bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Sex‐specific differences in patients with nonmelanoma skin cancer of the pinna
Authors: Moser Ulrich , Andrianakis Alexandros , Pondorfer Prisca , Wolf Axel , Graupp Matthias , Weiland Thomas , Holzmeister Clemens , Wild Dominik , Thurnher Dietmar 
Published: May 2020

AbstractBackgroundGenerally, it is known that men are affected more frequently by nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) than women. The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of sex on the characteristics of NMSCs of the pinna at the population that our center serves and to compare it with the international data.MethodsWe analyzed retrospectively the data of 225 patients with NMSC of the pinna. Sex‐specific differences were investigated for basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) subgroups.ResultsThe ratio of BCC to cSCC was determined in male patients at 1:1.3, in contrast in females it was identified at 4:1 (P = .001).ConclusionIn our study, a new aspect of the sex‐dependent distribution of cSCC and BCC of the pinna was demonstrated. Women are affected four times more frequently by BCC than by cSCC, whereas in men this ratio is approximately equal.
Photocatalytic removal of organic pollutants and self‐cleaning performance of PES membrane incorporated sulfonated graphene oxide/ZnO nanocomposite
Authors: Boopathy Govardhanan , Gangasalam Arthanareeswaran , Mahalingam Ashok 
Published: May 2020

AbstractBACKGROUNDMembrane technology is highly applicable to water purification due to its simple operation process. During the treatment of organic wastewater, the organic compounds are deposited on the membrane surface, which leads to membrane fouling. To alleviate this problem, the membrane separation process could be combined with eco‐friendly photocatalytic technology. In this regard, facile synthesized nanomaterials, such as sulfonated graphene oxide (SGO), zinc oxide (ZnO), and SGO/ZnO (SGZ) are incorporated in a polyethersulfone (PES) membrane matrix used for antifouling analysis and degradation of organic pollutants in the presence of UV light irradiation.RESULTSX‐ray diffraction (XRD) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) analysis shows that ZnO is bound strongly within the SGO‐ZnO nanocomposite. The optical property was also altered for hybrid SGO‐ZnO nanocomposite as compared to the ZnO photocatalyst. The physicochemical characterization of PES‐SGO, PES‐ZnO, and PES‐SGZ nanocomposite membranes was studied. Hydrophilicity and water flux are improved with the addition of nanomaterials. Among the membranes, PES‐SGZ nanocomposite membranes exhibit maximum water flux and lower contact angle value of 152 L m−2 h−1 and 51.9°, respectively. The photocatalytic activity of the membrane was assessed by organic pollutants under the UV light. The PES‐SGZ nanocomposite membrane revealed higher photocatalytic efficiency for crystal violet at 92.3% and ciprofloxacin at 95.1%.CONCLUSIONThe modified PES membranes enhanced antifouling and hydrophilic properties. Specifically, the PES‐SGZ nanocomposite membrane proved to be a superior material for the effective photodegradation of organic pollutants and it achieved a higher water flux. To conclude, the prepared photocatalytic membrane could have vast potential in the treatment of toxic organic industrial effluents. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Hsa_circ_0102272 serves as a prognostic biomarker and regulates proliferation, migration and apoptosis in thyroid cancer
Authors: Liu Jie , Zheng Xiong , Liu Hui 
Published: May 2020

AbstractBackgroundAccumulating evidence shows that circRNAs comprise a class of non‐coding RNA exhibiting tremendous potential for cancer diagnosis and prognosis and they are also implicated in the pathogenesis of carcinogenesis. The present study aimed to investigate abnormally expressed circRNAs in thyroid cancer (TC).Materials and methodsFive pairs of TC tissues and adjacent nornal specimens were used to analyze abnormal circRNA expression using high‐throughput sequencing. MTT and Annexin V‐fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide assays were performed to evaluate cell proliferation and apoptosis in vitro. Cell migration and invasion were detected by a Transwell assay conducted in vitro.ResultsFifty‐four circRNAs, including 19 down‐regulated and 35 up‐regulated, were significantly aberrantly expressed in TC tissues compared to para‐carcinoma tissues. Both sequencing and quantitative reverse transcriptse‐polymersase chain reaction analysis corroborated that hsa_circ_0102272 was dramatically elevated in TC tissues and cell lines compared to the control group. Patients with high expression of hsa_circ_0102272 showed significantly short overall survival and progression‐free survival compared to those patients with hsa_circ_0102272 low expression. In vitro experiments confirmed that knockdown of hsa_circ_0102272 could restrain cell proliferation, migration and invasion, as well as facilitate apoptosis of TC cells in vitro.ConclusionsHsa_circ_0102272 displays oncogenic function via repressing malignant biological properties and serves as a prognostic biomarker in TC patients.
Tocilizumab for the treatment of severe coronavirus disease 2019
Authors: Alattar Rand , Ibrahim Tawheeda B. H. , Shaar Shahd H. , Abdalla Shiema , Shukri Kinda , Daghfal Joanne N. , Khatib Mohamed Y. , Aboukamar Mohamed , Abukhattab Mohamed , Alsoub Hussam A. , Almaslamani Muna A. , Omrani Ali S. 
Published: May 2020

AbstractTocilizumab, an interleukin‐6 inhibitor, may ameliorate the inflammatory manifestations associated with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) and thus improve clinical outcomes. This was a retrospective review of patients with laboratory‐confirmed severe COVID‐19 who received tocilizumab and completed 14 days of follow up. Twenty‐five patients were included, median age was 58 years (interquartile range, 50‐63) and the majority were males (92%). Co‐morbidities included diabetes mellitus (48%), chronic kidney disease (16%), and cardiovascular disease (12%). Fever (92%), cough (84%), and dyspnea (72%) were the commonest presenting symptoms. All patients received at least two concomitant investigational antiviral agents. Median oral temperature was on day 1, 3, and 7 was 38.0°C, 37.3°C (P = .043), and 37.0°C (P = .064), respectively. Corresponding median C‐reactive protein was 193 and 7.9 mg/L (P < .0001) and <6 mg/L (P = .0001). Radiological improvement was noted in 44% of patients by day 7% and 68% by day 14. Nine patients (36%) were discharged alive from intensive care unit and three (12%) died. The proportion of patients on invasive ventilation declined from (84%) at the time of tocilizumab initiation to 60% on day 7 (P = .031) and 28% on day 14 (P = .001). The majority (92%) of patients experienced at least one adverse event. However, it is not possible to ascertain which adverse events were directly related to tocilizumab therapy. In patients with severe COVID‐19, tocilizumab was associated with dramatic decline in inflammatory markers, radiological improvement and reduced ventilatory support requirements. Given the study's limitations, the results require assessment in adequately powered randomized controlled trials.
The management of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19)
Authors: Liu Jialin , Liu Siru 
Published: May 2020

AbstractIn December 2019, a novel coronavirus causing severe acute respiratory disease occurred in Wuhan, China. It is an emerging infectious disease with widespread and rapid infectiousness. The World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak to be a public health emergency of international concern on 31 January 2020. Severe COVID‐19 patients should be managed and treated in a critical care unit. Performing a chest X‐ray/CT can judge the severity of the disease. The management of COVID‐19 patients includes epidemiological risk and patient isolation; treatment entails general supportive care, respiratory support, symptomatic treatment, nutritional support, psychological intervention, etc. The prognosis of the patients depends upon the severity of the disease, the patient's age, the underlying diseases of the patients, and the patient's overall medical condition. The management of COVID‐19 should focus on early diagnosis, immediate isolation, general and optimized supportive care, and infection prevention and control.
Individualized prediction nomograms for disease progression in mild COVID‐19
Authors: Huang Jiaofeng , Cheng Aiguo , Lin Su , Zhu Yueyong , Chen Gongping 
Published: May 2020

AbstractThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) has evolved into a pandemic rapidly. The majority of COVID‐19 patients are with mild syndromes. This study aimed to develop models for predicting disease progression in mild cases. The risk factors for the requirement of oxygen support in mild COVID‐19 were explored using multivariate logistic regression. Nomogram as visualization of the models was developed using R software. A total of 344 patients with mild COVID‐19 were included in the final analysis, 45 of whom progressed and needed high‐flow oxygen therapy or mechanical ventilation after admission. There were 188 (54.7%) males, and the average age of the cohort was 52.9  ± 16.8 years. When the laboratory data were not included in multivariate analysis, diabetes, coronary heart disease, T   ≥  38.5℃ and sputum were independent risk factors of progressive COVID‐19 (Model 1). When the blood routine test was included the CHD, T ≥ 38.5℃ and neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio were found to be independent predictors (Model 2). The area under the receiver operator characteristic curve of model 2 was larger than model 1 (0.872 vs 0.849, P = .023). The negative predictive value of both models was greater than 96%, indicating they could serve as simple tools for ruling out the possibility of disease progression. In conclusion, two models comprised common symptoms (fever and sputum), underlying diseases (diabetes and coronary heart disease) and blood routine test are developed for predicting the future requirement of oxygen support in mild COVID‐19 cases.
Execution quality and chargeback penalties in retail supply chains
Authors: Craig Nathan , DeHoratius Nicole , Klabjan Diego 
Published: May 2020

AbstractRetailers procure inventory by placing purchase orders (POs) with suppliers. POs specify product price, quantity, quality, delivery times, and other aspects of the fulfillment process, such as carton labeling requirements and packaging formats. When servicing an order, a supplier may fail to meet the fulfillment terms, thus committing a fulfillment error and triggering a chargeback penalty. We collect supplier compliance manuals from 111 retailers to characterize fulfillment errors and chargebacks in practice. The majority of chargeback penalties listed by retailers pertain to execution quality: aspects of the fulfillment process beyond product price, quantity, quality, and delivery time. We use an empirically grounded analytical model in combination with game‐theoretic analysis to demonstrate that the chargebacks most commonly used in practice do a poor job coordinating supply chains around execution quality.
Osseodensification drilling vs conventional manual instrumentation technique for posterior lumbar fixation: Ex‐vivo mechanical and histomorphological analysis in an ovine model
Authors: Torroni Andrea , Lima Parente Paulo Eduardo , Witek Lukasz , Hacquebord Jacques Henri , Coelho Paulo G. 
Published: May 2020

AbstractLumbar fusion is a procedure associated with several indications, but screw failure remains a major complication, with an incidence ranging 10% to 50%. Several solutions have been proposed, ranging from more efficient screw geometry to enhance bone quality, conversely, drilling instrumentation have not been thoroughly explored. The conventional instrumentation (regular [R]) techniques render the bony spicules excavated impractical, while additive techniques (osseodensification [OD]) compact them against the osteotomy walls and predispose them as nucleating surfaces/sites for new bone. This work presents a case‐controlled split model for in vivo/ex vivo comparison of R vs OD osteotomy instrumentation in posterior lumbar fixation in an ovine model to determine feasibility and potential advantages of the OD drilling technique in terms of mechanical and histomorphology outcomes. Eight pedicle screws measuring 4.5 mm × 45 mm were installed in each lumbar spine of eight adult sheep (four per side). The left side underwent R instrumentation, while the right underwent OD drilling. The animals were killed at 6‐ and 12‐week and the vertebrae removed. Pullout strength and non‐decalcified histologic analysis were performed. Significant mechanical stability differences were observed between OD and R groups at 6‐ (387 N vs 292 N) and 12‐week (312 N vs 212 N) time points. Morphometric analysis did not detect significant differences in bone area fraction occupancy between R and OD groups, while it is to note that OD showed increased presence of bone spiculae. Mechanical pullout testing demonstrated that OD drilling provided higher degrees of implant anchoring as a function of time, whereas a significant reduction was observed for the R group.
Studies of supercontinuum generation in a photonic crystal fiber for use as Stokes beam in a single‐laser femtosecond micro‐CARS setup
Authors: Gagliardi Serena , Marrocco Michele , Rondino Flaminia , Palumbo Domenico , Merla Caterina , Falconieri Mauro 
Published: May 2020

AbstractPhotonic crystal fibers (PCFs) have gained popularity thanks to the use of their broad and efficient supercontinuum (SC) emission as Stokes source in ultrafast multiplex coherent anti‐Stokes Raman scattering microscopy. Here, the infrared portion of the SC emitted by a widely used PCF is studied in a basic CARS experiment with a single laser oscillator operated at various conditions of power and chirp values. The dependence of the SC and CARS signal of reference cyclohexane sample on the operative conditions of the laser is examined and illustrated by means of statistical approaches that serve the purpose of defining and quantifying the reliability of CARS measurements in relation to the characteristic of the Stokes pulse coming from the fiber. Statistical techniques based on principal component analysis, on calculation of statistical momenta of the SC spectra, and on Allan variance studies are introduced to help to identify the best working regime. Principal component analysis was used to quantify the correlation of SC spectra with PCF input power, which is found to be stronger at high laser beam chirp values. First and second momenta of SC spectra allow identification of best operating conditions with respect to peak emission wavelength and spectral width. Finally, the behavior of Allan variance shows that the time stability of Stokes and CARS signals clearly depends on the chirp of the pump pulse, evidencing that high chirp conditions correspond to lower variance values at the expense of stability for longer measurement times.
Long‐Term Academic Outcomes of Triological Society Research Career Development Award Recipients
Authors: Dorismond Christina , Prince Andrew C. , Farzal Zainab , Zanation Adam M. 
Published: May 2020

Objectives/HypothesisEach year, the Triological Society awards several Research Career Development Awards (CDAs) to support early‐career otolaryngologists. The objective of this study was to evaluate academic outcomes of CDA recipients including National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding acquisition and h‐index. A secondary objective was to appraise gender differences in outcomes among awardees.Study DesignCross‐sectional study.MethodsRecipients' practice setting, degree type, academic rank, and leadership titles were determined through review of academic and private practice profiles in October 2019. NIH funding was assessed using the NIH Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tool and the h‐index was calculated using the Scopus database.ResultsBetween 2004 and 2019, 70 investigators received a CDA. Of the 65 awardees prior to 2019, 26 (40.0%) obtained NIH grants after the CDA. Having an MD/PhD or MD/master's was not associated with NIH funding attainment (P = .891) nor with higher funding total (P = .109). However, funding total was significantly higher for full professors compared to assistant professors (P = .022). The median h‐index among awardees was 16 (interquartile range = 11–21) and differed significantly by academic rank (P < .001). Moreover, 23 CDAs (32.9%) were awarded to women. However, fewer female recipients obtain NIH funding after the CDA compared to men (10.5% vs. 52.2%, P = .002), and they had significantly lower h‐indices than men (10 vs. 17, P < .001).ConclusionsAs a cohort, CDA awardees achieve higher academic success than academic otolaryngologists in general. However, female CDA recipients lag behind their male colleagues, highlighting the need for more research to uncover contributors to gender differences and ways to foster equity in research.Level of EvidenceNA Laryngoscope, 131:288–293, 2021
Unsupervised biodiversity estimation using proteomic fingerprints fromMALDI‐TOF MSdata
Authors: Rossel Sven , Martínez Arbizu Pedro 
Published: May 2020

AbstractSpecies identification using matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (MALDI‐TOF MS) data strongly relies on reference libraries to differentiate species. Because comprehensive reference libraries, especially for metazoans, are rare, we explored the accuracy of unsupervised diversity estimations of communities using MALDI‐TOF MS data in the absence of reference libraries to provide a method for future application in ecological research. To discover the best analysis strategy providing high congruence with true community structures, we carried out a simulation with more than 30,000 analyses using different combinations of data transformations, dimensionality reductions, and cluster algorithms. Species profile, Hellinger, and presence/absence transformations were applied to raw data and dimensions were reduced using principal component analysis (PCA), t‐distributed stochastic neighbor embedding, and uniform manifold approximation and projection. To estimate biodiversity, data were clustered making use of partitioning around medoids, model‐based clustering, and K‐means clustering. The analyses were carried out on published mass spectrometry data of harpacticoid copepods. Most successful combinations (Hellinger transformation + PCA or raw data + partitioning around medoids) returned good values even for difficult species distributions containing numerous singleton species. Nevertheless, errors occurred most frequently because of such singleton taxa. Hence, replicative sampling in wide sampling areas for analysis is emphasized to increase the minimum number of specimens per species, thus reducing putative sources of errors. Our results demonstrate that MALDI‐TOF MS data can be used to accurately estimate the biodiversity of unknown communities using unsupervised learning methods. The provided approach allows the biodiversity comparison of sampled regions for which no reference libraries are available. Hence, especially data on groups which demand a time‐consuming identification or are highly abundant can be analyzed within short working time, accelerating ecological studies.
Nicotinamide N‐methyltransferase decreases 5‐fluorouracil sensitivity in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma through metabolic reprogramming and promoting the Warburg effect
Authors: Cui Yanyan , Yang Dawei , Wang Wenjie , Zhang Luyu , Liu Hongtao , Ma Shanshan , Guo Wenna , Yao Minghao , Zhang Kun , Li Wencai , Zhang Yanting , Guan Fangxia 
Published: May 2020

AbstractEsophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a common malignant tumor with poor prognosis. And different individuals respond to the same drug differently. Increasing evidence has confirmed that metabolism reprogramming was involved in the drug sensitivity of tumor cells. However, the potential molecular mechanism of 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU) sensitivity remains to be elucidated in ESCC cells. In this study, we found that the 5‐FU sensitivity of TE1 cells was lower than that of EC1 and Eca109 cells. Gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry analysis results showed that nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism and tricarboxylic acid cycle were significantly different in these three cell lines. Nicotinamide N‐methyltransferase (NNMT), a key enzyme of nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism, was significantly higher expressed in TE1 cells than that in EC1 and Eca109 cells. Therefore, the function of NNMT on 5‐FU sensitivity was analyzed in vitro and in vivo. NNMT downregulation significantly increased 5‐FU sensitivity in TE1 cells. Meanwhile, the glucose consumption and lactate production were decreased, and the expression of glycolysis‐related enzymes hexokinase 2, lactate dehydrogenase A, and phosphoglycerate mutase 1 were downregulated in NNMT knockdown TE1 cells. Besides, overexpression of NNMT in EC1 and Eca109 cells caused the opposite effects. Moreover, when glycolysis was inhibited by 2‐deoxyglucose, the roles of NNMT on 5‐FU sensitivity was weakened. In vivo experiments showed that NNMT knockdown significantly increased the sensitivity of xenografts to 5‐FU and suppressed the Warburg effect. Overall, these results demonstrated that NNMT decreases 5‐FU sensitivity in human ESCC cells through promoting the Warburg effect, suggesting that NNMT may contribute to predict the treatment effects of the clinical chemotherapy in ESCC.
A four element, planar, compact UWB MIMO antenna with WLAN band rejection capabilities
Authors: Khan Muhammad S. , Iftikhar Adnan , Shubair Raed M. , Capobianco Antonio D. , Braaten Benjamin D. , Anagnostou Dimitris E. 
Published: May 2020

AbstractA planar, compact UWB MIMO antenna with four elements that accomplish band rejection from 4.91 to 6.41 GHz is presented. Rejection is accomplished using an L‐C stub connected to the ground plane. The length of the stub is changed to reject the band starting from 2.5 GHz to above 8.8 GHz. The perpendicular placement of the elements enables polarization diversity and attains high isolation. Elements 3 and 4 are 180° mirrored transforms of elements 1 and 2 on the opposite corners of the substrate. The antenna measures 50 × 50 mm2 only with all four elements placed. The simulated results are validated by measurements of a fabricated prototype. The design attains the targeted specifications over the entire bandwidth of 2 to 12 GHz with a reflection coefficient better than −10 dB (except the rejected band), isolation more than 17 dB, low envelope correlation, low gain variation and strong rejection of the signals in the WLAN band. The small size and reduced complexity to obtain WLAN rejection makes the proposed design very useful for diversity applications and portable handheld devices with MIMO antennas as designed by panorama antenna.