bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Feasibility of weight loss in obese atrial fibrillation patients attending a specialist arrhythmia clinic and its impact on ablation outcomes
Authors: Ding Wern Yew , Kozhuharov Nikola , Chin Shui Hao , Shaw Matthew , Snowdon Richard , Lip Gregory Y. H. , Gupta Dhiraj 
Published: September 2020

AbstractBackgroundThe feasibility of significant weight reduction in a specialist arrhythmia service, and its impact on atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation outcomes are unclear. We aimed to assess these factors in a real‐world cohort in the United Kingdom.MethodsPatients from one specialized arrhythmia clinic were instructed to follow the “Intermittent Fasting 5:2 diet” (“diet group”, n = 50), and their outcomes were compared to a propensity matched cohort who received no specific dietary advice (“control group”, n = 42). The primary outcome was recurrence of AF or atrial tachycardia (AT) at 12 months postablation, with or without drugs.ResultsBody weight and body mass index (BMI) at baseline were 105.0 (±15.3) kgs and 36.0 (±4.0), respectively. Baseline characteristics between the two groups were comparable. Patients in diet group experienced a mean weight loss of 8.2 (±7.1) kgs prior to AF ablation (P < .01 for comparison to baseline and control group). About 14 (28%) patients in the diet group lost >10% of their body weight. Overall, 11 (22%) patients in the diet group and five (12%) in the control group had AF recurrence at 1 year, P = .21. AF recurrence was similar in patients with BMI ≥ 35 (15%) as compared to BMI < 35 (19%), P = .60. There was one procedural complication (pulmonary edema) in the diet group.ConclusionIt is feasible to achieve significant weight reduction in obese AF patients in a specialist arrhythmia clinic setting with unsupervised dietary advice. Low rates of procedural complications and excellent medium‐term success rates were observed in this traditionally challenging population. Additional improvements in outcomes were not demonstrable in patients who exhibited significant weight loss.
Rainfall extremes and drought in Northeast Brazil and its relationship with El Niño–Southern Oscillation
Authors: Costa Micejane da Silva , Oliveira‐Júnior José Francisco de , Santos Paulo José dos , Correia Filho Washington Luiz Félix , Gois Givanildo de , Blanco Cláudio José Cavalcante , Teodoro Paulo Eduardo , Silva Junior Carlos Antonio da , Santiago Dimas de Barros , Souza Edson de Oliveira , Jardim Alexandre Maniçoba da Rosa Ferraz 
Published: September 2020

AbstractThe objective of this study was to evaluate the annual standardized precipitation index (SPI) obtained from the DrinC software based on multivariate analysis in the identification of rainfall and drought extremes in the State of Alagoas and its relationship with El Niño–Southern Oscillation. Monthly rainfall data from 1960 to 2016 from National Water Agency were analysed. Annual SPI (SPI‐12) has been designed for comparison with ENSO phases via Oceanic Niño Index for 3.4 region and in identifying climate extremes in the State of Alagoas. The principal component analysis and cluster analysis techniques were applied to the rainfall series of SPI‐12. Extreme events were identified in both rainy and drought periods according to SPI‐12, and were associated with the ENSO phases (El Niño, La Niña, and Neutral). The first four principal components explained 46.68% of the variance. Our findings are crucial for agriculture and civil defence since northeastern Brazil has several areas of risk and social vulnerability.
Safety of Gastrostomy Tube Placement in Patients with Advanced Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis With Noninvasive Ventilation
Authors: Kim Eun Young , Kang Seong Woong , Suh Mi Ri , Jung Jiho , Park Jihyun , Choi Won Ah 
Published: September 2020

BackgroundIn patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), bulbar muscle dysfunction can occur, which eventually requires the initiation of enteral tube feeding. However, there is no consensus on the optimal timing for the gastrostomy or the proper ventilator support method during the procedure. We aimed to investigate the safe range of gastrostomy according to respiratory support status and forced vital capacity (FVC) % of predicted values classification and to compare the safety of noninvasive and invasive mechanical ventilation during the procedure in ALS patients with FVC < 30% of predicted.MethodsA total of 477 patients diagnosed with ALS at our institution from January 1, 2009, to December 31, 2018, were evaluated, and 105 patients were enrolled in this study. All medical records covering ventilation status and complications within 6 months to 1 year after the initial gastrostomy were gathered and reviewed.ResultsThe gastrostomy procedure was considered safe regardless of FVC status or modality of respiratory support. There were complications related to the gastrostomy procedure in 6 of 105 patients and all were managed through conservative care. The incidence of complications, including respiratory ones, for noninvasive and invasive positive pressure ventilation was 5.5% and 9.6%, respectively, which were not statistically significantly different (P = .294).ConclusionThe procedure and tube placement of a gastrostomy can be safely performed in ALS patients with minimal FVC regardless of ventilation invasiveness. We suggest that there should be a new standard for FVC % of predicted to facilitate performing gastrostomy in ALS patients.
Analysis of the active components and metabolites of Taohong Siwu decoction by using ultra high performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry
Authors: Duan Xianchun , Pan Lingyu , Peng Daiyin , Bao Qiuyu , Xiao Ling , Zhou An , Wu Huan , Peng Can , Chen Weidong 
Published: September 2020

AbstractTaohong Siwu Decoction is a classic Chinese medicine prescription for treatment of cerebral ischemia and gynecological diseases. However, the active ingredients of Taohong Siwu Decoction have not been identified. In this study, a ultra performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass system was used to analyze the active components and metabolites of Taohong Siwu Decoction absorbed into the blood and the brain. A total of 39 active compounds and 90 metabolites were identified in the blood and brain by comparing retention times, accurate masses, fragmentation patterns, and literature data. The results showed that flavonoids (Carthamus tinctorius L), aromatic organic acids, and benzoquinones (Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels and Ligusticumchuanxiong hort) were prominent active ingredients in Taohong Siwu Decoction. Furthermore, hydrolysis, glucuronidation, and sulfation were identified as the main metabolic pathways of Taohong Siwu Decoction in vivo. This was the first study to characterize the active components and metabolites of Taohong Siwu Decoction in the blood and brain using ultra performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass.
Velocity Vector Imaging to Assess Longitudinal Wall Motion of Adult Carotid Arteries
Authors: Gao Jing , Lee Juhyun , Phan Andrew , Fowlkes J. Brian 
Published: September 2020

ObjectiveWe aimed to assess longitudinal wall motion of the common carotid artery (CCA) using velocity vector imaging (VVI).MethodsFrom October 2018 to July 2019, we prospectively performed VVI of 204 CCAs (102 adult volunteers, 57 men, 45 women) in young (n = 40, 20–44 y), mid‐age (n = 30, 45–64 y), and senior (n = 32, ≥65 y) groups. VVI parameters of CCA included longitudinal motion pattern, motion parameters (strain, strain rate, displacement), and time‐to‐peak motion parameters (time‐to‐peak strain, time‐to‐peak strain rate, time‐to‐peak displacement). Statistical analyses included one‐way ANOVA post‐hoc testing to examine the difference in VVI parameters among the 3 age groups and in paired groups; unpaired t tests to examine the difference in VVI parameters between CCAs with and without atherosclerotic plaque, between hypertensive and normotensive subjects without atherosclerotic plaque; linear regression to analyze correlations of VVI parameters to age, carotid intima‐media thickness; and intraclass correlation coefficient to test inter‐ and intra‐observer reliability in performing VVI of the CCA.ResultsDifferences in VVI parameters and patterns among the 3 age groups, between hypertensive and normotensive, and CCAs with and without plaque were significant (p < .01). CCA motion‐ and time‐to‐peak motion parameters were correlated to age (R2 = 0.63–0.56) and carotid intima‐media thickness (R2 = 0.29–0.22). CCA wall motion dyssynchrony was remarkable in seniors. The repeatability and reproducibility for performing carotid artery VVI were good (intraclass correlation coefficient > 0.85).ConclusionsVVI is feasible to assess changes in longitudinal CCA wall mechanical properties and synchrony with aging, atherosclerosis, and hypertension.
Factors governing soil water repellency under tillage management: The role of pore structure and hydrophobic substances
Authors: Li Shengping , Lu Jinjing , Liang Guopeng , Wu Xueping , Zhang Mengni , Plougonven Erwan , Wang Yunfei , Gao Lili , Abdelrhman Ahmed Ali , Song Xiaojun , Liu Xiaotong , Degré Aurore 
Published: September 2020

AbstractSoil water repellency (SWR) has significant effects on soil degradation by changing some soil processes (e.g., carbon sequestration and soil erosion). Understanding the influence factors of SWR under conservation agriculture are playing a vital role in the sustainable development for improving soil quality. However, how soil pore structure influence on SWR remains unclear. We aim to assess the impact of hydrophobic substances and pore structure on SWR. Here we conducted two long‐term experimental fields with three treatments: conventional tillage (CT), reduced tillage (RT), and no‐tillage (NT). X‐ray tomography and the sorptivity method were used to measure soil pore structure and SWR, respectively. We found that soil organic carbon (SOC) and microbial biomass carbon (MBC) were higher in RT and NT treatments than in CT. MBC had significant influences on soil water sorptivity (Sw) and water repellency index (RI; p < 0.001), whereas SOC had no influence on Sw (p > 0.05). MBC also showed a closer relationship with SWR than SOC in redundancy analysis. The RT and NT increased the porosity of 55–165 μm that had a positive relationship with ethanol sorptivity and RI (p < 0.05). Ethanol sorptivity increased with an increase in soil pore porosity and connectivity under RT and NT treatments. However, increasing the pore surface area could decrease Sw due to enhance contact area between hydrophobic substances and soil water. Overall, the RT and NT treatments increased the water repellency index, which was a result of the interactions between pore structure and hydrophobic substances.
Data‐driven discovery of probable Alzheimer's disease and related dementia subphenotypes using electronic health records
Authors: Xu Jie , Wang Fei , Xu Zhenxing , Adekkanattu Prakash , Brandt Pascal , Jiang Guoqian , Kiefer Richard C. , Luo Yuan , Mao Chengsheng , Pacheco Jennifer A. , Rasmussen Luke V. , Zhang Yiye , Isaacson Richard , Pathak Jyotishman 
Published: September 2020

AbstractIntroductionWe sought to assess longitudinal electronic health records (EHRs) using machine learning (ML) methods to computationally derive probable Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and related dementia subphenotypes.MethodsA retrospective analysis of EHR data from a cohort of 7587 patients seen at a large, multi‐specialty urban academic medical center in New York was conducted. Subphenotypes were derived using hierarchical clustering from 792 probable AD patients (cases) who had received at least one diagnosis of AD using their clinical data. The other 6795 patients, labeled as controls, were matched on age and gender with the cases and randomly selected in the ratio of 9:1. Prediction models with multiple ML algorithms were trained on this cohort using 5‐fold cross‐validation. XGBoost was used to rank the variable importance.ResultsFour subphenotypes were computationally derived. Subphenotype A (n = 273; 28.2%) had more patients with cardiovascular diseases; subphenotype B (n = 221; 27.9%) had more patients with mental health illnesses, such as depression and anxiety; patients in subphenotype C (n = 183; 23.1%) were overall older (mean (SD) age, 79.5 (5.4) years) and had the most comorbidities including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and mental health disorders; and subphenotype D (n = 115; 14.5%) included patients who took anti‐dementia drugs and had sensory problems, such as deafness and hearing impairment.The 0‐year prediction model for AD risk achieved an area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) of 0.764 (SD: 0.02); the 6‐month model, 0.751 (SD: 0.02); the 1‐year model, 0.752 (SD: 0.02); the 2‐year model, 0.749 (SD: 0.03); and the 3‐year model, 0.735 (SD: 0.03), respectively. Based on variable importance, the top‐ranked comorbidities included depression, stroke/transient ischemic attack, hypertension, anxiety, mobility impairments, and atrial fibrillation. The top‐ranked medications included anti‐dementia drugs, antipsychotics, antiepileptics, and antidepressants.ConclusionsFour subphenotypes were computationally derived that correlated with cardiovascular diseases and mental health illnesses. ML algorithms based on patient demographics, diagnosis, and treatment demonstrated promising results in predicting the risk of developing AD at different time points across an individual's lifespan.
Artificial Muscles from Hybrid Carbon Nanotube‐Polypyrrole‐Coated Twisted and Coiled Yarns
Authors: Aziz Shazed , Martinez Jose G. , Foroughi Javad , Spinks Geoffrey M. , Jager Edwin W. H. 
Published: September 2020

AbstractElectrochemically or electrothermally driven twisted/coiled carbon nanotube (CNT) yarn actuators are interesting artificial muscles for wearables as they can sustain high stress. However, due to high fabrication costs, these yarns have limited their application in smart textiles. An alternative approach is to use off‐the‐shelf yarns and coat them with conductive polymers that deliver high actuation properties. Here, novel hybrid textile yarns are demonstrated that combine CNT and an electroactive polypyrrole coating to provide both high strength and good actuation properties. CNT‐coated polyester yarns are twisted and coiled and subjected to electrochemical coating of polypyrrole to obtain the hierarchical soft actuators. When twisted without coiling, the polypyrrole‐coated yarns produce fully reversible 25° mm‐1 rotation, 8.3× higher than the non‐reversible rotation from twisted CNT‐coated yarns in a three‐electrode electrochemical system operated between +0.4 and –1.0 V (vs Ag/AgCl). The coiled yarns generate fully reversible 10° mm‐1 rotation and 0.22% contraction strain, 2.75× higher than coiled CNT‐coated yarns, when operated within the same potential window. The twisted and coiled yarns exhibit high tensile strength with excellent abrasion resistance in wet and dry shearing conditions that can match the requirements for using them as soft actuators in wearables and textile exoskeletons.
Modelling t(8;21) acute myeloid leukaemia ‐ What have we learned?
Authors: Chin Paulynn Suyin , Bonifer Constanze 
Published: September 2020

AbstractAcute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is a heterogeneous haematopoietic malignancy caused by recurrent mutations in haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells that affect both the epigenetic regulatory machinery and signalling molecules. The t(8;21) or RUNX1‐RUNX1T1 translocation generates the RUNX1‐ETO chimeric transcription factor which primes haematopoietic stem cells for further oncogenic mutational events that in their sum cause overt disease. Significant progress has been made in generating both in vitro and in vivo model systems to recapitulate t(8;21) AML which are crucial for the understanding of the biology of the disease and the development of effective treatment. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the in vivo and in vitro model systems that were developed to gain insights into the molecular mechanisms of RUNX1‐ETO oncogenic activity and their contribution to the advancement of knowledge in the t(8;21) AML field. Such models include transgenic mice, patient‐derived xenografts, RUNX1‐ETO transduced human progenitor cells, cell lines and human embryonic stem cell model systems, making the t(8;21) as one of the well‐characterized sub‐type of AML at the molecular level.
Serious Transport Accidents in Tourette Syndrome or Chronic Tic Disorder
Authors: Mataix‐Cols David , Brander Gustaf , Chang Zheng , Larsson Henrik , D'Onofrio Brian M. , Lichtenstein Paul , Sidorchuk Anna , Fernández de la Cruz Lorena 
Published: September 2020

ABSTRACTBackgroundIt is unknown whether individuals with tic disorders are at increased risk for serious transport accidents.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to investigate the risk for injuries or death caused by transport and motor vehicle accidents in individuals with Tourette syndrome or chronic tic disorder.MethodsThis population‐based, sibling‐controlled cohort study included all individuals aged ≥18 years living in Sweden between 1997 and 2013 (N = 6,127,290). A total of 3449 individuals had a registered diagnosis of Tourette syndrome or chronic tic disorder in the Swedish National Patient Register. We also identified 2191 families with full siblings discordant for tic disorders. Cox proportional hazards regression modeling was used to estimate the risk for injuries or deaths as a result of transport accidents in individuals with a lifetime diagnosis of Tourette syndrome or chronic tic disorder compared with unexposed individuals and siblings.ResultsIndividuals with tic disorders had a higher risk for transport injuries or death compared with the general population (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.50 [95% confidence interval: 1.33–1.69]) and their unaffected siblings (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.41 [95% confidence interval: 1.18–1.68]). The risks were similar across sexes. The exclusion of most psychiatric comorbidities did not alter the magnitude of the estimates. However, the risks were no longer significant after exclusion of individuals with comorbid attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.ConclusionsThe marginally increased risk for serious transport accidents in tic disorders is mainly driven by attention deficit hyperactivity disorder comorbidity. Improved detection and management of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms in this patient group are warranted. © 2020 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
A de novo heterozygous variant in the SON gene is associated with Zhu‐Tokita‐Takenouchi‐Kim syndrome
Authors: Yang Lianlian , Yang Fan 
Published: September 2020

AbstractBackgroundZhu‐Tokita‐Takenouchi‐Kim (ZTTK, OMIM# 617140) syndrome is a rare, autosomal dominant genetic disorder caused by heterozygous variants in the SON gene (OMIM#182465, GenBank#NC_000021.9). There are only 33 cases and 26 causative SON variants reported to date since the first report in 2015. Here, we report a new case of ZTTK syndrome and a de novo disease‐causing SON variant.MethodsWe conducted whole‐exome sequencing (WES) to obtain genetic data of the patient. The clinical and genetic data of the patient were analyzed.ResultsThe clinical features of our patient were strikingly similar to previously reported cases. Notably, our patient had unique presentations, including a bridged palmar crease in the left hand and growth hormone deficiency. The c.5297del de novo variant in SON causes an amino change (p.Ser1766Leufs*7).ConclusionOur report expands the mutant spectrum of the SON gene and refines the genotype‐phenotype map of ZTTK syndrome. Our findings also highlighted the importance of WES for early diagnosis of ZTTK syndrome, which may improve diagnostic procedures for affected individuals.
A Bayesian control chart based on the beta distribution for monitoring the two‐dimensional gamma index pass rate in the context of patient‐specific quality assurance
Authors: Tiplica Teodor , Dufreneix Stéphane , Legrand Christophe 
Published: September 2020

PurposeIn the context of quality assurance in intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), the aim of this work was two‐fold: (a) to show that the beta distribution characterizes the two‐dimensional gamma index pass rate (GIPR), and that the quantiles of the distribution should be used in order to compute the control limit (CL) for the detection of abnormally low GIPR, and (b) to introduce a Bayesian control chart that allows calculation of CLs from the first measurement.MethodsIn order to enable monitoring of the GIPR from the first measurement, we developed a Bayesian control chart based on the beta distribution, elaborated according to the following two steps: (a) an iterative bayesian inference approach without any prior information on the GIPR distribution was used at the start of monitoring and the CL was progressively updated; and (b) when sufficient in‐control arcs had been recorded and the estimators of the parameters of the beta distribution were sufficiently accurate, the CL of the chart was fixed to a constant value corresponding to the quantile of the beta distribution. The clinical utility of this approach is illustrated through a real data case study: monitoring the GIPR of patients treated with a moving gantry IMRT technique RapidArcTM on a Novalis TrueBeam STx (Varian Medical Systems) linear accelerator equipped with an aS1200 electronic portal imager device.ResultsWe showed that some commonly used distributions for monitoring GIPR in the literature, such as normal or logarithm transformation, are not appropriate. We compared the CLs of those solutions with the CL of our chart based on the BD (CL = 95.14%). The comparison revealed that the CL for the normal law (CL = 97.62%) generated too many false positives, and that the CL of the Logarithm transformation (CL = 83.74%) could fail to efficiently detect (i.e., sufficiently early on or faster) changes in the process.ConclusionsSuccessful GIPR monitoring requires careful and rigorous application of well‐established statistical concepts in the field of statistical process control. In this paper, we stress the importance of carefully analyzing the distribution of the monitored characteristic that is plotted on the control chart. We propose a Bayesian control chart that can be viewed as a practical solution for early implementation of GIPR monitoring, starting from the first arc. We demonstrate that beta distribution is a better method for characterizing the GIPR, and thus, the use of this approach is expected to improve patient‐specific quality assurance plans in radiotherapy.