bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Collagen VI promotes recovery from colitis by inducing lymphangiogenesis and drainage of inflammatory cells
Authors: Molon Sibilla , Brun Paola , Scarpa Melania , Bizzotto Dario , Zuccolotto Gaia , Scarpa Marco , Fassan Matteo , Angriman Imerio , Rosato Antonio , Braghetta Paola , Castagliuolo Ignazio , Bonaldo Paolo
Published: June 2023

Despite a number of studies providing evidence that the extracellular matrix (ECM) is an active player in the pathogenesis of intestinal inflammation, knowledge on the actual contribution of specific ECM molecules in the progression of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) remains scant. Here, we investigated the role of a major ECM protein, collagen VI (ColVI), in gut homeostasis and elucidated the impact of its deregulation on the pathophysiology of IBD. To this end, we combined in vivo and ex vivo studies on wild type and ColVI‐deficient (Col6a1−/−) mice both under physiological conditions and during experimentally induced acute colitis and its subsequent recovery, by means of gut histology and immunostaining, gene expression, bone marrow transplantation, flow cytometry of immune cell subpopulations, and lymph flow assessment. We found that ColVI displayed dynamic expression and ECM deposition during the acute inflammatory and recovery phases of experimentally induced colitis, whereas the genetic ablation of ColVI in Col6a1 null mice impaired the functionality of lymphatic vessels, which in turn affected the resolution of inflammation during colitis. Based on these findings, we investigated ColVI expression and deposition in ileal specimens from two cohorts of patients affected by Crohn's disease (CD) and correlated ColVI abundance to clinical outcome. Our results show that high ColVI immunoreactivity in ileal biopsies of CD patients at diagnosis correlates with increased risk of surgery and that ColVI expression in biopsies taken at the resection margin during surgery, and showing inactive disease, predict disease recurrence. Our data unveil a key role for ColVI in the intestinal microenvironment, where it is involved in lymphangiogenesis and intestinal inflammation. Altogether, these findings point at the dysregulation of ColVI expression as a novel factor contributing to the onset and maintenance of inflammation in CD via mechanisms impinging on the modulation of inflammatory cell recruitment and function. © 2023 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
Fabrication of polycaprolactone/chitosan/hydroxyapatite structure to improve the mechanical behavior of the hydrogel‐based scaffolds for bone tissue engineering: Biscaffold approach
Authors: Salami Sajjad Jedari , Soleimanimehr Hamid , Maghsoudpour Adel , Etemadi Haghighi Shahram
Published: June 2023

The main idea of this study is to create a 3D printed scaffold to improve the mechanical behavior of hydrogels for bone tissue engineering. This paper investigated the effects of infill percentage and strand diameter on the 3D printed polycaprolactone/Chitosan/HA scaffold's mechanical properties. The printing parameters were optimized by central composite design in response surface methodology. The X, Y, and Z axes measured stiffness (N/m), compressive strength (MPa), and elongation at break (%). The results showed that the highest stiffness of all samples (in both vertical (65 MPa) and horizontal (32 MPa) loading dimensions) could be found in the scaffolds with 40% infill and the strands with 400 μm diameter. It was also indicated that the degradability of the samples could be improved (0.33%–1.03%) with a reduction of strand diameter from 600 to 400 μm. The most swelling was attributed to the scaffold with 50% infill and strand diameter of 600 μm. Hydrophilicity was improved by employing chitosan (78.3°–66.3°). Results depicted good biocompatibility (>80%) of the samples. To sum up, the idea of a biscaffold with suitable engineering can be a good idea to enhance the mechanical behavior of hydrogel‐based scaffolds.
Experimental and numerical evaluation of the surface‐localized heating capacity of the photothermal nanocomposite‐incorporated knit fabrics
Authors: Alsikh Abdulkarim , Valipouri Afsaneh , Nasr Esfahany Mohsen , Hosseini Ravandi Seyed Abdolkarim
Published: June 2023

Personal protection and perspiration evaporation are major features of a functional clothing system intended for outdoor environment applications. The aim of this article is to investigate the dynamic performance of an advanced multifunctional textile under solar radiation. The influence of the fabric properties of the double‐layer structure and the optical property of the photothermal nanocomposite based‐porous membrane (polyacrylonitrile PAN/carbon nanotube CNT) on the evaporation performance were experimentally and numerically discussed. Initially, a dedicated experimental study was conducted to measure the actual evaporation performance of the functional fabric. Following this, a two‐dimensional multi‐fluid model, simulated using COMSOL software, is applicable to predict experimental evaporation rates with a reasonable accuracy of 90%. The results showed that the dense structure had a greater wicking‐flow rate of 0.5 cm2 s−1 but lower evaporation performance in contrast to the permeable fabric. The incorporation of the photothermal nanofibers into the double‐layer fabric structure enhanced the surface‐localized heating capacity. Through the evaporation process, compared to conventional fabric, the advanced fabric structure exhibited approximately 3.5–4.4°C higher outer surface temperature. We concluded that the proposed multi‐layer structure has excellent potential to enhance the solar absorption efficiency in the visible range by 50% on average. Besides, the improved evaporation performance of the functional structure was 48% and 55%, respectively, under 0.6 and 1.0 sun illumination. In addition to the clothing field, this study can be extended for wide‐reaching applications based on solar vapor generation systems.
Improved electromechanical properties of polydimethylsiloxane composites with sandwich structured Al(OH)3@GO nanosheets
Authors: Liu Leipeng , Yun Haochen , Zhang Kangning , Ji Zhe , Liu Jinru , Lv Shenghua , Tan Shaobo
Published: June 2023

Dielectric elastomer can undergo reversible deformation under external electric field, which was seen as the next generation drives for its excellent performance. Increasing the actuated strain under low electric field is a crucial strategy to further broaden the utilization range of dielectric elastomers. Herein, a sandwich structured aluminum hydroxide@graphene oxide (Al(OH)3@GO) nanosheets were fabricated by the bottom‐up method, and the hybrid was incorporated into the PDMS matrix to form dielectric elastomer composite. The presence of insulating Al(OH)3 layer can impede the creation of conductive pathways and hinder the occurrence of leakage currents, thus the composite presents a high dielectric constant value under a low loss. As a result, the Al(OH)3@GO/PDMS‐0.7% composite exhibited excellent performance with the best actuated strain value of 23.61% under a field of 44.52 kV/mm, which was 4.8 times that of pure PDMS. Meanwhile, the maximum electromechanical coupling efficiency (k) of Al(OH)3@GO/PDMS‐0.7% composite was 0.645, which was twice larger than VHB 4910. This work provided a reliable avenue for studying dielectric elastomer materials with excellent electromechanical properties.

Highlights

A new kind of sandwich‐like structured Al(OH)3@GO hybrids are fabricated.

Effects of Al(OH)3@GO on the dielectric properties of composites are studied.

The insulating Al(OH)3 layer can hinder occurrence of leakage currents.

Al(OH)3@GO/PDMS composites exhibited improved electromechanical properties.

Composites with high actuated strain 23.61% under 44.52 kV/mm are developed.
The influence of the introduction of a national prenatal screening program on late termination of pregnancy, a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Horenblas Judith , de Vries Jana , Jansen Charlotte , Kleinrouweler Emily , Brons Jozien T.J. , Dondorp Wybo , Klumper Frans , Nij Bijvank Bas , van Leeuwen Elisabeth , Pajkrt Eva
Published: June 2023

Objective

To assess the influence of a national prenatal screening program on category 1 (lethal anomalies) late terminations of pregnancy (LTOP).

Methods

In this population‐based retrospective cohort study, we included all category 1 LTOPs from 2004 to 2015 in the Netherlands. The number of LTOPs before and after the introduction of the program was compared as well as the diagnostic process and factors contributing to LTOP.

Results

In total, 97 LTOPs were reported. After the introduction of the program, the number of LTOPs decreased from 17 per year to 5 per year on average. The number of cases in which the diagnostic process started with obstetric indications decreased from 55% to 17% (p < 0.01) and the number of cases detected by routine screening increased from 11% to 52% (p < 0.01). Four factors still contributed to LTOP after the introduction of the screening program: diagnostic or parental delay (40%), absence of screening (24%), false negative results of prior screening (14%) and late onset of disease (12%).

Conclusion

The number of LTOPs decreased after the introduction of the screening program. At present, the diagnostic process is mostly screening driven. Parental‐ and diagnostic delay is still an important factor that contributes to LTOP.
Performance of an automated deep learning algorithm to identify hepatic steatosis within noncontrast computed tomography scans among people with and without HIV
Authors: Torgersen Jessie , Akers Scott , Huo Yuankai , Terry James G. , Carr J. Jeffrey , Ruutiainen Alexander T. , Skanderson Melissa , Levin Woody , Lim Joseph K. , Taddei Tamar H. , So‐Armah Kaku , Bhattacharya Debika , Rentsch Christopher T. , Shen Li , Carr Rotonya , Shinohara Russell T. , McClain Michele , Freiberg Matthew , Justice Amy C. , Lo Re Vincent
Published: June 2023

Purpose

Hepatic steatosis (fatty liver disease) affects 25% of the world's population, particularly people with HIV (PWH). Pharmacoepidemiologic studies to identify medications associated with steatosis have not been conducted because methods to evaluate liver fat within digitized images have not been developed. We determined the accuracy of a deep learning algorithm (automatic liver attenuation region‐of‐interest‐based measurement [ALARM]) to identify steatosis within clinically obtained noncontrast abdominal CT images compared to manual radiologist review and evaluated its performance by HIV status.

Methods

We performed a cross‐sectional study to evaluate the performance of ALARM within noncontrast abdominal CT images from a sample of patients with and without HIV in the US Veterans Health Administration. We evaluated the ability of ALARM to identify moderate‐to‐severe hepatic steatosis, defined by mean absolute liver attenuation <40 Hounsfield units (HU), compared to manual radiologist assessment.

Results

Among 120 patients (51 PWH) who underwent noncontrast abdominal CT, moderate‐to‐severe hepatic steatosis was identified in 15 (12.5%) persons via ALARM and 12 (10%) by radiologist assessment. Percent agreement between ALARM and radiologist assessment of absolute liver attenuation <40 HU was 95.8%. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of ALARM were 91.7% (95%CI, 51.5%–99.8%), 96.3% (95%CI, 90.8%–99.0%), 73.3% (95%CI, 44.9%–92.2%), and 99.0% (95%CI, 94.8%–100%), respectively. No differences in performance were observed by HIV status.

Conclusions

ALARM demonstrated excellent accuracy for moderate‐to‐severe hepatic steatosis regardless of HIV status. Application of ALARM to radiographic repositories could facilitate real‐world studies to evaluate medications associated with steatosis and assess differences by HIV status.
Seed priming mitigates high salinity impact on germination of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) by improving carbohydrate and protein mobilization
Authors: Sghayar Souhir , Debez Ahmed , Lucchini Giorgio , Abruzzese Alessandro , Zorrig Walid , Negrini Noemi , Morgutti Silvia , Abdelly Chedly , Sacchi Gian Attilio , Pecchioni Nicola , Vaccino Patrizia
Published: June 2023

Salinity is increasingly considered as a major environmental issue, which threatens agricultural production by decreasing yield traits of crops. Seed priming is a useful and cost‐effective technique to alleviate the negative effects of salinity and to enable a fast and uniform germination. In this context, we quantified the effects of priming with gibberellic acid (GP), calcium chloride (CP), and mannitol (MP) on seed germination of three bread wheat cultivars and investigated their response when grown at high salinity conditions (200 mM NaCl). Salt exposure strongly repressed seed imbibition and germination potential and extended germination time, whereas priming enhanced uniformity and seed vigor. Seed preconditioning alleviated the germination disruption caused by salt stress to varying degrees. Priming mitigating effect was agent‐dependent with regard to water status (CP and MP), ionic imbalance (CP), and seed reserve mobilization (GP). Na+ accumulation in seedling tissues significantly impaired carbohydrate and protein mobilization by inhibiting amylase and proteases activities but had lesser effects on primed seeds. CP attenuated ionic imbalance by limiting sodium accumulation. Gibberellic acid was the most effective priming treatment for promoting the germination of wheat seeds under salt stress. Moreover, genotypic differences in wheat response to salinity stress were observed between varieties used in this study. Ardito, the oldest variety, seems to tolerate better salinity in priming‐free conditions; Aubusson resulted the most salt‐sensitive cultivar but showed a high germination recovery under priming conditions; Bologna showed an intermediate behavior.
RETRACTED:Exploring the intermolecular interactions in carbon disulfide dimer: An ab initio study using an improved Lennard–Jones potential energy surface for physical insights
Authors: Gill Waqas Amber , Khan Muhammad Usman , Shafiq Zunaira , Janjua Muhammad Ramzan Saeed Ashraf
Published: June 2023

Carbon disulfide dimer (CS2)2 is a model system that has been widely studied in the field of computational chemistry because of its relevance to a variety of chemical and biological processes. The (CS2)2 dimer is a relatively simple molecular system composed of two carbon disulfide (CS2) molecules interacting with each other through intermolecular forces. Despite its apparent simplicity, the (CS2)2 dimer exhibits a rich array of structural and dynamical properties that are of great interest to researchers. In this research, we present an ab initio study of the intermolecular interactions in the carbon disulfide dimer (CS2)2 using an improved Lennard–Jones (ILJ) potential with CCSD(T)/QZVPP calculations. The potential energy surface of (CS2)2 is calculated using high‐level quantum mechanical calculations based on the CCSD(T)/def2‐qzvpp method, which accurately accounts for electron correlation effects. The resulting potential energy surface is then fitted to an ILJ potential energy function, which includes both long‐range dipole–dipole interactions and short‐range repulsive interactions. The calculated potential energy surface reveals a rich variety of structural and dynamical properties of (CS2)2, including multiple minima and saddle points, which are sensitive to the relative orientation of the two CS2 molecules. It is essential to use extended basis sets to accurately incorporate the significant quadrupole moment of CS2, which we have calculated to be 2.44 a.u. The results of this study demonstrate the importance of using high‐level ab initio methods for the accurate calculation of potential energy surfaces in complex molecular systems such as (CS2)2. The use of an ILJ potential, which takes into account both dipole–dipole interactions and short‐range repulsive interactions, provides a more accurate and efficient approach for modeling intermolecular interactions in (CS2)2 and other similar systems. The results of this study will be useful for understanding the behavior of carbon disulfide dimers in different environments and for the development of new materials and chemical processes.
Structure–activity relationship of alkanes and alkane derivatives for the abilities of C(sp3)H bonds toward their H‐atom transfer reactions
Authors: Fu Yan‐Hua , Yang Liguo , Zhou Zhongyuan , Wang Fang , Shen Guang‐Bin , Zhu Xiao‐Qing
Published: June 2023

Hydrogen atom‐donating ability of alkane is a research hotspot and has been extensively studied. In this article, the second‐order rate constants of 20 hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) reactions between aliphatic, benzylic, and allylic alkanes and alkane derivatives with CumO• in acetonitrile at 298 K were studied. The thermo‐kinetic parameter ΔG≠o(XH), bond dissociation free energy ΔGo(XH), and kinetic intrinsic resistance energy ΔG≠XH/X were determined and used to evaluate the H‐donating abilities of these substrates in thermodynamics, kinetics, and HAT reactions. Structure–activity relationships including the factors (electronic, stereoelectronic, and steric effects), introduction of CH3, Ph, or Cl in alkanes, and introduction of N atom in cycloalkane were discussed carefully. The results show that the order of H‐donating abilities is allylic alkanes > cycloalkanes > chain alkanes ≈ benzylic alkanes > haloalkanes. The introduction of CH3, Ph, or Cl in alkanes and the introduction of N atom to the carbon ring reduce ΔGo(XH) but increase ΔG≠XH/X, and ΔG≠o(XH) is the synthesis result of these two parameters. The reliability of ΔG≠o(XH) was verified, and the accuracy and reliability of the parameters were proved. Through the study of this paper, not only the ΔGo(XH), ΔG≠XH/X, and ΔG≠o(XH) of these alkanes and derivatives in HAT reaction can be quantitatively evaluated but also the structure–activity relationship of alkane is clearly researched.
Synthesis of sustainable sulfur‐containing polycarbonates from xylose and carbonyl sulfide
Authors: Chen Qiang , Chen Wei , Zhou Hui
Published: June 2023

Herein, the six‐membered sulfur‐containing cyclic carbonates was successfully synthesized from d‐ and l‐xylose through an environmental friendly process by employing carbonyl sulfide (COS) as a sustainable C1‐carbonation agent. The ring‐opening polymerization of the monomers were rapidly initiated by bifunctional organocatalysts and alkali metal alkoxides, respectively, under ambient reaction conditions. The resultant sulfur‐containing polycarbonates exhibit high‐temperature resistance and good optical properties. This work furnishes an original and practical strategy for utilizing COS as a sulfur feedstock in biopolymer synthesis.
Adolescents' needs for information and psychosocial support during their mother's breast cancer trajectory: A systematic review
Authors: Søby Anne Katrine Hartmann , Moos Caroline M. , Andersen Aida Hougaard , Ravn Sophie Lykkegaard , Andersen Christina Maar , Roessler Kirsten Kaya
Published: June 2023

Objective

Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosis among women. The acute crisis and uncertainty that often follow diagnosis put the family at risk of exhaustion and dysfunction. Adolescents have been identified as a particularly vulnerable group of relatives. To investigate how to prevent distress in this group, we systematically reviewed research on adolescents' (11–21 years) needs for information and psycho‐social support during their mothers' breast cancer trajectory.

Method

Systematic searches were conducted in five bibliometric databases. Peer‐reviewed, original research of adolescents aged 11–21 with a mother diagnosed with breast cancer was included. Two researchers conducted screening, quality assessment, and data extraction independently. Thematic synthesis was applied to the included studies.

Results

A total of 8066 studies were screened, and five quantitative and six qualitative studies were included. The results indicated that adolescents' information and psycho‐social support needs were poorly met. Many were reluctant to share feelings with family and peers and experienced abandonment during the crisis. Adolescents who were not well informed experienced distress. Poor family functioning increased the level of adolescents' distress.

Conclusions

Despite limitations regarding heterogeneity among the studies, eligibility criteria, and quality assessment, this review provides clear clinical implications. Encounter groups may support adolescents during their mother's breast cancer trajectory. Furthermore, healthcare professionals could provide more indirect support to adolescents by providing support and clearer guidelines to parents. Finally, adolescents from poor‐functioning families need extra attention.
Parental socioeconomic status and age at leaving home in Europe: Exploring regional differences
Authors: Ferraretto Valeria , Vitali Agnese
Published: June 2023

Leaving the parental home is a milestone in young people's transition to adulthood. The timing of leaving home varies greatly across European countries; however, evidence on the association between parental socioeconomic status (SES) and the age at leaving home in a comparative perspective is mixed, and subnational variation has received little attention. The module on the timing of life events included in Round 3 (2006) and 9 (2018) of the European Social Survey offers the opportunity to study how parental SES is associated with the age at leaving home, and how this association varies at the national and regional level for a sample of respondents born between the 1950s and the 1980s in 175 regions across 29 European countries. Results from three‐level linear regression models indicate that a high parental SES postpones women's age at leaving home in most Southern and Eastern European countries, where state support to young people is low and family ties are strong, whereas the association between parental SES and the age at leaving home is less clear‐cut in Western and Nordic countries. Between‐country variation in the association between parental SES and the age at home‐leaving prevails over within‐country variation, suggesting that the role of the parental background is country‐specific and that other unobserved factors may explain within‐country heterogeneity.
Beyond destinations: Environmental perception and village attachment among stayers, outmigrants and returnees in rural China
Authors: Guo Yan , Ye Rui , Lin Sainan
Published: June 2023

Moving beyond the prior studies on destinations, this study identifies people's perceptions of and attachments to their places of origin to theoretically address how social groups defined by environmental experiences perceive the environment and how these perceptions affect their attachment. Villages in inland China are empirically examined as shared places of origin for stayers, outmigrants and returnees. This study confirms a positive relationship between the frequency and intensity of people‐environment interactions and the levels of environmental perception, as shown by the decreasing perception levels among stayers, returnees and outmigrants. Environmental perception occurs when individuals selectively perceive environmental features that have special meaning to them in meeting their functional needs. Such selectivity leads to differences in the environmental perception variables that significantly affect group attachment. The village attachment of both outmigrants and stayers is significantly affected by their perception of socioeconomic environmental features, while the perception of physical environmental features is only significant for returnees. The strong impact of social environmental features on outmigrants’ level of attachment confirms the rootedness of such attachment to one's place of origin and challenges the belief that mobility and attachment to place are negatively related.
Effect of Introducing Defects and Doping on Different Properties of Monolayer MoS2
Authors: Prajakta Kumari , Vinturaj V. P. , Singh Rohit , Garg Vivek , Pandey Saurabh Kumar , Pandey Sushil Kumar
Published: June 2023

Herein, the comprehensive study of different properties of undoped MoS2, MoS2 lattice with sulfur (S) and, molybdenum (Mo) vacancy, and MoS2 with substitutional doping of niobium (Nb), vanadium (V), and zinc (Zn) atoms is done. The density functional theory (DFT) is used and the electronic properties like density of states, band structure, electron density, and optical properties like dielectric function, optical conductivity, and refractive index are studied. It is observed that undoped MoS2 monolayer shows direct bandgap semiconductor characteristics with a bandgap of around 1.79 eV. P‐type characteristics are observed for Nb‐, V‐, and Zn‐doped MoS2 lattices. The real part and imaginary parts of all optical parameters along x and z directions for different MoS2 supercells are found to be anisotropic in nature up to a photon energy of almost 11 eV and thereafter they show nearly isotropic nature. Finally, it is found that the obtained properties of MoS2 monolayer as per literature are suitable for next‐generation MOSFET application.
Insights on Elastic Anisotropy and Thermal Properties of Mg–Ti–O Compounds from First‐Principles Calculations
Authors: Ma Jian-Li , Zhang Yu , Fan Zhi-Gang , Wei Qun , Zhou Jian-Ping
Published: June 2023

First‐principles calculations are employed to explore the elastic anisotropy and thermal properties of Mg–Ti–O compounds (MgTiO3, MgTi2O5, and Mg2TiO4). The structure parameters used in this work are in good agreement with other theoretical and experimental results. The mechanical stability and ductile nature are demonstrated. The elastic anisotropy is characterized by different anisotropy indexes, three‐dimensional (3D) surface constructions, and two‐dimensional (2D) projections of Young's modulus. Besides, the sound velocities, Debye temperature, and minimum thermal conductivity are also investigated from the elastic modulus. The obtained results can provide references for future experimental investigations and engineering applications of these Mg–Ti–O compounds.
A claims‐based, machine‐learning algorithm to identify patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension
Authors: Hyde Bethany , Paoli Carly J. , Panjabi Sumeet , Bettencourt Katherine C. , Bell Lynum Karimah S. , Selej Mona
Published: June 2023

Many patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) experience substantial delays in diagnosis, which is associated with worse outcomes and higher costs. Tools for diagnosing PAH sooner may lead to earlier treatment, which may delay disease progression and adverse outcomes including hospitalization and death. We developed a machine‐learning (ML) algorithm to identify patients at risk for PAH earlier in their symptom journey and distinguish them from patients with similar early symptoms not at risk for developing PAH. Our supervised ML model analyzed retrospective, de‐identified data from the US‐based Optum® Clinformatics® Data Mart claims database (January 2015 to December 2019). Propensity score matched PAH and non‐PAH (control) cohorts were established based on observed differences. Random forest models were used to classify patients as PAH or non‐PAH at diagnosis and at 6 months prediagnosis. The PAH and non‐PAH cohorts included 1339 and 4222 patients, respectively. At 6 months prediagnosis, the model performed well in distinguishing PAH and non‐PAH patients, with area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic of 0.84, recall (sensitivity) of 0.73, and precision of 0.50. Key features distinguishing PAH from non‐PAH cohorts were a longer time between first symptom and the prediagnosis model date (i.e., 6 months before diagnosis); more diagnostic and prescription claims, circulatory claims, and imaging procedures, leading to higher overall healthcare resource utilization; and more hospitalizations. Our model distinguishes between patients with and without PAH at 6 months before diagnosis and illustrates the feasibility of using routine claims data to identify patients at a population level who might benefit from PAH‐specific screening and/or earlier specialist referral.
Pulmonary vasodilator therapy in sarcoidosis‐associated pulmonary hypertension may decrease lung function decline and mortality
Authors: Gayen Shameek , Ansari Sohaib , Lashari Bilal H. , Zhao Huaqing , Criner Gerard J. , Gupta Rohit , James Mamary Albert
Published: June 2023

The efficacy of treating sarcoidosis‐associated pulmonary hypertension (SAPH) with pulmonary vasodilator therapy is unclear. The INCREASE trial showed improvement in 6‐minute walk distance (6MWD) and in decline in functional vital capacity (FVC) in patients with interstitial lung disease and pulmonary hypertension. We hypothesize that patients with SAPH treated with pulmonary vasodilators have reduced decline in FVC. We retrospectively analyzed patients with SAPH who underwent lung transplantation evaluation. The primary objective was to compare change in FVC between patients with SAPH who received pulmonary vasodilators (treated) and those who did not (untreated). Secondary objectives were to compare the change in 6MWD, change in oxygen requirement, transplant rates, and mortality between treated and untreated SAPH patients. We identified 58 patients with SAPH; 38 patients received pulmonary vasodilator therapy, and 20 patients did not. Treated SAPH patients had significantly less decline in FVC than untreated SAPH patients (+54 mL vs. −357 mL, p < 0.01). Treated SAPH patients had significantly higher survival than untreated SAPH patients. Receiving PH therapy was significantly associated with a change in FVC (estimate 0.36 ± 0.07, p < 0.01) and decreased mortality (hazard ratio 0.29, confidence interval 0.12–0.67, p < 0.01). Among patients with SAPH, those who received pulmonary vasodilator therapy had significantly less decline in FVC and increased survival. Receiving pulmonary vasodilator therapy was significantly associated with FVC change and decreased mortality. These study findings point towards potential benefit of pulmonary vasodilator therapy in SAPH patients. Further prospective studies are required to fully elucidate the benefits of pulmonary vasodilator therapy in SAPH.
Fractal characteristics of the middle reach of the Paraná River floodplain during extreme hydrological events
Authors: Espínola Luis Alberto , Yoya Federico , Sklar Deigo , Contreras Félix Ignacio , Abrial Elie , Albornoz Enrique Marcelo , Paira Aldo Raúl , Rabuffetti Ana Pia , Blettler Martín Cesar Maria , Aimar Hugo
Published: June 2023

The hydrological events that occur on floodplains are largely defined by precipitation and runoff inputs interacting with their geomorphological characteristics. In the middle Paraná River (MPR), hydrological events have traditionally been studied using water level time series and topographic charts or satellite images of certain floodplain sectors, using the same scale throughout the study area. Different zones of the floodplain were integrated using fractal dimension (FD) to better understand hydrological processes. FD is a useful tool used to characterize the geomorphological complexity of river networks in watersheds. The box‐counting method was applied in the MPR floodplain. The result showed that as water levels increase, FD decreases, thereby indicating the direct relation with the hydrological attributes of the floodplain (e.g., duration, magnitude, recurrence of the flood event, and connectivity). This relation constitutes the basis of a new approach of the analysis of hydrological events and their effect on the MPR floodplain. This research provides fundamental information obtained from two hydrological stages and different spatial scales which may complement the method designed to accurately understand the hydrogeomorphological processes that operate on the Paraná River floodplain. It provides a simple parameter that can be used to evaluate the role that each floodplain section plays in attenuating the hydrograph recorded at each gauge analyzed along the river. This information will be useful in the implementation of management policies directed to the mitigation of future hydrological threats generated by alterations in the hydrological regime due to hydroclimatic variations or watershed alterations. The results further strengthen the basis for integrated sustainable planning of the main channel of the Paraná River, its floodplain, and the resources provided by this ecosystem.
Exact inference for fixed effects meta‐analysis of 2×2$$ 2\times 2 $$ tables
Authors: Hansen Spencer , Rice Kenneth
Published: June 2023

Meta‐analysis of associations between rare outcomes and binary exposures are particularly important in studies of a drug's potential side‐effects. But meta‐analysis of the resulting contingency tables presents substantial practical difficulties, as analysts are currently forced to pick between “exact” inference—that eliminates concern over using large‐sample approximations with small cell counts—and explicitly allowing for heterogeneity of the underlying effects. A controversial example is given by the Avandia meta‐analysis (Nissen and Wolski. N Engl J Med. 2007;356(24):2457–2471) of rosiglitazone's effects on myocardial infarction and death. While the initial Avandia analysis—using simple methods—found a significant effect, its results conflict with subsequent re‐analyses that use either exact methods, or that explicitly acknowledge the plausible heterogeneity. In this article, we aim to resolve these difficulties, by providing an exact (albeit conservative) method that is valid under heterogeneity. We also provide a measure of the degree of conservatism, that indicates the approximate extent of the excess coverage. Applied to the Avandia data, we find support for Nissen and Wolski 2007's original results. Given that our method does not require strong assumptions or large cell counts, and provides intervals around the well‐known conditional maximum likelihood estimate, we anticipate that it could be an attractive default method for meta‐analysis of tables featuring rare events.
Improving Room‐Temperature Li‐Metal Battery Performance by In Situ Creation of Fast Li+ Transport Pathways in a Polymer‐Ceramic Electrolyte
Authors: Yu Jing , Zhou Guodong , Li Yueqing , Wang Yuhao , Chen Dengjie , Ciucci Francesco
Published: June 2023

Composite polymer‐ceramic electrolytes have shown considerable potential for high‐energy‐density Li‐metal batteries as they combine the benefits of both polymers and ceramics. However, low ionic conductivity and poor contact with electrodes limit their practical usage. In this study, a highly conductive and stable composite electrolyte with a high ceramic loading is developed for high‐energy‐density Li‐metal batteries. The electrolyte, produced through in situ polymerization and composed of a polymer called poly‐1,3‐dioxolane in a poly(vinylidene fluoride)/ceramic matrix, exhibits excellent room‐temperature ionic conductivity of 1.2 mS cm−1 and high stability with Li metal over 1500 h. When tested in a Li|electrolyte|LiFePO4 battery, the electrolyte delivers excellent cycling performance and rate capability at room temperature, with a discharge capacity of 137 mAh g−1 over 500 cycles at 1 C. Furthermore, the electrolyte not only exhibits a high Li+ transference number of 0.76 but also significantly lowers contact resistance (from 157.8 to 2.1 Ω) relative to electrodes. When used in a battery with a high‐voltage LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 cathode, a discharge capacity of 140 mAh g−1 is achieved. These results show the potential of composite polymer‐ceramic electrolytes in room‐temperature solid‐state Li‐metal batteries and provide a strategy for designing highly conductive polymer‐in‐ceramic electrolytes with electrode‐compatible interfaces.
Revealing the Role of Cerium on Precipitation Behavior of In Situ TiC Particles and Wear Resistance of High‐Titanium Wear‐Resistant Steels
Authors: Zhou Yanjun , Deng Xiangtao , Wang Qi , Li Chengru , Wang Xiaolei , Wang Zhaodong
Published: June 2023

Compared to conventional martensitic wear‐resistant steels of the same hardness, high‐titanium wear‐resistant steels with in situ TiC particles can significantly improve wear resistance. However, micron‐sized TiC particles will decrease the toughness of high‐titanium wear‐resistant steels. Here, in order to improve wear resistance without reducing impact toughness, we incorporate 0.0025% cerium elements into high‐titanium wear‐resistant steels. Compared with no cerium steel, the steel containing cerium is demonstrating comparable mechanical properties, with the yield strength of 1283 MPa and impact toughness of 35.6 J, and the wear performance of the steel containing cerium is 1.78 times that of the steel with no cerium. The results show that with the addition of cerium the effective grain size of the steel decreases, and yield strength and toughness increase. The addition of cerium can form intermetallic compounds of Ce2O2S, which are used as heterogeneous nuclear particles in TiC to form rare earth composite particles calculated by the 2D mismatch theoretical model of Bramfitt. As the average spacing of the reinforcing phase particles in the steel decreases, the effective grain size of the steel decreases, and the number of reinforcing phase particles increases, the wear resistance of the steel with the addition of cerium is optimized.
Nondestructive Tertiary Mill‐Scale Thickness Measurement on Commercial Hot‐Rolled Steel Strip: Terahertz Time‐of‐Flight Tomography
Authors: Zhai Min , Locquet Alexandre , Roquelet Cyrielle , Borean Jean-Luc , Meilland Philip , Citrin David S.
Published: June 2023

Measuring mill‐scale thickness in a nondestructive and noncontact fashion in a production environment remains a challenge, as knowledge of the thickness is central to processing of the steel strip. Terahertz time‐of‐flight tomography is demonstrated here to enable nondestructive and noncontact measurements of tertiary mill‐scale thickness down to ≈10 μm on production hot‐rolled steel, building on our recent work on thickness evaluation of laboratory‐produced scale on steel coupons. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) results show that the compositions of the mill‐scale films manufactured under production conditions are slightly different from the laboratory‐prepared steel coupons, resulting from the different compositions of phases present in the two types of samples. The mill‐scale thickness is obtained after advanced signal processing of the raw data and shows good agreement with values obtained from destructive measurements. Compared to conventional techniques, such as scanning electron microscopy which is destructive, eddy current testing, which requires direct contact with the surface of samples investigated and is not suitable for large areas, or elevated temperatures, and acoustic inspection, whose spatial resolution is largely limited by its relatively long‐wavelength, terahertz time‐of‐flight tomography may be implemented for in‐line nondestructive thickness characterization and quality control of optically thin tertiary mill scale on steel products, even in a production environment.
Effect of Yttrium Addition on Nonmetallic Inclusions in FeCrAl Alloys
Authors: Chen Ji , Zhu Hangyu , Wang Lanqing , Zhao Jixuan , Guo Shuai
Published: June 2023

To investigate the effect of yttrium (Y) addition on nonmetallic inclusions in FeCrAl alloys, a series of laboratory experiments and thermodynamic calculations are carried out as a function of reaction time and Y addition amount. Without Y addition, the main inclusion in FeCrAl alloys is AlN, and only a small amount of Al2O3 inclusions is evident. The higher content of Cr in FeCrAl alloy promotes the formation of Al2O3. Y addition can effectively modify Al2O3 inclusions to YAlO3 or YS inclusions. With the addition of 0.0046 wt% Y, the evolution route of inclusions in FeCrAl alloys with reaction time is Al2O3 → YAlO3‐Al2O3 → YAlO3. The variation in Al2O3 inclusions with increasing Y content is Al2O3 →YAlO3 → YS. The experimental results are consistent well with the thermodynamic calculation results.
Stable Strain State of Single‐Twinned AgPdF Nanoalloys under Formate Oxidation Reaction
Authors: Tang Quan , Guo Longfei , Jin Tao , Shan Shuang , Wang Qiao , Wang Junpeng , Pan Bowei , Li Zhen , Chai Yuanhao , Chen Fuyi
Published: June 2023

Surface reconstruction as common phenomenon during catalysis complicates the prediction and modeling on catalytic activity of the nanoalloy, hence developing a stable structure to be resistant to surface restructuring would provide an ideal prototype for substantial and reliable mechanism analysis. Herein, the single‐twinned structure in inverse AgPdF catalyst is constructed to enhance the catalytic activity and stability for the formate oxidation reaction (FOR). The single‐twinned AgPdF nanoalloy (t‐AgPdF) catalyst exhibits an enhanced peak current density of 4.6 A mgPd−1, a reduced onset potential of 0.44 V, a higher activity retention of 55.7% after 600 cycles, and a longer activity retention time of 55.9 h. Additionally, the t‐AgPdF catalyst presents a higher hydrogen generation rate of 1.11 mL mgPd−1 than that of single‐crystalline AgPd nanoalloy (AgPd) catalyst, and density functional theory calculations reveal that t‐AgPdF(111) surface exhibits a reduced activation energy of 0.59 eV for formate decomposition reaction. Impressively, the t‐AgPdF maintains compressive and tensile strain state along the Σ3 twin boundaries before and after the FOR, in contrast to AgPd. This is the first time to reveal that the nanotwinned structures contribute inverse t‐AgPdF catalysts the catalytic active sites with stable strain state since starting reaction for the FOR.
Data‐driven modeling and prediction on hysteresis behavior of flexure RC columns using deep learning networks
Authors: Guo Jiangmeng , Wang Luji , Shan Jiazeng
Published: June 2023

Hysteresis behavior of structural components has been one of the research focus for the structural engineering community for decades, comprehensively determines the structural performance and safety, and plays an important role in structural disaster mitigation. It is of great significance to continuously monitor structural responses and accurately characterize structural hysteresis. Currently, the nonlinear properties of real‐world structural components cannot be obtained before its failure. Thus, a historical database is collected firstly. Then, a data‐driven analysis method is proposed for predicting hysteresis behaviors of reinforced concrete (RC) columns. A bidirectional LSTM (BLSTM) network is developed to model and predict hysteresis curves. The data with unfixed lengths are specially processed to simultaneously guarantee a uniform size and avoid data loss, and the clipping layers are inserted in the model to clip off inferior predictions and improve the accuracy. This methodology is systematically studied and validated by employing a sythetic database generated by numerical simulation and the full‐scale experiment database named PEER database. Result shows that proposed BLSTM can predict the hysteresis curves of the RC components with acceptable accuracy and robustness. Moreover, the interpretability analysis is performed on identifying the learning and prediction principle of the BLSTM model on hysteresis prediction and its accuracy variation under different model architectures.
Multi‐Step Forecasting for Household Power Consumption
Authors: Zheng Yuanzhang , Xu Zhen , Liao Wei , Lin Binbin , Chen Jing
Published: June 2023

It is of great importance to build an accurate model for the multi‐step forecasting of household power consumption. In recent years, more and more researchers have focused on adopting hybrid models to execute forecasting due to the irregularity and nonlinearity of power data. However, existing forecasting models usually make predictions directly on original data. This paper introduces secondary decomposition algorithm used to decompose primal data. We use singular spectrum analysis (SSA) to decompose the original series into several subseries, utilize variational mode decomposition (VMD) optimized by whale optimization algorithm to decompose the subseries with the highest frequency into several intrinsic mode functions . Then all subseries obtained from SSA and VMD are fed into long short‐term memory model to get predictions. In order to confirm the validity of proposed model, this paper performs several experimental analyses. The results of experiments show that the proposed model effectively improves the accuracy of forecasting. © 2023 Institute of Electrical Engineer of Japan and Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Measuring transformative WASH: A new paradigm for evaluating water, sanitation, and hygiene interventions
Authors: Stoler Justin , Guzmán Danice B. , Adams Ellis A.
Published: June 2023

Progress toward achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6, clean water and sanitation for all, is behind schedule and faces substantial financial challenges. Rigorous water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) interventions have underperformed, casting doubt on their efficacy and potentially undermining confidence in WASH funding and investments. But these interventions have leaned on a narrow set of WASH indicators—linear growth and diarrhea—that reflect a 20th‐century prioritization of microbiological water quality as the most important measurement of WASH intervention success. Even when water is microbiologically safe, hundreds of millions of people face harassment, assault, injury, poisoning, anxiety, exhaustion, depression, social exclusion, discrimination, subjugation, hunger, debt, or work, school, or family care absenteeism when retrieving or consuming household water. Measures of WASH intervention success should incorporate these impacts to reinforce the WASH value proposition. We present a way forward for implementing a monitoring and evaluation paradigm shift that can help achieve transformative WASH.

This article is categorized under:

Engineering Water > Water, Health, and Sanitation

Human Water > Value of Water

Human Water > Methods