bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Diagnosis of patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction in primary care: cohort study
Authors: Forsyth Faye , Brimicombe James , Cheriyan Joseph , Edwards Duncan , Hobbs F.D. Richard , Jalaludeen Navazh , Mant Jonathan , Pilling Mark , Schiff Rebekah , Taylor Clare J. , Zaman M. Justin , Deaton Christi ,   OPTIMISE HFpEF investigators and collaborators
Published: September 2021

AbstractAimsHeart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) accounts for half of all heart failure (HF), but low awareness and diagnostic challenges hinder identification in primary care. Our aims were to evaluate the recruitment and diagnostic strategy in the Optimise HFpEF cohort and compare with recent recommendations for diagnosing HFpEF.Methods and resultsPatients were recruited from 30 primary care practices in two regions in England using an electronic screening algorithm and two secondary care sites. Baseline assessment collected clinical and patient‐reported data and diagnosis by history, assessment, and trans‐thoracic echocardiogram (TTE). A retrospective evaluation compared study diagnosis with H2FPEF score and HFA‐PEFF diagnostic algorithm. A total of 152 patients (86% primary care, mean age 78.5, 40% female) were enrolled; 93 (61%) had HFpEF confirmed. Most participants had clinical features of HFpEF, but those with confirmed HFpEF were more likely female, obese, functionally impaired, and symptomatic. Some echocardiographic findings were diagnostic for HFpEF, but no difference in natriuretic peptide levels were observed. The H2FPEF and HFA‐PEFF scores were not significantly different by group, although confirmed HFpEF cases were more likely to have scores indicating high probability of HFpEF.ConclusionsPatients with HFpEF in primary care are difficult to identify, and greater awareness of the condition, with clear diagnostic pathways and specialist support, are needed. Use of diagnostic algorithms and scores can provide systematic approaches to diagnosis but may be challenging to apply in older multi‐morbid patients. Where diagnostic uncertainty remains, pragmatic decisions are needed regarding the value of additional testing versus management of presumptive HFpEF.
Role of skeletal muscle perfusion and insulin resistance in the effect of dietary sodium on heart function in overweight
Authors: Keske Michelle A. , Przewlocka‐Kosmala Monika , Woznicka Anna K. , Mysiak Andrzej , Jankowska Ewa A. , Ponikowski Piotr , Kosmala Wojciech 
Published: September 2021

AbstractAimsWeight excess and insulin resistance predispose to heart failure. High sodium consumption may contribute to the development of cardiac impairment in insulin‐resistant individuals by promoting inadequate skeletal muscle microvascular perfusion response to insulin. We sought to investigate the association of dietary sodium reduction with muscle perfusion, insulin sensitivity, and cardiac function in overweight/obese insulin‐resistant (O‐IR) normotensive subjects.Methods and resultsFifty O‐IR individuals with higher than recommended sodium intake were randomized to usual or reduced sodium diet for 8 weeks; 25 lean, healthy subjects served as controls for pre‐intervention measurements. Echocardiography and muscle perfusion were performed during fasting and under stable euglycaemic–hyperinsulinaemic clamp conditions. O‐IR patients demonstrated subclinical cardiac dysfunction as evidenced by lower left ventricular global longitudinal strain (GLS), e′ tissue velocity, and left atrial strain and reduced muscle perfusion. The intervention arm showed improvements in insulin resistance [glucose infusion rate (GIR)], GLS, e′, atrial strain, and muscle perfusion in fasting conditions, as well as improved responses of GLS and muscle perfusion to insulin during clamp. Significant interactions were found between the allocation to low‐salt diet and improvement in muscle perfusion on change in GIR at follow‐up (P = 0.030), and between improvement in muscle perfusion and change in GIR on change in GLS response to insulin at follow‐up (P = 0.026). Mediation analysis revealed that the relationship between the reduction of sodium intake and improvement in GLS was mediated by improvements in muscle perfusion and GIR (decrease in beta coefficient from −0.29 to −0.16 after the inclusion of mediator variables to the model).ConclusionsThe reduction of dietary sodium in the normotensive O‐IR population improves cardiac function, and this effect may be associated with the concomitant improvements in skeletal muscle perfusion and insulin resistance. These findings might contribute to refining heart failure preventive strategies.
Effect of organic conditioning layers adsorbed on stainless steel AISI 304 on the attachment and biofilm formation of electroactive bacteria Shewanella putrefaciens CN32
Authors: Wurzler Nina , Hidde Gundula , Schenderlein Matthias , Ozcan Ozlem 
Published: September 2021

AbtractThe initial attachment and subsequent biofilm formation of electroactive bacteria Shewanella putrefaciens CN32 was investigated to clarify the influence of organic conditioning layers. A selection of macromolecules and self‐assembled monolayers (SAMs) of different chain lengths and functional groups were prepared and characterized by means of infrared spectroscopy in terms of their chemistry. Surface energy and Zeta (ζ‐) potential of the conditioning layers was determined with contact angle and streaming current measurements. Among the studied surface parameters, a high polar component and a high ratio of polar‐to‐disperse components of the surface energy has emerged as a successful indicator for the inhibition of the initial settlement of S. putrefaciens on stainless steel AISI 304 surfaces. Considering the negative surface charge of planktonic S. putrefaciens cells, and the strong inhibition of cell attachment by positively charged polyethylenimine (PEI) conditioning layers, our results indicate that electrostatic interactions do play a subordinate role in controlling the attachment of this microorganism on stainless steel AISI 304 surfaces. For the biofilm formation, the organization of the SAMs affected the local distribution of the biofilms. The formation of three‐dimensional and patchy biofilm networks was promoted with increasing disorder of the SAMs.
Up‐front neck dissection followed by chemoradiotherapy for T1–T3 hypopharyngeal cancer with advanced nodal involvement
Authors: Sato Mitsuo P. , Otsuki Naoki , Kitano Mutsukazu , Ishikawa Kazuki , Tanaka Kaoru , Kimura Takayuki , Doi Katsumi 
Published: September 2021

AbstractBackgroundThe advantage of up‐front neck dissection (UFND) followed by chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for hypopharyngeal cancer (HPC) with advanced neck involvement remains controversial. We aimed to determine the indications.MethodsThe data of 41 and 14 patients with stage IVA/B (T1–T3 and ≥N2a) HPC who underwent UFND followed by CRT and received CRT, respectively, were retrospectively analyzed and compared.ResultsThe 5‐year overall survival (OS) and disease‐specific survival rates for the UFND and CRT groups were 61% and 52% (p = 0.1019), and 89% and 74% (p = 0.2333), respectively. Moreover, patients aged ≥70 years or those with a pulmonary disease history had a significantly poorer prognosis due to aspiration pneumonia in the UFND group. The 5‐year regional control (RC) for the UFND and CRT groups were 92% and 57%, respectively (p = 0.0001).ConclusionsUFND followed by CRT was feasible with satisfactory RC. To further improve OS, aspiration pneumonia prevention is essential.
Parametric analysis of MHD flow of nanofluid in stretching sheet under chemical sensitivity and thermal radiation
Authors: Rama Devi Sagiraju Veera Venkata , Gnaneswara Reddy Machireddy 
Published: September 2021

AbstractThis study examines the impact that entropy production has on electric magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) hybrid nanofluid (Al2O3–SiC) flows due to the effect of thermal radiation and chemical reaction on permeable stretching sheets. A key element of this study is that to increase thermal conductivity and improve convective heat transfer, the field of electricity is used in the MHD model with entropy production, and the solution technique utilizing “bvp4c” was presented. Through appropriate transformations and analyses of entropy generation, the constituent equations have been turned into strong, nonlinear, ordinary differential equations; the entropy generated rate for a system is crucial to optimize energy in the system to work efficiently. Subsequently, these transformed equations are solved by the “bvp4c” package in MATLAB. The thermal transfer system contains velocity, temperature, and concentration profiles with novel parameters included such as the unsteady parameter, the Grashof number, the mass Grashof number, Prandtl number, Brownian motion parameter, the Schmidt number, the thermophoresis parameter, the porosity parameter, the magnetic field parameter, the electric field parameter, the Eckert number, the Brinkman number, the radiation parameter, and chemical reaction. In addition, the study analyses the prediction accuracy of thermal conductivity enhancement using an artificial neural network (ANN) with data from the values of the numerical solution. This analysis is performed with the help of MATLAB. The result of this research concludes that the decrease in the magnetic field and porosity parameters stimulate a rise in the velocity of nanofluid; the parameters of the magnetic field, electric field, and thermal radiation increase, the temperature of the nanofluid increases, and the increase in the parameters of Schmidt number, Brownian motion, and the chemical reaction delivers a decrease in the concentration level of nanofluid. Two current methods are compared to the approach applied in this study. Finally, the ANN results in better accuracy of thermal conductivity enhancement values from the numerical values. Hence, this study concludes with the accurate thermal conductivity enhancement of the nanofluid with the impacts of a chemical reaction and thermal radiation.
Aerobic respiration in riparian exchange zones of regulated river corridors
Authors: Ferencz Stephen B. , Cardenas M. Bayani , Neilson Bethany T. 
Published: September 2021

AbstractRiver stage fluctuations drive surface water‐groundwater exchanges within river corridors. This study evaluates how repeated daily stage fluctuations, representative of hydropeaking conditions, influence aerobic respiration of river‐sourced dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the riparian exchange zone using reactive flow and transport simulations. Over 50 hypothetical scenarios were modelled to evaluate how the duration of the daily flood signal, river DOC concentration, aquifer hydraulic conductivity and ambient groundwater flow condition affect the fate and transport of DOC and DO in the riparian aquifer. Time series subsurface snapshots highlight how the various factors influence the subsurface distribution of DOC and DO. The total mass of DOC respired per meter of river had a wide range depending on the parameters, spanning from 1.4 to 71 g over 24‐h, with high hydraulic conductivity and losing ambient groundwater flow conditions favouring the largest amount of DOC respired. The ratio of DOC mass entering the riparian zone with the mass returning to the river showed that as little as 5% to as much as 76% of the DOC that enters the bank during stage fluctuations returns to the river. This return ratio is dependent on river DOC concentration, hydraulic conductivity and ambient groundwater flow. The results illustrate that stage variations due to river regulation can be a significant control on aerobic respiration in riparian exchange zones.
The effect of International Monetary Fund programs on corporate default risk
Authors: Nguyen Thanh Truc 
Published: September 2021

AbstractThis study evaluates the economic impact of International Monetary Fund (IMF) assistance programs through documenting the effect of such programs on corporate default risk in 20 countries over the 1995–2012 period. Using firm‐level expected default frequency metrics from Moody's KMV and an event study style approach we show that IMF assistance is associated with an abnormal increase in corporate default risk in the 12 months prior to and subsequent to announcements of IMF intervention. Our findings are robust to control for endogeneity and thus call into question, from a new perspective, the immediate and long term economic impact of IMF assistance programs.
Retracted: Enriching the value‐at‐risk framework to ensemble empirical mode decomposition with an application to the European carbon market
Authors: Zhu Bangzhu , Wang Ping , Chevallier Julien , Wei Yi‐Ming 
Published: September 2021

AbstractUnlike common financial markets, the European carbon market is a typically heterogeneous market, characterised by multiple timescales and affected by extreme events. The traditional value‐at‐risk (VaR) with single‐timescale fails to deal with the multi‐timescale characteristics and the effects of extreme events, which can result in the VaR overestimation for carbon market risk. To measure accurately the risk on the European carbon market, we propose ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) based multiscale VaR approach. First, the EEMD algorithm is utilised to decompose the carbon price return into several intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) with different timescales and a residue, which are modelled respectively using the ARMA‐GARCH model to obtain their conditional variances at different timescales. Furthermore, the Iterated Cumulative Sums of Squares algorithm is employed to determine the windows of an extreme event, so as to identify the IMFs influenced by an extreme event and conduct an exponentially weighted moving average on their conditional variations. Finally, the VaRs of various IMFs and the residue are estimated to reconstruct the overall VaR, the validity of which is verified later. Then, we illustrate the results by considering several European carbon futures contracts. Compared with the traditional VaR framework with single timescale, the proposed multiscale VaR‐EEMD model can effectively reduce the influences of the heterogeneous environments (such as the influences of extreme events), and obtain a more accurate overall risk measure on the European carbon market. By acquiring the distributions of carbon market risks at different timescales, the proposed multiscale VaR‐EEMD estimation is capable of understanding the fluctuation characteristics more comprehensively, which can provide new perspectives for exploring the evolution law of the risks on the European carbon market.
Greenhouse grapevine transpiration and water use efficiency under different water and nitrogen conditions*
Authors: Zheng Siyu , Wang Tieliang , Wei Xinguang , Li Bo , Bai Yikui 
Published: September 2021

AbstractDetermining the proper amount of water and nitrogen is important for obtaining reliable information on agricultural production management. This study investigated the effects of water and nitrogen (N) on greenhouse grapevine sap flow, photosynthetic parameters and leaf water use efficiency (WUEi) under three N applications (N1, 114.56 kg ha−1; N2, 159.99 kg ha−1; and N3, 240.00 kg ha−1) and three irrigation levels (W1, W2 and W3 representing the irrigating lower limits of 55% ± 2%, 65% ± 2% and 80% ± 2% of the field capacity, respectively). The results indicated that sap flow decreased as N increased under the W1 treatment. However, sap flow increased as N concentration increased under W2 and W3 conditions. Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) was the main meteorological factor controlling sap flow, with R2 values ranging from 0.857 to 0.928. With the increase in N, the net photosynthetic rate (Pn) increased under the W3 condition. N application enhanced the promotion of WUEi by the W1 and W2 treatments. This study proposes the prospect of implementing an integrated management of water and N for grapevine growth in greenhouses, thereby promoting transpiration and water use efficiency in a scientific way.
In vivo efficacy of 3D‐printed elastin–gelatin–hyaluronic acid scaffolds for regeneration of nasal septal cartilage defects
Authors: Shokri Abbas , Ramezani Kousar , Jamalpour Mohammad Reza , Mohammadi Chiman , Vahdatinia Farshid , Irani Amin Doosti , Sharifi Esmaeel , Haddadi Rasool , Jamshidi Shokoofeh , Amirabad Leila Mohammadi , Tajik Sanaz , Yadegari Amir , Tayebi Lobat 
Published: September 2021

ABSTRACTNasal septal cartilage perforations occur due to the different pathologies. Limited healing ability of cartilage results in remaining defects and further complications. This study sought to assess the efficacy of elastin–gelatin–hyaluronic acid (EGH) scaffolds for regeneration of nasal septal cartilage defects in rabbits. Defects (4 × 7 mm) were created in the nasal septal cartilage of 24 New Zealand rabbits. They were randomly divided into four groups: Group 1 was the control group with no further intervention, Group 2 received EGH scaffolds implanted in the defects, Group 3 received EGH scaffolds seeded with autologous auricular chondrocytes implanted in the defects, and Group 4 received EGH scaffolds seeded with homologous auricular chondrocytes implanted in the defects. After a 4‐month healing period, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were obtained from the nasal septal cartilage, followed by histological evaluations of new tissue formation. Maximum regeneration occurred in Group 2, according to CT, and Group 3, according to both T1 and T2 images with 7.68 ± 1.36, 5.44 ± 2.41, and 8.72 ± 3.02 mm2 defect area respectively after healing. The difference in the defect size was statistically significant after healing between the experimental groups. Group 3 showed significantly greater regeneration according to CT scans and T1 and T2 images. The neocartilage formed over the underlying old cartilage with no distinct margin in histological evaluation. The EGH scaffolds have the capability of regeneration of nasal cartilage defects and are able to integrate with the existing cartilage; yet, they present the best results when pre‐seeded with autologous chondrocytes.
Growth After Adenotonsillectomy for Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Revisited
Authors: Jensen Alexandria M. , Herrmann Brian W. , Mitchell Ron B. , Friedman Norman R. 
Published: September 2021

Objectives/HypothesisTo reanalyze the growth trajectory and assess longitudinal changes of children undergoing adenotonsillectomy (AT) versus watchful waiting (WW) enrolled in the Childhood Adenotonsillectomy Trial (CHAT) study and to determine if an AT increases the risk of obesity in children.Study DesignReanalysis of prospective cohort investigation.MethodsThe study analyzed publicly available data from CHAT, including 3 months visit data not previously included in a prior publication. Statistical comparisons and mixed‐effects modeling were done using age‐ and sex‐specific BMI expressed as a percentage of the 95th percentile (%BMIp95). P < .05 was considered significant.ResultsChildren in the AT group, especially if underweight at baseline, had an increased rate of weight gain, with 100% of underweight children in the AT group becoming normal weight compared to 20% for WW. However, the rate of weight gain, as measured by the %BMIp95 trajectory for both AT and WW groups, was not significantly different when baseline weight status and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) resolution were accounted for. Comparisons of %BMIp95 between treatment groups at baseline, 3‐ and 7‐month follow‐up visits also failed to identify statistically significant differences (P > .05). Overall for the entire cohort, resolution of OSA was associated with a decreased weight trajectory (P < .001).ConclusionsAT compared to WW is not associated with an increased risk of excessive weight gain. Otolaryngologists should be aware of this updated analysis when discussing AT surgical outcomes with families.Level of Evidence2 Laryngoscope, 132:1289–1294, 2022
Community density of grassland effect on soil carbon dynamics: Field survey and analyses from a 45‐year natural recovery time‐sequence on the Loess Plateau, China
Authors: Fang Zhao , Ke Zengming , Jiao Feng 
Published: September 2021

AbstractCommunity density of grassland has obvious impacts on the absorption, sequestration, and accumulation of soil carbon (C). However, few studies have examined the effect of community density on soil C dynamics and their internal driving forces after cropland abandonment. Here, we synthesized the responses of soil C to community density of grassland over a 45‐year time‐sequence along a natural restoration time sequence. The results showed that the soil C content during the late‐successional period was greater than that during the early‐successional period, that is, annual C storage rates for the first sequence (1–15 years) for the 0–60 cm depth profiles were −0.34, −0.27, −0.15 to 0.02 Mg‐C ha−1 yr−1, in the ≤10, 11–20, 21–30, and >30 community densities. And the third sequence (31–45 years) presented values that were 79.28% and 44.60% greater than those of the initial stage of vegetation restoration (CK) for the 0–20 and 0–60 cm profiles, respectively. The increased soil C storage rates of the late‐successional sequence were associated with both increased aboveground production and root biomass for this sequence and the presence of multiple species, especially Leguminosae and Gramineae species, with developed roots. Overall, the effects of community density on soil C were regulated by the recovery time, root mass, and species genera. Furthermore, our results suggest that soil may still be a carbon source even after 15 years of the abandonment restoring, and high community density may greatly increase C capture and storage rates in abandoned lands. The findings enhance the understanding of soil C sequestration and accumulation responses to community density following long‐term natural vegetation succession, providing support for estimating and predicting the regional C budget and global C cycle.
The use of matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry in enzyme activity assays and its position in the context of other available methods
Authors: Šebela Marek 
Published: September 2021

AbstractActivity assays are indispensable for studying biochemical properties of enzymes. The purposes of measuring activity are wide ranging from a simple detection of the presence of an enzyme to kinetic experiments evaluating the substrate specificity, reaction mechanisms, and susceptibility to inhibitors. Common activity assay methods include spectroscopy, electrochemical sensors, or liquid chromatography coupled with various detection techniques. This review focuses on the use of matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (MALDI‐TOF MS) as a growing and modern alternative, which offers high speed of analysis, sensitivity, versatility, possibility of automation, and cost‐effectiveness. It may reveal reaction intermediates, side products or measure more enzymes at once. The addition of an internal standard or calculating the ratios of the substrate and product peak intensities and areas overcome the inherent inhomogeneous distribution of analyte and matrix in the sample spot, which otherwise results in a poor reproducibility. Examples of the application of MALDI‐TOF MS for assaying hydrolases (including peptidases and β‐lactamases for antibiotic resistance tests) and other enzymes are provided. Concluding remarks summarize advantages and challenges coming from the present experience, and draw future perspectives such as a screening of large libraries of chemical compounds for their substrate or inhibitory properties towards enzymes.