bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Clinical features of Japanese patients with acute hepatic porphyria
Authors: Horie Yutaka , Yasuoka Yuka , Adachi Tomohide 
Published: October 2022

AbstractAcute hepatic porphyria (AHP) is a family of rare genetic diseases of heme biosynthesis characterized by severe neurovisceral attacks. The clinical characteristics of patients with AHP as well as the prevalence of AHP in Japan are not well understood. The objectives of this study were to describe clinical characteristics of AHP at time of diagnosis in Japanese patients and to estimate the prevalence of AHP. Patients with porphyria were selected from Japan's Medical Data Vision health care claims database between April 2008 and June 2020. Patient characteristics before and at time of AHP diagnosis were evaluated. Prevalence per 100 000 was estimated during the study period. A total of 391 cases of AHP were included. At time of AHP diagnosis, mean age was 44 years, and the most common type was acute intermittent porphyria. Median time to diagnosis was 3 months, but some patients remained undiagnosed for several years. The most common complications included metabolic disorders (54%) and diabetes mellitus (39%). In addition, the well‐known complications of AHP, including hypertension (22%) and malignant neoplasms of digestive organs (22%), were observed. About 10% of patients received medications that may have aggravated porphyria attacks. The estimated prevalence of AHP in Japan during the study period was 1.18 cases per 100 000 population. At time of diagnosis, many patients with AHP in Japan are already experiencing a high burden of disease‐related complications. Raising AHP awareness may aid physicians in providing an earlier diagnosis and reducing lifetime disease burden.
Molecular dynamics simulation study on the structures of fascin mutants
Authors: Wu Xiaodong , Xu Li‐Yan , Li En‐Min , Dong Geng 
Published: October 2022

AbstractFascin is a filamentous actin (F‐actin) bundling protein, which cross‐links F‐actin into bundles and becomes an important component of filopodia on the cell surface. Fascin is overexpressed in many types of cancers. The mutation of fascin affects its ability to bind to F‐actin and the progress of cancer. In this paper, we have studied the effects of residues of K22, K41, K43, K241, K358, K399, and K471 using molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. For the strong‐effect residues, that is, K22, K41, K43, K358, and K471, our results show that the mutation of K to A leads to large values of root mean square fluctuation (RMSF) around the mutated residues, indicating those residues are important for the flexibility and thermal stability. On the other hand, based on residue cross‐correlation analysis, alanine mutations of these residues reinforce the correlation between residues. Together with the RMSF data, the local flexibility is extended to the entire protein by the strong correlations to influence the dynamics and function of fascin. By contrast, for the mutants of K241A and K399A those do not affect the function of fascin, the RMSF data do not show significant differences compared with wild‐type fascin. These findings are in a good agreement with experimental studies.
The Impact of Hypertension on Left Ventricular Function and Remodeling in Non‐Ischemic Dilated Cardiomyopathy Patients: A 3.0 T MRI Study
Authors: Shen Meng‐Ting , Li Yuan , Guo Ying‐Kun , Gao Yue , Jiang Li , Shi Rui , Yang Zhi‐Gang 
Published: October 2022

BackgroundHypertension (HTN) is highly prevalent in non‐ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NIDCM) patients, but little is known about its impact on left ventricular (LV) function and remodeling.PurposeTo evaluate the effect of hypertension on LV function and remodeling in NIDCM patients.Study TypeRetrospective.PopulationTwo‐hundred and twelve NIDCM (HTN−) patients, 91 NIDCM (HTN+) patients, and 74 normal controls.Field Strength/Sequence3.0 T/bSSFP and phase‐sensitive inversion recovery sequence.AssessmentThe LV geometry, myocardial strain, remodeling index (calculated as LVM/LVEDV), and LGE were measured and compared between groups. Determinants of LV strain and remodeling in NIDCM were investigated.Statistical TestsStudent's t‐test, Mann–Whitney U test, one‐way analysis of variance, Kruskal–Wallis test, univariable and multivariable linear regression. A P value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsCompared with normal controls, NIDCM patients had significantly higher LVEDV and significantly impaired LV strains, including LV global peak strain (PS) and peak systolic and diastolic strain rates in the radial, circumferential, and longitudinal directions. The NIDCM (HTN+) group had significantly decreased LV global longitudinal PS and peak diastolic strain rate (PDSR), and significantly increased LV mass index and remodeling index compared to the NIDCM (HTN−) group, despite there being no significant difference in ejection fraction (P = 0.241). The prevalence of LV LGE was significantly higher in the NIDCM (HTN+) group than in the NIDCM (HTN−) group. In multivariable regression models adjusted for potential confounders, hypertension was independently associated with LV global longitudinal PS and PDSR. Male sex, resting heart rate, and log(NT‐proBNP) level were independent determinants of LV strains. Moreover, male sex, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and presence of LGE were independent determinants of LV remodeling index.Data ConclusionThese findings suggest that coexistence of hypertension may further exacerbate the reduction in LV global strain and the aggravation of LV remodeling in NIDCM patients.Level of Evidence3Technical EfficacyStage 3
Changes in muscle quality identified by shear‐wave elastography and association with sarcopenia
Authors: Okyar Baş Arzu , Baş Hakan , Ceylan Serdar , Güner Oytun Merve , Koca Meltem , Hafızoğlu Merve , Şahiner Zeynep , Öztürk Yelda , Balcı Cafer , Doğu Burcu Balam , Cankurtaran Mustafa , Halil Meltem Gülhan 
Published: October 2022

AbstractBackground and AimsThis study aimed to investigate the potential role of shear‐wave elastography (SWE) in evaluating muscle quality and assess its association with muscle strength and mass.MethodsA total of 129 patients aged 18–87 years were included. Patients aged >65 years underwent comprehensive geriatric assessment. Anthropometric measurements, assessment of physical performance, muscle strength (handgrip strength [HGS]), muscle mass (B‐mode muscle ultrasonography), and muscle quality (identified via SWE) were performed for all patients.ResultsThe median (interquartile range) age of participants was 69 (59–76) years and 62% (n = 80) were female. According to HGS, patients were divided into normal and low HGS groups, and there were 85 (65.9%) and 44 (34.1%) patients in each group, respectively. The median average value of SWE measurement (Vmean) of the rectus femoris (RF) in passive stretching was significantly lower in the low HGS group. In regression analyses, Vmean was significantly associated with HGS independently of age, sex, and body mass index. Optimal cutoff values of the Vmean value (m/s) of RF in passive stretching for predicting low HGS were ≤2.62 for male (area under the curve [AUC], 0.882; 95% CI, 0.705–0.938; P = <0.0001), and ≤2.52 for female (AUC, 0.719; 95% CI, 0.605–0.833; P = 0.002).ConclusionTo the best of our knowledge, this is the first study revealing SWE is a good predictor of muscle strength, and it could be a useful tool for evaluating muscle quality in clinical practice. Further randomized controlled studies are needed to confirm the presented cutoff values.
Developing an Artificial Intelligence Tool to Predict Vocal Cord Pathology in Primary Care Settings
Authors: Compton Evan C. , Cruz Tim , Andreassen Meri , Beveridge Shari , Bosch Doug , Randall Derrick R. , Livingstone Devon 
Published: October 2022

ObjectivesDiagnostic tools for voice disorders are lacking for primary care physicians. Artificial intelligence (AI) tools may add to the armamentarium for physicians, decreasing the time to diagnosis and limiting the burden of dysphonia.MethodsVoice recordings of patients were collected from 2019 to 2021 using smartphones. The Saarbruecken dataset was included for comparison. Audio files were converted to mel‐spectrograms using TensorFlow. Diagnostic categories were created to group pathology, including neurological and muscular disorders, inflammatory, mass lesions, and normal. The samples were further separated into sustained/a/and the rainbow passage.ResultsTwo hundred three prospective samples and 1131 samples were used from the Saarbruecken database. The AI detected abnormal pathology with an F1‐score of 98%. The artificial neural network (ANN) differentiated key pathologies, including unilateral paralysis, laryngitis, adductor spasmodic dysphonia (ADSD), mass lesions, and normal samples with 39%–87% F‐1 scores. The Calgary database models had higher F‐1 scores in a head‐to‐head comparison to the Saarbruecken and combined datasets (87% vs. 58% and 50%). The AI outperformed otolaryngologists using a standardized test set of recordings (83% compared to 55% ± 15%).ConclusionAn AI tool was created to differentiate pathology by individual or categorical diagnosis with high evaluation metrics. Prospective data should be collected in a controlled fashion to reduce intrinsic variability between recordings. Multi‐center data collaborations are imperative to increase the prediction capability of AI tools for detecting vocal cord pathology. We provide proof‐of‐concept for an AI tool to assist primary care physicians in managing dysphonic patients.Level of Evidence3 Laryngoscope, 133:1952–1960, 2023
Using multiple ecological evaluators to introduce a proper management plan for urban vacant lots: A case‐study from Iran
Authors: Mohammad Alnoiji Esraa , Erfanian Mohammad Bagher , Atashgahi Zohreh , Ejtehadi Hamid 
Published: October 2022

AbstractUrban vacant lots (VLs) can harbour a large number of rare and endangered species. In the present study, we evaluated species composition and biodiversity of plant communities inhabiting VLs in the City of Mashhad, northeastern Iran. We used a line transect sampling method to sample 98 random VLs along different districts of the City. We classified VLs based on their species composition and environmental factors. Then, a significant difference in the community composition along with the dominant and indicator species of clusters was evaluated. Also, we compared species and phylogenetic diversities of clusters. We identified four clusters. The species composition of the four clusters was different. One cluster (i.e., D912) had more range‐restricted species than the other clusters. This cluster also had a higher species and phylogenetic diversity than the others. Two clusters had the lowest phylogenetic diversity in comparison with the others. Our results implied that income distribution in the city had indirect effects on plant communities of VLs. Vegetation of VLs in areas with higher average income was less damaged than that of the lower‐income areas. Because of its most diverse and range‐restricted plants, the D912 cluster should be managed to maintain the biodiversity in the city. Land use change to parks or urban agricultural lands is suggested for degraded and species‐poor VLs.
Study on the coupling effect of silica‐reinforced silicone foam material in irradiation and corrosive solution environment
Authors: Yu Lei , Liu Bo , Pan Qi , Liu Shuai , Wang Pucheng , Huang Wei , Ao Yinyong 
Published: October 2022

AbstractTo evaluate the suitability of silica‐reinforced silicone foam materials under extreme conditions, we studied the coupling effect of silica‐reinforced silicone foam material in irradiation and corrosive solution environment. The results showed that irradiation at 5 wt% KMnO4 attenuated the increase in crosslink density of silicone foams, while a different observation was found when the samples were treated with a 5 wt% HNO3 solution. The HNO3‐treated samples showed a significant decrease in elongation at break compared to the untreated samples. Mechanical properties, swelling, TGA, SEM, and XPS showed that HNO3 had a severe effect on the structure of the silicone foam. This may be due to the fact that the highly corrosive HNO3 disrupts the connecting structure between the silicone foam matrix and the filler. Based on this analysis, the damage mechanism of silicon foam material under the coupling conditions of corrosive solution and irradiation was proposed.
Nonlocal fractional elliptic equations and applications
Authors: Shakhmurov Veli , Kurulay Muhammet 
Published: October 2022

AbstractThe Lp‐coercive properties of a nonlocal fractional elliptic equation is studied. Particularly, it is proved that the fractional elliptic operator generated by this equation is sectorial in Lp space and also is a generator of an analytic semigroup. Moreover, by using the Lp‐separability properties of the given elliptic operator the maximal regularity of the corresponding nonlocal fractional parabolic equation is established.
Water‐soluble π‐conjugated polyfluorene bearing 6‐N1‐hexylcytosine and 6‐trimethylammoniumhexyl side chains: Synthesis, chemical properties, and sensing ability for nucleoside and telomere DNA
Authors: Yamaguchi Isao , Ooe Ryoga , Wang Aohan 
Published: October 2022

AbstractWater‐soluble π‐conjugated polyfluorene bearing 6‐N1‐cytosinehexyl and 6‐trimethylammoniumhexyl bromide side chains, namely polymer‐1, was synthesized by Suzuki polycondensation. The absorption onset wavelength (λonset) of the polymer was longer than that of the monomer and confirmed the presence of the π‐conjugated system along the polymer chain. The cyclic voltammetry and UV–vis analyses showed that the highest occupied molecular orbital and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy levels of the polymer were −5.5 and −2.6 eV, respectively. The photoluminescence (PL) intensity of the polymer decreased with increasing DNA chain length (m) upon adding (TTAGGG)m (T = thymine, A = adenine, and G = guanine; m = 2, 4, 6, and 8), indicating that the polymer could detect telomere DNA chain lengths with higher precision than previously reported DNA sensors. Similarly, the PL intensity decreased with the addition of nucleosides. Photoinduced charge transfer in the complex between the polymer and DNA or nucleoside played an important role in the PL response of the polymer toward analytes. The sensing behavior was analyzed using the Stern–Volmer and Benesi–Hildebrand methods.
Postextubation dysphagia in critically ill children: A prospective cohort study
Authors: da Silva Paulo S. L. , Reis Maria E. , Fonseca Thais S. M. , Kubo Emerson Y. , Fonseca Marcelo C. M. 
Published: October 2022

AbstractIntroductionPostextubation dysphagia (PED) is reported mainly in adults and is associated with poor outcomes. However, data on pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) patients are scarce. We aimed to assess the incidence, risk factors, and outcomes associated with PED in a PICU population.MethodsBetween 2019 and 2021, we conducted a prospective, observational cohort study of patients aged 1 month to 15 years. Within 24 h after extubation, a speech‐language pathologist routinely screened all consecutive patients receiving mechanical ventilation (>24 h) for dysphagia. A Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS) score of less than 6 indicated dysphagia.ResultsA total of 161 patients were included, with a PED incidence of 69%. After adjusting for confounding variables, five variables were significantly associated with PED (odds ratio; 95% confidence interval): age <24 months (4.84; 1.5–15.60), neurological comorbidities (7.47; 1.36–40.96), iatrogenic withdrawal syndrome (5.52; 1.31–23.14), use of neuromuscular blocking agents (4.19; 1.18–14.82), and duration of intubation >72 h (3.22; 1.08–9.64). Dysphagia was significantly associated with longer PICU and hospital stays and a longer delay to oral feeding than patients without PED, 14 versus 7.5 days, 21 versus 15 days, and 6 versus 1 day, respectively. Ten participants (9%) failed to resume total oral intake at hospital discharge.ConclusionsThese findings indicate that PED is highly prevalent in children and associated with adverse patient outcomes. Identifying a core of risk factors might improve prompt recognition of patients at risk for PED and implement preventive approaches and early interventions.
Salivary and plasmatic levels of tumor necrosis factor‐alpha do not correlate with the clinicopathological profile in breast cancer patients
Authors: Opolski Marcelo Marcos , Maito Vitor Teixeira , Kawassaki Aedra Carla Bufalo , da Silva Janaína Carla , Kern Rodrigo , Rech Daniel , de Oliveira Stefania Tagliari , Lonardoni Micheletti Pâmela , Panis Carolina , Grassiolli Sabrina 
Published: October 2022

AbstractHerein, we evaluated the salivary and plasmatic levels of tumor necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α) in women diagnosed with breast cancer (BC; n = 20) versus women with benign breast conditions (Control; n = 29) and correlated the TNF‐α findings with BC clinicopathological parameters. TNF‐α was higher in the saliva samples from both groups than in plasma levels. BC and Control patients presented similar plasmatic and salivary values of TNF‐α. The salivary and plasmatic values of TNF‐α did not correlate with tumor features (estrogen receptor; progestogen receptor; Ki67, and HER2), indicating that its salivary content does not correlate with the parameters of disease prognosis. Therefore, TNF‐α is not helpful as a salivary marker in breast cancer patients.
Improving shear deficiency of prestressed concrete sleepers by crack resisting stirrups
Authors: Jirawattanasomkul Tidarut , Tongmanee Pongsakorn , Jongvivatsakul Pitcha , Likitlersuang Suched 
Published: October 2022

AbstractPrestressed concrete (PC) sleepers are used in modern railway systems worldwide. Although the PC sleepers are durable under harsh environmental conditions, frequent cracks can be found hindering the railway's capacities. This article investigates an improvement of placing steel stirrups in shear deficient PC sleepers commonly used in railways of Thailand. PC sleepers with a cross‐section of 258 × 205 mm2 varied with five different stirrup's ratios were tested under a three‐pointed bending load to observe the improvement of shear resistance. From the experimental results, the peak load of PC sleepers with stirrups can be enhanced from 14.1% to 21.2%, whilst the failure deformation can also be enhanced from 87.5% to 176.6%, compared with PC sleeper without any stirrup. With increasing stirrup's ratio, failure modes of PC sleepers were shifted from brittle shear to ductile flexural failures. Moreover, the PC sleepers with deformed‐bar stirrups exhibited better bond interfaces than that with rounded‐bar. Then, the proper stirrup's ratio and type of steel stirrups are recommended to enhance the shear resistance of the PC sleeper. In addition, a finite element analysis results based on advanced constitutive models and the fixed‐cracking approach showed good agreement with the results from experiment.
What the Car Industry Can Do, Volvo Cars
Authors: Eugensson Anders , Ivarsson Jan 
Published: October 2022

AbstractMotor vehicle manufacturers have a central and a very important role in reaching the target of zero fatalities and serious injuries in road traffic. Although the continuous development of safer products has made a significant contribution in reducing the number of casualties, the responsibility still remains profoundly with motor vehicle manufacturers in continuing the process of protecting car occupants and not harming other road users. However, the possible contributions do not end here. Sharing research data based on real-life traffic crashes and incident experiences, cooperating with other traffic safety stakeholders, and sharing real-time data on traffic information with authorities and other road users also have a role to play in reducing the number of road casualties. In addition to this, motor vehicle manufacturers will be able to contribute by assuming the corporate social responsibility in using safe transportation linked to producing vehicles, parts, and services and sharing the latest level of technology advancement with customers in countries without government mandates on safety.It is important to stress that all these efforts need to have a global perspective. For the vehicle manufacturers, this implies that all the technical developments in motor vehicle safety, collaborating with governments and sharing knowledge on safety, must be performed and available also in parts of the world with a vehicle fleet of traditionally lower advancement levels.In line with the efforts of reaching zero fatalities, Volvo Cars has defined its own Safety Vision. This states that no one is to be seriously injured or killed in a new Volvo vehicle.The aim here is to share the view of Volvo Cars on the possible contributions and actions of motor vehicle manufacturers in the collaborative efforts of reaching towards zero fatalities and serious injuries within the road transportation sector.
Augmenting Sonic Experiences Through Haptic Feedback
Authors: Fontana Federico , Järveläinen Hanna , Papetti Stefano 
Published: October 2022

AbstractSonic experiences are usually considered as the result of auditory feedback alone. From a psychological standpoint, however, this is true only when a listener is kept isolated from concurrent stimuli targeting the other senses. Such stimuli, in fact, may either interfere with the sonic experience if they distract the listener, or conversely enhance it if they convey sensations coherent with what is being heard. This chapter is concerned with haptic augmentations having effects on auditory perception, for example how different vibrotactile cues provided by an electronic musical instrument may affect its perceived sound quality or the playing experience. Results from different experiments are reviewed showing that the auditory and somatosensory channels together can produce constructive effects resulting in measurable perceptual enhancement. That may affect sonic dimensions ranging from basic auditory parameters, such as the perceived intensity of frequency components, up to more complex perceptions which contribute to forming our ecology of everyday or musical sounds.
Procedural Modeling of Interactive Sound Sources in Virtual Reality
Authors: Avanzini Federico 
Published: October 2022

AbstractThis chapter addresses the first building block of sonic interactions in virtual environments, i.e., the modeling and synthesis of sound sources. Our main focus is on procedural approaches, which strive to gain recognition in commercial applications and in the overall sound design workflow, firmly grounded in the use of samples and event-based logics. Special emphasis is placed on physics-based sound synthesis methods and their potential for improved interactivity. The chapter starts with a discussion of the categories, functions, and affordances of sounds that we listen to and interact with in real and virtual environments. We then address perceptual and cognitive aspects, with the aim of emphasizing the relevance of sound source modeling with respect to the senses of presence and embodiment of a user in a virtual environment. Next, procedural approaches are presented and compared to sample-based approaches, in terms of models, methods, and computational costs. Finally, we analyze the state of the art in current uses of these approaches for Virtual Reality applications.