bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Association of malignant ascites with systemic inflammation and muscle loss after treatment in advanced‐stage ovarian cancer
Authors: Weng Chia‐Sui , Huang Wan‐Chun , Chang Chih‐Long , Jan Ya‐Ting , Chen Tze‐Chien , Lee Jie 
Published: July 2023

AbstractBackgroundMalignant ascites is prevalent in advanced‐stage ovarian cancer and may facilitate identification of the drivers of muscle loss. This study aimed to evaluate the association of ascites with changes in systemic inflammation and muscle after treatment of advanced‐stage ovarian cancer.MethodsWe evaluated 307 patients with advanced‐stage (III/IVA) ovarian cancer who underwent primary debulking surgery and adjuvant platinum‐based chemotherapy between 2010 and 2019. The changes in skeletal muscle index (SMI) and radiodensity (SMD) were measured using pre‐surgery and post‐chemotherapy portal‐venous phase contrast‐enhanced computed tomography scans at L3. Systemic inflammation was measured using albumin levels, prognostic nutritional index (PNI), neutrophil‐lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet‐lymphocyte ratio (PLR). Primary endpoint was the changes in SMI and SMD after treatment. Linear regression analysis was used to test associations between muscle change and other covariates. Mediation analysis was used to determine the mediator.ResultsThe median (range) age was 53 (23–83) years. The median duration (range) of follow‐up was 5.2 (1.1–11.3) years. Overall, 187 (60.9%) patients had ascites. The changes in muscle and systemic inflammatory markers after treatment were significantly different between patients with and without ascites (SMI: −3.9% vs. 2.2%, P < 0.001; SMD: −4.0% vs. −0.4%, P < 0.001; albumin: −4.4% vs. 2.1%, P < 0.001; PNI: −8.4% vs. −0.1%, P < 0.001; NLR: 20.6% vs. −29.4%, P < 0.001; and PLR: 1.7% vs. −19.4%, P < 0.001). The changes in SMI and SMD were correlated with the changes in albumin, PNI, NLR, and PLR (all P < 0.001). In multiple linear regression, ascites and NLR changes were negatively while albumin change was positively correlated with SMI change (ascites: β = −3.19, P < 0.001; NLR change: β = −0.02, P = 0.003; albumin change: β = 0.37, P < 0.001). Ascites and NLR changes were negatively while PNI change was positively correlated with SMD change (ascites: β = −1.28, P = 0.02; NLR change: β = −0.02, P < 0.001; PNI change: β = 0.11, P = 0.04). In mediation analysis, ascites had a direct effect on SMI change (P < 0.001) and an indirect effect mediated by NLR change (indirect effects = −1.61, 95% confidence interval [CI]: −2.22 to −1.08) and albumin change (indirect effects = −2.92, 95% CI: −4.01 to −1.94). Ascites had a direct effect on SMD change (P < 0.001) and an indirect effect mediated by NLR change (indirect effects = −1.76, 95% CI: −2.34 to −1.22) and PNI change (indirect effects = −2.00, 95% CI: −2.79 to −1.36).ConclusionsMalignant ascites was associated with enhanced systemic inflammation and muscle loss after primary debulking surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy in advanced‐stage ovarian cancer. The association between ascites and muscle loss may be mediated by systemic inflammation.
An economical pyrrhotite‐loaded sludge carbon composite effectively activated persulfate to sterilize Escherichia coli
Authors: Chen Jun , Yang Xiaohong , Xia Shangqing , Li Xue , Wang Yutong , Zhan Zongsheng , Du Mingxia , Shao Dongliang 
Published: July 2023

AbstractBACKGROUNDPersulfate (PS) has the capability to yield free radicals via activators, thereby shaping an advanced oxidation process that can significantly contribute to effective sterilization. Central to this technology is the pursuit of appropriate activators.RESULTSIn our research, we successfully synthesized an economical and efficient PS activator, namely a pyrrhotite‐loaded sludge carbon (Pyr‐SC) composite. This was achieved via a straightforward procedure utilizing two environmentally friendly and cost‐efficient raw materials: pyrite and sludge. Pyr‐SC exhibited a specific surface area of 60.4 m2 g−1 and rich functional groups such as carbon–sulfur and sulfur–oxygen. The magnetic and graphitic carbon structures were formed at high temperatures during the preparation process, and the sludge carbon (SC) exhibited porous defects, which allowed the effective insertion of iron/sulfur into SC to form the stable Pyr‐SC structure. Pyr‐SC activated PS, which further sterilized Escherichia coli in the wastewater at a sterilization rate of 7.00 lg E. coli at 107 cfu mL−1 in 80 min. The sterilization rate was less affected by temperature and pH. We verified sulfate, hydroxyl and oxygen free radicals produced by the Pyr‐SC‐activated PS. The Pyr‐SC composite, thanks to its expedited electron transfer, could activate PS to engender free radicals. Furthermore, the oscillatory transformation of iron ions caused by the monosulfide ion on the Pyr‐SC surface augmented the production of free radicals. An assessment of Pyr‐SC's stability was conducted, adhering to the principles of magnetic separation. After five cycles in the Pyr‐SC/PS reaction system, the sterilization rate reached 3.29 lg, whereas the leaching rate of iron in Pyr‐SC decreased. The Pyr‐SC/PS reaction system also had a broad spectrum of wastewater.CONCLUSIONThe economically prepared Pyr‐SC composite provided an effective technology for activating PS and sterilizing microorganisms in wastewater. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
Comparing CT‐Like Images Based on Ultra‐Short Echo Time and Gradient Echo T1‐Weighted MRI Sequences for the Assessment of Vertebral Disorders Using Histology and True CT as the Reference Standard
Authors: Gassert Florian T. , Kufner Alexander , Renz Martin , Gassert Felix G. , Bollwein Christine , Kronthaler Sophia , Feuerriegel Georg C. , Kirschke Jan S. , Ganter Carl , Makowski Marcus R. , Braun Christian , Schwaiger Benedikt J. , Woertler Klaus , Karampinos Dimitrios C. , Gersing Alexandra S. 
Published: July 2023

BackgroundSeveral magnetic resonance (MR) techniques have been suggested for radiation‐free imaging of osseous structures.PurposeTo compare the diagnostic value of ultra‐short echo time and gradient echo T1‐weighted MRI for the assessment of vertebral pathologies using histology and computed tomography (CT) as the reference standard.Study TypeProspective.SubjectsFifty‐nine lumbar vertebral bodies harvested from 20 human cadavers (donor age 73 ± 13 years; 9 male).Field Strength/SequenceUltra‐short echo time sequence optimized for both bone (UTEb) and cartilage (UTEc) imaging and 3D T1‐weighted gradient‐echo sequence (T1GRE) at 3 T; susceptibility‐weighted imaging (SWI) gradient echo sequence at 1.5 T. CT was performed on a dual‐layer dual‐energy CT scanner using a routine clinical protocol.AssessmentHistopathology and conventional CT were acquired as standard of reference. Semi‐quantitative and quantitative morphological features of degenerative changes of the spines were evaluated by four radiologists independently on CT and MR images independently and blinded to all other information. Features assessed were osteophytes, endplate sclerosis, visualization of cartilaginous endplate, facet joint degeneration, presence of Schmorl's nodes, and vertebral dimensions. Vertebral disorders were assessed by a pathologist on histology.Statistical TestsAgreement between T1GRE, SWI, UTEc, and UTEb sequences and CT imaging and histology as standard of reference were assessed using Fleiss' κ and intra‐class correlation coefficients, respectively.ResultsFor the morphological assessment of osteophytes and endplate sclerosis, the overall agreement between SWI, T1GRE, UTEb, and UTEc with the reference standard (histology combined with CT) was moderate to almost perfect for all readers (osteophytes: SWI, κ range: 0.68–0.76; T1GRE: 0.92–1.00; UTEb: 0.92–1.00; UTEc: 0.77–0.85; sclerosis: SWI, κ range: 0.60–0.70; T1GRE: 0.77–0.82; UTEb: 0.81–0.92; UTEc: 0.61–0.71). For the visualization of the cartilaginous endplate, UTEc showed the overall best agreement with the reference standard (histology) for all readers (κ range: 0.85–0.93).Data ConclusionsMorphological assessment of vertebral pathologies was feasible and accurate using the MR‐based bone imaging sequences compared to CT and histopathology. T1GRE showed the overall best performance for osseous changes and UTEc for the visualization of the cartilaginous endplate.Level of Evidence1Technical EfficacyStage 2
A method for LPI radar signals recognition based on complex convolutional neural network
Authors: Liu Zhilin , Wang Jindong , Wu Tong , He Tianzhang , Yang Bo , Feng Yuntian 
Published: July 2023

AbstractFor the low probability of intercept (LPI) radar signal recognition problem, recognition algorithms based on deep learning usually use time‐frequency analysis to convert the signal into a two‐dimensional feature image for classification and recognition. However, these methods often have problems with large network size, high computational complexity, and huge memory consumption, making them difficult to apply on small devices with limited computational power and storage space. This paper proposes an LPI radar signal recognition method based on a lightweight complex convolutional neural network, named CV‐LPINet. It uses a complex convolutional module to complete data fusion of IQ sampled signals, uses a deep separable convolutional module to extract features and reduce dimensions, and introduces residual structures to improve network training. Experiments show that the average recognition accuracy of this method is 91.76% with a signal to noise ratio in the range of −6 to 10 dB, and its recognition accuracy is similar to that of typical algorithms. However, the network size is significantly reduced and the computational complexity is low, making it suitable for small intelligent devices.
An asymmetric relationship between Tibetan Plateau surface temperature regimes and oceanic–atmospheric circulations
Authors: Bafitlhile Thabo Michael , Liu Yuanbo 
Published: July 2023

AbstractAs a high‐altitude region, the Tibetan Plateau (TP) is sensitive to climate change. Since the 1960s, the TP has experienced significant spatial‐variant warming, vital to changing the region's terrestrial ecosystem. To understand surface air temperature (SAT) regimes over the TP, we investigated their link with teleconnections using observational and reanalysis datasets from 1982 to 2019. We employed wavelet analysis, empirical orthogonal teleconnection (EOT), partial regression, canonical correlation analysis and t test. Our results indicate an asymmetrical connection between teleconnections and SAT, with Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) predominant over the northern TP. In contrast, the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is more prevalent in the southern part. The spatial variance was potentially related to windspeed, total cloud cover (TCC), net longwave radiation (NLWR), net shortwave radiation (NSWR), cloud‐forcing net longwave flux (CF‐NLWF) and cloud‐forcing net shortwave flux (CF‐NLWF) anomalies. ENSO and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) modulate cloud cover variation in the southern TP, mainly the southwest, via the monsoon and subtropical westerlies. In the north, cloud cover variation is related to the moisture transported by the AMO‐induced prevailing westerlies. The study examined the complex interplay between teleconnections, SAT and cloud radiative forcing by examining the cloud cover and radiation balance relationship. These findings contribute to understanding climate change impacts on the TP, informing climate projections and guiding adaptation strategies by elucidating the relationship between TP temperature variation and oceanic–atmospheric oscillation patterns.
Why purchase generic medicine? A theory of planned behavior perspective
Authors: Malathi A. , Mohamed Jasim K. 
Published: July 2023

AbstractThe use of generic drugs reduces healthcare expenditures, especially for those of lower socio‐economic status. This research employs a descriptive research design and utilizes a cross‐sectional survey to investigate the behavioral intention of patients toward generic medicines, supported by the theory of planned behavior. A structured instrument was used to gather data from 410 respondents who were aware of and consuming generic medicines. A structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis was performed with the semopy library in Python programming. The results demonstrate that all the constructs, namely, attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control in relation to buying generic medicines, have a significant relationship with behavioral intention to purchase generic medicines. Among all three constructs, perceived behavioral control has the strongest link with behavioral intention. Furthermore, family monthly medical expenses moderate the relationship between all three constructs of planned behavior and behavioral intention. This study could help healthcare professionals and policymakers to understand consumer intention and design information and educational programs accordingly to increase the awareness and usage of generic medicines. The outcome indicates that consumers prefer to purchase generic medicines due to the similar active ingredients, dosage, side effects, and effectiveness, as well as the low cost compared to branded ones.
Estimating pairwise overlap in umbrella reviews: Considerations for using the corrected covered area (CCA) index methodology
Authors: Kirvalidze Mariam , Abbadi Ahmad , Dahlberg Lena , Sacco Lawrence B. , Calderón‐Larrañaga Amaia , Morin Lucas 
Published: July 2023

AbstractUmbrella reviews (reviews of systematic reviews) are increasingly used to synthesize findings from systematic reviews. One important challenge when pooling data from several systematic reviews is publication overlap, that is, the same primary publications being included in multiple reviews. Pieper et al. have proposed using the corrected covered area (CCA) index to quantify the degree of overlap between systematic reviews to be pooled in an umbrella review. Recently, this methodology has been integrated in Excel‐ or R‐based tools for easier use. In this short letter, we highlight an important consideration for using the CCA methodology for pairwise overlap assessment, especially when reviews include varying numbers of primary publications, and we urge researchers to fine‐tune this method and exercise caution when review exclusion decisions are based on its output.
Deep‐Subwavelength Resonant Meta‐Optics Enabled by Ultra‐High Index Topological Insulators
Authors: Singh Danveer , Nandi Sukanta , Fleger Yafit , Cohen Shany Z. , Lewi Tomer 
Published: July 2023

AbstractIn nanophotonics, small mode volumes, high‐quality factor resonances, and large field enhancements without metals fundamentally scale with the refractive index and are key for many implementations involving light‐matter interactions. Topological insulators (TIs) are a class of insulating materials that host topologically protected surface states, some of which exhibit extraordinarily high permittivity values. Here, the optical properties of TI bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3) single crystals are studied. It is found that both the bulk and surface states contribute to the extremely large optical constants, with the real part of the refractive index peaking at n ≈ 11. Utilizing these ultra‐high index values, it is demonstrated that Bi2Te3 metasurfaces are capable of squeezing light in deep‐subwavelength structures, with the fundamental magnetic dipole (MD) resonance confined in unit cell sizes smaller than λ/10. It is further shown that dense ultrathin metasurface arrays can simultaneously provide large magnetic and electric field enhancements arising from the high index of the bulk and the surface metallic states. These findings demonstrate the potential of chalcogenide TIs as a platform leveraging the unique combination of ultra‐high‐index dielectric response with surface metallic states for metamaterial design and nanophotonic applications in sensing, non‐linear generation, and quantum information.
A singular Liouville equation on planar domains
Authors: Figueiredo Giovany M. , Montenegro Marcelo , Stapenhorst Matheus F. 
Published: July 2023

AbstractWe show the existence of a solution for an equation where the nonlinearity is logarithmically singular at the origin, namely, in with Dirichlet boundary condition. The function f has exponential growth, which can be subcritical or critical with respect to the Trudinger–Moser inequality. We study the energy functional corresponding to the perturbed equation , where is well defined at 0 and approximates . We show that has a critical point in , which converges to a legitimate nontrivial nonnegative solution of the original problem as . We also investigate the problem with replaced by , when the parameter is sufficiently large.
Experimental and numerical study of the influence of inclusion size on the drying shrinkage cracking in cementitious composites
Authors: Jin Yudan , Wang Meng , Shi Hailing , Jia Yun , Wu Qier , Burlion Nicolas , Shao Jianfu 
Published: July 2023

AbstractThis study investigates the effect of inclusion size on drying shrinkage cracking in cementitious materials. A series of laboratory desiccation tests on concrete with different size of inclusions are conducted. Nondestructive X‐ray micro‐tomography images were used to reconstruct the drying‐induced shrinkage cracks of samples in desiccation tests. To better understand the mechanism of shrinkage cracking, a fully coupled hydro‐mechanical bond‐based Peridynamic model was developed that takes into account the interactions among deformation, cracking, and permeability evolution. The efficiency of the proposed model was verified through two benchmark problems. The influence of inclusion size on shrinkage cracks was numerically analyzed by reproducing experimental results and conducting a parametric study. The results indicate that, as the size of the inclusion increases, the quantity of drying induced cracks increases while the length of the cracks decreases and the average width of the cracks increases. However, the distribution of cracks appears to be unaffected by the size of the inclusion.
The role of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the management of metastatic central nervous system germinoma: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Abu‐Arja Mohammad H. , Shatara Margaret S. , Okcu M. Fatih , McGovern Susan L. , Su Jack M. , Abdelbaki Mohamed S. 
Published: July 2023

AbstractBackgroundThe role of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in treating patients with metastatic central nervous system (CNS) germinoma is controversial.MethodsWe compared the relapse‐free survival (RFS) of different treatment modalities by performing a meta‐analysis using published data. We summarized all data using standard descriptive statistics. We used the Kaplan–Meier method to estimate RFS and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We used the log‐rank test for the comparison of survival functions.ResultsWe identified 97 patients with a median age at presentation of 15 years (range: 7–38). Sites of metastasis were cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) disease only (n = 12), brain parenchyma (n = 18), spinal cord (n = 9), ventricular and CSF (n = 10), ventricular only (n = 31), and other (n = 17). The 3‐year RFS among patients who received any form of radiotherapy was 89% (95% CI: 83–96) compared with 0% for patients who received a chemotherapy‐only regimen (p = .001). Five‐year RFS among patients who received craniospinal irradiation (CSI) was 92% (95% CI: 84–100) compared with 76.4% (95% CI: 63–90) in the non‐CSI group (with or without neoadjuvant chemotherapy) (p = .014). Five‐year RFS of patients who received CSI less than 24 Gy with neoadjuvant chemotherapy was 100% compared with 92% (95% CI: 83–100) CSI dose greater than or equal to 24 Gy alone (p = .3).ConclusionsOur analysis does not support avoiding spinal irradiation among patients with radiographic metastatic CNS germinoma. Future studies are needed to confirm whether neoadjuvant chemotherapy will allow a reduction of irradiation dose without compromising survival.
Combining parallelized emulsion formation and sequential droplet splitting for large‐scale polymer microgel production
Authors: Vigogne Michelle , Neuendorf Talika A. , Bernhardt Ricardo , Thiele Julian 
Published: July 2023

AbstractWith the rise of particle‐based material systems in life and materials sciences over the past years, high‐throughput microfluidics has gained tremendous interest as a simple fabrication method for large quantities of tailored emulsions and microparticles. Here, we present the fabrication of microfluidic systems that combine parallelized droplet formation with sequential droplet splitting by 3D printing via projection‐microstereolithography for large‐scale production of water‐in‐oil emulsions and polymer microparticles. The process of droplet splitting is investigated in a 3D‐printed single‐channel, flow‐focusing device and then integrated into a microfluidic system with N = 3 × 20 parallelized channels with individual channel cross‐sections of 60 μm. The arrangement of the integrated functional microfluidic elements is evaluated for different orientations to the 3D printing direction. Furthermore, emulsion droplet size adjustment for flow‐focused and parallelized microfluidic systems is studied. For a proof‐of‐concept, the 3D‐printed microfluidic system is used to fabricate water‐in‐oil emulsions and fluorescently labeled, thermally crosslinked poly(acrylamide) microparticles. With that, our platform provides a straightforward and time‐efficient path toward microgel production in the size range of 140–170 μm on a milliliter‐per‐hour scale combining droplet formation parallelization and three integrated droplet splitting stages.
Insecticidal toxicity of ω‐Atypitoxin‐Cs1a and its inhibitory effects on insect voltage‐gated calcium channels
Authors: Yu Na , Yan Yangyang , Han Qianqian , Zhang Lingchun , Liu Zewen 
Published: July 2023

AbstractBACKGROUNDExcessive use of chemical insecticides raises concerns about insecticide resistance, urging the development of novel insecticides. Peptide neurotoxins from spider venom are an incredibly rich source of ion channel modulators with potent insecticidal activity. A neurotoxin U1‐Atypitoxin‐Cs1a from the spider Calommata signata was annotated previously. It was of interest to investigate its insecticidal activity and potential molecular targets.RESULTSCs1a was heterologously expressed, purified and pharmacologically characterized here. The recombinant neurotoxin inhibited high‐voltage‐activated calcium channel currents with an median inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 0.182 ± 0.026 μm on cockroach DUM neurons and thus was designated as ω‐Atypitoxin‐Cs1a. The recombinant Cs1a was toxic to three insect pests of agricultural importance, Nilaparvata lugens, Spodoptera frugiperda and Plutella xylostella with median lethal concentration (LD50) values of 0.121, 0.172 and 0.356 nmol g−1, respectively, at 24 h postinjection. Cs1a was equivalently toxic to both insecticide‐susceptible and ‐resistant insects. Cs1a exhibited low toxicity to Danio rerio with an LD50 of 2.316 nmol g−1.CONCLUSIONOur results suggest that ω‐Atypitoxin‐Cs1a is a potent CaV channel inhibitor and an attractive candidate reagent for pest control and resistance management. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.