition of the chlorine, pathogen inactivation and formation of Trihalomethane (TTHM) by-product are simulated using a second-order numerical model. Numerical results show that the new baffle design yields 3-log inactivation by using 40% less chlorine concentration than the conventional design and the amount of DBP can be decreased by 43%.
Machine learning methods for soil moisture prediction in vineyards using digital images
Authors: Saad Hajjar Chantal , Hajjar Celine , Esta Michel , Ghorra Chamoun Yolla
Published: April 2020

In this paper, we propose to estimate the moisture of vineyard soils from digital photography using machine learning methods. Two nonlinear regression models are implemented: a multilayer perceptron (MLP) and a support vector regression (SVR). Pixels coded with RGB colour model extracted from soil digital images along with the associated known soil moisture levels are used to train both models in order to predict moisture content from newly acquired images. The study is conducted on samples of six soil types collected from Chateau Kefraya terroirs in Lebanon. Both methods succeeded in forecasting moisture giving high correlation values between the measured moisture and the predicted moisture when tested on unknown data. However, the method based on SVR outperformed the one based on MLP yielding Pearson correlation coefficient values ranging from 0.89 to 0.99. Moreover, it is a simple and noninvasive method that can be adopted easily to detect vineyards soil moisture.
Transport externalities of bus stations produced by Greenhouse Gas (GHG)
Authors: Córdova-Suárez M , Barreno-Ávila E , Villacrés-Cevallos P , Ruíz-Robalino O
Published: April 2020

It is established that the interprovincial transportation in bus terminals of the Cities such as Ambato, Riobamba, Salcedo, Latacunga and Guaranda have contributed to the build-up of external costs of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) The climate change costs are calculated by multiplying the carbon emissions by the cost factor. To quantify the GHG emissions, this study has taken into account of both the direct and indirect sources of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG), as well as the ISO 14064.1: 2006 standard. In view thereof, it was found that the 11 bus terminals of the five cities, namely Latacunga, Riobamba Salcedo, Ambato, Guaranda-which accounts for around 3225 buses, had accounted for the emissions of 25,746.8 tCO2eq, 37,404.6 tCO2eq, 8,762.7 tCO2eq, 92,364.9 tCO2eq, 31,990.3 tCO2eq, respectively. Simply, the average load of such pollution produced per vehicle was 60.8 tCO2eq. and the total emissions were 196,269.3 tCO2eq with an estimated GHG contamination cost of €27,477,702 per year.
Synthesis and characterization of nanofluids from the biosynthesis of nanoparticles and their evaluation in solar thermal systems
Authors: Asmat-Campos D. , Avalos-Vera  , Delgado-Alfaro  , Gutierrez-Hoyos  , Jacinto-Paredes  , Reyes-Zavaleta
Published: April 2020

The objective of the study was to evaluate diverse and known types of heat transfer fluids (water, oil and glycerin) commonly used in solar thermal systems, in this work denoted as base fluids, with respect to them, but with the addition of biosynthesized metal nanoparticles. It was considered a prototype of solar heating systems by thermosiphon in the application-experimental phase assisted by halogen light (with wavelengths ranging from deep infrared to violet). The process of biosynthesis or green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (NP Ag) was from the precursor of silver nitrate (AgNO3) and using as a reducer the alcoholic extract from agroindustrial residues of the wine production, obtaining colloids with high monodispersity and with sizes between 30 and 40 nm. (spherical geometry). The results suggest a greater increase in heat absorption capacity when biosynthesized silver nanoparticles are added to the oil, which managed to have a heat capacity of 3519.41 J/kg°C.
Du traitement étiologique des apnées obstructives du sommeil
Authors: Talmant Jacques , Talmant Jean-Claude , Deniaud Joël , Amat Philippe
Published: April 2020

Introduction : La recherche dans le domaine des apnées obstructives
du sommeil (AOS) s’est organisée, transformant profondément la qualité de
vie des apnéiques, conviant même les orthopédistes dento-faciaux à contribuer
à leur traitement symptomatique. Mais, parmi les points restés dans l’ombre, la
cause même des ronflements qui déstabilisent le pharynx occupe encore une
place à part. Objectif : L’objectif de cet article était de développer la proposition
de Jacques Talmant d’un mécanisme pouvant expliquer la survenue des AOS et
d’une thérapeutique destinée à traiter la déstabilisation pharyngée au cours du
sommeil. Matériels et méthodes : En s’appuyant sur les données publiées, l’étiopathogénie
des ronflements et leurs conséquences ont été exposées. Résultats : Les changements structuraux, secondaires aux traumatismes vibratoires engendrés
par les ronflements, peuvent toucher chacune des composantes des structures
pharyngées, et contribuer à la collapsibilité de ce segment des voies aérifères.
En optimisant directement le développement des capacités ventilatoires de leurs
patients, les orthodontistes contribuent à optimiser indirectement leurs fonctionnements
cardiovasculaire et neuropsychologique.
Troubles respiratoires obstructifs du sommeil de l’adulte : place de l’orthèse d’avancée mandibulaire
Authors: Dupuy-Bonafe Isabelle , Francois Cindy , Lachiche Virginie , Castel Manon , Duminil Gérard
Published: April 2020

Introduction :L’orthèse d’avancée mandibulaire (OAM) constitue une alternative efficace à la ventilation par pression positive continue (VPPC) chez les patients atteints de troubles respiratoires obstructifs du sommeil (TROS). Elle consiste en un dispositif endobuccal qui maintient la mandibule et la langue en position avancée, élargissant et stabilisant les voies aérifères supérieures (VAS) pendant le sommeil.Matériels et méthodes :Un examen clinique préalable, réalisé par le chirurgien-dentiste, permet de valider sa faisabilité et de sélectionner le type d’OAM le mieux adapté pour un patient donné. Après la pose du dispositif, une titration de l’avancée permettra d’optimiser son efficacité au travers de l’amélioration, voire de la disparition des symptômes cliniques subjectifs.Résultats :Un contrôle par polysomnographie ou polygraphie ventilatoire validera l’efficacité de ce traitement (réduction de l’Index d’Apnées Hypopnées (IAH), normalisation du taux d’oxygène sanguin, amélioration des principaux symptômes du TROS). Un suivi clinique sera nécessaire pour évaluer les résultats, les effets indésirables et l’observance thérapeutique à long terme. Ce traitement est efficace et bien toléré, et, à court terme, les principaux critères sont une réduction de l’index d’apnées hypopnées de plus de 50 % et une résolution complète des symptômes.
Place de l’innovation dans la chirurgie orthognathique du syndrome d’apnées obstructives du sommeil
Authors: Kerbrat Adeline , Kerbrat Jean-Baptiste , N’Diaye Mokhtar , Goudot Patrick , Schouman Thomas
Published: April 2020

Introduction : Le syndrome d’apnées obstructives du sommeil (SAOS)
est une pathologie fréquente, multifactorielle, responsable d’une morbi-mortalité
importante. Matériels et méthodes : Le traitement de référence est la ventilation
nocturne par pression positive continue. L’ostéotomie maxillo-mandibulaire en est
le seul traitement curatif. Les nouvelles technologies ont pris une place prépondérante
en chirurgie maxillo-faciale. Le développement de la chirurgie guidée a
modifié la prise en charge des patients présentant une dysmorphie maxillo-mandibulaire. Résultats : Deux exemples cliniques illustrent l’intérêt de l’innovation
technologique dans la chirurgie orthognathique des patients souffrant de syndrome
d’apnées obstructives du sommeil. Conclusion : L’innovation technologique,
notamment le développement de la chirurgie guidée, présente de nombreux avantages
pour la prise en charge chirurgicale de cette pathologie.
Strabismus Surgery of Consecutive Exotropia
Authors: Janeschitz-Kriegl Lucas , Roulez Francoise , Wipf Monika Marina , Palmowski-Wolfe Anja
Published: April 2020

Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine the surgical outcome, dose-effect (DE), and degree of binocularity in patients undergoing surgery for consecutive exotropia following initial surgery of esotropia.

Patients/Methods Twenty-one patients were identified. We analyzed the mean angle of deviation pre- and postoperatively as measured with the alternate prism cover test, DE, and binocularity.

Results All patients had had previous strabismus surgery. The surgery for consecutive exotropia had been performed at a mean age of 35.92 ± 18.26 years. In 19 of these patients, surgery of consecutive exotropia involved at least one previously operated extraocular muscle, and the mean interval to the previous surgery was 25.67 ± 16.14 years. The mean angle of deviation (DE) at distance and in the primary position was − 33.43 ± 12.75 prism diopters (PD) preoperatively, + 0.76 ± 7.91 PD 1 week after surgery, and − 7.24 ± 12.14 PD 3 months after surgery. The mean DE was 3.58 ± 1.53 mm/PD at 1 week and 2.70 ± 1.78 mm/PD at 3 months post-surgery. Postoperatively, 62% patients had a binocularity of at least Bagolini positive, 33% had either a positive TNO or Titmus Test, and 24% were Lang I positive (550″).

Conclusion Performing strabismus surgery with consecutive exotropia results in restoration of some binocularity in a large number of patients, even in adults, and should be considered as a possibility. The dose-effect is comparable to conventional surgery of exotropia.
Standard stereotaktische Tiefenhirnstimulation
Authors: Weiler Michael
Published: April 2020

Im 5. Teil unserer Serie stellen wir Ihnen einen Standard aus der Neurochirurgie des Universitätsklinikums Heidelberg vor. Unser Autor beschreibt, welche Materialien für die stereotaktische Tiefenhirnstimulation bei Morbus Parkinson gerichtet werden müssen und gibt einen Überblick zum OP-Ablauf.
Die Multiorganentnahme
Authors: Niess Isabell , Wunsch Andreas
Published: April 2020

Durch die Diskussion über die Gesetzesänderungen und die Abstimmung im Deutschen Bundestag am 16.01.2020 rückte die Organspende in den Fokus des öffentlichen Interesses. Bei der Entscheidung für oder gegen einen Organspendeausweis spielen die Vorstellungen und Befürchtungen vor dem, was sich während der Organentnahme ereignet, eine zentrale Rolle. Auch das medizinische Fachpersonal hat häufig großen Respekt vor der Transplantationsmedizin. Aus diesem Grund ist es wichtig, sachlich über die Multiorganentnahme und die einzelnen Schritte einer Organspende zu informieren.
Potential Drug Interactions between Recombinant Interleukin-2 and Direct Oral Anticoagulants: Indirect Evidence from In Vivo Animal Studies
Authors: Mahmoudpour Seyed Hamidreza , Valerio Luca , Douxfils Jonathan , Mahan Charles E. , Jankowski Marius , Quitzau Kurt , Konstantinides Stavros V. , Barco Stefano
Published: April 2020

Recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) is indicated for metastatic renal cell carcinoma and melanoma. Over recent years low-dose rIL-2 has been studied for the treatment of autoimmune diseases and acute coronary syndrome because of its ability to expand and activate T regulatory (Treg) cells. However, several medical conditions potentially benefiting from rIL-2 administrations are characterized by an intrinsic prothrombotic risk, thus requiring concurrent anticoagulation. In our systematic review of the literature, we investigated the potential for drug interactions between oral anticoagulants and rIL-2 by assessing the influence of rIL-2 administration on transporters and cytochromes determining the pharmacokinetics of (direct) oral anticoagulants. We extracted data from 12 studies, consisting of 11 animal studies and one study in humans. Eight studies investigated the pharmacokinetics of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) substrates and reported that the intraperitoneal rIL-2 administration may inhibit intestinal P-gp. Four studies on hepatic cytochrome P450 yielded conflicting results. The only human study included in this systematic review concluded that rIL-2 suppresses the hepatic cytochrome P450, but only if given at higher doses. Based on the results from animal studies, the co-administration of rIL-2 and dabigatran etexilate, a substrate of intestinal P-gp, may lead to higher dabigatran plasma concentrations and bioavailability. Human studies should confirm whether this potential interaction is clinically relevant.
Das neuartige Coronavirus – was Sie jetzt wissen müssen
Authors: Gruppe Thieme
Published: April 2020

SARS-CoV-2 stellt unsere gesamte Gesellschaft vor enorme Herausforderungen – ganz besonders jedoch die Menschen, die im Gesundheitswesen tätig sind! Um sie bestmöglich zu unterstützen, bündelt die Thieme Gruppe die im Unternehmen verfügbaren relevanten Inhalte auf www.thieme.de/corona. Dazu gehören unter anderem fundierte Informationen zur persönlichen Schutzausrüstung, Händehygiene und zu Übertragungswegen sowie E-Learning-Module für Pflegende. Sämtliche Angebote sind kostenfrei.
Cost and Value of Routine Histopathologic Analysis after Adenoidectomy and Tonsillectomy
Authors: Hackenberg Berit , Pölzl Magdalena , Matthias Christoph , Künzel Julian
Published: April 2020

Introduction Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy are common procedures. Most surgeries in children and young adults are recommended due to recurring infections or obstructive constraints. However, occult malignant findings are reported in the literature. The clinical guidelines still refrain from recommending routine histopathologic analyses when discussing these procedures.

Objective The present study aims to define the value of a routine histopathologic analysis after tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy and tonsillotomy.

Methods We conducted a prospective survey including all German ear, nose and throat (ENT) departments, asking physicians about their current clinical practice and opinion. Furthermore, we reviewed all patients attending our department for tonsillectomy/adenoidectomy/tonsillotomy or a combination of these procedures between 2011 and 2016. In addition to this, a cost analysis was conducted to assess the financial burden of a routine histopathologic analysis.

Results Most German ENT departments perform a routine histopathologic analysis after tonsillectomy/adenoidectomy/tonsillotomy. Despite this, only a minority deemed this approach necessary. Our retrospective review of the histopathologic analysis after tonsillectomy/adenoidectomy/tonsillotomy in our department rendered a cohort size of 2,157 patients. Within this group, there were no occult malignant findings. We found a yearly burden of 2,509,401€ for routine histopathologic analyses in patients under the age of 15 years in Germany in 2016.

Conclusion We found a divergence between the physicians opinions and their current clinical practice concerning the question of whether to conduct routine histopathologic analyses. Even though there was no occult malignant finding in our cohort, unsuspected malignant findings are reported in the literature. Therefore, we call for a discussion on clinical practice guidelines.
Nasal Mucociliary Clearance in Smokers: A Systematic Review
Authors: Prasetyo Awal , Sadhana Udadi , Budiman Jethro
Published: April 2020

Introduction Smoking is one of the most important causes of mortality and morbidity in the world, as it is related to the risk factor and etiology of respiratory-tract diseases. Long-term smoking causes both structural and functional damage in the respiratory airways, leading to changes in nasal mucociliary clearance (NMC).

Objectives The aim of the present study was to look systematically into the current literature and carefully collect and analyze results to explore NMC in smokers.

Data Synthesis Two independent reviewers conducted a literature search on some Electronic database: Pubmed, Medline, Ebsco, Springer Link, Science Direct, Scopus, and Proquest searching for articles fulfilling the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The lead author independently assessed the risk of bias of each of the included studies and discussed their assessments with the other two authors to achieve consensus. Of the 1,654 articles identified in the database search, 16 met the criteria for this review. Most of the articles (15 out of 16) showed the impairment of NMC in smokers.

Conclusion The present systematic review suggests that there is an impairment of NMC in smokers. The impairment is not only observed in cigarette smoking, but also in passive smoking, bidi smoking, electronic smoking, and hookah smoking. The impairment of NMC in chronic exposure to smoking is caused by the ciliotoxic effect, hypersecretion and viscoelastic change of mucous, airway surface liquid depletion, increased oxidative stress, and deteriorations in the inflammatory and immune systems.