bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A Comparative Study of an Anti-Thrombotic Small-Diameter Vascular Graft with Commercially Available e-PTFE Graft in a Porcine Carotid Model
Authors: Lee Kyo Seon , Kayumov Mukhammad , Emechebe Gladys A. , Kim Do-Wan , Cho Hwa-Jin , Jeong Yun-Jin , Lee Dong-Weon , Park Jun-Kyu , Park Chan-Hee , Kim Cheol-Sang , Obiweluozor Francis O. , Jeong In-Seok 
Published: February 2022

Abstract
Background:
We have designed a reinforced drug-loaded vascular graft composed of polycaprolactone (PCL) and polydioxanone (PDO) via a combination of electrospinning/3D printing approaches. To evaluate its potential for clinical application, we compared the in vivo blood compatibility and performance of PCL/PDO + 10%DY grafts doped with an antithrombotic drug (dipyridamole) with a commercial expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (e-PTFE) graft in a porcine model.

Methods:
A total of 10 pigs (weight: 25–35 kg) were used in this study. We made a new 5-mm graft with PCL/PDO composite nanofiber via the electrospinning technique. We simultaneously implanted a commercially available e-PTFE graft (n = 5) and our PCL/PDO + 10%DY graft (n = 5) into the carotid arteries of the pigs. No anticoagulant/antiplatelet agent was administered during the follow-up period, and ultrasonography was performed weekly to confirm the patency of the two grafts in vivo. Four weeks later, we explanted and compared the performance of the two grafts by histological analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Results:
No complications, such as sweating on the graft or significant bleeding from the needle hole site, were seen in the PCL/PDO + 10%DY graft immediately after implantation. Serial ultrasonographic examination and immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that PCL/PDO + 10%DY grafts showed normal physiological blood flow and minimal lumen reduction, and pulsed synchronously with the native artery at 4 weeks after implantation. However, all e-PTFE grafts occluded within the study period. The luminal surface of the PCL/PDO + 10%DY graft in the transitional zone was fully covered with endothelial cells as observed by SEM.

Conclusion:
The PCL/PDO + 10%DY graft was well tolerated, and no adverse tissue reaction was observed in porcine carotid models during the short-term follow-up. Colonization of the graft by host endothelial and smooth muscle cells coupled with substantial extracellular matrix production marked the regenerative capability. Thus, this material may be an ideal substitute for vascular reconstruction and bypass surgeries. Long-term observations will be necessary to determine the anti-thrombotic and remodeling potential of this device.
Association of plasma gelsolin with frailty phenotype and mortality among octogenarian community-dwelling men: a cohort study
Authors: Strandberg Timo E. , Levinson Susan L. , DiNubile Mark J. , Jyväkorpi Satu , Kivimäki Mika 
Published: February 2022

Abstract
Background
Biomarkers are needed for frailty, a common phenotype often associated with muscle loss in older people. Plasma gelsolin (pGSN) is a protein largely synthesized and secreted by skeletal muscle.

Aims
To investigate whether pGSN could be a biomarker of the frailty phenotype and predict mortality.

Methods
A homogenous cohort of males (born 1919–1934, baseline n = 3490) has been followed since the 1960s. In 2010/11, frailty phenotypes by modified Fried criteria were assessed. pGSN was measured in a convenience subset (n = 469, mean age 83) and re-measured in survivors (n = 127) in 2017. Mortality through December 31, 2018 was retrieved from national registers. Regression models were used for analyses.

Results
Of 469 males, 152 (32.4%) were robust, 284 (60.6%) prefrail, and 33 (7.0%) frail in 2010/11. There was a graded (p = 0.018) association between pGSN (mean 58.1 ug/mL, SD 9.3) and frailty. After multivariable adjustment, higher pGSN levels were associated with lower odds of having contemporaneous phenotypic prefrailty (OR per 1 SD 0.73, 95% CI 0.58–0.92) and frailty (OR per 1 SD 0.70, 95% CI 0.44–1.11). By 2018, 179 males (38.2%) had died, and higher baseline pGSN predicted a lower 7-year mortality rate (HR per 1 SD 0.85, 95% CI 0.72–1.00). pGSN concentrations in 2010/11 and 2017 were correlated (n = 127, r = 0.34, p < 0.001).

Discussion
Higher baseline pGSN concentrations were associated with a persistently robust phenotype and lower mortality rate over 7 years in a cohort of octogenarian males with high socioeconomic status and may be a promising laboratory biomarker for the development of a frailty phenotype.
Polyurethane grouting materials with different compositions for the treatment of mud pumping in ballastless track subgrade beds: properties and application effect
Authors: Huang Zhichao , Su Qian , Huang Junjie , Dong Minqi , Li Dong , Liu Ting 
Published: February 2022

AbstractMud pumping in subgrade beds under ballastless tracks will deteriorate the dynamic performance of infrastructure under railway lines, reduce the smoothness of the railway lines, and seriously affect the comfort and safety of the trains. Due to their good mechanical properties, two-component polyurethane materials can be used for grouting to treat the fouling problems caused by ballastless track mud pumping. To develop a polyurethane formula suitable for the treatment of ballastless track mud pumping, we first performed indoor experiments to investigate the mechanical properties and gelation time of polyurethane elastomers synthesized with different raw material composition ratios, to determine an optimal composition ratio of the raw materials. Then, we conducted a dynamic field test to verify the remediation effect of the polyurethane material fabricated according to the design ratio. The results showed that polyurethane grouting material with the selected design ratios improved the contact characteristics between the surface layer of the subgrade bed and the base plate in the area, coordinating the dynamic response between the track structure and the subgrade bed. Thus, the obtained polyurethane grouting material could be used to renovate mud pumping areas of ballastless tracks with a good treatment effect.
Mental Health Risk and Protective Factors of Nigerian Male Asylum Seekers Hosted in Southern Italy: a Culturally Sensitive Quantitative Investigation
Authors: Tessitore Francesca , Parola Anna , Margherita Giorgia 
Published: February 2022

AbstractThis study provides a culturally sensitive quantitative investigation aimed at assessing the post-traumatic symptomatology, post-migratory difficulties, and resilience of 36 Nigerian male asylum seekers hosted in the province of Caserta, South Italy. A survey composed by the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire-Revised (HTQ-R), the Post-Migratory Checklist (PLMD), and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) was administered to participants. Descriptive and correlation analyses were made in order to describe the mental health risk and protective factors and understand the relation between these. A linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the influence of post-migratory difficulties and resilience on PTSD. Stratified bivariate analyses were also computed to detect PTSD group and no-PTSD group differences about post-migration difficulties and resilience levels. Regression analysis showed that PMLD numbers significantly increased the risk of having PTSD. No significant effect emerged for the level of resilience. Statistically significant differences between the PTSD group and non-PTSD group in relation to post-migratory difficulties were also found. No differences in the resilience factors emerged. The results offer a glimpse into a specific ethnic group of asylum seekers and its mental health risks and protective factors, taking into consideration the specificities of their past and current life-story experiences. Clinical implications for professionals working in the field of forced migration will be outlined.
The fundamental solutions of the curve shortening problem via the Schwarz function
Authors: McDonald N. R. 
Published: February 2022

AbstractCurve shortening in the z-plane in which, at a given point on the curve, the normal velocity of the curve is equal to the curvature, is shown to satisfy $$S_tS_z=S_{zz}$$

S
t

S
z

=

S

zz

, where S(z, t) is the Schwarz function of the curve. This equation is shown to have a parametric solution from which the known explicit solutions for curve shortening flow; the circle, grim reaper, paperclip and hairclip, can be recovered.
Bioinspired Adaptive, Elastic, and Conductive Graphene Structured Thin-Films Achieving High-Efficiency Underwater Detection and Vibration Perception
Authors: Wang Qiling , Xiao Peng , Zhou Wei , Liang Yun , Yin Guangqiang , Yang Qiu , Kuo Shiao-Wei , Chen Tao 
Published: February 2022

AbstractUnderwater exploration has been an attractive topic for understanding the very nature of the lakes and even deep oceans. In recent years, extensive efforts have been devoted to developing functional materials and their integrated devices for underwater information capturing. However, there still remains a great challenge for water depth detection and vibration monitoring in a high-efficient, controllable, and scalable way. Inspired by the lateral line of fish that can sensitively sense the water depth and environmental stimuli, an ultrathin, elastic, and adaptive underwater sensor based on Ecoflex matrix with embedded assembled graphene sheets is fabricated. The graphene structured thin film is endowed with favourable adaptive and morphable features, which can conformally adhere to the structural surface and transform to a bulged state driven by water pressure. Owing to the introduction of the graphene-based layer, the integrated sensing system can actively detect the water depth with a wide range of 0.3–1.8 m. Furthermore, similar to the fish, the mechanical stimuli from land (e.g. knocking, stomping) and water (e.g. wind blowing, raining, fishing) can also be sensitively captured in real time. This graphene structured thin-film system is expected to demonstrate significant potentials in underwater monitoring, communication, and risk avoidance.
Control of High-Temperature Static and Transient Thermomechanical Behavior of SiMo Ductile Iron by Al Alloying
Authors: Lekakh S. N. , Johnson C. , Godlewski L. , Li Mei 
Published: February 2022

AbstractSilicon and molybdenum (SiMo) ductile iron is commonly used for exhaust manifolds because these components experience thermal cycling in oxidizing environment, which requires resistance to fatigue during transient thermomechanical loads. Previous studies have demonstrated that alloying elements, such as Al, to SiMo ductile iron reduces the amount of surface degradation during static high-temperature exposure. However, deterioration of sphericity of the graphite nodules and a decrease in ductility could affect the tendency of cracking during thermal cycling. In this article, the effect of Al alloying on static and transient thermomechanical behavior of SiMo ductile iron was investigated to optimize the amount of Al alloying. A thermodynamic approach was used to confirm the effect of the Al alloying on the phase transformations in two SiMo cast irons, alloyed by 1.8% Al and 3% Al. These two alloys were cast in a laboratory along with the baseline SiMo ductile iron. Several experimental methods were used to evaluate the dimensional stability, physical properties, static oxidation, and failure resistance during constrained thermal cycling testing to compare their high-temperature capability. Experimental results verified that Al alloying increases the temperature range and decreases volume change during eutectoid transformation, which together with enhancement of oxidation protection improved the dimensional stability. Thermocycling tests showed that the number of cycles to failure depends on the amount of Al alloying and the applied high-temperature exposure during each cycle. SEM/EDX, high-resolution TEM and µCT analysis were used to verify the mechanism resulting from the Al alloying protection. It was shown that an optimal level of Al alloying for balancing oxidation and thermal cracking resistance depends on thermomechanical conditions of application.
University freshmen recollect their academic integrity literacy experience during their K-12 years: results of an empirical study
Authors: Hossain Zakir 
Published: February 2022

AbstractAcademic Integrity Literacy (AIL) is a critical transdisciplinary skill for academic success but many students do not receive this skill in their K-12 years regardless of their schooling system or characteristics of the community they belong to. Numerous research studies in higher education document that high school graduates lack AIL skills, but hardly any studies attempt to empirically investigate students’ K-12 years AIL education experience. Using a mixed-method approach, this study explores university freshmen’s AIL education experience in their K-12 years, and their opinions on the appropriate grade level to introduce AIL education. Of the university freshmen surveyed (n = 431), roughly 1 in 10 received AIL education in middle school and 1 in 5 during high school. The survey of students’ current university instructors indicates a handful of freshmen have a fair understanding of academic integrity and plagiarism but their combined AIL application capacity, such as adhering to a referencing style and the quality of in-text source attributions in academic writing, is limited. The study results and professional experience allow the author to suggest rigorous AIL instruction and policy development for K-12 institutions to educate, empower and execute AIL education.
Aqueous Solubility of Zn Incorporated into Mg-Al-Layered Double Hydroxides
Authors: Dabizha Anna , Kersten Michael 
Published: February 2022

AbstractHydrotalcite minerals are layered double hydroxides (LDH) which play an important role in immobilizing hazardous compounds to decontaminate industrial wastewaters. The stability of an LDH is mostly evaluated in terms of its low solubility in water. However, the solubility of divalent trace metals immobilized by Mg-Al-type LDHs is not well known. Hydrotalcites containing Zn in solid solution, (Mg+Zn)3-Al-LDH, were synthesized by alkaline co-precipitation. A series of eleven LDH phases with Zn mole fractions XZn = Zn/(Mg+Zn) of 0–1 were characterized by powder X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetry (TGA), scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM/TEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis, and inductively coupled plasma mass (ICP-MS) spectrometry. The XRD analysis provided sharp characteristic spacings for d003 and d006 which occurred for all samples, confirming a layered LDH structure. Cell parameters (a, c) obeyed Vegard’s law and confirmed the formation of a regular solid-solution series without a mixing gap. An aqueous equilibrium time was determined by kinetic dissolution experiments. Steady-state solubility occurred after 120 days, but the experiments continued up to 240 days. The XRD and SEM/TEM analyses indicated no phase changes during the long-term dissolution experiments; neither were phase impurities detected after 240 days. The solubility products of the Mg- and Zn-bearing endmember compositions were calculated from experimentally determined total cation and anion concentrations using the Visual Minteq code for considering element speciation and ion pairing. The solubility product decreased as the Zn mole fraction increased, suggesting that the Zn-bearing LDH phases were more stable than the pure Mg3-Al-LDHs. Solid-solution aqueous-solution thermodynamic equilibrium modeling using the Lippmann “total solubility product” approach and applying Lippmann diagrams with logarithmic x-axes revealed a log-linear decrease in aqueous Zn solubility. The results are promising for remediation of metal-bearing liquid wastes because the metals that co-precipitated with the LDH were more strongly retained and, therefore, less soluble than the hydroxides or carbonates of the trace metal.
Post-translational modification: a strategic response to high temperature in plants
Authors: Han Danlu , Yu Zhibo , Lai Jianbin , Yang Chengwei 
Published: February 2022

AbstractWith the increasing global warming, high-temperature stress is affecting plant growth and development with greater frequency. Therefore, an increasing number of studies examining the mechanism of temperature response contribute to a more optimal understanding of plant growth under environmental pressure. Post-translational modification (PTM) provides the rapid reconnection of transcriptional programs including transcription factors and signaling proteins. It is vital that plants quickly respond to changes in the environment in order to survive under stressful situations. Herein, we discuss several types of PTMs that occur in response to warm-temperature and high-temperature stress, including ubiquitination, SUMOylation, phosphorylation, histone methylation, and acetylation. This review provides a valuable resolution to this issue to enable increased crop productivity at high temperatures.
Explainable machine learning practices: opening another black box for reliable medical AI
Authors: Ratti Emanuele , Graves Mark 
Published: February 2022

AbstractIn the past few years, machine learning (ML) tools have been implemented with success in the medical context. However, several practitioners have raised concerns about the lack of transparency—at the algorithmic level—of many of these tools; and solutions from the field of explainable AI (XAI) have been seen as a way to open the ‘black box’ and make the tools more trustworthy. Recently, Alex London has argued that in the medical context we do not need machine learning tools to be interpretable at the algorithmic level to make them trustworthy, as long as they meet some strict empirical desiderata. In this paper, we analyse and develop London’s position. In particular, we make two claims. First, we claim that London’s solution to the problem of trust can potentially address another problem, which is how to evaluate the reliability of ML tools in medicine for regulatory purposes. Second, we claim that to deal with this problem, we need to develop London’s views by shifting the focus from the opacity of algorithmic details to the opacity of the way in which ML tools are trained and built. We claim that to regulate AI tools and evaluate their reliability, agencies need an explanation of how ML tools have been built, which requires documenting and justifying the technical choices that practitioners have made in designing such tools. This is because different algorithmic designs may lead to different outcomes, and to the realization of different purposes. However, given that technical choices underlying algorithmic design are shaped by value-laden considerations, opening the black box of the design process means also making transparent and motivating (technical and ethical) values and preferences behind such choices. Using tools from philosophy of technology and philosophy of science, we elaborate a framework showing how an explanation of the training processes of ML tools in medicine should look like.
Metabolic signatures of Arabidopsis thaliana abiotic stress responses elucidate patterns in stress priming, acclimation, and recovery
Authors: Xu Yuan , Freund Dana M. , Hegeman Adrian D. , Cohen Jerry D. 
Published: February 2022

AbstractTemperature, water, and light are three abiotic stress factors that have major influences on plant growth, development, and reproduction. Plants can be primed by a prior mild stress to enhance their resistance to future stress. We used an untargeted metabolomics approach to examine Arabidopsis thaliana 11-day-old seedling’s abiotic stress responses including heat (with and without priming), cold (with and without priming), water-deficit and high-light before and after a 2-day-recovery period. Analysis of the physiological phenotypes showed that seedlings with stress treatment resulted in a reduction in fresh weight, hypocotyl and root length but remained viable. Several stress responsive metabolites were identified, confirmed with reference standards, quantified, and clustered. We identified shared and specific stress signatures for cold, heat, water-deficit, and high-light treatments. Central metabolism including amino acid metabolism, sugar metabolism, glycolysis, TCA cycle, GABA shunt, glutathione metabolism, purine metabolism, and urea cycle were found to undergo changes that are fundamentally different, although some shared commonalities in response to different treatments. Large increases in cysteine abundance and decreases in reduced glutathione were observed following multiple stress treatments highlighting the importance of oxidative stress as a general phenomenon in abiotic stress. Large fold increases in low-turnover amino acids and maltose demonstrate the critical role of protein and starch autolysis in early abiotic stress responses.
Pricing Rice Quality Attributes and Returns to Quality Upgrading in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Twine Edgar E. , Ndindeng Sali Atanga , Mujawamariya Gaudiose , Futakuchi Koichi 
Published: February 2022

AbstractThe study applies parametric and nonparametric estimation methods to determine hedonic prices of rice quality attributes, and a partial equilibrium model to determine the payoff to investing in quality improvement in five countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Results indicate that consumers are willing to pay price premiums for head rice, slender grains, peak viscosity, parboiled rice, and rice sold in urban markets. However, they strongly discount amylose content, rice with impurities and imported rice. Investing in quality improvement through amylose content reduction leads to net welfare gains with a benefit-cost ratio of 47.86 and internal rate of return of 90%.
Character and Repeat-Offender Sentencing
Authors: Brand Jeffrey 
Published: February 2022

AbstractRepeat offenders receive longer sentences than first offenders in virtually every modern jurisdiction. Such prior-record enhancements are politically popular. Scholars are more divided, especially regarding severe enhancements. Retributivists have long disagreed about which enhancements, if any, are morally justifiable and on what basis. This article advances the debate, offering lessons for retributivists on all sides. I address an intuitive argument that justifies enhancements in terms of character. This argument has been caricatured and dismissed, with defenders of enhancements preferring character-independent arguments. I reconstruct an argument for enhancements that assumes recidivism constitutes evidence of culpability-aggravating character traits. The argument seems at least coherent, inferentially valid, and intuitively plausible. I then raise what I see as the real threats to the argument, which are neither conceptual nor normative, but empirical. I identify some formal features that the character argument requires of culpability-aggravating traits. To support enhancements, such traits must also correlate properly with criminal records. One place to look for characterizations of such traits, and evidence of correlation, is criminology, in theories of criminogenesis and criminality. I conclude that character arguments for prior-record enhancements cannot be dismissed, although their thorough evaluation awaits answers to complex empirical questions.