bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Early Penile and Donor Site Sensory Outcomes After Innervated Radial Forearm Free Flap Phalloplasty: A Pilot Prospective Study
Authors: Hu Sophia , Oles Norah , Reiche Erik , Kim Raphael , Landford Wilmina , Eisenbeis Lauren , Noyes Melissa , Schuster Calvin R. , Parisi Michael , Rahmayanti Siti , Soares Vance , Dellon A. Lee , Coon Devin 
Published: September 2024

ABSTRACTBackgroundRadial forearm free flap phalloplasty (RFFF) is a set of complex reconstructive procedures aimed at creating an aesthetic and functional penis in transgender patients. Sensory recovery in the neophallus and donor site is crucial for optimizing outcomes, but the few prior studies that exist assess neophallus sensation at limited locations and time points. The purpose of this study was to prospectively quantify sensory outcomes in the neophallus and donor site following RFFF phalloplasty.MethodsSensation testing occurred prospectively over February 2019–January 2021 on Stage 1 RFFF phalloplasty patients using the Pressure Specified Sensory Device (PSSD). On the neophallus, one‐point discrimination (1PS) pressure threshold and lengthwise sensory recovery were measured at six circumferential locations proximally to distally. On the donor site, 1PS was measured at three locations on the donor hand.ResultsNineteen patients were included (average age 34.0 years old, range 18–53 years). Among patients that received neophallus testing (n = 13), eight had at least two follow‐up appointments. Six of these patients had sensation as of their most recent measurement (75.0%), with an average of 73 days to regain sensation. There was a significantly greater proportion of patients with sensation at the right ventral (80.0% after 3 months vs. 11.1%–60.0% before 3 months, p = 0.024) and right lateral (100.0% after 3 months vs. 11.1%–60.0% before 3 months, p = 0.004) aspects of the neophallus over time. Pressure required to elicit sensation decreased by 18.0% from 1 week–1 month postoperatively to 3–7.7 months postoperatively in the right ventral neophallus (96.2 g/mm2 ± 11.3 g/mm2 to 56.6 ± 39.9 g/mm2, p = 0.037). Among patients that received donor site testing (n = 11), mixed effects regression analysis with random intercepts demonstrated significant changes in the thumb (3.4 g/mm2 ± 1.4 g/mm2, p < 0.05) and webspace (13.5 g/mm2 ± 4.9 g/mm2, p < 0.01) that returned to baseline at 3 months postoperatively (1.7 g/mm2 ± 1.0 g/mm2, p > 0.05, and 2.3 g/mm2 ± 4.0 g/mm2, p > 0.05, respectively).ConclusionThis pilot study demonstrates that quantitative sensory testing can be used to monitor post‐phalloplasty sensory changes. Recovery was significantly associated with contralateral (i.e, right side in a left forearm RFF) aspects of the neophallus, suggesting a possible pattern of circumferential sensory innervation via RFFF sensory nerves. Future studies with a larger sample size and longer follow‐ups are necessary to fully characterize sensory recovery in phalloplasty patients.
The Use of ECMO and Free‐Fillet‐Leg Flap for Complex Pelvic Reconstruction: A Case Report
Authors: Cigna Emanuele , Bolletta Alberto , Pozzi Mirco , Schettino Michela , Mani Olimpia , Andreani Lorenzo , Boggi Ugo , Capanna Rodolfo 
Published: September 2024

ABSTRACTAdvanced sarcoma treatment in complex anatomical regions such as the pelvis poses significant surgical challenges. This report details a case involving a 35‐year‐old man with recurrent osteosarcoma of the left hemipelvis, who underwent a 16 h surgery for hemipelvectomy and reconstruction using a free tibia and fibula fillet leg flap. The procedure, necessitated by an infected, exposed iliac prosthesis, utilized extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for 8 h to maintain flap viability. The flap, incorporating tibia, fibula, and associated musculature was successfully inset and anastomosed to the left common iliac artery and vein, with additional venous anastomosis to the right iliac vein. Despite postoperative challenges such as venous stasis and intestinal ischemia, necessitating further surgical interventions, the patient achieved mobility with a walker at 3 months post‐surgery, with stable conditions observed during a 2 years follow‐up. ECMO enabled successful preservation and integration of the free fillet leg flap, demonstrating its potential in complex reconstructive surgeries. Specifically, ECMO may extend free flap viability in complex cases, offering new possibilities for challenging oncological and reconstructive surgeries.
Maternal Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and High‐Fat Diet Influenced Hepatic Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Profile in the Offspring of C57BL/6J Mice
Authors: Gong JiaYu , Xu WenHui , Chen YiFei , Chen ShuTong , Wu YanYan , Chen YiRu , Li YueTing , He Yuan , Yu HaiTao , Xie Lin 
Published: September 2024

ScopeThis research examines the effects of maternal high‐fat (HF) diet and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) on offspring lipid metabolism and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) profile.Methods and resultsGDM is induced using the insulin receptor antagonist S961. Weaning offspring are categorized into HF‐GDM, HF‐CON, NC‐GDM, and NC‐CON groups based on maternal diet or GDM. Adult offspring are then grouped into NC‐CON‐NC, NC‐CON‐HF, NC‐GDM‐NC, NC‐GDM‐HF, HF‐CON‐NC, HF‐CON‐HF, HF‐GDM‐NC, and HF‐GDM‐HF according to dietary patterns. Gas chromatography determines PUFA composition. Western blot assesses PI3K/Akt signaling pathway‐related protein expression.Feeding a normal chow diet until adulthood improves the distribution of hepatic PUFA during weaning across the four groups. PI3K expression is upregulated during weaning in HF‐CON and HF‐GDM, particularly in HF‐CON‐NC and HF‐GDM‐NC, compared to NC‐CON‐NC during adulthood. Akt expression increases in NC‐GDM‐NC after weaning with a normal diet. The hepatic PUFA profile in HF‐CON‐HF significantly distinguishes among the maternal generation health groups. Maternal HF diet exacerbates the combined impact of maternal GDM and offspring HF diet on hepatic PUFA and PI3K/Akt signaling pathway‐related proteins during adulthood.ConclusionsEarly exposure to HF diets and GDM affects hepatic PUFA profiles and PI3K/Akt signaling pathway protein expression in male offspring during weaning and adulthood.
Development of a proton CT imaging system using scintillator‐based range detection
Authors: Liu Meiqi , Wang Yuxiang , Gu Yue , Gong Haonian , Lu Hsiao‐Ming , Tang Zebo , Yang Yidong 
Published: September 2024

AbstractBackgroundThe accuracy of proton therapy and preclinical proton irradiation experiments is susceptible to proton range uncertainties, which partly stem from the inaccurate conversion between CT numbers and relative stopping power (RSP). Proton computed tomography (PCT) can reduce these uncertainties by directly acquiring RSP maps.PurposeThis study aims to develop a novel PCT imaging system based on scintillator‐based proton range detection for accurate RSP reconstruction.MethodsThe proposed PCT system consists of a pencil‐beam brass collimator with a 1 mm aperture, an object stage capable of translation and 360° rotation, a plastic scintillator for dose‐to‐light conversion, and a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) camera for light distribution acquisition. A calibration procedure based on Monte Carlo (MC) simulation was implemented to convert the obtained light ranges into water equivalent ranges. The water equivalent path lengths (WEPLs) of the imaged object were determined by calculating the differences in proton ranges obtained with and without the object in the beam path. To validate the WEPL calculation, measurements of WEPLs for eight tissue‐equivalent inserts were conducted. PCT imaging was performed on a custom‐designed phantom and a mouse, utilizing both 60 and 360 projections. The filtered back projection (FBP) algorithm was employed to reconstruct the RSP from WEPLs. Image quality was assessed based on the reconstructed RSP maps and compared to reference and simulation‐based reconstructions.ResultsThe differences between the calibrated and reference ranges of 110–150 MeV proton beams were within 0.18 mm. The WEPLs of eight tissue‐equivalent inserts were measured with accuracies better than 1%. Phantom experiments exhibited good agreement with reference and simulation‐based reconstructions, demonstrating average RSP errors of 1.26%, 1.38%, and 0.38% for images reconstructed with 60 projections, 60 projections after penalized weighted least‐squares algorithm denoising, and 360 projections, respectively. Mouse experiments provided clear observations of mouse contours and major tissue types. MC simulation estimated an imaging dose of 3.44 cGy for decent RSP reconstruction.ConclusionsThe proposed PCT imaging system enables RSP map acquisition with high accuracy and has the potential to improve dose calculation accuracy in proton therapy and preclinical proton irradiation experiments.
Spherical echo‐planar time‐resolved imaging (sEPTI) for rapid 3D quantitative T2* and susceptibility imaging
Authors: Wang Nan , Liao Congyu , Cao Xiaozhi , Nishimura Mark , Brackenier Yannick W. E. , Yurt Mahmut , Gao Mengze , Abraham Daniel , Alkan Cagan , Iyer Siddharth Srinivasan , Zhou Zihan , Jeong Hwihun , Kerr Adam , Haldar Justin P. , Setsompop Kawin 
Published: September 2024

AbstractPurposeTo develop a 3D spherical EPTI (sEPTI) acquisition and a comprehensive reconstruction pipeline for rapid high‐quality whole‐brain submillimeter and QSM quantification.MethodsFor the sEPTI acquisition, spherical k‐space coverage is utilized with variable echo‐spacing and maximum kx ramp‐sampling to improve efficiency and signal incoherency compared to existing EPTI approaches. For reconstruction, an iterative rank‐shrinking B0 estimation and odd‐even high‐order phase correction algorithms were incorporated into the reconstruction to better mitigate artifacts from field imperfections. A physics‐informed unrolled network was utilized to boost the SNR, where 1‐mm and 0.75‐mm isotropic whole‐brain imaging were performed in 45 and 90 s at 3 T, respectively. These protocols were validated through simulations, phantom, and in vivo experiments. Ten healthy subjects were recruited to provide sufficient data for the unrolled network. The entire pipeline was validated on additional five healthy subjects where different EPTI sampling approaches were compared. Two additional pediatric patients with epilepsy were recruited to demonstrate the generalizability of the unrolled reconstruction.ResultssEPTI achieved 1.4 faster imaging with improved image quality and quantitative map precision compared to existing EPTI approaches. The B0 update and the phase correction provide improved reconstruction performance with lower artifacts. The unrolled network boosted the SNR, achieving high‐quality and QSM quantification with single average data. High‐quality reconstruction was also obtained in the pediatric patients using this network.ConclusionsEPTI achieved whole‐brain distortion‐free multi‐echo imaging and and QSM quantification at 0.75 mm in 90 s which has the potential to be useful for wide clinical applications.
Comparative analysis of in situ and ex situ postmortem brain MRI: Evaluating volumetry, DTI, and relaxometry
Authors: Neuhaus Dominique , Rost Thomas , Haas Tanja , Wendebourg Maria Janina , Schulze Katja , Schlaeger Regina , Scheurer Eva , Lenz Claudia 
Published: September 2024

AbstractPurposeTo compare postmortem in situ with ex situ MRI parameters, including volumetry, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and relaxometry for assessing methodology‐induced alterations, which is a crucial prerequisite when performing MRI biomarker validation.MethodsMRI whole‐brain scans of five deceased patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis were performed at 3 T. In situ scans were conducted within 32 h after death (SD 18 h), and ex situ scans after brain extraction and 3 months of formalin fixation. The imaging protocol included MP2RAGE, DTI, and multi‐contrast spin‐echo and multi‐echo gradient‐echo sequences. Volumetry, fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity, T1, T2, and have been assessed for specific brain regions.ResultsWhen comparing ex situ to in situ values, the following results were obtained. Deep gray matter as well as the thalamus and the hippocampus showed a reduced volume. Fractional anisotropy was reduced in the cortex and the whole brain. Mean diffusivity was decreased in white matter and deep gray matter. T1 and T2 were reduced in all investigated structures, whereas was increased in the cortex.ConclusionThe results of this study show that the volumes and MRI parameters of several brain regions are potentially affected by tissue extraction and subsequent formalin fixation, suggesting that methodological alterations are present in ex situ MRI. To avoid overlap of indistinguishable methodological and disease‐related changes, we recommend performing in situ postmortem MRI as an additional intermediate step for in vivo MRI biomarker validation.
Breast Cancer Cell Destruction Using Individually Encapsulated Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes in Polyelectrolyte Layer Coated with Dual Nanoparticles in Combination with Magnetic Exposure and Laser Irradiation
Authors: Wattanakull Porntida , Pissuwan Dakrong 
Published: September 2024

ABSTRACTCell encapsulation can protect cells from the host immune system. It is well‐known that cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) can destroy cancer cells. In this study, we individually encapsulated CTLs in a cationic polyelectrolyte in combination with two types of nanomaterials: magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) and gold nanorods (GNRs) conjugated to anti‐human epidermal growth factor receptor‐2 (HER2) antibodies referred to as CTLs/mMNPs/PAH/GNRs@HER2. When MCF‐7 breast cancer cells were co‐cultured with CTLs/mMNPs/PAH/GNRs@HER2 and subjected to a magnetic field and laser irradiation, the viability of MCF‐7 cells was significantly decreased to 42.98 ± 0.57% in comparison to MCF‐7 cells without any treatment or MCF‐7 cells co‐cultured with CTLs (51.52 ± 0.57%). This can be a novel strategy for cancer treatment using encapsulated CTLs in polyelectrolytes and dual nanomaterials in combination with magnetic exposure and laser irradiation.
Exploring the dependencies of Poisson's ratio in auxetic structures
Authors: Grünfelder Nicolas , Savall Berta Pi , Seyedpour Seyed Morteza , Waschinsky Navina , Ricken Tim 
Published: September 2024

AbstractAuxetic materials are mostly known for their negative Poisson's ratio, a parameter used to describe the deformation behavior of structures. This ratio serves a similar role as a material constant, detailing behavior on a microscopic scale. However, the deformation behavior of complex auxetic structures cannot be described completely using the classical Poisson's ratio approach. While it may suffice to describe auxetic behavior in foams or crystals, it fails for larger scales like the auxetic lattice structures, discussed in this study. To address this limitation, an extension to the classical Poisson's ratio is proposed to better describe the behavior of such structures. The developed method shows the different dependencies, namely the directional dependency, the frequency dependency and the position dependency of auxetic unit cells.
An experimental and numerical effort on the vibration behavior of additively manufactured recycled polyethylene terephthalate glycol components
Authors: Bolat Çağın , Çebi Abdulkadir , Maraş Sinan , Ergene Berkay 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThe importance of recycling engineering components and thus obtaining low‐cost production solutions has become prominent in today's world. In this study, the mechanical and dynamic behaviors of three‐dimensional‐printed recycled polyethylene terephthalate glycol (RePET‐G) beams were investigated numerically and experimentally for the first time in the literature. Initially, the governing equations of the beams were determined according to the Bernoulli–Euler beam theory, and these equations were numerically solved using the differential quadrature method and ANSYS program. Subsequently, to validate the accuracy of the numerical models, the obtained natural frequencies were compared with experimental results. It was observed that the numerical results showed good agreement with the experimental results. Finally, the effects of beam length, infill rate, and building direction on the natural frequencies of RePET‐G beams were investigated. The outcomes showed that as the beam length changed, natural frequencies were significantly affected. Increasing the infill rate, especially for beams with vertical building direction, from 20% to 100% led to a slight decrease in the natural frequency values of the structure. Moreover, it was found that for beams with an infill rate of 100%, the natural frequency values obtained in the horizontal building direction were higher than those obtained in the vertical building direction.Highlights
Printable recycled filaments have great potential for vibration applications.
Sample length affects the first natural frequency value of RePETG parts.
Differential quadrature and ANSYS methods can be utilized for the vibration.
For the 3D‐printed samples, rising infill rate causes a natural frequency drop.
Prospective results of the minimally invasive laser enucleation of the prostate (MiLEP)
Authors: Alves Breno Barros , Gabrich Pedro , Favorito Luciano A. 
Published: September 2024

AbstractBackgroundThe objective of the present study is to prospectively analyze the prostate enucleation procedure with Holmium Laser using the minimally invasive technique (MiLEP), comparing the outcomes and their variables pre‐ and postoperatively.MethodsWe studied men aged 40 years or over, with prostate volumes greater than or equal to 35 cm³ with lower urinary tract symptoms due to BPH. We performed flowmetry and administered the IPSS questionnaire before and 6 months after the MiLEP procedure. The patients were operated on with a 60 W Holmium Laser (Cyber‐Ho Quanta System®) using 54 W of power (energy 1.8 J and frequency of 30 Hz). Enucleation was performed using the en bloc technique with early sphincter release. After enucleation, the tissue was morcellated using a 22 Fr morcescope (RZ‐Medizintechnik GmbH, Tuttlingen, Germany) and Piranha (Richard Wolf) morcellator. The final Hemostasis after morcelation was made using laser with 30wW power, energy at 1,0 joules and frequency at 30 Hertz. Student's T test and Man‐Whitney was used to statistical analysis (p < 0.05).ResultsAfter selection we submitted 73 patients (mean age= 68.2 years) to MiLEP procedure with a follow up of 6 months. The prostate volume presented an average of 94.53 cm³ (65 to 112 cm³, SD = 5.363) preoperatively. The urinary continence rate after the procedure was greater than 95% after 1 week and 99% in the 1st month. All patients were continent after 6 months. The IPSS questionnaire before (mean = 21.18 points/SD = 6.557) and after (mean = 7.92 points/SD = 2.408) the MiLEP had statistical significance (p < 0.001). The flowmetry(ml/s) before (9.02/SD = 2.842) and after (21.07/SD = 6.228) the MiLEP had statistical significance (p < 0.001). The average time of the procedure was 78.5 min and the bladder catheter was removed after 18 h in mean. In 4 patients (5.8%) we observed hematuria and in 1 case (1.47%) the patient needs urinary catheterization.ConclusionMiLEP is a safe and effective procedure, with significant improvement in urinary flow and symptoms in the short term. Although the results of this study were satisfactory and the urinary incontinence rate was lower compared to HoLEP data found in the literature, multicenter studies with longer follow‐up are needed to confirm these findings.
Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion in pulmonary hypertension—Moving beyond the sector plane
Authors: Ichimura Kenzo , Celestin Bettia E. , Bagherzadeh Shadi P. , Zamanian Roham T. , Salerno Michael , Spiekerkoetter Edda , Haddad Francois 
Published: September 2024

AbstractTricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) is usually measured with M‐mode using sector line, however, this may not align with the anatomical shortening of the right ventricular (RV). In this study, we compared the different methods to measure TAPSE using three different reference lines (sector line, anatomical line, and apico‐annular line). We included 148 patients diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) who underwent TTE and right heart catheterization within 2 weeks of each other. TAPSE was measured by M‐mode (sector, anatomical), 2D (sector, anatomical), or as tricuspid apico‐annular displacement (TAAD). Agreement between measures was assessed using coefficient of variation (COV), Spearman's correlation, and Bland–Altman analysis. Receiver–operating characteristics and Kaplan–Meier analysis were used to explore associations with the combined outcome of death or lung transplantation at 5 years. There was a good concordance between anatomical and sector M‐mode with a COV of 15.5 ± 1.6% and a bias of −0.6 ± 3.2 mm. In contrast, anatomical M‐mode TAPSE and TAAD differed significantly with the mean difference of 3.3 ± 3.8 mm (COV 30.5 ± 6.1%; p < 0.0001). Among the different 2D methods, anatomical 2D agreed well with anatomical M‐mode TAPSE (COV of 11.8 ± 2.0%; r = 0.89; p < 0.0001). Among the five methods, TADD had the strongest association with the combined endpoint of death or transplantation at 5 years (C‐statistic 0.64, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.57–0.71). We concluded that different measures of TAPSE are not interchangeable.
Intelligent fibers and textiles for wearable biosensors
Authors: Fu Wanlin , Yu Buyun , Ji Dongxiao , Zhou Zhou , Li Xingyu , Wang Rui , Lu Weibing , Sun Yueming , Dai Yunqian 
Published: September 2024

AbstractIn conjunction with the advancement of digital healthcare, the field of wearable biosensors has experienced rapid growth in recent years and is projected to expand further in the coming years. As wearable biosensors enter their next phase, emphasis is increasingly placed on developing comfortable, breathable, washable, and lightweight intelligent fibers and textiles as key components. This review examines the contributions of both natural and synthetic fibers and textiles to wearable biosensors. The structure and preparation process of intelligent fibers and textiles are systematically elucidated, including the development of the conductive layer. Additionally, key micro–nano technologies that have emerged in this domain are highlighted such as built‐in power supplies, wireless data transmission, precise data analysis driven by artificial intelligence, and machine learning. Furthermore, advanced functionalities integrated into recent biosensing systems, such as heat management, real‐time displays, and human–machine interaction are summarized. Moreover, the applications of fiber‐based wearable biosensors for monitoring biophysical and biochemical signals are presented. Finally, the challenges faced by the community working on wearable sensors based on intelligent fibers and textiles are discussed alongside promising future directions.