bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Fetal and neonatal brain lesions following laser ablation for twin‐to‐twin‐transfusion‐syndrome as detected by pre‐ and post‐natal brain imaging
Authors: Hochberg Alyssa , Silber Ronit , Avnet Hagai , Rosen Hadar , Katorza Eldad , Hoffmann Chen , Mazkereth Ram , Lipitz Shlomo , Weisz Boaz , Yinon Yoav 
Published: October 2021

AbstractObjectiveTo determine the rate of and risk factors for fetal and neonatal brain lesions following laser ablation for twin‐to‐twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS).MethodsA retrospective cohort study of 83 women with monochorionic twin pregnancies who underwent ablation for TTTS at a single tertiary hospital. Post‐laser survivors were followed‐up with fetal neurosonogram every 2 weeks and fetal brain MRI at 28–32 weeks of gestation; post‐natal brain imaging included neurosonogram. Cases with pre‐ and post‐natal brain lesions were compared to those without.Results153 fetuses survived the immediate post‐laser period and underwent brain imaging. Of these, 17 (11.11%) exhibited brain lesions on prenatal imaging studies, and 36 (32.4%) on post‐natal ultrasound. Later gestational age (GA) at the time of ablation (23.0 vs. 21.4 weeks, p = 0.0244), post‐laser twin‐anemia‐polycythemia‐sequence (TAPS) (29.41% vs. 9.56%, p = 0.035) and birthweight discordancy (30% vs. 9%, p = 0.0025) were associated with prenatal brain lesions. Earlier GA at delivery (31.0 weeks vs. 32.2, p = 0.0002) and post‐laser TAPS (25% vs. 9.33%, p = 0.038) were associated with post‐natal brain lesions.ConclusionsSurvivors of ablation for TTTS are at risk for brain lesions, which can be detected prenatally. Incorporation of neurosonogram and fetal brain MRI into the routine surveillance of such pregnancies should be considered.
Increasing life expectancy in cystic fibrosis: Advances and challenges
Authors: McBennett Kimberly A. , Davis Pamela B. , Konstan Michael W. 
Published: October 2021

AbstractSince the first description of cystic fibrosis in 1938, there have been significant advances in both quality of life and longevity for people living with this disease. In this article we describe the milestones of the last 80 years and what we perceive to be the remaining barriers to normalcy for this population.
Airway clearance and exercise for people with cystic fibrosis: Balancing longevity with life
Authors: Rowbotham Nicola J. , Daniels Tracey E. 
Published: October 2021

AbstractAirway clearance has been an integral part of cystic fibrosis (CF) care for almost as long as CF has been identified as a condition. From diagnosis as a neonate through to end‐of‐life care, airway clearance is an everyday aspect of life, adding a considerable treatment burden to the lives of people with CF. There are many different techniques used for airway clearance which have evolved over time with an aim to improve effectiveness, support adherence and, more recently, to consider the impact of burden. A popular thought is whether airway clearance could be replaced by exercise. With new precision therapies in the form of CFTR modulators available, the CF landscape is rapidly changing, raising the question of whether certain treatments are needed at all. Depending on factors such as CFTR mutation, age, and pre‐existing lung damage before starting a CFTR modulator, individuals with CF may need different levels of intensity and type of maintenance treatment. Precision medicine is likely to lead to the need for increased precision and individualized management around other maintenance therapies such as airway clearance.
Shrinking Particle Reaction Model for a Waste Double‐Base Propellant During Alkaline Hydrolysis
Authors: Li Jin , Liang Xinxin , Zhang Guan , Cao Sijie , Liu Zongkuan , Gu Zhaolin , Liu Pu 
Published: October 2021

AbstractDouble‐base propellants are widely used in missiles and rocket engines. Waste double‐base propellants must be safely disposed of because their safety and reliability greatly deteriorate during storage and use. Alkaline hydrolysis is a promising alternative to the open burning and open detonation disposal methods of waste propellants. To promote the industrialization of the alkaline hydrolysis treatment of waste double‐base propellants, a reaction model of the alkaline hydrolysis of SC double‐base propellants was studied. First, the relationship between the concentration of nitrite‐nitrogen and nitrate‐nitrogen in the alkaline hydrolysate was studied. The results revealed that a good linear relationship between the concentration of nitrite‐nitrogen and nitrate‐nitrogen (slope is 1.771, R2 is 0.9925). The waste SC granules produce fewer nitrite ions than fresh nitrocellulose and nitroglycerin. Secondly, based on the analysis results of scanning electron microscopy, energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, and the thickness of SC granules before and after alkaline hydrolysis, it was assumed that the reaction model was a shrinking particle reaction model, and the limiting step was the alkaline hydrolysis rate on the surface of granules. Then, the relationship between the alkaline hydrolysis degree xSC of SC granules and reaction time t was xSC=((α+2)/(2te))t‐(α/(2te2))t2 by theoretical reaction model derivation. Additionally, the reaction model and limiting step were experimentally validated. Thus, this study provides theoretical and technical support for the safe industrial deposal and resource utilization of waste SC and other double‐base propellants with nitrocellulose and nitroglycerin as basic energetic components, as well as a basis for its fundamental research.
Studies on CYP3A activity during the menstrual cycle as measured by urinary 6β‐hydroxycortisol/cortisol
Authors: Bergström Helena , Lindahl Anna , Warnqvist Anna , Diczfalusy Ulf , Ekström Lena , Björkhem‐Bergman Linda 
Published: October 2021

AbstractThe 6β‐OH‐cortisol/cortisol ratio (6β‐OHC/C) in urine is an endogenous marker of drug‐metabolizing enzyme cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3A). The primary aim of this single center, prospective, non‐interventional cohort study, was to investigate the variability of 6β‐OHC/C during the menstrual cycle. In addition, possible associations between the CYP3A activity and sex hormones, gut microbiota metabolite trimethylamine‐N‐Oxide (TMAO) and microRNA‐27b, respectively, were investigated. Serum and urinary samples from healthy, regularly menstruating women followed for two menstrual cycles were analyzed. Twenty‐six complete menstrual cycles including follicular, ovulatory, and luteal phase were defined based on hormone analyses in serum. 6β‐OHC/C were analyzed in urine and sex hormones, TMAO and miRNA‐27b were analyzed in serum at the same time points. 6β‐OHC/C did not vary between the follicular, ovulatory, or luteal phases. There was a difference in the relative miRNA‐27b expression between the follicular and ovulatory phase (p = .03). A significant association was found between 6β‐OHC/C and progesterone during the follicular (p = .005) and ovulatory (p = .01) phases (n = 26 for each phase). In addition, a significant association was found between the ratio and TMAO during the ovulatory (p = .02) and luteal (p = .002) phases. 6β‐OHC/C and gut microbiota TMAO were significantly associated (p = .003) when evaluating all values, for all phases (n = 78). Interestingly, the finding of an association between 6β‐OHC/C in urine and levels of TMAO in serum suggest that gut microbiota may affect CYP3A activity.
A less conservative robust control method for a class of nonpassive uncertain systems
Authors: Akiba Junpei , Liu Kang‐Zhi , Qiu Li , Yu Pan , Koiwa Kenta , Zanma Tadanao 
Published: October 2021

AbstractIn robust control problems, how to elicit and utilize the uncertainty information is the key in achieving a good robust performance. For passive uncertainties, the phase bound plays a fundamental role. For nonpassive uncertainties, the gain bound is used up to date. The former leads to the passivity approach and the later to the small‐gain approach. A recently developed bounded positive real model succeeded in extracting both the phase and the gain information from passive uncertainties. However, it is still not known how to model the phase bound of a nonpassive uncertainty. Aiming at achieving an even higher performance for nonpassive uncertain systems, this article proposes a new model together with a modeling procedure for a class of nonpassive uncertainties. This model well captures both the gain and the phase features of the nonpassive uncertainty. Further, a numerically tractable design method is developed by extending the passivity method. The advantage of the proposed method is demonstrated through a real‐world case study.
Exclusion zone minimization and optimal operational mode selection for co‐existent geostationary and non‐geostationary satellites
Authors: Öztürk Faik , Kara Ali 
Published: October 2021

SummaryThe number of satellites has been increasing in both geostationary (GEO) and non‐geostationary (NGEO) earth orbits. Due to the limited availability of spectrum resources, the interference risk among these satellite networks has been increasing consequently. In such a scenario, the protection of existent GEO transmissions is crucial. In this paper, the co‐existence downlink interference from a typical low earth orbit (LEO) constellation to earth stations of GEO satellites is examined for minimization of exclusion zone on the equatorial region. Two different operational scenario based on modulation and coding (MODCOD) with/without spread spectrum for the LEO system are considered. A multiobjective optimization problem (MOP) is formulated for nondominant solutions set based on exclusive angle minimization and bandwidth utilization of the LEO link. It is shown that the exclusive angle can be reduced up to 21.3% and 19.6%, compared with the initial anchor point at the transmission bit rates of 100 and 200 Mbps, respectively. The proposed optimal operational setting minimizes the interference risk to the GEO satellite network as well as maintains quality of service (QoS) for the LEO communication network. The results provide optimal operational mode selection for LEO satellite operators and/or decision makers.
Adopting sustainability competence‐based education in academic disciplines: Insights from 13 higher education institutions
Authors: Lozano Rodrigo , Barreiro‐Gen Maria , Pietikäinen Janna , Gago‐Cortes Carmen , Favi Claudio , Jimenez Munguia Maria Teresa , Monus Ferenc , Simão João , Benayas Javier , Desha Cheryl , Bostanci Sevket , Djekic Ilija , Moneva Jose Mariano , Sáenz Orlando , Awuzie Bankole , Gladysz Bartlomiej 
Published: October 2021

AbstractHigher Education Institutions (HEIs) have been incorporating sustainability into education and curricula, where recent research has focussed on sustainability competences, pedagogical approaches, and how to connect them, generally on a single HEI. The process of integrating sustainability into education based on curricula assessment has been explained using adoption of innovations; and has the potential to explain the process of developing competences through pedagogical approaches. The aim of this paper is to investigate this process at academic discipline level. An online survey was developed to investigate teaching sustainability competences in 13 HEIs, from which 678 responses from educators were obtained. The competences and pedagogical approaches from the responses were ranked, and then the connections between the competences and pedagogical approaches per discipline were analysed using a correlations‐based framework, from which three disciplines groups were created. The groups were categorised using diffusion of innovations theory, which indicated that some disciplines are more innovative than others in adopting sustainability competence‐based teaching. The results are used to propose two frameworks to better understand the adoption of sustainability competence‐based teaching: (a) the D‐RAPID framework; and (b) the Disciplinary Multi‐dimensional Sustainability Influence Change for Academia (D‐MuSICA) memework. The adoption of sustainability competence‐base education must expand from a single HEI perspective to a disciplinary collaborative one spanning many HEIs, where academic disciplines should learn from each other's insights and mistakes and provide students with more transdisciplinary skillsets to make societies more sustainable.
Cutaneous Sarcoidosis Due to Immune-Checkpoint Inhibition and Exacerbated by a Novel BRAF Dimerization Inhibitor
Authors: Pham J. P. , Star P. , Wong S. , Damian D. L. , Saw R. P. M. , Whitfeld M. J. , Menzies A. M. , Joshua A. M. , Smith A. 
Published: October 2021

Abstract
Sarcoidosis is a non-infective granulomatous disorder of unknown aetiology, with cutaneous involvement affecting up to 30% of patients. Drug-induced sarcoidosis has been reported secondary to modern melanoma therapies including immune-checkpoint inhibitors and first generation BRAF inhibitors such as vemurafenib and dabrafenib. Herein, we report a case of cutaneous micropapular sarcoidosis that first developed on immune-checkpoint inhibition with ipilimumab and nivolumab for metastatic melanoma, which was exacerbated and further complicated by pityriasis rubra pilaris-like palmar plaques upon transition to a next-generation BRAF-dimerisation inhibitor. Both the micropapular eruption and palmar plaques rapidly resolved after cessation of the novel BRAF-inhibitor and concurrent commencement of hydroxychloroquine. It is unclear how inhibition of BRAF-dimerisation results in granuloma formation, though upregulation of TH1/TH17 T-cells and impairment of T-reg cells may be responsible. Clinicians should be aware of the potential for exacerbation of sarcoidosis when transitioning from immune-checkpoint inhibitors to these novel BRAF-dimerisation inhibitors, particularly as their uptake in treating cancers increases beyond clinical trials. Further studies are required to assess whether these next-generation agents can trigger sarcoidosis de-novo, or simply exacerbate pre-existing sarcoidosis.
Systematic Investigation of a Potential Epidemiological and Genetic Association Between Male Androgenetic Alopecia and COVID-19
Authors: Henne S. K. , Hochfeld L. M. , Maj C. , Nöthen M. M. , Heilmann-Heimbach S. 
Published: October 2021

Abstract

Background
Male androgenetic alopecia (AGA) has been implicated as a putative risk factor in severe COVID-19 based on high incidences of advanced AGA in male hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Research further suggests that androgen signalling, which plays a central role in AGA aetiology, promotes SARS-CoV-2 infection and is associated with severe COVID-19 symptoms in men.

Objectives
We aimed to systematically investigate a potential association between AGA and COVID-19 both on an epidemiological and a genetic level in a large single-population cohort.

Methods
We performed regression, genetic correlation and polygenic risk score (PRS) analyses using data from the UK Biobank and published GWAS data on AGA and COVID-19.

Results
Our analyses did not reveal any significant epidemiological or genome-wide genetic association between AGA and severe COVID-19. Pathway-based PRS analyses however revealed a significant association in specific pathways, namely vitamin metabolism, natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity, WNT signalling and aryl hydrocarbon receptor signalling.

Limitations
We restricted our analyses to the white British population and used self-reported AGA status. Sample size may be a limitation in our regression and PRS analyses.

Conclusions
Our data yield no evidence for an epidemiological association between AGA and COVID-19 but suggest that a shared genetic basis for both traits exists in specific pathways.
3D Printed Embedded Metamaterials
Authors: Zhang Kun Peng , Liao Yan Fei , Qiu Bin , Zheng Yue Kun , Yu Ling Ke , He Gong Han , Chen Qin Nan , Sun Dao Heng 
Published: October 2021

AbstractThe manufacturing of 3D and conformal metamaterials remains a major challenge. The projection micro‐stereolithography 3D printing technology combined with the liquid metal filling method is employed here to fabricate the metamaterials, which are characterized with embedded features that can effectively protect the metal resonance layer from external influence, and integrated molding of macro–micro structures and function‐structure. To demonstrate the robustness and flexibility of the proposed method, three types of metamaterials are fabricated: 3D orthogonal split‐ring resonator metamaterial, bionic compound eye conformal metamaterial, and a five‐layer broadband conformal metamaterial in the form of hemispherical moth‐eye, which are costly, tedious, and time consuming in conventional fabrication methods. And the layout of the filling channel is optimized and the polydimethylsiloxane coating post‐treatment process is applied to smooth the surface roughness caused by the staircase effect of 3D printing to improve the transmission performance of metamaterial devices. The transmission properties are measured using terahertz time‐domain spectroscopy system and the experimental results show that the method proposed in this paper makes metamaterial manufacture no longer limited to complex structures, which effectively expands the application range of metamaterials.
Acoustofluidic Droplet Sorter Based on Single Phase Focused Transducers
Authors: Zhong Ruoyu , Yang Shujie , Ugolini Giovanni Stefano , Naquin Ty , Zhang Jinxin , Yang Kaichun , Xia Jianping , Konry Tania , Huang Tony Jun 
Published: October 2021

AbstractDroplet microfluidics has revolutionized the biomedical and drug development fields by allowing for independent microenvironments to conduct drug screening at the single cell level. However, current microfluidic sorting devices suffer from drawbacks such as high voltage requirements (e.g., >200 Vpp), low biocompatibility, and/or low throughput. In this article, a single‐phase focused transducer (SPFT)‐based acoustofluidic chip is introduced, which outperforms many microfluidic droplet sorting devices through high energy transmission efficiency, high accuracy, and high biocompatibility. The SPFT‐based sorter can be driven with an input power lower than 20 Vpp and maintain a postsorting cell viability of 93.5%. The SPFT sorter can achieve a throughput over 1000 events per second and a sorting purity up to 99.2%. The SPFT sorter is utilized here for the screening of doxorubicin cytotoxicity on cancer and noncancer cells, proving its drug screening capability. Overall, the SPFT droplet sorting device shows great potential for fast, precise, and biocompatible drug screening.
Ion‐Conductive Hydrogel‐Based Stretchable, Self‐Healing, and Transparent NO2 Sensor with High Sensitivity and Selectivity at Room Temperature
Authors: Wu Zixuan , Rong Limin , Yang Jinglan , Wei Yaoming , Tao Kai , Zhou Yubin , Yang Bo‐Ru , Xie Xi , Wu Jin 
Published: October 2021

AbstractHere stretchable, self‐healable, and transparent gas sensors based on salt‐infiltrated hydrogels for high‐performance NO2 sensing in both anaerobic environment and air at room temperature, are reported. The salt‐infiltrated hydrogel displays high sensitivity to NO2 (119.9%/ppm), short response and recovery time (29.8 and 41.0 s, respectively), good linearity, low theoretical limit of detection (LOD) of 86 ppt, high selectivity, stability, and conductivity. A new gas sensing mechanism based on redox reactions occurring at the electrode–hydrogel interface is proposed to understand the sensing behaviors. The gas sensing performance of hydrogel is greatly improved by incorporating calcium chloride (CaCl2) in the hydrogel via a facile salt‐infiltration strategy, leading to a higher sensitivity (2.32 times) and much lower LOD (0.06 times). Notably, both the gas sensing ability, conductivity, and mechanical deformability of hydrogels are readily self‐healable after cutting off and reconnection. Such large deformations as 100% strain do not deprive the gas sensing capability, but rather shorten the response and recovery time significantly. The CaCl2‐infiltrated hydrogel shows excellent selectivity of NO2, with good immunity to the interference gases. These results indicate that the salt‐infiltrated hydrogel has great potential for wearable electronics equipped with gas sensing capability in both anaerobic and aerobic environments.
Model inspections in the engineering of collaborative cyber‐physical systems with instance‐level review diagrams
Authors: Daun Marian , Brings Jennifer , Weyer Thorsten 
Published: October 2021

AbstractModel inspections are important to ensure high‐quality software and to satisfy legal obligations in model‐based engineering processes. As model‐based specifications are typically documented on type‐level, errors concerning the interactions between multiple system instances can go unnoticed. For collaborative cyber‐physical systems (CPS), a plethora of possible instance‐level configurations need to be taken into account. Therefore, we propose the definition of instance‐level review diagrams that show representative interactions of instance‐level configurations that help detect defects in the system specification. To evaluate the approach, we conducted a controlled experiment whose results indicate that instance‐level review diagrams have—compared with type‐level diagrams—important positive effects on reviewing processes for behavioral specifications of CPS. Specifically, the experiment provides empirical evidence that instance‐level review diagrams are significantly more expressive and effective than type‐level diagrams.
Sustainable business intelligence systems: Modelling for the future
Authors: Goede Roelien 
Published: October 2021

AbstractBusiness intelligence systems are used in support of strategic decision‐making in organisations. Strategic decisions in support of the sustainable development goals require accurate and accessible data. Of equal importance is the sustainability of the business information systems themselves. Not only should they be sensitive to resource consumption but they should also be designed for the future needs of the organisation. We argue that sustainable business intelligence systems should represent as many perspectives in the organisation as possible supported by the available data. In order to achieve this, a critical (Kantian) systems perspective is suggested that foster appreciation of different perspectives in the organisation. Prevailing belief in the business intelligence system industry is that a key business problem should drive development of the system. Our position is more future oriented in that we argue that inclusion of all available perspectives on business problems will prolong the life of the system, thereby making it more sustainable. This is not an idealistic requirement when a data vault is used for the data model of the system. Contrary to the more common dimensional modelling, data vault modelling does not require restrictive decisions to be made on the scope of the system. In fact, the worst‐case scenario is addressed in the initial model. The paper provides a conceptual discussion of how a business intelligence system should be designed and developed to ensure that it is sustainable. Since the right system should be developed in the right way, we incorporate known success factors into our discussion. We argue that the critical (Kantian) systems perspective can lead to the right system and that data vault modelling in context of lessons from identified success factors is the right way to develop the business intelligence system.