bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vitamin D levels reverberate in monocytes modulation in hemodialysis patients
Authors: Almeida A. C. S. F. , Siqueira M. C. , Bonan N. B. , Dambiski A. , Bertuzzo G. , Moreno‐Amaral A N. , Barreto F. C.
Published: February 2019

Background

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have a severe vitamin D deficiency and increasing epidemiological data suggesting that this deficiency may play a role in overall morbidity and mortality associated with CKD. It is known that vitamin D regulates the immune system, however, in dialysis patients this deficiency and the modulation of proinflammatory cells is unclear. Among these, monocytes arouse interest considering they constitutively express vitamin D receptors.

Aim

This study aimed the evaluation of monocytic profile in CKD patients according to vitamin D levels.

Methods

Patients in hemodialysis (HD) were divided into two groups, regarding vitamin D levels: Group 1, vitamin D <26 ng/ml (n = 15) and Group 2, vitamin D ≥26 ng/ml (n = 18). Whole blood was collected aiming evaluation of (a) monocytic populations through CD14 and CD16 expression, (b) reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and (c) apoptosis.

Results

We observed that in Group 1, when compared to Group 2, there was a significant increase in intermediate monocytes (CD14++CD16
+; 34.7 ± 31.6 vs. 12.1 ± 6.3; p = 0.006, respectively) and decrease in classical ones (CD14
++CD16
−; 45.3 ± 31.8 vs. 70.4 ± 25.1; p = 0.017, respectively). There was no difference between groups regarding nonclassical monocytes (CD14
+CD16
++), as well as to apoptosis and to ROS generation.

Conclusion

This study suggests that HD patients with lower vitamin D levels might have an intensified inflammatory outline as intermediate monocytes with an inflammatory pattern are increased in this population, when compared with patients with higher levels of vitamin D.
Identification of the molecular subgroups in coronary artery disease by gene expression profiles
Authors: Peng Xiao‐Yan , Wang Yong , Hu Haibo , Zhang Xian‐Jin , Li Qi
Published: February 2019

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common type of cardiovascular disease and becomes a leading cause of death worldwide. Aiming to uncover the underlying molecular features for different types of CAD, we classified 352 CAD cases into three subgroups based on gene expression profiles, which were retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Also, these subgroups present different expression patterns and clinical characteristics. To uncover the transcriptomic differences between the subgroups, weighted gene co‐expression analysis (WGCNA) was used and identified six subgroup‐specific WGCNA modules. Characterization of the WCGNA modules revealed that lipid metabolism pathways, specifically upregulated in subgroup I, might be an indicator of increased severity. Moreover, subgroup II was considered as an early‐stage of CAD because of normal‐like gene expression patterns. In contrast, the mammalian target of rapamycin signaling pathway was significantly upregulated in subgroup III. Although subgroups II and III did not have a significant prognostic difference, their intrinsic biological characteristics were highly different, suggesting that the transcriptome classification may represent risk factors of both age and the intrinsic biological characteristics. In conclusion, the transcriptome classification of CAD cases revealed that cases from different subgroups may have their unique gene expression patterns, indicating that patients in each subgroup should receive more personalized treatment.
Targeting autophagy in cardiac ischemia/reperfusion injury: A novel therapeutic strategy
Authors: Aghaei Mehrdad , Motallebnezhad Morteza , Ghorghanlu Sajjad , Jabbari Ali , Enayati Ayesheh , Rajaei Maryam , Pourabouk Mona , Moradi Alireza , Alizadeh Ali Mohammad , Khori Vahid
Published: February 2019

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is one of the leading causes of morbidity worldwide. Myocardial reperfusion is known as an effective therapeutic choice against AMI. However, reperfusion of blood flow induces ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury through different complex processes including ion accumulation, disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential, the formation of reactive oxygen species, and so forth. One of the processes that gets activated in response to I/R injury is autophagy. Indeed, autophagy acts as a “double‐edged sword” in the pathology of myocardial I/R injury and there is a controversy about autophagy being beneficial or detrimental. On the basis of the autophagy effect and regulation on myocardial I/R injury, many studies targeted it as a therapeutic strategy. In this review, we discuss the role of autophagy in I/R injury and its targeting as a therapeutic strategy.
Adipose‐derived exosomes: A novel adipokine in obesity‐associated diabetes
Authors: Zhang Bo , Yang Yang , Xiang Lin , Zhao Zhihe , Ye Rui
Published: February 2019

Dysfunction of the adipose tissue is a central driver for obesity‐associated diabetes. It is characterized by dysregulated adipokine secretion, which contributes to insulin resistance of key metabolic tissues, including the liver, skeletal muscles, and fat itself. The inter‐organ cross talk between the adipose tissue and the other organs as well as the intra‐organ cross talk between adipocytes and macrophages within the adipose tissue, traditionally mediated by hormones, was recently evidenced to be regulated by adipose‐derived exosomes. Exosomes are nano‐sized membrane‐bound vesicles secreted by the donor cells to modify intercellular communication by translating constituent nucleic acids and proteins to the target cells. Herein, we reviewed the latest progress in understanding the role of adipose‐derived exosomes in the development of insulin resistance, a key mechanism that underpins diabetes and diabetic complications, with a special focus on the role of exosomal miRNAs (micro RNAs) and proteins, and discusses the potential implications of targeting adipose tissue‐derived exosomes for diabetic therapeutics.
S100A6 activates EGFR and its downstream signaling in HaCaT keratinocytes
Authors: Graczyk‐Jarzynka Agnieszka , Sobiak Barbara , Mlącki Michał , Wilanowski Tomasz , Leśniak Wiesława
Published: February 2019

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a central transmitter of mitogenic signals in epithelial cells; enhanced EGFR activity is observed in many tumors of epithelial origin. S100A6 is a small calcium‐binding protein, characteristic mainly of epithelial cells and fibroblasts, strongly implicated in cell proliferation and upregulated in tumors. In this study, using biochemical assays along with immunohistochemical and immunocytochemical analysis of organotypic and standard cultures of HaCaT keratinocytes with S100A6 overexpression or knock‐down, we have examined the effect of S100A6 on EGFR activity and downstream signaling. We found that HaCaT cells overexpressing S100A6 had enhanced EGFR, phospho EGFR, and phospho extracellular signal‐regulated kinase 1/2 (pERK1/2) staining intensity and level coupled to higher signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) activity. Conversely, S100A6 knockdown cells had impaired EGFR signaling that could be enhanced by addition of recombinant S100A6 to the culture media. Altogether the results show that S100A6 may exert its proproliferative effects through activating EGFR.
Less is more or more is less: Implications of glucose metabolism in the regulation of the reproductive potential and total lifespan of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast
Authors: Maslanka Roman , Zadrag‐Tecza Renata
Published: February 2019

Carbohydrates are dietary nutrients that have an influence on cells physiology, cell reproductive capacity and, consequently, the lifespan of organisms. They are used in cellular processes after conversion to glucose, which is the primary source of energy and carbon skeleton for biosynthetic processes. Studies of the influence of glucose on cellular parameters and lifespan of organisms are primarily concerned with the effect of low glucose concentration defined as calorie restriction conditions. However, the effect of high glucose concentration on cell physiology is also very important. Thus, a comparative analysis of the effects of low and high glucose concentration conditions on cell efficiency was proposed with regard to reproductive capacity and total lifespan of the cell. Glucose concentration determines the type of metabolism and biosynthetic capabilities, which in turn, through the regulation on the cell size, may affect the reproductive capacity of cells. This study was conducted on yeast cells of wild‐type and mutant strains Δgpa2 and Δgpr1 with glucose signalling pathway impairment. Such an experimental model enabled testing both the role of glucose concentration in the regulation of metabolic changes and the extent to which these changes depend on the extracellular or intracellular glucose concentrations. It has been shown here that calorie/glucose excess connected with changes in cell metabolic fluxes increases biosynthetic capabilities of yeast cells. This leads to an increase in cell dry weight accompanied by the increase in cell size and a simultaneous decrease in the reproductive potential and the overall length of cell life.
FGF10 enhances yak oocyte fertilization competence and subsequent blastocyst quality and regulates the levels of CD9, CD81, DNMT1, and DNMT3B
Authors: Pan Yangyang , Wang Meng , Baloch Abdul Rasheed , Zhang Qiang , Wang Jinglei , Ma Rui , Xu Gengquan , Kashif Jam , Wang Libin , Fan Jiangfeng , Cui Yan , Yu Sijiu
Published: February 2019

The fusion of sperm and oocytes determines the fertilization competence and subsequent development of embryos, which, in turn, can be affected by various proteins and DNA methylation. However, several factors in this whole regulation process remain unknown, especially in yaks. Here, we report that fibroblast growth factor 10 (FGF10) is an important growth factor that can enhance the maturation rate of yak oocytes and the motility of frozen spermatozoa. Subsequent blastocyst quality was also improved by increasing the total cell number and level of pregnancy‐associated protein in blastocysts. These effects were significantly high in the group that received the 5 ng/ml FGF10 treatment, during both in vitro maturation (IVM) and capacitation. Our data show that the effects of FGF10 were dose‐dependent at vital steps of embryogenesis in vitro. Furthermore, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blot analysis, and immunofluorescence demonstrated that the levels of CD9, CD81, DNMT1, and DNMT3B in both mature cumulus‐oocyte complexes and capacitated sperms were regulated by FGF10, which was also highly expressed in the group treated with 5 ng/ml FGF10 during both IVM and capacitation. From our present study, we concluded that FGF10 promotes yak oocyte fertilization competence and subsequent blastocyst quality, and could also regulate CD9, CD81, DNMT1, and DNMT3B to optimize sperm–oocyte interactions and DNA methylation during fertilization.
Involvement of the TREK‐1 channel in human alveolar cell membrane potential and its regulation by inhibitors of the chloride current
Authors: Canella Rita , Martini Marta , Cavicchio Carlotta , Cervellati Franco , Benedusi Mascia , Valacchi Giuseppe
Published: February 2019

K+ channels of the alveolar epithelium control the driving force acting on the ionic and solvent flow through the cell membrane contributing to the maintenance of cell volume and the constitution of epithelial lining fluid. In the present work, we analyze the effect of the Cl− channel inhibitors: (4‐[(2‐butyl‐6,7‐dichloro‐2‐cyclopentyl‐2,3‐dihydro‐1‐oxo‐inden‐5‐yl)oxy] butanoic acid (DCPIB) and 9‐anthracenecarboxylic acid (9‐AC) on the total current in a type II pneumocytes (A549 cell line) model by patch clamp, immunocytochemical, and gene knockdown techniques. We noted that DCPIB and 9‐AC promote the activation of K conductance. In fact, they significantly increase the intensity of the current and shift its reversal potential to values more negative than the control. By silencing outward rectifier channel in its anoctamin 6 portion, we excluded a direct involvement of Cl− ions in modulation of IK and, by means of functional tests with its specific inhibitor spadin, we identified the TREK‐1 channel as the presumable target of both drugs. As the activity of TREK‐1 has a key role for the correct functioning of the alveolar epithelium, the identification of DCPIB and 9‐AC molecules as its activators suggests their possible use to build new pharmacological tools for the modulation of this channel.
Stimulatory effects of NESFATIN‐1 on meiotic and developmental competence of porcine oocytes
Authors: Cao Zubing , Luo Lei , Yang Jie , Zhang Ling , Gao Di , Xu Tengteng , Tong Xu , Zhang Dandan , Wang Yiqing , Li Yunsheng , Fang Fugui , Zhang Yunhai
Published: February 2019

NESFATIN‐1 acts as a neuroendocrine hormone to suppress gonadotropin secretion in the female goldfish and to prevent germinal vesicle breakdown of oocytes in the zebrafish. However, the expression and function of NESFATIN‐1 in meiotic maturation and development of porcine oocytes remains elusive. Genomic structure of porcine NESFATIN‐1 precursor nucleobindin 2 (NUCB2) is first characterized in detail and an evolutionally closer relationship of NESFATIN‐1 between pig and rat is shown by phylogenetic analysis of multiple species. Additionally, immunofluorescence analysis revealed that NESFATIN‐1 is predominantly expressed and localizes on the membrane of both theca cells and granulosa cells, but not expressed in oocytes. Real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction showed that the abundance of NESFATIN‐1 transcripts in granulosa cells progressively decreases during the developmental transition from small follicles to large follicles. Correspondingly, NESFATIN‐1 could significantly enhance both the cleavage and blastocyst rate of parthenogenetically activated oocytes from small follicles (p < 0.05), whereas it did not affect meiotic maturation and development of oocytes from large follicles. Interestingly, we found that NESFATIN‐1 significantly improves meiotic maturation of oocytes cultured in chemically defined medium in the absence of pyruvate compared with the control group (p < 0.05), suggesting that the NESFATIN‐1 as a substitute for pyruvate exerts beneficial effects on porcine oocyte maturation. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that NESFATIN‐1 facilitates both meiotic maturation and development of porcine oocytes.
Can Implicit Theory Influence Construal Level?
Authors: Bullard Olya , Penner Sara , Main Kelley J.
Published: February 2019

Beliefs about stability and change are captured by individuals’ implicit theories. Incremental‐theorists believe that human traits and world‐dispositions are malleable and can change through effort, whereas entity‐theorists believe that human traits and world‐dispositions are fixed. In this research we find that the implicit theory an individual holds influences an important aspect of the cognitive process, namely, the level of construal at which information is processed. In three studies we demonstrate that, compared to entity‐theorists, incremental‐theorists adopt a more abstract level of information construal, and the increased cognitive flexibility afforded by an incremental‐theory mindset explains this effect.
Brain tumor detection and classification: A framework of marker‐based watershed algorithm and multilevel priority features selection
Authors: Khan Muhammad A. , Lali Ikram U. , Rehman Amjad , Ishaq Mubashar , Sharif Muhammad , Saba Tanzila , Zahoor Saliha , Akram Tallha
Published: February 2019

Brain tumor identification using magnetic resonance images (MRI) is an important research domain in the field of medical imaging. Use of computerized techniques helps the doctors for the diagnosis and treatment against brain cancer. In this article, an automated system is developed for tumor extraction and classification from MRI. It is based on marker‐based watershed segmentation and features selection. Five primary steps are involved in the proposed system including tumor contrast, tumor extraction, multimodel features extraction, features selection, and classification. A gamma contrast stretching approach is implemented to improve the contrast of a tumor. Then, segmentation is done using marker‐based watershed algorithm. Shape, texture, and point features are extracted in the next step and high ranked 70% features are only selected through chi‐square max conditional priority features approach. In the later step, selected features are fused using a serial‐based concatenation method before classifying using support vector machine. All the experiments are performed on three data sets including Harvard, BRATS 2013, and privately collected MR images data set. Simulation results clearly reveal that the proposed system outperforms existing methods with greater precision and accuracy.
Identification and quantitative investigation of the effects of intestinal microflora on the metabolism and pharmacokinetics of notoginsenoside Fc assayed by liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: Ju Zhengcai , Li Jia , Lu Qian , Yang Yingbo , Yang Li , Wang Zhengtao
Published: February 2019

Notoginsenoside Fc, which is a protopanaxdiol‐type saponin isolated from the leaves of Panax notoginseng, exhibits an exceptional antiplatelet aggregatory effect. To study the modulating effect of gastrointestinal contents on the metabolic profile and pharmacokinetics, pseudo germ‐free rats were used to study the influence of the bacterial community structure on the metabolic profile. Glycosidase activities were measured using the spectrophotometric method. Biotransformations of notoginsenoside Fc in normal and pseudo germ‐free rat intestinal microflora were systematically investigated using ultra high performance liquid chromatography with tandem quadrupole/time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry. Moreover, a liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry method was established for simultaneous determination of the notoginsenoside Fc prototype and its degradation products. Through an in vivo pharmacokinetic study, the pharmacokinetic characteristics were compared between normal rats and pseudo germ‐free rats. During the in vitro biotransformation, seven deglycosylated products were detected and identified after incubation in the intestinal bacteria of normal rats. In pseudo germ‐free rats, glycosidase activities were significantly decreased, and no obvious degradation occurred. In an in vivo study, the systemic exposure was significantly increased 40%, as evidenced by the area under the blood concentration–time curve from time zero to infinity value and half‐life value, which were prolonged more in the pseudo germ‐free group than in normal rats. The results demonstrate that patients who use intestinal bacteria‐metabolized herbs, such as panax notoginseng, should understand the profile of intestinal bacteria to ensure therapeutic efficacy.
Effects of land use change on organic carbon dynamics associated with soil aggregate fractions on the Loess Plateau, China
Authors: Zhong Zekun , Han Xinhui , Xu Yadong , Zhang Wei , Fu Shuyue , Liu Weichao , Ren Chengjie , Yang Gaihe , Ren Guangxin
Published: February 2019

Organic carbon (OC) sequestration through soil aggregation is an important aspect of land use change/conversion (LUCC) influencing the terrestrial ecosystem C cycle, although little is known on the changes in aggregate dynamics and their contributions to OC accumulation after LUCC in regions with serious soil erosion. Therefore, bulk soil samples under four land uses (farmland and three vegetated soils converted from farmland 42 years ago: Robinia pseudoacacia [RP42yr], Caragana korshinskii [CK42yr], and abandoned land [AL42yr]) in the Loess Plateau, China, was collected, separated into seven aggregate size fractions, and examined for OC content. Farmland conversion into AL42yr, CK42yr, and RP42yr increased macroaggregate (>2 mm) and mesoaggregate (2–0.25 mm) proportions, mean weight diameter, and geometric mean diameter but decreased microaggregates (0.25–0.053 mm) amount. Bulk soil and aggregates OC content and stock varied with soil depth and land use types but were usually highest in RP42yr. Mesoaggregates contained higher OC content and stock than other aggregates at 0‐ to 20‐cm depth under all land uses. Increases in the OC stocks of mesoaggregates accounted for 46% and 85% of the increase in bulk soil OC stocks at 0‐ to 20‐ and 20‐ to 40‐cm depth, respectively. Thus, soil OC accumulation after LUCC is mainly due to increased OC stock within mesoaggregates, which is further attributed to increased mesoaggregate proportions. Overall, vegetation restoration promotes the physical protection of OC by increasing soil aggregation, being a management option to enhance the C sequestration potential in ecological fragile regions.
A Photostimulated BaSi2O5:Eu2+,Nd3+ Phosphor‐in‐Glass for Erasable‐Rewritable Optical Storage Medium
Authors: Lin Shisheng , Lin Hang , Huang Qingming , Cheng Yao , Xu Ju , Wang Jiaomei , Xiang Xiaoqiang , Wang Congyong , Zhang Liqiang , Wang Yuansheng
Published: February 2019

Up‐to‐date optical storage technology calls for large memory capacity, expanded storage dimension, rewritable capability, low cost, and high energy efficiency, which poses stringent requirements on the storage medium. In this study, a novel BaSi2O5:Eu2+,Nd3+ photostimulated luminescence (PSL) phosphor is developed and then made into phosphor‐in‐glass (PiG) storage medium. Upon ultraviolet light irradiation (write‐in), the generated electrons are captured by the traps, which can be further released by thermal or near‐infrared laser stimulation (read‐out). An insightful investigation is carried out to establish the relationship between trap properties and PSL performance. Demonstration application confirmed the intensity‐multiplexing optical information (including the designed bar code, quick response (QR) code, graphic patterns, and binary data) encoding/decoding. Remarkably, BaSi2O5:Eu2+,Nd3+ PSL PiG show excellent erasable‐rewritable capability thanking to the admirable anti‐ultraviolet property in glass host, as well as good optical data retention ability owing to the spatially isolated deep traps. Hopefully, the present work can push forward the research progress of PSL material and its practical application in optical storage.
Mechanochemically Carboxylated Multilayer Graphene Nanoplatelets as Functionalized Carbon Nanofillers for Electrically Conductive Epoxy Spray Coatings
Authors: Gatti Felix Joachim , Burk Laura , Gliem Matthias , Mülhaupt Rolf
Published: February 2019

Dry ball milling of graphite under CO2 pressure in a planetary ball mill affords carboxylated multilayer graphene nanoplatelets as carbon nanofillers (MFG‐CO2) for carbon/epoxy spray coatings combining electrical conductivity up to 0.09 S cm−1 with excellent adhesion and improved toughness. As confirmed by µCT‐imaging, the two‐stage homogenization by means of a speed mixer with subsequent shearing in a three‐roll mill uniformly disperses up to 60 wt% MFG‐CO2 in aqueous emulsions of epoxy resins and hardener without impairing spray coating. The MFG‐CO2 content governs surface roughness, as determined by 3D laser microscopy, gloss, electrical conductivity, and toughness without adversely affecting excellent adhesion. Mechanochemical tailoring MFG nanofillers holds great promise for the development of advanced epoxy spray coatings exhibiting an improved balance of thermooxidative, chemical and environmental stability, electrical and thermal conductivity, toughness, corrosion, and barrier resistance.
Existence results for functional first‐order coupled systems and applications
Authors: Fialho João , Minhós Feliz
Published: February 2019

This paper is concerned with the existence of solutions of the first‐order fully coupled system with coupled functional boundary conditions. These functional boundary conditions generalize the usual boundary assumptions and may be applied to most of the classical cases.

The arguments used are based on the Arzela‐Ascoli theorem and Schauder's fixed‐point theorem.

An application to a mathematical model of the thyroid‐pituitary interaction and their homeostatic mechanism is included.
A novel total variation based ring artifact suppression method for CBCT imaging with two‐dimensional antiscatter grids
Authors: Alexeev Timur , Kavanagh Brian , Miften Moyed , Altunbas Cem
Published: February 2019

Purpose

Two‐dimensional antiscatter grids (2DASG) for cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) is a new area of research to reduce scatter intensity, and consequently improve CBCT image quality. One of the challenges in implementation of 2DASGs is their septa shadows that are impinged on the projections. If these artifacts are not corrected, they may lead to ring artifacts in CBCT images. In this work, we present a novel method to suppress ring artifacts in FPD‐based CBCT images.

Methods

Briefly, our method first detects the locations of 2DASG’s septa shadows in projections and then, reduces projection pixel values in septa shadows iteratively until a residual‐based convergence criterion is met. To suppress the 2DASG’s septa shadows, we developed a total variation minimization (TVM) formulation, referred to as adaptive‐diffusive total variation minimization (adTVM), where the diffusivity regularization parameter was adaptively adjusted during each iteration based on the magnitude of the local pixel gradients. To test our method, we have acquired CBCT scans of phantoms using three 2DASG prototypes with different grid geometries. Projections were acquired with a linac mounted CBCT system, operated in offset detector geometry. These projections were then corrected in the following steps: first, projections were corrected using a gantry angle‐specific gain correction map; next, projections were corrected by applying our adTVM method. CBCT images were reconstructed using FDK filtered backprojection algorithm. To evaluate adTVM’s performance, pixel value statistics and contrast‐to‐noise ratio (CNR) were compared in CBCT images corrected with and without our adTVM method.

Results

Without our adTVM method, all three 2DASG prototypes introduced ring artifacts with varying intensities in CBCT images. With our method, significant reduction in ring artifacts was observed in all test cases. Standard deviation of CT numbers was reduced by 7–74% in uniform density phantom CBCT images, CNR was increased by 8–67%, and CT number accuracy of contrast objects embedded in the phantom was preserved.

Conclusion

We propose a new method to suppress ring artifacts caused by the 2DASG's septa shadows in CBCT images. Our initial investigations indicated that adTVM method could substantially reduce such ring artifacts while preserving CT number accuracy and maintaining good spatial resolution. Therefore, our method may potentially play an important role in enabling the implementation of 2DASGs in flat panel detector based CBCT systems.
Quadratic penalty method for intensity‐based deformable image registration and 4DCT lung motion recovery
Authors: Castillo Edward
Published: February 2019

Intensity‐based deformable image registration (DIR) requires minimizing an image dissimilarity metric. Imaged anatomy, such as bones and vasculature, as well as the resolution of the digital grid, can often cause discontinuities in the corresponding objective function. Consequently, the application of a gradient‐based optimization algorithm requires a preprocessing image smoothing to ensure the existence of necessary image derivatives. Simple block matching (exhaustive search) methods do not require image derivative approximations, but their general effectiveness is often hindered by erroneous solutions (outliers). Block match methods are therefore often coupled with a statistical outlier detection method to improve results.

Purpose

The purpose of this work is to present a spatially accurate, intensity‐based DIR optimization formulation that can be solved with a straightforward gradient‐free quadratic penalty algorithm and is suitable for 4D thoracic computed tomography (4DCT) registration. Additionally, a novel regularization strategy based on the well‐known leave‐one‐out robust statistical model cross‐validation method is introduced.

Methods

The proposed Quadratic Penalty DIR (QPDIR) method minimizes both an image dissimilarity term, which is separable with respect to individual voxel displacements, and a regularization term derived from the classical leave‐one‐out cross‐validation statistical method. The resulting DIR problem lends itself to a quadratic penalty function optimization approach, where each subproblem can be solved by straightforward block coordinate descent iteration.

Results

The spatial accuracy of the method was assessed using expert‐determined landmarks on ten 4DCT datasets available on www.dir-lab.com. The QPDIR algorithm achieved average millimeter spatial errors between 0.69 (0.91) and 1.19 (1.26) on the ten test cases. On all ten 4DCT test cases, the QPDIR method produced spatial accuracies that are superior or equivalent to those produced by current state‐of‐the‐art methods. Moreover, QPDIR achieved accuracies at the resolution of the landmark error assessment (i.e., the interobserver error) on six of the ten cases.

Conclusion

The QPDIR algorithm is based on a simple quadratic penalty function formulation and a regularization term inspired by leave‐one‐out cross validation. The formulation lends itself to a parallelizable, gradient‐free, block coordinate descent numerical optimization method. Numerical results indicate that the method achieves a high spatial accuracy on 4DCT inhale/exhale phases.
Brain imaging with improved acceleration and SNR at 7 Tesla obtained with 64‐channel receive array
Authors: Uğurbil Kamil , Auerbach Edward , Moeller Steen , Grant Andrea , Wu Xiaoping , Van de Moortele Pierre‐Francois , Olman Cheryl , DelaBarre Lance , Schillak Scott , Radder Jerahmie , Lagore Russell , Adriany Gregor
Published: February 2019

Purpose

Despite the clear synergy between high channel counts in a receive array and magnetic fields ≥ 7 Tesla, to date such systems have been restricted to a maximum of 32 channels. Here, we examine SNR gains at 7 Tesla in unaccelerated and accelerated images with a 64‐receive channel (64Rx) RF coil.

Methods

A 64Rx coil was built using circular loops tiled in 2 separable sections of a close‐fitting form; custom designed preamplifier boards were integrated into each coil element. A 16‐channel transmitter arranged in 2 rows along the z‐axis was employed. The performance of the 64Rx array was experimentally compared to that of an industry‐standard 32‐channel receive (32Rx) array for SNR in unaccelerated images and for noise amplification under parallel imaging.

Results

SNR gains were observed in the periphery but not in the center of the brain in unaccelerated imaging compared to the 32Rx coil. With either 1D or 2D undersampling of k‐space, or with slice acceleration together with 1D undersampling of k‐space, significant reductions in g‐factor noise were observed throughout the brain, yielding effective gains in SNR in the entire brain compared to the 32Rx coil. Task‐based FMRI data with 12‐fold 2D (slice and phase‐encode) acceleration yielded excellent quality functional maps with the 64Rx coil but was significantly beyond the capabilities of the 32Rx coil.

Conclusion

The results confirm the expectations from modeling studies and demonstrate that whole‐brain studies with up to 16‐fold, 2D acceleration would be feasible with the 64Rx coil.
Identification of Summer-Run Chinook Salmon Spawning Areas in the Main-Stem Columbia River Upstream of Wells Dam, Washington
Authors: Snow Charles G. , Mann Ryan D.
Published: February 2019

Summer-run Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha historically spawned in the Columbia River as far upstream as British Columbia, Canada, but the upstream extent of main-stem spawning in the contemporary Columbia River has been documented in the tailrace of Wells Dam, Washington. We utilized radiotelemetry and video monitoring equipment between 2011 and 2013 to track wild summer-run Chinook Salmon upstream of Wells Dam and document any main-stem spawning sites. Two small spawning areas totaling 3,389 m2 were identified within 1.76 km downstream of Chief Joseph Dam and were used by spawning salmon in each year of the study. Redd deposition totaled 70, 59, and 134 redds in 2011, 2012, and 2013, respectively. When considered with tributary redd counts upstream of Wells Dam from the Methow and Okanogan rivers, main-stem spawning represented between 1.6% and 2.9% of the annual redd deposition upstream of Wells Dam within each spawning year. Redds were located in depths between 3.7 and 7 m, with spawning occurring between late October and mid-November in each year. These novel results are the first to detail main-stem spawning locations of summer-run Chinook Salmon upstream of Wells Dam and should inform population monitoring metrics, such as annual escapement and prespawn mortality estimates.
Development and validation of the ICF‐Incontinence Assessment Form (ICF‐IAF) to identify problems and resources for planning and evaluation of interventions using the Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health of the World Health Organization: Preliminary study
Authors: König Irene , Kuhn Manuel , Radlinger Lorenz , Koehler Barbara
Published: February 2019

Aims

Current level‐A recommended questionnaires that provide a valid assessment of urinary incontinence (UI) and/or faecal incontinence (FI), but do not cover all aspects of the burden of the disease in the sense of the bio‐psycho‐social model of the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). Therefore, an ICF oriented questionnaire for patients with UI and/or FI to assess treatment barriers (problems) as well as positive influencing factors (resources), the “ICF‐Incontinence Assessment Form” will be developed. The aim of this preliminary study was (a) to identify problems and resources of UI and/or FI in current level‐A recommended questionnaires and (b) to evaluate problems and resources of patients with UI and/or FI from the perspective of experienced physiotherapists.

Methods

(a) Current level‐A recommended questionnaires for UI and/or FI were analyzed. Questions were linked to the ICF categories. (b) A 3‐round Delphi technique survey among 262 physiotherapists from five German‐speaking countries was used to evaluate patients' problems and resources relevant to physiotherapy.

Results

(a) A total of 27 identified questionnaires were linked to 110 ICF categories. No positive influencing factors could be identified. (b) After Delphi‐round 3, 110 categories of problems and 71 resources were identified.

Conclusion

Since there is a lack of resource items in the present validated questionnaires, there is a need for a short, practical questionnaire to assess and monitor both, problems and resources of patients with UI and/or FI.
Fire truck relocation during major incidents
Authors: Usanov Dmitrii , Guido Legemaate G.A. , van de Ven Peter M. , van der Mei Rob D.
Published: February 2019

The effectiveness of a fire department is largely determined by its ability to respond to incidents in a timely manner. To do so, fire departments typically have fire stations spread evenly across the region, and dispatch the closest truck(s) whenever a new incident occurs. However, large gaps in coverage may arise in the case of a major incident that requires many nearby fire trucks over a long period of time, substantially increasing response times for emergencies that occur subsequently. We propose a heuristic for relocating idle trucks during a major incident in order to retain good coverage. This is done by solving a mathematical program that takes into account the location of the available fire trucks and the historic spatial distribution of incidents. This heuristic allows the user to balance the coverage and the number of truck movements. Using extensive simulation experiments we test the heuristic for the operations of the Fire Department of Amsterdam‐Amstelland, and compare it against three other benchmark strategies in a simulation fitted using 10 years of historical data. We demonstrate substantial improvement over the current relocation policy, and show that not relocating during major incidents may lead to a significant decrease in performance.
A C0 interior penalty discontinuous Galerkin method for fourth‐order total variation flow. I: Derivation of the method and numerical results
Authors: Bhandari Chandi , Hoppe Ronald H.W. , Kumar Rahul
Published: February 2019

We consider the numerical solution of a fourth‐order total variation flow problem representing surface relaxation below the roughening temperature. Based on a regularization and scaling of the nonlinear fourth‐order parabolic equation, we perform an implicit discretization in time and a C0 Interior Penalty Discontinuous Galerkin (C0IPDG) discretization in space. The C0IPDG approximation can be derived from a mixed formulation involving numerical flux functions where an appropriate choice of the flux functions allows to eliminate the discrete dual variable. The fully discrete problem can be interpreted as a parameter dependent nonlinear system with the discrete time as a parameter. It is solved by a predictor corrector continuation strategy featuring an adaptive choice of the time step sizes. A documentation of numerical results is provided illustrating the performance of the C0IPDG method and the predictor corrector continuation strategy. The existence and uniqueness of a solution of the C0IPDG method will be shown in the second part of this paper.
Log Often, Lose More: Electronic Dietary Self‐Monitoring for Weight Loss
Authors: Harvey Jean , Krukowski Rebecca , Priest Jeff , West Delia
Published: February 2019

Objective

Dietary self‐monitoring is consistently related to both short‐ and long‐term weight loss. The purpose of this study was to quantify the time spent and the daily frequency of self‐monitoring necessary for weight‐loss success.

Methods

Participants in a 24‐week, online, behavioral weight‐control intervention recorded daily dietary intake using a Web‐based dietary analysis program. Time spent self‐monitoring and frequency of dietary journal page access were captured. Weight loss (kilograms) and the proportion of participants losing ≥ 5% and ≥ 10% of baseline weight were assessed at 6 months.

Results

Participants (n = 142; BMI 35.8 kg/m2; 90.8% female; 23.2% African American) spent an average of 23.2 minutes per day self‐monitoring in month 1 and 14.6 minutes in month 6. For those still recording any minutes self‐monitoring by month 6 (65.5%), there were no significant differences in time spent based on weight loss; however, those losing either ≥ 5% or ≥ 10% logged in to the journal Web page significantly more times per day (1.6 vs. 2.4, P < 0.001 for < 5% vs. ≥ 5%; 1.7 vs. 2.7, P < 0.001 for < 10% vs. ≥ 10%).

Conclusions

The frequency of self‐monitoring is significantly related to weight loss, with the time needed to be successful diminishing during the intervention.
Characterizing adolescents with heavy menstrual bleeding and generalized joint hypermobility
Authors: Kendel Nicole E. , Haamid Fareeda W. , Christian‐Rancy Myra , O'Brien Sarah H.
Published: February 2019

Patients with generalized joint hypermobility (JHM) may experience excessive bruising/bleeding, with heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) commonly reported. We performed a retrospective review of 30 adolescents seen in a Young Women's Hematology Clinic with both HMB and JHM. We found that (1) a significant delay (mean 36 months, range 5–72) occurred between menarche and referral to specialty care, (2) HMB had moderate to severe impact on school and physical activities in 60% of patients, and (3) most patients (68%) required escalation of their initial therapy. We suggest providers consider JHM as a risk factor for a more complex clinical course.
Fabrication of waste bagasse fiber‐reinforced epoxy composites: Study of physical, mechanical, and erosion properties
Authors: Singh Tej , Tejyan Sachin , Patnaik Amar , Singh Vedant , Zsoldos Ibolya , Fekete Gusztáv
Published: February 2019

The aim of the research work is to study the physical, mechanical, and erosive wear properties of sugarcane bagasse fiber‐reinforced epoxy composites. The physical (density, void content) and the mechanical (hardness, tensile strength, impact energy, flexural strength) properties of the composites were found to increase with the content of bagasse fiber. For erosive wear analysis, the experiments were carried out with the help of erosion test machine. To minimize the erosive wear rate, Taguchi technique is executed to explore the influence of five control factors including fiber content, impact velocity, impingement, stand‐off distance, and erodent size at three levels. Using Taguchi (L27) orthogonal array, the optimal combination of control factors, which yielded minimum erosive wear rate, was statistically predicted and experimentally verified. The fiber content and impact velocity were the two most contributing control factors for the minimization of erosive wear rate. The important sequence of the parameters is fiber content > impact velocity > impingement angle > erodent size > stand‐off distance. The optimal combination of control factors was obtained at 10 wt% of fiber content, 30 m/s of impact velocity, 30° of impingement angle, 85 mm of stand‐off distance, and 250 μm of erodent size. Finally, composites worn surfaces were examined with scanning electron microscope to study the possible erosive wear mechanism. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:3777–3786, 2019. © 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers
Translaminar fracture toughness and fatigue crack growth characterization of carbon‐epoxy plain weave laminates
Authors: Souza Rafael R.R. , Nascimento Junior Sérgio L. , Silveira Núbia N.A. , Arbelo Mariano A. , Donadon Maurício V.
Published: February 2019

An experimental investigation of mode‐I translaminar fracture toughness and fatigue crack growth behavior of a carbon fiber‐epoxy plain weave laminate manufactured by resin infusion under flexible tooling (RIFT) is presented in this article. Pre‐cracked compact tension (CT) specimens were used to perform both quasi‐static and fatigue tests. Different data reduction techniques for fracture toughness calculation were used and compared with each other. The ASTM E399 test method was modified to account for the material orthotropy and specimen geometry effects using a correction function based on a numerical evaluation of the strain energy release rate. The proposed modification shows good agreement against other experimental methods found in the literature and its application was validated for fatigue tests. Fatigue testing shows that failure in undesired modes is likely to occur prior to translaminar fracture, which was attributed to a higher tensile fatigue threshold than compression or shear fatigue threshold presented by the composite in analysis. Increasing the specimens’ initial notch length was a solution for avoiding these types of failure. The experimental results were compiled in the form of a Paris curve, and their particularities were discussed. A fractographic analysis was carried out to define damage patterns and its evolution process in both types of tests. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:3791–3804, 2019. © 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers
BP neural network model for predicting the mechanical performance of a foamed wood‐fiber reinforced thermoplastic starch composite
Authors: Zeng Guang Sheng , Hu Can , Zou Simin , Zhang Li , Sun Gang
Published: February 2019

A foamed starch‐based biomass composite was prepared by the extrusion foaming method with starch, wood fiber and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as raw materials. The effects of three additives (plasticizer, cross‐linking agent, and blowing agent) on the mechanical performance of the foamed starch‐based biomass composite were studied, and a three‐layer back‐propagation (BP) artificial neural network model was established for mechanical property prediction. The orthogonal experiment results were used as samples to train the network and predict the mechanical performance of foamed composite. The results show that the proposed BP network model is effective in forecasting the mechanical performance of foamed composite. The appropriate amount of composite plasticizer (glycerin/NaOH) can reduce the crystallinity of the starch; increase the compatibility of the starch，wood fiber and PVA, and increase the tensile strength of the composite to 5.91 MPa. Crosslink reaction occurs between PVA molecular under the reaction of cross‐linking agent borax. The tensile strength of the composite increases up to 6.12 MPa. The tensile strength lowers down as a result of the decrease of the contact area caused emerging bubbles with the help of the blowing agent NaHCO3. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:3923–3928, 2019. © 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers
An injectable and self‐healing novel chitosan hydrogel with low adamantane substitution degree
Authors: Liu Cheng , Yang Liquan , Qiao Liyuan , Liu Chengde , Zhang Manxia , Jian Xigao
Published: February 2019

Chitosan (CS) is a semi‐natural polymer with supreme biological function, while the strong interchain hydrogen bonds cause poor water solubility and limit its broader use. To break the semi‐rigid structure of CS, a kind of CS modified by adamantane (AD‐CS) was successfully synthesized by amidation reaction with 1‐(3‐dimethylaminopropyl)‐3‐ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride as catalyst. The chemical structure of AD‐CS was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and 1H NMR. The AD substitution degree of CS is around 2%, calculated by 1H NMR. A soft and transparent hydrogel composed of hydrogen bonds was obtained directly by simply adding a certain amount of water under mild conditions. Rheological measurements were carried out to research the mechanism of hydrogel formation by measuring the influence of different additives and conditions on the AD‐CS hydrogel. Reinforced hydrogels were prepared by freezing and thawing. The mechanical strength and self‐healing property of reinforced and pristine hydrogels were assessed with an oscillatory rheometer. The modulus of the reinforced hydrogel was obviously enhanced without much loss of self‐healing property. Other properties such as adhesion, injectability and temperature response were also studied. These injectable and self‐healing hydrogels show potential value in medical care. Additionally, this is a new method to design CS hydrogels with their original interchain hydrogen bonds. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry