bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Carbapenem antibiotic stress increases blaKPC‐2 gene relative copy number and bacterial resistance levels of Klebsiella pneumoniae
Authors: Chen Huimin , Li Na , Wang Fang , Wang Lei , Liang Wei 
Published: June 2022

AbstractBackgroundThe clinical isolation rates of carbapenem‐resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR‐KP) continue to increase. In China, clinical CR‐KP isolates are mainly attributed to the blaKPC‐2 gene carried on plasmids, and the blaKPC‐2 copy number correlates with the expression of KPC enzymes, which can cause elevated carbapenem MICs.MethodsThirty‐seven CR‐KP isolates were collected at the Second People’s Hospital of Lianyungang City between January 2020 and March 2021, with no duplicate isolates, and were screened for the blaKPC‐2 gene with PCR. Analysis of current CRKP resistance to clinically relevant antimicrobials using the bioMérieux VITEK® 2 bacterial identification card. The multilocus sequence types of the strains were confirmed with PCR and DNA sequencing. Recombinant plasmids pET20b‐blaKPC‐2 and pET20b‐CpsG were constructed, and the copy numbers of the recombinant plasmids per unit volume was calculated based on the molecular weight of the plasmids. After the genomes DNA of clinical isolates of K. pneumoniae carrying the blaKPC‐2 gene were purified, the blaKPC‐2 gene relative copy number in individual K. pneumoniae strains was indicated by the double standard curve method. Detection of MIC values changes of K. pneumoniae under imipenem selection pressure by broth microdilution method.ResultsAmong the 37 CR‐KP strains isolated, only the blaKPC‐2 gene was detected in 30 strains, three strains were positive for the blaNDM‐1 gene, two strains carried both the blaKPC‐2 and blaNDM‐1 genes, and two strains without detectable carbapenem resistance genes. The ST11 clone was predominant among the 37 carbapenem‐resistant K. pneumoniae isolates. Drug sensitivity testing showed that except for polymyxins (100% susceptible) and tigecycline (75.7% intermediate), the 37 CR‐KP strains were resistant to almost all antimicrobial drugs. The blaKPC‐2 relative copy number in nine ST11 clinical isolates of K. pneumoniae was 7.64 ± 2.51 when grown on LB plates but 27.67 ± 13.04 when grown on LB plates containing imipenem. Among these nine isolates, five CRKP strains exhibited elevated MICs to imipenem, while the remaining four strains showed unchanged MIC values to imipenem.ConclusionCarbapenem‐resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates may have multiple pathways to achieve high levels of carbapenem resistance, and moderate carbapenem pressure can increase the copy number of KPC enzyme genes in CRKP strains and enhance the degree of carbapenem resistance in the strains.
Predicting the depressive status using empirical dietary inflammatory index in patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody‐associated vasculitis
Authors: Lee Joo Hye , Yun Jan‐Di , Whang Jeong Yeop , Pyo Jung Yoon , Ahn Sung Soo , Song Jason Jungsik , Park Yong‐Beom , Lee Sang‐Won 
Published: June 2022

AbstractBackgroundThis study investigated whether the empirical dietary inflammatory index (eDII) score is associated with the inflammatory burden as well as the depressive status in patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody‐associated vasculitis (AAV).MethodsEighty‐four patients with AAV participated in this study. Birmingham vasculitis activity score (BVAS) and short‐form 36‐item Health Survey mental component summary (SF‐36 MCS) were considered as indices assessing the inflammatory burden and depressive status, respectively. The eDII includes 16 food components and consists of three groups: −9 to −2, the low eDII group; −1 to +1, the moderate eDII group; and +2 to +10, the high eDII group. Furthermore, the lower eDII group includes both the low and moderate eDII groups.ResultsThe median age was 64.5 years (36 men). The eDII scores inversely correlated with SF‐36 MCS (r = −0.298, p = 0.006) but not with BVAS. SF‐36 MCS significantly differ between the lower and higher eDII groups (69.7 vs. 56.7, p = 0.016), but not among the low, moderate and high eDII groups. Additionally, when patients with AAV were divided into two groups according to the upper limit of the lowest tertile of SF‐36 MCS of 55.31, patients in the higher eDII group exhibited a significantly higher risk for the lowest tertile of SF‐36 MCS than those in the lower eDII group (RR 3.000).ConclusionWe demonstrated for the first time that the eDII could predict the depressive status by estimating SF‐36 MCS without utilising K‐CESD‐R ≥ 16 in patients with AAV.
Coagulation parameters in lung cancer patients: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Bayleyegn Biruk , Adane Tiruneh , Getawa Solomon , Aynalem Melak , Kifle Zemen Demelash 
Published: June 2022

AbstractBackgroundHypercoagulability in lung cancer patients is associated with a high incidence of mortality and morbidity in the world. Therefore, this meta‐analysis aimed to explore the correlation of the basic coagulation abnormalities in lung cancer patients compared with the control.MethodPubMed, Scopus, and other sources were employed to identify eligible studies. The outcome variable was expressed using mean ± standard deviation (SD). Heterogeneity among studies and publication bias were evaluated. The quality of included studies was also assessed based on Newcastle–Ottawa Scale checklist.ResultFinally, through a total of eight studies, prolonged prothrombin time (PT; standard mean difference [SMD]: 1.29; 95% CI: 0.47–2.11), plasma D‐dimer value (SMD 3.10; 95% CI 2.08–4.12), fibrinogen (SMD 2.18; 95% CI:1.30–3.06), and platelet (PLT) count (SMD 1.00; 95% CI 0.84–1.16) were significantly higher in lung cancer patients when compared with the control group. The single‐arm meta‐analysis also showed that compared with control, lung cancer patients had high pooled PT 13.7 (95% CI:12.2–15.58) versus 11.79 (95% CI = 10.56–13.02), high D‐dimer 275.99 (95% CI:172.9–11735.9) versus 0.2 (95% CI:0.20–0.37), high plasma fibrinogen 5.50 (95% CI:4.21–6.79) versus 2.5 (95% CI:2.04–2.91), and high PLT count 342.3 (95% CI:236.1–448.5) versus 206.6 (95% CI:176.4–236.7).ConclusionIn conclusion, almost all the coagulation abnormalities were closely associated with lung cancer, and hence coagulation indexes provide an urgent clue for early diagnosis and timely management.
A novel source of food hydrocolloids from Trigonella elliptica seeds: extraction of mucilage and comprehensive characterization
Authors: Amiri Saber , Nabizadeh Farnaz , Rezazad Bari Laya 
Published: June 2022

AbstractBackgroundIn this study, the effects of seed weight (4, 8, and 12 g), extraction temperature (30, 60, and 90 °C), and pH (4, 7, and 10) on the yield of mucilage extraction from fenugreek seeds and its chemical properties were investigated using response‐surface methodology.ResultsThe optimum condition for mucilage extraction was a seed weight of 8.30 g, a temperature of 86.10 °C, and pH 6.90. The results showed that the dry weight of extracted mucilage increased with increase and decrease of extraction temperature and pH respectively at high seed weight. Increasing temperature and pH increased the extraction yield, and the effect was more considerable at low seed weight. The maximum carbohydrate content of mucilage was achieved at average levels of variables. The protein, flavonoid, and total phenolic contents of extracted mucilage increased with increasing temperature. Both flavonoid and total phenolic contents were maximum at neutral pH, but they were maximum at moderate and low levels of seed weight respectively. Maximum antioxidant activity was obtained at the highest extraction temperature, seed weight of 8 g, and neutral pH. The study of rheological properties indicated that extracted mucilage solution showed mainly elastic and shear‐thinning behavior.ConclusionThe Fourier transform infrared spectra of extracted mucilage exhibited the existence of polysaccharides and protein chains in fenugreek seeds mucilage. The X‐ray diffraction corroborated the presence of crystals in the mucilage structure. The proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectra confirmed the polysaccharides and protein composition of extracted mucilage. The maximum mucilage mass loss was observed at 190–350 °C using thermogravimetric analysis. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.
Polar Vessel
Authors: Su Huan‐Zhong , Zhang Feng , Zhang Xiao‐Dong , Hong Long‐Cheng , Huang Shu‐Jing , Su Yu‐Qing , Su Yi‐Ming 
Published: June 2022

ObjectivesTo investigate the characteristic ultrasonographic findings of adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) in major salivary glands and identify the value of polar vessel in color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI) for the diagnosis of ACC.MethodsFrom January 2017 to December 2021, 76 patients with parotid and submandibular gland tumors, including 14 patients with ACC, as confirmed by surgery and histopathology, were enrolled. Their clinicopathologic information and ultrasound (US) features were recorded and analyzed. The performance of polar vessel in CDFI for differentiating ACC from non‐ACC (benign tumors and mucoepidermoid carcinoma [MEC]) was analyzed.ResultsACC in the major salivary gland was more likely to be associated with pain symptoms (P = .027) and unclear borders and rough edges in grayscale US (P = .002, .015, respectively) than benign tumors. Compared to MEC, ACC tended to feature a homogeneous internal echo (P = .008). ACC of the major salivary gland had a significantly higher incidence of polar vessel sign than that of non‐ACC (benign tumors and MEC) (P < .0001, .0001, respectively). The polar vessel sign showed good performance in distinguishing between ACC and non‐ACC, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.857, a sensitivity of 71.4%, a specificity of 100%, and an accuracy of 94.7%. Positive predictive value and negative predictive value were calculated at 100% and 93.9%, respectively.ConclusionsThe US sign of polar vessel has high diagnostic efficiency, and it may have important potential for use as a new complementary sign for the diagnosis of ACC in major salivary glands.
Influence of landscape attributes on Virginia opossum density
Authors: Bernasconi David A. , Dixon Wesley C. , Hamilton Matthew T. , Helton James L. , Chipman Richard B. , Gilbert Amy T. , Beasley James C. , Rhodes Olin E. , Dharmarajan Guha 
Published: June 2022

AbstractThe Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana), North America's only marsupial, has a range extending from southern Ontario, Canada, to the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, and from the Atlantic seaboard to the Pacific. Despite the Virginia opossum's taxonomic uniqueness in relation to other mammals in North America and rapidly expanding distribution, its ecology remains relatively understudied. Our poor understanding of the ecology of this important mesopredator is especially pronounced in the rural southeastern United States. Our goal was to estimate effects of habitat on opossum density within an extensive multi‐year spatial capture‐recapture study. Additionally, we compared the results of this spatial capture‐recapture analysis with a simple relative abundance index. Opossum densities in the relatively underdeveloped regions of the southeastern United States were lower compared to the more human‐dominated landscapes of the Northeast and Midwest. In the southeastern United States, Virginia opossums occurred at a higher density in bottomland swamp and riparian hardwood forest compared to upland pine (Pinusspp.) plantations and isolated wetlands. These results reinforce the notion that the Virginia opossum is commonly associated with land cover types adjacent to permanent water (bottomland swamps, riparian hardwood). The relatively low density of opossums at isolated wetland sites suggests that the large spatial scale of selection demonstrated by opossums gives the species access to preferable cover types within the same landscape.
Changes in Cough Airflow and Acoustics After Injection Laryngoplasty
Authors: Rameau Anaïs , Andreadis Katerina , German Alexander , Lachs Mark S. , Rosen Tony E. , Pitzrick Michael S. , Symes Laurel B. , Klinck Holger 
Published: June 2022

Objective/HypothesisWe explored the following hypotheses in a cohort of patients undergoing injection laryngoplasty: (1) glottic insufficiency affects voluntary cough airflow dynamics and restoring glottic competence may improve parameters of cough strength, (2) cough strength can be inferred from cough acoustic signal, and (3) glottic competence changes cough sounds and correlates with spectrogram morphology.Study Type/DesignProspective interventional study.MethodsSubjects with glottic insufficiency secondary to unilateral vocal fold paresis, paralysis, or atrophy, and scheduled for injection laryngoplasty completed an instrumental assessment of voluntary cough airflow using a pneumotachometer and a protocolized voluntary cough sound recording. A Wilcoxon signed‐rank test was used to compare the differences between pre‐ and post‐injection laryngoplasty in airflow and acoustic measures. A Spearman rank‐order correlation was used to evaluate the association between airflow and acoustic cough measures.ResultsTwenty‐five patients (13F:12M, mean age 68.8) completed voluntary cough airflow measurements and 22 completed cough sound recordings. Following injection laryngoplasty, patients had a statistically significant decreased peak expiratory flow rise time (PEFRT) (mean change: −0.03 s, SD: 0.06, p = 0.04) and increased cough volume acceleration (mean change: 13.1 L/s2, SD: 33.9, p = 0.03), suggesting improved cough effectiveness. Correlation of cough acoustic measures with airflow measures showed a weak relationship between PEFRT and acoustic energy (coefficient: −0.31, p = 0.04) and peak power density (coefficient: −0.35, p = 0.02).ConclusionsOur study thus indicates that injection laryngoplasty may help avert aspiration in patients with glottic insufficiency by improving cough effectiveness and that improved cough airflow measures may be tracked with cough sounds.Level of Evidence3 Laryngoscope, 133:S1–S14, 2023
Compatibilization of Immiscible Polymer Blends Using Block Copolymer: Influence of the Dry Brush Model Modifications on Model Results
Authors: Jůza Josef , Fortelný Ivan 
Published: June 2022

AbstractThe compatibilization of polymer blends using a copolymer can be estimated, among other, using simple theoretical models based on Leibler's mean field theory and its modification by Noolandi. The case when copolymer chain is shorter than homopolymer chains can be described in the “dry brush” approximation for high concentration of the copolymer in the interfacial layer and in the approximation for the low copolymer concentration in the interfacial layer. Since, there is a discontinuity between results provided by them, the effect of several modifications of the dry brush approximation has been studied. None of the tried modifications shifts results closer to the approximation of the low copolymer concentration.
Influence of the Grain Size on the Mechanical Behavior of a Nanostructured Poly(butyl methacrylate)–Polystyrene Diblock Copolymer
Authors: Lach Ralf , Grellmann Wolfgang 
Published: June 2022

AbstractThe morphology and mechanical properties of solution‐cast poly(butyl methacrylate)–polystyrene (PBMA–PS) diblock copolymer films (Mn= 270 kg mol−1, 70 Vol.‐% PS) prepared by using different solvents (cyclohexane, toluene, chloroform, and dioxane) are investigated in this study. All solvents except dioxane, which leads to PBMA cylinders in the PS matrix, result in lamellar morphologies. The grain size, however, by using cyclohexane, is —two to three times smaller compared to toluene and chloroform. The grain boundaries in PBMA–PS formed by the soft thermoplastic PBMA phase cause flaws in the material, which results in both small values of the tensile strength of cyclohexane‐cast films (23 MPa) compared to toluene‐ and chloroform‐cast ones (31–32 MPa) and low ductility.
Modeling of Manufacturing Induced Residual Stress in 3D‐Printed Components
Authors: Panchasara Kevin Mahendrabhai , Ramakrishnan Anantha Narayanan , Mehle Konrad , Ludtka Christopher , Schwan Stefan 
Published: June 2022

AbstractThe objective of this work is to model the residual stresses that can arise during the production of components using fused deposition modeling (FDM). Thermally induced residual stresses occur during the manufacturing process due to unfavorable thermal conductivity of the polymers used. For this purpose, the G‐code of a 3D printer is first imported into a column interpreter which can be rearranged according to given requirements. This is done using a Visual Basic macro. This geometry data is further processed using a CATIA macro to create a geometry in CATIA. For simplification a circular profile is used, which is extruded over polymer lines and stacked on top of one another. In concert, the time‐varying assignment of the boundary conditions over which the printing process is simulated is performed. The calculations are made in ANSYS Workbench using ANSYS APDL commands. The element activation‐deactivation method is used for the simulation. The thermal simulation is first demonstrated and validated on a sample block and then transferred to the CAD part. The results are imported from Transient Analysis and used as load steps for the Static Structural Analysis, where stresses, strains, and deformations are calculated. The results are then studied to finally print the geometry.
Comparative Study on Polyamide 11 and Polyamide 10.10 as Matrix Polymers for Biogenic Wood‐Plastic Composites
Authors: Hirsch Patrick , Theumer Torsten 
Published: June 2022

AbstractBiogenic wood‐plastic composites from bio‐based polymers and wood fibers (bio‐WPC) provide an improved sustainability and carbon footprint compared to conventional composites. Recently, such bio‐WPCs from bio‐based polyamides have gained major interest due to their high mechanical and thermomechanical properties. In this study, the resulting mechanical and thermo‐mechanical properties of two bio‐WPCs from polyamide 11 (PA11) and polyamide 10.10 (PA10.10) with a content of 30 wt% of beech wood particles (BP), processed by twin‐screw compounding and subsequent injection molding, are analyzed by tensile testing and dynamic mechanical analysis. For this, two comparable grades of PA11 and PA10.10 are used. It is found that the elastic modulus, tensile strength, and the temperature‐dependent storage modulus of the PA10.10/BP30 are significantly higher as compared to the PA11/BP30 material. These findings are addressed to the different number of amino groups per repeating unit in these polymers, leading to a better adhesion of the matrix and the wood fiber and consequently better mechanical and thermomechanical properties of the PA10.10/BP30. In consequence, bio‐WPCs from PA10.10 should be considered as an interesting alternative with a tendency to higher mechanical and thermomechanical properties in comparison to bio‐WPCs from PA11.
CO2 Cycloaddition to Plant Oil Based Epoxidized Monoester: Optimization and Catalyst Screening
Authors: Shahzad Irfan , Cepus Valentin 
Published: June 2022

AbstractMigration of epoxidized monoester plasticizers based on bio‐oil can be reduced by adopting a green strategy of incorporating CO2 into the epoxy rings of the plasticizer. In the present work, three different approaches are evaluated to optimize reaction output and the time required to complete the cycloaddition of CO2 in epoxidized monoester of soybean oil with glycerol formal. In the first approach, deep eutectic solvent (DES) is utilized along with conventionally used tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB) catalyst to analyze the effect of DES on reaction, while in the second approach a co‐catalyst system along with onium halide is employed. In the third strategy, a simple catalyst system comprising potassium iodide (KI) and polyethylene glycol with a molecular weight of 400 (PEG 400) or 18‐crown ether as phase transfer catalysts is investigated. In all three approaches, experimental parameters such as temperature, pressure, stirring rate, time, catalyst type, and catalyst concentration are systematically evaluated. TBAB catalyst along with equimolar (DES) under 40 bars pressure demonstrated the best conversion of epoxy groups to five‐membered cyclic carbonated rings within 4 h. Fourier transform Infrared spectroscopic (FTIR) analyses are regularly performed to monitor reaction progress while nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic (NMR) analysis is performed to confirm purity of the final product.
Wet Friction of Rubbers Containing DAE or TDAE Process Oil in ESBR and ESBR/BR Blends
Authors: Abbasi Shahdehi Iman , Alimardani Mohammad , Roshanaei Hossein 
Published: June 2022

AbstractThe inevitable need to replace conventional high aromatic process oils with new safe ones has made it critically important to investigate the extent of tire wet grip modification by process oils’ aromatic content. Here, direct measurement of wet friction is conducted on emulsion styrene butadiene rubber (ESBR) and ESBR/butadiene rubber (BR) rubber blends containing either safe treated distillate aromatic extract (TDAE) or the conventional distillate aromatic extract (DAE) oils. Interestingly, the results reveal that the wet coefficient of friction for rubbers with TDAE is comparable or even better than rubbers with the DAE. This stands in contrast with previous predictions founded on indirect methods such as the values of loss factor tan δ at 0°C. Analysis of temperature dependent dynamic properties exhibits similar values of tan δ at 0°C for two oil types; however, a higher level of loss tangent for TDAE is found near the glass transition temperature. It is hypothesized that the frequency of loading imposed by the microtexture of the concrete counterface may have dictated the temperature range in which the TDAE can surpass the DAE in terms of the wet grip performance. The difference in the wet grip of rubbers having two oils is more pronounced for the ESBR/BR blend system.
Strain Hardening Test: Short Term Test for Estimating Service Life of High‐Density Polyethylene
Authors: Kovar Marek , Nezbedova Eva , Hodan Jiri , Stary Zdenek 
Published: June 2022

AbstractThe strain hardening test (SHT) is based on uniaxial tensile testing to estimate the time to failure. It has been shown that the strain hardening modulus can be easily determined using SHT with testing times only a few hours. Due to the same molecular processes during SHT and conventional methods such as full notch creep test (FNCT) and Pennsylvania edge notch test (PENT), the strain hardening modulus covers the slow crack growth (SCG) resistance in pipe‐grade high‐density polyethylene (PE‐HD) to a high degree. The contribution summarizes the results of SHT, carried out on PE‐HD. It discusses the effects of geometry of the test specimens, and the correlation with the PENT and FNCT.