bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Does the Angulation of the Screws in the Zero‐P Implant Affect the Clinical and Radiological Outcomes of Patients?
Authors: Huang Cheng‐yi , Sheng Xia‐qing , Wu Ting‐kui , Wang Bei‐yu , Wen Ding‐ke , He Li , Liu Hao 
Published: August 2024

ObjectiveWhen implanting the Zero‐P device, the screws of Zero‐P form a bone wedge with a 40 ± 5° cranial and caudal angle (CCA). However, no study has been performed in the optimal CCA of the Zero‐P implant. To investigate whether the cranial/caudal angles (CCA) of the screws affect the clinical and radiological outcomes in patients undergoing ACDF with the Zero‐P implant.MethodsFrom January 2016 to December 2023, we retrospectively analyzed 186 patients who underwent 1‐level ACDF with the Zero‐P device. The patients were divided into four groups: group A (cranial angle ≤40°, caudal angle ≤40°); group B (cranial angle ≤40°, caudal angle >40°); group C (cranial angle >40°, caudal angle ≤40°); and group D (cranial angle >40°, caudal angle >40°). The clinical outcomes, including Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA), neck disability index (NDI), and visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, the radiological parameters, including cervical lordosis (CL), cervical lordosis of operated segments (OPCL), intervertebral space height (ISH) and fusion rate (FR), and the complications, were evaluated and compared. Parametric tests, non‐parametric tests, and chi‐square tests were conducted to analyze the data.ResultsThe OPCL of group A was significantly less than that of the other groups at the final follow‐up (p < 0.05). The ISH of group D was significantly less than that of group A at the final follow‐up (p < 0.05). The subsidence rate of group A was significantly less than that of group D at the final follow‐up (p < 0.05). At the final follow‐up, the upper adjacent‐level degeneration (ASD) of group D was significantly less severe than that of groups A and B (p < 0.05). The clinical outcomes do not differ among groups (p > 0.05).ConclusionA larger CCA of the screws (cranial angle >40°, caudal angle >40°) was better for maintaining OPCL and reducing the incidence of ASD. A smaller CCA of the screws (cranial angle ≤40°, caudal angle ≤40°) was better for maintaining ISH and reducing the rate of subsidence.
Mechanisms of Lanthanum‐mediated mitigation of salt stress in soybean (Glycine max L.)
Authors: Tong Kaiqing , Yan Lei , Riaz Muhammad , Gao Guang , Yu Hualong , Lu Mu , Niu Yusheng 
Published: August 2024

AbstractSalinity is considered one of the abiotic stresses that have the greatest impact on soybean production worldwide. Lanthanum (La) is a rare earth element that can reduce adverse conditions on plant growth and productivity. However, the regulatory mechanism of La‐mediated plant response to salt stress has been poorly studied, particularly in soybeans. Therefore, our study investigated the mechanisms of La‐mediated salt stress alleviation from the perspectives of the antioxidant system, subcellular structure, and metabolomics responses. The results indicated that salt stress altered plant morphology and biomass, resulting in an increase in peroxidation, inhibition of photosynthesis, and damage to leaf structure. Exogenous La application effectively promoted the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD), as well as the soluble protein content, while decreasing the Na+ content and Na+/K+ ratio in roots and leaves, and reducing oxidative damage. Moreover, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) demonstrated that La prevented the disintegration of chloroplasts. Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis further confirmed that La addition mitigated the decline in protein, carbohydrates, and pectin levels in the leaves. Lanthanum decreased the leaf flavonoid content and synthesis by inhibiting the content of key substances in the phenylalanine metabolism pathway during NaCl exposure. Collectively, our research indicates that La reduces cell damage by regulating the antioxidant system and secondary metabolite synthesis, which are important mechanisms for the adaptive response of soybean leaves, thereby improving the salt tolerance of soybeans.
Melatonin mitigates drought stress by increasing sucrose synthesis and suppressing abscisic acid biosynthesis in tomato seedlings
Authors: Jahan Mohammad Shah , Yang Jia Yi , Althaqafi Mohammed M , Alharbi Basmah M. , Wu Hai Yan , Zhou Xun Bo 
Published: August 2024

AbstractThe increasing prevalence of drought events poses a major challenge for upcoming crop production. Melatonin is a tiny indolic tonic substance with fascinating regulatory functions in plants. While plants can respond in several ways to alleviate drought stress, the processes underpinning stress sensing and signaling are poorly understood. Hereafter, the objectives of this investigation were to explore the putative functions of melatonin in the regulation of sugar metabolism and abscisic acid biosynthesis in drought‐stressed tomato seedlings. Melatonin (100 μM) and/or water were foliar sprayed, followed by the plants being imposed to drought stress for 14 days. Drought stress significantly decreased biomass accumulation, inhibited photosynthetic activity, and stimulated senescence‐associated gene 12 (SAG12) expression. Melatonin treatment effectively reversed drought‐induced growth retardation as evidenced by increased leaf pigment and water balance and restricted abscisic acid (ABA) accumulation. Sugar accumulation, particularly sucrose content, was higher in drought‐imposed seedlings, possibly owing to higher transcription levels of sucrose non‐fermenting 1‐related protein kinase 2 (SnKR2.2) and ABA‐responsive element binding factors 2 (AREB2). Melatonin addition further uplifted the sucrose content, which coincided with increased activity of sucrose synthase (SS, 130%), sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS, 137%), starch degradation encoding enzyme β‐amylase (BAM, 40%) and α‐amylase (AMY, 59%) activity and upregulated their encoding BAM1(10.3 folds) and AMY3 (8.1 folds) genes expression at day 14 relative to the control. Under water deficit conditions, melatonin supplementation decreased the ABA content (24%) and its biosynthesis gene expressions. Additionally, sugar transporter subfamily genes SUT1 and SUT4 expression were upregulated by the addition of melatonin. Collectively, our findings illustrate that melatonin enhances drought tolerance in tomato seedlings by stimulating sugar metabolism and negatively regulating ABA synthesis.
The effectiveness of encapsulated salicylic acid as a treatment to enhance abiotic stress tolerance stems from maintaining proper hormonal homeostasis
Authors: Sampedro‐Guerrero Jimmy , Avendaño Vanessa A. , Gómez‐Cadenas Aurelio , Clausell‐Terol Carolina 
Published: August 2024

AbstractClimate change induces significant abiotic stresses that adversely affect crop yields. One promising solution to improve plant resilience under adverse conditions is the application of exogenous salicylic acid (SA). However, its negative effects on growth and development are a concern. Encapsulation with protective materials like amorphous silica and chitosan has demonstrated a controlled release of SA, minimizing the detrimental impacts. In this work, we elucidate the physiological mechanisms behind this protective mechanism. We employed in vitro cultivation of Arabidopsis, comparing plant responses to both free and encapsulated SA under conditions of salt or mannitol stress, combined or not with high temperature (30°C). Plants treated with encapsulated SA displayed an enhanced tolerance to these stresses that was due, at least in part, to the maintenance of physiological endogenous SA levels, which in turn regulate indole‐3‐acetic acid (IAA) homeostasis. The activity of the Arabidopsis “DR5::GFP” reporter line supported this finding. Unlike plants treated with free SA (with altered DR5 activity under stress), those treated with encapsulated SA maintained similar activity levels to control plants. Moreover, stressed plants treated with free SA overexpressed genes involved in the SA biosynthesis pathway, leading to increased SA accumulation in roots and rosettes. In contrast, plants treated with encapsulated SA under stress did not exhibit increased expression of EDS1, PAL1, and NPR1 in roots, or of PAL1, PBS3, and NPR1 in rosettes. This indicates that these plants likely experienced lower stress levels, possibly because the encapsulated SA provided sufficient defense activation without triggering pleiotropic effects.
Chemical gasification: An alternative approach to in vitro maturation of bovine oocytes
Authors: Gómez‐López David L. , Velasco‐Acosta Diego A. , Chávez‐Rodríguez Aldemar , Schneider Augusto , Rocha Juan F. , Dubeibe‐Marín Diego F. 
Published: August 2024

AbstractThis study aimed to evaluate the effect of chemical gasification and HEPES as alternative systems to pH control during in vitro maturation on bovine oocytes competence. Groups of 20 bovine cumulus oocytes complexes (COCs) were randomly distributed and cultured for 24 h in one of the following experimental groups: (i) chemical reaction (ChRG) system: CO2 generated from sodium bicarbonate and citric acid reaction (ii) culture media TCM‐HEPES (HEPES‐G); and (iii) control group (CNTG) in conventional incubator. After in vitro maturation (IVM), the COCs were in vitro fertilized (IVF), and in vitro cultivated (IVC) in a conventional incubator. We evaluated oocyte nuclear maturation, cleavage and blastocyst rates, in addition to the relative mRNA expression of BAX, BMP‐15, AREG and EREG genes in oocytes and cumulus cells. The proportion of oocytes in metaphase II was higher in CNTG and ChRG (77.57% and 77.06%) than in the HEPES‐G (65.32%; p = .0408 and .0492, respectively). The blastocyst production was similar between CNTG and ChRG (26.20% and 28.47%; p = .4232) and lower (p = .001) in the HEPES‐G (18.71%). The relative mRNA expression of BAX gene in cumulus cells was significantly higher (p = .0190) in the HEPES‐G compared to the CNTG. Additionally, the relative mRNA expression of BMP‐15 gene was lower (p = .03) in oocytes from HEPES‐G compared to the CNTG. In conclusion, inadequate atmosphere control has a detrimental effect on oocyte maturation. Yet, the use of chemical gasification can be an efficient alternative to bovine COCs cultivation.
Failure risk management: adaptive performance control and mission abort decisions
Authors: Qiu Qingan , Li Rong , Zhao Xian 
Published: August 2024

AbstractThe failure behavior of safety‐critical systems typically depends on the system performance level, which offers opportunities to control system failure risk through dynamic performance adjustment. Moreover, mission abort serves as an intuitive way to mitigate safety hazards during mission execution. Our study focuses on systems that execute successive missions with random durations. To balance mission completion probability and system failure risk, we examine two decision problems: when to abort missions and how to select the performance level prior to mission abort. Our objective is to maximize the expected revenue through dynamic performance control and mission abort (PCMA) decisions. We consider condition‐based PCMA decisions and formulate the joint optimization problem into a Markov decision process. We establish the monotonicity and concavity of the value function. Based on this insight, we show that optimizing the mission abort policy requires a series of control limits. In addition, we provide conditions under which the performance control policies are monotone. For comparative purposes, we analytically evaluate the performances of some heuristic policies. Finally, we present a case study involving unmanned aerial vehicles executing power line inspections. The results indicate the superiority of our proposed risk control policies in enhancing operational performance for safety‐critical systems. Dynamic performance adjustment and mission abort decisions provide opportunities to reduce the failure risk and increase operational rewards of safety‐critical systems.
The Importance of Qualitative Methods for Understanding Racialized Injustice and Health
Authors: Spencer Karen Lutfey , Nelson Hyeyoung Oh 
Published: August 2024

ABSTRACTUS research agendas have often been oriented to demographic inquiries of race and health, treating race as a presumed characteristic of individuals and predictive of a range of health outcomes. Without consideration of racialization as a process, and structural racism as embedded in social structures beyond individuals, these approaches have been limited in their ability to examine context, lived experience, interactional processes, and unpacking apparent paradoxes in results. Studies of structural racism, as opposed to individual race, are on the rise but still comprise only a microcosm of all research being done on racialized injustice and health. Furthermore, studies using qualitative methods constitute only about 2% of the work being done on racialized injustice—even in a field such as sociology, which should be well‐positioned to understand how structural racism affects health. We illustrate how strengths of qualitative methods, focused on complexity, process, contextualization, and meaning‐making, are a necessary component of research on structural racism if that work is to be successful in understanding and dismantling racialized health injustice.
Clinical features, surgical management and outcome of squamous and basal cell carcinoma in squamates and chelonians
Authors: Solanes‐Vilanova Ferran , Chiers Koen , Gil‐Lianes Javier , Hellebuyck Tom 
Published: August 2024

AbstractBackgroundSquamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is one of the most commonly diagnosed neoplastic disorders in reptiles. Recently, however, it has been demonstrated that basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) are frequently misclassified as SCCs. Several histological SCC and BCC variants have been characterised and their classification may allow the establishment of appropriate prognosis estimation and treatment approaches.Hypothesis/ObjectivesTo describe the clinical features and surgical outcomes of SCCs and BCCs diagnosed between 2010 and 2022 in reptiles.AnimalsThirty‐three captive reptiles (21 squamates and 12 chelonians).Materials and MethodsDetailed clinical history, including staging and surgical outcomes, were performed. Statistical analysis assessed significant factors using Prism (v8.2.1).ResultsWhile SCC was predominantly diagnosed in lizards, BCC was most commonly diagnosed in chelonians, and both neoplasms mainly occurred in adult to aged, male individuals. Although the gross pathological findings were highly comparable between SCC and BCC, considerable variation could be seen according to the primary location (oral, cutaneous or epidermis of the shell). Humane euthanasia or noncurative intent surgeries were performed in a minority of the cases. Curative intent surgeries were successful in 19 of 27 cases during a 1‐ to 7‐year follow‐up period, yet recurrence was seen in 8 cases. The results of this study allowed the identification of significant high‐risk prognostic factors for SCC and BCC in reptiles.Conclusions and Clinical RelevanceThis study contributes to predicting the clinical behaviour and prognosis of distinct SCC and BCC histological variants, and selecting the most appropriate treatment protocol.
Field validation of 4,8‐dihydroxy‐1‐tetrahydronaphthone phytotoxicity on forestland weeds and physiological mechanism analysis on Lindernia procumbens
Authors: Yang Li , Wang Jia‐yan , Hu Qi‐yao , Liu Yan , Ruan Xiao , Qu Ai‐li , Wang Qiang 
Published: August 2024

Abstract4,8‐Dihydroxy‐1‐tetrahydronaphthone (4,8‐DHT), an allelochemical, was isolated from the Carya cathayensis epicarp and was discovered to have phytotoxicity in laboratory tests. In this study, field experiments were designed to assess the phytotoxicity of 4,8‐DHT on weeds in Cerasus yedoensis and Lagerstroemia indica forestlands after pre‐ and post‐emergence application, in addition to physiological effect on Lindernia procumbens were also measured. The phytotoxic results of 4,8‐DHT demonstrated that the total inhibition rate of weeds was 81.3% and 68.2% in C. yedoensis forestland and L. indica forestland after pre‐emergence applied for 24 days in 2021, and enhanced by 9.9% and 27.8% compared with post‐emergence treatment. Especially, in C. yedoensis forestland, a high concentration of 4,8‐DHT sprayed at the pre‐emergence stage after 8 days had a significant inhibition rate on all weeds except Cyperus rotundus, and was still above 80.0% after 24 days of exposure. Comprehensive control efficacy of 4,8‐DHT indicates that pre‐emergence application is more favorable for weeds control. Physiological analysis showed that 4,8‐DHT stimulated the contents of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and proline and declined in the activities of antioxidant enzymes, meanwhile, accompanied by a decrease in the root vitality and chlorophyll content in L. procumbens. These results warrant further investigations of 4,8‐DHT applied in early pre‐emergence as a potential source of weed control agent.
Design and Control of a Novel Six Degrees-of-Freedom Desktop Upper Limb Rehabilitation Robot
Authors: Li Huaiyong , Ye Changlong , Yu Suyang , Peng Jingxin 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
This paper presents the design, analysis, and development of a novel six degrees-of-freedom (6DOF) desktop upper limb rehabilitation robot. The upper limb rehabilitation robot is mainly composed of the omnidirectional mobile platform, armrest, and 3DOF wrist rehabilitation mechanism. The forward and inverse kinematics and Jacobian matrix of the upper limb rehabilitation robot are derived based on the kinematics of a rigid body, and its working space is also analyzed based on arm kinematics. The forward and inverse kinematics of the arm are derived based on the D–H method. A new control strategy and algorithm were developed based on the robot system's hardware structure and arm model. These were employed in simulated rehabilitation experiments on both a single joint and multiple joint linkages. The experimental results indicate that the maximum error for single-joint rehabilitation is 6.123 deg, while for multiple joint linkages, it is 5.323 deg. Therefore, the control strategy and control algorithm can complete the corresponding rehabilitation training. This 6DOF desktop upper limb rehabilitation robot can provide passive rehabilitation training for patients in the early stages of paralysis.
A Novel Slurry for Atomic-Scale Polishing of Potassium Dihydrogen Phosphate Crystals
Authors: Guo Jiang , Yang Zhe , Yu Xuewen , Zhang Pengfei , Wang Zhenzhong , Yu Nan , Tian Yebing 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Atomic-scale surfaces and structures have been playing a significant role in the next generation of devices and products. Potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP) crystals are crucial in energy sectors but challenging for ultra-precision processing due to deliquescence, brittleness, and low hardness. This article introduces a novel chemo-mechanical slurry designed for achieving atomic-scale polishing of KDP crystals. The slurry employs a combination of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and anhydrous ethanol (AE) to counter deliquescence. In addition, graphite oxide (GO) with KOH is incorporated to prevent the embedding of SiO2 abrasives and the dissolution of KDP in de-ionized water (DW). The mechanism underlying the formation of an ultra-smooth surface is elucidated based on the analysis of the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) test. The response surface method (RSM) is used to optimize the slurry parameters and finally to obtain an atomic-scale surface with Sa 0.3 nm.
Proximal Joint Compliance as a Passive Method for Ground Reaction Force Redirection During Legged Locomotion
Authors: Gurney Jason 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Ground reaction forces (GRFs) are a critical component of legged locomotion, and controlling their direction leads to more stable, efficient, and robust performance. The novelty of this work is to studying passive proximal joint (hips/shoulders) compliance for the purpose of redirecting the GRF passively. Previous works have redirected the GRF actively or studied passive proximal joint compliance for purposes such as swing phase efficiency, but passive methods of stance-phase GRF redirection are under-developed. This paper analyzes the relationship between hip compliance and the GRF direction analytically and with simulations of a trotting quadruped. The results show increased GRF redirection, on average, with increased joint stiffness, for a range of cases. An example method of utilizing this relationship to improve locomotion performance is presented by simulating online compliance adaptation. By adapting the compliance parameter during locomotion, the cost of locomotion was reduced toward the known minimum within the parameter space explored. These results support the conclusion that adjusting the hip compliance provides a passive way of redirecting the GRF, which leads to improved locomotion performance. Other systems can utilize this knowledge to passively improve their own performance.
Ultrasonography for the optimal selection of patients suitable for single session arteriography and endovascular revascularization in severe peripheral artery disease
Authors: Spinu Mihail , Gligor Rares Ioan , Olinic Maria , Homorodean Calin , Ober Mihai Claudiu , Tataru Dan , Sabiescu Bogdan , Onea Laurentiu , Achim Alexandru , Laza Leontin , Olinic Dan Mircea 
Published: August 2024

Aims: Peripheral artery disease (PAD) represents a high burden on the healthcare and social assistance systems. Revascularization reduces symptoms, amputation rate and increases the chances of social reintegration. Our aim was to evaluate the benefits of vascular duplex ultrasonography (DUS) for identifying patients suitable for direct percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) without the need for a prior angiography.Material and methodsː We included in the study 251 patients with PAD evaluated by DUS. Depending on the DUS findings the patients were split in two groups: group I, 143 patients (57%), in which selective angiography and direct PTA was performed and group 2, 108 patients (43%), in which invasive arteriography was considered necessary prior to a decision for revascularization. Resultsː The first group had a similar success rate (92.3% vs. 86.1%; p=0.111), but with a reduction in radioscopy time (minutes) (17.2 vs. 20.8; p=0.013), iodine contrast volume (ml) (190 vs. 227.5; p<0.001), days of hospitalization (4 vs. 7; p<0.001) and by 44.75% (p<0.001) of hospitalization costs when compared to the second group.Conclusionsː DUS allows the optimal selection of patients who can benefit from direct PTA. This strategy has a high success rate, with a significant decrease in radioscopy exposure time, volume of iodine contrast needed, duration and hospitalization costs, when compared to arteriography and PTA in two different sessions.