bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Changes in lower urinary tract function after minimally invasive nerve‐sparing for complete excision of endometriosis: An observational study
Authors: Gomes Fernanda Hack , Fonseca Marlon de Freitas , Favorito Luciano Alves , Gasparoni Mauro Poggiali , da Silva Filho Fernando Salles , Diniz André Luiz Lima , de Resende Júnior José Anacleto D. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractObjectivesThe objective of this paper is to evaluate changes in lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), severity of pain and urodynamic parameters after minimally invasive nerve‐sparing surgery for patients with endometriosis.MethodsWe analyzed 143 patients undergoing minimally invasive nerve‐sparing surgery for endometriosis excision (laparoscopy/robot‐assisted). The endometriosis was confirmed by preoperative clinical evaluation, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showing at least one lesion deeper than 5 mm, and histological confirmation after laparoscopy. We evaluated three points prior and after surgery: LUTS parameters according to the International Urogynecological Association; urodynamic measures of storage and voiding and the severity of the dyspareunia, dyschezia and dysmenorrhea assessed on a self‐reported 11‐point numeric rating scale. The Wilcoxon signed rank and McNemar tests were used for statistical analyses (p < 0.05).ResultsWe observed significant improvements in LUTS after the surgery with postoperative symptom‐free probabilities in urgency (64.5%), daytime frequency (38.5%), and dysuria (87.1%). However, slow stream prevalence increased significantly postsurgery (p = 0.022), with a 20.5% risk of asymptomatic patients developing this symptom. Urodynamic responses varied; for instance, maximum cystometric capacity improved significantly (p = 0.004), while postvoiding residual worsened (p = 0.006). Significant worsening in postvoiding residual occurred in women with normal preoperative values (p = 0.002), with a 17.7% risk of normal values becoming abnormal. Compliance or maximum cystometric capacity not considered normal preoperatively showed significant improvements (p < 0.001), but the risk of normal values becoming abnormal after surgery was 14.5%.ConclusionThe minimally invasive nerve‐sparing surgery for endometriosis excision shows improvement in lower urinary tract symptoms, urodynamics parameters and severity of pain. The majority of patients became asymptomatic in the postoperative period. When compared to the benefits of the patients' surgical treatment, particularly when considering the reduction of pain, the risks of the lower urinary tract treatment seem to be acceptable. The surgical intervention seems to be a safe alternative in patients with endometriosis, although studies with larger samples are needed to confirm these findings.
Noise suppression of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy improves paediatric brain tumour classification
Authors: Zhao Teddy , Grist James T. , Auer Dorothee P. , Avula Shivaram , Bailey Simon , Davies Nigel P. , Grundy Richard G. , Khan Omar , MacPherson Lesley , Morgan Paul S. , Pizer Barry , Rose Heather E. L. , Sun Yu , Wilson Martin , Worthington Lara , Arvanitis Theodoros N. , Peet Andrew C. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractProton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H‐MRS) is increasingly used for clinical brain tumour diagnosis, but suffers from limited spectral quality. This retrospective and comparative study aims at improving paediatric brain tumour classification by performing noise suppression on clinical 1H‐MRS. Eighty‐three/forty‐two children with either an ependymoma (ages 4.6
5.3/9.3
5.4), a medulloblastoma (ages 6.9
3.5/6.5
4.4), or a pilocytic astrocytoma (8.0
3.6/6.3
5.0), recruited from four centres across England, were scanned with 1.5T/3T short‐echo‐time point‐resolved spectroscopy. The acquired raw 1H‐MRS was quantified by using Totally Automatic Robust Quantitation in NMR (TARQUIN), assessed by experienced spectroscopists, and processed with adaptive wavelet noise suppression (AWNS). Metabolite concentrations were extracted as features, selected based on multiclass receiver operating characteristics, and finally used for identifying brain tumour types with supervised machine learning. The minority class was oversampled through the synthetic minority oversampling technique for comparison purposes. Post‐noise‐suppression 1H‐MRS showed significantly elevated signal‐to‐noise ratios (P < .05, Wilcoxon signed‐rank test), stable full width at half‐maximum (P > .05, Wilcoxon signed‐rank test), and significantly higher classification accuracy (P < .05, Wilcoxon signed‐rank test). Specifically, the cross‐validated overall and balanced classification accuracies can be improved from 81% to 88% overall and 76% to 86% balanced for the 1.5T cohort, whilst for the 3T cohort they can be improved from 62% to 76% overall and 46% to 56%, by applying Naïve Bayes on the oversampled 1H‐MRS. The study shows that fitting‐based signal‐to‐noise ratios of clinical 1H‐MRS can be significantly improved by using AWNS with insignificantly altered line width, and the post‐noise‐suppression 1H‐MRS may have better diagnostic performance for paediatric brain tumours.
#OtoTwitter: The Top 75 Twitter Influencers in Otolaryngology and Association With Academic Impact
Authors: Miller Alexis , Patro Ankita , Stevens Madelyn N. , Scott Fortune David , Gelbard Alexander , Haynes David S. , Topf Michael C. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractObjectivesSocial media has enabled discussion of relevant topics within otolaryngology. With increasing academic discourse occurring on virtual platforms, it is important to examine who is influencing these discussions. This study thus aims to: (1) identify the top Twitter influencers in otolaryngology and (2) assess the relationship between Twitter influence and academic impact.Study DesignCross‐sectional analysis.SettingTwitter.MethodsThe Right Relevance program was used to identify and rank the top 75 Twitter influencers, excluding organizations, according to the search terms “otolaryngology,” “head and neck surgery,” “ear nose throat,” “rhinology,” “head and neck,” “laryngology,” “facial plastics,” and “otology.” Demographic data and h‐index were collected for each influencer. Correlational analyzes were performed to assess the relationships between Twitter rank and geographic location, sex, subspecialty, and h‐index.ResultsThe majority of the top 75 influencers were otolaryngologists (87%), female (68%), and located in the United States (61%). General otolaryngology (n = 20, 31%) was more well‐represented than any individual subspecialty including facial plastics (n = 10, 15%), rhinology (n = 10, 15%), and neurotology (n = 9, 14%). There was a significant relationship between Twitter rank and h‐index (Spearman ρ value of –0.32; 95% confidence interval: –0.51 to –0.01; P = .006). Twitter rank was not significantly correlated with subspecialty, sex, or geographic location (P > .05).ConclusionThe majority of Twitter influencers within otolaryngology were otolaryngologists, female, and located in the United States. Social media influence is positively associated with academic impact among otolaryngologists.
The Hearing Function and Ambulatory Blood Pressure in Older Adults
Authors: Yévenes‐Briones Humberto , Caballero Francisco Félix , Struijk Ellen A. , Estrada‐deLeón Daniela B. , Rey‐Martinez Jorge , Rodríguez‐Artalejo Fernando , Banegas José R. , Lopez‐Garcia Esther 
Published: March 2024

AbstractObjectiveTo examine the association between hearing function, assessed with pure‐tone average (PTA) of air conduction thresholds, and 24‐hour ambulatory blood pressure (BP) in older adults.Study DesignCross‐sectional study.SettingA total of 1404 community‐dwelling individuals aged ≥65 years from the Seniors‐ENRICA cohort were examined.MethodsHearing loss was defined as PTA > 40‐AudCal hearing loss decibels (dB‐aHL) in the better ear for standard frequency (0.5, 1, and 2 kHz), speech frequency (0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz), and high frequency (3, 4, and 8 kHz). Circadian BP patterns were calculated as the percentage decline in systolic BP during the night, and participants were classified as dipper, nondipper, and riser. Ambulatory hypertension was defined as BP ≥ 130/80 mm Hg (24 hour), ≥135/85 (daytime), and ≥120/70 (nighttime) or on antihypertensive treatment. Analyses were performed with linear‐ and logistic‐regression models adjusted for the main confounders.ResultsIn multivariable analyses, the PTA was associated with higher nighttime systolic BP [β coefficient per 20 dB‐aHL increment standard frequency (95% confidence interval, CI): 2.41 mm Hg (0.87, 3.95); β (95% CI) per 20 dB‐aHL increment speech frequency 2.17 mm Hg (0.70, 3.64)]. Among hypertensive patients, hearing loss at standard and high‐frequency PTA was associated with the riser BP pattern [odds ratio: 2.01 (95% CI, 1.03‐3.93) and 1.45 (1.00‐2.09), respectively]; also, hearing loss at standard PTA was linked to uncontrolled nighttime BP [1.81 (1.01‐3.24)].ConclusionPTA was associated with higher nighttime BP, and hearing loss with a riser BP pattern and uncontrolled BP in older hypertensives.
Same‐Day Discharge for Pediatric Hemithyroidectomy Patients: Evaluating Safety and Barriers to Discharge
Authors: July O'Brien Kaitlin , Naveed Abdullah , Patel Siddharth , Gallant Jean‐Nicolas , Rohde Sarah , Belcher Ryan H. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractObjectiveHemithyroidectomy is often performed in the pediatric population for indeterminate or benign thyroid nodules. Prior studies confirmed the safety of same‐day discharge for adults undergoing hemithyroidectomy or total thyroidectomy, but this has not been studied thoroughly in the pediatric population. Our goal was to determine differences in pediatric patients undergoing hemithyroidectomy who were admitted versus discharged for complications or factors to support same‐day discharge.Study DesignRetrospective cohort.SettingPediatric tertiary care hospital.MethodsThis was a retrospective study of pediatric patients (0‐18 years of age) undergoing hemithyroidectomy at a pediatric tertiary care hospital from 2003 to 2022. Perioperative variables and outcomes were gathered via manual chart review.ResultsOne hundred five pediatric patients who underwent hemithyroidectomy were identified. Ninety (86%) patients were admitted postoperatively, and 15 (14%) were discharged the same day. There were no differences in patient demographics, including age (P = 0.29) distance from the hospital (P = 0.08) or benign versus malignant pathology (P = 0.93). Surgical time in same‐day discharges was significantly shorter (P = 0.0001; 138.6 minutes, SD = 66.0) versus admitted patients (204.2 minutes, SD = 48.6) Hemostatic agents were used more in same‐day discharges at 53.3% versus 4.5% (P = 0.0001). Perioperative complications occurred in 2 (2.2%) admitted patients compared to none in the same‐day discharge (P = 1.0). There were no readmissions within 30 days for same‐day discharges.ConclusionIn pediatric patients undergoing uncomplicated hemithyroidectomy, same‐day discharge appears appropriate for those with shorter surgical times and intraoperative use of hemostatic agents with no readmissions or complications in those discharged the same day.
Gardens as drivers of native plant species dispersal and conservation
Authors: Staude Ingmar R. 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Gardens hold untapped potential for participatory biodiversity conservation. Conservation gardening has recently emerged as a way to foster declining native plant species in urban and rural green spaces. But the impact of cultivating these species on population trends in the broader landscape remains underexplored.

This study examines the effects of cultivating herbaceous native plants on their long‐term population trends and endangerment, using Rothmaler's ‘Herbaceous Ornamental and Crop Plants’ in Germany, along with the German Red List of 1998 and 2018. It investigates whether native plants under cultivation are less endangered, examines the long‐term population trends relative to cultivation frequency and assesses the potential role of cultivation in improving Red List status.

The findings reveal that cultivated species, especially those commonly grown in gardens, were less likely to be endangered. Moreover, commonly cultivated species had fewer declining and more positive long‐term population trends compared to non‐cultivated species. Some evidence suggests that commonly cultivated plants recorded on the 1998 Red List as threatened are more likely to improve their status, yet still a considerable proportion is in decline.

These findings hint at a promising role of gardens as a means to support native species populations, but they also underscore the need for a nuanced understanding of which species are most likely to benefit from cultivation.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Effects of various parameters on the mechanical properties of composite lozenge‐shaped core sandwich panels subjected to flat‐wise compression test
Authors: Zamani Farshad , Ghareghani Alireza , Hosseinnejad Farhad , Rostamiyan Yasser , Rahmani Ali 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThis paper studied the compressive behavior of a composite sandwich panel with a lozenge‐shaped core reinforced with graphene nanoparticles (GNPs) under different conditions. The fabrication process involves the utilization of Kevlar fibers and epoxy resin to construct the sandwich panels, followed by introducing polyurethane (PU) foam through vacuum‐assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM). Flat‐wise compression testing is conducted to assess the mechanical properties and behavior of the sandwich panels. The study investigates the effect of various parameters, including core angle, core height, weight percentage (wt%) of GNPs, and PU foam, on the compressive strength of the structure. The experimental results are validated through finite element simulation using ABAQUS software, and a satisfactory agreement is observed between the simulated and experimental data. The research findings indicate that the inclusion of 3 wt% of GNPs in the structure leads to a notable 25% enhancement in the compressive strength of the sandwich panel. However, when the GNP content was further increased to 0.4 wt%, a contrasting trend was observed and the strength of the structure decreased by about 12%. Furthermore, an increase in the core angle is associated with a substantial 46% improvement in the sandwich panel's strength. Conversely, an increase in the core height is found to cause an 18% reduction in the sandwich panel's strength. Also, the addition of PU foam results in a significant increase of approximately 42% and 58% in the strength and energy absorption of the sandwich panel, respectively. This comprehensive parametric study offers valuable insights to engineers and designers seeking to construct sandwich panels with optimal strength against compressive loads.Highlights
Adding GNPs modifies the mechanical properties of the sandwich panel.
Adding 0.4% of GNPs leads to the reduction of the structure's strength.
Increasing the core angle increases the sandwich panel's strength.
Increasing the core height decreases the sandwich panel's strength.
PU foam significantly increases the sandwich panel's strength.
Poly (glycerol sebacate) – co – 2 – hydroxyethyl methacrylate bioelastomeric nanohydroxyapatite composites: Mechanical properties, thermal characteristics, and cytocompatibility studies
Authors: Roy Pratik , Sailaja R. R. N. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractIn this study bioelastomeric co‐polymer comprised of glycerol, sebacic acid, and 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate, loaded with varied contents of nanohydroxyapatite (0%–8%) has been synthesized via polycondensation reaction. The mechanical properties, that is, tensile and compressive strength and modulus have been enhanced due to the addition of silane‐treated nanohydroxyapatite. The optimal mechanical properties for these nanocomposites have been found to be at 7% nanohydroxyapatite loading. X‐Ray diffraction analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed efficient dispersion of nanohydroxyapatite throughout the matrix as particles and as well as agglomerates. The synthesized composite was found to be cytocompatible and showed excellent biocompatibility by forming thick apatite layers in simulated body fluid.Highlights
Synthesis of PGS/nHA bioelastomeric nanocomposite via polycondensation.
Characterization of nanocomposite with FTIR, TGA, XRD, SEM, AFM.
Water absorption, bioactivity and cytocompatibility assessment.
In vitro degradation evaluation.
Effect of hexyl‐branched backbone size on the size distribution and coalescence of free volume around an amphiphilic molecule
Authors: Kavyani Sajjad , Soares João B. P. , Choi Phillip 
Published: March 2024

AbstractWe used molecular dynamics simulation to study the size distribution and coalescence of free volume around an amphiphilic molecule (nonyl ethoxylate (NE)) at a concentration of 0.5 wt% in blends of linear and branched polyethylene that contained a small four‐arm alkane (7,12 hexyl octadecane). The branched polyethylene chains had 10 and 82 hexyl branches/1000 backbone carbons. The coalescence dynamics (fluctuation of free volume in time) was quantified by the number of Fourier frequencies and the corresponding power (amplitude). In our previous work, we hypothesized that cavitation, the first step of environmental stress cracking observed experimentally, starts from the free volume coalescence at the interface between NE and polyethylene molecules and showed that hexyl branches in the branched polyethylene molecules suppress such coalescence, suggesting that cavitation, a much longer time scale process, could also be slowed down. The current work showed that the behavior of hexyl branches in branched polyethylene in a blend with linear polyethylene was similar to that in pure branched polyethylene, but that the hexyl branches in the 7,12 hexyl octadecane exhibited the opposite behavior. In particular, they intensified free volume coalescence, especially around the hydrophilic ethylene oxide segments of NE. The addition of 7,12 hexyl octadecane to branched polyethylene alone or blended with linear polyethylene does not seem to slow down free volume coalescence (cavitation), leading us to conclude that the effect of hexyl branches on the free volume coalescence around NE depends on the size of the backbone to which the branches are attached.Highlights
Hexyl branches reduce free volume coalescence activities.
The longer the backbone is, the stronger the hexyl branch effect.
More coalescence activities occur on the hydrophilic segment of NE.
Nylon 66 short fiber reinforcement in EPDM power transmission belting: A path to enhanced mechanical performance
Authors: Muthukannan Pandy , Neethirajan Jeevanandham , Naskar Kinsuk 
Published: March 2024

AbstractV‐belts are commonly used to transmit power between two distant pulleys. Therefore, a strong reinforcement for dimensional stability and thermomechanical properties are essential in power transmission belts. The influence of resorcinol formaldehyde resin (RFL) treated nylon short fibers in EPDM peroxide‐cured formulations was investigated, with concentrations ranging from 0 to 30 parts per hundred rubber (phr) in increments of five. The incorporation of nylon short fibers resulted in improved tensile and mechanical properties in EPDM vulcanizates. Specifically, the tensile stress at 100% elongation increased by 177% to (10.8 MPa), and the improvement in tear strength to 16.2% (75.7 N/mm) was observed. Among other functional requirements in a weak rubber like EPDM, enhanced tear strength is significant for its application in power transmission. Substantial reinforcement between the fiber‐elastomer matrix was confirmed via scanning electron microscopy, as evidenced by increased storage modulus (E′). Notably, there were no considerable effects on the curing rate or low‐temperature properties. Significant improvement in heat stability is observed through thermogravimetric analysis. These enhancements in mechanical and thermal properties might play a role in increased durability and performance in actual V‐ribbed belt applications.Highlights
This manuscript describes the effect of treated nylon 66 short fiber on EPDM V‐belt compound.
A significant increase in storage modulus, tear strength, and thermal stability.
A belt is made using the experimental formulation and it meets the performance requirement.
Low fiber content (<15 phr) compounds are unsuitable for dimensional stability.
High fiber content (>25 phr) compounds pose processing challenges.
Combining extracellular matrix proteome and phosphoproteome of chickpea and meta‐analysis reveal novel proteoforms and evolutionary significance of clade‐specific wall‐associated events in plant
Authors: Narula Kanika , Sinha Arunima , Choudhary Pooja , Ghosh Sudip , Elagamey Eman , Sharma Archana , Sengupta Atreyee , Chakraborty Niranjan , Chakraborty Subhra 
Published: March 2024

AbstractExtracellular matrix (ECM) plays central roles in cell architecture, innate defense and cell wall integrity (CWI) signaling. During transition to multicellularity, modular domain structures of ECM proteins and proteoforms have evolved due to continuous adaptation across taxonomic clades under different ecological niche. Although this incredible diversity has to some extent been investigated at protein level, extracellular phosphorylation events and molecular evolution of ECM proteoform families remains unexplored. We developed matrisome proteoform atlas in a grain legume, chickpea and performed meta‐analyses of 74 plant matrisomes. MS/MS analysis identified 1,424 proteins and 315 phosphoproteins involved in diverse functions. Cross‐species ECM protein network identified proteoforms associated with CWI maintenance system. Phylogenetic characterization of eighteen matrix protein families highlighted the role of taxon‐specific paralogs and orthologs. Novel information was acquired on gene expansion and loss, co‐divergence, sub functionalization and neofunctionalization during evolution. Modular networks of matrix protein families and hub proteins showed higher diversity across taxonomic clades than among organs. Furthermore, protein families differ in nonsynonymous to synonymous substitution rates. Our study pointed towards the matrix proteoform functionality, sequence divergence variation, interactions between wall remodelers and molecular evolution using a phylogenetic framework. This is the first report on comprehensive matrisome proteoform network illustrating presence of CWI signaling proteins in land plants.
Chain extension epoxide polymerization to well‐defined block polymers using a N‐Al Lewis pair catalyst
Authors: Keever Jared M. , Pedretti Benjamin J. , Brotherton Zachary W. , Imbrogno Jennifer , Kataoka Yuki , Baltzegar Jacob , Kambayashi Naoya , Lynd Nathaniel A. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractBlock polyethers comprised of poly(propylene oxide) (PPO) and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEG or PEO) segments form the basis of ABA‐type PEO‐b‐PPO‐b‐PEO poloxamer materials. The inverse architecture with an internal hydrophilic PEO segment flanked by hydrophobic blocks can be difficult to prepare with control of architecture by use of traditional anionic polymerization. These oxyanionic polymerizations are plagued by chain‐transfer‐to‐monomer side reactions that occur with substituted epoxides such as propylene oxide (PO). Herein, we report a new method for the preparation of block polymers through a controlled polymerization involving a N‐Al Lewis adduct catalyst and an aluminum alkoxide macroinitiator. The Lewis pair catalyst was able to chain‐extend commercial PEO macroinitiators to prepare di‐, tri‐, and pentablock polyethers with low dispersity and reasonable monomer tolerance. Chain extension was confirmed using size exclusion chromatography and diffusion ordered nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The resulting block polymers were additionally analyzed with small‐angle X‐ray scattering to correlate the morphology to molecular architecture.