bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Routine DFT testing in patients undergoing ICD implantation does not improve mortality: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Kannabhiran Munish , Mustafa Usman , Acharya Madan , Telles Nelson , Alexandria Brackett , Reddy Pratap , Dominic Paari 
Published: September 2018

AbstractDefibrillation threshold (DFT) testing has been an integral part of implantable cardioverter‐defibrillator (ICD) implantation to confirm appropriate sensing of ventricular fibrillation and to establish an adequate safety margin for defibrillation. However, there is a lack of evidence regarding benefits of routine DFT testing. Therefore, we performed a meta‐analysis to assess its mortality benefit. We searched MEDLINE for studies comparing mortality outcomes in ICD recipients who underwent DFT testing to those who did not. For the second analysis, studies comparing outcomes in patients with high‐ vs low‐energy DFT were included. Odds ratio and standard errors were calculated, and inverse variance method in a random‐effect model was used to combine effect sizes. Fifteen studies with 10,975 subjects comparing outcomes in patients who underwent routine DFT testing during ICD implantation and those who did not were included. There was no difference in the group that did not undergo DFT testing with regards to all‐cause mortality (OR 0.935; CI 0.725‐1.207; P = 0.606), cardiac mortality (OR 0.709; CI 0.385‐1.307; P = 0.271), noncardiac mortality (OR 0.921; CI 0.701‐1.210; P = 0.554), and arrhythmic mortality (OR 1.152; CI 0.831‐1.596; P = 0.396). Percentage of successful appropriate first shocks among the two groups showed no difference. Five studies with 2278 subjects were included in the second analysis comparing patients with low DFT vs high DFT. Patients with high DFT had no significant increase in all‐cause mortality compared to patients with low DFT (OR 0.527; CI 0.034‐8.107; P = 0.646). Patients requiring higher DFT had no increased all‐cause mortality compared to patients with lower DFT. Routine DFT testing during ICD implantation does not confer any significant benefit.
Ablation of atrial fibrillation in patients with Brugada syndrome: A systematic review of the literature
Authors: Rodríguez‐Mañero Moisés , Kreidieh Bahij , Valderrábano Miguel , Baluja Aurora , Martínez‐Sande Jose Luis , García‐Seara Javier , Díaz‐Fernández Brais , Pereira‐Vázquez María , Lage Ricardo , González‐Melchor Laila , Fernández‐López Xesús A. , González‐Juanatey José Ramón 
Published: September 2018

AbstractSupraventricular arrhythmias are common in Brugada syndrome (BS), and notoriously difficult to manage with medical therapy secondary to associated risks. Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is often utilized instead, but its outcomes in this population are not well‐known. We aim to provide a holistic evaluation of interventional treatment for Atrial fibrillation (AF) in the BS population. Electronic databases Medline, Embase, Cinahl, Cochrane, and Scopus were systematically searched for publications between 01/01/1995 and 12/31/2017. Studies were screened based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. A total of 49 patients with BS and AF were included. Age range from 28.8 to 64 years, and 77.5% were male. 38 patients were implanted with implantable cardioverter‐defibrillators (ICD) at baseline, and of them, 39% suffered inappropriate shocks for rapid AF. 34/49 (69%) of patients achieved remission following a single PVI procedure. Of the remaining, 13 patients underwent one or more repeat ablation procedures. Overall, 45/49 (91.8%) of patients remained in remission during long‐term follow‐up after one or more PVI procedures in the absence of antiarrhythmic drug (AAD) therapy. Postablation, no patients suffered inappropriate ICD shock. Furthermore, no major complications secondary to PVI occurred in any patient. AF ablation achieves acute and long‐term success in the vast majority of patients. It is effective in preventing inappropriate ICD therapy secondary to rapid AF. Complication rates of PVI in BS are low. Thus, in light of the risks of AADs and risk of inappropriate ICD shocks in the BS population, catheter ablation could represent an appropriate first‐line therapy for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in BS patients.
Effect of structural design on the pullout strength of suture anchors for rotator cuff repair
Authors: Chae Soo‐Won , Kang Ju‐Yong , Lee Juneyoung , Han Seung‐Ho , Kim Soung‐Yon 
Published: September 2018

ABSTRACTVarious types of suture anchor designs are currently available for rotator cuff repair. The purpose of our study was to investigate the pullout strength of such anchors based on their structural design and the predominant geometric design factors affecting the pullout strength using finite element analysis. Finite element models were constructed using five cadaveric humeri and ten suture anchors with different designs. The pullout strength and distribution of bone stress around the anchor at three different directions of the applied force (0°, 45°, and 75°) were analyzed. The following geometric factors of suture anchor design were computed and their correlations with pullout strength assessed: Overall length, minor, and major diameters; number of threads; height of thread; distance between threads; helix angle; contact surface area between the anchor threads and surrounding bone; contact surface area between the cylindrical portion of the anchor; and surrounding bone and total contact surface area between the anchor and surrounding bone. The pullout strength and distribution of bone stress around the anchor varied according to the suture anchor designs and the direction of the applied force, respectively. The pullout strength had a strong positive correlation with the contact surface area between the anchor threads and surrounding bone, overall length, and the number and height of threads. This study demonstrated that suture anchor designs with increased contact surface area between the anchor threads and surrounding bone, overall length, and the number and height of threads can enhance the pullout strength during rotator cuff repair. © 2018 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 36:3318–3327, 2018.
Interactions and Solubilization of Poorly Soluble Drugs in Aerosol‐OT Micelles
Authors: Gokturk Sinem , Tamer Zeynep Berna 
Published: September 2018

AbstractAbsorption spectroscopy, conductivity, and surface tension measurements were carried out at 298 K to study the solubilization of poorly soluble drugs sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and trimethoprim (TMP) in Aerosol‐OT (AOT) micellar media. The binding constants of SMX and TMP to AOT micelles were determined by applying the Benesi–Hildebrand equation. A comparison of the binding constants indicates that the binding tendency of TMP with AOT micelles is higher than that of SMX. To better analyze the incorporation of drugs into anionic AOT micellar media, surface tension measurements were performed in the presence of SMX and TMP in aqueous media. The influence of TMP and SMX on the surface properties of AOT was determined using the Gibbs Adsorption Isotherm. Changes in the surface properties of AOT determined by surface tension measurements in the presence of drugs are in good agreement with the binding constants determined spectrophotometrically. Calculated surface parameters indicate higher incorporation of TMP with AOT than that of SMX. Comparison of the aqueous solubility of TMP and SMX with micellar media indicated solubility enhancements for both poorly soluble drugs. A special attempt was made to highlight simultaneous interactions of TMP and SMX with AOT using both surface tension and conductometric measurements that can be used to determine counterion‐binding parameters.
Critical success factors for tourism‐led growth
Authors: Chingarande Anna , Saayman Andrea 
Published: September 2018

AbstractThis research uses evidence of 116 articles to identify the critical success factors (CSFs) for tourism‐led growth (TLG). A dichotomous dependent variable was regressed against CSFs for various cross sections of 47 countries, spanning from 1995 to 2013. The results show that the safety and security of tourists, human resources, trade openness, protection of the environment, financial sector development, and technological development are CSFs for TLG. It follows from the results that the industrial development path decreases the odds of achieving success through TLG. Countries with more developed human capital and financial systems have better chances of achieving growth through tourism development.
p‐Doping Poly(3‐hexylthiophene) in Solvent Mixtures
Authors: Freeman Lucas , Miller Paul , Sapolsky Marni , Boucher David 
Published: September 2018

AbstractOne method to improve the conductivity of conjugated polymers, like poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT), is to “chemically dope” them analogous to inorganic materials. One electron acceptor that has been used in tandem to p‐doped P3HT is 2,3,5,6‐tetrafluoro‐7,7,8,8‐tetracyanoquinodimethane (F4TCNQ), and recently there has been much interest in the nature of the interactions between F4TCNQ and P3HT in the solution phase. To date, however, there are few reports that investigate the behavior of F4TCNQ‐doped P3HT in binary solvent mixtures. The study reported herein is an investigation of F4TCNQ‐doped P3HT in mixtures of chloroform (CF) with dichloromethane (DCM) or acetonitrile (AcN), wherein variations in the doping efficiency in these mixtures are observed using UV–vis absorption, Raman, and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopic techniques. The contrasting solubility and charge transfer behavior of F4TCNQ‐doped P3HT in CF:DCM and CF:AcN show that judicious selection of solvent mixtures may be exploited to improve the doping efficiency and solution processability of p‐doped P3HT dispersions.
Synthesis of Light‐Responsive Pyrene‐Based Polymer Nanoparticles via Polymerization‐Induced Self‐Assembly
Authors: Bagheri Ali , Boyer Cyrille , Lim May 
Published: September 2018

AbstractThe use of an in situ, one‐pot polymerization‐induced self‐assembly method to synthesize light‐responsive pyrene‐containing nanoparticles is reported. The strategy is based on the chain extension of a hydrophilic macromolecular chain transfer agent, poly(oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate), using a light‐responsive monomer, 1‐pyrenemethyl methacrylate (PyMA), via a reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer dispersion polymerization; yielding nanoparticles of various morphologies (spherical micelles and worm‐like micelles). In this process, addition of comonomers, such as butyl methacrylate (BuMA) or methyl methacrylate (MMA), are required to obtain high PyMA monomer conversion (>80% in 24 h). The addition of comonomers reduces the π–π stacking of the pyrene moieties, which facilitates the diffusion of monomers in the nanoparticle core. The addition of BuMA (as a comonomer) offers P(PyMA‐co‐BuMA) core‐forming chains with high mobility that enables the reorganization of chains and then the evolution of morphology to form vesicles. In contrast, when MMA comonomer is used, kinetically trapped spheres are obtained; this is due to the low mobility of the core‐forming chains inhibiting in situ morphological evolution. Finally, the UV‐light‐induced dissociation of these light‐responsive nanoparticles due to the gradual cleavage of the pyrene moieties and the subsequent hydrophobic‐to‐hydrophilic transitions of the core‐forming blocks is demonstrated.
Guest Occupation Effects on the Transition of Crystalline Syndiotactic Polystyrene: Selection Criteria for Fundamental Structures γ ‐I and γ ‐II
Authors: Tamai Yoshinori 
Published: September 2018

AbstractMolecular dynamics simulations are performed on clathrate forms of crystalline syndiotactic polystyrene containing toluene, chloroform, and carbon dioxide, to investigate the effects of guests on thermally induced structural transitions. Two crystalline forms, γ ‐I and γ ‐II, are produced. γ ‐I is obtained from crystals with lower guest occupation ratios, while γ ‐II is obtained from crystals with higher ratios. The b‐length of the crystal unit cell of the γ ‐II form is twice of that of the γ ‐I form; the other lattice parameters are almost identical. Based on a hypothesis that the experimentally observed γ  form is a mixture of the γ ‐I and γ ‐II forms, X‐ray diffraction patterns for film samples with uniplanar orientations are reasonably interpreted. The thermodynamically stable form is γ ‐I, although the γ ‐II form is preferentially produced in the presence of guest molecules.
A new approach to improving the macrosegregation in zirconium‐containing magnesium‐lithium alloy
Authors: Wang L. , Guan H. , Wu G. , Pan Y. , Sun S. 
Published: September 2018

AbstractIn the preparation process of zirconium‐containing magnesium alloy, although zirconium is introduced into alloy by magnesium‐zirconium master alloy, the settling of zirconium particles has always been a key problem. In this study, the magnesium‐30wt.%zirconium master alloy was added into magnesium‐14wt.%lithium‐zinc alloy melt in the form of the block (about 20 mm) and the particles (about 20 μm), respectively, and then magnesium‐14wt.%lithium‐zinc with 0.5 wt.% zirconium alloy were prepared using stir‐casting process. Macrosegregation of major element (zirconium), microstructure and microhardness at different casting positions were examined to investigate the effect of zirconium addition methods on macrosegregation of magnesium‐14wt.%lithium‐zinc alloy. The results show that, for the block magnesium‐zirconium master alloy addition, there is obvious macrosegregation in alloy ingots, the zirconium contents at the top position of ingot are higher than that at the bottom by nearly 200 %. The method of particles master alloy addition can effectively improve macrosegregation, the difference in zirconium contents between the top and bottom is less than 16 %.
CT radiomics to predict high‐risk intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms of the pancreas
Authors: Chakraborty Jayasree , Midya Abhishek , Gazit Lior , Attiyeh Marc , Langdon‐Embry Liana , Allen Peter J. , Do Richard K. G. , Simpson Amber L. 
Published: September 2018

PurposeIntraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) are radiographically visible precursor lesions of pancreatic cancer. Despite standard criteria for assessing risk, only 18% of cysts are malignant at resection. Thus, a large number of patients undergo unnecessary invasive surgery for benign disease. The ability to identify IPMNs with low or high risk of transforming into invasive cancer would optimize patient selection and improve surgical decision‐making. The purpose of this study was to investigate quantitative CT imaging features as markers for objective assessment of IPMN risk.MethodsThis retrospective study analyzed pancreatic cyst and parenchyma regions extracted from CT scans in 103 patients to predict IPMN risk. Patients who underwent resection between 2005 and 2015 with pathologically proven branch duct (BD)‐IPMN and a preoperative CT scan were included in the study. Expert pathologists categorized IPMNs as low or high risk following resection as part of routine clinical care. We extracted new radiographically inspired features as well as standard texture features and designed prediction models for the categorization of high‐ and low‐risk IPMNs. Five clinical variables were also combined with imaging features to design prediction models.ResultsUsing images from 103 patients and tenfold cross‐validation technique, the novel radiographically inspired imaging features achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.77, demonstrating their predictive power. The combination of these features with clinical variables obtained the best performance (AUC = 0.81).ConclusionThe present study demonstrates that features extracted from pretreatment CT images can predict the risk of IPMN. Development of a preoperative model to discriminate between low‐risk and high‐risk IPMN will improve surgical decision‐making.
It Weigh(t)s on You: Everyday Discrimination and Adiposity Among Latinos
Authors: Molina Kristine M. , Estrella Mayra L. , Rivera‐Olmedo Noemi , Frisard Christine , Lemon Stephenie , Rosal Milagros C. 
Published: September 2018

ObjectiveEvidence suggests discrimination increases the risk of obesity. The biopsychosocial model of racism posits that psychological factors such as depressive symptoms may link experiences of perceived interpersonal discrimination to obesity. This study tested whether self‐reported experiences of everyday discrimination were associated with adiposity indicators and whether depressive symptoms explained these associations.MethodsCross‐sectional survey data of 602 Latino adults living in Lawrence, Massachusetts, from the Latino Health and Well‐being Project (2011‐2013) were used. Participants completed questionnaires assessing perceived everyday discrimination and depressive symptoms. Anthropometric measures (i.e., BMI and waist circumference [WC]) were obtained by trained staff. Structural equation modeling was employed to test for direct and indirect effects of perceived everyday discrimination on adiposity.ResultsPerceived everyday discrimination was directly and positively associated with higher BMI and WC, independent of sociodemographic factors, physical activity, and stressful life events. Perceived everyday discrimination was not indirectly associated with BMI and WC through depressive symptoms. However, perceived everyday discrimination was associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms.ConclusionsSelf‐reported everyday discrimination among Latino adults is associated with adiposity. Day‐to‐day interpersonal discrimination may be implicated in obesity disparities for Latino adults.
Approaching protein design with multisite λ dynamics: Accurate and scalable mutational folding free energies in T4 lysozyme
Authors: Hayes Ryan L. , Vilseck Jonah Z. , Brooks Charles L. 
Published: September 2018

AbstractThe estimation of changes in free energy upon mutation is central to the problem of protein design. Modern protein design methods have had remarkable success over a wide range of design targets, but are reaching their limits in ligand binding and enzyme design due to insufficient accuracy in mutational free energies. Alchemical free energy calculations have the potential to supplement modern design methods through more accurate molecular dynamics based prediction of free energy changes, but suffer from high computational cost. Multisite λ dynamics (MSλD) is a particularly efficient and scalable free energy method with potential to explore combinatorially large sequence spaces inaccessible with other free energy methods. This work aims to quantify the accuracy of MSλD and demonstrate its scalability. We apply MSλD to the classic problem of calculating folding free energies in T4 lysozyme, a system with a wealth of experimental measurements. Single site mutants considering 32 mutations show remarkable agreement with experiment with a Pearson correlation of 0.914 and mean unsigned error of 1.19 kcal/mol. Multisite mutants in systems with up to five concurrent mutations spanning 240 different sequences show comparable agreement with experiment. These results demonstrate the promise of MSλD in exploring large sequence spaces for protein design.
Waste‐Fish‐Derived Nitrogen Self‐Doped Microporous Carbon as Effective Sorbent for CO2 Capture
Authors: Wilson Praveen , Vijayan Sujith , Prabhakaran Kuttan 
Published: September 2018

AbstractProtein‐rich waste fish was used to produce nitrogen self‐doped microporous carbon by KOH activation and studied for CO2 adsorption application. The effect of a pre‐carbonization process of dried fish powder on the textural properties and yield of fish protein derived carbon (FPDC) was also investigated. The textural properties of FPDC‐x–y were further optimized by varying KOH to Fish powder weight ratios (x) and activation temperatures (y). Activated carbons with high specific surface area and pore volume were obtained using mild activation conditions (x= 0.5 to 1.5, y= 550 to 650 °C). The nitrogen content (3.79 to 12.43 wt%) and carbon yield (2.3 to15 wt%) depended strongly on the KOH to Fish powder weight ratio and activation temperature. Highest surface area (2565 m2 g−1) and total pore volume (1.32 cm3 g−1) were exhibited by FPDC‐1‐650 whereas FPDC‐1‐550 exhibited the highest micropore volume (0.33 cm3 g−1). The synergistic effect of microporosity and nitrogen functionality had a positive influence on CO2 uptake in the FPDC. The FPDC‐0.5‐600 shows a maximum CO2 adsorption capacity of 4.03 and 6.07 mmol g−1 at 25 and 0 oC, respectively, at 1 bar. CO2 adsorption on FPDC‐x–y shows excellent recyclability and CO2/N2 selectivity in the range of 23 to 47 at 0 oC.
Graphene Carbon Dot Assisted Sustainable Synthesis of Gold Quantum Cluster for Bio‐Friendly White Light Emitting Material and Ratiometric Sensing of Mercury (Hg2+)
Authors: Mathew Meegle S , Sukumaran Kiran , Joseph Kuruvilla 
Published: September 2018

AbstractHerein, for the first time, we introduce a new synthetic strategy for the synthesis of stable dual light emitting gold quantum cluster‐graphene quantum dot (AuQC@GQD) nanocomposite using a single protein, gluten as the raw material. Hydrothermal treatment of wheat gluten protein resulted in the development of a stable blue‐green emitting graphene quantum dot (GQD), which was further conjugated with gluten and used for the synthesis of gold quantum clusters (AuQC). Moreover, the gluten conjugated GQD acted as a reducing agent for the fast formation of red emitting AuQC. The resulted AuQC@GQD were characterized by various spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. We further explore the use of AuQC@GQD as a probe for ratiometric detection of mercury (Hg2+). The sensor exhibited a good linear relationship in the Hg2+ concentration range from 0.1 to 35.8 ppm with a detection limit of about 0.1 ppm. Moreover, AuQC@GQD were effectively incorporated into electrospun polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofibers for visual colorimetric sensing. We have monitored the visual fluorescent response of AuQC@GQD‐PVA mat to Hg2+, and the observed change of color under UV irradiation indicates the utility of the AuQC@GQD‐PVA nanofibers for on‐site detection of Hg2+. In addition, the formed AuQC@GQD can able to produces white light emission at a particular composition of HAuCl4 and GQD under UV irradiation, which can further extend its applicability in the field of optoelectronics.