bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Chronic wet cough in Australian children: Societal costs and quality of life
Authors: Prime Samantha J. , Carter Hannah E. , McPhail Steven M. , Petsky Helen L. , Chang Anne B. , Graves Nicholas , Marchant Julie M. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractIntroductionChildren with chronic wet cough regularly use the health system, experience considerable variability in care, have reduced quality of life (QoL), and, left untreated, poorer health outcomes. Despite this, little is known about the associated economic burden. This study aimed to quantify the cost of chronic wet cough among Australian children from the perspectives of families and the health system.MethodsA cost of illness study was conducted at the Queensland Children's Hospital, Brisbane, using data on 91 children newly referred to a respiratory specialist between July 2015 and January 2017 with a history of chronic wet cough (>4 weeks) of unknown etiology. Administrative and parent‐reported data were used to estimate costs (reported in 2019 Australian Dollars [AUD]) for up to 12 months before and following initial pulmonology consultation. QoL was assessed for the same periods.ResultsMean cost per child‐month during the average 9.8 months of observation preceding pulmonology consultation was AUD689 (95% confidence interval [CI] 534–844) increasing to AUD1339 (95% CI 1051–1628) during the average 11.9 months following pulmonology consultation. This translated to a total of AUD1.9 million across the study period, with families bearing 26.4% of costs. Aspiration and bronchiectasis were associated with higher total costs. For all etiologies, cough‐specific QoL improved following pulmonology consultation, while direct medical costs declined.ConclusionChildhood chronic wet cough is associated with substantial societal costs. The observed cost decrease after specialist diagnosis suggests that early referral to a respiratory specialist may have economic benefits, in addition to the known health benefits.
A meta‐analysis and cost‐minimization analysis of bivalirudin versus heparin in high‐risk patients for percutaneous coronary intervention
Authors: Sun Ke‐Xin , Cui Bin , Cao Shan‐Shan , Wang Wen‐Jun , Yu Feng , Wang Jing‐Wen , Ding Yi 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThis meta‐analysis was performed to compare the safety, efficacy, and pharmacoeconomic of bivalirudin versus heparin in high‐risk patients for percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). Earlier meta‐analysis comparing bivalirudin and heparin during PCI demonstrated that bivalirudin caused less bleeding with more stent thrombosis. However, little data were available on the safety of bivalirudin versus heparin in high‐risk patients for PCI. Thus, we performed a meta‐analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety in the “high‐risk” patients. A systematic search of electronic databases was conducted up to July 30, 2020. The Cochrane Risk of Bias assessment tool was used to assess the quality of included studies. The primary outcomes were all‐cause death and major adverse cardiac events (MACE); secondary outcomes were major and minor bleeding, followed by a cost‐minimization analysis comparing bivalirudin and heparin using a local drug and medical costs reported in China. Subgroup analysis was based on the type of disease of the high‐risk population. Finally, a total of 10 randomized controlled trials involved 42,699 patients were collected. The Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool was employed to appraise the research quality. No significant difference was noted between bivalirudin and heparin regarding all‐cause death and MACE. However, subgroup analysis showed that bivalirudin caused less major bleeding in female (OR:0.65, 95% CI:0.53–0.79), diabetes (OR:0.55, 95%CI:0.42–0.73), and CKD (OR:0.59, 95%CI:0.63–1.65). The scatterers of the included literature were approximately symmetrical, and no research was outside the funnel plot. Additionally, cost‐minimization analysis showed that heparin was likely to represent a cost‐effective option compared with bivalirudin in China, with potential savings of 2129.53 Chinese Yuan (CNY) per patient for one PCI. Overall, the meta‐analysis showed that although bivalirudin appeared to have a lower risk of major bleeding rate, the overall effectiveness and safety between the two groups showed no significant difference in high‐risk patients for PCI. But the results of the cost‐minimization analysis showed that heparin could be a potential cost‐saving drug than bivalirudin in patients for PCI in China.
Nutritional assessment tool for predicting sarcopenia in chronic liver disease
Authors: Hanai Tatsunori , Shiraki Makoto , Nishimura Kayoko , Ogiso Yui , Imai Kenji , Suetsugu Atsushi , Takai Koji , Shimizu Masahito 
Published: May 2021

AbstractBackgroundSubjective global assessment (SGA) and Royal Free Hospital‐global assessment (RFH‐GA) are clinically useful for assessing malnutrition. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between sarcopenia, which predicts poor clinical outcomes in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD), and these two methods.MethodsThis retrospective study included 240 consecutive patients admitted to our hospital between October 2011 and January 2014. Sarcopenia and RFH‐GA were evaluated using anthropometric measurements and computed tomography‐based skeletal muscle area. The primary outcome was whether nutritional assessment methods could predict sarcopenia. In addition, factors associated with sarcopenia and mortality were evaluated.ResultsThe median age was 70 years, 67% were men, and 17% had sarcopenia. Malnourished patients assessed by SGA (P = 0.02) and RFH‐GA (P < 0.001) had a significantly higher prevalence of sarcopenia than did well‐nourished patients. After adjustment for age, sex, aetiology, and albumin, multivariate analysis revealed that RFH‐GA, but not SGA, was a significant predictor of sarcopenia [odds ratio, 2.47; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.15–5.33]. During a median follow‐up of 2.7 years, 113 patients died. The overall survival rates were significantly lower in malnourished patients assessed by SGA (P < 0.001) and RFH‐GA (P < 0.001) than in well‐nourished patients. Multivariate analysis revealed that RFH‐GA [hazard ratio (HR), 1.51; 95% CI, 1.02–2.23] and SGA (HR, 1.99; 95% CI, 1.19–3.32) were independently associated with mortality.ConclusionsRoyal Free Hospital‐global assessment is a simple bedside screening tool for identifying sarcopenia and predicting mortality in patients with CLD.
Quantized fault‐tolerant consensus for multiple Lagrangian systems subject to switching networks
Authors: Yao Xiang‐Yu , Park Ju H. , Ding Hua‐Feng , Ge Ming‐Feng 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThis article is concerned with the quantized fault‐tolerant control (FTC) for consensus of multiple Lagrangian systems subject to stochastically switching networks, actuator and sensor faults. First of all, a reliable quantized FTC algorithm is developed under Markov jump networks (MJNs), where the communication signal is first quantized before transmitted to develop controllers, and the communication networks are stochastically switching with the sojourn time belonging to an exponential distribution. Then, to handle the FTC problem in the presence of unknown control directions, the Nussbaum function is introduced to further improve the control reliability. Furthermore, the FTC case involving semi‐Markov jump networks (S‐MJNs) and time‐varying communication delays is considered, where the negative constraints of time delays can be effectively attenuated with the sojourn time following a Weibull distribution. Meanwhile, several sufficient criteria on the consensus analysis and algorithms synthesis are established by means of the Lyapunov–Krasovskii stability method. Finally, numerous illustrative examples are elaborated on for demonstrating the feasibility of the derived results.
Do soil carbon sequestration and soil fertility increase by including a gramineous cover crop in continuous soybean?
Authors: Beltrán Marcelo , Galantini Juan Alberto , Salvagiotti Fernando , Tognetti Pedro , Bacigaluppo Silvina , Sainz Rozas Hernán Rene , Barraco Miriam , Barbieri Pablo Andres 
Published: May 2021

AbstractCover cropping is a farming practice that may improve C sequestration and soil fertility, but these effects can vary under different edaphoclimatic conditions. The effects of including a winter gramineous cover crop (CC) in continuous soybeans were evaluated in three long‐term experiments (8 yr) on one coarse‐textured soil and two fine‐textured soils in the Pampas region of Argentina. The impacts of CC on soil C sequestration, soil nutrient availability, soil organic C (SOC), and N contents of soil particle size fractions were also determined. The inclusion of CC only increased SOC stock by 3.1 Mg ha‐1in the coarse‐textured soil (CTS). The labile C fraction in the 0–5‐cm depth increased in both the CTS and the fine‐textured soils (FTS) by 263% and 93%, respectively. Soil N also increased in the labile fraction by 119% and 112% when a CC was used in the CTS and FTS soils, respectively. Moreover, the inclusion of a CC decreased soil P availability in one experiment (4.9 kg ha‐1) and increased soil manganese in two experiments (11 kg ha‐1on average). The inclusion of a gramineous CC in a soybean monoculture increased the C balance, particularly in coarse‐textured soils. Considering that soil N was similarly affected, the C/N ratio was not impacted.
Agricultural peatlands conservation: How does the addition of plant biomass and copper affect soil fertility?
Authors: Bourdon Karolane , Fortin Josée , Dessureault‐Rompré Jacynthe , Caron Jean 
Published: May 2021

AbstractSubsidence, erosion, and degradation in agricultural peatlands are leading to the disappearance of highly fertile farmland. This study investigated two strategies aimed at extending the lifespan of cultivated peat soils: the application of straw and wood chips to compensate for soil losses and the application of copper (Cu) to slow peat decomposition, based on previous recommendations. Peat soil samples (270 g) were amended with 11 t ha–1 of biomass materials (14.8 g kg–1) and 235.6 mg Cu kg–1 and incubated in glass jars at constant temperature and water content. Thirty chemical parameters were then monitored over a 56‐d period through repeated soil sampling. Discriminant analysis showed that the addition of biomass had the greatest affect on nitrogen (N) availability, immobilizing 7.8 to 12.1 kg of inorganic N per metric ton of incorporated biomass. Considering that peat soils may require from 4 to 40 t biomass ha–1 yr–1 to reach carbon equilibrium, the tested biomass materials could immobilize from 34 to 500 kg ha–1 of N if confirmed at the field scale. This may help capture excess N but may also limit crop growth. Alternatively, slowing decomposition could reduce both biomass requirements and N immobilization. However, the results show that Cu had little effect on parameters linked to organic matter decomposition. Indeed, dissolved organic carbon was decreased by 11% in Cu‐treated soils. A longer‐term study should be conducted to confirm these observations at the field scale, thus helping to develop conservation strategies suitable for agricultural production.
Building information modeling and artificial intelligence: Advanced technologies for the digitalisation of seismic damage in existing buildings
Authors: Musella Christian , Serra Milena , Menna Costantino , Asprone Domenico 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThis research, which is based on the digital technologies building information modeling (BIM) and artificial intelligence, describes achievements in the field of detecting, assessing, and digitalising damage in existing buildings. The purpose of the study is to highlight the potential and current benefits of combining structural‐assessment methods with the automatic digitisation of hazard‐induced damage in affected buildings. To this end, the aforementioned technologies are employed in the form of an image‐based recognition‐BIM classification technique applied to on‐site visual‐damage data. By extending the methodology to existing masonry and concrete buildings, the results obtained open up new opportunities for speeding up the process of assessing, designing, and managing seismic repair/retrofit interventions using image data acquired in the manner described.
Experimental investigation on in‐plane lateral stiffness and degree of ductility of composite PVC reinforced concrete walls
Authors: Far Harry , Nejadi Shami , Aghayarzadeh Mehdi 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThis study investigates the in‐plane lateral stiffness and ductility of composite PVC encased concrete walls subject to the lateral loads using pushover tests to determine lateral strength and ductility characteristics of composite PVC encased walls filled with plain concrete, macro‐synthetic fiber reinforced concrete (RC), and steel RC. Eighteen concrete wall specimens were cast and subjected to pushover test to determine the load‐deflection curves. Based on the capacity curves resulting from the pushover tests, the yield and maximum displacements and subsequently structural ductility and performance factors according to Australian Standard for seismic design of buildings have been determined. The determined parameters as well as the initial and effective lateral stiffness values measured from the load‐deflection curves for all three cases were compared and the final findings have been discussed. Based on the outcomes of this study, it has become apparent that the tested composite PVC encased macro‐synthetic fiber RC walls can exhibit superior performance in terms of ductility when compared to the unreinforced concrete specimens. In addition, the results indicated that the initial in‐plane lateral stiffness values of the tested composite PVC encased macro‐synthetic fiber RC walls increased by 25% compared to the tested walls filled with plain concrete. In order to enable structural designers to design composite PVC encased concrete walls, ductility factors for this type of walls have been extracted from the test results for the three mentioned cases and proposed for practical applications. It has been concluded that all the PVC encased concrete walls evaluated in this study can be categorized as fully ductile structures.
Zootherapy as traditional therapeutic strategy in the Cholistan desert of Bahawalpur‐Pakistan
Authors: Ahmad Saeed , Akram Muhammad , Riaz Muhammad , Munir Naveed , Mahmood Tahir Imtiaz , Anwar Hina , Zahid Rabia , Daniyal Muhammad , Jabeen Faiza , Ashraf Ejaz , Sarwar Ghulam , Rasool Ghulam , Ali Shah Syed Muhammad 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThe use of traditional medicines has tremendously increased over the past few decades. Approximately 80% of the world's population relies on traditional medicines for their primary healthcare needs because of their cost effectiveness and efficiency with no or minimal side effects. Zootherapy refers to the use of medicines that are prepared or derived from animals or from their products. The current study documented the folk knowledge related to the practice of various animal‐derived products and ethnozoological based drugs used as medicines by the residents of the Cholistan desert of Bahawalpur (Pakistan). In this regard 46 knowledgeable and reliable elderly people, hakims and spiritual healers ranging from 35–60 years of age having knowledge related to zootherapy were included in the current study. A field survey from February 2006 to November 2007 was conducted by interviewing the selected respondents through a structured questionnaire. They provided knowledge regarding the use of animals and their derived products in traditional medicine. The zootherapeutic knowledge was based on both domestic animals as well as wild animals. A total of 20 animal species were included in the study, among which nine animals were domestic while 11 were wild animals. Among selected animals, nine were mammals, four birds, four reptiles and three insects. It was reported that camel was the most commonly used (n = 32 respondents) among mammals while Pigeon (n = 39 respondents), Spiny‐tailed lizard (n = 41 respondents) and Indian honey bee (n = 27 respondents) among birds, reptiles and insects, respectively, have significant use for the treatment of different diseases. Based on this communication we could recommend that this type of abandoned knowledge should be considered for the management and conservation of faunistic resources. However, the advantageous role of animals and their products was reported but more extensive research is required to explore the bioactive constituents in the raw material of these animals responsible for their beneficial effects.
Transabdominal ultrasonographic measurement of caudal vena cava to aorta derived ratios in clinically healthy neonatal foals
Authors: Del Prete Chiara , Freccero Francesca , Lanci Aliai , Hallowell Gayle D. , Bullone Chiara , Castagnetti Carolina , Pasolini Maria Pia 
Published: May 2021

AbstractBackgroundUltrasonographic measurement of the vena cava and aorta (Ao) diameters and their ratios have been suggested to be a reliable way of quantifying hypovolemia.ObjectiveTo evaluate the feasibility and reliability of an ultrasonographic technique for measurement of Ao and caudal vena cava (CVC) and derived ratios using three different acoustic windows in a population of healthy neonatal foals. Correlation between Ao and CVC measurements and ratios and foals' age or bodyweight were also investigated.MethodsIn 14 healthy foals aged less than 7 days, the diameters of the Ao and of the CVC in long and short axis were measured by two observers from images obtained using three different ultrasonographic imaging planes (left dorsal, left ventral and right views). The Ao and CVC cross‐sectional area and the CVC/Ao diameter and area ratios were calculated. Image quality was subjectively assessed. Intraobserver and interobserver reliabilities for image quality scores and measurements were evaluated between the two observers. Simple linear regression models were used to identify correlations between the CVC/Ao measurements and ratios and the age and bodyweight of the foals.ResultsThe left ventral view showed the highest reliability. A correlation between bodyweight and the short axis measurement of the CVC was found (R2 = 0.385; p = 0.018). Age was positively correlated with the long axis of measurement of the CVC (R2 = 0.426; p = 0.011) and CVC/Ao diameter ratio (R2 = 0.625; p = 0.001).ConclusionsThe left ventral view allows the Ao and CVC cross sections to be easily visualized and measured in neonatal foals in right lateral recumbency.
Exploring paths of chemical transformations in molecular and periodic systems: An approach utilizing force
Authors: Maeda Satoshi , Harabuchi Yu 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThis article provides an overview on an automated reaction path search method called artificial force induced reaction (AFIR). The AFIR method induces various chemical transformations by applying force between pairs of fragments in a system. By pushing fragments from their various mutual orientations or by applying force between various fragment pairs using the AFIR method, many reaction paths can be explored systematically. In this article, the basic ideas and several different implementations are introduced first. Then, its thoroughness in the automated reaction path search is discussed with its applications to two small molecules. In the later part, its versatility is shown with discussing some previous application examples to organic reaction, organometallic catalysis, photoreaction, surface reaction, phase transition, and enzyme reaction. In addition, an attempt of predicting an idea of new synthesis method from scratch on the basis of the concept quantum chemistry‐aided retrosynthetic analysis (QCaRA) is presented, where the AFIR method was used as a reaction path search engine in QCaRA. Finally, future outlook and a comment on the GRRM program in which the AFIR method is available are given.This article is categorized under:
Structure and Mechanism > Reaction Mechanisms and Catalysis
Theoretical and Physical Chemistry > Reaction Dynamics and Kinetics
Topological defects formation with momentum dissipation
Authors: Li Zhi-Hong , Zeng Hua-Bi , Zhang Hai-Qing 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
We employ holographic techniques to explore the effects of momentum dissipation on the formation of topological defects during the critical dynamics of a strongly coupled superconductor after a linear quench of temperature. The gravity dual is the dRGT massive gravity in which the conservation of momentum in the boundary field theory is broken by the presence of a bulk graviton mass. From the scaling relations of defects number and “freeze-out” time to the quench rate for various graviton masses, we demonstrate that the momentum dissipation induced by graviton mass has little effect on the scaling laws compared to the Kibble-Zurek mechanism. Inspired from Pippard’s formula in condensed matter, we propose an analytic relation between the coherence length and the graviton mass, which agrees well with the numerical results from the quasi-normal modes analysis. As a result, the coherence length decreases with respect to the graviton mass, which indicates that the momentum dissipation will augment the number of topological defects.
Locally-finite quantities in sYM
Authors: Bourjaily Jacob L. , Langer Cameron , Patatoukos Kokkimidis 
Published: May 2021

AbstractAlocally-finitequantity is one for which there is no region of divergence anywhere in the space of real loop momenta; it can therefore be computed (in principle) without regularization. In this work, we prove thatalltwo-loop ratio functions in planar, maximally supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory are locally-finite.
Defect conformal blocks from Appell functions
Authors: Burić Ilija , Schomerus Volker 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
We develop a group theoretical formalism to study correlation functions in defect conformal field theory, with multiple insertions of bulk and defect fields. This formalism is applied to construct the defect conformal blocks for three-point functions of scalar fields. Starting from a configuration with one bulk and one defect field, for which the correlation function is determined by conformal symmetry, we explore two possibilities, adding either one additional defect or bulk field. In both cases it is possible to express the blocks in terms of classical hypergeometric functions, though the case of two bulk and one defect field requires Appell’s function F4.
Stochastic model reduction: convergence and applications to climate equations
Authors: Assing Sigurd , Flandoli Franco , Pappalettera Umberto 
Published: May 2021

AbstractWe study stochastic model reduction for evolution equations in infinite-dimensional Hilbert spaces and show the convergence to the reduced equations via abstract results of Wong–Zakai type for stochastic equations driven by a scaled Ornstein–Uhlenbeck process. Both weak and strong convergence are investigated, depending on the presence of quadratic interactions between reduced variables and driving noise. Finally, we are able to apply our results to a class of equations used in climate modeling.