bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Development of stabilization measures aimed at removing zinc with smelting products and accumulating titanium in the hearth of a blast furnace
Authors: Semenov Yurii , Horupakha Viktor , Vashchenko Serhii , Khudyakov Oleksandr , Shumelchyk Ievhen , Baiul Kostiantyn 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThis paper presents the results of the development of stabilization measures aimed at the removal of zinc with the products of melting and accumulation of titanium in the hearth of a blast furnace. The relevance of the development and use in practice of such measures is due to the unstable fuel and raw materials conditions for the production of cast iron, when their stabilization is a complex and difficult task, as well as the need to extend the campaign of blast furnaces during the overhaul period. The negative effect of zinc oxides on the condition of the blast furnace shaft lining, accompanied by slab formation, and the overconsumption of specific coke consumption, which occurs when zinc circulates in the volume of the blast furnace, require measures to remove zinc from the smelting products. The article proposes such measures, which consist of flushing according to the proposed schedule during the operation of the blast furnace at planned blowing parameters and with the provision of the necessary thermal reserve. In order to lengthen the campaign of a blast furnace, one of the most common methods for protecting the hearth lining is the periodic introduction of titanium‐containing materials into the charge of blast furnaces. The entry of titanium oxides into the furnace, as a rule, is ensured by the use of concentrate or specially prepared ilmenite briquettes with a high titanium content as part of the sinter charge, which can be introduced directly into the composition of the blast furnace charge. The article analyzes the experience of using titanium‐containing materials as part of a blast furnace charge and formulates measures to intensify skull formation in the hearth.
An approach to manufacturing well‐being milk chocolate in partial replacement of lecithin by the functional plant‐based combination
Authors: Patel Harshvardhan , Bains Aarti , Sridhar Kandi , Ali Nemat , Najda Agnieszka , Tosif Mansuri M. , Dhull Sanju Bala , Chawla Prince , Sharma Minaxi , Goksen Gulden 
Published: March 2024

AbstractLecithin is constituted of a glycerophospholipid mixture and is abundantly used as an emulsifying agent in various food applications including chocolate production. However, overconsumption of lecithin may create an adverse effect on human health. Thus, this study aims to replace the lecithin with plant‐based gums. Different ratios of guar and arabic gum (25%–75%) and their blend (25%–75%) were employed as partial replacement of lecithin. Milk chocolate prepared using 40% guar gum (60GGL [guar gum, lecithin]), 25% arabic gum (75AGL [arabic gum, lecithin]), and a blend of 15 arabic gum and 10 guar gum (65AGGL [arabic gum, guar gum, lecithin]) showed similar rheological behavior as compared to control chocolate (100% lecithin). The fat content of 65AGGL (37.85%) was significantly lower than that of the control sample (43.37%). Rheological behavior exhibited shear‐thinning behavior and samples (60GGL‐75GGL‐80GGL, 65AGL‐75AGL, and 65AGGL‐75AGGL) showed similar rheological properties as compared to control. The chocolate samples (60GGL and 65AGGL) showed significantly (p < .05) higher hardness values (86.01 and 83.55 N) than the control (79.95 N). As well, gum‐added chocolates exhibited higher thermal stability up to 660°C as compared to the control sample. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis revealed predominant β‐(1 → 4) and β‐(1 → 6) glycosidic linkages of the gums and lecithin. Sensory evaluation revealed a comparable score of gum‐added milk chocolate in comparison to control samples in terms of taste, texture, color, and overall acceptance. Thus, plant exudate gums could be an excellent alternative to lecithin in milk chocolate, which can enhance the textural properties and shelf life.
Drainless, day‐case lateral neck dissection with Artiss™ fibrin sealant: A prospective cohort study
Authors: Tabaksert Ayla , James Tobias , Rusius Christopher , Walters Holt , Lester Shane 
Published: March 2024

AbstractObjectiveLateral neck dissection (LND) is performed for staging/treatment of head and neck lesions. This traditionally includes placement of a drain and inpatient admission. Drainless, day‐case head and neck surgery is attractive due to cost‐effectiveness and reduced length of stay, but evidence is lacking in LND. We aim to investigate Artiss™ as an alternative to drain placement, facilitating day‐case LND.MethodsA prospective review was conducted of patients who underwent LND in a UK hospital over a 22‐month period.ResultsThirty‐nine patients were identified (27 Artiss™ only; 12 Artiss™ with a drain). Eight Artiss™ only patients were day‐case. All drains were removed by post‐operative day 2. There was no statistically significant difference in the number of complications between the two groups.ConclusionThis observational study demonstrates that for selected patients, Artiss™ could facilitate drainless, day‐case LND. Further controlled studies with matched groups and larger numbers are required to validate this.
Effects of insecticide spray drift on arthropod prey resources of birds in grasslands in Minnesota
Authors: Goebel Katelin M. , Andersen David E. , Rice Pamela J. , Davros Nicole M. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractSoybean aphid (Aphis glycines) insecticides are used throughout the Upper Midwest and Great Plains regions of North America, including the farmland region of Minnesota, USA, to combat insect pests. These broad‐spectrum, foliar spray insecticides have the potential to drift beyond target fields into nearby grassland cover where birds and other insectivores forage. Arthropods serve important roles in grassland ecology and are susceptible to mortality and sublethal effects from exposure to these pesticides. Our objective was to assess effects of soybean aphid insecticides on grassland arthropods, especially those that are important in grassland bird diets. We measured the abundance, consumable biomass, and family richness of insects and spiders in grasslands adjacent to soybean fields in an agricultural landscape. Soybean fields were treated with chlorpyrifos and lambda‐cyhalothrin, which were the 2 most common foliar pesticides used to control soybean aphids in Minnesota. We compared measures at focal sites to samples collected at reference sites adjacent to corn fields not sprayed for aphids during 3 periods in mid‐to‐late summer: 1–3 days before spraying, 3–5 days post‐spraying, and 19–21 days post‐spraying. The abundance of arthropods in focal grasslands was lower 3–5 days after pesticide applications. Coleoptera family richness at focal sites was also lower than at reference sites 3–5 days after pesticide applications. These measures 19–21 days after application were similar to pre‐spraying levels, indicating that arthropod populations rebounded during this period. Measures of consumable dry biomass, bird prey abundance, bird prey biomass, family richness of Araneae, family richness of Hemiptera, and family richness of Orthoptera were not different between focal and reference sites after spraying. Our results reveal that reductions in arthropod food abundance for grassland birds are associated with pesticide applications up to 5 days after spraying. We suggest that natural resource managers factor proximity to row crop fields and susceptibility to pesticide drift into decisions about where to add grassland cover to landscapes.
Variant Types of Preauricular Sinuses: Classifications, Clinical Presentation and Management
Authors: Chen Jinhui , Zhou Ping , Zuo Jingjing , Ming Wei , Huang Ting , Tao Zezhang 
Published: March 2024

ObjectiveTo make surgeons aware of the differing types of preauricular sinuses (PAS), we summarize our experience with diagnosis and treatment of varying types of PAS.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed clinical data from patients who had undergone preauricular fistulectomy between March 2015 and March 2020. These patients were categorized into two groups according to locations of congenital fistula pit.ResultsTwelve patients with variant PAS accounted for 6.8% (12/177) of all patients. The variant types of PAS could be classified into three types (from type 1 to type 3), based on the location of the fistula pit. Type 1 (seven patients; eight ears) patients had pits located on the ascending helix crus, whereas type 2 (four patients, four ears) and type 3 (one patient, one ear) patients had pits located on the external auditory canal (EAC) and lobule, respectively. Fistular tracts penetrated the cartilage of the helix crus in seven of the type 1 variant ears. Swelling and discharge were located at the ascending helix crus (in four ears), cavum concha (in two ears), and posterior to the auricle (in one ear). In four of the type 2 ears, the fistular tracts were located at the anterior margin of the ascending limb of the helix.ConclusionFistula tracts where fistula pit occurred on the ascending helix crus were more likely to penetrates through the cartilage, and fistula tracts with fistula pits that occurred on the EAC were adjacent to the cartilage of the ascending helix and tragus. Meticulous dissection and complete removal of fistula tissue are critical to avoid postoperative recurrence.Level of Evidence4 Laryngoscope, 134:3839–3845, 2024
Creating Deep Traps in Yttrium Aluminum Garnet for Long‐Term Optical Storage and Afterglow‐Intensity‐Ratio‐Based Temperature Sensing
Authors: Liao Chuan , Liu Feng , Wu Hao , Wu Huajun , Zhang Liangliang , Pan Guo‐hui , Hao Zhendong , Wang Xiao‐jun , Zhang Jiahua 
Published: March 2024

AbstractDeep traps are needed for electron‐trapping‐based long‐term optical storage due to its resistance to thermal erasure. Current electron trapping materials have the erasing temperatures hardly beyond 600 K, limiting its storage time. Herein, an electron trapping material containing deep traps is achieved by co‐doping Tb and Eu in Y3Al5O12 via solid‐state reaction in reducing atmosphere. After 254 nm UV charging, strong thermoluminescence of Tb3+ with the glow curve peaking at 600, 693, and 765 K is observed. The comparative studies of the as‐made and the air‐annealed samples suggest that these new traps are related to the complex defects containing oxygen vacancy with adjacent Eu2+ and the charging process is the photoionization of Tb3+ with subsequent electron trapping. The 693 and 765 K thermoluminescence glow peaks in the charged sample show almost no decrease during 108 h storage in dark at room temperature. Images write‐in and read‐out via 808 nm laser stimulation are realized. Furthermore, the present phosphor also exhibits temperature‐sensitive afterglow spectra in the range of 553–803 K with the sensing span of 250 K wider than other afterglow thermometers. These findings indicate the great application potentials of Y3Al5O12:Tb,Eu phosphor in long‐term optical storage and temperature sensing.
A Study on How Conformation Entropy of Attached Macromolecules Drives Polymeric Collapse and Protein Folding
Authors: Popa Ionel 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe conformation of macromolecules attached to a surface is influenced by both their excluded volume and steric forces. Here, self‐avoiding random walk simulations are used to evaluate the occurrence of various conformations as a function of the number of monomeric units to estimate the effect of conformational entropy of a tethered chain. Then, a more realistic scenario is assessed, which can more accurately reproduce the shape of a tethered macromolecule. The simulations presented here confirm that it is more likely for a polymer to undergo a collapse conformation rather than a stretched one, as a collapse conformation can be realized in more different ways. Also, they confirm the “mushroom” shape of polymers close to a surface. From this simple approach, the conformation entropy of a model 100‐unit polymer close to a surface is estimated to contribute with over 129 toward its collapse. This conformation entropy is higher than that of typical hydrogen bonds and even barriers that keep proteins folded. As such, entropic collapse of macromolecules plays an important role in realizing the mushroom shape of attached polymers and can be the driving force in protein folding, while the polypeptide chain emerges from the ribosome.
Materials genome engineering accelerates the research and development of organic and perovskite photovoltaics
Authors: Shang Ying , Xiong Ziyu , An Kang , Hauch Jens A. , Brabec Christoph J. , Li Ning 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe emerging photovoltaic (PV) technologies, such as organic and perovskite PVs, have the characteristics of complex compositions and processing, resulting in a large multidimensional parameter space for the development and optimization of the technologies. Traditional manual methods are time‐consuming and labor‐intensive in screening and optimizing material properties. Materials genome engineering (MGE) advances an innovative approach that combines efficient experimentation, big database and artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to accelerate materials research and development. High‐throughput (HT) research platforms perform multidimensional experimental tasks rapidly, providing a large amount of reliable and consistent data for the creation of materials databases. Therefore, the development of novel experimental methods combining HT and AI can accelerate materials design and application, which is beneficial for establishing material‐processing‐property relationships and overcoming bottlenecks in the development of emerging PV technologies. This review introduces the key technologies involved in MGE and overviews the accelerating role of MGE in the field of organic and perovskite PVs.
Retinoblastoma and polydactyly in a child with 46, XY, 15pstk+ karyotype—A case report and literature review
Authors: Pi Xiaohuan , Zhang Qiming , Wang Xinghua , Jiang Fagang 
Published: March 2024

AbstractBackgroundRetinoblastoma (Rb) is the most common intraocular malignancy in childhood, originating from primitive retinal stem cells or cone precursor cells. It can be triggered by mutations of the RB1 gene or amplification of the MYCN gene. Rb may rarely present with polydactyly.MethodsWe conducted karyotype analysis, copy number variation sequencing, and whole‐genome sequencing on the infant proband and his family. The clinical course and laboratory results of the proband's infant were documented and collected. We also reviewed the relevant literature.ResultsA 68‐day‐old boy presented with preaxial polydactyly and corneal edema. His intraocular pressure (IOP) was 40/19 mmHg, and color Doppler imaging revealed vitreous solid mass‐occupying lesions with calcification in the right eye. Ocular CT showed flaky high‐density and calcification in the right eye. This was classified as an International Retinoblastoma Staging System group E retinoblastoma with an indication for enucleation. Enucleation and orbital implantation were performed on the child's right eye. Karyotype analysis revealed an abnormal 46, XY, 15pstk+ karyotype, and the mother exhibited diploidy of the short arm of chromosome 15. The Alx‐4 development factor, 13q deletion syndrome, and the PAPA2 gene have been reported as potential mechanisms for Rb combined with polydactyly.ConclusionWe report the case of a baby boy with Rb and polydactyly exhibiting a 46, XY, 15pstk+ Karyotype. We discuss potential genetic factors related to both Rb and polydactyly. Furthermore, there is a need for further exploration into the impact of chromosomal polymorphisms in Rb with polydactyly.
The global regulation of c‐di‐GMP and cAMP in bacteria
Authors: Liu Cong , Shi Rui , Jensen Marcus S. , Zhu Jingrong , Liu Jiawen , Liu Xiaobo , Sun Di , Liu Weijie 
Published: March 2024

AbstractNucleotide second messengers are highly versatile signaling molecules that regulate a variety of key biological processes in bacteria. The best‐studied examples are cyclic AMP (cAMP) and bis‐(3′–5′)‐cyclic dimeric guanosine monophosphate (c‐di‐GMP), which both act as global regulators. Global regulatory frameworks of c‐di‐GMP and cAMP in bacteria show several parallels but also significant variances. In this review, we illustrate the global regulatory models of the two nucleotide second messengers, compare the different regulatory frameworks between c‐di‐GMP and cAMP, and discuss the mechanisms and physiological significance of cross‐regulation between c‐di‐GMP and cAMP. c‐di‐GMP responds to numerous signals dependent on a great number of metabolic enzymes, and it regulates various signal transduction pathways through its huge number of effectors with varying activities. In contrast, due to the limited quantity, the cAMP metabolic enzymes and its major effector are regulated at different levels by diverse signals. cAMP performs its global regulatory function primarily by controlling the transcription of a large number of genes via cAMP receptor protein (CRP) in most bacteria. This review can help us understand how bacteria use the two typical nucleotide second messengers to effectively coordinate and integrate various physiological processes, providing theoretical guidelines for future research.
Technical note: Cryostat transmission characterization for MR linac – temporal stability, clinical impact and change implementation
Authors: Jelen Urszula , Pagulayan Claire , Moutrie Zoë , Arts Jason , George Armia , Jameson Michael G. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractBackgroundIn the Unity MR linac (Elekta AB, Stockholm, Sweden), the radiation beam traverses the cryostat and the coil support structure. The resulting beam attenuation must be considered for output calibration and its variation with gantry angle must be characterized in the treatment planning system (TPS).PurposeThe aim of this work was to investigate the impact of a change of the cryostat transmission characterization (CTC) curve, due to the helium level modification, on clinical treatment plan dosimetry and to report on the experience with the CTC curve update.MethodsTwenty stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) treatment plans: 10 prostate and 10 oligo‐metastatic cancer plans, prepared with a beam model incorporating the CTC curve acquired at installation time, were re‐calculated using the model implementing CTC curve post helium top‐up. To account for the CTC change as well as to align our system to the recent reference conditions recommendations, the new model was commissioned with the emphasis on the specifics associated with the treatment plan adaptation and the existence of the offline and online TPS components.ResultsAverage CTV mean dose reduction by 0.45% in prostate cases and average GTV mean dose reduction by 0.22% in oligo‐metastatic cases was observed. Updated model validation showcased good agreement between measurements and TPS calculations.ConclusionsThe agreement between CTC measurements demonstrates its temporal constancy and robustness of the measurement method employed. A helium fill level change was shown to affect the CTC and led to a small but systematic dose calculation inaccuracy. Finally, model validation and end‐to‐end testing results presented, underscore the minimal impact of transitioning to the new beam model and new reference conditions.
Quantifying cerebral microbleeds using quantitative susceptibility mapping from magnetization‐prepared rapid gradient‐echo
Authors: Naji Nashwan , Gee Myrlene , Jickling Glen C. , Emery Derek J. , Saad Feryal , McCreary Cheryl R. , Smith Eric E. , Camicioli Richard , Wilman Alan H. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractT1‐weighted magnetization‐prepared rapid gradient‐echo (MPRAGE) is commonly included in brain studies for structural imaging using magnitude images; however, its phase images can provide an opportunity to assess microbleed burden using quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM). This potential application for MPRAGE‐based QSM was evaluated using in vivo and simulated measurements. Possible factors affecting image quality were also explored. Detection sensitivity was evaluated against standard multiecho gradient echo (MEGE) QSM using 3‐T in vivo data of 15 subjects with a combined total of 108 confirmed microbleeds. The two methods were compared based on the microbleed size and susceptibility measurements. In addition, simulations explored the detection sensitivity of MPRAGE‐QSM at different representative magnetic field strengths and echo times using microbleeds of different size, susceptibility, and location. Results showed that in vivo microbleeds appeared to be smaller (× 0.54) and of higher mean susceptibility (× 1.9) on MPRAGE‐QSM than on MEGE‐QSM, but total susceptibility estimates were in closer agreement (slope: 0.97, r2: 0.94), and detection sensitivity was comparable. In simulations, QSM at 1.5 T had a low contrast‐to‐noise ratio that obscured the detection of many microbleeds. Signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) levels at 3 T and above resulted in better contrast and increased detection. The detection rates for microbleeds of minimum one‐voxel diameter and 0.4‐ppm susceptibility were 0.55, 0.80, and 0.88 at SNR levels of 1.5, 3, and 7 T, respectively. Size and total susceptibility estimates were more consistent than mean susceptibility estimates, which showed size‐dependent underestimation. MPRAGE‐QSM provides an opportunity to detect and quantify the size and susceptibility of microbleeds of at least one‐voxel diameter at B0 of 3 T or higher with no additional time cost, when standard T2*‐weighted images are not available or have inadequate spatial resolution. The total susceptibility measure is more robust against sequence variations and might allow combining data from different protocols.