bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Quantitative dual‐energy computed tomography with cesium as a novel contrast agent for localization of thermochemical ablation in phantoms and ex vivo models
Authors: Thompson Emily A. , Jacobsen Megan C. , Fuentes David T. , Layman Rick R. , Cressman Erik N. K. 
Published: July 2023

AbstractBackgroundThermochemical ablation (TCA) is a minimally invasive therapy under development for hepatocellular carcinoma. TCA simultaneously delivers an acid (acetic acid, AcOH) and base (sodium hydroxide, NaOH) directly into the tumor, where the acid/base chemical reaction produces an exotherm that induces local ablation. However, AcOH and NaOH are not radiopaque, making monitoring TCA delivery difficult.PurposeWe address the issue of image guidance for TCA by utilizing cesium hydroxide (CsOH) as a novel theranostic component of TCA that is detectable and quantifiable with dual‐energy CT (DECT).Materials and methodsTo quantify the minimum concentration of CsOH that can be positively identified by DECT, the limit of detection (LOD) was established in an elliptical phantom (Multi‐Energy CT Quality Assurance Phantom, Kyoto Kagaku, Kyoto, Japan) with two DECT technologies: a dual‐source system (SOMATOM Force, Siemens Healthineers, Forchheim, Germany) and a split‐filter, single‐source system (SOMATOM Edge, Siemens Healthineers). The dual‐energy ratio (DER) and LOD of CsOH were determined for each system. Cesium concentration quantification accuracy was evaluated in a gelatin phantom before quantitative mapping was performed in ex vivo models.ResultsOn the dual‐source system, the DER and LOD were 2.94 and 1.36‐mM CsOH, respectively. For the split‐filter system, the DER and LOD were 1.41‐ and 6.11‐mM CsOH, respectively. The signal on cesium maps in phantoms tracked linearly with concentration (R2 = 0.99) on both systems with an RMSE of 2.56 and 6.72 on the dual‐source and split‐filter system, respectively. In ex vivo models, CsOH was detected following delivery of TCA at all concentrations.ConclusionsDECT can be used to detect and quantify the concentration of cesium in phantom and ex vivo tissue models. When incorporated in TCA, CsOH performs as a theranostic agent for quantitative DECT image‐guidance.
Continued benefit of nusinersen initiated in the presymptomatic stage of spinal muscular atrophy: 5‐year update of theNURTUREstudy
Authors: Crawford Thomas O. , Swoboda Kathryn J. , De Vivo Darryl C. , Bertini Enrico , Hwu Wuh‐Liang , Finkel Richard S. , Kirschner Janbernd , Kuntz Nancy L. , Nazario Aledie Navas , Parsons Julie A. , Pechmann Astrid , Ryan Monique M. , Butterfield Russell J. , Topaloglu Haluk , Ben‐Omran Tawfeg , Sansone Valeria A. , Jong Yuh‐Jyh , Shu Francy , Zhu Cong , Raynaud Stephanie , Lago Tiffany R. , Paradis Angela D. , Foster Richard , Chin Russell , Berger Zdenek ,   the NURTURE Study Group
Published: July 2023

AbstractIntroduction/AimsNURTURE (NCT02386553) is an open‐label study of nusinersen in children (twoSMN2copies,n = 15; threeSMN2copies,n = 10) who initiated treatment in the presymptomatic stage of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). A prior analysis after ~3 y showed benefits on survival, respiratory outcomes, motor milestone achievement, and a favorable safety profile. An additional 2 y of follow‐up (data cut: February 15, 2021) are reported.MethodsThe primary endpoint is time to death or respiratory intervention (≥6 h/day continuously for ≥7 days or tracheostomy). Secondary outcomes include overall survival, motor function, and safety.ResultsMedian age of children was 4.9 (3.8–5.5) y at last visit. No children have discontinued the study or treatment. All were alive. No additional children utilized respiratory intervention (defined per primary endpoint) since the prior data cut. Children with threeSMN2copies achieved all World Health Organization (WHO) motor milestones, with all but one milestone in one child within normal developmental timeframes. All 15 children with twoSMN2copies achieved sitting without support, 14/15 walking with assistance, and 13/15 walking alone. Mean Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale Expanded total scores showed continued improvement. Subgroups with twoSMN2copies, minimum baseline compound muscle action potential amplitude ≥2 mV, and no baseline areflexia had better motor and nonmotor outcomes versus all children with twoSMN2copies.DiscussionThese results demonstrate the value of early treatment, durability of treatment effect, and favorable safety profile after ~5 y of nusinersen treatment. Inclusion/exclusion criteria and baseline characteristics should be considered when interpreting presymptomatic SMA trial data.
New insights into cancer: MDM2 binds to the citrullinating enzyme PADI4
Authors: Araujo‐Abad Salomé , Rizzuti Bruno , Villamarin‐Ortiz Adrián , Pantoja‐Uceda David , Moreno‐Gonzalez Celia M. , Abian Olga , Velazquez‐Campoy Adrián , Neira José L. , de Juan Romero Camino 
Published: July 2023

AbstractPADI4 is one of the human isoforms of a family of enzymes implicated in the conversion of arginine to citrulline. MDM2 is an E3 ubiquitin ligase which is crucial for down‐regulation of degradation of the tumor suppressor gene p53. Given the relationship between both PADI4 and MDM2 with p53‐signaling pathways, we hypothesized they may interact directly, and this interaction could be relevant in the context of cancer. Here, we showed their association in the nucleus and cytosol in several cancer cell lines. Furthermore, binding was hampered in the presence of GSK484, an enzymatic PADI4 inhibitor, suggesting that MDM2 could bind to the active site of PADI4, as confirmed by in silico experiments. In vitro and in silico studies showed that the isolated N‐terminal region of MDM2, N‐MDM2, interacted with PADI4, and residues Thr26, Val28, Phe91 and Lys98 were more affected by the presence of the enzyme. Moreover, the dissociation constant between N‐MDM2 and PADI4 was comparable to the IC50 of GSK484 from in cellulo experiments. The interaction between MDM2 and PADI4 might imply MDM2 citrullination, with potential therapeutic relevance for improving cancer treatment, due to the generation of new antigens.
Influence of physico‐mechanical and electrical resistivity performance of high volume fly‐ash cementitious mortar with low carbon
Authors: Maurya Sameer Kumar , Kothiyal N C 
Published: July 2023

AbstractA graphene oxide (GO) has the potential to improve the strength and hardness of cementitious matrix. The agglomeration of GO in an alkaline medium of cement matrix reduced the reinforcing efficiency. In this study, two types of control samples were fabricated named OPC‐C (OPC control) and HVFA‐C (OPC + 50% FA control) without the addition of GO and four HVFA cementitious mortar samples HVFA‐G1, HVFA‐G2, HVFA‐G3, and HVFA‐G4 were prepared with incorporation of GO 0.005%, 0.010%, 0.020% and 0.040%, respectively. The results revealed that the superplasticizer stabilized GO in cement mortar, significantly improves the compressive (27.12%) and split tensile strength (38.16%) in the HVFA‐G3 mix as compared to HVFA‐C at a curing age of 90 days. The maximum electrical resistivity attained in HVFA‐G4 (83%) mix as compared to OPC‐C at a curing age of 90 days. In addition, microstructural analysis of HVFA cementitious mortar was conducted using a Field Emission‐Scanning Electron Microscope (FE‐SEM), while the crystallization behavior of hydration products ware examined through Powdered X‐Ray Diffraction (PXRD). Furthermore, the chemical bonding between the hydration products was studied using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT‐IR). Overall, it is concluded that the superplasticizer stabilized GO in HVFA cementitious mortar, helps to achieve better mechanical strength, electrical resistivity performance, and microstructural behavior.
Impact of nano catalyst in the biodiesel production for direct injection diesel engine: A review
Authors: Senthilkumar J. , Dharun K. , Sanchit Kumar T. , Suresh Kumar R. , Jayanthi N. , Venkatesh S. 
Published: July 2023

AbstractThe demand for energy is a significant topic in both developing and developed nations. The need for energy is growing rapidly every day. Biodiesel is a viable alternative answer to this issue, hence it is vital to discover an environmentally friendly alternative solution. To compare the emissions and combustion behaviors while diesel engines employing with Pithecellobium dulce seed oil. As a catalyst, seed oil biodiesel that has been blended separately and mixed with nanoparticles of titanium oxide and aluminum oxide is employed. Transesterification was used to esterify Pithecellobium dulce Seed Oil. Then, for each nano substance, samples S1, S2, and S3 were generated using a sonication technique. The project's focus is on creating a substitute fuel for everyday use. Hydrocarbon‐based gasoline is currently a dependable fuel. Alternatives that are environmentally friendly, like biodiesel, should be taken into account. The main objective of this experiment is to determine the engine performance and emission parameters of diesel engines using mixes of diesel and biodiesel with nano additives. The experiment's fuel is diesel, and an equal volume of biodiesel is mixed with different‐sized nano additives.
Modulation of Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells in the Tumor Microenvironment by Natural Products
Authors: Calderon Jhon Jairo , Prieto Karol , Lasso Paola , Fiorentino Susana , Barreto Alfonso 
Published: July 2023

AbstractDuring carcinogenesis, the microenvironment plays a fundamental role in tumor progression and resistance. This tumor microenvironment (TME) is characterized by being highly immunosuppressive in most cases, which makes it an important target for the development of new therapies. One of the most important groups of cells that orchestrate immunosuppression in TME is myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), which have multiple mechanisms to suppress the immune response mediated by T lymphocytes and thus protect the tumor. In this review, we will discuss the importance of modulating MDSCs as a therapeutic target and how the use of natural products, due to their multiple mechanisms of action, can be a key alternative for modulating these cells and thus improve response to therapy in cancer patients.
Influences of various parameters on shear stiffness of bolted joints subjected to shear load
Authors: Murai Ayaka , Watanabe Tadatoshi , Fukuda Masahiro , Hashimura Shinji 
Published: July 2023

AbstractParameters which affect shear stiffness characteristics of bolted joints subjected to shear load should be elucidated in order to design mechanical structures for functionality focusing not only on their strength and self-loosening but also on their shear stiffness. In this study, we have both experimentally and analytically investigated the behaviors of a bolted joint subjected to shear load and primary parameters which determine the shear stiffness characteristics of bolted joints. The experiments have been conducted applying the shear load four times repeatedly on clamped plates of a bolt/nut assembly with washers. We measured the shear stiffness of bolted joints and the shear load at which the slippage started to occur between the clamped plates. Four types of washers were used in the experiments with different contact areas on the clamped plates in order to reveal the effect of contact area of washers. We also conducted FE analysis under the same conditions. As the results, it was seen that the shear stiffness slightly increased with an increase in the clamp force of bolted joint. The shear stiffness was not influenced by the number of loading cycles. It was also seen that the amount of rotational deformation in the bolted joint depended on the slippage between the clamped plates. Although the rotation deformation was very small until the slippage occurrence, the rotational deformation remarkably increased after the slippage occurred. In general, it is well-known that the joining portion of lap jointed plates by spot welding, for example, slightly and rotationally deformed, but it has never been elucidated that the inclination angle due to the rotational deformation depends on the slippage between the clamped plates in the bolted joint. It was also seen that the shear stiffness until the slippage occurrence increased with an increase in the contacting surface area between the clamped plates. Although we investigated the effect of surface roughness of the clamped plates only in the experiments, we cannot clearly reveal its effect on the shear stiffness. But it is seen from the FE analysis result that the friction coefficient between clamped plates had a slight influence on the shear stiffness. The result shows that the shear stiffness of bolted joint mainly depends not only on the slip resistance between the clamped plates but also on increase of the contact surface between the washers and clamped plates. The results can be applied in order to control the shear stiffness of lap-jointed plates by spot welding and so on.
The effect of the Sars-Cov-2 pandemic on the use of personal protective equipment in hospitals
Authors: Ivanović Tijana , Gräbsch Carolin , Som Claudia , Nowack Bernd 
Published: July 2023

AbstractThe Covid pandemic has strongly affected the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the medical sector. Our aim was to assess the influence of Covid on PPE use within a German hospital by analyzing PPE use in four years prior to Covid and in 2020/2021. Numbers of items and mass of different types of PPE were determined based on procurement data. The results show that for the use of gloves the pandemic only had a small effect on the number of items. For body protection there was a clear trend toward a decrease in the number of items used in the years before the pandemic due to actions by the hospital toward a better environmental footprint which was partially reversed by the pandemic. The number of masks on the other hand doubled during the pandemic. Expressed in mass of PPE per patient and day, 15 g of masks, 121 g of gloves, and 183 g of body protection are used, resulting in a total of 319 g of PPE per patient and day. As medical waste has a specific treatment, no direct environmental effects of PPE use in hospitals in a region with well-developed waste treatment system are expected.
Braving the waves: exploring capability well-being patterns in seven European countries during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Himmler Sebastian , van Exel Job , Brouwer Werner , Neumann-Böhme Sebastian , Sabat Iryna , Schreyögg Jonas , Stargardt Tom , Barros Pedro Pita , Torbica Aleksandra 
Published: July 2023

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic considerably impacted the lives of European citizens. This study aims to provide a nuanced picture of well-being patterns during the pandemic across Europe with a special focus on relevant socio-economic sub-groups. This observational study uses data from a repeated, cross-sectional, representative population survey with nine waves of data from seven European countries from April 2020 to January 2022. The analysis sample contains a total of 25,062 individuals providing 64,303 observations. Well-being is measured using the ICECAP-A, a multi-dimensional instrument for approximating capability well-being. Average levels of ICECAP-A index values and sub-dimension scores were calculated across waves, countries, and relevant sub-groups. In a fixed effects regression framework, associations of capability well-being with COVID-19 incidence, mortality, and the stringency of the imposed lockdown measures were estimated. Denmark, the Netherlands, and France experienced a U-shaped pattern in well-being (lowest point in winter 2020/21), while well-being in the UK, Germany, Portugal, and Italy followed an M-shape, with increases after April 2020, a drop in winter 2020, a recovery in the summer of 2021, and a decline in winter 2021. However, observed average well-being reductions were generally small. The largest declines were found in the well-being dimensions attachment and enjoyment and among individuals with a younger age, a financially unstable situation, and lower health. COVID-19 mortality was consistently negatively associated with capability well-being and its sub-dimensions, while stringency and incidence rate were generally not significantly associated with well-being. Further investigation is needed to understand underlying mechanisms of presented patterns.
Acaricide resistance of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) decoloratus (Acari: Ixodidae) on commercial farms in South Africa: filling a gap in historical data
Authors: van Dalen Ellie M. S. P. , van Rensburg Candice Jansen 
Published: July 2023

AbstractIn South Africa, acaricides are widely used for tick control but very few reports are available on resistance development of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) decoloratus Koch to chemical control on commercial farming systems in Africa, south of the Sahara. Resistance to different acaricide classes reported over the years was mostly from localised communal farming systems. This report addresses the lack of available information on resistance development by reviewing results found during a National Tick Resistance Survey carried out from 1998 to 2001, laying the foundation for more recent research on resistance development, and the evolution of resistance over the years. One hundred and eighty R. decoloratus populations were randomly collected from commercial farming systems, covering most of the provinces of South Africa. Larval immersion tests were used to determine phenotypic resistance for each tick population and 6.6% of the populations tested were found to be resistant to amitraz, 35.5% to cypermethrin, and 36.1% to chlorfenvinphos. Multi-resistance to all three acaricides was found in 1.2% of populations and a further 25.8% of the populations were resistant to two acaricides. The detection of resistance of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) species to currently used or new acaricides is an essential tool in resistance management. The acaricides tested for the resistance of R. decoloratus during the survey are currently still in use in South Africa and these historical results, never published before, can be valuable and can act as reference data to determine the evolution of resistance development to acaricides in more recent studies.
Influence of Flow Configuration and Thermal Wall Boundary Conditions on Turbulence During Premixed Flame-Wall Interaction within Low Reynolds Number Boundary Layers
Authors: Ahmed Umair , Chakraborty Nilanjan , Klein Markus 
Published: July 2023

AbstractThe influence of flow configuration on flame-wall interaction (FWI) of premixed flames within turbulent boundary layers has been investigated. Direct numerical simulations (DNS) of two different flow configurations for flames interacting with chemically inert isothermal and adiabatic walls in fully developed turbulent boundary layers have been performed. The first configuration is an oblique wall interaction (OWI) of a V-flame in a turbulent channel flow and the second configuration is a head-on interaction (HOI) of a planar flame in a turbulent boundary layer. These simulations are representative of stoichiometric methane-air mixture under atmospheric conditions and the non-reacting turbulence for these simulations corresponds to the friction velocity based Reynolds number of $$Re_{\tau }=110$$

R

e
τ

=
110

. It is found that the mean wall shear stress, mean wall friction velocity and the mean velocity statistics are affected during FWI and the behaviour for these quantities varies under the different flow configurations as well as for the different thermal wall boundary conditions. The behaviour of the quenching distance and mean wall heat flux under isothermal wall conditions is found to be significantly different between the two flow configurations. The variation of the non-dimensional temperature in wall units for cases with isothermal walls suggests that the temperature in the log-layer region is significantly altered by the evolving wall heat flux in both flow configurations. Statistics of the mean Reynolds stresses and turbulence dissipation rate show that the flame significantly alters the behaviour of turbulence due to thermal expansion effects and flow configuration plays an important role.
Collision Statistics of Droplets in Turbulence Considering Lubrication Interactions, Mobility of Interfaces, and Non-continuum Molecular Effects
Authors: Ababaei Ahmad , Michel Antoine , Rosa Bogdan 
Published: July 2023

AbstractCollision statistics of same-size aerodynamically interacting droplets in homogeneous isotropic turbulence is examined via hybrid direct numerical simulations combined with Lagrangian particle tracking under a point-particle assumption and a one-way momentum coupling. The simulations are performed both in the absence and presence of gravity for various droplet Stokes numbers (0.1–2) over a wide range of liquid water contents (LWCs = 1–30 $$\text {g/m}^3$$

g/m
3

). Also, the effects of using different representations of the lubrication forces, i.e. a continuum and a non-continuum one, have been investigated. The results have highlighted the importance of considering the aerodynamic interaction, especially in the presence of gravity for the systems that have high LWCs. Likewise, taking the lubrication force into account shows a notable change in statistics, but a non-continuum representation yields results that are close to the continuum one. In addition, the impact of modeling droplets as fluid drops instead of rigid particles has been examined. Obtaining quite close statistics under both cases demonstrates that a rigid particle assumption for water droplets in air is sufficiently accurate owing to the high water-to-air viscosity ratio. Moreover, the collision efficiency is shown to be in the range 60–100% in the absence of gravity, which approaches 100% as the LWC is enlarged. In the presence of gravity, however, the efficiency grows, with both the Stokes number and the LWC, to values as high as 300%. Finally, for settling droplet systems, the enhancement factor due to turbulence is quantified, exhibiting a growth with the LWC and a reduction with the Stokes number.
Research on visual simulation for complex weapon equipment interoperability based on MBSE
Authors: Yang Haigen , Xia Zhun , Chen Yanqing , Zhu Linqun , Dai Luohao , Xu Ruotian , Sun GuiYing , Yu Hongyang , Xu Wenting 
Published: July 2023

AbstractAs military reforms continue to develop, the battlefield environment is becoming increasingly complex, and traditional single-service combat methods have evolved into integrated joint and collaborative information operations that break down service boundaries on land, sea, and air. The level of weapon system confrontation has also evolved into a system-to-system confrontation. Traditional document-based system architecture design methods can no longer address the complexity and emergent challenges of weapon system construction. In this paper, based on model-driven system engineering, an open, integrated, model-driven weapon equipment interaction system that supports human interaction was constructed using the SysML modeling language and Magicdraw modeling tool. The Unreal Engine 4 landscape building function was used to construct a virtual battlefield environment, and a communication server was developed using C# language to perform visual simulation of interoperability between weapon systems. Based on model-driven weapon equipment interoperability, visual simulation is used to ensure that the function of the weapon equipment system meets the requirements of combat and the combat effectiveness of the system is maximized.