bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Thirty-Day Outcomes of Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement for Degenerated Mitral Bioprostheses (Valve-in-Valve), Failed Surgical Rings (Valve-in-Ring), and Native Valve With Severe Mitral Annular Calcification (Valve-in-Mitral Annular Calcification) in the United States
Authors: Guerrero Mayra , Vemulapalli Sreekanth , Xiang Qun , Wang Dee Dee , Eleid Mackram , Cabalka Allison K. , Sandhu Gurpreet , Salinger Michael , Russell Hyde , Greenbaum Adam , Kodali Susheel , George Isaac , Dvir Danny , Whisenant Brian , Russo Mark J. , Pershad Ashish , Fang Kenith , Coylewright Megan , Shah Pinak , Babaliaros Vasilis , Khan Jaffar M. , Tommaso Carl , Saucedo Jorge , Kar Saibal , Makkar Rajj , Mack Michael , Holmes David , Leon Martin , Bapat Vinayak , Thourani Vinod H. , Rihal Charanjit , O’Neill William , Feldman Ted 
Published: March 2020

Background:
Transcatheter mitral valve replacement using aortic transcatheter heart valves has recently become an alternative for patients with degenerated mitral bioprostheses, failed surgical repairs with annuloplasty rings or severe mitral annular calcification who are poor surgical candidates. Outcomes of these procedures are collected in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons/American College of Cardiology/Transcatheter Valve Therapy Registry. A comprehensive analysis of mitral valve-in-valve (MViV), mitral valve-in-ring (MViR), and valve-in-mitral annular calcification (ViMAC) outcomes has not been performed. We sought to evaluate short-term outcomes of early experience with MViV, MViR, and ViMAC in the United States.

Methods:
Retrospective analysis of data from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons/American College of Cardiology Transcatheter Valve Therapy Registry.

Results:

Nine hundred three high-risk patients (median Society of Thoracic Surgeons score 10%) underwent MViV (n=680), MViR (n=123), or ViMAC (n=100) between March 2013 and June 2017 at 172 hospitals. Median age was 75 years, 59.2% female. Technical and procedural success were higher in MViV. Left ventricular outflow tract obstruction occurred more frequently with ViMAC (ViMAC=10%, MViR=4.9%, MViV=0.7%;
P
<0.001). In-hospital mortality (MViV=6.3%, MViR=9%, ViMAC=18%;
P
=0.004) and 30-day mortality (MViV=8.1%, MViR=11.5%, ViMAC=21.8%;
P
=0.003) were higher in ViMAC. At 30-day follow-up, median mean mitral valve gradient was 7 mm Hg, most patients (96.7%) had mitral regurgitation grade ≤1 (+) and were in New York Heart Association class I to II (81.7%).

Conclusions:
MViV using aortic balloon-expandable transcatheter heart valves is associated with a low complication rate, a 30-day mortality lower than predicted by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons score, and superior short-term outcomes than MViR and ViMAC. At 30 days, patients in all groups experienced improvement of symptoms, and valve performance remained stable.

Registration:

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
; Unique identifier: NCT02245763.
Practically Perfect Hindcasts of Severe Convective Storms
Authors: Gensini Vittorio A. , Haberlie Alex M. , Marsh Patrick T. 
Published: March 2020

AbstractThis study presents and examines a modern climatology of U.S. severe convective storm frequency using a kernel density estimate to showcase various aspects of climatological risk. Results are presented in the context of specified event probability thresholds that correspond to definitions used at the NOAA/NWS’s Storm Prediction Center following a practically perfect hindcast approach. Spatial climatologies presented herein are closely related to previous research. Spatiotemporal changes were examined by splitting the study period (1979–2018) into two 20-yr epochs and calculating deltas. Portions of the southern Great Plains and High Plains have seen a decrease in counts of tornado event threshold probability, whereas increases have been documented in the middle Mississippi River valley region. Large hail, and especially damaging convective wind gusts, have shown increases between the two periods over a majority of the CONUS. To temporally showcase local climatologies, event threshold days are shown for 12 select U.S. cities. Finally, data created and used in this study are available as an open-source repository for future research applications.
Numerical Computation of Instabilities and Internal Waves from In Situ Measurements via the Viscous Taylor–Goldstein Problem
Authors: Lian Qiang , Smyth William D. , Liu Zhiyu 
Published: March 2020

AbstractWe explore numerical methods for the stability analysis of stratified, parallel shear flows considering the effects of small-scale turbulence represented by eddy viscosity and diffusivity. The result is an extension of the classical Taylor–Goldstein problem applicable to oceanic and atmospheric flows. Solutions with imaginary frequency describe shear and convective instabilities, whereas those with real frequency represent internal gravity waves. Application to large observational datasets can involve considerable computation and therefore requires a compromise between speed and accuracy. We compare several numerical methods to identify optimal approaches to various problems.
Mental health care in Italy: Basaglia’s ashes in the wind of the crisis of the last decade
Authors: Carta Mauro G , Angermeyer Matthias C , Holzinger Anita 
Published: March 2020

Background and Aims: The purpose is to highlight the legal and ethical principles that inspired the reform of mental health care in Italy, the only country to have closed its psychiatric hospitals. The article will also try to verify some macro-indicators of the quality of care and discuss the crisis that the mental health care system in Italy is experiencing. Methods: Narrative review. Results: The principal changes in the legislation on mental health care in Italy assumed an important role in the evolution of morals and common sense of the civil society of that country. We describe three critical points: first, the differences in implementation in the different Italian regions; second, the progressive lack of resources that cannot be totally attributed to the economic crisis and which has compromised application of the law; and finally, the scarce attention given to measurement of change with scientific methods. Conclusion: Italy created a revolutionary approach to mental health care in a historical framework in which it produced impressive cultural expressions in many fields. At that time, people were accustomed to ‘believing and doing’ rather than questioning results and producing research, and this led to underestimating the importance of a scientific approach. With its economic and cultural crisis, Italy has lost creativity as well as interest in mental health, which has been guiltily neglected. Any future humanitarian approach to mental health must take the Italian experience into account, but must not forget that verification is the basis for any transformation in health care culture.
The complementary effects of galvanic current electrical stimulation associated with conservative treatment to increase vasodilation in patients with Raynaud’s phenomenon: a randomized trial
Authors: Tapia-Haro Rosa María , García-Ríos Mª Carmen , Toledano-Moreno Sonia , Casas-Barragán Antonio , Castro-Sánchez Adelaida Mª , Aguilar-Ferrándiz María Encarnación 
Published: March 2020

Objective: To analyze the effectiveness of an electrotherapy intervention with galvanic current on symptoms associated with Raynaud’s phenomenon. Design: Single-blind randomized controlled trial, parallel design (1:1 ratio) and intention-to-treat analysis. Setting: Virgen de las Nieves Hospital, Granada, Spain. Subjects: Thirty-four participants with Raynaud’s phenomenon, with a mean (SD) age of 43.43 (17.62) years. Interventions: The patients were randomly assigned to a control group with conservative treatment (anti-inflammatory, vasodilatory and analgesic drugs) or an intervention group that received conservative treatment and vasodilatory electrical stimulation during seven weeks, three times/week for a total of 20 sessions. Main measures: The primary outcome was the number of attacks. Secondary outcomes were pain, peripheral blow flow, oxygen saturation, upper limb disability, central sensitization, pain catastrophizing and temperature recovery. All outcomes were assessed at baseline, posttreatment and at two months of follow-up. Results: The galvanic current electrotherapy group showed significantly greater improvements in the number of attacks (mean difference = 26.3, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 14.4 to 38.3), pre-cold stress pain (95% CI = 0.6 to 2.4), radial artery blood flow (95% CI = −7.8 ⩾  x ⩽ 1.3), ulnar artery blood flow (95% CI = −8.63 to 0.60), oxygen saturation (95% CI = −1.7 ⩾  x ⩽ −0.29), upper limb disability (95% CI = 1.1 to 22.3), central sensitization (95% CI = 6.7 to 18.2) and temperature recovery (95% CI = −5.7 ⩾  x ⩽ −0.32) than the conservative treatment group. Conclusion: This study suggests that a complementary treatment with galvanic current in combination to conservative approach is superior to conservative applied as isolate, in reducing the clinical manifestations and disability in Raynaud’s phenomenon.
Comparison of a closed system and an open system for blood collection in feline donors
Authors: Binvel Marie , Fairbrother Julie-Hélène , Lévesque Valérie , Blais Marie-Claude 
Published: March 2020

Objectives This research aimed to evaluate the performance of a closed blood collection system and to compare it with an open system in terms of feasibility, tolerability by the donor, quality of blood collected and bacterial contamination. Methods Eight feline blood donors were prospectively and randomly subjected to both collection methods. Heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR) and blood pressure (BP) were evaluated before sedation, after sedation and after blood collection. The duration of the donation, the formation of a hematoma, and the degree of hemolysis and packed cell volume (PCV) of each blood unit were evaluated. Aliquot samples were aseptically collected from each unit and tested for bacterial contamination by culture and PCR on days 0, 14 and 28 of storage. Results There was no significant difference between collection methods for HR and RR at any time point. Before sedation, the mean systolic BP was significantly higher with the closed system (closed 169 mmHg, open 137 mmHg; P = 0.003). The average duration of collection was significantly shorter with the closed system (closed 3 mins 10 s, open 8 mins; P = 0.035); however, the prevalence of a successful blood collection with a single venipuncture and hematoma formation were not significantly different between systems. The mean unit PCV was significantly higher with the open system (closed 31%, open 34%; P = 0.026). On bacterial culture, 15/16 units were negative at all time points (closed 7; open 8). Using PCR, 5/16 units were positive for Ralstonia species for at least one time point (closed 3; open 2). Conclusions and relevance Our designed closed system appears to be well adapted to feline blood collection and was well tolerated by the donors, performing similarly to an open system, and could represent a valuable clinical device for the development of a feline blood bank, namely feline blood storage.
Benefits of Low-Dose CT Scan of Head for Patients With Intracranial Hemorrhage
Authors: Wu Dan , Wang Gang , Bian Bingyang , Liu Zhuohang , Li Dan 
Published: March 2020

Objectives: For patients with intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), routine follow-up computed tomography (CT) scans are typically required to monitor the progression of intracranial pathology. Remarkable levels of radiation exposure are accumulated during repeated CT scan. However, the effects and associated risks have still remained elusive. This study presented an effective approach to quantify organ-specific radiation dose of repeated CT scans of head for patients with ICH. We also indicated whether a low-dose CT scan may reduce radiation exposure and keep the image quality highly acceptable for diagnosis. Methods: Herein, 72 patients with a history of ICH were recruited. The patients were divided into 4 groups and underwent CT scan of head with different tube current–time products (250, 200, 150, and 100 mAs). Two experienced radiologists visually rated scores of quality of images according to objective image noise, sharpness, diagnostic acceptability, and artifacts due to physiological noise on the same workstation. Organ-/tissue-specific radiation doses were analyzed using Radimetrics. Results: In conventional CT scan group, signal to noise ratio (SNR) and contrast to noise ratio (CNR) of ICH images were significantly higher than those in normal brain structures. Reducing the tube current–time product may decrease the image quality. However, the predilection sites for ICH could be clearly identified. The SNR and CNR in the predilection sites for ICH were notably higher than other areas. The brain, eye lenses, and salivary glands received the highest radiation dose. Reducing tube current–time product from 250 to 100 mA can significantly reduce the radiation dose. Discussion: We demonstrated that low-dose CT scan of head can still provide reasonable images for diagnosing ICH. The radiation dose can be reduced to ∼45% of the conventional CT scan group.
A 100-Mhz Bandwidth 80-dB Dynamic Range Continuous-Time Delta-Sigma Modulator with a 2.4-Ghz Clock Rate
Authors: Xiao Yao , Lu Zhifei , Ren Zhaofeng , Peng Xizhu , Tang He 
Published: March 2020

AbstractThe bandwidth of a ΔΣ modulator is limited by the clock rate due to the oversampling ratio requirement. As the nanoscale CMOS processes are developing rapidly, it is possible to design wide bandwidth and high dynamic range continuous-time ΔΣ modulators for high-frequency applications. This paper proposes a 3rd-order 4-bit continuous-time ΔΣ modulator with a single-loop feedforward topology. This modulator is designed in a 40-nm CMOS process and achieves 80-dB dynamic range and a 100-MHz bandwidth at a clock rate of 2.4 GHz. The modulator consumes 69.7 mW from 1.2 V power supply.
Paired mechanical and electrical acupuncture of neurogenic spots induces opioid-mediated suppression of hypertension in rats
Authors: Shin Joo Hyun , Fan Yu , Kim Do-Hee , Jang Han Byeol , Chang Suchan , Ryu Yeonhee , Bae Jong Han , Lee Sanghag , Lee Bong Hyo , Steffensen Scott C. , Yang Chae Ha , Kim Hee Young 
Published: March 2020

AbstractWhile our recent studies have suggested that effective acupoints display neurogenic inflammation and can be identified as neurogenic spots (Neuro-Sps), the optimal stimulation conditions and the underlying mechanisms remain uncharacterized. We developed a combined mechano-electrical acupuncture device (MEA) and examined the effects of acupuncture at Neuro-Sps on systolic blood pressure (BP) in a rat model of immobilization-induced hypertension (IMH) and the mediation of endogenous opioid systems in its effect. Cutaneous neurogenic spots were found mostly in the forelimb. Electrical and mechanical acupuncture of Neuro-Sps increased 22-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), c-Fos expression and cell excitability in the midbrain and synergistically alleviated the development of hypertension following immobilization stress, which was prevented by administration of the opioid antagonist naloxone into the rostral ventrolateral medulla (rVLM). These findings suggest that mechanical and electrical stimulation at Neuro-Sps suppresses the development of hypertension via mediation of the endogenous opioid system.
GenEpi: gene-based epistasis discovery using machine learning
Authors:   for the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, Chang Yu-Chuan , Wu June-Tai , Hong Ming-Yi , Tung Yi-An , Hsieh Ping-Han , Yee Sook Wah , Giacomini Kathleen M. , Oyang Yen-Jen , Chen Chien-Yu 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
Background
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) provide a powerful means to identify associations between genetic variants and phenotypes. However, GWAS techniques for detecting epistasis, the interactions between genetic variants associated with phenotypes, are still limited. We believe that developing an efficient and effective GWAS method to detect epistasis will be a key for discovering sophisticated pathogenesis, which is especially important for complex diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Results
In this regard, this study presents GenEpi, a computational package to uncover epistasis associated with phenotypes by the proposed machine learning approach. GenEpi identifies both within-gene and cross-gene epistasis through a two-stage modeling workflow. In both stages, GenEpi adopts two-element combinatorial encoding when producing features and constructs the prediction models by L1-regularized regression with stability selection. The simulated data showed that GenEpi outperforms other widely-used methods on detecting the ground-truth epistasis. As real data is concerned, this study uses AD as an example to reveal the capability of GenEpi in finding disease-related variants and variant interactions that show both biological meanings and predictive power.

Conclusions
The results on simulation data and AD demonstrated that GenEpi has the ability to detect the epistasis associated with phenotypes effectively and efficiently. The released package can be generalized to largely facilitate the studies of many complex diseases in the near future.
Gamevar.f90: a software package for calculating individual gametic diversity
Authors: de Abreu Santos Daniel Jordan , Cole John B. , Liu George E. , VanRaden Paul M. , Ma Li 
Published: March 2020

AbstractBackgroundTraditional selection in livestock and crops focuses on additive genetic values or breeding values of the individuals. While traditional selection utilizes variation between individuals, differences between gametes within individuals have been less frequently exploited in selection programs. With the successful implementation of genomic selection in livestock and crops, estimation and selection for gametic variation is becoming possible.ResultsThe gamevar.f90 software is designed to estimate individual-level variance of genetic values of gametes for complex traits in large populations. The software estimates the (co)variances of gametic diversity as well as other diversity parameters that are useful for selection programs and mating designs. The calculation is carried out chromosome by chromosome and can be easily parallelized. The gamevar.f90 program is written in Fortran with efficient computing algorithms in a user-friendly software package with easily-handled input and output files. Finally, we applied the program to estimate gametic variance for hundreds of bulls for lifetime net merit, productive life, and livability. The RPTA (relative predicted transmitting ability), assuming a future selection intensity (if) of 1.5, showed larger variance than GEBV/2, indicating that greater future genetic gains can be obtained using an index that includes gametic variances. We also used the relative coefficient of variation to estimate with 95% confidence the sample sizes required to observe 90% variability of the progeny for lifetime net merit (or to allow at maximum 10% of change in the EBV predicted from progeny data).ConclusionsCollectively, we develop an efficient computer program package, gamevar.f90, for estimating gametic variance for large numbers of individuals. The novel information on gametic variation will be useful in future animal and crop breeding programs.
Bacillus velezensis LG37: transcriptome profiling and functional verification of GlnK and MnrA in ammonia assimilation
Authors: Liu Guangxin , Vijayaraman Sarath Babu , Dong Yanjun , Li Xinfeng , Andongmaa Binda Tembeng , Zhao Lijuan , Tu Jiagang , He Jin , Lin Li 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
Background
In recent years, interest in Bacillus velezensis has increased significantly due to its role in many industrial water bioremediation processes. In this study, we isolated and assessed the transcriptome of Bacillus velezensis LG37 (from an aquaculture pond) under different nitrogen sources. Since Bacillus species exhibit heterogeneity, it is worth investigating the molecular mechanism of LG37 through ammonia nitrogen assimilation, where nitrogen in the form of molecular ammonia is considered toxic to aquatic organisms.

Results
Here, a total of 812 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from the transcriptomic sequencing of LG37 grown in minimal medium supplemented with ammonia (treatment) or glutamine (control) were obtained, from which 56 had Fold Change ≥2. BLAST-NCBI and UniProt databases revealed 27 out of the 56 DEGs were potentially involved in NH4+ assimilation. Among them, 8 DEGs together with the two-component regulatory system GlnK/GlnL were randomly selected for validation by quantitative real-time RT-PCR, and the results showed that expression of all the 8 DEGs are consistent with the RNA-seq data. Moreover, the transcriptome and relative expression analysis were consistent with the transporter gene amtB and it is not involved in ammonia transport, even in the highest ammonia concentrations. Besides, CRISPR-Cas9 knockout and overexpression glnK mutants further evidenced the exclusion of amtB regulation, suggesting the involvement of alternative transporter. Additionally, in the transcriptomic data, a novel ammonium transporter mnrA was expressed significantly in increased ammonia concentrations. Subsequently, OEmnrA and ΔmnrA LG37 strains showed unique expression pattern of specific genes compared to that of wild-LG37 strain.

Conclusion
Based on the transcriptome data, regulation of nitrogen related genes was determined in the newly isolated LG37 strain to analyse the key regulating factors during ammonia assimilation. Using genomics tools, the novel MnrA transporter of LG37 became apparent in ammonia transport instead of AmtB, which transports ammonium nitrogen in other Bacillus strains. Collectively, this study defines heterogeneity of B. velezensis LG37 through comprehensive transcriptome analysis and subsequently, by genome editing techniques, sheds light on the enigmatic mechanisms controlling the functional genes under different nitrogen sources also reveals the need for further research.
Allo-HSCT compared with immunosuppressive therapy for acquired aplastic anemia: a system review and meta-analysis
Authors: Zhu Yangmin , Gao Qingyan , Hu Jing , Liu Xu , Guan Dongrui , Zhang Fengkui 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
Background
Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) and immunosuppressive therapy (IST) are two major competing treatment strategies for acquired aplastic anemia (AA). Whether allo-HSCT is superior to IST as a front-line treatment for patients with AA has been a subject of debate. To compare the efficacy and safety of allo-HSCT with that of IST as a front-line treatment for patients with AA, we performed a meta-analysis of available studies that examined the impact of the two major competing treatment strategies for AA.

Results
Fifteen studies including a total of 5336 patients were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled hazard ratio (HR) for overall survival (OS) was 0.4 (95% CI 0.074–0.733, P = 0.016, I2 = 58.8%) and the pooled HR for failure-free survival (FFS) was 1.962 (95% CI 1.43–2.493, P = 0.000, I2 = 0%). The pooled relative risk (RR) for overall response rate (ORR) was 1.691 (95% CI 1.433–1.996, P = 0.000, I2 = 11.6%).

Conclusion
Although survival was significantly longer among AA patients undergoing first-line allo-HSCT compared to those undergoing first-line IST, the selection of initial treatment for patients with newly diagnosed AA still requires comprehensive evaluation of donor availability, patient age, expected quality of life, risk of disease relapse or clonal evolution after IST, and potential use of adjunctive eltrombopag.