bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Role of the weight-bearing cone-beam CT in evaluation of flatfoot deformity
Authors: Pilania Khushboo , Jankharia Bhavin , Monoot Pradeep 
Published: January 2020

AbstractIntroduction: Till date, weight-bearing radiographs have been the cornerstone for planning surgeries on flatfoot. The technique, however, has limitations due to the superimposition of the bones and the lack of reproducibility. Weight-bearing CT with its unique design overcomes these limitations and enables cross-sectional imaging of the foot to be done in the natural weight-bearing position. In this paper, we report our initial experience in weight-bearing cross-sectional imaging of the foot for assessment of flatfoot deformity. Materials and Methods: Around 19 known cases of flatfoot were scanned on the weight-bearing CT. Each foot was then assessed for the various angles and also for the presence/absence of extra-articular talocalcaneal impingement and subfibular impingement. Other associated abnormalities like secondary osteoarthritic changes, were also noted. Results: The Meary, as well as the calcaneal angles, were abnormal, in all but one separate foot. Forefoot abduction was seen in 7 of the 19 feet. The hind foot valgus angle was greater than 10° in all patients. Extra-articular talocalcaneal impingement was seen in 13 of 19 feet. Secondary osteoarthritic changes were seen in 14 feet. Conclusion: Weight-bearing CT scan is a very useful technique for evaluation of flatfoot and associated complications. It overcomes the limitations of the radiographs by providing multiplanar three-dimensional assessment of the foot in the natural weight-bearing position and at the same time being easily reproducible and consistent for the measurements around the foot. The definite advantage over the conventional cross-sectional scanners is the weight-bearing capability.
Evaluation of cerebral microstructural changes in adult patients with obstructive sleep apnea by MR diffusion kurtosis imaging using a whole-brain atlas
Authors: Vyas Sameer , Singh Paramjeet , Khandelwal Niranjan , Govind Varan , Aggarwal Ashutosh , Nath Mohanty Manju 
Published: January 2020

Abstract
Purpose: The association between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and cognitive impairment is well-recognized, but little is known about neural derangements that underlie this phenomenon. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) using a whole-brain atlas to comprehensively assess microstructural tissue changes in the brain of patients with OSA. Methods: This prospective study was conducted in 20 patients with moderate-to-severe OSA and 20 age- and gender-matched controls. MRI data acquisition was performed with 3 Tesla and data was analyzed using a whole-brain atlas. DKI data were processed and transformed into a brain template space to obtain various kurtosis parameters including axial kurtosis (AK), radial kurtosis (RK), mean kurtosis (MK), and kurtosis fractional anisotropy (KFA) using a 189-region brain atlas in the same template space. These kurtosis measurements were further analyzed using a student t-test in order to determine kurtosis measurements that present significant differences between the OSA patient set and the control set. Results: Significant differences (P < 0.05) were found in AK (54 regions), RK (10 regions), MK (6 regions) and KFA (41 regions) values in patients with OSA as compared to controls. DKI indices, using an atlas-based whole-brain analysis approach used in our study, showed widespread involvement of the anatomical regions in patients with OSA. Conclusion: The kurtosis parameters are more sensitive in demonstrating abnormalities in brain tissue structural organization at the microstructural level before any detectable changes appear in conventional MRI or other imaging modalities.
Large contributions of biogenic and anthropogenic sources to fine organic aerosols in Tianjin, North China
Authors: Fan Yanbing , Liu Cong-Qiang , Li Linjie , Ren Lujie , Ren Hong , Zhang Zhimin , Li Qinkai , Wang Shuang , Hu Wei , Deng Junjun , Wu Libin , Zhong Shujun , Zhao Yue , Pavuluri Chandra Mouli , Li Xiaodong , Pan Xiaole , Sun Yele , Wang Zifa , Kawamura Kimitaka , Shi Zongbo , Fu Pingqing 
Published: January 2020

Abstract. In order to better understand the molecular composition
and sources of organic aerosols in Tianjin, a coastal megacity in North
China, ambient fine aerosol (PM2.5) samples were collected on a
day/night basis from November to December 2016 and from May to June 2017.
The organic molecular composition of PM2.5 components, including aliphatic lipids
(n-alkanes, fatty acids, and fatty alcohols), sugar compounds, and
photooxidation products from isoprene, monoterpene, β-caryophyllene,
naphthalene, and toluene, was analysed using gas chromatography–mass
spectrometry. Fatty acids, fatty alcohols, and saccharides were identified as
the most abundant organic compound classes among all of the tracers detected in
this study during both seasons. High concentrations of most organics at
night in winter may be attributed to intensive residential activities such
as house heating as well as the low nocturnal boundary layer height. Based on tracer
methods, the contributions of the sum of primary and secondary organic
carbon (POC and SOC respectively) to aerosol organic carbon (OC) were 24.8 % (daytime)
and 27.6 % (night-time) in winter and 38.9 % (daytime) and 32.5 %
(night-time) in summer. In detail, POC derived from fungal spores, plant
debris, and biomass burning accounted for 2.78 %–31.6 % (12.4 %; please note that values displayed in parentheses in the following are average values) of OC during the daytime and 4.72 %–45.9 % (16.3 %) at night in winter, and
1.28 %–9.89 % (5.24 %) during the daytime and 2.08 %–47.2 % (10.6 %) at night in summer. Biomass-burning-derived OC was the predominant source of POC in this study,
especially at night (16.0±6.88 % in winter and 9.62±8.73 % in summer). Biogenic SOC from isoprene, α-∕β-pinene,
and β-caryophyllene exhibited obvious seasonal and diurnal patterns,
contributing 2.23±1.27 % (2.30±1.35 % during the daytime and
2.18±1.19 % at night) and 8.60±4.02 % (8.98±3.67 % and 8.21±4.39 %) to OC in winter and summer
respectively. Isoprene and α-∕β-pinene SOC were obviously
elevated in summer, especially during the daytime, mainly due to strong
photooxidation. Anthropogenic SOC from toluene and naphthalene oxidation
showed higher contributions to OC in summer (21.0±18.5 %) than in winter
(9.58±3.68 %). In summer, toluene SOC was the dominant contributor
to aerosol OC, and biomass burning OC also accounted for a high contribution to
OC, especially at night-time; this indicates that land/sea breezes also
play an important role in the aerosol chemistry of the coastal city of Tianjin
in North China.
Potential links between Baltic Sea submarine terraces and groundwater seeping
Authors: Jakobsson Martin , O'Regan Matt , Mörth Carl-Magnus , Stranne Christian , Weidner Elizabeth , Hansson Jim , Gyllencreutz Richard , Humborg Christoph , Elfwing Tina , Norkko Alf , Norkko Joanna , Nilsson Björn , Sjöström Arne 
Published: January 2020

Abstract. Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) influences ocean chemistry,
circulation, and the spreading of nutrients and pollutants; it also shapes sea floor
morphology. In the Baltic Sea, SGD was linked to the development of terraces
and semicircular depressions mapped in an area of the southern Stockholm
archipelago, Sweden, in the 1990s. We mapped additional parts of the
Stockholm archipelago, areas in Blekinge, southern Sweden, and southern
Finland using high-resolution multibeam sonars and sub-bottom profilers to
investigate if the sea floor morphological features discovered in the 1990s
are widespread and to further address the hypothesis linking their formation
to SGD. Sediment coring and sea floor photography conducted with a remotely
operated vehicle (ROV) and divers add additional information to the
geophysical mapping results. We find that terraces, with general bathymetric
expressions of about 1 m and lateral extents of sometimes >100 m, are widespread in the surveyed areas of the Baltic Sea and are consistently formed in glacial clay. Semicircular depressions, however, are only found in a limited part of a surveyed area east of the island of Askö, southern Stockholm archipelago. While submarine terraces can be produced by several processes, we interpret our results to be in support of the basic hypothesis of terrace formation initially proposed in the 1990s; i.e. groundwater flows through siltier, more permeable layers in glacial clay to discharge at the sea floor, leading to the formation of a sharp terrace when the clay layers above seepage zones are undermined enough to collapse. By linking the terraces to a specific geologic setting, our study further refines the formation hypothesis and thereby forms the foundation for a future assessment of SGD in the Baltic Sea that may use marine geological mapping as a starting point. We propose that SGD through the submarine sea floor terraces is plausible and could be intermittent and linked to periods of higher groundwater levels, implying that to quantify the contribution of freshwater to the Baltic Sea through this potential
mechanism, more complex hydrogeological studies are required.
Concordance Modeling With a Gold Standard for Variables From the Three-Parameter Gamma Distribution
Authors: Oliveira Márcio Paulo de , Uribe-Opazo Miguel Angel , Galea Manuel , Johann Jerry Adriani 
Published: January 2020

A way to compare two or more measurements for the same random variable can be achieved by using a negligible error reference measurement, which is called the gold standard, obtained by consolidated measurement methods. This paper presents a new methodology for comparing measurements in the presence of a gold standard with random variables from the multivariate three-parameter (shape, scale, and location) gamma distribution. The errors between gold standard measures and approximate measures have a gamma difference distribution with the same three parameters of the gamma distribution. The concordance measurements were obtained by mean of a coefficient, which measures the degree of agreement as a ratio between the variances of the gold standard and the errors. The developed methodology is illustrated with climatic data which is divided into four ranges. The measurements analyzed are rainfall forecasts of the following four national centers: Canadian Meteorological Center (CMC), European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), and Center for Weather Forecasting and Climate Studies (CPTEC). The forecast range was 240 hours for the West mesoregion of Paraná – Brazil, and in the October 1–March 31 period of the 2010/2011 –2015/2016 harvest years. The period was selected because it is related to soybean crop development in the region and because several crop estimation models use rainfall forecast data in this period. The methodology applied spatially indicated the center to be selected in each geographical location according to each rainfall range interval. The gamma model fit well with the data and is an alternative to the normal one for modelling rainfall, in particular to estimate concordances between rainfall forecasts and the gold standard, which are used to improve the selection of rainfall forecast centers.
Die Stellung des überlebenden Ehegatten und das Pflichtteilsrecht in der slowenischen Rechtsordnung
Authors: Dugar Gregor 
Published: January 2020

Die Stellung des überlebenden Ehegatten und das Pflichtteilsrecht in der slowenischen Rechtsordnung
Der Beitrag befasst sich mit dem rechtlichen Status des überlebenden Ehepartners (nichtehelicher Partner, gleichgeschlechtlicher Partner) und der Pflichterbfolge in Slowenien. Bei einer gesetzlichen Erbfolge erbt der überlebende Ehegatte zusammen mit den Leibeserben des Verstorbenen in der ersten Erbfolgeordnung; wenn der Verstorbene jedoch keine Leibeserben hatte, erbt der Ehegatte zusammen mit den Eltern des Verstorbenen in der zweiten Erbfolgeordnung. Es ist nicht notwendig, dass der Anteil des Ehegatten fest ist, er kann jedoch unter bestimmten Umständen zugunsten anderer Erben erhöht oder herabgesetzt werden. Der Erblasser kann über sein Eigentum von Todes wegen auch so verfügen, indem er es seinem Ehegatten überlässt. Das Erbgesetz hat keine Sondervorschriften über die gewillkürte Erbfolge des Ehegatten, was bedeutet, dass für ihn allgemeine Vorschriften zur testamentarischen Verfügung gelten. Der Ehegatte kann jedoch nicht aufgrund eines Erbvertrags erben, da dieser nach slowenischem Erbrecht nicht zulässig ist. Wenn der Erblasser dem überlebenden Ehegatten im Testament nichts vermacht, hat der Ehegatte das Recht auf den Pflichtteil. In diesem Beitrag wird neben der Stellung des Ehegatten als Pflichterben auch die Regelung der Stellung anderer Pflichterben dargestellt.
Teenage Pregnancy: Prevalence, Pattern and Predisposing Factors in a Tertiary Hospital, Southern Nigeria
Authors: Onwubuariri Michael Ifeanyi , Kasso Terhemen 
Published: January 2020

Background: Any pregnancy occurring in a young woman who has not reached her 20th birthday is considered as a teenage pregnancy. Globally, approximately a tenth of all births are to women younger than 20 years old and more than 90% of such births occur in developing countries. Socioeconomic deprivation, low contraceptive usage and early marriage are common contributing factors.
Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence, pattern and predisposing factors to teenage pregnancy at University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
Methodology: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study of 198 cases of teenage pregnancies managed at University of Port-Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), from 1st January 2008 to 31st December 2015.
Results: The teenage pregnancy prevalence rate was 15 per 1,000 deliveries (1.5%). Low level of education (below secondary) was seen in 81.3% of the women. A socio-cultural factor like early marriage was noted in 56.1% of the women and only 26.8% of the teenage mothers had ever used any form of contraception.
Conclusion: The teenage pregnancy rate in Port-Harcourt showed a downward trend. Contraceptive awareness creation for teenagers, implementation of teenage-friendly policies, education of the girl child coupled with promotion of moral and sex education will further reduce the trend.
GNG12 regulates PD‐L1 expression by activating NF‐κB signaling in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
Authors: Li Juan , Jin Can , Zou Chuanxin , Qiao Xu , Ma Peng , Hu Di , Li Wenqin , Jin Jun , Jin Xin , Fan Ping 
Published: January 2020

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most aggressive solid tumors in the digestive system. A greater understanding of the pathogenesis of PDAC may facilitate the search for new therapeutic targets. Guanine nucleotide‐binding protein subunit gamma‐12 (GNG12) belongs to the G protein family and participates in the modulation of the inflammatory signaling cascade. However, the cancer‐related function and clinical relevance of GNG12 in PDAC have not previously been reported. Here, we investigated the clinical significance of GNG12 in PDAC using the Oncomine web tool, the gene expression profiling interactive analysis tool and tissue microarray (TMA). GNG12 expression was observed to be higher in PDAC patient specimens than in nontumor pancreatic tissues, and high expression of GNG12 was associated with poor prognosis. We subsequently show that GNG12 promotes pancreatic cancer cell growth in vivo and in vitro, as evaluated using 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐5‐(3‐carboxymethoxyphenyl)‐2‐(4‐sulfophenyl)‐2H‐tetrazolium, inner salt assays, colony formation assays and a xenograft mouse model. Furthermore, our results suggest that GNG12 activates nuclear factor‐κB signaling and modulates the immune response. Collectively, our findings suggest that GNG12 may be suitable as a new prognosis‐related biomarker and a promising target for treatment of pancreatic cancer.
Gradient Energy Alignment Engineering for Planar Perovskite Solar Cells with Efficiency Over 23%
Authors: Wang Pengyang , Li Renjie , Chen Bingbing , Hou Fuhua , Zhang Jie , Zhao Ying , Zhang Xiaodan 
Published: January 2020

AbstractAn electron‐transport layer (ETL) with appropriate energy alignment and enhanced charge transfer is critical for perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, interfacial energy level mismatch limits the electrical performance of PSCs, particularly the open‐circuit voltage (VOC). Herein, a simple low‐temperature‐processed In2O3/SnO2 bilayer ETL is developed and used for fabricating a new PSC device. The presence of In2O3 results in uniform, compact, and low‐trap‐density perovskite films. Moreover, the conduction band of In2O3 is shallower than that of Sn‐doped In2O3 (ITO), enhancing the charge transfer from perovskite to ETL, thus minimizing VOC loss at the perovskite and ETL interface. A planar PSC with a power conversion efficiency of 23.24% (certified efficiency of 22.54%) is obtained. A high VOC of 1.17 V is achieved with the potential loss at only 0.36 V. In contrast, devices based on single SnO2 layers achieve 21.42% efficiency with a VOC of 1.13 V. In addition, the new device maintains 97.5% initial efficiency after 80 d in N2 without encapsulation and retains 91% of its initial efficiency after 180 h under 1 sun continuous illumination. The results demonstrate and pave the way for the development of efficient photovoltaic devices.
White vitreous opacities in five patients with Gaucher disease type 3
Authors: Seehra Gurpreet K. , Eghbali Areian , Sidransky Ellen , FitzGibbon Edmond 
Published: January 2020

AbstractFundal abnormalities, including preretinal and retinal changes, are a rare finding in patients with the autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disorder Gaucher disease, most often described in patients with the chronic neuronopathic form (type 3). We evaluated whether these ophthalmological findings correlated with other manifestations of type 3 Gaucher disease. Reviewing the records of 40 patients with type 3 Gaucher disease, we identified five with white vitreous opacities and reviewed their clinical course in depth. Each of the patients described decreased visual acuity and “floaters” obstructing their vision. The development and/or progression of these fluffy‐appearing white opacities in each patient were tracked longitudinally in the context of their neurological and other clinical findings. It was noted that all five patients shared genotype p.L483P/p.L483P (L444P/L444P) and had significant neurological, oculomotor and bone involvement and two had undergone splenectomy. Enzyme replacement therapy with recombinant glucocerebrosidase did not prevent the development or progression of these ocular opacities. Since preretinal findings, in addition to other neuro‐ophthalmological findings, can be a feature of Gaucher disease, it is recommended that patients be monitored by regular eye examinations.
Characterization of the structure and diffusion behavior of calcium alginate gel beads
Authors: Hu Minghui , Zheng Guoshuang , Zhao Dewei , Yu Weiting 
Published: January 2020

ABSTRACTA simple and novel method using gel shrinkage to indirectly characterize the structure of calcium alginate gel (CAG) beads during the calcium alginate gelation process was presented in this study. The effect of preparation process parameters (gelling cations, bead diameter, and alginate M
w and concentration) on the structure of the CAG bead formation process was thoroughly investigated. It was found that (a) the concentration of the Na+ and Ca2+ ion in gel bath was found to be the determining factor in the gel structure formation process by regulating the dissociation of alginate and the complexation of the calcium; (b) Na+ acts as a competitor with calcium and a screen in the electrostatic repulsion; (c) the effect of beads size below 700 μm on the structure of CAG beads can be neglected; and (d) the sodium alginate concentration has no significant effect on the gel formation process. Furthermore, the diffusion of bovine serum albumin (BSA) was controlled by the density of CAG bead. Consequently, a faster diffusion rate of BSA within the looser structure of beads can be observed. These results are keys to understanding the behavior and performance of beads in their utilization medium. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020, 137, 48923.
Metabolic profiles of ribociclib in rat and human liver microsomes using liquid chromatography combined with electrospray ionization high‐resolution mass spectrometry
Authors: Liu Na , Liu Hongqiang , Zhang Wucheng , Yao Huijie 
Published: January 2020

AbstractRibociclib is a highly specific CDK4/6 inhibitor. Determination of the metabolism of ribociclib is required during the drug development stage. In this study, metabolic profiles of ribociclib were investigated using rat and human liver microsomes. Metabolites were structurally identified by liquid chromatography electrospray ionization high‐resolution mass spectrometry operated in positive‐ion mode. The metabolites were characterized by accurate masses, MS2 spectra and retention times. With rat and human liver microsomes, a total of 10 metabolites were detected and further identified. No human‐specific metabolites were detected. The metabolic pathways of ribociclib were oxygenation, demethylation and dealkylation. Most importantly, two glutathione (GSH) adducts were identified in human liver microsomes fortified with GSH. The formation of the GSH adducts was hypothesized to be through the oxidation of electron‐rich 1,4‐benzenediamine to a 1,4‐diiminoquinone intermediate, which is highly reactive and can be trapped by GSH to form stable metabolites. The current study provides an overview of the metabolic profiles of ribociclib in vitro, which will be of great help in understanding the efficacy and toxicity of this drug.
Preparative separation of liquiritigenin and glycyrrhetic acid from Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch using hydrolytic extraction combined with high‐speed countercurrent chromatography
Authors: Wang Hao , Shan Hu , Lü Haitao 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThe objective of this paper was to develop a preparative method for the isolation and purification of liquiritigenin and glycyrrhetic acid from Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch using hydrolytic extraction combined with high‐speed countercurrent chromatography (HSCCC). Liquiritigenin and glycyrrhetic acid were well hydrolyzed from liquiritin and glycyrrhizic acid by hydrochloric acid, respectively. The optimal extraction conditions were obtained by single‐factor and orthogonal experiments, which were 100% ethanol, 1.5 mol/L hydrochloric acid, 1:25 ratio of solid to liquid, and extracted 2 h for one time. Using the two‐phase solvent system of n‐hexane‐ethyl acetate‐methanol–water (4:5:4:5, v/v), 2.1 mg liquiritigenin (the purity was 96.5% with a recovery of 87.6%) and 12.3 mg glycyrrhetic acid (the purity was 97.1% with a recovery of 74.4%) were obtained from 315‐mg crude extraction by HSCCC. The retention ratio of stationary phase was 47.2%. Their structures were identified by HPLC, melting points, UV, Fourier‐transform infrared, Electrospray ionization‐MS, 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and 13C NMR spectra. According to the antioxidant activity assays, liquiritigenin and glycyrrhetic acid had some scavenging abilities on 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl free radicals; liquiritigenin had stronger scavenging ability on hydroxyl radicals.