bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Economic Evaluation of Interventions in Parkinson's Disease: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Afentou Nafsika , Jarl Johan , Gerdtham Ulf‐G , Saha Sanjib 
Published: March 2019

AbstractBackgroundParkinson's disease (PD) management comprises of drug treatments, surgery, and physical activity/occupational therapies to relieve PD's symptoms. The aim of this study is twofold; first, to appraise recent economic evaluation studies on PD management in order to update the existing knowledge; and second, to facilitate decision making on PD management by assessing the cost‐effectiveness of all types of PD interventions.MethodsA systematic search for studies published between 2010 and 2018 was conducted. The inclusion and exclusion of the articles were based on criteria relevant to population, intervention, comparison, outcomes, and study design (PICO). The reporting quality of the articles was assessed according to Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards.ResultsTwenty‐eight articles were included, 10 of which were evaluations of drug treatments, 10 deep brain stimulation (DBS), and eight physical/occupational therapies. Among early‐stage treatments, Ti Ji dominated all physical activity interventions; however, its cost‐effectiveness should be further explored in relation to its duration, intensity, and frequency. Multidisciplinary interventions of joint medical and nonmedical therapies provided slightly better health outcomes for the same costs. In advanced PD patients, adjunct drug treatments could become more cost‐effective if introduced during early PD and, although DBS was more cost‐effective than adjunct drug therapies, the results were time‐bound.ConclusionsConditionally, certain PD interventions are cost‐effective. However, PD progression differs in each patient; thus, the cost‐effectiveness of individually tailored combinations of interventions that could provide more time in less severe disease states and improve patients’ and caregivers’ quality of life, should be further explored.
Technical Note: A new method to rapidly identify benign and malignant breast lumps through bioelectrical impedance spectroscopy
Authors: Wu Jian , Wang Pin , Tang Yan , Liu Hong , Wang Haobin , Zhang Wenjie , Zhang Yan , Chen Liping , Xu Zhangbo , Yao Xinmin 
Published: March 2019

PurposeTo evaluate the effectiveness of Bioelectrical Impedance Spectroscopy (BIS) in order to rapidly distinguish malignant vs benign breast masses.MethodsA total of 622 breast masses from 489 patients were collected from January 2015 to June 2017. Every specimen was evaluated by a breast tissue bioimpedance analyzer (MScan1.0B) followed by morphological examination by pathologists. The results from BIS were compared with the morphological results from pathology (as a gold standard). The specificity and sensitivity of BIS were evaluated and the consistency test was performed.ResultsCompared with the pathology standard, BIS had good sensitivity (92.4%), specificity (96.0%), false positive rate (3.96%), and false negative rate (7.58%). The positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, positive predictive value, and negative predictive values of BIS were 23.36, 0.0789, 73.49%, 99.07%, respectively. The kappa value of BIS was 0.794 ± 0.038 in the consistency test.ConclusionCompared with the pathology standard, the BIS is an effective, convenient, and economical detection method to quickly differentiate benign and malignant breast masses with high accuracy. It may serve as a potential supplement of intraoperative pathological examinations.
A nondestructive and noninvasive method to determine water content in lyophilized proteins using low‐field time‐domain NMR
Authors: Abraham Anuji , Elkassabany Omar , Krause Mary E. , Ott Andrew 
Published: March 2019

AbstractDetermining the moisture content in lyophilized solids is a fundamental step towards predicting the quality and stability of lyophilized products, but conventional methods are time‐consuming, invasive, and destructive. High levels of residual moisture in a lyophilized product can lead to cake collapse, product degradation, and reduced shelf life. The aim of this study was to develop a fast, noninvasive, nondestructive, and inexpensive method for determining the moisture content in a lyophilized monoclonal antibody (mAb) formulation using benchtop low‐field time‐domain nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
Fat‐water separation based on Transition REgion Extraction (TREE)
Authors: Peng Hao , Zou Chao , Cheng Chuanli , Tie Changjun , Qiao Yangzi , Wan Qian , Lv Jianxun , He Qiang , Liang Dong , Liu Xin , Liu Wenzhong , Zheng Hairong 
Published: March 2019

PurposeTo develop a method based on fat‐water transition region extraction (TREE) for robust fat‐water separation and quantification in challenging scenarios, including low signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR), fast changing B0 field, and disjointed anatomies.Theory and MethodsIn TREE method, the phasor solutions of each pixel were categorized into fat‐dominant and water‐dominant groups. The fat‐water transition region was then extracted by detecting sudden changes in the phasor maps. The phasor solutions of the pixels in the transition region were solved by choosing the smoothest phasor combinations. For the remaining subregions, the phasor solution was then determined by all the surrounding transition region pixels. The proposed method was validated using various datasets, including some from the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) 2012 Challenge.ResultsQuantitative score of proposed method (9936.8 of 10,000) is comparable to the winner (9951.9) of ISMRM 2012 Challenge. The total processing time was 179.3 s for 15 datasets. Sagittal spine data with ~400 mm field of view in head‐foot direction were used to compare TREE with several representative region‐growing methods. Results showed that the proposed method was robust under fast changing B0 field, disjointed anatomies and low SNR area. No apparent fat‐water swap was observed in the low SNR (SNR ~ 10) dataset. Accurate proton density fat fraction results were also produced from the proposed method.ConclusionA method based on fat‐water transition region extraction was proposed for robust water‐fat separation and fat fraction quantification. The method worked well in spatially disjointed objects, fast changing B0 field, and low SNR application.
Motion‐robust and blood‐suppressed M1‐optimized diffusion MR imaging of the liver
Authors: Zhang Yuxin , Peña‐Nogales Óscar , Holmes James H. , Hernando Diego 
Published: March 2019

PurposeTo develop motion‐robust, blood‐suppressed diffusion‐weighted imaging (DWI) of the liver with optimized diffusion encoding waveforms and evaluate the accuracy and reproducibility of quantitative apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements.MethodsA novel approach for the design of diffusion weighting waveforms, termed M1‐optimized diffusion imaging (MODI), is proposed. MODI includes an echo time‐optimized motion‐robust diffusion weighting gradient waveform design, with a small nonzero first‐moment motion sensitivity (M1) value to enable blood signal suppression. Experiments were performed in eight healthy volunteers and five patient volunteers. In each case, DW images and ADC maps were compared between acquisitions using standard monopolar waveforms, motion moment‐nulled (M1‐nulled and M1–M2‐nulled) waveforms, and the proposed MODI approach.ResultsHealthy volunteer experiments using MODI showed no significant ADC bias in the left lobe relative to the right lobe (p < .05) demonstrating robustness to cardiac motion, and no significant ADC bias with respect to monopolar‐based ADC measured in the right lobe (p < .05), demonstrating blood signal suppression. In contrast, monopolar‐based ADC showed significant bias in the left lobe relative to the right lobe (p < .01) due to its sensitivity to motion, and both M1‐nulled and M1–M2‐nulled‐based ADC showed significant bias (p < .01) due to the lack of blood suppression. Preliminary patient results also suggest MODI may enable improved visualization and quantitative assessment of lesions throughout the entire liver.ConclusionsThis novel method for diffusion gradient waveform design enables DWI of the liver with high robustness to motion and suppression of blood signals, overcoming the limitations of conventional monopolar waveforms and moment‐nulled waveforms, respectively.
The impact of a familiarization session on the magnitude and stability of active and passive pelvic floor muscle forces measured through intravaginal dynamometry
Authors: Czyrnyj Catriona S. , Bérubé Marie‐Ève , Varette Kevin , McLean Linda 
Published: March 2019

AimsThe aim of this study was to investigate the impact of task familiarization on (1) the magnitude and (2) the repeatability of active and passive properties of the female pelvic floor muscles (PFMs) measured using automated intra‐vaginal dynamometry.MethodsWomen attended three laboratory sessions at one‐week intervals. After receiving initial task instruction and feedback at the start of the first session, standardized instructions were given while women performed maximal effort voluntary contractions of their PFMs with the dynamometer arms open at two different diameters and kept their PFMs relaxed while the dynamometer arms opened to 40 mm at two speeds. Outcomes included baseline force, peak force, relative peak forces (N), rate of force development (N/s) and stiffness. Between session effects were tested for all outcomes using one‐way ANOVAs. Intra‐class correlation coefficients (ICCs) and minimal detectable change values were computed within each session and between sessions 1 and 2 and sessions 2 and 3.ResultsTwenty nulliparous women (mean age = 35 ± 15 years) participated. No differences in the mean values were found across the three visits for any outcomes. Within sessions, neither ICC nor minimal detectable change differed among sessions and between‐session ICC values were not different between visits 1 and 2 and visits 2 and 3.ConclusionsThere is no evidence of a familiarization effect over a two‐week period on the amplitude nor repeatability of dynamometric measures of active or passive PFM properties recorded from nulliparous women.
A coarse–fine‐mesh stabilization for an alternating Schwarz domain decomposition method
Authors: Axelsson Owe , Gustafsson Ivar 
Published: March 2019

SummaryDomain decomposition methods can be solved in various ways. In this paper, domain decomposition in strips is used. It is demonstrated that a special version of the Schwarz alternating iteration method coupled with coarse–fine‐mesh stabilization leads to a very efficient solver, which is easy to implement and has a behavior nearly independent of mesh and problem parameters. The novelty of the method is the use of alternating iterations between odd‐ and even‐numbered subdomains and the replacement of the commonly used coarse‐mesh stabilization method with coarse–fine‐mesh stabilization.
Associations of BMI and Waist Circumference with All‐Cause Mortality: A 22‐Year Cohort Study
Authors: Chen Yongjie , Yang Yu , Jiang Huan , Liang Xuan , Wang Yuan , Lu Wenli 
Published: March 2019

ObjectiveThis study aimed to examine the associations of BMI and waist circumference with all‐cause mortality in a general adult population from the China Health and Nutrition Survey.MethodsBased on the World Health Organization recommendations, the general adult population was divided into underweight (BMI < 18.5 kg/m2), normal weight (18.5 kg/m2 ≤ BMI < 23.0 kg/m2), overweight (23 kg/m2 ≤ BMI < 27.5 kg/m2), and obesity (BMI ≥ 27.5 kg/m2), as well as abdominal obesity (waist circumference value ≥ 90 cm for males and ≥ 80 cm for females).ResultsOverweight was associated with lower all‐cause mortality in the 18‐ to 29‐year‐old and 30‐ to 39‐year‐old subgroups in males (P = 0.0490 and 0.0234; hazard ratio: 0.136 and 0.462, respectively), and underweight had the opposite association in the 50‐ to 59‐year‐old and ≥ 60‐year‐old subgroups in males (P = 0.0074 and 0.0398, respectively) and in all subgroups in females except the 30‐ to 39‐year‐old and 50‐ to 59‐year‐old groups (P = 0.0786 and 0.0538, respectively). Abdominal obesity was associated with lower all‐cause mortality in ≥ 60‐year‐old females (P = 0.0071).ConclusionsOverweight was associated with lower all‐cause mortality in young males and middle‐aged females, but underweight demonstrated the opposite association in all elderly participants. Abdominal obesity could decrease all‐cause mortality in elderly females.
Mathematical formulation of hepatitis B virus with optimal control analysis
Authors: Ullah Saif , Khan Muhammad Altaf , Gómez‐Aguilar J.F. 
Published: March 2019

SummaryHepatitis B infection is a serious health issue and causes many deaths around the world. The aim of this paper is to develop a mathematical model with hospitalized population to explore the dynamics of this infection. Initially, we study the model without control and carried out all the basic properties and results including local and global stability. After that, we develop the model with suitable optimal control strategies and explore the necessary optimality conditions using the well known Pontryagin's maximum principle to minimize the spread of hepatitis B in a community. Finally, we present the numerical simulations of both with and without control models to illustrate the feasibility of the control strategy.
Evaluation of a new balloon for fetal endoscopic tracheal occlusion in the nonhuman primate model
Authors: Sananès Nicolas , Regnard Pierrick , Mottet Nicolas , Miry Claire , Fellmann Lyne , Haelewyn Laure , Delaine Maïa , Schneider Anne , Debry Christian , Favre Romain 
Published: March 2019

What's already known about this topic?

Fetal Endoscopic Tracheal Occlusion may improve survival in severe cases of congenital diaphragmatic hernia. One of the major concerns about tracheal occlusion is the need for balloon removal.
What does this study add?

We developed a new balloon, which allows non‐invasive, easily triggered, and externally controlled reversal occlusion. We describe below how this balloon is operated and report on the first tests conducted on the non‐human primate model.
Patterns of endocrine therapy in a national cohort of early stage HER2‐positive breast cancer patients
Authors: Tervonen Hanna E. , Daniels Benjamin , Tang Monica , Preen David B. , Pearson Sallie‐Anne 
Published: March 2019

AbstractPurposeGuidelines recommend ≥5 years of endocrine therapy for hormone receptor‐positive breast cancer patients, but nonadherence and treatment discontinuation are common. We examined adherence trajectories and early discontinuation of endocrine therapy over 5 years from treatment initiation.MethodsOur retrospective cohort study used a national sample of Australian women dispensed publicly subsidised trastuzumab for early HER2‐positive breast cancer. We included women initiating endocrine therapy between April 2007 and June 2011, followed until June 2016 (n = 2656). We used group‐based trajectory modelling and Kaplan‐Meier analysis to examine patterns of adherence and time to discontinuation and restarting.ResultsWe identified five adherence trajectories: quick decline (10.4%), moderate decline (8.6%), quick decline then stable (10.3%), stable with late decline (23.6%), and high and stable (47.2%). Women in the high and stable trajectory group were older and more likely to initiate therapy with anastrozole than women in other groups. Time periods after first 6 months, 1.5, and 4 years from initiation seemed critical in terms of remaining adherent on endocrine therapy; 45.8% of the cohort discontinued endocrine therapy with a median time to discontinuation of 2.6 years (interquartile range 1.0‐4.4), and 45.8% of the women discontinuing restarted treatment (median time 182.0, interquartile range 133.0‐279.0 days).ConclusionsOur study highlights evidence‐practice gaps in the use of endocrine therapy, with half of our sample experiencing suboptimal adherence or persistence. Trajectory modelling provided detailed information about patterns of nonadherence and critical time periods for adherence to endocrine therapy. This information is important for developing targeted interventions to improve adherence.
Shaping Spectra within Optical Fibers
Authors: Waltermann Christian , Guehlke Philip , Koch Jan , Schippers Wolfgang 
Published: March 2019

AbstractA unique fiber‐integrated diffraction grating enables a new kind of ultra miniature high‐resolution spectrometer. Within, all components for optical imaging are encoded directly leading to an outstanding ratio of optical resolution to build size. The entire design comprises only two aligned parts and allows a cost‐effective, customizable production, and robust spectrometers. As an exemplary application we present a compact interrogation system for fiber Bragg grating sensors.
Smart Infrared Cameras for Industry 4.0
Authors: Echt Pascal 
Published: March 2019

AbstractIn contrast to classical imaging in the visible spectral range, temperature imaging with infrared cameras has only made its way into industry to a very limited extent. The application possibilities of this technology are extremely diverse, though, and often it would allow a considerable increase in productivity and product quality. A new device‐related approach with smart cameras removes all obstacles for practical use and makes the full potential of temperature imaging in industrial environments accessible.
Non‐Contact Imaging of the Magnetic Signature of Historical Tape Recordings
Authors: Blondeau Jean , Franke Ute 
Published: March 2019

AbstractHistorically valuable film material, dating from the first half of the last century, is prone to decay. A non‐contact magneto‐optical method according to Faraday was used to directly read the magnetization in the tape as an imaging of the magnetic signature. For this purpose, a special winding table has been developed which enables the evaluation of the analogue waveform over the entire length of the tape. The sensor system can be integrated into existing film copying tables or future digitization or restoration systems. All main octaves (six main octaves corresponding to 125 Hz to 8000 Hz) can be captured, mapped, corrected, and reproduced.
Synthesis of highly transparent and heat‐resistant polyimides containing bulky pendant moieties
Authors: Wu Qi , Ma Xiaoru , Zheng Feng , Lu Xuemin , Lu Qinghua 
Published: March 2019

AbstractA new diamine with bulky pendant biphenyl and ortho‐position dimethyl structures, 4,4′‐((1,1′‐biphenyl)‐4‐ylmethylene)bis(2,6‐dimethylaniline), was synthesized via a one‐pot reaction of 4‐biphenyl carboxaldehyde and 2,6‐dimethylaniline. The diamine was employed to polymerize with several dianhydrides via one‐step condensation under high‐temperature conditions. The light yellow or colorless polyimide (PI) films obtained were found to have cut‐off wavelengths in the range 286–358 nm and transmittance over 80% in the visible region (400–780 nm). Meanwhile, these PIs possessed excellent solubility in common organic solvents, even in low‐boiling‐point solvents such as chloroform (CHCl3), dichloromethane (CH2Cl2) and tetrahydrofuran. The glass transition temperatures (Tg) of the PIs were determined to exceed 343 °C, even to 456 °C. All PI films were flexible with a tensile strength of 78–119 MPa, a Young's modulus of 2.0–2.5 GPa and elongation at break of 4.0%–8.2%. Therefore, these colorless PIs can be used as candidate materials for flexible display substrates. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Evaluating the Sensoria Smart Socks Gait Monitoring System for Rehabilitation Outcomes
Authors: Yeung Julia , Catolico Davis , Fullmer Niko , Daniel Russell , Lovell Ryan , Tang Ruiqi , Pearson Elise M. , Rosenberg Sheila S. 
Published: March 2019

BackgroundGait monitoring is important for rehabilitation but clinic‐based measurements provide a brief snapshot of gait patterns. Many consumer‐based activity monitors facilitate continuous gait monitoring in daily life but may be subject to measurement errors. This study examines a novel consumer‐based activity monitor that is worn on the feet, and therefore not susceptible to inaccurately detecting upper body movements as gait.ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical validity of Sensoria smart socks, a commercially available wireless gait monitoring technology.DesignA method comparison study between the GAITRite, a criterion standard for clinical gait monitoring, and Sensoria smart socks.SettingOutpatient rehabilitation clinic.ParticipantsThirty individuals capable of supervised ambulation, with or without assistive devices, were recruited through the use of flyers and emails. Data were analyzed for 29 participants. Fifteen participants had no neurologic diagnosis. Fourteen participants had a neurologic diagnosis that could result in gait impairments. Diagnoses included Parkinson disease, stroke, brain injury, developmental delay, and acoustic neuroma.MethodsParticipants completed three gait trials with simultaneous measurements by the smart socks and the GAITRite.Main Outcome MeasuresMeasurements of step count, cadence, and velocity were compared between the two gait monitoring systems.ResultsThere was no significant difference in step count measurements between the two systems. Although there was a significant difference in cadence measurements for the total sample group, the mean difference fell within the GAITRite Standard Error of Measurement. There was no significant difference in velocity measurements for the total sample group and the mean difference fell within the GAITRite Standard Error of Measurement.ConclusionThese results support the clinical validity of the smart socks for measuring step number and velocity. Further investigation is warranted to determine the efficacy and clinical value of the smart socks system for measuring cadence and for monitoring gait over longer distances outside the clinic.Level of EvidenceIII
Cost‐effectiveness of an intervention to reduce fear of cancer recurrence: The ConquerFear randomized controlled trial
Authors: Shih Sophy Ting‐Fang , Butow Phyllis , Bowe Steven J. , Thewes Belinda , Turner Jane , Gilchrist Jemma , Mihalopoulos Cathrine ,   On behalf of the ConquerFear research group
Published: March 2019

AbstractObjectiveAlongside a randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluating the efficacy of the ConquerFear intervention for reducing fear of cancer recurrence in cancer survivors, the cost‐effectiveness of this novel intervention was assessed, primarily from the health sector perspective, with broader societal productivity impacts assessed.MethodsHealth care resource use was collected by a tailored cost diary. Incremental costs were calculated as the difference in total costs between the intervention and control groups. Incremental cost‐effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were estimated by cost‐effectiveness and cost‐utility analyses, comparing incremental costs with incremental outcomes measured. Nonparametric bootstrap analysis was performed to evaluate uncertainty in costs and outcomes.ResultsCancer survivors were randomized into ConquerFear (n = 121), or an active control group receiving relaxation training (n = 101). Participants received on average 3.69 sessions, incurring an average cost of $297 per person, with no group difference. The ITT analysis results indicated a mean ICER $34 300 per quality‐adjusted life year (QALY) with average incremental cost $488 and health gain of 0.0142 QALYs, from the health care sector perspective. Bootstrap analysis showed 30% of iterations were dominant and overall 53% ICERs were cost‐effective as judged by the commonly used $50 000/QALY threshold.ConclusionsThe ConquerFear intervention is associated with a modest cost and may provide good value for money, but further evidence is needed. Long‐term cost‐effectiveness needs further investigation to capture full benefits from the intervention beyond the trial follow‐up.