bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The role of diagnostic cardiac catheterization for children with congenital heart diseases: local experience
Authors: Wagdy Reham 
Published: January 2019

IntroductionDespite the development of non-invasive tools of investigations for congenital heart diseases (CHDs), still the role of diagnostic cardiac catheterization (DCC) cannot be undermined. The study aimed to analyze the clinical profile of indicated CHDs cases at our center for DCC to evaluate the contribution of DCC in patients’ management plans.Material and methodsThe study checked files of cases performed DCC between 2011 and 2012 at the pediatric catheterization unit of Alexandria University Children’s Hospital by the same operator. Demographic, laboratory and hemodynamic data were collected and analyzed.ResultsFiles of 61 children were included in the study. They were grouped into: group I (GI) (n = 25) with pulmonary hypertension (PH), and group II (GII) (n = 36) cases with obstructive pulmonary artery diseases. For the PH group, ventricular septal defect (VSD) was the most common (55%), and patients’ outcome plans were based on angiography – operable subgroup GI-A: (84%) (n = 21) and non-operable (16%) GI-B: (4% inoperable, 12% recommended for sildenafil). GI-B cases were significantly older, with higher PVRI and PVRI/SVRI (3.62, 0.68, p = 0.002) compared to GI-A (0.89, 0.23, p = 0.002, respectively). For group II, tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) was predominant (60%) among the disease spectrum, and the McGoon ratio ranged from 0.7 to 3.2 (median: 1.8). Outcome for GII: 63% operable, 25% shunt, 12% stent. Only pulmonary atresia cases showed a significant difference in the unmatched plans between echocardiography and catheterization reports (χ<sup>2</sup> = 7.438, p = 0.023).ConclusionsDiagnostic cardiac catheterization had a positive contribution for determination of the management plans for more than 84% of cases. The utility of pediatric cardiac catheterization in diagnosis should be adjusted according to the local needs of every cardiac center.
Effects of a nutraceutical combination of fermented
red rice, liposomal berberine, and curcumin on lipid and inflammatory parameters in patients with
mild-to-moderate hypercholesterolemia: an 8-week, open-label, single-arm pilot study
Authors: Biagi Marco , Minoretti Piercarlo , Bertona Marco , Emanuele Enzo 
Published: January 2019

IntroductionThe present open-label, single-arm pilot study sought to evaluate the effects of a nutraceutical combination containing fermented red rice, liposomal berberine, and curcumin on lipid and inflammatory parameters in patients with mild-to-moderate hypercholesterolemia.Material and methodsForty patients with mild-to-moderate hypercholesterolemia received the nutraceutical combination containing fermented red rice, liposomal berberine, and curcumin, once a day for 8 weeks. The study outcomes included changes from baseline in lipid (total cholesterol (TC), low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL), high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and triglycerides (TG)) and inflammatory parameters (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and tumor necrosis factor- (TNF-)).ResultsCompared with baseline, the nutraceutical combination produced a statistically significant reduction of TC (–20.4%, p < 0.05), LDL-C (–27.6%, p < 0.05), oxLDL (–23.2%, p < 0.05), and TG (–17.9%, p < 0.05). We also observed a reduction from baseline for hs-CRP (–15.4%, p < 0.05) and TNF- (–14.3%, p < 0.05). The treatment was well tolerated and none of the patients discontinued treatment due to adverse effects. No cases of myalgia or musculoskeletal system disorders were observed.ConclusionsThe nutraceutical combination of fermented red rice, liposomal berberine, and curcumin improves lipid profile and reduces markers of inflammation in low-risk dyslipidemic patients, with potential implications for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.
Association of ficolin-2 (FCN2) functional polymorphisms and protein levels with rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease: relationship with cardiac function
Authors: Elshamaa Manal F. , Hamza Hala , El Rahman Naglaa Abd , Emam Soha , Elghoroury Eman A. , Farid Tarek M. , Zaher Asmaa Zakareya , Ibrahim Mona H. , Kamel Solaf , El-Aziz Doaa Abd 
Published: January 2019

IntroductionA role for ficolin (FCN) 2 gene polymorphisms in the pathogenesis of recurrent severe streptococcal infections and rheumatic carditis has been suggested. The aim of the study was to evaluate a possible relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms located at positions -602 and -4 of the FCN2 gene and FCN2 serum levels and risk of development of rheumatic fever (RF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD).Material and methodsSeventy-seven Caucasian Egyptian patients with RF were recruited with a control group of 43 healthy subjects. DNA was extracted for analysis of the FCN2 gene at positions -602 and -4 and serum protein level was measured by ELISA.ResultsFCN2 AA genotype at the -4 position was more frequently observed in RF and RHD patients, as compared to healthy subjects (p = 0.005 and p = 0.013, respectively); furthermore, the A allele was identified as a possible risk factor for the development of RF (p = 0.023, OR = 1.852, 95% CI: 1.085–3.159). The haplotype –602/–4 G/A, which was associated with low median levels of L-ficolin, was observed more frequently in the RF group when compared to the healthy subjects (74/162, 48.1% vs. 29/420, 33.7%, OR = 1.834, 95% CI: 1·034–3.252, p = 0·038). Low serum ficolin 2 level was associated with ESV and EDV increases. FCN 2 level was significantly lower with AA genotypes than GG+AG genotypes of the -4 position (56.68 ±17.90 vs. 66.05 ±18.79, p = 0.008).ConclusionsPolymorphisms linked to low levels of L-ficolin may render an individual at risk of recurrent and/or severe streptococcal infection. The -4 AA genotype and -602/-4 G/A haplotype are possible risk factors for the development of carditis.
The role of substance P in cancer promotion
and progression
Authors: S. Alsayad Fatima A. 
Published: January 2019

Cancer is a chronic global problem, and is the leading cause of mortality in Australia. Metastasis is a key characteristic of malignant tumors, enabling the cancer cells to move from their primary site to a secondary location. This process of translocation of cancer cells and transmigration through the blood vessels is similar to what is seen with immune cells during the inflammatory process. Substance P (SP) is known to be a significant mediator in the development and progression of inflammation, and it has been suggested that it may play a similar role in relation to metastatic tumor development via tachykinin NK1 and NK2 receptors. Therefore, the development of antagonist molecules for the NK1 receptor presents an important opportunity for exploiting these molecules as novel therapeutic agents for the treatment of cancer.
Fluctuations of mentalization in the context of relational stimuli and representational contents
Authors: Górska Dominika 
Published: January 2019

BackgroundMentalization as the ability to interpret human behavior in terms of mental states is not a stable characteristic but is subject to fluctuation depending on the context. Nonlinear system theories explain the fluctuation of mentalization by stressing the context of the relationship in which there emerges a new quality of mentalization and/or activation of elements of the internal system of representations.Participants and procedureThe aim of the study was to test whether the fluctuation of mentalization depends on the type of relational stimulus (imagining the responsiveness/unresponsiveness of a significant other) or on the interaction of the stimulus with the content aspects of representation (a predominance of relatedness/sociotropy or a predominance of self-definition/autonomy). The investigators collected the utterances of 49 students about a situation involving a significant other, which was preceded by a request to imagine that this person was responsive (Condition 1) or unresponsive (Condition 2). The level of mentalization was assessed by means of the Metacognition Assessment Scale. The investigators divided the group into two subgroups with different configu­rations of representational contents (a predominance of relatedness/sociotropy or self-definition/autonomy) bas­ed on the scores in the Personal Style Inventory.ResultsMentalization fluctuations dependent on the interaction of the stimulus and representational contents were observed in the group with a predominance of sociotropic contents for interpersonal mentalization but not for self-reflective mentalizing.ConclusionsMentalization must not be decontextualized; however, it is not the stimulus alone but the interaction of the stimulus with representational content that determines the fluctuations of mentalization. Individuals with a predominance of relatedness experience a decline in the capacity for interpersonal mentalization after imagining a significant other’s unresponsiveness, which can be interpreted as resulting from a weakening of the function of differentiating.
Baroness Elsa
Authors: Gammel Irene 
Published: January 2019

The first biography of the enigmatic dadaist known as "the Baroness"—Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven.
Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven (1874–1927) is considered by many to be the first American dadaist as well as the mother of dada. An innovator in poetic form and an early creator of junk sculpture, "the Baroness" was best known for her sexually charged, often controversial performances. Some thought her merely crazed, others thought her a genius. The editor Margaret Anderson called her "perhaps the only figure of our generation who deserves the epithet extraordinary." Yet despite her great notoriety and influence, until recently her story and work have been little known outside the circle of modernist scholars.
In Baroness Elsa, Irene Gammel traces the extraordinary life and work of this daring woman, viewing her in the context of female dada and the historical battles fought by women in the early twentieth century. Striding through the streets of Berlin, Munich, New York, and Paris wearing such adornments as a tomato-soup can bra, teaspoon earrings, and black lipstick, the Baroness erased the boundaries between life and art, between the everyday and the outrageous, between the creative and the dangerous. Her art objects were precursors to dada objects of the teens and twenties, her sound and visual poetry were far more daring than those of the male modernists of her time, and her performances prefigured feminist body art and performance art by nearly half a century.
The Decline of the Welfare State
Authors: Razin Assaf , Sadka Efraim 
Published: January 2019

An analysis of the welfare state from a political economy perspective that examines the effects of aging populations, migration, and globalization on industrialized economies.
In The Decline of the Welfare State, Assaf Razin and Efraim Sadka use a political economy framework to analyze the effects of aging populations, migration, and globalization on the deteriorating system of financing welfare state benefits as we know them. Their timely analysis, supported by a unified theoretical framework and empirical findings, demonstrates how the combined forces of demographic change and globalization will make it impossible for the welfare state to maintain itself on its present scale. In much of the developed world, the proportion of the population aged 60 and over is expected to rise dramatically over the coming years—from 35 percent in 2000 to a projected 66 percent in 2050 in the European Union and from 27 percent to 47 percent in the United States—which may necessitate higher tax burdens and greater public debt to maintain national pension systems at current levels. Low-skill migration produces additional strains on welfare-state financing because such migrants typically receive benefits that exceed what they pay in taxes. Higher capital taxation, which could potentially be used to finance welfare benefits, is made unlikely by international tax competition brought about by globalization of the capital market. Applying a political economy model and drawing on empirical data from the EU and the United States, the authors draw an unconventional and provocative conclusion from these developments. They argue that the political pressure from both aging and migrant populations indirectly generates political processes that favor trimming rather than expanding the welfare state. The combined pressures of aging, migration, and globalization will shift the balance of political power and generate public support from the majority of the voting population for cutting back traditional welfare state benefits.
Reliable Reasoning
Authors: Harman Gilbert , Kulkarni Sanjeev 
Published: January 2019

The implications for philosophy and cognitive science of developments in statistical learning theory.
In Reliable Reasoning, Gilbert Harman and Sanjeev Kulkarni—a philosopher and an engineer—argue that philosophy and cognitive science can benefit from statistical learning theory (SLT), the theory that lies behind recent advances in machine learning. The philosophical problem of induction, for example, is in part about the reliability of inductive reasoning, where the reliability of a method is measured by its statistically expected percentage of errors—a central topic in SLT.
After discussing philosophical attempts to evade the problem of induction, Harman and Kulkarni provide an admirably clear account of the basic framework of SLT and its implications for inductive reasoning. They explain the Vapnik-Chervonenkis (VC) dimension of a set of hypotheses and distinguish two kinds of inductive reasoning. The authors discuss various topics in machine learning, including nearest-neighbor methods, neural networks, and support vector machines. Finally, they describe transductive reasoning and suggest possible new models of human reasoning suggested by developments in SLT.
Bradford Books imprint
Retooling
Authors: Williams Rosalind 
Published: January 2019

A humanistic account of the changing role of technology in society, by a historian and a former Dean of Students and Undergraduate Education at MIT.
When Warren Kendall Lewis left Spring Garden Farm in Delaware in 1901 to enter MIT, he had no idea that he was becoming part of a profession that would bring untold good to his country but would also contribute to the death of his family's farm. In this book written a century later, Professor Lewis's granddaughter, a cultural historian who has served in the administration of MIT, uses her grandfather's and her own experience to make sense of the rapidly changing role of technology in contemporary life.
Rosalind Williams served as Dean of Students and Undergraduate Education at MIT from 1995 through 2000. From this vantage point, she watched a wave of changes, some planned and some unexpected, transform many aspects of social and working life—from how students are taught to how research and accounting are done—at this major site of technological innovation. In Retooling, she uses this local knowledge to draw more general insights into contemporary society's obsession with technology.
Today technology-driven change defines human desires, anxieties, memories, imagination, and experiences of time and space in unprecedented ways. But technology, and specifically information technology, does not simply influence culture and society; it is itself inherently cultural and social. If there is to be any reconciliation between technological change and community, Williams argues, it will come from connecting technological and social innovation—a connection demonstrated in the history that unfolds in this absorbing book.
Bioinspired Color Changing Molecular Sensor toward Early Fire Detection Based on Transformation of Phthalonitrile to Phthalocyanine
Authors: Fu Teng , Zhao Xi , Chen Lin , Wu Wan‐Shou , Zhao Qing , Wang Xiu‐Li , Guo De‐Ming , Wang Yu‐Zhong 
Published: January 2019

AbstractThe fire detection plays a critical role in the maintenance of public security. Previous approaches of early fire warning, based on smoke or temperature response must be set in the proximity of a fire. They cannot provide the additional information of fire location or size and are susceptible to complicated situations. It is still a big challenge to make rapid and accurate early fire warning in precombustion because of the lack of reliable alarm signals. Herein, a precursor molecular sensor (PMS) is designed and synthesized that can present the chemical structure transformation to form phthalocyanines (Pcs) and release a color change signal at about 180 °C, learning from the plant chlorophyll metabolism. Further, the PMS is assembled to an early fire warning component (EWC) and an intelligent image recognition algorithm is introduced for unburned fire detection. The EWC generates a colorful alarm within 20 s at 275 °C. Therefore, the facile PMS provides a reliable real‐time monitoring strategy to the early fire warning detection in precombustion.
The Origin of Electrochemical Actuation of MnO2/Ni Bilayer Film Derived by Redox Pseudocapacitive Process
Authors: Liu Lingyang , Su Lijun , Lu Yulan , Zhang Qingnuan , Zhang Li , Lei Shulai , Shi Siqi , Levi Mikhael D. , Yan Xingbin 
Published: January 2019

AbstractPseudocapacitance‐induced electrochemical actuators (EC‐actuators) have attracted great attention in robots and artificial intelligence technologies. Despite major efforts to design such EC‐actuators, a molecular‐level understanding of the deformation mechanism is still lacking. Here, a reversible deformation of a freestanding MnO2/Ni bilayer film is demonstrated and in situ electrochemical atomic force microscopy, in situ Raman spectroscopy, and density functional theory simulation are used to study the origin of the deformation. The results show that the electrochemical actuation of the MnO2/Ni film is highly related with the redox pseudocapacitive behavior of MnO2 layer. Valence state variation of Mn element, shortening and lengthening of MnO bond, and insertion and extraction of Na+ ions, which all result from the redox pseudocapacitance of MnO2 during charging and discharging, eventually lead to the reversible contraction and expansion of MnO2 morphology. Such action counters with the nonactive Ni layer, finally inducing the reversible deformation of the MnO2/Ni bilayer film. It is believed that the study can provide useful guidance to design better EC‐actuators in the future.
Triboelectric Nanogenerator Networks Integrated with Power Management Module for Water Wave Energy Harvesting
Authors: Liang Xi , Jiang Tao , Liu Guoxu , Xiao Tianxiao , Xu Liang , Li Wei , Xi Fengben , Zhang Chi , Wang Zhong Lin 
Published: January 2019

AbstractOcean waves are one of the most promising renewable energy sources for large‐scope applications. Recently, triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) network has been demonstrated to effectively harvest water wave energy possibly toward large‐scale blue energy. However, the absence of effective power management severely restricts the practicability of TENGs. In this work, a hexagonal TENG network consisting of spherical TENG units based on spring‐assisted multilayered structure, integrated with a power management module (PMM), is constructed for harvesting water wave energy. The output performance of the TENG network is found to be determined by water wave frequencies and amplitudes, as well as the wave type. Moreover, with the implemented PMM, the TENG network could output a steady and continuous direct current (DC) voltage on the load resistance, and the stored energy is dramatically improved by up to 96 times for charging a capacitor. The TENG network integrated with the PMM is also applied to effectively power a digital thermometer and a wireless transmitter. The thermometer can constantly measure the water temperature with the water wave motions, and the transmitter can send signals that enable an alarm to go off once every 10 s. This study extends the application of the power management module in the water wave energy harvesting.
Recent Advances in Rational Electrode Designs for High‐Performance Alkaline Rechargeable Batteries
Authors: Huang Meng , Li Ming , Niu Chaojiang , Li Qi , Mai Liqiang 
Published: January 2019

AbstractIn recent years, noticeable progress is achieved regarding alkaline rechargeable batteries (ARBs). Due to their merits of safety and low cost, ARBs are considered promising energy storage sources for large‐scale grid energy storage, electric vehicles, and hybrid electric vehicles, as well as wearable and portable devices. While previous reviews have focused on specific topics associated with ARBs, providing a comprehensive review on rechargeable alkaline batteries is both timely and worthwhile. In this review, the recent progress in ARBs is summarized and the strategies underlying rational electrode designs for cathodes and anodes are highlighted, as well as their applications in full cells including flexible batteries. This review may pave the way for further designs of high‐performance alkaline batteries.
Performance‐Enhancing Selector via Symmetrical Multilayer Design
Authors: Sun Yiming , Zhao Xiaolong , Song Cheng , Xu Kun , Xi Yue , Yin Jun , Wang Ziyu , Zhou Xiaofeng , Chen Xianzhe , Shi Guoyi , Lv Hangbing , Liu Qi , Zeng Fei , Zhong Xiaoyan , Wu Huaqiang , Liu Ming , Pan Feng 
Published: January 2019

AbstractTwo‐terminal selectors with high nonlinearity, based on bidirectional threshold switching (TS) behaviors, are considered as a crucial element of crossbar integration for emerging nonvolatile memory and neuromorphic network. Although great efforts have been made to obtain various selectors, existing selectors cannot fully satisfy the rigorous standard of assorted memristive elements and it is in great demand to enhance the performance. Here, a new type of Ag/TaOx/TaOy/TaOx/Ag (x < y) selector based on homogeneous trilayered oxides is developed to attain the required parameters including bidirectional TS operation, a large selectivity of ≈1010, a high compliance current up to 1 mA, and ultralow switching voltages under 0.2 V. Tunable operation voltages can be realized by modulating the thickness of inserted TaOy. All‐TaOx‐based integrated 1S1R (one selector and one memristor) cells, prepared completely by magnetron sputtering and no need of a middle electrode, exhibit a nonlinear feature, which is quite characteristic for the crossbar devices, avoiding undesired crosstalk current issues. The tantalum‐oxide‐based homojunctions offer high insulation, low ion mobility, and rich interfaces, which is responsible for the modulation of Ag conductive filaments and corresponding high‐performance cation‐based selector. These findings might advance practical implementation of two‐terminal selectors in emerging memories, especially resistive random access memories.