bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Free Flap Inset Techniques in Salvage Laryngopharyngectomy Repair: Impact on Fistula Formation and Function
Authors: Chen Diane W. , Ellis Mark A. , Horwich Peter , Sandulache Vlad C. , Liou Nelson E. , Hernandez David J. , Sturgis Erich M. , Graboyes Evan M. , Hornig Joshua D. , Day Terry A. , Huang Andrew T. 
Published: August 2020

ObjectiveTo characterize pharyngocutaneous fistula (PCF) rates and functional outcomes following microvascular free tissue transfer (MVFTT) reconstruction of salvage total laryngectomy (STL) with a review of two different flap inset techniques and a review of the literature.MethodsRetrospective review.ResultsReview of the literature revealed 887 patients who underwent STL MVFTT from 14 references. Ninety‐six STL MVFTTs were performed by the authors, with 36 (38%) patients undergoing multilayer fascial underlay (MLFU) closure and 60 (62%) a standard single layer closure (SLC). One (3%) PCF occurred in the MLFU group compared to 12 (20%) in the SLC cohort (P = .03). Postoperative gastrostomy (G)‐tube dependence was lower following MLFU closure compared to SLC (25% vs. 57%, P < .01), whereas pharyngoesophageal stricture (PES) (28% vs. 38%), tracheoesophageal puncture (TEP) placement (42% vs. 42%), and TEP usage (87% vs. 88%) did not significantly differ (P > .05). Compared to pooled rates from the literature, patients who underwent a MLFU MVFTT inset technique demonstrated significantly lower PCF incidence (3% vs. 23%, P < .01) without significant differences in PES (28% vs 23%, P = .55), G‐tube dependence (25% vs. 23%, P = .25), or TEP placement (42% vs. 59%, P = .09).ConclusionDespite MVFTT reconstruction after STL, G‐tube dependence, PCF formation, and limitations of speaking rehabilitation (TEP) remain a significant issue. Modification of MVFTT inset may provide an opportunity to reduce PCF incidence without affecting other functional outcomes.Level of Evidence4 Laryngoscope, 131:E875–E881, 2021
Towards optimum additive performance: A numerical study to understand the influence of roughness parameters on the zinc dialkyldithiophosphates tribofilm growth
Authors: Wang Yuechang , Dorgham Abdel , Liu Ying , Wang Chun , Ghanbarzadeh Ali , Wilson Mark C. T. , Neville Anne , Azam Abdullah 
Published: August 2020

AbstractIn recent years, several theoretical models to predict the triboreactive film thickness of zinc dialkyldithiophosphates (ZDDP) have been developed. Although these models are not complete and are approximate in nature, they provide a framework which can be used to evaluate the factors impacting the tribofilm growth. In this paper, rough surfaces with different roughness parameters were numerically generated and used to calculate the tribofilm growth. The simulation results show that lower negative skewness, higher kurtosis, and larger autocorrelation length values give thicker ZDDP tribofilms with skewness and autocorrelation values having a greater effect on the tribofilm growth. Based on the simulation results, it is found that these parameters influence the tribofilm growth by changing the contact ratio which eventually changes the dynamic growth of tribofilm and wear of substrate. The results presented in this paper have bigger implications for industry in designing surface textures that promote the anti‐wear action.
Global Survey on Telemedicine Utilization for Movement Disorders During the COVID‐19 Pandemic
Authors: Hassan Anhar , Mari Zoltan , Gatto Emilia M. , Cardozo Adriana , Youn Jinyoung , Okubadejo Njideka , Bajwa Jawad A. , Shalash Ali , Fujioka Shinsuke , Aldaajani Zakiyah , Cubo Esther ,   the International Telemedicine Study Group
Published: August 2020

ABSTRACTBackgroundThe COVID‐19 pandemic restricted usual healthcare management for movement‐disorders patients, with a consequent upsurge in telemedicine to bridge the gap.ObjectiveTo assess global telemedicine usage in the context of the pandemic.MethodsThe Movement Disorder Society (MDS) Telemedicine Study Group surveyed telemedicine experts from 40 countries across all continents in March–April 2020. Four domains of telemedicine were assessed: legal regulations, reimbursement, clinical use, and barriers; comparing emerging responses to the pandemic versus the baseline scenario.ResultsAll forms of telemedicine for movement disorders increased globally, irrespective of country income categorization, as an immediate response to the pandemic. This was aided by widespread availability of technology and updated government regulations. However, privacy concerns, lack of reimbursement, limited access, and lack of telemedicine training were barriers highlighted worldwide.ConclusionsQuestions remain about the longevity and extent of changes in regulations and reimbursement regarding telemedicine in the aftermath of the pandemic. © 2020 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Stabilized asynchronous fast adaptive composite multigrid using additive damping
Authors: Murray Charles D. , Weinzierl Tobias 
Published: August 2020

SummaryMultigrid solvers face multiple challenges on parallel computers. Two fundamental ones read as follows: Multiplicative solvers issue coarse grid solves which exhibit low concurrency and many multigrid implementations suffer from an expensive coarse grid identification phase plus adaptive mesh refinement overhead. We propose a new additive multigrid variant for spacetrees, that is, meshes as they are constructed from octrees and quadtrees: It is an additive scheme, that is, all multigrid resolution levels are updated concurrently. This ensures a high concurrency level, while the transfer operators between the mesh levels can still be constructed algebraically. The novel flavor of the additive scheme is an augmentation of the solver with an additive, auxiliary damping parameter per grid level per vertex that is in turn constructed through the next coarser level—an idea which utilizes smoothed aggregation principles or the motivation behind AFACx: Per level, we solve an additional equation whose purpose is to damp too aggressive solution updates per vertex which would otherwise, in combination with all the other levels, yield an overcorrection and, eventually, oscillations. This additional equation is constructed additively as well, that is, is once more solved concurrently to all other equations. This yields improved stability, closer to what is seen with multiplicative schemes, while pipelining techniques help us to write down the additive solver with single‐touch semantics for dynamically adaptive meshes.
Delayed treatment effects, treatment switching and heterogeneous patient populations: How to design and analyzeRCTsin oncology
Authors: Ristl Robin , Ballarini Nicolás M , Götte Heiko , Schüler Armin , Posch Martin , König Franz 
Published: August 2020

SUMMARYIn the analysis of survival times, the logrank test and the Cox model have been established as key tools, which do not require specific distributional assumptions. Under the assumption of proportional hazards, they are efficient and their results can be interpreted unambiguously. However, delayed treatment effects, disease progression, treatment switchers or the presence of subgroups with differential treatment effects may challenge the assumption of proportional hazards. In practice, weighted logrank tests emphasizing either early, intermediate or late event times via an appropriate weighting function may be used to accommodate for an expected pattern of non‐proportionality. We model these sources of non‐proportional hazards via a mixture of survival functions with piecewise constant hazard. The model is then applied to study the power of unweighted and weighted log‐rank tests, as well as maximum tests allowing different time dependent weights. Simulation results suggest a robust performance of maximum tests across different scenarios, with little loss in power compared to the most powerful among the considered weighting schemes and huge power gain compared to unfavorable weights. The actual sources of non‐proportional hazards are not obvious from resulting populationwise survival functions, highlighting the importance of detailed simulations in the planning phase of a trial when assuming non‐proportional hazards.We provide the required tools in a software package, allowing to model data generating processes under complex non‐proportional hazard scenarios, to simulate data from these models and to perform the weighted logrank tests.
The vascular nature of lung-resident mesenchymal stem cells
Authors: Steens Jennifer , Klar Lea , Hansel Christine , Slama Alexis , Hager Thomas , Jendrossek Verena , Aigner Clemens , Klein Diana 
Published: August 2020

Abstract
Human lungs bear their own reservoir of endogenous mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Although described as located perivascular, the cellular identity of primary lung MSCs remains elusive. Here we investigated the vascular nature of lung-resident MSCs (LR-MSCs) using healthy human lung tissue. LR-MSCs predominately reside within the vascular stem cell niche, the so-called vasculogenic zone of adult lung arteries. Primary LR-MSCs isolated from normal human lung tissue showed typical MSC characteristics in vitro and were phenotypically and functionally indistinguishable from MSCs derived from the vascular wall of adult human blood vessels (VW-MSCs). Moreover, LR-MSCs expressed the VW-MSC-specific HOX code a characteristic to discriminate VW-MSCs from phenotypical similar cells. Thus, LR-MSC should be considered as VW-MSCs. Immunofluorescent analyses of non-small lung cancer (NSCLC) specimen further confirmed the vascular adventitia as stem cell niche for LR-MSCs, and revealed their mobilization and activation in NSCLC progression. These findings have implications for understanding the role of MSC in normal lung physiology and pulmonary diseases, as well as for the rational design of additional therapeutic approaches.
Cucurbit[6]uril‐Derived Sub‐4 nm Pores‐Dominated Hierarchical Porous Carbon for Supercapacitors: Operating Voltage Expansion and Pore Size Matching
Authors: Qiu Daping , Li Min , Kang Cuihua , Wei Jinying , Wang Feng , Yang Ru 
Published: August 2020

AbstractThe intrinsic properties of carbon‐based material and the voltage window of electrolyte are the two key barriers to restrict the energy density of carbon‐based supercapacitors (SCs). Herein, a cucurbit[6]uril‐derived nitrogen‐doped hierarchical porous carbon (CBCx) with unique pore structure characteristics is synthesized and successfully applied to construct SCs based on different electrolyte systems. Owing to narrow pore size distribution (0.5–4 nm), colossal ion‐accessible pore volume, prominent supermesopore volume, and reasonable heteroatom configuration, the CBCx‐based SCs demonstrate excellent electrochemical performances with high operating voltages in two distinct systems. The optimal SCs can output a maximum energy/power density of 18 Wh kg−1 (11.1 Wh L−1)/20 kW kg−1 (12.3 kW L−1) with an operating voltage of 1.2 V in potassium hydroxide aqueous electrolyte, as well as an ultralong cycle life of up to 50 000 cycles (0.046% decay per 100 cycles). Furthermore, the optimal SCs deliver an exceptionally high energy/power density of 95 Wh kg−1 (58.4 Wh L−1)/70 kW kg−1 (43 kW L−1) with an ultrahigh operating voltage of 3.5 V in 1‐ethyl‐3‐methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate electrolyte. This work opens up a new application field for cucurbit[6]uril and provides an alternative avenue for optimizing the performances of carbon‐based materials for SCs.
Hydroprinted Liquid‐Alloy‐Based Morphing Electronics for Fast‐Growing/Tender Plants: From Physiology Monitoring to Habit Manipulation
Authors: Jiang Jiajun , Zhang Shuo , Wang Bei , Ding Han , Wu Zhigang 
Published: August 2020

AbstractMonitoring physiological signals and manipulating growth habits of living plants in real time are important for botany research, biohybrid plant robots, and precision agriculture. Although emerging epidermal electronics that can conveniently acquire vital signals of living organisms exhibit a high potential for such scenarios, it is a significant challenge to adapt such devices for plants, because they are fragile and usually have complex surfaces that can change significantly during rapid growth. A gentle fabrication process is critical in order to employ compliant electronic systems to adapt to this highly dynamic situation. In this study, a hydroprinted liquid‐alloy‐based morphing electronics (LAME) process is employed for fast‐growing plants that will sense physiological signals and even function as a biohybrid to determine plant behavior on demand. Besides various surfaces of inorganic targeting substrates, pinning liquid alloy circuits onto the complex plant epidermis is enhanced by introducing high‐surface‐energy liquid. Functionally, the new developed LAME can be used to monitor leaf moisture content and length, and manipulate leaf and bean sprout orientation. This study lays the foundation for a new form of morphing electronics for botany or biohybrid plant robots, potentially impacting the next generation of precision agriculture and smart hybrid robots.
Effect of goshajinkigan on the mechanical hypoesthesia of streptozotocin‐induced diabetic peripheral neuropathy in mice
Authors: Inagaki Koki , Arai Yoshikazu , Akasaki Taishi , Yamada Tami , Tanaka Rui , Hisaka Shinsuke , Nose Mitsuhiko 
Published: August 2020

ABSTRACTAimDiabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is one of the most common complications of diabetes mellitus. While there are several reports of treatments and prevention for hyperesthesia and hyperalgesia in DPN, there are no effective treatments for hypoesthesia. In the present study, we examined some Kampo prescriptions that were effective for hypoesthesia in the later stage of DPN.MethodsMale ICR mice were injected with streptozotocin and the 50% threshold for mechanical stimulation was calculated by performing a von Frey test using the left footpad of diabetic mice.ResultsThe 50% paw withdrawal threshold increased significantly six weeks after streptozotocin (STZ) treatment, showing mechanical hypoesthesia in diabetic mice, which was significantly ameliorated after administration of goshajinkigan (GJG). Pretreatment with NG‐nitro‐L‐arginine methyl ester (L‐NAME) in diabetic mice inhibited the ameliorative effect of GJG, suggesting the possibility that the improvement in sensory reduction demonstrated by GJG resulted from increasing nitric oxide. To assess the mechanism of GJG action, we demonstrated the possibility that L‐arginine was supplied by GJG as a substrate for nitric oxide synthase (NOS). We further found that four kinds of crude drugs contributed to the ameliorative effect of GJG in the mechanical hypoesthesia in DPN. The L‐arginine content of these four crude drugs was compared in terms of the potency of the ameliorative effects on hypoesthesia and a mechanism is suggested not only for the substrate supply but also for NOS activation.ConclusionHere, we found for the first time that GJG improves the mechanical hypoesthesia in the later stage of DPN.
Liver fibrosis score, physical frailty, and the risk of dementia in older adults: The Italian Longitudinal Study on Aging
Authors: Solfrizzi Vincenzo , Scafato Emanuele , Custodero Carlo , Loparco Francesca , Ciavarella Alessandro , Panza Francesco , Seripa Davide , Imbimbo Bruno Pietro , Lozupone Madia , Napoli Nicola , Piazzolla Giuseppina , Galluzzo Lucia , Gandin Claudia , Baldereschi Marzia , Di Carlo Antonio , Inzitari Domenico , Pilotto Alberto , Sabbà Carlo ,   for the Italian Longitudinal Study on Aging Working Group
Published: August 2020

AbstractIntroductionLiver fibrosis increases progressively with aging and has been associated with poorer cognitive performance in middle‐aged and older adults. We investigated the relationships between a non‐invasive score for advanced liver fibrosis (non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease [NAFLD] fibrosis score [NFS]) and dementia risk. We also assessed physical frailty, a common geriatric condition which is associated to dementia. We tested the joint effects of physical frailty and fibrosis on dementia incidence.MethodsA total of 1061 older adults (65 to 84 years), from the Italian Longitudinal Study on Aging, were prospectively evaluated for the risk of dementia in a period between 1992 and 2001. Liver fibrosis was defined according to the NFS. Physical frailty was assessed according to the Fried's criteria. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the short‐ and long‐term risk of overall dementia, associated to the NFS, testing the effect modifier of physical frailty status.ResultsOlder adults with only high NFS (F3‐F4) did not exhibit a significant increased risk of overall dementia. Over 8 years of follow‐up, frail older adults with high NFS had an increased risk of overall dementia (hazard ratio [HR]: 4.23; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.22 to 14.70, P = .023). Finally, physically frail older adults with low albumin serum levels (albumin < 4.3 g/dL) and with advanced liver fibrosis (F3‐F4 NFS) compared to those with lower liver fibrosis score (F0‐F2 NFS) were more likely to have a higher risk of overall dementia in a long term‐period (HR: 16.42; 95% CI: 1.44 to 187.67, P = .024).DiscussionAdvanced liver fibrosis (F3‐F4 NFS) could be a long‐term predictor for overall dementia in people with physical frailty. These findings should encourage a typical geriatric, multidisciplinary assessment which accounts also for the possible co‐presence of frail condition in older adults with chronic liver disease and liver fibrosis.
Sensing a problem: Proof of concept for characterizing and predicting agitation
Authors: Au‐Yeung Wan‐Tai M. , Miller Lyndsey , Beattie Zachary , Dodge Hiroko H. , Reynolds Christina , Vahia Ipsit , Kaye Jeffrey 
Published: August 2020

AbstractIntroductionAgitation, experienced by patients with dementia, is difficult to manage and stressful for caregivers. Currently, agitation is primarily assessed by caregivers or clinicians based on self‐report or very brief periods of observation. This limits availability of comprehensive or sensitive enough reporting to detect early signs of agitation or identify its precipitants. The purpose of this article is to provide proof of concept for characterizing and predicting agitation using a system that continuously monitors patients’ activities and living environment within memory care facilities.MethodsContinuous and unobtrusive monitoring of a participant is achieved using behavioral sensors, which include passive infrared motion sensors, door contact sensors, a wearable actigraphy device, and a bed pressure mat sensor installed in the living quarters of the participant. Environmental sensors are also used to continuously assess temperature, light, sound, and humidity. Episodes of agitation are reported by nursing staff. Data collected for 138 days were divided by 8‐hour nursing shifts. Features from agitated shifts were compared to those from non‐agitated shifts using t‐tests.ResultsA total of 37 episodes of agitation were reported for a male participant, aged 64 with Alzheimer's disease, living in a memory care unit. Participant activity metrics (eg, transitions within the living room, sleep scores from the bedmat, and total activity counts from the actigraph) significantly correlated with occurrences of agitation at night (P < 0.05). Environmental variables (eg, humidity) also correlated with the occurrences of agitation at night (P < 0.05). Higher activity levels were also observed in the evenings before agitated nights.DiscussionA platform of sensors used for unobtrusive and continuous monitoring of participants with dementia and their living space seems feasible and shows promise for characterization of episodes of agitation and identification of behavioral and environmental precipitants of agitation.
Exploring new short tandem repeat markers for DNA mixture deconvolution
Authors: Novroski Nicole M. M. 
Published: August 2020

AbstractRelying on their polymorphic nature, short tandem repeats (STRs) have been extensively studied and routinely utilized as human identity markers in forensic genetics. However, even the most comprehensive STR multiplexes in use today are limited in their ability to determine the number and appropriation of component contributor alleles in DNA mixtures. The difficulty in parsing out individuals in DNA mixtures is a consequence of overlapping length‐based alleles genotyped using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) coupled with capillary electrophoresis (CE). Many challenges exist in the resolution of minor alleles (i.e., the alleles originating from a minor contributor) from stutter and stochastic effects (e.g., inherent heterozygote peak imbalance, undetected alleles [drop out]) in a given DNA profile, in addition to the complex statistical models and algorithms necessary to render DNA mixtures interpretable from a forensic casework standpoint. Therefore, we can either adapt to complex interpretation methods, or pursue new bench science approaches to DNA mixture deconvolution. One promising area of research includes the incorporation of additional highly polymorphic STR loci to compliment current marker multiplexes and offer great potential to improve the forensic genetic analysis of DNA mixtures.This article is categorized under:
Forensic Biology > Forensic DNA Technologies
Forensic Biology > Interpretation of Biological Evidence
Forensic Biology > Ethical and Social Implications
Autonomous reboot: Aristotle, autonomy and the ends of machine ethics
Authors: White Jeffrey 
Published: August 2020

AbstractTonkens (Mind Mach, 19, 3, 421–438, 2009) has issued a seemingly impossible challenge, to articulate a comprehensive ethical framework within which artificial moral agents (AMAs) satisfy a Kantian inspired recipe—"rational" and "free"—while also satisfying perceived prerogatives of machine ethicists to facilitate the creation of AMAs that are perfectly and not merely reliably ethical. Challenges for machine ethicists have also been presented by Anthony Beavers and Wendell Wallach. Beavers pushes for the reinvention of traditional ethics to avoid "ethical nihilism" due to the reduction of morality to mechanical causation. Wallach pushes for redoubled efforts toward a comprehensive account of ethics to guide machine ethicists on the issue of artificial moral agency. Options, thus, present themselves: reinterpret traditional ethics in a way that affords a comprehensive account of moral agency inclusive of both artificial and natural agents, or give up on the possibility and “muddle through” regardless. This series of papers pursues the first option, meets Tonkens' "challenge" and pursues Wallach's ends through Beavers’ proposed means, by "landscaping" traditional moral theory in resolution of a comprehensive account of moral agency. This first paper sets out the challenge and establishes the tradition that Kant had inherited from Aristotle, briefly entertains an Aristotelian AMA, fields objections, and ends with unanswered questions. The next paper in this series responds to the challenge in Kantian terms, and argues that a Kantian AMA is not only a possibility for Machine ethics research, but a necessary one.