bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Resin cement selection for different types of fixed partial coverage restorations: A narrative systematic review
Authors: Ghodsi Safoura , Shekarian Mina , Aghamohseni Mohammad Mostafa , Rasaeipour Sasan , Arzani Sarah
Published: July 2023

Objective

The aim of this study was to review the selection criteria of resin cements for different types of partial coverage restorations (PCRs) and investigate if the type of restorations or restorative materials affect the type of selected resin cement.

Materials and Methods

An electronic search (1991–2023) was performed in PubMed, Medline, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases by combinations of related keywords.

Results

A total of 68 articles were included to review the selection criteria based on the advantages, disadvantages, indications, and performance of resin cements for different types of PCRs.

Conclusions

The survival and success of PCRs are largely affected by appropriate cement selection. Self‐curing and dual‐curing resin cements have been recommended for the cementation of metallic PCRs. The PCRs fabricated from thin, translucent, and low‐strength ceramics could be adhesively bonded by light‐cure conventional resin cements. Self‐etching and self‐adhesive cements, especially dual‐cure types, are not generally indicated for laminate veneers.
Area‐time efficient point multiplication architecture on twisted Edwards curve over general prime field GF(p)
Authors: Javeed Khalid , El‐Moursy Ali
Published: July 2023

Elliptic curve point multiplication is the main primitive required in almost all security schemes using elliptic curve cryptography (ECC). It is the leading computationally intensive operation that sets the overall performance of the associated cryptosystem. This work presents a highly novel area–time efficient elliptic curve point multiplier over a general prime field
. It is based on an efficient radix‐23 parallel
multiplier, which performs a
‐bit
multiplication in
clock cycles. On the system level, the twisted Edwards curves with unified point addition using projective coordinates are adopted, where an efficient scheduling technique is presented to schedule several
operations on deployed modular arithmetic units. Due to the introduced optimization at different stages of the design, latency, hardware resource requirement, and total clock cycle count are reduced significantly. Synthesis, and implementation of the proposed design over different Xilinx FPGA platforms are completed using the Xilinx ISE Design Suite tool for key sizes of 192, 224, and 256 bits. The 256‐bit Xilinx Virtex‐7 FPGA implementation reveals that it completes a single point multiplication operation in 0.8 ms and occupies 6.7K FPGA slices in a clock cycle count of 132.2K. It produces significantly better area–time product and throughput per slice than the contemporary designs. The proposed design also has the potential to counter simple power analysis and timing attacks. Thus, it is an elegant solution to develop ECC‐based cryptosystems for applications, where both speed and hardware resource consumption are important.
Spatiotemporal epizootiology of chronic wasting disease in Wisconsin deer
Authors: Samuel Michael D.
Published: July 2023

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal neurological disease of cervids caused by a misfolded protein with no vaccines or other cures to prevent infection and death. In the past decade, CWD has been recognized as one of the 10 most important challenges facing wildlife management. This paper evaluates the temporal and spatial patterns of CWD prevalence in southern Wisconsin white‐tailed deer during the past 20 years. In most CWD areas, prevalence progresses from introduction to enzootic equilibrium in 15–20 years. In some monitoring areas, the disease grows at a much slower rate and remains below the equilibrium levels. Outbreaks are characterized by four distinct epizootic stages. Disease establishment (Stage 1) depends on the distance from a CWD focus. High rates of incidence and prevalence growth (Stage 2) are followed by slower growth as the relative number of susceptible deer declines (Stage 3). The rate of prevalence increase over time is higher in more forested ecoregions and in males (0.48 vs. 0.43) but similar in females (0.43 vs. 0.37) and yearlings (0.44 vs. 0.39). Habitat features, acting as surrogates for deer behavior and contact, may affect the rate of prevalence growth at a landscape (ecoregion) scale. Additionally, prevalence may be affected by deer management practices that favor higher deer abundance and more mature males. Finally, enzootic equilibrium (Stage 4) is higher in males (0.5), followed by females (0.36) and then yearlings (0.26). These equilibrium prevalence levels are high enough to have significant population impacts, reduce the abundance of mature males, and facilitate CWD spread by infected yearlings. Epizootic patterns suggest that CWD transmission has been frequency‐dependent and primarily driven by direct contact with infected deer. Evidence for a meaningful change in the epizootic pattern from a 10‐year management program to reduce deer abundance is lacking. The trajectory of CWD dynamics in Wisconsin suggests rapid growth in regional prevalence following introduction and increased spread across the landscape.
Three‐dimensional simulation of the acidizing process under different influencing factors in fractured carbonate reservoirs
Authors: Guo Anbang , Tang Xuhai , Qiao Jiangmei , Zhou Linbo , Luo Pandeng
Published: July 2023

Matrix acidizing is widely used to enhance oil/gas production in the exploitation of carbonate reservoirs. In this work, a three‐dimensional (3D) hydro‐chemical‐thermal (H‐C‐T)‐coupled model was presented to improve the understanding of the acidizing process. The influence of different influencing factors was analyzed, especially the coupling effect of natural fractures and in situ stress. With the increase in acid injection concentration, the minimum pore volume of acid required for breakthrough (PVBT) decreases. The optimal injection rate and the minimum PVBT increase with increasing initial reservoir temperature. With the increasing initial reservoir permeability, the minimum PVBT increases. With the increasing initial reservoir pore diameter and specific surface area, the minimum PVBT and the optimal acid injection rate increase. When the fracture direction is perpendicular to the direction of the maximum principal stress, the fracture apertures decrease with the increase of the maximum principal stress, which leads to an increase in PVBT and wider paths of wormholes. Lastly, the present H‐C‐T‐coupled model was applied in the context of Tahe reservoir exploitation, which shows that optimizing the acid injection rate is able to enhance the connection between wellbores and natural caves.
Classification of multiple power quality disturbances based on continuous wavelet transform and lightweight convolutional neural network
Authors: Xi Yanhui , Li Xule , Zhou Feng , Tang Xin , Li Zewen , Zeng Xiangjun
Published: July 2023

Aiming at the problems of noise interference and too many network parameters for power quality disturbances' (PQDs') classification based on deep learning, the lightweight convolutional neural network combining maximum likelihood Kalman filter and continuous wavelet transform is proposed. In this proposed method, the disturbed PQD signals are denoised by maximum likelihood Kalman filter, and then the denoised PQDs are converted to time‐frequency diagrams, which can provide rich time and frequency domain information, and finally the lightweight convolution neural network is used for automatically extracting and classifying multiple PQDs. To verify the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method, a variety of PQDs were tested under different noise levels, the experiment results indicate that the average classification accuracy can reach more than 99% even in the case of 10 dB noise. Compared with the existing classification methods, the accuracy and noise immunity ability are improved. Additionally, the proposed method has decided advantages, as evidenced by its low parameter count of 0.73M and short average test time with only 0.7 ms.
Notes on Potentilla (Rosaceae) of Altai. 10. New section from Mongolia
Authors: Kechaykin Alexey , Skaptsov Mikhail , Vaganov Alexey , Sinitsyna Tatiana , Zaikov Vladimir , Baasanmunkh Shukherdorj , Shmakov Alexander
Published: July 2023

A new section Salsuginosae in the genus Potentilla is described based on morphological characteristics and ecological confinement. It contains P. laevipes and P. laevissima, two rarest endemics of the Altai Mountainous Country, known from collections only from Western Mongolia. For the representatives of the new section, for the first time, data on the genome size and chromosome numbers were revealed, information on morphology and distribution was supplemented, and a conservation status was proposed. Photos of P. laevissima in its natural habitat are provided, for the first time. Most of the studied herbarium samples were scanned and are provided in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF.org).
Mannose‐rich exopolysaccharide from Agaricus sinodeliciosus var. Chaidam: Purification, chemical characterization, and neuroprotective activity
Authors: Lu Hongyun , Chen Jicheng , Shi Ying , Wang Wei , Chen Qihe
Published: July 2023

Amyloid β (Aβ) aggregation is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Searching for compounds that attenuate Aβ aggregation could uncover novel prevention for AD. Herein, an exopolysaccharide (EPS)‐2 was purified from the fermentation broth of Agaricus sinodeliciosus var. Chaidam. Morphology characterization, circular dichroism spectroscopy, and molecular docking demonstrated that EPS‐2 inhibited oligomer formation and remodeled the conformational conversion of Aβ1‐42, thus reducing the cytotoxicity and oxidative stress induced by Aβ1‐42 oligomers in vitro. Structural characterization revealed that the neuroprotective EPS‐2 with an average molecular weight of 18 kDa consisted of mannose, galactose, and a small proportion of rhamnose, glucose, fucose, ribose, glucuronic acid, and galactosamine. Glycosidic linkage and nuclear magnetic resonance analysis suggested that EPS‐2 has a backbone of →1)‐D‐Galp‐(6→, →1)‐D‐Manp‐(2, 6→, →1)‐D‐Galp‐(2→ and →1)‐t‐Manp with branched chains. Therefore, EPS‐2 was able to block Aβ1‐42 aggregation and reduced its neurotoxicity, and thus can be developed into a potential functional food ingredient for AD patients.
Development of an innovative minimally invasive primate spinal cord injury model: A case report
Authors: Niu Yong‐Min , Liu Jin‐Xiang , Qin Hao‐Yue , Liu Yi‐Fan , Huang Ni‐Jiao , Jiang Ji‐Li , Chen Yan‐Qiu , Chen Si‐Jing , Bai Tao , Yang Chang‐Wei , Cao Yu , Liu Sheng , Yuan Hao
Published: July 2023

Spinal cord injury (SCI) animal models have been widely created and utilized for repair therapy research, but more suitable experimental animals and accurate modeling methodologies are required to achieve the desired results. In this experiment, we constructed an innovative dorsal 1/4 spinal cord transection macaque model that had fewer severe problems, facilitating postoperative care and recovery. In essence, given that monkeys and humans share similar genetics and physiology, the efficacy of this strategy in a nonhuman primate SCI model basically serves as a good basis for its prospective therapeutic use in human SCI.
Gut microbiota in heart failure and related interventions
Authors: Chen An‐Tian , Zhang Jian , Zhang Yuhui
Published: July 2023

Heart failure (HF) is a sophisticated syndrome with structural or functional impairment of ventricular filling or ejection of blood, either causing symptoms and signs or being asymptomatic. HF is a major global health issue affecting about 64.3 million people worldwide. The gut microbiota refers to the complex ecosystem of microorganisms, mainly bacteria, in the gut. Studies have revealed that the gut microbiota is associated with many diseases ranging from neurodegenerative diseases to inflammatory bowel disease and cardiovascular diseases. The gut hypothesis of HF suggests that low cardiac output and systemic circulation congestion would cause insufficient intestinal perfusion, leading to ischemia and intestinal barrier dysfunction. The resulting bacterial translocation would contribute to inflammation. Recent studies have refined the hypothesis that changes of metabolites in the gut microbiota have a close relationship with HF. Thus, the gut microbiota has emerged as a potential therapeutic target for HF due to both its critical role in regulating host physiology and metabolism and its pivotal role in the development of HF. This review article aims to provide an overview of the current understanding of the gut microbiota's involvement in HF, including the introduction of the gut hypothesis of HF, its association with HF progression, the potential mechanisms involved mediated by the gut microbiota metabolites, and the impact of various interventions on the gut microbiota, including dietary interventions, probiotic therapy, fecal microbiota transplantation, antibiotics, and so on. While the gut hypothesis of HF is refined with up‐to‐date knowledge and the gut microbiota presents a promising target for HF therapy, further research is still needed to further understand the underlying mechanisms between gut microbiota and HF, the efficacy of these interventions, and contribute to the health of HF patients.
A novel online genomic counseling and variant interpretation certificate: Learning design, learning analytics, and evaluation
Authors: Macfadyen Leah P. , Austin Jehannine , Cao Ping , Cheng John , Cremin Carol , Duong Linda , Elliott Alison M. , Guimond Colleen , Lim Shur , Race Simone , Rajan‐Babu Indhu‐Shree , Richardson Anastasia , Wainstein Tasha , Zahir Farah , Birch Patricia H.
Published: July 2023

In this paper we describe the analysis, planning, design, development, implementation and evaluation of a new online Graduate Certificate in Genomic Counselling and Variant Interpretation (GCGCVI) at The University of British Columbia (UBC). Genetic counselling is now a prerequisite for diagnostic genomic testing in many countries, demanding that genetic counselling practitioners have up‐to‐the‐moment genomic counselling skills and knowledge. Current practitioners reported a desire for more training in this rapidly developing field: our international survey revealed substantial interest in online continuing education addressing themes such as testing and clinical bioinformatics, applied variant interpretation, evidence‐based genomic counselling, and other emerging genomic topics. However, our market analysis found no post‐graduate program globally that offered such training. To fill this gap, our oversight team of genetic counsellors and geneticists therefore guided development of curriculum and materials, and online learning specialists developed rigorous interactive asynchronous online graduate courses through collaboration with subject matter experts, following best practices in online learning design. Since launch in September 2020, we have gathered learner feedback using surveys and focus groups, and we have used learning analytics to understand how learners engaged with each other and with course materials. Together, these have helped us understand learner behaviour and guide the continuous process of design improvement to support the learning goals of this audience of professional learners. Our courses have been reviewed and approved by the UBC Faculty of Medicine, UBC Senate, and the Province of British Columbia Ministries of Advanced Education and Health, and assessed by the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC, USA) and the Canadian Association of Genetic Counsellors (CAGC) to enable learners to receive North American continuing education credits. To date, 151 individuals from 18 countries have succeeded in one or more course and 43 have completed the entire certificate.
Use of Real‐Time Cine MRI to Assess the Respirophasic Variation of the Inferior Vena Cava—Proof‐of‐Concept and Validation Against Transthoracic Echocardiography
Authors: Bogaert Jan , Bekhuis Youri , Rosseel Thomas , Laveaux Stijn , Dausin Christophe , Voigt Jens‐Uwe , Claessen Guido , Dresselaers Tom ,   Pro@Heart Consortium
Published: July 2023

Background

In clinical practice, the right heart filling status is assessed using the respirophasic variation of the inferior vena cava (IVC) assessed by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) showing moderate correlations with the catheter‐based reference standard.

Purpose

To develop and validate a similar approach using MRI.

Study Type

Prospective.

Population

37 male elite cyclists (mean age 26 ± 4 years).

Field Strength/Sequence

Real‐time balanced steady‐state free‐precession cine sequence at 1.5 Tesla.

Assessment

Respirophasic variation included assessment of expiratory size of the upper hepatic part of the IVC and degree of inspiratory collapse expressed as collapsibility index (CI). The IVC was studied either in long‐axis direction (TTE) or using two transverse slices, separated by 30 mm (MRI) during operator‐guided deep breathing. For MRI, in addition to the TTE‐like diameter, IVC area and major and minor axis diameters were also assessed, together with the corresponding CIs.

Statistical Tests

Repeated measures ANOVA test with Bonferroni correction. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland–Altman analysis for intrareader and inter‐reader agreement. A P value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

No significant differences in expiratory IVC diameter were found between TTE and MRI, i.e., 25 ± 4 mm vs. 25 ± 3 mm (P = 0.242), but MRI showed a higher CI, i.e., 76% ± 14% vs. 66% ± 14% (P < 0.05). As the IVC presented a noncircular shape, i.e., major and minor expiratory diameter of 28 ± 4 mm and 21 ± 4 mm, respectively, the CI varied according to the orientation, i.e., 63% ± 27% vs. 75% ± 16%, respectively. Alternatively, expiratory IVC area was 4.3 ± 1.1 cm2 and showed a significantly higher CI, i.e., 86% ± 14% than diameter‐based CI (P < 0.05). All participants showed a CI >50% with MRI versus 35/37 (94%) with TTE. ICC values ranged 0.546–0.841 for MRI and 0.545–0.704 for TTE.

Conclusion

Assessment of the respirophasic IVC variation is feasible with MRI. Adding this biomarker may be of particular use in evaluating heart failure patients.

Level of Evidence

1

Technical Efficacy Stage

2
How genuine is your diversity climate? A new typology highlighting the emergence of specious diversity climates
Authors: Ward‐Bartlett Anna‐Katherine , Ravlin Elizabeth , Park Ji Eun
Published: July 2023

Research supports the notion that diversity climate (employees' perceptions of the extent to which fairness and elimination of discrimination are promoted within the work unit) can help the unit attain benefits—rather than detriments—from workforce diversity. However, the diversity climate literature rests substantially on a questionable assumption—that all unit members perceive the environment uniformly—which fails to account for the potential of individuals' distinct experiences in units. We introduce a new typology of diversity climates to address how individual and subgroup perceptions develop and aggregate to reflect an overall climate. This framework calls attention to specious diversity climates, in which a homogeneous population of employees agrees in their perceptions of a supportive diversity climate despite exclusion and/or otherwise unfair treatment of marginalized members. We explore the emergence process of each distinct climate type, explicating how perceptions aggregate to form a unit diversity climate that falls into one of five categories (i.e., genuinely supportive, speciously supportive, moderate/unsupportive, multimodal, or fragmented). We conclude with implications for theory and managerial practice.
Physicochemical, microbiological, and sensory properties of low‐lactose yogurt using Streptococcus thermophilus with high β‐galactosidase activity
Authors: Li Ling , Zhou Ling , Liu Xuemin , Gong Jinyan , Xiao Gongnian
Published: July 2023

BACKGROUND

Lactose maldigestion or intolerance affects a large number of individuals worldwide. If lactose is hydrolyzed by the β‐galactosidase enzyme during the fermentation process, lactose‐intolerant individuals can consume milk products without experiencing diarrhea, flatulence, or other symptoms.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

We isolated and characterized Streptococcus thermophilus, which exhibits high β‐galactosidase activity. This was then used as a starter culture with Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus in yogurt to determine the effects of different starter ratios and fermentation temperatures on its organoleptic and physical properties. The β‐galactosidase activity of the isolated strain was 2.60 units mg−1. The optimal temperature was 42 °C for St. thermophilus to acidify yogurt faster than at other temperatures and it was effective in hydrolyzing the lactose in the media and yogurt. The lactic acid bacteria (LAB) population in 37 °C fermented yogurt was higher than in the other samples, but the starters St. thermophilus and Lb. bulgaricus with a ratio of 2:1 used lactose more effectively than other sample ratios. The lactose content decreased significantly at 37 °C, where it was ~50% hydrolyzed. The acceptability of the sensory properties of yogurt was unaffected by relative lower fermentation temperatures (30 and 37 °C), despite using different ratios of St. thermophilus and Lb. bulgaricus as starter cultures. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
Acceptability, feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of Picopulse for the treatment of melasma among Malaysian women: A pilot quasi‐experimental
Authors: Foo Chai Nien , Dewadas Hemaniswarri Dewi , Chin Boon Keat , Teoh Tean Chun , Ong Hong Keat , Lim Yang Mooi
Published: July 2023

Background

Women are greatly affected by melasma as compared to men and has a significant negative impact on their quality of life. Thus far, there are no well‐conducted trials for melasma in Malaysia.

Objectives

This multicentre quasi‐experimental pilot study aims to determine the acceptability and feasibility of conducting a preliminary effectiveness trial for the Picopulse treatment effect on melasma severity and quality of life in Malaysian women.

Methods

Outcome measures were collected from 32 participants aged 18–65 years old presenting dermal melasma with Fitzpatrick skin type III–V from OneDoc Skin Centres in Klang Valley, Malaysia at baseline, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks after intervention. All preliminary effectiveness analyses were performed under the terms of intention‐to‐treat.

Results

Overall, the average score of Short Assessment of Patient Satisfaction (SAPS) was 22.2 (SD = 4.8), this demonstrated that the treatment was satisfied and well‐accepted by all patients. The recruitment and retention rates were 48.48% and 71.88%, respectively. Twenty‐five out of 32 patients completed all 10 treatments (78.13%). There were significant mean differences in Melasma severity index (MSI) score reported with partial eta square at 0.79 (p < 0.0001), physician global assessment (PGA) with partial eta square at 0.89 (p < 0.0001), and melasma quality of life scale (MELASQoL) with partial eta square at 0.32 (p < 0.05), from baseline measurement to 4 weeks postintervention. The three most common temporary side effects were pain (M = 0.2, SD = 0.46), redness (M = 0.12, SD = 0.24), and dryness (M = 0.11, SD = 0.17), however, all adverse effects were well‐tolerated and resolved without any treatments.

Conclusions

These findings provide promising data that support the acceptability and feasibility for future full‐scale clinical studies. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04834167).
Impulsivity Traits in Parkinson's Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Giovannelli Fabio , Gavazzi Gioele , Noferini Chiara , Palumbo Pasquale , Viggiano Maria Pia , Cincotta Massimo
Published: July 2023

Background

In Parkinson's disease (PD), impulsivity as a personality trait may be linked to the risk of developing impulse control disorders (ICDs) during dopaminergic therapy. However, studies evaluating differences in trait impulsivity between patients with PD and healthy controls or between patients with PD with and without ICDs reported partly inconsistent findings.

Objectives

We conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses) of studies comparing Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS‐11) scores between patients with PD and healthy controls and between patients with PD with and without ICDs.

Methods

Eligible studies were identified through a systematic search in 3 databases. Mean differences with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for BIS‐11 total and subscale scores were separately calculated for studies comparing patients with PD and healthy controls and patients with PD with and without ICDs. Meta‐regressions were performed to explore sources of heterogeneity (percentage of men, age, disease duration, and levodopa equivalent daily dose).

Results

A total of 40 studies were included in the quantitative analyses. BIS‐11 total scores were significantly higher in patients with PD compared with healthy controls (mean difference 2.43; 95% CI, 1.03, 3.83), and in patients with PD with active ICDs compared with patients without ICDs (6.62; 95% CI, 5.01, 8.23). No significant moderators emerged by meta‐regression analyses.

Conclusions

The present meta‐analysis supports that impulsivity, as a personality trait, may characterize patients with PD, even in the absence of ICDs. Moreover, these data corroborate findings of clinical studies reporting higher levels of trait impulsivity in PD patients with ICDs compared with patients without ICDs.
B1 inhomogeneity‐corrected T1 mapping and quantitative magnetization transfer imaging via simultaneously estimating Bloch‐Siegert shift and magnetization transfer effects
Authors: Jang Albert , Han Paul K. , Ma Chao , El Fakhri Georges , Wang Nian , Samsonov Alexey , Liu Fang
Published: July 2023

Purpose

To introduce a method of inducing Bloch‐Siegert shift and magnetization Transfer Simultaneously (BTS) and demonstrate its utilization for measuring binary spin‐bath model parameters free pool spin–lattice relaxation (), macromolecular fraction (), magnetization exchange rate () and local transmit field ().

Theory and Methods

Bloch‐Siegert shift and magnetization transfer is simultaneously induced through the application of off‐resonance irradiation in between excitation and acquisition of an RF‐spoiled gradient‐echo scheme. Applying the binary spin‐bath model, an analytical signal equation is derived and verified through Bloch simulations. Monte Carlo simulations were performed to analyze the method's performance. The estimation of the binary spin‐bath parameters with compensation was further investigated through experiments, both ex vivo and in vivo.

Results

Comparing BTS with existing methods, simulations showed that existing methods can significantly bias estimation when not accounting for transmit heterogeneity and MT effects that are present. Phantom experiments further showed that the degree of this bias increases with increasing macromolecular proton fraction. Multi‐parameter fit results from an in vivo brain study generated values in agreement with previous literature. Based on these studies, we confirmed that BTS is a robust method for estimating the binary spin‐bath parameters in macromolecule‐rich environments, even in the presence of inhomogeneity.

Conclusion

A method of estimating Bloch‐Siegert shift and magnetization transfer effect has been developed and validated. Both simulations and experiments confirmed that BTS can estimate spin‐bath parameters (, , ) that are free from bias.
Simultaneous T2‐weighted real‐time MRI of two orthogonal slices
Authors: Hickey Samantha , Reichert Andreas , Ptacek Wolfgang , Bielak Lars , Reiss Simon , Fischer Johannes , Gunashekar Deepa Darshini , Bortfeld Thomas , Bock Michael
Published: July 2023

Purpose

MR guidance is used during therapy to detect and compensate for lesion motion. T2‐weighted MRI often has a superior lesion contrast in comparison to T1‐weighted real‐time imaging. The purpose of this work was to design a fast T2‐weighted sequence capable of simultaneously acquiring two orthogonal slices, enabling real‐time tracking of lesions.

Methods

To generate a T2 contrast in two orthogonal slices simultaneously, a sequence (Ortho‐SFFP‐Echo) was designed that samples the T2‐weighted spin echo (S−) signal in a TR‐interleaved acquisition of two slices. Slice selection and phase‐encoding directions are swapped between the slices, leading to a unique set of spin‐echo signal conditions. To minimize motion‐related signal dephasing, additional flow‐compensation strategies are implemented. In both the abdominal breathing phantom and in vivo experiments, a time series was acquired using Ortho‐SSFP‐Echo. The centroid of the target was tracked in postprocessing steps.

Results

In the phantom, the lesion could be identified and delineated in the dynamic images. In the volunteer experiments, the kidney was visualized with a T2 contrast at a temporal resolution of 0.45 s under free‐breathing conditions. A respiratory belt demonstrated a strong correlation with the time course of the kidney centroid in the head–foot direction. A hypointense saturation band at the slice overlap did not inhibit lesion tracking in the semi‐automatic postprocessing steps.

Conclusion

The Ortho‐SFFP‐Echo sequence delivers real‐time images with a T2‐weighted contrast in two orthogonal slices. The sequence allows for simultaneous acquisition, which could be beneficial for real‐time motion tracking in radiotherapy or interventional MRI.
Fast in vivo assay of creatine kinase activity in the human brain by 31P magnetic resonance fingerprinting
Authors: Widmaier Mark , Lim Song‐I , Wenz Daniel , Xin Lijing
Published: July 2023

A new and efficient magnetisation transfer 31P magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MT‐31P‐MRF) approach is introduced to measure the creatine kinase metabolic rate
between phosphocreatine (PCr) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in human brain. The MRF framework is extended to overcome challenges in conventional 31P measurement methods in the human brain, enabling reduced acquisition time and specific absorption rate (SAR). To address the challenge of creating and matching large multiparametric dictionaries in an MRF scheme, a nested iteration interpolation method (NIIM) is introduced. As the number of parameters to estimate increases, the size of the dictionary grows exponentially. NIIM can reduce the computational load by breaking dictionary matching into subsolutions of linear computational order. MT‐31P‐MRF combined with NIIM provides
,
and
estimates in good agreement with those obtained by the exchange kinetics by band inversion transfer (EBIT) method and literature values. Furthermore, the test–retest reproducibility results showed that MT‐31P‐MRF achieves a similar or better coefficient of variation (<12%) for
and
measurements in 4 min 15 s, than EBIT with 17 min 4 s scan time, enabling a fourfold reduction in scan time. We conclude that MT‐31P‐MRF in combination with NIIM is a fast, accurate, and reproducible approach for in vivo
assays in the human brain, which enables the potential to investigate energy metabolism in a clinical setting.
Bionanocomposites films applied as active and smart food packaging: A review
Authors: Naskar Animesh , Sanyal Indrani , Nahar Najmun , Ghosh Debasree Deb , Chakraborty Sagarika
Published: July 2023

Food packaging is used worldwide and is a common technique for protecting food safety and quality while increasing shelf life. Environmental issues caused by using polymers in packaging derived from petroleum are becoming more significant and more well‐known. Interest in ecofriendly packaging materials made of renewable resources (biopolymers) has steadily increased, particularly for temporary and throw‐away packaging applications. However, biopolymers frequently have poor processability, poor mechanical, and poor barrier characteristics, restricting their industrial application and scalable manufacturing. Researchers have created bionanocomposites with improved packaging qualities like antibacterial function, mechanical toughness, optical clarity, and gas and water barrier properties to overcome these restrictions. This review seeks to inform readers about recent advances in active food packaging that use biopolymers and bionanocomposite materials. The difficulties and possibilities presented by such resources for the food packaging sector have been examined. This review is timely given the recent spike in interest in research projects both in academia and industry seeking to create a new group of materials for packaging based on biopolymer for food with potential uses elsewhere.
Theophylline for the management of respiratory disorders in adults in the 21st century: A scoping review from the American College of Clinical Pharmacy Pulmonary Practice and Research Network
Authors: Boylan Paul M. , Abdalla Maha , Bissell Brittany , Malesker Mark A. , Santibañez Melissa , Smith Zachary
Published: July 2023

Theophylline is an oral methylxanthine bronchodilator recommended as alternate therapy for the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, it is not generally recommended for the treatment of other respiratory disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) or hypoxia. Most clinical practice guidelines rely on evidence published prior to the year 2000 to make these recommendations. This scoping review aimed to gather and characterize evidence describing theophylline for the management of respiratory disorders in adults between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2020. Databases searched included Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL Complete, Scopus, and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts. This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) extension for scoping reviews. Studies were included if they were published in English, theophylline was used for any respiratory disorder, and the study outcomes were disease‐ or patient‐oriented. After removal of duplicates, 841 studies were screened and 55 studies were included. Results aligned with current clinical guideline recommendations relegating theophylline as an alternative therapy for the treatment of respiratory disorders, in favor of inhaled corticosteroids and inhaled bronchodilators. This scoping review identified the need for future research including: theophylline versus other medications deemed alternative therapies for asthma and COPD, meta‐analyses of low‐dose theophylline, and studies evaluating evidence‐based patient‐oriented outcomes for OSA, hypoxia, ventilator‐induced diaphragmatic dysfunction, and spinal cord injury‐related pulmonary function.
Composite hydrogels based on calcium alginate and polyethyleneimine for wastewater treatment
Authors: Berg Johannes , Seiffert Sebastian
Published: July 2023

Water shortage has risen severely in recent years, confronting mankind with a worldwide challenge, especially as the accessible water resources are further limited by diverse contamination. The most widespread industrial process for water treatment is the activated sludge process, in which, however, excessive sludge production has become an enormous environmental problem worldwide. To overcome this problem, hydrogels possess outstanding potential in view of adsorptive removal of contaminants like heavy metal ions, fertilizers, and dyes. In this paper, we report about the synthesis of biobased alginate hydrogel beads along with polyethyleneimine‐modified composite hydrogels for water treatment. The adsorption of methylene blue as a positively charged and of congo red as a negatively charged model dye is quantitatively investigated, both separately and in combination. In addition, the pH‐dependent adsorption of the dyes is determined. The use of alginate‐based hydrogel systems combines several prospects: they are bio‐based, inexpensive, easily available to a sufficient extent, sustainable, and are applicable in a broad range of wastewater treatment by its charged groups.
Both Landsat‐ and LiDAR‐derived measures predict forest bee response to large‐scale wildfire
Authors: Galbraith Sara M. , Valente Jonathon J. , Dunn Christopher J. , Rivers James W.
Published: July 2023

Large‐scale disturbances such as wildfire can have profound impacts on the composition, structure, and functioning of ecosystems. Bees are critical pollinators in natural settings and often respond positively to wildfires, particularly in forests where wildfire leads to more open conditions and increased floral resources. The use of Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) provides opportunities for quantifying habitat features across large spatial scales and is increasingly available to scientists and land managers for post‐fire habitat assessment. We evaluated the extent to which LiDAR‐derived forest structure measurements can predict forest bee communities after a large, mixed‐severity fire. We hypothesized that LiDAR measurements linked to post‐fire forest structure would improve our ability to predict bee abundance and species richness when compared to satellite‐based maps of burn severity. To test this hypothesis, we sampled wild bee communities within the Douglas Fire Complex in southwestern Oregon, USA. We then used LiDAR and Landsat data to quantify forest structure and burn severity, respectively, across bee sampling locations. We found that the LiDAR forest structure model was the best predictor of abundance, whereas the Landsat burn severity model had better predictive ability for species richness. Furthermore, the Landsat burn severity model was better at predicting the presence and species richness of bumble bees (Bombus spp.), an ecologically distinct and economically important group within the Pacific Northwest. We posit that the divergent responses of the two modeling approaches are due to distinct responses by bee taxa to variation in forest structure as mediated by wildfire, with bumble bees in particular depending on closed‐canopy forest for some portions of their life cycle. Our study demonstrates that LiDAR data can provide information regarding the drivers of bee abundance in post‐wildfire conifer forest, and that both remote sensing approaches are useful for predicting components of wild bee diversity after large‐scale wildfire.
Synergetic Monitoring of both Physiological Pressure and Epidermal Biopotential Based on a Simplified on‐Skin‐Printed Sensor Modality
Authors: Song Yangyang , Ren Wenjuan , Zhang Yiqun , Liu Qi , Peng Zhen , Wu Xiaodong , Wang Zhuqing
Published: July 2023

Flexible electronic sensors show great potential for health monitoring but are usually limited to single sensing functionality. To enrich their functions, complicated device configurations, sophisticated material systems, and preparation processes are typically involved, obstructing their large‐scale deployment and widespread application. Herein, to achieve a good balance between simplicity and multifunctionality, a new paradigm of sensor modality for both mechanical sensing and bioelectrical sensing is presented based on a single material system and a simple solution processing approach. The whole multifunctional sensors are constructed with a pair of highly conductive ultrathin electrodes (WPU/MXene‐1) and an elastic micro‐structured mechanical sensing layer (WPU/MXene‐2), with the human skin serving as the substrate for the whole sensors. The resultant sensors show high pressure sensitivity and low skin‐electrode interfacial impedance, enabling to synergetically monitor both physiological pressure (e.g., arterial pulse signals) and epidermal bioelectrical signals (including electrocardiograph and electromyography). The universality and extensibility of this methodology to construct multifunctional sensors with different material systems are also verified. This simplified sensor modality with enhanced multifunctionality provides a novel design concept to construct future smart wearables for health monitoring and medical diagnosis.
Co‐Solvent Electrolyte Design to Inhibit Phase Transition toward High Performance K+/Zn2+ Hybrid Battery
Authors: Chen Wei , Wu Jiahao , Fu Kai , Deng Zhaohui , Chen Xingbao , Cai Hongwei , Wu Xinfei , Xing Boyu , Luo Wen , Mai Liqiang
Published: July 2023

Manganese hexacyanoferrate (MnHCF) is one of the most promising cathode materials for aqueous battery because of its non‐toxicity, high energy density, and low cost. But the phase transition from MnHCF to Zinc hexacyanoferrate (ZnHCF) and the larger Stokes radius of Zn2+ cause rapid capacity decay and poor rate performance in aqueous Zn battery. Hence, to overcome this challenge, a solvation structure of propylene carbonate (PC)‐trifluoromethanesulfonate (Otf)‐H2O is designed and constructed. A K+/Zn2+ hybrid battery is prepared using MnHCF as cathode, zinc metal as anode, KOTf/Zn(OTf)2 as the electrolyte, and PC as the co‐solvent. It is revealed that the addition of PC inhabits the phase transition from MnHCF to ZnHCF, broaden the electrochemical stability window, and inhibits the dendrite growth of zinc metal. Hence, the MnHCF/Zn hybrid co‐solvent battery exhibits a reversible capacity of 118 mAh g−1 and high cycling performance, with a capacity retention of 65.6% after 1000 cycles with condition of 1 A g−1. This work highlights the significance of rationally designing the solvation structure of the electrolyte and promotes the development of high‐energy‐density of aqueous hybrid ion batteries.
Zinc Chloride‐Treated Indium Sulfide as Buffer Layer for Cd‐Free Antimony Selenide Solar Cells
Authors: Dong Yizhe , Huang Lei , Wang Haolin , Peng Xiaoqi , Wang Yan , Tang Rongfeng , Zhu Changfei , Chen Tao
Published: July 2023

In2S3, as a promising environmentally benign semiconductor, is used as a buffer layer in thin‐film solar cells due to its high electron mobility, low toxicity, and excellent thermal and chemical stability. The preparation of a high‐quality In2S3 film is crucial for the improvement of its carrier extraction ability and subsequent deposition of absorber layers. Herein, it is demonstrated for the first time that a posttreatment of In2S3 film with ZnCl2 solution is able to serve as buffer layer for constructing superstrate Sb2Se3 solar cells. The posttreatment with ZnCl2 not only prevents In2S3 from excessive oxidation during annealing process, but also facilitates the growth of (hk1) orientation of Sb2Se3, thereby improving the interfacial contact of In2S3/Sb2Se3. The improved heterojunction quality suppresses the carrier recombination at the interface, and enhances the charge extraction ability of In2S3. As a result, the power conversion efficiency of Sb2Se3 solar cell increases from 2.63% to 5.00%. Herein, a facile and effective strategy is provided for the application of In2S3 as the buffer layer in inorganic chalcogenide solar cells.
Ultra-High-Resolution Time-of-Flight MR-Angiography for the Noninvasive Assessment of Intracranial Aneurysms, Alternative to Preinterventional DSA?
Authors: Schubert Tilman , Husain Hakim Shakir , Thurner Patrick , Madjidyar Jawid , Barnaure Isabelle , Piccirelli Marco , Klarhöfer Markus , Schmidt Michaela , Speier Peter , Forman Christoph , Kulcsar Zsolt
Published: July 2023

Purpose

The 3D time-of-flight (TOF) magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) at 3T shows high sensitivity for intracranial aneurysms but is inferior to three-dimensional digital subtraction angiography (3D-DSA) regarding aneurysm characteristics. We applied an ultra-high-resolution (UHR) TOF-MRA using compressed sensing reconstruction to investigate the diagnostic performance in preinterventional evaluation of intracranial aneurysms compared to conventional TOF-MRA and 3D-DSA.

Methods

In this study 17 patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms were included. Aneurysm dimensions, configuration, image quality and sizing of endovascular devices were compared between conventional TOF-MRA at 3T and UHR-TOF with 3D-DSA as gold standard. Quantitatively, contrast-to-noise ratios (CNR) were compared between TOF-MRAs.

Results

On 3D-DSA, 25 aneurysms in 17 patients were detected. On conventional TOF, 23 aneurysms were detected (sensitivity: 92.6%). On UHR-TOF, 25 aneurysms were detected (sensitivity: 100%). Image quality was not significantly different between TOF and UHR-TOF (p = 0.17). Aneurysm dimension measurements were significantly different between conventional TOF (3.89 mm) and 3D-DSA (4.2 mm, p = 0.08) but not between UHR-TOF (4.12 mm) and 3D-DSA (p = 0.19). Irregularities and small vessels at the aneurysm neck were more frequently correctly depicted on UHR-TOF compared to conventional TOF. Comparison of the planned framing coil diameter and flow-diverter (FD) diameter revealed neither a statistically significant difference between TOF and 3D-DSA (coil p = 0.19, FD p = 0.45) nor between UHR-TOF and 3D-DSA (coil: p = 0.53, FD 0.33). The CNR was significantly higher in conventional TOF (p = 0.009).

Conclusion

In this pilot study, ultra-high-resolution TOF-MRA visualized all aneurysms and accurately depicted aneurysm irregularities and vessels at the base of the aneurysm comparably to DSA, outperforming conventional TOF. UHR-TOF with compressed sensing reconstruction seems to represent a non-invasive alternative to pre-interventional DSA for intracranial aneurysms.
Scattering for the Mass-Critical Nonlinear Klein–Gordon Equations in Three and Higher Dimensions
Authors: Cheng Xing , Guo Zihua , Masaki Satoshi
Published: July 2023

In this paper we consider the mass-critical nonlinear Klein–Gordon equations in three and higher dimensions. We prove the dichotomy between scattering and blow-up below the ground state energy in the focusing case, and the energy scattering in the defocusing case. We use the concentration-compactness/rigidity method developed by C. E. Kenig and F. Merle. The main novelty from the work of R. Killip, B. Stovall, and M. Visan (Trans. Amer. Math. Soc. 364, 2012) is to approximate the large scale (low-frequency) profile by the solution of the mass-critical nonlinear Schrödinger equation when the nonlinearity is not algebraic.
A Survey of Scattering Theory on Riemann Surfaces with Applications in Global Analysis and Geometry
Authors: Schippers Eric , Staubach Wolfgang
Published: July 2023

This paper gives an overview of our work on a scattering theory of one-forms and functions in a system of quasicircles on Riemann surfaces. It is rooted in an “overfare” process which takes a harmonic function on one side of the system of quasicircles to a harmonic function on the other side, with the same boundary values in a certain intrinsic non-tangential sense. This is bounded with respect to Dirichlet energy. If extra cohomological data is specified, one can apply this process to harmonic one-forms, and the resulting “scattering matrix” in terms of the holomorphic and anti-holomorphic components of the one-form is unitary. We describe applications to approximation theory, global analysis of singular integral operators on Riemann surfaces, and a new extension of the classical period map to surfaces of genus g with n boundary curves.