bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A review concerning the main factors that interfere in the electrical percolation threshold content of polymeric antistatic packaging with carbon fillers as antistatic agent
Authors: Vieira Leonardo de Souza , dos Anjos Erick Gabriel Ribeiro , Verginio Gleice Ellen Almeida , Oyama Isabela Cesar , Braga Natália Ferreira , da Silva Thaís Ferreira , Montagna Larissa Stieven , Passador Fabio Roberto 
Published: June 2021

AbstractThe use of high contents of carbon fillers in polymeric composites may decrease the mechanical properties of the polymeric matrices, as well as reduce their processability and increase the production costs of antistatic packaging used in the electronic industry. Therefore, it is of great technological interest the research on alternative approaches to produce polymer composites with low electrical percolation threshold. In this way, this review article focuses on the discussion of the main factors that interfere in the electrical percolation threshold of electrically conductive polymer composites, such as the aspect ratio of the carbon fillers and its particle size, the compatibility between the composite phases, the crystallinity degree of the polymeric matrix, the processing route and the location of fillers in multi‐phase polymer blends. Additionally, the review article reports the latest studies related to the obtainment of polymer composites with low percolation threshold contents and produced with different types of carbon fillers.
Long‐term effectiveness and safety of bladder augmentation in spina bifida patients
Authors: Romero‐Maroto Jesús , Martinez‐Cayuelas Laura , Gómez‐Pérez Luis , Sarrió‐Sanz Pau , Olarte Barragán Edgar , López‐López Ana Isabel 
Published: June 2021

AbstractAimsTo establish the long‐term efficacy and safety of bladder augmentation in spina bifida patients.Material and MethodsSixteen patients were operated on using the Bramble technique. Preoperative and postoperative evaluation included clinical history, blood tests, urine cultures, cystography, pyelography, ultrasound, and filling cystometry. In the final review a standardized quality of life questionnaire was applied.ResultsMedian follow‐up was 20 years (15–26). Kidney function was stabilized except for one case that required a kidney transplant. Hydronephrosis disappeared or improved (p = 0.03). Vesicoureteral reflux grades I–II was cured without reimplantation and grades III‐IV responded better with reimplantation than without (p = 0.03). Quality of life improved in all patients, with all stating they would undergo the procedure again. After surgery, 94% of the patients exhibited diurnal continence but 25% exhibited nocturnal incontinence. Pressure at capacity decreased and bladder capacity increased (p < 0.001). One patient presented ureteral fistula with another presenting hemorrhage. Both required immediate surgical review. Late complications included urinary sphincter cuff erosion, renal lithiasis, four instances of bladder lithiasis and repeated pyelonephritis in one 24‐year‐old patient. All required surgery. The mean of urinary infections fell, from 2.5 per year (0.7) to 1 (0.5) (p = 0.03).ConclusionAugmentation cystoplasty (AC) maintains its efficacy and improves quality of life in the long term. However, serious surgical complications can ensue, along with minor or major subsequent complications. This should be considered before surgery and makes lifelong monitoring of patients necessary.
Oxygen‐enhanced functional lung imaging using a contemporary 0.55 T MRI system
Authors: Bhattacharya Ipshita , Ramasawmy Rajiv , Javed Ahsan , Chen Marcus Y. , Benkert Thomas , Majeed Waqas , Lederman Robert J. , Moss Joel , Balaban Robert S. , Campbell‐Washburn Adrienne E. 
Published: June 2021

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to evaluate oxygen‐enhanced pulmonary imaging at 0.55 T with 3D stack‐of‐spirals ultrashort‐TE (UTE) acquisition. Oxygen‐enhanced pulmonary MRI offers the measurement of regional lung ventilation and perfusion using inhaled oxygen as a contrast agent. Low‐field MRI systems equipped with contemporary hardware can provide high‐quality structural lung imaging by virtue of the prolonged T2*. Fortuitously, the T1 relaxivity of oxygen increases at lower field strengths, which is expected to improve the sensitivity of oxygen‐enhanced lung MRI. We implemented a breath‐held T1‐weighted 3D stack‐of‐spirals UTE acquisition with a 7 ms spiral‐out readout. Measurement repeatability was assessed using five repetitions of oxygen‐enhanced lung imaging in healthy volunteers (n = 7). The signal intensity at both normoxia and hyperoxia was strongly dependent on lung tissue density modulated by breath‐hold volume during the five repetitions. A voxel‐wise correction for lung tissue density improved the repeatability of percent signal enhancement maps (coefficient of variation = 34 ± 16%). Percent signal enhancement maps were compared in 15 healthy volunteers and 10 patients with lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM), a rare cystic disease known to reduce pulmonary function. We measured a mean percent signal enhancement of 9.0 ± 3.5% at 0.55 T in healthy volunteers, and reduced signal enhancement in patients with LAM (5.4 ± 4.8%, p = 0.02). The heterogeneity, estimated by the percent of lung volume exhibiting low enhancement, was significantly increased in patients with LAM compared with healthy volunteers (11.1 ± 6.0% versus 30.5 ± 13.1%, p = 0.01), illustrating the capability to measure regional functional deficits.
Analysis of COVID‐19 and comorbidity co‐infection model with optimal control
Authors: Omame Andrew , Sene Ndolane , Nometa Ikenna , Nwakanma Cosmas I. , Nwafor Emmanuel U. , Iheonu Nneka O. , Okuonghae Daniel 
Published: June 2021

AbstractIn this work, we develop and analyze a mathematical model for the dynamics of COVID‐19 with re‐infection in order to assess the impact of prior comorbidity (specifically, diabetes mellitus) on COVID‐19 complications. The model is simulated using data relevant to the dynamics of the diseases in Lagos, Nigeria, making predictions for the attainment of peak periods in the presence or absence of comorbidity. The model is shown to undergo the phenomenon of backward bifurcation caused by the parameter accounting for increased susceptibility to COVID‐19 infection by comorbid susceptibles as well as the rate of reinfection by those who have recovered from a previous COVID‐19 infection. Simulations of the cumulative number of active cases (including those with comorbidity), at different reinfection rates, show infection peaks reducing with decreasing reinfection of those who have recovered from a previous COVID‐19 infection. In addition, optimal control and cost‐effectiveness analysis of the model reveal that the strategy that prevents COVID‐19 infection by comorbid susceptibles is the most cost‐effective of all the control strategies for the prevention of COVID‐19.
In situ fibrillation‐reinforced polypropylene‐based multi‐component foams
Authors: Wu Gaojian , Xu Yuxuan , Chen Junxiang , Dang Kaifang , Yang Weimin , Xie Pengcheng 
Published: June 2021

AbstractRecent trends in energy and environmental protection have led to many studies of high‐performance microcellular foams. Polymer blends provide an effective way to improve foamability, microstructure, and performance versus single component thermoplastics. However, challenges remain for morphological control of polymer blends because the reinforcing effect depends upon the morphology of the dispersed phase. In this work, we present a feasible method for attaining microfibrils with high aspect ratios based on the in situ fibrillation of immiscible polymers to improve the morphology and distribution of the blend phase and improve the microcellular structure and mechanical properties of composite foams. Composite foams of polypropylene (PP)/thermoplastic polyester elastomer (TPEE)/polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) were fabricated, which were the polymer matrix, blend phase, and in situ fibrillation phase, respectively. The presence of PTFE and its effect on crystallization, rheology behavior, cellular structure, and mechanical properties were investigated. The results showed that PTFE microfibrils can promote melt strength, crystallization, and rheology properties. Thus, the multi‐composite foams achieve improved microcellular structure and mechanical properties, and improvements in these properties indicate the positive effects of an in situ fibrillation phase on the polymer blend foams.
Physicochemical Parameters of Insensitive Munition Constituent Methylnitroguanidine (MeNQ) of Importance to Environmental Fate and Transport
Authors: George Garrett W. , Jones Stacy J. , Buchanan J. Paige , Cuddy Michael , Alberts Erik M. , Crouch Rebecca , Thornell Travis L. , Moores Lee C. 
Published: June 2021

Abstract1‐methyl‐3‐nitroguandine (MeNQ) is being pursued as an insensitive munition to replace legacy munitions such as TNT and RDX. This study was intended to determine the basic physicochemical properties of MeNQ as well as potential environmental fate pathways. The solubility of MeNQ was determined to be 12.92±0.52 g/L and aqueous photolysis was found to efficiently degrade the munition, where its quantum yield and half‐life were found to be 0.009 and 0.59 days, respectively. Hydrolysis was an insignificant degradation pathway resulting in 8.1 % degradation at pH 4, 2.6 % at pH 7, and 6.2 % at pH 9 after five days at an elevated temperature. Volatilization at environmentally relevant conditions was found to be insignificant as the molecule thermally degrades, leading to an inability to calculate Henry's Constant for volatilization from water. Spectroscopic (UV‐vis, FTIR, NMR) and analytical (HPLC) studies were undertaken and are shown alongside the parent molecule, NQ, for comparison to characterize the emerging munition.
Pharmacometric analysis linking immunoglobulin exposure to clinical efficacy outcomes in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy
Authors: Tortorici Michael A. , Yuraszeck Theresa , Cornblath David , Bril Vera , Hartung Hans‐Peter , Sobue Gen , Lewis Richard A. , Merkies Ingemar S. J. , Lawo John‐Philip , Praus Michaela , Durn Billie L. , Mielke Orell , Ma Xuewen , Jauslin Petra , Pfister Marc , van Schaik Ivo N. ,   the PATH study group
Published: June 2021

AbstractThe two main objectives of this analysis were to (i) characterize the relationship between immunoglobulin (Ig) exposure and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) disease severity using data from 171 patients with CIDP who received either subcutaneous Ig (IgPro20; Hizentra®) or placebo (PATH study), and to (ii) simulate and compare exposure coverage with various dosing approaches considering weekly dosing to be the reference dose. IgG pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters, including those from a previous population PK model, were used to predict individual IgG profile and exposure metrics. Treatment‐related changes in Inflammatory Neuropathy Cause and Treatment (INCAT) scores were best described by a maximum effect (Emax) model as a function of ΔIgG (total serum IgG at INCAT score assessment minus baseline IgG levels before intravenous Ig restabilization). Simulations indicate that flexible dosing from daily to biweekly (every other week) provide an exposure coverage equivalent to that of a weekly Ig dose.
Bayesiansingle‐armphaseIItrial designs withtime‐to‐eventendpoints
Authors: Wu Jianrong , Pan Haitao , Hsu Chia‐Wei 
Published: June 2021

AbstractFor the cancer clinical trials with immunotherapy and molecularly targeted therapy, time‐to‐event endpoint is often a desired endpoint. In this paper, we present an event‐driven approach for Bayesian one‐stage and two‐stage single‐arm phase II trial designs. Two versions of Bayesian one‐stage designs were proposed with executable algorithms and meanwhile, we also develop theoretical relationships between the frequentist and Bayesian designs. These findings help investigators who want to design a trial using Bayesian approach have an explicit understanding of how the frequentist properties can be achieved. Moreover, the proposed Bayesian designs using the exact posterior distributions accommodate the single‐arm phase II trials with small sample sizes. We also proposed an optimal two‐stage approach, which can be regarded as an extension of Simon's two‐stage design with the time‐to‐event endpoint. Comprehensive simulations were conducted to explore the frequentist properties of the proposed Bayesian designs and an R packageBayesDesigncan be assessed via R CRAN for convenient use of the proposed methods.
An assessment of the efficacy and safety of dydrogesterone in women with ovarian endometrioma: An open‐label multicenter clinical study
Authors: Kitawaki Jo , Koga Kaori , Kanzo Takumi , Momoeda Mikio 
Published: June 2021

AbstractPurposeTo assess the efficacy and safety of dydrogesterone in Japanese women with ovarian endometrioma in a real‐world setting.MethodsThe post‐marketing study involved 15 sites in Japan. Dydrogesterone 10 mg twice daily orally was administered for 21 days (day 5‐25 of each menstrual cycle) for 4 cycles. The primary outcome measure was the change in ovarian endometrioma volume from baseline. Secondary outcome measures included total dysmenorrhea score (0 = absent to 3 = severe), severity of dysmenorrhea pain [0‐10cm visual analog scale (VAS)], serum carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA‐125) levels, and safety.ResultsThe study group comprised women with an endometrioma aged 20 to 49 (47.4% cases aged ≥40 years). Endometrioma volume was reduced in 50% (26/52), unchanged in 25% (13/52), and increased in 25% (13/52) of women from baseline to the end of cycle 5; three‐quarters of patients thus had either reduced or unchanged ovarian endometrioma volume. Dydrogesterone significantly reduced total dysmenorrhea scores and severity of dysmenorrhea pain VAS during treatment compared with baseline. CA‐125 levels were not significantly changed during the study. The incidence of adverse events and adverse drug reactions in 59 subjects was 13.6% and 11.9%.ConclusionsDydrogesterone prevented an increase in endometrioma size in many women, and it also significantly improved total dysmenorrhea scores and severity of dysmenorrhea pain, and was well tolerated. The ClinicalTrials.gov identifier of the study was NCT02921763.
Formation tracking for singular swarm systems subjected to energy constraints and switching transmission topologies
Authors: Xi Jianxiang , Wang Cheng , Li Hongyao , He Ming , Zhang Yanhong 
Published: June 2021

AbstractThis article investigates admissible formation tracking for singular swarm systems under conditions of switching transmission topologies as well as the limited energy supply, where both switching transmission topologies containing a spanning tree and switching transmission topologies containing a joint spanning tree are addressed. First, a new formation control tracking protocol with switching transmission topologies is proposed to realize admissible formation tracking, where the total energy supply is predetermined. Afterwards, by a dual nonsingular transformation, the disagreement dynamics between followers and the leader is determined and the impacts of asymmetric structures of switching transmission topologies are eliminated. Sufficient conditions for admissible formation tracking design and analysis for singular swarm systems with switching transmission topologies containing a spanning tree and with switching transmission topologies containing a joint spanning tree are proposed, respectively, where the coupling relationship matrix between the total energy supply and the matrix variable is determined. Finally, two numerical simulations are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of theoretical results.
Sensor fault estimation based on the constrained zonotopic Kalman filter
Authors: Liu Zixing , Wang Ziyun , Wang Yan , Ji Zhicheng 
Published: June 2021

AbstractFor solving the additive and multiplicative sensor faults in the constrained system with unknown but bounded noise, the constrained zonotopic Kalman filter‐based additive sensor fault estimator and multiplicative sensor fault estimator are designed, respectively. In the fault estimation process, the states of the system are contained in the zonotopic sets estimated by the constrained zonotopic Kalman filter. The fault detection is carried out by judging whether the true value of the system's output is within the upper and lower bounds of its estimated zonotopic set. Once a fault is detected in the system, the corresponding sensor fault estimator can be used to estimate the additive or multiplicative sensor faults, and the corresponding zonotopic set and interval set can be obtained, respectively. Finally, comparative analyses of the proposed constrained zonotopic Kalman filter‐based fault estimators and the zonotopic Kalman filter‐based fault estimators in both numerical and case simulations prove the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm and show the advantages of this algorithm in view of conservativeness.
High‐resolution temperature modeling of stream reconstruction alternatives
Authors: Hall Austin , Selker John S. 
Published: June 2021

AbstractStreams are complex where biology, hydrology, and atmospheric processes are all important. Because quantifying and modeling of these systems can be challenging, many teams go directly to prescribed restoration treatments and principles. Restoration on the Middle Fork of the John Day River in Oregon, USA, shows how a project that was designed according to widely accepted restoration principles may lead to outcomes contrary to one of the project's stated goals: reducing peak temperatures for endangered salmonids on the site. This study employed the most sophisticated equipment available for stream temperature monitoring, including approximately 1 million independent hourly measurements in the 2‐week period considered. These data were collected along the river channel with fiber optic–distributed temperature sensing and were used to quantify thermal dynamics. These observations were paired with a physically based stream temperature model which was then employed to predict temperature change from design alternatives. Restored‐reach impact on peak temperature was directly correlated with the air–water interfacial area and the percentage of effective shade (R2 > 0.99). The increase in air–water area of the proposed design was predicted to increase daytime stream temperature by as much as 0.5°C upon completion of the work. Shade from riparian vegetation was found to potentially mitigate stream temperature increases, though only after decades of growth. A moderately dense canopy of 5 m tall trees blocking 17% of daily shortwave solar radiation is predicted to mitigate predicted temperature increases over the 1,800 m reach but also increases nighttime temperatures due to blocking of long‐wave radiation. These outcomes may not be intuitive to restoration practitioners and show how quantitative analysis can benefit the design of a project. This is significant in an area where riparian vegetation has been difficult to reestablish. Without quantitative analysis, restoration efforts can lead to outcomes opposite to stated goals and may be costly and disruptive interventions to fragile stream systems.
The eco‐friendly side of narcissism: The case of green marketing
Authors: Lin Han , Chen Lu , Yuan Ming , Yu Mingchuan , Mao Ye , Tao Fuwen 
Published: June 2021

AbstractThe march toward marrying good business practice with sustainability in the global marketing contexts is articulated with the hope of decoupling consumption and affluence from environmental deterioration. However, the key question, whether and how chief executive officers' (CEO) psychological characteristics exert its influence on corporate marketing activities with relation to environmental conservation, is still unsolved. The current study aimed at examining how the personality traits of CEOs affect corporate green marketing program (GMP), with primary regard to CEO narcissism. On the basis of a moderated mediation analysis on a batch of survey data from a sample of manufacturing firms in China, the findings showed that narcissistic CEOs are often associated with the higher level of the corporate green marketing program. Besides, corporate environmental strategy (ES) plays a role of mediator in the relationship between CEO narcissism and the implementation of green marketing. Furthermore, regulatory pressure not only significantly drives corporate environmental strategy and green marketing program but also moderates the relationships among CEO narcissism, corporate environmental strategy, and green marketing program. This study shines light on the establishment of management mode, which could illuminate both business practitioners and policymakers on the governance of sustainability.
pH‐Responsive Capsules with a Fibril Scaffold Shell Assembled from an Amyloidogenic Peptide
Authors: Shimanovich Ulyana , Levin Aviad , Eliaz Dror , Michaels Thomas , Toprakcioglu Zenon , Frohm Birgitta , De Genst Erwin , Linse Sara , Åkerfeldt Karin S. , Knowles Tuomas P. J. 
Published: June 2021

AbstractPeptides and proteins have evolved to self‐assemble into supramolecular entities through a set of non‐covalent interactions. Such structures and materials provide the functional basis of life. Crucially, biomolecular assembly processes can be highly sensitive to and modulated by environmental conditions, including temperature, light, ionic strength and pH, providing the inspiration for the development of new classes of responsive functional materials based on peptide building blocks. Here, it is shown that the stimuli‐responsive assembly of amyloidogenic peptide can be used as the basis of environmentally responsive microcapsules which exhibit release characteristics triggered by a change in pH. The microcapsules are biocompatible and biodegradable and may act as vehicles for controlled release of a wide range of biomolecules. Cryo‐SEM images reveal the formation of a fibrillar network of the capsule interior with discrete compartments in which cargo molecules can be stored. In addition, the reversible formation of these microcapsules by modulating the solution pH is investigated and their potential application for the controlled release of encapsulated cargo molecules, including antibodies, is shown. These results suggest that the approach described here represents a promising venue for generating pH‐responsive functional peptide‐based materials for a wide range of potential applications for molecular encapsulation, storage, and release.
Stretchable and Compressible Si3N4 Nanofiber Sponge with Aligned Microstructure for Highly Efficient Particulate Matter Filtration under High‐Velocity Airflow
Authors: Li Mingzhu , Su Lei , Wang Hongjie , Wan Pengfei , Guo Pengfei , Cai Zhixin , Gao Hongfei , Zhang Zijun , Lu De 
Published: June 2021

AbstractParticulate matter (PM) is one of the most severe air pollutants and poses a threat to human health. Air filters with high filtration efficiency applied to the source of PM are an effective way to reduce pollution. However, many of the present filtration materials usually fail because of their high pressure drop under high‐velocity airflow and poor thermal stability at high temperatures. Herein, a highly porous Si3N4 nanofiber sponge (Si3N4 NFS) assembled by aligned and well‐interconnected Si3N4 nanofibers is designed and fabricated via chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The resulting ultralight Si3N4 NFS (2.69 mg cm−3) processes temperature‐invariant reversible strechability (10% strain) and compressibility (50% strain), which enables its mechanical robustness under high‐velocity airflow. The highly porous and aligned microstructure result in a Si3N4 NFS with high filtration efficiency for PM2.5 (99.97%) and simultaneous low pressure drop (340 Pa, only <0.33% of atmospheric pressure) even under a high gas flow velocity (8.72 m s−1) at a high temperature (1000 °C). Furthermore, the Si3N4 NFS air filter exhibits good long‐term service ability and recyclability. Such Si3N4 NFS with aligned microstructures for highly efficient gas filters provides new perspectives for the design and preparation of high‐performance filtration materials.