bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Inflammatory cytokine and catabolic enzyme expression in a goat model of intervertebral disc degeneration
Authors: Zhang Chenghao , Gullbrand Sarah E. , Schaer Thomas P. , Lau Yian Khai , Jiang Zhirui , Dodge George R. , Elliott Dawn M. , Mauck Robert L. , Malhotra Neil R. , Smith Lachlan J. 
Published: February 2020

AbstractIntervertebral disc degeneration is implicated as a leading cause of low back pain. Persistent, local inflammation within the disc nucleus pulposus (NP) and annulus fibrosus (AF) is an important mediator of disc degeneration and negatively impacts the performance of therapeutic stem cells. There is a lack of validated large animal models of disc degeneration that recapitulate clinically relevant local inflammation. We recently described a goat model of disc degeneration in which increasing doses of chondroitinase ABC (ChABC) were used to reproducibly induce a spectrum of degenerative changes. The objective of this study was to extend the clinical relevance of this model by establishing whether these degenerative changes are associated with the local expression of inflammatory cytokines and catabolic enzymes. Degeneration was induced in goat lumbar discs using ChABC at different doses. After 12 weeks, degeneration severity was determined histologically and using quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Expression levels of inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor‐α [TNF‐α], interleukin‐1β [IL‐1β], and IL‐6) and catabolic enzymes (matrix metalloproteinases‐1 [MMPs‐1] and 13, and a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin type‐1 motifs‐4 [ADAMTS‐4]) were assessed as the percentage of immunopositive cells in the NP and AF. With the exception of MMP‐1, cytokine, and enzyme expression levels were significantly elevated in ChABC‐treated discs in the NP and AF. Expression levels of TNF‐α, IL1‐β, and ADAMTS‐4 were positively correlated with histological grade, while all cytokines and ADAMTS‐4 were negatively correlated with MRI T2 and T1ρ scores. These results demonstrate that degenerate goat discs exhibit elevated expression of clinically relevant inflammatory mediators, and further validate this animal model as a platform for evaluating new therapeutic approaches for disc degeneration.
Waist circumference increases risk of coronary heart disease: Evidence from a Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Chen Qinchang , Li Lingling , Yi Junzhe , Huang Kai , Shen Runnan , Wu Ridong , Yao Chen 
Published: February 2020

AbstractBackgroundThis study investigated whether expanding waist circumference (WC) is causally associated with an elevated risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), using a two‐sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study through integrating summarized data from genome‐wide association study.MethodsThe data included in this analysis were mainly from the Genetic Investigation of ANthropometric Traits (GIANT), Consortium and Coronary Artery Disease Genome wide Replication, and Meta‐analysis plus the Coronary Artery Disease (C4D) Genetics (CARDIoGRAMplusC4D) Consortium. Three statistical approaches, inverse‐variance weighted (IVW), weighted median, and MR‐Egger regression method were conducted to assess the casual relationship. The exposure was WC, measured by 46 single‐nucleotide polymorphisms from GIANT and the outcome was the risk of CHD. Then, we used the genetic data from Neale Lab and TAG to infer whether WC causally affected the established risk factors of CHD.ResultsThe IVW method presented that genetically predicted WC was positively casually associated with CHD (odds ratio [OR]: 1.57, 95% CI = 1.33–1.84; p = 4.81e‐08), which was consistent with the result of weighted median and MR‐Egger regression. MR‐Egger regression indicated that there was no directional horizontal pleiotropy to violate the MR assumption. Additionally, expanded WC was also associated with higher risk of hypertension and diabetes, higher cholesterol, more smoking intensity, and decreased frequency of physical activity.ConclusionOur analysis provided strong evidence to indicate a causal relationship between WC and increased risk of CHD.
Critical consideration of assessment methods for clinically significant changes of mental distress after psycho‐oncological interventions
Authors: Vaganian Lusine , Bussmann Sonja , Gerlach Alexander L. , Kusch Michael , Labouvie Hildegard , Cwik Jan C. 
Published: February 2020

AbstractObjectivesConsidering the heterogeneity of cancer entities and the associated disease progression, personalized care of patients is increasingly emphasized in psycho‐oncology. This individualization makes the use of measurements of individual clinically significant change important when studying the efficacy and effectiveness of psycho‐oncological care. Two conceptualizations for the measurement of clinical significance are critically contrasted in this study: the Reliable Change Index (RCI) and the Minimal Important Difference (MID) method.MethodsIn total, 2,121 cancer patients participated in the study and a subsample of 708 patients was reassessed about 4 months later. Psychological distress was measured using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. We evaluated two measures of clinical significance (RCI, MID) by comparing the respective numbers of improved, unimproved, and deteriorated patients.ResultsIndividually significant changes were observed with both methods; however, determined rates of improvement differed substantially: MID (66.67%) and RCI (48.23%). Most importantly, according to MID, 17.93% of patients were identified as being improved, although their respective improvements were not statistically significant and thus unreliable.ConclusionsThe benefits of RCI outweigh MID, and therefore, the RCI is recommended as a measure to assess change.
Traffic classification at the radio spectrum level using deep learning models trained with synthetic data
Authors: De Schepper Tom , Camelo Miguel , Famaey Jeroen , Latré Steven 
Published: February 2020

SummaryTraffic recognition is commonly done using deep packet inspection or packet‐based approaches. However, these methods require the listening device to be part of the network and raise privacy concerns. Traffic recognition models that operate directly at the spectrum level could, for instance, be used for smart spectrum management. To this extent, we present such an approach using deep learning methods. In particular, we present a convolutional neural network architecture that forms the basis for prediction models to recognize different transport protocols, burst traffic with different duty cycles, and different transmission rates. These models are trained with pure synthetic data to lighten the burden of data collection. As such, we validate recent successes in the area of robotics in the context of wireless networks. We compare the performance of two different datasets that contain spectrum images in either time or time‐frequency domain. Our evaluation shows that using time domain data results in an accuracy of at least 96% across all models. Time‐frequency information improves this accuracy even further. Furthermore, a validation with real‐life data shows that it is still possible to discriminate between different transmission rates with an accuracy of around 87%, while the detection of duty cycles and transport protocols takes place with accuracies of, respectively, around 73% and 78%. Finally, we also present a small‐scale real‐life prototype.
Considerations on a phase‐field model for adhesive fracture
Authors: Ghaffari Motlagh Yousef , de Borst René 
Published: February 2020

SummaryA recently proposed phase‐field model for cohesive fracture is examined. Previous investigations have shown stress oscillations to occur when using unstructured meshes. It is now shown that the use of nonuniform rational B‐splines (NURBS) as basis functions rather than traditional Lagrange polynomials significantly reduces this oscillatory behavior. Moreover, there is no effect on the global structural behavior, as evidenced through load‐displacement curves. The phase‐field model imposes restrictions on the interpolation order of the NURBS used for the three different fields: displacement, phase field, and crack opening. This holds within the Bézier element, but also at the boundaries, where a reduction to ‐continuity yields optimal results. Application to a range of cases, including debonding of a hard fiber embedded in a soft matrix, illustrates the potential of the cohesive phase‐field model.
Altered Interactions Among Resting‐State Networks in Individuals with Obesity
Authors: Ding Yueyan , Ji Gang , Li Guanya , Zhang Wenchao , Hu Yang , Liu Lei , Wang Yuanyuan , Hu Chunxin , von Deneen Karen M. , Han Yu , Cui Guangbin , Wang Huaning , Wiers Corinde E. , Manza Peter , Tomasi Dardo , Volkow Nora D. , Nie Yongzhan , Wang Gene‐Jack , Zhang Yi 
Published: February 2020

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate alterations in functional connectivity (FC) within and interactions between resting‐state networks involved in salience, executive control, and interoception in participants with obesity (OB).MethodsUsing resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging with independent component analysis and FC, alterations within and interactions between resting‐state networks in 35 OB and 35 normal‐weight controls (NW) were investigated.ResultsCompared with NW, OB showed reduced FC strength in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus within the default‐mode network, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex within the salience network (SN), bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex‐angular gyrus within the frontoparietal network (FPN), and increased FC strength in the insula (INS) (Pfamilywise error < 0.0125). The dorsal anterior cingulate cortex FC strength was negatively correlated with craving for food cues, left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex FC strength was negatively correlated with Yale Food Addiction Scale scores, and right INS FC strength was positively correlated with craving for high‐calorie food cues. Compared with NW, OB also showed increased FC between the SN and FPN driven by altered FC of bilateral INS and anterior cingulate cortex‐angular gyrus.ConclusionsAlterations in FC within and interactions between the SN, default‐mode network, and FPN might contribute to the high incentive value of food (craving), lack of control of overeating (compulsive overeating), and increased awareness of hunger (impaired interoception) in OB.
Comparison of Body Size, Morphomics, and Kidney Function as Covariates of High‐Dose Methotrexate Clearance in Obese Adults with Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma
Authors: Pai Manjunath P. , Debacker Kenneth C. , Derstine Brian , Sullivan June , Su Grace L. , Wang Stewart C. 
Published: February 2020

BackgroundHigh‐dose methotrexate (HD‐MTX) is used to treat primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL), but potential differences in MTX clearance (CL) due to obesity have not been studied. We characterized the relationship between HD‐MTX CL and computed tomography (CT)‐generated body composition (morphomic), body size descriptors, and laboratory measurements in a cohort of obese and non‐obese patients with PCNSL.MethodsMedical records from adult patients with PCNSL treated with HD‐MTX over a 10‐year period were queried. Individuals with CT data within 30 days of the first cycle of treatment were included. Population pharmacokinetic analysis was performed using a 2‐compartment base structural model. We specifically compared body surface area (BSA) to standard body size, morphomic, and renal function estimation methods as covariates of HD‐MTX CL.ResultsThe final data set consisted of non‐obese (n=45) and obese (n=28) patients with 291 observations (3–7 samples per patient) with a mean (standard deviation) weight of 69.8 (11.6) kg and 104 (14.9) kg, respectively (p=0.0001). Vertebral body height was more informative than BSA of MTX CL. Similarly, a CL model incorporating age, albumin, and serum creatinine was more informative than kidney function equations and body size. The final model of MTX CL was based on age, albumin, serum creatinine, and vertebral body height.ConclusionsCommon clinical variables coupled with vertebral body height are more predictive of first cycle MTX CL than BSA, alternate body size descriptors, and commonly used kidney function equations.
Octahedral to Cuboctahedral Shape Transition in 6 nm Pt3Ni Nanocrystals for Oxygen Reduction Reaction Electrocatalysis
Authors: Zysler Melina , Zitoun David 
Published: February 2020

AbstractPt3Ni stands as one of the most active electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The activity varies with the morphology of the nanocrystals with a high activity observed for the octahedral shape where only the high density {111} crystallographic planes are exposed. Herein, the synthesis of 6 nm Pt3Ni octahedral nanocrystals with a Pt enriched shell or cuboctahedral nanocrystals with a Ni enriched shell is described. Interestingly, the cuboctahedral nanocrystals display a six‐pointed star/skeleton of platinum, which features a very uncommon atomic distribution. In the synthesis, a decrease in the oxygen partial pressure induces the transition from octahedral to cuboctahedral morphology. The octahedral and cuboctahedral nanocrystals both demonstrate high ORR activity (1.1 mA cm−2Pt and 1.2 A mg−1Pt at 0.9 V vs reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) are the highest values obtained for PtNi‐20 and PtNi‐15, respectively). After exposure to oxidative conditions in the acidic electrolyte, the cuboctahedral nanoparticles with a pristine Ni‐rich skin show a Pt skin and retain their cuboctahedral morphology.
Crystal structure of Alr1298, a pentapeptide repeat protein from the cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. PCC 7120, determined at 2.1 Å resolution
Authors: Zhang Ruojing , Ni Shuisong , Kennedy Michael A. 
Published: February 2020

AbstractNostoc sp. PCC 7120 are filamentous cyanobacteria capable of both oxygenic photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation, with the latter taking place in specialized cells known as heterocysts that terminally differentiate from vegetative cells under conditions of nitrogen starvation. Cyanobacteria have existed on earth for more than 2 billion years and are thought to be responsible for oxygenation of the earth's atmosphere. Filamentous cyanobacteria such as Nostoc sp. PCC 7120 may also represent the oldest multicellular organisms on earth that undergo cell differentiation. Pentapeptide repeat proteins (PRPs), which occur most abundantly in cyanobacteria, adopt a right‐handed quadrilateral β‐helical structure, also referred to as a repeat five residue (Rfr) fold, with four‐consecutive pentapeptide repeats constituting a single coil in the β‐helical structure. PRPs are predicted to exist in all compartments within cyanobacteria including the thylakoid and cell‐wall membranes as well as the cytoplasm and thylakoid periplasmic space. Despite their intriguing structure and importance to understanding ancient cyanobacteria, the biochemical function of PRPs in cyanobacteria remains largely unknown. Here we report the crystal structure of Alr1298, a PRP from Nostoc sp. PCC 7120 predicted to reside in the cytoplasm. The structure displays the typical right‐handed quadrilateral β‐helical structure and includes a four‐α‐helix cluster capping the N‐terminus and a single α‐helix capping the C‐terminus. A gene cluster analysis indicated that Alr1298 may belong to an operon linked to cell proliferation and/or thylakoid biogenesis. Elevated alr1298 gene expression following nitrogen starvation indicates that Alr1298 may play a role in response to nitrogen starvation and/or heterocyst differentiation.
D‐optimal experimental design for production models in nonstandard experiments
Authors: Özdemir Akın 
Published: February 2020

AbstractRobust design is an effective Quality by Design method to reduce product variation by selecting levels of design factors. For a number of situations, a nonstandard design region with linearly limited resources is needed to conduct an experiment. In the literature, little attention has been given to the development of robust design models for the nonstandard design region with a combination of linearly limited resources and a limited number of design points. In this paper, a selection scheme of D‐optimal experimental design points is proposed to generate design points using the modified exchange algorithm for the nonstandard design region while specifying linearly limited resources and the limited number of design points. The modified exchange algorithm is able to generate global design points with less time complexity than the improved Fedorov algorithm. In addition, robust design models linking a D‐optimal experimental design with quality considerations are proposed in order to obtain optimum settings of design factors for the product. Comparative studies are also presented. Finally, a real‐life experimental study shows that the proposed models with the desirability function and the sequential quadratic programming technique achieve greater variance reduction than the traditional counterparts.
Are elderly patients at high risk for postoperative complications after robotic ventral hernia repair? A propensity score matching analysis
Authors: Kudsi Omar Yusef , Gokcal Fahri , La Grange Sara , Bou‐Ayash Naseem , Chang Karen 
Published: February 2020

AbstractBackgroundThe purpose of this study was to compare the elderly (≥65 years) and non‐elderly groups regarding perioperative outcomes after robotic ventral hernia repair (RVHR).MethodsA one‐to‐one propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was conducted to obtain balanced groups. Postoperative complications including surgical site events (SSEs) (surgical site infections [SSIs], surgical site occurrences [SSOs], and surgical site occurrence procedural interventions [SSOPIs]) were compared.ResultsThe unmatched sample included 521 patients. Of these, 139 patients were elderly (range 65‐94 years). After PSM, 98 patients were assigned to each group. Intraoperative variables were similar. The non‐elderly and elderly groups experienced similar complication rates during the first 90 days. SSEs (SSIs, SSOs, and SSOPIs) did not differ between the two groups.ConclusionRVHR is safe and efficacious for patients aged 65 and over. Age alone need not be a prohibitive factor in determining patient selection for RVHR; however, it would be more beneficial to take into consideration other patient‐related factors as well.
Improved stability and instability theorems for stochastic nonlinear systems
Authors: Yao Liqiang , Zhang Weihai 
Published: February 2020

SummaryThis paper focuses on sufficient conditions which make stochastic nonlinear systems stable and unstable. A series of new stability (instability) criteria, which admit the infinitesimal operator of Lyapunov (Lyapunov‐like or Chetaev) functions to be indefinite, are proposed using the uniformly asymptotically stable function. The obtained stability and instability theorems weaken the constraints on Lyapunov and Lyapunov‐like (or Chetaev) functions, respectively. Many existing classical stability and instability criteria can be regarded as special cases of the stability and instability results in this paper. Finally, the presented theoretical results are illustrated by some simulation examples.
Robust adaptive backstepping tracking control of stochastic nonlinear systems with unknown input saturation: A command filter approach
Authors: Homayoun Behrouz , Arefi Mohammad Mehdi , Vafamand Navid 
Published: February 2020

SummaryThis paper studies the problem of adaptive observer‐based radial basis function neural network tracking control for a class of strict‐feedback stochastic nonlinear systems comprising an unknown input saturation, uncertainties, and unknown disturbances. To handle the issue of a non‐smooth saturation input signal, a smooth function is chosen to approximate the saturation function and the state observer is used to estimate unmeasured states. By the so‐called command filter method in the controller design procedure, the implementation complexity is reduced in the proposed backstepping method. Moreover, a radial basis function neural network is deployed to reconstruct the unknown nonlinear functions. In addition, the gains of all radial basis function neural networks are updated through one updating law leading to a minimal learning parameter which is independent of the number of neural nodes and the order of the system. Comparing with the existing results, the proposed approach can stabilize a constrained stochastic system more effectively and with less computational burden. Finally, a practical example shows the performance of the proposed controller design.
Porous ZIF‐8 Thin Layer Coating on ZnO Hollow Nanofibers for Enhanced Acetone Sensing
Authors: Tian Lei , Sun Yuxiu , Huang Hongliang , Guo Xiangyu , Qiao Zhihua , Meng Jianqiang , Zhong Chongli 
Published: February 2020

AbstractMetal oxide semiconductors have been extensively studied in detecting volatile organic compounds due to their low cost, good operability and ease of fabrication. However, sensitivity and selectivity are still huge challenges for commercial metal oxide semiconductor based gas sensor. Herein, nanostructured ZnO hollow fiber coated with porous zeolitic imidazolate framework‐8 (ZIF‐8) thin layers was developed as a new sensing platform to improve the performance of semiconductor‐based gas sensor. It is shown that the resulting ZnO@ZIF‐8 hollow nanofiber exhibited significant improvement of acetone sensitivity and selectivity as well as good long‐term stability, owing to the high sensitivity of nanostructured ZnO hollow fibers and the good selectivity of porous ZIF‐8 thin layers. Furthermore, the orientation growth of ZIF‐8 layer on ZnO nanofibers also affected the gas sensing response to acetone. Thus, this study presents a novel way of building semiconductor@metal‐organic frameworks hollow nanostructures to enhance gas response and selectivity of semiconductor‐based gas sensors, and exhibits great potential in fabricating new generation gas sensors.
Terpolymerizations of CO2, Propylene Oxide and DL‐Lactide Catalyzed by Zn‐Fe DMC Catalysts with Quaternary Ammonium Salts
Authors: Liu Ningzhang , Gu Chuanhai , Chen Mengting , Zhang Junan , Yang Wen , Zhan Aihong , Zhang Kewei , Lin Qiang , Zhu Linhua 
Published: February 2020

AbstractPolymers synthesized from carbon dioxide (CO2) and epoxy compounds are biodegradable materials and therefore are potentially very important in tackling the plastic pollutions. In this work, we synthesized Zn–Fe DMC catalysts with quaternary ammonium salts as a cocatalyst via ball milling. The obtained catalysts showed excellent activity (turn over frequency up to TOF=5.65 g‐polymer/g‐Zn h−1) in the terpolymerizations of CO2, propylene oxide and DL‐Lactide, yielding the biodegradable polymers with average relative molecular mass between 9.8×103 and 1.1×104, and the polydispersity index in the range of 1.7‐2.0. The main advantages of using mechanochemical method for the synthesis of the catalysts lie in the easy adjustment of co‐catalyst loading and its operational simplicity.