bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Targeted metabolomics of CSF in healthy individuals and patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis using high-resolution mass spectrometry
Authors: Carlsson Henrik , Abujrais Sandy , Herman Stephanie , Khoonsari Payam Emami , Åkerfeldt Torbjörn , Svenningsson Anders , Burman Joachim , Kultima Kim 
Published: February 2020

Abstract
Introduction
Standardized commercial kits enable targeted metabolomics analysis and may thus provide an attractive complement to the more explorative approaches. The kits are typically developed for triple quadrupole mass spectrometers using serum and plasma.

Objectives
Here we measure the concentrations of preselected metabolites in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) using a kit developed for high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). Secondarily, the study aimed to investigate metabolite alterations in patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) compared to controls.

Methods
We performed targeted metabolomics in human CSF on twelve SPMS patients and twelve age and sex-matched healthy controls using the Absolute IDQ-p400 kit (Biocrates Life Sciences AG) developed for HRMS. The extracts were analysed using two methods; liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) and flow injection analysis-MS (FIA-HRMS).

Results
Out of 408 targeted metabolites, 196 (48%) were detected above limit of detection and 35 were absolutely quantified. Metabolites analyzed using LC-HRMS had a median coefficient of variation (CV) of 3% and 2.5% between reinjections the same day and after prolonged storage, respectively. The corresponding results for the FIA-HRMS were a median CV of 27% and 21%, respectively. We found significantly (p < 0.05) elevated levels of glycine, asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), glycerophospholipid PC-O (34:0) and sum of hexoses in SPMS patients compared to controls.

Conclusion
The Absolute IDQ-p400 kit could successfully be used for quantifying targeted metabolites in the CSF. Metabolites quantified using LC-HRMS showed superior reproducibility compared to FIA-HRMS.
A condom’s footprint - life cycle assessment of a natural rubber condom
Authors: Birnbach Maik , Lehmann Annekatrin , Naranjo Elisa , Finkbeiner Matthias 
Published: February 2020

Abstract
Purpose
Worldwide, billions of condoms are used each year, and many brands popped up that are working on sustainable solutions. However, none has published an analysis of a condom’s life using a standardized and quantitative approach such as the life cycle assessment (LCA). This study presents the first LCA of a natural rubber condom from einhorn products GmbH. It has been conducted to identify environmental hotspots, future research needs along the entire life of a condom and to open up a discussion among interested stakeholder.

Methods
The assessed environmental impacts are climate change, water depletion, eutrophication, ecotoxicity, acidification, human toxicity, and photochemical oxidant formation. The data were obtained by intensive literature research and consultation of customers and suppliers.

Results and discussion
The hotspot assessment showed that, on average, more than 90% of impacts are contributed by the production and downstream phases. Activities contributing most are energy consumption and packaging material used during condom production, production of tissue paper used to discard condoms, international transport, and business travels. The upstream life cycle phases do show minor contributions to most of the categories except for ecotoxicity, where the plantation activities are responsible for around 50% of the emissions. However, the impact of plantation might be underestimated because of missing analysis of biodiversity and especially for countries where rubber is responsible for deforestation the contribution of the plantation could increase.

Conclusions
The results highlight the importance of the condom's production, packaging, and the end-of-life stage. Future research should address the sensitivity of the results regarding further impact categories and should verify assumptions made and fill data gaps within the inventory.
Monitoring Patient Recovery after THA or TKA using Mobile Technology
Authors: Lyman Stephen , Hidaka Chisa , Fields Kara , Islam Wasif , Mayman David 
Published: February 2020

Background Smartphones offer the possibility of assessing recovery of mobility after total hip or knee arthroplasty (THA or TKA) passively and reliably, as well as facilitating the collection of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) with greater frequency. Questions/Purposes We investigated the feasibility of using mobile technology to collect daily step data and biweekly PROMs to track recovery after total joint arthroplasty. Methods Pre- and post-operative daily steps were recorded in prospectively enrolled patients (128 THA and 139 TKA) via an app, which uses the phone's accelerometer. During 6-month follow-up, patients also completed PROMs (the pain numeric rating scale, the Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score Joint Replacement [HOOS JR] and the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score Joint Replacement [KOOS JR]), and HOOS or KOOS JR quality of life domain via a mobile-enabled web link. Results At least 6 months of follow-up was completed by 65% for THA and 68% for TKA patients. Reasons for non-completion included time commitment, phone battery, app issues, and health complications. Responses from 78% of requested PROMs were returned with 96% of patients returning at least one post-operative PROM. Step data were available from 92% of days from male patients and 86% of days from female patients. The most robust recovery occurred early, within the first 2 months. The groups with higher pre-operative steps were more likely to recover their maximum daily steps at an earlier time point. Correlations between step counts and PROMs scores were modest. Conclusion Assessing large amounts of post-TKA and post-THA step data using mobile technology is feasible. Completion rates were good, making the technology very useful for collecting frequent PROMs. Being unable to ensure that patients always carried their phones limited our analysis of the step counts.
Continuous modelling of machine tool failure durations for improved production scheduling
Authors: Denkena B. , Dittrich M.-A. , Keunecke L. , Wilmsmeier S. 
Published: February 2020

AbstractUnforeseen machine tool failures due to technical issues can cause downtimes leading to delays during production. To reduce delays, rescheduling of the production is, in most cases, necessary. However, warranting such a change requires reliable knowledge about the duration of the failure. This article presents a method to provide this knowledge by estimating the duration of a machine tool failure based on previous failure durations. Using the cross-industry standard process for data mining (CRISP-DM) and statistical methods, the embedded model for failure classification and duration is continuously improved. The method is thoroughly tested using multiple distributions, parameters and a practical use case. The results show high potential for predicting the duration of machine tool failures, which consequently could lead to improved quality of rescheduling.
How Do PET Myocardial Blood Flow Reserve and FFR Differ?
Authors: Johnson Nils P. , Gould K. Lance 
Published: February 2020

Abstract
Purpose of Review
This review discusses similarities and differences between cardiac positron emission tomography (PET), absolute myocardial blood flow, and flow reserve with invasive fractional flow reserve (FFR).

Recent Findings
Fundamentally, cardiac PET measures absolute myocardial blood flow whereas FFR provides a relative flow reserve. Cardiac PET offers a non-invasive and therefore lower risk alternative, able to image the entire left ventricle regardless of coronary anatomy. While cardiac PET can provide unique information about the subendocardium, FFR pullbacks offer unparalleled spatial resolution. Both diagnostic tests provide a highly repeatable and technically successful index of coronary hemodynamics that accounts for the amount of distal myocardial mass, albeit only indirectly with FFR. The randomized evidence base for FFR and its associated cost effectiveness remains unsurpassed.

Summary
Cardiac PET and FFR have been intertwined since the very development of FFR over 25 years ago. Recent work has emphasized the ability of both techniques to guide revascularization decisions by high-quality physiology. In the past few years, cardiac PET has expanded its evidence base regarding clinical outcomes, whereas FFR has solidified its position in randomized studies as the invasive reference standard.
Photodegradation activity of yttrium-doped SnO2 nanoparticles against methylene blue dye and antibacterial effects
Authors: Ali Baig Ameer Baig , Rathinam Vadamalar , Palaninathan Jayanthi 
Published: February 2020

AbstractThis review reports the effects of yttrium (Y) on the physicochemical characteristics of tin(II) dioxide (SnO2) nanoparticles (NPs), which were efficiently synthesized via a simple hydrothermal chemical route with different doping concentrations (0, 2 and 4 at%) of Y. The structural, optical and photocatalytic properties of the as-prepared Y-doped SnO2 (Y:SnO2) NPs were investigated, and the results are described. X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies showed that the undoped and Y:SnO2 NPs had a fine crystalline texture with a tetragonal structure and particle size range of 27–15 nm, although the size decreased with Y doping. High-resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM) morphological analysis revealed spherical NPs forming agglomerates. Optical absorption was investigated by UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and showed a redshift in bandgap energy for Y3+-doped SnO2 NPs, and photoluminescence spectroscopy revealed the most intense emission peaks in the visible light region. Enhanced photocatalytic activity was observed for the doped samples, and the 4% Y:SnO2 NPs exhibited excellent photodegradation of methylene blue aqueous (MB) dye in visible light, demonstrating 92.34% degradation in 180 min. The other photocatalysts also demonstrated greater than 85% photodegradation efficiency and high stability, with no significant reduction in activity observed after five cycles. The results indicate that the superoxide (·O2−) radical, a key reactive species, played a vital role in the degradation of aqueous MB dye. The probable photocatalytic mechanism of the Y:SnO2 NPs was thoroughly investigated.
Deposit Formation from Urea Injection: a Comprehensive Modeling Approach
Authors: Budziankou U. , Börnhorst M. , Kuntz C. , Deutschmann O. , Lauer T. 
Published: February 2020

AbstractLong-term reliability is one of the major requirements for automotive exhaust aftertreatment systems with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) using urea water solution (UWS) as NH3 carrier fluid. A high injection rate of UWS or unfavorable operating conditions may lead to formation of solid deposits, which decrease system efficiency by increasing backpressure and impairing ammonia uniformity. A reliable numerical prediction of deposit formation in urea SCR systems is desired for optimization of system design. However, comprehensive modeling of physical and chemical processes in the tailpipe as well as different time scale phenomena represents a challenging task. This study presents a comprehensive approach for modeling UWS injection, droplet impingement, liquid film and deposit formation based on CFD-simulation. An existing kinetic model for urea decomposition is integrated into the CFD code to predict solid by-product formation from wall films. Physical simulation time is extensively increased by substituting the Lagrange-particles with source terms of mass, momentum and energy reducing simulation time by a factor of 20. The comparison of measured and simulated results shows the capability of the presented modeling approach to predict position and chemical composition of solid deposits.
Positive Psychological Interventions for Teachers: a Randomised Placebo-Controlled Field Experiment Investigating the Effects of Workplace-Related Positive Activities
Authors: Dreer Benjamin 
Published: February 2020

AbstractA realistic-positive attitude has repeatedly been identified as an important protective factor against school teachers’ stress and strain. However, effective programmes fostering teachers’ positive emotions, thoughts, and behaviours are still lacking to date. Despite mounting evidence showing their effectiveness, positive psychological interventions have seldom been applied and studied in the work environment of teachers. While initial evidence highlights the potential value of positive interventions for teachers, existing studies have significant shortcomings due to small sample sizes, and limitations in study and intervention designs. This paper documents a placebo-controlled field experiment testing the effects of an online-based positive intervention programme. In total, 309 German school teachers were surveyed at three intervals (pre-intervention, post-intervention, follow-up). The results show an increase in job satisfaction and teacher engagement that lasts for two weeks post-intervention. Furthermore, long-term decreases in emotional exhaustion were observed. The effects were of a small size. In contrast, significant mean changes were not observed under the placebo condition. The implications and limitations of these findings are discussed.
Health-Related Quality of Life After the 2015 Gorkha Earthquakes, Among Older Adults Living in Lalitpur District of Central Nepal
Authors: Wagle Sabina , Amnatsatsue Kwanjai , Adhikari Bipin , Kerdmongkol Patcharaporn , Van der Putten Marc , Silpasuwan Pimpan 
Published: February 2020

ABSTRACTObjective:Health-related quality of life (HQL) among older adults is often neglected and underprioritized in developing countries and is further burdened during natural disasters, such as earthquakes. The main objective of this study was to explore the factors affecting HQL among older adults living in Lalitpur District of Nepal.Methods:A total of 362 older adults participated in this study. Questionnaires were used to interview the respondents on various aspects, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, functional ability, and social support. An analysis was made to explore the factors affecting HQL.Results:HQL scores ranged between 3.13 and 90.63. A majority of the respondents (215/362; 59.4%) scored ≤ 50, indicating poorer HQL. The multivariate analysis found the impact of the following factors on HQL: functional status (β = 0.295; P < 0.001), PTSD (β = −0.225; P < 0.001), chronic disease (β = −0.168; P < 0.001), social support (β = 0.120; P = 0.019), injury (β = −0.104; P = 0.024), age (β = −0.116; P < 0.001), and accessibility to resources.Conclusion:Poor HQL of older adults was dependent on various factors. The disaster preparedness program in Nepal needs urgent attention to address the concerns of older adults by incorporating the findings from this study.
Tobacco smoking as a risk factor for tuberculous pleural effusion: a case-control study
Authors: Tewatia Pavit , Kaushik Rajeev Mohan , Kaushik Reshma , Kumar Sanjeev 
Published: February 2020

Abstract
This study assessed the tobacco smoking-associated risk for tuberculous pleural effusion (TPE) in India. Ninety-two patients with TPE and 184 controls were randomly selected and assessed regarding their tobacco-smoking status and type, quantity and duration of tobacco used. Odds ratios (ORs) for the association of smoking cigarette, beedi and cigarette or beedi with TPE were 19.22 (p < 0.0001), 2.89 (p = 0.0006) and 4.57 (p < 0.0001) respectively. ORs for developing TPE increased with an increase in beedi/cigarette consumption, duration and pack years of smoking (p < 0.001 each). TPE was significantly associated with confounding risk factors viz., regular alcohol use (OR = 1.89, p = 0.019), history of contact with tuberculosis (TB) patient (OR = 8.07, p < 0.0001), past history of TB (OR = 22.31, p < 0.0001), family history of TB (OR = 9.05, p = 0.0002) and underweight (OR = 3.73, p = 0.0009). Smoking (OR = 3.07, p < 0.001), regular alcohol use (OR = 2.10, p = 0.018), history of contact with TB patient (OR = 4.01, p = 0.040), family history of TB (OR = 10.80, p = 0.001) and underweight (OR = 5.04, p < 0.001) were independently associated with TPE. Thus, both cigarette- and beedi-smoking have a significant association with TPE. The risk for TPE in tobacco smokers is dose- and duration-dependent.
Do Excess Control Rights Benefit Creditors? Evidence from Dual-Class Firms
Authors: Xu Ting 
Published: February 2020

AbstractExcess control rights by inside shareholders have been documented to hurt minority shareholders. This paper shows that such governance feature may benefit creditors. Using a sample of U.S. dual-class firms, I show that these firms take less operational and financial risk than similar single-class firms, consistent with insiders’ emphasis on long-term survival to access ongoing private control benefits. Such risk avoidance translates into lower borrowing costs for dual-class firms. Further, lenders are able to use specific covenants to prevent potential expropriations by insiders. The overall relationship between excess control rights and firm value may be less negative than previously thought.
Updated ranges of the Vulnerable cheetah and Endangered African wild dog in Angola
Authors: Monterroso Pedro , Rocha Filipe , van Wyk Stefan , António Telmo , Chicomo Milcíades , Kosmas Selma , Lages Fernanda , Fabiano Ezequiel , Godinho Raquel 
Published: February 2020

AbstractThe civil unrest that ravaged Angola for nearly 30 years took a heavy toll on the country's wildlife, and led to a lengthy absence of reliable information for many threatened species, including the cheetah Acinonyx jubatus and African wild dog Lycaon pictus. Using camera trapping we assessed the status of these two species in two areas of southern Angola, and complemented our findings by reviewing recent survey reports and observations to provide an update on the species' status. We found unequivocal evidence that African wild dogs are resident and reproducing in Bicuar National Park, where cheetahs appear to be absent. Conversely, cheetahs may be resident in western Cuando Cubango province, where African wild dogs may only be transient. Based on these and other recent records in Angola, we recommend a revision of these species' distribution ranges and note the need for monitoring of these remnant populations and for appropriate attention to any threats.
Production and characterization of monoclonal antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii ROP18 with strain-specific reactivity
Authors: Zhang Famin , Su Rui , Han Chengjian , Wang Yang , Li Jingyang , Zhu Jinjin , Luo Qingli , Chen Lingzhi , Zhang Junling , Ding Xiaojuan , Du Jian , Chu Deyong , Cai Yihong , Shen Jilong , Yu Li 
Published: February 2020

AbstractThe rhoptry kinase 18 of Toxoplasma gondii (TgROP18) has been identified as a key virulence factor that allows the parasite to escape from host immune defences and promotes its proliferation in host cells. Although much research is focused on the interaction between host cells and TgROP18, the development of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against TgROP18 has not been reported till date. To produce mAbs targeting TgROP18, two hybridomas secreting mAbs against TgROP18, designated as A1 and T2, were generated using cell fusion technology. The subtypes of the A1 and T2 mAbs were identified as IgG3 λ and IgM κ, and peptide scanning revealed that the core sequences of the antigenic epitopes were 180LRAQRRRSELVFE192 and 351NYFLLMMRAEADM363, respectively. The T2 mAb specifically reacted with both T. gondii type I and Chinese I, but not with T. gondii type II, Plasmodium falciparum or Schistosoma japonicum. Finally, the sequences of heavy chain and light chain complementarity-determining regions of T2 were amplified, cloned and characterized, making the modification of the mAb feasible in the future. The development of mAbs against TgROP18 would aid the investigation of the molecular mechanisms underlying the modulation of host cellular functions by TgROP18, and in the development of strategies to diagnose and treat Toxoplasmosis.
Ascarids exposed: a method for in vitro drug exposure and gene expression analysis of anthelmintic naïve Parascaris spp
Authors: Scare J. A. , Dini P. , Norris J. K. , Steuer A. E. , Scoggin K. , Gravatte H. S. , Howe D. K. , Slusarewicz P. , Nielsen M. K. 
Published: February 2020

AbstractAscarid parasites infect a variety of hosts and regular anthelmintic treatment is recommended for all species. Parascaris spp. is the only ascarid species with widespread anthelmintic resistance, which allows for the study of resistance mechanisms. The purpose of this study was to establish an in vitro drug exposure protocol for adult anthelmintic-naïve Parascaris spp. and report a preliminary transcriptomic analysis in response to drug exposure. Live worms were harvested from foal necropsies and maintained in RPMI-1640 at 37 °C. Serial dilutions of oxibendazole (OBZ) and ivermectin (IVM) were prepared for in vitro drug exposure, and worm viability was monitored over time. In a second drug trial, worms were used for transcriptomic analysis. The final drug concentrations employed were OBZ at 40.1 μm (10 μg mL−1) and IVM at 1.1 μm (1 μg mL−1) for 24 and 3 h, respectively. The RNA-seq analysis revealed numerous differentially expressed genes, with some being potentially related to drug detoxification and regulatory mechanisms. This report provides a method for in vitro drug exposure and the phenotypic responses for Parascaris spp., which could be extrapolated to other ascarid parasites. Finally, it also provides preliminary transcriptomic data following drug exposure as a reference point for future studies of Parascaris spp.
The Scope of Possibilities for User Influence in Norwegian Municipal Care Services
Authors: ANDERSEN JAN 
Published: February 2020

AbstractThe importance of service-user participation has been growing in the care services, but what possibilities do service users have to influence these services? This article analyses how structural factors have an impact on the scope of possibilities for user influence in care services, especially with respect to how established structures and frameworks determine users’ opportunities to influence both the allocation and the provision of services. A study of five Norwegian municipalities where managers at different levels and within different areas of the services have been interviewed forms the basis of the empirical material. In the managers’ general opinion, over time there has been a stronger individual adjustment of the services and stronger user influence over both the allocation and the provision of services. However, if we look more closely at the service-delivery process, several structural factors limiting the scope of possibilities for user influence become apparent. These factors are discussed in light of different user typologies.
Enacting policies in digital health: a case for smart legal contracts and distributed ledgers?
Authors: Milosevic Zoran 
Published: February 2020

Abstract
This paper presents an approach for the enactment of policies in digital health based on our earlier work on the implementation of digital contracts in distributed systems. A formal policy model and an abstract policy language for the expression of healthcare policies are first proposed, leveraging the semantics of the ISO Reference Model for Open Distributed Processing enterprise language standard. Healthcare consent policies included in the HL7 Fast Health Interoperability Resource (FHIR®) standard are used to illustrate the modelling approach. Several distributed ledger and smart legal contract options were considered next as target platforms for implementation. Their benefits are highlighted along with considerations on their use reflecting business concerns of risk, trust and cost.