bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effect of radiotherapy on survival in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma patients treated with sorafenib: a nationwide cancer-registry-based study
Authors: Chu Shou-Sheng , Kuo Yu-Hsuan , Liu Wen-Shan , Wang Shih-Chang , Ho Chung-Han , Chen Yi-Chen , Yang Ching-Chieh , Wu Hung-Chang 
Published: January 2021

AbstractSorafenib is the standard treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. This study aims to determine whether combining radiotherapy with sorafenib administration increases its efficacy. The study cohort included 4763 patients with diagnosed advanced HCC who received sorafenib between January 2012 and December 2015, as reported in medical records in the Taiwan Cancer Registry database. The effect of sorafenib with or without radiotherapy on survival was calculated using the Kaplan–Meier method and compared using the log-rank test. A Cox proportional hazards model was used for multivariate analysis. Patients receiving sorafenib plus radiotherapy had greater 1-year survival than did those receiving sorafenib alone (P < 0.001). Uni- and multivariate analyses also showed that radiotherapy increased survival after adjusting for confounders (adjusted HR 0.57; 95% CI 0.51–0.63). Further stratified analysis according to the timing of radiotherapy relative to sorafenib treatment revealed that patients who underwent radiotherapy after sorafenib had greater 1-year survival than did those undergoing radiotherapy within sorafenib use or sorafenib alone (adjusted HR 0.39; 95% CI 0.27–0.54). Combined treatment with sorafenib and radiotherapy results in greater HCC patient survival and should be considered an option for treating this challenging disease.
Dietary intake and hospitalisation due to diabetic ketoacidosis and hypoglycaemia in individuals with type 1 diabetes
Authors: Ahola Aila J. , Harjutsalo Valma , Thomas Merlin C. , Forsblom Carol , Groop Per-Henrik 
Published: January 2021

AbstractWe investigated the association between diet and risk of hospitalisation for diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) or hypoglycaemia in type 1 diabetes. Food records were used to assess dietary intake. Data on DKA and hypoglycaemia hospitalisations, within two years of dietary assessments, were obtained from registries. Analyses were conducted with and without macronutrient substitution. Data were available from 1391 participants, 28 (2.0%) and 55 (4.0%) of whom were hospitalised due to DKA or hypoglycaemia, respectively. In the adjusted model, self-reported alcohol intake was associated with increased (per 10 g: B = 1.463, 95% CI = 1.114–1.922, p = 0.006; per E%: B = 1.113, 95% CI = 1.027–1.206, p = 0.009), and fibre intake with reduced (per g/MJ: B = 0.934, 95% CI = 0.878–0.995, p = 0.034) risk of DKA hospitalisation. Substituting carbohydrates for fats was associated with increased risk for hypoglycaemia hospitalisation (B = 1.361, 95% CI = 1.031–1.795, p = 0.029), while substituting alcohol for carbohydrates (B = 1.644, 95% CI = 1.006–2.685, p = 0.047) or proteins (B = 2.278, 95% CI = 1.038–4.999, p = 0.040) increased the risk for DKA hospitalisation. In conclusion, refraining from alcohol intake is a preventable risk factor for DKA, while higher fibre intake seems rather protective. Increasing carbohydrate intake while decreasing that of fats, is associated with higher hypoglycaemia risk. Whether this is a cause or effect of hypoglycaemia remains to be established.
Pressure-assisted sintering and characterization of Nd:YAG ceramic lasers
Authors: Wagner Avital , Meshorer Yekutiel , Ratzker Barak , Sinefeld David , Kalabukhov Sergey , Goldring Sharone , Galun Ehud , Frage Nachum 
Published: January 2021

AbstractSpark plasma sintering (SPS) is an advanced one-stage, rapid, near-net shape densification technique combining uniaxial pressure with resistive heating. Various transparent ceramics have been successfully fabricated by SPS, despite the existence of inherent carbon contamination and residual pores. Due to the disk-shape of SPS-processed samples, the technique may be suited for producing thin-disk ceramic laser materials. Nevertheless, an in-depth study of these materials has never been reported. With that goal in mind, the major focus of this study was to characterize the laser performance of Nd:YAG ceramics fabricated by one-stage SPS under conventional (60 MPa) and high (300 MPa) applied pressures. In addition to measuring the lasing slope efficiency and threshold, the passive losses associated with each sample were also evaluated. Surprisingly, it was found that in-line transmittance spectra do not provide accurate predictions of laser performance due to the nature of residual porosity. Moreover, homogeneity and beam quality were assessed, and comparisons were drawn between conventional and high-pressure SPS ceramics. This study lays the groundwork for the future of laser materials fabricated by SPS or similar pressure-assisted techniques.
The possible occurrence of iron-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation in an Archean Ocean analogue
Authors: Roland Fleur A. E. , Borges Alberto V. , Darchambeau François , Llirós Marc , Descy Jean-Pierre , Morana Cédric 
Published: January 2021

AbstractIn the ferruginous and anoxic early Earth oceans, photoferrotrophy drove most of the biological production before the advent of oxygenic photosynthesis, but its association with ferric iron (Fe3+) dependent anaerobic methane (CH4) oxidation (AOM) has been poorly investigated. We studied AOM in Kabuno Bay, a modern analogue to the Archean Ocean (anoxic bottom waters and dissolved Fe concentrations > 600 µmol L−1). Aerobic and anaerobic CH4 oxidation rates up to 0.12 ± 0.03 and 51 ± 1 µmol L−1 d−1, respectively, were put in evidence. In the Fe oxidation–reduction zone, we observed high concentration of Bacteriochlorophyll e (biomarker of the anoxygenic photoautotrophs), which co-occurred with the maximum CH4 oxidation peaks, and a high abundance of Candidatus Methanoperedens, which can couple AOM to Fe3+ reduction. In addition, comparison of measured CH4 oxidation rates with electron acceptor fluxes suggest that AOM could mainly rely on Fe3+ produced by photoferrotrophs. Further experiments specifically targeted to investigate the interactions between photoferrotrophs and AOM would be of considerable interest. Indeed, ferric Fe3+-driven AOM has been poorly envisaged as a possible metabolic process in the Archean ocean, but this can potentially change the conceptualization and modelling of metabolic and geochemical processes controlling climate conditions in the Early Earth.
Premature ventricular contraction is associated with increased risk of atrial fibrillation: a nationwide population-based study
Authors: Kim Yun Gi , Han Kyung-Do , Choi Jong-Il , Choi Yun Young , Choi Ha Young , Shim Jaemin , Kim Young-Hoon 
Published: January 2021

AbstractPremature ventricular contraction (PVC) and atrial fibrillation (AF) are common arrhythmias affecting 1–2% of the general population. During PVC, retrograde ventriculo-atrial activation can occur and act like an atrial ectopy. However, the clinical significance of this phenomenon is not fully understood. We aimed to elucidate whether the clinical diagnosis of PVC can increase the risk of new-onset AF. We performed a nationwide population-based analysis using the Korean National Health Insurance Service database. A total of 9,537,713 people without prior history of PVC and AF were identified. Among these people, 4135 developed PVC in 2009, and people with and without PVC were followed until 2018. People who had PVC showed an increased risk of new-onset AF as compared with people without PVC (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.705; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.428–3.013; p < 0.001). The risk of ischemic stroke was also significantly increased in people with PVC (HR 1.160; 95% CI 1.048–1.284; p = 0.0041). New-onset AF developed in 72 people (19.3%) among 374 people with PVC who had ischemic stroke during their follow-up. A significant interaction was observed between PVC and age with people < 65 years at greater risk of new-onset AF for having PVC. In this observational analysis, the risk of new-onset AF and ischemic stroke was increased in people with PVC. Additional evaluation to identify AF in people with PVC can be helpful.
Movements of marine and estuarine turtles during Hurricane Michael
Authors: Lamont Margaret M. , Johnson Darren , Catizone Daniel J. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractNatural disturbances are an important driver of population dynamics. Because it is difficult to observe wildlife during these events, our understanding of the strategies that species use to survive these disturbances is limited. On October 10, 2018, Hurricane Michael made landfall on Florida’s northwest coast. Using satellite and acoustic telemetry, we documented movements of 6 individual turtles: one loggerhead sea turtle, one Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, three green sea turtles and one diamondback terrapin, in a coastal bay located less than 30 km from hurricane landfall. Post-storm survival was confirmed for all but the Kemp’s ridley; the final condition of that individual remains unknown. No obvious movements were observed for the remaining turtles however the loggerhead used a larger home range in the week after the storm. This study highlights the resiliency of turtles in response to extreme weather conditions. However, long-term impacts to these species from habitat changes post-hurricane are unknown.
Integrated miRNA-mRNA analysis reveals the roles of miRNAs in the replanting benefit of Achyranthes bidentata roots
Authors: Yang Yan Hui , Li Ming Jie , Yi Yan Jie , Li Rui Fang , Li Cui Xiang , Yang Heng , Wang Jing , Zhou Jing Xuan , Shang Sui , Zhang Zhong Yi 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThe yield and quality of the medicinal plantAchyranthes bidentatacan be increased when it is replanted into a field cultivated previously with the same crop, however, fundamental aspects of its biology (so-called “replanting benefit”) still remain to be elucidated. miRNAs are sRNA molecules involved in the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression in plant biological processes. Here, 267 conserved and 36 novel miRNAs were identified inA. bidentataroots. We compared the miRNA content of the roots (R1) from first-year planting with that of the roots (R2) of second-year replanting, and screened 21 differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs. Based on in silico functional analysis, integrated miRNA-mRNA datasets allowed the identification of 10 miRNA-target family modules, which might participate in the benefit. The expression profiles of the miRNA-target modules were potentially correlated with the presence of the replanting benefit. The indication was that the miRNA-responsive continuous monoculture could reprogram miRNA-mRNA expression patterns, which possibly promote the root growth and development, enhance its transport activity and strengthen its tolerance to various stresses, thereby improvingA. bidentataproductivity as observed in the replanting benefit. Our study provides basic data for further research on the molecular mechanisms of the benefit inA. bidentata.
Optimal blood pressure for patients with chronic kidney disease: a nationwide population-based cohort study
Authors: Lee You-Bin , Lee Ji Sung , Hong So-hyeon , Kim Jung A. , Roh Eun , Yoo Hye Jin , Baik Sei Hyun , Choi Kyung Mook 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThe effect of blood pressure (BP) on the incident cardiovascular events, progression to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and mortality were evaluated among chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients with and without antihypertensive treatment. This nationwide study used the Korean National Health Insurance Service-Health Screening Cohort data. The hazards of outcomes were analysed according to the systolic BP (SBP) or diastolic BP (DBP) among adults (aged ≥ 40 years) with CKD and without previous cardiovascular disease or ESRD (n = 22,278). The SBP and DBP were ≥ 130 mmHg and ≥ 80 mmHg in 10,809 (48.52%) and 11,583 (51.99%) participants, respectively. During a median 6.2 years, 1271 cardiovascular events, 201 ESRD incidents, and 1061 deaths were noted. Individuals with SBP ≥ 130 mmHg and DBP ≥ 80 mmHg had higher hazards of hypertension-related adverse outcomes compared to the references (SBP 120–129 mmHg and DBP 70–79 mmHg). SBP < 100 mmHg was associated with hazards of all-cause death, and composite of ESRD and all-cause death during follow-up only among the antihypertensive medication users suggesting that the BP should be < 130/80 mmHg and the SBP should not be < 100 mmHg with antihypertensive agents to prevent the adverse outcome risk of insufficient and excessive antihypertensive treatment in CKD patients.
Mantle wedge diapirs detected by a dense seismic array in Northern Taiwan
Authors: Lin Cheng-Horng , Shih Min-Hung , Lai Ya-Chuan 
Published: January 2021

AbstractIt is conventionally believed that magma generation beneath the volcanic arc is triggered by the infiltration of fluids or melts derived from the subducted slab. However, recently geochemical analyses argue the arc magma may be formed by mélange diapirs that are physically mixed by sediment, altered oceanic crust, fluids, and mantle above the subducted slab. Further numerical modeling predicts that the mantle wedge diapirs have significant seismic velocity anomalies, even though these have not been observed yet. Here we show that unambiguously later P-waves scattered from some obstacles in the mantle wedge are well recorded at a dense seismic array (Formosa Array) in northern Taiwan. It is the first detection of seismic scattering obstacles in the mantle wedge. Although the exact shape and size of the scattered obstacles are not well constrained by the arrival-times of the later P-waves, the first order approximation of several spheres with radius of ~ 1 km provides a plausible interpretation. Since these obstacles were located just beneath the magma reservoirs around depths between 60 and 95 km, we conclude they may be mantle wedge diapirs that are likely associated with magma generation beneath active volcanoes.
A novel rabbit fixator made of a thermoplastic mask for awake imaging experiments
Authors: Lu Rencai , Hou Li , Wang Siyu , She Bo , He Hong , Gao Wentao , Wang Sidang , Xv Dongdong , Ji Yunhai , Yang Shasha , Yang Zhaohui , Wang Shaobo 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThis study aimed to develop and validate a novel rabbit fixator made from a thermoplastic mask for awake imaging experiments. When heated in a hot-water bath at 65–70 °C for 2–5 min, the thermoplastic mask became soft and could be molded to fit over the entire body of an anesthetized rabbit (4 ml of 3% pentobarbital sodium solution by intramuscular injection). Twenty rabbits were randomly divided into fixator (n = 10) and anesthesia (n = 10) groups. The animals’ vital signs, stress hormones (cortisol and adrenaline), and subjective image quality scores for the computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning were measured and compared. Phantom CT, MRI and PET studies were performed to assess the performance with and without the thermoplastic mask by using image agents at different concentrations or with different radioactivity. The respiration rate (RR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), peripheral capillary oxygen saturation (SpO2) and body temperature (T) decreased after anesthesia (all P < 0.05) but did not significantly decrease after fixation (all P > 0.05). The heart rate (HR), cortisol and adrenaline did not significantly decrease after either anesthesia or fixation (all P > 0.05). The subjective image quality scores for the CT and MRI images of the head, thorax, liver, kidney, intestines and pelvis and the subjective image quality scores for the PET images did not significantly differ between the two groups (all P > 0.05). For all examined organs except the muscle, 18F-FDG metabolism was lower after fixation than after anesthesia, and was almost identical of liver between two groups. The phantom study showed that the CT values, standard uptake values and MR T2 signal values did not differ significantly with or without the mask (all P > 0.05). A novel rabbit fixator created using a thermoplastic mask could be used to obtain high-quality images for different imaging modalities in an awake and near-physiological state.
Remodeling hydrogen bond interactions results in relaxed specificity of Caspase-3
Authors: Yao Liqi , Swartz Paul , Hamilton Paul T. , Clark A. Clay 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Caspase (or cysteinyl-aspartate specific proteases) enzymes play important roles in apoptosis and inflammation, and the non-identical but overlapping specificity profiles (that is, cleavage recognition sequence) direct cells to different fates. Although all caspases prefer aspartate at the P1 position of the substrate, the caspase-6 subfamily shows preference for valine at the P4 position, while caspase-3 shows preference for aspartate. In comparison with human caspases, caspase-3a from zebrafish has relaxed specificity and demonstrates equal selection for either valine or aspartate at the P4 position. In the context of the caspase-3 conformational landscape, we show that changes in hydrogen bonding near the S3 subsite affect selection of the P4 amino acid. Swapping specificity with caspase-6 requires accessing new conformational space, where each landscape results in optimal binding of DxxD (caspase-3) or VxxD (caspase-6) substrate and simultaneously disfavors binding of the other substrate. Within the context of the caspase-3 conformational landscape, substitutions near the active site result in nearly equal activity against DxxD and VxxD by disrupting a hydrogen bonding network in the substrate binding pocket. The converse substitutions in zebrafish caspase-3a result in increased selection for P4 aspartate over valine. Overall, the data show that the shift in specificity that results in a dual function protease, as in zebrafish caspase-3a, requires fewer amino acid substitutions compared with those required to access new conformational space for swapping substrate specificity, such as between caspases-3 and -6.
Stabilization for switched linear systems: Hybrid observer‐based method
Authors: Li Zhihui , Wang Yue‐E , Wu Di 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThis paper investigates interval observer‐based controller design for switched linear systems involving additional disturbance and measurement noise, whose modes need not to be cooperative. First, by giving the upper bound and the lower bound of the disturbance and the measurement noise, we construct hybrid interval observer for the considered switched linear system by means of a switched coordinate transformation, which can transform the observer error systems into cooperative ones. The interval observer can supply certain state information at any instant. Compared with the interval observer design for switched systems with arbitrary switching sequences or dwell time switching based on common Lyapunov function, the difficulty consists in characterizing the jump of the multiple Lyapunov functions. Then, by using the multiple Lyapunov functions method and average dwell time scheme, some sufficient conditions are derived and applied to build the interval observer‐based state feedback controller. Finally, we provide an example to illustrate the validity of the derived results.
Three‐dimensional shape reconstruction of objects from a single depth view using deep U‐Net convolutional neural network with bottle‐neck skip connections
Authors: Valarezo Añazco Edwin , Rivera Lopez Patricio , Kim Tae‐Seong 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThree‐dimensional (3D) shape reconstruction of objects requires multiple scans and complex reconstruction algorithms. An alternative approach is to infer the 3D shape of an object from a single depth image (i.e. single depth view). This study presents such a 3D shape reconstructor based on U‐Net 3D‐convolutional neural network (3D‐CNN) with bottle‐neck skipped connection blocks (U‐Net BNSC 3D‐CNN) to infer the 3D shapes of objects from only a single depth view. The BNSC block is a fully convolutional block that uses skip connections to improve the performance of the sequential 3D‐convolutional layers of U‐Net. The primary advantage of U‐Net BNSC 3D‐CNN is improving the accuracy of shape reconstruction while reducing the computational load. The evaluation of the proposed U‐Net BNSC 3D‐CNN uses unseen views from trained and untrained objects with two public databases, ShapeNet and Grasp database. Our reconstructor achieves 72.17% and 69.97% accuracy in terms of the Jaccard similarity index for trained and untrained objects, respectively, with the ShapeNet database, whereas previous reconstructor based on 3D‐CNN achieves 66.43% and 58.35%. With Grasp database, our reconstructor achieves 87.03% and 85.35%, whereas 3D‐CNN 76.52% and 76.02%. Also, our U‐Net BNSC 3D‐CNN reduces the computational load of the standard 3D‐CNN reconstructor by 6.67% in the computation time and by 98.69% in the number of trainable parameters.
A 2D WLP‐FDTD method with low numerical dispersion using artificial anisotropy parameters
Authors: Ma Ping , Chen Wei‐Jun , Tian Jing , Shi An‐Hua , Zhang Ning 
Published: January 2021

AbstractA finite‐difference time‐domain method is proposed to reduce the numerical dispersion error induced by the non‐uniform meshing of multiscale configurations utilizing weighted Laguerre polynomials. The update functions of two‐dimensional TEz waves are obtained with the introduction of the artificial anisotropic parameters in the derivation procedure. The theoretical analysis of utilizing artificial anisotropic weighted Laguerre polynomial finite‐difference time‐domain for the suppression of numerical dispersion error is also presented. To verify the validation of the proposed method, the propagation of plane waves in a two‐dimensional cavity filled with the dielectric material is modelled. Compared with the existing approaches, the proposed method achieves low numerical dispersion error and improved accuracy without increasing computational cost.
A fast learning approach for autonomous navigation using a deep reinforcement learning method
Authors: Ejaz Muhammad Mudassir , Tang Tong Boon , Lu Cheng‐Kai 
Published: January 2021

AbstractDeep reinforcement learning‐based methods employ an ample amount of computational power that affects the learning process. This paper proposes a novel approach to speed up the training process and improve the performance of autonomous navigation for a tracked robot. The proposed model named “layer normalization dueling double deep Q‐network” has been trained in a virtual environment and then implemented it to a tracked robot for testing in a real‐world scenario. Depth images have been used instead of RGB images to preserve the temporal information. Features are extracted using convolutional neural networks, and actions are derived using the dueling double deep Q‐network. The input data has been normalized before each convolutional layer, which reduces the covariate shift by 69%. This end‐to‐end network architecture of the proposed model provides stability to the network, relieves the burden of computational cost, and converges in much less number of episodes. Compared with three Q‐variant models, the proposed model demonstrates outstanding performance in terms of episodic reward and convergence rate. The proposed model took 12.8% fewer episodes for training compared to other models.