bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mycotoxin monitoring in Shandong province, China reveals health risks for enterohepatic diseases shifted from environment to diet: Deoxynivalenol, zearalenone and nivalenol in noodles (2019–2020)
Authors: Duan Xinglan , Zhang Yifan , Li Fenghua , Li Wei , Chen Fangfang , Zheng Fengjia , Ming Tonghui , Peng Zhen , Zhao Zhenyu , Ye Dan , Wang Jia‐Sheng , Zhao Xiulan , Zhou Jun
Published: July 2023

Background and Objectives

High levels of deoxynivalenol (DON) contamination in foods can raise health risks for enterohepatic diseases. Here we report our investigation into the trichothecenes (DON, 3‐acetyl‐deoxynivalenol, 15‐acetyl‐deoxynivalenol), zearalenone (ZEA) and nivalenol (NIV) showing in the wheats‐processed noodles in Shandong, China (2019–2020).

Findings

The noodles contamination status of DON in Shandong was closed to that in China in the past 10 years: 4663.9 µg/kg at maximum level, and a range of 57.9–618.8 µg/kg by mean. However, the average levels of DON measured in the noodle samples varied largely by city. Highest levels of DON contamination were found in Binzhou: 709.09 (58.8–3220) µg/kg and Weihai: 684.79 (27.6–3850) µg/kg, respectively. Besides, NIV contamination were averagely 46.99 µg/kg in Binzhou, and ZEA contamination up to 31.4 µg/kg in Weihai, pose an increasing threat of liver/intestine inflammation associated with dietary exposure.

Conclusions

The DON contamination status of noodles in Shandong was consistent with our previous investigation in wheats and in recent 10 years in China, that increased health risks for enterohepatic diseases.

Significance and Novelty

To understand the contamination situation of DON, ZEA, and NIV in noodles, so as to assess the health risks for enterohepatic diseases caused by mycotoxin in Shandong province.
Efficient Nitric Oxide Scavenging by Urea‐Functionalized Push‐Pull Chromophore Modulates NO‐Mediated Diseases
Authors: Shekar Roy Himadri , K M Neethu , Rajput Swati , Sadhukhan Sreyanko , Gowri Vijayendran , Hassan Dar Arif , Monga Malika , Salaria Navita , Guha Rajdeep , Chattopadhyay Naibedya , Jayamurugan Govindasamy , Ghosh Deepa
Published: July 2023

The excess nitric oxide (NO) produced in the body in response to bacterial/proinflammatory stimuli is responsible for several pathological conditions. The current approaches that target the production of excess NO, either through the inhibition of nitric oxide synthase enzyme or its downstream mediators have been clinically unsuccessful. With an aim to regulate the excess NO, urea‐functionalized push‐pull chromophores containing 1,1,4,4‐tetracyanobuta‐1,3‐dienes (TCBD) or expanded TCBD (eTCBD) were developed as NO scavengers. The NMR mechanistic studies revealed that upon NO binding, these molecules are converted to uncommon stable NONOates. The unique emissive property of Urea‐eTCBD enables its application in vitro, as a NO‐sensor. Furthermore, the cytocompatible Urea‐eTCBD, rapidly inactivated the NO released from LPS‐activated cells. The therapeutic efficacy of the molecule in modulating NO‐mediated pathological condition was confirmed using a carrageenan‐induced inflammatory paw model and a corneal injury model. While the results confirm the advantages of scavenging the excess NO to address a multitude of NO‐mediated diseases, the promising sensing and bioactivity of Urea‐eTCBD can motivate further exploration of such molecules in allied areas of research.
Isolable Bis‐BN‐Based Analogues of Müller's Hydrocarbon
Authors: Xu Sha , Xie Zhuofeng , Dai Yuyang , Liu Xiaona , Bao Qidi , Liu Chunmeng , Su Yuanting
Published: July 2023

Comprehensive Summary

Müller's hydrocarbon and its analogues are classical examples of Kekulé diradicaloids and have gained great attention. However, because of their high reactivities, their isolation and structural characterizations are still challenging. Herein, we report the isolation of two bis‐BN‐based analogues of Müller's hydrocarbon (1 and 2) as crystalline solids in moderate yields. Experimental results and theoretical studies demonstrated that compound 1 possessing the terminal 1,3,2‐diazaboryl groups is an open‐shell singlet diradicaloid, which is in contrast to the closed‐shell singlet ground states of the bis‐BN‐based analogues of Thiele's and Chichibabin's hydrocarbons with the same terminal groups, illustrating the strong influence of the central linkers on the ground state. Additionally, the replacement of the terminal 1,3,2‐diazaboryl groups in 1 with the bis(2,4,6‐triisopropylphenyl)boryl groups affords 2 with higher diradical character and a smaller singlet‐triplet energy gap.
Social determinants of health and hypertension in women compared with men in the United States: An analysis of the NHANES study
Authors: Wang Li , Zhang Hao , Yao Hong , Gong Chunlin , Zhong Jiaoyue , Liu Dongxue , Liang Zhaoguang
Published: July 2023

Background

Social determinants of health (SDH) reflecting social deprivation have been developed for population health management. There is a paucity of data on the prevalence of SDH and its associations with prevalent hypertension in women compared with men.

Methods

A total of 49 791 participants aged over 20 years from the 1999–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, were included. Information on the SDH, including race/ethnicity, education level, family income, housing, marriage status, employment, were collected. We calculated the prevalence ratio (PR) for each adverse SDH with prevalent hypertension and uncontrolled hypertension by using Cox regression with equal times of follow‐up assigned to all individuals with adjustment for age, diabetes, taking lipid‐lowering medication, and health behaviors. The population‐attributable fractions (PAF) of the SDH were also assessed.

Results

A lower proportion of low education attainment was observed in women than men (women: 16.8% vs. men: 17.9%, p = .003), but women had higher proportions of low family income (15.3% vs. 12.5%, p < .001), unmarried state (47.3% vs. 40.9%, p < .001), and unemployment (22.7% vs. 10.7%, p < .001). All the SDH was significantly associated with hypertension in women. There were significant dose–response associations between the numbers of adverse SDH with hypertension. The total PAF of SDH for prevalent hypertension was greater in women (22.2%) than in men (13.9%).

Conclusions

The widely influential SDH is associated with prevalent hypertension and uncontrolled hypertension. To improve hypertension management, health resources should prioritize socioeconomically disadvantaged groups considering gender differences.
Reactive power control of hybrid systems using improved coyote optimizer
Authors: Chen Lin , Yi Xianzhong , Zhou Yuanhua , Liu Lijun , Liu Hangming , Razmjooy Saeid
Published: July 2023

A new method of reactive power control by photovoltaic and hydrogen is presented in this study. Photovoltaic has been employed for harvesting the hydrogen which is based on considering the weather conditions. The proposed system includes a combination of photovoltaic, hydrogen, and fuel cell along with a DG to connect to the grid and to improve the supply power quality. The main contribution of this paper is to direct an improved metaheuristic algorithm, called improved coyote optimization (CO) algorithm for achieving a proper DG placement. The improved version of the CO algorithm has benefitted from a spiral policy that is derived from Whale optimization algorithm. This process makes better control for the social behavior of the coyotes. Reactive power optimization (RPO) has been established after the size selection objective function. Big data technology is also used for improving the historical solution matching‐based RPO appliance. Cosine distance is used for measurement purposes of the historical solution matching‐based similarity technique during the computation time of conventional RPO and PVH‐FC features. As a result of using the suggested CO, the costs for electricity and losses are reduced by around 86.6% and 26.9%, respectively. Additionally, realized profits showed that applying the suggested strategy reduced the overall cost from 9.315e6 to 4.435e6 units. After optimization, the network loss and power are finally reduced to 1325 Kvar and 1371 kW, respectively. The results show that the suggested RPO technique has higher speed of calculation in comparison with some latest algorithms. Achievements also show that the suggested method provides a proper and optimal solution for RPO.
Rupture of ectopic varices of the ascending colon occurring after pancreatic cancer surgery: A case report and literature review
Authors: Inomata Yushi , Naito Takeo , Hiratsuka Takashi , Shimoyama Yusuke , Moroi Rintaro , Shiga Hisashi , Kakuta Yoichi , Kayada Kimiko , Ohara Yuki , Asano Naoki , Aoki Shuichi , Unno Michiaki , Masamune Atsushi
Published: July 2023

A 69‐year‐old woman, a long‐term survivor of subtotal stomach‐preserving pancreatoduodenectomy with the splenic vein resection for pancreatic cancer, visited our hospital with a chief complaint of bloody stools. Previously, she was diagnosed with varices in the ascending colon due to left‐sided portal hypertension after pancreatoduodenectomy by computed tomography and colonoscopy. After emergency hospitalization, she went into shock, and blood tests showed acute progression of severe anemia. Computed tomography showed a mosaic‐like fluid accumulation from the ascending colon to the rectum. She was diagnosed with ruptured varices in the ascending colon. Emergency colonoscopy was performed, and treatment with endoscopic injection sclerotherapy using N‐butyl‐2‐cyanoacrylate was successful. Ectopic varices occur at any location other than the esophagus and stomach, and colonic varices are rare among them. They are mostly caused by portal hypertension due to liver cirrhosis. However, with the trend of improving the prognosis for patients with pancreatic cancer, we should occasionally pay attention to the development of ectopic varices including colonic varices in patients who have undergone pancreatoduodenectomy with superior mesenteric and splenic veins resection. Treatment methods for colonic varices varied from case to case, including conservative therapy, interventional radiology, and endoscopic procedure. In this case, endoscopic injection sclerotherapy was successfully performed without any complications. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report successful treatment with endoscopic injection sclerotherapy for varices in the ascending colon caused by left‐sided portal hypertension after pancreatoduodenectomy. Colonic varices should be considered in patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding after pancreatoduodenectomy.
The effects of Wnt, BMP, and Notch signaling pathways on cell proliferation and neural differentiation in a song control nucleus (HVC) of Lonchura striata
Authors: Bing Jie , Sun Jing , Zhao Rui , Sun Lina , Xi Chao , Liu Jin , Zhang Xinwen , Zeng Shaoju
Published: July 2023

There is obvious sexual dimorphism in the song control system of songbirds. In the higher vocal center (HVC), cell proliferation and neuronal differentiation contribute to the net addition of neurons. However, the mechanism underlying these changes is unclear. Given that Wnt, Bmp, and Notch pathways are involved in cell proliferation and neuronal differentiation, no reports are available to study the role of the three pathways in the song control system. To address the issue, we studied cell proliferation in the ventricle zone overlying the developing HVC and neural differentiation within the HVC of Bengalese finches (Lonchura striata) at posthatching day 15 when HVC progenitor cells are generated on a large scale and differentiate into neurons, after Wnt and Bmp pathways were activated by using a pharmacological agonist (LiCl) or Bmp4, respectively, and the Notch pathway was inhibited by an inhibitor (N‐[N‐(3,5‐difluorophenacetyl)‐l‐alanyl]‐S‐phenylglycine t‐butyl ester), DAPT). The results indicated that both cell proliferation and neural differentiation toward HVC neurons increased significantly after activation of the Wnt signaling pathway or inhibition of the Notch signaling pathway. Although cell proliferation was increased, neural differentiation was inhibited after treatment with Bmp4. There was obvious synergetic enhancement in the number of proliferating cells after the coregulation of two or three signaling pathways. In addition, synergetic enhancement was also found in the Wnt and Notch pathways in neural differentiation toward neurons within HVC. These results suggest that the three signaling pathways are involved in cell proliferation and neural differentiation of HVC.
Programmable droplet manipulation enabled by charged‐surface pattern reconfiguration
Authors: Fang Duokui , Zhou Wenhao , Jin Yuankai , Liu Xiaofeng , Zeng Yubin , Wang Zuankai , Zheng Huai
Published: July 2023

Programmable droplet manipulation based on external stimulation is in high demand in various modern technologies. Despite notable progress, current manipulation strategies still suffer from a common drawback such as single control means of modulating the external stimulation input, which leads to huge challenges in sophisticated and large scale‐up droplet handling. Herein, a unique pattern‐reconfiguration‐driven droplet manipulation method is developed on conductive/nonconductive pattern surfaces under charge deposition. Contactless charge deposition induces the “edge barrier” phenomenon at the boundaries of conductive/nonconductive patterns, analogous to an invisible and tunable wall guiding droplet behaviors. The edge barrier effect can be flexibly tuned by the nonconductive surface pattern. Thus, with charge deposition, surfaces are endowed with protean control functionality. The design of conductive/nonconductive patterns can effectively enable multifunction droplet manipulations, including track‐guided sliding, sorting, merging, and mixing. Moreover, dynamical pattern reconfiguration drives programmable fluidics with sophisticated and large scale‐up droplet handling capabilities in a low‐cost and simple approach.
Detection of TALEN‐mediated genome cleavage during the early embryonic stage of the starfish Patiria pectinifera
Authors: Yamakawa Shumpei , Sasakura Yasunori , Morino Yoshiaki , Wada Hiroshi
Published: July 2023

Background

Echinoderms have long been utilized as experimental materials to study the genetic control of developmental processes and their evolution. Among echinoderms, the molecular study of starfish embryos has received considerable attention across research topics such as gene regulatory network evolution and larval regeneration. Recently, experimental techniques to manipulate gene functions have been gradually established in starfish as the feasibility of genome editing methods was reported. However, it is still unclear when these techniques cause genome cleavage during the development of starfish, which is critical to understand the timeframe and applicability of the experiment during early development of starfish.

Results

We herein reported that gene functions can be analyzed by the genome editing method TALEN in early embryos, such as the blastula of the starfish Patiria pectinifera. We injected the mRNA of TALEN targeting rar, which was previously constructed, into eggs of P. pectinifera and examined the efficiency of genome cleavage through developmental stages from 6 to 48 hours post fertilization.

Conclusion

The results will be key knowledge not only when designing TALEN‐based experiments but also when assessing the results.
Investigating the impact of metformin on severity of COVID‐19 in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus: Focusing on laboratory findings
Authors: Taheri Rana , Shahrokhi Seyedeh Zahra , Amjadi Zahra , Kazerouni Faranak
Published: July 2023

Background

In the terrifying pandemic caused by SARS‐CoV‐2, diabetic patients exhibiting more severe outcomes and mortality rate is high among them. Based on recent studies, metformin as the most prescribed drug for T2DM treatment may improve severe outcomes in diabetic patients infected with SARS‐CoV‐2. On the other hand, abnormal laboratory findings can help to differentiate between the severe and non‐severe form of COVID‐19. According to the mentioned issues, the effect of metformin on severity of COVID‐19 was examined in T2DM patients with SARS‐CoV‐2 infection.

Methods

The study included 187 individuals diagnosed with COVID‐19, 104 patients were diabetic and divided into two groups according to their anti‐diabetic drugs: patients who were treated only with metformin and patients who were treated with other anti‐diabetic drugs. The other participants were non‐diabetic and diagnosed with COVID‐19. Biochemical parameters were measured by routine laboratory methods before, during and after SARS‐CoV‐2 infection.

Results

During infection, FBS, creatinine, ALT, AST, Ferritin and LDH were significantly lower in metformin users than non‐users (p‐value: .02, .01, .03, .04, .0009 and .01, respectively). Also, after recovery, there were statistically significant differences between metformin users and non‐users with respect to most of the study parameters, except FBS, BUN and ALP (p‐value: .51, .28 and .35, respectively).

Conclusion

Our result suggested that metformin might be associated with better outcomes in diabetic patients infected with SARS‐CoV‐2.
Synthetic Approaches to α‐, β‐, γ‐, and δ‐Lycoranes
Authors: Bautista Diego Díaz , Vilchis Reyes Miguel A. , Blé González Ever A. , Bugarin Alejandro
Published: July 2023

Lycorane is a pentacyclic core presented in alkaloids isolated from the Amaryllidaceae family of herbaceous flowering plants. Members of this class of natural products have shown to display important biological properties including analgesic, antiviral, and antiproliferative activities. This review presents the known synthetic routes toward α‐, β‐, γ‐, and δ‐lycoranes. α‐(19 routes), β‐(10 routes), γ‐(38 routes), and δ‐(6 routes).
Organocatalyzed Double C(sp3)−H Alkylation of Cyclic N‐Sulfonyl Ketimines with 3‐Chloropropiophenones: Selective Access to 2,3,6‐Trisubstituted Pyridines
Authors: Patel Ashvani Kumar , Samanta Sampak
Published: July 2023

An efficient sequential one‐pot, two‐step pseudo‐four‐component reaction between 3/4‐methyl N‐sulfonyl ketimines with 3‐chloropropiophenones triggered by DIPEA/NaHCO3 as a cooperative base and subsequent aza‐cyclization using NH4OAc is reported. This transition‐metal‐oxidant‐free technique concocts new C−C/C=C/C=N−C bonds selectively, guaranteeing acceptable yields of 2,3,6‐trisubstituted pyridines possessing ortho‐hydroxyaryl/benzenesulfonamide and propiophenone moieties at C2 and C3 positions, respectively. Interestingly, while replacing methyl‐substituents with straight alkyl chains of N‐sulfonyl ketimines, only a monoalkylation reaction happened with in situ‐generated vinyl ketones to deliver promising yields of 3‐picoline derivatives. Moreover, the synthetic transmutation of prepared pyridine derivative led to several important classes of pyridocoumarin, 5H‐chromenopyridine, and di(pyridin‐3‐yl) methane derivatives.
Photoinduced Regioselective Chalcogenation and Thiocyanation of 4H‐Pyrido[1,2‐a] pyrimidin‐4‐ones Under Benign Conditions
Authors: Chillal Abhinay S. , Bhawale Rajesh T. , Kshirsagar Umesh A.
Published: July 2023

A lenient approach for regioselective C3−H chalcogenation and thiocyanation of 4H‐pyrido[1,2‐a] pyrimidin‐4‐ones is developed using visible light photocatalysis. This operationally straightforward method furnishes a broad array of C‐3, Ar−S/Ar−Se and ‐SCN functionalized derivatives in moderate to high yields. This protocol employs visible light as an environmentally friendly energy source, cost effective inorganic persulfate‐based oxidant and easily procurable dichalcogenides for regioselective C−H chalcogenation of the substrate at room temperature. Further, regioselective thiocyanation of 4H‐pyrido[1,2‐a] pyrimidin‐4‐ones was also developed. Mechanistic path for these transformations has been proposed based on light on/off and Stern‐Volmer studies as well as quantum yield calculations.
Effect of modification with hydrobromic acid on the performance of activated carbon in the removal of hexavalent chromium from aqueous solution
Authors: Long Xiang‐li , Chen Pei‐yun , Jin Xiao‐yue
Published: July 2023

The ability of activated carbon from coconut shell to adsorb Cr(VI) from aqueous environment has been ameliorated by treating the carbon with hydrobromic acid. The best carbon is gained by soaking activated carbon in 0.3 mol L−1 HBr solution at 80°C for 13 h followed by being carbonized at 600°C in nitrogen for 1.5 h. The Cr(VI) adsorbed at equilibrium by the best as‐prepared carbon is 11.32 mg g−1 while that by the original one is 7.801 mg g−1. Characterization results manifest that the treatment with HBr solution leads to the increase of acidic groups and the decrease of basic groups on the carbon surface. The treatment with HBr solution produces many lactonic groups on the carbon. BET determination indicates that some micropores and mesopores are generated by the treatment with HBr solution. The increase of acidic groups and magnification of surface area is ascribed to the improvement of the ability to adsorb Cr(VI) ions. Lactonic groups and micropores play a key role in adsorbing Cr(VI) from water.
An efficient approach to detect distributed denial of service attacks for software defined internet of things combining autoencoder and extreme gradient boosting with feature selection and hyperparameter tuning optimization
Authors: Setitra Mohamed Ali , Fan Mingyu , Bensalem Zine El Abidine
Published: July 2023

The growing popularity of Software Defined Networks (SDN) and the Internet of Things (IoT) has led to the emergence of Software Defined Internet of Things (SDIoT) based on centralized network management by the Control Plane, which can handle the dynamic nature of IoT devices and the high volume of network traffic. However, due to their specific design, SDIoTs are the ideal target for Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, becoming one of the most destructive threats. Machine learning (ML) techniques are best suited to solve this problem due to the recent growth and sophistication of DDoS attacks. In this study, we propose an enhanced deep learning approach based on combining AutoEncoder (AE) and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost). First, we applied the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) feature selection method to select the appropriate features subset according to their correlation results. Next, the AE is trained on the previous subset to learn a compact representation of the input features. The latent representation generated by the AE is then used as input for the XGBoost model, which is trained to predict the target variable and classify the traffic as usual or attack. In parallel, Grid Search Cross Validation (GSCV) is used to find the optimal hyperparameters for the AE‐XGBoost. The experimental results using two publicly available realistic SDN‐Iot datasets demonstrate that the proposed approach enables precise identification of DDoS attacks in SDIoT networks, achieving a 99.9920% accuracy, an F1 score of 0.999917, and a low false positive rate. Furthermore, the proposed model's performance exceeds that of the models used for comparison.
Lipopolysaccharide augments microglial GABA uptake by increasing GABA transporter‐1 trafficking and bestrophin‐1 expression
Authors: Di Palma Michael , Catalano Myriam , Serpe Carmela , De Luca Mariassunta , Monaco Lucia , Kunzelmann Karl , Limatola Cristina , Conti Fiorenzo , Fattorini Giorgia
Published: July 2023

Gamma‐aminobutyric acid (GABA), the principal inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain, affects numerous immune cell functions. Microglia, the brain's resident innate immune cells, regulate GABA signaling through GABA receptors and express the complete GABAergic machinery for GABA synthesis, uptake, and release. Here, the use of primary microglial cell cultures and ex vivo brain tissue sections allowed for demonstrating that treatment with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) increased microglial GABA uptake as well as GABA transporter (GAT)‐1 trafficking. This effect was not entirely abolished by treatment with GAT inhibitors (GAT‐Is). Notably, LPS also induced microglial upregulation of bestrophin‐1 (BEST‐1), a Ca2+‐activated Cl− channel permeable to GABA. Combined administration of GAT‐Is and a BEST‐1 inhibitor completely abolished LPS‐induced microglial GABA uptake. Interestingly, increased microglial GAT‐1 membrane turnover via syntaxin 1A was detected in LPS‐treated cultures after BEST‐1 blockade. Altogether, these findings provided evidence for a novel mechanism through which LPS may trigger the inflammatory response by directly altering microglial GABA clearance and identified the GAT‐1/BEST‐1 interplay as a potential novel mechanism involved in brain inflammation.
Cardiometabolic syndrome among general adult population in Ghana: The role of lipid accumulation product, waist circumference‐triglyceride index, and triglyceride‐glucose index as surrogate indicators
Authors: Anto Enoch O. , Frimpong Joseph , Boadu Wina I. O. , Korsah Emmanuel E. , Tamakloe Valentine C. K. T. , Ansah Ezekiel , Opoku Stephen , Acheampong Emmanuel , Asamoah Evans A. , Nyarkoa Patience , Adua Eric , Afrifa‐Yamoah Ebenezer , Annani‐Akollor Max E. , Obirikorang Christian
Published: July 2023

Background

Visceral obesity and insulin resistance contribute to developing cardiometabolic syndrome (MetS). We investigated the predictive abilities of lipid accumulation product (LAP), waist circumference‐triglyceride index (WTI), and triglyceride‐glucose (TyG) index for MetS screening among the general Ghanaian adults.

Methods

The final prospective analysis included 4740 healthy adults aged 30–90 years from three communities comprising Ejisu, Konongo, and Ashanti Akim Agogo in Ghana. Self‐structured questionnaire pretested was used to collect sociodemographic, anthropometric, and clinical data. Blood samples were taken after fasting to measure glucose and lipid levels. LAP, WTI, and TyG were calculated from standard equations. MetS was defined by the International Diabetes Federation criteria. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and multivariable logistic regression were utilized to evaluate the potential of the three indices in identifying MetS.

Results

Of the 4740 participants, 39.7% had MetS. MetS was more common in females (50.3%) than in males (22.2%). Overall, LAP ≥ 27.52 yielded as the best index for MetS with the highest area under the ROC curve (AUC) (0.866). At cut‐off LAP point of ≥23.87 in males and ≥33.32 in females, an AUC of 0.951 and 0.790 was identified in MetS prediction, respectively. LAP was an independent risk measure of MetS for both males (45.6‐fold) and females (3.7‐fold) whereas TyG was an independent risk measure for females (3.7‐fold) only.

Conclusions

MetS is increasing among the general adult population. LAP and TyG are important sex‐specific risk measures to screen for MetS among the general adult population in our cohort.
JAMES BUTTLE REVIEW: A resilience framework for physical hydrology
Authors: Newton Brandi , Spence Christopher
Published: July 2023

Hydrological systems across the globe are increasingly subjected to pressures from a warming climate and anthropogenic disturbance. Responses to stress can be nonlinear and variable; therefore, it is imperative to improve understanding of resilience and tipping points of these systems. Previous applications of resilience concepts to physical hydrology have been disconnected, and an increasing range of definitions and approaches has often led to improper applications. Here, upon synthesizing relevant literature, we define physical hydrological resilience as the ability of a watershed to maintain hydrological function while exposed to a stressor or perturbation, thus remaining within the same regime. From this definition a new framework for physical hydrological resilience is forwarded which includes four key traits that must be part of a robust application of resilience for physical hydrology. Any evaluation of resilience should (1) identify and justify a baseline regime; (2) evaluate hydrological function, one or more of collection, storage and release; (3); assess physical hydrological systems for both resistance and latitude and (4) evaluate important perturbations and processes and how they interact to manifest into resistance, latitude, and tipping points. The framework is applied to the example of the Elbow River in Alberta, Canada, using baseline (1979–2015) and future (2050–2080) conditions. Two key hydrological processes, snow accumulation and streamflow, are found to have low resistance to winter duration and late spring precipitation, respectively. The collection function is resilient to a warmer, wetter climate due to a large latitude in relation to air temperatures, while the release function is not resilient, shifting from a streamflow‐ towards an evapotranspiration‐dominated regime in the future. The successful application of the concepts of resilience to this complex catchment demonstrates how the framework could be applied across a diversity of catchments. Results of resilience studies can improve environmental monitoring and evaluation programs and complement social‐ecological resilience frameworks and water management strategies.
How to enhance hydrological predictions in hydrologically distinct watersheds of the Indian subcontinent?
Authors: Mangukiya Nikunj K. , Sharma Ashutosh , Shen Chaopeng
Published: July 2023

Accurate hydrological predictions are required to prepare for the impacts of climate change, especially in India, which experiences frequent floods and droughts. However, the complex hydrological processes of its distinct watersheds and limited data make it challenging to deliver highly‐performant hydrologic predictions using conventional models. Moreover, it remains uncertain where the limits of predictability are and whether recently‐popular deep learning approaches can offer significant improvements. Here, we tested the first instance of the hydrologic model based on long short‐term memory (LSTM) for 55 Indian watersheds, using a new dataset comprising forcing, attributes, and discharge data. Our results show that the LSTM model provides much‐improved performance compared to conventional models in India, providing a median Nash‐Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) of 0.56. The LSTM model trained on all the watersheds is more favourable to those trained on individual or homogeneous watersheds, as it benefits from a broader range of hydrological processes and patterns in the input data. However, the LSTM model performs poorly for non‐perennial, large, and semi‐arid climate zone watersheds due to its inability to simulate the complex hydrological processes specific to these environments. Integrating lagged observations with the LSTM model (referred to as DI‐LSTM) improved the predictions in such watersheds and enhanced the median NSE to 0.76 by capturing the temporal dependencies and historical patterns that influence hydrological processes. Overall, the contrast of model performance across watersheds suggests major limitations could be associated with the quality of forcing data, and the slow flow or groundwater processes are highly important in the Indian subcontinent. Notably, both LSTM and DI‐LSTM models performed reasonably well for predictions in ungauged watersheds. The findings of this study demonstrate that data‐sparse countries, too, can benefit from big‐data deep learning and point out further avenues toward model improvements.
Rolipram and pentoxifylline combination ameliorates the morphological abnormalities of dorsal root ganglion neurons in experimental diabetic neuropathy by reducing mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis
Authors: Dastgheib Mona , Falak Reza , Moghaddam Maryam Vakilian , Hassanzadeh Gholamreza , Safa Majid , Hosseini Asieh
Published: July 2023

Diabetic neuropathy (DN) is the most prevalent complication of diabetes. Pharmacological treatments for DN are often limited in efficacy, so the development of new agents to alleviate DN is essential. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of rolipram, a selective phosphodiesterase‐4 inhibitor (PDE‐4I), and pentoxifylline, a general PDE inhibitor, using a rat model of DN. In this study, a diabetic rat model was established by i.p. injection of STZ (55 mg/kg). Rats were treated with rolipram (1 mg/kg), pentoxifylline (100 mg/kg), and combination of rolipram (0.5 mg/kg) and pentoxifylline (50 mg/kg), orally for 5 weeks. After treatments, sensory function was assessed by hot plate test. Then rats were anesthetized and dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons isolated. Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), adenosine triphosphate (ATP, adenosine diphosphate and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) levels, Cytochrome c release, Bax, Bcl‐2, caspase‐3 proteins expression in DRG neurons were assessed by biochemical and ELISA methods, and western blot analysis. DRG neurons were histologically examined using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining method. Rolipram and/or pentoxifylline significantly attenuated sensory dysfunction by modulating nociceptive threshold. Rolipram and/or pentoxifylline treatment dramatically increased the cAMP level, prevented mitochondrial dysfunction, apoptosis and degeneration of DRG neurons, which appears to be mediated by inducing ATP and MMP, improving cytochrome c release, as well as regulating the expression of Bax, Bcl‐2, and caspase‐3 proteins, and improving morphological abnormalities of DRG neurons. We found maximum effectiveness with rolipram and pentoxifylline combination on mentioned factors. These findings encourage the use of rolipram and pentoxifylline combination as a novel experimental evidence for further clinical investigations in the treatment of DN.
Ceapin‐A7 potentiates lipopolysaccharide‐induced endothelial injury
Authors: Kubra Khadeja‐Tul , Barabutis Nektarios
Published: July 2023

Barrier dysfunction is the hallmark of severe lung injury, including acute respiratory distress syndrome. Efficient medical countermeasures to counteract endothelial hyperpermeability do not exist, hence the mortality rates of disorders related to barrier abnormalities are unacceptable high. The unfolded protein response is a highly conserved mechanism, which aims to support the cells against endoplasmic reticulum stress, and ATF6 is a protein sensor that triggers its activation. In the current study, we investigate the effects of ATF6 suppression in LPS‐induced endothelial inflammation. Our observations suggest that Ceapin‐A7, which is an ATF6 suppressor, potentiates LPS‐induced STAT3 and JAK2 activation. Hence ATF6 activation may serve as a new therapeutic possibility toward diseases related to barrier dysfunction.
Coagulopathy and thromboembolic events a pathogenic mechanism of COVID‐19 associated with mortality: An updated review
Authors: Yousefi Parastoo , Soltani Saber , Siri Goli , Rezayat Sara Akhavan , Gholami Ali , Zafarani Alireza , Razizadeh Mohamad Hossein , Alborzi Ehsan , Mokhtary‐Irani Golnaz , Abedi Behnam , Karampoor Sajad , Tabibzadeh Alireza , Farahani Abbas
Published: July 2023

During 2019, the SARS‐CoV‐2 emerged from China, and during months, COVID‐19 spread in many countries around the world. The expanding data about pathogenesis of this virus could elucidate the exact mechanism by which COVID‐19 caused death in humans. One of the pathogenic mechanisms of this disease is coagulation. Coagulation disorders that affect both venous and arterial systems occur in patients with COVID‐19. The possible mechanism involved in the coagulation could be excessive inflammation induced by SARS‐CoV‐2. However, it is not yet clear well how SARS‐CoV‐2 promotes coagulopathy. However, some factors, such as pulmonary endothelial cell damage and some anticoagulant system disorders, are assumed to have an important role. In this study, we assessed conducted studies about COVID‐19‐induced coagulopathy to obtain clearer vision of the wide range of manifestations and possible pathogenesis mechanisms.
‘Growing your own’ a case study of a collaborative training program in medical radiation science
Authors: Inyang Imo , Barnett Tony , Obamiro Kehinde , Rogers Merran , Kilgour Andrew , Visentin Denis
Published: July 2023

Introduction

Two universities run a collaborative Medical Radiation Science program where students undertake study in Tasmania before transferring to a partner university in another state to complete their program. This study assessed rates and predictors of graduate radiographers, radiation therapists and nuclear medicine technologists (collectively classified as medical radiation practitioners according to AHPRA [https://www.medicalradiationpracticeboard.gov.au/About.aspx; ahpra.gov.au/registration/registers] contemporary classification) returning to Tasmania and rural locations to practice.

Methods

A cross‐sectional 22‐item online survey including open‐ended questions was administered via Facebook. Rates of graduates working in Tasmania and rural locations, work satisfaction, and program efficacy were assessed. Logistic regression was used to assess predictors of working in Tasmania and rural locations.

Results

58 Facebook members from a total of 87 program graduates were invited to participate. Of these, 21 responded. Thirteen (62.0%) were currently working in Tasmania, of which the majority practised in regional (MMM2) areas. Most (90.5%) reported that they were happy at work, with all participants reporting the course prepared them well or very well for their first professional jobs. 71.4% stated that the provision of the first 2 years of the course in their home state influenced their decision to study medical radiation science. Being born in a rural region (MMM > 2) was a predictor for working in Tasmania (OR = 3.5) and rural locations (OR = 1.77). Males were twice as likely to work in Tasmania (OR = 2.3) and more rural locations (OR = 2.0).

Conclusions

Collaboration is beneficial in producing professionals in regions with smaller enrolments limit the ability to grow their own graduates independently. Interuniversity collaborative models are recommended for other rural regions to meet local health workforce needs.
Analysis of the impact of prototyping‐related parasitic effects in a hybridGaNpower amplifier for5G FR1applications
Authors: Bartolotti Giulia , Zhang Zhifan , Shi Peiyuan , Piacibello Anna , Camarchia Vittorio
Published: July 2023

This article analyses the impact of parasitic effects encountered in the manufacturing of a Gallium Nitride power amplifier optimized for a specific trade‐off of efficiency and linearity at 5G FR1 frequencies. The analysis focuses on an example based on a packaged transistor and implemented in hybrid technology, adopting a two‐layer printed circuit board for passive distributed elements and surface‐mount lumped components. The design is summarized, and the focus is then posed on the comparison of simulated and measured results, the main causes of inaccuracy in their agreement, and a simple way of reproducing these in simulation. The mechanical stability of the assembly and the sensitivity of the second harmonic control are identified as the main sources of performance degradation. These effects are correctly modeled at the simulation level thanks to the insertion of specific parasitic lumped elements but could not be fully eliminated at the experimental level in this specific prototype. However, post‐tuning performed on the prototype, guided by the proposed analysis, still allows to reach satisfactory performance although somewhat sub‐optimal compared to the one expected from simulations. At 3.5 GHz, the re‐tuned PA demonstrates a measured output power in excess of 37.5 dBm at saturation, with associated gain higher than 14 dB and PAE of 60%. In a 2‐tone test with 20 MHz spacing, the IMD3 remains lower than −30 dBc up to 29 dBm of output power with a corresponding PAE of the order of 32%.
Cold‐stored mulberry leaves affect antioxidant system and silk proteins of silkworm (Bombyx mori) larva
Authors: Peng Miaomiao , Wang Guang , Zhu Shijiang
Published: July 2023

BACKGROUND

Cold storage has been widely used to maintain the quality of vegetables, but whether eating cold‐stored vegetables affects health remains unknown.

RESULTS

This study used silkworms as an animal model to evaluate the effects of nutrient changes in cold‐stored mulberry leaves (CSML) on health. Compared with fresh mulberry leaves (FML), CSML contained lower vitamin C, soluble sugars and proteins, and higher H2O2, suggesting decreased antioxidant ability and nutrition. The CSML did not obviously affect larval survival rate, body weight or dry matter rate, cocoon shape, weight and size, or final rates of cluster and cocooning relative to the FML, suggesting CSML did not alter overall growth and development. However, the CSML increased the initial rates of cluster and cocooning and upregulated BmRpd3, suggesting CSML shortened larval lifespan and enhanced senescence. CSML upregulated BmNOX4, downregulated BmCAT, BmSOD and BmGSH‐Px and increased H2O2 in silkworms, suggesting CSML caused oxidative stress. CSML upregulated ecdysone biosynthesis and inactivation genes and elevated ecdysone concentration in silkworms, suggesting that CSML affected hormone homeostasis. CSML upregulated apoptosis‐related genes, downregulated sericin and silk fibroin genes and decreased sericin content rate in silkworms, suggesting oxidative stress and protein deficiency.

CONCLUSION

Cold storage reduced nutrition and antioxidant capability of mulberry leaves. CSML did not influence growth and development of silkworm larva, but affected health by causing oxidative stress and reducing protein synthesis. The findings show that the ingredient changes in CSML had negative effects on health of silkworms. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
Short‐term responses of soil organic carbon and chemical composition of particle‐associated organic carbon to anaerobic soil disinfestation in degraded greenhouse soils
Authors: Yanlong Chen , Yuhan Zhang , Risheng Xu , Jianxiao Song , Chen Ailei , Fan Chen , Yanru Liang , Di Guo , Xin Tang , Zemin Qin , Xiaohong Tian , Cui Li , Yuheng Wang
Published: July 2023

Anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) is a short‐term practice to conquer soil degradation, yet its effects on soil organic carbon (SOC) and its composition remain unclear. A field experiment was conducted in degraded greenhouse soils (C3) that were previously used for production of vegetable (VP) and flower (FP), with three treatments (i.e., control, ST [maize straw addition [C4]] and ASD [both ST and water flooding]) for 21 days. Results indicated that the control soil lost 1.3 Mg C ha−1 in VP and 0.94 Mg C ha−1 in FP, while ST increased SOC storage by over 1.0 Mg C ha−1 in both VP and FP. The ASD increased SOC storage by over 2.0 Mg C ha−1 by forming new SOC and decreasing old SOC loss. Additionally, ASD increased OC concentration in particulate size fractions, particularly in particulate organic matter (POM) with lower basal respiration, and higher hydrophobicity as indicated by an increased ratio of C–H/C=O from POM observed by FTIR. The SEM‐EDS found an enhanced C signal in particle size fractions, especially in POM. Overlap of C, O, Si, Ca, and Fe in mineral‐associated organic matter upon ASD indicated the possible crosslinking between intra‐OC and minerals containing O, Si, Ca, and Fe. The ASD also controlled soil salinization and the pathogen Fusarium oxysporum, resulting in increased tomato yields in both VP and FP. Overall, apart from increasing tomato yields, ASD can enhance SOC storage by increasing OC in particle size fractions within a short term.
Schrödinger's fish: Examining the robotic observer effect on pelagic animals
Authors: Benoit‐Bird Kelly J. , Waluk Chad M. , Martin Eric J. , Reisenbichler Kim R. , Sherlock Robert E. , McGill Paul R. , Robison Bruce H.
Published: July 2023

Robust sampling of animals is necessary for understanding ocean ecology, but evaluating the effectiveness of our samplers is a challenge. Scientific echosounders were added to two robotic platforms carrying video imaging systems: a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). The vehicles were used to quantitatively sample midwater life in Monterey Bay along horizontal transects at incremental depths ranging from 25 to 1000 m. The echosounders allowed the bulk behavioral responses of animals to be observed up to 200 m forward of each platform. These responses observed included no response, continual avoidance, avoidance to a fixed range resulting in a patch, and attraction. There were strong and interacting effects of depth and platform type on behavioral responses. Measurements of acoustic backscatter showed that animals responded more strongly to the AUV than the ROV. During AUV surveys, there were effects of day/night and the use of artificial illumination on animal responses. Behavioral responses to our sampling were both species‐ and context‐dependent. These data inspired the expansion of an existing mathematical framework that formalized the processes affecting the sampling of motile ocean organisms. Originally developed for net sampling, we generalized the equations to be platform‐ and sensor‐agnostic and incorporated animal decision‐making processes to allow for behaviors consistent with the full range of responses we observed. These results and the framework can help move toward more effective sampling of motile animals in the ocean.
Free tissue transfer using bidirectional recipient veins in traumatic extremity reconstruction
Authors: Park Hyun Sik , Park Bo Young
Published: July 2023

Background

Reverse‐flow flaps rely on retrograde or reverse flow for drainage and have shown success in reconstructive surgery. However, limited studies have been conducted on the use of reverse‐flow recipient veins. Our study proposed bidirectional venous anastomoses within a single recipient vein to optimize venous outflow and evaluated the outcomes of an additional retrograde venous anastomosis group in traumatic extremity reconstruction.

Methods

We performed a retrospective analysis of 188 patients with traumatic extremity free flap using two venous anastomoses, which were divided into the antegrade and bidirectional venous anastomosis groups. We analyzed the basic demographic information, flap type, duration between injury and reconstruction, recipient vessels, postoperative flap outcomes, and complications. Propensity score matching was used for the additional analysis.

Results

Of the 188 patients analyzed, 63 free flaps (126 anastomoses, 33.5%) and 125 free flaps (250 anastomoses, 66.5%) were included in the bidirectional venous anastomosis and antegrade groups, respectively. In the bidirectional vein group, the median time between trauma and reconstruction was 13.0 ± 1.8 days and the mean flap area was 50.29 ± 7.38 cm2. Radial artery superficial palmar branch perforator flap was most frequently performed (60.3%). In the antegrade vein group, the median time until surgery was 23.0 ± 2.1 days and the mean flap area was 85.0 ± 8.5 cm2. Thoracodorsal artery perforator flap surgery was the most frequently performed surgery. The two groups were similar in terms of basic characteristics, but the bidirectional group demonstrated significantly higher success rate (98.4% vs. 89.7%, p = .004) and lower complication rate (6.3% vs. 22.4%, p = .007) than the antegrade group. However, these results were not observed after propensity score matching.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrated successful results with the recipient vein using reverse flow. Additional retrograde venous anastomosis is a useful option for augmenting venous drainage for reconstruction of distal extremities in cases where dissection of additional antegrade vein is not feasible.