bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Assessment of Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction in Cases with Liver Cirrhosis
Authors: El-Mashad Mohammed El-Refaey , El-Masry Magdy Mohamed , Al-Hefnawy Suzan Bayoumy , Elsheikh Ayman Ahmed 
Published: February 2023

Background: Cirrhosis is a long-term inflammatory process of hepatic tissue condition that mainly affects people aged 50 to 60. This study aims to assess Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) in cases with cirrhotic liver by conventional, tissue Doppler and two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography to clarify the correlation between the severity of cirrhotic liver and LVDD.
Methods: A prospective case-control research involved 100 adult cases with confirmed HCV and HBV. Cases were divided into 4 equal group: Group A: Child A cases, group B: Child B cases, group C: Child C cases and group D (Controls): healthy non-hepatic subjects of the same age and sex who have normal blood pressure, nonsmoking participants with no further concomitant problems.
Results: Number of cases with LVDD had a statistical noticeable increase in Child A, B, and C (p =0.004, <0.001, and <0.001 respectively. LAVi had a statistical noticeable increase in Child C / B (p =0.013 and p =0.014).
Conclusion: Left atrial volume index (LAVi) had a statistical noticeable increase in Child C / B in comparison to the controls but E m, E l were statistical noticeable lower in Child C / B. /E had a statistical noticeable increase in Child C group, LVSRe had a statistical noticeable decrease in Child C group but it was insignificantly different across Child A / B/ C and controls and across Child B / C and controls.
Complication Rate of Percutaneous Dilatational Tracheostomy in Critically Ill Adults With Obesity
Authors: Roy Catherine F. , Silver Jennifer A. , Turkdogan Sena , Siafa Lyna , Correa José A. , Kost Karen 
Published: February 2023

ImportanceObesity has traditionally been described as a relative contraindication to percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT). Increased familiarity with the technique and use of bronchoscopy or real-time ultrasonography to enhance visualization have led many practitioners to expand the indication for PDT to patients historically deemed to have high risk of perioperative complications.ObjectiveTo assess the reported complication rate of PDT in critically ill adults with obesity and compare it with that of open surgical tracheostomies (OSTs) in this patient population and with that of PDT in their counterparts without obesity.Data SourcesIn this systematic review and meta-analysis, Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched from January 1, 2000, to March 1, 2022. Key terms related to percutaneous tracheostomy and obesity were included.Study SelectionOriginal investigations of critically ill adult patients (age ≥18 years) with obesity who underwent PDT that reported at least 1 complication of interest were included. Case reports or series with fewer than 5 patients were excluded, as were studies in a language other than English or French.Data Extraction and SynthesisPreferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) and Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) were used, with independent extraction by multiple observers. Frequencies were reported for all dichotomous variables. Relative risks for complications were calculated using both fixed-effects and random-effects models in the meta-analysis.Main Outcomes and MeasuresMain outcomes included mortality directly associated with the procedure, conversion to OST, and complications associated with the procedure (subclassified into life-threatening or non–life-threatening adverse events).ResultsEighteen studies were included in the systematic review, comprising 1355 patients with obesity who underwent PDT. The PDT-related complication rate was 16.6% among patients with obesity overall (791 patients, 17 studies), most of which were non–life-threatening. Only 0.6% of cases (8 of 1314 patients, 17 studies) were aborted or converted to an OST. A meta-analysis of 12 studies (N = 4212; 1078 with obesity and 3134 without obesity) showed that patients with obesity had a higher rate of complications associated with PDT compared with their counterparts without obesity (risk ratio, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.38-2.28). A single study compared PDT with OST directly for critically ill adults with obesity; thus, the intended meta-analysis could not be performed in this subgroup.Conclusions and RelevanceThe findings suggest that the rate of complications of PDT is low in critically ill individuals with obesity, although the risk of complications may be higher than in individuals without obesity.
Multi-organ carcinogenicity by inhalation exposure to 2-Bromopropane in rats
Authors: Senoh Hideki , Kasai Tatsuya , Hirai Shigeyuki , Furukawa Yusuke , Misumi Kyohei , Goto Yuko , Takanobu Kenji , Matsumoto Michiharu , Fukushima Shoji , Aiso Shigetoshi 
Published: February 2023

Abstract

Objective
The purpose of this study was to investigate the carcinogenicity of 2-bromopropane (2-BP) in rats.

Methods
Male and female F344 rats were exposed by whole body inhalation to 2-BP vapor at concentrations of 0, 67, 200, and 600 ppm for 6 h/day, 5 days/week for 2 years.

Results
All rats of both sexes exposed to 600 ppm died or became moribund within 85 weeks. Death/moribundity was caused by 2-BP induced tumors. In males, significantly increased tumors were malignant Zymbal’s gland tumors; sebaceous adenoma and basal cell carcinoma of the skin/appendage; adenocarcinoma of the small/large intestine; follicular cell adenoma of the thyroid; fibroma of the subcutis, and malignant lymphoma of the lymph node. In addition, an increased trend in tumor incidence was found in the preputial gland, lung, forestomach, pancreas islet, brain, and spleen. In females, significantly increased tumors were adenocarcinoma and fibroadenoma of the mammary gland, squamous cell papilloma of the vagina, and large granular lymphocytic leukemia of the spleen. In addition, an increased trend in tumor incidence was found in Zymbal’s gland, the clitoral gland, skin, large intestine, pancreas islet, uterus, and subcutis. Particularly, malignant Zymbal’s gland tumors were induced even in males exposed to the lowest concentration, 67 ppm.

Conclusion
Two-year inhalation exposure to 2-BP resulted in multi-organ carcinogenicity in rats. Based on sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in this study, 2-BP has the potential to be a human carcinogen.
Assessing the variability and correlation between SUV and ADC parameters of head and neck cancers derived from simultaneous PET/MRI: A single‐center study
Authors: Wongsa Paramest , Nantasuk Mayurachat , Singhnoi Sinirun , Pawano Phattarasaya , Jantarato Attapon , Siripongsatian Dheeratama , Lerdsirisuk Pradith , Phonlakrai Monchai 
Published: February 2023

AbstractObjectiveIntratumoral heterogeneity is associated with poor outcomes in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients owing to chemoradiotherapy resistance. [18F]‐FDG positron emission tomography (PET) / Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) provides spatial information about tumor mass, allowing intratumor heterogeneity assessment through histogram analysis. However, variability in quantitative PET/MRI parameter measurements could influence their reliability in assessing patient prognosis. Therefore, to use standardized uptake value (SUV) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) parameters for assessing tumor response, this study aimed to measure SUV and ADC's variability and assess their relationship in HNC.MethodsFirst, ADC variability was measured in an in‐house diffusion phantom and in five healthy volunteers. The SUV variability was only measured with the NEMA phantom using a clinical imaging protocol. Furthermore, simultaneous PET/MRI data of 11 HNC patients were retrospectively collected from the National Cyclotron and PET center in Chulabhorn Hospital. Tumor contours were manually drawn from PET images by an experienced nuclear medicine radiologist before tumor volume segmentation. Next, SUV and ADC's histogram were used to extract statistic variables of ADC and SUV: mean, median, min, max, skewness, kurtosis, and 5th, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th, and 95th percentiles. Finally, the correlation between the statistic variables of ADC and SUV, as well as Metabolic Tumor volume and Total Lesion Glycolysis parameters was assessed using Pearson's correlation.ResultsThis pilot study showed that both parameters’ maximum coefficient of variation was 13.9% and 9.8% in the phantom and in vivo, respectively. Furthermore, we found a strong and negative correlation between SUVmax and ADVmed (r = −0.75, P = 0.01).ConclusionThe SUV and ADC obtained by simultaneous PET/MRI can be potentially used as an imaging biomarker for assessing intratumoral heterogeneity in patients with HNC. The low variability and relationship between SUV and ADC could allow multimodal prediction of tumor response in future studies.
Catching Our Breath: Updates on the Role of Dendritic Cell Subsets in Asthma
Authors: Lajiness Jacquelyn D. , Cook‐Mills Joan M. 
Published: February 2023

AbstractDendritic cells (DCs), as potent antigen presenting cells, are known to play a central role in the pathophysiology of asthma. The understanding of DC biology has evolved over the years to include multiple subsets of DCs with distinct functions in the initiation and maintenance of asthma. Furthermore, asthma is increasingly recognized as a heterogeneous disease with potentially diverse underlying mechanisms. The goal of this review is to summarize the role of DCs and the various subsets therein in the pathophysiology of asthma and highlight some of the crucial animal models shaping the field today. Potential future avenues of investigation to address existing gaps in knowledge are discussed.
A Matrix‐Metalloproteinase‐Responsive Hydrogel System for Modulating the Immune Microenvironment in Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Chen Wei , Wang Changyong , Liu Wei , Zhao Bicheng , Zeng Zhicheng , Long Fen , Wang Chunlan , Li Siwei , Lin Naibo , Zhou Jin 
Published: February 2023

AbstractInjectable hydrogels carrying therapeutic factors to modulate the infarct immune microenvironment show great potential in the treatment of myocardial infarction (MI). However, conventional injectable hydrogels release therapeutic factors in an uncontrolled manner, which leads to poor treatment efficacy and acute side effects on normal tissues. In this work, a matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)2/9‐responsive hydrogel system (MPGC4) is developed, considering the characteristics of the post‐MI microenvironment. MPGC4 consists of tetra‐poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogels and a composite gene nanocarrier (CTL4) that is composed of carbon dots (CDots) coupled with interleukin‐4 plasmid DNA via electrostatic interactions. MPGC4 can be automatically triggered to release CTL4 on demand after MI to regulate the infarct immune microenvironment. In addition, due to the photoluminescence properties of CDots, a large amount of viscoelastic MPGC4 is found to be retained in situ after injection into the infarct region without leakage. The in vitro results demonstrate that CTL4 promotes proinflammatory M1 macrophage polarization to the anti‐inflammatory M2 subtype and contributes to cardiomyocyte survival through macrophage transition. In a rat model of MI, MPGC4 clears MMPs and precisely targets CTL4 to the infarcted region. In particular, MPGC4 improves cardiac function by modulating macrophage transition to reduce early inflammatory responses and proangiogenic activity.
Assessing Biomaterial‐Induced Stem Cell Lineage Fate by Machine Learning‐Based Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Zhou Yingying , Ping Xianfeng , Guo Yusi , Heng Boon Chin , Wang Yijun , Meng Yanze , Jiang Shengjie , Wei Yan , Lai Binbin , Zhang Xuehui , Deng Xuliang 
Published: February 2023

AbstractCurrent functional assessment of biomaterial‐induced stem cell lineage fate in vitro mainly relies on biomarker‐dependent methods with limited accuracy and efficiency. Here a “Mesenchymal stem cell Differentiation Prediction (MeD‐P)” framework for biomaterial‐induced cell lineage fate prediction is reported. MeD‐P contains a cell‐type‐specific gene expression profile as a reference by integrating public RNA‐seq data related to tri‐lineage differentiation (osteogenesis, chondrogenesis, and adipogenesis) of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) and a predictive model for classifying hMSCs differentiation lineages using the k‐nearest neighbors (kNN) strategy. It is shown that MeD‐P exhibits an overall accuracy of 90.63% on testing datasets, which is significantly higher than the model constructed based on canonical marker genes (80.21%). Moreover, evaluations of multiple biomaterials show that MeD‐P provides accurate prediction of lineage fate on different types of biomaterials as early as the first week of hMSCs culture. In summary, it is demonstrated that MeD‐P is an efficient and accurate strategy for stem cell lineage fate prediction and preliminary biomaterial functional evaluation.
Fabrication of High‐Responsivity Sb2Se3‐Based Photodetectors through Selenization Process
Authors: Kim Su‐Kyung , You Hee‐Kyoung , Yun Kwang‐Ro , Kim Jong‐Ho , Seong Tae‐Yeon 
Published: February 2023

AbstractSb2Se3 has great potential for applications in near‐infrared sensors because of its narrow bandgap, environmental friendliness, and high absorption coefficient. However, the low conductivity of Sb2Se3 is an obstacle to the further development of high‐performance optoelectronic devices. In this study, to address this challenge, the selenization process is adopted. The incorporation of Se atoms into Sb2Se3 facilitates the crystallization of the films and the formation of [hk0]‐textured grains at a lower temperature than unselenized Sb2Se3. The selenized films possess larger grains than the unselenized ones at the same temperature. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results show that annealing causes the generation of donor‐like point defects (e.g., Vse and SbSe) and SeO2. The 250 °C‐annealed selenized Sb2Se3‐based photodetectors (PDs) have a high responsivity of 1130 mW A−1 and a specific detectivity of 4.62 × 1011 Jones. The PDs exhibit a fast response time (i.e., rise/fall time of 4.54 ms/8.50 ms), sensitivity of 94.2 at 20 mW cm−2, and external quantum efficiency of 155% at 200 µW cm−2. Further, the selenized PDs have good stability to moisture and air. Based on the XPS, X‐ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscope results, the improved performance of the selenized Sb2Se3‐based PDs is described and discussed.
Slide‐Ring Supramolecular Mechanoresponsive Elastomer with Reversible Luminescence Behavior
Authors: Zhang Yi , Chen Yong , Zhang Hui , Chen Lei , Bo Qiyu , Liu Yu 
Published: February 2023

AbstractA solid slide‐ring supramolecular elastomer is constructed by free‐radical polymerization of 2‐(2‐methoxyethoxy)ethyl methacrylate, acrylate‐modified perylene diimides (PDI), and the polyrotaxane (PR) cross‐linker. Benefiting from reciprocating shuttle function of slide‐ring PR formed by acrylate‐modified α‐cyclodextrin threading on polyethylene glycol, the resultant supramolecular elastomer not only presents excellent tensile property, toughness, and fatigue resistance up to 100 cycles, but also gives reversible mechano‐induced fluorescence changes from red to orange luminescence due to a reversible conversion of PDI dimer to monomer upon mechanical stretching. After the dye molecule Nile blue is added as a fluorescent acceptor, the supramolecular elastomer exhibits highly reversible mechano‐induced regulation of energy transfer and can perform five cycles without optical fatigue. This bifunctional mechanochromic slide‐ring supramolecular elastomer, which not only possesses mechanically reversible motion of the slide‐ring cross‐linkers but also has the mechanochromic response of fluorophore, endows the intrinsic superiority of slide‐ring into fatigue resistant mechanoresponsive strain sensing materials.
Highly Sensitive and Flexible Copper Oxide/Graphene Non‐Enzymatic Glucose Sensor by Laser Direct Writing
Authors: Li Qi , Yang Dasheng , Gao Yang , Wang Ziyang , Yin Ruixue , Xuan Fuzhen 
Published: February 2023

AbstractAccurate and convenient detection of human blood glucose levels is an effective method for early diagnosis of diabetes and prevention of complications. The flexible and wearable electrochemical glucose sensor with low cost, fast responsiveness, good stability, reliability, and high sensitivity has attracted much attention in monitoring glucose concentration. The preparation of a conductive layer with catalytic activity on a flexible substrate is the key to making a wearable glucose sensor. Here, graphene composite materials sintered with copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles are successfully prepared on a polyimide film by laser direct writing method and fabricated a flexible non‐enzymatic glucose sensor using laser‐engraved graphene (LEG) as a conductive electrode. The CuO/LEG sensor exhibits a high sensitivity of 619.43 μA mm−1 cm−2 in 0–3 mm glucose and 462.96 μA mm−1 cm−2 in 0–8 mm glucose. In addition, the CuO/LEG sensor shows good reproducibility, high anti‐interference capability, and long‐term stability. It also presents good bending stability, which can maintain 82.40% initial current after 100 times bending. Moreover, the CuO/LEG sensor has an obvious step‐ampere response in the detection of sweat samples, indicating the great potential of wearable sweat sensors.
Nanofiller‐Induced Enhancement of PVDF Electroactivity for Improved Sensing Performance
Authors: Chatterjee Arka , Das Avijit , Saha Kundan , Jeong Unyong 
Published: February 2023

AbstractPiezoelectric self‐powered sensors are promising platforms for wearable portable devices. Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and its copolymer derivatives are extensively explored as a soft piezoelectric material owing to their high piezoelectric coefficient, chemical thermal stability, biocompatibility, lightweight, and excellent flexibility. It is proved that the dominance of the electroactive (EA) β‐phase crystals versus the non‐electroactive α‐phase crystals is one of the key parameters to obtaining high piezoelectric performance of PVDF. Conventional methods, such as mechanical stretching, electrical poling, and high‐temperature annealing, are investigated to enhance the fraction of the β‐phase. Recently, embedding nanoscale fillers in the PVDF matrix has been investigated to further increase the β‐phase fraction and achieved considerable advances. The introduction of nanofillers is also advantageous in terms of improving the electrical conductivity and dielectric properties of PVDF, which are not readily obtained through conventional methods. This review introduces the principles of EA phase transformation in the presence of nanofillers and summarizes recent advances achieved by introducing various fillers, such as perovskites, oxide semiconductors, and 2D chalcogenides. The potential sensor applications of the PVDF nanocomposites responding to temperature, light, acoustic, and mechanical stimuli are reviewed. This review ends with the outlook of this new approach.
Short‐Range Atomic Topology of Ab Initio Generated Amorphous PdSi Alloys
Authors: Rodríguez Isaías , Valladares Renela M. , Valladares Alexander , Hinojosa‐Romero David , Valladares Ariel A. 
Published: February 2023

AbstractSince the pioneering efforts of Duwez and co‐workers in 1965, when a solid amorphous phase of palladium‐silicon (a‐PdSi) was obtained in the vicinity of the eutectic concentration, much work has been done. However, some points related to the atomic structures remain to be systematized. In this work, 8 amorphous Pd100‐cSic alloys (c = 2.5, 5, 10, 13.34, 15, 17.5, 20, and 22 at%) are generated by molecular dynamics ab initio simulations; the short‐range structure is analyzed using several correlation functions, like Pair Distribution Functions, reduced Pair Distribution Functions, Plane Angle Distribution Functions. Other related properties, like nearest‐neighbors and some Frank–Kasper polyhedra are reported. The generated samples correctly reproduce the scarce experimental pair correlation functions that are reported in the literature. An unexpected outcome is the appearance of structural changes in the neighborhood of Pd86.66Si13.34.
An Adaptive Local Iterative Method for Fast Calculation of Electrostatic Interactions between Charged Polymers in Dielectric Inhomogeneous System
Authors: Lin Hao , Nie Zhiji , Shang Enlong , Dai Shuyang 
Published: February 2023

AbstractThe motion of charged polymers in the 3D dielectric inhomogeneity system is investigated using a hybrid simulation approach that combines a finite difference method with a Brownian dynamics model (FD‐BD) for the polymer chain. The interface difference scheme of the two‐dielectric model is first derived to achieve a smooth extension of the electrostatic potential values and it is verified that it has a second‐order convergence order. In addition, it is displayed that the local iteration method greatly accelerates the efficiency of calculating the electrostatic interaction forces. However, it is found that the computational efficiency improvement of the traditional local iteration is less significant (about three times) for polymer simulations such as 3D diagonal type. Therefore, a new strategy, the banded local iteration method, is proposed and the simulation results demonstrate that it can better adapt the effects of the deformation of the polymer during its motion, where the computational efficiency is increased by 29 times at most, while the relative error is controlled to less than 5.15e−4. The work can be helpful for accelerating the solution of electrostatic forces under dielectric inhomogeneity, and confer new insights into the optimization of iteration for polymer chains with different geometries in large electrostatic systems.
Atomic‐Scale Investigations of H3BO3and LiOH on Zr(0 0 0 1) Surface: A DFT Study
Authors: Ren Lu , Suo Xinkun , LI Guofu , Guo Qi , Ruan Dianbo , Zhang Dongyang , Xu Jian 
Published: February 2023

AbstractThe boric acid (H3BO3) and lithium hydroxide (LiOH) are routinely added to primary water as soluble neutron absorbers and pH regulating agents in the pressured water reactor nuclear power plant, respectively. Previous studies mostly focus on the service behavior of nuclear materials using experimental methods, whereas the microscopic mechanism of H3BO3and LiOH on Zr‐based fuel cladding remains largely unclear. With the first principle approach of density functional theory (DFT), the geometric structure, Mulliken population, partial densities of states, and electron density difference are adopted to study the adsorption characteristics and binding strength of H3BO3and LiOH on Zr matrix. The results show that when H3BO3and LiOH react on the Zr matrix, there is formation of hybrid peaks and new bonds between surface molecules and the matrix. Meanwhile, the vertical molecule has a substantial impact on electron movement between adsorbs and the matrix. The interaction energy between two molecules and the Zr surface in turn is LiOH > H3BO3, demonstrating that LiOH has the most influence on the fuel cladding in the primary circuit.