bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Helical tomotherapy for chemo‐refractory multiple liver metastases
Authors: Takaoka Taiki , Shibamoto Yuta , Murai Taro , Kobayashi Masanori , Sugie Chikao , Manabe Yoshihiko , Kondo Takuhito , Okazaki Dai , Yamada Yuki , Torii Akira 
Published: October 2019

AbstractBackgroundDespite advances in chemotherapy, curing multiple liver metastases is quite rare. Even when response is obtained, regrowth of the tumors is almost inevitable. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and adverse events of helical tomotherapy for chemo‐refractory multiple liver metastases.MethodsForty‐five patients with chemo‐refractory multiple (3‐10) liver metastases after standard systemic chemotherapy entered the single‐institutional prospective study. Liver metastases were the major disease; however, 31 also had uncontrolled primary lesions and/or other metastases. The prescribed dose was 55 Gy in 25 fractions. The median planning target volume (PTV) and normal liver volume (NLV) of first treatment were 128 cm3 and 1175 cm3, respectively. The median of V15Gy, V30Gy, and mean dose to NLV were 45%, 23%, and 19.4 Gy, respectively.ResultsForty‐two patients (93%) completed the planned treatment. Median survival time (MST) for all patients was 8 months, and the 1‐year survival rate was 29%. The median local control (LC) period was 5 months and the 6‐month control rate of irradiated tumors was 33%. A ≥30% decrease in tumor markers was observed in 31%. The most common grade 3 toxicity was lymphocytopenia (40%), followed by fatigue (6%). Radiation‐induced liver disease (RILD) was not observed. Pancreatic cancer as the primary tumor, distant metastases outside the liver, low pretreatment neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and low pretreatment monocyte‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (MLR) were associated with poorer prognoses.ConclusionsHelical tomotherapy for chemo‐refractory multiple liver metastases is a feasible and potentially effective treatment. Incorporating tomotherapy into the first‐line treatment in combination with systemic chemotherapy should be considered.Trial registration numberCROG 12005.
Unusual interatrial fistula discovered during device closure of an atrial septal defect
Authors: Lyon Shannon M. , Hoyer Mark H. 
Published: October 2019

AbstractAtrial septal defect (ASD) closure is a common reason for referral to the cardiac catheterization laboratory. We report a case in which a relatively large Qp:Qs of 1.85:1 was demonstrated in the face of a small secundum ASD. This led to further investigation, ultimately leading to the discovery of an unusual atrial fistula. Rare cases of interatrial tunnels have been described in the literature, however, this is a unique case of a left atrial appendage to right atrial appendage fistula in the setting of a right juxtaposed left atrial appendage.
Enantioselective Synthesis of Complex Fused Heterocycles through Chiral Phosphoric Acid Catalyzed Intramolecular Inverse‐Electron‐Demand Aza‐Diels–Alder Reactions
Authors: Jarrige Lucie , Gandon Vincent , Masson Géraldine 
Published: October 2019

AbstractA stable asymmetric intramolecular Povarov reaction has been established to provide an efficient method to access structurally diverse trans,trans‐trisubstituted tetrahydrochromeno[4,3‐b]quinolines in high stereoselectivities of up to >99:1 diastereomeric ratio and 99 % enantiomeric excess, without any purification step. Additionally, to facilitate large‐scale application of this method, a low catalyst loading protocol was employed, 0.2 mol % chiral phosphoric acid, which provided the cycloadducts without any loss in yield and enantioselectivity. Theoretical studies revealed that the reaction occurred through a sequential Mannich reaction and an intramolecular Friedel–Crafts reaction, wherein the phosphoric acid acted as a bifunctional catalyst to activate the para‐phenolic dienophile and N‐2‐hydroxy‐2‐azadiene simultaneously.
A finite element approach for gastrointestinal tissue mechanics
Authors: Panda Satish K. , Buist Martin L. 
Published: October 2019

AbstractThe biomechanical properties of gastrointestinal (GI) tissue play a significant role in the normal functioning of the organ. GI soft tissues exhibit a highly nonlinear rate‐ and time‐dependent stress‐strain behaviour. In recent years, many constitutive relations have been proposed to characterize these properties. However, a constitutive relation is not sufficient to analyse the biomechanics at the organ level with complex loading and boundary conditions. Hence, for a refined mechanical analysis, a finite element (FE) implementation of the constitutive relation is needed. Here, we propose an FE implementation of a finite nonlinear hyperviscoelastic model suitable for soft biological tissues. The FE model has been validated at first by comparing its results with the analytical solutions of a standard linear solid, and then it has been used to recreate experimental observations performed on tissue strips obtained from different animals. We have also proposed a method, in this work, to construct a residually stressed FE model so that the consequences of residual stresses on GI mechanics can be examined. Our FE formulation was able to capture the nonlinear soft tissue properties and also demonstrated that the addition of residual stresses reduces stress concentrations and the stress gradient in the GI wall.
Analysis of tretoquinol and its metabolites in human urine by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: Okano Masato , Miyamoto Asami , Sato Mitsuhiko , Kageyama Shinji 
Published: October 2019

AbstractTretoquinol (trimetoquinol), a β2‐agonist, has been explicitly listed on the World Anti‐Doping Agency Prohibited List 2019 since January 2019; however, it has been distributed as an antiasthmatic on the medical market. This study aimed to develop a liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometric method for the quantification of tretoquinol (free form plus glucuronide) in human urine for doping control purposes. An excretion study (n = 6) of tretoquinol hydrochloride hydrate (6 mg) was performed, and urine samples were collected prior to oral administration and during the first 48 h, along with spot urine samples at 7 and 14 days after administration. All the urine samples were analysed using the developed method. The limit of detection for the developed method was 0.03 ng/mL. The inter‐day precision for the target analyte was excellent (2.7% to 9.2%), and the inter‐day accuracy of target analyte was −0.6% to −3.6%. In all subjects, tretoquinol (free form plus glucuronide conjugate) was identified up to 48 h after administration. The maximum concentrations were in the range of 12.4–78.8 ng/mL and the mean concentration was 55.3 ng/mL. The metabolites O‐methylated tretoquinol, tretoquinol sulphate and O‐methylated tretoquinol sulphate could be also identified in human urine after administration. The longest‐lasting urinary metabolite of tretoquinol currently known, O‐methylated tretoquinol, is also likely to be a useful marker in doping controls.
A multivariate spatial skew‐t process for joint modeling of extreme precipitation indexes
Authors: Hazra Arnab , Reich Brian J. , Staicu Ana‐Maria 
Published: October 2019

AbstractTo study trends in extreme precipitation across the United States over the years 1951–2017, we analyze 10 climate indexes that represent extreme precipitation, such as annual maximum of daily precipitation and annual maximum of consecutive five‐day average precipitation. We consider the gridded data produced by the CLIMDEX project (http://www.climdex.org/gewocs.html), constructed using daily precipitation data. These indexes exhibit spatial and mutual dependence. In this paper, we propose a multivariate spatial skew‐t process for joint modeling of extreme precipitation indexes and discuss its theoretical properties. The model framework allows Bayesian inference while maintaining a computational time that is competitive with common multivariate geostatistical approaches. In a numerical study, we find that the proposed model outperforms several simpler alternatives in terms of various model selection criteria. We apply the proposed model to estimate the average decadal change in the extreme precipitation indexes throughout the United States and find several significant local changes.
Caries removal with Er:YAG laser followed by dentin biomodification with carbodiimide and chitosan: Wettability and surface morphology analysis
Authors: Curylofo‐Zotti Fabiana A. , Fernandes Maria P. , Martins Amanda A. , Macedo Ana Paula , Nogueira Lucas Fabricio B. , Ramos Ana Paula , Corona Silmara A. M. 
Published: October 2019

AbstractThis study aimed to investigate dentin wettability and surface morphology after selective removal of carious lesion by erbium‐doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Er:YAG) laser, followed by dentin biomodification with carbodiimide (EDC) and chitosan (CHI). Seventy‐eight bovine dentin specimens were submitted to caries induction. Specimens were distributed according to methods of carious removal (n= 39): bur at low‐speed (40,000 rpm) or Er:YAG laser (noncontact mode, 250 mJ/pulse and 4Hz). All specimens were etched with 35% phosphoric acid, and subdivided according to dentin biomodification (n= 13): Control (no biomodification), EDC or CHI. The contact angle (n= 10) between adhesive system (3M ESPE) and dentin surface was measured by a goniometer. Eighteen specimens (n= 3) were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. Data were analyzed by two‐way ANOVA and Tukey's test (α = .05). The method used to remove carious lesion did not influence the wettability of dentinal surface (p= .748). The angles produced on the remaining dentin after biomodification were influenced (p= .007). CHI promoted higher contact angles (p= .007) and EDC did not differ from the control group (p= .586). In the bur‐treated group, most tubules were open, regardless of which biomodifier was used. Laser modified the organic matrix layer. CHI promoted partially closed tubules in some areas while EDC exposed dentinal tubules. Regardless of which method was used for selective removal of carious lesion, biomodification with EDC did not affect the dentin wettability, whereas CHI changed the wettability of remaining dentin. Both biomodifiers promoted a slight change on dentin morphology.
Identification of novel nonedible oil seeds via scanning electron microscopy for biodiesel production
Authors: Dawood Sumreen , Ahmad Mushtaq , Zafar Muhammad , Ali Muhammad I. , Ahmad Khalid , Sultana Shazia , Usma Anwer , Nazish Moona , Butt Maryam A. , Ozdemir Fethi A. , Kilic Omer 
Published: October 2019

AbstractExploration of substitute energy feed‐stocks is the much‐debated topic in the scientific society due to increasing power crises and related ecological concerns. As a source of sustainable energy, biodiesel turns out to be the best alternative to petro fuels. In this context, nonedible oil‐producing seeds might be a potential source for biodiesel production owing to their environment‐friendly nature and cost‐effectiveness. The current study, consequently, deals with the investigation and identification of micro‐morphological characters between six novel nonedible oil‐bearing seeds employing scanning electron microscopy as possible biodiesel feed‐stocks. Light microscopic examinations show that seed size varies from 0.3 to 1.3 cm in width and 0.5 to 1.5 cm in. Additionally, a large difference in seed color ranges from dark brown, black, and various shades of light brown was also witnessed. The FFA content of the seeds ranges in 0.3–4.1 mg KOH/g, and the seed oil content fall in 30–65% (w/w) range. SEM‐mediated seed ultrastructure investigations displays greater variation in seed size, shape, color, periclinal wall shape, and sculpturing and so on. All the seeds differ from rounded, ovoid, ovate, oblong, flattened, and elliptical shape. Greater variation in seed wall structure has been seen from angular, entire, irregular, straight, elongated, smooth, and polygonal. The periclinal wall arrangements show alteration from flat, depressed, elevated, smooth, pentagonal, bullate, and coarse seed margins. The results obtained from the current study suggest that scanning electron microscopy could be a beneficial tool in vitalizing the hidden micromorphological characters among various nonedible oil producing seeds, which eventually helps in exploration, correct identification, seed classification, and authentication in future.
Introduction of enterprise risk management in neonatal intensive care unit to reduce breast milk errors
Authors: Shareef Maliha , Youngberg Barbara J 
Published: October 2019

AbstractPreterm infants born before 34 weeks gestation are unable to feed by mouth. Mothers of these preterm infants are thus asked to pump breast milk to be fed to infants through a nasogastric tube. Each mother's pumped breast milk must be carefully labelled and stored so that it is not fed to the wrong baby during the infants stay in the neonatal intensive care unit, which can range from days to months. All hospitals have strict policies and procedures in place to ensure infants are fed their mother's milk but still occasional errors are reported. We looked at the effect of introducing the enterprise risk management method in preventing breast milk errors in our neonatal intensive care unit.
Noninvasive Identification of Herpetofauna: Pairing Conservation Dogs and Genetic Analysis
Authors: Statham Mark J. , (Smith) Woollett Deborah A. , Fresquez Susan , Pfeiffer Jerene , Richmond Jonathan , Whitelaw Alice , Richards Ngaio L. , Westphal Michael F. , Sacks Benjamin N. 
Published: October 2019

ABSTRACTNoninvasive fecal sampling combined with genetic analysis is a technique allowing the study of elusive or otherwise difficult to monitor species without the need for direct contact. Although this method is widely used in birds and mammals, it has never been successfully applied on a large scale in reptiles. The blunt‐nosed leopard lizard (Gambelia sila) is an endangered species endemic to the San Joaquin Desert, California, USA. Presently, acquiring data on the species for research and management involves more traditional methods such as live capture or visual surveys, the latter of which are required for regulatory monitoring in accordance with wildlife agency protocols. We used an approach for gathering additional information that combines conservation detection dogs trained to locate blunt‐nosed leopard lizard scat samples with genetic analysis for identifying and distinguishing among sympatric lizard species. We developed 2 polymerase chain reaction assays that produce fluorescently labelled amplicons of species‐specific fragment length for 6 lizard species in the study area. Using these assays, we genetically identified to species 78% (255 of 327) of samples collected by dog‐handler teams across 4 years. The majority of the genetically identified samples (82.4%; 210 of 255) were confirmed as originating from blunt‐nosed leopard lizards. Although an assessment of the viability of detection dogs in regulatory monitoring efforts is required, our ability to recover usable DNA and to differentiate among a diverse group of lizards highlights the broad potential of our methodology for noninvasive sampling in reptiles. © 2019 The Authors. The Journal of Wildlife Management published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Wildlife Society.
Effect of Bonded Interfacial Structure on Mechanical Properties of Polyimide/SiO2Composites: Molecular Dynamics Simulations
Authors: Wang Yu , Yang Wenlong , Liu Xinmei , Lin Jiaqi , Sun Hongguo 
Published: October 2019

AbstractThe effect of covalent bonds and the SiO2concentration on the interface structure and the performance of polyimide/SiO2(PI/SiO2) composites is investigated by molecular dynamic simulation. To enhance the interface interaction, the silica coupling agent is treated as a bridge to connect PI chains with SiO2particles. The SiO2content is controlled by adjusting the number of PI chains. The results show that the bonded interface structure not only increases the interfacial non‐bond energy and the number of the hydrogen bonds, but also strengthens the tensile strength, Young's modulus, shear modulus, and the glass transition temperature of the composites. As the SiO2concentration increases, the non‐bond interaction energy between each PI chain and SiO2particle increases and the non‐bond interaction energy in the bonded composites are higher than that of the unbonded. The number of hydrogen bonds in the bonded composites is sensitive to the SiO2concentration, but there is no obvious relationship in the unbonded composites. Young's modulus and shear modulus of PI/SiO2composites are higher than that of the unbonded at the same doping concentration. Therefore, establishing the bonded interface structure is an effective way to improve the interface stability and the properties of composite materials.
Sodium quantitation in soft drinks: A rapid methodology by qNMR
Authors: Ravaglia Luciana Marçal , Freitas Deisy dos Santos , Ricci Thiago Gomes , Nazario Carlos Eduardo Domingues , Alcantara Glaucia Braz 
Published: October 2019

AbstractHigh sodium dietary intake has a positive association with an increase in blood pressure and can be correlated with risk factors of disease. Considering that the World Health Organization recommends a sodium intake lower than 2 g day‐1 for adults, the hidden sodium content in processed foods is an important factor that compromises the assessment of a healthy diet. Accordingly, the present paper aimed to quantitate the sodium content of conventional soft drinks and their diet versions using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy as a quantitative analytical technique (23Na qNMR). The results show one free sodium signal (Na+) displayed as a singlet at 0 ppm in the 23Na NMR spectrum, making its quantitation highly specific. This signal alone was used to directly determine the concentration of sodium in soft drinks. Flame photometry analysis was used to validate the method, and an excellent linearity was found in qNMR analysis (r = 0.9994) in comparison with flame photometry (r = 0.9958). In addition, a good correlation was found between sodium concentrations obtained by 23Na NMR and flame photometry in the evaluated commercial soft drinks. Since the intensity of the resonance line is directly proportional to the number of nuclei (spins), the concentration of sodium in soft drinks can be determined via this straightforward method without the need for external calibration. The experimental acquisitions are fast (approximately 15 min), allowing the analysis of several samples in a short period of time. This is a novel alternative for sodium quantitation using an efficient NMR methodology.
NMR spectrocopy of organolithium compounds, part XXXIV: Cyclopropyllithium and lithium bromide (1:1) in diethylether/tetrahydrofuran—Identification of a fluxional mixed tetramer
Authors: Eppers Oswald , Günther Harald 
Published: October 2019

AbstractCyclopropyllithium, C3H5Li (1), was studied in the presence of one equivalent lithium bromide (LiBr) in diethylether (DEE)/tetrahydrofuran (THF) mixtures and in THF as solvents. Increasing the THF concentration in DEE/THF leads in the 6Li NMR spectrum to a main signal (S1) at δ0.85 (rel. to ext. LiBr/THF) and a second resonance (S2) at δ0.26 aside from a minor component at δ0.07. In pure THF, the ratio of these signals was 66: 28:6. 6Li and 13C NMR allowed to identify the main signal as belonging to a mixed dimer, 1•LiBr, and the signal at 0.26 ppm to a fluxional mixed tetramer, 12•(LiBr)2. 1J(13C,6Li) coupling constants of 11.0 and 9.8 Hz were measured at 168 K for S1 and S2, respectively, and chemical exchange between both signals was detected by 2D 6Li,6Li exchange spectroscopy and analyzed by temperature‐dependent 1D 6Li line‐shape calculations. These yielded the equilibrium constants Keq for the chemical exchange Li4(C3H5)2Br2 ⇌ 2 Li2C3H5Br. Their temperature dependence leads to van't Hoff parameters of ΔH° = 4.6 kJ/mol, ΔS° = 41.4 J/mol K, and ΔG°298 = −7.8 kJ/mol. From the rate constants k, Eyring parameters of ΔH* = 42.0 kJ/mol, ΔS* = 33.0 J/mol K, and ΔG*298 = 32.2 kJ/mol were calculated for the forward reaction Li4(C3H5)2Br2 → 2 Li2C3H5Br and ΔH* = 37.5 kJ/mol, ΔS* = −8.4 J/mol K, and ΔG*238 = 40.0 kJ/mol for the reverse reaction 2Li2C3H5Br → Li4(C3H5)2Br2.
Unipolar MR elastography: Theory, numerical analysis and implementation
Authors: Guenthner Christian , Sethi Sweta , Troelstra Marian , van Gorkum Robbert J.H. , Gastl Mareike , Sinkus Ralph , Kozerke Sebastian 
Published: October 2019

In MR elastography (MRE), zeroth moment balanced motion‐encoding gradients (MEGs) are incorporated into MRI sequences to induce a phase shift proportional to the local displacement caused by external actuation. To maximize the signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR), fractional encoding is employed, i.e., the MEG duration is reduced below the wave period. Here, gradients encode primarily the velocity of the motion‐reducing encoding efficiency. Thus, in GRE‐MRE, T2* decay and motion sensitivity have to be balanced, imposing a lower limit on repetition times (TRs).We propose to use a single trapezoidal gradient, a “unipolar gradient”, to directly encode spin displacement. Such gradients cannot be used in conventional sequences as they exhibit a large zeroth moment and dephase magnetization. By time‐reversing a spoiled SSFP sequence, the spoiling gradient becomes an efficient unipolar MEG. The proposed “unipolar MRE” technique benefits from this approach in three ways: first, displacement encoding is split over multiple TRs increasing motion sensitivity; second, spoiler and MEG coincide, allowing a reduction in TR; third, motion sensitivity of a typical unipolar lobe is of an order of magnitude higher than a bipolar MEG of equal duration.In this work, motion encoding using unipolar MRE is analyzed using the extended phase graph (EPG) formalism with a periodic motion propagator. As an approximation, the two‐transverse TR approximation for diffusion‐weighted SSFP is extended to incorporate cyclic motion. A complex encoding efficiency metric is introduced to compare the displacement fields of unipolar and conventional GRE‐MRE sequences in both magnitude and phase. The derived theoretical encoding equations are used to characterize the proposed sequence using an extensive parameter study. Unipolar MRE is validated against conventional GRE‐MRE in a phantom study showing excellent agreement between measured displacement fields. In addition, unipolar MRE yields significantly increased octahedral shear strain‐SNR relative to conventional GRE‐MRE and allows for the recovery of high stiffness inclusions, where conventional GRE‐MRE fails.
Essential Amino Acid–Enabled Lead Bromide Perovskite Nanocrystals with High Stability
Authors: Sharma Ajeet Kumar , Bansal Parul , Nim Gaurav Kumar , Kar Prasenjit 
Published: October 2019

AbstractThis work reports the first synthesis of MAPbBr3 perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs) using amino acids as the ligand with excellent optical properties. A variety of amino acids are used to optimize the luminescence properties. A mechanochemical approach has taken lead over conventional colloidal chemistry during synthesis. All morphological and optical studies are performed to characterize the synthesized perovskite nanoparticles. Later, stability studies are investigated through thermogravimetric analysis, temperature‐dependent photoluminescence, time‐dependent X‐ray diffraction, as well as X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. In an application, interestingly, these perovskites show high luminescence upon scratching on flexible conducting plates and on plain paper surface. These results suggest that the amino acid–ligated perovskite nanocrystals can be potential materials for optoelectronic application including light‐emitting diodes and imaging.