bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Impact of COVID‐19 on the mental health in a cohort of Italian rehabilitation healthcare workers
Authors: Farì Giacomo , de Sire Alessandro , Giorgio Vincenzo , Rizzo Laura , Bruni Antonella , Bianchi Francesco P. , Zonno Alessandra , Pierucci Paola , Ranieri Maurizio , Megna Marisa 
Published: August 2021

AbstractThe COVID‐19 pandemic has had a strong impact on healthcare workers (HCWs), affecting their physical and mental health. In Italy, HCWs have been among the first exposed to unprecedented pressure, dealing with large numbers of infections during the first pandemic wave. However, the severe psychological consequences on HCWs find little evidence in the literature, especially in terms of comparison to the status quo ante pandemic. The aim of this study was to provide an assessment of the mental health burden in a cohort of Italian HCWs during the COVID‐19 pandemic, comparing their condition with that before the emergency, to direct the promotion of mental well‐being among HCWs worldwide. In this retrospective study, we included physicians, physical therapists, and nurses working in the Respiratory Intensive Care Unit, Neurology Unit, and Rehabilitation Unit from a Southern Italy University Hospital. All study participants underwent a battery of psychological tests, aimed at verifying their state of mental health during the COVID‐19 emergency and before it. Depressive, anxiety, and burnout symptoms were assessed using the following questionnaires: Maslach Burnout Inventory, Patient Health Questionnaire‐9 (PHQ‐9), and General Anxiety Disorder‐7. Depressive, anxiety, and burnout clinical relevance symptoms were present in HCWs during the COVID‐19 pandemic more than those before the emergency. Fifty percent of the HCWs obtained a score clinically significant during the emergency. Moreover, a depersonalization factor showed a statistically significant increase in average scores (p < 0.0001). The PHQ‐9 scale showed that 47.1% of the operators reported depressive state presence. The number of operators scoring above the cut‐off for the anxiety scale tripled during the emergency (p < 0.0001). The female gender conferred greater risks for depression. Taken together, the findings of this study showed that our sample of Italian HCWs showed a greater risk for depression, anxiety, and stress during the COVID‐19 pandemic. These data might be a starting point to plan mental health monitoring and prevention programs for HCWs, thus ensuring patients receive the best possible care performances even during healthcare crises such as the current pandemic.
A novel approach for effective superior vena cava isolation using the CARTO electroanatomical mapping system
Authors: Inagaki Dai , Fukamizu Seiji , Tokioka Sayuri , Kimura Takashi , Takahashi Masao , Kitamura Takeshi , Hojo Rintaro 
Published: August 2021

AbstractBackgroundPrevious studies have demonstrated that some patients have spontaneous right atrium (RA)‐superior vena cava (SVC) conduction block, which could be utilized to isolate the SVC effectively by using the Rhythmia mapping system (Boston Scientific). However, employing this approach for SVC isolation using the CARTO electroanatomical mapping system (Biosense Webster) has not yet been clarified. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of SVC isolation using the extended early meets late (EEML) tool with the CARTO system.MethodsThe patients who underwent SVC isolation using the CARTO system were enrolled in this study. The RA‐SVC conduction block was visualized with an EEML tool. We prospectively assessed the safety and efficacy of SVC isolation using this system.ResultsWe analyzed 54 patients, and all SVCs were successfully isolated with no complications. Altogether, 44 patients (81.5%) had spontaneous RA‐SVC conduction block, and the remaining 10 patients (18.5%) did not. The block group required fewer radiofrequency deliveries for the SVC isolation than the nonblock group (10.7 ± 5.0 vs 15.5 ± 4.8, P = .009). The size of the isolated area in the block group was larger than that in the nonblock group (15.2 ± 5.1 cm2 vs 12.4 ± 2.5 cm2, P = .017).ConclusionsApproximately 80% of the patients in this study developed a spontaneous RA‐SVC conduction block, which might contribute to shortening the time of ablation and avoiding complications.
The changing malaria risk patterns in East‐Central Europe and the North Balkans in the last 27 000 years
Authors: Trájer Attila J. 
Published: August 2021

ABSTRACTSoutheast Europe has historically been at the crossroads of migration routes between Western Asia and Europe. In the Holocene, this area might have been home to malaria. However, it is questionable when malaria arrived in this area and whether it could persist continuously or not in the Holocene. To begin to answer these questions, the July potential generation number of two malaria parasites were modelled, based on the reconstructed mean July temperatures of 52 times in the last 27 000 years. The results indicate that in the late Pleistocene era (27–12 kya bp), vivax malaria might have been present in the south‐east Black Sea and Aegean Sea's coastal areas. Vivax malaria could also be present in the Pannonian Basin and the inner parts of the North Balkans at least from the mid‐Greenlandian period (~10 kya bp). Although it is questionable whether falciparum malaria could be endemic in the Pannonian Basin during the mid‐Holocene climate optimum (~6 kya bp), this malaria plausibly could be endemic from the Neolithic era (~12–6.5 kya bp) in the major river valleys of the North Balkan region, millennia ahead of the Graeco‐Roman times (8th century bce to 6th century ce).
CARS‐measurement of adsorption isotherms of carbon dioxide in Vycor glass and CARS‐porosimetry
Authors: Arakcheev Vladimir G. , Bekin Alexey N. , Morozov Viacheslav B. 
Published: August 2021

AbstractIt has been shown recently that coherent anti‐Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) allows probing the adsorption in optically transparent bulk nanoporous materials. The phases appearing in the pores at different conditions are identified by their resonant spectral contributions characterized by special values of the Raman shift and the linewidth. The present work demonstrates that the spectral amplitudes retrieved from the CARS spectra are the key for numerical description of the specific loadings of the phases. As a result, the adsorption isotherms can be obtained from the spectroscopic data. An essential point here is the presence of the nonresonant background caused by the material of the nanoporous matrix. It is used as the reference to overcome changes in collimated transparency of the sample in the pressure range at which the condensation occurs in the pores. Also, we show that the average pore radius can be estimated by analysis of a single CARS spectrum, allowing for the CARS‐porosimetry.
Improving nutritional quality of unripe tomato through fermentation by a consortium of yeast and lactic acid bacteria
Authors: Simões Sara , Santos Rafaela , Bento‐Silva Andreia , Santos Marisa V , Mota Mariana , Duarte Noélia , Sousa Isabel , Raymundo Anabela , Prista Catarina 
Published: August 2021

AbstractBACKGROUNDPortugal is one of the main producers of industrial tomato and tomato paste, an important intermediate ingredient used in many added‐value foods. The tomato processing industry rigorously selects the fruits by colour during mechanical harvest, picking only completely ripe fruits to produce high quality tomato paste. The latest available data shows that about 1.12 × 108 kg yr−1 of non‐red/not‐ripe tomatoes are left in the field, representing a major side product/field residue with great impact on the environment and for tomato producers.RESULTSThe aim of the work was to use fermentation by a consortium of yeast and lactic acid bacteria to improve the nutritional quality of unripe tomato paste. A consortium of Lactobacillus plantarum, Leuconostoc mesenteroides and Kluyveromyces marxianus was selected, producing an acidic paste with olive‐like flavours after 4 days of fermentation. Nutritional characterization revealed a significant improvement (P < 0.05) in the content of ascorbic acid and antioxidant potential. In addition, ultrahigh‐performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC–MS/MS) analysis showed that the fermented green tomato paste content in glycoalkaloid α‐tomatine represents no hazard to the consumer.CONCLUSIONTherefore, the obtained fermented green tomato paste can be further used to produce new food products, such as salad dressings and sauces. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.
Low‐Latency WDM Intensity‐Modulation and Direct‐Detection Transmission Over >100 km Distances in a Hollow Core Fiber
Authors: Hong Yang , Bottrill Kyle R. H. , Bradley Thomas D. , Sakr Hesham , Jasion Gregory T. , Harrington Kerrianne , Poletti Francesco , Petropoulos Periklis , Richardson David J. 
Published: August 2021

AbstractThe pervasive digital economy, fueled by developments in datacenter networking and cloud/edge computing, relies ever increasingly on the implementation of short‐ to metro‐range high‐capacity, low‐latency optical communication links. In this paper, it is demonstrated that the low spectrally flat chromatic dispersion and ultralow nonlinearity possible in hollow‐core fibers (HCFs) compared to conventional solid‐core fibers offer significant potential for the transmission of intensity‐modulation and direct‐detection (IM‐DD) signals over 100‐km‐scale distances. Specifically, the longest HCF‐only IM‐DD wavelength‐division multiplexed (WDM) C‐band transmission experiments (>100km) without chromatic dispersion compensation to date are reported, achieving reach improvements of approximately 5 times and 2 times compared to using standard single‐mode fiber and non‐zero dispersion‐shifted fiber, respectively, in the same experimental recirculating loop set‐up. For >100‐km transmission, a significant >150‐µs latency reduction can be obtained using HCF. These results, in combination with recent progress in loss reduction in HCFs, indicate that such fibers present a promising route to the realization of simple, cost‐effective, high‐capacity, ultra‐low‐latency IM‐DD WDM transmission links with the potential to revolutionize optical networks in the years to come.
ROS‐Responsive Selenium‐Containing Carriers for Coencapsulation of Photosensitizer and Hypoxia‐Activated Prodrug and Their Cellular Behaviors
Authors: Song Fangqin , Li Siqi , Sun Chuanhao , Ji Ying , Zhang Yan 
Published: August 2021

AbstractThe integration of hypoxia‐activated chemotherapy with photodynamic therapy (PDT) has newly become a potent strategy for tumor treatment. Herein, a reactive oxygen species (ROS)‐responsive drug carriers (PS@AQ4N/mPEG‐b‐PSe NPs) are fabricated based on the amphiphilic selenium‐containing methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)‐polycarbonate (mPEG‐b‐PSe), the hydrophobic photosensitizer (PS), and hypoxia‐activated prodrug Banoxantrone (AQ4N). The obtained nanoparticles are spherical with an average diameter of 100 nm as characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM) and dynamic laser scattering (DLS) respectively. The encapsulation efficiency of the PS and AQ4N reaches 92.83% and 51.04% at different conditions, respectively, by UV–vis spectrophotometer. It is found that the drug release is accelerated due to the good ROS responsiveness of mPEG‐b‐PSe and the cumulative release of AQ4N is up to 89% within 30 h. The cell test demonstrates that the nanoparticles dissociate when triggered by the ROS stimuli in the cancer cells, thus the PS is exposed to more oxygen and the ROS generation efficiency is enhanced accordingly. The consumption of oxygen during PDT leads to the increased tumor hypoxia, and subsequently activates AQ4N into cytotoxic counterpart to inhibit tumor growth. Therefore, the synergistic therapeutic efficacy demonstrates this drug delivery has great potential for antitumor therapy.
LC‐Polymers and Smectic Phases with Special Substructures/Nanophase Segregation
Authors: Zentel Rudolf 
Published: August 2021

AbstractLiquid crystalline (LC) polymers find still a lot of interest, whereby the focus is—at present—on LC‐elastomers with different phases and their application for mechanical actuation. While the LC‐phases in LC‐polymers can—generally—be well described in analogy to their low molar mass counterparts, some special properties became evident for some systems with smectic phases. They are related to the modulation of the nanophase segregation within the smectic layers and include often the formation of sublayers consisting of poorly compatible parts of the polymer like bulky (=non mesogenic) units, ionic groups, or poorly miscible parts of the main chain (e.g., polysiloxanes). Such a behavior can be found for semiflexible LC‐main chain polymers and for LC‐side chain polymers. Here the authors i) describe polymers for which such a modification of the smectic structure is observed, ii) discuss the origin of the deviation, and iii) describe possible application for the design of functional materials. The formation of the substructures can allow, for example, a mixing of the LC‐polymers with other polymers, which have a good affinity to the second sublayer. It also allows it to separate, to some extent, the network structure from the packing of the mesogens in LC‐polysiloxanes.
Bio‐Based, Self‐CrosslinkableEucommia ulmoidesGum/Silica Hybrids with Body Temperature Triggering Shape Memory Capability
Authors: Qi Xin , Xu Enyun , Jia Manman , Zhang Jichuan , Zhang Liqun , Yue Dongmei 
Published: August 2021

AbstractAt present, the synthesis of body temperature triggering shape memory polymers usually requires elaborate structural design, which limits their wide application. Herein, starting from bio‐basedEucommia ulmoidesgum (EUG), a series of EUG/silica hybrids (ESHs) are prepared through a facile one‐pot process, in which EUG is epoxied and then self‐crosslinked with SiO2by epoxy ring‐open reaction. Varying the amount of H2O2, the shape memory transition temperature (Ttrans) of ESHs is adjusted to 47.4–36.6 ℃, which is close to human body temperature (37 ℃). Among them, ESH‐17 exhibited the best body temperature triggering shape memory ability (Ttrans= 36.6 ℃), which can restore the permanent shape within 60 s at 37 ℃ with a shape fixity ratio of 99% and shape recovery ratio near 100%. In addition, the shape memory mechanism is discussed and shows some application scenarios of ESHs. The as‐produced materials can be used as smart biomaterials such as self‐tightening sutures, self‐sealing root canal filling materials, and so on.
Low‐power divide‐by‐4 injection‐locked frequency divider using an inductive resonating technique
Authors: Chang Yu‐Hsin 
Published: August 2021

AbstractAn injection‐locked frequency divider (ILFD) with the low‐power divide‐by‐4 feature for K‐band applications in a 0.18 μm CMOS process is reported in this letter. Output differential signals (f0 = 4f0‐3f0) are obtained by the third‐harmonic signals (3f0) from the free‐running core mixing with injection signals (4f0) through injection transistors in the proposed ILFD. This improves the locking range and saves power consumption by employing an inductive resonator technique and double cross‐coupled transistor pairs without the help of varactors. For the proposed ILFD, the measured free‐running frequency is 5.126 GHz and input injection frequencies at an input power level of 0 dBm are from 19.4 to 21.4 GHz. From a supply voltage of 1.5 V, the proposed ILFD core only dissipates 4.2 mW.
Detection of vessel bifurcations in CT scans for automatic objective assessment of deformable image registration accuracy
Authors: Cazoulat Guillaume , Anderson Brian M. , McCulloch Molly M. , Rigaud Bastien , Koay Eugene J. , Brock Kristy K. 
Published: August 2021

AbstractPurposeObjective assessment of deformable image registration (DIR) accuracy often relies on the identification of anatomical landmarks in image pairs, a manual process known to be extremely time‐expensive. The goal of this study is to propose a method to automatically detect vessel bifurcations in images and assess their use for the computation of target registration errors (TREs).Materials and methodsThree image datasets were retrospectively analyzed. The first dataset included 10 pairs of inhale/exhale phases from lung 4DCTs and full inhale and exhale breath‐hold CT scans from 10 patients presenting with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, with 300 corresponding landmarks available for each case (DIR‐Lab). The second dataset included six pairs of inhale/exhale phases from lung 4DCTs (POPI dataset), with 100 pairs of landmarks for each case. The third dataset included 28 pairs of pre/post‐radiotherapy liver contrast‐enhanced CT scans, each with five manually picked vessel bifurcation correspondences. For all images, the vasculature was autosegmented by computing and thresholding a vesselness image. Images of the vasculature centerline were computed, and bifurcations were detected based on centerline voxel neighbors’ count. The vasculature segmentations were independently registered using a Demons algorithm between representations of their surface with distance maps. Detected bifurcations were considered as corresponding when distant by less than 5 mm after vasculature DIR. The selected pairs of bifurcations were used to calculate TRE after registration of the images considering three algorithms: rigid registration, Anaconda, and a Demons algorithm. For comparison with the ground truth, TRE values calculated using the automatically detected correspondences were interpolated in the whole organs to generate TRE maps. The performance of the method in automatically calculating TRE after image registration was quantified by measuring the correlation with the TRE obtained when using the ground truth landmarks.ResultsThe median Pearson correlation coefficients between ground truth TRE and corresponding values in the generated TRE maps were r = 0.81 and r = 0.67 for the lung and liver cases, respectively. The correlation coefficients between mean TRE for each case were r = 0.99 and r = 0.64 for the lung and liver cases, respectively.ConclusionFor lungs or liver CT scans DIR, a strong correlation was obtained between TRE calculated using manually picked or landmarks automatically detected with the proposed method. This tool should be particularly useful in studies requiring assessing the reliability of a high number of DIRs.
ProFit‐1D—A 1D fitting software and open‐source validation data sets
Authors: Borbath Tamas , Murali‐Manohar Saipavitra , Dorst Johanna , Wright Andrew Martin , Henning Anke 
Published: August 2021

PurposeAccurate and precise MRS fitting is crucial for metabolite concentration quantification of1H‐MRS spectra. LCModel, a spectral fitting software, has shown to have certain limitations to perform advanced spectral fitting by previous literature. Herein, we propose an open‐source spectral fitting algorithm with adaptive spectral baseline determination and more complex cost functions.TheoryThe MRS spectra are characterized by several parameters, which reflect the environment of the contributing metabolites, properties of the acquisition sequence, or additional disturbances. Fitting parameters should accurately describe these parameters. Baselines are also a major contributor to MRS spectra, in which smoothness of the spline baselines used for fitting can be adjusted based on the properties of the spectra. Three different cost functions used for the minimization problem were also investigated.MethodsThe newly developed ProFit‐1D fitting algorithm is systematically evaluated for simulations of several types of possible in vivo parameter variations. Although accuracy and precision are tested with simulated spectra, spectra measured in vivo at 9.4 T are used for testing precision using subsets of averages. ProFit‐1D fitting results are also compared with LCModel.ResultsBoth ProFit‐1D and LCModel fitted the spectra well with induced parameter and baseline variations. ProFit‐1D proved to be more accurate than LCModel for simulated spectra. However, LCModel showed a somewhat increased precision for some spectral simulations and for in vivo data.ConclusionThe open‐source ProFit‐1D fitting algorithm demonstrated high accuracy while maintaining precise metabolite concentration quantification. Finally, through the newly proposed cost functions, new ways to improve fitting were shown.
Numerical modeling of strain hardening effect on an AFM cantilever undergoing stress in tapping mode
Authors: Adebayo Adedayo S. , Osundiya James Rotimi 
Published: August 2021

AbstractTapping mode is one of the scanning modes possible when using an AFM. In tapping mode, the cantilever is driven to oscillate up and down at or near its resonance frequency. Nano‐measurement researchers and metrologists have been concerned with errors in feature dimensions arising from bad cantilever as a result of strain hardening. Strain hardening is when a metal is strained beyond the yield point. This work involves modeling an AFM cantilever with a point load at the tip undergoing transverse vibration. The numerical work involves mapping out the stress field and identifying areas susceptible to plastic flow to advise equipment makers on how to design against strain hardening. The numerical analysis was carried out using COMSOL Multiphysics 5.0. Different dimensions of the cantilever (length = 100‐500 µm and width = 20‐50 µm) and Eigen frequencies were varied to investigate the optimal dimensions for designing an AFM cantilever against strain hardening. The numerical simulation shows that the AFM cantilever experiences increased deformation and strain hardening between a range of length 400‐500 µm and 200‐300 µm with the highest at 100‐200 µm and width of 20‐40 µm. It is also observed that the effect of strain hardening on the cantilever is minimal at lengths 300‐400 µm and widths 40‐45 µm when undergoing tapping mode with the highest Eigen frequencies.
Genes, environment, and developmental timing: New insights from translational approaches to understand early origins of respiratory diseases
Authors: Gutierrez Maria J. , Perez Geovanny F. , Gomez Jose L. , Rodriguez‐Martinez Carlos E. , Castro‐Rodriguez Jose A. , Nino Gustavo 
Published: August 2021

AbstractOver the past decade, “omics” approaches have advanced our understanding of the molecular programming of the airways in humans. Several studies have identified potential molecular mechanisms that contribute to early life epigenetic reprogramming, including DNA methylation, histone modifications, microRNAs, and the homeostasis of the respiratory mucosa (epithelial function and microbiota). Current evidence supports the notion that early infancy is characterized by heightened susceptibility to airway genetic reprogramming in response to the first exposures in life, some of which can have life‐long consequences. Here, we summarize and analyze the latest insights from studies that support a novel epigenetic paradigm centered on human maturational and developmental programs including three cardinal elements: genes, environment, and developmental timing. The combination of these factors is likely responsible for the functional trajectory of the respiratory system at the molecular, functional, and clinical levels.