bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Diagnostic performance of imaging investigations in detecting and differentiating cardiac amyloidosis: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Brownrigg Jack , Lorenzini Massimiliano , Lumley Matthew , Elliott Perry 
Published: September 2019

AbstractAimsThe study aims to systematically assess the diagnostic performance of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and nuclear scintigraphy (index tests) for the diagnosis and differentiation of subtypes of cardiac amyloidosis.Methods and resultsMEDLINE and Embase electronic databases were searched for studies evaluating the diagnostic performance of CMR or nuclear scintigraphy in detecting cardiac amyloidosis and subsequently in differentiating transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) from immunoglobulin light‐chain (AL) amyloidosis. In this meta‐analysis, histopathological examination of tissue from endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) or extra‐cardiac organs were reference standards. Pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, and negative likelihood ratio were calculated, and a random effects meta‐analysis was used to estimate diagnostic odds ratios. Methodological quality was assessed using a validated instrument. Of the 2947 studies identified, 27 met the criteria for inclusion. Sensitivity and specificity of CMR in diagnosing cardiac amyloidosis was 85.7% and 92.0% against EMB reference and 78.9% and 93.9% with any organ histology reference. Corresponding sensitivity and specificity of nuclear scintigraphy was 88.4% and 87.2% against EMB reference and 82.0% and 98.8% with histology from any organ. CMR was unable to reliably differentiate ATTR from AL amyloidosis (sensitivity 28.1–99.0% and specificity 11.0–60.0%). Sensitivity and specificity of nuclear scintigraphy in the differentiation of ATTR from AL amyloidosis ranged from 90.9% to 91.5% and from 88.6% to 97.1%. Pooled negative likelihood ratio and positive likelihood ratio for scintigraphy in this setting were 0.1 and 8, with EMB reference standard. Study quality assessed by QUADAS‐2 was generally poor with evidence of bias.ConclusionsCardiac magnetic resonance is a useful test for diagnosing cardiac amyloidosis but is not reliable in further classifying the disease. Nuclear scintigraphy offers strong diagnostic performance in both the detection of cardiac amyloidosis and differentiating ATTR from AL amyloidosis. Our findings support the use of both imaging modalities in a non‐invasive diagnostic algorithm that also tests for the presence of monoclonal protein.
Effective production of lactosucrose using β‐fructofuranosidase and glucose oxidase co‐immobilized by sol–gel encapsulation
Authors: Long Jie , Pan Ting , Xie Zhengjun , Xu Xueming , Jin Zhengyu 
Published: September 2019

AbstractThe production of lactosucrose is hampered by the costly use of β‐fructofuranosidase, which shows poor stability and a low efficiency in transfructosylation activity. Immobilization could improve enzyme stability and realize the cyclic utilization at a reduced cost. In order to eliminate the by‐product inhibition and improve the transfructosylation efficiency, β‐fructofuranosidase and glucose oxidase were co‐immobilized by sol–gel encapsulation and the subsequent production efficiency of lactosucrose was investigated. The as‐prepared immobilized bi‐enzymes retained 85.39% of their initial activity at an enzyme concentration of 1.47 mg/g·sol during immobilization and showed great operational stability (maintaining 78.5% of their initial activity) after 15 consecutive reuses. The yield of lactosucrose synthesized by immobilized bi‐enzymes reached 160.8 g/L under the optimized conditions, which was relatively higher than previous reported results. Moreover, the yield of lactosucrose synthesized by immobilized bi‐enzymes was significantly improved as compared to that synthesized by immobilized β‐fructofuranosidase. HPLC and NMR spectrum results confirmed the presence of lactosucrose during immobilized bi‐enzymes catalysis. Furthermore, a relatively high purity of lactosucrose was obtained (87.4% determined by HPLC) after separation with Diaion UBK535 calcium ester resin, and the optimal conditions for separation of lactosucrose were investigated. These results indicated that the co‐immobilization of β‐fructofuranosidase‐glucose oxidase was helpful to improve the production of lactosucrose with low costs, which can be used in continuous lactosucrose production in food industry in advantages of high stability and reusability. And the as‐prepared lactosucrose with high purity can be applied to many kinds of food as functional additives.
Osmotic Pressure Compensated Solute Ectoine Improves Salt Tolerance of Microbial Cells in Microbial Fuel Cells
Authors: Tan F. X. , Zhang L. H. , Liu W. F. , Zhu Y. M. 
Published: September 2019

AbstractIn the technology of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) for simultaneous electricity production and wastewater purification, the electricity production of MFCs decreases when the salt concentration in the wastewater is high. Increasing the electricity production of MFCs under high salt conditions is a great challenge. This paper studies the reasons for the decline of electricity production of MFCs under high salt conditions and develops ways to increase the electricity generation. The results show that high salt inhibits the growth of electrogenic microorganisms on the anode of MFCs, thereby reducing the electricity production. Addition of ectoine, an osmotic pressure compensated solute, can increase the salt tolerance of electrogenic microorganisms, thereby increasing the electricity generation of MFCs. With the addition of 1 mmol L−1 ectoine to the substrate, the average voltage output of the MFCs based on mixed microbial flora anode was increased by 60.4% (±3.9%). Under this condition, microbial diversity analysis showed that the dominant growth and electricity production genus Acinetobacter accounted for 38.9% in the microbial community of anode biofilm.
Diagnostic diversity among patients with cognitive complaints: A 3‐year follow‐up study in a memory clinic
Authors: Kao Sheng‐Lun , Chen Shu‐Cin , Li Yu‐Ying , Lo Raymond Y. 
Published: September 2019

ObjectivesTo describe the distribution and estimate the mortality risks of degenerative dementias and nondegenerative conditions in a memory clinic.MethodsWe enrolled 727 consecutive patients with cognitive complaints who visited the memory clinic in Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital during 2013 to 2016. Three main diagnostic groups were defined: pure type dementia, in which only one type of dementia was diagnosed, such as Alzheimer disease (AD), vascular dementia (VaD), Parkinson disease with dementia (PDD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and frontotemporal dementia (FTD); mixed type dementia; and nondegenerative conditions. We described the frequency of different diagnoses and employed Cox proportional hazards regression models to examine the mortality risks for each diagnostic group after adjusting for age, sex, education, and cognitive status. All patients alive on or after September 30, 2018, were censored in the analysis.ResultsTwo‐thirds of patients (n = 496, 68.2%) were diagnosed with degenerative dementias. Pure type to mixed type dementia ratio was about 2: 1. AD remained the most common pure dementia subtype, followed by VaD and PDD. Among all nondegenerative conditions, depression/anxiety and subjective cognitive decline were the most common diagnoses. During a mean follow‐up of 3.4 years, 150 deaths were documented, and the mortality risk was 61 deaths/1000 person‐years. Mortality risks were associated with age, sex, education, and cognitive function at diagnosis but did not differ by diagnostic group.ConclusionsClinical diagnoses for patients with cognitive complaints are diverse, and nearly one‐third are of nondegenerative conditions. Baseline cognitive function is a stronger predictor for survival than clinical diagnosis.
A pilot study of the pan‐class I PI3K inhibitor buparlisib in combination with cetuximab in patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer
Authors: Brisson Ryan J. , Kochanny Sara , Arshad Saba , Dekker Allison , DeSouza Jonas A. , Saloura Vassiliki , Vokes Everett E. , Seiwert Tanguy Y. 
Published: September 2019

AbstractBackgroundThis study assessed the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of the PI3K inhibitor buparlisib given concurrently with cetuximab in recurrent and metastatic (R/M) head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).MethodsTwelve patients with R/M HNSCC were enrolled. Patients were given oral buparlisib starting day 7 and daily thereafter. The dose of buparlisib was escalated in a 3 + 3 design followed by a dose expansion cohort of 6 patients. The MTD of buparlisib per protocol was 100 mg daily with cetuximab given intravenously every 14 days starting day 0.ResultsTen patients had ≥2 previous treatment regimens (11 with prior cetuximab). There were no dose limiting toxicities observed during dose escalation. One patient achieved a partial response and 4 achieved stable disease.ConclusionBased on this pilot study, buparlisib at 100 mg daily plus cetuximab proved to be well‐tolerated. Patients previously treated with cetuximab monotherapy showed benefit from this combination.
Public‐private partnerships in non‐profit hospitals: Case study of China
Authors: Wang Kun , Ke Yongjian , Sankaran Shankar 
Published: September 2019

SummaryThe gap between supply and demand for health care services is expanding rapidly in China. In order to resolve this problem, the government has implemented supply‐side reforms in the health care sector by inviting private capital to increase supply quantity and improve quality. However, health care institutions have high complexity and particular needs, while non‐profit hospitals have very strong public interests. This gives rise to complications in the implementation of public‐private partnerships (PPPs) for health care services. In this paper, the authors have selected one case each from three different models of non‐profit hospital PPP projects in the national PPP project database, operated by the Ministry of Finance, and compared how these projects were operated to identify the differences among them. A content analysis of the vital project documents is the primary analysis technique used for this comparison. Key issues investigated include reasons for model selection, requirements for private sectors and market competition level in different models, risk identification and sharing, design of payment mechanism, operation supervision, and performance appraisal of the project. Based on the comparison, some key lessons and recommendations are discussed to act as a useful reference for future non‐profit hospital PPP projects in China.
Maternal perinatal mental health: Associations with bonding, mindfulness, and self‐criticism at 18 months’ postpartum
Authors: Brassel Alexandra , Townsend Michelle L. , Pickard Judy A. , Grenyer Brin F. S. 
Published: September 2019

ABSTRACTThe perinatal period is a time of significant transition for women, with changes in maternal mental health from pregnancy to 18 months’ postpartum. This study specifically analyzes maternal self‐criticism and mindfulness during pregnancy and at 18 months’ postpartum, and their associations with bonding. A longitudinal study (30 weeks’ gestation–18 months’ postpartum) assessed 32 mother–infant dyads, examining changes in maternal depression, anxiety, self‐criticism, and mindfulness. In addition, associations between maternal variables during pregnancy and bonding were investigated. Maternal depression and self‐criticism significantly increased from pregnancy to postpartum. Maternal anxiety, self‐criticism, and facets of mindfulness during pregnancy were also associated with mother–infant bonding at 18 months. Maternal mental health during pregnancy is subject to change postchildbirth. The lack of control and autonomy accompanying motherhood may result in an increase in self‐criticism during this period. Such feelings may elevate a woman's vulnerability to postpartum depression and have consequences for later maternal bonding. Early identification of at‐risk mothers is important to increase likelihood of positive outcomes.
Cost‐Effectiveness of Sequential Teriparatide/Alendronate Versus Alendronate‐Alone Strategies in High‐Risk Osteoporotic Women in the US: Analyzing the Impact of Generic/Biosimilar Teriparatide
Authors: Mori Takahiro , Crandall Carolyn J , Ganz David A 
Published: September 2019

ABSTRACTTeriparatide, currently only available in brand form in the United States, is a costly drug approved for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporotic women who are at high risk of fracture. Because market exclusivity for brand teriparatide expired in August 2019 in the US, we sought to understand the potential health economic impact of the availability of generic or biosimilar (generic/biosimilar) teriparatide. We examined the cost‐effectiveness of daily teriparatide for 2 years followed by weekly alendronate for 10 years (ie, sequential teriparatide/alendronate) compared with alendronate alone for 10 years in community‐dwelling white osteoporotic women with prior vertebral fracture at ages 65, 70, 75, and 80. Using an updated version of previously validated Markov microsimulation models, we obtained incremental cost‐effectiveness ratios (ICERs) (dollars [$] per quality‐adjusted life year [QALY]) with a willingness‐to‐pay (WTP) of $150,000 per QALY from a societal perspective with a lifelong time horizon. In the base case, we estimated the annual cost of teriparatide to be $20,161, based on the assumption of 10% brand usage (at a cost of $27,618) and 90% generic/biosimilar usage (priced 30% lower than brand). The ICERs of sequential teriparatide/alendronate compared with alendronate alone were greater than $280,000 per QALY at all ages examined. In deterministic sensitivity analyses, results were sensitive to teriparatide's cost, with the cost of a generic/biosimilar product needing to be 65% to 85% lower than brand for sequential teriparatide/alendronate to be cost‐effective. In probabilistic sensitivity analyses, under the assumption that the annual cost of teriparatide was $20,161, the probabilities of sequential teriparatide/alendronate being cost‐effective were less than 4% at a WTP of $150,000 per QALY. In conclusion, among community‐dwelling older osteoporotic women with prior vertebral fracture in the US, even with the potential availability of generic/biosimilar teriparatide, sequential teriparatide/alendronate would not be cost‐effective unless the cost of generic/biosimilar teriparatide were heavily discounted with respect to the current brand cost. © 2019 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Leukocytapheresis in nonmobilized donors for cellular therapy protocols: Evaluation of factors affecting collection efficiency of cells
Authors: Cid Joan , Carbassé Gloria , Alba Cristina , Perea Dolores , Lozano Miquel 
Published: September 2019

AbstractIntroductionCollection efficiency (CE1) of cells refers to the number of cells that are collected from the total number of cells processed by the apheresis device. Limited data are available about the CE1 of cells when performing leukocytapheresis in nonmobilized donors for cellular therapy purposes. The aim of our study was to evaluate donor‐ and procedure‐related characteristics that might influence the CE1 of cells.Material and MethodsVariables that predicted the CE1 of cells were analyzed by longitudinal linear regression in a series of 1071 leukocytapheresis procedures on 249 nonmobilized donors. Donor‐related characteristics considered were gender, age, total blood volume, and complete blood count (CBC) data. Procedure‐related characteristics considered were vascular access and device used.ResultsOlder donor age was associated with a decrease in the CE1 of leukocytes, lymphocytes, monocytes, and mononuclear cells (MNCs; sum of leukocytes and monocytes) and with an increase in the CE1 of platelets (P < .05). Preprocedure CBC data (leukocytes, lymphocytes, monocytes, and platelets) were associated with either a statistically significant increase or decrease in the CE1 of cells. Central line used as vascular access was associated with a statistically significant decrease in the CE1 of MNCs (P = .02).ConclusionDonor's age, preprocedure CBC data as well as central line used as vascular access were factors associated with CE1 of cells. Knowing these characteristics is helpful in the apheresis unit when designing cellular therapy protocols in order to maximize the CE1 of the desired cell and to personalize collection variables for each donor.
Potential toxicity and implication of halogenated byproducts generated in MBR online‐cleaning with hypochlorite
Authors: Zhang Xiaoyuan , Liu Yu 
Published: September 2019

AbstractOnline chemical cleaning of membrane bioreactor (MBR) with sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) has been extensively applied for membrane fouling mitigation. However, it was recently revealed that residual NaClO from the online cleaning of MBR caused serious microbial lysis with the subsequent formation of dissolved organic matter (DOM), in which a substantial level of halogenated byproducts was detected. Different from those generated in potable water chlorination, most of the halogenated byproducts generated during MBR online cleaning with hypochlorite belonged to the haloaromatic family, which were apparently more toxic than aliphatic compounds. It was shown that a substantial amount of the generated halogenated byproducts passed through the microfiltration membrane and entered the surface waters through the discharge of MBR permeate. As such, the concentration of halogenated byproducts might likely reach an alarming level via bioaccumulation in the aquatic environment. This emerging situation indeed poses serious concerns for the aquatic environment, water supply and public health due to significantly high toxicity of haloaromatic compounds produced. Unfortunately, the potential halogenated byproducts‐associated environmental risks have not been carefully and systematically assessed towards the establishment of relevant regulations. Therefore, this review attempted to fill up such a gap by providing the insights into the potential environmental impacts of halogenated byproducts in the MBR permeate. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Monitoring of the degradation of aromatic hydrocarbons by bioaugmented activated sludge
Authors: Vural Caner , Vural Cansu , Ozdemir Guven 
Published: September 2019

AbstractBACKGROUNDThe petrochemical industry wastewater contains many organic compounds that are difficult to degrade. The activated sludge system reinforced by bioaugmentation technology represents a more effective alternative to treat industrial wastewater. In this study, bioaugmented activated sludge water demonstrated high efficiency in removing five tested hydrocarbons.RESULTSOptimized degradation rates were obtained upon inoculation of a continuous bioreactor system with degradative bacteria (Acinetobacter sp., Aeromonas sp., Arthrobacter nicotianae, Burkholderia cepacia, Chryseobacterium sp., Pseudomonas fluorescens, Micrococcus luteus and Raoultella planticola). The addition of a hydrocarbon mixture (terephthalic acid, acenaphthene, fluorene, anthracene, and pyrene) into the bioaugmented sludge resulted in degradation rates equivalent to 97.90%, 99.87%, 98.89%, 97.28%, and 94.55% respectively after 24–48 h incubation. Molecular biomonitoring was performed with real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). According to the obtained results, the numbers of copy DNA of the degradative bacteria increased by 0.36–1.13 log at the end of the degradation process. The presence of some oxygenase genes (Nah, NidA, Pah Rhd Gr(+), Pah Rhd Gr(−) and C23O), that catabolize aromatic hydrocarbons in activated sludge, were detected by specific primers.CONCLUSIONBioaugmentation represents a potent and eco‐friendly approach that can effectively remove the drastic increase in the concentrations of aromatic hydrocarbons in industrial wastewaters. Molecular biomonitoring during degradation can be considered a rapid and an effective in situ method that quantifies the active microbial population in wastewater. The method provides beneficial information about the composition of microbial community and sustainability of the degradation process. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Lipase‐catalyzed aza‐Michael addition of amines to acrylates in supercritical carbon dioxide
Authors: Zhang Jiaxin , Wang Ciduo , Wang Chunyu , Shang Wei , Xiao Bao , Duan Songhan , Li Fengxi , Wang Lei , Chen Peng 
Published: September 2019

AbstractBACKGROUNDAza‐Michael addition, a powerful method for the synthesis of β‐amino carbonyl derivatives, has been extensively studied in organic chemistry. In this study, the efficient and chemoselective aza‐Michael addition of amines to acrylates catalyzed by lipase in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) was reported for the first time.RESULTSUnder the optimal conditions [amine (1 mmol), acrylate (1 mmol), novozym 435 (20 mg), 40 °C, scCO2 (25 mL, 10 MPa)], the corresponding Michael adducts of amines to acrylates were exclusively obtained in high yields (60–93%) for a short reaction time (1 h). No aminolysis was observed when scCO2 was used as reaction medium. Moreover, novozym 435 showed high reusability in scCO2 for aza‐Michael addition.CONCLUSIONThe excellent chemoselectivity and reusability of novozym 435 in scCO2 indicate the method's great potential for practical application. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Learning from the experiences of Navajo engineers: Looking toward the development of a culturally responsive engineering curriculum
Authors: Jordan Shawn S. , Foster Chrissy H. , Anderson Ieshya K. , Betoney Courtney A. , Pangan Tyrine Jamella D. 
Published: September 2019

AbstractBackgroundDiverse perspectives, including those of Native Americans, are needed to drive innovation in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Tribes such as the Navajo Nation are seeking to strengthen their communities, create economic opportunities, and improve the lives of their peoples by encouraging members of their tribe to become engineers. Research investigating how Navajo engineers experience and understand engineering design and practice in the context of their culture and community can provide insight into how to engage Navajo students in pathways to careers in STEM.Purpose/HypothesisThe purpose of the study was to identify and investigate the ways in which Navajo engineers experience, understand, and apply engineering design and practice in the context of their culture and community.Design/MethodA phenomenographic approach was used to explore the ways that Navajo engineers experience and understand the phenomena of engineering design and practice in the context of their culture and community. A total of 20 Navajo engineers were interviewed for this study.ResultsFour qualitatively distinct lenses on how Navajo engineers experience and understand engineering design and practice embedded in the culture of the Navajo community were identified as (a) Navajo‐centered behavior, (b) Navajo‐centered purpose, (c) Navajo‐centered strategy, and (d) Navajo‐centered application.ConclusionsThe results of the study provide a deeper understanding of how Navajo engineers experience similarities and differences between Navajo culture and engineering design and practice, and provide a foundation for the development of culturally responsive engineering design curricula for classrooms in the Navajo Nation.