bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comparison of uterine artery Doppler measurements at 6 weeks of pregnancy after IVF between pregnancies that resulted in miscarriage and ongoing pregnancies
Authors: Guo Jun , Chaemsaithong Piya , Huang Jin , Chung Jacqueline P.W. , Huang Junhong , Poon Liona C.Y. , Li Tin Chiu 
Published: September 2020

AbstractObjectiveTo compare uterine artery pulsatility index (UTPI) at 6 weeks of pregnancy following in vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryo transfer (ET) between clinical pregnancies that resulted in a miscarriage and those that were ongoing beyond 12 weeks.MethodsA prospective observational study was conducted in an IVF unit at Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong, between December 1, 2017 and December 31, 2019. UTPI was measured at 6 weeks of pregnancy among women who conceived following IVF/ET.ResultsAmong 153 participants, 22 (14.4%) had a miscarriage whereas 131 (85.6%) had an ongoing pregnancy beyond 12 weeks. Median UTPI in pregnancies that ended in a miscarriage was significantly lower than those that progressed beyond 12 weeks (2.1, IQR 1.9–2.4 vs 2.50, IQR 2.2–2.9, respectively; P<0.001). The likelihood of the pregnancy ending in a miscarriage when the UTPI was above the 75th percentile (>2.9), between the 25th–75th percentiles (2.2–2.9), and below the 25th percentile (<2.2) was 0%, 13.2%, and 27.7%, respectively (P=0.001).ConclusionsIVF pregnancies that resulted in a miscarriage were associated with reduced resistance to uterine artery blood flow at 6 weeks of pregnancy.
Legal and policy responses to the delivery of abortion care during COVID‐19
Authors: Romanis Elizabeth Chloe , Parsons Jordan A. 
Published: September 2020

AbstractAccess to abortion care has long been a global challenge, even in jurisdictions where abortion is legal. The COVID‐19 pandemic has exacerbated barriers to access, thereby preventing many women from terminating unwanted pregnancies for an extended period. In this paper, we outline existing and COVID‐specific barriers to abortion care and consider potential solutions, including the use of telemedicine, to overcome barriers to access during the pandemic and beyond. We explore the responses of governments throughout the world to the challenge of abortion access during the pandemic, which are an eclectic mix of progressive, neutral, and regressive policies. Finally, we call on all governments to recognize abortion as essential healthcare and act to ensure that the law does not continue to interfere with providers’ ability to adapt to circumstances and to guarantee safe and appropriate care not only during the pandemic, but permanently.
Evaluation of clinical performance when intrauterine devices are inserted by different categories of healthcare professional
Authors: Laporte Montas , Becerra Alejandra , Castro Lester , Veiga Nelio , Espejo‐Arce Ximena , Bahamondes Luis 
Published: September 2020

AbstractObjectiveWe evaluated clinical performance when the TCu380A intrauterine device (IUD) and the levonorgestrel (LNG) 52‐mg intrauterine system (IUS) were inserted by different categories of healthcare professionals.MethodsA retrospective study was conducted at the University of Campinas, Brazil. The medical records were reviewed of all women in whom an IUD was inserted between January 1980 and December 2018, with data for at least 1 year, and for whom information on the healthcare provider who inserted the device was available.ResultsOverall, 19 132 (76.9%) IUD and 5733 (23.1%) LNG‐IUS insertions were included, with residents/interns performing 13 853 (55.8%), nurses 7024 (28.2%), and physicians 3988 (16.0%). Removals for pregnancy and infection were significantly higher when physicians inserted the device, while removals for bleeding/pain and other medical reasons were more common when nurses performed the insertion. Expulsion and removals for personal reasons were similar for all three categories.ConclusionClinical outcomes were similar regardless of whether trained nurses, residents/interns, or physicians inserted the device, and were irrespective of users’ age and parity. These results could stimulate other healthcare services, particularly in regions where there is a shortage of physicians, to invest in training nurses to perform insertions of IUDs.
Optimized hybrid classifier for diagnosing diabetic retinopathy: Iterative blood vessel segmentation process
Authors: Kadan Anoop Balakrishnan , Subbian Perumal Sankar 
Published: September 2020

AbstractIn general, diabetic retinopathy is a hurdle of diabetes that subsists throughout the world. Early detection of this severe disease through computer‐assisted diagnosis tools followed by the right treatment at the right time could control its terrible condition. From the last 2 years, numerous research efforts in this area have been introduced for the automatic detection of diabetic retinopathy with appropriate evaluations. However, there is a large variability in the databases and evaluation criteria used in the literature. Accordingly, this proposal tactics to develop a new contribution to automatic detection of diabetic retinopathy based on four main stages: “(a) image pre‐processing, (b) blood vessels segmentation, (c) feature extraction and dimension reduction, and (d) diabetic retinopathy recognition”. Two steps are used for accomplishing the image pre‐processing, (a) conversion of RGB into green channel image and (b) noise removal by median filtering. Further, the pre‐processed fundus image is subjected to Iterative segmentation‐based blood vessel segmentation. For performing the precise classification of the images, there is a prerequisite to extract the relevant informative features from the segmented blood vessels. Here, the features are extracted using discrete wavelet transform, and gray‐level co‐occurrence matrix. To attain the unique features with different information, the dimension reduction process is applied using principle component analysis. Finally, the Diabetic Retinopathy recognition is performed enabling a hybrid classifier, which merges the beneficial concepts of neural network, and convolutional neural network. As the main novelty, the number of hidden neurons in both neural network and convolutional neural network is optimized by the modified rider optimization algorithm called improvement counter‐based rider optimization algorithm intending to maximize the diagnostic accuracy. Moreover, convolutional neural network takes the transformed form of the segmented blood vessels using Discrete Wavelet Transform as input, and Neural Network takes dimension reduced features as input, and AND‐bit operation of the both classified outputs provides the diagnostic results, whether the corresponding image is normal or abnormal.
Room‐temperature plastic inorganic semiconductors for flexible and deformable electronics
Authors: Chen Heyang , Wei Tian‐Ran , Zhao Kunpeng , Qiu Pengfei , Chen Lidong , He Jian , Shi Xun 
Published: September 2020

AbstractFlexible electronics ushers in a revolution to the electronics industry in the 21st century. Ideally, all components of a flexible electronic device including the functional component shall comply with the deformation to ensure the structural and functional integrity, imposing a pressing need for developing room‐temperature strain‐tolerant semiconductors. To this end, there is a long‐standing material dilemma: inorganic semiconductors are typically brittle at room temperature except for size‐induced flexibility; by contrast, organic semiconductors are intrinsically soft and flexible but the electrical performance is poor. This is why the discovery of bulk plasticity in Ag2S at room temperature and ZnS in darkness is groundbreaking in solving this long‐standing material dilemma between the mechanical deformability and the electrical performance. The present review summarizes the background knowledge and latest advances in the emerging field of plastic inorganic semiconductors. At the outset, we argue that the plasticity of inorganic semiconductors is vital to strain tolerance of electronic devices, which has not been adequately emphasized. The mechanisms of plasticity are illustrated from the perspective of chemical bonding and dislocations. Plastic inorganic materials, for example, ionic crystals (insulators), ZnS in darkness, and Ag2S, are discussed in detail in terms of their prominent mechanical properties and potential applications. We conclude the article with several key scientific and technological questions to address in the future study.
UnaG as a reporter in adeno‐associated virus‐mediated gene transfer for biomedical imaging
Authors: Liu Yurong , Zhang Huimin , Chen Ruixi , Wu Ying , Yang Xiong , Liu Xiuli , Zeng Shaoqun , Guo Wenyan 
Published: September 2020

AbstractAdeno‐associated virus (AAV) is one of the most common gene transfer vectors, but it has a limited capacity. A smaller fluorescent protein is urgently needed since it is more suitable to act as a reporter in AAV. In this study, a bilirubin‐dependent reporter smaller than EGFP, termed UnaG, was found to have the ability to label the neurons of a mouse brain as clearly as EGFP without the addition of exogenous bilirubin. We also found that UnaG's pH tolerance is better than that of EGFP; however, its fluorescence recovery after protonated quenching is not as good as that of EGFP. In addition, UnaG preserved its fluorescence better than EGFP in SeeDB clearing. Taken together, this study demonstrates that UnaG can act as a small intrinsically fluorescent reporter in the mouse brain without an additional ligand, thus providing an alternative over EGFP for AAV‐mediated neuron labeling in mammals.
Profiling antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli strains displaying differential antibiotic susceptibilities using Raman spectroscopy
Authors: Verma Taru , Annappa Harshitha , Singh Saumya , Umapathy Siva , Nandi Dipankar 
Published: September 2020

AbstractThe rapid identification of antibiotic resistant bacteria is important for public health. In the environment, bacteria are exposed to sub‐inhibitory antibiotic concentrations which has implications in the generation of multi‐drug resistant strains. To better understand these issues, Raman spectroscopy was employed coupled with partial least squares‐discriminant analysis to profile Escherichia coli strains treated with sub‐inhibitory concentrations of antibiotics. Clear differences were observed between cells treated with bacteriostatic (tetracycline and rifampicin) and bactericidal (ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, and ceftriaxone) antibiotics for 6 hr: First, atomic force microscopy revealed that bactericidal antibiotics cause extensive cell elongation whereas short filaments are observed with bacteriostatic antibiotics. Second, Raman spectral analysis revealed that bactericidal antibiotics lower nucleic acid to protein (I812/I830) and nucleic acid to lipid ratios (I1483/I1452) whereas the opposite is seen with bacteriostatic antibiotics. Third, the protein to lipid ratio (I2936/I2885 and I2936/I2850) is a Raman stress signature common to both the classes. These signatures were validated using two mutants, Δlon and ΔacrB, that exhibit relatively high and low resistance towards antibiotics, respectively. In addition, these spectral markers correlated with the emergence of phenotypic antibiotic resistance. Overall, this study demonstrates the efficacy of Raman spectroscopy to identify resistance in bacteria to sub‐lethal concentrations of antibiotics.
Laser‐assisted nucleic acid delivery: A systematic review
Authors: Hosseinpour Sepanta , Walsh Laurence J. 
Published: September 2020

AbstractGene therapy has become an effective treatment modality for some conditions. Laser light may augment or enhance gene therapy through photomechanical, photothermal, and photochemical. This review examined the evidence base for laser therapy to enhance nucleic acid transfection in mammalian cells. An electronic search of MEDLINE, Scopus, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Google Scholar was performed, covering all available years. The preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta‐analyses guideline for systematic reviews was used for designing the study and analyzing the results. In total, 49 studies of laser irradiation for nucleic acid delivery were included. Key approaches were optoporation, photomechanical gene transfection, and photochemical internalization. Optoporation is better suited to cells in culture, photomechanical and photochemical approaches appear well suited to in vivo use. Additional studies explored the impact of photothermal for enhancing gene transfection. Each approach has merits and limitations. Augmenting nucleic acid delivery using laser irradiation is a promising method for improving gene therapy. Laser protocols can be non‐invasive because of the penetration of desirable wavelengths of light, but it depends on various parameters such as power density, treatment duration, irradiation mode, etc. The current protocols show low efficiency, and there is a need for further work to optimize irradiation parameters.
Detection of gene mutation responsible for Huntington's disease by terahertz attenuated total reflection microfluidic spectroscopy
Authors: Tang Mingjie , Zhang Mingkun , Xia Liangping , Wei Dongshan , Yang Zhongbo , Yan Shihan , Du Chunlei , Cui Hong‐Liang 
Published: September 2020

AbstractTerahertz absorption spectroscopy based on attenuated total reflection (ATR) from a microfluidic sample cell was designed and implemented to detect gene mutations leading to Huntington's disease (HD). The self‐developed compact ATR microfluidic system was employed to detect two groups of base‐repeated DNA molecules combined with a terahertz time‐domain spectrometer in a marker‐free manner. The first group featured different repetition patterns of oligonucleotide fragments, and the second group included the HD gene. For the oligonucleotides of different repetition patterns, there were significant differences among the three oligonucleotides with three repeats of the double bases, which could be unambiguously classified and identified; For the HD gene, it was found that the magnitude of the terahertz absorption coefficients of the four oligonucleotide solutions was, in ascending order, CAG‐4 < CAG‐16 < CAG‐32 < CAG‐40 (the numbers are the repeat times of the CAG base segment, with 40 repeats belonging to the HD gene), when the concentration of oligonucleotide was 1 mg/mL. Principal component analysis result indicated that the spectral differences of the four oligonucleotide solutions with different CAG repeat times were statistically significant and clearly distinguishable. These results demonstrate the potential of terahertz spectroscopy as a noninvasive, unmarked, fast and low‐cost assay for gene diagnosis and clinical disease detection.
Circulating long noncoding RNA, GAS5, as a novel biomarker for patients with atrial fibrillation
Authors: Shi Jiaran , Chen Leiyang , Chen Shi , Wu Bifeng , Yang Kun , Hu Xiaosheng 
Published: September 2020

AbstractBackgroundCirculating long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) plays a vital role in clinical disease diagnosis and prognosis. Here, we evaluate the role of a lncRNA, named growth arrest specific 5 (GAS5), in atrial fibrillation (AF).MethodsExpression of GAS5 was measured by qRT‐PCR. Diagnostic and prognostic values of GAS5 were assessed by the receiver operating characteristics curve (ROC), Kaplan–Meier (KM) and Cox regression analyses.ResultsA total of 173 participants were enrolled in this study. Circulating GAS5 expression was significantly down‐regulated in AF patients. This change occurred prior to enlargement of the left atrial volume and was strongly associated with AF progression, which demonstrates the potential use of GAS5 as an early biomarker. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.858 (95% CI 0.789‐0.926,P < .001). Seventy of the 85 AF patients received radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA), and 22 (31.4%) had relapsed by the 1‐year follow‐up. The KM analysis (log‐rank test,P = .031) and multivariable Cox analysis (HR = 0.127, 95% CI 0.026‐0.616;P = .01) revealed that GAS5 has a role in predicting recurrence after RFCA.ConclusionCirculating lncRNA GAS5 is a potential biomarker for AF diagnosis and prognosis. Down‐regulation of GAS5 occurs prior to left atrial enlargement and can be used for the prognosis of AF progression and recurrence.
Performance enhancement of commercial ultrafiltration polysulfone membrane via in situ polymerization of aniline using copper chloride as a catalyst
Authors: Goel Vrinda , Tanwar Ruchika , Mandal Uttam 
Published: September 2020

AbstractBACKGROUNDPolyaniline is well known for enhancing hydrophilicity and antifouling properties, which could be beneficial for protein separation processes in membranes. The development of polyaniline in the presence of cupric chloride as an oxidant was a target for better distribution.RESULTSBiofouling‐resistant hydrophilic membrane surfaces were developed via in situ polymerization of aniline on a polysulfone membrane surface. Membrane surface modifications were made with various percentages of monomer (0.5, 1 and 2%). All the modified membranes exhibited improved membrane surface properties. The modified membrane (Poly(Sulf‐Ani‐2)) containing 2% aniline as a monomer in polymerization solution showed the best hydrophilicity, exceptional permeability and better protein rejection ability as well as enhanced anti‐biofouling property.CONCLUSIONSIn situ polyaniline attachment might be an easy and beneficial technique for the fabrication of hydrophilic membrane surfaces for large‐scale industrial applications. The attachment of polyaniline on polysulfone membrane surfaces through in situ polymerization in the present study proved to be an advanced approach for crafting better membranes with considerable hydrophilicity and fouling control enhancement.
Outcome evaluation of the Dental Health Outreach Mobile Experience (HOME) Coach Program
Authors: Partido Brian B. , Bean Canise, , Chartier Elizabeth A. , Sprinkle Emily 
Published: September 2020

AbstractBackgroundThe Ohio Department of Health identified dental care as the number one unmet health need for Ohio's children. The Dental Health Outreach Mobile Experience (HOME) Coach is a pediatric mobile dental unit that seeks to meet the dental needs of underserved children in the Columbus City Schools.PurposeThe purpose was to conduct an outcome evaluation of the Dental HOME Coach Program and to compare the outcomes before (2010–2014) and after (2015–2019) the incorporation of the new Dental HOME Coach.MethodsUsing a longitudinal outcome evaluation research design, the data were analyzed from 10 years of the Dental HOME Coach Program at the Ohio State University (OSU) College of Dentistry during the academic years ending in 2010–2019.ResultsA total of 1063 dental students provided dental care to 26469 children in the Columbus City Schools. The top 3 performed procedures were sealants, prophylaxis, and resin composite fillings. Despite significant increases in the number of dental students providing oral health care, there were significant decreases in the number of amalgam fillings and stainless‐steel crowns from before to after the incorporation of the new Dental HOME Coach.ConclusionThe outcome evaluation revealed the Dental HOME Coach Program has been providing underserved children with oral health care that offers them a dental “home,” giving dental students an array of hands‐on learning experiences that include pediatric dentistry treatments performed under the supervision of OSU faculty members, and positively impacting the problems of access to oral health care for Ohio's families.
Self‐reported depressive symptoms in dental students: Systematic review with meta‐analysis
Authors: Muniz Francisco Wilker M. G. , Maurique Luísa S. , Toniazzo Mirian P. , Silva Caroline F. , Casarin Maísa 
Published: September 2020

AbstractObjectiveThis study aimed to systematically review the literature about the prevalence of self‐reported depressive symptoms in dental students.MethodsPUBMED, SCOPUS, and EMBASE databases were search up to January 2020 with the following focused questions: “What is the prevalence of self‐reported depression symptom in dental students?” and “Are sex and years of educational training associated with self‐reported depressive symptom in dental students?”. Observational studies that applied a questionnaire assessing depression were eligible. Standard mean differences (SMD) and pooled odds ratios (OR) were calculated for the questionnaires’ scores and self‐reported depressive symptom, respectively.ResultsFifty‐eight studies were included, and 15 different questionnaires were used. The prevalence of self‐reported depressive symptoms/at least mild depression ranged from 2.75% to 89.84%, and the pooled overall prevalence was 29% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 26–34). Meta‐analysis showed significantly lower scores in the questionnaires for self‐reported depressive symptoms of male students (SMD: −0.22; 95% CI: −0.42 – −0.03). Conversely, no significant difference was detected for the OR of self‐reported depressive symptom in the comparison between sex (OR: 1.11 – 95% CI: 0.77–1.62). Similarly, no significant difference was observed for the different school years regardless of the analytical strategy used.ConclusionIt was concluded that female dental students presented more self‐reported depressive symptoms, but no difference is demonstrated during the years of dental education.
Riparian buffer effectiveness as a function of buffer design and input loads
Authors: Jiang Fei , Preisendanz Heather E. , Veith Tamie L. , Cibin Raj , Drohan Patrick J. 
Published: September 2020

AbstractAlthough many agricultural watersheds rely heavily on riparian buffer adoption to meet water quality goals, design and management constraints in current policies create adoption barriers. Based on focus group feedback, we developed a flexible buffer design paradigm that varies buffer width, vegetation, and harvesting. Sixteen years of daily‐scale nutrient and sediment loads simulated with the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) were coupled to the three‐zone Riparian Ecosystem Management Model (REMM) to compare the effectiveness of traditional, policy‐based buffer designs with designs that are more flexible and integrate features important to local farmers. Buffer designs included (i) 10 m grass, (ii) 15 m grass, (iii) 15 m deciduous trees, (iv) 30 m grass and trees, (v) 30 m grass and trees with trees harvested every 3 yr, and (vi) 30 m grass and trees with grass harvested every year. Allowing harvesting in one zone of the buffer vegetation (either trees or grasses) minimally affected water quality, with annual average percent reductions differing by <5% (p > .05; 76–78% for total nitrogen [TN], 51–55% for total phosphorus [TP], and 68% for sediment). Under the highest input loading conditions, buffers with lower removal efficiencies removed more total mass than did buffers with high removal efficiencies. Thus, by focusing on mass reduction in addition to percent reduction, watershed‐wide buffer implementation may be better targeted to TN, TP, and sediment reduced. These findings have important implications for informing flexible buffer design policies and enhanced placement of buffers in watersheds impaired by nutrient and sediment.