bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Multifunctional fibrous wound dressings for refractory wound healing
Authors: Gao Yujie , Qiu Zhiye , Liu Lei , Li Mengmeng , Xu Bingjie , Yu Dan , Qi Dongming , Wu Jindan 
Published: March 2022

AbstractRefractory wounds have always been an important issue to healthcare systems, whose healing process is always delayed by multiple factors, including bacterial infections, chronic inflammation, and excessive exudates, etc. Employing multifunctional wound dressings is recognized as an effective strategy to deal with refractory wounds, which has yielded promising outcomes in recent years. Among these advanced wound dressings, fibrous dressings have gained growing attention due to their unique merits. Such wound dressings have demonstrated great potential in delivering theranostic agents, such as antibacterial agents, anti‐inflammatory drugs, growth factors, and diagnostic probes, etc., for the purposes of accelerating wound healing. This paper reviews the development of multifunctional fibrous dressings and their applications in treating refractory wounds. The construction approaches of novel fibrous dressing with capabilities of antibacterial, anti‐inflammation, exudate management and diagnosis were also introduced. Furthermore, the existing problems and challenges are also discussed briefly.
Comparison of outcomes of different biopsy schedules among men on active surveillance for prostate cancer: An analysis of the G.A.P.3 global consortium database
Authors: Beckmann Kerri R. , Bangma Chris H. , Helleman Jozien , Bjartell Anders , Carroll Peter R. , Morgan Todd , Nieboer Daan , Santaolalla Aida , Trock Bruce J. , Valdagni Riccardo , Roobol Monique J. ,   For the Global Action Plan Active Surveillance Prostate Cancer [G.A.P.3] Consortium
Published: March 2022

AbstractBackgroundThe optimal interval for repeat biopsy during active surveillance (AS) for prostate cancer is yet to be defined. This study examined whether risk of upgrading (to grade group ≥ 2) or risk of converting to treatment varied according to intensity of repeat biopsy using data from the GAP3 consortium's global AS database.Materials and MethodsIntensity of surveillance biopsy schedules was categorized according to centers’ protocols: (a) Prostate Cancer Research International Active Surveillance project (PRIAS) protocols with biopsies at years 1, 4, and 7 (10 centers; 7532 men); (b) biennial biopsies, that is, every other year (8 centers; 4365 men); and (c) annual biopsy schedules (4 centers; 1602 men). Multivariable Cox regression was used to compare outcomes according to biopsy intensity.ResultsOut of the 13,508 eligible participants, 56% were managed according to PRIAS protocols (biopsies at years 1, 4, and 7), 32% via biennial biopsy, and 12% via annual biopsy. After adjusting for baseline characteristics, risk of converting to treatment was greater for those on annual compared with PRIAS biopsy schedules (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.66; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.51–1.83; p < 0.001), while risk of upgrading did not differ (HR = 0.96; 95% CI = 0.84–1.10).ConclusionResults suggest more frequent biopsy schedules may deter some men from continuing AS despite no evidence of grade progression.
Quality of life after robotic‐assisted and laparoscopic radical prostatectomy: Results of a multicenter randomized controlled trial (LAP‐01)
Authors: Holze Sigrun , Lemaire Emilie , Mende Meinhard , Neuhaus Petra , Arthanareeswaran Vinodh‐Kumar‐Adithyaa , Truss Michael C. , Minh Do Hoang , Dietel Anja , Teber Dogu , Stützel Karin D. , Hohenfellner Markus , Rabenalt Robert , Albers Peter , Stolzenburg Jens‐Uwe 
Published: March 2022

AbstractBackgroundTo explore cross‐sectional and longitudinal differences in general health‐related and prostate cancer‐specific quality of life (QoL) after robotic‐assisted (RARP) and laparoscopic (LRP) radical prostatectomy and to analyze predictive variables for QoL outcomes.MethodsIn this multicenter, randomized controlled trial, prostate cancer patients were randomly assigned 3:1 to undergo either RARP or LRP. Patient‐reported outcomes were prospectively collected before and 1, 3, 6, 12 months after radical prostatectomy and included QoL as a secondary outcome. Validated questionnaires were used to assess general health‐related (EORTC QLQ‐C30) and prostate cancer‐specific (QLQ‐PR25) QoL. Cross‐sectional and longitudinal contrasts were analyzed through linear mixed models. Predictive variables for QoL outcomes were identified by general linear modeling.ResultsOf 782 randomized patients, QoL was evaluable in 681 patients. In terms of general QoL, the cross‐sectional analysis showed only small differences between study arms, whereas longitudinal comparison indicated an advantage of RARP on recovery: RARP patients reported an earlier return to baseline in global health status (3 vs. 6 months) and social functioning (6 vs. 12 months). In role functioning, only the RARP arm regained baseline scores. Regarding prostate‐specific QoL, LRP patients experienced more urinary symptoms and reported 3.2 points (95% confidence interval 0.4–6, p = 0.024) higher mean scores at 1‐month follow‐up and in mean 2.9 points (0.1–5, p = 0.042) higher urinary symptoms scores at 3‐month follow‐up than RARP patients. There were no other significant differences between treatment groups. Urinary symptoms, sexual activity, and sexual function remained significantly worse compared with baseline at all time points in both arms.ConclusionsCompared with LRP, the robotic approach led to an earlier return to baseline in several domains of general health‐related QoL and better short‐term recovery of urinary symptoms. Predictive variables such as the scale‐specific baseline status and bilateral nerve‐sparing were confirmed.
Immune mechanisms behind prostate cancer in men of African ancestry: A review
Authors: Sentana‐Lledo Daniel , Sartor Oliver , Balk Steven P. , Einstein David J. 
Published: March 2022

AbstractBackgroundMen of African ancestry (AA) with prostate cancer suffer from worse outcomes. However, a recent analysis of patients treated with the dendritic cell vaccine sipuleucel‐T for prostate cancer suggested that AA patients could have improved outcomes relative to whites.MethodsWe conducted a focused literature review of Medline‐indexed articles and clinical trials listed on clinicaltrials.gov.ResultsWe identify several studies pointing to enrichment of inflammatory cellular infiltrates and cytokine signaling among AA patients with prostate cancer. We outline potential genomic and transcriptomic alterations that may contribute to immunogenicity. Last, we investigate differences in host immunity and vaccine responsiveness that may be enhanced in AA patients.ConclusionsAA patients with prostate cancer may be enriched for an immunogenic phenotype. Dedicated studies are needed to better understand the immune mechanisms that contribute to existing cancer disparities and test immune‐based therapies in this population.
Structural and functional analysis of the human cone‐rod homeobox transcription factor
Authors: Clanor Penelope‐Marie B. , Buchholz Christine N. , Hayes Jonathan E. , Friedman Michael A. , White Andrew M. , Enke Ray A. , Berndsen Christopher E. 
Published: March 2022

AbstractThe cone‐rod homeobox (CRX) protein is a critical K50 homeodomain transcription factor responsible for the differentiation and maintenance of photoreceptor neurons in the vertebrate retina. Mutant alleles in the human gene encoding CRX result in a variety of distinct blinding retinopathies, including retinitis pigmentosa, cone‐rod dystrophy, and Leber congenital amaurosis. Despite the success of using in vitro biochemistry, animal models, and genomics approaches to study this clinically relevant transcription factor over the past 25 years since its initial characterization, there are no high‐resolution structures in the published literature for the CRX protein. In this study, we use bioinformatic approaches and small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) structural analysis to further understand the biochemical complexity of the human CRX homeodomain (CRX‐HD). We find that the CRX‐HD is a compact, globular monomer in solution that can specifically bind functional cis‐regulatory elements encoded upstream of retina‐specific genes. This study presents the first structural analysis of CRX, paving the way for a new approach to studying the biochemistry of this protein and its disease‐causing mutant protein variants.
Building constituencies for flood risk management: Critical insights from a flood defences dispute in Ireland
Authors: Jeffers James M. 
Published: March 2022

AbstractStakeholder consultation and participation are often viewed as an essential component of hazards governance and disaster risk reduction. However, an extensive literature in the fields of hazards management, disaster risk reduction, planning, and environmental governance has highlighted numerous challenges that have constrained attempts to increase participation in decision‐making. Some scholars have called for transformative alternative approaches based on engaging broader constituencies of interest or on refocusing decision‐making from knowledge transfer to relationship building. This paper contrasts consultative and constituency building models of hazards governance through an examination of a disputed flood relief scheme in Cork, Ireland. Despite extensive stakeholder consultation, the proposed Lower Lee Flood Relief Scheme has been the subject of an ongoing dispute between local groups supporting and opposing its implementation. This dispute has prompted a range of interested parties to become involved in debating flood risk management options for Cork City. This has increased both the number of people engaging with issues related to flood risk management and the basis on which they have done so. The ways in which these wider constituencies of interest have emerged highlight important challenges and opportunities for flood risk management, as well as for hazards governance more generally.
Rigorously interpreted quotation analysis for evaluating causal loop diagrams in late‐stage conceptualization
Authors: Tomoaia‐Cotisel Andrada , Allen Samuel D. , Kim Hyunjung , Andersen David , Chalabi Zaid 
Published: March 2022

AbstractAs a field, system dynamics has made more progress in developing formal model evaluation methods that use quantitative data than ones that use qualitative data. This article describes a formal method for evaluating a causal loop diagram (CLD) in late‐stage conceptualization – referred to as rigorously interpreted quotation analysis – and illustrates its application in a case study. The method uses a systematic and explicit interpretive process to confirm or disconfirm all diagram elements in a CLD by comparing it to stakeholders’ verbatim descriptions of their experiences in a complex dynamic situation. In so doing, this method enables the resolution of discrepancies between a CLD and qualitative data, building confidence in the structural aspects of a dynamic hypothesis. It does so via a process that is approachable for experts and stakeholders alike. © 2022 System Dynamics Society.
Making Ultra‐Tough Nanoceramics by Columnar Submicrocrystals with Three‐Level Micro‐Nano Structures
Authors: Yu Yongdong , Zheng Yongting , Liu Xudong , Yuan Yuchen , He Xiaodong 
Published: March 2022

AbstractThe low fracture toughness of equiaxed nanocrystalline ceramics is the main bottleneck of its wide range of commercial applications. Here, the authors report a method to overcome this limitation for preparing ultra‐tough nanoceramics from using amorphous and supersaturated Al2O3/ZrO2solid solution micro‐powders, which is fabricated by Al–O2ultrahigh‐temperature combustion synthesis assisted rapid water cooling. The Al2O3/ZrO2micro‐powders containing amorphous and metastable dendritic solid solutions can induce the three‐level micro‐nano structure (submicro/nano/supra‐nano) of the high‐content (up to 70–90%) columnar submicro‐crystals accompanied with high‐density nanoprecipitation after sintering or annealing, which makes the fracture toughness of Al2O3/ZrO2ceramics with a unique combination of high‐strength and high‐hardness increased by 50–100%. This method is beneficial to microstructural design of high‐performance ceramics and can be widely applied to various ceramic systems, coupled with simplicity, low‐cost, and high‐efficiency, making it suitable to industrially produce large‐sized nanoceramics with specific grain geometry in large quantities.
Real‐Time Capturing of Microscale Events Controlling the Sintering of Lead‐Free Piezoelectric Potassium‐Sodium Niobate
Authors: Bah Micka , Podor Renaud , Retoux Richard , Delorme Fabian , Nadaud Kevin , Giovannelli Fabien , Monot‐Laffez Isabelle , Ayral André 
Published: March 2022

AbstractSintering is a very important process in materials science and technological applications. Despite breakthroughs in achieving optimized piezoelectric properties, fundamentals of K0.5Na0.5NbO3 (KNN) sintering are not yet fully understood, facing densification versus grain growth competition. At present, microscale events during KNN sintering under reducing atmospheres are real‐time monitored using a High Temperature‐Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope. A two contacting KNN particles model satisfying the Kingery and Berg's bulk diffusion model is reported. Dynamic events like individual grain growth and grain elimination process are explored through a postanalysis of recorded image series. The diffusion coefficient for oxygen vacancies of 10−8 cm2 s−1 and average boundary mobility of 10−9 cm4 J−1 s−1 are reported for the KNN ceramics. Moreover, the local pore shrinkage is consistent with the Kingery and François's concept of pore stability except that pore curvatures are not all concave, convex or flat due to anisotropic grain‐boundary energies. The global grain growth kinetics are described using parabolic and/or cubic laws. The effect of atmospheres and microstructure evolution on the intrinsic and extrinsic contributions to the dielectric response using Rayleigh's law is also explored. These results bring a new breath for KNN sintering studies in order to adapt the sintering process.
Temperature‐Controlled Selectivity of Hydrogenation and Hydrodeoxygenation of Biomass by Superhydrophilic Nitrogen/Oxygen Co‐Doped Porous Carbon Nanosphere Supported Pd Nanoparticles
Authors: Yu Haitao , Xu Yang , Havener Kaden , Zhang Meng , Zhang Li , Wu Wenjin , Huang Kun 
Published: March 2022

AbstractSelective hydrogenation and hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of biomass to value‐added products play a crucial role in the development of renewable energy resources. However, achieving a temperature‐controlled selectivity within one catalytic system while retaining excellent hydrogenation and HDO performance remains a great challenge. Here, nitrogen/oxygen (N/O) co‐doped porous carbon nanosphere derived from resin polymer spheres is synthesized as the host matrix to in situ encapsulate highly dispersed Pd nanoparticles (NPs). Through N/O co‐doping, the defects on the surface of carbon structure can serve as active sites to promote substrate adsorption. After a facile H2O2 post‐treatment process, the presence of abundant carboxyl groups on the porous carbon nanospheres can act as acidic sites to replace the use of acidic additives in the HDO process. Additionally, the increased surface oxygen‐containing groups improve hydrophilicity to disperse catalysts in aqueous solutions. Owing to the unique highly dispersed Pd NPs and abundant surface defects, the Pd@APF‐H2O2 (2.3 nm) catalysts exhibit excellent catalytic activity and temperature‐controlled selectivity for hydrogenation and HDO products of biomass‐derived vanillin.
Effects of Endogenous Polyphenols in Acorn (Quercus wutaishanica Blume) Kernels on the Physicochemical Properties of Starch
Authors: Liu Mengyu , Yang Qinxue , Wu Yanwen , Ouyang Jie 
Published: March 2022

AbstractThe effects of endogenous polyphenols in acorn kernels on granule morphology, crystal properties, and in vitro digestibility of starch are investigated. The granule surface smoothness, relative crystallinity, short‐range molecular order, and starch hydrolysis rate increase after the removal of polyphenols from acorn flour. With the addition of polyphenol extracts, the hydrolysis rates of acorn, corn, potato, and chestnut starches are all reduced, and the free‐polyphenol extract shows higher inhibitory activity than the bound‐polyphenol extract. These results are expected to be helpful for understanding the low digestibility of starch in acorn kernels, which is attributed to the inhibitory effects of polyphenols on the activities of α‐amylase and α‐glucosidase, but not the increase of long and short‐range molecular orders of starch.
A Review on Biodegradable Packaging Films from Vegetative and Food Waste
Authors: Gupta Prashant , Toksha Bhagwan , Rahaman Mostafizur 
Published: March 2022

AbstractPlastics around the globe have been a matter of grave concern due to the unavoidable habits of human mankind. Taking waste statistics in India for the year 2019–20 into account, the data of 60 major cities show that the generation of plastic waste stands tall at around 26,000 tonnes/day, of which only about 60 % is recycled. A majority of the non‐recycled plastic waste is petrochemical‐based packaging materials that are non‐biodegradable in nature. Vegetative/food waste is another global issue, evidenced by vastly populated countries such as China and India accounting for 91 and 69 tonnes of food wastage, respectively in 2019. The mitigation of plastic packaging issues has led to key scientific developments, one of which is biodegradable materials. However, there is a way that these two waste‐related issues can be fronted as the analogy of “taking two shots with the same arrow”. The presence of various bio‐compounds such as proteins, cellulose, starch, lipids, and waxes, etc., in food and vegetative waste, creates an opportunity for the development of biodegradable packaging films. Although these flexible packaging films have limitations in terms of mechanical, permeation, and moisture absorption characteristics, they can be fine‐tuned in order to convert the biobased raw material into a realizable packaging product. These strategies could work in replacing petrochemical‐based non‐biodegradable packaging plastics which are used in enormous quantities for various household and commercial packaging applications to combat the ever‐increasing pollution in highly populated countries. This paper presents a systematic review based on modern scientific tools of the literature available with a major emphasis on the past decade and aims to serve as a standard resource for the development of biodegradable packaging films from food/vegetative waste.
Locus coeruleus in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease: A systematic review
Authors: Chen Yuqing , Chen Teng , Hou Ruihua 
Published: March 2022

AbstractThe locus coeruleus (LC) is a nucleus in the brain stem producing noradrenaline. While cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease (AD) has primarily been related to cholinergic depletion, evidence indicates extensive LC degeneration as its earliest pathological marker. The current study aimed to systematically evaluate current evidence investigating the role of the LC in the pathogenesis of AD. A systematic search of the literature was performed on electronic databases including PubMed and Web of Science. Twelve animal, human post mortem, and human imaging studies were included in this review. Screening, data extraction, and quality assessment were undertaken following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses guidelines for preferred reporting of systematic reviews. Significant associations were identified between LC changes and cognitive decline. Significant reductions in fiber density, neuronal number, and LC volume were seen to correlate with other pathological degenerative markers. Current evidence indicates an important role of the LC in pathogenesis of AD and suggests its potential in both diagnosis and treatment of AD. This systematic review advances our understanding of the role of the LC in AD by synthesizing available evidence, identifying research gaps, highlighting methodological challenges, and making recommendations for future work.
Insights from the first International Water Policy Lab Champions' Forum: Developing modalities for cocreating knowledge, policy, and practice
Authors: Icyimpaye Adeline , Sharifi Sayed Saber , Anyanwu Ifeanyi Emmanuel , Aletoum Ehab , Tiwari Deepanker , Kanyunge Claydon Mumba , Otekpo Lémonla Armel , Malemba Edith , Adhiambo Betha , Itenya Wendy , Camkin Jeff 
Published: March 2022

AbstractSolving water problems requires new ways of harnessing dialogs, reflections, empathy, research, and visions. Too often, water policies and practices tend to take shortcuts, missing out on the benefits these powerful social learning processes can bring towards water justice and sustainability. The question is: How do we apply and nurture an interactive approach to implement water management decisions that benefit both people and the environment, now and into the future? Tackling this question requires a transdisciplinary, practice‐focused, and policy‐oriented approach to learning and governing, embracing the idea of coproduction of knowledge, practice, and policy. The first International Water Policy Lab (WPL) Champions' Forum was organized by the Institute for Study and Development Worldwide (IFSD), the Australia India Water Centre, and World Water Policy Journal on July 16, 2021, bringing together a range of factors to share experience and lessons on processes and practices of the coproduction of policy, knowledge, and practice in water governance. Out of a group of 10 IFSD water policy and management interns under the guidance of Prof. Jeff Camkin, three participated in the WPL Forum and subsequently shared their learnings with the broader group. This discussion paper presents the ideas of all 10 IFSD interns, who come from nine different countries, about how WPL processes can support their efforts towards improving water policy and management around the world. The first WPL forum emphasized that interactive methods are needed to achieve successful water governance policies. It is due to this fact that policy development and implementation both require involvement, integration, and cooperation among all concerned stakeholders (government, researchers, local communities, businesses, etc.) at each stage. A key message from this forum was that boosting the community's role in water governance and its capability to contribute to water management can enhance the development and implementation of policies and the sustainability of water‐related projects.