bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Transcatheter valves are a viable option for degenerative surgical mitral bioprostheses
Authors: Khan Asaad , Dangas George 
Published: April 2019

Key Points

Repeat surgery is the ideal choice for degenerated bioprosthetic mitral valves.
Percutaneous valve‐in‐valve (ViV) replacement for the treatment of degenerated bioprostheses has emerged as an alternative to open surgery in patients who are at high risk of surgical complications.
Joseph et al have described the feasibility and long‐term outcomes of Melody ViV Implantation for bioprosthetic mitral valve dysfunction in high‐risk population.
Sensitivity estimation in circular and square loops
Authors: Giovannetti Giulio 
Published: April 2019

AbstractCircular and square loops are the simplest design employed as radiofrequency coils for magnetic resonance applications. Being usually much smaller than the volume coils, these loop coils have higher signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) because they receive noises only from nearby regions. However, they have a relatively poor field homogeneity and, thus, are mainly used as receive coils. In this work, author describes a coil sensitivity estimation method based on a simulator which permits the characterization of loop coils performance, in terms of magnetic field patterns and coil losses, where this last term including conductor, sample, capacitor, radiative and soldering losses. The evaluation of coil sensitivity for circular and square loops was performed at different tuning frequencies usually used in clinical scanner (21, 64, and 128 MHz) and at different distances respect to the coil plane. Simulation data were acquired for circular loop radius between 0.5 and 4 cm and for square loop side sizes between 1 and 8 cm, with the scope of evaluating the loop sizes which maximize the sensitivity in dependence of the penetration depth in the sample region and therefore to design optimized coils for maximizing SNR in MR applications.
Diffusion measurements using the second echo
Authors: Fabich Hilary T. , Nandi Partha , Thomann Hans , Conradi Mark S. 
Published: April 2019

AbstractWe present a tutorial discussion of diffusion measurements by NMR, aimed around a specific problem. To measure diffusion in the presence of convective flow, one may use the second echo using the well‐known cancellation of phase effects from flow for the second echo. In testing this with a simple organic liquid and a static (dc) gradient at room temperature, where no convection can occur, we noticed the data from the second echo implied a substantiallylargerrate of diffusion than for the first echo. The error is due to the second echo being a superposition of a spin (Hahn) echo (an echo of the first echo) and a stimulated echo. We show that the stimulated echo is more attenuated by diffusion (it has a largerbvalue), explaining our result. A simple phase cycle is presented that suppresses the stimulated echo and leads to the correct diffusion value from the second echo. That is, the diffusion values taken from the first and second echoes are now identical.
Magnetic resonance data modeling: The Bayesian analysis toolbox
Authors: Quirk James D. , Bretthorst G. Larry , Garbow Joel R. , Ackerman Joseph J. H. 
Published: April 2019

AbstractBayesian probability theory provides optimal parameter estimates and robust model selection from a family of competing data models. However, widespread adoption of the Bayesian approach to the analysis of magnetic resonance and other data types has been hindered by its perceived complexity and heavy computational burden. This manuscript describes the Bayesian Analysis Toolbox, a computationally efficient, robust, and highly optimized suite of data modeling software packages based upon the precepts of Bayesian probability theory. The Toolbox is downloadable at no cost for noncommercial applications from http://bayesiananalysis.wustl.edu. The Toolbox extends Bayesian‐based data analysis to a variety of real‐world data analysis problems commonly encountered in spectroscopy and imaging, with a focus on magnetic resonance‐derived data, making the power of this approach available to the non‐expert user.
Foodomics and storage monitoring of three meat cuts by 1H NMR
Authors: Fontes José Eraldo do Nascimento , Rodriguez‐Caturla Magdevis Yanet , Sant'Ana Anderson S. , Lopes Thiago Inácio Barros , Marsaioli Anita Jocelyne 
Published: April 2019

AbstractThe growth of NMR foodomics is described in the context of a study of beef storage. Thirty samples of three meat cuts (chuck, sirloin, and tenderloin) were analyzed using 1H NMR spectroscopy to determine the influence of storage period and temperature. 1H showed signals belonging to metabolites namely: acetate, adenosine, adenine, ADP, alanine, betaine, creatine, creatinine, carnosine, fumarate, glycerol, glycine, glutamine, isoleucine, lactate, leucine, methionine, and valine. The score plots (PCA) separated the samples of different storage time, reflecting possible meat degradation. Samples of no storage time (time zero) were grouped in the PC1 and PC2 negatives axis. The score plots suggest that the temperature has a huge influence on the degradation extent and possible influences the growth of the microbial populations.
On‐Surface Synthesis of Iron Phthalocyanine Using Metal‐Organic Coordination Templates
Authors: Zhao Yan , Yuan Bingkai , Li Can , Zhang Pengfei , Mai Yiyong , Guan Dandan , Li Yaoyi , Zheng Hao , Liu Canhua , Wang Shiyong , Jia Jinfeng 
Published: April 2019

AbstractOn‐surface synthesis provides a convenient route to many kinds of conjugated molecular nanostructures, but it has remained challenging to precisely control the reaction pathway for using multicomponent precursors. Herein, we demonstrate a two‐step strategy to synthesize iron phthalocyanine (FePc) molecules using metal‐organic coordination for templating by using high‐resolution scanning tunnelling microscopy and non‐contact atomic force microscopy. In a first step, 1,2,4,5‐tetracyanobenzene (TCNB) precursors and Fe atoms self‐assembly into Fe(TCNB)4 coordination complexes on a clean Au(111) surface. The Fe(TCNB)4 complexes further undergo cyclic tetramerization upon thermal annealing, forming single FePc molecules. We expect that our demonstrated synthetic strategy may shed light on the design and synthesis of two‐dimensional extended conjugated systems.
The delivery of psychotherapy—A Delphi study on the dimensions of psychotherapy delivery and a proposal for reporting guidelines
Authors: Sündermann Oliver , See Cassandra , Veale David 
Published: April 2019

AbstractEfficacy and effectiveness of psychotherapy are well studied, but we know little about optimal ways of delivering therapy. Evidence of how best to deliver psychotherapy is scarce and difficult to scope because reports of how interventions are delivered lack a common terminology. We therefore conducted a Delphi study on what dimensions of therapy delivery are important to report and examine. The study was conducted between October 2016 and July 2017. Twenty therapy experts rated and commented on various dimensions of therapy delivery (e.g., duration, spacing, or format of session). Experts were asked (a) how relevant these were for reporting of therapy studies, (b) how much they agreed with the guidelines for describing them, (c) how important these were to investigate in future studies, and (d) whether they agreed with the name of the dimension. Experts were asked to suggest other dimensions of therapy delivery they considered relevant and propose revisions of the initial guidelines. The panel agreed on names and guidelines for the description of 13 dimensions of therapy delivery. These were deemed relevant or highly relevant to report and research in future psychotherapy studies. We propose structured guidelines for reporting the delivery of psychotherapy.
Blind coding classification in the presence of interference in MIMO systems using ML algorithm
Authors: Al‐Makhlasawy Rasha M. , Hefnawy Alaa A. , Abd Elnaby Mustafa M. , Abd El‐Samie Fathi E. 
Published: April 2019

SummaryThis paper presents a framework for coding classification in multiple‐input multiple‐output (MIMO) systems in the presence of inter‐user interference (IUI). This framework is performed at the receiver beginning with a signal separation step. The signal separation is implemented with a multi‐user kurtosis (MUK) algorithm. The classification step estimates the code parameter (CP) using the maximum‐likelihood (ML) method applied to the covariance matrix of the received signal without a priori knowledge about the transmitted signal. Experimental results show that the proposed coding classifier is easy to implement and efficient for the classification of the CP over Rayleigh fading channels in the presence of time and frequency offsets. Furthermore, the success rate of code classification is high at low signal‐to‐noise ratios (SNRs). The signal separation increases the probability of true classification.
Invertebrate community response to fire and rodent activity in the Mojave and Great Basin Deserts
Authors: Day Joshua D. , Birrell Jackson H. , Terry Tyson J. , Clark Amy , Allen Phil , St. Clair Samuel B. 
Published: April 2019

AbstractRecent increases in the frequency and size of desert wildfires bring into question the impacts of fire on desert invertebrate communities. Furthermore, consumer communities can strongly impact invertebrates through predation and top‐down effects on plant community assembly. We experimentally applied burn and rodent exclusion treatments in a full factorial design at sites in both the Mojave and Great Basin deserts to examine the impact that fire and rodent consumers have on invertebrate communities. Pitfall traps were used to survey invertebrates from April through September 2016 to determine changes in abundance, richness, and diversity of invertebrate communities in response to fire and rodent treatments. Generally speaking, rodent exclusion had very little effect on invertebrate abundance or ant abundance, richness or diversity. The one exception was ant abundance, which was higher in rodent access plots than in rodent exclusion plots in June 2016, but only at the Great Basin site. Fire had little effect on the abundances of invertebrate groups at either desert site, with the exception of a negative effect on flying‐forager abundance at our Great Basin site. However, fire reduced ant species richness and Shannon's diversity at both desert sites. Fire did appear to indirectly affect ant community composition by altering plant community composition. Structural equation models suggest that fire increased invasive plant cover, which negatively impacted ant species richness and Shannon's diversity, a pattern that was consistent at both desert sites. These results suggest that invertebrate communities demonstrate some resilience to fire and invasions but increasing fire and spread of invasive due to invasive grass fire cycles may put increasing pressure on the stability of invertebrate communities.
Grazing intensity enhances spatial aggregation of dominant species in a desert steppe
Authors: Lv Shijie , Yan Baolong , Wang Zhongwu , Han Guodong , Kang Sarula 
Published: April 2019

AbstractUnderstanding how grazing activity drives plant community structure or the distribution of specific species in a community remains a major challenge in community ecology. The patchiness or spatial aggregation of specific species can be quantified by analyzing their relative coordinates in the community. Using variance and geostatistical analysis methods, we examined the quantitative characteristics and spatial distribution of Stipa breviflora in a desert steppe in northern China under four different grazing intensities (no grazing, NG, light grazing, LG, moderate grazing, MG, and heavy grazing, HG) at three small spatial scales (10 × 10 cm, 20 × 20 cm, 25 × 25 cm). We found that grazing significantly increased cover, density, and proportion in standing crop of S. breviflora, but decreased height. The spatial distribution of S. breviflora was strongly dependent upon the sampling unit and grazing intensity. The patchiness of S. breviflora reduced with sampling scale, and spatial distribution of S. breviflora was mainly determined by structural factors. The intact clusters of S. breviflora were more fragmented with increasing grazing intensity and offspring clusters spread out from the center of the parent plant. These findings suggest that spatial aggregation can enhance the ability of S. breviflora to tolerate grazing and that smaller isolated clusters are beneficial to the survival of this dominant species under heavy grazing.
Implementation of Patient‐Reported Outcomes (PROMs) from specialist pain clinics in England and Wales: Experience from a nationwide study
Authors: Price Cathy M. , C. de C. Williams Amanda , Smith Blair H. , Bottle Alex 
Published: April 2019

AbstractIntroductionEvaluating outcomes in routine clinical practice is a significant challenge for specialist pain clinics due to the complexity of interventions provided and the subjective nature of pain. This study reports findings from implementation of Patient Reported Outcomes (PROMs) in pain clinics in England and Wales between 2011 and 2013.MethodsA paper‐based questionnaire was administered at a first appointment in participating centres. This assessed quality of life, experience of health care and health care usage with postal follow‐up at 6 and 12 months by the research team. Feasibility was assessed in terms of response rates, completion rates and outcomes.ResultsNinety‐one (56%) clinics participated, entering 9,588 patients (19% of those eligible). For responders, there was a 92% item completion rate. The dropout rate was high, 46% and 19% returned questions at 6 and 12 months, respectively. Quality of life at baseline was low, with a mean EQ5D‐3L Time Trade Off value of 0.32. Amongst responders at 12 months, 92% continued to experience significant pain. For those with planned discharges 30% achieved the Minimal Important Change for quality of life. Nonetheless, 70% reported positive experiences of care.ConclusionsPatients attending UK pain clinics report an extraordinarily poor quality of life and difficulty with understanding their condition. Problems with PROMs implementation included initial recruitment, follow‐up response rates, classification systems and benchmarking. Successful implementation should include use of electronic data capture, feedback and focus on gradual improvement. To achieve this would require extended periods of funding.SignificanceNo nationwide evaluation of the effectiveness of specialist pain clinics had previously been attempted. Comparison of patient outcomes from services enables improvement. This work provides a platform to improve methods of routine PROMs capture in pain clinics, measure clinical effectiveness and identify areas for potential research.
Assessing the suitability of capillary electrophoresis‐mass spectrometry for biomarker discovery in plasma‐based metabolomics
Authors: Zhang Wei , Segers Karen , Mangelings Debby , Van Eeckhaut Ann , Hankemeier Thomas , Vander Heyden Yvan , Ramautar Rawi 
Published: April 2019

AbstractThe actual utility of capillary electrophoresis‐mass spectrometry (CE‐MS) for biomarker discovery using metabolomics still needs to be assessed. Therefore, a simulated comparative metabolic profiling study for biomarker discovery by CE‐MS was performed, using pooled human plasma samples with spiked biomarkers. Two studies have been carried out in this work. Focus of study I was on comparing two sets of plasma samples, in which one set (class I) was spiked with five isotope‐labeled compounds, whereas another set (class II) was spiked with six different isotope‐labeled compounds. In study II, focus was also on comparing two sets of plasma samples, however, the isotope‐labeled compounds were spiked to both class I and class II samples but with concentrations which differ by a factor two between both classes (with one compound absent in each class). The aim was to determine whether CEMS‐based metabolomics could reveal the spiked biomarkers as the main classifiers, applying two different data analysis software tools (MetaboAnalyst and Matlab). Unsupervised analysis of the recorded metabolic profiles revealed a clear distinction between class I and class II plasma samples in both studies. This classification was mainly attributed to the spiked isotope‐labeled compounds, thereby emphasizing the utility of CE‐MS for biomarker discovery.
Transoral silastic medialization for unilateral vocal fold paralysis
Authors: Atallah Ihab , Manjunath MK , Castellanos Paul F. 
Published: April 2019

AbstractBackgroundMedialization laryngoplasty has historically been performed through an external approach. The aim of our work is to demonstrate the feasibility of silastic vocal fold medialization transorally.MethodsPatients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis requiring medialization laryngoplasty were included in this report. Silastic medialization was done through a transoral approach. A supraglottic laryngotomy is performed followed by dissection and tunneling in the paraglottic space. Silastic implant is inserted into the tunnel to medialize the vocal fold and the ipsilateral arytenoid. The laryngotomy is tightly closed by endoscopic sutures.ResultsA consecutive series of 22 patients are reported. All patients had dysphonia with significant glottic insufficiency. After endoscopic silastic medialization, voice and swallowing were significantly improved (P < .001). No postoperative complications or implant extrusion occurred in our series.ConclusionSilastic vocal fold medialization can be safely and effectively performed through a transoral approach with good results on voice and swallowing.
Influence of Fat on Differential Receptor Interacting Serine/Threonine Protein Kinase 1 Activity Leading to Apoptotic Cell Death in Murine Liver Ischemia Reperfusion Injury Through Caspase 8
Authors: Kolachala Vasantha L. , Palle Sirish K. , Shen Ming , Shenoi Asha , Shayakhmetov Dmitry M. , Gupta Nitika A. 
Published: April 2019

Current understanding is that receptor interacting serine/threonine protein kinase 1 (RIPK1) can lead to two distinct forms of cell death: RIPK3‐mediated necroptosis or caspase 8 (Casp8)‐mediated apoptosis. Here, we report that RIPK1 signaling is indispensable for protection from hepatocellular injury in a steatotic liver undergoing ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI) but not in the lean liver. In lean liver IRI, RIPK1‐mediated cell death is operational, leading to protection in RIP1 kinase‐dead knock‐in (RIPK1K45A) mice and necrostatin‐1s (Nec1s)‐treated lean wild‐type (WT) mice. However, when fed a high‐fat diet (HFD), RIPK1K45A‐treated and Nec1s‐treated WT mice undergoing IRI demonstrate exacerbated hepatocellular injury along with decreased RIPK1 ubiquitylation. Furthermore, we demonstrate that HFD‐fed RIPK3–/–/Casp8–/– mice show protection from IRI, but HFD‐fed RIPK3–/–/Casp8–/+ mice do not. We also show that blockade of RIPK1 leads to increased Casp8 activity and decreases mitochondrial viability. Conclusion: Although more studies are required, we provide important proof of concept for RIPK1 inhibition leading to distinctive outcomes in lean and steatotic liver undergoing IRI. Considering the rising incidence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in the general population, it will be imperative to address this critical difference when treating patients with RIPK1 inhibitors. This study also presents a new target for drug therapy to prevent hepatocellular injury in NAFLD.
Circuit synthesis techniques of rational models of electromagnetic systems: A tutorial paper
Authors: Romano Daniele , Antonini Giulio , Grossner Ulrike , Kovačević‐Badstübner Ivana 
Published: April 2019

AbstractThis work aims to review the state of the art of the most important circuit synthesis techniques of rational approximation of electromagnetic multiport systems in order to incorporate them into a circuit simulator. In particular, equivalent circuits for the state‐space or for the pole/residue representation of impedances, admittances, and scattering parameters are reviewed in details. Furthermore, a novel contribution is given to show how it is possible to migrate from a state‐space (S,Y,Z) representation to another one by applying different matrix transformations. The resulting equivalent circuits can then be connected to linear/nonlinear devices or lumped elements in a Spice‐like framework allowing to analyze mixed electromagnetic/circuit problems. The validity of all the presented equivalent circuits and state‐space transformation is tested through two pertinent numerical examples. Pseudocodes are provided in order to make the reader able to easily implement the revised synthesis techniques.
Estimation of CYP3A4*1B single nucleotide polymorphism in patients with recurrent Major Depressive Disorder
Authors: Świechowski Rafał , Jeleń Agnieszka , Mirowski Marek , Talarowska Monika , Gałecki Piotr , Pietrzak Jacek , Wodziński Damian , Balcerczak Ewa 
Published: April 2019

AbstractBackgroundMajor depression is the most common mental illness in the world. Failures in treatment may occur due to the presence of a subtype of depression called TRD (Treatment‐ Resistant Depression). CYP3A4 polymorphism (rs2740574) can increase the activity of Cytochrome P450 3A4, contributing to faster metabolism of xenobiotics and reduced response to treatment. The aim of the study was to assess the distribution of CYP3A4*1B in study and control group and to estimate the influence of particular genotypes on parameters such as: age at onset, severity of symptoms before treatment and on the effectiveness of therapy.MethodsTotal of 192 patients were enrolled in this study (102 patients suffering from recurrent Major Depression Disorder, 90 healthy blood donors). PCR Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism method with MboII enzyme was performed. The presence of CYP3A4*1B allele was evaluated on the basis of agarose gel electrophoresis.ResultsThere was a tendency in frequency of genotypes distribution in the study group in comparison with the control group (p = 0.050). There were no statistically significant differences in the distribution mutant allele among these two groups, but there was a tendency for mutant allele to occur more often in the study group (p = 0.050). No significant correlations were found between the specific genotype and the studied parameters: age at onset (p = 0.232), severity of the symptoms (p = 0.946), and efficacy of treatment (p = 0.882).ConclusionThe study suggests that CYP3A4*1B polymorphism have no influence on the predisposition to depression, the severity of depressive symptoms and the efficiency of antidepressant therapy.
Carpal tunnel syndrome in advanced age: A sonographic and electrodiagnostic study
Authors: Mulroy Eoin , Pelosi Luciana 
Published: April 2019

ABSTRACTIntroduction: After noting inconsistent sonographic median nerve cross‐sectional area (CSA) enlargement at the wrist in very elderly patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), we systematically reviewed ultrasound, electrodiagnostic, and clinical data collected over a 12‐month period in patients from 2 age groups: 80–95 years and 40–65 years old. Methods: Clinical and electrodiagnostic CTS severity, sensitivity of ultrasound CSA (against both electrodiagnostic and clinical reference standards), and correlations between ultrasound CSA and clinical and electrodiagnostic severity were compared in both groups. Results: In very elderly patients, despite a higher prevalence of severe CTS, nerve ultrasound was less sensitive than in the younger group (54% vs. 87%, using clinical reference standard), and did not correlate with clinical (r = 0.28, P = 0.10) or electrodiagnostic (r = 0.09, P = 0.60) severity. Discussion: Median nerve ultrasound CSA at the wrist is not a sensitive marker of CTS in very elderly populations. In this work we detail and discuss potential pathophysiological underpinnings of this unexpected finding. Muscle Nerve, 2019