bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Intestinal Helminths Regulate Lethal Acute Graft-versus-Host Disease and Preserve the Graft-versus-Tumor Effect in Mice
Authors: Li Yue , Chen Hung-Lin , Bannick Nadine , Henry Michael , Holm Adrian N. , Metwali Ahmed , Urban Joseph F. , Rothman Paul B. , Weiner George J. , Blazar Bruce R. , Elliott David E. , Ince M. Nedim 
Published: December 2014

Abstract
Donor T lymphocyte transfer with hematopoietic stem cells suppresses residual tumor growth (graft-versus-tumor [GVT]) in cancer patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation (BMT). However, donor T cell reactivity to host organs causes severe and potentially lethal inflammation called graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). High-dose steroids or other immunosuppressive drugs are used to treat GVHD that have limited ability to control the inflammation while incurring long-term toxicity. Novel strategies are needed to modulate GVHD, preserve GVT, and improve the outcome of BMT. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) control alloantigen-sensitized inflammation of GVHD, sustain GVT, and prevent mortality in BMT. Helminths colonizing the alimentary tract dramatically increase the Treg activity, thereby modulating intestinal or systemic inflammatory responses. These observations led us to hypothesize that helminths can regulate GVHD and maintain GVT in mice. Acute GVHD was induced in helminth (Heligmosomoides polygyrus)–infected or uninfected BALB/c recipients of C57BL/6 donor grafts. Helminth infection suppressed donor T cell inflammatory cytokine generation and reduced GVHD-related mortality, but maintained GVT. H. polygyrus colonization promoted the survival of TGF-β–generating recipient Tregs after a conditioning regimen with total body irradiation and led to a TGF-β–dependent in vivo expansion/maturation of donor Tregs after BMT. Helminths did not control GVHD when T cells unresponsive to TGF-β–mediated immune regulation were used as donor T lymphocytes. These results suggest that helminths suppress acute GVHD using Tregs and TGF-β–dependent pathways in mice. Helminthic regulation of GVHD and GVT through intestinal immune conditioning may improve the outcome of BMT.
Intensive Abdominal Drawing-In Maneuver After Unipedal Postural Stability in Nonathletes With Core Instability
Authors: Lee Nam G. , You Joshua (Sung) H. , Kim Tae H. , Choi Bong S. 
Published: December 2014

Context:The exact neuromechanical nature and relative contribution of the abdominal drawing-in maneuver (ADIM) to postural instability warrants further investigation in uninjured and injured populations.Objective:To determine the effects of the ADIM on static core and unipedal postural stability in nonathletes with core instability.Design:Controlled laboratory study.Setting:University research laboratory.Patients or Other Participants:A total of 19 nonathletes (4 women: age = 22.3 ± 1.3 years, height = 164.0 ± 1.7 cm, mass = 56.0 ± 4.6 kg; 15 men: age = 24.6 ± 2.8 years, height = 172.6 ± 4.7 cm, mass = 66.8 ± 7.6 kg) with core instability.Intervention(s):Participants received ADIM training with visual feedback 20 minutes each day for 7 days each week over a 2-week period.Main Outcome Measures(s):Core instability was determined using a prone formal test and measured by a pressure biofeedback unit. Unipedal postural stability was determined by measuring the center-of-pressure sway and associated changes in the abdominal muscle-thickness ratios. Electromyographic activity was measured concurrently in the external oblique, erector spinae, gluteus medius, vastus medialis oblique, tibialis anterior, and medial gastrocnemius muscles.Results:All participants initially were unable to complete the formal test. However, after the 2-week ADIM training period, all participants were able to reduce the pressure biofeedback unit by a range of 4 to 10 mm Hg from an initial 70 mm Hg and maintain it at 60 to 66 mm Hg with minimal activation of the external oblique (t18 = 3.691, P = .002) and erector spinae (t18 = 2.823, P = .01) muscles. Monitoring of the pressure biofeedback unit and other muscle activations confirmed that the correct muscle contraction defining the ADIM was accomplished. This core stabilization was well maintained in the unipedal-stance position, as evidenced by a decrease in the center-of-pressure sway measures (t18 range, 3.953–5.775, P &lt; .001), an increased muscle-thickness ratio for the transverse abdominis (t18 = −2.327, P = .03), and a reduction in external oblique muscle activity (t18 = 3.172, P = .005).Conclusions:We provide the first evidence to highlight the positive effects of ADIM training on core and postural stability in nonathletes with core instability.
A case series of gastric outlet obstruction secondary to tuberculosis: New diagnostic and treatment paradigm
Authors: Bansal Rinkesh Kumar , Ranjan Piyush , Kumar Mandhir , Sachdeva Munish , Bakshi Pooja 
Published: December 2014

AbstractTuberculosis can involve any part of gastrointestinal tract. Gastro-duodenal involvement in tuberculosis is rare. We report four cases of gastric outlet obstruction due to tuberculosis. In all of these patients obstruction was due to extra-luminal compression from lymph-nodes. Clinical presentation was with epigastric pain and recurrent vomiting. Upper GI endoscopy revealed duodenal stricture without any active ulcer or mass. Computed tomography scan showed duodenal thickening along with abdominal lymph nodes. Diagnosis was confirmed with EUS guided FNAC. Antral dilatation using CRE can be used as first treatment option for obstruction in these patients. Patients non responsive to dilatation may require surgery.
Role of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration in the diagnosis of space occupying lesions of the pancreas
Authors: Palaniappan S. , Arvind M. A. , Dinesh Jothimani , Melpakam Srinivas , Vijaya Srinivasan , Venkataraman Jayanthi , Rela Mohamed 
Published: December 2014

Abstract
Introduction: Space occupying lesions (SOLs) of the pancreas are commonly encountered in day to day practice either as an incidental finding or during evaluation of symptomatic patients. The aim of the present study was to compare the final diagnosis at follow-up with diagnosis made at computed tomography (CT)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS). Materials and Methods: Retrospective analysis of EUS data of 131 patients referred for tissue diagnosis of SOL in pancreas was done. The lesions were classified as malignant, benign, and nonneoplastic by both CT/MRI and endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) in conjunction with clinical presentation, biochemical parameters, and tumor markers. Follow-up cases with a final diagnosis alone were included for the comparative analysis. Statistical Analysis: Chi-square test, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive values (NPV) for CT/MRI and EUS-FNA were computed against the follow-up data. Results: Of the 131, there were 78 males (59.5%). The median age of presentation was 48 years (range: 11–82 years. Follow-up information on the final diagnosis was available for 54 patients. Confirmed diagnosis at follow-up was malignant lesion in 18, benign in 13 and 23 with a nonneoplastic lesion. When EUS-FNA outcome was compared with the definitive diagnosis of the 54 patients, it had a higher sensitivity for malignant (66.7% vs. 61.1%) and nonneoplastic lesions (78.3% vs. 73.9%) and was similar to CT/MRI for benign lesions (76.9% for both). EUS-FNA had a higher specificity (87.8% vs. 80.5%) with a good PPV for benign lesions (66.7% vs. 55.6%). CT/MRI was less accurate than EUS-FNA in predicting benign (79.6% vs. 85.2%) and nonneoplastic lesions (79.6% vs. 81.5%) compared to malignant lesions wherein it was similar at 81.5%. The high NPV with a lower PPV for both EUS/FNA and CT/MRI suggests that follow-up definitive diagnosis was superior to both –. Conclusions: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration had a higher specificity, but low sensitivity for the both neoplastic and nonneoplastic lesion of the pancreas compared to the world literature. The overall EUS-FNA yield was low when compared to the follow-up definitive diagnosis.
Multilevel Markov Chain Monte Carlo Method for High-Contrast Single-Phase Flow Problems
Authors: Efendiev Yalchin , Jin Bangti , Michael Presho , Tan Xiaosi 
Published: December 2014

AbstractIn this paper we propose a general framework for the uncertainty quantification of quantities of interest for high-contrast single-phase flow problems. It is based on the generalized multiscale finite element method (GMsFEM) and multilevel Monte Carlo (MLMC) methods. The former provides a hierarchy of approximations of different resolution, whereas the latter gives an efficient way to estimate quantities of interest using samples on different levels. The number of basis functions in the online GMsFEM stage can be varied to determine the solution resolution and the computational cost, and to efficiently generate samples at different levels. In particular, it is cheap to generate samples on coarse grids but with low resolution, and it is expensive to generate samples on fine grids with high accuracy. By suitably choosing the number of samples at different levels, one can leverage the expensive computation in larger fine-grid spaces toward smaller coarse-grid spaces, while retaining the accuracy of the final Monte Carlo estimate. Further, we describe a multilevel Markov chain Monte Carlo method, which sequentially screens the proposal with different levels of approximations and reduces the number of evaluations required on fine grids, while combining the samples at different levels to arrive at an accurate estimate. The framework seamlessly integrates the multiscale features of the GMsFEM with the multilevel feature of the MLMC methods following the work in [26], and our numerical experiments illustrate its efficiency and accuracy in comparison with standard Monte Carlo estimates.
An Implicit Algorithm for High-Order DG/FV Schemes for Compressible Flows on 2D Arbitrary Grids
Authors: Zhang Laiping , Li Ming , Liu Wei , He Xin 
Published: December 2014

AbstractA Newton/LU-SGS (lower-upper symmetric Gauss-Seidel) iteration implicit method was developed to solve two-dimensional Euler and Navier-Stokes equations by the DG/FV hybrid schemes on arbitrary grids. The Newton iteration was employed to solve the nonlinear system, while the linear system was solved with LU-SGS iteration. The effect of several parameters in the implicit scheme, such as the CFL number, the Newton sub-iteration steps, and the update frequency of Jacobian matrix, was investigated to evaluate the performance of convergence history. Several typical test cases were simulated, and compared with the traditional explicit Runge-Kutta (RK) scheme. Firstly the Couette flow was tested to validate the order of accuracy of the present DG/FV hybrid schemes. Then a subsonic inviscid flow over a bump in a channel was simulated and the effect of parameters was investigated also. Finally, the implicit algorithm was applied to simulate a subsonic inviscid flow over a circular cylinder and the viscous flow in a square cavity. The numerical results demonstrated that the present implicit scheme can accelerate the convergence history efficiently. Choosing proper parameters would improve the efficiency of the implicit scheme. Moreover, in the same framework, the DG/FV hybrid schemes are more efficient than the same order DG schemes.
Narrative Threads: Philosophy as Storytelling
Authors: Craig Megan 
Published: December 2014

ABSTRACT
This article explores the relationship between philosophy and storytelling, with a focus on the value of disjointed or incomplete narratives in exposing one to what Cora Diamond calls “the difficulty of reality.” Tracing the significance of several literary examples, the article emphasizes the plurivocity of every text and the impossibility of total comprehension. I argue that philosophy is one, among several, means of storytelling that can ethically expose, unhinge, and orient us toward the wider world.
Internationale verkeersongevallen. Waarom niet alle wegen leiden naar Rome
Authors: Collignon-Smit Sibinga A.F. 
Published: December 2014

Internationale verkeersongevallen. Waarom niet alle wegen leiden naar Rome
Bij internationale verkeersongevallen in Europa wordt het toepasselijk recht bepaald aan de hand van ofwel het Haags Verkeersongevallenverdrag ofwel Rome II, afhankelijk in welk land een procedure wordt gestart. In deze bijdrage worden de verschillen tussen Rome II en het Haags Verkeersongevallenverdrag in kaart gebracht. De conclusie is dat toepassing van beide verdragen naast elkaar kan leiden tot toepassing van het recht van verschillende landen. Zolang beide verdragen naast elkaar van toepassing zijn, is sprake van een systeem dat complex en verwarrend is. Dit is in strijd met het doel van Rome II om binnen Europa eenheid en duidelijkheid te creëren.
Removal of Cr 3+ by electrocoagulation from simulated wastewater
Authors: Ulambayar R , Oyuntsetseg J , Tsiiregzen A , Bayaraa D 
Published: December 2014

Trivalent chromium (Cr3+) removal from aqueous solution by electrocoagulation using iron electrodes material was investigated in this paper. Effects of current density, initial concentration of Cr 3+, operating time, pH, electrode distance, and operating cost have been investigated. At higher current density and solution pH, remarkable removal of Cr3+ was observed. Experiments have been show that the maximum removal percentage of the Cr3+ 99.89 % was at initial concentration 1000mg/L, current density 9.34mA/cm2 and reaction time 1 hours. Energy consumption was calculated for Cr3+ removal at different time. The method is observed to be very effective in the removal Cr3+ ion from aqueous solution. Electrocoagulation process need simple equipment, designable any size, use any chemical substances and low operating cost.DOI: http://doi.dx.org/10.5564/mjc.v15i0.330 Mongolian Journal of Chemistry 15 (41), 2014, p89-93
Health Outcome Changes in Individuals With Type 1 Diabetes After a State-Level Insulin Copayment Cap
Authors: Giannouchos Theodoros V. , Ukert Benjamin , Buchmueller Thomas 
Published: August 2024

ImportanceMany insulin users ration doses due to high out-of-pocket costs. Starting January 2020 with Colorado, 25 states and the District of Columbia enacted laws that cap insulin copayments.ObjectiveTo estimate the association of Colorado’s $100 copayment cap with out-of-pocket spending, medication adherence, and health care services utilization for diabetes-related complications.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsIn this cohort study using Colorado’s All-Payer Claims Database, nonelderly insulin users with type 1 diabetes were analyzed from January 2019 to December 2020. Outcome changes were compared in the prepolicy and postpolicy period among individuals continuously enrolled in state-regulated and non–state-regulated plans using difference-in-differences regressions. Subgroup analyses were conducted based on individuals’ prepolicy spending (low: never ≥$100 out-of-pocket vs high: ≥$100 out-of-pocket cost at least once). Data were analyzed from June 2023 to May 2024.ExposureEnrollment in state-regulated health insurance plans subject to the copayment cap legislation.Main Outcomes and MeasuresAdherence to basal and bolus insulin treatment was evaluated using the proportion of days covered measure, out-of-pocket spending reflected prescription cost for a 30-day supply, and health care utilization for diabetes-related complications was identified using primary diagnosis codes from medical claims data.ResultsThe panel included 1629 individuals with type 1 diabetes (39 096 person-months), of which 924 were male (56.7%), 540 (33.1%) had 1 or more comorbidities, and the mean (SD) age was 40.6 (15.9) years. Overall, the copayment cap was associated with out-of-pocket spending declines of $17.3 (95% CI, −$27.3 to −$7.3) for basal and $11.5 (95% CI, −$24.7 to $1.7) for bolus insulins and increases in adherence of 3.2 (95% CI, 0.0 to 6.5) percentage points for basal and 3.3 (95% CI, 0.3 to 6.4) percentage points for bolus insulins. Changes in adherence were associated with increases within the prepolicy high-spending group (basal, 9.9; 95% CI, 2.4 to 17.4 percentage points; bolus, 13.0; 95% CI, 5.1 to 20.9 percentage points). The policy was also associated with a mean reduction of −0.09 (95% CI, −0.16 to −0.02) medical claims for diabetes-related complications per person per month among high spenders, a 30% decrease.Conclusions and RelevanceIn this cohort study of Colorado’s insulin copayment cap among individuals with type 1 diabetes, the policy was associated with an overall decline in out-of-pocket spending, an increase in medication adherence, and a decline in claims for diabetes-related complications only among insulin users who spent more than $100 in the prepolicy period at least once.
Adaptive deep neural network optimized control for a class of nonlinear strict‐feedback systems with prescribed performance
Authors: Lu Hongwei , Wu Jian , Wang Wei 
Published: August 2024

SummaryIn this article, an adaptive deep neural network (DNN) optimized control strategy is developed for a class of nonlinear strict‐feedback systems with prescribed performance. First, the DNN is applied to approximate the unknown function, and the weight update law is designed to reduce the mathematical challenge based on the first‐order Taylor's series. Second, the optimized backstepping technique is utilized to construct virtual and actual controllers in the backstepping process to achieve the overall control optimization of the system. Next, a control strategy based on the time‐varying switching function and the quartic barrier Lyapunov function is employed to achieve the prescribed performance. Then, the tracking error can converge to the prescribed accuracy within the prescribed time, and every signal within the system has a bound. Finally, the particle swarm optimization algorithm is utilized to search for the designed parameters and simulation examples to verify the effectiveness of the control strategy.
Bioinspired Capillary Transistors
Authors: Liu Xiaojiang , Gao Ming , Li Boyuan , Liu Ruoyu , Chong Zhejun , Gu Zhongze , Zhou Kun 
Published: August 2024

AbstractInspired by the unidirectional liquid spreading on Nepenthes peristome, Araucaria leaf, butterfly wings, etc., various microfluidic devices have been developed for water collection, irrigation, physical/chemical reaction, and oil–water separation. Despite extensive progress, most natural and artificial structures fail to enhance the Laplace pressure difference or capillary force, thus suffering from a low unidirectional capillary height (<30 mm). In this work, asymmetric re‐entrant structures with long overhangs and connected forward/lateral microchannels are fabricated by 3D printing, resulting in a significantly increased unidirectional capillary height of 102.3 mm for water, which approximately corresponds to the theoretical limit. The overhangs can partially overlap the forward microchannels of the front structures without direct contact, thus enhancing the Laplace pressure difference and capillary force simultaneously. Based on asymmetric and symmetric re‐entrant structures, capillary transistors are proposed and realized to programmably adjust the capillary direction, height, and width, which are envisioned to function as switches/valves and amplifiers/attenuators for highly efficient liquid patterning, desalination, and biochemical microreaction in 3D space.
Shape‐Regulated Motion and Energy Conversion of Polyelectrolyte Membrane Actuators
Authors: Yin Xianze , He Shuyan , Fu Xinming , Xiong Xiaoshuang , Song Yiheng , Zhao Qiang 
Published: August 2024

AbstractSmart actuators hold great potential in soft robotics and sensors, but their movement at the fluid interface is less understood and controlled, hindering their performances and applications in complicated fluids. Here an ethanol‐containing polyelectrolyte actuator is prepared that demonstrates excellent actuating performance via the Marangoni effect. These actuators exhibit enduring (17 min), repeatable (50 cycles), and autonomous motion on the water surface. More importantly, the motion of actuators are dependent on their shapes. Polygonal actuators with more edges exhibit round motion attached to walls of containers, while the actuators with few edges move randomly. On the basis of this property, the circular actuators can pass through pipe bends with S‐shaped complex geometry. These unique advantages lend the actuators to successful applications in wireless sensing (standard 0–5 V level signals) for locating obstructions inside invisible pipes and continuous energy harvesting (7700 nC per cycle) for micro mechanical energy.
Tuning the Permeation Properties of Poly(1‐trimethylsilyl‐1‐propyne) by Vapor Phase Infiltration Using Trimethylaluminum
Authors: Jenderny Jonathan , Boysen Nils , Rubner Jens , Zysk Frederik , Preischel Florian , Arcos Teresa de los , Damerla Varun Raj , Kostka Aleksander , Franke Jonas , Dahlmann Rainer , Kühne Thomas D. , Wessling Matthias , Awakowicz Peter , Devi Anjana 
Published: August 2024

AbstractVapor phase infiltration (VPI) has emerged as a promising tool for fabrication of novel hybrid materials. In the field of polymeric gas separation membranes, a beneficial impact on stability and membrane performance is known for several polymers with differing functional groups. This study for the first time investigates VPI of trimethylaluminum (TMA) into poly(1‐trimethylsilyl‐1‐propyne) (PTMSP), featuring a carbon–carbon double bond as functional group. Saturation of the precursor inside the polymer is already attained after 60 s infiltration time leading to significant densification of the material. Depth profiling proves accumulation of aluminum in the polymer itself, but a significantly increased accumulation is visible in the gradient layer between polymer and SiO2 substrate. A reaction pathway is proposed and supplemented by density‐functional theory (DFT) calculations. Infrared spectra derived from both experiments and simulation support the presented reaction pathway. In terms of permeance, a favorable impact on selectivity is observed for infiltration times up to 1 s. Longer infiltration times yield greatly reduced permeance values close or even below the detection limit of the measurement device. The present results of this study set a strong basis for the application of VPI on polymers for gas‐barrier and membrane applications in the future.
Multifunctional porous soft composites for bimodal wearable cardiac monitors
Authors: Chen Zehua , Chen Sicheng , Andrabi Syed Muntazir , Zhao Ganggang , Xu Yadong , Ouyang Qunle , Busquets Milton E. , Qian Xiaoyan , Gautam Sandeep , Chen Pai‐Yen , Xie Jingwei , Yan Zheng 
Published: August 2024

AbstractWearable heart monitors are crucial for early diagnosis and treatment of heart diseases in non‐clinical settings. However, their long‐term applications require skin‐interfaced materials that are ultrasoft, breathable, antibacterial, and possess robust, enduring on‐skin adherence—features that remain elusive. Here, we have developed multifunctional porous soft composites that meet all these criteria for skin‐interfaced bimodal cardiac monitoring. The composite consists of a bilayer structure featuring phase‐separated porous elastomer and slot‐die‐coated biogel. The porous elastomer ensures ultrasoftness, breathability, ease of handling, and mechanical integrity, while the biogel enables long‐term on‐skin adherence. Additionally, we incorporated ε‐polylysine in the biogel to offer antibacterial properties. Also, the conductive biogel embedded with silver nanowires was developed for use in electrocardiogram sensors to reduce contact impedance and ensure high‐fidelity recordings. Furthermore, we assembled a bimodal wearable cardiac monitoring system that demonstrates high‐fidelity recordings of both cardiac electrical (electrocardiogram) and mechanical (seismocardiogram) signals over a 14‐day testing period.