bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Evaluation by Scanning Electron Microscopy and Energy Dispersive X‐Ray Spectroscopy of the Effects of Root Canal Instrumentation on the Radicular Dentine
Authors: Brinza Corina‐Alexandra , Salceanu Mihaela , Melian Anca , Taraboanta Ionut , Cimpoesu Ramona , Giuroiu Cristian‐Levente , Sandu Ion , Andrian Sorin 
Published: January 2025

ABSTRACTOne area of technological advancement has been the shift from stainless steel hand tools to nickel‐titanium (Ni‐Ti) rotary tools. This paper aims to perform an in vitro comparative study to evaluate the efficacy of five endodontic manual and rotary instruments such as Kerr files, Orodeka Plex V, ProTaper Flydent NiTi super files, and ProTaper Flydent NiTi super files in combination with an ultrasonic endodontic E3D Diamantata EMS scaler used for root canal shaping. The following aspects were highlighted: effective removal of smear layer (SL) from the dentinal tubules in the coronal 1/3, middle 1/3, and apical 1/3 of the root canal, appearance of cracks in the dentinal walls by SEM analysis, and highlighting of dentin mineral content and remnant debris by EDX analysis. In the study, 48 monoradicular, uninjured teeth were taken and divided into four groups, each with 12 teeth to be canal modeled, then longitudinally sectioned; the active surface was metallized for SEM–EDX analysis. From the SEM micrograph analysis, the morphology of the crystallites, the distribution of SL components, and the highlighting of instrumentation path traces/amplitudes were observed. By analyzing the SEM photomicrographs at 750 and 800× magnification, it was possible to highlight the cracks in the root dentinal walls. Thus, in comparison with Lots I and II which did not present cracks, in Lot III multiple cracks of the root dentinal walls were identified, especially in the coronal 1/3, and in Lot IV cracks were present with preponderance in the coronal and apical 1/3 of the root canals. The EDX images with atom mapping show very well the rather homogeneous elemental distribution for Ca, N, and P, respectively inhomogeneous for Na, Ca, Si, C, N, O, and P elements, as a result of the presence of remnant products from the processing of the root dentinal walls. Root canal instrumentation performed with both manual Kerr needle instrumentation by a convection technique and the rotary, Orodeka system, by crown‐down technique, resulted in minimal SL formation in all three root canal areas, unlike the ProTaper FlyDent system. Most cracks were recorded in the case of the ProTaper Flydent rotary instruments and the one in which it was paired with a diamond ultrasonic scaler. The occurrence of dentinal cracks causes a decrease in dentinal microhardness, favoring the occurrence of root fractures.
Effect of dose administration aids on adherence of self‐administered medications: a systematic review
Authors: Chaudhri Kanika , Gnanenthiran Sonali R. , Williams Anastasia , Kearney Madeleine , Day Richard O. , Rodgers Anthony , Atkins Emily R. 
Published: January 2025

AbstractAimFailure to self‐administer a medication is the most common reason for non‐adherence. Dose administration aids (DAAs) are a simple and common solution to improve unintentional non‐adherence for oral tablets. They range from compartmentalised pill boxes and automated medication dispensing devices to blister packs. The aim of this systematic review was to summarise the current literature assessing the impact of DAAs on medication adherence.Data sourcesA search of MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library was conducted from the beginning of each database until April 2023.Study selectionA search strategy and keywords list were developed with a medical research librarian. Two reviewers independently screened studies and extracted data. The primary outcome was to assess the effects of DAAs on medication adherence. The secondary outcome was to evaluate the changes in any health outcomes documented. The study was reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta‐analyses (PRISMA) 2020 statement and registered with PROSPERO (Study registration: CRD42018096087).ResultsTwenty‐two randomised controlled trials were included. Median adherence improved within the intervention groups for self‐reported (95.5%, range: 88%–100% vs 84.5%, range: 83%–98%) and non‐self‐reported (88%, range: 54%–100% vs 70%, range: 83%–98%) adherence compared to usual care. However, self‐reported adherence was higher in both intervention and control groups than non‐self‐reported adherence. Measured changes to health outcomes included cardiovascular outcomes, plasma levels, cure rates for malaria, hospital admissions, venous thromboembolism, and anaemia. Even though self‐reported adherence levels were high, included studies did not report many statistically significant improvements in health outcomes with DAAs.ConclusionThe use of DAAs can considerably improve medication adherence, with limited data suggesting positive effects on patient outcomes. Healthcare providers should consider the use of these aids as part of a comprehensive treatment plan for patients who struggle with medication adherence.
Early Prognostic Markers for Idiopathic Facial Palsy
Authors: Vaca Miguel , Alonso Belén , Polo Rubén , Medina María del Mar , Cordero Adela , Pérez Cecilia , de los Santos Gonzalo 
Published: January 2025

ObjectivesTo analyze the prognostic value of markers available at the onset of idiopathic facial palsy. To define the evolution of the episode by tracing changes in facial function over time.MethodsThis is an observational prospective study on patients with facial palsy consulting in the first 24 hs. The evolution was recorded with photographs and monthly visits. Multivariate analysis was conducted between clinical and analytical parameters determined in the first visit and prognostic outcomes: progression, resolution, and “facial palsy evolution index,” which integrates severity of the palsy and duration.ResultsSixty‐five patients were included. The mean initial HB grade was III, but 31% of the cases progressed in the following days. Complete recovery was observed in 89.5% of the cases (mean duration of the episode of 48 days), and exposure keratitis in 21.5%, with a mean of 42 days after the onset. Multivariate analysis showed that retroauricular pain and white blood cell count were significantly related to progression (odds ratio [OR] 19.08; 1.49, p < 0.05), incomplete resolution (OR 1/0.04; 1/0.59, p < 0.05), and higher evolution index (12.8; 2.9, p < 0.05). Age was also significantly associated with evolution index (0.27, p < 0.05), and platelet‐to‐lymphocyte ratio with progression (OR 1.02, p < 0.05). The rest of the parameters did not show an association with prognosis.ConclusionsRetroauricular pain and white blood cell count are early indicators of prognosis in idiopathic facial palsy. Initial examinations may not reflect the maximum grade of weakness reached by the patient. Ocular complications can occur several weeks after the onset, even with mild grades of paralysis.Level of Evidence3 Laryngoscope, 2025
Wave‐driven plant reconfiguration modifies light availability in seagrass meadows
Authors: Mandel Tracy L. , Zhu Longhuan 
Published: January 2025

AbstractSeagrasses are considered foundation species in marine and estuarine ecosystems by contributing biomass, providing habitat, and damping waves and currents. Globally, seagrass health and primary productivity are threatened by factors that affect light availability, such as shading by algae and epiphytes, self‐shading, and increased water column turbidity. This study focuses on how plant motion and reconfiguration lead to shading of an individual plant by itself and its neighbors, and how wave conditions, plant material properties, and shoot density affect light availability along a seagrass blade. We use a simple ray‐optics shading model with the plant motion model of Zhu et al. (2020; Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 125:e2019JC015517) for a flexible blade under wavy flow to understand how phase‐resolved plant behavior affects light availability as a function of vertical location in the water column. Results show that that shading of a plant by its neighbors occurs more under wave crests and troughs, and that factors that increase blade tip excursion (large wave height or wave period, or high plant flexibility) reduce light exposure. We develop a simplified theory and parameterization for average light exposure as a function of flow and plant conditions (as captured by the Cauchy number, buoyancy parameter, and ratio of stem spacing to blade length). These results help delineate optimal conditions for maximizing light exposure to seagrass' photosynthetic tissue in restoration projects, and facilitate the inclusion of flow‐vegetation interactions in biological models of seagrass production.
Advancing environmentally sustainable learning health systems: Perspectives from a Canadian health center
Authors: Barber Brittany V. , Sinclair Douglas , Cassidy Christine 
Published: January 2025

AbstractBackgroundThere is increasing demand for health systems to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and invest in climate‐resilient health care. Coordinating organizational structures and processes for reducing health system emissions presents challenges. Learning health systems, defined as systems that seek to continuously generate and apply evidence, innovation, quality, and value in health care, can guide health systems with planning organizational structures and processes to advance environmentally sustainable healthcare. The purpose of this research is to gather in‐depth insight from key health system leaders and healthcare professionals to identify challenges and recommendations for planning environmentally sustainable learning health systems.MethodsEnvironmental scan methods were used, comprising jurisdictional literature review and informal discussions with key informants at one tertiary care center in Nova Scotia, Canada. Key informants were asked to describe challenges of coordinating environmentally sustainable health system structures and processes, and recommendations to advance planning for environmentally sustainable learning health systems. Deductive thematic analysis was used to categorize challenges and recommendations into seven characteristics of a learning health system framework.ResultsInformal discussions with 16 key informants provide detailed descriptions of 7 challenges and recommendations for planning and coordinating organizational structures and processes to advance environmentally sustainable learning health systems. Health system challenges include limited patient and community engagement, no systematic approach to measuring and monitoring emissions data, and limited knowledge of sustainability co‐benefits and strategies for mobilizing sustainable organizational change. Recommendations include engaging patients and communities in co‐creation of sustainable healthcare, monitoring of emissions data identifying high‐impact areas for action, and well‐coordinated leadership supporting sustainable policies, procedures, and decision‐making in practice.ConclusionLearning health systems provide structure for establishing critical processes to adapt to routinely collected data through rapid cycle improvements, and operationalization of value‐based health care that prioritizes health outcomes, reduction of costs, and mitigating environmental impacts.
Gelatin‐Based Adhesive Hydrogels with Self‐Healing, Injectable and Temperature‐Triggered Detachable Properties
Authors: Zhou Jingjing , Cui Han , Li Sichen , Chen Jinghua , Zhang Yan 
Published: January 2025

AbstractAdhesive hydrogels are emerging as attractive functional materials for various fields, such as tissue engineering, wound healing, E‐skins, etc. However, the removal of adhesive hydrogels from covered area may be painful and cause a secondary damage. In the current study, gelatin‐based hydrogels are prepared by cross‐linking with tannic acid and 4‐formylphenyl boronic acid, through simultaneous dynamic covalent boronic ester and imine bond formations. The obtained hydrogels not only present self‐healing and injectable properties, but also show tunable adhesiveness that regulated by temperature and oxidation degrees of tannic acid. The maximum adhesion strength of the hydrogels with medium oxidation degree at 37 °C can be measured up to 30 kPa on porcine skin, while the value decreased to ≈10 kPa at lowered temperature of 25 °C, facilitating the unpainful removal of the hydrogels from skins. This work provides a new approach for the design of functional hydrogels with tailorable adhesiveness.
Thermoresponsive Behaviors of Core‐Crosslinked Star Polymers Composed of Amino Acid‐Derived Vinyl Polymers in an Aqueous Solution
Authors: Nishimura Shin‐nosuke , Kamiya Momoka , Higashi Nobuyuki , Koga Tomoyuki 
Published: January 2025

AbstractAmino acid‐derived vinyl polymers are of great interest as bio‐based thermoresponsive soft materials with diverse applications in the industrial, biomedical, and cosmetic fields. In this study, 14 distinct core‐crosslinked stars (CCS) polymers are synthesized by reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer polymerization of N‐acryloyl amino acid (X)‐methyl esters (X = alanine, β‐alanine, or glycine), followed by a core–gel approach. These CCS polymers have the following systematic variations in their molecular architecture: i) three types of amino acid‐based polymer arms with the same chain lengths but different arm numbers, ii) different combinations of amino acid species in the arm and core segments, and iii) heteroarm composition (i.e., miktoarm type). All CCS polymers are water‐soluble and exhibited lower critical solution temperature (LCST) behaviors. The thermal responses are strongly dependent on structural factors, such as arm species (hydrophobicity), arm number, and polymer shape. The transition temperatures of the CCS polymers are lower than those of the corresponding linear polymers with almost the same molecular weight, particularly when the arm polymers has relatively high hydrophilicity. Furthermore, tunable LCST behaviors (20–55 °C) are achieved for miktoarm‐type CCS polymers by adjusting heteroarm composition. These findings provide useful insights into the thermoresponsive behaviors of bio‐based CCS polymers.
Selected Recent Advances in the Utilization of Biopolymers for Nano‐ and Microfiber Materials and Nonwovens Production
Authors: Winnacker Malte 
Published: January 2025

AbstractWhen the variety of synthetic polymers came up in the 20th century, they expectedly replaced many fiber materials which were made so far from biopolymers since ancient times (e.g., for textiles, medical products, etc.). Meanwhile, to some extent, there is a strong revival of various fibers from biopolymers regarding their utilization for various applications, based on their interesting structures, availability, sustainability, costs, and other factors. Regarding bioeconomy and sustainability, there has thus been an intensive market dynamic for biopolymers. Therefore, especially a variety of fiber materials have recently been described that are based on different biopolymers as, e.g., polysaccharides and biopolyesters. For this, a variety of enhanced polymer structure modification and sophisticated processing methods are applied. Instead of a complete and comprehensive overview (which would be beyond the scope of this Perspective format), the aim of this article is to elucidate some selected recent advantages in this field and to focus on the special features of these examples.
The Design, Synthesis, and Characterization of Photochromic and Mechanochromic Functional Fibers
Authors: Wang Deqiang , Ge Yifan , Chen Fengbiao , Deng Hairui , Liu Yang , Chen Yinjun 
Published: January 2025

AbstractMechanically responsive polymer materials have garnered significant interest due to their unique ability to respond to external forces, leading to groundbreaking applications in visual stress mapping and damage detection. However, their use in fibers remains relatively unexplored. In this study, a mechanoresponsive polymer is synthesized by incorporating a spiropyran (SP) mechanophore into a polyurethane backbone. Based on this mechanoresponsive polyurethane, mechanochromic fibers are fabricated via solution spinning. The fibers exhibits a clear color change from colorless to blue when subjected to external tensile stress or ultraviolet irradiation, triggered by the activation of the SP mechanophore. Furthermore, the mechanical sensitivity of the fibers can be tailored by adjusting the orientation of the polymer chains through hot stretching. Fibers subjected to higher pre‐stretching during post‐processing displayed a mechanochromic response at lower strain levels. Various pre‐stretched fibers are then made into a barcode, which exhibits distinct dynamic information via color change during stretching. The innovative application of function fibers, capable of storing information through mechanochromic response, offers a novel approach to the development of anti‐counterfeit fibers.
Thermometer Ions, Internal Energies, and In‐Source Fragmentation in Ambient Ionization
Authors: Bertrand Emilie , Gabelica Valérie 
Published: January 2025

ABSTRACTIonization and fragmentation are at the core of mass spectrometry. But they are not necessarily separated in space, as in‐source fragmentation can also occur. Here, we survey the literature published since our 2005 review on the internal energy and fragmentation in electrospray ionization sources. We present new thermometer molecules to diagnose and quantify source heating, provide tables of recommended threshold (E0) and appearance energies (Eapp) for the survival yield method, and attempt to compare the softness of a variety of ambient pressure ionization sources. The droplet size distribution and desolvation dynamics play a major role: lower average internal energies are obtained when the ions remain protected by a solvation shell and spend less time nakedly exposed to activating conditions in the transfer interface. Methods based on small droplet formation without charging can thus be softer than electrospray. New dielectric barrier discharge sources can gas‐phase ionize small molecules while conferring barely more internal energy than electrospray ionization. However, the tuning of the entire source interface often has an even greater influence on ion internal energies and fragmentation than on the ionization process itself. We hope that this review will facilitate further research to control and standardize in‐source ion activation conditions, and to ensure the transferability of data and research results in mass spectrometry.
Implementation of Taguchi design for dry sliding wear of high density polyethylene/silicon carbide composite
Authors: Bera T. , Mohanty S. 
Published: January 2025

AbstractThe present work focus on the optimization of dry sliding wear behavior operating parameters of high density polyethylene/silicon carbide composites carried out with Taguchi method. The various control factors such as filler content, applied load and sliding velocity were selected at three different levels of each. The specific wear rate and coefficient of friction were selected as performance output. The dry sliding wear studies revealed that the coefficient of friction increases with an increase in applied load and sliding velocity. The specific wear rate for all composites increased with an increase in applied force. Nine experimental runs were performed using Taguchi L9 orthogonal array. The optimum control factors were predicted according to the MINITAB16 software. Analysis of variance has been applied to predict the highly significant operating parameter. The analysis of variance analysis revealed that the applied load is the most important control factor out of all the other control factors, followed by filler content and sliding velocity, of dry sliding wear behavior of high density polyethylene/silicon carbide composites.
Current Practices and Evidence of Aspirin Usage in Microvascular Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Azam Faraaz , Awaida Cyril , Dogaroiu Anca , Odobescu Andrei 
Published: January 2025

ABSTRACTBackgroundAcetylsalicylic acid (ASA) has been used in reconstructive microsurgery since the inception of the field. However, when compared to placebo groups, its efficacy is not confirmed. In our study, we hypothesize that the utility of ASA postoperatively in microvascular surgery is not associated with improved outcomes.MethodsA systematic review of the literature was conducted using PubMed, Google Scholar, and SCOPUS according to PRISMA guidelines. Documentation of antiplatelet regimens and postoperative complications were the primary endpoints.ResultsFour articles met inclusion criteria including a total of 1196 patients. There were 637 patients who received aspirin and 559 patients who did not. The average age was not found to be significantly different between the two groups (p > 0.05). In terms of flap type, patients undergoing DIEP had a significantly higher likelihood of receiving aspirin, whereas patients undergoing fibula flaps had a lower rate of aspirin usage (p < 0.05). TRAM, anterolateral thigh flaps, SIEA, and radial forearm flaps were equally distributed between the two groups (p > 0.05). A total of 317 complications were noted across both groups. Total complication rate, complete flap loss, and venous/arterial thrombosis rate were not found to be significantly different between the two groups (p > 0.05). Hematoma rate was found to be significantly higher in the group receiving aspirin when compared to the control (RR = 1.70, 95% CI 1.19–2.44).ConclusionAspirin usage did not confer significant advantage in preventing postoperative complication rates and increased rates of hematoma formation.