bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Safety of Plasma Infusions in Parkinson's Disease
Authors: Parker Jordan E. , Martinez Amaris , Deutsch Gayle K. , Prabhakar Varsha , Lising Melanie , Kapphahn Kristopher I. , Anidi Chioma M. , Neuville Raumin , Coburn Maria , Shah Neil , Bronte‐Stewart Helen M. 
Published: July 2020

AbstractBackgroundYoung plasma infusions have emerged as a potential treatment for neurodegenerative disease, and convalescent plasma therapy has been used safely in the management of viral pandemics. However, the effect of plasma therapy in Parkinson's disease (PD) is unknown.ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to determine the safety, tolerability, and feasibility of plasma infusions in people with PD.MethodsA total of 15 people with clinically established PD, at least 1 cognitive complaint, and on stable therapy received 1 unit of young fresh frozen plasma twice a week for 4 weeks. Assessments and adverse effects were performed/reported on and off therapy at baseline, immediately after, and 4 weeks after the infusions ended. Adverse effects were also assessed during infusions. The primary outcomes were safety, tolerability, and feasibility. Exploratory outcomes included Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale Part III off medication, neuropsychological battery, Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire‐39, inflammatory markers (tumor necrosis factor‐α, interleukin‐6), uric acid, and quantitative kinematics.ResultsAdherence rate was 100% with no serious adverse effects. There was evidence of improvement in phonemic fluency (P = 0.002) and in the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire‐39 stigma subscore (P = 0.013) that were maintained at the delayed evaluation. Elevated baseline tumor necrosis factor‐α levels decreased 4 weeks after the infusions ended.ConclusionsYoung fresh frozen plasma was safe, feasible, and well tolerated in people with PD, without serious adverse effects and with preliminary evidence for improvements in phonemic fluency and stigma. The results of this study warrant further therapeutic investigations in PD and provide safety and feasibility data for plasma therapy in people with PD who may be at higher risk for severe complications of COVID‐19. © 2020 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
Analysis of dosimetric impact of intrafraction translation and rotation during respiratory‐gated stereotactic body radiotherapy with real‐time tumor monitoring of the lung using a novel six degrees‐of‐freedom robotic moving phantom
Authors: Shiinoki Takehiro , Fujii Fumitake , Yuasa Yuki , Nonomura Tatsuki , Fujimoto Koya , Sera Tatsuhiro , Tanaka Hidekazu 
Published: July 2020

PurposeThis study aimed to develop a six degrees‐of‐freedom (6DoF) robotic moving phantom for evaluating the dosimetric impact of intrafraction rotation during respiratory‐gated radiotherapy with real‐time tumor monitoring in the lung.Materials and MethodsFifteen patients who had undergone respiratory‐gated stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) with the SyncTraX system for lung tumors were enrolled in this study. A water‐equivalent phantom (WEP) was set at the tip of the robotic arm. A log file that recorded the three‐dimensional positions of three fiducial markers implanted near the lung tumor was used as the input to the 6DoF robotic moving phantom. Respiratory‐gated radiotherapy was performed for the WEP, which was driven using translational and rotational motions of the lung tumor. The accuracy of the 6DoF robotic moving phantom was calculated as the difference between the actual and the measured positions. To evaluate the dosimetric impact of intrafraction rotation, the absolute dose distributions under conditions involving gating and movement were compared with those under static conditions.ResultsFor the sinusoidal patterns, the mean ± standard deviation (SD) of the root mean square errors (RMSEs) of the translation and rotation positional errors was <0.40 mm and 0.30°, respectively, for all directions. For the respiratory motion patterns of 15 patients, the mean ± SD of the RMSEs of the translation and rotation positional errors was <0.55 mm and 0.85°, respectively, for all directions. The γ3%/2mm values under translation with/without gating were 97.6 ± 2.2%/80.9 ± 18.1% and 96.8 ± 2.3%/80.0 ± 17.0% in the coronal and sagittal planes, respectively. Further, the γ3%/2mm values under rotation with/without gating were 91.5 ± 6.5%/72.8 ± 18.6% and 90.3 ± 6.1%/72.9 ± 15.7% in the coronal and sagittal planes, respectively.ConclusionsThe developed 6DoF robotic phantom system could determine the translational and rotational motions of lung tumors with high accuracy. Further, respiratory‐gating radiotherapy with real‐time tumor monitoring using an internal surrogate marker was effective in compensating for the translational motion of lung tumors but not for correcting their rotational motion.
Prediction of dose distribution from luminescence image of water using a deep convolutional neural network for particle therapy
Authors: Yabe Takuya , Yamamoto Seiichi , Oda Masahiro , Mori Kensaku , Toshito Toshiyuki , Akagi Takashi 
Published: July 2020

PurposeWe recently obtained nearly the same depth profiles of luminescence images of water as dose for protons by subtracting the Cerenkov light component emitted by secondary electrons of prompt gamma photons. However, estimating the distribution of Cerenkov light with this correction method is time‐consuming, depending on the irradiated energy of protons by Monte Carlo simulation. Therefore, we proposed a method of estimating dose distributions from the measured luminescence images of water using a deep convolutional neural network (DCNN).MethodsIn this study, we adopted the U‐Net architectures as the DCNN. To prepare a large amount of image data for DCNN training, we calculated the training data pairs of two‐dimensional (2D) dose distributions and luminescence images of water by Monte Carlo simulation for protons and carbon ions. After training the U‐Net model for protons or carbon ions using these dose distributions and luminescence images calculated by Monte Carlo simulation, we predicted the dose distributions from the calculated and measured luminescence images of water using the trained U‐Net model.ResultsAll of the U‐Net model's predicted images were in good agreement with the MC‐calculated dose distributions and showed lower values of the root mean square percentage error (RSMPE) and higher values in the structural similarity index (SSIM) in comparison with these values for calculated or measured luminescence images.ConclusionWe confirmed that the DCNN effectively predicts dose distributions in water from the measured as well as calculated luminescence images of water for particle therapy.
Instability and treatments of the coupled discrete element and lattice Boltzmann method by the immersed moving boundary scheme
Authors: Wang Min , Feng Y.T. , Qu T.M. , Tao Shi , Zhao T.T. 
Published: July 2020

SummaryThe immersed moving boundary (IMB) scheme has been extensively used to couple the discrete element method (DEM) with the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). In the literature, only the formulation of IMB for lattice nodal cells covered by a single‐solid particle was given. The treatment of situations where a nodal cell is covered by two or more solid particles is seldom discussed. It is found that some numerical instability can occur for such situations due to an inappropriate computation of the weighting function in the IMB formulation. This work presents an enhanced treatment that can resolve the issue and validates it using some benchmark tests. Furthermore, to avoid the extra costs associated with the treatment and simplify the complicated procedure introduced, a simplified IMB scheme is proposed. The accuracy of both enhanced and simplified IMB schemes are validated by test cases including single‐particle sedimentation, two‐particle drafting‐kissing‐tumbling phenomenon, and multiple‐particle sedimentation. Then, the robustness of both schemes is examined and discussed using a specially designed flow past cylinders test. The simplified IMB scheme is proved to be robust and sufficiently accurate and simpler and more effective than the enhanced scheme.
State of the science in pediatric ICU delirium: An integrative review
Authors: Kalvas Laura Beth , Harrison Tondi M. 
Published: July 2020

AbstractDelirium is a complication of critical illness associated with poor outcomes. Although widely studied in adults, comparatively little is understood about delirium in pediatric intensive care units (ICUs). The purpose of this integrative review is to determine the extent and nature of current evidence, identify gaps in the literature, and outline future areas for investigation of pediatric ICU delirium. Eligible articles included research reports of delirium in pediatric ICU samples published in English since 2009. After an extensive literature search and consideration for inclusion/exclusion criteria, 22 articles were chosen for review. Delirium was highly prevalent in the ICU. Delirium episodes developed early in hospitalization, lasted several days, and consisted of hypoactive or mixed motor subtypes. Frequently identified independent risk factors included young age, developmental delay, mechanical ventilation, and benzodiazepine exposure. Pediatric delirium was independently associated with increased length of stay, costs, and mortality. The long‐term cognitive, psychological, and functional morbidities associated with pediatric delirium remain largely unknown. Few researchers have implemented interventions to prevent or manage delirium. There was little evidence for the efficacy or safety of pharmacological management. Multicomponent delirium bundles may significantly decrease delirium incidence. Key quality issues among studies included variation in delirium screening, low levels of evidence (i.e., observational studies), and limited ability to determine intervention efficacy in quasi‐experimental designs. Although the quantity and quality of pediatric delirium research has rapidly increased, further studies are needed to understand the long‐term effects of pediatric delirium and determine the efficacy and safety of interventions for prevention and management.
Genome‐wide association mapping and comparative genomics identifies genomic regions governing grain nutritional traits in finger millet (Eleusine coracana L. Gaertn.)
Authors: Puranik Swati , Sahu Pranav P. , Beynon Sarah , Srivastava Rakesh K. , Sehgal Deepmala , Ojulong Henry , Yadav Rattan 
Published: July 2020

Societal Impact StatementMicronutrient deficiency is a serious and underestimated global health concern. Identifying existing micronutritional richness in traditional crops, and breeding this potential into staple crops that are more frequently consumed, could offer a potential low‐cost, sustainable solution to micronutrient deficiency. Here, we provide the first insight into genetic control of grain micronutrient content in the staple food crop finger millet (Eleusine coracana). Quantifying the existing natural variation in nutritional traits, and identifying the regions of the genome associated with these traits, will underpin future breeding efforts to improve not only global food and nutrition security, but also human health.Summary

Finger millet is an excellent cereal crop to alleviate micronutrient malnutrition in marginal communities because of its nutrient‐dense grains. Identification of the alleles governing these characteristics will help to develop improved germplasm.

An assembly of 190 genotypes was evaluated for six minerals (iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium) and protein content. A combination of genotyping‐by‐sequencing (GBS) and genome‐wide association study (GWAS) was applied to identify marker‐trait associations (MTAs). Candidate genes underlying significant associations were predicted through comparative mapping with other cereals.

A wide range of variation was observed for all traits. GBS generated 169,365 single‐nucleotide polymorphisms and three subpopulations were identified. GWAS, using general linear and mixed model approaches to correct for population structure and genetic relatedness, identified 418 common markers (p‐value ≤ 10–3, FDR < 0.1) linked with mineral content. Of these, 34 markers crossed the Bonferroni threshold, out of which 18 showed homology with candidate genes having putative functions in binding, remobilization or transport of metal ions.

This is the first report to utilize the phenotypic variability of grain minerals in finger millet genotypes to identify MTAs and predict associated putative candidate genes. Postvalidation, these markers may be employed to improve grain nutrient quality through marker‐assisted breeding.
Bounded control of feedforward nonlinear systems subject to input time‐delay
Authors: Yang Xuefei , Zhou Bin , Lam James , Cao Yong 
Published: July 2020

SummaryThis article is concerned with the global stabilization problem of a family of feedforward nonlinear time‐delay systems whose linearized system consists of multiple distinct oscillators. To fully utilize the delayed information and maintain the state decoupling property in the controller design, the considered nonlinear feedforward system is first transformed into a new system which contains time delays in both its input and states based on a novel model transformation containing time delays, and then the stabilizing saturated controller for the transformed system is designed based on the recursive design method. Meanwhile, explicit stability conditions are also provided. When the linearized system is a cascade of multiple oscillators and multiple integrators, a modified saturated feedback control utilizing not only the current state but also the delayed state is also established for the corresponding global stabilization problem. Two examples, including a practical one, are given to show the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed approaches.
Assessing land use and flood management impacts on ecosystem services in a river landscape (Upper Danube, Germany)
Authors: Stammel Barbara , Fischer Christine , Cyffka Bernd , Albert Christian , Damm Christian , Dehnhardt Alexandra , Fischer Helmut , Foeckler Francis , Gerstner Lars , Hoffmann Tim G. , Iwanowski Janette , Kasperidus Hans D. , Linnemann Kathrin , Mehl Dietmar , Podschun Simone A. , Rayanov Marin , Ritz Stephanie , Rumm Andrea , Scholz Mathias , Schulz‐Zunkel Christiane , Thiele Julia , Venohr Markus , von Haaren Christina , Pusch Martin T. , Gelhaus Marion 
Published: July 2020

AbstractRivers and floodplains provide many regulating, provisioning and cultural ecosystem services (ES) such as flood risk regulation, crop production or recreation. Intensive use of resources such as hydropower production, construction of detention basins and intensive agriculture substantially change ecosystems and may affect their capacity to provide ES. Legal frameworks such as the European Water Framework Directive, Bird and Habitats Directive and Floods Directive already address various uses and interests. However, management is still sectoral and often potential synergies or trade‐offs between sectors are not considered. The ES concept could support a joint and holistic evaluation of impacts and proactively suggest advantageous options. The river ecosystem service index (RESI) method evaluates the capacity of floodplains to provide ES by using a standardized five‐point scale for 1 km‐floodplain segments based on available spatial data. This scaling allows consistent scoring of all ES and their integration into a single index. The aim of this article is to assess ES impacts of different flood prevention scenarios on a 75 km section of the Danube river corridor in Germany. The RESI method was applied to evaluate scenario effects on 13 ES with the standardized five‐point scale. Synergies and trade‐offs were identified as well as ES bundles and dependencies on land use and connectivity. The ratio of actual and former floodplain has the strongest influence on the total ES provision: the higher the percentage and area of an active floodplain, the higher the sum of ES. The RESI method proved useful to support decision‐making in regional planning.
Fall and Winter Movement Dynamics of Naturally Produced Spring Chinook Salmon Parr in Two Neighboring Interior Pacific Northwest Natal Rivers
Authors: Favrot Scott D. , Jonasson Brian C. 
Published: July 2020

AbstractOverwintering Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp. are vulnerable to mortality. Ecosystem degradation exacerbates salmonid vulnerability to mortality; thus, knowledge of winter movement dynamics is essential for guiding holistic management and restoration to safeguard population viability. In northeast Oregon, long‐term population performance metrics (e.g., survival) exist for parr of two neighboring Chinook Salmon O. tshawytscha populations (Catherine Creek [CC] and Grande Ronde River [GRR]); however, knowledge of their winter ecology is lacking. Our objective was to spatiotemporally characterize the movements and rearing distributions of naturally produced CC and GRR spring Chinook Salmon parr during fall and winter. Using radiotelemetry techniques (October–February), we identified the movement dynamics of CC (2009–2012) and GRR (2014–2016) spring Chinook Salmon fall migrants (i.e., parr overwintering downstream from natal areas). For both populations, median weekly linear range (i.e., movement) was high during fall migration, while sedentary behavior was associated with anchor and surface ice. Fall emigration occurred during declining thermographs, while overwintering parr movement and water temperature peaks were proximate. Fall migrant CC parr predominantly overwintered in the upper Grande Ronde Valley (GRV), while GRR conspecifics primarily reared upstream from the GRV. Extensive portions of CC and the GRR were not included in either population’s 99% kernel density estimate (KDE); however, each population’s 99% KDE extended into the lower GRV. The GRR population’s 50% KDE (i.e., core area) was small and proximate to several North American beaver Castor canadensis impoundments, while the CC population’s core area was relatively large and situated in the upper GRV. Overall, CC and GRR fall migrant populations exhibited divergent rearing and movement patterns; however, each population’s winter core area was proximate to lentic‐like habitats (e.g., beaver ponds). For Chinook Salmon parr, natal‐stream‐specific overwintering ecology knowledge appears critical to guide winter habitat conservation and restoration, while management for lentic‐like habitats may be advisable throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Risk of fetal loss following amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling in twin pregnancy: systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Di Mascio D. , Khalil A. , Rizzo G. , Buca D. , Liberati M. , Martellucci C. A. , Flacco M. E. , Manzoli L. , D'Antonio F. 
Published: July 2020

ABSTRACTObjectiveTo assess the rate of fetal loss following amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling (CVS) in twin pregnancy.MethodsMEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane databases were searched for studies reporting procedure‐related complications following amniocentesis or CVS in twin pregnancy. The primary outcome was the rate of procedure‐related fetal loss. The secondary outcomes were fetal loss occurring before 24 weeks of gestation and fetal loss occurring within 4 weeks after the procedure. Head‐to‐head meta‐analyses were used to compare directly each outcome, between women undergoing amniocentesis and those not undergoing amniocentesis and between women undergoing CVS and those not undergoing CVS, and to compute pooled risk differences (RD) between women exposed and those not exposed to each invasive procedure. Additionally, meta‐analyses of proportions were used to estimate the pooled rates of each of the three outcomes in women undergoing amniocentesis or CVS and in controls.ResultsSixteen studies (3419 twin pregnancies undergoing and 2517 not undergoing an invasive procedure) were included. Head‐to‐head meta‐analyses comparing directly twin pregnancies undergoing and those not undergoing amniocentesis showed a higher risk for overall fetal loss in those undergoing amniocentesis (odds ratio (OR), 1.46 (P = 0.04); RD, 0.013 (P = 0.04)), while there was no difference in the risk of either fetal loss before 24 weeks of gestation (OR, 1.59 (P = 0.06); RD, 0.010 (P = 0.11)) or fetal loss within 4 weeks after the procedure (OR, 1.38 (P = 0.3); RD, 0.003 (P = 0.8)). Overall, the pooled rate of fetal loss was 2.4% (95% CI, 1.4–3.6%) in twin pregnancies undergoing amniocentesis compared with 2.4% (95% CI, 0.9–4.6%) in those not undergoing amniocentesis. Head‐to‐head meta‐analyses directly comparing twin pregnancies undergoing and those not undergoing CVS showed no significant difference in either overall fetal loss (OR, 1.61 (P = 0.5); RD, 0.003 (P = 0.8)) or fetal loss before 24 weeks of gestation (OR, 1.61 (P = 0.5); RD, 0.003 (P = 0.8)). Overall, the pooled rate of fetal loss was 2.0% (95% CI, 0.0–6.5%) in twin pregnancies undergoing CVS compared with 1.8% (95% CI, 0.3–4.2%) in those not undergoing CVS.ConclusionThe risk of fetal loss following amniocentesis and CVS in twins is lower than reported previously and the rate of fetal loss before 24 weeks of gestation, or within 4 weeks after the procedure, did not differ from the background risk in twin pregnancy not undergoing invasive prenatal testing. These data can guide prenatal counseling for twin pregnancies undergoing invasive procedures. © 2020 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology
Unboxing the T‐box riboswitches—A glimpse into multivalent and multimodal RNA–RNA interactions
Authors: Zhang Jinwei 
Published: July 2020

AbstractThe T‐box riboswitches are widespread bacterial noncoding RNAs that directly bind specific tRNAs, sense aminoacylation on bound tRNAs, and switch conformations to control amino‐acid metabolism and to maintain nutritional homeostasis. The core mechanisms of tRNA recognition, amino acid sensing, and conformational switching by the T‐boxes have been recently elucidated, providing a wealth of new insights into multivalent and multimodal RNA–RNA interactions. This review dissects the structures and tRNA‐recognition mechanisms by the Stem I, Stem II, and Discriminator domains, which collectively compose the T‐box riboswitches. It further compares and contrasts the two classes of T‐boxes that regulate transcription and translation, respectively, and integrates recent findings to derive general themes, trends, and insights into complex RNA–RNA interactions. Specifically, the T‐box paradigm reveals that noncoding RNAs can interact with each other through multiple coordinated contacts, concatenation of stacked helices, and mutually induced fit. Numerous tertiary contacts, especially those emanating from strings of single‐stranded purines, act in concert to reinforce long‐range base‐pairing and stacking interactions. These coordinated, mixed‐mode contacts allow the T‐box RNA to sterically sense aminoacylation on the tRNA using a bipartite steric sieve, and to couple this readout to a conformational switch mediated by tRNA‐T‐box stacking. Together, the insights gleaned from the T‐box riboswitches inform investigations into other complex RNA structures and assemblies, development of T‐box‐targeted antimicrobials, and may inspire design and engineering of novel RNA sensors, regulators, and interfaces.This article is categorized under:
RNA Structure and Dynamics > RNA Structure, Dynamics and Chemistry
Regulatory RNAs/RNAi/Riboswitches > Regulatory RNAs
Regulatory RNAs/RNAi/Riboswitches > Riboswitches