bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Freestyle stentless bioprosthesis for aortic valve therapy: 17-year clinical results
Authors: Ennker Juergen , Meilwes Markus , Pons-Kuehnemann Joern , Niemann Bernd , Grieshaber Philippe , Ennker Ina C , Boening Andreas 
Published: October 2016

Background Aortic valve replacement with stentless bioprostheses has been shown to produce lower aortic gradients than stented bioprostheses, thus facilitating left ventricular mass regression and preventing heart failure. We sought to determine the long-term results of stentless biological aortic valve replacement over a 17-year follow-up. Methods Between 1996 and 2012, 2551 patients underwent isolated aortic valve replacement with a stentless prosthesis (Medtronic Freestyle) at a single center. The mean patient age was 72 ± 10 years, 55% were male, 24.1% were in New York Heart Association class I and II, 9.6% had undergone previous surgery, 18.1% had coronary artery disease, and 23.1% had diabetes. For the long-term follow-up, patients were contacted in writing and by telephone; follow-up was 96.3% complete, resulting in 11,546 patient-years. Results At 30 days, mortality (5.4%), renal failure (3.9%), myocardial infarction (0.7%), and stroke (1.4%) rates were acceptable. During long-term follow-up of 1–17 years, the bleeding rate (2.9%) was higher than the thromboembolic event rate (0.7%) despite 18.1% of patients being on oral anticoagulants. New pacemaker implantation (4.5%; 0.87 events/100 patient-years), neurological disorders (5%; 0.52 events/100 patient-years), valve insufficiency (0.7%; 0.16 events/100 patient-years), paravalvular leakage (0.4%; 0.09 events/100 patient-years) and reoperation due to valvular complications (0.7%; 0.38 events/100 patient-years) were rare. Long-term survival was 41.8% ± 1.6 after 10 years, 21.3% ± 2.3 after 15 years, and 12.1% ± 3.9 after 17 years. Conclusion Long-term results after aortic valve replacement with stentless biological prostheses compare favorably with those obtained with stented bioprostheses.
Perspectives on Patient Safety Among Practical Nursing Students
Authors: Raymond June , Medves Jennifer , Godfrey Christina 
Published: October 2016

Background Practical nursing students are students enrolled in a two-year college practical nursing diploma program. They are responsible for providing safe patient care to the patients they care for. Assessing students’ perceptions of their own patient safety competencies can help educators identify gaps in their knowledge and skills and identify, at a curricula level, the concepts and information required to improve the quality of their care. Purpose To explore practical nursing students’ confidence in what they are learning about patient safety within their nursing education. Methods This cross-sectional descriptive study used a modified version of the Health Professional Education in Patient Safety Survey. Results Overall, students expressed the greatest confidence in their abilities to provide care in Clinical Safety topics. More than 75% of the students’ feared punishment when making an error and 88% have difficulty questioning other healthcare providers. Less than 30% of students stated that a system-level focus on errors was taught to them in their education programs. Conclusions More investigation is needed to understand what practical nursing students’ fear about the provision of safe care. Additional focus on systems aspects of hazard identification and the prevention of errors needs to be present in nursing education programs.
Effect of Insurance on Rates of Total Ankle Arthroplasty Versus Arthrodesis for Tibiotalar Osteoarthritis
Authors: Heckmann Nathanael , Bradley Alexander , Sivasundaram Lakshmanan , Alluri Ram Kiran , Tan Eric W. 
Published: October 2016

Background: Several studies have examined the effect of insurance on the management of various orthopedic conditions. The purpose of our study was to assess the effect of insurance and other demographic factors on the operative management of tibiotalar osteoarthritis. Methods: The National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database was used to identify patients who underwent a total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) or tibiotalar arthrodesis (TTA) for tibiotalar osteoarthritis. Insurance status was identified for each patient, and the proportions of each insurance type were computed for each operative modality. A multivariate analysis was performed to account for confounding variables to isolate the effect of insurance type on operative treatment. Results: From 2007 to 2012, a total of 10 010 patients (35.6%) were identified who underwent a total ankle replacement (TAR) procedure and 18 094 patients (64.4%%) who underwent TTA for tibiotalar osteoarthritis. Patients receiving a TAR were older (65.8 vs 64.2, P < .001), more likely to be female (54% vs 51%, P < .001), and had fewer comorbidities (4.2 vs 4.5, P < .001) than patients who underwent a TTA. After controlling for baseline differences, patients with Medicare (odds ratio [OR] 3.00, P < .001), and private insurance (OR 3.19, P < .001) were approximately 3 times more likely to undergo TAR than patients with Medicaid. Conclusions: Patients with tibiotalar osteoarthritis were more likely to receive a TAR procedure if they had Medicare or private insurance compared with patients who had Medicaid. Further research should be done to better understand the drivers of this phenomenon if equitable care is to be achieved. Level of Evidence: Level II, prognostic study.
Failure to achieve therapeutic levels with high-dose posaconazole tablets potentially due to enhanced clearance
Authors: Maleki Sam , Corallo Carmela , Coutsouvelis John , Singh Jasmine 
Published: October 2016

Aim To describe a case of persistent sub-therapeutic posaconazole levels in setting of salvage chemotherapy for relapsed acute myeloid leukemia. Case details A 57-year-old male was admitted for the management of relapsed acute myeloid leukemia and ongoing pulmonary aspergillosis. While continuing on posaconazole tablet 300 mg daily, he received a course of salvage chemotherapy. The initial steady state posaconazole trough level was therapeutic at 0.84 mg/L (target >0.70 mg/L). However, after five days, the level had dropped to 0.40 mg/L, coinciding with hyperbilirubinemia and hypoalbuminemia. Bilirubin level peaked at 36 µm/L (normal high <20 µm/L), albumin levels were consistently low, averaging at 25 g/L (range 33–46 g/L). The patient had been compliant and there were no underlying gastrointestinal conditions identified which might have potentially affected posaconazole absorption. Outcome An increase in posaconazole dose failed to achieve target levels and treatment was changed to voriconazole. However, levels were surprisingly supra-therapeutic, resulting in side effects and substantial dose reduction was required. Conclusion Failure to achieve target posaconazole levels despite increased dosing may be attributed to factors other than impaired oral absorption. Enhanced metabolism and clearance could be associated with hypoalbuminemia and hyperbilirubinemia. Further case studies, including PK modelling, are required to confirm this effect.
The origin of spheroidal halloysites: a review of the literature
Authors: Cravero F. , Jock Churchman G. 
Published: October 2016

AbstractTubular halloysite has many applications as a nanomaterial. Spheroidal halloysite (SPH) is the other most common form of halloysite. Its mode of formation has had different explanations, including association with allophane, or more generally, following weathering of volcanic glass. Some SPHs have formed from minerals in crystalline rocks, sometimes as an early stage of evolution into plates and/or tubes of halloysite and ultimately to kaolinite. Spheroidal halloysites can show a range of Fe contents and can occur with other forms of halloysite; they have often formed in confined environments whereas tubular halloysites apparently form in more open spaces. They have also formed on microbes or where there is a significant amount of organic matter. Generally, SPHs have often formed by rapid dissolution of volcanic glass and primary minerals. The SPHs can persist over time. They have fewactive edges, so interparticle interaction is poor, causing low viscosities in clay-water suspensions, poor soil stability and low adsorption capacities.
Discovery of halloysite books in altered silicic Quaternary tephras, northern New Zealand
Authors: Cunningham M.J. , Lowe D.J. , Wyatt J.B. , Moon V.G. , Jock Churchman G. 
Published: October 2016

AbstractHydrated halloysite was discovered in books, a morphology previously associated exclusively with kaolinite. From ∼1.5 to ∼1500 μm in length, the books showed significantly greater mean Fe contents (Fe2O3= 5.2 wt.%) than tubes (Fe2O3= 3.2 wt.%), and expanded rapidly with formamide. They occurred, along with halloysite tubes, spheroids and plates, in highly porous yet poorly permeable, silt-dominated, Si-rich, pumiceous rhyolitic tephra deposits aged ∼0.93 Ma (Te Puna tephra) and ∼0.27 Ma (Te Ranga tephra) at three sites ∼10–20 m stratigraphically below the modern landsurface in the Tauranga area, eastern North Island, New Zealand. The book-bearing tephras were at or near saturation, but have experienced intermittent partial drying, favouring the proposed changes: solubilized volcanic glass + plagioclase→halloysite spheroids→halloysite tubes→halloysite plates→ halloysite books. Unlike parallel studies elsewhere involving both halloysite and kaolinite, kaolinite has not formed in Tauranga presumably because the low permeability ensures that the sites largely remain locally wet so that the halloysite books are metastable. An implication of the discovery is that some halloysite books in similar settings may have been misidentified previously as kaolinite.
RNAdualPF: software to compute the dual partition function with sample applications in molecular evolution theory
Authors: Garcia-Martin Juan Antonio , Bayegan Amir H. , Dotu Ivan , Clote Peter 
Published: October 2016

Abstract
Background
RNA inverse folding is the problem of finding one or more sequences that fold into a user-specified target structure s0, i.e. whose minimum free energy secondary structure is identical to the target s0. Here we consider the ensemble of all RNA sequences that have low free energy with respect to a given target s0.

Results
We introduce the program , which computes the dual partition functionZ∗, defined as the sum of Boltzmann factors exp(−E(a,s0)/RT) of all RNA nucleotide sequences a compatible with target structure s0. Using , we efficiently sample RNA sequences that approximately fold into s0, where additionally the user can specify IUPAC sequence constraints at certain positions, and whether to include dangles (energy terms for stacked, single-stranded nucleotides). Moreover, since we also compute the dual partition functionZ∗(k) over all sequences having GC-content k, the user can require that all sampled sequences have a precise, specified GC-content.
Using Z∗, we compute the dual expected energy 〈E∗〉, and use it to show that natural RNAs from the 12.0 database have higher minimum free energy than expected, thus suggesting that functional RNAs are under evolutionary pressure to be only marginally thermodynamically stable.
We show that C. elegans precursor microRNA (pre-miRNA) is significantly non-robust with respect to mutations, by comparing the robustness of each wild type pre-miRNA sequence with 2000 [resp. 500] sequences of the same GC-content generated by , which approximately [resp. exactly] fold into the wild type target structure. We confirm and strengthen earlier findings that precursor microRNAs and bacterial small noncoding RNAs display plasticity, a measure of structural diversity.

Conclusion
We describe , which rapidly computes the dual partition functionZ∗ and samples sequences having low energy with respect to a target structure, allowing sequence constraints and specified GC-content. Using different inverse folding software, another group had earlier shown that pre-miRNA is mutationally robust, even controlling for compositional bias. Our opposite conclusion suggests a cautionary note that computationally based insights into molecular evolution may heavily depend on the software used.
C/C++-software for is available at http://bioinformatics.bc.edu/clotelab/RNAdualPF.
Convert your favorite protein modeling program into a mutation predictor: “MODICT”
Authors: Tanyalcin Ibrahim , Stouffs Katrien , Daneels Dorien , Al Assaf Carla , Lissens Willy , Jansen Anna , Gheldof Alexander 
Published: October 2016

Abstract
Background
Predict whether a mutation is deleterious based on the custom 3D model of a protein.

Results
We have developed modict, a mutation prediction tool which is based on per residue rmsd (root mean square deviation) values of superimposed 3D protein models. Our mathematical algorithm was tested for 42 described mutations in multiple genes including renin (REN), beta-tubulin (TUBB2B), biotinidase (BTD), sphingomyelin phosphodiesterase-1 (SMPD1), phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) and medium chain Acyl-Coa dehydrogenase (ACADM). Moreover, modict scores corresponded to experimentally verified residual enzyme activities in mutated biotinidase, phenylalanine hydroxylase and medium chain Acyl-CoA dehydrogenase. Several commercially available prediction algorithms were tested and results were compared. The modictperl package and the manual can be downloaded from https://github.com/IbrahimTanyalcin/MODICT.

Conclusions
We show here that modict is capable tool for mutation effect prediction at the protein level, using superimposed 3D protein models instead of sequence based algorithms used by polyphen and sift.
Preferred gait and walk–run transition speeds in ostriches measured using GPS-IMU sensors
Authors: Daley Monica A. , Channon Anthony J. , Nolan Grant S. , Hall Jade 
Published: October 2016

ABSTRACT
The ostrich (Struthio camelus) is widely appreciated as a fast and agile bipedal athlete, and is a useful comparative bipedal model for human locomotion. Here, we used GPS-IMU sensors to measure naturally selected gait dynamics of ostriches roaming freely over a wide range of speeds in an open field and developed a quantitative method for distinguishing walking and running using accelerometry. We compared freely selected gait–speed distributions with previous laboratory measures of gait dynamics and energetics. We also measured the walk–run and run–walk transition speeds and compared them with those reported for humans. We found that ostriches prefer to walk remarkably slowly, with a narrow walking speed distribution consistent with minimizing cost of transport (CoT) according to a rigid-legged walking model. The dimensionless speeds of the walk–run and run–walk transitions are slower than those observed in humans. Unlike humans, ostriches transition to a run well below the mechanical limit necessitating an aerial phase, as predicted by a compass-gait walking model. When running, ostriches use a broad speed distribution, consistent with previous observations that ostriches are relatively economical runners and have a flat curve for CoT against speed. In contrast, horses exhibit U-shaped curves for CoT against speed, with a narrow speed range within each gait for minimizing CoT. Overall, the gait dynamics of ostriches moving freely over natural terrain are consistent with previous lab-based measures of locomotion. Nonetheless, ostriches, like humans, exhibit a gait-transition hysteresis that is not explained by steady-state locomotor dynamics and energetics. Further study is required to understand the dynamics of gait transitions.
Feeding through your gills and turning a toxicant into a resource: how the dogfish shark scavenges ammonia from its environment
Authors: Wood Chris M. , Giacomin Marina 
Published: October 2016

ABSTRACT
Nitrogen (N) appears to be a limiting dietary resource for elasmobranchs, required not only for protein growth but also for urea-based osmoregulation. Building on recent evidence that the toxicant ammonia can be taken up actively at the gills of the shark and made into the valuable osmolyte urea, we demonstrate that the uptake exhibits classic Michaelis–Menten saturation kinetics with an affinity constant (Km) of 379 µmol l−1, resulting in net N retention at environmentally realistic ammonia concentrations (100–400 µmol l−1) and net N loss through stimulated urea-N excretion at higher levels. Ammonia-N uptake rate increased or decreased with alterations in seawater pH, but the changes were much less than predicted by the associated changes in seawater PNH3, and more closely paralleled changes in seawater NH4+ concentration. Ammonia-N uptake rate was insensitive to amiloride (0.1 mmol l−1) or to a 10-fold elevation in seawater K+ concentration (to 100 mmol l−1), suggesting that the mechanism does not directly involve Na+ or K+ transporters, but was inhibited by blockade of glutamine synthetase, the enzyme that traps ammonia-N to fuel the ornithine–urea cycle. High seawater ammonia inhibited uptake of the ammonia analogue [14C]methylamine. The results suggest that branchial ammonia-N uptake may significantly supplement dietary N intake, amounting to about 31% of the nitrogen acquired from the diet. They further indicate the involvement of Rh glycoproteins (ammonia channels), which are expressed in dogfish gills, in normal ammonia-N uptake and retention.
Evaluation of gastric blood supply in diabetic patients with gastroparesis by contrast-enhanced ultrasound
Authors: Shen Hao-lin , Yang Shu-ping , Wang Kang-jian , Huang Bei-lei , Huang Wen-bao , Wu Jin-zhi , Lv Guo-rong 
Published: October 2016

Objective:
Improvement in regional blood flow has been shown to ameliorate diabetic gastroparesis. We compared the gastric blood supply in patients with diabetes with gastroparesis with that in healthy subjects, by using contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS).

Methods:
30 healthy subjects and 40 patients with diabetic gastroparesis were enrolled. The CEUS parameters of greater curvatures of the antrum (GCOA) and lesser curvatures of the antrum (LCOA), including peak intensity (PI) and the area under the curve (AUC), were compared between the two groups.

Results:
Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for PI in healthy subjects measured on CEUS were 0.831–0.857 and 0.803–0.823, respectively. Intra-ICC and inter-ICC values for AUC were 0.805–0.823 and 0.813–0.815, respectively. In both groups, no significant difference was observed in PI and AUC values of GCOA and LCOA (p &gt; 0.05). The PI and AUC of GCOA and LCOA in the diabetes group were less than those in the normal group (p &lt; 0.05).

Conclusion:
CEUS can assess stomach wall vascularity with a high reproducibility. Microcirculation in the antrum of patients with diabetic gastroparesis is poorer than that of normal group, which is consistent with the mechanisms of diabetic neuropathy. CEUS can be used for evaluation of microvascular perfusion in patients with stomach wall disease.

Advances in knowledge:
This was the first study to use CEUS for assessment of blood supply of the gastric wall and to compare microvascular perfusion between healthy individuals and patients with diabetes with gastroparesis.
Comparison of digital tomosynthesis and chest radiography for the detection of pulmonary nodules: systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Kim Jun H , Lee Kyung H , Kim Kyoung-Tae , Kim Hyun J , Ahn Hyeong S , Kim Yeo J , Lee Ha Y , Jeon Yong S 
Published: October 2016

Objective:
To compare the diagnostic accuracy of digital tomosynthesis (DTS) with that of chest radiography for the detection of pulmonary nodules by meta-analysis.

Methods:
A systematic literature search was performed to identify relevant original studies from 1 January 1 1976 to 31 August 31 2016. The quality of included studies was assessed by quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies-2. Per-patient data were used to calculate the sensitivity and specificity and per-lesion data were used to calculate the detection rate. Summary receiver-operating characteristic curves were drawn for pulmonary nodule detection.

Results:
16 studies met the inclusion criteria. 1017 patients on a per-patient basis and 2159 lesions on a per-lesion basis from 16 eligible studies were evaluated. The pooled patient-based sensitivity of DTS was 0.85 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.83–0.88] and the specificity was 0.95 (0.93–0.96). The pooled sensitivity and specificity of chest radiography were 0.47 (0.44–0.51) and 0.37 (0.34–0.40), respectively. The per-lesion detection rate was 2.90 (95% CI 2.63–3.19).

Conclusion:
DTS has higher diagnostic accuracy than chest radiography for detection of pulmonary nodules. Chest radiography has low sensitivity but similar specificity, comparable with that of DTS.

Advances in knowledge:
DTS has higher diagnostic accuracy than chest radiography for the detection of pulmonary nodules.
Effect of Concrete Addition of Selected Micro-fibers on the Reinforcing Bars Corrosion in the Reinforced Concrete Specimens
Authors: Raczkiewicz W. 
Published: October 2016

Abstract
The micro-fibers increase the consistency and uniformity of concrete, which can improve the protective properties of concrete cover and thus should reduce the corrosion of the reinforcement bars in the reinforced concrete elements. The article presents a study which main objective was to specify the effect on concrete mix the addition of steel or polypropylene micro-reinforcement fibers on the reinforcing bars corrosion process. The research included measuring the reinforcement corrosion progress caused by the chloride impact as well as cyclical freezing and thawing specimens test. To measure the electrochemical corrosion progress the non-destructive i.e. galvanostatic pulse method was used. The results were used to conduct a comparative analysis.
Al2O3 + TiO2 Thin Film made by Electrostatic Spray Deposition
Authors: Krella A. K. , Krupa A. , Sobczyk A.T. , Jaworek A. 
Published: October 2016

Abstract
In this work electrostatic spray deposition process was used to deposit thin Al2O3 + TiO2 ceramic thin film on X10CrAlSi18 steel from colloidal suspension of TiO2 powder in Al2O3 precursor solution. The precursor was 3% solution of Al2(NO3)3 in ethanol. An influence of the thermal treatment after film deposition on protective properties against high temperatures and film endurance were investigated. The resistance against thermal cycles and dynamic impacts were tested. Performed investigations showed that the best protective properties had the Al2O3 + TiO2 film sintered at 1000°C.
Prerequisites of Sustainable Development of Rural Tourism in Continental Croatia
Authors: Bartoluci Mato , Hendija Zvjezdana , Petračić Mateja 
Published: October 2016

Abstract
The goal of this paper was to analyze the current status of rural tourism in Croatia and to identify possibilities, guidelines and methods of its sustainable development. The research has shown that rural tourism in Croatia falls behind the sun-and-beach holiday tourism in coastal Croatia and that numerous and diverse natural and social resources in Continental Croatia are insufficiently employed, especially in the Continental part of the country Past research of rural tourism in continental Croatia relied on individual entrepreneurial initiative and scarce funding resources, so that consequently a heterogeneous and fragmented rural tourism offer, based on various tourism forms and special interest tourism types, has developed in an unorganized way. However, rural tourism can become a driving force for the development of rural areas, taking into account the concept of sustainable development, based on the balance of economic, ecological and social responsibility. In the future, it should encourage development projects that ensure integrated tourist offer and thereby enable long-term sustainable development of rural tourism in continental Croatia.