bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Potential consequences of nitric oxide release: An improved model informing worker safety
Authors: Venugopalan Gautham , Casagrande Rocco , Gunther Noah , Prasad Rashmi , Jackson Shawn 
Published: June 2024

AbstractBoth nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) gasses are toxic to humans but are commonly found in industrial settings such as semiconductor manufacturing sites. Due to the spontaneous oxidation of NO to NO2 under ambient conditions, individuals working with NO may in fact be exposed to both gasses in the case of an accidental release. Unfortunately, most safety materials provided to NO users do not address the potential for associated NO2 toxicity, and, until now, models developed to predict health consequences following a release of NO have not appropriately considered the oxidation kinetics nor the toxicity of both NO and NO2 in their assessments. This paper describes an improved multi‐module model that addresses these limitations and explores whether facilities using NO should consider adopting measures that can mitigate the simultaneous health effects of both gasses. The model predicts the morbidity (intoxication/injury), mortality (death), and treatment outcomes that may arise following an industrial NO release by first calculating the doses of both NO and NO2 received by exposed individuals and then applying newly defined toxicity parameters for NO and NO2 to assign dose‐dependent probabilities for the onset of intoxication and/or death and the ability of appropriate treatment(s) to save lives. Modeling results indicate low risk to worker health in the likeliest release scenarios while identifying less likely situations that carry substantially higher risk. Moreover, these results indicate that risks to worker health can be mitigated with simple measures like maintaining reliable alarms, adequate ventilation, and on‐site supplies of methylene blue, as well as encouraging quick responses by personnel. With appropriate parameterization, the improved modeling framework is generalizable to any chemical release, especially multi‐hazard releases resulting from the conversion of one toxic compound into another under likely environmental conditions. By directly addressing the toxicities of multiple compounds, the improved model presents a more realistic picture of the potential health consequences of a chemical release. This generalizable framework for modeling of multi‐hazard chemical releases can inform preparedness and risk mitigation strategies for NO release events.
Long‐term insulin resistance is associated with frailty, frailty progression, and cardiovascular disease
Authors: Ke Zezhi , Wen Han , Huang Rihua , Xu Xinghao , Yang Kevin , Liu Wenbin , Wang Suisui , Zhang Xu , Guo Ye , Liao Xinxue , Zhuang Xiaodong , Zhao Jie , Pan Litao , Liao Lizhen 
Published: June 2024

AbstractBackgroundInsulin resistance and diabetes are associated with an increased risk of frailty, and frailty is associated with cardiovascular disease and premature mortality. We aim to investigate the impact of long‐term insulin resistance trajectories on future frailty and cardiovascular risk among young adults.MethodsIn total, 3168 participants with a 30‐year follow‐up period. The baseline period covered the first 15 years as the exposure period. Insulin resistance was determined using the homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA‐IR), and three trajectories (low, moderate, and high) were constructed. The subsequent 15 years constituted the event accrual period. Frailty was assessed using a deficit accumulation mode, and cardiovascular outcomes were obtained from the 15‐year event accrual period.ResultsThe mean age of all 3168 participants was 41.0 (37.0–43.0) years, with 1750 (55.2%) being women. Participants in the high level of insulin resistance trajectory had an increased prevalence of frailty (OR: 1.55, 95% CI: 1.05–2.30, P = 0.028). Although no statistically significant associations were observed after full adjustment, single‐factor analysis indicated association between the moderate and high trajectories and frailty progression. Additionally, participants with high level of insulin resistance trajectory were associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, and stroke. A notable correlation between HOMA‐IR trajectory and cardiovascular diseases was still discernible within the subgroup where the frailty index ≥0.12 (HR: 2.12, 95% CI: 1.17–3.83, P = 0.013) (P for interaction >0.05).ConclusionsLong‐term high level of insulin resistance is associated with high prevalence of frailty, and an increased risk of cardiovascular events. Emphasizing the importance of early prevention and intervention for abnormal glucose metabolism in young adults to prevent frailty and cardiovascular disease.
Gill morphology adapted to oxygen‐limited caves in Astyanax mexicanus
Authors: Boggs Tyler E. , Gross Joshua B. 
Published: June 2024

AbstractSensing and acquiring dissolved oxygen is crucial for nearly all aquatic life. This may become even more vital as dissolved oxygen concentrations continue to decline in many aquatic environments. While certain phenotypes that enable fish to live in low oxygen have been characterized, adaptations that arise following sudden, drastic reductions in dissolved oxygen are relatively unknown. Here, we assessed the blind Mexican cavefish, Astyanax mexicanus, for alterations to gill morphology that may be adaptive for life in hypoxic caves. The Astyanax system provides the unique opportunity to compare gill morphology between stereotypical “surface” adapted morphotypes and obligate cave‐dwelling conspecifics. While the surface environment is well‐oxygenated, cavefish must cope with significantly reduced oxygen. We began by quantifying traditional morphological gill traits including filament number and length as well as lamellar density and height in surface fish and two distinct cave populations, Pachón and Tinaja. This enabled us to estimate total lamellar height, a proxy for gill surface area. We then used immunohistochemical staining to label 5‐HT‐positive neuroepithelial cells (NECs), which serve as key oxygen sensors in fish. We discovered an increase in gill surface area for both cavefish populations compared to surface, which may enable a higher capacity of oxygen acquisition. Additionally, we found more NECs in Pachón cavefish compared to both surface fish and Tinaja cavefish, suggesting certain selective pressures may be cave‐specific. Collectively, this work provides evidence that cavefish have adapted to low oxygen conditions via alterations to gill morphology and oxygen sensing, and informs evolutionary mechanisms of rapid adaptation to dramatic, chronic hypoxia.
Static study and numerical simulation of the influence of cement distribution in the upper and lower adjacent vertebrae on sandwich vertebrae in osteoporotic patients: Finite element analysis
Authors: Huang Shaolong , Wu Xue , Zhou Chengqiang , Zhang Xu , Tang Zhongjian , Qi Xiangyu , Zhao Shuai 
Published: June 2024

AbstractObjectiveWe analyzed the influence of the location of the upper and lower cement on the sandwich vertebrae (SV) by computer finite element analysis.Materials and MethodsA finite element model of the spinal segment of T11‐L1 was constructed and 6 mL of cement was built into T11 and L1 simultaneously. According to the various distributions of bone cement at T11 and L1, the following four groups were formed: (i) Group B‐B: bilateral bone cement reinforcement in both T11 and L1 vertebral bodies; (ii) Group L‐B: left unilateral reinforcement in T11 and bilateral reinforcement in L1; (iii) Group L‐R: unilateral cement reinforcement in both T11 and L1 (cross); (iv) Group L‐L: unilateral cement reinforcement in both T11 and L1 (ipsilateral side). The maximum von Mises stress (VMS) and maximum displacement of the SV and intervertebral discs were compared and analyzed.ResultsThe maximum VMS of T12 was in the order of size: group B‐B < L‐B < L‐R < L‐L. Group B‐B showed the lowest maximum VMS values for T12: 19.13, 18.86, 25.17, 25.01, 19.24, and 20.08 MPa in six directions of load flexion, extension, left and right lateral bending, and left and right rotation, respectively, while group L‐L was the largest VMS in each group, with the maximum VMS in six directions of 21.55, 21.54, 30.17, 28.33, 19.88, and 25.27 MPa, respectively.ConclusionCompared with the uneven distribution of bone cement in the upper and lower adjacent vertebrae (ULAV), the uniform distribution of bone cement in the ULAV reduced and uniformed the stress load on the SV and intervertebral disc. Theoretically, it can lead to the lowest incidence of sandwich vertebral fracture and the slowest rate of intervertebral disc degeneration.
High Hydrophilic and Antibacterial Efficient UV−Curable Silicone−Containing Choline Chloride Quaternary Ammonium Salts Functionalized Materials
Authors: Song Yan , Sun Nana , Jiang Yaohuang , Zhu Hongyu , Yu Yanchun , Lai Guoqiao , Yang Xiongfa 
Published: June 2024

AbstractAntibacterial materials with high hydrophobicity have drawbacks such as protein adsorption, bacterial contamination, and biofilm formation, which are responsible for some serious adverse health events. Therefore, antibacterial materials with high hydrophilicity are highly desired. In this paper, UV‐curable antibacterial materials are prepared from silicone−containing Choline chloride (ChCl) functionalized hyperbranched quaternary ammonium salts (QAS) and tri−hydroxylethyl acrylate phosphate (TAEP). The materials show high hydrophilic performance because their water contact angle is as low as 19.3°. The materials also exhibit quite high antibacterial efficiency against S. aureus over 95.6%, fairly high transmittance over 90%, and good mechanical performance with tensile strength as high as 6.5 MPa. It reveals that it is a feasible strategy to develop antibacterial materials with low hydrophobicity from silicone‐modified ChCl‐functionalized hyperbranched QAS.
In Vitro Fermentation of Animal and Plant Protein Isolates by the Human Gut Microbiota Under High and Low Carbohydrate Conditions
Authors: Behounek Marissa , Cochran Darcy , Motta‐Romero Hollman A. , Yang Qinnan , Ding Wensheng , Morton Martha , Majumder Kaustav , Powers Robert , Rose Devin J. 
Published: June 2024

ScopeThere is a lack of research comparing how different protein isolates influence the microbiome, especially when carbohydrate (CHO) availability is varied. The objective is to determine changes in gut microbiota composition and function during fermentation of digested protein isolates under high and low CHO conditions.Methods and resultsProtein isolates from beef, egg white, milk, pea, and soy are subjected to in vitro digestion and fermentation with human fecal microbiota. Under low CHO conditions, the microbiota is primarily proteolytic with decreased concentrations of peptides and increased variance among microbial taxa and production of ammonia and branched chain fatty acids by the microbiota. Milk protein not only results in the highest production of butyrate and p‐hydroxyphenylacetate but also has high concentrations of deleterious fermentation metabolites. Amino acid composition of the protein isolates is significantly correlated with abundances of many microbial taxa and metabolites, but the correlations are stronger in the low CHO medium.ConclusionThis study shows that low CHO conditions increase proteolytic fermentation and result in increased differences in microbiota response to protein isolates. It also showed that amino acid composition is highly associated with microbiota composition and function especially under low CHO conditions.
Immunobiotic Bacteria Attenuate Hepatic Fibrosis through the Modulation of Gut Microbiota and the Activation of Aryl‐Hydrocarbon Receptors Pathway in Non‐Alcoholic Steatohepatitis Mice
Authors: Kanmani Paulraj , Villena Julio , Lim Soo‐kyoung , Song Eun‐Ji , Nam Young‐Do , Kim Hojun 
Published: June 2024

ScopeNonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a leading cause of chronic liver disease worldwide that can progress to liver fibrosis (LF). Probiotics have beneficial roles in reducing intestinal inflammation and gut‐associated diseases, but their effects and mechanisms beyond the gut in attenuating the progression of LF are remained unclear.Methods and resultsIn a mouse model of NASH/LF induced by a methionine‐choline deficient (MCD) diet, immunobiotics are administered to investigate their therapeutic effects. Results show that the MCD diet leads to liver inflammation, steatosis, and fibrosis, which are alleviated by immunobiotics. Immunobiotics reduces serum endotoxin and inflammatory markers while increasing regulatory cytokines and liver weight. They also suppress Th17 cells, known for producing inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, immunobiotics mitigate collagen deposition and fibrogenic signaling in the liver, while restoring gut‐barrier integrity and microbiota composition. Additionally, immunobiotics enhance the activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) pathway in both colonic and liver tissues.ConclusionsOverall, these results demonstrate a novel insight into the mechanisms through which immunobiotic administration improves the gut health which in turn increases the AhR pathway and inhibits HSCs activation and fibrosis progression beyond the gut in the liver tissue of NASH/LF mice.
Written narratives to understand the experience of individuals living with fibromyalgia
Authors: Serrat Mayte , Sora Beatriz , Ureña Patricia , Vall‐Roqué Helena , Edo‐Gual Montserrat , Nieto Rubén 
Published: June 2024

AbstractPurposeTo explore the experiences of individuals with fibromyalgia (FM) through written narratives (WN) and to preliminarily investigate the potential value of these narratives for healthcare professionals in assessing the overall perceived severity and disability experienced by individuals with FM.Materials and methodsThis cross‐sectional study was conducted with 46 participants with a FM diagnosis. They were asked to complete a WN task that aimed to capture their personal experiences. The degree of severity and disability expressed in their texts was assessed by researchers, and participants were also asked to complete the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQR), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD), and the Tampa Scale for Kinesophobia.Results and conclusionsEight main themes were identified after qualitatively analysing the narratives provided by participants: story of their illness, FM characteristics, other illnesses, impact, coping strategies, social support, pain triggers and treatments. Pain emerges as a profound symptom affecting mental, physical, and social well‐being, with diverse triggers and coping mechanisms. Participants highlighted difficulties in the diagnostic process, used multiple treatment strategies, and expressed a lack of understanding from healthcare professionals and society. There were significant correlations between researchers' assessments of severity and disability of the writings and FIQR and HAD scores. This study emphasises the value of narratives in capturing the multifaceted nature of FM experiences and hints at their potential for clinical understanding and management.
Assessment, management, and rehabilitation of traumatic peripheral nerve injuries for non‐surgeons
Authors: Bateman Emma A. , Pripotnev Stahs , Larocerie‐Salgado Juliana , Ross Douglas C. , Miller Thomas A. 
Published: June 2024

AbstractElectrodiagnostic evaluation is often requested for persons with peripheral nerve injuries and plays an important role in their diagnosis, prognosis, and management. Peripheral nerve injuries are common and can have devastating effects on patients' physical, psychological, and socioeconomic well‐being; alongside surgeons, electrodiagnostic medicine specialists serve a central function in ensuring patients receive optimal treatment for these injuries. Surgical intervention—nerve grafting, nerve transfers, and tendon transfers—often plays a critical role in the management of these injuries and the restoration of patients' function. Increasingly, nerve transfers are becoming the standard of care for some types of peripheral nerve injury due to two significant advantages: first, they shorten the time to reinnervation of denervated muscles; and second, they confer greater specificity in directing motor and sensory axons toward their respective targets. As the indications for, and use of, nerve transfers expand, so too does the role of the electrodiagnostic medicine specialist in establishing or confirming the diagnosis, determining the injury's prognosis, recommending treatment, aiding in surgical planning, and supporting rehabilitation. Having a working knowledge of nerve and/or tendon transfer options allows the electrodiagnostic medicine specialist to not only arrive at the diagnosis and prognosticate, but also to clarify which nerves and/or muscles might be suitable donors, such as confirming whether the branch to supinator could be a nerve transfer donor to restore distal posterior interosseous nerve function. Moreover, post‐operative testing can determine if nerve transfer reinnervation is occurring and progress patients' rehabilitation and/or direct surgeons to consider tendon transfers.
Thermo‐hydro‐mechanical coupled material point method for modeling freezing and thawing of porous media
Authors: Yu Jidu , Zhao Jidong , Zhao Shiwei , Liang Weijian 
Published: June 2024

AbstractClimate warming accelerates permafrost thawing, causing warming‐driven disasters like ground collapse and retrogressive thaw slump (RTS). These phenomena, involving intricate multiphysics interactions, phase transitions, nonlinear mechanical responses, and fluid‐like deformations, and pose increasing risks to geo‐infrastructures in cold regions. This study develops a thermo‐hydro‐mechanical (THM) coupled single‐point three‐phase material point method (MPM) to simulate the time‐dependent phase transition and large deformation behavior arising from the thawing or freezing of ice/water in porous media. The mathematical framework is established based on the multiphase mixture theory in which the ice phase is treated as a solid constituent playing the role of skeleton together with soil grains. The additional strength due to ice cementation is characterized via an ice saturation‐dependent Mohr–Coulomb model. The coupled formulations are solved using a fractional‐step‐based semi‐implicit integration algorithm, which can offer both satisfactory numerical stability and computational efficiency when dealing with nearly incompressible fluids and extremely low permeability conditions in frozen porous media. Two hydro‐thermal coupling cases, that is, frozen inclusion thaw and Talik closure/opening, are first benchmarked to show the method can correctly simulate both conduction‐ and convection‐dominated thermal regimes in frozen porous systems. The fully THM responses are further validated by simulating a 1D thaw consolidation and a 2D rock freezing example. Good agreements with experimental results are achieved, and the impact of hydro‐thermal variations on the mechanical responses, including thaw settlement and frost heave, are successfully captured. Finally, the predictive capability of the multiphysics MPM framework in simulating thawing‐triggered large deformation and failure is demonstrated by modeling an RTS and the settlement of a strip footing on thawing ground.
Effects of mother–infant skin‐to‐skin contact on mother–infant relationship and maternal psychology feelings: A qualitative study
Authors: Feng Xiaoyan , Zhang Yuqing 
Published: June 2024

AbstractAimsTo explore the effects of mother‐infant skin‐to‐skin contact on mother‐infant relationship and maternal psychology feelings.DesignAn exploratory qualitative research design using semi‐structured interviews.MethodsA total of 64 mother‐infant pairs who met the inclusion criteria were selected as the experimental subjects to receive early and continuous intervention of mother‐infant skin‐to‐skin contact (SSC). On this basis, the qualitative research method of procedural grounded theory was used to conduct semi‐structured interviews with 18 puerperas before discharge from the hospital; the three‐level coding method of procedural grounded theory and Graneheim & Lundman qualitative content analysis method were combined to conductinterview content analysis in Nvivo 12 software, so as to extractcore categories and condense the theme.Results(1) The data were coded to extract five core categories, namely, birth experience, role transition, contact perception, mother‐infant connection and parental efficacy; (2) there were statistically significant differences in the number of coding reference points in five nodes before and after SSC, that is, mothers' positive feelings, newborns' physical characteristics noticed by their mothers, mother‐infant connection, role transition and birth experience. The number of coding reference points after SSC was statistically significant greater than before SSC; (3) The coding interview results showed that SSC could promote the sense of happiness in nurturing.
Course grades as a signal of student achievement: Evidence of grade inflation before and after COVID‐19
Authors: Goldhaber Dan , Goodman Young Maia 
Published: June 2024

AbstractThere is widespread speculation and some evidence that grades and grading standards changed during the pandemic, making higher grades relatively easier to achieve. In this paper we use longitudinal data from students in Washington State to investigate middle and high school grades in math, science, and English pre‐ and post‐pandemic. Our descriptive analysis of the data reveals that—in accordance with state guidance—almost no students received an F in the spring of 2020, and the share of students receiving A's jumped dramatically. While English and science grades returned to pre‐pandemic levels in the years following the 2019/2020 school year, grades in math did not. To understand how well grades reflect objective measures of learning we regress test scores on student grades separately by subject and year and find that the strength of the relationship between grades and test scores has diminished over time in math. The diminishment of the signal value of grades may be a concern given that schools and families use grades as a signal of when students are ready to progress and when they might need more help.
For‐profit milk in nonprofit cartons? The case of nonprofit charter schools subcontracting with for‐profit education management organizations
Authors: Lavertu Stephane , Tran Long 
Published: June 2024

AbstractThere is growing concern that some public service providers may be nonprofit in name but not in fact. We consider this issue in the context of nonprofit charter schools, which sometimes subcontract their daily operations to for‐profit management organizations. We use unique data from Ohio to study how nonprofit charters’ reliance on for‐profit operators affects student achievement and attendance. The results indicate that charter schools with for‐profit operators are, on average, at least as effective as nearby traditional public schools with respect to both outcomes, and that the average low‐achieving student experiences greater test‐score gains in charters with for‐profit operators than in traditional public schools. However, charter schools with for‐profit operators tend to be less effective than other charters nearby, particularly for students with high test scores and low absence rates. Further analysis comparing the administration and outcomes of charter schools with different types of contracting arrangements suggests that the prioritization of profit may explain their different outcomes. This study offers insights for literatures on charter schools, contracting, and sector boundaries.