bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Minimal clinically important difference in quality of life scores for patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction
Authors: Butler Javed , Khan Muhammad Shahzeb , Mori Claudio , Filippatos Gerasimos S. , Ponikowski Piotr , Comin‐Colet Josep , Roubert Bernard , Spertus John A. , Anker Stefan D. 
Published: April 2020

ABSTRACTAimsWhile the associations of health‐related quality of life scores in heart failure (HF) [e.g. the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ)] with clinical outcomes are well established, their interpretation in the context of what magnitudes of change are clinically important to patients is less clear. The main objective of this study was to correlate the changes in the KCCQ and Patient Global Assessment (PGA) in patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) to determine minimal clinically important difference (MCID).Methods and resultsWe analysed data from 459 patients of the FAIR‐HF trial. Both KCCQ and PGA were assessed at 4 and 24 weeks after enrolment. An anchor‐based approach was used to calculate MCID at week 4 and 24. PGA was chosen as the clinical anchor against which changes in the KCCQ scores were calibrated. For each category of change in PGA, the corresponding differences were calculated by the mean scores of various domains of KCCQ along with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). There was fair correlation between PGA and changes in overall summary scores (OSS) (r = 0.31; P < 0.001), clinical summary scores (CSS) (r = 0.36; P < 0.001) and physical limitation scores (PLS) (r = 0.31; P < 0.001) from baseline to week 4. KCCQ OSS, CSS and PLS MCID for ‘little improvement’ at week 4 were 3.6 (1.0–6.2), 4.5 (1.8–7.2) and 4.7 (1.4–8.0) points, respectively. OSS, CSS and PLS MCID for ‘little improvement’ at week 24 were 4.3 (0.2–8.4), 4.5 (0.5–8.5) and 4.0 (−0.9–9.0) points, respectively.ConclusionThe MCID threshold for KCCQ score was generally consistent and numerically lower than the threshold of 5‐point change considered for clinical outcome prognosis and were stable between 4 and 24 weeks. This suggests that even changes smaller than the traditional 5‐point improvements in KCCQ may be clinically meaningful. Also, these results can aid in the clinical interpretation of patient‐reported outcomes, and better endpoint selection in future studies.
Numerical study and comparison of heat transferring ability of geometrically modified lithium‐ion cells for battery packs
Authors: Ranjan Upadhyay Mridul , Sachdeva Nishchay , Senthil Kumar Rajendran 
Published: April 2020

AbstractThe growth in electric vehicles is climbing so is the requirement of battery packs. Most commonly used battery packs are made of cylindrical lithium‐ion (Li‐ion) cells arranged a specific orientation. For a highly effective cooling system of a Li‐ion battery pack, an appropriate cell arrangement plays a substantial role. In electric vehicles, the battery pack decides the performance of it, as it is the only power source. Under extreme temperature conditions, the efficiency of the battery packs decreases. This non‐uniform effect must be minimized by recommending the appropriate location and orientations of cells. Hence, the battery pack is modeled and analyzed for both inline and staggered arrangements in this study. The numerical simulations are carried out using Ansys Fluent‐18. Moreover, this paper also explores the possibilities of using cells with an elliptical cross‐section and its effect on cooling performances and recommendations have been made. It is found that the pressure drop decreases by five times when the circle is replaced by an ellipse. The pressure drag decreases when the ellipse is placed in a staggered arrangement and is found to be 72.63% with respect to inline arrangements. Though the flow characteristics were in favor of the ellipse, the heat dissipation was found to be better for circular cells.
OIDPR: Optimized insulin dosage via privacy‐preserving reinforcement learning
Authors: Ying Zuobin , Zhang Yun , Cao Shuanglong , Xu Shengmin , Ma Maode 
Published: April 2020

AbstractThe precision of insulin dosage is essential in the process of diabetes treatment. The fact is providing precise dosage is almost impossible for clinicians since blood sugar levels are dynamically affected by many factors. Even though some auxiliary dosing systems have been proposed, the required real‐time physical data about the health situation of diabetics is still hard to synchronize to the end‐devices instantly. The traditional personalized drug delivery frameworks for accurate dosing of insulin always collect and transmit medical data in cleartext, which raises privacy problems. In this article, we propose a framework for an optimized insulin dosage via privacy‐preserving reinforcement learning to diabetics (OIDPR). In OIDPR, both the additive secret sharing and edge computing are deployed to achieve data confidentiality and performance optimization. The medical data is divided into multiple secret shares uniformly at random for outsourcing and operating at the edge servers. During the computation task of reinforcement learning, data is encrypted and processed via our proposed additive secret sharing protocol, where the privacy is reserved by the efficient encryption mechanism and the secret sharing system only incurs little workload. We provide comprehensive theoretical analyses and experimental results that demonstrate the supervisor functionality and high performance of our framework.
Co‐occurrence of positive staff interactions and positive affect in memory‐care residents: An observational study
Authors: Fauth Elizabeth B. , Meyer Keirstin V. , Rose Cassidy 
Published: April 2020

ObjectivesWith high numbers of persons with dementia living in residential care, it is vital to maximize psychosocial well‐being for this population in this setting. The current study observed whether proportions of positive affect in residents differed based on co‐occurring staff (typically certified nurse assistants) interaction types.MethodsA trained research team observed staff/resident interactions and affect in residents with dementia in common areas of a residential memory care unit (n = 22; observations over one year, or 6999 minutes total).ResultsThe most observed resident affect type was neutral (53.1% of all minutes observed), followed by positive affect (44.5%). The most common staff interaction type was neutral/no interaction (81.1% of all minutes observed), followed by positive staff interactions (18.1%). There was very little resident negative affect (2.4%) and staff negative interactions (.8%) observed. When staff had neutral/no/negative interactions, residents were positive 36% of the time, whereas when staff had positive interactions with them, residents were positive 81% of the time (z = 28.84, p < .001). A qualitative review of field notes identified themes and subthemes providing a more thorough understanding and context for the resident affect and staff interactions. While quantitative analyses suggested low rates of negative staff interaction, field notes highlight that neutral or no interactions with residents sometimes comprised missed opportunities, as well as more problematic lack of interaction (ignoring).ConclusionsNot just avoiding negative interactions, but eliciting positive social interactions between staff and residents is important in promoting positive affect and overall wellbeing in persons with dementia.
Depth‐dependent abnormal cortical myelination in first‐episode treatment‐naïve schizophrenia
Authors: Wei Wei , Zhang Yamin , Li Yinfei , Meng Yajin , Li Mingli , Wang Qiang , Deng Wei , Ma Xiaohong , Palaniyappan Lena , Zhang Nanyin , Li Tao 
Published: April 2020

AbstractMyelination is key to effective message passing in the central nervous system and is likely linked to the pathogenesis of schizophrenia (SZ). Emerging evidence indicates that a large portion of intracortical myelin insulates inhibitory interneurons that are highly relevant to pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Here for the first time, we characterized intracortical myelination across the entire cortical surface in first‐episode treatment‐naïve patients with schizophrenia (FES) using T1w/T2w ratio of structural MRI, FES patients exhibited significantly higher myelin content in the left inferior parietal lobe, supramarginal gyrus, and superior temporal gyrus in the superficial layer, as well as left IPL in the middle layer, but significantly lower myelin content in the left middle insula and posterior cingulate gyrus. Years of education, a proxy for onset of functional decline, significantly altered the relationship between abnormal parietal and posterior cingulate myelination and clinical symptoms, indicating that the pathoplastic role of myelination hinges on the age of onset of functional decline. In addition, higher myelination generally related to better cognitive function in younger subjects but worse cognitive function in older subjects. We conclude that FES is characterized by increased myelination of the superficial layers of the parietal–temporal association cortex, but reduced myelination of the cingulo‐insular midcortical layer cortex. Intracortical myelin content affects both cognitive functioning and symptom burden in FES, with the effect conditional upon age and timing of onset of functional decline. These results suggest myelination might be a critical biological target for procognitive interventions in SZ.
Gray matter volume and estimated brain age gap are not linked with sleep‐disordered breathing
Authors: Mohajer Bahram , Abbasi Nooshin , Mohammadi Esmaeil , Khazaie Habibolah , Osorio Ricardo S. , Rosenzweig Ivana , Eickhoff Claudia R. , Zarei Mojtaba , Tahmasian Masoud , Eickhoff Simon B. ,   for the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Published: April 2020

AbstractAlzheimer's disease (AD) and sleep‐disordered breathing (SDB) are prevalent conditions with a rising burden. It is suggested that SDB may contribute to cognitive decline and advanced aging. Here, we assessed the link between self‐reported SDB and gray matter volume in patients with AD, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and healthy controls (HCs). We further investigated whether SDB was associated with advanced brain aging. We included a total of 330 participants, divided based on self‐reported history of SDB, and matched across diagnoses for age, sex and presence of the Apolipoprotein E4 allele, from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). Gray‐matter volume was measured using voxel‐wise morphometry and group differences in terms of SDB, cognitive status, and their interaction were assessed. Further, using an age‐prediction model fitted on gray‐matter data of external datasets, we predicted study participants' age from their structural images. Cognitive decline and advanced age were associated with lower gray matter volume in various regions, particularly in the bilateral temporal lobes. Brains age was well predicted from the morphological data in HCs and, as expected, elevated in MCI and particularly in AD subjects. However, there was neither a significant difference between regional gray matter volume in any diagnostic group related to the SDB status, nor in SDB‐by‐cognitive status interaction. Moreover, we found no difference in estimated chronological age gap related to SDB, or by‐cognitive status interaction. Contrary to our hypothesis, we were not able to find a general or a diagnostic‐dependent association of SDB with either gray‐matter volumetric or brain aging.
Comparative Preliminary Evaluation of 2 In-stream Water Treatment Technologies for the Agricultural Reuse of Drainage Water in the Nile Delta
Authors: Pinelli Davide , Zanaroli Giulio , Rashed Ahmed Ali , Oertlé Emmanuel , Wardenaar Tjerk , Mancini Maurizio , Vettore Dario , Fiorentino Carmine , Frascari Dario 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
In the Nile Delta, a complex network of canals collects drainage water from surface-irrigated fields but also from municipal wastewater. The goal of this work was to assess the technical, environmental, and financial feasibility of the upgrade of a drainage canal (DC) into either an in-stream constructed wetland (ICW) or a canalized facultative lagoon (CFL), in order to produce a water reusable in agriculture according to Egyptian law. The model-based design of the proposed technologies was derived from field experimental data for the ICW and laboratory data for the CFL. Both technologies, integrated by a sedimentation pond and a disinfection canal, led to the attainment of the water quality standards imposed by Egyptian Law 92/2013 for the reuse of drainage water. The life cycle assessment indicated that the upgrade of an existing DC to either an ICW or a CFL results in an extremely small environmental burden, ≤0.3% of that of a traditional activated sludge process. The cost–benefit analysis (CBA) was based on the assumptions that 1) farmers currently irrigate a nonfood crop (cotton) with the low-quality drainage water present in the DC, and 2) thanks to the upgrade to a ICW or CFL, farmers will irrigate a food crop characterized by a higher market price (rice). The CBA indicated that the DC upgrade to an ICW represents an attractive investment because it leads to a financial rate of return &gt;10% over a wide range of cotton market prices. Conversely, the upgrade to a CFL is less attractive due to high investment costs. In conclusion, the upgrade of DCs to ICWs appears a promising option for the treatment of drainage canal water in the Nile Delta, thanks to the high pollutant removal performances, low cost, and negligible environmental burden. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2020;16:920–933. © 2020 SETAC
Allergen‐specific subcutaneous immunotherapy for Japanese cedar pollinosis decreases the number of metachromatic cells and eosinophils in nasal swabs during the preseason and in season
Authors: Otsuka Kuninori , Otsuka Hirokuni , Matsune Shoji , Okubo Kimihiro 
Published: April 2020

AbstractBackground and objectiveNasal symptoms of allergic rhinitis can be reduced with allergen‐specific subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT). However, the mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of SCIT for Japanese cedar pollinosis are not well understood. We studied changes in the numbers of metachromatic cells, eosinophils and neutrophils in nasal swabs following SCIT for Japanese cedar pollinosis.MethodsSubjects were either untreated or given SCIT for 0.5 to 13 years duration. For the 2019 seasons, nasal swabs were taken in the pollinosis preseason (immunotherapy n = 36; untreated control, n = 62) and in the pollinosis season (immunotherapy n = 45; untreated control n = 46) and the numbers of mast cells, eosinophils and neutrophils assessed by microscopy.ResultsThere were significant improvements in symptom severities following SCIT in comparison to untreated subjects (P < .0003, the Mann‐Whitney U test) in preseason, and (P < .00001) in season. Metachromatic cell counts from nasal swabs of SCIT subjects in preseason and in the season were lower than those of untreated subjects (P = .0029 and P = .031, respectively). Eosinophil numbers in nasal swabs of subjects given SCIT were lower than in untreated subjects (P = .0031) in season, but not in preseason. There were no significant differences in degrees of neutrophilia between untreated and SCIT subjects in preseason and in season.ConclusionOne mechanism underlying the effectiveness of SCIT for Japanese cedar pollinosis involves a reduction in the number of metachromatic cells in nasal swabs in the preseason and an inhibition of increases in the number of metachromatic cells and eosinophils in season.
Prognostic impact of distinct genetic entities in pediatric diffuse glioma WHO‐grade II—Report from the German/Swiss SIOP‐LGG 2004 cohort
Authors: Falkenstein Fabian , Gessi Marco , Kandels Daniela , Ng Ho‐Keung , Schmidt René , Warmuth‐Metz Monika , Bison Brigitte , Krauss Juergen , Kortmann Rolf‐Dieter , Timmermann Beate , Thomale Ulrich‐Wilhelm , Albert Michael H. , Pekrun Arnulf , Maaß Eberhard , Gnekow Astrid K. , Pietsch Torsten 
Published: April 2020

AbstractReports on pediatric low‐grade diffuse glioma WHO‐grade II (DG2) suggest an impaired survival rate, but lack conclusive results for genetically defined DG2‐entities. We analyzed the natural history, treatment and prognosis of DG2 and investigated which genetically defined sub‐entities proved unfavorable for survival. Within the prospectively registered, population‐based German/Swiss SIOP‐LGG 2004 cohort 100 patients (age 0.8‐17.8 years, 4% neurofibromatosis [NF1]) were diagnosed with a DG2. Following biopsy (41%) or variable extent of resection (59%), 65 patients received no adjuvant treatment. Radiologic progression or severe neurologic symptoms prompted chemotherapy (n = 18) or radiotherapy (n = 17). Multiple lines of salvage treatment were necessary for 19/35 patients. Five years event‐free survival dropped to 0.44, while 5 years overall survival was 0.90 (median observation time 8.3 years). Extensive genetic profiling of 65/100 DG2 identified Histone3‐K27M‐mutation in 4, IDH1‐mutation in 11, BRAF‐V600‐mutation in 12, KIAA1549‐BRAF‐fusions in 6 patients, while the remaining 32 tumor tissues did not show alterations of these genes. Progression to malignant glioma occurred in 12 cases of all genetically defined subgroups within a range of 0.5 to 10.8 years, except for tumors carrying KIAA1549‐BRAF‐fusions. Histone3‐K27M‐mutant tumors proved uniformly fatal within 0.6 to 2.4 years. The current LGG treatment strategy seems appropriate for all DG2‐entities, with the exemption of Histone3‐K27M‐mutant tumors that require a HGG‐related treatment strategy. Our data confirm the importance to genetically define pediatric low‐grade diffuse gliomas for proper treatment decisions and risk assessment.
Enhanced new bone formation in canine maxilla by a graft of electrically polarized β‐tricalcium phosphate
Authors: Nohara Kohei , Itoh Soichiro , Akizuki Tatsuya , Nakamura Miho , Fukuba Shunsuke , Matsuura Takanori , Okada Munehiro , Izumi Yuichi , Iwata Takanori , Yamashita Kimihiro 
Published: April 2020

AbstractWe succeeded in the electrical polarization of β‐tricalcium phosphate (β‐TCP) granules and performed an unprecedented attempt to implant them into maxillary bone defects in canines to confirm their ability to facilitate new bone formation. Two holes were drilled into each maxilla half of a canine and filled with electrically polarized and nonpolarized β‐TCP granules (grouping assignment was decided randomly). The implanted specimens were dissected en bloc and used for microcomputed tomography (μCT) observations and histological analyses 4 and 8 weeks after the operation. New bone ingrowth in the bone hole progressed over time from the superficial layer of the cortex toward the inner cancellous bone. The percentage area of new bone in the bone hole, as measured by μCT in the sagittal plane, was significantly larger after 4 and 8 weeks, and that measured by H&E‐stained specimens in the transverse plane after 4 weeks was significantly larger in the polarized group than in the nonpolarized group. In addition to the structural stability and chemical characteristics of the β‐TCP granules, electrical stimulation bears influence not indirectly but directly on osteogenic and vessel cells, which might work cooperatively for the early initiation of the bone formation process.
Protein spectrum changes in exosomes after therapeutic plasma exchange in patients with neuromyelitis optica
Authors: Ma Chunya , Wang Shufang , Wang Guibin , Wu Ying , Yang Tianxin , Shen Wanjun , Zhuang Yuan , Zhang Leiying , Liu Xiaomin , Yang Lu , Feng Yannan , Yu Yang , Liu Zhong , Wang Deqing 
Published: April 2020

AbstractIntroductionNeuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an autoimmune disease with a high rate of blindness and positive for the detection of aquaporin‐4 antibody (AQP4) in most patients. NMO acute attacks are managed by high‐doses of intravenous methylprednisolone followed by oral taper, and if symptoms fail to resolve, therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) is added. TPE can remove pathological antibodies and inflammatory factors leading to clinical improvement.MethodsA total of 40 TPE fluid collections from the first to fifth TPE treatments were obtained from eight patients. Exosomes were isolated by ultracentrifugation. Mass spectrometry analyses were used to compare protein change in TPE fluid collection exosomes after the first to the fifth TPE treatments in these patients.ResultsWe detected 647 exosome proteins through data‐independent acquisition analysis. It was found that some unknown functional antibody fragments and complement pathway proteins decreased after TPE treatment. The results revealed a significant involvement of the following two key pathways: the primary immunodeficiency and systemic lupus erythematosus that may be associated with NMO pathophysiology and TPE treatment efficacy (P < .05). A series of complement proteins may contribute to NMO; in addition, the following proteins increased with plasma exchange: complement factor H‐related protein 5, bridging integrator 2, neuroplastin, pigment epithelium‐derived factor, ficolin‐1, extracellular matrix protein 1, and fatty acid‐binding protein 5.ConclusionOur study may provide a new perspective on the pathogenesis and treatment efficacy of NMO.
MicroRNA‐33b regulates hepatocellular carcinoma cell proliferation, apoptosis, and mobility via targeting Fli‐1‐mediated Notch1 pathway
Authors: Wang Huiling , Lin Xingtao , Liu Entao , Jian Zhixiang , Ou Yingliang 
Published: April 2020

AbstractMicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been confirmed to play pivotal roles in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) carcinogenesis. However, the underlying function of microRNA‐33b (miR‐33b) in HCC remains unclear. Here, we found that miR‐33b level was significantly reduced in both HCC tissues and tumor cell lines. Further, luciferase reporter assay and western blot analysis confirmed that Friend leukemia virus integration 1 (Fli‐1) was a direct target of miR‐33b. Overexpression of miR‐33b dramatically suppressed HCC tumor cell proliferation and cell mobility, but facilitated tumor cell apoptosis in vitro. Besides, restoration of Fli‐1 partially attenuated miR‐33b‐mediated inhibition of cell growth and metastasis via activating Notch1 signaling and its downstream effectors. Our findings demonstrate the important role of miR‐33b/Fli‐1 axis in HCC progression and provide novel therapeutic candidates for HCC clinical treatment.