bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Investigation of physical and rheological properties of LDPE/HDPE/thermoplastic starch biodegradable blend films
Authors: Zeraatpishe Mohammad , Hassanajili Shadi 
Published: July 2023

AbstractIn this work, low‐density polyethylene/high‐density polyethylene/thermoplastic starch (LDPE/HDPE/TS) films were prepared with different compositions to obtain environmentally friendly materials. LDPE/HDPE/TS blends, at ratios of 95:5:15, 90:10:15, 85:15:15, 85:15:20, 85:15:25, and 85:15:30, were processed into thin films by a single‐step single‐screw extrusion. Fourier transform infrared spectra and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs confirmed the immiscibility of matrices and TS in the blend. In the SEM images, relatively good surface adhesion between matrix and starch was observed due to the presence of HDPE and glycerol in blends at low TS content. Differential scanning calorimetry analysis depicted an increase in the percentage of crystallinity with increasing HDPE. Starch presence in the blend had a more pronounced effect on the crystallization of HDPE when compared to LDPE with the long chain branching. Water absorption of the samples decreased with increasing HDPE and increased with TS content. The rheological properties of LDPE/HDPE/TS blends were investigated before and after biodegradation. Results were fitted with well‐known rheological models to achieve more valuable data about the effect of the composition as well degradation condition on the blend property. By adding HDPE in the blends, rheological properties close to the neat LDPE were obtained for LDPE/HDPE/TS films in the melt state.
Bayesian optimization of tacrolimus exposure in stable kidney transplant patients
Authors: Nguyen Thomas D. , Smith Nicholas M. , Attwood Kris , Gundroo Aijaz , Chang Shirley , Yonis Mahfuz , Murray Brian , Tornatore Kathleen M. 
Published: July 2023

AbstractStudy ObjectiveThe objective was to compare tacrolimus AUC0‐12 determined by Non‐Compartmental Analysis (NCA) using intensive sampling to Maximum a Posteriori‐Bayesian (MAP‐Bayesian) estimates from robust (n = 9 samples/subject) and sparse (n = 2 samples/subject) sampling in 67 stable KTRs and a validation group of similar patients.DesignThis open‐label, prospective, single center 12‐h PK study included nine serial samples collected in KTRs to determine steady‐state NCA tacrolimus AUC0‐12.SettingThis study was conducted at a single site within a large, urban hospital in the western New York area.PatientsThis study described tacrolimus pharmacokinetics in stable kidney transplant recipients on maintenance tacrolimus therapy.InterventionRobust and sparse AUC0‐12 estimates by a MAP‐Bayesian approach were obtained using the Advanced Dosing Solutions (AdDS) and ADAPT5 freeware. Limited sampling strategies were evaluated using the original population PK model (n = 67), which was also assessed using a validation group (n = 15). AUC0‐12 agreement was tested by paired t‐tests with intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland Altman analysis.Measurements and Main ResultsA total of 35 Black and 32 White stable KTRs (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] = 55.2 ± 15.7 mL/min/1.73m2) received the tacrolimus dose of 3.4 ± 1.7 mg/study with troughs of 6.8 ± 1.8 ng/mL. The NCA‐AUC0‐12 was 123.8 ± 33.6 μg·h/L compared to MAP‐Bayesian estimates for Robust‐AUC0‐12 of 124.7 ± 33.3 μg·h/L and optimal 2‐specimen Sparse‐AUC0‐12 of 119.7 ± 32.7 μg·h/L for the training group. Comparison of Robust‐AUC0‐12 to NCA‐AUC0‐12 had an ICC of 0.96 (p = 0.99) while comparison of Robust‐AUC0‐12 to Sparse‐AUC0‐12 using Pre‐dose trough [C(t0h)] and 1 h [C(t1h)] resulted in an ICC of 0.93 (p = 0.014). In the validation group, 5 Black and 10 White KTRs (eGFR = 56.4 ± 16.8 mL/min/1.73m2) received a mean tacrolimus dose of 1.9 ± 1.2 mg/study with a trough of 6.0 ± 1.7 ng/mL. The validation group's NCA‐AUC0‐12 (88.4 ± 33.1 μg·h/L) was comparable to Robust‐AUC0‐12 (85.1 ± 33.8 μg·h/L, ICC = 0.93; p = 0.12) and Sparse‐AUC0‐12 determined from C(t0h) and C(t4h) (86.7 ± 33.9 μg·h/L, ICC = 0.91; p = 0.61).ConclusionMAP‐Bayesian estimation for patient‐specific AUC0‐12 using sparse, two‐specimen sampling is comparable to NCA and may enhance tacrolimus TDM in stable KTRs.
Trunk muscles influence lower limb performance in crossfit athletes: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Silva Maria Vitória Gonçalves da , Soares Isabela Cristina , Ventura Stephanie Calde , Kuroda Melissa Nahomi , Gonçalves dos Santos Brenda Gaia , Nogueira da Silva Caroline , Borato Lucas André , Pedroni Cristiane Rodrigues 
Published: July 2023

AbstractIntroductionCrossfit is a sport that combines cardio‐respiratory and muscle endurance, strength, flexibility, muscle power, speed, coordination, agility and balance. However, there is no information in the literature regarding functional performance of the lower limbs and the endurance of core muscles in this population. The objective of this study was to evaluate the correlation between trunk strength/endurance and lower limb function through lower limb symmetry and balance tests.MethodsForty‐one young adults aged 19–41 years (26.3 ± 5.4) participated, 15 sedentary and 26 cross fit practitioners for at least one year. The tests were as follows: Biering‐Sørensen Test of trunk extensor endurance, Trunk Flexors Endurance Test at 60°, Side Plank Endurance Test, Lumbar Dynamometry, Single‐Leg Hop Test and Star Excursion Balance Test.Results and DiscussionAlthough there were higher values, there was no significant difference (p > 0.05) between the groups for lower limb symmetry and strength of trunk flexor muscles. For balance, strength and resistance variables of trunk extensor muscles, the values found were higher in crossfit practitioners than in sedentary subjects.ConclusionThere is a relationship between trunk muscle strength and endurance and lower limb balance. Moreover, cross fit athletes showed higher values of trunk muscle strength/endurance and lower limb balance compared to sedentary adults.
Assessment of ibrutinib scheduling on leukocyte, lymph node size and blood pressure dynamics in chronic lymphocytic leukemia through pharmacokinetic‐pharmacodynamic models
Authors: Ibrahim Eman I. K. , Karlsson Mats O. , Friberg Lena E. 
Published: July 2023

AbstractIbrutinib is a Bruton tyrosine kinase (Btk) inhibitor for treating chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). It has also been associated with hypertension. The optimal dosing schedule for mitigating this adverse effect is currently under discussion. A quantification of relationships between systemic ibrutinib exposure and efficacy (i.e., leukocyte count and sum of the product of perpendicular diameters [SPD] of lymph nodes) and hypertension toxicity (i.e., blood pressure), and their association with overall survival is needed. Here, we present a semi‐mechanistic pharmacokinetic‐pharmacodynamic modeling framework to characterize such relationships and facilitate dose optimization. Data from a phase Ib/II study were used, including ibrutinib plasma concentrations to derive daily 0–24‐h area under the concentration‐time curve, leukocyte count, SPD, survival, and blood pressure measurements. A nonlinear mixed effects modeling approach was applied, considering ibrutinib's pharmacological action and CLL cell dynamics. The final framework included (i) an integrated model for SPD and leukocytes consisting of four CLL cell subpopulations with ibrutinib inhibiting phosphorylated Btk production, (ii) a turnover model in which ibrutinib stimulates an increase in blood pressure, and (iii) a competing risk model for dropout and death. Simulations predicted that the approved dosing schedule had a slightly higher efficacy (24‐month, progression‐free survival [PFS] 98%) than de‐escalation schedules (24‐month, average PFS ≈ 97%); the latter had, on average, ≈20% lower proportions of patients with hypertension. The developed modeling framework offers an improved understanding of the relationships among ibrutinib exposure, efficacy and toxicity biomarkers. This framework can serve as a platform to assess dosing schedules in a biologically plausible manner.
Betaine prevents cognitive dysfunction by suppressing hippocampal microglial activation in chronic social isolated male mice
Authors: Shi Meng Meng , Xu Xiao Fan , Sun Qiu Min , Luo Mingying , Liu Dan Dan , Guo Dong Min , Chen Ling , Zhong Xiao Lin , Xu Yang , Cao Wen Yu 
Published: July 2023

AbstractChronic social isolation (SI) stress, which became more prevalent during the COVID‐19 pandemic, contributes to abnormal behavior, including mood changes and cognitive impairment. Known as a functional nutrient, betaine has potent antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory properties in vivo. However, whether betaine can alleviate the abnormal behavior induced by chronic SI in mice remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of betaine in the treatment of behavioral changes and its underlying mechanism. Three‐week‐old male mice were randomly housed for 8 weeks in either group housing (GH) or SI. The animals were divided into normal saline‐treated GH, normal saline‐treated SI, and betaine‐treated SI groups in the sixth week. The cognitive and depression‐like behavior was determined in the eighth week. We found that long‐term betaine administration improved cognitive behavior in SI mice but failed to prevent depression‐like behavior. Moreover, long‐term betaine administration inhibited hippocampal microglia over‐activation and polarized microglia toward the M2 phenotype, which effectively inhibited the expression of inflammatory factors in SI mice. Finally, the protective effect of betaine treatment in SI mice might not be due to altered activity of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis. Collectively, our findings reveal that betaine can improve SI‐induced cognitive impairment, thus providing an alternative natural source for the prevention of memory loss caused by SI or loneliness.
Multiresponse surface methodology for hyperparameter tuning to optimize multiple performance measures of statistical and machine learning algorithms
Authors: Lin Chang‐Yun 
Published: July 2023

AbstractHyperparameter tuning is an important task in machine learning for controlling model complexity and improving prediction performance. Most methods in the literature can only be used to tune hyperparameters to optimize a single performance measure. In practice, participants may want to optimize multiple measures of the model; however, optimizing one measure may worsen another. Therefore, a hyperparameter tuning method is proposed using the multiresponse surface methodology to solve the tradeoff problem between multiple measures. A search algorithm that requires fewer tuning runs is developed to find the optimal hyperparameter settings systematically based on the preferences of participants for multiple measures of the model. An example using the random forest algorithm is provided to demonstrate the application of the proposed method to improve the prediction performance of the model on unbalanced data.
Senhance robotic radical prostatectomy: A single‐centre, 3‐year experience
Authors: Hudolin Tvrtko , Kuliš Tomislav , Penezić Luka , Zekulić Toni , Knežević Nikola , Čikić Bojan , Jurić Ilija , Anđelić Jerko , Saić Hrvoje , Kaštelan Željko 
Published: July 2023

AbstractBackgroundSenhance Surgical System is a novel robotic platform used in University Hospital Centre Zagreb since February 2019. In this study, we present our 3‐year experience with this platform.Patients and MethodsData were prospectively collected for 200 patients who underwent extraperitoneal robotic radical prostatectomy (RRP) from May 2019 to March 2022.ResultsThe median age of the patients was 65 years, and the prostate‐specific antigen was 6.9 ng/mL. Clinically, most of the patients had T1c stage. The estimated blood loss was 250 mL, and there were 6 conversions to laparoscopic and 2 to open prostatectomy. There were 15 early postoperative complications, 11 Clavien‐Dindo classification grade I, 3 grade II and 1 grade IV. Functional outcomes in the first 150 patients: 140 patients (93.3%) had good urinary control. Thirteen patients underwent additional oncological treatment.ConclusionRRP performed with the Senhance robotic platform is a feasible and safe procedure with good initial results.
Mapping Apennines river paths along different hydrological conditions from satellite images: A description of the method and potential applications
Authors: Giacomelli Serena , Chelli Alessandro , Bresciani Mariano , Ghirardi Nicola , Bartoli Marco , Marzano Francesco Nonnis 
Published: July 2023

AbstractClimate change is producing large impacts on rivers, amplifying hydrological extremes. Prolonged drought periods result in dramatic stress for river biota and associated processes due to low discharge, reducing the interactions between rivers and their lateral environments or leading to hydrological intermittency. New quantitative methods are needed, to correlate discharge with the available riverine habitats. In this work we have mapped the wet surface and paths of two stretches of the Taro and Trebbia Apennine rivers, analyzing satellite images from periods with contrasting discharge. The considered stretches are critical due to different human pressures (large water withdrawals for agriculture and industrial use) and are particularly vulnerable to further, climate‐driven discharge reductions. The produced images offer multiple possibilities to extract qualitative and quantitative information at the whole stretch scales, including habitat reduction along with decreasing discharge, threshold discharge limiting lateral interactions, or the evaluation of longitudinal river continuity. We discuss the limitation and the potentialities of the method and the maps produced in terms of possible application in the field of river geomorphology, ecology, the definition of ecological river flow, risk assessment, and river management.
Interdisciplinary dialogic argumentation among out‐of‐field and in‐field physics teachers
Authors: Perl‐Nussbaum David , Schwarz Baruch B. , Yerushalmi Edit 
Published: July 2023

AbstractOut‐of‐field teaching is a global educational challenge. In particular, many teachers whose academic background and main teaching experience is in biology are called to teach middle school physics and have limited opportunities for productive professional development. Based on previous studies, we expect these teachers to hold different epistemic cognitions from the in‐field teachers. The present study builds on this epistemic diversity and offers dialogic argumentation as a means to promote mutual learning among physics teachers from different disciplinary backgrounds. We describe guidelines for designinginterdisciplinary dialogic argumentationactivities that aim to encourage teachers to express their disciplinary perspectives in the context of inquiry‐based physics and to facilitate a deliberative discourse among them. We demonstrate in a case study the ways in which the discourse of a group of in‐field and out‐of‐field teachers unfolds under the proposed design guidelines. Using the Actor‐Network methodology and an analysis of power relations, we uncover a complex interplay between the social and the epistemic in the discourse: when interactions become more dialogic and power relations more equalized, the out‐of‐field teachers take an active role in the discussion, foregrounding their epistemic practices and enhancing the epistemic practices of the group, including the in‐field teacher.
Enhancing community resilience to climate change disasters: Learning experience within and from sub‐Saharan black immigrant communities in western Canada
Authors: Acharibasam John Bosco , Datta Ranjan 
Published: July 2023

AbstractEnhancing community capacity towards resilience is key to reducing climate disaster risk, especially in Black immigrant communities in Canada. While there are many extreme climate change events occurring, such as hailstorms, floods, snowstorms, forest fires, droughts, and heat waves in western Canada, there is no known study that has explored resilience within sub‐Saharan African immigrant communities to climate disaster risks in western Canada. All these extreme climate change events have devastated Black populations threatening their ability to cope with disaster risks. Following a decolonial phenomenology methodological framework research approach; our study explores sub‐Saharan African immigrant communities' adaptation strategies to address climate disaster risk in western Canada. In this research, our main purpose was to investigate whether community resilience strategies implemented by the two provinces (Saskatchewan and Alberta) meet the unique needs of sub‐Saharan African Immigrants. By exploring local communities' perspectives on climate change, we highlighted the relevance of inclusivity in climate capacity building to reduce disaster risk and cope with climate change‐related disasters in the localities. Our findings revealed that personal experiences with climate change risks significantly influenced communities' strength and resilience and contributed to their resilience strategies. We view this paper as a first step in developing a community‐led climate change resilience research agenda that will have a practical application for the community in the face of climate change in Canada.
Modeling the rheological properties of plant‐based foods: Soft matter physics principles
Authors: McClements David Julian 
Published: July 2023

AbstractThere is growing interest in the design and fabrication of next‐generation plant‐based (NG‐PB) foods that have physicochemical and functional properties that simulate those of traditional animal‐based foods, like meat, seafood, egg, and dairy products. Many of these products are colloidal materials containing particles or polymers, which means that their properties can be understood using soft matter physics concepts. The rheological properties of NG‐PB foods may vary widely, including low‐viscosity fluids (like milk), high‐viscosity fluids (creams), soft solids (like yogurt), and hard solids (like some cheeses). For manufacturers of NG‐PB foods to mimic this broad range of products it is important to have theoretical models to identify, predict, and control the key parameters impacting their textural attributes. In this article, the theoretical models developed to describe the properties of fluid, semi‐solid, and solid colloidal dispersions are summarized, and their potential for improving the design and fabrication of NG‐PB foods is highlighted. In the future, it will be important to establish the most appropriate models for different categories of NG‐PB foods and to determine their range of applications.
Explore the durability of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in treating post‐traumatic stress disorder: An updated systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Xu Guobin , Li Geng , Yang Qizhang , Li Chao , Liu Chengzhen 
Published: July 2023

AbstractThe objective was to synthesize results from studies that assessed symptom relief after repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) treatment for post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and investigate the long‐term effectiveness of rTMS for treating PTSD. We searched multiple databases for relevant randomized controlled trials of rTMS for PTSD treatment up to 1 January 2023. Two researchers evaluated the studies and focused on the CAPS and PCL as outcome indicators. We used STATA17 SE software for the data analysis. Eight articles involving 309 PTSD patients were analysed in a meta‐analysis, which found that rTMS had a significant and large effect on reducing core post‐traumatic symptoms [Hedges'g = 1.75, 95% CI (1.18, 2.33)]. Both low and high‐frequency rTMS also significantly reduced symptoms, with the latter having a greater effect. rTMS was shown to have a long‐term effect on PTSD, with all three subgroup analyses demonstrating significant results. Interestingly, no significant difference in symptom relief was found between the follow‐up and completion of treatments [Hedges'g = 0.01, 95% CI (−0.30, 0.33)], suggesting that the treatment effect of rTMS is stable. The meta‐analysis provides strong evidence that rTMS is effective in reducing the severity and symptoms of PTSD in patients, and follow‐up studies confirm its long‐term stability.
Antimony‐Bismuth Alloying: The Key to a Major Boost in the Efficiency of Lead‐Free Perovskite‐Inspired Photovoltaics
Authors: Al‐Anesi Basheer , Grandhi G. Krishnamurthy , Pecoraro Adriana , Sugathan Vipinraj , Viswanath Noolu. Srinivasa Manikanta , Ali‐Löytty Harri , Liu Maning , Ruoko Tero‐Petri , Lahtonen Kimmo , Manna Debjit , Toikkonen Sami , Muñoz‐García Ana Belén , Pavone Michele , Vivo Paola 
Published: July 2023

AbstractThe perovskite‐inspired Cu2AgBiI6 (CABI) material has been gaining increasing momentum as photovoltaic (PV) absorber due to its low toxicity, intrinsic air stability, direct bandgap, and a high absorption coefficient in the range of 105 cm−1. However, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of existing CABI‐based PVs is still seriously constrained by the presence of both intrinsic and surface defects. Herein, antimony (III) (Sb3+) is introduced into the octahedral lattice sites of the CABI structure, leading to CABI‐Sb with larger crystalline domains than CABI. The alloying of Sb3+ with bismuth (III) (Bi3+) induces changes in the local structural symmetry that dramatically increase the formation energy of intrinsic defects. Light‐intensity dependence and electron impedance spectroscopic studies show reduced trap‐assisted recombination in the CABI‐Sb PV devices. CABI‐Sb solar cells feature a nearly 40% PCE enhancement (from 1.31% to 1.82%) with respect to the CABI devices mainly due to improvement in short‐circuit current density. This work will promote future compositional design studies to enhance the intrinsic defect tolerance of next‐generation wide‐bandgap absorbers for high‐performance and stable PVs.
Self‐Assembled Lanthanum Oxide Nanoflakes by Electrodeposition Technique for Resistive Switching Memory and Artificial Synaptic Devices
Authors: Patil Pradnya P. , Kundale Somnath S. , Patil Shubham V. , Sutar Santosh S. , Bae Junseong , Kadam Sunil J. , More Krantiveer V. , Patil Prashant B. , Kamat Rajanish K. , Lee Seunghyun , Dongale Tukaram D. 
Published: July 2023

AbstractIn recent years, many metal oxides have been rigorously studied to be employed as solid electrolytes for resistive switching (RS) devices. Among these solid electrolytes, lanthanum oxide (La2O3) is comparatively less explored for RS applications. Given this, the present work focuses on the electrodeposition of La2O3 switching layers and the investigation of their RS properties for memory and neuromorphic computing applications. Initially, the electrodeposited La2O3 switching layers are thoroughly characterized by various analytical techniques. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and Mott–Schottky techniques are probed to understand the in situ electrodeposition, RS mechanism, and n‐type semiconducting nature of the fabricated La2O3 switching layers. All the fabricated devices exhibit bipolar RS characteristics with excellent endurance and stable retention. Moreover, the device mimics the various bio‐synaptic properties such as potentiation‐depression, excitatory post‐synaptic currents, and paired‐pulse facilitation. It is demonstrated that the fabricated devices are non‐ideal memristors based on double‐valued charge‐flux characteristics. The switching variation of the device is studied using the Weibull distribution technique and modeled and predicted by the time series analysis technique. Based on electrical and EIS results, a possible filamentary‐based RS mechanism is suggested. The present results assert that La2O3 is a promising solid electrolyte for memory and brain‐inspired applications.