bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of left ventricular function and mitral regurgitation during left ventricular‐based pacing in patients with heart failure
Authors: Yves Etienne , Mansourati Jacques , Touiza Abdelkader , Martine Gilard , Bertault‐Valls Valérie , Guillo Philippe , Jacques Boschat , Blanc Jean Jacques 
Published: July 2002

AbstractBackground:Beneficial effects of left ventricular (LV)‐based pacing on acute hemodynamic parameters were reported in several series, but only a few studies examined the long‐term effects of this new pacing procedure.Aims:To assess long‐term effects of permanent LV‐based pacing on LV function and mitral regurgitation (MR) in patients with refractory congestive heart failure (CHF).Methods:A prospective evaluation of LV function and MR was performed in 23 patients with severe but stable CHF and left bundle branch block (mean QRS: 186±31 ms) by radionuclide and echocardiographic techniques at baseline and 6 months after implantation of a permanent LV‐based (LV alone: 13 patients; biventricular: 10 patients) pacemaker programmed either in a DDD mode (sinus rhythm; n ‐ 14) or in a VVIR mode (atrial fibrillation; n ‐ 9).Results:Compared to baseline, the 6 months follow‐up visit demonstrated a significant increase in radionuclide derived LV ejection fraction from 23.3±7 to 26.2±7% (P < 0.01) and in echocardiographic LV fractional shortening from 13±4 to 16±6% (P < 0.05), without any change in cardiac index, a significant decrease in LV end‐diastolic diameter (from 73.2±6 to 71.2±7 mm; P < 0.05), end‐systolic diameter (from 63.6±6 to 60.2±8 mm; P < 0.05) and color Doppler MR jet area (from 11.5±6 to 6.6±4 cm1; P < 0.001). A comparison of patients with LV pacing alone and patients with biventricular pacing showed similar beneficial effects of pacing on MR severity in the two subgroups and a non‐significant trend for a better improvement of LV function during biventricular pacing.Conclusion:Thus, in patients with severe CHF and left bundle branch block, permanent LV‐based pacing may significantly improve LV systolic function and decrease MR.
Update of REACH‐1 and MERIT‐HF clinical trials in heart failure
Authors: Mylona Panayiota , Cleland John G.F. ,   On behalf of the Cardio.net Editorial Team
Published: July 2002

AbstractBackground:This article reviews the design and results of REACH‐1 (Research on Endothelin Antagonism in Chronic Heart Failure) and MERIT (Metoprolol controlled and Extended release, Randomised Intervention Trial in congestive Heart Failure), two recently reported clinical trials that investigated, respectively, the role of a non‐selective endothelin antagonist (bosentan) and of a β‐selective blocker for the treatment of heart failure. Results: The REACH‐1 trial demonstrated that initiation of bosentan therapy is associated with an increased risk of worsening heart failure. However, long‐term therapy with bosentan may have improved symptoms and favourably altered the progression of heart failure. The MERIT‐HF clinical trial indicated that β‐blockade using metoprolol confers a significant beneficial effect on total mortality in patients with stable chronic heart failure.
Breastfeeding Duration among Low Income Women
Authors: Milligan Renee A. , Pugh Linda C. , Bronner Yvonne L. , Spatz Diane L. , Brown Linda P. 
Published: July 2002

ABSTRACTBreastfeeding has been identified as a possible deterrent to the development of osteoporosis and breast cancer in women. In addition, infants who are breastfed exclusively for at least 4 months reportedly have fewer incidence of SIDS, ear infection, diarrhea, and allergies. Further, low income women who breastfeed may be empowered by the experience. Increasing the frequency and duration of breastfeeding is recognized as a national priority, particularly for low income, minority women. Yet, recent national data indicate that in 1997, only 16.5% of low income mothers breastfed for at least 6 months. Short breastfeeding duration in low income women may be due to problems unique to them; thus, consistent and comprehensive breastfeeding support should be provided by midwives, nurses, lactation consultants, and peer counselors who are skilled in culturally sensitive management of lactation within the context of limited financial and social resources. This article focuses on the benefits of breastfeeding, and factors that may influence its duration. It also explores culturally relevant strategies as well as suggested interventions to increase breastfeeding duration among low‐income women.
EXAMINATION ADAPTATION: TRANSLATING THE NATIONAL NURSE‐MIDWIFERY/MIDWIFERY CERTIFICATION EXAMINATION
Authors: Fullerton Judith T. , Parker Katherine W. , Gross Leon J. 
Published: July 2002

ABSTRACTThe national certification examination in nurse‐midwifery/midwifery was adapted to the Puerto‐Rican Spanish language. Specific attention was paid to creating a version of the examination that was both culturally and linguistically relevant, while remaining appropriately representative of national standards of practice. The procedures used in translation and cultural adaptation are described. The process used in review of the examination followed usual and customary practice. This included consideration of item critiques received from candidates (qualitative data) and the computation of standard measures of item performance, including item difficulty indices and the standard error of measurement (quantitative data). Additional analyses conducted for this specific purpose included the calculation of an index of differential item performance between both language versions. All measures of assessment indicated that the adapted language version was of high quality and psychometrically equivalent to the English language version, which was the comparison standard.
The Circle of Safety: A Tool for Clinical Preceptors
Authors: Hunter Lauren P. , Burst Helen Varney 
Published: July 2002

ABSTRACTThe Circle of Safety is a tool for all clinical faculty, regardless of profession and regardless of locale. Applying principles of teaching‐learning, the Circle of Safety was originally developed by the author for use by clinical preceptors in nurse‐midwifery education. Its purpose is to provide a structure that removes a major obstacle to learning and facilitates student efforts to learn in accord with an individual's pattern of learning.
Methodological approach to create an atlas using a commercial auto‐contouring software
Authors: Casati Marta , Piffer Stefano , Calusi Silvia , Marrazzo Livia , Simontacchi Gabriele , Di Cataldo Vanessa , Greto Daniela , Desideri Isacco , Vernaleone Marco , Francolini Giulio , Livi Lorenzo , Pallotta Stefania 
Published: November 2020

AbstractPurposeThe aim of this work was to establish a methodological approach for creation and optimization of an atlas for auto‐contouring, using the commercial software MIM MAESTRO (MIM Software Inc. Cleveland OH).MethodsA computed tomography (CT) male pelvis atlas was created and optimized to evaluate how different tools and options impact on the accuracy of automatic segmentation. Pelvic lymph nodes (PLN), rectum, bladder, and femurs of 55 subjects were reviewed for consistency by a senior consultant radiation oncologist with 15 yr of experience. Several atlas and workflow options were tuned to optimize the accuracy of auto‐contours. The deformable image registration (DIR), the finalization method, the k number of atlas best matching subjects, and several post‐processing options were studied. To test our atlas performances, automatic and reference manual contours of 20 test subjects were statistically compared based on dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and mean distance to agreement (MDA) indices. The effect of field of view (FOV) reduction on auto‐contouring time was also investigated.ResultsWith the optimized atlas and workflow, DSC and MDA median values of bladder, rectum, PLN, and femurs were 0.91 and 1.6 mm, 0.85 and 1.6 mm, 0.85 and 1.8 mm, and 0.96 and 0.5 mm, respectively. Auto‐contouring time was more than halved by strictly cropping the FOV of the subject to be contoured to the pelvic region.ConclusionA statistically significant improvement of auto‐contours accuracy was obtained using our atlas and optimized workflow instead of the MIM Software pelvic atlas.
Evaluation of deep learning‐based auto‐segmentation algorithms for delineating clinical target volume and organs at risk involving data for 125 cervical cancer patients
Authors: Wang Zhi , Chang Yankui , Peng Zhao , Lv Yin , Shi Weijiong , Wang Fan , Pei Xi , Xu X. George 
Published: November 2020

AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate the accuracy of a deep learning‐based auto‐segmentation mode to that of manual contouring by one medical resident, where both entities tried to mimic the delineation "habits" of the same clinical senior physician.MethodsThis study included 125 cervical cancer patients whose clinical target volumes (CTVs) and organs at risk (OARs) were delineated by the same senior physician. Of these 125 cases, 100 were used for model training and the remaining 25 for model testing. In addition, the medical resident instructed by the senior physician for approximately 8 months delineated the CTVs and OARs for the testing cases. The dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and the Hausdorff Distance (HD) were used to evaluate the delineation accuracy for CTV, bladder, rectum, small intestine, femoral‐head‐left, and femoral‐head‐right.ResultsThe DSC values of the auto‐segmentation model and manual contouring by the resident were, respectively, 0.86 and 0.83 for the CTV (P < 0.05), 0.91 and 0.91 for the bladder (P > 0.05), 0.88 and 0.84 for the femoral‐head‐right (P < 0.05), 0.88 and 0.84 for the femoral‐head‐left (P < 0.05), 0.86 and 0.81 for the small intestine (P < 0.05), and 0.81 and 0.84 for the rectum (P > 0.05). The HD (mm) values were, respectively, 14.84 and 18.37 for the CTV (P < 0.05), 7.82 and 7.63 for the bladder (P > 0.05), 6.18 and 6.75 for the femoral‐head‐right (P > 0.05), 6.17 and 6.31 for the femoral‐head‐left (P > 0.05), 22.21 and 26.70 for the small intestine (P > 0.05), and 7.04 and 6.13 for the rectum (P > 0.05). The auto‐segmentation model took approximately 2 min to delineate the CTV and OARs while the resident took approximately 90 min to complete the same task.ConclusionThe auto‐segmentation model was as accurate as the medical resident but with much better efficiency in this study. Furthermore, the auto‐segmentation approach offers additional perceivable advantages of being consistent and ever improving when compared with manual approaches.
Bifunctional Bis‐benzophenone as A Solid Additive for Non‐Fullerene Solar Cells
Authors: Fan Pu , Sun Wenjian , Zhang Xiaohua , Wu Yao , Hu Qin , Zhang Qing , Yu Junsheng , Russell Thomas P. 
Published: November 2020

AbstractSimultaneously improving efficiency and stability is critical for the commercial application of non‐fullerene acceptor polymer solar cells (NFA‐PSCs). Multifunctional solid additives have been considered as a potential route to tune the morphology of the active layer and optimize performance. In this work, photoinitiator bifunctional bis‐benzophenone (BP‐BP) is used as a solid additive, replacing solvent additives, in the PBDB‐T:ITIC NFA system. With the addition of BP‐BP, the intermolecular π–π stacking of PBDB‐T and morphology is improved, leading to more balanced carrier transport and more effective exciton dissociation. Devices fabricated with BP‐BP show a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 11.89%, with enhanced short‐circuit current (Jsc), and fill factor (FF). Devices optimized with BP‐BP show excellent reproducibility, insensitivity to thickness, and an improved thermal stability under atmospheric conditions without encapsulation. This work provides a new strategy for the application of solid additives in NFA‐PSCs.
Photosynthetic Nanomaterial Hybrids for Bioelectricity and Renewable Energy Systems
Authors: Kim Yong Jae , Hong Hyeonaug , Yun JaeHyoung , Kim Seon Il , Jung Ho Yun , Ryu WonHyoung 
Published: November 2020

AbstractHarvesting solar energy in the form of electricity from the photosynthesis of plants, algal cells, and bacteria has been researched as the most environment‐friendly renewable energy technology in the last decade. The primary challenge has been the engineering of electrochemical interfacing with photosynthetic apparatuses, organelles, or whole cells. However, with the aid of low‐dimensional nanomaterials, there have been many advances, including enhanced photon absorption, increased generation of photosynthetic electrons (PEs), and more efficient transfer of PEs to electrodes. These advances have demonstrated the possibility for the technology to advance to a new level. In this article, the fundamentals of photosynthesis are introduced. How PE harvesting systems have improved concerning solar energy absorption, PE production, and PE collection by electrodes is discussed. The review focuses on how different kinds of nanomaterials are applied and function in interfacing with photosynthetic materials for enhanced PE harvesting. Finally, the review analyzes how the performance of PE harvesting and stand‐alone systems have evolved so far and its future prospects.
Wettability Engineering for Studying Ion Transport in 2D Layered Materials
Authors: Kühne Matthias , Zhao Dong , Zschieschang Ute , Buck Regina , Müller Michaela , Klauk Hagen , Smet Jurgen H. 
Published: November 2020

AbstractLayered materials are widely used for their capacity to incorporate and store foreign ionic species. It has become possible to exploit this process at the level of single crystals consisting of individual atomic layers: 2D materials and their van der Waals heterostructures. Due to the small size of available high‐quality specimen, however, it remains challenging to probe ion transport and storage in these systems. To promote future advances in this field, wettability engineering is introduced as a strategy for the on‐chip integration of electrolytes with micrometer‐sized samples of 2D materials. Contact angles are systematically measured for a variety of electrolyte–surface couples to identify a rational device design, and engineer lateral contrasts in surface chemistry to control the rims of drop cast electrolytes with micrometer precision. This allows covering single crystalline flakes of 2D materials only partially, leaving most of the sample surface uncovered and imposing directionality on ion transport. Wettability engineering is used to fabricate few‐layer graphene electrochemical micro two‐compartment cells that display chemical diffusion of lithium on the order of 10−8 cm2 s−1. While the approach is transferrable to other 2D materials and ionic species, it can also benefit device design for the study of nonlocal electrolyte gating effects.
Toward Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells by 2D Interface Energy Band Alignment
Authors: Wang Weiwei , Su Zhenhuang , Sun Bo , Tao Lei , Gu Hao , Hui Wei , Wei Qi , Shi Wei , Gao Xingyu , Xia Yingdong , Chen Yonghua 
Published: November 2020

AbstractInterfacial engineering is essential for facilitating carrier separation, charge extraction, and enhancing the stability in organic–inorganic perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Herein, a facile and effective method is demonstrated not only to tune the electronic performance of electron transporting layer (ETL) but also to passivate the defects at the interface between the ETL and perovskite. On the top of the tin(IV) oxide (SnO2) ETL, butylammonium chloride (BACl) and lead(II) iodide (PbI2) are introduced as interface to modify the ETL/perovskite interface. The PSCs with interface modified exhibit a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 21.15%, compared to 18.33% for the device without interface modified. Such enhancement in efficiency is mainly attributed to a better energy band alignment, and the quality of perovskite films is improved through the interface modification, thus enhancing photogenerated charge extraction and leading to low charge carrier recombination at the interface of ETL/perovskite. Furthermore, the device with interface modified exhibits significant stability. This work provides an alternative strategy on the ETL/perovskite interface to obtain highly stable and efficient PSCs.
A 3D Printed Morphing Nozzle to Control Fiber Orientation during Composite Additive Manufacturing
Authors: Armstrong Connor D. , Todd Noah , Alsharhan Abdullah T. , Bigio David I. , Sochol Ryan D. 
Published: November 2020

AbstractFiber‐filled composite materials offer a unique pathway to enable new functionalities for systems built via extrusion‐based additive manufacturing (or “3D printing”); however, challenges remain in controlling the fiber orientations that govern ultimate performance. In this work, a multi‐material, shape‐changing nozzle—constructed by means of PolyJet 3D printing—is presented that allows for the spatial distribution of short fibers embedded in polymer matrices to be modulated on demand throughout extrusion‐based deposition processes. Specifically, the nozzle comprises flexible bladders that can be inflated pneumatically to alter the geometry of the material extrusion channel from a straight to a converging–diverging configuration, and in turn, the directional orientation of fibers within printed filaments. Experimental results for printing carbon microfiber‐hydrogel composites reveal that increasing the nozzle actuation pressure from 0 to 100 kPa reduced the proportion of aligned fibers, and notably, prompted a transition from anisotropic to isotropic water‐induced swelling properties (i.e., the ratio of transverse to longitudinal swelling strain decreased from 1.73 ± 0.37 to 0.93 ± 0.39, respectively). In addition, dynamically varying the nozzle geometry during the extrusion of continuous composite filaments effects distinct swelling behaviors in adjacent regions, suggesting potential utility of the presented approach for emerging “4D printing” applications.
Biocomposite scaffolds for 3D cell culture: Propolis enriched polyvinyl alcohol nanofibers favoring cell adhesion
Authors: Bilginer Rumeysa , Ozkendir‐Inanc Dilce , Yildiz Umit Hakan , Arslan‐Yildiz Ahu 
Published: November 2020

AbstractThe objective of this work is generation of propolis/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) scaffold by electrospinning for 3D cell culture. Here, PVA used as co‐spinning agent since propolis alone cannot be easily processed by electrospinning methodology. Propolis takes charge in maximizing biological aspect of scaffold to facilitate cell attachment and proliferation. Morphological analysis showed size of the electrospun nanofibers varied between 172–523 nm and 345–687 nm in diameter, for non‐crosslinked and crosslinked scaffolds, respectively. Incorporation of propolis resulted in desired surface properties of hybrid matrix, where hybrid scaffolds highly favored protein adsorption. To examine cell compatibility, NIH‐3T3 and HeLa cells were seeded on propolis/PVA hybrid scaffold. Results confirmed that integration of propolis supported cell adhesion and cell proliferation. Also, results indicated electrospun propolis/PVA hybrid scaffold provide suitable microenvironment for cell culturing. Therefore, developed hybrid scaffold could be considered as potential candidate for 3D cell culture and tissue engineering.
Poly(vinylidene fluoride)/thermoplastic polyurethane flexible and 3D printable conductive composites
Authors: Bertolini Mayara C. , Dul Sithiprumnea , Barra Guilherme M. O. , Pegoretti Alessandro 
Published: November 2020

AbstractThis work focus on the development of polymeric blends to produce multifunctional materials for 3D printing with enhanced electrical and mechanical properties. In this context, flexible and highly conductive materials comprising poly(vinylidene fluoride)/thermoplastic polyurethane (PVDF/TPU) filled with carbon black‐polypyrrole (CB‐PPy) were prepared by compression molding, filament extrusion and fused filament fabrication. In order to achieve an optimal compromise between electrical conductivity, mechanical properties and printability, blends composition was optimized and different CB‐PPy content were added. Overall, the electrical conductivities of PVDF/TPU 50/50 vol% co‐continuous blend were higher than those found for PVDF/TPU 50/50 wt% (i.e., 38/62 vol%) composites at same filler content. PVDF/TPU/CB‐PPy 3D printed samples with 6.77 vol% filler fraction presented electrical conductivity of 4.14 S m−1 and elastic modulus, elongation at break and maximum tensile stress of 0.43 GPa, 10.3% and 10.0 MPa, respectively. These results highlight that PVDF/TPU/CB‐PPy composites are promising materials for technological applications.
Influence of Neighborhood Environment on Physical Activity Participation among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Fiscella Nicole A. , Case Layne K. , Jung Jaehun , Yun Joonkoo 
Published: November 2020

Despite the positive influence of environmental factors on physical activity (PA) levels of children, further investigation is necessary when considering the unique characteristics of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between neighborhood environment factors and PA among children with ASD by examining the extent to which (a) the built environment, (b) neighborhood safety, and (c) neighborhood support contributes to PA. A secondary data analysis using the 2016 and 2017 combined dataset of the National Survey of Children's Health was used. The total sample included 14,944 children between the ages of 6–17 years; of this, a sample of 494 children had a parent‐reported diagnosis of ASD. Multivariate logistic regressions were conducted to explore the unique influences of the above three neighborhood environment factors on PA engagement. Among children with and without ASD, an association was found between feeling safe and engaging in PA, that is, the odds of engaging in PA are greater among children who were safe in their neighborhoods than children who were not in safe neighborhoods. Surprisingly, other neighborhood factors do not have a significant relationship with PA participation among children with ASD at this time. Future studies should consider how to incorporate the support of others and feeling of safety into the neighborhood along with how to improve accessibility of the built environment in order to increase PA for children with ASD.Lay SummaryThe results of this study showed that neighborhood factors influence physical activity (PA) among children with ASD differently compared to their peers without ASD. Children with ASD who live in safe neighborhoods are more likely to engage in PA, while other neighborhood factors, such as playgrounds and support, are not associated with an increased likelihood of engaging in PA at this time. Efforts should be made to improve neighborhood accessibility and design in order to increase PA among children with ASD.