bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of a Deep Learning‐Accelerated vs. Conventional T2‐Weighted Sequence in Biparametric MRI of the Prostate
Authors: Tong Angela , Bagga Barun , Petrocelli Robert , Smereka Paul , Vij Abhinav , Qian Kun , Grimm Robert , Kamen Ali , Keerthivasan Mahesh B , Nickel Marcel Dominik , von Busch Heinrich , Chandarana Hersh
Published: January 2023

Background

Demand for prostate MRI is increasing, but scan times remain long even in abbreviated biparametric MRIs (bpMRI). Deep learning can be leveraged to accelerate T2‐weighted imaging (T2WI).

Purpose

To compare conventional bpMRIs (CL‐bpMRI) with bpMRIs including a deep learning‐accelerated T2WI (DL‐bpMRI) in diagnosing prostate cancer.

Study Type

Retrospective.

Population

Eighty consecutive men, mean age 66 years (47–84) with suspected prostate cancer or prostate cancer on active surveillance who had a prostate MRI from December 28, 2020 to April 28, 2021 were included. Follow‐up included prostate biopsy or stability of prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) for 1 year.

Field Strength and Sequences

A 3 T MRI. Conventional axial and coronal T2 turbo spin echo (CL‐T2), 3‐fold deep learning‐accelerated axial and coronal T2‐weighted sequence (DL‐T2), diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) with b = 50 sec/mm2, 1000 sec/mm2, calculated b = 1500 sec/mm2.

Assessment

CL‐bpMRI and DL‐bpMRI including the same conventional diffusion‐weighted imaging (DWI) were presented to three radiologists (blinded to acquisition method) and to a deep learning computer‐assisted detection algorithm (DL‐CAD). The readers evaluated image quality using a 4‐point Likert scale (1 = nondiagnostic, 4 = excellent) and graded lesions using Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PI‐RADS) v2.1. DL‐CAD identified and assigned lesions of PI‐RADS 3 or greater.

Statistical Tests

Quality metrics were compared using Wilcoxon signed rank test, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) were compared using Delong's test. Significance: P = 0.05.

Results

Eighty men were included (age: 66 ± 9 years; 17/80 clinically significant prostate cancer). Overall image quality results by the three readers (CL‐T2, DL‐T2) are reader 1: 3.72 ± 0.53, 3.89 ± 0.39 (P = 0.99); reader 2: 3.33 ± 0.82, 3.31 ± 0.74 (P = 0.49); reader 3: 3.67 ± 0.63, 3.51 ± 0.62. In the patient‐based analysis, the reader results of AUC are (CL‐bpMRI, DL‐bpMRI): reader 1: 0.77, 0.78 (P = 0.98), reader 2: 0.65, 0.66 (P = 0.99), reader 3: 0.57, 0.60 (P = 0.52). Diagnostic statistics from DL‐CAD (CL‐bpMRI, DL‐bpMRI) are sensitivity (0.71, 0.71, P = 1.00), specificity (0.59, 0.44, P = 0.05), positive predictive value (0.23, 0.24, P = 0.25), negative predictive value (0.88, 0.88, P = 0.48).

Conclusion

Deep learning‐accelerated T2‐weighted imaging may potentially be used to decrease acquisition time for bpMRI.

Evidence Level

3.

Technical Efficacy

Stage 2.
Immersive virtual reality for pre‐registration computed tomography education of radiographers: A narrative review
Authors: Taylor Bridget , McLean Glenda , Sim Jenny
Published: January 2023

To be registered as a medical radiation practitioner, The Medical Radiation Practice Board of Australia (MRPBA) requires radiographers to be capable of performing computed tomography (CT) imaging examinations safely and effectively. Universities meet this requirement by offering practical CT training to radiography students on‐campus and during clinical placements. However, institutions face challenges when facilitating on‐campus CT practicum. Virtual reality (VR) has been suggested as a possible solution for radiography students to gain CT scanning experience. This narrative review explored relevant literature to investigate the potential for immersive VR to be incorporated into CT practicum. Benefits and limitations of this education technology are examined with resultant recommendations made for integration into the CT curriculum. Results found that VR enhances CT learning for students, increases confidence and raises motivation for the simulated CT task. CT simulation provides a viable alternative in the context of pandemic‐imposed restrictions and reduced CT placement duration. However, it remains debatable as to whether immersive VR truly enhances student learning compared with other VR modalities, such as computer‐based CT simulation. In addition, a lack of staff training, availability of resources and technical problems were flagged as limitations. We concluded that before immersive VR is integrated into CT education, significant optimisation of the simulation is needed. This includes ensuring VR scenarios are based on learning paradigms and feedback is integrated as part of simulation learning. Engaging clinical partners during the CT VR rollout is imperative to ensure successful transition of students from university learning to clinical placement.
Nirmatrelvir‐ritonavir therapy and COVID‐19 vaccination improve clinical outcomes of SARS‐CoV‐2 Omicron variant infection
Authors: Qi Tangkai , Jin Yinpeng , Wang He , Liao Yixin , Liu Tiefu , Mao Enqiang , Li Feng , Li Yinchuan , Fan Xiaohong , Ling Yun
Published: January 2023

To evaluate the effect of Nirmatrelvir‐ritonavir therapy and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) vaccination on clinical outcomes of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) Omicron infection, we retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 762 adult patients with confirmed Omicron BA2.2 variant infection, of them 488 patients received standard therapy and 274 patients received Nirmatrelvir‐ritonavir therapy. Subjects were matched by propensity score matching using R language, the baseline factors were balanced by the nearest‐neighbor matching method and were compared, together with the factors including progression to severe/critical disease, viral clearance time, length of hospital stay, and virological rebound of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. Nirmatrelvir‐ritonavir therapy significantly accelerated viral clearance at Days 14 and  28 during hospitalization, but it had no impact on disease progression, length of hospital stay, or infection rebound. In contrast, COVID‐19 vaccination before admission was positively correlated with the viral clearance rate and negatively correlated with disease progression in a dose‐dependent way. COVID‐19 vaccination reduced the probability of infection rebound. Other factors such as the number of comorbidities, pneumonia on‐admission, and high D2 levels were positively correlated with disease progression. Our study strongly recommended booster COVID‐19 vaccination for the elderly population, particularly patients with comorbidities to prevent critical disease.
Association of ESR1 gene polymorphisms with the susceptibility to Hepatitis B virus infection and the clinical outcomes
Authors: Xie Jiaxin , Ding Yibo , Li Xiaopan , Pu Rui , Liu Wenbin , Li Peng , Yin Jianhua
Published: January 2023

Estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1) has been implicated in the pathological process of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and is probably an important determinant for gender differences. In this study, a total of 975 subjects including 368 healthy controls, 323 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with HBsAg positive, and 284 HBV‐infected subjects without HCC were included. Three single nucleotide polymorphisms of ESR1 (rs2234693, rs2077647, rs2228480) were detected to investigate the correlation between ESR1 polymorphisms and the susceptibility to HBV persistence and the clinical outcomes. The association of ESR1 polymorphisms with HCC prognosis was investigated in our cohort enrolling 376 HBV‐HCC patients. The frequency of rs2234693 C allele was lower in chronic Hepatitis B (CHB) and liver cirrhosis (LC) than that in HCC patients in the males (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.63, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.41–0.96). rs2228480 A allele was associated with increased risk of LC (AOR = 2.20, 95% CI = 1.06–4.56) in HBV genotype C, and significantly decreased the risk of HCC recurrence (p = 0.010) and ESR1 mRNA level in tumor tissues (p = 0.032). Haplotype C‐G‐G was associated with significantly increased risk of HBV persistence (OR = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.08–1.73), while it was opposite for C‐A‐G and T‐G‐G (OR = 0.41, 95% CI = 0.27–0.62; OR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.32–0.85, respectively). These results imply that combinations of these ESR1 polymorphisms may be valuable for the prediction of HBV persistence.
Torque teno virus (TTV): A gentle spy virus of immune status, predictive marker of seroconversion to COVID‐19 vaccine in kidney and lung transplant recipients
Authors: Roberto Piergiorgio , Cinti Lilia , Napoli Anna , Paesani Daniele , Riveros Cabral Rodolfo J. , Maggi Fabrizio , Garofalo Manuela , Pretagostini Renzo , Centofanti Anastasia , Carillo Carolina , Venuta Federico , Gaeta Aurelia , Antonelli Guido
Published: January 2023

To date, no comprehensive marker to monitor the immune status of patients is available. Given that Torque teno virus (TTV), a known human virome component, has previously been identified as a marker of immunocompetence, it was retrospectively investigated whether TTV viral load may also represent a marker of ability to develop antibody in response to COVID‐19‐BNT162B2 vaccine in solid organ transplant recipients (SOT). Specifically, 273 samples from 146 kidney and 26 lung transplant recipients after successive doses of vaccine were analyzed. An inverse correlation was observed within the TTV copy number and anti‐Spike IgG antibody titer with a progressive decrease in viremia the further away from the transplant date. Analyzing the data obtained after the second dose, a significant difference in TTV copy number between responsive and nonresponsive patients was observed, considering a 5 log10 TTV copies/mL threshold to discriminate between the two groups. Moreover, for 86 patients followed in their response to the second and third vaccination doses a 6 log10 TTV copies/mL threshold was used to predict responsivity to the booster dose. Although further investigation is necessary, possibly extending the analysis to other patient categories, this study suggests that TTV can be used as a good marker of vaccine response in transplant patients.
Resveratrol improves diabetes‐induced cognitive dysfunction in part through the miR‐146a‐5p/TXNIP axis
Authors: Hu Ying , Zhang Qin , Wang Jian‐Cheng , Wang Jiao , Liu Ying , Zhu Ling‐Yan , Xu Ji‐Xiong
Published: January 2023

Resveratrol (RSV) has been shown to have a neuroprotective effect in various central nervous system disorders, although the role of RSV in diabetes‐induced cognitive dysfunction is still not fully elucidated. Here, we investigated whether RSV improved diabetes‐related cognitive dysfunction in vivo and in vitro. We induced a rat diabetic model with a high‐fat and high‐sucrose diet followed by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin and a diabetic neuron cell model by stimulation with high levels of glucose. We observed that RSV improved impairment in spatial learning and memory in the Morris water maze test (MWM) and novel object recognition test (ORT) in diabetic rats. RSV reversed the reduced miR‐146a‐5p and upregulated thioredoxin‐interacting protein (TXNIP) and inhibited the diabetes‐induced increase in interleukin (IL)‐1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α levels in vivo and in vitro. RSV also inhibited diabetes‐induced endoplasmic reticulum stress (ESR) by reducing ESR‐related protein expression in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, inhibition of miR‐146a‐5p partially abolished the protective effects of RSV in HG‐treated primary neurons. Additionally, we used starBase to predict that miR‐146a‐5p interacts with TXNIP, which we then verified using a luciferase reporter gene assay. We further observed that miR‐146a‐5p regulates the mRNA and protein expression of TXNIP in vitro, indicating that the miR‐146a‐5p/TXNIP axis is involved in the regulation of cognitive dysfunction in a rat diabetic model. Collectively, these results demonstrate that RSV plays a neuroprotective role in diabetes‐associated cognitive dysfunction at least in part through regulation of the miR‐146a‐5p/TXNIP axis.
Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing in the Breastfeeding Infant
Authors: Schroeder James W.
Published: January 2023

Objective

To demonstrate the importance of utilizing fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) when evaluating breastfeeding infants with suspected dysphagia. Failure to recognize and account for the fundamentally different physiology of the primarily breastfed infant can lead to false assumptions about the safety of breastfeeding in this understudied patient population.

Methods

Case‐series. The medical records of patients referred to an urban, university‐based, pediatric hospital for FEES from February 2017 to October 2020 were reviewed. Their presenting symptoms, dysphagia severity, comorbidity, dysphagia workup, and management were analyzed. The standardized Dysphagia Outcome and Severity Scale was used to appraise dysphagia severity.

Results

204 FEES exams were reviewed. 35 were conducted on breastfed infants. 34 of the 35 infants calmed for the FEES exam while breastfeeding. Cohorts were defined by a particular presenting sign (cough, laryngeal congestion, choking, and respiratory illness) and anatomical characteristic (laryngomalacia, vocal cord paralysis, aspiration, penetration, etc.) and then compared to all other exams. The average dysphagia score for all the exams was 2.37. Patients presenting with laryngeal congestion had an average dysphagia score of 2.81. There was no difference in dysphagia score based on comorbidities or anatomy.

Conclusions

FEES is the instrumental exam of choice when evaluating a primarily breastfed infant who has suspected dysphagia. The exam is well tolerated and provides accurate, objective information while accounting for this population's unique swallowing physiology. Primarily breastfed infants presenting with laryngeal congestion are more likely to have clinically worse dysphagia than those presenting with other clinical symptoms.

Level of Evidence

4 Laryngoscope, 133:2803–2807, 2023
Prognostic Value of Controlling Nutritional Status Score in Advanced Hypopharyngeal Cancer
Authors: Lin Qin , Li Chen , Lin Xiaoxia , Lin Shuchun , Chen Wei , Chen Xiaoqiang , Huang Xiaoting , Wang Desheng
Published: January 2023

Objective

The purpose of this study was to investigate the prognostic significance of the preoperative controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score in patients with resectable advanced hypopharyngeal cancer.

Methods

This retrospective study included 113 advanced hypopharyngeal cancer patients who underwent curative resection in our hospital from 2013 to 2017. The association between the CONUT score and clinicopathological variables was evaluated. The association between CONUT score and survival was analyzed using Kaplan–Meier survival curves and Cox regression. The efficacy of the CONUT score and other immune‐nutritional markers to predict prognosis was compared using a time‐dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC).

Results

Patients were divided into the high‐CONUT score group (≥3) and the low‐CONUT score group (≤2) according to ROC analysis. The CONUT score was associated with body mass index (p = 0.047), monocyte (p = 0.021), pharyngocutaneous fistula (p = 0.045), flap repairment (p = 0.034), tumor (T) classification (p = 0.034), node (N) classification (p = 0.036), subsite of tumor (p = 0.035), and negative pathologic factors (p < 0.001). Tumor, node, metastasis (TNM) stage, negative pathologic factors, adjuvant radiotherapy, postoperative chemoradiotherapy, and CONUT score were independent prognostic factors for survival. Patients with a higher CONUT score had worse overall survival (OS) (hazard ratio: 2.76, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.44–5.29, p = 0.002) and disease‐free survival (hazard ratio: 2.51, 95% CI: 1.28–4.91, p = 0.007). The area under the curve of the CONUT score (0.799) to predict 5‐year OS was greater than those of Preoperative Nutritional Index (0.769), platelet‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (0.643), neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (0.565), and lymphocyte‐to‐monocyte ratio (0.577).

Conclusion

The CONUT score is a prognostic marker for patients with resectable advanced hypopharyngeal cancer.

Level of Evidence

3 Laryngoscope, 133:2613–2620, 2023
Stabilization of a coupled wave equation with one localized nonregular fractional Kelvin–Voigt damping with nonsmooth coefficients
Authors: Zhang Li , Liu Wenjun , An Yanning , Cao Xinxin
Published: January 2023

In this paper, we study the stabilization of a coupled wave system formed by one localized nonregular fractional viscoelastic damping of Kelvin–Voigt type and localized nonsmooth coefficients. Our main aim is to prove that the
‐semigroup associated with this model is strong stability and decays polynomially at a rate of
. By introducing a new system to deal with fractional Kelvin–Voigt damping, we obtain a new equivalent augmented system, so as to show the well‐posedness of the system based on Lumer–Phillips theorem. We achieve the strong stability for the
‐semigroup associated with this new model by using a general criteria of Arendt–Batty and then turn out a polynomial energy decay rate of order
with the help of a frequency domain approach.
On the thermoelasticity with several dissipative mechanisms of type III
Authors: Fernandez José R. , Quintanilla Ramón
Published: January 2023

It is accepted that we cannot obtain the exponential decay of the solutions to the type III thermoelasticity when the dimension of the domain is greater than one. In this short note, we prove that we can show the exponential decay if we consider
type III dissipative mechanisms whenever the coupling terms satisfy a certain condition.
A conformal TOF–DOI Prism‐PET prototype scanner for high‐resolution quantitative neuroimaging
Authors: Zeng Xinjie , Wang Zipai , Tan Wanbin , Petersen Eric , Cao Xinjie , LaBella Andy , Boccia Anthony , Franceschi Dinko , de Leon Mony , Chiang Gloria Chia‐Yi , Qi Jinyi , Biegon Anat , Zhao Wei , Goldan Amir H.
Published: January 2023

Background

Positron emission tomography (PET) has had a transformative impact on oncological and neurological applications. However, still much of PET's potential remains untapped with limitations primarily driven by low spatial resolution, which severely hampers accurate quantitative PET imaging via the partial volume effect (PVE).

Purpose

We present experimental results of a practical and cost‐effective ultra‐high resolution brain‐dedicated PET scanner, using our depth‐encoding Prism‐PET detectors arranged along a compact and conformal gantry, showing substantial reduction in PVE and accurate radiotracer uptake quantification in small regions.

Methods

The decagon‐shaped prototype scanner has a long diameter of 38.5 cm, a short diameter of 29.1 cm, and an axial field‐of‐view (FOV) of 25.5 mm with a single ring of 40 Prism‐PET detector modules. Each module comprises a 16 × 16 array of 1.5 × 1.5 × 20‐mm3lutetium yttrium oxyorthosillicate (LYSO) scintillator crystals coupled 4‐to‐1 to an 8 × 8 array of silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) pixels on one end and to a prismatoid light guide array on the opposite end. The scanner's performance was evaluated by measuring depth‐of‐interaction (DOI) resolution, energy resolution, timing resolution, spatial resolution, sensitivity, and image quality of ultra‐micro Derenzo and three‐dimensional (3D) Hoffman brain phantoms.

Results

The full width at half maximum (FWHM) DOI, energy, and timing resolutions of the scanner are 2.85 mm, 12.6%, and 271 ps, respectively. Not considering artifacts due to mechanical misalignment of detector blocks, the intrinsic spatial resolution is 0.89‐mm FWHM. Point source images reconstructed with 3D filtered back‐projection (FBP) show an average spatial resolution of 1.53‐mm FWHM across the entire FOV. The peak absolute sensitivity is 1.2% for an energy window of 400−650 keV. The ultra‐micro Derenzo phantom study demonstrates the highest reported spatial resolution performance for a human brain PET scanner with perfect reconstruction of 1.00‐mm diameter hot‐rods. Reconstructed images of customized Hoffman brain phantoms prove that Prism‐PET enables accurate radiotracer uptake quantification in small brain regions (2–3 mm).

Conclusions

Prism‐PET will substantially strengthen the utility of quantitative PET in neurology for early diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases, and in neuro‐oncology for improved management of both primary and metastatic brain tumors.
OLED Smartphone 2.0 and AIO OPD Sensing: The Future of Smartphone OLED and Security
Authors: Hendy Ian , Bouthinon Benjamin
Published: January 2023

Full‐screen fingerprint sensing will be an industry revenue upside and good for consumers.
Synergistic anti‐depressive effect of combination treatment of Brexpiprazole and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors on forced swimming test in mice
Authors: Amada Naoki , Hirose Tsuyoshi , Suzuki Mikio , Kakumoto Yusuke , Futamura Takashi , Maeda Kenji , Kikuchi Tetsuro
Published: January 2023

Aim

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are used to treat major depressive disorder (MDD) and other psychiatric disorders (e.g., obsessive compulsive disorder, social anxiety disorder, and panic disorder). In MDD treatment, SSRIs do not show remission in approximately 30% of patients, indicating a need for a better treatment option. Forced swimming test (FST) is a behavioral assay to evaluate depression‐like behavior and antidepressant efficacy in rodents. In the present study, we evaluated the combination effect of brexpiprazole with SSRIs on FST in mice, in order to investigate their synergistic effect.

Methods

Brexpiprazole (0.003 mg/kg) was intraperitoneally injected to mice 15 min before testing. Escitalopram (10 mg/kg), fluoxetine (75 mg/kg), paroxetine (10 mg/kg), or sertraline (15 mg/kg) were orally administered to mice 60 min before testing. Then, the mice were placed in water and immobility time was measured. Data from animals treated with escitalopram, fluoxetine, paroxetine, and sertraline were pooled as SSRI‐treated group data.

Results

Combination treatment of brexpiprazole with SSRIs reduced immobility time in FST more than vehicle or each single treatment. A significant interaction effect was confirmed in the combination of brexpiprazole and SSRIs (p = 0.0411).

Conclusion

Efficacy of adjunctive brexpiprazole has already been demonstrated in clinical trials in MDD patients not adequately responding to antidepressants including escitalopram, fluoxetine, paroxetine, and sertraline. The synergistic antidepressant‐like effect of brexpiprazole with SSRIs found in this study supports the already known clinical findings.
Adverse Effects of Antidepressant Medications and their Management in Children and Adolescents
Authors: Strawn Jeffrey R. , Mills Jeffrey A. , Poweleit Ethan A. , Ramsey Laura B. , Croarkin Paul E.
Published: January 2023

Introduction

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and, to a lesser extent, serotonin‐norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are the cornerstone of pharmacotherapy for children and adolescents with anxiety and depressive disorders. These medications alleviate symptoms and restore function for many youths; however, they are associated with a distinct adverse effect profile, and their tolerability may complicate treatment or lead to discontinuation. Yet, SSRI/SNRI tolerability has received limited attention in the pediatric literature.

Methods

This review examines the early‐ (e.g., activation, gastrointestinal symptoms, sedation) and late‐emerging (e.g., weight gain) adverse effects of SSRIs and some SNRIs in pediatric patients.

Results

We provide a framework for discussing SSRI/SNRI tolerability with patients and their families and describe the pharmacologic basis, course, and predictors of adverse events in youth. Strategies to address specific tolerability concerns are presented. For selected adverse events, using posterior simulation of mean differences over time, we describe their course based on Physical Symptom Checklist measures in a prospective, randomized trial of anxious youth aged 7–17 years who were treated with sertraline (n = 139) or placebo (n = 76) for 12 weeks in the Child/Adolescent Anxiety Multimodal Study (CAMS).

Main Results

In CAMS, the relative severity/burden of total physical symptoms (p < 0.001), insomnia (p = 0.001), restlessness (p < 0.001), nausea (p = 0.002), abdominal pain (p < 0.001), and dry mouth (p = 0.024) decreased from baseline over 12 weeks of sertraline treatment, raising the possibility that these symptoms are transient. No significant changes were observed for sweating (p = 0.103), constipation (p = 0.241), or diarrhea (p = 0.489). Finally, we review the antidepressant withdrawal syndrome in children and adolescents and provide guidance for SSRI discontinuation, using pediatric pharmacokinetic models of escitalopram and sertraline—two of the most used SSRIs in youth.

Conclusion

SSRI/SNRIs are associated with both early‐emerging (often transient) and late‐emerging adverse effects in youth. Pharmacokinetically‐informed appraoches may address some adverse effects and inform SSRI/SNRI discontinuation strategies.
Recent advances in the solution self‐assembly of polypeptides
Authors: Cai Chunhua , Lin Jiaping
Published: January 2023

Polypeptides derived from amino acids bridge the synthetic polymers and proteins, and they have attracted continuous attention on their properties and functionalities. In the past decades, the self‐assembly behavior of polypeptides has been widely studied, and diversities of assembly nanostructures have been observed. In this perspective, we focus on the recent advances in the solution self‐assembly of polypeptides from two aspects. One is new type driving forces for the polypeptide self‐assembly, including liquid crystallization of polypeptides and conformation variation of helical polypeptides. Another is novel preparation methods for the polypeptide self‐assembly, including supramolecular polymerization, substrate‐mediated self‐assembly, and polymerization‐induced self‐assembly (PISA). In the end, we give a conclusion and outlook for the trends in the polypeptide solution self‐assembly.
P450‐mediated resistance in Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) reduces the efficacy of neonicotinoid seed treatments in Brassica napus
Authors: Kirkland Lisa S , Chirgwin Evatt , Ward Samantha E , Congdon Benjamin S , van Rooyen Anthony , Umina Paul A
Published: January 2023

BACKGROUND

The prophylactic use of seeds treated with neonicotinoid insecticides remains an important means of controlling aphid pests in canola (Brassica napus) crops in many countries. Yet, one of the most economically important aphid species worldwide, the peach potato aphid (Myzus persicae), has evolved mechanisms which confer resistance to neonicotinoids, including amplification of the cytochrome P450 gene, CYP6CY3. While CYP6CY3 amplification has been associated with low‐level resistance to several neonicotinoids in laboratory acute toxicity bioassays, its impact on insecticide efficacy in the field remains unresolved. In this study, we investigated the impact of CYP6CY3 amplification on the ability of M. persicae to survive neonicotinoid exposure under laboratory and semi‐field conditions.

RESULTS

Three M. persicae clones, possessing different copy numbers of CYP6CY3, were shown to respond differently when exposed to the neonicotinoids, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam, in laboratory bioassays. Two clones, EastNaernup209 and Osborne171, displayed low levels of resistance (3–20‐fold), which is consistent with previous studies. However, in a large‐scale semi‐field trial, both clones showed a surprising ability to survive and reproduce on B. napus seedlings grown from commercial rates of neonicotinoid‐treated seed. In contrast, an insecticide‐susceptible clone, of wild‐type CYP6CY3 copy number, was unable to survive on seedlings treated in the same manner.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that amplification of CYP6CY3 in M. persicae clones substantially impairs the efficacy of neonicotinoid seed treatments when applied to B. napus. These findings highlight the potentially important real‐world implications of resistances typically considered to be ‘low level’ as defined through laboratory bioassays. © 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
Bayesian PBPK modeling using R/Stan/Torsten and Julia/SciML/Turing.Jl
Authors: Elmokadem Ahmed , Zhang Yi , Knab Timothy , Jordie Eric , Gillespie William R.
Published: January 2023

Physiologically‐based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models are mechanistic models that are built based on an investigator's prior knowledge of the in vivo system of interest. Bayesian inference incorporates an investigator's prior knowledge of parameters while using the data to update this knowledge. As such, Bayesian tools are well‐suited to infer PBPK model parameters using the strong prior knowledge available while quantifying the uncertainty on these parameters. This tutorial demonstrates a full population Bayesian PBPK analysis framework using R/Stan/Torsten and Julia/SciML/Turing.jl.
The migration speed of nucleolar precursor bodies in pronuclei affects in vitro fertilization‐derived human embryo ploidy status and live birth
Authors: Inoue Taketo , Taguchi Sayumi , Uemura Mikiko , Tsujimoto Yoshiko , Kokunai Kana , Ikawa Kayoe , Yamashita Yoshiki
Published: January 2023

Purpose

To study the relationship between clinical outcomes after assisted reproduction and the migration speed of nucleolus precursor bodies (NPBs) in male and female pronuclei (mPN; fPN).

Methods

NPB migration speed, embryo ploidy status, and live birth (LB) were retrospectively analyzed in IVF‐derived zygotes. The central coordinates of the mPN, fPN, and NPBs were noted at multiple timepoints. The migration distance of NPBs between two sequential images was measured to calculate NPB migration speed.

Results

The NPB migration speeds in mPN and fPN were significantly faster in euploid zygotes than in aneuploid zygotes. In multivariate logistic analysis, NPB migration speed in mPN and the female age were associated with euploidy. The NPB migration speeds in mPN and fPN were also significantly faster in zygotes that led to LB than in zygotes that led to no pregnancy. In a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis of LB by NPB migration speed in mPN, the cut‐off value was 3.74 μm/h (AUC: 0.825, 95%CI: 0.688–0.963). When the zygotes were categorized by this cut‐off value, there were significantly more LBs in zygotes with migration speed ≥ the cut‐off (78.9% vs. 21.1%).

Conclusions

Zygotes with quickly migrating NPBs demonstrated the developmental potential to become a baby.
Investigation of stage‐discharge model performance for streamflow estimating: A case study of the Gono River, Japan
Authors: Maghrebi Mahmoud F. , Vatanchi Sajjad M. , Kawanisi Kiyosi
Published: January 2023

In water resource studies, long‐term measurements of river streamflow are essential. They allow us to observe trends and natural cycles and are prerequisites for hydraulic and hydrology models. This paper presents a new application of the stage‐discharge rating curve model introduced by Maghrebi et al. (2016) to estimate continuous streamflow along the Gono River, Japan. The proposed method, named single stage‐discharge (SSD) method, needs only one observed data to estimate the continuous streamflow. However, other similar methods require more than one observational data to fit the curve. The results of the discharge estimation by the SSD are compared with the improved fluvial acoustic tomography system (FATS), conventional rating curve (RC), and flow‐area rating curve (FARC). Some statistical indicators, such as the coefficient of determination (R2), root mean square error (RMSE), percent bias (PBAIS), mean absolute error (MAE), and Kling‐Gupta efficiency (KGE), are used to assess the performance of the proposed model. ADCP data are used as a benchmark for comparing four studied models. As a result of the comparison, the SSD method outperformed of FATS method. Also, the three studied RC methods were highly accurate at estimating streamflow if all observed data were used in calibration. However, if the observed data in calibration was reduced, the SSD method by R2 = 0.99, RMSE = 2.83 (m3/s), PBIAS = 0.715(%), MAE = 2.30 (m3/s), and KGE = 0.972 showed the best performance compared to other methods. It can be summarized that the SSD method is the feasible method in the data‐scarce region and delivers a strong potential for streamflow estimation.
Doing epistemic justice in sustainable development: Applying the philosophical concept of epistemic injustice to the real world
Authors: Cummings Sarah , Dhewa Charles , Kemboi Gladys , Young Stacey
Published: January 2023

Originally conceptualized by the philosopher, Miranda Fricker, epistemic injustice—unfair treatment of individuals and groups in knowledge‐related and communicative practices—is increasingly being employed to delineate individual and collective injustice in healthcare, information sciences, education and sustainable development. Embedded in many other forms of social injustice and inequality, epistemic injustice is a particularly serious problem for sustainable development, undermining the global community's ability to deal with ‘wicked’ problems. Building on the more conceptually developed, philosophical framework of epistemic injustice and recent research from other fields, this article develops a holistic action‐oriented framework of epistemic justice, namely fair treatment in knowledge‐related and communicative practices, for sustainable development and beyond. It also adds to the current framework of individual and collective injustice by including a range of new insights on structural and systemic epistemic injustice, such as linguistic injustice and epistemicide.
Practical strategies for operationalizing optimal allocation in stratified cluster‐based outcome‐dependent sampling designs
Authors: Sauer Sara , Hedt‐Gauthier Bethany , Haneuse Sebastien
Published: January 2023

Cluster‐based outcome‐dependent sampling (ODS) has the potential to yield efficiency gains when the outcome of interest is relatively rare, and resource constraints allow only a certain number of clusters to be visited for data collection. Previous research has shown that when the intended analysis is inverse‐probability weighted generalized estimating equations, and the number of clusters that can be sampled is fixed, optimal allocation of the (cluster‐level) sample size across strata defined by auxiliary variables readily available at the design stage has the potential to increase efficiency in the estimation of the parameter(s) of interest. In such a setting, the optimal allocation formulae depend on quantities that are unknown in practice, currently making such designs difficult to implement. In this paper, we consider a two‐wave adaptive sampling approach, in which data is collected from a first wave sample, and subsequently used to compute the optimal second wave stratum‐specific sample sizes. We consider two strategies for estimating the necessary components using the first wave data: an inverse‐probability weighting (IPW) approach and a multiple imputation (MI) approach. In a comprehensive simulation study, we show that the adaptive sampling approach performs well, and that the MI approach yields designs that are very near‐optimal, regardless of the covariate type. The IPW approach, on the other hand, has mixed results. Finally, we illustrate the proposed adaptive sampling procedures with data on maternal characteristics and birth outcomes among women enrolled in the Safer Deliveries program in Zanzibar, Tanzania.
Nitrogen‐Doped and Sulfonated Carbon Dots as a Multifunctional Additive to Realize Highly Reversible Aqueous Zinc‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Song Tian‐Bing , Huang Zun‐Hui , Zhang Xi‐Rong , Ni Jia‐Wen , Xiong Huan‐Ming
Published: January 2023

Aqueous zinc‐ion batteries (ZIBs) using the Zn metal anode have been considered as one of the next‐generation commercial batteries with high security, robust capacity, and low price. However, parasitic reactions, notorious dendrites and limited lifespan still hamper their practical applications. Herein, an eco‐friendly nitrogen‐doped and sulfonated carbon dots (NSCDs) is designed as a multifunctional additive for the cheap aqueous ZnSO4 electrolyte, which can overcome the above difficulties effectively. The abundant polar groups (‐COOH, ‐OH, ‐NH2, and ‐SO3H) on the CDs surfaces can regulate the solvation structure of Zn2+ through decreasing the coordinated active H2O molecules, and thus redistribute Zn2+ deposition to avoid side reactions. Some of the negatively charged NSCDs are adsorbed on Zn anode surface to isolate the H2O/SO42‐ corrosion through the electrostatic shielding effect. The synergistic effect of the doped nitrogen species and the surface sulfonic groups can induce a uniform electrolyte flux and a homogeneous Zn plating with a (002) texture. As a result, the excellent cycle life (4000 h) and Coulombic efficiency (99.5%) of the optimized ZIBs are realized in typical ZnSO4 electrolytes with only 0.1 mg mL‐1 of NSCDs additive.
Variational Convolutional Autoencoders for Anomaly Detection in Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy
Authors: Prifti Enea , Buban James P. , Thind Arashdeep Singh , Klie Robert F.
Published: January 2023

Identifying point defects and other structural anomalies using scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) is important to understand a material's properties caused by the disruption of the regular pattern of crystal lattice. Due to improvements in instrumentation stability and electron optics, atomic‐resolution images with a field of view of several hundred nanometers can now be routinely acquired at 1–10 Hz frame rates and such data, which often contain thousands of atomic columns, need to be analyzed. To date, image analysis is performed largely manually, but recent developments in computer vision (CV) and machine learning (ML) now enable automated analysis of atomic structures and associated defects. Here, the authors report on how a Convolutional Variational Autoencoder (CVAE) can be utilized to detect structural anomalies in atomic‐resolution STEM images. Specifically, the training set is limited to perfect crystal images , and the performance of a CVAE in differentiating between single‐crystal bulk data or point defects is demonstrated. It is found that the CVAE can reproduce the perfect crystal data but not the defect input data. The disagreesments between the CVAE‐predicted data for defects allows for a clear and automatic distinction and differentiation of several point defect types.
Functionalized Fullerene for Inhibition of SARS‐CoV‐2 Variants
Authors: Page Taylor M. , Nie Chuanxiong , Neander Lenard , Povolotsky Tatyana L. , Sahoo Anil Kumar , Nickl Philip , Adler Julia M. , Bawadkji Obida , Radnik Jörg , Achazi Katharina , Ludwig Kai , Lauster Daniel , Netz Roland R. , Trimpert Jakob , Kaufer Benedikt , Haag Rainer , Donskyi Ievgen S.
Published: January 2023

As virus outbreaks continue to pose a challenge, a nonspecific viral inhibitor can provide significant benefits, especially against respiratory viruses. Polyglycerol sulfates recently emerge as promising agents that mediate interactions between cells and viruses through electrostatics, leading to virus inhibition. Similarly, hydrophobic C60 fullerene can prevent virus infection via interactions with hydrophobic cavities of surface proteins. Here, two strategies are combined to inhibit infection of SARS‐CoV‐2 variants in vitro. Effective inhibitory concentrations in the millimolar range highlight the significance of bare fullerene's hydrophobic moiety and electrostatic interactions of polysulfates with surface proteins of SARS‐CoV‐2. Furthermore, microscale thermophoresis measurements support that fullerene linear polyglycerol sulfates interact with the SARS‐CoV‐2 virus via its spike protein, and highlight importance of electrostatic interactions within it. All‐atom molecular dynamics simulations reveal that the fullerene binding site is situated close to the receptor binding domain, within 4 nm of polyglycerol sulfate binding sites, feasibly allowing both portions of the material to interact simultaneously.
NIR Activated Multimodal Therapeutics Based on Metal–Phenolic Networks‐Functionalized Nanoplatform for Combating against Multidrug Resistance and Metastasis
Authors: Cheng Chen , Jiang Weixi , Luo Yuanli , Wan Li , Guo Xun , Xie Zhuoyan , Tang Rui , Huang Tong , Wang Jingxue , Du Chier , Wang Zhigang , Ran Haitao , Li Pan , Zhou Zhiyi , Ren Jianli
Published: January 2023

Multidrug resistance (MDR) and metastasis in cancer have become increasingly serious problems since antitumor efficiency is greatly restricted by a single therapeutic modality and the insensitive tumor microenvironment (TME). Herein, metal–phenolic network‐functionalized nanoparticles (t‐P@TFP NPs) are designed to realize multiple therapeutic modalities and reshape the TME from insensitive to sensitive under multimodal imaging monitoring. After a single irradiation, a near‐infrared laser‐activated multistage reaction occurs. t‐P@TFP NPs trigger the phase transition of perfluoropentane (PFP) to release tannic acid (TA)/ferric ion (Fe3+)‐coated paclitaxel (PTX) and cause hyperthermia in the tumor region to efficiently kill cancer cells. Additionally, PTX is released after the disassembly of the TA‐Fe3+ film by the abundant adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in the malignant tumor, which concurrently inhibits ATP‐dependent drug efflux to improve sensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents. Furthermore, hyperthermia‐induced immunogenic cell death (ICD) transforms “cold” tumors into “hot” tumors with the assistance of PD‐1/PD‐L1 blockade to evoke antitumor immunogenicity. This work carefully reveals the mechanisms underlying the abilities of these multifunctional NPs, providing new insights into combating the proliferation and metastasis of multidrug‐resistant tumors.
The Formation Process and Mechanism of Carbon Dots Prepared from Aromatic Compounds as Precursors: A Review
Authors: Xue Shanshan , Li Pengfei , Sun Lu , An Li , Qu Dan , Wang Xiayan , Sun Zaicheng
Published: January 2023

Fluorescent carbon dots are a novel type of nanomaterial. Due to their excellent optical properties, they have extensive application prospects in many fields. Studying the formation process and fluorescence mechanism of CDs will assist scientists in understanding the synthesis of CDs and guide more profound applications. Due to their conjugated structures, aromatic compounds have been continuously used to synthesize CDs, with emissions ranging from blue to NIR. There is a lack of a systematic summary of the formation process and fluorescence mechanism of aromatic precursors to form CDs. In this review, the formation process of CDs is first categorized into three main classes according to the precursor types of aromatic compounds: amines, phenols, and polycyclics. And then, the fluorescence mechanism of CDs synthesized from aromatic compounds is summarized. The challenges and prospects are proposed in the last section.
Templated Out‐of‐Equilibrium Self‐Assembly of Branched Au Nanoshells
Authors: Marchetti Alessandro , Gori Alessandro , Ferretti Anna Maria , Esteban Daniel Arenas , Bals Sara , Pigliacelli Claudia , Metrangolo Pierangelo
Published: January 2023

Out‐of‐equilibrium self‐assembly of metal nanoparticles (NPs) has been devised using different types of strategies and fuels, but achieving finite 3D structures with a controlled morphology through this assembly mode is still rare. Here, a spherical peptide‐gold superstructure (PAuSS) is used as a template to control the out‐of‐equilibrium self‐assembly of Au NPs, obtaining a transient 3D‐branched Au‐nanoshell (BAuNS) stabilized by sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS). The BAuNS dismantles upon SDS concentration gradient equilibration over time in the sample solution, leading to NPs disassembly and regression to PAuSS. Notably, BAuNS assembly and disassembly promotes temporary interparticle plasmonic coupling, leading to reversible and tunable changes of their plasmonic properties, a highly desirable behavior in the development of optoelectronic nanodevices.
Transition Metal Phosphide Nanoarchitectonics for Versatile Organic Catalysis
Authors: Sharma Devendra , Choudhary Priyanka , Kumar Sahil , Krishnan Venkata
Published: January 2023

Transition metal phosphides (TMP) posses unique physiochemical, geometrical, and electronic properties, which can be exploited for different catalytic applications, such as photocatalysis, electrocatalysis, organic catalysis, etc. Among others, the use of TMP for organic catalysis is less explored and still facing many complex challenges, which necessitate the development of sustainable catalytic reaction protocols demonstrating high selectivity and yield of the desired molecules of high significance. In this regard, the controlled synthesis of TMP‐based catalysts and thorough investigations of underlying reaction mechanisms can provide deeper insights toward practical achievement of desired applications. This review aims at providing a comprehensive analysis on the recent advancements in the synthetic strategies for the tailored and tunable engineering of structural, geometrical, and electronic properties of TMP. In addition, their unprecedented catalytic potential toward different organic transformation reactions is succinctly summarized and critically analyzed. Finally, a rational perspective on future opportunities and challenges in the emerging field of organic catalysis is provided. On the account of the recent achievements accomplished in organic synthesis using TMP, it is highly anticipated that the use of TMP combined with advanced innovative technologies and methodologies can pave the way toward large scale realization of organic catalysis.
Cross‐Linked Sodium Alginate as A Multifunctional Binder to Achieve High‐Rate and Long‐Cycle Stability for Sodium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Mao Zhifei , Wang Rui , He Beibei , Jin Jun , Gong Yansheng , Wang Huanwen
Published: January 2023

Sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs) hold great promise owing to the naturally abundant sodium resource and high safety. The research focus of SIBs is usually directed toward electrode materials, while the binder as an important component is rarely investigated. Herein, a cross‐linked sodium alginate (SA)/graphene oxide (GO) binder is judiciously designed to serve as a robust artificial interphase on the surface of both anode and cathode of SIBs. Benefiting from the cross‐linking continuous network structure as well as the highly hydrophilic nature, the SA‐GO binder possesses a large tensile strength of 197.7 Mpa and a high ionic conductivity of 0.136 mS cm−1, superior to pure SA (93.8 Mpa, 0.025 mS cm−1). Moreover, the structural design of SA‐GO binder exhibits a strong binding ability to guarantee structural integrity during cycling. To demonstrate its effectiveness, polyanion‐type phosphates (e.g., Na3(VO)2(PO4)2F) and chalcogenides (e.g., MoS2, VS2) are adopted as cathode and anode materials of SIBs, respectively. As compared to traditional binders (e.g., PVDF, SA), electrodes with the SA‐GO binder exhibits significantly increased rate capability and cycling stability, such as Na3(VO)2(PO4)2F (40 C fast‐charge, 84% capacity retention after 1000 cycles). This work highlights the role of novel aqueous‐based binders in developing next‐generation sodium‐storage devices.