bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cholestasis: A Prospective Study of Perinatal Outcomes and Time to Symptom Improvement
Authors: Yule Casey S. , Holcomb Denisse S. , Kraus Alexandria C. , Brown Charles E.L. , McIntire Donald D. , Nelson David B. 
Published: September 2020

Objective Although intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) remains poorly understood, there are several perinatal complications associated with this condition. This study aimed to examine perinatal outcomes of women with ICP, evaluate outcomes according to severity of disease, and monitor time to symptom improvement following diagnosis.
Study Design It involves a prospective, observational study of women with ICP at a single institution. Women with new-onset pruritus without rash were referred to a high-risk obstetrics clinic and evaluated with fasting total bile acids (TBA). Laboratory-confirmed ICP was defined as fasting TBA ≥10 µmol/L. Following diagnosis, a standardized protocol was utilized, including treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA). Perinatal outcomes were compared amongst those with and without ICP, and to the general population. Women with ICP were further analyzed based on maximum TBA: 10 to 39, 40 to 99, and ≥100 µmol/L. A Kaplan-Meier survival curve was used to analyze time to symptom improvement.
Results A total of 404 patients were evaluated and 212 (52%) were diagnosed with ICP. The mean gestational age at diagnosis was 34.1 ± 3.3 weeks. When comparing those with ICP to those not confirmed, and to the general population, there were no differences in age, parity, mode of delivery, preeclampsia, or stillbirth (p > 0.05). Preterm birth was significantly associated with ICP (p < 0.01). This relationship was significant across increasing severity of TBA (p < 0.01) and persisted when examining rates of spontaneous preterm birth (p < 0.01). All women with fasting TBA ≥40 µmol/L delivered preterm due to premature rupture of membranes or spontaneous labor. Time to symptom improvement after diagnosis was over 2 weeks on average; however, this time increased with worsening severity of disease.
Conclusion Despite treatment with UDCA, women with ICP are at increased risk for spontaneous preterm birth, and this risk significantly increased with severity of disease. Although not significant, a trend exists between increasing time to symptom improvement and worsening severity of disease.
Key Points
Thoracolumbar Junction Fracture: Principle of Management
Authors: Prajapati Hanuman Prasad 
Published: September 2020

AbstractThe thoracolumbar junction (TLJ) is the most common site of traumatic spinal injury. Its management is a highly controversial area. There are no specific guidelines for management of these injuries. The primary goal of treatment of TLJ fractures involves protecting the spinal cord from further neural damage, obtaining the stability by reconstructing anatomical alignment of spinal column, and returning patients to workplace through early mobilization and rehabilitation. There is a great variation in evaluation of stability of these fractures, which is one of the crucial factors in deciding the treatment. Controversy also exists regarding conservative versus operative treatment, timing of intervention, anterior versus posterior approach, short versus long segment fixation, and bracing versus no bracing. This article had reviewed the conflicting results and recommendations for management of TLJ fractures of previously published reports in PubMed, PubMed Central, and Medline databases. We analyzed these related articles which addresses issues regarding evaluation of stability, indications for operative and conservative treatment, timing of surgery, surgical approach, and fusion length.
Retrospective Analytic Study of Neurosurgical Patients Who Developed Postoperative Hydrocephalus
Authors: Vemula Ramesh Chandra Venkata , Prasad B. C.M. , Kumar Kunal 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Objective This article discusses the causes, primary pathologies, management, and prognosis of patients who did not have hydrocephalus in preoperative stage, underwent definitive surgical procedure, and developed postoperative hydrocephalus requiring cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion procedures.
Methods Retrospective data collection was done from operation theatre (OT) department database and patient records were obtained for the patients after, related literature was searched, all possible risk factors were analyzed, and our results were compared with other studies.
Results A total of 80 cases were found eligible for the study. Decompressive craniectomy was the most common cause followed by aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), intraventricular, and cerebellopontine angle (CPA) tumors. Rate of postsurgical hydrocephalus was 15 to 16%. Cases of decompressive craniectomy presented late, only few cases required diversion procedures during the immediate postop period, mostly aneurysm cases and tumors bed bleed. Out of total 6 mortalities, none of them were directly attributable to hydrocephalus. Since most patient presented after initial stabilization, permanent ventriculoperitoneal shunting was found to be the best option.
Conclusion Cases of decompression surgery should be under vigilant follow-up after discharge and even after cranioplasty for risk of development of hydrocephalus and requirement of permanent shunting. Cases with intraventricular hemorrhage or SAH should be considered as future candidate with risk of developing hydrocephalus. Lamina terminalis opening whenever possible results in favorable outcome in cases of anterior circulation aneurysms. CSF protein analysis in cases of intraventricular and CPA tumors should be done whenever possible, preferably routinely.
Different mechanisms underlie implicit visual statistical learning in honey bees and humans
Authors: Avarguès-Weber Aurore , Finke Valerie , Nagy Márton , Szabó Tūnde , d’Amaro Daniele , Dyer Adrian G. , Fiser József 
Published: September 2020

Significance
Do animals encode statistical information about visual patterns the same way as humans do? If so, humans’ superior visual cognitive skills must depend on some other factors; if not, the nature of the differences can provide hints about what makes human learning so versatile. We provide a systematic comparison of automatic visual learning in humans and honey bees, showing that while bees do extract statistical information about co-occurrence contingencies of visual scenes, in contrast to humans, they do not automatically encode conditional information. Thus, acquiring implicit knowledge about the statistical properties of the visual environment may be a general mechanism in animals, but the richer representation developed automatically by humans might require specific probabilistic computational faculties.
A connectivity portfolio effect stabilizes marine reserve performance
Authors: Harrison Hugo B. , Bode Michael , Williamson David H. , Berumen Michael L. , Jones Geoffrey P. 
Published: September 2020

SignificanceNetworks of no-take marine reserves support local fisheries by ensuring a consistent supply of juvenile fish. We measured larval dispersal patterns for a highly exploited coral grouper and quantified temporal fluctuations in the recruitment contribution from a network of no-take marine reserves on the Great Barrier Reef. Although recruitment contributions from individual reserves are extremely variable, the reserve network generates a connectivity portfolio effect that successfully dampens the volatility of larval supply to nearby coral reefs. Our findings demonstrate that effective reserve networks can yield previously unrecognized stabilizing benefits that ensure a consistent replenishment of exploited fish stocks.
Particle motion on burned and vegetated hillslopes
Authors: Roth Danica L. , Doane Tyler H. , Roering Joshua J. , Furbish David J. , Zettler-Mann Aaron 
Published: September 2020

Significance
Commonly used sediment transport models are fundamentally unable to account for long-distance particle motions characteristic of steep regions. This type of transport is a primary cause of elevated erosion rates after wildfire and may even contribute to postfire debris flows in some areas. Here we show that the incineration of vegetation causes measurable changes in surface roughness that drastically increase particle travel distances. Our data demonstrate that long-distance particle motion falls into three distinct regimes along a continuum that can be systematically represented by a simple model that scales with surface slope, roughness, and particle size. These results represent a key first-order step toward accounting for the effects of surface roughness on long-distance transport when predicting postfire and steepland erosion.
Matched-filter coding of sky polarization results in an internal sun compass in the brain of the desert locust
Authors: Zittrell Frederick , Pfeiffer Keram , Homberg Uwe 
Published: September 2020

Significance
Many animals rely on the sun as a reference during spatial orientation. Insects can also use the pattern of polarization of the sky, generated by scattering of sunlight, as a guiding cue. We show here that certain neurons in the protocerebral bridge of the brain of the desert locust encode particular sun positions by responding best to a pattern of polarization generated by those sun positions. Across the protocerebral bridge, these neurons are arranged in a topographic, 360° compass with respect to angular orientation to the sun. This polarization-based compass is in line with a previously reported compass based on direct sunlight. Therefore, direct sunlight and whole-sky polarization complement each other in head direction coding in the locust.
Characterization and engineering of a two-enzyme system for plastics depolymerization
Authors: Knott Brandon C. , Erickson Erika , Allen Mark D. , Gado Japheth E. , Graham Rosie , Kearns Fiona L. , Pardo Isabel , Topuzlu Ece , Anderson Jared J. , Austin Harry P. , Dominick Graham , Johnson Christopher W. , Rorrer Nicholas A. , Szostkiewicz Caralyn J. , Copié Valérie , Payne Christina M. , Woodcock H. Lee , Donohoe Bryon S. , Beckham Gregg T. , McGeehan John E. 
Published: September 2020

Significance
Deconstruction of recalcitrant polymers, such as cellulose or chitin, is accomplished in nature by synergistic enzyme cocktails that evolved over millions of years. In these systems, soluble dimeric or oligomeric intermediates are typically released via interfacial biocatalysis, and additional enzymes often process the soluble intermediates into monomers for microbial uptake. The recent discovery of a two-enzyme system for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) deconstruction, which employs one enzyme to convert the polymer into soluble intermediates and another enzyme to produce the constituent PET monomers (MHETase), suggests that nature may be evolving similar deconstruction strategies for synthetic plastics. This study on the characterization of the MHETase enzyme and synergy of the two-enzyme PET depolymerization system may inform enzyme cocktail-based strategies for plastics upcycling.
Single-nucleus transcriptome analysis reveals dysregulation of angiogenic endothelial cells and neuroprotective glia in Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Lau Shun-Fat , Cao Han , Fu Amy K. Y. , Ip Nancy Y. 
Published: September 2020

Significance
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has complex pathological mechanisms. Our limited understanding of the molecular and cellular changes in AD hindered the identification of therapeutic targets. In this study, we profiled 169,496 nuclei from the prefrontal cortical samples of AD patients and healthy controls by single-nucleus RNA sequencing. The results indicated that there is a loss of neuroprotective glial cells in AD, which may contribute to impaired neurotransmitter recycling in astrocytes, demyelination in oligodendrocytes, and perturbed synaptic pruning in microglia. Moreover, the analysis revealed a role of antigen presentation by angiogenic endothelial cells in AD. Together, our findings offer important insights into the therapeutic potential of targeting glial- and endothelial-specific pathways to restore brain homeostasis in AD.
Nonlinear Cauchy problem and identification in contact mechanics: a solving method based on Bregman-gap
Authors: Andrieux S , Baranger T N 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
This paper proposes a solution method for identification problems in the context of contact mechanics when overabundant data are available on a part Γ
m
of the domain boundary while data are missing from another part of this boundary. The first step is then to find a solution to a Cauchy problem. The method used by the authors for solving Cauchy problems consists of expanding the displacement field known on Γ
m
toward the inside of the solid via the minimization of a function that measures the gap between solutions of two well-posed problems, each one exploiting only one of the superabundant data. The key question is then to build an appropriate gap functional in strongly nonlinear contexts. The proposed approach exploits a generalization of the Bregman divergence, using the thermodynamic potentials as generating functions within the framework of generalized standard materials (GSMs), but also implicit GSMs in order to address Coulomb friction. The robustness and efficiency of the proposed method are demonstrated by a numerical bi-dimensional application dealing with a cracked elastic solid with unilateral contact and friction effects on the crack’s lips.
High-speed spatial encoding of modulated pump–probe signals with slow area detectors
Authors: Schick Daniel , Steinbach Felix , Noll Tino , Strüber Christian , Engel Dieter , von Korff Schmising Clemens , Pfau Bastian , Eisebitt Stefan 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Most of today’s pump–probe experiments, which rely on two-dimensional detectors, suffer from low read-out rates that prevent the implementation of fast lock-in techniques to increase the signal-to-noise ratio. The first cameras running at true kHz-frame rates are available at large-scale facilities, but require sophisticated data management strategies. Here we present a scheme for high-speed spatial encoding of modulated pump–probe signals using slow area detectors at full repetition rate of a laser system without an increase in data rate or change of the sample environment. Towards that end we block the probe light in front of the detector alternatingly with two inverted masks at the same frequency as the signal is modulated, e.g. the chopping frequency of the pump light. Modulation frequencies up to 500 Hz are demonstrated using a commercial mechanical chopper and have been applied to a time-resolved Faraday microscopy experiment probing all-optical magnetic switching of a GdFe-alloy with femtosecond temporal resolution. We believe that our concept bridges the gap between today’s slow area detectors and the upcoming generation of true kHz-frame-rate cameras.
In-situ electrical conductance measurement of suspended ultra-narrow graphene nanoribbons observed via transmission electron microscopy
Authors: Liu Chunmeng , Zhang Jiaqi , Zhang Xiaobin , Muruganathan Manoharan , Mizuta Hiroshi , Oshima Yoshifumi 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Graphene nanoribbon is an attractive material for nano-electronic devices, as their electrical transport performance can be controlled by their edge structures. However, in most cases, the electrical transport has been investigated only for graphene nanoribbons fabricated on a substrate, which hinders the appearance of intrinsic electrical transport due to screening effects. In this study, we developed special devices based on silicon chips for transmission electron microscopy to observe a monolayer graphene nanoribbon suspended between two gold electrodes. Moreover, with the development of an in-situ transmission electron microscopy holder, the current–voltage characteristics were achieved simultaneously with observing and modifying the structure. We found that the current–voltage characteristics differed between 1.5 nm-wide graphene nanoribbons with armchair and zigzag edge structures. The energy gap of the zigzag edge was more than two-fold larger than that of the armchair edge and exhibited an abrupt jump above a critical bias voltage in the differential conductance curve. Thus, our in-situ transmission electron microscopy method is promising for elucidating the structural dependence of electrical conduction in two-dimensional materials.
Fast and efficient nanoparticle trapping using plasmonic connected nanoring apertures
Authors: Bouloumis Theodoros D , Kotsifaki Domna G , Han Xue , Chormaic Síle Nic , Truong Viet Giang 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
The manipulation of microparticles using optical forces has led to many applications in the life and physical sciences. To extend optical trapping towards the nano-regime, in this work we demonstrate trapping of single nanoparticles in arrays of plasmonic coaxial nano-apertures with various inner disk sizes and theoretically estimate the associated forces. A high normalized experimental trap stiffness of 3.50 fN nm−1 mW−1
μm−2 for 20 nm polystyrene particles is observed for an optimum design of 149 nm for the nanodisk diameter at a trapping wavelength of 980 nm. Theoretical simulations are used to interpret the enhancement of the observed trap stiffness. A quick particle trapping time of less than 8 s is obtained at a concentration of 14 × 1011 particles ml−1 with low incident laser intensity of 0.59 mW μm−2. This good trapping performance with fast delivery of nanoparticles to multiple trapping sites emerges from a combination of the enhanced electromagnetic near-field and spatial temperature increase. This work has applications in nanoparticle delivery and trapping with high accuracy, and bridges the gap between optical manipulation and nanofluidics.
Synthesis and antimicrobial properties of CaCO3-nAg and nAg-CaCO3 nanocomposites
Authors: Długosz Olga , Lis Kinga , Banach Marcin 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
The nanocomposites of nAg-CaCO3 and CaCO3-nAg with different mass content of silver nanoparticles were obtained in a two-stage continuous microwave process. The nanocomposites were characterized by XRD, TEM, UV–vis, and FTIR spectroscopy. The effects of microwave radiation, silver nanoparticles content in the composite and the molar ratio of tannic acid to silver on the size of salt crystallites were studied. The effectiveness of combining silver nanoparticles with CaCO3 was confirmed to exceed 99%. Depending on the input parameters applied, the size of salt crystals in nAg/CaCO3 nanocomposites ranged from 25 to 45 nm, while the size of salt crystals in CaCO3/nAg nanocomposites ranged from 26 to 41 nm. In addition, some of the compositions were tested for their antimicrobial activity on selected yeast and bacterial microorganisms. The prepared materials present a biocidal effect, which makes them suitable for use in antimicrobial preparations.
Nanocluster glass-formation: a potential energy landscape perspective
Authors: Sun D Y , Gong X G 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
The intrinsic nature of glass states or glass transitions has been a mystery for a long time. Recent studies have suggested that glass-formation versus crystallization occurs for potential energy landscapes (PEL) having a specific structure and the present work is an elaboration of this perspective. To explore how the flatness of the PEL related to glass transition, we develop a method to adjust the PEL in a controllable manner. We demonstrate that a relatively flat PEL is not only necessary but also sufficient for the formation of a nanoscale glass. We show that: (1) as long as a nanocluster is located in a region of PEL with local minimum deep enough, it can undergo an abrupt thermodynamic transition reminiscent of the first order transition of bulk materials; and (2) if a nanocluster is located in a relatively flat PEL, it can undergo a very broad transition in their dynamics and thermodynamics that resembles glass-formation in bulk materials in many ways. All these transitions are independent of its structure symmetry, order or disorder. Our simulations also uncover the direct transition from one potential energy minimum to another below the glass transition temperature, which is the consequence of flat PELs.
Effect of surface modification and H2 reduction of WO3 nanoparticles in Methylene Blue photodegradation
Authors: Siddique Fizza , Gonzalez-Cortes Sergio , Xiao Tiancun , Rafiq M A , Edwards Peter P 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
We report the chemical synthesis of WO3 nanoparticles, PtOx–WO3 nanoparticles and Pt–WO3 nanoparticles with an average particle size of 20 nm. X-ray diffraction confirmed the formation of crystalline nanoparticles and the transmission electron microscope (TEM) images clearly show the presence of elemental Pt on WO3 nanoparticles (NPs). Moreover, Energy Dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and Raman spectroscopy confirm the presence of Pt on the surface of WO3 NPs. The bandgap of WO3, PtOx–WO3 and Pt–WO3 was 2.78 eV, 2.59 eV and 2.28 eV respectively as determined by UV visible (UV–vis) spectroscopy. The H2-Temperature Programme Reduction (TPR) of WO3 and PtOx–WO3 NPs confirms the increase in interaction of H2 with PtOx–WO3 NPs. The photocatalytic performance of WO3 NPs, PtOx–WO3 NPs and Pt–WO3 NPs was investigated for Methylene Blue (MB) degradation. Samples of PtOx–WO3 showed higher photocatalytic rate for MB degradation than WO3 NPs. Importantly, a further increase in MB degradation efficiency was observed using Pt–WO3 NPs photocatalyst. Apparent reaction rate constants ‘kapp’ for MB degradation, calculated from a Langmuir model are 0.003 ± 0.001 min−1, 0.018 ± 0.003 min−1 and 0.040 ± 0.001 min−1 for WO3, PtOx–WO3 and Pt–WO3 NPs photocatalyst respectively. The increase in the degradation performance was attributed to surface defects and surface generation of oxygen vacancies during H2 reduction. The Pt–WO3 NPs exhibited 94.7 ± 0.6% Safranin-O (SO) degradation in 80 min and in this case the

k

a
p
p

0.027 ± 0.001 min−1.
Impact of RBC Transfusion on Peripheral Capillary Oxygen Saturation and Partial Pressure of Arterial Oxygen
Authors: Turgeman Alexa , McRae Hannah L , Cahill Christine , Blumberg Neil , Refaai Majed A 
Published: September 2020

Abstract

Objectives
RBCs are known to undergo deleterious changes during storage, known as storage lesions, which have been shown to result in decreased oxygen-carrying capacity. However, there is inadequate literature describing the effects of stored RBC allogeneic transfusion on oxygen parameters in vivo. The oxygen standard parameters were retrospectively assessed before and after RBC transfusion.

Methods
Patients who received 1 RBC transfusion were assessed for hemoglobin (Hb) levels, peripheral capillary oxygen saturation (Spo2), and partial pressure of arterial oxygen (Pao2) from 12 hours before and 24 hours after transfusion.

Results
In total, 78 patients who were monitored by Spo2 and 28 patients monitored by Pao2 were included in this analysis. Following RBC transfusion, Hb levels increased significantly (P &lt; .001); however, there was a significant decrease in both Spo2 and Pao2 within 24 hours after transfusion (P = .04 and P = .003, respectively), indicating lower tissue oxygenation and lower soluble oxygen level.

Conclusions
This single-center, retrospective study revealed evidence of significantly decreased oxygenation and tissue perfusion after single-unit RBC transfusion, despite corrected Hb levels.