bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Application of molecular, microbiological, and immunological tests for the diagnosis of bone and joint tuberculosis
Authors: Tang Yinghua , Yin Lianli , Tang Shifu , Zhang Hongyu , Lan Jihui 
Published: May 2017

BackgroundTo evaluate the application of interferon gamma release assay (IGRA), rifampicin resistant real‐time fluorescence quantitative PCR technique Xpert Mycobacterium tuberculosis/rifampicin (Xpert MTB/RIF), and the levels of TNF‐α and TGF‐β in the diagnosis of bone and joint tuberculosis.MethodsEighty‐six patients with bone and joint tuberculosis, diagnosed by pathology or microbiology, were examined by Xpert MTB/RIF and IGRA (T‐SPOT. TB) for Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, and the TNF‐α and TGF‐β levels of the patients were measured.ResultsThe sensitivity of IGRA in diagnosing bone and joint tuberculosis was 81.4%; Xpert MTB/RIF's sensitivity was 70.9%. The combined sensitivity of the two methods was 91.9%. The combined detection sensitivity of the two methods was higher than individual IGRA or Xpert MTB/RIF detection sensitivity. The TNF‐α and TGF‐β levels in bone and joint tuberculosis patients were higher than those in the control group.ConclusionXpert MTB/RIF, IGRA, TNF‐α, and TGF‐βs expression have value in the rapid diagnosis of bone and joint tuberculosis, and the sensitivity and accuracy of bone and joint tuberculosis diagnosis by combining them can improve it.
Effect of Albiglutide on Cholecystokinin‐Induced Gallbladder Emptying in Healthy Individuals: A Randomized Crossover Study
Authors: Shaddinger Bonnie C. , Young Malcolm A. , Billiard Julia , Collins David A. , Hussaini Azra , Nino Antonio 
Published: May 2017

AbstractThe glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) receptor agonists (RAs) exenatide and lixisenatide reduce cholecystokinin (CCK)‐induced gallbladder emptying in healthy subjects. It is unknown if all GLP‐1 RAs share this effect; therefore, the effect of the GLP‐1 RA albiglutide on gallbladder function was assessed. In this randomized, double‐blind, 2‐way crossover study, a single dose of subcutaneous albiglutide 50 mg or placebo was administered to 17 healthy subjects, and CCK‐induced gallbladder contractility was measured by ultrasonography. CCK (0.003 μg/kg) was infused intravenously over 50 minutes on study day 4 (3 days after dosing, to coincide with albiglutide's expected time to maximum concentration). Gallbladder volume, ejection fraction, and the main pancreatic and common bile‐duct diameters were measured before, during, and following CCK infusion. Gallbladder volume was significantly greater in the albiglutide vs placebo groups before, during, and after CCK infusion, and the mean difference from placebo increased numerically during CCK infusion. The area under the volume‐effect curve was significantly greater with albiglutide (P = .029). Starting at the 30‐minute CCK infusion time point, the gallbladder ejection fraction was significantly lower with albiglutide than placebo. Changes in pancreatic duct diameter and common bile‐duct diameter were not significantly different between albiglutide and placebo. Similar incidences of adverse events were observed between the albiglutide and placebo treatment periods. No new albiglutide safety signals were detected, and no serious adverse events were reported. In conclusion, similar to other GLP‐1 RAs, albiglutide decreased CCK‐induced gallbladder emptying compared with placebo in healthy individuals. Clinical implications of the gallbladder effects are unclear at this time.
The physics of MRI safety
Authors: Panych Lawrence P. , Madore Bruno 
Published: May 2017

The main risks associated with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have been extensively reported and studied; for example, everyday objects may turn into projectiles, energy deposition can cause burns, varying fields can induce nerve stimulation, and loud noises can lead to auditory loss. The present review article is geared toward providing intuition about the physical mechanisms that give rise to these risks. On the one hand, excellent literature already exists on the practical aspect of risk management, with clinical workflow and recommendations. On the other hand, excellent technical articles also exist that explain these risks from basic principles of electromagnetism. We felt that an underserved niche might be found between the two, ie, somewhere between basic science and practical advice, to help develop intuition about electromagnetism that might prove of practical value when working around MR scanners. Following a wide‐ranging introduction, risks originating from the main magnetic field, the excitation RF electromagnetic field, and switching of the imaging gradients will be presented in turn.Level of Evidence: 5Technical Efficacy: 1J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2018;47:28–43.
Forced degradation studies of lansoprazole using LC‐ESI HRMS and 1H‐NMR experiments: in vitro toxicity evaluation of major degradation products
Authors: Shankar G. , Borkar R. M. , Suresh U. , Guntuku L. , Naidu V. G. M. , Nagesh N. , Srinivas R. 
Published: May 2017

Regulatory agencies from all over the world have set up stringent guidelines with regard to drug degradation products due to their toxic effects or carcinogenicity. Lansoprazole, a proton‐pump inhibitor, was subjected to forced degradation studies as per ICH guidelines Q1A (R2). The drug was found to degrade under acidic, basic, neutral hydrolysis and oxidative stress conditions, whereas it was found to be stable under thermal and photolytic conditions. The chromatographic separation of the drug and its degradation products were achieved on a Hiber Purospher, C18 (250 × 4.6 mm, 5 μ) column using 10 mM ammonium acetate and acetonitrile as a mobile phase in a gradient elution mode at a flow rate of 1.0 ml/min. The eight degradation products (DP1–8) were identified and characterized by UPLC/ESI/HRMS with in‐source CID experiments combined with accurate mass measurements. DP‐1, DP‐2 and DP‐3 were formed in acidic, DP‐4 in basic, DP‐5 in neutral and DP‐1, DP‐6, DP‐7 and DP‐8 were in oxidation stress condition Among eight degradation products, five were hitherto unknown degradation products. In addition, one of the major degradation products, DP‐2, was isolated by using semi preparative HPLC and other two, DP‐6 and DP‐7 were synthesized. The cytotoxic effect of these degradation products (DP‐2, DP‐6 and DP‐7) were tested on normal human cells such as HEK 293 (embryonic kidney cells) and RWPE‐1(normal prostate epithelial cells) by MTT assay. From the results of cytotoxicity, it was found that lansoprazole as well as its degradation products (DP‐2, DP‐6 and DP‐7) were nontoxic up to 50‐μM concentrations, and the latter showed slightly higher cytotoxicity when compared with that of lansoprazole. DNA binding studies using spectroscopic techniques indicate that DP‐2, DP‐6 and DP‐7 molecules interact with ctDNA and may bind to its surface. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Lactate supplementation in severe traumatic brain injured adults by primed constant infusion of sodium L‐lactate
Authors: Wolahan Stephanie M. , Mao Howard C. , Real Courtney , Vespa Paul M. , Glenn Thomas C. 
Published: May 2017

AbstractCarbohydrate fuel augmentation following traumatic brain injury may be a viable treatment to improve recovery when cerebral oxidative metabolism of glucose is depressed. We performed a primed constant sodium L‐lactate infusion in 11 moderate to severely brain injured adults. Blood was collected before and periodically during the infusion study. We quantified global cerebral uptake of glucose and lactate and other systemic metabolites associated with energy metabolism. Our hypothesis was that cerebral lactate uptake, as measured by the arteriovenous difference of lactate (AVDlac), would increase in severely injured TBI patients in the neurocritical care unit. Infusion of sodium L‐lactate changed net cerebral lactate release, where the arteriovenous difference of lactate is negative, to net cerebral lactate uptake. Results from a mixed effects model of AVDlac with the fixed effects of infusion time, arterial lactate concentration, arterial glucose concentration and arteriovenous difference of glucose shows that doubling arterial lactate concentration (from .92 to 1.84 mM) results in an increase in AVDlac from −.078 mM to .090 mM. We did not detect changes in systemic glucose during the course of the infusion study and observed significant changes in alanine (30% [20 39]), glutamine (34% [24 43]), acetate (87% [60 113]), valine (40% [28 51]), and leucine (24% [16 32]) from baseline levels. Further studies are required to establish the impact of lactate supplementation on cerebral and systemic flux of lactate, on gluconeogenesis, and on the impact on cerebral energetics following injury. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Trend and periodicity of drought over Ethiopia
Authors: Zeleke T. T. , Giorgi F. , Diro G. T. , Zaitchik B. F. 
Published: May 2017

ABSTRACTWe analyse rainfall extreme events in Ethiopia from 1979 to 2014 using the standardized precipitation index (SPI) and the Palmer drought severity index (PDSI) derived from both station and satellite‐based observation data sets. Causal mechanisms of extreme events are also discussed. Trend principal component (TPC), regression, wavelet and composite analyses are used to investigate the trend, frequency and inter/intra‐annual variability of extreme events (dryness/wetness of rainfall) over Ethiopia. All methods of analysis, applied to monthly mean data, show that the north and northwest regions of Ethiopia experienced frequent and more severe drought conditions centred at the year 1983/1984, a recovery in the middle of the study period and a return to moderate dry events in recent years. For the southern and southwestern regions, drought conditions have become more frequent and intense during the study period, particularly since ∼1997. Analysis at the seasonal scale shows that the observed drying trend over the south and southwestern regions of the country is dominated by the spring season, which corresponds to the season of maximum precipitation. No observed long‐term trend is found in the north, northwestern and central mountainous regions of the country. This contrast reflects differing climate sensitivities of these different portions of the country: the observed periodicity of dryness/wetness over the northern regions corresponds largely to ENSO variability in both the spring and summer rainy seasons, while the drying trend in the south and southwest is associated with Atlantic Ocean warming and sea surface temperature gradients across the western Pacific Ocean.
Relationship between the South China Sea summer monsoon onset and tropical cyclone genesis over the western North Pacific
Authors: Huangfu Jingliang , Huang Ronghui , Chen Wen 
Published: May 2017

ABSTRACTThis study investigated the relationship between the onset date of the South China Sea summer monsoon (SCSSM) and tropical cyclone (TC) genesis over the western North Pacific (WNP). The inter‐annual WNP TC genesis numbers in May is significantly negatively correlated with the onset date of the SCSSM for the epoch of 1979–2015. In the early (late) onset SCSSM years, more (less) TCs tend to be generated. The monsoon trough would enter the WNP earlier in the early SCSSM years and its easternmost location would extend to the east of 140°E. This process would enhance the barotropic eddy energy conversions, which would convert more mean kinetic energy into eddy kinetic energy and supply more energy for TC genesis in the WNP in May. A predicted early (late) onset of the SCSSM might correlate with more WNP TC genesis in May.
Directing clinical care using lower extremity biomechanics in patients with ankle osteoarthritis and ankle arthroplasty
Authors: Queen Robin 
Published: May 2017

ABSTRACTAnkle osteoarthritis is a debilitating disease with approximately 50,000 new cases per year leading to skeletal deformity, severe and recurrent pain, cartilage breakdown, and gait dysfunction limiting patient mobility and well‐being. Although many treatments (total ankle arthroplasty [TAA], ankle fusion [arthrodesis], and ankle distraction arthroplasty) relieve pain, it is not clear that these procedures significantly improve patient mobility. The goal of the research presented here is to summarize what is presently known about lower extremity gait mechanics and outcomes and to quantify the impact of ankle osteoarthritis and TAA have on these measures using an explicitly holistic and mechanistic approach. Our recent studies have explored physical performance and energy recovery and revealed unexpected patterns and sequelae to treatment including incomplete restoration of gait function. These studies demonstrated for the first time the extreme levels and range of gait and balance dysfunction present in ankle osteoarthritis patients as well as quantifying the ways in which the affected joint alters movement and loading patterns not just in the painful joint, but throughout both the ipsilateral and contralateral lower extremity. Through this work, we determined that relieving pain alone through TAA is not enough to restore normal walking mechanics and balance due to underlying causes including limited ankle range of motion and balance deficits leading to long‐term disability despite treatment. The results indicate the need to consider additional therapeutic interventions aimed at restoring balance, ankle range of motion, and movement symmetry in order to improve long‐term health and function. © 2017 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 35:2345–2355, 2017.
Jaboticaba berry peel intake prevents insulin‐resistance‐induced tau phosphorylation in mice
Authors: Batista Ângela G. , Soares Edilene S. , Mendonça Monique C. P. , da Silva Juliana K. , Dionísio Ana Paula , Sartori Cesar R. , da Cruz‐Höfling Maria Alice , Maróstica Júnior Mário R. 
Published: May 2017

AbstractThe hyperphosphorylation of microtubule‐associated protein tau (tau) in the hippocampus can be caused by central and peripheral insulin resistance and these alterations are related to the development of tauopathies, such as Alzheimer's disease. In this study, we used a high‐fat diet to induce obesity and insulin resistance in adult Swiss mice and checked whether supplementation with Myrciaria jaboticaba berry peel for 10 weeks could improve insulin sensitivity, learning/memory performance, and prevent tau phosphorylation in the hippocampus. Furthermore, adipocytokines, inflammatory markers, and oxidative stress were assessed. Myrciaria jaboticaba peel has phenolic compounds (e.g., cyanidin, ellagic acid), dietary fiber and carotenoids, which contribute to great antioxidant capacity. Supplementation of the high‐fat diet with 4% M. jaboticaba peel prevented fat weight gain and reduced peripheral insulin resistance. The treated group also showed lower tau phosphorylation in the hippocampus corroborating better learning/memory performance in the Morris water maze test. Maintenance of neuronal viability, lower levels of hippocampal inflammatory markers, and improved brain antioxidant defenses were also related to the consumption of M. jaboticaba peel. These findings contribute to a better understanding of how a high‐fat diet supplemented with jaboticaba berry peel counteracts the impairment of cognitive functions caused by high‐fat diet intake and diet‐induced insulin resistance.
β‐Cryptoxanthin exerts greater cardioprotective effects on cardiac ischemia‐reperfusion injury than astaxanthin by attenuating mitochondrial dysfunction in mice
Authors: Pongkan Wanpitak , Takatori Osamu , Ni Yinhua , Xu Liang , Nagata Naoto , Chattipakorn Siriporn C. , Usui Soichiro , Kaneko Shuichi , Takamura Masayuki , Sugiura Minoru , Chattipakorn Nipon , Ota Tsuguhito 
Published: May 2017

Scopeβ‐Cryptoxanthin and astaxanthin are antioxidant carotenoid pigments that inhibit lipid peroxidation as potently as vitamin E. We hypothesized that acute treatment with β‐cryptoxanthin and astaxanthin causes similar reductions in the sizes of cardiac infarcts caused by ischemia‐reperfusion (I/R) injury by attenuating oxidative stress and cardiac mitochondrial dysfunction.Methods and resultsC57BL/6 mice (n = 36) were randomized to receive vehicle, β‐cryptoxanthin, astaxanthin, or vitamin E at 50 mg/kg by gavage feeding prior to I/R injury. Cardiac I/R was induced by left anterior descending coronary artery ligation followed by reperfusion. All treatments significantly reduced infarct sizes by 36–57%, attenuated apoptosis and also attenuated cardiac mitochondrial dysfunction in the treated groups compared to the control group. Although astaxanthin and vitamin E exhibited similar efficacy with respect to cardioprotection, β‐cryptoxanthin exhibited greater efficacy than its counterparts, as it reduced infarct sizes by 60%. β‐Cryptoxanthin was more effective than astaxanthin and vitamin E because it reduced cardiac mitochondrial swelling, mitochondrial depolarization, the Bax/Bcl‐2 ratio, and plasma and cardiac thiobarbituric acid reactive substances levels more significantly than its counterparts.ConclusionAcute β‐cryptoxanthin treatment exhibits greater cardioprotective efficacy against I/R injury than astaxanthin and vitamin E by reducing infarct sizes and attenuating apoptosis, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction.
Experimental characterization of a direct conversion amorphous selenium detector with thicker conversion layer for dual‐energy contrast‐enhanced breast imaging
Authors: Scaduto David A. , Tousignant Olivier , Zhao Wei 
Published: May 2017

PurposeDual‐energy contrast‐enhanced imaging is being investigated as a tool to identify and localize angiogenesis in the breast, a possible indicator of malignant tumors. This imaging technique requires that x‐ray images are acquired at energies above the k‐shell binding energy of an appropriate radiocontrast agent. Iodinated contrast agents are commonly used for vascular imaging, and require x‐ray energies greater than 33 keV. Conventional direct conversion amorphous selenium (a‐Se) flat‐panel imagers for digital mammography show suboptimal absorption efficiencies at these higher energies.MethodsWe use spatial‐frequency domain image quality metrics to evaluate the performance of a prototype direct conversion flat‐panel imager with a thicker a‐Se layer, specifically fabricated for dual‐energy contrast‐enhanced breast imaging. Imaging performance was evaluated in a prototype digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) system. The spatial resolution, noise characteristics, detective quantum efficiency, and temporal performance of the detector were evaluated for dual‐energy imaging for both conventional full‐field digital mammography (FFDM) and DBT.ResultsThe zero‐frequency detective quantum efficiency of the prototype detector is improved by approximately 20% over the conventional detector for higher energy beams required for imaging with iodinated contrast agents. The effect of oblique entry of x‐rays on spatial resolution does increase with increasing photoconductor thickness, specifically for the most oblique views of a DBT scan. Degradation of spatial resolution due to focal spot motion was also observed. Temporal performance was found to be comparable to conventional mammographic detectors.ConclusionsIncreasing the a‐Se thickness in direct conversion flat‐panel imagers results in better performance for dual‐energy contrast‐enhanced breast imaging. The reduction in spatial resolution due to oblique entry of x‐rays is appreciable in the most extreme clinically relevant cases, but may not profoundly affect reconstructed images due to the algorithms and filters employed. Degradation to projection domain spatial resolution is thus outweighed by the improvement in detective quantum efficiency for high‐energy x‐rays.
Simultaneous measurement of T1/B1 and pharmacokinetic model parameters using active contrast encoding (ACE)‐MRI
Authors: Zhang Jin , Winters Kerryanne , Reynaud Olivier , Kim Sungheon Gene 
Published: May 2017

The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of combining dynamic contrast enhanced‐magnetic resonance imaging (DCE‐MRI) with the measurement of the radiofrequency (RF) transmit field B1 and pre‐contrast longitudinal relaxation time T10. A novel approach has been proposed to simultaneously estimate B1 and T10 from a modified DCE‐MRI scan that actively encodes the washout phase of the curve with different amounts of T1 and B1 weighting using multiple flip angles and repetition times, hence referred to as active contrast encoding (ACE)‐MRI. ACE‐MRI aims to simultaneously measure B1 and T10, together with contrast kinetic parameters, such as the transfer constant Ktrans, interstitial space volume fraction ve and vascular space volume fraction vp. The proposed method was tested using numerical simulations and in vivo studies with mouse models of breast cancer implanted in the flank and mammary fat pad, and glioma in the brain. In the numerical simulation study with a signal‐to‐noise ratio of 10, both B1 and T10 were estimated accurately with errors of 5.1 ± 3.5% and 12.3 ± 8.8% and coefficients of variation (CV) of 14.9 ± 8.6% and 15.0 ± 5.0%, respectively. Using the same ACE‐MRI data, the kinetic parameters Ktrans, ve and vp were also estimated with errors of 14.2 ± 8.3% (CV = 13.5 ± 4.6%), 14.7 ± 9.9% (CV = 13.3 ± 4.5%) and 14.0 ± 9.3% (CV = 14.0 ± 4.5%), respectively. For the in vivo tumor data from 11 mice, voxel‐wise comparisons between ACE‐MRI and DCE‐MRI methods showed that the mean differences for the five parameters were as follows: ΔKtrans = 0.006 (/min), Δve = 0.016, Δvp = 0.000, ΔB1 = −0.014 and ΔT1 = −0.085 (s), which suggests a good agreement between the two methods. When compared with separately measured B1 and T10, and DCE‐MRI estimated kinetic parameters as a reference, the mean relative errors of ACE‐MRI estimation were B1 = −0.3%, T10 = −8.5%, Ktrans = 11.4%, ve = 14.5% and vp = 4.5%. This proof‐of‐concept study demonstrates that the proposed ACE‐MRI method can be used to estimate B1 and T10, together with contrast kinetic model parameters.
A dynamic variational multiscale method for viscoelasticity using linear tetrahedral elements
Authors: Zeng Xianyi , Scovazzi Guglielmo , Abboud Nabil , Colomés Oriol , Rossi Simone 
Published: May 2017

SummaryIn this article, we develop a dynamic version of the variational multiscale (D‐VMS) stabilization for nearly/fully incompressible solid dynamics simulations of viscoelastic materials. The constitutive models considered here are based on Prony series expansions, which are rather common in the practice of finite element simulations, especially in industrial/commercial applications. Our method is based on a mixed formulation, in which the momentum equation is complemented by a pressure equation in rate form. The unknown pressure, displacement, and velocity are approximated with piecewise linear, continuous finite element functions. To prevent spurious oscillations, the pressure equation is augmented with a stabilization operator specifically designed for viscoelastic problems, in that it depends on the viscoelastic dissipation. We demonstrate the robustness, stability, and accuracy properties of the proposed method with extensive numerical tests in the case of linear and finite deformations.