bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Aspartate transaminase to platelet ratio index and gamma‐glutamyl transpeptidase‐to‐platelet ratio outweigh fibrosis index based on four factors and red cell distribution width‐platelet ratio in diagnosing liver fibrosis and inflammation in chronic hepatitis B
Authors: Wu Xiaojuan , Cai Bei , Su Zhenzhen , Li Yamei , Xu Jin , Deng Rong , Wang Lanlan 
Published: December 2017

BackgroundThe benefits of using serum markers to diagnose stages of liver disease in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients are controversial. We conducted a study to compare the clinical significance of four markers in evaluating liver inflammation and fibrosis in CHB patients.MethodsA total of 323 treatment‐naive CHB patients who received a liver biopsy and routine laboratory testing were enrolled in our study. We used the Scheuer scoring system as a pathological standard for diagnosing liver inflammation and fibrosis. The diagnostic performance of the fibrosis index based on four factors (FIB‐4), the aspartate transaminase to platelet ratio index (APRI), the gamma‐glutamyl transpeptidase‐to‐platelet ratio (GPR), and the red cell distribution width‐platelet ratio (RPR) were analyzed with receiver‐operating characteristic curves (ROC).ResultsNo significant differences among the four indexes for diagnosing significant fibrosis (S ≥ 2) was found, while APRI and GPR were superior to FIB‐4 and RPR in diagnosing moderate (G ≥ 2), severe (G ≥ 3) inflammation, and severe fibrosis (S ≥ 3). The AUROCs for diagnosing G ≥ 2 and G ≥ 3 were 0.732 and 0.861 for APRI, 0.726 and0.883 for GPR, 0.703 and0.705 for FIB‐4, and 0.660 and 0.747 for RPR, respectively. The AUROCs for diagnosing S ≥ 2 and S ≥ 3 were0.724 and 0.799 for APRI, 0.714 and0.801 for GPR, 0.683 and0.730 for FIB‐4, and 0.643 and 0.705 for RPR, respectively.ConclusionAPRI and GPR were more effective than FIB‐4 and RPR at diagnosing liver inflammation and fibrosis.
Delafloxacin Pharmacokinetics in Subjects With Varying Degrees of Renal Function
Authors: Hoover Randall K. , Alcorn Harry , Lawrence Laura , Paulson Susan K. , Quintas Megan , Cammarata Sue K. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractDelafloxacin, a fluoroquinolone, has activity against gram‐positive organisms including methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus and fluoroquinolone‐susceptible and –resistant gram‐negative organisms. This study was conducted to determine delafloxacin pharmacokinetics after a single intravenous infusion or oral dose administration in subjects with varying degrees of renal function. The study was an open‐label, parallel‐group crossover study in subjects with normal renal function or with mild, moderate, or severe renal impairment. Subjects received 300 mg delafloxacin intravenously, placebo intravenously, and 400 mg delafloxacin orally in 3 periods separated by ≥14‐day washouts. Blood and urine pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated using noncompartmental methods. Delafloxacin total clearance decreased with decreasing renal function, with a corresponding increase in AUC0–∞. After intravenous administration, mean total clearance was 13.7 and 7.07 L/h, and mean AUC0–∞ was 22.6 and 45.0 μg·h/mL in normal and severe renal subjects, respectively. Mean renal clearance as determined by urinary excretion was 6.03 and 0.44 L/h in normal and severe renal impairment subjects, respectively. Total clearance exhibited linear relationships to eGFR and CLCR. Similar observations were found after oral administration of delafloxacin. Single doses of delafloxacin 300 mg intravenously and 400 mg orally were well tolerated in all groups. In conclusion, renal insufficiency has an effect on delafloxacin clearance; a dosing adjustment for intravenous dosing is warranted for patients with severe renal impairment (eGFR < 30 mL/min).
Lateral ventricular volume measurement by 3D MR hydrography in fetal ventriculomegaly and normal lateral ventricles
Authors: Zhao Si‐xiu , Xiao Yun‐hua , Lv Fu‐rong , Zhang Zhi‐wei , Sheng Bo , Ma Hong‐li 
Published: December 2017

BackgroundIn fetuses with prenatal ventriculomegaly (VM), ventricular volume on MRI has been shown to correlate with poor postnatal outcomes and in utero death. 3D magnetic resonance hydrography (MRH) has been widely used for MR cholangiopancreatography.PurposeTo investigate the reliability of 3D MRH for lateral ventricular volume measurement in fetuses with VM and normal lateral ventricles, using manual multisection planimetry (MSP) as a reference standard.Study TypeProspective study.PopulationThirty‐five fetuses with VM at 24–37 gestational weeks (GA) and 35 fetuses with normal lateral ventricles at 24–38 GA.Field Strength/Sequence1.5T MRI with 3D MRH and T2‐weighted single‐shot fast‐spin echo sequence.AssessmentLeft, right, and total lateral ventricle volumes in fetuses were acquired from 3D MRH and manual MSP. All image analysis was performed by a radiologist twice and another radiologist once, blindly.Statistical TestsAnalysis of linear regression analysis, Pearson's correlation coefficient, Bland–Altman plots, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and independent samples t‐test were used for statistical analyses.ResultsThere were highly significant relationships between all 3D MRH and manual MSP measurements of lateral ventricular volumes (rVM = 0.92–0.98; rN = 0.95–0.98; all P < 0.0001; VM: VM group, N: normal group), although left, right, and total lateral ventricular volumes measured by 3D MRH tended to be slightly larger than MSP (biasVM 0.1 ± 0.95, 0.26 ± 0.63, and 0.3 ± 0.68 mL, respectively; biasN 0.1 ± 0.95, 0.26 ± 0.63, and 0.3 ± 0.68 mL, respectively). Interrater agreement and intrarater repeatability were also excellent for 3D MRH (ICCVM = 0.994–0.99, ICCN = 0.989–0.992; ICCVM = 0.975–0.987, ICCN = 0.958–0.971, respectively). 3D MRH showed significantly reduced measurement time (VM: 3.55 ± 0.42 vs. 11.81 ± 0.13 min; N: 3.08 ± 0.39 vs. 12.12 ± 0.11 min; all P < 0.0001).Data ConclusionLateral ventricular volume measurement by 3D MRH was comparable to manual MSP.Level of Evidence: 1Technical Efficacy Stage 1J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2017.
A study of neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging in wilson's disease
Authors: Song Yu‐kun , Li Xin‐bei , Huang Xiao‐long , Zhao Jing , Zhou Xiang‐xue , Wang Yu‐liang , Yan Xu , Wang Jing‐yan , Chu Jian‐ping 
Published: December 2017

BackgroundPrevious studies have indicated that neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) could be used as a biomarker for detecting microstructural changes of brain.PurposeTo quantitatively evaluate the changes in basal ganglia (BG) and thalamus in Wilson's disease (WD) by NODDI and assess the correlation between parameters and disease severity.Study TypeProspective case–control study.PopulationIn total, 24 WD patients and 25 age‐ and sex‐matched normal controls were involved in this study.Field Strength/SequenceEPI diffusion‐weighted MR images (b‐values = 0, 1000, and 2000 with 30 diffusion gradient directions) were acquired on a 3T scanner.AssessmentDiffusion data were analyzed using voxel‐based analysis. NODDI indices including intracellular volume fraction (Vic), orientation dispersion index (ODI), and isotropic volume fraction (Viso) were estimated from the BG and thalamus. The disease severity was assessed by two experienced neurologists based on the Global Assessment Scale (GAS). The relative importance of NODDI indices in diagnosing WD and predictive accuracy were also analyzed.Statistical TestingThe Shapiro–Wilk test, Student's t‐test, χ2 test, Mann–Whitney–Wilcoxon test, Spearman rank correlation coefficient analysis and random‐forest analysis were used for statistical analyses.ResultsThe Vic and ODI in the BG and thalamus were significantly lower in WD patients than normal controls, while the Viso in the BG and thalamus were significantly higher (P < 0.01). The Vic in the putamen and ODI in the globus pallidus were negatively correlated with clinical severity (rvic = −0.727, P < 0.001; rodi = −0.705, P < 0.001). The Vic in the putamen was the most valuable predictor for diagnosing WD and the prediction accuracy of NODDI was 95.92%.Data ConclusionNODDI can effectively evaluate the changes of microstructure and metabolism during copper deposition in WD, and thus, it is likely to be useful in detecting the changes in the brain of this disease and assessing its progression.Level of Evidence: 2Technical Efficacy Stage 2J. MAGN. RESON. IMAGING 2018;48:423–430.
Creativity from Start to Finish: A “Straight‐A” Model of Creative Process and Its Relation to Intelligence
Authors: Sternberg Robert J. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThis article describes a “straight‐A” model of the creative process. It characterizes the creative process in five overlapping phases, with the variables most affecting those phases characterized as: (1) activators, (2) abilities, (3) amplifiers, (4) appeal to audience, and (5) assessment by audience. The creative process does not complete itself often, in part because all five phases rarely work in the right direction. For example, at Phase 1, there are deactivators as well as activators and at Phase 3, there are attenuators of creativity as well as amplifiers. I further discuss in the article the implications of the model for the relation between creativity and intelligence. In particular, whereas aspects of intelligence (according to the triarchic theory of successful intelligence) involve some degree overlap among creative, analytical, and practical skills, true creativity involves a true conjunction of these skills and is therefore much rarer.
Rapid identification of gutter oil by detecting the capsaicin using surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy
Authors: Tian Kangzhen , Wang Wen , Yao Yue , Nie Xinming , Lu Aixia , Wu Ying , Han Caiqin 
Published: December 2017

AbstractAccurate determination of the gutter oil represents a major food safety challenge. Here, we propose to use the surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) with silver nanorod array substrates to detect the capsaicin, a marker of the gutter oil that is difficult to remove. The capsaicin has several characteristic SERS peaks at Δv = 807 cm−1, Δv = 1, 264 cm−1, and so forth, which correspond to the C39‐C37‐C43 stretching vibrational mode at the alkyl chain, the ring stretching vibrational mode, and so forth, confirmed by our density functional theory calculation. This SERS‐based method enabled the rapid and highly sensitive detection of the gutter oil with minimum pretreatment. The concentration dependent SERS investigation shows that the SERS intensity of these characteristic peaks has a linear relationship with the capsaicin concentration when 1 mg/L < C < 60 mg/L. By combining a liquid phase extraction method and the SERS detection strategy, the capsaicin concentration as low as 30 mg/L can be detected from inoculated corn oil samples.
An effective HPLC‐based approach for the evaluation of the content of total phenolic compounds transferred from olives to virgin olive oil during the olive milling process
Authors: Cecchi Lorenzo , Migliorini Marzia , Zanoni Bruno , Breschi Carlotta , Mulinacci Nadia 
Published: December 2017

AbstractBACKGROUNDSeveral studies demonstrate a strong interest in learning more about phenolic transfer during oil extraction, with the main goal of increasing the phenolic concentration in olive oils. We aimed to propose and apply a new methodological approach for evaluating phenolic transfer from olives into oil during milling, based on the quantification of phenolic content in whole lyophilized fruits and the corresponding oils and considering the oil extraction yields.RESULTSWe investigated the phenols transferred into the oil during olive milling in continuous extraction systems in Tuscany. In 2012, oils were extracted from cultivar Frantoio by a two‐phase extraction system; in 2016, oils were extracted from cultivars Leccio del Corno and Arbequina by a three‐phase extraction system. Results highlighted very low percentages of extracted phenols: up to 0.40% by the two‐phase system and up to 0.19% by the three‐phase system (0.08% for cultivar Arbequina and 0.19% for cultivar Leccio del Corno).CONCLUSIONThe usefulness of a simple and effective methodological approach for evaluating the extracted phenols was highlighted. Values of extracted phenols were up to 25 times lower than previous literature data. The proposed approach is applicable in all types of milling processes. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Determination of sugars and cyclitols isolated from various morphological parts of Medicago sativa L
Authors: Al‐Suod Hossam , Ratiu Ileana‐Andreea , Ligor Magdalena , Ligor Tomasz , Buszewski Bogusław 
Published: December 2017

AbstractPlant research interest has increased all over the world, and a large body of evidence has been collected to show the huge potential of medicinal plants in various disease treatments. Medicago sativa L., known as alfalfa, is a rich source of biologically active components and secondary metabolites and was frequently used from the ancient times both as fodder crop and as a traditional medicine in the treatment of various diseases. Cyclitols, naturally occurring in this plant, have a particular interest for us due to their significant anti‐diabetic, antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, and anti‐cancer properties. In the present study we revealed the isolation, the identification, and the quantification of some cyclitols and sugars extracted from different morphological parts of alfalfa plant. Soxhlet extraction and solid phase extraction were used as extraction and purification methods, while for the analyses derivatization followed by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry was involved. The obtained results showed significant differences in the quantities of cyclitols and sugars found in the investigated morphological parts, ranging between 0.02 and 13.86 mg/g of plant in case of cyclitols, and in the range of 0.09 and 40.09 mg/g of plant for sugars. However, roots have the richest part of cyclitols and sugars in contrast to the leaves.
Extreme precipitation and phosphorus loads from two agricultural watersheds
Authors: Carpenter Stephen R. , Booth Eric G. , Kucharik Christopher J. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractPhosphorus runoff from agricultural land is a major cause of eutrophication in lakes and reservoirs. Frequency and intensity of extreme precipitation events are increasing in agricultural regions of the Upper Midwestern U.S., and these increases are projected to continue as climate warms. We quantified the linkage between extreme daily precipitation and extreme daily discharge, phosphorus (P) load, and P concentration for Pheasant Branch and the Yahara River, two tributaries of Lake Mendota, Wisconsin, U.S.A. using the generalized Pareto distribution. Although precipitation extremes have increased since 1940, over the shorter period of stream monitoring (1994–2015 for Pheasant Branch and 1991–2015 for Yahara) there is no significant trend in extreme precipitation. Nonetheless a disproportionate number of extreme precipitation events (for example seven of the 11 largest 24‐h events since 1901) occurred during the period of stream monitoring. Daily precipitation extremes were associated with extremes in daily discharge and P load. P load return levels increased steeply and almost linearly with precipitation on log‐log axes. The trend toward more frequent and intense precipitation extremes will increase P loading and intensify the eutrophication of the lake, unless the excessive P enrichment of the watershed is reversed.
Water renewal in semi‐enclosed basins: A high resolution Lagrangian approach with application to the Bay of Algeciras, Strait of Gibraltar
Authors: Sammartino Simone , Sánchez‐Garrido José C. , Naranjo Cristina , García Lafuente Jesús , Rodríguez Rubio Pablo , Sotillo Marcos 
Published: December 2017

AbstractLagrangian experiments of particle tracking were carried out in the semi‐enclosed Bay of Algeciras attached to the Strait of Gibraltar in order to investigate the flushing patterns. A high resolution three‐domain‐nested hydrodynamic model provided the velocity fields from a 61‐d hindcast, with the aim of analyzing the flushing efficiency of eight different docks under a variety of external conditions, namely, tide phase and strength, and winds. The tracking algorithm was specifically developed to exploit the high spatial resolution of the model that reproduces the local dynamics accurately. Winds are the dominant agent, with westerlies featuring
‐folding times one order of magnitude lower than easterlies. Fortnightly tidal modulation causes a counter‐intuitive effect, with spring tides promoting higher accumulation of particles inside the docks and higher
‐folding times than neap tides. Additionally to high resolution details on the flushing patterns of the Algeciras Port, the model also confirms the Bay as a potential feeder of floating tracers for the nearby Alboran Sea. The proposed approach is easily scalable and exportable to other similar locations worldwide.
A wild model of linear arithmetic and discretely ordered modules
Authors: Glivický Petr , Pudlák Pavel 
Published: December 2017

AbstractLinear arithmetics are extensions of Presburger arithmetic () by one or more unary functions, each intended as multiplication by a fixed element (scalar), and containing the full induction schemes for their respective languages. In this paper, we construct a model of the 2‐linear arithmetic (linear arithmetic with two scalars) in which an infinitely long initial segment of “Peano multiplication” on is ‐definable. This shows, in particular, that is not model complete in contrast to theories and that are known to satisfy quantifier elimination up to disjunctions of primitive positive formulas. As an application, we show that , as a discretely ordered module over the discretely ordered ring generated by the two scalars, does not have the NIP, answering negatively a question of Chernikov and Hils.
On Schauder equivalence relations
Authors: Ma Xin 
Published: December 2017

AbstractWe study Schauder equivalence relations, which are Borel equivalence relations induced by actions of Banach spaces with Schauder bases. Firstly, we show that and are minimal Schauder equivalence relations. Then, we prove that neither of them is Borel reducible to the quotient where T is the Tsirelson space. This implies that they cannot form a basis for the Schauder equivalence relations. In addition, we apply an argument of Farah to show that every basis for the Schauder equivalence relations, if such exist, has to be of cardinality .
Expression of the arsenite oxidation regulatory operon in Rhizobium sp. str. NT‐26 is under the control of two promoters that respond to different environmental cues
Authors: Corsini Paula M. , Walker Kenneth T. , Santini Joanne M. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractRhizobium sp. str. NT‐26 is a Gram‐negative facultative chemolithoautotrophic arsenite oxidizer that has been used as a model organism to study various aspects of arsenite oxidation including the regulation of arsenite oxidation. The three regulatory genes, aioX, aioS, and aioR, are cotranscribed when NT‐26 was grown in the presence or absence of arsenite. The aioXSR operon is upregulated in stationary phase but not by the presence of arsenite in the growth medium. The two transcription start sites upstream of aioX were determined which led to the identification of two promoters, the housekeeping promoter RpoD and the growth‐phase‐dependent promoter RpoE2. Promoter–lacZ fusions confirmed their constitutive and stationary phase expressions. The involvement of the NT‐26 sigma factor RpoE2 in acting on the NT‐26 RpoE2 promoter was confirmed in vivo in Escherichia coli, which lacks a rpoE2 homolog, using a strain carrying both the promoter–lacZ fusion and the NT‐26 rpoE2 gene. An in silico approach was used to search for other RpoE2 promoters and AioR‐binding motifs and led to the identification of other genes that could be regulated by these proteins including those involved in quorum sensing, chemotaxis, and motility expanding the signaling networks important for the microbial metabolism of arsenite.
Cis‐acting DNA elements flanking the variable major protein expression site of Borrelia hermsii are required for murine persistence
Authors: James Allison E. , Rogovskyy Artem S. , Crowley Michael A. , Bankhead Troy 
Published: December 2017

AbstractIn Borrelia hermsii, antigenic variation occurs as a result of a nonreciprocal gene conversion event that places one of ~60 silent variable major protein genes downstream of a single, transcriptionally active promoter. The upstream homology sequence (UHS) and downstream homology sequence (DHS) are two putative cis‐acting DNA elements that have been predicted to serve as crossover points for homologous recombination. In this report, a targeted deletion/in cis complementation technique was used to directly evaluate the role for these elements in antigenic switching. The results demonstrate that deletion of the expression site results in an inability of the pathogen to relapse in immunocompetent mice, and that the utilized technique was successful in producing complemented mutants that are capable of antigenic switching. Additional complemented clones with mutations in the UHS and DHS of the expressed locus were then generated and evaluated for their ability to relapse in immunocompetent mice. Mutation of the UHS and inverted repeat sequence within the DHS rendered these mutants incapable of relapsing. Overall, the results establish the requirement of the inverted repeat of the DHS for antigenic switching, and support the importance of the UHS for B. hermsii persistence in the mammalian host.
Monitoring of the Conformational Space of Dipeptides by Generative Topographic Mapping
Authors: Horvath Dragos , Marcou Gilles , Varnek Alexandre 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThis work describes a procedure to build generative topographic maps (GTM) as 2D representation of the conformational space (CS) of dipeptides. GTMs with excellent propensities to support highly predictive landscapes of various conformational properties were reported for three dipeptides (AA, KE and KR). CS monitoring via GTMproceeds through the projection of conformer ensembles on the map, producing cumulated responsibility (CR) vectors characteristic of the CS areas covered by the ensemble. Overlap of the CS areas visited by two distinct simulations can be expressed by the Tanimoto coefficient Tc of the associated CRs. This idea was used to monitor the reproducibility of the stochastic evolutionary conformer generation process implemented in S4MPLE. It could be shown that conformers produced by <500 S4MPLE runs reproducibly cover the relevant CS zone at given setup of the driving force field. The propensity of a simulation to visit the native CS zone can thus be quantitatively estimated, as the Tc score with respect to the “native“ CR, as defined by the ensemble of dipeptide geometries extracted from PDB proteins. It could be shown that low‐energy CS regions were indeed found to fall within the native zone. The Tc overlap score behaved as a smooth function of force field parameters. This opens the perspective of a novel force field parameter tuning procedure, bound to simultaneously optimize the behavior of the in Silico simulations for every possible dipeptide.