bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Understanding failures in getting it up: The prevalence and predictors of failed ureteral access in ureteroscopy
Authors: Lavoie Callum A. , Levine Max , Schuler Trevor D. , Wollin Timothy A. , De Shubha 
Published: August 2020

Introduction
Failed Access ureteroscopy (FA) describes the inability to gain adequate access to a stone to allow for treatment. The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of, and factors predicting FA in patients presenting with renal and ureteral stones.
Methods:
We performed a retrospective review of all uretersocopies for ureteral stones performed by three endourologists over a six month period. All patients who underwent URS for the purpose of stone treatment were included. Patients were excluded if they underwent ureteroscopy for non-stone diagnosis or treatment. FA was investigated in relation to demographics, medical history, stone specific characteristics, procedure specific characteristics etc. Statistical analysis consisted of descriptive statistics as well as chi-square and t-test analysis using SPSS statistical software version 23.0.
Results:
188 cases were reviewed, with 8% of patients experiencing FA. Patient age, gender, BMI, ASA score, emergency cases, previous stone treatment, use of CT imaging, presence of hydronephrosis, and surgeon did not differ significantly between FA and successful access (SA) groups. Stone size (9.88±5.8 vs 8.76±4.3mm; p=0.361) was also not significantly different. However, a significant difference was noted in time from first diagnosis to ureteroscopy (128 vs 65 days; p=0.044) and in stone location 62.5% vs 22.0% proximal ureter; p=0.043; OR=4.77 (1.05-21.64)
Conclusions:
Proximal ureteric stones were more likely to result in failed access ureteroscopy, and FA procedures were more likely to be preceded by extended time from first diagnosis to ureteroscopy. Further investigation is necessary, and all endourology centres should track their own personal outcome data in order to allow for more meaningful analysis to be performed to improve patient outcomes.
Treatment outcome and predictors of poor clinical response in extensively drug-resistant gram-negative urinary tract infection among children: A single-institution experience
Authors: Batalla-Bocaling Carren Anne P. , Tanseco Patrick Vincent P. , Chua Michael E. , Paje-Villar Estrella B. 
Published: August 2020

Introduction: Extensively drug-resistant (XDR) is defined as isolates sensitive only to two or fewer antimicrobial categories. This paper aims to present the treatment outcome and identify factors associated with poor clinical response among children with XDR gram-negative urinary tract infection (UTI).
Methods: This is a retrospective cohort conducted at a tertiary pediatric hospital from January 2014 to June 2017. All patients diagnosed with culture-proven XDR gram-negative UTI were identified and analyzed. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize demographic and clinical characteristics. Patients were categorized according to treatment outcomes: success vs. failure. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression were used to assess statistical differences between the groups and determined patient variables that are predictive of poor response. Odds ratio (OR) and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) were generated.
Results: A total of 29 (19.2%) XDR gram-negative pediatric UTIs were identified within the 42-month study period. No significant differences were noted in demographic characteristics between the groups. Treatment outcome of XDR gram-negative UTI patients showed that combination therapy with colistin had the highest success rate (40.9%) followed by non-colistin (36.4%) and combination therapy without colistin (22.7%). However, univariate analysis showed no significant difference among the different treatment groups (p=0.65). On multivariate logistic regression, receiving immunosuppressant and the presence of indwelling urinary catheters were independent predictors of poor clinical response among pediatric patients with XDR gram-negative UTI (OR 19.44; 95% CI 1.50–251.4; p=0.023 and OR 20.78; 95% CI 1.16–371.28; p=0.039; respectively).
Conclusions: The treatment success rate of XDR gram-negative pediatric UTI ranged from 22.7–36.4%. This finding emphasizes the need to advocate antibiotic stewardship to prevent further increase in XDR UTIs. Indwelling urinary catheters and receipt of immunosuppressants are associated with poor clinical outcome.
Experimental and Mathematical Model for the Antimalarial Activity of Methanolic Root Extract of Azadirachta indica (Dongoyaro) in Mice Infected with Plasmodium berghei NK65
Authors: Olaniyi Adeniyi Michael , Oshiobugie Momoh Johnson , Raphael Aderele Oluwaseun 
Published: August 2020

The study determines the experimental and mathematical model for the anti-plasmodial activity of methanolic root extract of Azadirachta indica in Swiss mice infected with Plasmodium berghei NK65. Phytochemical analyses, antimalarial activity of the methanolic root extract of A. indica was determined in mice infected with Plasmodium berghei NK65 using standard procedure. Liver biomarker enzymes were also determined. The model P. berghei induced free and P. berghei infected equilibrium were determined. The stability of the model equilibrium points was rigorously analyzed. The phytochemicals present in the extract include: alkaloid, flavonoid, saponin and phenolic compounds etc. The experimental study consists of five groups of five mice each per group. Group A, B, C, D and E were healthy, infected without treatment, infected mice treated with fansidar (10 mg/kg), chloroquine (10 mg/kg) and 250 mg/kg body weight of A. indica methanolic root extract respectively. The extract showed anti-plasmodial activity of 73.96%. The result was significant when compared with group B mice, though it was lower than that exhibited by fansidar (88.91%) and chloroquine (92.18%) for suppressive test. There were significant decrease (P<0.05) in plasma AST and ALT levels in the treated infected mice compared to the infected untreated mice. The results of the model showed that the P.berghei induced free equilibrium is locally and globally asymptotically stable at threshold parameter, less than unity and unstable when is greater than unity. Numerical simulations were carried out to validate the analytic results which are in agreement with the experimental analysis of this work.
Reliability and accuracy of EEG interpretation for estimating age in preterm infants
Authors: Stevenson Nathan J. , Tataranno Maria‐Luisa , Kaminska Anna , Pavlidis Elena , Clancy Robert R. , Griesmaier Elke , Roberts James A. , Klebermass‐Schrehof Katrin , Vanhatalo Sampsa 
Published: August 2020

AbstractObjectivesTo determine the accuracy of, and agreement among, EEG and aEEG readers’ estimation of maturity and a novel computational measure of functional brain age (FBA) in preterm infants.MethodsSeven experts estimated the postmenstrual ages (PMA) in a cohort of recordings from preterm infants using cloud‐based review software. The FBA was calculated using a machine learning‐based algorithm. Error analysis was used to determine the accuracy of PMA assessments and intraclass correlation (ICC) was used to assess agreement between experts.ResultsEEG recordings from a PMA range 25 to 38 weeks were successfully interpreted. In 179 recordings from 62 infants interpreted by all human readers, there was moderate agreement between experts (aEEG ICC = 0.724; 95%CI:0.658–0.781 and EEG ICC = 0.517; 95%CI:0.311–0.664). In 149 recordings from 61 infants interpreted by all human readers and the FBA algorithm, random and systematic errors in visual interpretation of PMA were significantly higher than the computational FBA estimate. Tracking of maturation in individual infants showed stable FBA trajectories, but the trajectories of the experts’ PMA estimate were more likely to be obscured by random errors. The accuracy of visual interpretation of PMA estimation was compromised by neurodevelopmental outcome for both aEEG and EEG review.InterpretationVisual assessment of infant maturity is possible from the EEG or aEEG, with an average of human experts providing the highest accuracy. Tracking PMA of individual infants was hampered by errors in experts’ estimates. FBA provided the most accurate maturity assessment and has potential as a biomarker of early outcome.
In Situ Deprotection of Polymeric Binders for Solution‐Processible Sulfide‐Based All‐Solid‐State Batteries
Authors: Lee Jieun , Lee Kyulin , Lee Taegeun , Kim Hyuntae , Kim Kyungsu , Cho Woosuk , Coskun Ali , Char Kookheon , Choi Jang Wook 
Published: August 2020

AbstractSulfide‐based all‐solid‐state batteries (ASSBs) have been featured as promising alternatives to the current lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) mainly owing to their superior safety. Nevertheless, a solution‐based scalable manufacturing scheme has not yet been established because of the incompatible polarity of the binder, solvent, and sulfide electrolyte during slurry preparation. This dilemma is overcome by subjecting the acrylate (co)polymeric binders to protection−deprotection chemistry. Protection by the tert‐butyl group allows for homogeneous dispersion of the binder in the slurry based on a relatively less polar solvent, with subsequent heat‐treatment during the drying process to cleave the tert‐butyl group. This exposes the polar carboxylic acid groups, which are then able to engage in hydrogen bonding with the active cathode material, high‐nickel layered oxide. Deprotection strengthens the electrode adhesion such that the strength equals that of commercial LIB electrodes, and the key electrochemical performance parameters are improved markedly in both half‐cell and full‐cell settings. The present study highlights the potential of sulfide‐based ASSBs for scalable manufacturing and also provides insights that protection−deprotection chemistry can generally be used for various battery cells that suffer from polarity incompatibility among multiple electrode components.
Enamel thickness variation in the deciduous dentition of extant large‐bodied hominoids
Authors: Ortiz Alejandra , Schander‐Triplett Katherine , Bailey Shara E. , Skinner Matthew M. , Hublin Jean‐Jacques , Schwartz Gary T. 
Published: August 2020

AbstractObjectivesEnamel thickness features prominently in hominoid evolutionary studies. To date, however, studies of enamel thickness in humans, great apes, and their fossil relatives have focused on the permanent molar row. Comparatively little research effort has been devoted to tissue proportions within deciduous teeth. Here we attempt to fill this gap by documenting enamel thickness variation in the deciduous dentition of extant large‐bodied hominoids.Materials and methodsWe used microcomputed tomography to image dental tissues in 80 maxillary and 78 mandibular deciduous premolars of Homo sapiens, Pan troglodytes, Gorilla, and Pongo. Two‐dimensional virtual sections were created from the image volumes to quantify average (AET) and relative (RET) enamel thickness, as well as its distribution across the crown.ResultsOur results reveal no significant differences in enamel thickness among the great apes. Unlike the pattern present in permanent molars, Pongo does not stand out as having relatively thicker‐enameled deciduous premolars than P. troglodytes and Gorilla. Humans, on the other hand, possess significantly thicker deciduous premolar enamel in comparison to great apes. Following expectations from masticatory biomechanics, we also find that the “functional” side (protocone, protoconid) of deciduous premolars generally possesses thicker enamel than the “nonfunctional” side.DiscussionOur study lends empirical support to anecdotal observations that patterns of AET and RET observed for permanent molars of large‐bodied apes do not apply to deciduous premolars. By documenting enamel thickness variation in hominoid deciduous teeth, this study provides the comparative context to interpret rates and patterns of wear of deciduous teeth and their utility in life history reconstructions.
Fluorination Enhances NIR‐II Fluorescence of Polymer Dots for Quantitative Brain Tumor Imaging
Authors: Liu Ye , Liu Jinfeng , Chen Dandan , Wang Xiaosha , Zhang Zhe , Yang Yicheng , Jiang Lihui , Qi Weizhi , Ye Ziyuan , He Shuqing , Liu Quanying , Xi Lei , Zou Yingping , Wu Changfeng 
Published: August 2020

AbstractHere, we describe a fluorination strategy for semiconducting polymers for the development of highly bright second near‐infrared region (NIR‐II) probes. Tetrafluorination yielded a fluorescence QY of 3.2 % for the polymer dots (Pdots), over a 3‐fold enhancement compared to non‐fluorinated counterparts. The fluorescence enhancement was attributable to a nanoscale fluorous effect in the Pdots that maintained the molecular planarity and minimized the structure distortion between the excited state and ground state, thus reducing the nonradiative relaxations. By performing through‐skull and through‐scalp imaging of the brain vasculature of live mice, we quantitatively analyzed the vascular morphology of transgenic brain tumors in terms of the vessel lengths, vessel branches, and vessel symmetry, which showed statistically significant differences from the wild type animals. The bright NIR‐II Pdots obtained through fluorination chemistry provide insightful information for precise diagnosis of the malignancy of the brain tumor.
O‐Isocyanates as Uncharged 1,3‐Dipole Equivalents in [3+2] Cycloadditions
Authors: Allen Meredith A. , Ivanovich Ryan A. , Beauchemin André M. 
Published: August 2020

Abstract1,3‐Dipoles are commonly used in [3+2] cycloadditions, whereas isoelectronic uncharged dipole variants remain underdeveloped. In contrast to conventional 1,3‐dipoles, uncharged dipole equivalents form zwitterionic cycloadducts, which can be exploited to build further molecular complexity. In this work, the first cycloadditions of oxygen‐substituted isocyanates (O‐isocyanates) were studied experimentally and by DFT calculations. This unique cycloaddition strategy provides access to a novel class of heterocycle aza‐oxonium ylides through intramolecular and intermolecular cycloadditions with alkenes. This allowed a systematic study of the reactivity of the transient aza‐oxonium ylide intermediate, which can undergo N−O bond cleavage followed by nitrene C−H insertion, and the formation of β‐lactams or isoxazolidinones upon varying the structure of the alkene or O‐isocyanate reagents.
Metal–Sulfur Linkages Achieved by Organic Tethering of Ruthenium Nanocrystals for Enhanced Electrochemical Nitrogen Reduction
Authors: Ahmed Muhammad Ibrar , Liu Chuangwei , Zhao Yong , Ren Wenhao , Chen Xianjue , Chen Sheng , Zhao Chuan 
Published: August 2020

AbstractInspired by the metal–sulfur (M‐S) linkages in the nitrogenase enzyme, here we show a surface modification strategy to modulate the electronic structure and improve the N2 availability on a catalytic surface, which suppresses the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and improves the rate of NH3 production. Ruthenium nanocrystals anchored on reduced graphene oxide (Ru/rGO) are modified with different aliphatic thiols to achieve M‐S linkages. A high faradaic efficiency (11 %) with an improved NH3 yield (50 μg h−1 mg−1) is achieved at −0.1 V vs. RHE in acidic conditions by using dodecanethiol. DFT calculations reveal intermediate N2 adsorption and desorption of the product is achieved by electronic structure modification along with the suppression of the HER by surface modification. The modified catalyst shows excellent stability and recyclability for NH3 production, as confirmed by rigorous control experiments including 15N isotope labeling experiments.
High‐performance desalination of high‐salinity reverse osmosis brine by direct contact membrane distillation using superhydrophobic membranes
Authors: Xu Yuanlu , Yang Yi , Sun Menghan , Fan Xinfei , Song Chengwen , Tao Ping , Shao Mihua 
Published: August 2020

AbstractIn this study, the direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) with a superhydrophobic membrane (SM‐DCMD) herein was designed and applied to desalinate RO brine, showing excellent performance in desalinating high salinity. The superhydrophobic membrane with good resistance to pore wetting and fouling was prepared by coating silica nanospheres onto a porous glass fiber substrate and subsequent fluorination. It maintained a stable flux (31.27 LMH at feed temperate of 80°C) and outstanding salt rejection (~100%) even in the presence of natural organic matter (NOM, a typical organic foulant) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS, a typical wetting agent with low surface tension). During handling practical reverse osmosis brine, such SM‐DCMD system presented excellent performances in terms of a stable flux of 23.70 LMH and salt rejection efficiency of >99% over 24 h continuous operations. The relevant COD and color removal efficiency kept a constant value of 100%. These overall findings indicate that the SM‐DCMD is a hopeful candidate for desalinating practical RO brine with high performance.
Fatigue behavior and relation between fatigue resistance and tensile properties of poly(para‐phenylene‐co‐3,4'‐oxydiphenylene terephthalamide) fiber
Authors: Yagi Suguru , Kobayashi Haruki 
Published: August 2020

AbstractThe poly(para‐phenylene‐co‐3,4′‐oxydiphenylene terephthalamide) (PPODTA) fiber is one of the high strength organic fibers, and it has been reported that the PPODTA fiber has superior fatigue resistance. The high strength fibers are used in the applications to utilize their high mechanical properties in general. Therefore, the long‐term durability of these fibers is also required. In this study, the fatigue tests were conducted for the PPODTA fibers. As a result, it was found that the PPODTA fibers were able to be fractured by the cyclic tensile stress, and the fatigue behavior was influenced by the stress conditions. In addition, the single fiber tensile tests were also conducted for the PPODTA fibers, and the relation between the tensile properties and the fatigue resistance of the PPODTA fiber was investigated. The fatigue resistance of the PPODTA fiber was increased with the decrease of the fiber diameter and the increase of the tensile modulus.
Fuzzy‐HMM modeling for emotion detection using electrocardiogram signals
Authors: Pan Shing‐Tai , Li Wei‐Ching 
Published: August 2020

AbstractIn this paper, a Fuzzy Hidden Markov Model (FHMM) for electrocardiogram (ECG)‐based emotion recognition is proposed. The FHMM model is modeled using the fuzzy membership of each class of feature vectors to compute the elements of the matric in the model. Each element in the matric is determined by the two nearest classes of feature vectors with fuzzy classification to avoid the winner‐takes‐all situation that usually happens in tradition discrete Hidden Markov Models (HMM) and that reduces the accuracy of the modeling results. The FHMM modeling proposed in this paper can improve the precision of traditional discrete HMM modeling. Also, the features for emotion recognition, which are selected according to those used in prior research, are calculated from ECG signals. The selected features form a feature vector and these are calculated for all ECG signals. Some feature vectors are used to train the FHMM model and the remaining are used for testing. Experimental results show that the proposed FHMM model can achieve impressive improvements on the three indices, sensitivities (Se%), positive predictive value (PPV%), and total classification accuracy (TCA%), compared to traditional HMM. Moreover, compared to some existing studies, the recognition rates of the proposed method are higher. These results verify the efficiency of the proposed method for emotion recognition from ECG signals.
Developmental–behavioral profiles in children with autism spectrum disorder and co‐occurring gastrointestinal symptoms
Authors: Restrepo Bibiana , Angkustsiri Kathleen , Taylor Sandra L. , Rogers Sally J. , Cabral Jacqueline , Heath Brianna , Hechtman Alexa , Solomon Marjorie , Ashwood Paul , Amaral David G. , Nordahl Christine Wu 
Published: August 2020

Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are frequently reported in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We evaluated the frequency and severity of GI symptoms in preschool‐aged children with ASD compared to participants with typical development (TD). Our goal was to ascertain whether GI symptoms are associated with differences in sex or developmental and behavioral measures. Participants were between 2 and 3.5 years of age and included 255 children with ASD (184 males/71 females) and 129 age‐matched TD controls (75 males/54 females). A parent interview was used to assess GI symptoms (abdominal pain, gaseousness/bloating, diarrhea, constipation, pain on stooling, vomiting, difficulty swallowing, blood in stool or in vomit). Children with GI symptoms in each diagnostic group were compared to children without GI symptoms on measures of developmental, behavioral, and adaptive functioning. GI symptoms were reported more frequently in children with ASD compared to the TD group (47.8% vs. 17.8%, respectively). Children with ASD were also more likely to experience multiple GI symptoms (30.6% vs. 5.4%). GI symptoms were equally common in males and females across both diagnostic groups. There were no statistically significant differences in developmental or adaptive measures based on presence of GI symptoms in either ASD or TD children. Co‐occurring GI symptoms were, however, associated with increased self‐injurious behaviors, restricted stereotyped behaviors, aggressive behaviors, sleep problems and attention problems in both ASD and TD children. In children with ASD, a higher number of GI symptoms was associated with an increase in self‐injurious behaviors, somatic complaints, reduced sleep duration, and increased parasomnias.Lay SummaryASD is characterized by challenges in social communication and repetitive behaviors. But, people with autism have many other difficulties including gastrointestinal problems. Children with ASD were three times more likely to experience GI symptoms than typically developing peers. Increased GI symptoms are associated with increased problem behaviors such as sleep problems, self‐injury, and body aches. Since GI symptoms are often treatable, it is important to recognize them as soon as possible. Both clinicians and parents should become more aware of the high occurrence of GI problems in autistic people. Autism Res 2020, 13: 1778–1789. © 2020 International Society for Autism Research and Wiley Periodicals LLC
Chili und der Capsaicinrezeptor TRPV1
Authors: Thiel Gerald , Backes Tobias Maximilian , Rössler Oliver G. 
Published: August 2020

ZusammenfassungSeit hunderten von Jahren essen die Menschen scharfe Chilischoten, obwohl diese das Toxin Capsaicin enthalten. Diese Substanz bindet und aktiviert den TRPV1‐Kationenkanal, der vor allem in sensorischen Nervenzellen exprimiert wird. Zusätzlich wird der TRPV1‐Kanal durch Hitze, Protonen und verschiedene Toxine von Tieren aktiviert. Er dient daher als ein polymodaler Nozisensor für unterschiedliche schädliche Reize. Dafür wandelt er schädliche chemische oder thermische Stimuli in Nervenimpulse um. Die Blockade des TRPV1‐Kanals kann daher die Schmerzwahrnehmung vermindern bzw. unterbinden. Die Überaktivierung des TRPV1‐Kanals kann das schmerzdetektierende System für eine Zeitlang unterbrechen bzw. bei höherer Konzentration des TRPV1‐Aktivators die sensorischen Nervenzellen zerstören. Eine überzeugende Erklärung für die Vorliebe vieler Menschen für scharfe Soßen gibt es bisher nicht.