bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Pharmacognostical Standardization, Chromatograhic and Spectral Analysis of Methanolic Extract of Echinops echinatus Linn. Roots and Fractions
Authors: Younus Muhammad , Khan Farrakh Zia , Hasan Muhammad Mohtasheem ul , Shirazi Jafir Hussain , Jamil Qazi Adnan , Khan Zahid , Shaheen Ghazala , Hanif Muhammad , Ghaffari Muhammad Abuzar , Abdullah Muhammad , Nazir Imran 
Published: May 2021

Echinops echinatus Linn. (Fam. Asteraceae) possesses medicinal value a good deal. The plant is a nerve tonic that stimulates liver and increases appetite, and is effective as anti-inflammatory and in jaundice. Objective of the current study was to standardize Echinops echinatus (E. echinatus), both macroscopically and microscopically. Pharmacognostic standardization with the help of different physicochemical parameters and fluorescence analysis was performed according to the WHO guidelines. Qualitative phytochemical analysis of crude methanolic extract (EME) and various fractions was done. TLC and column chromatographic techniques were employed for presence of various phytoconstituents. Five compounds were isolated from EME using column chromatography, which were characterized by techniques like FTIR and UV. The isolated purified compounds showed different hRf values ranging from 67 to 94. Results of this study may serve as biochemical markers for this medicinally important plant in the pharma industry and plant systematic studies. The current work will help in identification of the species pharmacognostically and anatomically; and phytochemical analysis may help in screening of active constituents responsible for the activity. The study will serve as a reference for correct identification and in checking any type of adulteration. This may also help in differentiating this species from closely related species of the same genus and family.
Quantitative signal properties from standardized MRIs correlate with multiple sclerosis disability
Authors: Brier Matthew R. , Snyder Abraham Z. , Tanenbaum Aaron , Rudick Richard A. , Fisher Elizabeth , Jones Stephen , Shimony Joshua S. , Cross Anne H. , Benzinger Tammie L. S. , Naismith Robert T. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractObjectiveTo enable use of clinical magnetic resonance images (MRIs) to quantify abnormalities in normal appearing (NA) white matter (WM) and gray matter (GM) in multiple sclerosis (MS) and to determine associations with MS‐related disability. Identification of these abnormalities heretofore has required specialized scans not routinely available in clinical practice.MethodsWe developed an analytic technique which normalizes image intensities based on an intensity atlas for quantification of WM and GM abnormalities in standardized MRIs obtained with clinical sequences. Gaussian mixture modeling is applied to summarize image intensity distributions from T1‐weighted and 3D‐FLAIR (T2‐weighted) images from 5010 participants enrolled in a multinational database of MS patients which collected imaging, neuroperformance and disability measures.ResultsIntensity distribution metrics distinguished MS patients from control participants based on normalized non‐lesional signal differences. This analysis revealed non‐lesional differences between relapsing MS versus progressive MS subtypes. Further, the correlation between our non‐lesional measures and disability was approximately three times greater than that between total lesion volume and disability, measured using the patient derived disease steps. Multivariate modeling revealed that measures of extra‐lesional tissue integrity and atrophy contribute uniquely, and approximately equally, to the prediction of MS‐related disability.InterpretationThese results support the notion that non‐lesional abnormalities correlate more strongly with MS‐related disability than lesion burden and provide new insight into the basis of abnormalities in NA WM. Non‐lesional abnormalities distinguish relapsing from progressive MS but do not distinguish between progressive subtypes suggesting a common progressive pathophysiology. Image intensity parameters and existing biomarkers each independently correlate with MS‐related disability.
Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease type 2F associated with biallelic HSPB1 mutations
Authors: Abati Elena , Magri Stefania , Meneri Megi , Manenti Giulia , Velardo Daniele , Balistreri Francesca , Pisciotta Chiara , Saveri Paola , Bresolin Nereo , Comi Giacomo Pietro , Ronchi Dario , Pareyson Davide , Taroni Franco , Corti Stefania 
Published: May 2021

AbstractObjectiveThis work aims to expand knowledge regarding the genetic spectrum of HSPB1‐related diseases. HSPB1 is a gene encoding heat shock protein 27, and mutations in HSPB1 have been identified as the cause of axonal Charcot–Marie–Tooth (CMT) disease type 2F and distal hereditary motor neuropathy (dHMN).MethodsTwo patients with axonal sensorimotor neuropathy underwent detailed clinical examinations, neurophysiological studies, and next‐generation sequencing with subsequent bioinformatic prioritization of genetic variants and in silico analysis of the likely causal mutation.ResultsThe HSPB1 p.S135F and p.R136L mutations were identified in homozygosis in the two affected individuals. Both mutations affect the highly conserved alpha‐crystallin domain and have been previously described as the cause of severe CMT2F/dHMN, showing a strictly dominant inheritance pattern.InterpretationThus, we report for the first time two cases of biallelic HSPB1 p.S135F and p.R136L mutations in two families.
Foot and Ankle Problems in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis in 2019: Still an Important Issue
Authors: Simonsen Morten Bilde , Hørslev‐Petersen Kim , Cöster Maria C. , Jensen Carsten , Bremander Ann 
Published: May 2021

ObjectiveTo study the prevalence of foot pain in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and whether including a 12‐joint foot count in addition to the 28‐joint count (from the Disease Activity Score 28 [DAS28]) improved detection of foot or ankle pain. In addition, the association between the self‐reported foot and ankle score (SEFAS), patient‐reported function, and disease‐specific factors was studied.MethodsPhysician‐reported data (swollen/tender 12‐joint foot count, DAS28, and medication) and patient‐reported data (foot/ankle pain, physical function, global health, and SEFAS) were assessed during a clinical visit. Data were analyzed with t test, χ2 tests, and regression analysis.ResultsA total of 320 patients with RA were included (mean age 63 years, SD 13 years; 73% women), of whom 69% reported foot or ankle pain. Patients who reported foot or ankle pain had a lower mean age and worse disease activity, general pain, function, and global health (P ≤ 0.016), and fewer were in remission (50% versus 75%; P < 0.001) compared with patients without foot pain. The 12‐joint foot count identified 3.2% and 9.5% additional patients with swollen and tender joints, respectively, compared with the 28‐joint count. The SEFAS was associated with walking problems (β = −2.733; 95% confidence interval [CI] = −3.963 to −1.503) and worse function (β = −3.634; 95% CI = −5.681 to −1.587) but not with joint inflammation severity.ConclusionThe prevalence of foot or ankle pain in patients with RA is high. The 12‐joint foot count had minor effects on detecting patients with foot pain. However, the SEFAS contributed additional information on foot problems that was not identified by joint examinations alone.
Passivation Layers in Lithium and Sodium Batteries: Potential Profiles, Stabilities, and Voltage Drops
Authors: Xiao Chuanlian , Usiskin Robert , Maier Joachim 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThe profiles of the decisive thermodynamic potentials in a battery are analyzed with emphasis on the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) passivation layers that form. Consequences for growth and chemical stability are discussed. The extreme cases of an artificial SEI and a thermodynamically fully defined in situ SEI are distinguished. The analysis also includes the open‐circuit voltage drop over the combination SEI/electrolyte. The treatment is rigorous for the assumed simplified conditions (constant transport coefficients, pseudo‐1D geometry, and absence of space charge zones and structural complications). In the last section, more realistic situations are addressed on a less quantitative level. The results can also be applied to fuel cells or electrolyzers.
Decoupling Minimal Surface Metamaterial Properties Through Multi‐Material Hyperbolic Tilings
Authors: Callens Sebastien J. P. , Arns Christoph H. , Kuliesh Alina , Zadpoor Amir A. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractRapid advances in additive manufacturing have kindled widespread interest in the rational design of metamaterials with unique properties over the past decade. However, many applications require multi‐physics metamaterials, where multiple properties are simultaneously optimized. This is challenging since different properties, such as mechanical and mass transport properties, typically impose competing requirements on the nano‐/micro‐/meso‐architecture of metamaterials. Here, a parametric metamaterial design strategy that enables independent tuning of the effective permeability and elastic properties is proposed. Hyperbolic tiling theory is applied to devise simple templates, based on which triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMS) are partitioned into hard and soft regions. Through computational analyses, it is demonstrated how the decoration of hard, soft, and void phases within the TPMS substantially enhances their permeability–elasticity property space and offers high tunability in the elastic properties and anisotropy at constant permeability. Also shown is that this permeability–elasticity balance is well captured using simple scaling laws. The proposed concept is demonstrated through multi‐material additive manufacturing of representative specimens. The approach, which is generalizable to other designs, offers a route towards multi‐physics metamaterials that need to simultaneously carry a load and enable mass transport, such as load‐bearing heat exchangers or architected tissue‐substituting meta‐biomaterials.
Hydrodynamic Mixing Tunes the Stiffness of Proteoglycan‐Mimicking Physical Hydrogels
Authors: Warren James P. , Miles Danielle E. , Kapur Nikil , Wilcox Ruth K. , Beales Paul A. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractSelf‐assembling hydrogels are promising materials for regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. However, designing hydrogels that replicate the 3–4 order of magnitude variation in soft tissue mechanics remains a major challenge. Here hybrid hydrogels are investigated formed from short self‐assembling β‐fibril peptides, and the glycosaminoglycan chondroitin sulfate (CS), chosen to replicate physical aspects of proteoglycans, specifically natural aggrecan, which provides structural mechanics to soft tissues. Varying the peptide:CS compositional ratio (1:2, 1:10, or 1:20) can tune the mechanics of the gel by one to two orders of magnitude. In addition, it is demonstrated that at any fixed composition, the gel shear modulus can be tuned over approximately two orders of magnitude through varying the initial vortex mixing time. This tuneability arises due to changes in the mesoscale structure of the gel network (fibril width, length, and connectivity), giving rise to both shear‐thickening and shear‐thinning behavior. The resulting hydrogels range in shear elastic moduli from 0.14 to 220 kPa, mimicking the mechanical variability in a range of soft tissues. The high degree of discrete tuneability of composition and mechanics in these hydrogels makes them particularly promising for matching the chemical and mechanical requirements of different applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
Accelerated Skin Wound Healing by Electrical Stimulation
Authors: Luo Ruizeng , Dai Jieyu , Zhang Jiaping , Li Zhou 
Published: May 2021

AbstractWhen the integrity of the skin got damaged, an endogenous electric field will be generated in the wound and a series of physiological reactions will be initiated to close the wound. The existence of the endogenous electric field of the wound has a promoting effect on all stages of wound healing. For wounds that cannot heal on their own, the exogenous electric field can assist the treatment. In this review, the effects of exogenous electrical stimulation on wound healing, such as the inflammation phase, blood flow, cell proliferation and migration, and the wound scarring is overviewed. This article also reviews the new electrical stimulation methods that have emerged in recent years, such as small power supplies, nanogenerators (NGs), and other physical, chemical or biological strategies. These new electrical stimulation methods and devices are safe, low‐cost, stable, and small in size. The challenge and perspective are discussed for the future trends of the electrical stimulation treatment in accelerating skin wound healing.
Softness Meets with Brightness: Dye‐Doped Multifunctional Fluorescent Polymer Particles via Microfluidics for Labeling
Authors: Visaveliya Nikunjkumar R. , Köhler Johann Michael 
Published: May 2021

AbstractFluorogenic labeling strategies have emerged as powerful tools for in vivo and in vitro imaging applications for diagnostic and theranostic purposes. Free organic chromophores (fluorescent dyes) are bright but rapidly degrade. Inorganic nanoparticles (e.g., quantum dots) are photostable but toxic to biological systems. Alternatively, dye‐doped polymer particles are promising for labeling and imaging due to their properties that overcome limitations of photodegradation and toxicity. This progress report, therefore, presents various synthesis techniques for the generation of dye‐doped fluorescent polymer particles. Polymer particles are relatively soft compared to inorganic nanoparticles and can be synthesized with characteristics like biocompatibility and stimuli responsiveness. Also, their ability of loading fluorophores through various interactions reveals brightness. Here, a multiscale‐multicolor library of bright and soft fluorescent polymer particles is generated hierarchically. Various microfluidic supported strategies have been applied where fluorophores can be linked to polymeric networks noncovalently and covalently in the interior, and at the surface of nanoparticles (60–550 nm). Besides, microfluidic strategies for hydrophilic and hydrophobic fluorescent polymer microparticles (20–800 µm) have been performed for systematic tuning in size and color combination. Furthermore, soft and bright particulate assemblies are enabled through interfacial interactions at the intermediate scale (600 nm–3 µm) between the nanometer and micrometer lengthscale.
Single‐Mode, 700%‐Stretchable, Elastic Optical Fibers Made of Thermoplastic Elastomers
Authors: Shabahang Soroush , Clouser Fatima , Shabahang Farzaneh , Yun Seok‐Hyun 
Published: May 2021

AbstractOptical fibers made of thermoset elastomeric materials can offer extremely high stretchability not possible with conventional glass and plastic optical fibers. However, such elastomer fibers have so far been made with large mm‐scale diameters, which limit their potential utilities. Here, fabrication of small‐diameter (< 200 µm), core‐clad optical fibers using a thermal drawing of transparent thermoplastic elastomers is demonstrated. The single‐mode optical fibers fabricated by this method are highly elastic and durable against strain up to 700%. Furthermore, a composite thermoplastic‐thermoset elastic optical fiber is also presented, in which the advantageous properties of both families of elastomers are combined. These optical fibers may be useful for short‐distance, mechanically flexible, optical interconnections in biomedical, wearable, or implantable photonic devices.
Challenges in improving the minimal invasiveness of the surgical treatment for gastric cancer using robotic technology
Authors: Kikuchi Kenji , Suda Koichi , Shibasaki Susumu , Tanaka Tsuyoshi , Uyama Ichiro 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThe number of operations performed using the da Vinci Surgical System® (DVSS) has been increasing worldwide in the past decade. We introduced robotic gastrectomy for gastric cancer (GC) in January 2009 to overcome the disadvantage of conventional laparoscopic gastrectomy. Initially, we experienced some troubles in the technical aspect and cost of robotic surgery. After extensive trial and error, we were able to develop the “double bipolar method” and the “da Vinci's plane theory” to use DVSS effectively. We then conducted “Senshiniryo B,” which was a multi‐institutional prospective single‐arm study to determine the safety, feasibility, and effectiveness of robotic gastrectomy for GC in 2014. In that study, we demonstrated that the morbidity rate in the robotic group (2.45%) was significantly lower than that in the historical control group (6.4%). As a consequence of that clinical trial, 12 procedures, including robotic gastrectomy for GC, have been covered under the Japanese national insurance in 2018. An additional seven procedures were newly covered in April 2020. In the first half of this article, we describe the history of robotic surgery in the world and Japan and demonstrate the “double bipolar method” and “da Vinci's plane theory.” In the latter half, we explain the Japanese systems for the safe dissemination of robotic surgery and state our efforts to solve some problems in robotic surgery.
Discrete element method models of elastic and elastoplastic fiber assemblies
Authors: Guo Yu , Liu Qingzhao , Li Yanjie , Li Zhenhua , Jin Hanhui , Wassgren Carl , Curtis Jennifer S. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractGeometry‐dependency and plasticity are considered in the contact force models for the discrete element method simulations of elastic and elastoplastic fiber assemblies subject to uniaxial compression. It is observed that the contact force models have a significant impact on compressive loads. A simplified normal contact force model leads to smaller loads at large solid volume fractions compared to the experimental results, while the present geometry‐dependent models give better predictions. Simulations with a simple Coulombic tangential contact force model (considering sliding friction only) significantly underestimate the loads, while a Mindlin tangential force model that considers static friction improves the predictions. For the modeling of the fibers that undergo large plastic deformations, plasticity should be considered for both the fiber bending and fiber–fiber normal contact in order to obtain correct simulation results. Elastic models for fiber–fiber contact and fiber bending deformation remarkably overpredict the loads for the plastic fibers.
Quantification of dental macrowear using 3D occlusal surface topographic measurements in deciduous and permanent molars of children
Authors: Bas Marlon , Waltenberger Lukas , Kurzmann Christoph , Heimel Patrick , Rebay‐Salisbury Katharina , Kanz Fabian 
Published: May 2021

AbstractObjectivesChildhood paleodietary reconstruction via dental macrowear analysis is limited in part by available methods to measure dental macrowear. We describe a method to quantify dental macrowear progression (in both deciduous and permanent molars) using a handheld intraoral scanner and two 3D occlusal topographic measurements. We assess the agreement of our macrowear proxies with an established qualitative wear scoring system and their relationship to age.Material and methodsWe scanned 92 well‐preserved dentitions of immature individuals from the medieval cemetery of St. Pölten in Lower Austria using an intraoral scanner. Two measurements were made on the resulting mesh files—the relative flat surface area in % of the occlusal surface (RFSA%) and the mesial interior slope angle. We estimated the technical error of measurement (TEM). Comparisons were made with the macrowear scoring system—tooth wear index.ResultsWe found that TEM for both measurements was between 1 and 3%, except the interobserver TEM of RFSA% which was above 5%. Both quantitative measurements generally agree with the established qualitative scores and correlate with age; however, RFSA% does not reliably indicate the progression of macrowear for teeth after dentine exposure occurs.DiscussionThe proposed 3D topographic measurements can be made reliably, and within a certain range of wear provide good quantitative proxies of the progression of dental macrowear. Such measurements constitute a promising approach for improving dental macrowear analysis in contexts such as childhood paleodietary reconstruction, which benefit from additional precision in wear rate estimation and present less dentine exposure.
Microvascular anatomy of the non‐lobulated liver of adult Xenopus laevis: A scanning electron microscopic study of vascular casts
Authors: Lametschwandtner Alois , Spornitz Udo , Minnich Bernd 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThe microvascular anatomy of the non‐lobulated liver of adult Xenopus laevis was studied by scanning electron microscopy of vascular corrosion casts. Hepatic portal veins and hepatic arteries entered hepatic lobes at the hiluses, hepatic veins left at these sites. Intraparenchymal, hepatic portal veins branched up to 10 times before terminal portal venules supplied liver sinusoids. Hepatic arteries closely followed portal vessels. Arteriolar side branches formed anastomoses with close by portal venules (arteriolar‐portal anastomoses; APAs), liver sinusoids (arteriolar‐sinusoidal anastomoses; ASAs), and peribiliary plexus vessels. Distally, hepatic arteries anastomosed with terminal portal venules having >100 μm in diameter. Liver sinusoids formed a dense three‐dimensional network displaying signs of non‐sprouting and sprouting angiogenesis evidenced by “holes” and blind ending tapering cast vascular structures (sprouts), respectively. Sinusoids drained via efferent hepatic veins. Right and left hepatic veins drained into the posterior caval vein. Locally, a dense honeycomb‐like 3D‐meshwork of resin structures was found around terminal portal venules and hepatic arteries. These networks were fed by hepatic arterioles and drained into adjacent terminal portal venules. As their morphologies differed significantly from sinusoids and they were found at sites where diffuse lymphoid tissue is described, we are convinced that they represent the vasculature of diffuse lymphoid tissue areas. Frequencies and diameter ratios of hepatic portal venules versus hepatic arterioles anastomosing with the former (APAs) implicate that the arterial supply contributes to the oxygenation of parenchymal and stromal cells rather than to a significant increase in blood flow towards hepatic sinusoids.