bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Associations between perceptions of shared decision making and health among hysterectomy patients: A prospective observational study
Authors: Saleeb Maria , Mohtashami Fariba , Gadermann Anne , Murphy Rachel , Flexman Alana , Crump Trafford , Liu Guiping , Sutherland Jason M. 
Published: April 2023

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate patient and clinical factors that are associated with perceptions of shared decision making between hysterectomy patients and surgeons and to evaluate associations between shared decision making and postoperative health.MethodsThis study is based on a prospective cohort scheduled for hysterectomy for benign conditions in Vancouver, Canada. Validated patient‐reported outcomes assessed shared decision making, pelvic health, depression, and pain. Regression analyses measured the association between perceptions of shared decision making with patient and clinical factors. Then, associations between shared decision making with postoperative pelvic health, pain and depression were evaluated using regression analysis and adjusted for patient and clinical factors.ResultsIn this study, 308 participants completed preoperative measures, and a subset of 146 participants also completed the postoperative measures. More than 50% of participants reported less than optimal shared decision making scores. No significant associations were identified between patients' perceptions of shared decision making with patients' age, comorbidities, socioeconomic factors, indication for surgery, or preoperative depression and pain. Regression analyses found that higher/better self‐reported shared decision making scores were associated with fewer postoperative pelvic organ symptoms (P = 0.01).ConclusionMany patients' reporting lower than optimal scores on the shared decision making instrument highlight the opportunity to improve surgeon‐patient communication in this surgical cohort. Strengthening shared decision making between surgeons and their patients may be associated with improved self‐reported postoperative health.
Quantum mechanics/fluctuating charge calculations for absorption spectra of aqueous green fluorescent protein chromophore
Authors: Lu Shih‐I , Wang Bo‐Cheng 
Published: April 2023

AbstractWe applied the quantum mechanics/fluctuating charges (QM/FQ) method to simulate the absorption spectra of three protonated forms of p‐hydroxybenzylidene imidazolone (p‐HBDI) in water. Configurations of solute‐solvent were generated from molecular dynamics (MD) simulation within the context of a hybrid scheme in which solute and solvents were treated at QM and molecular mechanics, respectively. Nonperiodic spherical boundary condition was used. To examine the influence on simulated spectra coming from the geometrical relaxation of solute, the MD simulations were carried out for two cases: frozen and flexible molecular geometry of solute. As a result of our calculations, the simulations using the flexible solute's structure delivered vertical excitation energies closer to experimental data than those of a frozen solute, especially for the neutral case. For spectral broadening, changing from fixed geometry of solute to a flexible one led to a significant increase for both neutral and anionic forms of p‐HBDI, but no effect happened for the cationic one.
Linear arboricity of degenerate graphs
Authors: Chen Guantao , Hao Yanli , Yu Guoning 
Published: April 2023

AbstractA linear forest is a union of vertex‐disjoint paths, and the linear arboricity of a graph , denoted by , is the minimum number of linear forests into which the edge set of can be partitioned. Clearly, for a graph with maximum degree . On the other hand, the Linear Arboricity Conjecture due to Akiyama, Exoo, and Harary from 1981 asserts that for every graph . This conjecture has been verified for planar graphs and graphs whose maximum degree is at most , or is equal to or . Given a positive integer , a graph is ‐degenerate if it can be reduced to a trivial graph by successive removal of vertices with a degree at most . We prove that for any ‐degenerate graph provided .
Stabilization of high internal‐phase Pickering emulsion using nobiletin crystals: assembly of supramolecular metal‐polyphenolic coordination complexes for surface coating
Authors: Zhou Bin , Zhang Jiajia , Wang Yueming , Wang Xinyi , Wu Di , Liang Hongshan , Li Bin 
Published: April 2023

AbstractBACKGROUNDHigh internal‐phase Pickering emulsions have attracted interest due to their unique properties and they have the potential for broad application in the food field, for example as fat replacers, for packaging, for delivery of nutrients or probiotics, and in the 3D printing of food. However, efficient and edible high internal‐phase Pickering stabilizers are still a persistent challenge for food scientists.RESULTSNobiletin (NOB) was selected as a model substance. The particles’ physicochemical properties (droplet size, rheological behavior, and transmission profile) showed that supramolecular metal‐polyphenolic coordination networks could suppress the ripening and growth of crystals on the oil–water interface. When the ratio of tannic acid (TA) to Fe3+ was 3:1, the growth of NOB crystals could be inhibited effectively. Due to the reduction of energy steric hindrance in the adsorption process, the resulting NOB‐TA3‐Fe3+1 (NT3Fe1) nanoparticles had the greatest potential to extend emulsion storage time.CONCLUSIONThe NOB‐TA3‐Fe3+1 (NT3Fe1) nanoparticles were able to stabilize a high internal‐phase emulsion, of which the oil phase was 80%, for at least 30 days, eventually leading to high system viscosity. The findings in this work provide a novel selection of healthy emulsifiers and an effective emulsion delivery system for hydrophobic and crystalline nutrients. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
Going under: The implications of sea‐level rise and reduced light availability on intertidal primary production
Authors: Flowers Georgina J. L. , Needham Hazel R. , Bulmer Richard H. , Lohrer Andrew M. , Pilditch Conrad A. 
Published: April 2023

AbstractEstuarine intertidal flats are known for high rates of primary production, however, globally these ecosystems are under threat from rising sea‐level and accelerated inputs of terrestrial sediments. These stressors simultaneously alter the duration of submersion/emersion periods and water‐column turbidity impacting seafloor photoperiods. To assess how changes in submergence time and water‐clarity can affect benthic primary production, we derived in situ seasonal photosynthesis‐irradiance (P‐I) curves over 2 yr. These were conducted during submerged and emerged periods in a seagrass meadow (Zostera muelleri) and an unvegetated sandflat (dominated by microphytobenthos). P‐I curves showed strong light responses during submergence in both habitats and seagrass during emergence, but in the exposed sandflat there was little relationship between light availability and photosynthesis. Light‐saturated measures of gross primary production (GPPsat) were 2.1 (submerged) and 4.1 times (emerged) higher in the seagrass than the sandflat habitat. Submerged GPPsat was always higher than emerged GPPsat, but this difference was much more pronounced in the sandflat habitat (2.4 vs. 1.3 times for seagrass). Integrating seasonally averaged P‐I curves for both tidal states into a simple model suggests that increasing submergence time could increase primary production in both habitats. However, reductions in water‐clarity will decrease submerged primary production; an effect that will be exacerbated with sea‐level rise. The sandflat trophic state was more sensitive to these environmental stressors because emerged production could not compensate for reductions during submergence. Collectively, regional management of water‐clarity may be key to providing resilience to intertidal habitats, against the inevitable effects of sea‐level rise.
Gain and bandwidth enhancement of low‐profile unidirectional radiation spiral slot antenna
Authors: Li Changjiang , Liu Yunlin 
Published: April 2023

AbstractA novel simple antenna based on substrate integrated coaxial‐like waveguide (SICW) is presented to enhance the gain and bandwidth of circularly polarized (CP) antenna with unidirectional radiation. The stepped inner metal strip is introduced in SICW, which results in a stronger radiation gain and wider axial ratio bandwidth. In addition, unlike traditional spiral antennas, the slot spiral antenna can be directly fed by a coaxial line at the inner port of the waveguide. As SICW can make the antenna directly realize unidirectional radiation, the extra reflector is not needed, and the antenna has a low profile of ( is the free space wavelength at the lowest frequency). The simulation and measurement results show that by using SICW with a stepped inner metal strip, the overlapping bandwidth of CP antenna can be increased significantly from 57.3% (2.7–4.85 GHz) to 71.6% (2.6–5.5 GHz) and the boresight gain of the antenna is improved 2 dBi over the entire frequency band.
Intranasal Insulin for the Treatment of Persistent Post‐COVID‐19 Olfactory Dysfunction
Authors: Cherobin Giancarlo B. , Guimarães Roberto E.S. , de Paula Gomes Márcia C. , Vasconcelos Luís O.G. , de Abreu Lígia A.N. 
Published: April 2023

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate if intranasal insulin could be a treatment option for those suffering from recalcitrant olfactory dysfunction due to COVID‐19.Study DesignProspective interventional cohort with a single group.SettingSixteen volunteers with anosmia, severe hyposmia, or moderate hyposmia for more than 60 days as sequelae of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infections were selected for the study. All volunteers reported that standard therapies, such as corticosteroids, have failed to improve their olfactory function.MethodsOlfactory function was assessed by the Chemosensory Clinical Research Center test of olfaction (COT) before and after the intervention. Changes in qualitative, quantitative, and global COT scores were investigated. The insulin therapy session consisted of placing into each olfactory cleft 2 pieces of gelatin sponge soaked with neutral protamine Hagedorn (NPH) insulin, 40 IU on each side. The procedure was repeated twice a week for 1 month. Glycaemic blood level was measured before and after each session.ResultsThe qualitative COT score rose 1.53 points, p = .0001, 95% confidence interval (CI) (−2.12 to −0.94). The quantitative COT score increased by 2.00 points, p = .0002, 95% CI (−3.59 to −1.41). Global COT score had an improvement of 2.01 points, p = .00003, 95% CI (−2.7 to −1.3). Glycaemic blood level dropped on average 10.4 mg/dL, p < .00003, 95% CI (8.1‐12.8).ConclusionOur results suggest that the administration of NPH insulin into the olfactory cleft yields a rapid improvement in the sense of smell of patients suffering from persistent post‐COVID‐19 olfactory dysfunction. Moreover, the procedure seems to be safe and tolerable.
Resting‐State Cerebral Hemodynamics is Associated With Problem Behaviors in Pediatric Sleep‐Disordered Breathing
Authors: Isaiah Amal , Teplitzky Taylor B. , Dontu Pragnya , Saini Sumeet , Som Maria , Pereira Kevin D. , Bortfeld Heather 
Published: April 2023

AbstractObjectiveUntreated sleep‐disordered breathing (SDB) is associated with problem behaviors in children. The neurological basis for this relationship is unknown. We used functional near‐infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to assess the relationship between cerebral hemodynamics of the frontal lobe of the brain and problem behaviors in children with SDB.Study DesignCross‐sectional.SettingUrban tertiary care academic children's hospital and affiliated sleep center.MethodsWe enrolled children with SDB aged 5 to 16 years old referred for polysomnography. We measured fNIRS‐derived cerebral hemodynamics within the frontal lobe during polysomnography. We assessed parent‐reported problem behaviors using the Behavioral Response Inventory of Executive Function Second Edition (BRIEF‐2). We compared the relationships between (i) the instability in cerebral perfusion in the frontal lobe measured fNIRS, (ii) SDB severity using apnea‐hypopnea index (AHI), and (iii) BRIEF‐2 clinical scales using Pearson correlation (r). A p < .05 was considered significant.ResultsA total of 54 children were included. The average age was 7.8 (95% confidence interval, 7.0‐8.7) years; 26 (48%) were boys and 25 (46%) were Black. The mean AHI was 9.9 (5.7‐14.1). There is a statistically significant inverse relationship between the coefficient of variation of perfusion in the frontal lobe and BRIEF‐2 clinical scales (range of r = 0.24‐0.49, range of p = .076 to <.001). The correlations between AHI and BRIEF‐2 scales were not statistically significant.ConclusionThese results provide preliminary evidence for fNIRS as a child‐friendly biomarker for the assessment of adverse outcomes of SDB.
Preparation and investigation of nanogenerators based on the flexible BTO/P(VDF‐TrFE) composites
Authors: Cong Yuan , Zhang Hongyuan , Liu Yizhi , Liu Fante , Zhang Zidi , Liu Xu 
Published: April 2023

AbstractIn this article, a piezoelectric thin film was obtained by mixing polyvinylidene fluoride‐trifluoroethylene (P(VDF‐TrFE)) and barium titanate (BTO) via a solvent vaporization process. All the morphologies, crystal phases, thermal and electrical tests, as well as potential simulations by COMSOL, were studied to analyze sample performances. It has been demonstrated that BTO has a positive effect on increasing the piezoelectric functional phase‐β phase within P(VDF‐TrFE). Furthermore, the optimal ratio of BTO to P(VDF‐TrFE) was determined to be 10 wt%. BTO nanoparticles were evenly distributed in the P(VDF‐TrFE) substrate, forming a more directional structure. Based on the most suitable material composition, piezoelectric, and triboelectric nanogenerators were constructed to harvest mechanical energy from human motions. Moreover, the factors influencing the electrical outputs of nanogenerators were systematically studied, such as the force values and frequencies of excitation, as well as the piezoelectric layer materials. The applications of lighting LEDs highlighted the practical use in everyday life. Finally, the comparison between simulations, theoretical analysis, and experimental results demonstrated the effect of BTO in enhancing the overall material properties. This work expands the application potential of piezoelectric nanocomposites in energy collection and storage by designing and optimizing ceramic‐doped piezoelectric polymer composites.
Dynamical changes of SARS‐CoV‐2 spike variants in the highly immunogenic regions impact the viral antibodies escaping
Authors: Di Rienzo Lorenzo , Miotto Mattia , Desantis Fausta , Grassmann Greta , Ruocco Giancarlo , Milanetti Edoardo 
Published: April 2023

AbstractThe prolonged circulation of the SARS‐CoV‐2 virus resulted in the emergence of several viral variants, with different spreading features. Moreover, the increased number of recovered and/or vaccinated people introduced a selective pressure toward variants able to evade the immune system, developed against the former viral versions. This process results in reinfections. Aiming to study the latter process, we first collected a large structural dataset of antibodies in complex with the original version of SARS‐CoV‐2 Spike protein. We characterized the peculiarities of such antibodies population with respect to a control dataset of antibody‐protein complexes, highlighting some statistically significant differences between these two sets of antibodies. Thus, moving our attention to the Spike side of the complexes, we identify the Spike region most prone to interaction with antibodies, describing in detail also the energetic mechanisms used by antibodies to recognize different epitopes. In this framework, fast protocols able to assess the effect of novel mutations on the cohort of developed antibodies would help establish the impact of the variants on the population. Performing a molecular dynamics simulation of the trimeric form of the SARS‐CoV‐2 Spike protein for the wild type and two variants of concern, that is, the Delta and Omicron variants, we described the physicochemical features and the conformational changes experienced locally by the variants with respect to the original version. Hence, combining the dynamical information with the structural study on the antibody‐spike dataset, we quantitatively explain why the Omicron variant has a higher capability of escaping the immune system than the Delta variant, due to the higher conformational variability of the most immunogenic regions. Overall, our results shed light on the molecular mechanism behind the different responses the SARS‐CoV‐2 variants display against the immune response induced by either vaccines or previous infections. Moreover, our analysis proposes an approach that can be easily extended to both other SARS‐CoV‐2 variants or different molecular systems.
Youth‐inclusive framework for a sustainable future in planetary health action: A conference summary
Authors: Miranda Adriana Viola , Feng Katherine , Põld Ave , Tagari Muhammed Yaseen , Meilianti Sherly , Sharief Shahd , Yin Elaine Tan Su , Afolabi Rahmot 
Published: April 2023

AbstractThe multisectoral nature of emerging global health threats, such as climate change, antimicrobial resistance, and food security, requires holistic solutions. Planetary health, which encompasses the relationship between human systems– political, economic, and social—and Earth's natural systems, is an emerging holistic approach used globally. The Global Health Workforce Network (GHWN) Youth Hub Virtual Conference 2022 was held on 9–10 September 2022 to discuss the role of youth in advancing planetary health. This conference summary introduces a novel youth‐inclusive planetary health framework and describes the current implementation landscape and challenges of planetary health. Based on literature review and discussions at the conference, we identified four supporting pillars of youth‐inclusive planetary health approaches: governance, competency‐based education, research, and digital health. Considering the increasing number of youth in the global health workforce and their huge interests in community participation, meaningful youth engagement should be prioritized to ensure the sustainability of these approaches.
Acute hypercapnic respiratory failure in patients with obesity hypoventilation syndrome during the COVID‐19 pandemic: Four case reports
Authors: Nakamura Sato , Kawagishi Yukio , Kikushima Akihiro , Muto Atsushi , Suda Yoshifumi , Gohara Kazuki , Takeda Shinichi 
Published: April 2023

AbstractObesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) can cause acute hypercapnic respiratory failure (AHRF). The onset of AHRF in four patients with OHS during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic is reported in this study. Two men (23 and 45 years old) and two women (both 77 years old) presented to our hospital with AHRF. In the two elderly women, a prolonged supine position due to falls seemed to be the cause of AHRF. Treatment was started with bilevel positive airway pressure for all patients. While one patient died, the condition of the other three improved; they were discharged with continuous positive airway pressure. AHRF due to OHS was rarely reported in the rural region of Japan. It is suggested that increased rates of obesity due to lifestyle changes during the COVID‐19 pandemic may be responsible for an increase in the prevalence of OHS‐associated AHRF.
Dryland river regime shifts in Iran: Drivers and feedbacks
Authors: Rahimi Majid , Ghorbani Mehdi , Ahmadaali Khaled , Salajeghe Ali , Azadi Hossein 
Published: April 2023

AbstractIn the Anthropocene, human activities have created unprecedented changes and nonlinear relationships between humans and nature. These changes can be much faster and more intense in arid and semiarid areas that have been affected by intense human activities. Iran has climates from very humid to very dry, but arid and semiarid climates cover the country's largest area. Many of these arid areas have undergone severe changes in their surface and groundwater ecosystems in recent years, which have caused severe damage to humans and the environment in the area and surrounding areas. Therefore, in this study, using the theory of regime shifts, the time series of the Zayandeh‐Rud River Basin in the center of Iran were analyzed. First, the data of the desired time series in the period of 1986–2018 was arranged seasonally. Then, using the sequential t‐test method, regime shifts in these time series were identified, and then, causal loop diagrams of these shifts and their drivers and feedbacks were interpreted. The results showed that in the time series of quantity and quality of surface water and groundwater level in the studied stations and aquifers, regime shifts can be identified. Regime shifts were also identified in the time series of agricultural land area. These shifts have occurred with the increase in human activities since the early 1950s in the metropolis of Isfahan, the increase in agricultural and industrial exploitation, and consequently, the increase in population. When this reinforcing feedback loop becomes dominant, the Zayandeh‐Rud River system has shifted from a regime of rich water resources to a regime of poor water resources. However, by recognizing and systematically analyzing these shifts, the Zayandeh‐Rud River system can be directed toward a sustainable system through structural reform, negotiation, and redefining goals.
Benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages in large river secondary channels: Contemporaneous and legacy effects of flow connectivity
Authors: Harrison Audrey B. , Oliver Amanda J. , Slack William T. , Faucheux Nicky M. , Killgore K. Jack , Ochs Clifford A. 
Published: April 2023

AbstractIn large rivers, secondary channels occur where the main channel is divided by an instream island, forming one or multiple smaller channels outside the main channel. Secondary channels are highly variable in morphometry, flow characteristics, and degree of connectivity to the main channel. Engineered closing structures at the upstream end of most secondary channels restrict inflow from the main channel, resulting in gradients of flow connectivity among secondary channels that vary with river stage. We investigated the relationship of flow connectivity to benthic macroinvertebrate assemblage richness and structure among a series of secondary channels of the Lower Mississippi River. Samples were collected over 2 years at times of high and low river stages. We discovered (1) macroinvertebrate assemblage structure and taxonomic richness varied along the flow connectivity gradient, and (2) there was a legacy effect of prior connection on assemblage structure that lasted up to a year. We contend that for management and restoration planning aimed at conservation of large river biological diversity, an important consideration are the life history requirements of animals utilizing secondary channel habitats.