bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Variation in Grain Mineral Concentrations of 63 Common Bean Genotypes Planted at Malkerns, Eswatini, in Africa
Authors: Gunununu Rotondwa Pascalia , Dakora Felix Dapare 
Published: October 2024

ABSTRACTLow soil mineral concentrations are a major limitation to the nutritional quality of grain crops produced in Africa. As a result, 232 million people are suffering from microelement deficiency and 239 million from protein‐calorie malnutrition in Africa. This study evaluated the nutritional quality of common bean grain harvested from 63 genotypes planted at Malkerns in Eswatini. The results showed significantly marked differences in the concentrations of 10 dietarily important nutrient elements. Of the macronutrients, Na levels showed the highest variation (12.00–91.00 mg/g) among the 63 bean genotypes, followed by K (14.03–22.03 mg/g) and P (3.30–9.57 mg/g), with Mg (1.57–2.30 mg/g) and Ca (0.80–2.68 mg/g) concentrations exhibiting the least difference among the bean genotypes. Of the micronutrients, Fe levels revealed the highest variation (66.36–151.08 mg/kg), followed by Zn (23.57–70.72 mg/kg) and Mn (11.53–26.84 mg/kg), with B (10.06–17.65 mg/kg) and Cu (6.30–13.67 mg/kg) exhibiting relatively lower differences among the 63 common bean genotypes. However, genotype NUC 461 recorded the highest grain concentrations of P, K, Mg, Fe, Cu, Zn, and B, followed by DAB 155, which also revealed high levels of P, K, Ca, Fe, Zn, and Mn in its seeds. For improved human health and nutrition, the two bean genotypes would be the ideal candidates to recommend to commercial bean growers and resource‐poor farmers. However, the mechanisms underlying the greater accumulation of six to seven dietarily important nutrient elements by genotypes NUC 461 and DAB 155 remain to be determined.
Lateral Assessment of Mucomimetic Hydrogels to Evaluate Correlation between Microscopic and Macroscopic Properties
Authors: Faurschou Kristina L. , Clasky Aaron J. , Watchorn Jeffrey , Tram Su Jennifer , Li Nancy T. , McGuigan Alison P. , Gu Frank X. 
Published: October 2024

AbstractA major limitation in the development of mucosal drug delivery systems is the design of in vitro models that accurately reflect in vivo conditions. Traditionally, models seek to mimic characteristics of physiological mucus, often focusing on property‐specific trial metrics such as rheological behavior or diffusion of a nanoparticle of interest. Despite the success of these models, translation from in vitro results to in vivo trials is limited. As a result, several authors have called for work to develop standardized testing methodologies and characterize the influence of model properties on drug delivery performance. To this end, a series of trials is performed on 12 mucomimetic hydrogels reproduced from literature. Experiments show that there is no consistent correlation between barrier performance and rheological or microstructural properties of the tested mucomimetic hydrogels. In addition, the permeability of both mucopenetrating and mucoadhesive nanoparticles is assessed, revealing non‐obvious variations in barrier properties such as the relative contributions of electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions in different models. These results demonstrate the limitations of predicting mucomimetic behavior with common characterization techniques and highlight the importance of testing barrier performance with multiple nanoparticle formulations.
Investigation and In Vitro Studies of a ZrO2/g‐C3N4 Composite Coated on 316L Stainless Steel for Biomedical Applications
Authors: Tharmaraj Manoja , Radhakrishnan Abinaya , Ramani Anuradha , Srinivasan Nagarajan 
Published: October 2024

ABSTRACTThe advancement of smart coatings for bioimplants has yielded a combination of biocompatibility and corrosion resistance. 316L stainless steel (316LSS) is a commonly used commercial implant, but it has limitations in biocompatibility and durability, which hinders the widespread utilization of 316LSS alloys. In this study, the 316LSS alloy is coated with a mixture of zirconium dioxide (ZrO2), prepared using the sol–gel method, and graphitic carbon nitride (g‐C3N4), synthesized by thermal polymerization. XRD and Raman analyses confirmed the crystal structure and purity of the synthesized samples. The corrosion resistance property was assessed using OCP, POL, and PEIS. The findings demonstrate that the ZrO2/g‐C3N4‐coated 316LSS shows significantly enhanced corrosion resistance and biocompatibility in a simulated body fluid. The in vitro bioactivity test reveals that the ZrO2/g‐C3N4 coating leads to the formation of an apatite layer over the surface of 316LSS. The elemental composition of the HAP deposition was confirmed by Raman analysis. The results suggested that the ZrO2/g‐C3N4–coated 316LSS substrate is a promising material for use in biomedical applications.
Ant‐Nest Corrosion in Copper Pipes Triggered by Ethylene Vinyl Acetate‐Based Adhesive
Authors: Cozzarini Luca , Marsich Lucia , Ferluga Alessio 
Published: October 2024

ABSTRACTCorrosion of condenser circuits in refrigeration systems significantly impacts appliance reliability and longevity. This study investigates an unreported cause linked to changing adhesive materials during copper pipe assembly. Transitioning from a polyethylene‐based adhesive to one containing ethylene vinyl acetate caused unexpected perforation of copper coils within months. We hypothesized that even trace amounts of acetic acid, a byproduct of the latter adhesive, trigger a peculiar localized morphology known as “ant‐nest corrosion.” We propose using ethylene vinyl acetate‐free adhesives to prevent this issue in refrigeration systems.
Colorimetric Oxygen Sensing by Analyzing Chromaticity Points for Polymer Cobalt Schiff Base in CIELAB
Authors: Suzuki Takayuki , Tachibana Yuto , Kamimura Ayane 
Published: October 2024

AbstractPolymer membranes of a copolymer ligand (L) coordinated to tetra‐coordinated N,N'‐ethylene bis(salicylideneiminato) cobalt(II) at the fifth coordinating site of the center cobalt(II), Co(II)S‐L, are prepared to measure colorimetrically the color changes in response to rapid reversible oxygen binding simultaneously with slow oxidation under moist conditions to yield Co(III)S‐L. The chromaticity point observed in CIELAB is the endpoint of the vector sum of the unit vectors for Co(II)S‐L, O2‐Co(II)S‐L, and Co(III)S‐L, scaled by their respective abundance ratios: (1 − m)(1 − n), m(1 − n), and n, where m is the ratio of O2‐Co(II)S‐L to the sum of Co(II)S‐L and O2‐Co(II)S‐L and n is the ratio of Co(III)S‐L to the total of the three cobalt complexes. The observed limited area in CIELAB as a stoichiometric Euclidean space is supported by the following two different reaction processes of the polymer membranes: an oxygen‐binding reaction under several different partial pressures of oxygen supplied to the membranes in a short period, during which oxidation of the cobalt(II) complexes is negligible, and an oxidation reaction over a long period at a constant partial pressure of oxygen. The chromaticity points in both processes progress linearly in three different two‐dimensional coordinates: a*b*, a*L*, and b*L*.
Mapping individual cortico–basal ganglia–thalamo–cortical circuits integrating structural and functional connectome: implications for upper limb motor impairment poststroke
Authors: Xue Xin , Wu Jia‐Jia , Xing Xiang‐Xin , Ma Jie , Zhang Jun‐Peng , Xiang Yun‐Ting , Zheng Mou‐Xiong , Hua Xu‐Yun , Xu Jian‐Guang 
Published: October 2024

AbstractThis study investigated alterations in functional connectivity (FC) within cortico–basal ganglia–thalamo–cortical (CBTC) circuits and identified critical connections influencing poststroke motor recovery, offering insights into optimizing brain modulation strategies to address the limitations of traditional single‐target stimulation. We delineated individual‐specific parallel loops of CBTC through probabilistic tracking and voxel connectivity profiles‐based segmentation and calculated FC values in poststroke patients and healthy controls, comparing with conventional atlas‐based FC calculation. Support vector machine (SVM) analysis distinguished poststroke patients from controls. Connectome‐based predictive modeling (CPM) used FC values within CBTC circuits to predict upper limb motor function. Poststroke patients exhibited decreased ipsilesional connectivity within the individual‐specific CBTC circuits. SVM analysis achieved 82.8% accuracy, 76.6% sensitivity, and 89.1% specificity using individual‐specific parallel loops. Additionally, CPM featuring positive connections/all connections significantly predicted Fugl‐Meyer assessment of upper extremity scores. There were no significant differences in the group comparisons of conventional atlas‐based FC values, and the FC values resulted in SVM accuracy of 75.0%, sensitivity of 67.2%, and specificity of 82.8%, with no significant CPM capability. Individual‐specific parallel loops show superior predictive power for assessing upper limb motor function in poststroke patients. Precise mapping of the disease‐related circuits is essential for understanding poststroke brain reorganization.
3D B1+ corrected simultaneous myocardial T1 and T1ρ mapping with subject‐specific respiratory motion correction and water‐fat separation
Authors: Qi Haikun , Lv Zhenfeng , Diao Jiameng , Tao Xiaofeng , Hu Junpu , Xu Jian , Botnar René , Prieto Claudia , Hu Peng 
Published: October 2024

AbstractPurposeTo develop a 3D free‐breathing cardiac multi‐parametric mapping framework that is robust to confounders of respiratory motion, fat, and B1+ inhomogeneities and validate it for joint myocardial T1 and T1ρ mapping at 3T.MethodsAn electrocardiogram‐triggered sequence with dual‐echo Dixon readout was developed, where nine cardiac cycles were repeatedly acquired with inversion recovery and T1ρ preparation pulses for T1 and T1ρ sensitization. A subject‐specific respiratory motion model relating the 1D diaphragmatic navigator to the respiration‐induced 3D translational motion of the heart was constructed followed by respiratory motion binning and intra‐bin 3D translational and inter‐bin non‐rigid motion correction. Spin history B1+ inhomogeneities were corrected with optimized dual flip angle strategy. After water‐fat separation, the water images were matched to the simulated dictionary for T1 and T1ρ quantification. Phantoms and 10 heathy subjects were imaged to validate the proposed technique.ResultsThe proposed technique achieved strong correlation (T1: R2 = 0.99; T1ρ: R2 = 0.98) with the reference measurements in phantoms. 3D cardiac T1 and T1ρ maps with spatial resolution of 2 × 2 × 4 mm were obtained with scan time of 5.4 ± 0.5 min, demonstrating comparable T1 (1236 ± 59 ms) and T1ρ (50.2 ± 2.4 ms) measurements to 2D separate breath‐hold mapping techniques. The estimated B1+ maps showed spatial variations across the left ventricle with the septal and inferior regions being 10%–25% lower than the anterior and septal regions.ConclusionThe proposed technique achieved efficient 3D joint myocardial T1 and T1ρ mapping at 3T with respiratory motion correction, spin history B1+ correction and water‐fat separation.
Efficient Random Field Generation With Rotational Anisotropy for Probabilistic SPH Analysis of Slope Failure
Authors: Bi Zhonghui , Wu Wei , Zhang Liaojun , Peng Chong 
Published: October 2024

ABSTRACTDue to geological processes such as sedimentation, tectonic movement, and backfilling, natural soil often exhibits characteristics of rotated anisotropy. Recent studies have shown the significant impact of rotated anisotropy on slope stability. However, little research has explored how this rotated anisotropy affects the large deformations occurring after slope failure. Therefore, this study integrates rotated random field theory with smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) to investigate its influence on post‐failure slope behavior. Focusing on a typical slope scenario, this research utilizes graphics processing unit (GPU)–accelerated covariance matrix decomposition (CMD) method to create rotated anisotropy random fields and applies the SPH framework for analysis. It examines the influence of rotated anisotropy angles and the cross‐correlation between cohesion and internal friction angle on landslides. The results indicate that the rotational anisotropy of the slope significantly influences post‐failure behavior. When the rotation angle is close to the slope surface, it tends to amplify both the magnitude and variability of slope failure. Furthermore, the study evaluates the efficiency of generating these random fields and emphasizes the substantial computational speed improvements achieved with GPU acceleration. These findings offer a robust approach for probabilistic analysis of slope large deformations considering rotated anisotropy. They provide a theoretical foundation for accurately assessing the risk of slope collapse, holding significant practical implications for geotechnical engineering.
Evaluation of the Spatial Variability of the Mechanical Properties of Rocks Using Non‐Iterative Green's Function Approach and the FOSM Method
Authors: Mesquita Leonardo C. , Sotelino Elisa D. , Peres Matheus L. 
Published: October 2024

ABSTRACTThe present work proposes a new version of the Green‐FOSM (first‐order second moment) method, which eliminates the iterative calculation process of the original version and, simultaneously, solves the convergence problems related to the mechanical properties of rocks that form the geological formation. In this calculation scheme, the iterative process is eliminated by using a matrix that correlates the nodal displacement vector with the strain vector. Considering the same computational resources, this non‐iterative version of the Green‐FOSM method is up to 200 times faster than the original iterative process. In addition, it allows analyzing problems with more than 10,000 random variables, value that in the original method is less than 3000. To demonstrate its validity, the proposed method is applied to two hypothetical models subjected to different fluid extraction processes. For all the different levels of correlation and spatial variability, the statistical results obtained by the proposed method agree well with the results obtained via Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS). The relationship between CPU times demonstrates that the proposed method is at least 50 times faster than MCS. In the end, the non‐iterative Green‐FOSM method is used to obtain the displacement, strain, and stress fields of a geological section constructed from a seismic image of Brazilian pre‐salt oil region. The results found show that, depending on the levels of spatial variability, the analyzed fields can assume values up to 30.6% higher or lower than the values obtained deterministically.
Fourth‐order force‐gradient splitting for linear port‐Hamiltonian systems
Authors: Mönch Marius , Marheineke Nicole 
Published: October 2024

AbstractThe port‐Hamiltonian (pH) approach offers a modeling of dynamic systems with an energy‐conserving and a dissipative part. pH systems are passive. That means no energy can be generated within the system. A passive system cannot store more energy than it receives. The exact solution of the pH system hence fulfills the dissipation inequality. In this paper, we deal with operator splitting that considers the energy‐conserving and dissipative parts separately. We aim at high‐order splitting schemes that preserve the dissipation inequality. Fourth‐order methods for linear pH systems are derived and an extension to sixth‐order methods is discussed.
Quality of life and late therapy effects in pediatric non‐Hodgkin lymphoma survivors: Insights from a single‐institution study
Authors: Ayad Azza , Khedr Reham , Hamoda Asmaa , Elnabarawy Nahla , Rifky Elhamy , Diab Tamer , Desouky Eman El , Lehmann Leslie , Elhaddad Alaa 
Published: October 2024

AbstractBackground and aimThe survival outcomes of pediatric patients with mature B‐non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) have improved due to advances in treatment. We aimed to assess the frequency and severity of late effects and their impact on quality of life among pediatric NHL survivors.Patients and methodsThis retrospective study included patients diagnosed with mature B‐NHL at Children's Cancer Hospital of Egypt (CCHE) 57357 from January 2012 through December 2015. Patients received treatment according to the modified LMB 96 protocol. The minimum follow‐up period was 5 years. Assessments for toxicity and quality of life were conducted at regular intervals during and after treatment. Patients were assessed for toxicity including pulmonary dysfunction, cardiac dysfunction, lipid profile abnormalities, endocrine dysfunction (thyroid function, vitamin D levels, growth curves), and cognitive function (intelligence quotient [IQ] level using Stanford–Binet Intelligence Scales—5th Edition, and quality of life (QoL) assessment (PedsQoL).ResultsA total of 273 patients were eligible, and 206 were evaluable. Median age was 5.45 (range: 2.4–18), with a male‐to‐female ratio 4:1. Pulmonary function abnormalities were detected in 119/203 (58.6%); most had mild dysfunction (72/119, 60.5%), while 17% had severe dysfunction. Cardiac toxicity occurred in 10% of the patients (n = 20). IQ testing showed that 52 patients had a low average IQ score, while 151 patients had either average or above average scores. The total mean QoL score was 99 ± 0.058 classified as “satisfactory.” However, significant impairment of the physical domain of quality of life was observed among group C patients compared to A/B (p = .033), older age at diagnosis (p = .042), and those with pulmonary dysfunction (p < .001). Total score of quality of life was significantly impaired among patients with pulmonary dysfunction (p = .009), likewise older age at diagnosis (p = .017) and those with low average IQ scores (p = .033).ConclusionChildhood mature B‐NHL survivors are at significant risk for late effects; pulmonary dysfunction and low average IQ that can subsequently impact QoL
Role of Amniotic Fluid Toxicity in the Pathophysiology of Myelomeningocele: A Narrative Literature Review
Authors: Athiel Yoann , Jouannic Jean‐Marie , Lépine Matthieu , Maillet Corentin , de Saint Denis Timothée , Larghero Jérôme , Guilbaud Lucie 
Published: October 2024

ABSTRACTMyelomeningocele is a birth defect whose clinical manifestations are due both to incomplete neural tube closure and the progressive destruction of exposed neuroepithelium during pregnancy. Two hypotheses have been formulated to explain the spinal cord damage in utero: mechanical trauma and chemical factors. The objective of this review was to summarize the current insights about the potential role of amniotic fluid in spinal cord damage in myelomeningocele. Numerous histological and clinical data on animals and humans strongly suggest a progressive degeneration of neural tissue including loss of neural cells, astrogliosis, inflammation, and loss of normal architecture. However, few data have been published about the direct toxicity of amniotic fluid in this neural degeneration, including the potentially toxic effect of meconium. Finally, the chemical and cellular modifications of amniotic fluid composition in myelomeningocele could reflect both the process (toxic effect of meconium) and the consequences of neuroepithelium destruction (release of neural cells). Fetal surgery not only stops the leakage of the cerebrospinal fluid but also reduces the toxic effect of amniotic fluid by restoring the intrauterine environment. Identification of amniotic fluid neurotoxic factors could lead to the development of therapeutic agents designed to protect spinal tissue and improve fetal myelomeningocele outcomes.
Effect of β nucleating agent and rotational shear on morphology and mechanical properties of polypropylene pipes
Authors: Abudurezhake Aerman , Yang Minghao , Gong Jiawei , Zhong Ganji , Li Zhongming , Fu Qiang , Gao Xueqin 
Published: October 2024

AbstractHerein, we report a new method of introducing circumferential shear to polypropylene (PP) pipes via a self‐designed rotational shear system (RSS) with the addition of a β‐nucleating agent (TMB‐5). The prepared PP pipes exhibited remarkable enhancement in toughening and tensile strength over conventional PP pipes incorporating 0.025 wt% of the nucleating agent into the sheared sample increased the elongation at break to 243.30%. At 0.05 wt% nucleating agent content, an optimal tensile strength of 40.98 MPa was attained compared to 33.62 MPa for unsheared PP, and the elongation at break also reached 108.09%. In creep tests, the PP pipes prepared with nucleating agents and shear rotation exhibited a minimum displacement of 2.1 mm and the lowest creep rate of 3.23 × 10−5 mm/s. In addition, the samples also showed a high resistance to crack growth compared to conventional PP pipes with a crack initiation time of 24 h and a crack growth rate of 0.08 mm/s.Highlights
Reinforced and toughened PP pipes were prepared using a rotational shear system.
The shish‐kebab structure and β‐crystals exhibited a synergistic effect.
Both short‐term and long‐term mechanical properties were studied.
Compatibilizing and toughening of the styrene and acrylonitrile copolymer and core‐shell impact modifier obtained by agglomerate technologies
Authors: Song Zirui , Liu Baijun , Zhang Mingyao 
Published: October 2024

AbstractParticle size distribution and the compatibility of core‐shell impact modifiers play a crucial role in determining the mechanical properties of the resin. This study presents the synthesis of a core‐shell impact modifier, a copolymer of polybutadiene grafted with styrene and acrylonitrile (PBL‐g‐SAN), using emulsion polymerization to enhance the mechanical properties of SAN resin. Polymer agglomeration technologies were employed to increase the particle size of polybutadiene latex, resulting in particles approximately 300 nm in diameter. Moreover, the effects of core‐shell modifiers with different constitutions on the mechanical properties of ABS resin were investigated. By optimizing the grafting polymerization process, improvements in impact strength of ABS resin were observed. When the St/AN ratio of the core‐shell modifier is 75/25, with a core‐shell ratio of 60/40 and MMA content at 2.5%, the impact strength of ABS resin reaches its peak while maintaining high tensile strength. The incorporation of methyl methacrylate improved the dispersion of core‐shell modifiers in SAN resin. Compared to commercial ABS resins with the same SAN and rubber content, the modified resin demonstrated a nearly 20% improvement in impact performance, and significant reductions in both production time and costs due to the polymer agglomeration method.Highlights
The 300 nm polybutadiene latex was synthesized by polymer agglomeration technology.
The relationship between the composition of these core‐shell modifiers and the mechanical properties of ABS resin was explored.
The ABS resin with impact strength exceeding 20% of commercial material is prepared.