bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“Spine to the future”—A narrative review of anatomy engagement
Authors: Taylor Adam M. , Wessels Quenton
Published: April 2024

Anatomy has been integral to medical and health education for centuries, it has also had a significant role in wider public life, as an educational resource, a link to their health, and also as a darker deterrent. Historically, public engagement in anatomy is hallmarked by public dissections of convicted criminals across the globe. Artists, specifically non‐medical men, such as Leonardo da Vinci, are reported to have participated in public dissection. Dissection would later rekindle public interest in anatomy as graverobbing led to the reform and regulation of anatomy in many countries. In recent years, there has been growing interest from the public in learning more about their bodies as health and well‐being become of paramount importance, particularly following the COVID‐19 pandemic. Anatomy sits in a prime position to direct and instigate conversations around health, well‐being, and body image. Every human on earth possesses a perfect resource to look at and learn about. Models, art‐based anatomical activities, and crafts provide active learning opportunities for the wider public around anatomy. Most recently, apps, games, and extended reality provide novel and insightful learning opportunities for the public relating to the body. Finally, training and resources must also be made available from institutions and professional bodies to anatomists to enable them to deliver engagement in an already congested and educationally heavy schedule. This resurgence of interest in anatomical public engagement sees anatomy re‐enter the public spotlight, with more appropriate resources and educational settings to offer engagement with the aim of benefiting the public.
Bewertung und Ertüchtigung von genieteten Gitterträgern in Dachkonstruktionen
Authors: Franz Hannah , Rinke Mario
Published: April 2024

Metallkonstruktionen des 19. und frühen 20. Jahrhunderts, wie z. B. Industrie‐, Bahnhofs‐ und Markthallen, sind ein kostbares und nutzbares Erbe. Der Erhalt dieser Konstruktionen durch die Beibehaltung oder Anpassung ihrer Nutzung ist von wirtschaftlichem, ökologischem und denkmalpflegerischem Interesse. Dabei ist die genaue Bewertung ihrer Tragfähigkeit durch Nachrechnung eine Herausforderung. In Frankreich sind genietete Gitterträger in Dachkonstruktionen aus den Jahren 1850–1930 sehr verbreitet und weisen rechnerisch Stabilitätsprobleme auf, die zu vorbeugenden Verstärkungsmaßnahmen führen. Dieser Beitrag stützt sich auf die Untersuchung von solchen Tragwerkskomponenten und schlägt eine neue, ganzheitliche Bewertungsmethode vor, welche Bauingenieurwesen, Konstruktionsgeschichte und Denkmalpflege miteinander verbindet und eine solide Grundlage für die Ausarbeitung von vernünftigen, d. h. möglichst minimalen Verstärkungen bilden soll. Diese Herangehensweise könnte auf Eisen‐ und Stahlkonstruktionen des 19. und frühen 20. Jahrhunderts sowie auf die meisten bestehenden Bauwerke ausgeweitet werden.
Luminescence of Sm3+ in double perovskite‐type Ba2SrWO6 for insect trapping
Authors: Li Haoquan , Wu Haoyi , Zhang Lei , Qin Shuyu , Song Jianjun , Jin Yahong , Hu Yihua
Published: April 2024

The predominant method for pest control has been the use of pesticides, which have been shown to have detrimental effects on soil, freshwater, and crop quality. Therefore, the development of novel and sustainable crop protection strategies has become increasingly imperative. In this study, a novel orange–red emitting Ba2SrWO6: Sm3+ phosphor was synthesized using the high‐temperature solid‐state reaction. Under ultraviolet excitation, the phosphors showed obvious emission peaks at 575, 614, and 662 nm. The Ba2SrWO6: Sm3+ was used to fabricate a fluorescence film with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), and attracted twice as many insects as the blank control group under 365 nm ultraviolet light. This material holds great potential as a fluorescent agent for insect trapping in the pest control fields of tea, cotton, eggplant, rice, potato, grape, and other agricultural industries. Our findings provide an eco‐friendly approach to pest management for the increment of food production.
Machine learning approaches to predict TAS2R receptors for bitterants
Authors: Ferri Francesco , Cannariato Marco , Deriu Marco Agostino , Pallante Lorenzo
Published: April 2024

Bitter taste involves the detection of diverse chemical compounds by a family of G protein‐coupled receptors, known as taste receptor type 2 (TAS2R). It is often linked to toxins and harmful compounds and in particular bitter taste receptors participate in the regulation of glucose homeostasis, modulation of immune and inflammatory responses, and may have implications for various diseases. Human TAS2Rs are characterized by their polymorphism and differ in localization and function. Different receptors can activate various signaling pathways depending on the tissue and the ligand. However, in vitro screening of possible TAS2R ligands is costly and time‐consuming. For this reason, in silico methods to predict bitterant‐TAS2R interactions could be powerful tools to help in the selection of ligands and targets for experimental studies and improve our knowledge of bitter receptor roles. Machine learning (ML) is a branch of artificial intelligence that applies algorithms to large datasets to learn from patterns and make predictions. In recent years, there has been a record of numerous taste classifiers in literature, especially on bitter/non‐bitter or bitter/sweet classification. However, only a few of them exploit ML to predict which TAS2R receptors could be targeted by bitter molecules. Indeed, the shortage and incompleteness of data on receptor‐ligand associations in literature make this task non‐trivial. In this work, we provide an overview of the state of the art dealing with this specific investigation, focusing on three ML‐based models, namely BitterX (2016), BitterSweet (2019) and BitterMatch (2022). This review aims to establish the foundation for future research endeavours focused on addressing the limitations and drawbacks of existing models.
A rapid and sensitive LC–MS/MS method for quantifying oxycodone, noroxycodone, oxymorphone and noroxymorphone in human plasma to support pharmacokinetic drug interaction studies of oxycodone
Authors: Hulskotte Lotte M. G. , Wilbrink‐Pijffers Inge , Arbouw Maurits E. L. , Benoist Guillemette E. , Jansman Frank G. A. , van Berlo‐van de Laar Inge R. F.
Published: April 2024

A sensitive and reliable LC–MS/MS method was developed and validated for the quantification of oxycodone and metabolites in human plasma. The method has a runtime of 6 min and a sensitivity of 0.1 μg/L for all analytes. Sample preparation consisted of protein precipitation. Separation was performed on a Kinetix biphenyl column (2.1 × 100 mm, 1.7 μm), using ammonium formate 5 mm in 0.1% aqueous formic acid and methanol LC–MS grade 100% in gradient elution at a flow rate of 0.4 ml/min. Detection was performed in multiple reaction monitoring mode using positive electrospray ionization. The method was linear over the calibration range of 0.1–25.0 μg/L for oxycodone, noroxycodone and noroxymorphone and 0.1–5.0 μg/L for oxymorphone. The method demonstrated good performance in terms of intra‐ and interday accuracy (86.5–110.3%) and precision (CV 1.7–9.3%). The criteria for the matrix effect were met (CV < 15%) except for noroxymorphone, for which an additional method was applied to compensate for the matrix effect. Whole blood samples were stable for 4 h at room temperature. Plasma samples were stable for 24 h at room temperature and 3 months at −20°C. Furthermore, the method was successfully applied in a pharmacokinetic drug interaction study of oxycodone and enzalutamide in patients with prostate cancer.
Business reporting of Sustainable Development Goals: Global trends and implications
Authors: Thammaraksa Chonlawan , Gebara Caroline Herlev , Hauschild Michael Zwicky , Pontoppidan Caroline Aggestam , Laurent Alexis
Published: April 2024

With a reported insufficient progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), improving knowledge on the uptake and use of SDGs within the private sector is imperative. To address this need, we examine the SDG reporting characteristics of 8500 companies using a global business and governance database. Our results show no correlation in reporting specific goals, which could impede progress toward other goals. A disconnection between corporate sustainability performances and SDG reporting is also observed, meaning companies may select and report specific SDGs arbitrarily without rooting them with actual sustainability performances. These findings question the motivation and effectiveness of current SDG reporting and call for more guidance on SDG indicator selection and performance assessment. Looking ahead, SDG communication practices are anticipated to change due to the advent of new corporate sustainability reporting regulations. We therefore call for continuous monitoring of SDG adoption, uptake, and communication in businesses.
Fostering computational thinking with simulated 3D robots in secondary education
Authors: Martín Luis Castro‐San , Hijón‐Neira Raquel , Pizarro Celeste , Cañas José M.
Published: April 2024

Computational Thinking (CT) can be defined as the thought processes involved in formulating problems so that their solutions can be represented as sequential steps and algorithms. It is a key skill for children in the 21st century. However, it is unclear how CT can be developed most effectively in children. Several pedagogical methodologies have been proposed and are being investigated. The main aim of this paper is to test the hypothesis which states that using three‐dimensional (3D) simulated robots helps in the learning of programming and CT concepts, such as directions, loops, conditionals, and functions. The research questions are: Does this hypothesis hold true? Are some concepts easier or better learned than others and to what extent? The goal is to measure and evaluate the effect of using as a learning tool a platform with 3D simulated robots and realistic physics, and compare it with the standard Scratch learning tool which does not use robotics but a two‐dimensional (2D) cartoon avatar they are already familiar with. For practical reasons, a quasiexperimental design with nonequivalent groups and 85 second‐year Secondary Education students (ages 12–13) was performed. They were separated into control and experimental groups and followed a seven‐session intervention with the baseline 2D Scratch and the 3D simulated robots platform, respectively. Both used a visual block programming language and the same activities. To have quantitative and reliable results, a widely accepted CT test has been used, pre‐ and postintervention. Also qualitative feedback is presented. The obtained results show that using the platform with simulated 3D robots significantly helps when developing students' CT. With it, the students do learn basic programming concepts and reach higher scores in the CT test. This improvement applies to all CT‐analyzed concepts except in functions where the grades are maintained. Furthermore, students manage to master the activities on the 3D simulated robots platform, which reflects on the empowerment the platform has got in them.
Improvement of histone deacetylase inhibitor efficacy by SN38 through TWIST1 suppression in synovial sarcoma
Authors: Sasagawa Satoru , Kumai Jun , Wakamatsu Toru , Yui Yoshihiro
Published: April 2024

Background

Synovial sarcoma (SS) is an SS18‐SSX fusion gene‐driven soft tissue sarcoma with mesenchymal characteristics, associated with a poor prognosis due to frequent metastasis to a distant organ, such as the lung. Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors (HDACis) are arising as potent molecular targeted drugs, as HDACi treatment disrupts the SS oncoprotein complex, which includes HDACs, in addition to general HDACi effects. To provide further molecular evidence for the advantages of HDACi treatment and its limitations due to drug resistance induced by the microenvironment in SS cells, we examined cellular responses to HDACi treatment in combination with two‐dimensional (2D) and 3D culture conditions.

Methods

Using several SS cell lines, biochemical and cell biological assays were performed with romidepsin, an HDAC1/2 selective inhibitor. SN38 was concomitantly used as an ameliorant drug with romidepsin treatment. Cytostasis, apoptosis induction, and MHC class I polypeptide‐related sequence A/B (MICA/B) induction were monitored to evaluate the drug efficacy. In addition to the conventional 2D culture condition, spheroid culture was adopted to evaluate the influence of cell‐mass microenvironment on chemoresistance.

Results

By monitoring the cellular behavior with romidepsin and/or SN38 in SS cells, we observed that responsiveness is diverse in each cell line. In the apoptotic inducible cells, co‐treatment with SN38 enhanced cell death. In nonapoptotic inducible cells, cytostasis and MICA/B induction were observed, and SN38 improved MICA/B induction further. As a novel efficacy of SN38, we revealed TWIST1 suppression in SS cells. In the spheroid (3D) condition, romidepsin efficacy was severely restricted in TWIST1‐positive cells. We demonstrated that TWIST1 downregulation restored romidepsin efficacy even in spheroid form, and concomitant SN38 treatment along with romidepsin reproduced the reaction.

Conclusions

The current study demonstrated the benefits and concerns of using HDACi for SS treatment in 2D and 3D culture conditions and provided molecular evidence that concomitant treatment with SN38 can overcome drug resistance to HDACi by suppressing TWIST1 expression.
Cancer treatment with biosimilar drugs: A review
Authors: Malakar Shilpa , Gontor Emmanuel Nuah , Dugbaye Moses Y. , Shah Kamal , Sinha Sakshi , Sutaoney Priya , Chauhan Nagendra Singh
Published: April 2024

Biosimilars are biological drugs created from living organisms or that contain living components. They share an identical amino‐acid sequence and immunogenicity. These drugs are considered to be cost‐effective and are utilized in the treatment of cancer and other endocrine disorders. The primary aim of biosimilars is to predict biosimilarity, efficacy, and treatment costs; they are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and have no clinical implications. They involve analytical studies to understand the similarities and dissimilarities. A biosimilar manufacturer sets up FDA‐approved reference products to evaluate biosimilarity. The contribution of next‐generation sequencing is evolving to study the organ tumor and its progression with its impactful therapeutic approach on cancer patients to showcase and target rare mutations. The study shall help to understand the future perspectives of biosimilars for use in gastro‐entero‐logic diseases, colorectal cancer, and thyroid cancer. They also help target specific organs with essential mutational categories and drug prototypes in clinical practices with blood and liquid biopsy, cell treatment, gene therapy, recombinant therapeutic proteins, and personalized medications. Biosimilar derivatives such as monoclonal antibodies like trastuzumab and rituximab are common drugs used in cancer therapy. Escherichia coli produces more than six antibodies or antibody‐derived proteins to treat cancer such as filgrastim, epoetin alfa, and so on.
Use of percutaneous mechanical circulatory support for right ventricular failure
Authors: Gupta Kartik , Lemor Alejandro , Alkhatib Ahmad , McBride Patrick , Cowger Jennifer , Grafton Gillian , Alaswad Khaldoon , O'Neill William , Villablanca Pedro , Basir Mir B.
Published: April 2024

Background

Utilization of right ventricular mechanical circulatory support (RV‐MCS) devices has been limited by a lack of recognition of RV failure as well as a lack of availability and experience with RV‐MCS.

Aims

We report a single‐center experience with the use of percutaneous RV‐MCS and report predictors of adverse outcomes.

Methods

This was a single‐center retrospective cohort study. Data from consecutive patients who received RV‐MCS for any indication between June 2015 and January 2022 were included. Data on baseline comorbidities, hemodynamics, and laboratory values were collected. The primary outcome was in‐hospital mortality analyzed as a logistic outcome in a multivariable model. These variables were further ranked by their predictive value.

Results

Among 58 consecutive patients enrolled, the median age was 66 years, 31% were female and 53% were white. The majority of the patients (48%) were hospitalized for acute on chronic heart failure. The majority of the patients were SCAI SHOCK Stage D (67%) and 34 (64%) patients had MCS placed within 24 h of the onset of shock. Before placement of RV‐MCS, median central venous pressure (CVP) and RV stroke work index were 20 mmHg and 8.9 g m/m2, respectively. Median serum lactate was 3.5 (1.6, 6.2) mmol/L. Impella RP was implanted in 50% and ProtekDuo in the remaining 50%. Left ventricular MCS was concomitantly used in 66% of patients. Twenty‐eight patients (48.3%) died. In these patients, median serum lactate was significantly higher (4.1 [2.3, 13.0] vs. 2.2 [1.4, 4.0]  mmol/L, p = 0.007) and a trend toward higher median CVP (24 [18, 31] vs. 19 [14, 24] mmHg, p = 0.052). In the multivariable logistic model, both serum lactate and CVP before RV‐MCS placement were independent predictors of in‐hospital mortality. Serum lactate had the highest predictive value.

Conclusion

In our real‐world cohort, 52% of patients treated with RV‐MCS survived their index hospitalization. Serum lactate at presentation and CVP were the strongest predictors of in‐hospital mortality.
Novel valve‐in‐surgical bioprosthetic transcatheter aortic valve replacement: Undermining iatrogenic coronary obstruction with radiofrequency needle (UNICORN)
Authors: Buchanan Cullen E. , Iskander Mina , Anwaruddin Saif , Mason Peter J.
Published: April 2024

An 86‐year‐old female with history of surgical aortic valve replacement presented with clinical signs of heart failure. Echocardiography revealed a reduction in left ventricular systolic function and severe bioprosthetic aortic valve dysfunction. This is the first reported case of valve‐in‐valve transcatheter aortic valve replacement with concomitant undermining iatrogenic coronary obstruction with radiofrequency needle procedure in a surgical bioprosthetic valve.
Mobile bedside ductus arteriosus closure in severely premature neonates using only echocardiographic guidance
Authors: Georgiev Stanimir , Tanase Daniel , Eicken Andreas , Hörer Jürgen , Zahn Evan , Borgmann Kristina , Renner Dunja , Ewert Peter
Published: April 2024

Background

Transcatheter closure of the patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in premature infants is currently dependent on fluoroscopic guidance and transportation to the catheterization laboratory.

Aim

We describe a new echocardiographically guided technique to allow our team to move to the bedside at the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of the referring center for percutaneous treatment of PDA in premature infants.

Methods

This is a single‐center, retrospective, primarily descriptive analysis. Clinical details about the procedure, its outcomes, and complications were collected.

Results

Fifty‐eight neonates with a median weight of 1110 g (range 730–2800) and postnatal age of 28 days (range 9–95) underwent percutaneous PDA closure. Five of them were treated in our center with ultrasound guidance only and the other 53 in 18 different neonatology units in 12 towns. The median duration of the procedure was 40 min (range 20–195 min). There were no procedural deaths. There was one residual shunt for 3 weeks, in all other patients the duct closed completely in the first few hours after the intervention. In one patient the procedure had to be interrupted because of a pericardial effusion which had to be drained, the PDA was closed successfully interventionally 5 days later. One device‐related aortic coarctation had to be stented. One embolization and one late migration occurred and required treatment.

Conclusions

Echocardiographically guided transcatheter closure of the PDA in prematures was repeatedly possible and allowed that the procedure is performed at the bedside at the NICU with an acceptable rate of complications.
Comparison between the outcomes of transfemoral access and transfemoral access with adjunct upper extremity access in patients undergoing endovascular aortic repair: A pilot systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Goyal Aman , Fatima Laveeza , Mushtaq Fiza , Tariq Muhammad Daoud , Kamran Aemen , Sohail Amir Humza , Chunawala Zainali , Sulaiman Samia Aziz , Shrestha Abhigan Babu , Sheikh Abu Baker , Belur Agastya D.
Published: April 2024

Endovascular aortic repair is an emerging novel intervention for the management of abdominal aortic aneurysms. It is crucial to compare the effectiveness of different access sites, such as transfemoral access (TFA) and upper extremity access (UEA). An electronic literature search was conducted using PubMed, EMBASE, and Google Scholar databases. The primary endpoint was the incidence of stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA), while the secondary endpoints included technical success, access‐site complications, mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), spinal cord ischemia, among others. Forest plots were constructed for the pooled analysis of data using the random‐effects model in Review Manager, version 5.4. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Our findings in 9403 study participants (6228 in the TFA group and 3175 in the UEA group) indicate that TFA is associated with a lower risk of stroke/TIA [RR: 0.55; 95% CI: 0.40–0.75; p = 0.0002], MI [RR: 0.51; 95% CI: 0.38–0.69; p < 0.0001], spinal cord ischemia [RR: 0.41; 95% CI: 0.32–0.53, p < 0.00001], and shortens fluoroscopy time [SMD: −0.62; 95% CI: −1.00 to −0.24; p = 0.001]. Moreover, TFA required less contrast agent [SMD: −0.33; 95% CI: −0.61 to −0.06; p = 0.02], contributing to its appeal. However, no significant differences emerged in technical success [p = 0.23], 30‐day mortality [p = 0.48], ICU stay duration [p = 0.09], or overall hospital stay length [p = 0.22]. Patients with TFA had a lower risk of stroke, MI, and spinal cord ischemia, shorter fluoroscopy time, and lower use of contrast agents. Future large‐scale randomized controlled trials are warranted to confirm and strengthen these findings.
Fumarate hydratase mutation associated uterine leiomyomas: A case report and literature review
Authors: Zhu Junyan , Li Shanji , Zhuang Zhiguo , Chen Hao , Chen Chao , Zhu Jie
Published: April 2024

Key Clinical Message

The patient was found to have multiple uterine myomas at the age of 19, underwent laparoscopic myomectomy at the age of 20, and underwent laparotomic myomectomy again at the age of 23 due to the recurrence of uterine myoma. At the age of 25, the patient reappeared with symptoms and recurrence, and was diagnosed with uterine leiomyomas (ULMs) of FH mutation and high‐grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL/CIN III) with gland involvement, after complete examination. Fumarate hydratase (FH) mutation screening is important when gynecologists encounter patients with early onset and multiple ULMs, it can give early diagnosis and treatment and fertility guidance. The patient had their uterus removed at the age of 26. FH mutation screening is important when gynecologists encounter patients with early onset and multiple ULMs, it can give early diagnosis and treatment and fertility guidance. It is also helpful for early diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma.
Tri‐reforming of Methane over a Hydroxyapatite Supported Nickel Catalyst
Authors: Son Phan Thanh , Pham Minh Doan
Published: April 2024

For the first time, a catalyst containing 5 wt. % Ni supported on a hydroxyapatite support (HAP) has been synthesized and evaluated in tri‐reforming of methane (TRM) for synthetic gas (syngas) production. Nickel nanoparticles could be easily formed on HAP surface by using the conventional incipient wetness impregnation technique. In TRM, under unfavorable reaction conditions from the thermodynamic point of view (e. g. medium reforming temperature of 700–800 °C, low steam‐to‐carbon ratio, etc.), this catalyst showed high methane conversion (up to 90 %), however, some deactivations took place. The latter could be explained by both the thermal sintering of nickel nanoparticles and the solid carbon formation. The impact of the main operational parameters has been studied. Increasing the reaction temperature, the molar ratios of oxygen‐to‐carbon and steam‐to‐carbon are favorable for the methane conversion and mostly for the stability of the catalyst. High methane conversion of ca. 90 % with a perfect catalytic stability during 300 hours‐on‐stream could be achieved at 800 °C and 1.4 bar, using a mixture containing low ratio of oxidant‐to‐carbon (molar ratio of CH4/CO2/H2O/O2/N2=1.0/0.67/0.9/0.1/0). These results offer the opportunity to further design an optimal Ni/HAP catalyst by improving metal‐support interaction and downsizing nickel nanoparticles.
Molecular Electrocatalysis under Finite Diffusive Mass Transport Conditions. An Analytical Approach
Authors: Martinez‐Garcia Antonio J. , Hernandez‐Tovar Jose Victor , Gonzalez Joaquin
Published: April 2024

Molecular electrocatalysis has emerged as a crucial branch of molecular electrochemistry, finding applications across various fields such as energy generation, electroanalysis, and electrosynthesis. In recent years, the study of these processes within confined spatial domains, has been increasingly frequent. However, a significant gap exists in the theoretical understanding of the interplay between different kinetics (redox and chemical) and mass transport under these conditions, and how their combined effects influence the electrochemical response. As a first step to address the aforementioned gap, this manuscript presents a theoretical expression for the current‐potential‐time response of a catalytic reaction occurring under finite diffusive conditions. The results indicate that, when the chemical kinetics is not fast, there are significant differences in electrochemical responses due to mass transport influences. Thus, in the case of bounded finite diffusion, a loss of efficiency in the process is observed, resulting in lower currents compared to those corresponding to semi‐infinite diffusive conditions. The validity of well‐known methods, such as the analysis of the current plateau or the foot of the wave under stationary conditions, is discussed. Experimental validation of these results is also provided through the study of the oxidation of Solketal mediated by the oxidation of TEMPO radical.
Uniformly Distributed Palladium Nanoparticles on NH2‐MIL‐53 Fabricated by an Equilibrium Adsorption Method for Reduction of Nitrite in Water
Authors: Huang Yuan , Kim Wontae , Otomo Ryoichi , Shimoda Shuhei , Wu Kevin C.‐W. , Kamiya Yuichi
Published: April 2024

Metal particle on a support material should be small and homogeneous in size, which is desirable when using it as a catalyst. In this study, we investigated to introduce Pd nanoparticles (NPs) with narrow size distribution into NH2‐MIL‐53, which was prepared by the reaction of aluminum(III) nitrate with 2‐aminoterephthalic acid. Only by immersing it in an aqueous PdCl2 solution, followed by the reduction with NaBH4, Pd NPs of about 2 nm with unform distribution were formed in NH2‐MIL‐53 up to 3.5 wt.% Pd loadings. Amino group on the linkers in NH2‐MIL‐53 played a critical role for the introduction of (PdCl3)− as a precursor for Pd NPs, while no Pd was introduced into MIL‐53 without amino group. The obtained catalysts (Pd@NH2‐MIL‐53) showed high catalytic performance for reduction of nitrite in water. The specific activity per Pd site exposed on the surface changed greatly depending on the Pd loadings despite the size of Pd NPs unchanged. Pd@NH2‐MIL‐53 with low Pd loadings showed higher specific activity (TOF=2.9×102 h−1), which might be due to the preferential exposure of Pd(111) facet on Pd NPs.
Chiral Biocatalytic Oxidations at 90 °C in Microemulsions Driven by Electrocatalytic Oxygen Reduction to Hydrogen Peroxide
Authors: Hena John Y. , Kankanamage Rumasha N. T. , Wei Zichao , He Jie , Rusling James F.
Published: April 2024

Chirality plays a significant role in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals. The use of chemical catalysts to control stereoselectivity relies on the use of chiral catalysts with labor–intensive synthesis and purification. Natural enzymes offer inherent stereoselectivity, making them attractive catalysts for this purpose. We report here chiral biocatalytic oxidations in microemulsions driven by horseradish peroxidase coupled with a synthetic Cu2+‐polymer catalyst. This hybrid system features crosslinked layer–by–layer (LBL) films composed of polyions with Cu2+‐containing pyrene–labelled poly(2‐hydroxy‐3‐dipicolylamino) propyl methacrylate (Py−PGMADPA) to drive oxygen reduction to form hydrogen peroxide. Peroxide in turn activates horseradish peroxidase (HRP) crosslinked in LbL films on magnetic particle beads to biocatalytically oxidize styrene, ethylbenzene, and methyl phenylacetate to chiral products. R‐stereoisomers of these reactants were selectively formed with a high enantiomeric excess of ≥80 % at 90 °C. The enzyme films show high thermal stability at 90 °C in cetyltrimethylammonium bromide microemulsion. Reactions at 90 °C were essentially complete in 2 hr. This hybrid approach opens a door to new designs of biocatalytic syntheses using a separate electrocatalyst for enzyme activation.
On‐Surface Synthesis of Helicene Oligomers
Authors: Pinar Solé Andrés , Klívar Jiří , Šámal Michal , Stará Irena G. , Starý Ivo , Mendieta‐Moreno Jesús I. , Ernst Karl‐Heinz , Jelínek Pavel , Stetsovych Oleksandr
Published: April 2024

We report on‐surface synthesis of heterochiral 1D heptahelicene oligomers after deposition of a racemic heptahelicene monomer on an Au(111) surface followed by Ullmann coupling under ultrahigh vacuum conditions. Structure, chirality and mode of adsorption of the resulting dimers to octamers are inferred from the scanning probe microscopy and theoretical calculations.
Cloud menu: Cloud based network analysis for disease‐diet associations and recommendations
Authors: Toor Rashmeet , Chana Inderveer
Published: April 2024

Food is one of the most underrated entities with respect to diseases. Food or Diet plays a vital role in healing or recovery of a patient which brings forth the need of analyzing disease and diets associations. The study of such associations is crucial for recommending appropriate diets to patients but is an arduous task due to the complex interdependencies as is evident in literature. Thus, it becomes necessary to automate the analysis and make it available as a service. The main aim of this work is to efficiently collate and analyze disease‐diet associations and provide it as an accessible and adaptable service using a combination of advanced techniques. Complex disease‐diet interdependencies are curated from the literature and transformed into a network offering various parameters for further analysis. The analysis is done using machine learning algorithms to predict accurate and robust recommendations. Cloud computing aids this analysis by providing sufficient resources and making it more accessible. Thus, the recommendations are constructed using amalgamation of techniques including network analysis, machine learning, and cloud computing. The deduced associations from the analysis of medical data using these technologies would aid doctors and healthcare institutions in decision making thereby improving the prognosis of a disease.
Hybrid one‐dimensional residual autoencoder and ensemble of gradient boosting for cloud IDS
Authors: Chauhan Nupa Ram , Dwivedi Rakesh Kumar
Published: April 2024

The distributed and decentralized architecture of cloud computing is important for a number of industries, including business, government, entertainment, education, and information technology. It facilitates a wide aspect of information technology, where the computing model is vulnerable to attacks or intrusion. For detecting malicious activities, a novel intrusion detection system (IDS) is required to be developed. In this paper, an enhanced synthetic minority oversampling technique (SMOTE) with a hybrid one‐dimensional residual auto encoder and the Ensemble of Gradient Boosting (1D‐RAE‐EGB) models are proposed for cloud intrusion detection. The proposed IDS resolves the class imbalance problem through enhanced SMOTE. In addition, noise reduction is accomplished with ID‐RAE, which minimizes the data dimension. Finally, the soft voting‐based ensemble classification model is used for attack detection. The ensemble gradient boosting model comprises categorical boosting (CatBoost), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), and light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM). The ensemble model is fine‐tuned by reducing the number of parameters under fitting conditions since it is not compulsory to re‐adjust the weight values in a backpropagation process. The proposed IDS is implemented in Python using the NSL‐KDD dataset. The accuracy, precision, recall, f1‐score, false positive rate (FPR), false negative rate (FNR), specificity, and Kappa measure obtained for the proposed IDS are 99.98%, 99.3%, 98.5%, 99.95%, 0.723, 0.46, 99.98%, and 99.97%, respectively.
Supramolecular Synthesis of Star Polymers
Authors: Haino Takeharu , Nitta Natsumi
Published: April 2024

Invited for this month′s cover are the collaborating groups of Prof. Dr Takeharu Haino at Hiroshima University (Japan) and Dr Natsumi Nitta at the University of Chicago (USA). The cover picture shows cartoons of miktoarm A8Bn star and graft copolymers formed by molecular recognition of a self‐assembled capsule possessing eight polymer chains and guest‐terminated and guest‐centered polymers. Read the full text of the review at 10.1002/cplu.20240014.
Impact of Micro‐ and Nano‐Plastics on Human Intestinal Organoid‐Derived Epithelium
Authors: Wang Brooke , Iglesias‐Ledon Lilianne , Bishop Matthew , Chadha Anushka , Rudolph Sara E. , Longo Brooke N. , Cairns Dana M. , Chen Ying , Kaplan David L.
Published: April 2024

The development of patient‐derived intestinal organoids represents an invaluable model for simulating the native human intestinal epithelium. These stem cell‐rich cultures outperform commonly used cell lines like Caco‐2 and HT29‐MTX in reflecting the cellular diversity of the native intestinal epithelium after differentiation. In our recent study examining the effects of polystyrene (PS), microplastics (MPs), and nanoplastics (NPs), widespread pollutants in our environment and food chain, on the human intestinal epithelium, these organoids have been instrumental in elucidating the absorption mechanisms and potential biological impacts of plastic particles. Building on previously established protocols in human intestinal organoid culture, we herein detail a streamlined protocol for the cultivation, differentiation, and generation of organoid‐derived monolayers. This protocol is tailored to generate monolayers incorporating microfold cells (M cells), key for intestinal particle uptake but often absent in current in vitro models. We provide validated protocols for the characterization of MPs/NPs via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for detailed imaging and their introduction to intestinal epithelial monolayer cells via confocal immunostaining. Additionally, protocols to test the impacts of MP/NP exposure on the functions of the intestinal barrier using transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER) measurements and assessing inflammatory responses using cytokine profiling are detailed. Overall, our protocols enable the generation of human intestinal organoid monolayers, complete with the option of including or excluding M cells, offering crucial techniques for observing particle uptake and identifying inflammatory responses in intestinal epithelial cells to advance our knowledge of the potential effects of plastic pollution on human gut health. These approaches are also amendable to the study of other gut‐related chemical and biological exposures and physiological responses due to the robust nature of the systems. © 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Basic Protocol 1: Human intestinal organoid culture and generation of monolayers with and without M cells

Support Protocol 1: Culture of L‐WRN and production of WRN‐conditioned medium

Support Protocol 2: Neuronal cell culture and integration into intestinal epithelium

Support Protocol 3: Immune cell culture and integration into intestinal epithelium

Basic Protocol 2: Scanning electron microscopy: sample preparation and imaging

Basic Protocol 3: Immunostaining and confocal imaging of MP/NP uptake in organoid‐derived monolayers

Basic Protocol 4: Assessment of intestinal barrier function via TEER measurements

Basic Protocol 5: Cytokine profiling using ELISA post‐MP/NP exposure.
Lignosulfonate‐Based Carbon‐Supported Pellets Catalyst to Enhance Sustainable Biofuel Production from Waste Cooking Oil
Authors: Silva Ingrid F. , Shekova Irina , Volkel Antje , Al‐Naji Majd , Antonietti Markus
Published: April 2024

In this study, a cost‐effective and stable heterogeneous acidic carbocatalyst (CZnLS950) derived from Na‐lignosulfonate (LS), a side product of the paper industry, was employed to produce hydrocarbon fuels through the pyrolysis of waste cooking oil (WCO) and crude natural‐oil extracted from sunflower seeds, aligning with the principles of the circular economy. To enhance its practicality in industrial settings, the catalyst was synthesized in pellet form, enabling easy separation from the biofuel produced during the reaction. CZnLS950 exhibited remarkable catalytic efficiency in the pyrolysis of WCO, resulting in a 71 wt. % liquid biofuel yield under mild conditions. This performance is attributed to the unique synthesis procedure of acidic carbocatalyst, which utilizes LS and nano ZnO (20 nm) to create a hierarchical pore structure with acidic properties (1.1 mmol of NH3 g−1). Stability and reusability of the carbocatalyst were evaluated, and the results showed excellent stability with small catalytic deactivation (~5 wt. %) after the fourth use. Attempts at distinct catalytic mechanisms for WCO and sunflower seeds crude natural‐oil pyrolysis were provided to understand the processes involved in obtaining the two different biofuels produced. Overall, this study sets the stage for exploring Lignosulfonate‐based materials to achieve renewable biofuel from recycling streams.
Design and implementation of a fully differential 2nd‐order CIFF DSM with the synthetic techniques of novel CDS chopper‐integrator and DER using additive‐error capacitors
Authors: Geng Chao , Wang Xiaoxiao , Zhang Zhen , Tong Teng
Published: April 2024

Compared to the independent application of chopper stabilization or correlated double sampling (CDS), this paper proposed a 2nd‐order cascade of integrators with feedforward delta–sigma modulator (DSM) utilizing an innovatively synthetic technique of chopper‐integrator within CDS at 1st stage for reducing the flicker noise and DC offset cancelation from about 9.5 mV to −4.4 μV ± 115.6 μV (δ). On the regard of further enhancing the noise suppression and mitigating the nonlinearities of capacitor mismatch, instead of applying the dynamic elements randomization (DER) to the nonlinear correction of DAC under multi‐bits quantizer, here the operation of 3‐bits DER with scrambler has been intelligently employed on the 2nd integrators' sampling capacitors to gain the 2nd noise‐shaping characteristic in spite of 1‐bit quantizer. The noise floor could be theoretically scaled down by −16.1 dB at input frequency of 10 kHz within the limited bandwidth of 100 kHz. The prototype DSM was manufactured in 180‐nm BCD process with an active area of 0.2625 mm2 and achieves the SNDR‐based Schreier figure‐of‐merit (FoMS) of 144 dB and Walden figure‐of‐merit (FoMW) of 25.96 pJ/conv under a 3.3 V supply at 10 kHz working frequency.
Wireless power transfer efficiency enhancement based on a negative permeability double‐helix metamaterial structure
Authors: Huang Xin , Hou Zifan , Chen Dachao , Li Rui , Shou Mengjie , Wu Decheng , Yang Ping‐an , Luo Hongping
Published: April 2024

In wireless power transfer (WPT) systems, extended transmission distances significantly impede efficiency, posing a major challenge to their practical application. This paper presents a novel ortho‐octagonal double‐helix metamaterial that can effectively enhance the transmission efficiency of WPT systems. It has theoretically derived and experimentally verified the enhancement of evanescent wave transmission by this metamaterial dielectric plate. A WPT simulation system operating at 10.78 MHz is constructed by HFSS software, and the effects of adding passive relay coils and different shapes of metamaterials on the transmission efficiency are comparatively investigated. Simulated data converge to indicate that integrating variously shaped metamaterials at the transceiver's end distinctly elevates the WPT system's transmission efficiency. When the transceiver coil spacing of the WPT system is greater than 22 cm, the effect of metamaterials on the system transmission efficiency enhancement shows an increasing and then decreasing trend as the distance increases. The positive octagonal metamaterial improves 12% over the circular metamaterial in the mid‐range transmission distance due to its better magnetic coupling effect. When the transceiver coil spacing is 22 cm, the open‐circuit voltage of the receiving coil after loading the metamaterial is stabilized to be enhanced by nearly five times, and it has the best effect at 30 cm, and the transmission efficiency is enhanced from 30% to 60%, which verifies the effective enhancement of the metamaterial on the transmission efficiency of the WPT system.
Comparison of the scrape‐off layer two‐point model for deuterium and helium plasmas in JET ITER‐like wall low‐confinement plasma conditions
Authors: Rees David , Sissonen Joona , Groth Mathias , Rikala Vesa‐Pekka , Kumpulainen Henri , Thomas Beth , Brix Mathias ,   JET Contributors
Published: April 2024

The hydrogenic two‐point model (H‐2PM), an analytical model for the scrape‐off layer that predicts a common electron and ion temperature and density along a flux tube from a target temperature and density, is adapted to a single‐species helium (He) model, preserving the 2PM assumptions and analytical nature. Across a range of densities and heating powers, the predicted is within of upstream measurements by high‐resolution Thomson scattering (HRTS) for low‐confinement He plasmas performed in JET ITER‐like wall (JET‐ILW). For high‐recycling conditions, He‐2PM predictions of were within 10% of the Li‐beam diagnostic measurements, excluding the near‐SOL, when assuming , suggesting the divertor SOL was not fully ionised in the JET‐ILW He plasmas.
Nor climate nor human impact factors: Chytrid infection shapes the skin bacterial communities of an endemic amphibian in a biodiversity hotspot
Authors: Bacigalupe Leonardo D. , Solano‐Iguaran Jaiber J. , Longo Ana V. , Gaitán‐Espitia Juan D. , Valenzuela‐Sánchez Andrés , Alvarado‐Rybak Mario , Azat Claudio
Published: April 2024

The bacterial communities of the amphibian skin (i.e., the bacteriome) are critical to the host's innate immune system. However, it is unclear how different drivers can alter this function by modulating the bacteriome's structure. Our aim was to assess the extent to which different host attributes and extrinsic factors influence the structure of the bacterial communities of the skin. Skin bacterial diversity was examined in 148 individuals of the four‐eyed frog (Pleurodema thaul) from 16 localities spanning almost 1800 km in latitude. The richness and beta diversity of bacterial families and the richness and abundance of Bd‐inhibitory bacterial genera were used to describe their structure. Predictors associated with the host (developmental stage, genetic lineage, individual Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis [Bd] infection status) and the landscape (current climate, degree of anthropogenic disturbance) were used in the statistical modeling in an information theoretical approach. Bd infection and host developmental stage were the only predictors affecting bacteriome richness, with Bd+ individuals and postmetamorphic stages (adults and juveniles) having higher richness than Bd− ones and tadpoles. High diversity in Bd+ individuals is not driven by bacterial genera with known anti‐Bd properties. Beta diversity was not affected by Bd infection and was mainly a consequence of bacterial family turnover rather than nestedness. Finally, for those bacterial genera known to have inhibitory effects on chytrid, Bd+ individuals had a slightly higher diversity than Bd− ones. Our study confirms an association between Bd infection and the host developmental stage with the bacterial communities of the skin of P. thaul. Unexpectedly, macroclimate and human impact factors do not seem to play a role in shaping the amphibian skin microbiome. Our study exemplifies that focusing on a single host–parasite system over a large geographic scale can provide essential insights into the factors driving host–parasite–bacteriome interactions.
Effects of sacubitril/valsartan according to polypharmacy status in PARAGON‐HF
Authors: Matsumoto Shingo , Yang Mingming , Shen Li , Henderson Alasdair , Claggett Brian L. , Desai Akshay S. , Lefkowitz Martin , Rouleau Jean L. , Vardeny Orly , Zile Michael R. , Jhund Pardeep S. , Vaduganathan Muthiah , Solomon Scott D. , McMurray John J.V.
Published: April 2024

Aims

Patients with heart failure (HF) and preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) have a particularly high prevalence of comorbidities, often necessitating treatment with many medications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between polypharmacy status and outcomes in PARAGON‐HF.

Methods and results

In this post hoc analysis, baseline medication status was available in 4793 of 4796 patients included in the primary analysis of PARAGON‐HF. The effects of sacubitril/valsartan, compared with valsartan, were assessed according to the number of medications at baseline: 683 non‐polypharmacy (<5 medications); 2750 polypharmacy (5–9 medications), and 1360 hyper‐polypharmacy (≥10 medications). The primary outcome was total HF hospitalizations and cardiovascular deaths. Patients with hyper‐polypharmacy were older, had more severe limitations due to HF (worse New York Heart Association class and Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire scores), and had greater comorbidity. The non‐adjusted risk of the primary outcome was significantly higher in patients taking more medications, and similar trends were seen for HF hospitalization and cardiovascular and all‐cause death. The effect of sacubitril/valsartan versus valsartan on the primary outcome from the lowest to highest polypharmacy category was (as a rate ratio): 1.19 (0.76–1.85), 0.94 (0.77–1.15), and 0.77 (0.61–0.96) (pinteraction = 0.16). Treatment‐related adverse events were more common in patients in the higher polypharmacy categories but not more common with sacubitril/valsartan, versus valsartan, in any polypharmacy category.

Conclusions

Polypharmacy is very common in patients with HFpEF, and those with polypharmacy have worse clinical status and a higher rate of non‐fatal and fatal outcomes. The benefit of sacubitril/valsartan was not diminished in patients taking a larger number of medications at baseline.