bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
C‐Reactive Protein as a Negative Predictive Marker for Anastomotic Leakage After Minimally Invasive Esophageal Surgery
Authors: Hagens Eliza R. C. , Feenstra Minke L. , Lam Wing C. , Eshuis W. J. , Lameris W. , van Berge Henegouwen Mark I. , Gisbertz Suzanne S. 
Published: April 2023

AbstractBackgroundSerum C‐reactive protein (CRP) is commonly used by surgeons to raise suspicion of anastomotic leakage and other infectious complications, but most studies on optimal cut‐off values are retrospective with a small sample of patients. The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy and optimal cut‐off value of CRP for anastomotic leakage in patients following esophagectomy for cancer.Materials and methodsConsecutive minimally invasive esophagectomy for esophageal cancer patients was included in this prospective study. Anastomotic leakage was confirmed if a defect or leakage of oral contrast was seen on a CT scan, by endoscopy or if saliva was draining from the neck incision. Diagnostic accuracy of CRP was assessed by receiver operator curve (ROC) analysis. Youden's index was adopted to determine the cut‐off value.ResultsA total of 200 patients were included between 2016 and 2018. Postoperative day 5 showed the highest area under the ROC (0.825) and optimal cut‐off value of 120 mg/L. This resulted in a sensitivity of 75%, specificity of 82%, negative predicting value of 97%, and positive predicting value of 32%.ConclusionsCRP on postoperative day 5 can be used as a negative predictor for and can be used as a marker to raise suspicion of anastomotic leakage following esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. When CRP exceeds 120 mg/L on postoperative day 5, additional investigations should be considered.
Combined Detection of IFN-γ and Lymphocyte Subsets with Activation Indicators in the Clinical Application of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Infection at Different Times
Authors: Chen Yiwen , Zhang Lahong , Zhou Changjun , Liu Yuhua , Pan Feng , Ke Qiang , Chen Zhaojun 
Published: April 2023

AbstractThe immune status of mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection is essential for the diagnosis and treatment of this disease. In this work, we aim to evaluate the clinical significance of the combination of serum IFN-γ, IGRAs (Interferon-Gamma Release Assay), lymphocyte subset with activation indicators detection in active and latent tuberculosis infection patients. For this study, anticoagulant whole blood were collected from 45 active tuberculosis (AT group), 44 latent tuberculosis (LT group) and 32 healthy controls (HCs group). The serum IFN-γ and IGRAs detected by chemiluminescence, and the percentage of lymphocyte subsets and activated lymphocytes detected by flow cytometry. The results showed combined IGRAs, serum IFN-γ and NKT cells not only has good diagnostic efficiency for the AT, but also provides a laboratory diagnostic method to distinguish AT from LT. Activation indicator of CD3+HLA-DR+T and CD4+HLA-DR+T can effectively distinguish LT from HCs. While combined CD3+T, CD4+T, CD8+CD28+T, Treg and CD16+CD56+CD69+ cells can distinguish AT from HCs. This study showed combined direct detection of serum IFN-γ and IGRAs as well as lymphocyte subsets with activation indicators which may provide laboratory basis for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of active and latent MTB infection.
Simultaneous application of soot and temperature measurements in a pressurized turbulent flame by laser-induced incandescence and coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering for particle sizing
Authors: Geigle Klaus Peter , Scheffold Hannah , Nau Patrick , Yin Zhiyao 
Published: April 2023

AbstractSimultaneous application of multi-channel laser-induced incandescence (LII) and shifted vibrational coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (SV-CARS) to study sooting flames is demonstrated for the first time. The potential of this diagnostics combination is evaluated on the basis of characterization of soot particles and correlation of soot presence with temperature. For that purpose, a sooting swirl flame operated at three bars has been employed with ethylene as fuel. The novel combination of CARS and time-resolved LII (TiRe LII) enables the estimation of particle size and correlation of this quantity with local gas temperature; simultaneously acquired 2D LII images provide information on the soot distribution in the ambience of the measurement volume which is used by CARS and TiRe LII. Even if the used LII model is approximative in some respect, the detected LII decay times indicate very small particle size throughout the flame relative to an atmospheric laminar diffusion flame which was used for comparison. In most instances, soot presence relates to local gas temperatures in a range between 1600 and 2400 K. Rare soot events at cooler temperatures occur near the nozzle exit and are attributed to transported soot. Comparison of the peak soot temperatures during the LII process shows a significant decrease in the turbulent pressurized flame relative to the laminar atmospheric reference flame. This is attributed to a less-efficient LII heat-up process at turbulent pressurized conditions due to beam steering. The background blackbody temperature, which can be derived by evaluating the signal captured in the different color channels of the LII system towards the end of the LII process, has been identified to be mostly controlled by hotter soot filaments between the laser plane and the detector. Thus, the LII signal tail is not a good measure of the local gas temperature in the measurement volume for this type of configuration.
Incidence and management of early postoperative complications in lamellar corneal transplantation
Authors: Romano Davide , Aiello Francesco , Parekh Mohit , Levis Hannah J. , Gadhvi Kunal A. , Moramarco Antonio , Viola Pietro , Fontana Luigi , Semeraro Francesco , Romano Vito 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
Purpose
To provide a comprehensive review of the incidence, risk factors, and management of early complications after deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK), Descemet stripping automated keratoplasty (DSAEK), and Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK).

Methods
A literature review of complications, that can occur from the time of the transplant up to 1 month after the transplant procedure, was conducted. Case reports and case series were included in the review.

Results
Complications in the earliest postoperative days following anterior and posterior lamellar keratoplasty have shown to affect graft survival. These complications include, but are not limited to, double anterior chamber, sclerokeratitis endothelial graft detachment, acute glaucoma, fluid misdirection syndrome, donor-transmitted and recurrent infection, and Uretts-Zavalia syndrome.

Conclusion
It is essential for surgeons and clinicians to not only be aware of these complications but also know how to manage them to minimize their impact on long-term transplant survival and visual outcomes.
Surface Electromyography for Evaluating the Effect of Aging on the Coordination of Swallowing Muscles
Authors: Chang Wei-Han , Chen Mei-Hui , Liu Jen-Fang , Chung Wei Li , Chiu Li-Ling , Huang Yi-Fang 
Published: April 2023

AbstractSwallowing function can deteriorate with age, leading to a risk of dysphagia. Swallowing evaluation by surface electromyography (sEMG) can be easily and extensively applied for an elderly population. This study evaluated the temporal events observed by sEMG to clarify how aging affects the coordination among the masticatory and suprahyoid muscles. We recruited elderly individuals (over 65 years old) who denied dysphagia. The sEMG activities of anterior temporalis, masseter, and suprahyoid muscles were recorded during 3, 15, and 30 ml water swallowing tests (WST). We calculated the time interval between anterior temporalis and suprahyoid peak activity (T-SH interval) and masseter and suprahyoid peak activity (M-SH interval) and analyzed their correlation with age. The subjects who could and could not swallow 30 ml of water in one gulp were further assigned into the one-gulp and piecemeal groups, respectively, for subgroup analysis. We recruited 101 subjects, among whom 75 (26 males and 49 females) were analyzed after excluding those with suspected dysphagia or low-quality sEMG recordings. Age was significantly correlated with the bilateral T-SH (left: r = 0.249, p = 0.031; right: r = 0.412, p < 0.01) and right M-SH (r = 0.242, p = 0.037) intervals in the 30 ml WST. The correlation between intervals and age were observed in both subgroups. sEMG can be used to investigate the effect of aging on the temporal coordination between masticatory and suprahyoid contraction. Further studies are needed to verify the validity of screening subclinical dysphagia in the elderly.
Actor-critic reinforcement learning leads decision-making in energy systems optimization—steam injection optimization
Authors: Abdalla Ramez , Hollstein Wolfgang , Carvajal Carlos Paz , Jaeger Philip 
Published: April 2023

AbstractSteam injection is a popular technique to enhance oil recovery in mature oil fields. However, the conventional approach of using a constant steam rate over an extended period can lead to sub-optimal performance due to the complex nature of the problem and reservoir heterogeneity. To address this issue, the Markov decision process can be employed to formulate the problem for reinforcement learning (RL) applications. The RL agent is trained to optimize the steam injection rate by interacting with a reservoir simulation model and receives rewards for each action. The agent’s policy and value functions are updated through continuous interaction with the environment until convergence is achieved, leading to a more efficient steam injection strategy for enhancing oil recovery. In this study, an actor-critic RL architecture was employed to train the agent to find the optimal strategy (i.e., policy). The environment was represented by a reservoir simulation model, and the agent’s actions were based on the observed state. The policy function gave a probability distribution of the actions that the agent could take, while the value function determined the expected yield for an agent starting from a given state. The agent interacted with the environment for several episodes until convergence was achieved. The improvement in net present value (NPV) achieved by the agent was a significant indication of the effectiveness of the RL-based approach. The NPV reflects the economic benefits of the optimized steam injection strategy. The agent was able to achieve this improvement by finding the optimal policies. One of the key advantages of the optimal policy was the decrease in total field heat losses. This is a critical factor in the efficiency of the steam injection process. Heat loss can reduce the efficiency of the process and lead to lower oil recovery rates. By minimizing heat loss, the agent was able to optimize the steam injection process and increase oil recovery rates. The optimal policy had four regions characterized by slight changes in a stable injection rate to increase the average reservoir pressure, increasing the injection rate to a maximum value, steeply decreasing the injection rate, and slightly changing the injection rate to maintain the average reservoir temperature. These regions reflect the different phases of the steam injection process and demonstrate the complexity of the problem. Overall, the results of this study demonstrate the effectiveness of RL in optimizing steam injection in mature oil fields. The use of RL can help address the complexity of the problem and improve the efficiency of the oil recovery process. This study provides a framework for future research in this area and highlights the potential of RL for addressing other complex problems in the energy industry.
Chitosan 3D scaffolds with resolvin D1 for vertebral arthrodesis: a pilot study
Authors: Vasconcelos Daniela P. , Costa Madalena , Reis Joaquim L. , Pinto Vasco S. , Sousa Ana B. , Águas Artur P. , Barbosa Mário A. , Barbosa Judite N. 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
Purpose
Over the last years, the number of vertebral arthrodesis has been steadily increasing. The use of iliac crest bone autograft remains the “gold standard” for bone graft substitute in these procedures. However, this solution has some side effects, such as the problem of donor site morbidity indicating that there is a real need for adequate alternatives. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of chitosan (Ch) porous 3D scaffolds incorporated with resolvin D1 (RvD1) as an alternative implant to iliac bone autograft.

Methods
We have performed bilateral posterolateral lumbar vertebral arthrodesis in a rat animal model. Three experimental groups were used: (i) non-operated animals; (ii) animals implanted with Ch scaffolds incorporated with RvD1 and (iii) animals implanted with iliac bone autograft.

Results
The collagenous fibrous capsule formed around the Ch scaffolds with RvD1 is less dense when compared with the iliac bone autograft, suggesting an important anti-inflammatory effect of RvD1. Additionally, new bone formation was observed in the Ch scaffolds with RvD1.

Conclusion
These results demonstrate the potential of these scaffolds for bone tissue repair applications.
Safety and technical efficacy of early minimally invasive endoscopy-guided surgery for intracerebral haemorrhage: the Dutch Intracerebral haemorrhage Surgery Trial pilot study
Authors: Sondag Lotte , Schreuder Floris H.B.M. , Pegge Sjoert A.H. , Coutinho Jonathan M. , Dippel Diederik W.J. , Janssen Paula M. , Vandertop W. Peter , Boogaarts Hieronymus D. , Dammers Ruben , Klijn Catharina J.M. ,   On behalf of the Dutch ICH Surgery Trial Study Group, part of the CONTRAST consortium, Sondag Lotte , Schreuder Floris H.B.M. , Boiten Jelis , Brouwers Paul J.A.M. , Coutinho Jonathan , den Hertog M. Heleen , Janssen Paula M. , Jolink Wilmar M.T. , Kappelle L. Jaap , Kho Kuan H. , Koot Radboud W. , de Kort Paul L.M. , Moojen Wouter A. , Nanda Dharmin , Teernstra Onno P.M. , van der Pol Bram , de Ridder Inger R. , Wermer Marieke J.H. , van der Zwan Albert , Vandertop W. Peter , Boogaarts Hieronymus D. , Dammers Ruben , Klijn Catharina J.M. , Holl Dana , Can Anil 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
Background
Previous randomised controlled trials could not demonstrate that surgical evacuation of intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) improves functional outcome. Increasing evidence suggests that minimally invasive surgery may be beneficial, in particular when performed early after symptom onset. The aim of this study was to investigate safety and technical efficacy of early minimally invasive endoscopy-guided surgery in patients with spontaneous supratentorial ICH.

Methods
The Dutch Intracerebral Haemorrhage Surgery Trial pilot study was a prospective intervention study with blinded outcome assessment in three neurosurgical centres in the Netherlands. We included adult patients with spontaneous supratentorial ICH ≥10mL and National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score ≥2 for minimally invasive endoscopy-guided surgery within 8 h after symptom onset in addition to medical management. Primary safety outcome was death or increase in NIHSS ≥4 points at 24 h. Secondary safety outcomes were procedure-related serious adverse events (SAEs) within 7 days and death within 30 days. Primary technical efficacy outcome was ICH volume reduction (%) at 24 h.

Results
We included 40 patients (median age 61 years; IQR 51–67; 28 men). Median baseline NIHSS was 19.5 (IQR 13.3–22.0) and median ICH volume 47.7mL (IQR 29.4–72.0). Six patients had a primary safety outcome, of whom two already deteriorated before surgery and one died within 24 h. Sixteen other SAEs were reported within 7 days in 11 patients (of whom two patients that already had a primary safety outcome), none device related. In total, four (10%) patients died within 30 days. Median ICH volume reduction at 24 h was 78% (IQR 50–89) and median postoperative ICH volume 10.5mL (IQR 5.1–23.8).

Conclusions
Minimally invasive endoscopy-guided surgery within 8 h after symptom onset for supratentorial ICH appears to be safe and can effectively reduce ICH volume. Randomised controlled trials are needed to determine whether this intervention also improves functional outcome.

Trial registration
Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT03608423, August 1st, 2018.
Toward a ground-based and long-term meteorological forcing dataset for South Korea
Authors: Lee Kyungtae , Kang Do Hyuk , Jung Hahn Chul , Park Gwangha , Gye Changwoo , Kumar Sujay , Kim Edward J. , Peters-lidard Christa D. , Hwang EuiHo 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
The Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Application version 2 (MERRA-2) is a well-established reanalysis dataset and is widely used for driving global-scale hydrological models. However, owing to its relatively coarse spatial resolution (0.5°), the capability of MERRA-2 is repeatedly challenged in regional-scale studies, especially for smaller areas of interest. In addition, the availability of in situ observation data is a pressing issue for generating meteorological forcing. We developed a grid-based high spatial (0.125°) and temporal (hourly) resolution meteorological forcing dataset, which can evaluate hydrological processes in South Korea using state-of-the-art meteorological observations from 1980 to 2020. The forcing dataset was created by combining Automated Synoptic Observing System (ASOS) in situ measurement data from the Korean Meteorological Administration and MERRA-2 reanalysis datasets. Five meteorological variables were provided in the ASOS-MERRA2 (precipitation, air temperature, surface pressure, specific humidity, and wind speed). The study demonstrates that the region-based and high spatial resolution of ASOS-MERRA2 is superior to the existing MERRA-2 with improvements of all five weather variables, for example, from 5.6 to 2.8 mm root mean square error of precipitation. The ASOS-MERRA2 was more capable of reducing the biases and root mean squared error by improving the coefficient of determination compared with MERRA-2 for all five variables. The newly developed ASOS-MERRA2 provides an opportunity to drive land surface models to evaluate the hydroclimatic conditions in South Korea.
Spatiotemporal variability and trend of rainfall and temperature in Sidama Regional State, Ethiopia
Authors: Ware Markos Budusa , Matewos Tafesse , Guye Mekuria , Legesse Abiyot , Mohammed Yimer 
Published: April 2023

AbstractThis study aims to investigate spatiotemporal variability, trends, and anomaly in rainfall and temperature in the Sidama region, Ethiopia. The TerraClimate gridded dataset on a monthly time scale for 30 years (1991–2020) with a horizontal resolution of approximately 4 km was used for the study. Trends in annual and seasonal rainfall and temperature were assessed using a nonparametric test (Mann-Kendal test) and Sen’s slope to test the statistical significance and magnitude of trends (increase/decrease), respectively. Our findings revealed that annual rainfall, summer (Hawado), and spring (Badhessa) rainfall have shown an increasing trend in most parts of the region, except for its northwest parts. We found a low annual rainfall variability (CV < 13%) over the southeastern and northwestern parts of the region. Rainfall variability revealed the difference in both time and space across the region. Six drought years (1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2012, and 2019) with different magnitudes were identified across the region. Annual average maximum (up to 0.4 °C decade−1) and minimum (up to 0.25 °C decade−1) temperatures revealed significantly increasing trends across the region. The standardized anomaly in the mean annual temperature indicated that the years in the recent decade (2011–2020) are getting warmer compared to the past two decades (1991–2010) due to natural and anthropogenic activities causing weather extremes in the region. The results of this study for rainfall contradict the other studies in the rift valley part of the region. Therefore, we suggest appropriate climate change adaptation strategies so that there is high rainfall and temperature variability across the region and between seasons.
Spatial and relational peer effects on environmental behavioral imitation
Authors: Zhang Jianhua , Liu Xiaolong , Ballas Dimitris 
Published: April 2023

AbstractFrom a behavioral perspective, this study investigates the impacts of spatial and relational peer effects on shaping individual environmental behaviors. Utilizing microdata from 53,590 residents in the Netherlands, this study explores the spatial heterogeneity of environmental behaviors at the municipal level. Regression results reveal the existence of peer effects on environmental behavioral imitation among both spatially and relationally proximate peers. The roles of social interactions and observations in reinforcing peer effects are highlighted. A key contribution of this study is its inclusion of spatial dimension in understanding environmental behavioral imitation, taking into account both spatial and relational proximity.
Subdiffusion in the Presence of Reactive Boundaries: A Generalized Feynman–Kac Approach
Authors: Kay Toby , Giuggioli Luca 
Published: April 2023

AbstractWe derive, through subordination techniques, a generalized Feynman–Kac equation in the form of a time fractional Schrödinger equation. We relate such equation to a functional which we name the subordinated local time. We demonstrate through a stochastic treatment how this generalized Feynman–Kac equation describes subdiffusive processes with reactions. In this interpretation, the subordinated local time represents the number of times a specific spatial point is reached, with the amount of time spent there being immaterial. This distinction provides a practical advance due to the potential long waiting time nature of subdiffusive processes. The subordinated local time is used to formulate a probabilistic understanding of subdiffusion with reactions, leading to the well known radiation boundary condition. We demonstrate the equivalence between the generalized Feynman–Kac equation with a reflecting boundary and the fractional diffusion equation with a radiation boundary. We solve the former and find the first-reaction probability density in analytic form in the time domain, in terms of the Wright function. We are also able to find the survival probability and subordinated local time density analytically. These results are validated by stochastic simulations that use the subordinated local time description of subdiffusion in the presence of reactions.