bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Into the Unknown-exploring a Rare BRAF K601E Mutation in a Rectal Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Karnik Nupur , Ankolkar Mandar , Gogte Prachi , Ramadwar Mukta , Ostwal Vikas , Shetty Omshree 
Published: February 2021

Aim: v-Raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B (BRAF) gene mutations are broadly divided as BRAF V600E and BRAF non-V600E. These groups exhibit differences in the clinical, histological, molecular and therapeutic mechanisms.
Case Presentation and Discussion: The case described is of a middle aged female with an aggressive rectal adenocarcinoma diagnosed on biopsy and immunohistochemistry. A rare BRAF non-V600E mutation at codon 601, K601E was detected. This mutation has been described in very few cases of colonic adenocarcinoma. The tumor showed extensive local and peritoneal disease with lung metastasis at presentation and progression on the primary line of chemotherapy. The aggressive predisposition of the tumor was contrary to reports suggesting non-V600E tumors to connote a better prognosis.
Conclusion: Active reporting of non-V600E BRAF variants in colorectal adenocarcinoma is essential in order to create a robust database which will help in assessing a biological behavior of these tumors and explore the role of targeted therapy.
Role of Hybrid Interventions in Management of Critical Lower Limb Ischemia
Authors: Zekilah Samy R. , Kamhawy Adel H. , Hassan Hassan A. , El-heniedy Mohamed A. , Ismael Ahmed M. 
Published: February 2021

Aims: To evaluate safety and efficacy of the hybrid technique in revascularization of multilevel lower limb arterial occlusive disease in patients with critical lower limb ischemia.
Study Design: A prospective non comparative interventional study.
Place and Duration of Study: It was conducted between February 2017 and June 2019 in the Department of Vascular Surgery, Tanta University hospital.
Methodology: The study included 23 patients were treated with hybrid intervention techniques, and data were collected prospectively. Detailed history was taken and clinical examination was done for every patient along with routine laboratory investigations and radiological work up like duplex scanning with or without CT angiography. All patients were undergone hybrid interventions in an operating room with imaging facilities (mobile c-arm device) where both surgical and endovascular interventions were done simultaneously.
Results: Twenty three patients were treated for unilateral critical lower limb ischemia using single session elective hybrid intervention. The patients age ranged from 46 to 76 (mean 62.6) with 19 males. 8 patients (34.8%) presented with ischemic rest pain and the remainder (65.2%) presented with tissue loss (ischemic ulcer or gangrene). most common inflow procedure was femoro-popliteal supragenicular bypass, and the commonest outflow procedure was tibial angioplasty. Technical success was achieved in 22 patients. Mean ABI was improved from 0.49 preoperatively to 0.84 in early post-operative measurements. Out of 23 limbs treated there were 20 limbs saved from amputation (87% limb salvage rate). We had three mortalities from other co-morbidities and four minor complications treated conservatively and resolved.
Conclusion: Hybrid interventions were proved to be reasonable, effective and safe option for treatment of critical lower limb ischemia.
Simulation, optimization, and economic analysis of process to obtain esters from fatty acids
Authors: Margarida Bruna R. , Flores Luana I. , Hamerski Fabiane , Voll Fernando A. P. , L. Luz Luiz F. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractWaste oils are a very promising raw material in the biodiesel industry, which is why great efforts have focused on the removal of the free fatty acids (FFAs) present in this source, mainly through the esterification reaction. Many studies have evaluated the influence of different variables on the reaction conversion, such as temperature, catalyst concentration, and alcohol/oil ratio. However, it is still necessary to verify how the esterification is affected by higher water concentration. In this study, different acid‐catalyzed esterification reaction conditions with distinct water concentrations were tested experimentally, and a new rate expression was proposed. This newly obtained reaction kinetics was then used to undertake a complete analysis of the biodiesel production process from waste oil, evaluating the influence of higher water concentrations in the esterification, and including different optimizations and an economic evaluation. Concerning some of the process modifications, it was verified that the inclusion of three energy‐saving heat exchangers reduced utility costs by 40%. In contrast, the inclusion of an ethanol‐recycling distillation column reduced raw material costs by 40%. Different settings were also tested, varying the feed composition and the esterification reaction time and conditions, resulting in a payback period of less than 3 years in any evaluated scenario. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Reconciling the object and spatial processing views of the perirhinal cortex through task‐relevant unitization
Authors: Fiorilli Julien , Bos Jeroen J. , Grande Xenia , Lim Judith , Düzel Emrah , Pennartz Cyriel M. A. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractThe perirhinal cortex is situated on the border between sensory association cortex and the hippocampal formation. It serves an important function as a transition area between the sensory neocortex and the medial temporal lobe. While the perirhinal cortex has traditionally been associated with object coding and the “what” pathway of the temporal lobe, current evidence suggests a broader function of the perirhinal cortex in solving feature ambiguity and processing complex stimuli. Besides fulfilling functions in object coding, recent neurophysiological findings in freely moving rodents indicate that the perirhinal cortex also contributes to spatial and contextual processing beyond individual sensory modalities. Here, we address how these two opposing views on perirhinal cortex—the object‐centered and spatial‐contextual processing hypotheses—may be reconciled. The perirhinal cortex is consistently recruited when different features can be merged perceptually or conceptually into a single entity. Features that are unitized in these entities include object information from multiple sensory domains, reward associations, semantic features and spatial/contextual associations. We propose that the same perirhinal network circuits can be flexibly deployed for multiple cognitive functions, such that the perirhinal cortex performs similar unitization operations on different types of information, depending on behavioral demands and ranging from the object‐related domain to spatial, contextual and semantic information.
Patient and provider perceptions on utilizing a mobile technology platform to improve surgical outcomes in the perioperative setting
Authors: Huynh Brandon , Barrett James , Joachim Alyssa , Smith David , Stafford Linda C. , Abbott Daniel E. , Alagoz Esra 
Published: February 2021

AbstractBackground and ObjectivesPatient engagement software is a ubiquitous and expensive commercially available tool designed to improve transitions of care. There are currently no high‐quality patient and provider‐level data about the usability of these products for surgical oncology patients. This study aims to better understand patient and provider attitudes and perceptions about the implementation of such technology.MethodsFocused interviews were conducted following the demonstration of a provider‐built mobile technology platform. Interviews were audio‐recorded, transcribed, and analyzed. Data were consensus coded inductively and categorized into themes regarding patient and provider perspectives on the usability and implementation of MobiMD.ResultsOur interviews revealed four consistent themes: (1) patients feel there is a lack of reliable resources for patient education; (2) both patients and providers are supportive of using a mobile application; (3) providers perceive patient onboarding as an added burden on current workflows; and (4) after onboarding, providers express that such an application would optimize current workflows.ConclusionsPatients perceive a need for improved perioperative education. Providers and patients agree that a mobile technology platform would be an effective solution in addressing this need. Effective implementation of such an intervention may improve patient education and engagement, leading to improved patient outcomes.
Short‐term chemosensory distortions and phantoms in COVID‐19
Authors: Gurrola José G. , Chang Jolie L. , Roland Lauren T. , Loftus Patricia A. , Cheung Steven W. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractObjectiveTo identify differentiation features of chemosensory dysfunction in COVID‐19 infection and their primary drivers.Study DesignCross‐sectional cohort comparison.MethodsA national anonymous survey was used to query participants regarding nasal symptoms and chemosensory dysfunction including sensitivity levels, and presence or absence of distortions and phantoms within the 6‐week time window surrounding their COVID‐19 testing and survey completion.ResultsThree‐hundred and sixty‐four respondents who reported COVID‐19 positive (COVID+; n = 176) or COVID‐19 negative (COVID−; n = 188) test results completed the survey. The COVID+ cohort had higher occurrence rates for: (a) chemosensory sensitivity impairments (67.0% vs 30.3%; P < .01), where the rate of complete loss of smell (anosmia) or taste (ageusia) was higher (35.8% vs 4.8%; P < .01), and (b) chemosensory distortions (39.8% vs 19.1%; P < .01), where the rate of anosmia or ageusia with distortions was also higher in the COVID+ cohort (19.9% vs 2.7%; P < .01). Occurrence rates in the two cohorts were similar for chemosensory phantoms (COVID+ 17.0%, COVID− 18.6%; P = .70) and nasal discharge or stuffiness in the presence of sensitivity impairment (COVID+ 63.6%, COVID− 52.6%; P = .17).ConclusionChemosensory dysfunction in COVID‐19 is associated with higher rates of smell or taste sensitivity impairments and distortions. Higher rates of anosmia and ageusia drive these key findings. Chemosensory phantoms and nasal symptoms in the presence of sensitivity impairment occur at rates that should demand clinical attention, but they do not appear to be specific to COVID‐19 positivity.Level of Evidence2b.
Stretchable Multicolor Emission of Polymer/Dye Blends Induced by Intermolecular Interaction and Solid‐State Aggregation
Authors: Ho Jin‐Chieh , Lin Yan‐Cheng , Chen Wen‐Chang 
Published: February 2021

AbstractThe preparation, morphology and photophysical properties of stretchable polymer/fluorescent dyes (FDs) blends are reported. The used FDs include 2‐naphthalenemethanol (NA), 9‐anthracenemethanol (AN), 1‐pyrenemethanol (PY), and 3‐perylenylmethanol (PE). It is discovered that the solid‐state aggregation in FDs/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) promotes through the intermolecular interaction leading to an ordered structure in the blends. In contrast, the blends using other polymers of poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) show disordered structure and poor stretchability‐performance properties. This might be related to the interruption on the solid‐state stacking of FDs from hydrogen‐bonding interaction between the matrix polymer and the FDs, leading to the inefficient pathway for the exciton migration. The crosslinked PDMS/PY composites present an excellent luminescence properties featured with photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 13.8% and stretchability featured with elongation at the break of 80% strain.
Phototriggered Crosslinking and Surface Modification via Catalyst‐Free Functionalization of a New Orthogonal Agent Containing Nitrile N‐Oxide and o‐Nitrobenzyl Ether Moieties
Authors: Cheawchan Sumitra , Sogawa Hiromitsu , Takata Toshikazu 
Published: February 2021

AbstractA new orthogonal agent containing phototriggered o‐nitrobenzyl (NB) ether and kinetically stabilized nitrile N‐oxide moieties are synthesized and applied to the reliable catalyst‐free functionalization of materials. This orthogonal reagent enables the modification of rubbers and glass surfaces containing unsaturated bonds through the catalyst‐free [2+3] cycloaddition reaction of nitrile N‐oxide to obtain photolabile NB ether‐functionalized materials. The resulting substrates having an NB ether are suitable to undergo photocontrollable reactions with electrophiles for generating various types of functional materials.
PCA denoising and Wiener deconvolution of 31P 3D CSI data to enhance effective SNR and improve point spread function
Authors: Froeling Martijn , Prompers Jeanine J. , Klomp Dennis W. J. , van der Velden Tijl A. 
Published: February 2021

PurposeThis study evaluates the performance of 2 processing methods, that is, principal component analysis‐based denoising and Wiener deconvolution, to enhance the quality of phosphorus 3D chemical shift imaging data.MethodsPrincipal component analysis‐based denoising increases the SNR while maintaining spectral information. Wiener deconvolution reduces the FWHM of the voxel point spread function, which is increased by Hamming filtering or Hamming‐weighted acquisition. The proposed methods are evaluated using simulated and in vivo 3D phosphorus chemical shift imaging data by 1) visual inspection of the spatial signal distribution; 2) SNR calculation of the PCr peak; and 3) fitting of metabolite basis functions.ResultsWith the optimal order of processing steps, we show that the effective SNR of in vivo phosphorus 3D chemical shift imaging data can be increased. In simulations, we show we can preserve phosphorus‐containing metabolite peaks that had an SNR < 1 before denoising. Furthermore, using Wiener deconvolution, we were able to reduce the FWHM of the voxel point spread function with only partially reintroducing Gibb‐ringing artifacts while maintaining the SNR. After data processing, fitting of the phosphorus‐containing metabolite signals improved.ConclusionIn this study, we have shown that principal component analysis‐based denoising in combination with regularized Wiener deconvolution allows increasing the effective spectral SNR of in vivo phosphorus 3D chemical shift imaging data, with reduction of the FWHM of the voxel point spread function. Processing increased the effective SNR by at least threefold compared to Hamming weighted acquired data and minimized voxel bleeding. With these methods, fitting of metabolite amplitudes became more robust with decreased fitting residuals.
Implementing Historical Controls in Oncology Trials
Authors: Collignon Olivier , Schritz Anna , Spezia Riccardo , Senn Stephen J. 
Published: February 2021

Abstract

Drug development in oncology has broadened from mainly considering randomized clinical trials to also including single-arm trials tailored for very specific subtypes of cancer. They often use historical controls, and this article discusses benefits and risks of this paradigm and provide various regulatory and statistical considerations. While leveraging the information brought by historical controls could potentially shorten development time and reduce the number of patients enrolled, a careful selection of the past studies, a prespecified statistical analysis accounting for the heterogeneity between studies, and early engagement with regulators will be key to success. Although both the European Medicines Agency and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have already approved medicines based on nonrandomized experiments, the evidentiary package can be perceived as less comprehensive than randomized experiments. Use of historical controls, therefore, is better suited for cases of high unmet clinical need, where the disease course is well characterized and the primary endpoint is objective.

Implications for Practice
Incorporating historical data in single-arm oncology trials has the potential to accelerate drug development and to reduce the number of patients enrolled, compared with standard randomized controlled clinical trials. Given the lack of blinding and randomization, such an approach is better suited for cases of high unmet clinical need and/or difficult experimental situations, in which the trajectory of the disease is well characterized and the endpoint can be measured objectively. Careful pre-specification and selection of the historical data, matching of the patient characteristics with the concurrent trial data, and innovative statistical methodologies accounting for between-study variation will be needed. Early engagement with regulators (e.g., via Scientific Advice) is highly recommended.
Genoa San Giorgio Bridge
Authors: Sarcina Gioacchino , Dal Zotto Siro , Poltronieri Francesco , Raccagni Marco , Sartori Lorenzo , Cardella Vito , Morbin Andrea 
Published: February 2021

AbstractA bridge that slowly crosses Polcevera Valley, step by step, in silence, almost asking for permission; a bridge that will be like a ship, a big white vessel moored in the valley; a bridge that can't be banal in its simplicity; a bridge made by Italian excellences who, through an intense activity of coordination, planning and the work of expert professionals, had to carry out the work as soon as possible. It is through the words of its designer, architect and senator for life Renzo Piano, that we want to introduce the new Genova San Giorgio Bridge. The steel contractor's approach to the realization of the work is summed up in the words of the CEO Giuseppe Bono: ”The bridge must be an expression and a symbol of the country all over the world. All this is Fincantieri, what we have done so far and what we will do. Fincantieri represents something unique in our country, with introduction of its unparalleled integration model.“ The steel contractor has made the replacement of former Morandi bridge possible only two years after the tragic events of 14 August 2018, bringing the road system of the Autostrada dei Fiori motorway back to normal.
Development of a questionnaire for assessing Spanish‐speaking students' understanding of the nature of models and their uses in science
Authors: Oliva José M. , Blanco‐López Angel 
Published: February 2021

AbstractThe translation and adaptation of an assessment instrument into another language can be problematic, due, among other reasons, to sociocultural differences. This proved to be the case with the Spanish adaptation of the Students' Understanding of Models in Science (SUMS) questionnaire, a Likert‐type scale developed originally in English. In light of this, and with the additional aim of improving upon certain aspects of the original instrument, we report the development of a new questionnaire for assessing Spanish‐speaking students' understanding of the nature of models and their uses in science, providing validity evidence for the internal structure of the construct measured. The tool was developed by considering various dimensions of this concept that have been described in the literature, as well as the results of studies that piloted the SUMS questionnaire. For each dimension we drew up a set of items that could be rated using a Likert‐type scale; half of these items were positively worded with respect to an adequate understanding of models, and half were reverse worded. The adequacy of the proposed items was first assessed by a panel of experts, following which we examined the score structure obtained with the resulting instrument by administering it to a sample of 1272 students aged between 14 and 55 years. After purifying the instrument based on the results of these analyses, we obtained a final version of the questionnaire comprising 20 items distributed equally across four subscales: Beyond exact replicas, Purpose of models, Multiple models, and Changing models. The results obtained through factor analysis and structural equation modeling provide validity evidence for the internal structure of the construct measured. The questionnaire is quick to administer and is applicable to students across a wide range of ages and levels of education, including prospective science teachers.
Effects of Tilletia foetida on Microbial Communities in the Rhizosphere Soil of Wheat Seeds Coated with Different Concentrations of Jianzhuang
Authors: Din Ghulam Muhae Ud , Du Zhenzhen , Zhang Han , Zhao Sifeng , Liu Taiguo , Chen Wanquan , Gao Li 
Published: February 2021

AbstractTilletia foetida (syn. T. laevis) leads to wheat common bunt, a worldwide disease that can lead to 80% yield loss and even total loss of production, together with degrading the quality of grains and flour by producing a rotten fish smell. To explore the potential microbial community that may contribute to the control of soil- and seed-borne pathogens, in this study, we analyzed the effects of the plant pathogenic fungus T. foetida on rhizosphere soil microorganisms in wheat seeds coated with different concentrations of a fungicide (Jianzhuang) used to control the disease. To analyze the bacterial and fungal abundance in T. foetida-infected and mock-infected plants, the microorganisms were sequenced using high-throughput HiSeq 2500 gene sequencing. The results showed that bacterial communities, including Verrucomicrobia, Patescibacteria, Armatimonadetes, Nitrospirae, Fibrobacteres, Chlamydiae, and Hydrogenedentes, and fungal communities, including Basidiomycota and Ciliophora, were more prevalent in the mock group than in the T. foetida-infected group, which may contribute to the control of wheat common bunt. Moreover, cluster and PCoA analysis revealed that replicates of the same samples were clustered together, and these results were also found in the distance index within-group analysis for bacterial and fungal communities in the T. foetida-infected and mock groups.
Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) associations with diseases in ethnic groups of the Arabian Peninsula
Authors: Al Naqbi Halima , Mawart Aurélie , Alshamsi Jawaher , Al Safar Habiba , Tay Guan K. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractSince the discovery of human leukocyte antigens (HLAs), the function of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) gene families in a wide range of diseases have been the subject of research for decades. In particular, the associations of autoimmune disorders to allelic variants and candidate genes encoding the MHC are well documented. However, despite decades of research, the knowledge of MHC associations with human disease susceptibility have been predominantly studied in European origin, with limited understanding in different populations and ethnic groups. This is particularly evident in countries and ethnic populations of the Arabian Peninsula. Human MHC haplotypes, and its association with diseases, of the variable ethnic groups of this region are poorly studied. This review compiled published manuscripts that have reported a list of autoimmune diseases (insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, systemic lupus erythematosus, myasthenia gravis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis vulgaris, and multiple sclerosis) associated with MHC class I and class II in the populations of the Arabian Peninsula, specifically Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Data available was compared with other three ethnic groups, namely Caucasians, Asians, and Africans. The limited data available in the public domain on the association between MHC gene and autoimmune diseases highlight the challenges in the Middle Eastern region.