bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Tau Imaging in Parkinsonism: What Have We Learned So Far?
Authors: Whitwell Jennifer L. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractBackgroundPositron emission tomography ligands are now available that bind to tau proteins in the brain, providing the exciting opportunity to assess the presence and distribution of tau in vivo in living patients.MethodsThis manuscript performed a systematic review of studies that have performed tau PET imaging in patients with parkinsonian disorders. PubMed was searched through November 13, 2017 and the review included case reports and patient‐control studies.ResultsMost tau‐PET studies have utilized the [18F]AV‐1451 ligand, with a few using the [11C]PBB3 and [18F]THK‐5351 ligands. Elevated cortical tau‐PET uptake has been observed in Parkinson's disease dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies, presumed to be related to Alzheimer's disease‐related pathology. Mild patterns of tau‐PET uptake have been observed in subcortical structures in progressive supranuclear palsy and subcortical structures and motor cortex in corticobasal syndrome, although discrepancy with autoradiographic studies that show lack of binding to 4‐repeat tau and “off‐target” binding observed in subcortical structures limit the interpretation of these findings. Findings in frontotemporal dementia with tau mutations are variable, but elevated signal is most pronounced in mutations with deposition of both 3 and 4‐repeat tau. Elevated tau‐PET uptake has also been observed in multiple system atrophy, a synucleinopathy.ConclusionThe value of the current generation of tau‐PET ligands varies across parkinsonian syndromes, depending upon underlying variability in tau pathology and “off‐target” binding. More work is needed to understand the biological basis of binding and more specific tau PET ligands are needed to study parkinsonian disorders.
Simultaneous editing of GABA and glutathione at 7T using semi‐LASER localization
Authors: Saleh Muhammad G. , Mikkelsen Mark , Oeltzschner Georg , Chan Kimberly L. , Berrington Adam , Barker Peter B. , Edden Richard A.E. 
Published: December 2017

PurposeTo demonstrate simultaneous editing of the two most commonly edited and overlapping signals, γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA), and glutathione (GSH), with Hadamard encoding and reconstruction of MEGA‐edited spectroscopy (HERMES) using sLASER localization at 7T.MethodsDensity matrix simulations of HERMES at 7T were carried out and compared with phantom experiments. Additional phantom experiments were performed to characterize the echo time (TE) ‐dependent modulation of GABA‐ and GSH‐edited HERMES spectra at TE of 80–160 ms. In vivo experiments were performed in 10 healthy volunteers, comparing HERMES (11 min) to sequentially acquired MEGA‐sLASER detection of GABA and GSH (2 × 11 min).ResultsSimulations of HERMES show GABA‐ and GSH‐edited spectra with negligible levels of crosstalk, and give modest agreement with phantom spectra. The TE series of GABA‐ and GSH‐edited HERMES spectra modulate as a result of T2 relaxation and coupling evolution, with GABA showing a stronger TE‐dependence. In vivo HERMES experiments show well‐edited GABA and GSH signals. Measured concentrations are not statistically different between HERMES and MEGA‐sLASER for GABA (1. 051 ± 0.254 i.u. and 1.053 ± 0.248 i.u; P > 0.985) or GSH (0.300 ± 0.091 i.u. and 0.302 ± 0.093 i.u; P > 0.940).ConclusionSimulated, phantom and in vivo measurements of HERMES show excellent segregation of GABA‐ and GSH‐edited signals, and excellent agreement with separately acquired MEGA‐sLASER data. HERMES allows two‐fold acceleration of editing while maintaining spectral quality compared with sequentially acquired MEGA‐sLASER measurements. Magn Reson Med 80:474–479, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
Artifact‐reduced imaging of biopsy needles with 2D multispectral imaging
Authors: Weber Hans , Hargreaves Brian A. , Daniel Bruce L. 
Published: December 2017

PurposeMagnetic resonance (MR) guidance for biopsy procedures requires high intrinsic soft‐tissue contrast. However, artifacts induced by the metallic needle can reduce its localization and require low‐susceptibility needle materials with poorer cutting performance. In a proof of concept, we demonstrate the feasibility of 2D multispectral imaging (2DMSI) for both needle tracking and for needle artifact reduction for more precise needle localization and to enable the usage of needle materials with higher susceptibility.MethodWe applied 2DMSI for imaging of MR‐compatible biopsy needles, conventional stainless‐steel needles, and mixed‐material needles and compared it to conventional techniques. In addition, we exploited intrinsic off‐resonance information for passive needle tracking.Results2DMSI achieved a stronger reduction of the needle artifact compared to conventional techniques. For the mixed‐material needles, the artifact was reduced to a level below that for MR‐compatible needles with conventional imaging. The passive tracking also improved the ability to pinpoint the needle.Conclusion2DMSI is promising for both needle tracking and artifact‐reduced imaging of biopsy needles for a more precise needle localization. 2DMSI may be particularly promising for needles inducing large distortions or for targeting of small lesions. In addition, it may enable the use of needle materials with higher susceptibility and potentially better sampling performance. Magn Reson Med 80:655–661, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
From bad to worse: when lung cancer complicates idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Authors: Strock Stephen B , Alder Jonathan K , Kass Daniel J 
Published: December 2017

AbstractPatients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis have a significantly increased risk for the development of lung cancer. The morbidity and mortality of this disease combination are substantial, and, unfortunately, there are currently few data to help guide clinicians in its diagnosis and treatment. In a recent issue of this journal, Hwang et al presented one of the first studies to evaluate lung cancer in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis at the molecular level. They demonstrate variants in regulators of the cell cycle, which are known to be important in malignant transformation and may also be important in the pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Further understanding of the pathogenic overlap between lung cancer and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis could help point the direction to specific diagnostic modalities and targeted treatment of both conditions in the future. Copyright © 2017 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
MYH9‐macrothrombocytopenia caused by a novel variant (E1421K) initially presenting as apparent neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia
Authors: Samelson‐Jones Benjamin J. , Kramer Paula M. , Chicka Michael , Gunning William T. , Lambert Michele P. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractMYH9‐related disease is a rare cause of thrombocytopenia. We report an infant girl who presented with severe thrombocytopenia at birth and was initially diagnosed with and treated for neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia. However, persistent thrombocytopenia led to the suspicion of congenital thrombocytopenia and subsequent identification of a novel variant in MYH9 (E1421K). In silico analysis strongly predicts that this is a disruptive substitution. Immunofluorescent analysis of neutrophils demonstrates abnormal aggregates of MYH9 protein. This case also suggests that a very high immature platelet fraction (≥40%) may be useful for rapidly differentiating MYH9‐related disease from other causes of neonatal thrombocytopenia.
The effectiveness of sound‐processing strategies on tonal language cochlear implant users: A systematic review
Authors: Liu Haihong , Peng Xiaoxia , Zhao Yawen , Ni Xin 
Published: December 2017

AbstractImportanceContemporary cochlear implants (CIs) are well established as a technology for people with severe‐to‐profound sensorineural hearing loss, with their effectiveness having been widely reported. However, for tonal language CI recipients, speech perception remains a challenge: Conventional signal processing strategies have been demonstrated to possibly provide insufficient information to encode tonal cues, and CI recipients have exhibited considerable deficits in tone perception. Thus, some tonal language–oriented sound‐processing strategies have been introduced. The effects of available tonal language–oriented strategies on tone perception are reviewed and evaluated in this study. The results may aid in designing and improving tonal language–appropriate sound‐processing strategies for CI recipients.ObjectiveThe objective of this systematic review was to investigate the effects of tonal‐language‐oriented signal processing strategies on tone perception, music perception, word and sentence recognition.MethodsTo evaluate the effects of tonal language–oriented strategies on tone perception, we conducted a systematic review. We searched for relevant reports dated from January 1979 to July 2017 using PubMed, Cochrane Library, EBSCO, Web of Science, EMBASE, and 4 Chinese periodical databases (CBMdisc, CNKI, VIP, and Wanfang Data).ResultsAccording to our search strategy, 672 potentially eligible studies were retrieved from the databases, with 12 of these studies included in the final review after a 4‐stage selection process. The majority of sound‐processing strategies designed for tonal language were HiResolution® with Fidelity 120 (HiRes 120), fine structure processing, temporal fine structure (TFS), and C‐tone. Generally, acute or short‐term comparisons between the tonal language–oriented strategies and the conventional strategy did not reveal statistically significant differences in speech perception (or show a small improvement). However, a tendency toward improved tone perception and subjectively reported overall preferred sound quality was observed with the tonal language–oriented strategies.InterpretationConventional signal processing strategies typically provided very limited F0 information via temporal envelopes delivered to the stimulating electrodes. In contrast, tonal language–oriented coding strategies attempted to present more spectral information and TFS cues required for tone perception. Thus, a tendency of improved performance in tonal language perception in CI users was shown.
One‐Year Effectiveness Study of Intravitreous Ranibizumab in Wet (Neovascular) Age‐Related Macular Degeneration: A Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Guo Michael Y. , Etminan Mahyar , Cheng Jasmine Z. , Zafari Zafar , Maberley David A. L. 
Published: December 2017

PurposeThe clinical efficacy of ranibizumab has been examined by a large number of prospective and retrospective studies to date. This meta‐analysis was conducted to summarize the current body of evidence on visual acuity (VA) changes with use of ranibizumab in the treatment of wet (neovascular) age‐related macular degeneration (wAMD).MethodsA literature review of multiple electronic databases (EMBASE, MEDLINE, MedMEME) was conducted to find randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies that reported changes in VA while patients with wAMD were on ranibizumab. Study factors analyzed were baseline patient characteristics, study type, sample size, and 12‐month change in VA. Data were pooled in a meta‐analysis with VA change as the main outcome. Data were then stratified by study design and a meta‐regression was conducted to assess 12‐month VA change against baseline VA and age.ResultsA total of 42 studies were included for analysis. An overall increase of 5.58 letters (95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.42–6.75; p heterogeneity, < 0.001) was shown with use of ranibizumab compared to baseline. Improvements in VA were larger for RCTs, at 7.71 letters (95% CI: 6.66–8.76; p heterogeneity, 0.013), compared to observational studies, at 4.85 letters (95% CI: 3.32–6.38; p heterogeneity, < 0.001). The meta‐regression showed a significant decrease in effect size between baseline VA and 12‐month VA change.ConclusionThis meta‐analysis suggests visual improvements at 12 months of 0.5‐mg ranibizumab use in patients with wAMD. A higher gain in VA was observed when pooling results from RCTs compared to those in observational studies.
Impact of blend ratio on the properties of graphene oxide‐filled carboxylated acrylonitrile–butadiene rubber/styrene–butadiene rubber blends
Authors: Zhang Xumin , Yin Qing , Xue Xiaodong , Jia Hongbing , Xu Zhaodong 
Published: December 2017

AbstractCarboxylated acrylonitrile–butadiene rubber (XNBR) and styrene–butadiene rubber (SBR) composites with 3 phr (parts per hundred rubber) graphene oxide (GO) were prepared using a latex mixing method. Effects of XNBR/SBR blend ratios on the mechanical properties, thermal conductivity, solvent resistance and thermal stability of the XNBR/SBR/GO nanocomposites were studied. The tensile strength, tear strength, thermal conductivity and solvent resistance of the XNBR/SBR/GO (75/25/3) nanocomposite were significantly increased by 86, 96, 12 and 21%, respectively, compared to those of the XNBR/SBR (75/25) blend. The thermal stability of the nanocomposite was significantly enhanced; in other words, the temperature for 5% weight loss and the temperature of the maximal rate of degradation process were increased by 26.01 and 14.97 °C, respectively. Theoretical analysis and dynamic mechanical analysis showed that the GO tended to locate in the XNBR phase, which led to better properties of the XNBR/SBR/GO (75/25/3) nanocomposite. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Properties of polyamide 6,10/poly(vinyl alcohol) blends and impact on oxygen barrier performance
Authors: Wu Jia‐wei , Huang Ya‐qiong , Li Hong‐bo , Runt James , Yeh Jen‐taut 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThe oxygen transmission rate, average volume of free‐volume cavities (Vf) and fractional free volume (Fv) of polyamide 6,10 (PA610)/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) (i.e. PA610xPVA05y, PA610xPVA08y and PA610xPVA14y) blend films reduced to minimum values when their PVA contents reached corresponding optimal values. Oxygen transmission rate, Vf and Fv values obtained for optimal PA610xPVAzy blown films were reduced considerably with decreasing PVA degrees of polymerization. The oxygen transmission rate of the optimal bio‐based PA61080PVA0520 blown film was only 2.4 cm3 (m2·day·atm)−1, which is about the same as that of the most often used high‐barrier polymer, ethylene–vinyl alcohol copolymer. Experimental findings from dynamic mechanical analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy of the PA610xPVAzy blends indicate that PA610 and PVA in the blends are miscible to some extent at the molecular level when the PVA contents are less than or equal to the corresponding optimal values. The considerably enhanced oxygen barrier properties of the PA610xPVAzy blend films with optimized compositions are attributed to the significantly reduced local free‐volume characteristics. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Conserved redox‐dependent DNA binding of ROXY glutaredoxins with TGA transcription factors
Authors: Gutsche Nora , Holtmannspötter Michael , Maß Lucia , O'Donoghue Martin , Busch Andrea , Lauri Andrea , Schubert Veit , Zachgo Sabine 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThe Arabidopsis thaliana CC‐type glutaredoxin (GRX) ROXY1 and the bZIP TGA transcription factor (TF) PERIANTHIA (PAN) interact in the nucleus and together regulate petal development. The CC‐type GRXs exist exclusively in land plants, and in contrast to the ubiquitously occurring CPYC and CGFS GRX classes, only the CC‐type GRXs expanded strongly during land plant evolution. Phylogenetic analyses show that TGA TFs evolved before the CC‐type GRXs in charophycean algae. MpROXY1/2 and MpTGA were isolated from the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha to analyze regulatory ROXY/TGA interactions in a basal land plant. Homologous and heterologous protein interaction studies demonstrate that nuclear ROXY/TGA interactions are conserved since the occurrence of CC‐type GRXs in bryophytes and mediated by a conserved ROXY C‐terminus. Redox EMSA analyses show a redox‐sensitive binding of MpTGA to the cis‐regulatory as‐1‐like element. Furthermore, we demonstrate that MpTGA binds together with MpROXY1/2 to this motif under reducing conditions, whereas this interaction is not observed under oxidizing conditions. Remarkably, heterologous complementation studies reveal a strongly conserved land plant ROXY activity, suggesting an ancestral role for CC‐type GRXs in modulating the activities of TGA TFs. Super‐resolution microscopy experiments detected a strong colocalization of ROXY1 with the active form of the RNA polymerase II in the nucleus. Together, these data shed new light on the function of ROXYs and TGA TFs and the evolution of redox‐sensitive transcription regulation processes, which likely contributed to adapt land plants to novel terrestrial habitats.
Autonomous recovery of a fixed‐wing UAV using a net suspended by two multirotor UAVs
Authors: Klausen Kristian , Fossen Thor I. , Johansen Tor Arne 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThis article presents a novel recovery method for fixed‐wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), aimed at enabling operations from marine vessels. Instead of using the conventional method of using a fixed net on the ship deck, we propose to suspend a net under two cooperative multirotor UAVs. While keeping their relative formation, the multirotor UAVs are able to intercept the incoming fixed‐wing UAV along a virtual runway over the sea and transport it back to the ship. In addition to discussing the concept and design a control system, this paper also presents experimental validation of the proposed concept for a small‐scale UAV platform.
Design Nitrogen (N) and Sulfur (S) Co‐Doped 3D Graphene Network Architectures for High‐Performance Sodium Storage
Authors: Jiang Yu , Wu Ying , Chen Yuexi , Qi Zhenyu , Shi Jinan , Gu Lin , Yu Yan 
Published: December 2017

AbstractTo develop high‐performance sodium‐ion batteries (NIBs), electrodes should possess well‐defined pathways for efficient electronic/ionic transport. In this work, high‐performance NIBs are demonstrated by designing a 3D interconnected porous structure that consists of N, S co‐doped 3D porous graphene frameworks (3DPGFs‐NS). The most typical electrode materials (i.e., Na3V2(PO4)3 (NVP), MoS2, and TiO2) are anchored onto the 3DPGFs‐NS matrix (denoted as NVP@C@3DPGFs‐NS; MoS2@C@3DPGFs‐NS and TiO2@C@3DPGFs‐NS) to demonstrate its general process to boost the energy density of NIBs. The N, S co‐doped porous graphene structure with a large surface area offers fast ionic transport within the electrode and facilitates efficient electron transport, and thus endows the 3DPGFs‐NS‐based composite electrodes with excellent sodium storage performance. The resulting NVP@C@3DPGFs‐NS displays excellent electrochemical performance as both cathode and anode for NIBs. The MoS2@C@3DPGFs‐NS and TiO2@C@3DPGFs‐NS deliver capacities of 317 mAhg−1 at 5 Ag−1 after 1000 cycles and 185 mAhg−1 at 1 Ag−1 after 2000 cycles, respectively. The excellent long cycle life is attributed to the 3D porous structure that could greatly release mechanical stress from repeated Na+ extraction/insertion. The novel structure 3D PGFs‐NS provides a general approach to modify electrodes of NIBs and holds great potential applications in other energy storage fields.
A hybrid assessment approach for medical device software development companies
Authors: Özcan‐Top Özden , McCaffery Fergal 
Published: December 2017

AbstractMedical device software development organizations are bound by regulatory requirements and constraints to ensure that developed medical devices will not harm patients. Medical devices have to be treated as complete systems and be evaluated in this manner. Instead of manufacturers having to ensure compliance to various regulatory standards individually, the authors previously developed a medical device software process assessment framework called MDevSPICE® that integrates the regulatory requirements from all the relevant medical device software standards. The MDevSPICE® was developed in a manner that suits plan‐driven software development. To improve the usability of MDevSPICE® in agile settings, we extended the assessment approach. The hybrid assessment approach described here combines the MDevSPICE®‐based process assessment method with steps for prioritization of improvement needs through value stream mapping and enabling process improvement through the use of KATA technique. This approach integrates agile methods into the medical device software development process while adhering to the requirements of the regulatory standards. This paper describes the implementation of the approach within 4 organizations that develop software in line with medical device regulations.
Investigating the impacts of targeted professional development around models and modeling on teachers' instructional practice and student learning
Authors: Miller Alison R. , Kastens Kim A. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractDeveloping understanding of models and proficiency with modeling practice is challenging for both teachers and students. This 2‐year study first investigated existing instructional strategies employed by teachers while teaching Earth and Space Science with dynamic physical models. Summer professional development introduced a conceptual framework, based on analogical reasoning, to help students strengthen and deepen the connections they make between a model and its real‐world referent. The framework draws explicit attention to correspondences and non‐correspondences between model and referent, an often overlooked component of modeling practice which underpins the ability to evaluate and thus improve a model. Teachers were guided to reflect on their own instructional use of models and to plan for integrating specific instructional strategies around models into their Year 2 practice. Classroom observation data reveal that from Years 1 to 2, teachers shifted from a more didactic approach in which they used physical models primarily as tools for demonstration toward more student engagement with models as problem‐solving tools. On an assessment measuring their students' ability to reason with and about models, pre‐post learning gains were higher in Year 2 than Year 1 across students at all ability levels. Together, these findings present evidence that teachers can learn to guide their students toward using physical models in ways that approximate key aspects of how scientists use runnable models, as envisioned by the Developing and Using Models practice of the Next Generation Science Standards.