bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
New ways of diabetes management with smart data and genomic data
Authors: Becker Kurt 
Published: September 2017

Abstract
By 2025, the number of diabetic patients worldwide could rise by more than 50 percent from now 250 million to about 380 million. With about 6 million patients, diabetes mellitus is one of the greatest national diseases in Germany.
Type 1 diabetes is a mostly genetically induced autoimmune disease, type 2 diabetes is a civilization disease and arises due to lack of exercise and poor diet. Regardless of the type of diabetes, it is important for those affected to manage their own insulin production of the body and to harmonize these with appropriate possibilities. Because of the harmful side effects of exogenous insulin doses, the major focus should be on a sustainable behavioral change and low-threshold nutritional coaching.
The most important side effects of diabetes are damage to the vascular system with possible consequences: myocardial infarction, stroke, kidney weakness, nasal damage and erectile dysfunction. A concept for a knowledge-based expert system for the therapy of diabetes mellitus is presented, in which genetic, anatomical and physiological parameters are recorded, evaluated and visualized by means of a model-based approach to specific therapeutic recommendations. The "user interface" is a digital avatar, which can display the model parameters in various "abstraction levels" as a metamodel.
Reconstruction of conductivity change in lung lobes utilizing electrical impedance tomography
Authors: Schullcke Benjamin , Gong Bo , Krueger-Ziolek Sabine , Moeller Knut 
Published: September 2017

Abstract
Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) is a novel medical imaging technology which is expected to give valuable information for the treatment of mechanically ventilated patients as well as for patients with obstructive lung diseases. In lung-EIT electrodes are attached around the thorax to inject small alternating currents and to measure resulting voltages. These voltages depend on the internal conductivity distribution and thus on the amount of air in the lungs. Based on the measured voltages, image reconstruction algorithms are employed to generate tomographic images reflecting the regional ventilation of the lungs. However, the ill-posedness of the reconstruction problem leads to reconstructed images that are severely blurred compared to morphological imaging technologies, such as X-ray computed tomography or Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Thus, a correct identification of the particular ventilation in anatomically assignable units, e.g. lung-lobes, is often hindered. In this study a 3D-FEM model of a human thorax has been used to simulate electrode voltages at different lung conditions. Two electrode planes with 16 electrodes at each layer have been used and different amount of emphysema and mucus plugging was simulated with different severity in the lung lobes. Patient specific morphological information about the lung lobes is used in the image reconstruction process. It is shown that this kind of prior information leads to better reconstructions of the conductivity change in particular lung lobes than in classical image reconstruction approaches, where the anatomy of the patients’ lungs is not considered. Thus, the described approach has the potential to open new and promising applications for EIT. It might be used for diagnosis and disease monitoring for patients with obstructive lung diseases but also in other applications, e.g. during the placement of endobronchial valves in patients with severe emphysema.
PET image reconstruction using the Origin Ensemble algorithm and geometric constraints
Authors: Schaar Moritz , Buzug Thorsten M. , Rafecas Magdalena 
Published: September 2017

Abstract
The Origin Ensemble method allows image reconstruction of photon-limited emission tomography data to be performed entirely in the image domain. This offers attractive perspectives such as including scatter events for image reconstruction in Positron Emission Tomography. In this work, the probability of single Compton scatter along a line-of-response is estimated by the Single Scatter Simulation algorithm; for every event a decision is made whether this event is reconstructed along a line or an area confined by two circular arcs holding potential scatter points. First results of 2D simulations show visual agreement with the reference and locally increased contrast recovery coefficient values.
Pore size estimation from double diffusion encoding
Authors: Methot Vincent , Ulloa Patricia , Koch Martin A. 
Published: September 2017

Abstract
Double diffusion encoding is a magnetic resonance technique with applications in measuring microstructure. In many tissues, cell size (which is of a few micrometers) is an important biological parameter. Estimating an arbitrary pore size distribution from a diffusion attenuated signal usually relies on varying a single experimental setting. This inversion process is numerically unstable. Numerical simulations are presented, where multiple experimental settings are varied concomitantly. The inversion’s results show good agreement with ground truth.
Assessment of heart valve performance by finite-element design studies of polymeric leaflet-structures
Authors: Pfensig Sylvia , Kaule Sebastian , Sämann Michael , Stiehm Michael , Grabow Niels , Schmitz Klaus-Peter , Siewert Stefan 
Published: September 2017

Abstract
For the treatment of severe symptomatic aortic valve stenosis, minimally invasive heart valve prostheses are increasingly used, especially for elderly patients. The current generation of devices is based on xenogenic leaflet material, involving limitations with regard to calcification and durability. Artificial polymeric leaflet-structures re-present a promising approach for improvement of valve performance. Within the current work, finite-element ana-lysis (FEA) design studies of polymeric leaflet structures were conducted. Design of an unpressurized and axially-symmetric trileaflet heart valve was developed based on nine parameters. Physiological pressurization in FEA was specified, based on in vitro hydrodynamic testing of a commercially available heart valve prosthesis. Hyper-elastic constitutive law for polymeric leaflet material was implemented based on experimental stress strain curves resulting from uniaxial tensile and planar shear testing. As a result of FEA, time dependent leaflet deformation of the leaflet structure was calculated. Obtained leaflet dynamics were comparable to in vitro performance of the analyzed prosthesis. As a major design parameter, the lunula angle has demonstrated crucial influence on the performance of the polymeric leaflet structures. FEA represented a useful tool for design of improved polymeric leaflet structures for minimally invasive implantable heart valve prostheses.
Gynecological brachytherapy with Elekta microSelectron V3 afterloading system
Authors: Kornhuber Christine , Homonnay Nico , Lange Frithjof , Gerlach Reinhard , Vordermark Dirk 
Published: September 2017

Abstract

Objective: For commissioning of source path mo-dels for ring tubes of Nucletron (now Elekta) CT/MR ring applicators, a method was established using a source position simulator (SPS) and a CT scanner. Methods: An acrylic glass support for ring tubes was constructed serving as defined coordinate system. With SPS, 40 positions were set in the ring in steps of 2.5mm from proximal to distal direction. In each position a CT-series was taken with ring plane inside scan plane using a GE Optima 580 scanner (slice width 0.625mm). Evaluation was done in multiplanar recon-struction mode under display settings revealing dummy source shape. With a 3D-cursor dwell position coordinate (center of Ir-192 core) was determined. Measurements were validated by film autoradiography in selected positions. Four rings were investigated: 60° Φ26, 45° Φ26, 60° Φ30, and 45° Φ30 with figures denoting angle between ring plane and stem and ring diameter in mm. Results: The method is feasible to reconstruct source dwell positions with an overall accuracy of ±0.3mm. Detected coordinates are consistent and in excel-lent agreement with those obtained by autoradiography. Comparison with Elekta’s source path models, however, re-vealed mean deviations of up to 3.5mm. Discussion: It is advisable to measure individual source paths and have them added to the data base of the treatment planning system.
Influence of bulk incorporation of FDAc and PTX on polymer properties
Authors: Teske Michael , Wulf Katharina , Arbeiter Daniela , Eickner Thomas , Schmitz Klaus-Peter , Grabow Niels 
Published: September 2017

Abstract
In the last decades PLLA-based copolymers have been among the most attractive polymeric candidates used to fabricate devices for drug delivery and stent applications in the cardiovascular system. PLLA is biocompatible and biodegradable, exhibits a wide range of erosion times and has tunable mechanical properties. Therefore, the influence of drug incorporation on the physicochemical properties of biodegradable PLLA copolymers were examined in this study using Fluorescein diacetate (FDAc) and Paclitaxel (PTX). A percental amount of these drugs (17.5 %) were incorporated into poly(L-lactide-co-glycolide) (P(LLA-co-GA)) and poly(L-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) (P(LLA-co-CL)) made via spray coating. The polymer surface properties, such as surface morphology and hydrophilicity were also examined and remained rather unchanged for both polymers after drug loadings. Furthermore, also the contact angle changed rather marginally. However, both polymers have already different thermal properties without the drug embedded, especially the glass transition temperature (TG) is for P(LLA-co-CL) under 37°C and for P(LLA-co-GA) considerable above with around 66°C. An rather high increase in TG achieved by addition of FDAc or PTX, crucial influences the drug release profiles for P(LLA-co-CL) in contrast to P(LLA-co-GA). Besides these results preliminarily experiments of additional coupling of other drugs on the polymer surface were performed and we obtained an influence of FDAc or PTX. The drug incorporation and physicochemical characterization data obtained in this study is relevant in optimizing the incorporation or coupling of further drugs on the polymer surface and delivery properties of these potential multi drug delivery coatings.
Dynamic determination of equivalent CT source models for personalized dosimetry
Authors: Rosendahl Stephan , Büermann Ludwig 
Published: September 2017

Abstract
With improvements in CT technology, the need for reliable patient-specific dosimetry increased in the recent years. The accuracy of Monte-Carlo simulations for absolute dose estimation is related to scanner specific information on the X-ray spectra of the scanner as well as the form filter geometries and compositions. In this work a mobile measurement setup is developed, which allows both to determine the X-ray spectra and equivalent form filter of a specific scanner from just one helical scan in less than 2 minutes.
Experimental analysis of correction factors for reference dosimetry in a magnetic field
Authors: Brand Nicole , Pojtinger Stefan , Tsitsekidis Savas , Thorwarth Daniela , Dohm Oliver S. 
Published: September 2017

Abstract
Today, hybrid systems of linear accelerator and MRI scanner are clinically available. Therefore it is important to investigate the feasibility of reference dosimetry with ionization chambers in the presence of a magnetic field and determine correction factors. In this work, correction factors under various conditions that influence the chamber response were experimentally investigated, using a conventional 6 MV linear accelerator together with a stand-alone magnet. We found that the correction factor for a PTW31010 ionization chamber ranges from 0.9873 to 1.009 depending on the magnetic field strength, magnetic field orientation and magnetic field size. The phantom material also does have an influence on the measured signal. Therefore, reference dosimetry with ionization chambers in the presence of a magnetic field is feasible, but requires dedicated correction factors, which depend on the experimental setup.
Automatic feature extraction algorithms for the assessment of in-vitro electrical recordings of rat myocardium with ablation lesions
Authors: Gross Carl , Pollnow Stefan , Dössel Olaf , Lenis Gustavo 
Published: September 2017

Abstract
Cardiac arrhythmias are a widely spread disease in industrialized countries. A common clinical treatment for this disease is radiofrequency ablation (RFA), in which high frequency alternating current creates a lesion on the myocardium. However, the formation of the lesion is not entirely understood. To obtain more information about ablation lesions (ALs) and their electrophysiological properties, we established an in-vitro setup to record electrical activity of rat myocardium. Electrical activity is measured by a circular shaped multielectrode array. This work was focused to gain more information by developing algorithms to process the measured electrical signals to collect different features, which may allow us to characterize an AL. First, pacing artefacts were detected and blanked. Subsequently, data were filtered. Afterwards, activations in atrial signals were detected using a non-linear energy operator (NLEO) and templates of these activations were generated. Finally, we determined different features on each activation in order to evaluate changes of unipolar as well as bipolar electrograms and considered these features before and after ablation. In conclusion, the majority of the signal features delivered significant differences between normal tissue and lesion. Among others, a reduction in peak to peak amplitude and a diminished spectral power in the band 0 to 100 Hz may be useful indicators for AL. These criteria should be verified in future studies with the aim of estimating indirectly the formation of a lesion.
3D reconstruction of ablation lesions from in-vitro preparations using MRI
Authors: Pollnow Stefan , Noshadi Areg , Kircher Michael , Guthausen Gisela , Oerther Thomas , Dössel Olaf 
Published: September 2017

Abstract
Radiofrequency ablation is the gold standard for treating cardiac arrhythmias. However, the success rate of this procedure depends on numerous parameters. Wet lab experiments provide the opportunity to investigate cardiac electrophysiology under reproducible conditions. To evaluate the electrophysiological changes of ablated myocardium in these studies it is necessary to consider the three-dimensional (3D) geometry of the lesions. For this purpose, we investigated the usage of different magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences as well as an image processing procedure to analyze in-vitro preparations. To differentiate signal intensities between nonablated and ablated tissue we evaluated FISP (fast imaging with steady-state precession; delivering dominantly T1
-weighted images) and RARE (rapid acquisition with relaxation enhancement; delivering dominantly T2
-weighted images). After image processing, the ablated tissue was segmented in each image slice forming a 3D volume. The geometry of the lesion was modeled by the boundary of this volume. It was generally feasible to distinguish between healthy myocardium and ablated tissue as well as to determine lesion transmurality. The analysis of the reconstructed lesion geometries from FISP and RARE MRI showed a high agreement, however T2
-weighted sequences showed larger lesion volumes as well as higher variations in segmentation compared to T1
- mapping. FISP with higher quality may be used to reconstruct the 3D geometry of the ablation lesions.
Implantable electronics of a closed-loop system for controlling prosthetic hands
Authors: Nikas Antonios , Holzberger Alfred , Klein Leonhard , Hauer Johann , Voelker Matthias , Ruff Roman , Hoffmann Klaus-Peter 
Published: September 2017

Abstract
This paper presents the design of implantable electronics as a part of a system for prosthetic hand control. Purpose of the implant is the sensing of electrical signals originating from biological tissue and the actuation of the same, therefore closing the loop and allowing for an improved control of the prosthetic hand. The implant contains two integrated circuits for eight channel EMG monitoring and four channel stimulation, respectively. An on-board microcontroller allows for local pre-processing. All intracorporeal to extracorporeal communications are running through and are directed by the main processing platform. The external components of the control system include, in addition to the main processing and control platform, the inductive power transfer circuits and the pressure sensors for the sensory feedback. Different assembly and encapsulation options are taken into account for the implantable electronics and are unified in a single PCB design.
Social dominance and wheel running in females of Djungarian hamster (Phodopus sungorus)
Authors: Górecki Marcin T. , Błaszczyk Bożena 
Published: September 2017

AbstractWheel running is a behaviour that has a rewarding effect on animals. There are not numerous papers investigating potential relationships between social rank and wheel running in mammals kept in groups, and the majority of published researches were conducted on male house mice (Mus musculus). The aim of our study was to investigate if social dominance and wheel running are related in female Djungarian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus). Hamsters were kept in groups, and social position of every animal was expressed as dominance index calculated on the basis of agonistic behaviour. We found significant positive correlation between dominance index and wheel running (rs = 0.809, n = 18, P < 0.0001), thus dominants used wheel more often than subordinates. Our results are consistent with those published on male mice. In conclusion, we claim that in majority of mammals (independent of their sex) kept in groups with restricted possibility of wheel running, dominants use wheel more often (or in optimal time) than subordinates, what is consistent with the fact that dominants have priority of access to resources.
Educational Attainment, Financial Support and Job Creation across Lebanese Social Entrepreneurships
Authors: Kallab Tania El , Salloum Charbel 
Published: September 2017

Abstract
Social entrepreneurship has turned into the focal recognition of scientists in the field. In the Middle East, specifically, where nations are yet developing, SE has played a critical aspect because of its driving role in advancing comprehensive development at both the full-scale and smaller-scale economy levels. This article investigates how academic achievement of social entrepreneurs and government or non-government funding increase social enterprises’ performance and size leading to job creation in a pivotal nation in the Middle East, Lebanon. The study applies a multivariate linear regression to analyze variability among 39 small to medium sizes social Lebanese enterprises. Results show that academic accomplishment, training and financial support positively affect the performance of the SE and hence impact job creation.
Analysis of Circular Development and Investment Possibilities (Transport, Energy and Building) Related to International Sports Event Planning
Authors: Horváth Bálint , Fogarassy Csaba 
Published: September 2017

Abstract
This study investigates the possibilities of various development areas (transport, energy, building) to make the cost-efficient realisation of high-profile investments, and organising and holding international sports events possible. Using a case study, the paper introduces development routes based on the evaluation of environmental and economic perspectives. The current research introduces the investment characteristics based on the development of the Hungarian building, energy and transport sectors for the 2017-2030 period. The main criterion is the integration of ‘circular economy’. For sectors which operate with high material and energy consumption, the consideration of circular economy principles may prove to be important for sustainable development. Through planning highvolume sports and worldwide events, the usual development strategy for traffic systems focuses on public transport and rentable vehicles (f. e. electric scooter, or bicycle) which can decrease CO2 emissions via modern technological solutions. Regarding the buildings, sports arenas and related facilities, besides the existing low-carbon solutions, the functions of buildings must be expanded and their usage prolonged. The management of waste left after the life cycle is expended has to be pre-planned. These are the options for making the sector’s GHG emissions decrease apart from circular tenders, which can be further combined with SMART energetic solutions.
The reliance on inclusive living thing in inductive inference among 5-year-olds: the role of access to nature and the size of receptive vocabulary
Authors: Tarłowski Andrzej 
Published: September 2017

AbstractThe present study employed a serial forced choice inductive inference paradigm to test whether rural and urban 5-year-olds varying in SES rely on the representation of living things in extending new knowledge. Sixty-five children learned that humans possess a novel internal property and, in a series of test trials, had to decide whether to attribute the property to an inanimate living thing or to an artifact. Additionally, the size of children’s receptive vocabulary was assessed. This study provides the first evidence that those 5-year-olds who have access to rich nature and who have acquired a high level of receptive vocabulary do rely on living kinds in induction in a forced choice task. The study further underscores the necessity to include children with diverse backgrounds in research on the development of biological knowledge. It also provides new evidence that general cognitive ability links to advances in children’s biological understanding.
Advanced Multi-Phase Microstructure Investigation of Carbonitrided Samples
Authors: Steinbacher Matthias , Skalecki Marian Georg , Saddei Peter , Böcker Michael , Zoch Hans Werner 
Published: September 2017

Abstract
Modern gas-carbonitriding processes are enabling smart material properties and an extension of materials’ strength, so that the limit of use of a given alloy and component can be expanded. Recently, a rapid development of the understanding of microstructure development during carbonitriding and in-depth investigation of the microstructure by the means of electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) was performed. The paper will show examples for the treatment of different case-hardening steels and the development of the microstructure in the final carbonitrided case. It will be shown that a multi-phase microstructure can be varied by process variations from a two-phase martensite and austenite microstructure to a multi-phase microstructure consisting of martensite, austenite, and precipitations. The kind of precipitations emerging and their specific arrangement will be discussed.