bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Morphology and histology of the male reproductive tract of Caecilia thompsoni (amphibia: Gymnophiona)
Authors: Serrano‐Perez Carlos A. , Ramírez‐Pinilla Martha Patricia 
Published: October 2020

AbstractWe studied the male reproductive tract of individuals of different body sizes of Caecilia thompsoni to describe morphological characteristics in comparison to other Gymnophiona. The reproductive tract consists of paired testes segmented into chains of primary and secondary lobes, sperm ducts that empty to Wolffian ducts, the cloaca that receives the Wolffian ducts and possesses a phallodeum. Müllerian ducts are present and develop into paired glands that empty into the cloacal urodeum. Testicular secondary lobes contain lobules with cysts of the entire germinal cell line, whereas primary lobes, in the terminal ends of the chains, only have spermagonia, Sertoli cells, and connective tissue. The smallest individual examined (21 cm body length) was immature and only possessed a few testicular primary lobes. Once the individuals reach sexual maturity, the morphological characteristics are quite consistent at macroscopic and histological level among males of very different body sizes. The histological features of the Wolffian and Müllerian glands suggest a complementary secretory role between the two ducts. In the cloaca we found the propulsor muscle, venous sinuses, and blind sacs in the phallodeum, which differentiate C. thompsoni from other species of the genus. Despite these slight differences, the general morphological characteristics, both macroscopic and microscopic, of the reproductive tracts of adult males of C. thompsoni follow the pattern known for the reproductively active males of Gymnophiona.
On validation of neural modified extended state observer through analysis and experimentation
Authors: Yu Wenzhao , Xu Haixiang , Hu Yong 
Published: October 2020

AbstractIn this paper, a neural modified extended state observer (ESO) (NMESO) based on the compound neural orthogonal network (CONN) is proposed to improve the online estimation of the system uncertainties and the exogenous disturbances in the uncertain system. In the developed scheme, CONN is designed as the main estimator to identify the total disturbances and facilitate the estimation of the conventional ESO. The convergence of NMESO is proved in time domain and the estimation errors are shown to be bounded. Due to the orthogonality of hidden nodes and the iterative updating mechanism of CONN, the estimation accuracy, rapidity, and real‐time performance of NMESO have been greatly enhanced. Furthermore, the cooperative mechanism of the CONN estimator and the conventional ESO in the developed NMESO is also studied. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method and the results of analysis are verified through comparative simulation experimentation. This paper depicts a promising prospect of the NMESO in application of practical engineering.
Forecasting ethanol price volatility under structural breaks
Authors: Bouri Elie , Dutta Anupam , Saeed Tareq 
Published: October 2020

AbstractThe use of ethanol as a vehicle fuel has reduced greenhouse gas emissions significantly. The introduction of ethanol has also led to a decrease in crude oil prices. Considering the economic and environmental significance of the biofuel markets, a strand of literature investigates the price and volatility dynamics of US ethanol prices. In this paper, in contrast to previous studies, we investigate whether information on structural breaks plays an important role in predicting US ethanol market volatility. Our findings reveal that generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (GARCH) models incorporating these breaks improve the prediction of US ethanol market volatility. Furthermore, the persistence of volatility tends to decline when structural breaks are included in the GARCH models. We further note that the influence of good and bad news is properly assessed under such breaks. Our results suggest that ignoring such breaks could mislead the risk assessment procedure for the US biofuel industry. © 2020 Society of Industrial Chemistry and John Wiley & Sons Ltd
The changed functional status of the brain was involved in patients with poststroke aphasia: Coordinate‐based (activation likelihood estimation) meta‐analysis
Authors: Du Ying , Lee Yujun , He Chuan , Peng Lihan , Yong Qian , Cen Zhiyi , Chen Yuqin , Liu Xin , Wang Xiaoming 
Published: October 2020

AbstractBackground and PurposeAlthough many functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have investigated the language architecture and neurobiological mechanism underlying poststroke aphasia (PSA), the pathophysiological mechanisms of PSA still remain poorly understood. In addition to a limited number of subjects (<20) tested with different methodologies and stimuli, inconsistent reports of the brain regions involved have been a major factor. Thus, we conducted a meta‐analysis of 12 peer‐reviewed studies of abnormal brain activation regions in PSA patients at rest using activation likelihood estimation (ALE).ResultsA meta‐analysis was performed based on 24 experiments with 497 total participants in 12 studies to establish the ALE of regional activation in PSA. Through experiments with PSA patients and healthy controls, we found that hypoactivation in PSA converged on the left superior frontal gyrus and the left parietal postcentral gyrus, whereas there was hyperactivation in the right cerebellar anterior lobe, left fusiform gyrus, left superior parietal lobule, and right subgyral hippocampus.ConclusionOur study verified that dominant and nondominant language networks play roles in the recovery of language function.
Optimal duration of prior endocrine therapy predicts the efficacy of Fulvestrant in a real‐world study for patients with hormone receptor‐positive and HER2‐negative advanced breast cancer
Authors: Zhao Yannan , Li Yi , Gong Chengcheng , Xie Yizhao , Zhang Jian , Wang Leiping , Cao Jun , Tao Zhonghua , Wang Biyun , Hu Xichun 
Published: October 2020

AbstractFulvestrant 500 mg is standard of care for endocrine therapy‐naive or pretreated women with hormone receptor‐positive (HR+) metastatic breast cancer (MBC). This study was conducted to explore the potential factors and duration of last endocrine therapy as predictors for the efficacy of fulvestrant 500 mg on Chinese patients in real‐world practice. Two hundred and fifty‐two MBC patients who were treated with fulvestrant 500 mg consecutively between January 2011 and December 2015 in our institute were included in this study. Efficacy outcomes included progression‐free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and clinical benefit rate (CBR). The optimal cut‐off value for duration of last endocrine therapy was determined by survival ROC analysis. Adverse events were graded according to NCI‐CTC AE 4.0. Fulvestrant 500 mg demonstrated a median PFS of 5.8 months (95%CI 4.6‐6.9), and a median OS of 35.9 months (95%CI 30.2‐41.4). CBR was 41.3% (95%CI 35‐47). Liver metastasis, bone alone metastasis, lines of endocrine therapy for MBC, and sensitivity to last endocrine therapy were statistically significant in the Cox multivariate analysis (P values of 0.022, 0.02, 0.03, and 0.038, respectively). The optimal cut‐off values for duration of last endocrine therapy to predict the efficacy of fulvestrant 500 mg were 25.08 months for adjuvant endocrine therapy and 5.17 months for first‐line endocrine therapy, which showed no difference in prediction power with ABC clinical definition. Patients with prior adjuvant endocrine therapy ≥25.08 months or first‐line therapy≥5.17 months reached a longer PFS of fulvestrant (p = 0.04). Six patients discontinued the treatment due to intolerable adverse events. Patients with the duration of prior endocrine therapy longer than optimal cut‐off points indicate better PFS of fulvestrant. Liver metastasis, bone alone metastasis, line of fulvestrant, and sensitivity to last endocrine therapy were also predictors for response of fulvestrant.ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03708432.
The clinical and financial cost of mental disorders among elderly patients with gastrointestinal malignancies
Authors: Harris Jeremy P. , Kashyap Mehr , Humphreys Jessica N. , Pollom Erqi L. , Chang Daniel T. 
Published: October 2020

AbstractThe clinical and financial effects of mental disorders are largely unknown among gastrointestinal (GI) cancer patients. Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)‐Medicare linked database, we identified patients whose first cancer was a primary colorectal, pancreatic, gastric, hepatic/biliary, esophageal, or anal cancer as well as those with coexisting depression, anxiety, psychotic, or bipolar disorder. Survival, chemotherapy use, total healthcare expenditures, and patient out‐of‐pocket expenditures were estimated and compared based on the presence of a mental disorder. We identified 112,283 patients, 23,726 (21%) of whom had a coexisting mental disorder. Median survival for patients without a mental disorder was 52 months (95% CI 50–53 months) and for patients with a mental disorder was 43 months (95% CI 42–44 months) (p < 0.001). Subgroup analysis identified patients with colorectal, gastric, or anal cancer to have a significant association between survival and presence of a mental disorder. Chemotherapy use was lower among patients with a mental disorder within regional colorectal cancer (43% vs. 41%, p = 0.01) or distant colorectal cancer subgroups (71% vs. 63%, p < 0.0001). The mean total healthcare expenditures were higher for patients with a mental disorder in first year following the cancer diagnosis (increase of $16,823, 95% CI $15,777‐$18,173), and mean patient out‐of‐pocket expenses were also higher (increase of $1,926, 95% CI $1753–$2091). There are a substantial number of GI cancer patients who have a coexisting mental disorder, which is associated with inferior survival, higher healthcare expenditures, and greater personal financial burden.
The effects of mobile payment on consumer behavior
Authors: Liu Yuewen , Luo Junlong , Zhang Long 
Published: October 2020

AbstractWith the advancement of technology and diversification of payment methods, mobile payment methods have gradually replaced traditional cash payments and become the mainstream payment mode. Although mobile payment is more convenient, is it faster than cash payment when their physical differences are controlled? Does it affect consumer behavior? We designed two studies to explore these questions. In Study 1, we required 192 participants to physically pay by cash or mobile phone and measured their willingness to pay (WTP). In Study 2, we compared the speed of the two payment methods when the physical differences between them were eliminated and measured consumers' willingness to buy from 46 students. Our results indicated that the effect of mobile payment, which increases WTP, also applies to specific products, and it does not occur if the money is a gift, as opposed to if it is earned. Moreover, when the process of cash payment is made as easy as mobile payment, people still spend less time on mobile payments than cash payment, and mobile payment effect is impacted by payment time. The above results supplement the evidence that payment methods have an impact on consumer behavior, and provide consumers, merchants, and regional managers with suggestions on payment methods.
Sense hardness: Effect of haptic perception on consumer attitudes towards brand extension
Authors: Zhong Ke , Wang Yihan , Wang Haizhong 
Published: October 2020

AbstractEstablished brands endeavor to extend their products into new categories to grab market share and benefit from the positive spillover effect. The “fit” between extension products and their parent brands is a critical challenge companies face when launching a new product in a new product category, which is very different from the category served by the parent brand. A potential clue influencing consumers' perceived fit and attitudes towards extension products is the nondiagnostic haptic cues in touch environments. Thus, this study predicts that soft perception elicits more favorable attitudes towards extension product through attitude certainty and perceived fit than hard haptic perception. It develops a conceptual framework to anticipate that not all extension product judgements are equally affected by nondiagnostic haptic cues. Consumers' attitudes are less affected by nondiagnostic haptic cues when the extension product is from a close brand extension. The study examined the conceptual framework of four studies. Results of this work have many implications for package and offline stores design while contributing to the research in brand extension, cognition, and embodiment.
Effect of a fourth‐generation transcatheter valve enhanced skirt on paravalvular leak
Authors: Welle Garrett A. , El‐Sabawi Bassim , Thaden Jeremy J. , Greason Kevin L. , Klarich Kyle W. , Nkomo Vuyisile T. , Alkhouli Mohamad A. , Guerrero Mayra E. , Crestanello Juan A. , Holmes David R. , Rihal Charanjit S. , Eleid Mackram F. 
Published: October 2020

AbstractObjectivesThe aim of this study was to assess the 30 day incidence of paravalvular leak (PVL) and need for aortic valve reintervention of a fourth generation balloon expandable transcatheter valve with enhanced skirt (4G‐BEV) (SAPIEN 3 Ultra) compared with a third generation balloon expandable transcatheter valve (3G‐BEV) (SAPIEN 3).BackgroundThe incidence of PVL has steadily declined with iterative improvements in transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) technology and implantation strategies.MethodsPatients who underwent TAVR at Mayo Clinic from 7/2018 to 7/2019 were included in a prospective institutional registry. 4G‐BEV has been utilized since 2/2019, and, after this date, 3G‐BEV and 4G‐BEV were simultaneously used. 4G‐BEV had three sizes (20, 23, and 26 mm) while 3G‐BEV included four sizes (20, 23, 26, and 29 mm). Both cohorts were evaluated at 30 days post‐TAVR with a transthoracic echocardiogram to assess for PVL.ResultsA total of 260 consecutive patients were included. Of these, 101 patients received a 4G‐BEV and 159 patients received a 3G‐BEV. There were more females (p = .0005) and a lower aortic valve calcium score (p = .02) in the 4G‐BEV cohort at baseline. Age, STS risk score, NYHA Class, and aortic valve mean gradient did not differ between groups. 4G‐BEV was associated with a lower incidence of mild PVL (10.8 vs. 36.5%; p < .0001) and moderate PVL (0 vs. 5.8%) compared to the 3G‐BEV at 30 days. There was no association between PVL and valve size in either cohort.ConclusionsUtilization of 4G‐BEV is associated with reduced PVL at 30 days post‐TAVR compared with 3G‐BEV.
Study of Excited States and Electron Transfer of Semiconductor‐Metal‐Complex Hybrid Photocatalysts for CO2 Reduction by Using Picosecond Time‐Resolved Spectroscopies
Authors: Sato Shunsuke , Tanaka Sei'ichi , Yamanaka Ken‐ichi , Saeki Shu , Sekizawa Keita , Suzuki Tomiko M. , Morikawa Takeshi , Onda Ken 
Published: October 2020

AbstractA semiconductor‐metal‐complex hybrid photocatalyst was previously reported for CO2 reduction; this photocatalyst is composed of nitrogen‐doped Ta2O5 as a semiconductor photosensitizer and a Ru complex as a CO2 reduction catalyst, operating under visible light (>400 nm), with high selectivity for HCOOH formation of more than 75 %. The electron transfer from a photoactive semiconductor to the metal‐complex catalyst is a key process for photocatalytic CO2 reduction with hybrid photocatalysts. Herein, the excited‐state dynamics of several hybrid photocatalysts are described by using time‐resolved emission and infrared absorption spectroscopies to understand the mechanism of electron transfer from a semiconductor to the metal‐complex catalyst. The results show that electron transfer from the semiconductor to the metal‐complex catalyst does not occur directly upon photoexcitation, but that the photoexcited electron transfers to a new excited state. On the basis of the present results and previous reports, it is suggested that the excited state is a charge‐transfer state located between shallow defects of the semiconductor and the metal‐complex catalyst.
Immunohistochemistry for CCR4 C‐terminus predicts CCR4 mutations and mogamulizumab efficacy in adult T‐cell leukemia/lymphoma
Authors: Fujii Keiichiro , Sakamoto Yuma , Masaki Ayako , Murase Takayuki , Tashiro Yukie , Yonekura Kentaro , Utsunomiya Atae , Ito Asahi , Kusumoto Shigeru , Iida Shinsuke , Ueda Ryuzo , Ishida Takashi , Inagaki Hiroshi 
Published: October 2020

AbstractMogamulizumab targets extracellular N‐terminal domain of CCR4, which is expressed in most adult T‐cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) cases. Recently, we reported that CCR4 C‐terminal gain‐of‐function mutations were frequent in ATL cases, and a subgroup with these mutations who were treated without allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and with mogamulizumab‐containing [HSCT (−) and mogamulizumab (+)] regimens had a superior survival rate. Although these mutations are most likely a biomarker for predicting a strong response to mogamulizumab, their detection is time‐consuming and costly. A more convenient screening tool may be necessary in the clinical setting. In this study, the clinicopathological importance of immunohistochemistry for the CCR4 N‐terminus (CCR4‐N‐IHC) and C‐terminus (CCR4‐C‐IHC) was examined in a large ATL cohort (n = 92). We found that CCR4‐C‐IHC, but not CCR4‐N‐IHC, was inversely correlated with the CCR4 mutation status. In ATL patients negative for CCR4‐C‐IHC, a subgroup treated with HSCT (−) and mogamulizumab (+) regimens showed a significantly better prognosis. In addition, CCR4‐C‐IHC was found to be a useful marker for high‐sensitivity screening of the CCR4 mutational status (87%). The present study suggests that CCR4‐C‐IHC may be useful for identifying ATL patients harboring mutated CCR4 who may benefit from the superior efficacy of mogamulizumab‐containing regimens and that CCR4‐C‐IHC may be a rapid and cost‐efficient tool for screening for CCR4 mutation status.
Biomechanical role of osteoporosis in the vibration characteristics of human spine after lumbar interbody fusion
Authors: Wang Qing‐Dong , Guo Li‐Xin 
Published: October 2020

AbstractLumbar vertebrae osteoporosis is the most common challenge for lumbar interbody fusion, and this challenge has been widely concerned by scholars for many years. However, under whole‐body vibration, osteoporosis how to affect the vibration characteristics of the fusion lumbar spine, complications, and fusion outcomes is urgent to know. The L1‐L5 finite element model of lumbar spine was modified to simulate the transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion model with the bilateral pedicle screw fixator at L4‐L5 level. A 5 Hz, 40 N sinusoidal vertical load supplemented with a 400 N preload was used to simulate the vertical vibration of human body. The results showed that under whole‐body vibration, osteoporosis of fused vertebrae may cause the adjacent segments more unstable and increase the risk of adjacent segment diseases, subsidence, cage failure, rod failure, and lumbar instability. Osteoporosis of the fused vertebrae may cause the vertebral cells an unstable, inhibited growth and lead to poorer fusion outcomes. The findings may assist us in understanding the effect of osteoporosis on the vibration characteristics of lumbar spine fusion and provide references to clinical treatments for lumbar interbody fusion and lumbar vertebrae osteoporosis.
Pharmacokinetics of Ginsenoside Rh2, the Major Anticancer Ingredient of Ginsenoside H Dripping Pills, in Healthy Subjects
Authors: Wang Zhenlei , Liu Rui , Chen Li , Wang Huanhuan , Zhou Mi , Wang Yongsheng , Qin Yongping 
Published: October 2020

AbstractGinsenoside H dripping pill (GH) is a novel clinical‐stage adjuvant for the treatment of non‐small cell lung cancer. In this study, the pharmacokinetics of ginsenoside Rh2, the major anticancer ingredient of GH, was investigated in healthy volunteers. Enrolled volunteers were assigned to 3 cohorts—7.8, 15.6, and 31.2 mg—and received single and/or multiple GH orally. Blood samples were assayed by a validated bioanalytical method, and drug concentrations were analyzed using a noncompartmental methodology. The results showed that ginsenoside Rh2 was absorbed with medium speed and reached Cmax a median of 3 hours after administration. The exposure of ginsenoside Rh2 was approximately dose‐dependent in terms of AUC and Cmax. The plasma concentration of ginsenoside Rh2 reached steady state after oral administration of GH twice daily for 5 days. There was no obvious accumulation in exposure parameters in the multiple‐dose study.
Implication of Threonine‐Based Ionic Liquids on the Structural Stability, Binding and Activity of Cytochrome c
Authors: Kumar Sahoo Dipak , Devi Tulsiyan Kiran , Jena Subhrakant , Biswal Himansu S. 
Published: October 2020

AbstractIonic liquids (ILs) are useful in pharmaceutical industries and biotechnology as alternative solvents or sources for protein extraction and purification, preservation of biomolecules and for regulating the catalytic activity of enzymes. However, the binding mechanism, the non‐covalent forces responsible for protein‐IL interactions and dynamics of proteins in IL need to be investigated in depth for the effective use of ILs as alternatives. Herein, we disclose the molecular level understanding of the structural intactness and reactivity of a model protein cytochrome c (Cyt c) in biocompatible threonine‐based ILs with the help of experimental techniques such as isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), fluorescence spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) as well as molecular docking. Hydrophobic and electrostatic forces are responsible for the structural and conformational integrity of Cyt c in IL. The ITC experiments revealed the Cyt c‐IL binding free energies are in the range of 10–14 kJ/mol and the molecular docking studies demonstrated that ILs interact at the surfaces of Cyt c. The results look promising as the ILs used here are non‐toxic and biocompatible, and thus may find potential applications in structural biology and biotechnology.