bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Hemojuvelin is a novel suppressor for Duchenne muscular dystrophy and age‐related muscle wasting
Authors: Zhang Peng , He Jian , Wang Fei , Gong Jing , Wang Lu , Wu Qian , Li Wenjiong , Liu Hongju , Wang Jing , Zhang Kunshan , Li Mao , Huang Xusheng , Pu Chuanqiang , Li Ying , Jiang Fengjie , Wang Fudi , Min Junxia , Chen Xiaoping 
Published: March 2019

AbstractBackgroundMuscle wasting occurs in response to various physiological and pathological conditions, including ageing and Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Transforming growth factor‐β1 (TGF‐β1) contributes to muscle pathogenesis in elderly people and DMD patients; inhibition of TGF‐β1 signalling is a promising therapeutic strategy for muscle‐wasting disorders. Hemojuvelin (HJV or Hjv as the murine homologue) is a membrane‐bound protein that is highly expressed in skeletal muscle, heart, and liver. In hepatic cells, Hjv acts as a coreceptor for bone morphogenetic protein, a TGF‐β subfamily member. The aim of this study was to investigate whether Hjv plays an essential role in muscle physiological and pathophysiological processes by acting as a coreceptor for TGF‐β1 signalling.MethodsConventional and conditional Hjv knockout mice as well as mdx and aged mice transfected with Hjv overexpression vector were used to study the role of Hjv in muscle physiology and pathophysiology. qRT‐PCR, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry examinations were conducted to evaluate gene, protein, and structural changes in vivo and in vitro. Exercise endurance was determined using treadmill running test, and muscle force was detected by an isometric transducer. RNA interference, immunoprecipitation, and dual‐luciferase reporter assays were utilized to explore the mechanism by which Hjv regulates TGF‐β1 signalling in skeletal muscle.ResultsConventional and conditional Hjv knockout mice displayed muscle atrophy, fibrosis, reduced running endurance, and muscle force. HJV was significantly down‐regulated in the muscles of DMD patients (n = 3, mean age: 11.7 ± 5.7 years) and mdx mice as well as in those of aged humans (n = 10, 20% women, mean age: 75.1 ± 9.5 years) and mice. Overexpression of Hjv rescued dystrophic and age‐related muscle wasting. Unlike its function in hepatic cells, the bone morphogenetic protein downstream phosphorylated p‐Smad1/5/8 signalling pathway was unchanged, but TGF‐β1, TGF‐β receptor II (TβRII), and p‐Smad2/3 expression were increased in Hjv‐deficient muscles. Mechanistically, loss of Hjv promoted activation of Smad3 signalling induced by TGF‐β1, whereas Hjv overexpression inhibited TGF‐β1/Smad3 signalling by directly interacting with TβRII on the muscle membrane.ConclusionsOur findings identify an unrecognized role of HJV in skeletal muscle by regulating TGF‐β1/Smad3 signalling as a coreceptor for TβRII. Unlike the TGF‐β1/Smad3 pathway, HJV could be a reliable drug target as its expression is not widespread. Novel therapeutic strategies could potentially be devised to interfere only with the muscle function of HJV to treat DMD and age‐related muscle wasting.
Data‐driven synthetic MRI FLAIR artifact correction via deep neural network
Authors: Ryu Kanghyun , Nam Yoonho , Gho Sung‐Min , Jang Jinhee , Lee Ho‐Joon , Cha Jihoon , Baek Hye Jin , Park Jiyong , Kim Dong‐Hyun 
Published: March 2019

BackgroundFLAIR (fluid attenuated inversion recovery) imaging via synthetic MRI methods leads to artifacts in the brain, which can cause diagnostic limitations. The main sources of the artifacts are attributed to the partial volume effect and flow, which are difficult to correct by analytical modeling. In this study, a deep learning (DL)‐based synthetic FLAIR method was developed, which does not require analytical modeling of the signal.PurposeTo correct artifacts in synthetic FLAIR using a DL method.Study TypeRetrospective.SubjectsA total of 80 subjects with clinical indications (60.6 ± 16.7 years, 38 males, 42 females) were divided into three groups: a training set (56 subjects, 62.1 ± 14.8 years, 25 males, 31 females), a validation set (1 subject, 62 years, male), and the testing set (23 subjects, 57.3 ± 20.4 years, 13 males, 10 females).Field Strength/Sequence3 T MRI using a multiple‐dynamic multiple‐echo acquisition (MDME) sequence for synthetic MRI and a conventional FLAIR sequence.AssessmentNormalized root mean square (NRMSE) and structural similarity (SSIM) were computed for uncorrected synthetic FLAIR and DL‐corrected FLAIR. In addition, three neuroradiologists scored the three FLAIR datasets blindly, evaluating image quality and artifacts for sulci/periventricular and intraventricular/cistern space regions.Statistical TestsPairwise Student's t‐tests and a Wilcoxon test were performed.ResultsFor quantitative assessment, NRMSE improved from 4.2% to 2.9% (P < 0.0001) and SSIM improved from 0.85 to 0.93 (P < 0.0001). Additionally, NRMSE values significantly improved from 1.58% to 1.26% (P < 0.001), 3.1% to 1.5% (P < 0.0001), and 2.7% to 1.4% (P < 0.0001) in white matter, gray matter, and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) regions, respectively, when using DL‐corrected FLAIR. For qualitative assessment, DL correction achieved improved overall quality, fewer artifacts in sulci and periventricular regions, and in intraventricular and cistern space regions.Data ConclusionThe DL approach provides a promising method to correct artifacts in synthetic FLAIR.Level of Evidence: 4Technical Efficacy: Stage 1J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2019;50:1413–1423.
Wave digital model of a TiN/Ti/HfO2/TiN memristor
Authors: Solan Enver , Pérez Eduardo , Michaelis Dennis , Wenger Christian , Ochs Karlheinz 
Published: March 2019

AbstractMemristors—nonlinear resistors with memory—are potential candidates for the utilization in self‐organizing circuits. These novel elements need innovative technological developments in order to incorporate them into integrated electrical circuits. Alternatively, HfO2‐based resistive random access memories (RRAMs) are complementary metal‐oxide‐semiconductor (CMOS) compatible and can also be interpreted as memristive devices. A fingerprint of such devices is their rapid change between the high‐ and low‐resistance state. It is intended to exploit this feature in self‐organizing circuits to achieve a desired overall functionality. But the huge device variabilities exacerbate preinvestigations of real circuits including such devices. To this end, a wave digital model based on a mathematical and a physical model of a hafnium oxide (HfO2) memristor is introduced. Utilizing the wave digital approach yields a flexible, real‐time capable algorithmic model, which is suitable for live parameter fitting in real circuits. Comparisons of the emulated hysteresis with measured data of RRAM cells verify the functionality of the presented emulator. The proposed method for emulating physical systems is not restricted to single devices. Indeed, whole subcircuits can be emulated before fabrication in order to save development costs.
Contracting outsourced services with collaborative key performance indicators
Authors: Akkermans Henk , van Oppen Willem , Wynstra Finn , Voss Chris 
Published: March 2019

AbstractWhile service outsourcing may benefit from the application of performance‐based contracts (PBCs), the implementation of such contracts is usually challenging. Service performance is often not only dependent on supplier effort but also on the behavior of the buying firm. Existing research on performance‐based contracting provides very limited understanding on how this challenge may be overcome. This article describes a design science research project that develops a novel approach to buyer–supplier contracting, using collaborative key performance indicators (KPIs). Collaborative KPIs evaluate and reward not only the supplier contribution to customer performance but also the customer's behavior to enable this. In this way, performance‐based contracting can also be applied to settings where supplier and customer activities are interdependent, while traditional contracting theories suggest that output controls are not effective under such conditions. In the collaborative KPI contracting process, indicators measure both supplier and customer (buying firm) performance and promote collaboration by being defined through a collaborative process and by focusing on end‐of‐process indicators. The article discusses the original case setting of a telecommunication service provider experiencing critical problems in outsourcing IT services. The initial intervention implementing this contracting approach produced substantial improvements, both in performance and in the relationship between buyer and supplier. Subsequently, the approach was tested and evaluated in two other settings, resulting in a set of actionable propositions on the efficacy of collaborative KPI contracting. Our study demonstrates how defining, monitoring, and incentivizing the performance of specific processes at the buying firm can help alleviate the limitations of traditional performance‐based contracting when the supplier's liability for service performance is difficult to verify.
Synthesis and Surface Properties of Polyether‐Based Silicone Surfactants with Different Siloxane Groups
Authors: Tan Jinglin , He Ziyan , Miao Yongxiang , Lin Miaomiao 
Published: March 2019

AbstractA series of polyether‐based silicone surfactants with different hydrophobic chains (trimethylsiloxy, triethylsiloxy, and triisopropylsiloxy) were synthesized. The molecular structures were confirmed using 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), 13C NMR, 29Si NMR, and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR). The effect of the siloxane groups on the physicochemical properties, surface tension (γ), critical micelle concentration (CMC), surface tension at the CMC (γCMC), adsorption efficiency (pC20), surface pressure at the CMC (πCMC), maximum surface excess (Γmax), single silicone surfactant molecule at the air/water interface (Amin), and the standard free energy of adsorption (), of the polyether‐based silicone surfactants was investigated. Results indicate that the polyether‐based silicone surfactants can reduce the surface tension of water to approximately 25–31 mN m−1 and the surface activity of silicone surfactants is enhanced with increasing branched trimethylsiloxyl and sterically hindered siloxane groups.
Identification of a nine‐gene panel as a prognostic indicator for recurrence with muscle‐invasive bladder cancer
Authors: Han Yuying , Zheng Qiyu , Tian Ye , Ji Zhengguo , Ye Haihong 
Published: March 2019

AbstractBackground and ObjectivesBladder cancer is one of the most common and highly recurrent cancers worldwide. Recurrence‐associated genes may potentially predict cancer recurrence. We aimed to construct a recurrence‐associated gene panel to improve the prognostic prediction of bladder cancer.MethodsBased on DNA sequencing and clinical data from the TCGA‐BLCA project, we identified 10 potential driver genes significantly associated with recurrence of bladder cancer. We performed multivariable logistic regression analysis to construct an optimized recurrence prediction model with nine recurrence‐associated genes (EME1,
AKAP9,
ZNF91,
PARD3,
STAG2,
ZFP36L2,
METTL3, POLR3B, and
MUC7) and clinical information as the independent variables.ResultsThe area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.80 in this model, much higher than that of the baseline model (AUC = 0.73) and the same trend was also validated in its subset. Decision curve analysis also revealed that there is a significant net benefit gained by adding nine genes mutation to the baseline model. Furthermore, Kaplan‐Meier survival analysis showed that eight out of the nine genes (excluding MUC7) had good effects on the overall prognosis of patients.ConclusionsThis nine‐gene panel will most likely be a useful tool for prognostic evaluation and will facilitate the personalized management of patients with bladder cancer.
Canal reconstruction mastoidectomy: Outcomes comparison following primary versus secondary surgery
Authors: Stevens Shawn M. , Walters Zoe A. , Babo Kara , Peddireddy Nithin , Tawfik Kareem O. , Samy Ravi N. 
Published: March 2019

Objectives/HypothesisCompare surgical and audiometric outcomes following canal wall reconstruction (CWR) tympanomastoidectomy used as a primary versus secondary approach for treating cholesteatoma.Study DesignRetrospective.MethodsPatients treated for primary/secondary cholesteatoma from 2006 to 2017 via CWR were included if they had preoperative/postoperative audiograms, detailed operative note(s), and >12 months’ follow‐up. Patients were stratified by previous surgical history into two groups: primary CWR group (PG) and secondary CWR group (SG). Surgical outcomes measured were prevalence of recidivistic cholesteatoma, canal cholesteatoma, revision rate, and canal wall down (CWD) conversion rates. Secondary outcomes were prevalence of infection, external canal adhesions/stenoses, and retractions. Audiometric outcomes included change in pure‐tone average and air‐bone gap.ResultsWe stratified 45 patients/ears into the PG and 26 into the SG. The groups did not significantly differ in age, sex, or smoking status. Overall, median follow‐up was 35 months. SG patients had higher rates of cholesteatoma detected at staged surgery than did PG patients (P = .04). However, these patients exhibited lower rates of open revision surgery (4% vs.13%) and a significant improvement in air‐bone gap (P = .004). Three PG patients (7%) required conversion to CWD versus zero SG patients. Secondary outcomes were similar. Patients who underwent delayed staging >12 months from CWR had increased rates of recidivism and canal adhesion/stenosis.ConclusionsCWR was effective for treating cholesteatoma as both a primary and secondary surgical approach. SG patients experienced higher rates of recidivism and secondary canal cholesteatoma. PG patients had higher rates of revision surgery. Staging of ears undergoing CWR is important regardless of prior surgical history.Level of Evidence4 Laryngoscope, 129:2580–2587, 2019
Soil structural degradation and nutrient limitations across land use categories and climatic zones in Southern Africa
Authors: Tamene Lulseged , Sileshi Gudeta W. , Ndengu Gift , Mponela Powell , Kihara Job , Sila Andrew , Tondoh Jérôme 
Published: March 2019

AbstractAlthough soil degradation is a major threat to food security and carbon sequestration, our knowledge of the spatial extent of the problem and its drivers is very limited in Southern Africa. Therefore, this study aimed to quantify the risk of soil structural degradation and determine the variation in soil stoichiometry and nutrient limitations with land use categories (LUCs) and climatic zones. Using data on soil clay, silt, organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (N), available phosphorus (P), and sulfur (S) concentrations collected from 4,468 plots on 29 sites across Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe, this study presents novel insights into the variations in soil structural degradation and nutrient limitations. The analysis revealed strikingly consistent stoichiometric coupling of total N, P, and S concentrations with SOC across LUCs. The only exception was on crop land where available P was decoupled from SOC. Across sample plots, the probability (φ) of severe soil structural degradation was 0.52. The probability of SOC concentrations falling below the critical value of 1.5% was 0.49. The probabilities of soil total N, available P, and S concentrations falling below their critical values were 0.95, 0.70, and 0.83, respectively. N limitation occurred with greater probability in woodland (φ = .99) and forestland (φ = .97) than in cropland (φ = .92) and grassland (φ = .90) soils. It is concluded that soil structural degradation, low SOC concentrations, and N and S limitations are widespread across Southern Africa. Therefore, significant changes in policies and practices in land management are needed to reverse the rate of soil structural degradation and increase soil carbon storage.
Competing Exchange and Irreversible Reactions in a Linear Co‐Polycondensation Lead to a Broad Composition Window Where Tunable High Molecular Weight Polymers can be Prepared
Authors: Lang Michael , Böhme Frank 
Published: March 2019

AbstractA co‐polycondensation reaction is discussed analytically and by Monte‐Carlo simulations where two reactive units compete for reactions with an alternating third reactive unit, whereby irreversible reactions replace bonds which are able to undergo exchange reactions. The resulting number average molar mass,Mn, exhibits only one distinct peak at the stoichiometric condition of both competitors with the alternating partner. The weight average molar mass,Mw, reaches an additional second peak at the stoichiometric condition between the dominating competitor and the alternating partner. Both peaks ofMwsurround a range of compositions where a rather high and approximately constantMwis obtained. The degree of polymerization of the dominating and alternating reaction partners is rather insensitive towards composition fluctuations if the reaction mixture remains within this composition window. This promotes high molecular weight species and more homogeneous weight distributions at incomplete mixing conditions. An ideal reference case (identical reaction rates for all reactions) is solved analytically to describe these reactions. The position of the stable composition window and the average molar masses inside this window can be tuned by choosing appropriate precursor molecules, reaction mixtures, or post‐tuning steps at later times.
miR‐20a inhibits hypoxia‐induced autophagy by targeting ATG5/FIP200 in colorectal cancer
Authors: Che Jing , Wang Wenshan , Huang Yu , Zhang Lu , Zhao Jing , Zhang Peng , Yuan Xianglin 
Published: March 2019

AbstractAutophagy is a highly conserved lysosome‐mediated protective cellular process in which cytosolic components, including damaged organelles and long‐lived proteins, are cleared. Many studies have shown that autophagy was upregulated in hypoxic regions. However, the precise molecular mechanism of hypoxia‐induced autophagy in colorectal cancer (CRC) is still elusive. In this study, we found that miR‐20a was significantly downregulated under hypoxia in colon cancer cells, and overexpression of miR‐20a alleviated hypoxia‐induced autophagy. Moreover, miR‐20a inhibits the hypoxia‐induced autophagic flux by targeting multiple key regulators of autophagy, including ATG5 and FIP200. Furthermore, by dual‐luciferase assay we demonstrated that miR‐20a directly targeted the 3′‐untranslated region of ATG5 and FIP200, regulating their messenger RNA and protein levels. In addition, reintroduction of exogenous ATG5 or FIP200 partially reversed miR‐20a‐mediated autophagy inhibition under hypoxia. A negative correlation between miR‐20a and its target genes is observed in the hypoxic region of colon cancer tissues. Taken together, our findings suggest that hypoxia‐mediated autophagy was regulated by miR‐20a/ATG5/FI200 signaling pathway in CRC. miR‐20a‐mediated autophagy defect that might play an important role in hypoxia‐induced autophagy during colorectal tumorigenesis.
Identification and prioritization of construction projects investment risks using a hybrid fuzzy approach
Authors: Gharanfoli Bardeya , Valmohammadi Changiz 
Published: March 2019

AbstractLack of sufficient knowledge of the project environment can increase investment risks. Accordingly, the identification, grading, and management of risks are essential to project success. Risk identification is an accurate, detailed, and probing process that identifies risks during project life cycle by interacting with individuals and experts. Because risks constantly recur and change during project life cycle, risk identification is an essential and iterative process in all project phases. So, this study aims to identify and prioritise construction projects risks using a hybrid quantitative approach, namely, Fuzzy Decision Making and Trial Evaluation Laboratory (FDEMATEL) and Fuzzy Analytic Network Process (FANP) techniques. After review of the relevant literature and classification of the identified investment risks into three main risks, the above‐mentioned techniques were applied. Results revealed that systemic risk is the most influential factor whereas environmental risk is the most permeable factor among the main criteria. The highest weight belongs to the business risk factor whereas the lowest weight belongs to systemic risk. These were the most and least important factors of the risks involved in construction projects from the perspective of the experts.
Systematic analysis of the impact of imaging noise on dual‐energy CT‐based proton stopping power ratio estimation
Authors: Lee Hugh H. C. , Li Bin , Duan Xinhui , Zhou Linghong , Jia Xun , Yang Ming 
Published: March 2019

PurposeDual‐energy CT (DECT) has been shown to have a great potential in reducing the uncertainty in proton stopping power ratio (SPR) estimation, when compared to current standard method — the stoichiometric method based on single‐energy CT (SECT). However, a few recent studies indicated that imaging noise may have a substantial impact on the performance of the DECT‐based approach, especially at a high noise level. The goal of this study is to quantify the uncertainty in SPR and range estimation caused by noise in the DECT‐based approach under various conditions.MethodsTwo widely referred parametric DECT methods were studied: the Hünemohr‐Saito (HS) method and the Bourque method. Both methods were calibrated using Gammex tissue substitute inserts scanned on the Siemens Force DECT scanner. An energy pair of 80 and 150 kVp with a tin filter was chosen to maximize the spectral separation. After calibrating the model with the Gammex phantom, CT numbers were synthesized using the density and elemental composition from ICRU 44 human tissues to be used as a reference, in order to evaluate the impact of noise alone while putting aside other sources of uncertainty. Gaussian noise was introduced to the reference CT numbers and its impact was measured with the difference between estimated SPR and its noiseless reference SPR. The uncertainty caused by noise was divided into two independent categories: shift of the mean SPR and variation of SPR. Their overall impact on range uncertainty was evaluated on homogeneous and heterogeneous tissue samples of various water equivalent path lengths (WEPL).ResultsDue to the algorithms being nonlinear and/or having hard thresholds in the CT number to SPR mapping, noise in the CT numbers induced a shift in the mean SPR from its noiseless reference SPR. The degree of the mean shift was dependent on the algorithm and tissue type, but its impact on the SPR uncertainty was mostly small compared to the variation. All mean shifts observed in this study were within 0.5% at a noise level of 2%. The ratio of the influence of variation to mean shift was mostly greater than 1, indicating that variation more likely determined the uncertainty caused by noise. Overall, the range uncertainty (95th percentile) caused by noise was within 1.2% and 1.0% for soft and bone tissues, respectively, at 2% noise with 50 voxels. This value can be considered an upper limit as more voxels and lower noise level rapidly decreased the uncertainty.ConclusionsWe have systematically evaluated the impact of noise to the DECT‐based SPR estimation and identified under various conditions that the variation caused by noise is the dominant uncertainty‐contributing component. We conclude that, based on the noise level and tumor depth, it is important to estimate and include the uncertainty due to noise in estimating the overall range uncertainty before implementing a small margin in the range of 1%.