bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Continuum of somatosensory profiles in breast cancer survivors with and without pain, compared to healthy controls and patients with fibromyalgia
Authors: Haenen Vincent , Dams Lore , Meeus Mira , Devoogdt Nele , Morlion Bart , De Groote Amber , De Groef An 
Published: March 2024

AbstractContextThe prevalence of persistent pain among breast cancer survivors (BCS) is high, and it is unclear what distinguishes those with persistent pain from those without. Research suggests that differences in somatosensory function evaluated by quantitative sensory testing (QST) may be responsible.ObjectivesThis study aimed to describe somatosensory profiles in terms of hyper‐ and hypoesthesia in BCS with and without persistent pain using reference data from healthy controls. Second, QST parameters of BCS with and without pain were compared with those of healthy controls (i.e., a negative control group) and patients with fibromyalgia (i.e., a positive control group).MethodsParticipants (n = 128) were divided into four equal groups: healthy controls, BCS with persistent pain, BCS without persistent pain, and patients with fibromyalgia. Nine QST parameters were evaluated at the trunk and at a remote location. Somatosensory profiles were determined by Z‐score transformation of QST data using normative data from healthy controls.ResultsAt the trunk, compared to healthy controls, BCS with persistent pain exhibited sensory aberrations across five out of seven QST parameters: pressure pain threshold, mechanical detection, and thermal thresholds. Pain‐free BCS showed similar sensory aberrations across the four QST parameters compared to healthy controls: mechanical detection and thermal thresholds. Temporal summation and conditioned pain modulation were not significantly different between groups.ConclusionBCS with persistent pain exert aberrations in peripheral processing of nociceptive signals, heightened facilitation of nociceptive signals, and higher psychosocial burden when compared to pain‐free BCS, healthy controls, and patients with fibromyalgia.SignificanceThis study investigates the somatosensory function of breast cancer survivors with and without persistent pain using quantitative sensory testing and two control group (i.e., patients with fibromyalgia and healthy controls). Our results indicate somatosensory aberrations within the peripheral, but not central pathways in breast cancer survivors with persistent pain. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the somatosensory mechanisms underlying persistent pain, which may inform future interventions to prevent the development of persistent pain, and improve treatment modalities.
Investigation of directional discrimination in the nociceptive system using temperature‐controlled laser stimuli
Authors: Rujoie Ahmad , Andersen Ole Kæseler , Frahm Ken Steffen 
Published: March 2024

AbstractBackgroundCutaneous laser stimulation has commonly been employed to investigate the thermal properties of the nociceptive system. The aim of this study was to investigate how a temperature‐controlled laser system improves the assessment of directional discrimination in the nociceptive system.MethodsIn total, twenty healthy volunteers participated in this study. To determine the directional discrimination threshold (stimulation length 50% correct, expressed in mm), thermal stimuli were delivered using a diode laser and the laser beam was perpendicularly displaced across the skin to give a linear stimulation in four different directions (distal, proximal, lateral and medial) and displacement lengths (3 for lateral‐medial and 5 for distal‐proximal). Two temperature control modes were used in the stimulation system, open‐loop and closed‐loop control. The subjects had to report the perceived stimulus direction, the degree of certainty regarding the perceived direction and the intensity of the perceived stimulus (0–10 numerical rating scale, 3: pain threshold).ResultsDuring closed‐loop control, the orientation of stimuli was discriminated significantly more accurately than during open‐loop control. During closed‐loop control, the directional discrimination threshold was 31.9 and 26.1 mm for distal‐proximal and lateral‐medial directed stimuli, respectively. A numerical rating scale was significantly higher for the lateral/medial directions. Moreover, the variability of the discrimination threshold is reduced in the closed‐loop control system.ConclusionsThe findings show that discrimination ability is better in the lateral‐medial directions compared to the distal‐proximal directions. This study indicates that using a system enabling closed‐loop temperature control, allows more robust probing of the temporo‐spatial mechanisms in the nociceptive system.SignificanceThis study shows that a newly developed temperature‐controlled laser stimulation system enhances the possibilities to investigate the nociceptive temporo‐spatial integration, as shown by a less variable directional discrimination threshold. The results also show that different orthogonal directions are discriminated differently. This new method allows a better investigation of the combined temporal and spatial mechanisms in the nociceptive system.
Research progress of direct contact heat storage based on phase change heat storage
Authors: Liu Pengcheng , Wang Chuang , Chen Pengliang , Cheng Xingxing , Wang Zhiqiang 
Published: March 2024

AbstractPhase change heat storage presents a promising solution to address challenges related to new energy intermittency and waste heat recovery. However, for it to function as an effective energy hub, heat storage becomes crucial. Among the available options, the direct contact heat accumulator stands out due to its simple structure, substantial heat transfer area, and minimal heat transfer resistance, making it a favorable choice for enhancing energy storage rates. Although a great deal of research has been done on phase change materials and heat accumulators over the years, a systematic review of direct‐contact heat accumulators is lacking. This article reviews the related research on direct contact heat storage, aiming to summarize the research work on direct contact phase change heat storage systems. Various phase change materials (PCMs) for direct contact systems are analyzed, and the study of PCM melting crystallization behavior, heat transfer coefficients and system performance in direct contact systems is summarized, as well as the improvement methods for direct contact vessels and PCMs. It provides a useful reference for future research on direct‐contact heat storage systems.
CFD simulation of a solar collector integrated with PCM thermal storage
Authors: Shekata Gadisa Desa , Tibba Getachew Shunki , Baheta Aklilu Tesfamichael 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThermal energy storage is indeed a valuable solution for addressing the time lag or mismatch between energy supply and demand. The study aims to computationally model the melting and solidification processes of phase change material (PCM) using ANSYS Fluent that utilizes the finite volume technique. The simulations provide insights into the shapes of the liquid fraction, corresponding times, and temperature distribution of the PCM particles under the given conditions. The study considers factors such as solar radiation, thermal conductivity, density, latent heat, and the melting temperature of the PCM. The study finds that paraffin wax melts more quickly under a higher average maximum solar irradiance of 985 W/m2, while a lower solar radiation of 300 W/m2 has the opposite effect. Enhanced heat transfer resulting from conduction within the molten PCM, especially at a thermal conductivity of k = 0.25 W/m·K, accelerates the melting process. The thermal conductivity of the PCM affects the overall performance of the thermal energy storage system. The study highlights the potential application of thermal storage for drying purposes. Through the controlled release of stored heat energy, thermal storage enables the provision of heat in the absence of sunlight.
Enforcing accurate volume conservation in VOF‐based long‐term simulations of turbulent bubble‐laden flows on coarse grids
Authors: Trautner Elias , Hasslberger Josef , Cifani Paolo , Klein Markus 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThis study proposes two different strategies to enforce accurate volume conservation in volume‐of‐fluid (VOF)‐based simulations of turbulent bubble‐laden flows on coarse grids. It is demonstrated that, without a correction, minimal volume errors on a time‐step level, caused by the under‐resolution of the interface, can accumulate to significant deviations from the intended flow conditions despite the comparably good volume conservation properties of the geometric VOF method. In particular, large volume errors are observed for challenging setups combining coarse grid resolutions and comparably high Reynolds and Eötvös numbers. The problem is reinforced for long‐term simulations in periodic domains, which are often performed to collect flow statistics of bubbly flows. The first proposed volume conservation method simply corrects the volume error of a bubble by uniformly adding or removing the respective amount of gas volume in the interface cells. The second proposed method performs an additional reconstruction and advection step of the VOF field using a non‐divergence‐free velocity field, which can be interpreted as a slight dilatation or contraction of the bubble. A comparison between the global flow statistics as well as the individual bubble dynamics for both volume conservation methods reveals that the results are quasi‐identical for a number of challenging test cases, while the gas volume is accurately conserved. The proposed methods allow to perform numerical simulations of freely deformable bubbles in turbulent flows for setups that have previously been out of reach for this numerical framework.
Forecasting of cryptocurrencies: Mapping trends, influential sources, and research themes
Authors: Pečiulis Tomas , Ahmad Nisar , Menegaki Angeliki N. , Bibi Aqsa 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThis systematic literature review examines cryptocurrency forecasting trends, influential sources, and research themes. Following PRISMA guidelines, 168 articles from Q1 or A‐tier journals in the Scopus database were analyzed using bibliometric techniques. The findings reveal a significant increase in cryptocurrency forecasting research output since 2017, particularly in 2021. “Finance Research Letters” emerges as the most productive journal, whereas “Economics Letters” receives the highest number of citations. Elie Bouri is identified as the most prolific author, and China is the top contributor country. Key research themes include bitcoin, cryptocurrency, volatility, forecasting, machine learning, investments, and blockchain. Future research directions involve utilizing internet search‐based measures, time‐varying mixture models, economic policy uncertainty, expert predictions, machine learning algorithms, and analyzing cryptocurrency risk. This review contributes unique insights into the field's growth, influential sources, and collaborative structures and offers a foundation for advancing methodology and enhancing cryptocurrency forecasting models.
Fatal tumoral hemorrhage from brain metastases of renal cell carcinoma after stereotactic radiotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitor and vascular endothelial growth factor‐targeted therapy combinations
Authors: Iwasa Kaoruko , Nakazawa Shigeaki , Kato Taigo , Hatano Koji , Kawashima Atsunari , Fukuhara Shinichiro , Nonomura Norio 
Published: March 2024

IntroductionBrain metastasis in renal cell carcinoma, which is reported in 10% of cases, leads to significant morbidity and mortality. Establishment of appropriate and safe treatment for brain metastasis renal cell carcinoma remains a pressing need.Case presentationA 56‐year‐old female patient, presenting with anorexia, headache, and occipital swelling, was subsequently diagnosed with clear cell renal cell carcinoma with multiple metastases, including intracranial and epicranial tumors. The patient initially underwent stereotactic radiotherapy for metastatic brain tumors and then received combination therapy with pembrolizumab and lenvatinib. However, after 30 days of treatment, the patient experienced a sudden loss of consciousness due to massive multifocal intracranial hemorrhage, leading to her death the following day.ConclusionAlthough fatal tumoral hemorrhage during combined stereotactic radiotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitor/VEGF‐targeted therapy for patients with brain metastasis renal cell carcinoma is an extremely rare complication, it should always be considered a possibility.
Think Like an Ecosystem: Transitioning Waste Streams to Value Streams
Authors: Lewark Rae , Lyle Allison , Carroll Kristina , Medina Casey 
Published: March 2024

ABSTRACTTo meet the material demands of the future, transitioning waste streams to value streams is a vital step in ecological and economic sustainability. Linear production design disposes of resources before their optimal value have been realized and loses recyclable resources to waste streams. The economic infrastructure of the planet needs to be reimagined to meet human and ecological needs. The development and implementation of circular systems is key to the creation of sustainable global production. Through the analysis of the copper used in medical devices, we illustrate considerations systems engineers can take to close the waste‐resource gap. Developing wasteless design mimics the resiliency seen in ecosystems and accelerates the evolution of the global economy to meet the needs of companies, the environment, and humankind.
Examining patterns suggestive of acquisition during functional analyses: A consecutive controlled series of 116 cases
Authors: Fernandez Nathalie , Frank‐Crawford Michelle A. , Hanlin Courtney , Benson Ryan , Falligant John M. , DeLeon Iser G. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe functional analysis approach described by Iwata et al. (1982/1994) has been used widely to determine the variables evoking and maintaining challenging behavior. However, one potential concern with conducting functional analyses is that repeated exposure to contingencies may induce a novel functional relation. To examine the likelihood of these potential iatrogenic effects, we evaluated social test conditions of the functional analysis for 116 participants and searched for patterns of responding indicative of acquisition. Patterns suggestive of acquisition occurred in 13.70% of tangible reinforcement conditions; however, the prevalence was only slightly lower in the attention condition (8.75%). Much lower prevalence was observed for the escape condition (2.13%). When grouped by quotient score, a pattern of acquisition was just as likely to be observed in the attention condition as in the tangible condition. Additionally, patterns indicative of acquisition were no more likely to be observed with participants who emitted automatically reinforced challenging behavior.
The gut microbiome modulates the susceptibility to traumatic stress in a sex‐dependent manner
Authors: Shen Dan , Chang Liang , Su Feng , Huang Shihao , Xu Hubo , Si Yue , Wang Feng , Xue Yanxue 
Published: March 2024

AbstractPost‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a psychological condition triggered by exposure to extreme or chronic stressful events, exhibits a sex bias in incidence and clinical manifestations. Emerging research implicates the gut microbiome in the pathogenesis of PTSD and its roles in stress susceptibility. However, it is unclear whether differential gut microbiota contribute to PTSD susceptibility in male and female rats. Here, we utilized the single prolonged stress animal model and employed unsupervised machine learning to classify stressed animals into stress‐susceptible subgroups and stress‐resilient subgroups. Subsequently, using 16S V3‐V4 rDNA sequencing, we investigated the differential gut microbiota alterations between susceptible and resilient individuals in male and female rats. Our findings revealed distinct changes in gut microbiota composition between the sexes at different taxonomic levels. Furthermore, the abundance of Parabacteroides was lower in rats that underwent SPS modeling compared to the control group. In addition, the abundance of Tenericutes in the stress‐susceptible subgroup was higher than that in the control group and stress‐resilient subgroup, suggesting that Tenericutes may be able to characterize stress susceptibility. What is particularly interesting here is that Cyanobacteria may be particularly associated with anti‐anxiety effects in male rats. This study underscores sex‐specific variations in gut microbiota composition in response to stress and sex differences should be taken into account when using macrobiotics for neuropsychiatric treatment, highlighting potential targets for PTSD therapeutic interventions.
Ex vivo storage of human osteochondral allografts: Long‐term analysis over 300 days using a Ringer‐based solution
Authors: Jiang Zhida , Clausen Jan‐Dierk , Jahn Denise , Wulsten Dag , Gladitz Luisa M. , Bundkirchen Katrin , Krettek Christian , Neunaber Claudia 
Published: March 2024

AbstractLarge osteochondral defects are a major challenge in orthopedics, for which osteochondral allograft (OCA) transplantation is nowadays considered as an option, especially in young patients. However, a major issue with OCA is the need for graft storage, which ensures adequate cartilage integrity over time. The aim of this study was to test how long a Ringer‐based storage solution can provide good graft quality after explantation and thus meet the requirements for OCA. For this purpose, human osteochondral allografts of the knee and ankle were analyzed. Live/Dead analysis was performed and glycosaminoglycan, as well as hydroxyproline content, were measured as crucial chondrocyte integrity factors. Furthermore, biomechanical tests focusing on stress relaxation and elastic compression modulus were performed. The critical value of 70% living chondrocytes, which corresponds to a number of 300 cells/mm², was reached after an average of 16 weeks of storage. In addition, a constant cell shrinkage was observed over time. The amount of glycosaminoglycan and hydroxyroline showed a slight and constant decrease over time, but no significant differences when compared from Day 0 to the values at Weeks 40–43. Biomechanical testing also revealed no significant differences at the different time points. Therefore, the results show that the Ringer‐based storage solution at 4°C is able to provide a chondrocyte survival of 70% until Week 16. This is comparable to previously published storage solutions. Therefore, the study contributes to the establishment of a Ringer‐based osteochondral allograft transplantation system for countries where medium‐based storage solution cannot be approved.
Increased Wnt5a/ROR2 signaling is associated with chondrogenesis in meniscal degeneration
Authors: Inoue Yusuke , Kumagai Ken , Ishikawa Kimi , Kato Ikuma , Kusaba Youhei , Naka Takuma , Nagashima Kiyotaka , Choe Hyonmin , Ike Hiroyuki , Kobayashi Naomi , Inaba Yutaka 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe aim of the present study was to investigate the association between chondrogenic differentiation and Wnt signal expression in the degenerative process of the human meniscus. Menisci were obtained from patients with and without knee osteoarthritis (OA), and degeneration was histologically assessed using a grading system. Immunohistochemistry, real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and Western blot analysis were performed to examine the expressions of chondrogenic markers and of the components of Wnt signaling. Histological analyses showed that meniscal degeneration involved a transition from a fibroblastic to a chondrogenic phenotype with the upregulation of SOX9, collagen type II, collagen type XI, and aggrecan, which were associated with increased Wnt5a and ROR2 and decreased TCF7 expressions. OA menisci showed significantly higher expressions of Wnt5a and ROR2 and significantly lower expressions of AXIN2 and TCF7 than non‐OA menisci on real‐time PCR and Western blot analysis. These results potentially demonstrated that increased expression of Wnt5a/ROR2 signaling promoted chondrogenesis with decreased expression in downstream Wnt/β‐catenin signaling. This study provides insights into the role of Wnt signaling in the process of meniscal degeneration, shifting to a chondrogenic phenotype. The findings suggested that the increased expression of Wnt5a/ROR2 and decreased expression of the downstream target of Wnt/β‐catenin signaling are associated with chondrogenesis in meniscal degeneration.
Factors associated with an increased risk of vitamin B12 deficiency in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus on metformin
Authors: Wagner Ross , Mahashabde Ruchira , Painter Jacob , Boehmer Kaci 
Published: March 2024

ABSTRACTBackgroundMetformin is used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus, but prolonged use has been associated with vitamin B12 deficiency. Many other factors have also been associated with vitamin B12 deficiency. Studies on the possible additive effect of risk factors for developing a vitamin B12 deficiency are lacking.AimThe objective of this study was to assess the correlation between other known risk factors for vitamin B12 deficiency among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus prescribed metformin who had a vitamin B12 deficiency.MethodFor inclusion in this single‐centre, retrospective cohort study, patients needed to be at least 18 years old, diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, taking metformin for at least 2 years and actively taking metformin during the study period. The primary outcome was the rate of low B12 levels with metformin. Secondary outcomes were risk factors associated with B12 deficiency. The patient and clinical characteristics were compared between the two study groups using Student's t‐test for continuous variables and chi‐squared tests for categorical variables. This project was exempt due to the local policy requirements that constitute research by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Institutional Review Board (IRB) (IRB Program Manager, 11 August 2021). The justification for this ethics exemption was as follows: the project was determined to be of minimal risk to privacy of subjects because the research team had mechanisms to protect the personal health identifiers from improper use or disclosure; to destroy the identifiers at the earliest opportunity consistent with the conduct of research, and provided assurance that the identifiers will not be re‐used or disclosed to any other person or entity, except as required by law, for authorised oversight of the research project, or for other research as permitted by the HIPAA regulations.ResultsA total of 387 patients were included in this study, from which 364 patients had a vitamin B12 deficiency. The cohort was an average 69‐years‐old and predominantly female (66%). No risk factors were associated with a higher incidence of B12 deficiency. Patient age (p = 0.0063) and time on metformin (p = 0.0144) were significantly and negatively correlated with B12 deficiency.ConclusionYounger age and shorter duration of metformin use may increase the risk of vitamin B12 deficiency. Although guidelines recommend occasional checks, only 21% of patients had vitamin B12 levels assessed during the study period.