bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comparison of the effects of abdominal massage and osteopathic manipulative treatment home program on constipation in children with cerebral palsy
Authors: Chatip Aisel T , Acar Gönül , Akçay Ayfer A 
Published: June 2024

AbstractBackground and AimThe aim of this study is to compare the effects of osteopathic manipulative therapy home program (OMT‐H) versus abdominal massage home program (AMHP) in treating constipation in children with cerebral palsy (CP).MethodsTwenty‐nine children with CP with a mean age of 12.2 ± 3.76 years, who were constipated and were not on medication, were divided into three randomized groups: (i) control group (n = 10), (ii) AMHP (n = 10), and (iii) OMT‐H (n = 9). In AMHP and OMT‐H groups, treatment was applied as 20‐min sessions every other day for 10 sessions for 3 weeks. Modified Constipation Assessment Scale (MCAS), Rome III criteria, and the Bristol Stool Form Scale (BSFS) were used for evaluation before treatment and once a week during treatment.ResultsWhile there was no change in constipation symptoms in the control group, there was an improvement in constipation symptoms after treatment in the AMHP and OMT‐H groups (AMHP, P = 0.003; OMT‐H, P = 0.000014). While the treatment showed to be effective from the first week in the OMT‐H group, the change in BSFS (P = 0.026) and MCAS sub‐parameters was found to be superior.ConclusionAMHP and OMT‐H are effective and beneficial in treating constipation. In children with CP, OMT‐H was found to be quicker and more successful compared with AMHP. The OMT‐H can be effectively used in clinical practice in relieving constipation in CP.
Hybrid immunity by two COVID‐19 mRNA vaccinations and one breakthrough infection provides a robust and balanced cellular immune response as basic immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
Authors: Almanzar Giovanni , Koosha Kimia , Vogt Tim , Stein Astrid , Ziegler Lars , Asam Claudia , Weps Manuela , Schwägerl Valeria , Richter Lorena , Hepp Nicola , Fuchs Andre , Wagenhäuser Isabell , Reusch Julia , Krone Manuel , Geldmacher Christof , Protzer Ulrike , Steininger Philipp , Überla Klaus , Wagner Ralf , Liese Johannes , Prelog Martina 
Published: June 2024

AbstractThis longitudinal prospective controlled multicenter study aimed to monitor immunity generated by three exposures caused by breakthrough infections (BTI) after COVID‐19‐vaccination considering pre‐existing cell‐mediated immunity to common‐corona‐viruses (CoV) which may impact cellular reactivity against SARS‐CoV‐2. Anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2‐spike‐IgG antibodies (anti‐S‐IgG) and cellular reactivity against Spike‐(S)‐ and nucleocapsid‐(N)‐proteins were determined in fully‐vaccinated (F) individuals who either experienced BTI (F+BTI) or had booster vaccination (F+Booster) compared to partially vaccinated (P+BTI) and unvaccinated (U) from 1 to 24 weeks post PCR‐confirmed infection. High avidity anti‐S‐IgG were found in F+BTI compared to U, the latter exhibiting increased long‐lasting pro‐inflammatory cytokines to S‐stimulation. CoV was associated with higher cellular reactivity in U, whereas no association was seen in F. The study illustrates the induction of significant S‐specific cellular responses in F+BTI building‐up basic immunity by three exposures. Only U seem to benefit from pre‐existing CoV immunity but demonstrated inflammatory immune responses compared to F+BTI who immunologically benefit from enhanced humoral and cellular immunity after BTI. This study demonstrates that individuals with hybrid immunity from COVID‐19‐vaccination and BTI acquire a stable humoral and cellular immune response that is maintained for at least 6 months. Our findings corroborate recommendations by health authorities to build on basic immunity by three S‐protein exposures.
Enhancing functionality and bioactivity of walnut protein through limited enzyme digestion
Authors: Wang Jinping , Bi Huimin , Zhou Xuesong , Yang Bao , Wen Lingrong 
Published: June 2024

AbstractBACKGROUNDWalnut protein (WP) is recognized as a valuable plant protein. However, the poor solubility and functional properties limit its application in the food industry. It is a great requirement to improve the physicochemical properties of WP.RESULTSFollowing a 90 min restricted enzymatic hydrolysis period, the solubility of WP significantly increased from 3.24% to 54.54%, with the majority of WP hydrolysates (WPHs) possessing a molecular weight exceeding 50 kDa. Circular dichroism spectra showed that post‐hydrolysis, the structure of the protein became more flexible, while the hydrolysis time did not significantly alter the protein's secondary structure. After hydrolysis, WP's surface hydrophobicity significantly increased from 2279 to 6100. Furthermore, WPHs exhibited a strong capacity for icariin loading and micelle formation with critical micelle concentration values of 0.71, 0.99 and 1.09 mg mL−1, respectively. Moreover, similar immuno‐enhancement activities were observed in WPHs. After exposure to WPHs, the pinocytosis of RAW264.7 macrophages was significantly improved. WPH treatment also increased the production of nitric oxide, interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) and tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) in macrophages. Up‐regulation of mRNA expressions of IL‐6, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and TNF‐α was observed in a dose‐dependent manner.CONCLUSIONThe enhancement of functionality and bioactivity in WP can be achieved through the application of limited enzyme digestion with trypsin. This process effectively augments the nutritional value and utility of the protein, making it a valuable component in various dietary applications. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.
Altering CO2 Laser Pulse Energy Settings Did Not Influence Differential Gene Transcription in Normal Skin in a Red Duroc Pig Model
Authors: Hussein Lou'ay K. , Travis Taryn E. , Moffatt Lauren T. , Shupp Jeffrey W. , Carney Bonnie C. 
Published: June 2024

ABSTRACTObjectivesFractional ablative CO2 lasers are used clinically to treat cutaneous burn scars with reported varying degrees of effectiveness. It was hypothesized that different laser pulse energy settings may lead to differential gene transcription in a porcine model.MethodsUninjured skin from red Duroc pigs was treated with a fractional ablative CO2 laser set to 70, 100, or 120 mJ across the abdomen (n = 4 areas per treatment). Punch biopsies of both treated and untreated sites were taken before treatment (baseline), at 30 min, and at each hour for 6 h and stored in All‐Protect tissue reagent. The biopsies were then used to isolate RNA, which was subsequently used in qRT‐PCR for eight genes associated with wound healing and the extracellular matrix: CCL2, IL6, FGF2, TIMP1, TIMP3, COL1A2, MMP2, and DCN. RPL13a was used as a housekeeping gene to normalize the eight genes of interest. One‐way ANOVA tests were used to assess for differences among laser pulse energies and two‐way ANOVA tests were used to assess the differences between treated and untreated areas.ResultsWhile six of the eight genes were upregulated after treatment (p < 0.05), there were no significant differences in gene expression between the different laser pulse energies for any of the eight genes.ConclusionWhile laser treatment is correlated with a positive and significant upregulation for six of the eight genes 4 h after intervention, the pulse energy settings of the laser did not lead to a statistically significant difference in gene transcription among the treatment areas. Different laser pulse energies may not be required to induce similar cellular responses in a clinical setting.
Automatic vessel attenuation measurement for quality control of contrast‐enhanced CT: Validation on the portal vein
Authors: McCoy Kevin , Marisetty Sujay , Tan Dominique , Jensen Corey T. , Siewerdsen Jeffrey H. , Peterson Christine B. , Ahmad Moiz 
Published: June 2024

AbstractBackgroundAdequate image enhancement of organs and blood vessels of interest is an important aspect of image quality in contrast‐enhanced computed tomography (CT). There is a need for an objective method for evaluation of vessel contrast that can be automatically and systematically applied to large sets of CT exams.PurposeThe purpose of this work was to develop a method to automatically segment and measure attenuation Hounsfield Unit (HU) in the portal vein (PV) in contrast‐enhanced abdomen CT examinations.MethodsInput CT images were processed by a vessel enhancing filter to determine candidate PV segmentations. Multiple machine learning (ML) classifiers were evaluated for classifying a segmentation as corresponding to the PV based on segmentation shape, location, and intensity features. A public data set of 82 contrast‐enhanced abdomen CT examinations was used to train the method. An optimal ML classifier was selected by training and tuning on 66 out of the 82 exams (80% training split) in the public data set. The method was evaluated in terms of segmentation classification accuracy and PV attenuation measurement accuracy, compared to manually determined ground truth, on a test set of the remaining 16 exams (20% test split) held out from public data set. The method was further evaluated on a separate, independently collected test set of 21 examinations.ResultsThe best classifier was found to be a random forest, with a precision of 0.892 in the held‐out test set to correctly identify the PV from among the input candidate segmentations. The mean absolute error of the measured PV attenuation relative to ground truth manual measurement was 13.4 HU. On the independent test set, the overall precision decreased to 0.684. However, the PV attenuation measurement remained relatively accurate with a mean absolute error of 15.2 HU.ConclusionsThe method was shown to accurately measure PV attenuation over a large range of attenuation values, and was validated in an independently collected dataset. The method did not require time‐consuming manual contouring to supervise training. The method may be applied to systematic quality control of contrast‐enhanced CT examinations.
Weak signal extraction of micro‐motor rotor unbalance based on all‐phase fast Fourier transform
Authors: Liu Qinghua , Xu Xingxing , Lu Zhenrong , Yu Liwei , Jiang Dong 
Published: June 2024

AbstractTo improve the dynamic balancing accuracy of the micro‐motor rotor, an unbalanced vibration feature extraction based on an all‐phase fast Fourier transform (APFFT) method is proposed. The amplitude and phase of the signal are extracted by spectrum analysis after windowing the unbalanced signal. The mathematical model is derived to simulate the weak signal of rotor unbalance. The simulation results show that this method is accurate in extracting the weak signal of the rotor under different noise levels. The micro‐motor rotor unbalanced test system is developed for experimental validations. The accuracy and stability of the vibration amplitude and phase extracted by the APFFT are better than the accuracy and stability from the hardware filtering method. The rotor unbalance is reduced by more than 80%. Furthermore, secondary balance of the rotor after the first balance is carried out. The proposed method can still extract the residual unbalance of the rotor. The results demonstrated that the proposed method can achieve a reduction rate of 90% and the accuracy is within 5 mg, verifying the effectiveness of the proposed method for high‐precision rotor dynamic balance.
A real‐life study on the value of integrated optimization in order picking operations under dynamic order arrivals
Authors: D'Haen Ruben , Ramaekers Katrien , Moons Stef , Braekers Kris 
Published: June 2024

AbstractOptimizing the order picking operations is indispensable for warehouses that promise a high customer service level. While many areas for improvement have been identified and studied in the literature, a large gap remains between academia and practice. To help with closing this gap, we perform a case‐study in collaboration with a spare‐parts warehouse in Belgium. In this study, we optimize the order picking operations of the company, using the actual warehouse layout and real order data. A state‐of‐the‐art online integrated order batching, picker routing and batch scheduling algorithm is adapted to consider multiple real‐life constraints. More specifically, the dynamic arrival of new orders is considered, and a capacity constraint on the sorting installation should be respected. Furthermore, a new waiting strategy is studied in which order pickers can temporarily postpone certain orders, as combining them with possible future order arrivals may allow for more efficient overall picking performance. Finally, the performance of the current operating policy is compared with that of both a seed batching heuristic and our metaheuristic algorithm by use of an ANOVA analysis. The results indicate that the number of order pickers can be reduced by 12.5% if the new optimization algorithm is used, accompanied by an improvement in the offered customer service level.
Prescription Patterns and Predisposing Factors of Benzodiazepine and Z‐Hypnotic Use During Pregnancy: A Nationwide Cohort Study
Authors: Meng Lin‐Chieh , Lin Chih‐Wan , Chuang Hui‐Min , Chen Yi‐Yung , Shang Chi‐Yung , Wu Chia‐Yi , Chen Liang‐Kung , Hsiao Fei‐Yuan 
Published: June 2024

ABSTRACTPurposeThe use of benzodiazepines and Z‐hypnotics during pregnancy has raised significant concerns in recent years. However, there are limited data that capture the prescription patterns and predisposing factors in use of these drugs, particularly among women who have been long‐term users of benzodiazepines and Z‐hypnotics before pregnancy.MethodsThis population‐based cohort study comprised 2 930 988 pregnancies between 2004 and 2018 in Taiwan. Women who were dispensed benzodiazepines or Z‐hypnotics during pregnancy were identified and further stratified into groups based on their status before pregnancy: long‐term users (with a supply of more than 180 days within a year), short‐term users (with a supply of less than 180 days within a year), and nonusers. Trends in the use of benzodiazepines or Z‐hypnotics and concomitant use with antidepressants or opioids were assessed. Logistic regression models were utilized to identify factors associated with use of these drugs during pregnancy, and interrupted time series analyses (ITSA) were employed to evaluate utilization patterns of these drugs across different pregnancy‐related periods.ResultsThe overall prevalence of benzodiazepine and Z‐hypnotic use was 3.5% during pregnancy. Among prepregnancy long‐term users, an upward trend was observed. The concomitant use of antidepressants or opioids among exposed women increased threefold (from 8.6% to 23.1%) and sixfold (from 0.3% to 1.7%) from 2004 to 2018, respectively. Women with unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, such as alcohol abuse (OR 2.48; 95% CI, 2.02–3.03), drug abuse (OR 10.34; 95% CI, 8.46–12.64), and tobacco use (OR 2.19; 95% CI, 1.96–2.45), as well as those with psychiatric disorders like anxiety (OR 6.99; 95% CI, 6.77–7.22), insomnia (OR 15.99; 95% CI, 15.55–16.45), depression (OR 9.43; 95% CI, 9.07–9.80), and schizophrenia (OR 21.08; 95% CI, 18.76–23.69), and higher healthcare utilization, were more likely to use benzodiazepines or Z‐hypnotics during pregnancy. ITSA revealed a sudden decrease in use of benzodiazepines and Z‐hypnotics after recognition of pregnancy (level change −0.55 percentage point; 95% CI, −0.59 to −0.51). In contrast, exposures to benzodiazepines and Z‐hypnotics increased significantly after delivery (level change 0.12 percentage point; 95% CI, 0.09 to 0.16).ConclusionsIn this cohort study, an increased trend of benzodiazepine and Z‐hypnotic use during pregnancy among prepregnancy long‐term users, as well as concomitant use with antidepressants or opioids were found. The findings have highlighted the existence of various risk factors associated with the use of these drugs during pregnancy. Utilization patterns varied across different stages of pregnancy, highlighting the need for prescription guidelines and educational services for women using these drugs during pregnancy.
Integration of child life into adult oncology: A mixed‐methods feasibility study
Authors: Lysecki David L. , Bainbridge Daryl , Akitt Tracy , Georgiou Georgia , McKean Heather , Meyer Ralph M. , Sussman Jonathan 
Published: June 2024

AbstractBackgroundCancer in a loved one can have negative effects on child health and development. Child Life Specialists (CLSs) specialize in assisting children understand and cope with difficult medical scenarios but are generally not available in adult care facilities to support the needs of patient‐families with minor children. We conducted a mixed‐methods study of the implementation of a pilot CLS program at a tertiary oncology centre.MethodsWe collected administrative and clinical data on referred families; encounter data; and patient‐reported questionnaire data before and 2 months after engagement with the program.ResultsOver the initial 10 months, 98 families were referred, 91 of whom engaged through a total of 257 clinical encounters. The cancer patient in the family was most commonly a woman with a mean age of 45 years and in the role of mother. Breast cancer was the most common diagnosis (24%) and 78% of patients had stage IV disease. Most families had >1 child at home, and children were most commonly school‐aged (5–14y). Phone and Hospital/Clinic visits accounted for the largest portion of CLS time. Interventions ranged from diagnosis education through to bereavement support. Most cancer patients indicated that the program was helpful to them and their families. There were trends of moderate improvements on patient reported outcomes.ConclusionOur study was able to provide an understanding of the initial CLS program operations to guide program development and future study. Such a program holds promise as an important aspect of adult oncology family‐centered care.
A comparison of genomic and phenomic selection methods for yield prediction in Coffea canephora
Authors: Adunola Paul , Tavares Flores Estefania , Riva‐Souza Elaine M. , Ferrão Maria Amélia G. , Senra João Felipe B. , Comério Marcone , Espindula Marcelo C. , Verdin Filho Abraão C. , Volpi Paulo S. , Fonseca Aymbiré F. A. , Ferrão Romario G. , Munoz Patricio R. , Ferrão Luis Felipe V. 
Published: June 2024

AbstractGenomic prediction has been proposed as the standard method to predict the genetic merit of unphenotyped individuals. Despite the promising results reported in the plant breeding literature, its routine implementation remains difficult for some crops. This is the case with Coffea canephora, in which costs and availability of molecular tools are major challenges for most breeding programs. To circumvent this, the use of near‐infrared spectroscopy (NIR) has been recently proposed as an alternative to complement marker‐assisted selection. The so‐called phenomic selection relies on the reflectance spectrum to capture similarities between individuals and emerges as a valid approach for prediction. With promising results reported in multiple annual crops, we hypothesize that phenomic prediction could be a cost‐efficient approach to incorporate into a practical coffee breeding program. To test it, we relied on a diverse population of C. canephora, evaluated for yield production, in two geographical locations over four harvest seasons. Our contributions in this paper are twofold: (i) We compared phenomic and genomic selection results, and showed large predictive abilities when NIR is used as a predictor for within and across‐location predictions, and (ii) we presented a critical view of how both information sets could be combined into a contemporaneous coffee breeding program. Altogether, our results show how multi‐omic information could be integrated in the same framework to leverage genetic gains in the long term.
The Physical Characterization of Extracellular Vesicles for Function Elucidation and Biomedical Applications: A Review
Authors: Morris Emma J. , Kaur Harleen , Dobhal Garima , Malhotra Shiana , Ayed Zeineb , Carpenter Anna L. , Goreham Renee V. 
Published: June 2024

AbstractExtracellular vesicles are promising candidates for novel biomedical applications due to their universal secretion by all organisms. Despite their discovery in 1971, understanding of extracellular vesicles remains in its infancy due to their complex nature and nanoscale dimensions, which make characterization challenging. Extracellular vesicles contain a diverse array of proteins, making them valuable for identifying disease‐specific biomarkers and driving research since 2007. However, identifying these biomarkers remains difficult and expensive. Advancements in extracellular vesicle techniques, including single extracellular vesicle characterization, hold promise for disease diagnosis and personalized medicine. Notably, the biomechanical properties of extracellular vesicles have emerged as a potential diagnosis tool. However, biomechanical characterization has rarely been investigated for disease diagnosis due to limited understanding and a lack of standardized protocols. Recently, significant advancements have been made using various techniques such as atomic force microscopy and micropipette aspiration. This review explores recent developments in biomechanical analysis, demonstrating novel disease diagnostic pathways facilitated by extracellular vesicles and outlining future research directions.