bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Complications in TLIF spondylodesis–do they influence the outcome for patients? A prospective two-center study
Authors: Poppenborg Philipp , Liljenqvist Ulf , Gosheger Georg , Schulze Boevingloh Albert , Lampe Lukas , Schmeil Sebastian , Schulte Tobias L , Lange Tobias 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Purpose
Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) is a widely accepted surgical procedure for degenerative disk disease. While numerous studies have analyzed complication rates and risk factors this study investigates the extent to which complications after TLIF spondylodesis alter the clinical outcome regarding pain and physical function.

Methods
A prospective clinical two-center study was conducted, including 157 patients undergoing TLIF spondylodesis with 12-month follow-up (FU). Our study classified complications into three subgroups: none (I), minor (IIa), and major complications (IIb). Complications were considered “major” if revision surgery was required or new permanent physical impairment ensued. Clinical outcome was assessed using visual analog scales for back (VAS-B) and leg pain (VAS-L), and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI).

Results
Thirty-nine of 157 patients (24.8%) had at least one complication during follow-up. At FU, significant improvement was seen for group I (n = 118) in VAS-B (–50%), VAS-L (–54%), and ODI (–48%) and for group IIa (n = 27) in VAS-B (–40%), VAS-L (–64%), and ODI (–47%). In group IIb (n = 12), VAS-B (–22%, P = 0.089) and ODI (–33%, P = 0.056) improved not significantly, while VAS-L dropped significantly less (–32%, P = 0.013) compared to both other groups.

Conclusion
Our results suggest that major complications with need of revision surgery after TLIF spondylodesis lead to a significantly worse clinical outcome (VAS-B, VAS-L, and ODI) compared to no or minor complications. It is therefore vitally important to raise the surgeon´s awareness of consequences of major complications, and the topic should be given high priority in clinical work.
Men with adult-onset epilepsy: Their experiences of health care provider relationship qualities following neurosurgery
Authors: Raffaele Martin , Tinofirei Charity 
Published: December 2020

AbstractThe success of a lobectomy procedure for adult-onset epileptic seizure (AOES) would depend on the quality of the patient’s relationship with the health care provider. This ethnographic multiple case study explored patient and health professional relationship contexts following surgery for seizure activity reduction treatment. We interviewed five Australian men (aged 34–59) with a history of AOES and neurosurgery regarding the quality of their relationship with health care providers. Interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) of the data yielded three interrelated relationship themes of Timeliness (promptness of necessary care), Support (availability, understanding, and empathy), and Responsibility (adaptive communication, self-care, and decision-making ownership). Self-directed relationship resourcing enhanced subjective well-being in the patients.
Structural brain network differences in bipolar disorder using with similarity-based approach
Authors: Ota Miho , Noda Takamasa , Sato Noriko , Hidese Shinsuke , Teraishi Toshiya , Matsuda Hiroshi , Kunugi Hiroshi 
Published: December 2020

AbstractObjective: Previous studies have shown differences in the regional brain structure and function between patients with bipolar disorder (BD) and healthy subjects, but little is known about the structural connectivity between BD patients and healthy subjects. In this study, we evaluated the disease-related changes in regional structural connectivity derived from gray matter magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. Methods: The subjects were 73 patients with BD and 80 healthy volunteers who underwent 3-Tesla MRI. Network metrics, such as the small world properties, were computed. We also performed rendering of the network metric images such as the degree, betweenness centrality, and clustering coefficient, on individual brain image. Then, we estimated the differences between them, and evaluate the relationships between the clinical symptoms and the network metrics in the patients with BD. Results: BD patients showed a lower clustering coefficient in the right parietal region and left occipital region, compared with healthy subjects. A weak negative correlation between Young mania rating scale and clustering coefficient was found in left anterior cingulate cortex. Conclusions: We found differences in gray matter structural connectivity between BD patients and healthy subjects by a similarity-based approach. These points may provide objective biological information as an adjunct to the clinical diagnosis of BD.
Longer-term impacts of sugar-sweetened beverage taxes on fast-food beverage prices: evidence from Oakland, California, 2-year post-tax
Authors: Marinello Samantha , Pipito Andrea A , Leider Julien , Pugach Oksana , Powell Lisa M 
Published: December 2020

AbstractObjective:To evaluate the effect of a sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) tax implemented in Oakland, California, in July 2017, on prices of beverages sold in fast-food restaurants 2-year post-tax.Design:Using a difference-in-differences (DID) approach, we analysed beverage price data collected from fast-food restaurants 1-month pre-tax and 2-year post-tax in Oakland (intervention site) and Sacramento, California (comparison site). Separate linear regression models were used to estimate the impact of the tax on prices of bottled regular soda, bottled diet soda, bottled unsweetened beverages and fountain drinks.Setting:Oakland and Sacramento, California, USA.Participants:Chain and non-chain fast-food restaurants (n 85).Results:DID estimates indicate that in fast-food restaurants, on average, the price of bottled regular soda increased by 1·44 cents/oz (95 % CI 0·50, 2·73) (tax pass-through rate of 144 %) and the price of bottled diet soda increased by 1·17 cents/oz (95 % CI 0·07, 2·13). No statistically significant differences were found between bottled regular and diet soda price increases. Price effects for unsweetened beverages and fountain drinks were not statistically significant. Further, the estimated price change for fountain drinks was nearly zero.Conclusions:Findings suggest that the effectiveness of SSB taxes in discouraging SSB consumption may be limited in fast-food restaurants in Oakland, California, because there were similar price increases in taxed and untaxed bottled soda and no changes in fountain drink prices.
Crustal Clockwise Rotation of the Southeastern Edge of the Tibetan Plateau Since the Late Oligocene
Authors: Tong Yabo , Yang Zhenyu , Pei Junling , Wang Heng , Wu Zhonghai , Li Jianfeng 
Published: December 2020

AbstractThe ambiguous temporal relationship between the crustal clockwise rotation and the activity of block boundary strike‐slip faults of the southeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau has led to an incomplete understanding of the Cenozoic tectonic evolution of Southeast Asia. Based on the Pleistocene paleomagnetic data of the present work and previous Paleogene and Pliocene paleomagnetic data form the south side of the Eastern Himalayan Syntaxis (EHS), we confirmed that the southern edge of the EHS experienced strong clockwise rotation with an average rotational rate of 3.20‐3.02°/Myr since the late Oligocene, indicating that the crustal clockwise rotation of the southeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau was commenced no earlier than ∼25.7 ± 2.5 Ma. The block boundary strike‐slip faults of the southeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau began their major activity phase since ∼28 Ma, which was significantly synchronous with the northward indentation of the Indian Plate and the West Burma Block into the Eurasia to form the EHS, but was earlier than the initial clockwise rotation of the southeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau. These temporal relationships probably indicate that the northward indentation of the Indian Plate and West Burma Block into the Eastern Himalayan orogenic belt to form the EHS since ∼28 Ma should be the paramount inducement to the crustal clockwise rotation and promote the major activity of block boundary strike‐slip faults of the southeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau.
Dirac points and the transition towards Weyl points in three-dimensional sonic crystals
Authors: Xie Boyang , Liu Hui , Cheng Hua , Liu Zhengyou , Tian Jianguo , Chen Shuqi 
Published: December 2020

AbstractA four-fold-degenerate three-dimensional (3D) Dirac point, represents a degenerate pair of Weyl points carrying opposite chiralities. Moreover, 3D Dirac crystals have shown many exotic features different from those of Weyl crystals. How these features evolve from 3D Dirac to Weyl crystals is important in research on 3D topological matter. Here, we realized a pair of 3D acoustic Dirac points from band inversion in a hexagonal sonic crystal and observed the surface states and helical interface states connecting the Dirac points. Furthermore, each Dirac point can transition into a pair of Weyl points with the introduction of chiral hopping. The exotic features of the surface states and interface states are inherited by the resulting Weyl crystal. Our work may serve as an ideal platform for exploring exotic physical phenomena in 3D topological semimetals.
TBPL2/TFIIA complex establishes the maternal transcriptome through oocyte-specific promoter usage
Authors: Yu Changwei , Cvetesic Nevena , Hisler Vincent , Gupta Kapil , Ye Tao , Gazdag Emese , Negroni Luc , Hajkova Petra , Berger Imre , Lenhard Boris , Müller Ferenc , Vincent Stéphane D. , Tora László 
Published: December 2020

AbstractDuring oocyte growth, transcription is required to create RNA and protein reserves to achieve maternal competence. During this period, the general transcription factor TATA binding protein (TBP) is replaced by its paralogue, TBPL2 (TBP2 or TRF3), which is essential for RNA polymerase II transcription. We show that in oocytes TBPL2 does not assemble into a canonical TFIID complex. Our transcript analyses demonstrate that TBPL2 mediates transcription of oocyte-expressed genes, including mRNA survey genes, as well as specific endogenous retroviral elements. Transcription start site (TSS) mapping indicates that TBPL2 has a strong preference for TATA-like motif in core promoters driving sharp TSS selection, in contrast with canonical TBP/TFIID-driven TATA-less promoters that have broader TSS architecture. Thus, we show a role for the TBPL2/TFIIA complex in the establishment of the oocyte transcriptome by using a specific TSS recognition code.
A least microenvironmental uncertainty principle (LEUP) as a generative model of collective cell migration mechanisms
Authors: Barua Arnab , Nava-Sedeño Josue M. , Meyer-Hermann Michael , Hatzikirou Haralampos 
Published: December 2020

AbstractCollective migration is commonly observed in groups of migrating cells, in the form of swarms or aggregates. Mechanistic models have proven very useful in understanding collective cell migration. Such models, either explicitly consider the forces involved in the interaction and movement of individuals or phenomenologically define rules which mimic the observed behavior of cells. However, mechanisms leading to collective migration are varied and specific to the type of cells involved. Additionally, the precise and complete dynamics of many important chemomechanical factors influencing cell movement, from signalling pathways to substrate sensing, are typically either too complex or largely unknown. The question is how to make quantitative/qualitative predictions of collective behavior without exact mechanistic knowledge. Here we propose the least microenvironmental uncertainty principle (LEUP) that may serve as a generative model of collective migration without precise incorporation of full mechanistic details. Using statistical physics tools, we show that the famous Vicsek model is a special case of LEUP. Finally, to test the biological applicability of our theory, we apply LEUP to construct a model of the collective behavior of spherical Serratia marcescens bacteria, where the underlying migration mechanisms remain elusive.
GaInP nanowire arrays for color conversion applications
Authors: Visser Dennis , Désières Yohan , Swillo Marcin , De Luca Eleonora , Anand Srinivasan 
Published: December 2020

AbstractColor conversion by (tapered) nanowire arrays fabricated in GaInP with bandgap emission in the red spectral region are investigated with blue and green source light LEDs in perspective. GaInP nano- and microstructures, fabricated using top-down pattern transfer methods, are derived from epitaxial Ga0.51In0.49P/GaAs stacks with pre-determined layer thicknesses. Substrate-free GaInP micro- and nanostructures obtained by selectively etching the GaAs sacrificial layers are then embedded in a transparent film to generate stand-alone color converting films for spectrophotometry and photoluminescence experiments. Finite-difference time-domain simulations and spectrophotometry measurements are used to design and validate the GaInP structures embedded in (stand-alone) transparent films for maximum light absorption and color conversion from blue (450 nm) and green (532 nm) to red (~ 660 nm) light, respectively. It is shown that (embedded) 1 μm-high GaInP nanowire arrays can be designed to absorb ~ 100% of 450 nm and 532 nm wavelength incident light. Room-temperature photoluminescence measurements with 405 nm and 532 nm laser excitation are used for proof-of-principle demonstration of color conversion from the embedded GaInP structures. The (tapered) GaInP nanowire arrays, despite very low fill factors (~ 24%), can out-perform the micro-arrays and bulk-like slabs due to a better in- and out-coupling of source and emitted light, respectively.
Consumer Wi‐Fi device based action quality recognition: An illustrative example of seated dumbbell press action
Authors: Qin Yuxi , Pan Su , Zhou Weiwei , Pan Duowei , Li Zibo 
Published: December 2020

AbstractA system called WiSDP, which is based on Wi‐Fi signals, to detect whether a Seated Dumbbell Press action is standard by using inexpensive consumer Wi‐Fi devices is proposed. Compared with the scheme based on high speed cameras and wearable sensors, Wi‐Fi devices are insensitive to light and colour, do not need wear any device, and decrease the risk of disclosing privacy. WiSDP senses environment changes through the Channel State Information which is fine‐grained physical layer information comparing to frequently used Received Signal Strength Indicator. Compared to the action recognition, action quality recognition depends on slight differences between a non‐standard action and standard actions, which makes it challenging. The authors propose an improved sliding window algorithm calculating action energy to extract Seated Dumbbell Press actions from the Channel State Information streams, estimate action quality by choosing an appropriate classifier and use Principal Component Analysis and Butterworth low‐pass filter to remove noise. The authors conduct experiments in two different scenarios and the average true positive rate of WiSDP are 94.66% and 95.11%, respectively.
Improving synchronization stability of grid connected converters by virtual impedance
Authors: Abdoli Omid , Gholipour Mehdi , Hooshmand Rahmat‐allah 
Published: December 2020

AbstractWith the increasing penetration of inverter based distributed generation, recent grid codes do not permit the disconnection of converters as soon as fault happens. Considering the fact that electrical grids are not purely inductive, the grid connected converters face instability issues by fault occurrence. Converters applying Phase Lock Loop (PLL) are not able to synchronize with the weak grid during deep low voltage faults. This paper proposes a novel control strategy based on virtual impedance to maintain the synchronization of grid connected converters during heavy decrease of the grid voltage. Utilizing a virtual impedance and the measured current at the point of common coupling, the inverter can be virtually synchronized to a point which has a stronger connection. The virtual impedance can be a rough estimation of the line impedance or resistance from point of common coupling to the fault point. Furthermore, to avoid the need for impedance estimation, a simple technique is also proposed. Simulation results with MATLAB confirms the competence of the proposed method in improving the synchronization stability of the grid connected converters.
Resilience‐oriented service restoration modelling interdependent critical loads in distribution systems with integrated distributed generators
Authors: Bajwa Abdullah Akram , Mokhlis Hazlie , Mekhlief Saad , Mubin Marizan , Azam Munir Muhammad , Sarwar Sohail 
Published: December 2020

AbstractThe exponential increase in the frequency and intensity of high impact low probability weather‐related events have pivoted the paradigm of research pertaining to power systems towards resilience. Power system is considered as a critical infrastructure, directly linked to the nation's economy, security and health. Therefore, recent researchers have proposed several techniques to enhance the resilience of power systems. In those techniques, critical loads have been considered independent in nature and different metrics have been proposed to evaluate the resilience of the network. To enhance the resiliency, this paper incorporated distributed generators in the distribution network and critical loads are modelled interdependently. Furthermore, a novel resilience metric is proposed in this paper to evaluate the resilience of a distribution system. The proposed model is formulated as a mixed integer second‐order cone programming problem and the efficacy of the proposed model is evaluated on IEEE 33‐ and 69‐bus systems. The competence of the proposed resilience metric is evaluated after comparison with existing resilience metrics.
Driver activity recognition using spatial‐temporal graph convolutional LSTM networks with attention mechanism
Authors: Pan Chaopeng , Cao Haotian , Zhang Weiwei , Song Xiaolin , Li Mingjun 
Published: December 2020

AbstractDriver activity engagement while driving plays a vital role that leads to negative outcomes of driving safety. To reduce traffic accidents and ensure driving safety, real‐time driver activity recognition architecture is proposed in this study. Specifically, a total of eight kinds of common driving‐related activities are identified, which include the normal driving, left or right checking, texting, answering the phone, using media, drinking, and picking up objects. Raw experiment videos are collected via onboard monocular cameras, which are used for the upper body skeleton information extraction of the driver. Then, the graph convolutional networks (GCN) are constructed for spatial structure feature reasoning in a single frame, which is consecutively followed by long short‐term memory (LSTM) networks for temporal motion feature learning within the sequence. Moreover, the attention mechanism is further utilised to emphasise the keyframes to select discriminative sequential information. Finally, a large‐scale driver activity dataset, consisting of both naturalistic driving data and simulative driving data, is collected for model training and evaluations. Experimental results show that the general recall ratio of those eight driving‐related activities reaches up to 88.8% and the real‐time recognition efficiency can reach up to 24 fps, which would satisfy the real‐time requirements of engineering applications.
Endoluminal Vacuum Therapy for Iatrogenic Perforation of the Proximal Esophagus—Case Report of a Patient with Esophageal Involvement in Pemphigus Vulgaris
Authors: Wächter Sabine , Schiffmann Leif , Denzer Ulrike W. 
Published: December 2020

AbstractPemphigus vulgaris (PV) is a rare autoimmune disease affecting the skin and mucous membranes. Recent studies have shown a relatively high incidence of esophageal involvement in PV. To distinguish between the esophageal involvement of PV and other pathologies, early endoscopic evaluation is essential to obtain tissue for histological analysis. Here, we present the first case of endoluminal vacuum therapy (EVT) for a patient with esophageal involvement in PV and with associated iatrogenic perforation of the proximal esophagus. In comparison to classical treatment options for perforations of the proximal esophagus consisting of either stent insertion or surgical intervention, EVT seems to be a promising alternative with a good clinical outcome.
Eriobotrya japonica (loquat).
Authors: Rojas-Sandoval Julissa 
Published: December 2020

Abstract

Eriobotrya japonica is a perennial tree species that has been widely grown as an ornamental tree and for its sweet, edible fruits. Mammals and birds feed on the fruit and disseminate the seeds into the wild, facilitating the establishment of new plants in areas outside cultivation. Once established, this species has the potential to form tall stands that replace native vegetation. Currently it is listed as invasive in the Mediterranean region, Australia, New Zealand, Réunion, Hawaii, Chile, Galapagos Islands, Trinidad and Tobago and South Africa.
Ixora finlaysoniana (white jungle flame).
Authors: Caraballo-Ortiz Marcos A. 
Published: December 2020

Abstract

Ixora finlaysoniana is native to China, India and parts of Indochina. Across the tropics it is also commonly cultivated as an ornamental tree or shrub, mainly restricted to gardens and urban areas. It has the potential to spread long distances through trade as an ornamental, however natural dispersal is thought to occur only over short distances. Currently, I. finlaysoniana is only reported as invasive in Cuba and no information is available regarding its impact there.
Polyalthia suberosa (corky debbar tree).
Authors: Ventosa-Febles Eduardo A. , Cordero-Ramos Nicole 
Published: December 2020

Abstract

Polyalthia suberosa is a shrub or small tree, native to south and south-east Asia. It has been introduced widely in tropical counties as a cultivated ornamental plant (it also has medicinal properties). In the New World it is present in the wild in Florida, Hawaii and Cuba; in the latter country it is classified as invasive, but there appears to be no information about any adverse effects that it may have.
The value–complexity trade-off for reinforcement learning based brain–computer interfaces
Authors: Levi-Aharoni Hadar , Tishby Naftali 
Published: December 2020

Abstract

Objective. One of the recent developments in the field of brain–computer interfaces (BCI) is the reinforcement learning (RL) based BCI paradigm, which uses neural error responses as the reward feedback on the agent’s action. While having several advantages over motor imagery based BCI, the reliability of RL-BCI is critically dependent on the decoding accuracy of noisy neural error signals. A principled method is needed to optimally handle this inherent noise under general conditions. Approach. By determining a trade-off between the expected value and the informational cost of policies, the info-RL (IRL) algorithm provides optimal low-complexity policies, which are robust under noisy reward conditions and achieve the maximal obtainable value. In this work we utilize the IRL algorithm to characterize the maximal obtainable value under different noise levels, which in turn is used to extract the optimal robust policy for each noise level. Main results. Our simulation results of a setting with Gaussian noise show that the complexity level of the optimal policy is dependent on the reward magnitude but not on the reward variance, whereas the variance determines whether a lower complexity solution is favorable or not. We show how this analysis can be utilized to select optimal robust policies for an RL-BCI and demonstrate its use on EEG data. Significance. We propose here a principled method to determine the optimal policy complexity of an RL problem with a noisy reward, which we argue is particularly useful for RL-based BCI paradigms. This framework may be used to minimize initial training time and allow for a more dynamic and robust shared control between the agent and the operator under different conditions.