bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Prenatal exposure to methadone or buprenorphine alters µ‐opioid receptor binding and downstream signaling in the rat brain
Authors: Kongstorp Mette , Bogen Inger Lise , Steinsland Synne , Nerem Elisabeth , Salih Triske Woshyar , Stiris Tom , Andersen Jannike Mørch 
Published: June 2020

AbstractThere is a growing concern related to the use of opioid maintenance treatment during pregnancy. Studies in both humans and animals have reported reduced cognitive functioning in offspring prenatally exposed to methadone or buprenorphine; however, little is known about the neurobiological mechanisms underlying these impairments. To reveal possible neurobiological effects of such in utero exposure, we examined brain tissue from methadone‐ and buprenorphine‐exposed rat offspring previously shown to display impaired learning and memory. We studied µ‐opioid receptor (MOR) and N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptor (NMDAR) binding in the rat offspring cerebrum during development and in the hippocampus at young adulthood. Moreover, we examined activation of the Ca2+/calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) and the extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK), which are central in the downstream signaling of these receptors. The methadone‐ and buprenorphine‐exposed rat pups displayed reduced MOR binding up to two weeks after birth, whereas the NMDAR binding was unaffected. Prenatal exposure to methadone or buprenorphine also resulted in decreased activation of CaMKII and/or ERK during development, while young adult offspring displayed increased hippocampal ERK activation. In conclusion, our findings suggest that prenatal exposure to exogenous opioids, such as methadone or buprenorphine, may disturb the endogenous opioid system during development, with long‐term effects on proteins important for cognitive functioning.
Risk factors for venous bleeding complication at the femoral puncture site after catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation
Authors: Arai Hirofumi , Mizukami Akira , Hanyu Yoshihiro , Kawakami Takuya , Shimizu Yuki , Hiroki Jiro , Yoshioka Kenji , Otani Hirofumi , Kuroda Shunsuke , Iwatsuka Ryota , Ueshima Daisuke , Hayashi Tatsuya , Matsumura Akihiko , Goya Masahiko , Sasano Tetsuo 
Published: June 2020

AbstractBackgroundVenous bleeding complication is often observed after catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF), but the risk factors remain unclear.MethodsWe retrospectively evaluated 570 consecutive patients who underwent catheter ablation of AF from April 2012 to March 2017. After the procedure, the sheaths were removed, and hemostasis was obtained by manual compression followed by application of rolled gauze with elastic bandage and continuous pressure to the puncture site. We evaluated the risk factors for venous bleeding complications defined as hemorrhage from the puncture site that needed recompression after removal of the elastic bandage and rolled gauze.ResultsAfter excluding 11 patients because of missing data, 559 patients (395 [70.7%] men, mean age: 65.6 ± 8.7 years) were included for analysis. Venous bleeding complication was observed in 213 patients (38.1%). In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, low body mass index (BMI; odds ratio [OR] 0.95, 95% CI 0.90‐1.00, P = .04), short compression time (OR 0.77, 95% CI 0.68‐0.88, P < .001), and antiplatelet therapy (OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.09‐3.16, P = .02) were independent risk factors for venous bleeding complication.ConclusionsLow BMI, short compression time, and antiplatelet therapy were independent risk factors for venous bleeding complication after catheter ablation of AF. Longer compression time may be needed for patients with low BMI and/or those receiving antiplatelet therapy.
One‐step deep eutectic solvent strategy for efficient analysis of aflatoxins in edible oils
Authors: He Tingting , Zhou Tong , Wan Hao , Han Quanbin , Ma Yaqian , Tan Ting , Wan Yiqun 
Published: June 2020

AbstractBACKGROUNDAflatoxins, a kind of carcinogen, have attracted increasing attention due to their toxicity and harmfulness to human health. Traditional methods for aflatoxins analysis usually involve tedious extraction steps with a subsequent derivatization process. Herein, a simple and efficient liquid‐phase microextraction method based on deep eutectic solvents (DESs) for direct analysis of aflatoxins was developed.RESULTSAdopting DESs as the extractant, we surprisingly found out that DESs could either achieve good extraction performance or play a similar role to the derivatization agent, achieving an enhancement of fluorescence intensity for direct analysis of aflatoxins by high‐performance liquid chromatography combined with fluorescent detection. Under optimal conditions obtained by response surface methodology, the method provided satisfactory linear ranges (0.01–0.75 μg kg−1 for AFB1 and AFG1, 0.003–0.25 μg kg−1 for AFB2 and AFG2) with good determination coefficients (R2 > 0.9988), a low detection limit (0.0005–0.003 μg kg−1), and good recovery rates (72.05–113.54%).CONCLUSIONThese results highlighted superiorities of the one‐step DES strategy for analysis of aflatoxins in edible oils, providing insights for future development of efficient methods in food analysis. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Artificial sweeteners affect the glucose transport rate in the Caco‐2/NCI‐H716 co‐culture model
Authors: Xie Ningning , Huang Xi , Yang Chuyi , Dai Minchen , Cai Lei , Deng Shaoping , Hardiman Paul J , Zhou Jue 
Published: June 2020

AbstractBACKGROUNDArtificial sweeteners have been used widely as substitutes for sugar for several decades. In recent years they have been reported to be harmful to human health – especially to glucose absorption. However, as conclusions from previous studies using a single Caco‐2 cell model were not consistent, further studies with a more suitable cell model are needed.RESULTSWe established a co‐culture model with enterocyte Caco‐2 and enteroendocrine NCI‐H716 cell lines cultured in transwell inserts. The effects of artificial sweeteners, enhancing the glucose transport rate, lasted for 60 min and then began to diminish. Most importantly, different artificial sweeteners with the same sweetness intensity had similar effects on glucose transport. The sodium / glucose co‐transporter member 1 (SGLT1) mRNA expression levels increased significantly with an initial glucose concentration of 20 mM, while glucose transporter 2 (GLUT2) mRNA expression significantly increased with initial glucose concentrations of 20 mM and 60 mM.CONCLUSIONBased on the Caco‐2/NCI‐H716 co‐culture model, SGLT1 and GLUT2 mediated the enhancing effects of artificial sweeteners on glucose transport, depending on the sweetness intensity and initial glucose concentration.
Cochlear Implantation in Candidates With Moderate‐to‐Severe Hearing Loss and Poor Speech Perception
Authors: Hoppe Ulrich , Hocke Thomas , Hast Anne , Iro Heinrich 
Published: June 2020

Objectives/HypothesisTo determine the improvement in word recognition score (WRS65) after cochlear implant (CI) surgery in hearing aid (HA) users with preoperative hearing threshold ≤80 dB HL and inadequate speech recognition scores with HA. Secondarily, to identify predictive factors for WRS65 with a CI (WRS65[CI]) 6 months after surgery, derived from the standard German CI preoperative assessment.Study DesignRetrospective chart review.MethodsRetrospective review of all adult patients who received a Nucleus cochlear implant in the ear, nose, and throat department of the University Hospital of Erlangen between January 2010 and April 2019. The inclusion criteria were a preoperative hearing threshold ≤80 dB HL in the ear to receive the implantation, German as the native language, and at least 6 months postimplantation care at our center.ResultsThe inclusion criteria were met by 128 patients. All but two patients (98.4%) showed a significant improvement, WRS65(CI) versus WRS65 with an (HA) (WRS65[HA]), of at least 15 percentage points (pp). The median improvement was 55 pp with a median WRS65(CI) of 70%. Three preoperative audiometric measures, the maximum word recognition score, age at implantation, and WRS65(HA) were identified as predictive factors for WRS65(CI). For three‐quarters of the CI recipients, the score was not poorer than 12 pp below the predicted WRS65(CI).ConclusionsFor patients with a hearing loss ≤80 dB HL, cochlear implantation should be considered when speech perception with an HA is insufficient. The prediction model can support counseling in this patient group.Level of Evidence4 Laryngoscope, 131:E940–E945, 2021
Hydrophilic Quaternary Ammonium Ionenes—Is There an Influence of Backbone Flexibility and Topology on Antibacterial Properties?
Authors: Kopiasz Rafał Jerzy , Tomaszewski Waldemar , Kuźmińska Aleksandra , Chreptowicz Karolina , Mierzejewska Jolanta , Ciach Tomasz , Jańczewski Dominik 
Published: June 2020

AbstractThe antimicrobial properties of polycations are strongly affected by the structural features such as the backbone flexibility and topology (isomerism) through the polymer ability to attain proper conformation in interaction with the cell membrane. In this paper, a synthesis and biocidal properties evaluation of ionenes characterized by different backbone topology (isomerism) and flexibility are presented. The findings reveal influence of variation in topology on activity against different microorganisms, and general positive effect of improved flexibility. Furthermore, one of the obtained ionenes displays degradable properties in near physiological environment (phosphate‐buffered saline pH 7.4, 37 °C). The degradation proceeds via Hofmann elimination reaction and the products are not of acidic character. For the first time a new class of degradable ionenes with a high antimicrobial potential is presented.
N‐methyl‐2‐hydroxyethylammonium oleate ionic liquid performance as corrosion inhibitor for mild steel in hydrochloric acid medium
Authors: Schmitzhaus Tobias E. , Ortega Vega Maria R. , Schroeder Roberto , Muller Iduvirges L. , Mattedi Silvana , Malfatti Célia de Fraga 
Published: June 2020

AbstractThe aim of the present study is to evaluate the performance of N‐methyl‐2‐hydroxyethylammonium oleate ([m‐2HEA][Ol]) as a corrosion inhibitor for mild steel in a 0.1‐mol/L hydrochloric acid solution and also investigate the role of chloride in the inhibition mechanism. This protic ionic liquid (PIL) has formerly shown a high efficiency as a corrosion inhibitor in a neutral chloride medium. Electrochemical and weight loss measurements, surface contact angle determination, scanning electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy were used to understand the factors that influence the response of the studied inhibitor. Results revealed that [m‐2HEA][Ol] behaves as a mixed‐type adsorption inhibitor, by blocking cathodic sites and by modifying the activation energy of the anodic reaction, and it can reach up to 94–97% of inhibition efficiency. PIL adsorption was enhanced by the excess of positive charge of the mild steel. The effect of inhibitor molecule has been discussed to propose a mechanism that explains the inhibitory action of the corrosion inhibitor, pointing out the role of chloride in the inhibition mechanism.
Numerical Investigations of Different Tubular Microreactor Geometries for the Synthesis of Polymers under Unmixed Feed Condition
Authors: Garg Dhiraj K. , Serra Christophe A. , Hoarau Yannick , Parida Dambarudhar , Bouquey Michel , Muller Rene 
Published: June 2020

AbstractTwo tubular microreactor geometries—straight tube reactor (STR) and coil flow inverter reactor (CFIR)—are numerically studied with unmixed feed condition for the synthesis of poly(methyl methacrylate) and poly(styrene) by free radical polymerization. A new transformation rendering model dimensionless in terms of concentration is used during computational fluid dynamics modeling. For decoupled case of constant fluid thermo‐physical properties (FTPP) (density, viscosity, and thermal conductivity), significant differences between the two types of reactor are observed. CFIR is found to achieve higher number‐average chain lengths (DPn) while keeping polydispersity index (PDI) lower compared to STR. For the case of coupled FTPP variables with conversion (XM) and temperature, XM and DPn are found to have similar trends as in decoupled case but have systematically higher values while PDI values follows a different trend. CFIR is found to show better mixing compared to STR under similar conditions, thus allowing a better control over PDI under unmixed feed condition. An anomalous case of increased mixing in STR at low diffusion coefficient for coupled case is also observed. Overall, the importance of modeling the coupled case is clearly emphasized.
Design of a wideband right‐handed circularly polarized array of miniaturized mushroom‐shaped antennas for direct broadcast satellite application
Authors: Kola Kalyan Sundar , Chatterjee Anirban , Patanvariya Deven G. 
Published: June 2020

AbstractIn this study, a wideband right‐handed circularly polarized (RHCP) array of microstrip patch antennas, for direct broadcast satellite (DBS, 12.2‐12.7 GHz) services have been presented. The single element of the array is a two‐dimensional mushroom‐shaped fractal antenna of resonating frequency 12.49 GHz and an impedance bandwidth of 1.12 GHz. The proposed single element is designed by etching a pair of Minkowski square boxes in one of the two opposite sides of a regular octagon. Furthermore, a thin slot of length equal to one side of the regular octagon is placed in‐between the two Minkowski boxes, which results in the proposed mushroom‐shaped radiating element. The proposed four‐element linear array resonates at 12.47 GHz and gives an impedance bandwidth of 1.04 GHz. The feed network of the array is designed in such a manner to make the array structure very compact. The fabricated single element gives an RHCP gain of 5.25 dBic and its corresponding circular Polarization (CP) bandwidth of 200 MHz. The array gives an RHCP gain of 11.59 dBic and a CP bandwidth of 460 MHz. The measured CP bandwidth of the fabricated array prototype ensures 92% coverage of the entire DBS band with circularly polarized wave, and hence can be used for its related applications.
A miniaturized low‐cost microstrip‐to‐coplanar waveguide transition‐based ultra‐wideband bandpass filter with multiple transmission zeros
Authors: Ghazali Abu Nasar , Sazid Mohd , Pal Srikanta 
Published: June 2020

AbstractThis article presents a dual notched ultra‐wideband (UWB) bandpass filter (BPF) with good frequency characteristics realized on a low‐cost dielectric. The proposed structure is based on the surface‐to‐surface transition technology, with microstrip lines aligned face‐to‐face on the top, and short‐circuited butterfly shaped coplanar waveguide (CPW) in the ground. The microstrips and CPW are coupled vertically via the dielectric. The basic optimized alignment generates a third‐order UWB filter with quasi‐elliptic response having two transmission zeros at either passband edge and improved insertion/return loss. Later, folded split‐ring resonators are coupled to feed lines of the basic BPF to develop multiple stopbands inside and outside the UWB spectrum. The predicted simulated performance is verified against measured data, which depicts good similarity. The structure covers an area of 21.2 × 16 mm2.
Clinical features of LRP4/agrin‐antibody–positive myasthenia gravis: A multicenter study
Authors: Rivner Michael H. , Quarles Brandy M. , Pan Jin‐Xiu , Yu Zheng , Howard James F. , Corse Andrea , Dimachkie Mazen M. , Jackson Carlayne , Vu Tuan , Small George , Lisak Robert P. , Belsh Jerry , Lee Ikjae , Nowak Richard J. , Baute Vanessa , Scelsa Stephen , Fernandes J. Americo , Simmons Zachary , Swenson Andrea , Barohn Richard , Sanka R. Bhavaraju , Gooch Clifton , Ubogu Eroboghene , Caress James , Pasnoor Mamatha , Xu Hongyan , Mei Lin 
Published: June 2020

AbstractIntroductionOur aim in this study was to identify the prevalence and clinical characteristics of LRP4/agrin‐antibody–positive double‐seronegative myasthenia gravis (DNMG).MethodsDNMG patients at 16 sites in the United States were tested for LRP4 and agrin antibodies, and the clinical data were collected.ResultsOf 181 DNMG patients, 27 (14.9%) were positive for either low‐density lipoprotein receptor–related protein 4 (LRP4) or agrin antibodies. Twenty‐three DNMG patients (12.7%) were positive for both antibodies. More antibody‐positive patients presented with generalized symptoms (69%) compared with antibody‐negative patients (43%) (P ≤ .02). Antibody‐positive patients’ maximum classification on the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA) scale was significantly higher than that for antibody‐negative patients (P ≤ .005). Seventy percent of antibody‐positive patients were classified as MGFA class III, IV, or V compared with 39% of antibody‐negative patients. Most LRP4‐ and agrin‐antibody–positive patients (24 of 27, 89%) developed generalized myathenia gravis (MG), but with standard MG treatment 81.5% (22 of 27) improved to MGFA class I or II during a mean follow‐up of 11 years.DiscussionAntibody‐positive patients had more severe clinical disease than antibody‐negative patients. Most DNMG patients responded to standard therapy regardless of antibody status.
Effects of home‐based pelvic floor muscle training on decreasing symptoms of stress urinary incontinence and improving the quality of life of urban adult Omani women: A randomized controlled single‐blind study
Authors: Al Belushi Zalikha I. , Al Kiyumi Maisa H. , Al‐Mazrui Ahlaam A. , Jaju Sanjay , Alrawahi Abdul H. , Al Mahrezi Abdulaziz M. 
Published: June 2020

AbstractAimThis study aims to determine the effectiveness of home‐based pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) on decreasing the severity of symptoms and improving the quality of life (QOL) among Omani women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI).MethodsA randomized controlled single‐blind trial was conducted in three primary health care centers in Muscat. Eligible women who were diagnosed with SUI (from a concurrent phase‐I study which was a cross‐sectional study to determine the prevalence of urinary incontinence in Oman) were invited to take part. The consenting subjects were randomly allocated to either an intervention group (unsupervised PFMT) or a control group (lecture with no PFMT). Baseline and 12‐week assessment of both groups was carried out for the primary outcome using the validated Arabic version of the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire (ICIQ)‐short form and the secondary outcome by blinded measures of pelvic floor muscle (PFM) strength using the modified Oxford grading system (MOGS), endurance, and perineometer.ResultsA total of 73 subjects were included in the study. They were randomly divided into two groups. Both groups were similar at the baseline in terms of sociodemographic characteristics, ICIQ score, and PFM strength. At the 12‐weeks assessment, there was a significant difference in the ICIQ score (P < .001) between the intervention group and the control one. There was no statistical difference between the two groups in MOGS, endurance, or perineometer values.ConclusionsThe home‐based PFMT is an effective treatment in reducing the severity of symptoms and improving the QOL in women with SUI.
Neural pathway of bellows response during SNM treatment revisited: Conclusive evidence for direct efferent motor response
Authors: Vaganée Donald , Voorham Jeroen , Panicker Jalesh N. , Fransen Erik , Voorham‐van der Zalm Petra , Van de Borne Sigrid , De Wachter Stefan 
Published: June 2020

AbstractBackgroundIn sacral neuromodulation (SNM) patients, it is thought the bellows response elicited upon sacral spinal nerve stimulation is reflex‐mediated. Therefore the mechanism of action of SNM is considered to be at the spinal or supraspinal level. These ideas need to be challenged.ObjectiveTo identify the neural pathway of the bellows response upon sacral spinal nerve stimulation.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsSingle tertiary center, prospective study (December 2017‐June 2019) including 29 patients with overactive bladder refractory to first‐line treatment.InterventionRecording of the pelvic floor muscle response (PFMR) using a camcorder and electromyography (EMG) (intravaginal probe and concentric needles) upon increasing stimulation during lead or implantable pulse generator placement.Outcome Measurements and Statistical AnalysisThe lowest stimulation intensity needed to elicit a visual PFMR and electrical PFMR was determined. Electrical PFMRs were subdivided according to their latency.Outcome: the association between visual and electrical PFMRs. Statistical analyses were performed using the weighted kappa coefficient.ResultsThree different electrical PFMRs could be identified by surface and needle EMG, corresponding with a direct efferent motor response (R1), oligosynaptic (R2), and polysynaptic (R3) afferent reflex response.Only the R1 electrical PFMR was perfectly associated with the visual PFMR (κ = 0.900).ConclusionsThe visual PFMRs upon sacral spinal nerve stimulation are direct efferent motor responses. A reopening of the discussion on the mechanism of action of SNM is possibly justified.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy prevents subarachnoid hemorrhage‐induced apoptosis and impaired contractility of the rabbit bladder
Authors: Tinay Ilker , Celik Ozgur , Sekerci Cagri Akin , Cadirci Selin , Cevik Ozge , Oroglu Bengusu , Sener Goksel , Tarcan Tufan 
Published: June 2020

AbstractAimTo explore the effects of experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) on rabbit urinary bladder and to assess the potential protective effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT).MethodsA total of 15 male New Zealand white rabbits were divided randomly to one of three groups: group I was spared as the control group (n = 5), group II was exposed to SAH, received no treatment, and acted as the SAH group (n = 5) and group III was exposed to SAH and received five sessions of HBOT (started 12 hours after SAH induction and was given twice daily for the first 2 days and once on the third day) and acted as the treatment group (n = 5). At 72 hours after the SAH induction, bladders from all animals were removed for in vitro organ bath experiments and biochemical analyses.Resultsİsometric tension studies revealed that compared to group I, the contractile responses of the strips to carbachol in group II were significantly decreased whereas HBOT restored the contractile responses (P < .05). Caspase‐3 and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activities of bladder tissues were significantly increased in group II when compared with group I, whereas caspase‐3 and NOS activities were significantly decreased in the tissues of group III (P < .01).ConclusionsSubarachnoid hemorrhage stimulates apoptosis of the rabbit bladder and impairs the contractile response of the rabbit bladder to carbachol. HBOT creates a protective effect in rabbit bladder tissues and restores SAH‐induced changes.
Qualitative evaluation in nursing interventions—A review of the literature
Authors: Rørtveit Kristine , Saetre Hansen Britt , Joa Inge , Lode Kirsten , Severinsson Elisabeth 
Published: June 2020

AbstractAimTo identify and synthesize qualitative evaluation methods used in nursing interventions.DesignA systematic qualitative review with a content analysis. Four databases were used: MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase and CINAHL using pre‐defined terms. The included papers were published from 2014–2018.MethodsWe followed the guidelines of Dixon‐Woods et al., Sandelowski and Barroso, the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme qualitative checklist and The Confidence in the Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative Research Approach.ResultsOf 103 papers, 15 were eligible for inclusion. The main theme Challenging complexity by evaluating qualitatively described processes and characteristics of qualitative evaluation. Two analytic themes emerged: Evaluating the implementation process and Evaluating improvements brought about by the programme.ConclusionDifferent qualitative evaluation methods in nursing are a way of documenting knowledge that is difficult to illuminate in natural settings and make an important contribution when determining the pros and cons of an intervention.