bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Left ventricular extracellular volume expansion does not predict recurrence of atrial fibrillation following catheter ablation
Authors: Gunasekaran Suvai , Lee Daniel C. , Knight Bradley P. , Collins Jeremy D. , Fan Lexiaozi , Trivedi Amar , Ragin Ann B. , Carr James C. , Passman Rod S. , Kim Daniel 
Published: December 2019

AbstractIntroductionA recent study reported that diffuse left ventricular (LV) fibrosis is a predictor of atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence following catheter ablation, by measuring postcontrast cardiac T1 (an error prone metric as per the 2017 Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance consensus statement) using an inversion‐recovery pulse sequence (an error prone method in arrhythmia) in AF ablation candidates. The purpose of this study was to verify the prior study, by measuring extracellular volume (ECV) fraction (an accurate metric) using a saturation‐recovery pulse sequence (accurate method in arrhythmia).Methods and ResultsThis study examined 100 AF patients (mean age = 62 ± 11 years, 69 males and 31 females, 67 paroxysmal [pAF] and 33 persistent [peAF]) who underwent a preablation cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) exam. LV ECV and left atrial (LA) and LV functional parameters were quantified using standard analysis methods. During an average follow‐up period of 457 ± 261 days with 4 ± 3 rhythm checks per patient, 72 patients maintained sinus rhythm. Between those who maintained sinus rhythm (n = 72) and those who reverted to AF (n = 28), the only clinical characteristic that was significantly different was age (60 ± 12 years vs 66 ± 9 years); for CMR metrics, neither mean LV ECV (25.1 ± 3.3% vs 24.7 ± 3.7%), native LV T1 (1093.8 ± 73.5 ms vs 1070.2 ± 115.9 ms), left ventricular ejection fraction (54.1 ± 11.2% vs 55.7 ± 7.1%), nor LA end diastolic volume/body surface area (42.4 ± 14.8 mL/m2 vs 43.4 ± 19.6 mL/m2) were significantly different (P ≥ .23). According to Cox regression tests, none of the clinical and imaging variables predict AF recurrence.ConclusionNeither LV ECV nor other CMR metrics predict recurrence of AF following catheter ablation.
Surgical excision combined with fully ablative carbon dioxide laser therapy and triamcinolone injections as a potential treatment for keloids in children
Authors: Bonnardeaux Evelyne , McCuaig Catherine 
Published: December 2019

AbstractBackground/objectiveKeloids represent a functional and esthetic burden and can be particularly challenging to treat. Various topical, injectable, and ablative therapies exist but are associated with significant recurrence if used alone. We wanted to evaluate the long‐term efficacy of multimodal therapy in pediatric patients treated for keloids at the Sainte‐Justine University Hospital Center.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective case study of 21 children with 21 keloids treated between April 2006 and April 2016. The following combination of treatments was studied: surgical excision, carbon dioxide (CO2) laser therapy on the surgical site, and triamcinolone acetonide (TAC) intralesional injections during surgery and follow‐up. Depending on the site treated, pressure garments and/or topical silicone were also used.ResultsOf the 21 patients initially treated, four were lost to follow‐up. Of the 17 patients who had adequate follow‐up (mean duration 18 months, with periodic reassessments and additional TAC injections if needed), 6 (35%) had some recurrence, with remission in three of them following subsequent treatment and three lost to follow‐up. In summary, 14 (82.4%) of the patients with adequate follow‐up had complete clearance of the keloid. However, this must be interpreted in light of the fact there was a significant loss of follow‐up (33.3%) from the initial cohort.ConclusionOur results are in agreement with other recent studies that demonstrate the need for multimodal therapy with combined methods in order to achieve long‐term remission. A randomized controlled trial would be necessary to assess the real benefit of this treatment combination in children.
Fuzzy System Dynamics Risk Analysis (FuSDRA) of Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Operations in the Antarctic
Authors: Loh Tzu Yang , Brito Mario P. , Bose Neil , Xu Jingjing , Tenekedjiev Kiril 
Published: December 2019

AbstractWith the maturing of autonomous technology and better accessibility, there has been a growing interest in the use of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). The deployment of AUVs for under‐ice marine science research in the Antarctic is one such example. However, a higher risk of AUV loss is present during such endeavors due to the extreme operating environment. To control the risk of loss, existing risk analyses approaches tend to focus more on the AUV's technical aspects and neglect the role of soft factors, such as organizational and human influences. In addition, the dynamic and complex interrelationships of risk variables are also often overlooked due to uncertainties and challenges in quantification. To overcome these shortfalls, a hybrid fuzzy system dynamics risk analysis (FuSDRA) is proposed. In the FuSDRA framework, system dynamics models the interrelationships between risk variables from different dimensions and considers the time‐dependent nature of risk while fuzzy logic accounts for uncertainties. To demonstrate its application, an example based on an actual Antarctic AUV program is presented. Focusing on funding and experience of the AUV team, simulation of the FuSDRA risk model shows a declining risk of loss from 0.293 in the early years of the Antarctic AUV program, reaching a minimum of 0.206 before increasing again in later years. Risk control policy recommendations were then derived from the analysis. The example demonstrated how FuSDRA can be applied to inform funding and risk management strategies, or broader application both within the AUV domain and on other complex technological systems.
The effects of remittances, foreign direct investment, and foreign aid on economic growth: An empirical analysis
Authors: Bird Graham , Choi Yongseok 
Published: December 2019

AbstractThe Sustainable Development Goals have refocused attention on ways of providing external finance to support development. Because they have different motivations and work through different modalities, remittances, foreign direct investment (FDI), and official development assistance may be expected to have different consequences for economic growth. Existing empirical evidence suggests that both positive and negative effects are associated with each source of finance. We use both a dynamic panel model and a fixed effects model to calculate the overall effects of each source of finance in isolation and taken together over the period 1976–2015. We include a range of control variables to allow for other potential influences on economic growth. We disaggregate the effects across geographical regions and income levels to test for heterogeneity. We also undertake a series of robustness checks. Our results suggest that FDI has a significant positive effect on economic growth, whereas remittances have a significant and negative effect. The effect of foreign aid is more ambiguous but is usually insignificant. The article offers an interpretation of the results drawing on ideas from the relevant theory.
Risk tolerance, gender, and entrepreneurship: The Palestinian case
Authors: Daoud Yousef S. , Sarsour Shaker , Shanti Ruba , Kamal Sanaa 
Published: December 2019

AbstractThis paper analyzes the inter‐relationships between entrepreneurial propensity, fear of failure (FoF), and gender in Palestine, using the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) adult population survey (APS) data for 2009, 2010, and 2012, and it is the first that addresses Gender, fear of failure, and entrepreneurship for Palestine. The paper extends the analysis of the endogeneity issue of FoF by using the conditional mixed process (CMP), which improves the efficiency of the estimates. The results show that the fear of failure negatively affects entrepreneurial status, while skill perception does the opposite. It is also found that fear of failure is higher among women, although this result is not stable over time. Using the CMP specification, we find that gender and fear of failure both reduce the predicted probability of entrepreneurship consistently over time. The only variable that consistently predicts fear of failure and is significant is skill perception, which has a negative impact. Policy implications of this research point to the importance of reducing the gender gap in entrepreneurship. In particular, there is a need to improve their skill perception in order to encourage more females to be entrepreneurs. Networking, vocational education and media coverage of success stories are among the tools that could potentially achieve this result.
Bone changes in the temporomandibular joints of older adults: A cone‐beam computed tomography study
Authors: Dumbuya Aminata , Gomes Amanda Farias , Marchini Leonardo , Zeng Erliang , Comnick Carissa L. , Melo Saulo L. Sousa 
Published: December 2019

AbstractAimsTo assess the prevalence of degenerative bone changes in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) of older adults using cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT), and to verify possible associations between these findings and patient health history.MethodsCBCT scans comprising both TMJs were acquired for 137 patients aged 65+, regardless of TMD status. Images were assessed by two oral radiologists and evaluated for the presence of flattening, erosion, sclerosis, subchondral cysts, and osteophytes in the TMJ bony components, and self‐reported patient systemic health histories were retrieved from records.ResultsThere were 59 males, and the mean age was 73.35 ± 6.28. A total of 31.4% had bone changes in both TMJs, and 65.7% had bone changes in at least one side. Bone changes were more prevalent in females, with subchondral cysts (63.3%) and osteophytes (60%) the most common findings. There was a higher prevalence of osteoporosis/osteopenia (38.5%) and connective tissue disorders (39.8%) in patients with TMJ bone changes than in those with normal TMJs.ConclusionDegenerative bone changes of TMJ were prevalent among older adults, and females were more affected. There was a greater prevalence of osteoporosis/osteopenia and connective tissue disorders in patients with TMJ bone changes than in subjects with normal TMJs.
Conditional covariance penalties for mixed models
Authors: Säfken Benjamin , Kneib Thomas 
Published: December 2019

AbstractThe prediction error for mixed models can have a conditional or a marginal perspective depending on the research focus. We introduce a novel conditional version of the optimism theorem for mixed models linking the conditional prediction error to covariance penalties for mixed models. Different possibilities for estimating these conditional covariance penalties are introduced. These are bootstrap methods, cross‐validation, and a direct approach called Steinian. The behavior of the different estimation techniques is assessed in a simulation study for the binomial‐, the t‐, and the gamma distribution and for different kinds of prediction error. Furthermore, the impact of the estimation techniques on the prediction error is discussed based on an application to undernutrition in Zambia.
Candidate Extremism and Electoral Design in U.S. State Legislative Elections
Authors: Hale Isaac 
Published: December 2019

ObjectiveThis study examines the association between the electoral systems used in U.S. state legislative elections and candidate ideological dispersion. Previous work suggests that, under certain conditions, greater district magnitude has a centrifugal polarizing effect on candidate ideology. Cross‐national investigations of this theory have produced conflicting results.MethodsBuilding on this body of research, this paper leverages electoral system variation in U.S. state legislative elections to evaluate whether district‐level electoral system variation influences candidate ideology.ResultsWe find strong evidence for a polarizing relationship between district magnitude on candidate ideology, even under plurality voting.ConclusionThis paper has significant implications for our understanding of candidate ideological positioning in sub‐national contexts as well of how electoral systems affect the quality of representation voters receive from legislators.
Molecular phylogeny illuminates Amblyopinini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) rove beetles as a target for systematic and evolutionary research
Authors: Shaw Josh Jenkins , Żyła Dagmara , Solodovnikov Alexey 
Published: December 2019

AbstractThe rove beetle tribe Amblyopinini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae) is a recently discovered monophyletic lineage comprising an estimated 1000 or more species of mainly leaf‐ and log litter‐dwelling predatory insects found throughout the southern hemisphere. Of these, a single genus Heterothops Stephens somehow conquered all continents in the northern hemisphere as well. A few lineages of amblyopinines independently evolved into highly derived predators of mammal ectoparasites from free‐living ancestors. In return, they are tolerated in the mammal fur and nests, which is a unique example of cleaning symbiosis between insects and vertebrates. For over a century the great majority of free‐living southern amblyopinines were incorrectly placed in the northern hemisphere‐restricted, and superficially similar, rove beetle genera from the subtribe Quediina. Only their mammal‐associated derived forms were understood as amblyopinines, a nonmonophyletic taxon of volatile status and enigmatic sister‐group relationships of its various members. Here we present the first comprehensive phylogeny of Amblyopinini inferred with Bayesian analysis of a six‐gene molecular dataset (4672 bp) across a broad sample of taxa (90 species). This phylogeny provides a framework for the badly needed taxonomic inventory of this group and, in particular, reveals at least two independent origins of mammal association within the tribe. It frames the upcoming in‐depth interdisciplinary exploration of a variety of phenomena such as evolution of the austral biota in response to continental drift and climate change, biotic exchange between southern and northern continents, origin and evolution of beetle–mammal symbiosis, and pathways and constraints of the evolutionary parallelisms.
Translational regulation contributes to the elevated CO2 response in two Solanum species
Authors: Gray Sharon B. , Rodriguez‐Medina Joel , Rusoff Samuel , Toal Ted W. , Kajala Kaisa , Runcie Daniel E. , Brady Siobhan M. 
Published: December 2019

SummaryUnderstanding the impact of elevated CO2 (eCO2) in global agriculture is important given climate change projections. Breeding climate‐resilient crops depends on genetic variation within naturally varying populations. The effect of genetic variation in response to eCO2 is poorly understood, especially in crop species. We describe the different ways in which Solanum lycopersicum and its wild relative S. pennellii respond to eCO2, from cell anatomy, to the transcriptome, and metabolome. We further validate the importance of translational regulation as a potential mechanism for plants to adaptively respond to rising levels of atmospheric CO2.
A small scale study to evaluate the efficacy of microneedling in the presence or absence of platelet‐rich plasma in the treatment of post‐clipping alopecia in dogs
Authors: Diamond Jacquelyn C. , Schick Robert O. , Savage Mason Y. , Fadok Valerie A. 
Published: December 2019

BackgroundPost‐clipping alopecia often has a clinically poor response to therapy and prolonged alopecia is a source of anxiety for some owners. In humans and dogs, superficial microtrauma via a microneedling (MN) device induces mechanical stimulation of the hair follicle with resultant hair regrowth. Human studies suggest that concurrent application of platelet‐rich plasma (PRP) with MN induces more rapid regrowth of better‐quality hair than microneedling alone.HypothesisMicroneedling with PRP will induce more rapid regrowth of better quality hair.AnimalsFour unrelated client‐owned dogs diagnosed with post‐clipping alopecia.Methods and MaterialsThis was a prospective study. The affected site was divided in half, with the first half treated with MN alone and the second half treated with MN + PRP. Hair regrowth was assessed by clinician and owner using a hair growth assessment scale (HGAS) at one, three, six and 12 months.ResultsAt three months, all dogs had improved and three exhibited greater hair regrowth on the MN + PRP side. A similar response was noted bilaterally in three dogs, which had improved by 76–100% at six months and remained unchanged at 12 months. One dog improved by < 26% at six months, but had> 50% re‐growth by 12 months. The small sample size precluded statistical analysis.Conclusions and clinical importanceIn dogs with post‐clipping alopecia, MN + PRP appeared to induce more rapid hair regrowth than MN; however, overall results were visibly equivalent by six months regardless of method. Both MN and MN + PRP proved successful for treating post‐clipping alopecia.
Wound leakage rates of ex vivo uniplanar versus biplanar phacoemulsification clear corneal incisions in dogs
Authors: Snyder Kevin , Terhaar Hannah , Bentley Ellison , Miller Paul E. 
Published: December 2019

AbstractObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to compare the leakage rates of perilimbal uniplanar and biplanar clear corneal incisions in dogs when subjected to increased intraocular pressure (IOP) both from within the eye and via external pressure.ProcedureUniplanar clear corneal incisions were created in eight freshly enucleated canine eyes using a 3.2 mm straight slit knife while 8 fellow eyes received a biplanar clear corneal incision consisting of an approximately 300 μm deep groove followed by a 3.2 mm straight slit knife entry into the anterior chamber. Both wounds were reapposed using three simple interrupted 8‐0 polyglactin 910 sutures. Eyes were cannulated with two 25 g needles: One connected to a pressure transducer, and the other connected to a reservoir of isotonic saline. The IOP at which the wound leaked was recorded when the intraocular pressure was increased internally by raising the height of the fluid bag, and again when the cornea was externally compressed. Kaplan‐Meier survival curves compared incision types for each method of increasing IOP and were evaluated using Mantel‐Cox log‐rank analysis.ResultsBoth wound types resisted leakage at IOP in the physiologically achievable range and no significant differences were observed between clear corneal incisions when pressure was applied externally (P = .353) or was increased from within the globe (P = .615).ConclusionEx vivo uniplanar and biplanar clear corneal incisions in dogs are equally strong, with no significant differences in leakage rates when IOP is increased internally or externally.
Modeling and Analysis of a High Temperature, High Pressure Two-Phase NH3/FAME-MLL PFHX
Authors: Gross Thomas , Anderson Kevin R. , McNamara Christopher , Gatti Ariel 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
This paper presents a discretized enthalpy analysis of a FAME-MLL, NH3 plate-fin heat exchanger (PFHX) with single and two-phase flow. The paper outlines the methodology used to model the PFHX and presents a MATLAB simulation model, which uses the NIST REFPROP database for thermo-physical property evaluation. The paper presents analysis for a staged single-phase, two-phase PFHX architecture. Plots of the heat transfer coefficients, overall heat transfer coefficient, specific enthalpy and heat flux variation over the length of the PFHX are provided. The mass, volume, area, effectiveness-number of transfer units rating for each PFHX are given.
A Near Real-Time Solution Approach for Surface Heat Flux Estimation in One Dimensional Inverse Heat Conduction Problems With Moving Boundary
Authors: Uyanna Obinna , Najafi Hamidreza 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
Developing accurate and efficient solutions for inverse heat conduction problems allows advancements in the heat flux measurement techniques for many applications. In the present paper, a one-dimensional medium with a moving boundary is considered. It is assumed that two thermocouples are used to measure temperature at two locations within the medium while the front boundary is moving towards the back surface. Determining surface heat flux using measured temperature data is an inverse heat conduction problem. A filter based Tikhonov regularization method is used to develop a solution for this problem. Filter coefficients are calculated for various thicknesses of the medium. It is demonstrated that the filter coefficients can be interpolated to calculate the appropriate values for each thickness while it is continuously moving at a known rate. The use of filter method allows near real-time heat flux estimation. The developed solution is validated through several numerical test cases including a test case for a moving boundary in a medium modeled in COMSOL. It is shown that the proposed solution can effectively estimate the surface heat flux on the moving boundary in a near real-time fashion.
Performance Evaluations of Extracting Water From Dry Air Using Multi-Stage Desiccant Wheels and Vapor Compression Cycle
Authors: Tu Rang , Liu Lanbin 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
A water extraction device that takes water from air in dry area is proposed. This device is designed to meet domestic water demand in remote rural areas, where the climate is dry and fresh water is scarce. The device can be driven effectively by low-temperature waste heat and has the characteristics of large daily water production, low energy consumption per unit of water and high water quality. Because the moisture content of air in dry area is very low, the effect of direct condensation is limited. Solid adsorbent is able to adsorb water vapor from air at a low temperature and release water vapor at under high temperature, which can be used for water extracting from air. To improve its performance under dry circumstances, the key technical point of this device is to use solid adsorbent to collect water vapor from other air to raise its dew point temperature, and then use high temperature cold source to condense water vapor from it. In this paper, configurations of the solid adsorption are proposed, which can be driven with low regeneration temperature under the same humidity increasing amount. This device uses multi-stage desiccant wheels to realize humid increasing. Desiccant wheel can be driven with high temperature to take water vapor from dehumidification air and release water vapor to regeneration air. The multi-stage configuration is good for the reduction of regeneration temperature, making applications of low temperature waste heat form heat pumps possible. Then, influencing factors of water extracting rate are analyzed. The influencing of regeneration temperature, humid reduction amount of the humidified air and cooling and heating systems, etc., are analyzed. Last, air handling processes considering cold and heat sources are recommended to reduce energy consumption. The heat pump driven scenarios are discussed in particular. Through optimization, the water extracting rate can be increased and energy consumption per unit of water can be reduced. At present, this paper only studies air water extracting processes and thermal processes, and does not involve structure of the device, water purification and power consumption of fans, etc.