bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Fatigue evaluation of a hand‐held device for the automated colonoscope
Authors: Sheerer Corey , Choi JungHun 
Published: November 2019

AbstractAs knowledge about the colorectal disease becomes more widespread, an increasing demand for screening and high standards arises. This study focuses on the fatigue measurement of a prototype colonoscope that incorporates a holding structure to support the colonoscope and a hand‐held device that actuates distal tip steering. Experimentation was performed to compare the fatigue and learning curve of the prototype scope to a conventional scope. Fatigue was measured as a reduction in force corresponding to the maximum voluntary contraction of the left thumb and forearm. Results show that subjects using the conventional scope did not experience significant reduction in force in either the thumb or the forearm, while the prototype scope resulted in a force reduction of 17% and 16% in the forearm and thumb, respectively. Caecal intubation time and learning rate showed no significant decrease while using the prototype scope compared with a conventional scope to ensure the functionality of the prototype scope.
Genetic variability in Iranian limb‐girdle muscular dystrophy type 2B patients: An evidence of a founder effect
Authors: Mojbafan Marzieh , Tina Shirzadeh , Zafarghandi Motlagh Fatemeh , Surguchov Andrei , Nilipour Yalda , Zeinali Sirous 
Published: November 2019

AbstractBackgroundDysferlinopathies are a group of autosomal recessive limb‐girdle muscular dystrophies (LGMDs) caused by mutations in DYSF (#603,009). This gene encodes a transmembrane protein called dysferlin. Since there are few reports on Iranian dysferlinopathy patients, we tried to identify the DYSF mutations in affected individuals of Iran.MethodsEight unrelated Iranian families have been selected for this study. Sanger sequencing followed by haplotype analysis was performed to identify individual variations in DYSF sequence. Identified variants were analyzed, and their pathogenicity was interpreted according to the recommendations of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics.ResultsWe identified two new mutations in DYSF, the first one is a nonsense mutation c.2419C > T (p.Gln807*), which eliminates downstream part of the protein. Another novel mutation is c. (1,053 + 1_1,054‐1)_(1,397 + 1_1,398‐1)del, which causes deletion of the DNA segment from exon 12 to exon 15.ConclusionTwo of the other six families are from the same ethnicity and share the same mutation and haplotype patterns, suggesting a founder mutation. Genetic analysis of dysferlinopathy can prevent a wrong diagnosis of myositis for these patients.
Ultrasound vector projectile imaging for detection of altered carotid bifurcation hemodynamics during reductions in cardiac output
Authors: Au Jason S. , Yiu Billy Y. S. , So Hélène , Chee Adrian J. Y. , Greaves Danielle K. , Hughson Richard L. , Yu Alfred C. H. 
Published: November 2019

PurposeComplex blood flow is commonly observed in the carotid bifurcation, although the factors that regulate these patterns beyond arterial geometry are unknown. The emergence of high‐frame‐rate ultrasound vector flow imaging allows for noninvasive, time‐resolved analysis of complex hemodynamic behavior in humans, and it can potentially help researchers understand which physiological stressors can alter carotid bifurcation hemodynamics in vivo. Here, we seek to pursue the first use of vector projectile imaging (VPI), a dynamic form of vector flow imaging, to analyze the regulation of carotid bifurcation hemodynamics during experimental reductions in cardiac output induced via a physiological stressor called lower body negative pressure (LBNP).MethodsSeven healthy adults (age: 27 ± 4 yr, 4 men) underwent LBNP at −45 mmHg to simulate a postural hemodynamic response in a controlled environment. Using a research‐grade, high‐frame‐rate ultrasound platform, vector flow estimation in each subject’s right carotid bifurcation was performed through a multi‐angle plane wave imaging (two transmission angles of 10° and −10°) formulation, and VPI cineloops were generated at a frame rate of 750 fps. Vector concentration was quantified by the resultant blood velocity vector angles within a region of interest; lower concentration indicated greater flow dispersion. Discrete concentration values during peak and late systole were compared across different segments of the carotid artery bifurcation before, and during, LBNP.ResultsVector projectile imaging revealed that external and internal carotid arteries exhibited regional hemodynamic changes during LBNP, which acted to reduce both the subject’s cardiac output (Δ − 1.2 ± 0.5 L/min, −19%; P < 0.01) and peak carotid blood velocity (Δ − 6.30 ± 8.27 cm/s, −7%; P = 0.05). In these carotid artery branches, the vector concentration time trace before and during LBNP were observed to be different. The impact of LBNP on flow complexity in the two carotid artery branches showed variations between subjects.ConclusionsUsing VPI, intuitive visualization of complex hemodynamic changes can be obtained in healthy humans subjected to LBNP. This imaging tool has potential for further applications in vascular physiology to identify and quantify complex hemodynamic features in humans during different physiological stressor tests that regulate hemodynamics.
Pain, fatigue, anxiety and depression in older home‐dwelling people with cancer
Authors: Solvik Elena , Ytrehus Siri , Utne Inger , Grov Ellen Karine 
Published: November 2019

AbstractAimGlobally, cancer incidence counts for more than 14 million cases and the number increases with age. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of pain, fatigue, anxiety and depression in association with demographic and clinical factors.DesignA cross‐sectional descriptive design was used.MethodsWe performed descriptive statistics to analyse the questionnaires completed from 174 older home‐dwelling people with cancer.ResultsThe people with cancer reported low occurrence of pain, fatigue, anxiety and depression. We found strong correlation between anxiety and depression. Women reported significantly higher scores of anxiety and depression than men. A higher pain score was associated with higher scores of fatigue and anxiety.ConclusionsHome care personnel meeting older home‐dwelling people with cancer should emphasize these people’ mental health problems and be aware that pain, fatigue and anxiety may occur at the same time.
Infrared Thermography for Estimating Supraclavicular Skin Temperature and BAT Activity in Humans: A Systematic Review
Authors: Jimenez‐Pavon David , Corral‐Perez Juan , Sánchez‐Infantes David , Villarroya Francesc , Ruiz Jonatan R. , Martinez‐Tellez Borja 
Published: November 2019

ObjectiveBrown adipose tissue (BAT) is a thermogenic tissue with potential as a therapeutic target in the treatment of obesity and related metabolic disorders. The most used technique for quantifying human BAT activity is the measurement of 18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose uptake via a positron emission tomography/computed tomography scan following exposure to cold. However, several studies have indicated the measurement of the supraclavicular skin temperature (SST) by infrared thermography (IRT) to be a less invasive alternative. This work reviews the state of the art of this latter method as a means of determining BAT activity in humans.MethodsThe data sources for this review were PubMed, Web of Science, and EBSCOhost (SPORTdiscus), and eligible studies were those conducted in humans.ResultsIn most studies in which participants were first cooled, an increase in IRT‐measured SST was noted. However, only 5 of 24 such studies also involved a nuclear technique that confirmed increased activity in BAT, and only 2 took into account the thickness of the fat layer when measuring SST by IRT.ConclusionsMore work is needed to understand the involvement of tissues other than BAT in determining IRT‐measured SST; at present, IRT cannot determine whether any increase in SST is due to increased BAT activity.
Contributing factors to the development of temporomandibular joint symptoms in a Japanese community‐dwelling population
Authors: Ishizaki Hiroshi , Satake Anna , Fukuda Haruka , Akiyama Natsumi , Noguchi Takao , Osanai Toshiyuki , Oyama Toshiaki , Tamura Yoshihiro , Ito Ryohei , Kobayashi Wataru 
Published: November 2019

AbstractBackgroundMulticausal theories of temporomandibular disorder (TMD) are supported, but no apparent influencing factors except for bruxism have been identified.ObjectiveThis study aimed to cross‐sectionally and longitudinally examine the oral environment and mental and psychological status in a general adult Japanese population and elucidate the relationships between these and the development of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) symptoms.Materials and methodsA total of 1117 individuals who participated in the Iwaki Health Promotional Project in 2016 and 827 individuals who participated in the Iwaki Health Promotional Project in both 2016 and 2017 without prior TMD treatment were included. For the cross‐sectional study, the relationships between the presence of TMJ symptoms and the oral environment and mental and psychological factors were analyzed for the participants in 2016; and for the longitudinal study, factors contributing to the development of TMJ symptoms were analyzed in those who participated in the project both in 2016 and 2017.ResultsAge, the existence of bruxism, and health‐related quality of life—vitality scores (the vitality scale of the 36‐Item Short Form Health Survey questionnaire)—were significantly associated with the development of TMJ symptoms in the cross‐sectional study, while only bruxism was significantly correlated with the development of TMD in the longitudinal study (odds ratio: 2.01, 95% confidence interval: 1.044‐3.868; P = .037).ConclusionsThe existence of bruxism was again identified as the only contributing factor in the development of TMD. No involvement of mental and psychological factors was found.
Comparative effectiveness of metformin versus insulin for gestational diabetes in New Zealand
Authors: Landi Suzanne N. , Radke Sarah , Boggess Kim , Engel Stephanie M. , Stürmer Til , Howe Anna S. , Jonsson Funk Michele 
Published: November 2019

AbstractPurposeTo measure the comparative effectiveness of metformin versus insulin for initial pharmacological management of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).MethodsWe conducted a population‐based retrospective cohort study using administrative claims, maternity care, and laboratory result data from New Zealand. We followed pregnant women aged 15 to 45 from GDM diagnosis through delivery and assessed outcomes using maternity care and hospitalization data. We adjusted for covariates using inverse probability of treatment weights and multiple imputation for missing covariate information. We estimated unadjusted and adjusted risk ratios (RRs), risk differences (RDs) per 100, and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Linear regression was used to estimate the association of treatment with birthweight. We stratified analyses by ethnicity and infant sex in prespecified sensitivity analyses.ResultsWe compared 3818 metformin‐treated pregnancies with 3450 insulin‐treated pregnancies. We observed differences in treatment initiation by ethnicity, socioeconomic status, region, and calendar year. Treatment groups were similar in age, body mass index (BMI), and timing of diagnosis/treatment initiation. After adjustment, metformin was associated with reduced absolute risk of planned elective c‐section (RD = −2.3, 95% CI, −4.3 to −0.3), large for gestational age (RD = −3.7, 95% CI, −5.5 to −1.8), and neonatal hypoglycemia (RD = −5.0, 95% CI, −6.9 to −3.2) compared with insulin. There were no clinically meaningful differences in average birthweight between metformin‐ and insulin‐treated pregnancies. We observed variation in estimates by ethnicity and infant sex for some neonatal outcomes.ConclusionMetformin appears to be an effective treatment for women with GDM and may reduce risk of some adverse neonatal outcomes when compared with insulin.
Identification of plant hormones and candidate hub genes regulating flag leaf senescence in wheat response to water deficit stress at the grain‐filling stage
Authors: Luo Yongli , Pang Dangwei , Jin Min , Chen Jin , Kong Xiang , Li Wenqian , Chang Yonglan , Li Yong , Wang Zhenlin 
Published: November 2019

AbstractIn order to clarify the transcriptional regulatory network and physiological mechanisms governing leaf senescence response to drought stress in wheat, experiments were performed using two wheat varieties with contrasting drought tolerance: Fu287 (F287, a drought‐sensitive genotype) and Shannong20 (SN20, a drought‐resistant genotype). The latter has higher SPAD values, salicylic acid (SA), jasmonic acid (JA), zeatin (Z), zeatin riboside (ZR), and gibberellin (GA3) content as well as higher expression levels of Cu/Zn‐SOD, Mn‐SOD, Fe‐SOD, POD, CAT, and APX under various water deficit conditions. Conjoint analysis of physiological and biochemical indicators and transcriptome data by weighted gene co‐expression network analysis (WGCNA) in the present study provides a useful genomic and molecular resource for studying drought adaptation in wheat. The flag leaf senescence process was changed by altering the concentration of phytohormones. SA, JA, abscisic acid (ABA), Z, ZR, and GA3 coordinate with each other to control leaf senescence and plant adaptation under drought stress. Further, the leaf senescence process was divided into two phases: the persistence phase and the rapid loss phase. Shorter Chltotal (duration of the flag leaf being photosynthetically active), shorter Chlper (persistence phase), reduced M (inflection point cumulative temperature when senescence rate is the maximum), decreased rmax (the maximum senescence rate), larger r0 (the initial senescence rate), and increased raver (the average senescence rate) were slightly associated with low grain mass. We speculated that extending the period of the persistence phase by cultivation or chemical control measures could further increase the drought survivability and productivity of wheat.
Concentration‐dependent conformation transition of regenerated silk fibroin induced by graphene oxide nanosheets incorporation
Authors: Sha Jin , Chen Xin , Ma Liang 
Published: November 2019

ABSTRACTRegenerated silk fibroin (RSF)/graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposite has been substantially investigated due to its significant multifunctional potential. Here, in combination of micromorphology, crystalline conformation, dynamic mechanical property characterization, and Fourier self‐deconvolution (FSD) quantitative analysis, we investigated the RSF molecular chains conformation transition induced by GO nanosheet incorporation, and its influence on the structural and mechanical properties of solution casted RSF/GO composite films. The GO nanosheet promoted the silk fibroin molecular chains conformation transition from random coil to β‐sheet structure, and a correlation between β‐sheet structure fraction and GO concentration was revealed. The β‐sheet structure fraction increases further improved the dynamic mechanical property of composite films. Moreover, based on nucleation‐dependent aggregation of silk fibroin molecular chains, a mechanism considering the competition effect between GO concentration and its total surface area was proposed to explain the observed concentration‐dependent conformation transition phenomenon. The study improves our understanding on silk fibroin conformation transition process in RSF/GO composite and would provide a valuable reference for the rational design of bioinspired multifunctional materials with enhanced mechanical properties. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2019, 57, 1506–1515
Mussel‐Inspired Polymer Grafting on CsPbBr3 Perovskite Quantum Dots Enhancing the Environmental Stability
Authors: Park Jongyeop , Murali G. , Kwon Binhee , Jeong Woojun , Jeong Geumbi , Ch Seshendra Reddy , Park Sung Young , In Insik 
Published: November 2019

AbstractMussel‐inspired chemistry, motivated by the adhesive proteins secreted by mussels for attachment to wet surfaces, is an emerging technique for manipulating the surface properties of a variety of materials. Here, a facile mussel‐inspired poly(N‐vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) polymer encapsulation with trivial influence on inherent optical properties of perovskite quantum dots (QDs) is demonstrated to efficiently combat the low intrinsic thermal, chemical, and photostability of CsPbBr3 QDs. The suitability of photopolymer‐processed PVP‐CsPbBr3 QDs flexible films as color components in white light–emitting devices is substantiated.
Unique active site formation in a novel galactose 1‐phosphate uridylyltransferase from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrobaculum aerophilum
Authors: Ohshida Tatsuya , Hayashi Junji , Yoneda Kazunari , Ohshima Toshihisa , Sakuraba Haruhiko 
Published: November 2019

AbstractA gene encoding galactose 1‐phosphate uridylyltransferase (GalT) was identified in the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrobaculum aerophilum. The gene was overexpressed in Escherichia coli, after which its product was purified and characterized. The expressed enzyme was highly thermostable and retained about 90% of its activity after incubation for 10 minutes at temperatures up to 90°C. Two different crystal structures of P. aerophilum GalT were determined: the substrate‐free enzyme at 2.33 Å and the UDP‐bound H140F mutant enzyme at 1.78 Å. The main‐chain coordinates of the P. aerophilum GalT monomer were similar to those in the structures of the E. coli and human GalTs, as was the dimeric arrangement. However, there was a striking topological difference between P. aerophilum GalT and the other two enzymes. In the E. coli and human enzymes, the N‐terminal chain extends from one subunit into the other and forms part of the substrate‐binding pocket in the neighboring subunit. By contrast, the N‐terminal chain in P. aerophilum GalT extends to the substrate‐binding site in the same subunit. Amino acid sequence alignment showed that a shorter surface loop in the N‐terminal region contributes to the unique topology of P. aerophilum GalT. Structural comparison of the substrate‐free enzyme with UDP‐bound H140F suggests that binding of the glucose moiety of the substrate, but not the UDP moiety, gives rise to a large structural change around the active site. This may in turn provide an appropriate environment for the enzyme reaction.
The spatially conscious machine learning model
Authors: Kiely Timothy J. , Bastian Nathaniel D. 
Published: November 2019

AbstractSuccessfully predicting gentrification could have many social and commercial applications; however, real estate sales are difficult to predict because they belong to a chaotic system comprised of intrinsic and extrinsic characteristics, perceived value, and market speculation. Using New York City real estate as our subject, we combine modern techniques of data science and machine learning with traditional spatial analysis to create robust real estate prediction models for both classification and regression tasks. We compare several cutting edge machine learning algorithms across spatial, semispatial, and nonspatial feature engineering techniques, and we empirically show that spatially conscious machine learning models outperform nonspatial models when married with advanced prediction techniques such as Random Forests, generalized linear models, gradient boosting machines, and artificial neural networks.
Changes in Chinese nurses' mental health during 1998–2016: A cross‐temporal meta‐analysis
Authors: Xin Sufei , Jiang Wenyuan , Xin Ziqiang 
Published: November 2019

AbstractIn China, nursing is a profession with considerable stress, which may cause both physiological and psychological problems. The present study conducted a cross‐temporal meta‐analysis of 244 papers using the Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL‐90) to investigate the changes in the mental health level of Chinese nurses (N = 71,286) from 1998 to 2016. Results showed that (a) relationships between scores of all nine types of mental problems in the SCL‐90 and year were significantly positive, indicating that the mental health level of nurses decreased steadily in the past 19 years; (b) relationships between three social indicators (patient‐to‐nurse ratio, unemployment rate, and divorce rate) and scores of all nine types of mental problems in the SCL‐90 were significantly positive, suggesting that the increase in these social indicators may be responsible for the decrease in Chinese nurses' mental health level.
The role of superior image composition in children's analogical reasoning
Authors: Yu Xiao , Han Congcong , Guo Junqi , Chen Yinghe 
Published: November 2019

SummaryAnalogical reasoning, as a higher cognitive ability, can help children make inferences about a novel situation. It is vital to help children's analogical reasoning development. However, the traditional intervention methods are simple and the effects cannot maintain. Aiming at this problem, the present study was the first to use computer technology especially image composition technique to promote children's analogical reasoning from an interdisciplinary perspective.Specifically, one minimum region entropy based composition model was proposed. On the one hand, sparse coding model and spatial pyramid matching model were used for searching semantically matching images. On the other hand, minimum region entropy model could contribute to composite the candidate region into an ideal position. Furthermore, we set up a database using massive images and adequate experiments based on it to verify the model's effectiveness and robustness.What's more important, we applied the improved image composition to analogical reasoning task. The results showed that the performance of intervention group was obviously better than control group during intervention stages and posttest stage. In general, the present study not only demonstrated the advantages of the improved image composition but also revealed composition's remarkable contribution for getting analogical relationship by children.
Energy balance method for modeling ultimate strain of fiber‐reinforced polymer‐repaired concrete
Authors: Tijani Ibrahim A. , Wu Yu‐Fei , Lim C. W. 
Published: November 2019

AbstractThe energy balance method has been widely used in the extant literature to derive the ultimate axial strain of conventional confined concrete columns. However, researchers noted that this method yields unrealistic results compared to experimental data when it is applied to fiber‐reinforced polymer (FRP) confined concrete columns. Therefore, it is deemed that the existing ultimate strain model based on the energy method cannot be directly applied to FRP‐repaired concrete. With this model shortcoming in mind and through a theoretical analysis with proper calibration, the current study extended the energy balance approach to develop a generalized model to determine the ultimate strain of FRP repaired concrete columns. This proposed new model can be used to predict the ultimate strain of repaired columns under both concentric and eccentric loadings. Because this model is established in a unified form without any restrictions to the cross‐sectional geometry, it is applicable to different shapes of repaired columns. On the other hand, although the energy balance method is unconservative for heavily damaged concrete, it exhibits a better performance with respect to the existing models when compared with the test result.