bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Surveillance arterioveNous fistulAs using ultRasound (SONAR) trial in haemodialysis patients: a study protocol for a multicentre observational study
Authors: Richards James , Hossain Mohammed , Summers Dominic , Slater Matthew , Bartlett Matthew , Kosmoliaptsis Vasilis , Wilson Edward CF , Lagaac Regin , Sidders Anna , Foley Claire , Laing Emma , Hopkins Valerie , Fitzpatrick-Creamer Chloe , Hudson Cara , Thomas Helen , Turner Sam , Tambyraja Andrew , Somalanka Subash , Hunter James , Dutta Sam , Lawman Sarah , Salter Tracey , Aslam Mohammed , Bagul Atul , Sivaprakasam Rajesh , Smith George , Moinuddin Zia , Knight Simon , Gibbs Paul , Motallebzadeh Reza , Barnett Nicholas , Pettigrew Gavin 
Published: July 2019

IntroductionArteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) are considered the best and safest modality for providing haemodialysis in patients with end-stage renal disease. Only 20% of UK centres achieve the recommended 80% target for achieving dialysis of the prevalent dialysis population via permanent access (as opposed to a central venous catheter). This is partly due to the relatively poor maturation rate of newly created fistulas, with as many as 50% of fistulas failing to mature.The Surveillance Of arterioveNous fistulAe using ultRasound study will examine whether a protocolised programme of Doppler ultrasound (US) surveillance can identify, early after creation, potentially correctable problems in those AVFs that subsequently fail to mature.Methods and analysisThis is a multicentre observational study that will assess newly created AVFs by Doppler US performed at 2, 4, 6 and 10 weeks after creation. The primary outcome measure will be primary fistula patency at week 10. Secondary outcome measures include: successful use of the fistula; clinical suitability for dialysis; creation of new fistula or radiological salvage; fistula thrombosis; secondary fistula patency rate and patient acceptability.Ethics and disseminationThe study has been approved by the Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Research Ethics Committee and by the Health Research Authority (REC 18/EE/0234). The results generated from this work will be published as open access, within 3 years of trial commencement. We will also present our findings at key national/international renal meetings, as well as support volunteers at renal patient groups to disseminate the trial outcome.Trial registration numberISRCTN36033877
Effects of aerobic exercise on thyroid hormonal change responses among adolescents with intellectual disabilities
Authors: Altaye Kefelegn Zenebe , Mondal Soumitra , Legesse Kesatie , Abdulkedir Mahmud 
Published: July 2019

ObjectiveWe aimed to investigate the impact of a 16-week aerobic exercise programme on the changes in the plasma level concentration of thyroid hormones in adolescents with intellectual disabilities.MethodologyUsing purposive sampling, a total of 36 adolescents with intellectual disabilities were selected to participate in the study. The training programme consisted of 16 weeks of moderate-intensity aerobic exercises at an intensity of 45–75 hours. These exercises were performed in three sessions a week, and each session took 30–45 min: 10 min warm-up, 15–30 min main aerobic workout and 5 min cool-down exercises. The plasma levels of triiodothyronine (T3) and tetraiodothyronine (T4) and of thyroid stimulating hormone were measured before and after 16 weeks of aerobic exercise intervention.ResultsAfter 16 weeks of intervention, a significant change was observed in the plasma level concentration of thyroid (T3 and T4) and thyroid stimulating hormones (p<0.05) in the group treated with aerobic exercise.ConclusionWe concluded that aerobic exercise had an impact on the change in the plasma level concentration of thyroid and thyroid stimulating hormones in adolescents with intellectual disabilities.
Long-term results of low-dose tissue plasminogen activator therapy in acute pulmonary embolism
Authors: Hezer Habibe , Kiliç Hatice , Abuzaina Osama , Hasanoğlu‎ H Canan , Karalezli Ayşegül 
Published: July 2019

Recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) is the most commonly used thrombolytic agent in patients with high risk and intermediate to high mortality risk acute pulmonary embolism (PE). Clinical trials have shown early efficacy and safety of low-dose rt-PA. This study investigated the effects of low-dose rt-PA treatment on acute PE in long-term prognosis, recurrence of pulmonary thromboembolism, or the development of late complications. In this study, 48 patients undergoing low-dose rt-PA for the relative contraindications of thrombolytic therapy and 48 patients undergoing standard-dose therapy were evaluated retrospectively. Long-term follow-up investigated the chronic PE, recurrence, and causes of morbidity and mortality. In both treatment groups, embolism-induced mortality and overall mortality rates were similar in the first 30 days (p=1.000, p=0.714, respectively). Overall mortality rates in long-term follow-up were 41.7% in the low-dose treatment group and 16.7% in the standard-dose treatment group (p=0.013). The mortality rate at the first year was higher in the low-dose-treated group (p=0.011) and most of the deaths were due to accompanying comorbidities. There was no difference in PE recurrence and duration of recurrence between the groups (p=0.598, p=0.073, respectively). Intracranial hemorrhage due to therapy developed in one patient in both groups. Low-dose thrombolytic therapy in acute PE reduces PE-related mortality in the early period. Long-term follow-up showed that thrombolytic therapy did not affect mortality rates independently of the dose and PE recurrence.
A mixed-methods examination of the nature and frequency of medical error among junior doctors
Authors: O'Connor Paul , Lydon Sinéad , Mongan Orla , Connolly Fergal , Mcloughlin Aoibheann , McVicker Lyle , Byrne Dara 
Published: July 2019

AbstractPurpose of the studyTo examine junior doctors’ experience and perceptions of medical errors in which they had been involved.Study designA mixed-methods design, consisting of an error survey and critical incident technique (CIT) interviews, was used. The survey asked doctors in the first year of postgraduate training in Ireland whether they had made a medical error that had ‘played on (their) mind’, and if so, to identify factors that had contributed to the error. The participants in the CIT interviews were asked to describe a medical error in which they had been involved.ResultsA total of 201 out of 332 (60.5%) respondents to the survey reported making an error that ‘played on their mind’. 'Individual factors’ were the most commonly identified group of factors (188/201; 93.5%), with ‘high workload’ (145/201; 72.1%) the most commonly identified contributory factor. Of the 28 CIT interviews which met the criteria for analysis, ‘situational factors’ (team, staff, task characteristics, and service user factors) were the most commonly identified group of contributory factors (24/28; 85.7%). A total of eight of the interviews were judged by subject matter experts (n=8) to be of medium risk to patients, and 20 to be of high-risk to patients. A significantly larger proportion of high-risk scenarios were attributed to ‘local working conditions’ than the medium-risk scenarios.ConclusionsThere is a need to prepare junior doctors to manage, and cope with, medical error and to ensure that healthcare professionals are adequately supported throughout their careers.
Prevalence and associated factors of inappropriate repeat test
Authors: Kılınçarslan Mehmet Göktuğ , Şahin Erkan Melih , Korkmazer Başak 
Published: July 2019

AbstractBackgroundThe rate of laboratory test utilisation has been increasing unsustainably. Evaluating inappropriately repeated laboratory tests is promising because objective criteria are available to measure the rates while causes can be manipulated easily. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the prevalence, associated factors and financial burden of inappropriate repeat tests.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted on the results of 26 types of laboratory tests recorded in a laboratory database of a tertiary hospital between 1 July 2014 and 30 June 2017. Minimum retest intervals were determined from the literature for each type of tests. If the time interval between the two tests was shorter than the minimum retest interval, then the later test was accepted an inappropriate repeat test. Binary logistic regression was performed after univariate analyses.ResultsOf a total of 673 794 tests, 109 370 (16.2%) were inappropriate repeat tests. Male gender, being ≥65 years old, being an inpatient, high-volume test and surgical clinic as the test-requesting clinic were associated with inappropriate repeat tests. Also, it was determined that US$66 761.3 had been wasted on inappropriate repeat tests for 3 years.DiscussionThere are several factors that increase the rate of inappropriate repeat tests. They should be considered during health policy making or planning interventions to reduce inappropriate repeat tests.
TransgenicMiscanthus lutarioripariusthat co-expresses theCry 2Aa#andBargenes
Authors: Xia Yanan , Xu Jun , Duan Junyi , Liu Qingbo , Huang Hongmei , Yi Zili , Chen Zhiyong 
Published: July 2019

Miscanthus lutarioriparius, a domestic species of China, belongs to the genus of perennial rhizomatous Miscanthus and is a promising energy crop for biomass production. To establish an Agrobacterium tumefaciens transformation protocol and obtain transgenic plants co-expressing the Cry 2Aa#and Bar genes, an Agrobacterium-mediated transformation method for M. lutarioriparius was developed in this study. To inhibit tissue browning, optimized callus induction and regeneration media were developed. Embryogenic calli were efficiently induced from immature inflorescences on Murashige & Skoog (MS) medium containing 0.2 g L−1citric acid. Agrobacterium tumefaciens EHA105 carrying pC3300 with the Cry 2Aa#and Bar genes were introduced into embryogenic calli. Six transgenic lines were selected by Basta screening and confirmed by genomic PCR. The herbicide tolerance of M. lutarioriparius transgenic plants was verified by spraying with glufosinate and expression of the Cry 2Aa#protein by ELISA. Therefore, an Agrobacterium-mediated transformation protocol for M. lutarioriparius was established and the co-expression of herbicide tolerance and Cry 2Aa#was successfully introduced with the system.
Agronomic practices for red lentil in Alberta
Authors: Bowness R. , Olson M.A. , Pauly D. , McKenzie R.H. , Hoy C. , Gill K.S. , Bremer E. 
Published: July 2019

Lentil was seldom grown in Alberta prior to 2015 due to the lack of demonstrated ability to achieve adequate yields, even though it was potentially well adapted to most agricultural regions within the province. We conducted field trials at five locations for 4 yr to determine potential productivity and optimum seeding rate, N management, and imidazolinone herbicide formulation for two imidazolinone-resistant red lentil cultivars across a broad geographic region in Alberta. Over the 4 yr of this study (2012–2015), the average yield potential of lentil ranged from 3000 to 3700 kg ha−1 at five locations. Maximum yield was consistently obtained when plant density exceeded 90 plants m−2. Lentil yield was not influenced by rhizobia inoculation, N fertilizer rate, or their interaction. Application of imidazolinone-based herbicide did not impact yield or nodulation of the lentil cultivars used in this study. High productivity of two imidazolinone-resistant red lentil cultivars was attainable over a broad geographic region in Alberta.
Tuning the bandgap in Co-doped Mg(OH)2 nanoparticles
Authors: Raza Syed Masood , Rizwan Ali S. , Naeem M. , Uddin Zaheer , Qaseem Sadaf , Imran Ali S. , Naseem Shah S. 
Published: July 2019

Cobalt (Co) doped magnesium hydroxide Mg(OH)2 nanoparticles are synthesized by a surfactant-free co-participation method. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images show nanometer size Mg(OH)2 particles in spherically shaped particle-like morphology. Synthesis of these Mg(OH)2 nanocrystals involves the formation of monomeric MgOH[Formula: see text] ions as the precursor for the Mg(OH)2 nuclei which finally evolves in spherical particle-like morphology. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirms the hexagonal crystal structure of the samples. With increasing Co concentration, the absorption spectra of the samples show narrowing of the bandgap from 5.47 eV (for pure Mg(OH2)) to 5.26 eV (for 10% Co-doped Mg(OH2)) effect is attributed to changes in the interaction potentials between Co and the host Mg(OH)2 lattice due to dopant-induced lattice distortion and the presence of a mixed valance Co[Formula: see text]/Co[Formula: see text] state.
Averaged optical characteristics of an ensemble of metal nanoparticles
Authors: Tomchuk P. M. , Starkov V. N. 
Published: July 2019

A theory for the averaged optical characteristics of an ensemble of metal nanoparticles with different shapes has been developed. The theory is applicable both for the nanoparticle size at which the optical conductivity of the particle is a scalar and for the nanoparticle size at which the optical conductivity should be considered as a tensor. The averaged characteristics were obtained taking into account the influence of nanoparticle shape on the depolarization coefficient and the components of the optical conductivity tensor. The dependences of magnetic absorption by a spheroidal metal nanoparticle on the ratio between its curvature radii and the angle between the spheroid symmetry axis and the magnetic field vector were derived and theoretically considered. An original variant of the distribution function for nanoparticle shapes, which is based on the combined application of the Gaussian and “hat” functions, was proposed and analyzed.
Comments on the paper entitled “Pressure variation of melting temperatures of alkali halides”
Authors: Vijay A. 
Published: July 2019

The expressions for the pressure dependences of bulk modulus and the Grüneisen parameter used by Arafin and Singh [Int. J. Mod. Phys. B 30, 1750031 (2016)] in the Lindemann law for determining melting curves of 14 alkali halides have been found to yield no results which are consistent with the recent studies on equations of state. It is demonstrated here that Arafin–Singh’s expressions are physically not acceptable as they are shown here to give unrealistic values of bulk modulus and Grüneisen parameter for the materials at high pressures.
Premature Ejaculation and Erectile Dysfunction in Male Partners of Infertile Couples: Prevalence and Correlation
Authors: Ho Thanh Tam Thi , Le Minh Tam , Truong Quang Vinh , Nguyen Vu Quoc Huy , Cao Ngoc Thanh 
Published: July 2019

Objectives: The frequency of, and relationship between, the various manifestations of male sexual dysfunction in infertile couples have been poorly investigated, especially in Vietnam. Our study aims to assess the prevalence of premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction in infertile couples using validated instruments, and the relationship between these disorders. Method: Cross-sectional descriptive study, using validated questionnaires including the Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool (PEDT) and the International Index of Erectile Function-15 (IIEF-15), to measure the incidence of these problems in 255 male partners of infertile couples who were examined from January through December 2017, at the Center for Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility, Hue University Hospital. Results: The prevalence of overt premature ejaculation was 4.7%, probable premature ejaculation was 7.1%, and erectile dysfunction was 26.3% (mild: 19.3%, mild-to-moderate: 3.9%, moderate: 2.7%, and severe: 0.4%). The PEDT total score was negatively correlated to IIEF-15-EFD and IIEF-15 total scores (r [Formula: see text]0.322 and r [Formula: see text]0.348, respectively). Conclusions:In light of the identified prevalence of premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction in the studied population, screening for these conditions should be included in the evaluation of infertile couples. These two disorders could negatively reciprocal effect on each other.
Quantitative relations between transient BOLD responses, cortical energetics, and impulse firing in different cortical regions
Authors: Bennett M. R. , Farnell L. , Gibson W. G. 
Published: July 2019

The blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging signal arises as a consequence of changes in blood flow (cerebral blood flow) and oxygen usage (cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen) that in turn are modulated by changes in neuronal activity. Much attention has been given to both theoretical and experimental aspects of the energetics but not to the neuronal activity. Here we use our previous theory relating the steady-state BOLD signal to neuronal activity and amalgamate it with the standard dynamic causal model (DCM, Friston) theory to produce a quantitative model relating the time-dependent BOLD signal to the underlying neuronal activity. Unlike existing treatments, this new theory incorporates a nonzero baseline activity in a completely consistent way and is thus able to account for both positive and negative BOLD signals. It can reproduce a wide variety of experimental BOLD signals reported in the literature solely by adjusting the neuronal input activity. In this way it provides support for the claim that the main features of the signals, including poststimulus undershoot and overshoot, are principally a result of changes in neuronal activity. NEW & NOTEWORTHY A previous model relating the steady-state blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal to neuronal activity, both above and below baseline, is extended to account for transient BOLD signals. This allows for a detailed investigation of the role neuronal activity can play in such signals and also encompasses poststimulus undershoot and overshoot. A wide variety of experimental BOLD signals are reproduced solely by adjusting the neuronal input activity, including recent results regarding the BOLD signal in patients with schizophrenia.
Increased intramuscular coherence is associated with temporal gait symmetry during split-belt locomotor adaptation
Authors: Sato Sumire , Choi Julia T. 
Published: July 2019

When walking on a split-belt treadmill where one belt moves faster than the other, the nervous system consistently attempts to maintain symmetry between legs, quantified as deviation from double support time or step length symmetry. It is known that the cerebellum plays a critical role in locomotor adaptation. Less is known about the role of corticospinal drive in maintaining this type of proprioceptive-driven locomotor adaptation. The objective of this study was to examine the functional role of oscillatory drive in relation to changes in spatiotemporal gait parameters during split-belt walking adaptation. Eighteen healthy participants adapted and deadapted on a split-belt treadmill; 13 out of 18 participants repeated the paradigm two more times to examine the effects of reexposure. Coherence analysis was used to quantify the coupling between electromyography (EMG) from the proximal (TAprox) and distal tibialis anterior (TAdist) muscle during the swing phase of walking. EMG-EMG coherence was examined within the alpha (8–15 Hz), beta (15–30 Hz), and gamma (30–45 Hz) frequencies. Our results showed that 1) beta- and gamma-band coherence (markers of corticospinal drive) increased during early split-belt walking compared with baseline walking in the slow leg, 2) beta-band coherence decreased from early to late split-belt adaptation in the fast leg, 3) alpha-, beta-, and gamma-band coherence decreased from first to third split-belt exposure in the fast leg, and 4) there was a relationship between higher beta coherence in the slow leg TA and smaller double support asymmetry. Our results suggest that corticospinal drive may play a functional role in the temporal control of split-belt walking adaptation. NEW & NOTEWORTHY This is the first study to examine the functional role of intramuscular coherence in relation to changes in spatiotemporal gait parameters during split-belt walking adaptation. We found that the corticospinal drive measured by intramuscular coherence in tibialis anterior changes with adaptation and that the corticospinal drive is related to temporal but not spatial parameters. This study may give insight as to the specific role of the motor cortex during gait.
Immune-Checkpoint Protein VISTA Regulates Antitumor Immunity by Controlling Myeloid Cell–Mediated Inflammation and Immunosuppression
Authors: Xu Wenwen , Dong Juan , Zheng Yongwei , Zhou Juan , Yuan Ying , Ta Hieu Minh , Miller Halli E. , Olson Michael , Rajasekaran Kamalakannan , Ernstoff Marc S. , Wang Demin , Malarkannan Subramaniam , Wang Li 
Published: July 2019

Abstract
Immune-checkpoint protein V-domain immunoglobulin suppressor of T-cell activation (VISTA) controls antitumor immunity and is a valuable target for cancer immunotherapy. This study identified a role of VISTA in regulating Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling in myeloid cells and controlling myeloid cell–mediated inflammation and immunosuppression. VISTA modulated the polyubiquitination and protein expression of TRAF6. Consequently, VISTA dampened TLR-mediated activation of MAPK/AP-1 and IKK/NF-κB signaling cascades. At cellular levels, VISTA regulated the effector functions of myeloid-derived suppressor cells and tolerogenic dendritic cell (DC) subsets. Blocking VISTA augmented their ability to produce proinflammatory mediators and diminished their T cell–suppressive functions. These myeloid cell–dependent effects resulted in a stimulatory tumor microenvironment that promoted T-cell infiltration and activation. We conclude that VISTA is a critical myeloid cell–intrinsic immune-checkpoint protein and that the reprogramming of tolerogenic myeloid cells following VISTA blockade promotes the development of T cell–mediated antitumor immunity.