bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Barriers to and enablers of physical activity participation in lung cancer survivors
Authors: Fram Julia , Boss Kathleen , Villaflor Victoria , Jayabalan Prakash
Published: June 2024

Background

Although physical activity has been shown to have significant benefits for individuals living with cancer, engaging lung cancer survivors (LCS) in increasing routine physical activity participation has been particularly challenging.

Purpose

To describe enablers of, barriers to, and patterns of physical activity among LCS and to characterize interest in a physical activity program as a first step to improving physical activity engagement.

Methods

The study consisted of a cross‐sectional survey (n = 100) of adult LCS recruited from a thoracic oncology clinic assessing multiple domains of physical activity (engagement, perceived barriers, benefits, physical function, psychosocial factors, self‐efficacy, and programmatic preferences).

Results

Only 12% of LCS in our cohort (average age 67 years, 54% male, 81% with stage III or IV disease) met American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) physical activity guidelines. Participants engaged in moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity, with an average (SD) of 48.4 (91.8) minutes per week. The most commonly reported barriers to physical activity were fatigue (49%), dyspnea (39%), and difficulty with daily activities (34%). Regression analysis demonstrated a positive association between moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity and higher income (r = 0.241, p = .016), physical function (r = 0.281, p = .005), and physical activity self‐efficacy (r = 0.270, p = .007). Qualitative results demonstrated a strong interest in physical activity programming that is lung‐cancer specific with a high level of support and guidance.

Conclusion

This study identified that LCS had low levels of physical activity with fatigue, dyspnea, socioeconomic, and functional limitations contributing. The majority of LCS are interested in an exercise program and believe that exercise engagement will produce functional benefits. The present study presents a framework to guide development of community‐based interventions to increase LCS physical activity participation among LCS.
Polysaccharide‐based H2S donors: Thiol‐ene functionalization of amylopectin with H2S‐releasing N‐thiocarboxyanhydrides
Authors: Chinn Abigail F. , Williams Noah R. , Miller Kevin M. , Matson John B.
Published: June 2024

Polymeric donors of gasotransmitters, gaseous signaling molecules such as hydrogen sulfide, nitric oxide, and carbon monoxide, hold potential for localized and extended delivery of these reactive gases. Examples of gasotransmitter donors based on polysaccharides are limited despite the availability and generally low toxicity of this broad class of polymers. In this work, we sought to create a polysaccharide H2S donor by covalently attaching N‐thiocarboxyanhydrides (NTAs) to amylopectin, the major component of starch. To accomplish this, we added an allyl group to an NTA, which can spontaneously hydrolyze to release carbonyl sulfide and ultimately H2S via the ubiquitous enzyme carbonic anhydrase, and then coupled it to thiol‐functionalized amylopectin of three different molecular weights (MWs) through thiol‐ene “click” photochemistry. We also varied the degree of substitution (DS) of the NTA along the amylopectin backbone. H2S release studies on the six samples, termed amyl‐NTAs, with variable MWs (three) and DS values (two), revealed that lower MW and higher DS led to faster release. Finally, dynamic light scattering experiments suggested that aggregation increased with MW, which may also have affected H2S release rates. Collectively, these studies present a new synthetic method to produce polysaccharide H2S donors for applications in the biomedical field.
Comparing the performance of the Cpk and (X‐bar, S) sampling plans
Authors: Costa Antonio Fernando Branco
Published: June 2024

When the Cpk sampling plan is in use, a sample of size (n) is taken from the lot, and the mean and the standard deviation of the sample observations are used to obtain the —the sample estimator of the Cpk index; if the is lower than a threshold (c0), then the lot is rejected, otherwise, the lot is accepted. In recent studies, the α and β risks are the risks of rejecting/accepting lots of items produced by in‐control/out‐of‐control processes with Cpks equal to (, that is, the two parameters (n, c0) of the Cpk sampling plans depend on the inputs (α, , βmax¸ ). When the design of the Cpk sampling plan is based on the inputs C0 and C1, the optimum sample size is always big and, excluding the cases where the magnitude of the mean shift is too small, the β risks associated to the combinations of mean shifts and variance increases (determined by the inputs C0 and C1) are always equal to the maximum allowed value βmax. This fact motivated us to compare the Cpk sampling plan with the (X‐bar, S) sampling plan, where the sample mean (X‐bar) and the sample standard deviation (S) are directly compared with thresholds. For most disturbances, the (X‐bar, S) sampling plan requires smaller samples to meet the condition of β ≤ βmax, that is, for a fixed sample size, it is always possible to find endless combinations of mean shifts and variance increases where the β risks of the (X‐bar, S) sampling plan are β = βmax, and the β risks of the Cpk sampling plan are β > βmax.
Pulmonary cryptococcosis mimicking lung cancer with multiple lung metastases
Authors: Ohnishi Hiroshi , Horino Taro , Nakajima Hideki , Yokoyama Akihito
Published: June 2024

Key message

The differential diagnosis of a lung mass with multiple pulmonary nodules includes metastases of lung cancer, mycobacterial infections, and pulmonary mycosis. Pulmonary cryptococcosis should be recognized, especially in immunocompromised patients.
“Gotta Love Some Human Connection”: Humanizing Data Expression in an Age of AI
Authors: McBride Cherise , Lee Clifford H. , Soep Elisabeth
Published: June 2024

Rapidly developing technological advances have raised new questions about what makes us uniquely human. As data and generative AI become more powerful, what does it mean to learn, teach, create, make meaning, and express ourselves, even as machines are trained to take care of these tasks for us? With youth, and in the context of literacy and media education, we embrace this moment to broaden our social imaginations. Our collaboration with journalists ages 14–25 from 2019 to 2023 has yielded a corpus of over 30 multimodal compositions constructed with and/or about AI reaching audiences in the millions. On the basis of these youth texts – produced within our participatory research at YR Media, a national STEAM learning center and platform for emerging BIPOC content creators – we developed the conceptual framework presented here: Humanizing Data Expression (HDE). The key role of expression in HDE distinguishes the human from the machine through the lens of storytelling. Analysis of this corpus (podcasts, web‐based interactives, videos, radio features, online posts, social media assets) revealed four literacy practices of YR Media authors as they made sense of AI: (1) contextualize: try out AI‐powered features, reveal how it works; (2) unveil authorship: introduce AI creators and processes; (3) grapple: explore tensions and paradoxes; (4) play: hack, mess with, outsmart, exaggerate AI. From these insights, we end with implications of HDE as a framework for learning and teaching AI literacy, including its potential for critically transforming data literacy practice and pedagogy across schools, teaching, and teacher education.
Percolation critical probabilities of matching lattice‐pairs
Authors: Grimmett Geoffrey R. , Li Zhongyang
Published: June 2024

A necessary and sufficient condition is established for the strict inequality between the critical probabilities of site percolation on a one‐ended, quasi‐transitive, plane graph and on its matching graph . When is transitive, strict inequality holds if and only if is not a triangulation. The basic approach is the standard method of enhancements, but its implementation has complexity arising from the non‐Euclidean (hyperbolic) space, the study of site (rather than bond) percolation, and the generality of the assumption of quasi‐transitivity. This result is complementary to the work of the authors (“Hyperbolic site percolation,” arXiv:2203.00981) on the equality , where is the critical probability for the existence of a unique infinite open cluster. It implies for transitive, one‐ended that , with equality if and only if is a triangulation.
Twin‐width of random graphs
Authors: Ahn Jungho , Chakraborti Debsoumya , Hendrey Kevin , Kim Donggyu , Oum Sang‐il
Published: June 2024

We investigate the twin‐width of the Erdős‐Rényi random graph . We unveil a surprising behavior of this parameter by showing the existence of a constant such that with high probability, when , the twin‐width is asymptotically , whereas, when or , the twin‐width is significantly higher than . In addition, we show that the twin‐width of is concentrated around within an interval of length . For the sparse random graph, we show that with high probability, the twin‐width of is when .
Patient Experience: Feeling Like the Tin Man from the Wizard Of Oz
Authors: Dalton Caoimhe , Murphy Lisa , Galligan Carmel Ann , O’Gorman Susan , Bacon Larry , Howard-James Claudine , Dillon Rachel , Fitzgerald Holly
Published: June 2024

Graft versus host disease affects roughly 40%–60% of patients who undergo haematopoietic stem cell transplant, with a mortality rate of 15%. In rare cases, this can progress to sclerodermatous graft versus host disease, with devastating associated morbidity and mortality. In this article, a patient shares their first-hand experience of living with the disease.
Toward Defect‐Free Nanoimprinting
Authors: Guan Tianyu , Huang Ning , Song Rijian , Mao Tianyu , Jagannath Akshaya , Wang Wenxin , Fang Fengzhou , Zhang Nan
Published: June 2024

Nanoimprinting large‐area structures, especially high‐density features like meta lenses, poses challenges in achieving defect‐free nanopatterns. Conventional high‐resolution molds for nanoimprinting are often expensive, typically constructed from inorganic materials such as silicon, nickel (Ni), or quartz. Unfortunately, replicated nanostructures frequently suffer from breakage or a lack of definition during demolding due to the high adhesion and friction at the polymer‐mold interface. Moreover, mold degradation after a limited number of imprinting cycles, attributed to contamination and damaged features, is a common issue. In this study, a disruptive approach is presented to address these challenges by successfully developing an anti‐sticking nanocomposite mold. This nanocomposite mold is created through the co‐deposition of nickel atoms and low surface tension polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) nanoparticles via electroforming. The incorporation of PTFE enhances the ease of polymer release from the mold. The resulting Ni‐PTFE nanocomposite mold exhibits exceptional lubrication properties and a significantly reduced surface energy. This robust nanocomposite mold proves effective in imprinting fine, densely packed nanostructures down to 100 nm using thermal nanoimprinting for at least 20 cycles. Additionally, UV nanoimprint lithography (UV‐NIL) is successfully performed with this nanocomposite mold. This work introduces a novel and cost‐effective approach to reusable high‐resolution molds, ensuring defect‐reduction production in nanoimprinting.
Constructing Thermal Convection Film for Low Heat Loss and High Salt Resistance in Wood‐Based Solar Evaporators
Authors: Pang Yajun , Ma Chaoliang , Song Lvfu , Jin Lizheng , Zhu Kangxin , Wu Yitian , Li Lanze , Chen Furong , Peng Yunyan , Zheng Xin , Wu Sai , Shen Zhehong , Chen Hao
Published: June 2024

Unique suspension solar evaporator is one of the effective measures to address the major bottleneck of the emerging interfacial evaporators, i.e., the accumulation of salts on the surface. Yet, it remains a considerable challenge to avoid substantial heat loss underwater. Herein, a suspension wood‐based evaporator is proposed with a thermal convection structure that effectively balances the contradiction between salt‐resistance ability and heat loss. Benefitting from the heat centralization due to thermal convection, such suspension evaporator exhibits an excellent steam generation rate, which increases from 1.23 to 1.63 kg m−2 h−1 compared to the conventional suspension evaporator. Simultaneously, the steam generation rate retention improves from 64.9% over 20 test cycles to nearly 100% compared to the interfacial evaporator. This work provides an effective pathway for exploring efficient and stable suspension evaporators, offering essential directions for the future development and application of solar‐driven evaporation technologies.
Redox Potential Based Self‐Powered Electrochromic Devices for Smart Windows
Authors: Ganesha Mukhesh K. , Hakkeem Hafis , Singh Ashutosh K.
Published: June 2024

Energy‐efficient glass windows are pivotal in modern infrastructure striving toward the “Zero energy” concept. Electrochromic (EC) energy storage devices emerge as a promising alternative to conventional glass, yet their widespread commercialization is impeded by high costs and dependence on external power sources. Addressing this, redox potential‐based self‐powered electrochromic (RP‐SPEC) devices are introduced leveraging established EC materials like tungsten oxide (WO3) and vanadium‐doped nickel oxide (V‐NiO) along with aluminum (Al) as an anode. These devices produce open circuit voltages (OCV) exceeding ±0.3 V, enabling autonomous operation for multiple cycles. The WO3 film exhibits 1% transmission and 88% modulation in the colored state at 550 nm with a mere 260 nm thickness. The redox interactions facilitate coloring and bleaching cycles without external power, while photo‐charging rejuvenates the system. Notably, the inherent voltages of the RP‐SPEC device offer dual functionality, powering electronic devices for up to 81 h. Large‐area (≈28 cm2) device feasibility is demonstrated, paving the way for industrial adoption. The RP‐SPEC device promises to revolutionize smart window technology by offering both energy efficiency and autonomous operation, thus advancing sustainable infrastructure.
Sulfur‐Vacancy Engineering Accelerates Rapid Surface Reconstruction in Ni‐Co Bimetal Sulfide Nanosheet for Urea Oxidation Electrocatalysis
Authors: Li Haoyuan , Pu Yujuan , Li Wenhao , Yan Zitong , Deng Ruojing , Shi Fanyue , Zhao Chenhao , Zhang Youkui , Duan Tao
Published: June 2024

Developing a highly efficient catalyst for electrocatalytic urea oxidation reaction (UOR) is not only beneficial for the degradation of urea pollutants in wastewater but also provides a benign route for hydrogen production. Herein, a sulfur‐vacancy (Sv) engineering is proposed to accelerate the formation of metal (oxy)hydroxide on the surface of Ni‐Co bimetal sulfide nanosheet arrays on nickel foam (Sv‐CoNiS@NF) for boosting the urea oxidation electrocatalysis. As a result, the obtained Sv‐CoNiS@NF demonstrates an outstanding electrocatalytic UOR performance, which requires a low potential of only 1.397 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode to achieve the current density of 100 mA cm−2. The ex situ Raman spectra and density functional theory calculations reveal the key roles of the Sv site and Co9S8 in promoting the electrocatalytic UOR performance. This work provides a new strategy for accelerating the transformation of electrocatalysts to active metallic (oxy)hydroxide for urea electrolysis via engineering the surface vacancies.
Pulsed Laser Ablation of Oxygen deficiency Enriched Superlattice Vanadium Pentoxide (V2O5) Ultrathin Nextrode aiming for Flexible Binder‐less Tandem Energy Harvesting Devices
Authors: Velmurugan Ramasamy , Mary Antonysamy Soundarya , Pandikumar Alagarsamy , Murugan Palanichamy , Subramanian Balasubramanian
Published: June 2024

For the initial instance, oxygen deficiency‐enriched vanadium pentoxide (O─V2O5@500) thin film electrodes are tuned by the Pulsed Laser Ablation technique. The O─V2O5@500 thin film electrode shows remarkable electrochemical performances confirming the greater potential window of −0.4 to 0.9 V versus Hg/HgO in an alkaline electrolyte; also, the O─V2O5@ 500 thin film electrode exhibits a noteworthy volumetric capacity of 167.7 mAh cm−3 (areal capacity of 73.3 µAh cm−2). Additionally, Density Functional Theory (DFT) theory calculations are carried out for oxygen‐deficient V2O5. From the partial density of states (pDOS) and partial charge density analysis, it is clear that oxygen vacancy improves the electrical conductivity due to the higher degree of electron delocalization of V─O─V near the vacancy and enhances the redox properties due to the formation of in‐gap states. Further, it is reported that a O─V2O5@ 500 ||PVA‐KOH|| Bi2O3 A‐650 thin film supercapbattery (TFSCB) device attains an exceptional discharge volumetric capacitance of 182.85 F cm−3 (equal volumetric capacity of 124.5 mAh cm−3). Furthermore, the TFSCB device exhibits an extraordinary maximum volumetric energy (power) density of 14.28 mWh cm−3 (1.66 W cm−3); TFSCB succeeds in supreme capacity retention of 86% with outstanding coulombic efficiency of 94.4% after 21 000 cycles.
A self‐reinforced activatable photosensitizer prodrug enabling synergistic photodynamic and chemotherapy
Authors: Huang Daipeng , Yin Jikai , Zou Yang , Huang Haiqiao , Long Saran , Sun Wen , Du Jianjun , Fan Jiangli , Peng Xiaojun
Published: June 2024

As a novel drug development paradigm, selective activation of prodrugs provides the potential for precise tumor chemotherapy, thereby presenting an opportunity for advancing cancer treatment. The combination of photodynamic therapy (PDT) and prodrug can enhance the therapeutic efficacy while simultaneously enabling real‐time monitoring of drug distribution and release. However, the tumor hypoxia microenvironment and the frequent high‐dose administration of prodrugs significantly impede therapeutic efficacy and escalate treatment‐related risks. Herein, a tumor microenvironment‐specific release prodrug is constructed, termed NBS‐2S‐5FU. Under the influence of glutathione (GSH), NBS‐2S‐5FU undergoes activation, leading to the release of photosensitizer NBS and chemotherapeutic agent 5‐FU derivatives. Under irradiation, NBS produces sufficient superoxide radical () while 5‐FU derivatives inhibit DNA biosynthesis, thereby effectively suppressing tumor growth at low doses. Subsequent in vivo studies utilizing NBS‐2S‐5FU liposomes exhibit outstanding anti‐cancer effectiveness. This study highlights a promising direction for advancing combined prodrugs that integrate PDT and chemotherapy.
Interlayer Affected Diamond Electrochemistry
Authors: Chen Xinyue , Dong Ximan , Zhang Chuyan , Zhu Meng , Ahmed Essraa , Krishnamurthy Giridharan , Rouzbahani Rozita , Pobedinskas Paulius , Gauquelin Nicolas , Jannis Daen , Kaur Kawaljit , Hafez Aly Mohamed Elsayed , Thiel Felix , Bornemann Rainer , Engelhard Carsten , Schönherr Holger , Verbeeck Johan , Haenen Ken , Jiang Xin , Yang Nianjun
Published: June 2024

Diamond electrochemistry is primarily influenced by quantities of sp3‐carbon, surface terminations, and crystalline structure. In this work, a new dimension is introduced by investigating the effect of using substrate‐interlayers for diamond growth. Boron and nitrogen co‐doped nanocrystalline diamond (BNDD) films are grown on Si substrate without and with Ti and Ta as interlayers, named BNDD/Si, BNDD/Ti/Si, and BNDD/Ta/Ti/Si, respectively. After detailed characterization using microscopies, spectroscopies, electrochemical techniques, and density functional theory simulations, the relationship of composition, interfacial structure, charge transport, and electrochemical properties of the interface between diamond and metal is investigated. The BNDD/Ta/Ti/Si electrodes exhibit faster electron transfer processes than the other two diamond electrodes. The interlayer thus determines the intrinsic activity and reaction kinetics. The reduction in their barrier widths can be attributed to the formation of TaC, which facilitates carrier tunneling, and simultaneously increases the concentration of electrically active defects. As a case study, the BNDD/Ta/Ti/Si electrode is further employed to assemble a redox‐electrolyte‐based supercapacitor device with enhanced performance. In summary, the study not only sheds light on the intricate relationship between interlayer composition, charge transfer, and electrochemical performance but also demonstrates the potential of tailored interlayer design to unlock new capabilities in diamond‐based electrochemical devices.
Janus and Amphiphilic MoS2 2D Sheets for Surface‐Directed Orientational Assemblies toward Ex Vivo Dual Substrate Release
Authors: Wang Jianing , Li Shuqi , Yang Lin , Kwan Chak‐Shing , Xie Chengyi , Cheung Kwan Yin , Sun Raymond Wai‐Yin , Chan Albert S. C. , Huang Zhifeng , Cai Zongwei , Zeng Tao , Leung Ken Cham‐Fai
Published: June 2024

The two‐dimensional (2‐D) Janus and amphiphilic molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) nanosheet with opposite optical activities on each side (amphichiral) is synthesized by modifying sandwich‐like bulk MoS2 with tannic acid and cholesterol through biphasic emulsion method. This new type of amphichiral Janus MoS2 nanosheet consists of a hydrophilic and positive optical activity tannic acid side as well as a hydrophobic and negative optical activity cholesterol side thereby characterized by circular dichroism. Surface‐directed orientational differentiation assemblies are performed for the as‐synthesized 2D material and are characterized by contact angle, infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray photoelectron, and circular dichroism spectroscopies. The amphiphilic nature of the materials is demonstrated by the pre‐organization of the nanosheets on either hydrophobic or hydrophilic surfaces, providing unprecedented properties of circular dichroism signal enhancement and wettability. Selective detachment of the surface organic groups (cholesterol and tannic acid fragments) is realized by matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionisation ‐ time‐of‐flight (MALDI‐TOF) mass spectrometry, and the dual substrate release in tissue is detected by ex vivo mass spectrometry imaging.
Corn Cob Ash Reinforced Pectin‐Based Biocomposites
Authors: Ansari Gufran A. , Rathod Vikas V. , Kharat Baburao M. , More Aarti P.
Published: June 2024

Synthetic polymers have made advances in terms of their flexibility and other properties but a major problem still exists when it comes to their poor biodegradability and lack of conservation. To overcome this problem, the biocomposites are widely used for wide range of applications. Crop residues (CRs) from agriculture can be utilized to make items like biodegradable components; however, they are hard to recycle or dispose of. The aim is to use corn cob ash (CCA), which is generated by calcination of corn cob (CC) in a pectin matrix to create a biocomposites. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and energy‐dispersive X‐ray analysis (EDX) show the major compounds present in the CCA are silica, potassium, calcium, and many other inorganic compounds. In this research, a solution casting method is used to fabricate pectin/CC biocomposite films. By increasing the content of the CCA, the moisture content will decrease, contact angle and hardness properties are increased. However, increasing CCA content promotes the color change of pectin/CC biocomposite films and water absorption increases. The composite films are analyzed for biodegradation study. The FTIR, morphological, mechanical property, XRD, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) studies are used to evaluate the biocomposite films.
How touch helps hummingbirds hover
Authors: Mills Georgina
Published: June 2024

Georgina Mills discusses new research looking at how hummingbirds use somatosensation to adjust their flight.
Effect and mechanism study of mixed‐dimensional palygorskite clay on thermo‐stability, flame‐retardant and smoke‐suppression for PC/ABS composites
Authors: Gao Zeyang , Zhu Yu , Yuan Bihe , Mu Bin
Published: June 2024

This investigation investigates the effects and mechanisms of mixed‐dimensional palygorskite clay (MDPal) on the thermal stability, flame retardancy and smoke suppression of polycarbonate/acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene (PC/ABS) composites. MDPal, comprising palygorskite and illite as its main mineral components, is characterized by its interwoven morphology and the presence of Fe ions in its octahedral framework, making it highly promising for enhancing the fire safety of flammable composites. The incorporation of MDPal at a 10 wt% dosage leads to significant improvements in the fire safety of PC/ABS composites, including the reduction of 29.8% in peak heat release rate, 9.9% in total heat release, 34.5% in peak smoke production rate and 15.7% in total smoke production compared to pure PC/ABS. Besides, there is a notable increase of 31.5% in tensile strength and 80.4% in elongation at break when the content is 5 wt%. This research offers valuable insights into the application of MDPal for enhancing the thermal stability, flame retardancy and smoke suppression of flammable polymers.

Highlights

MDPal plays dual functions in gas and condensed phases as a flame retardant.

MDPal effectively reduces the heat and smoke release of PC/ABS composites.

MDPal improves the thermo‐stability and tensile strength of PC/ABS composites.

The flame‐retardant and smoke‐suppression mechanisms of PALC are elucidated.
Holographic supersymmetric Rényi entropies from hyperbolic black holes with scalar hair
Authors: Ren Jie , Sun Dao-Quan
Published: June 2024

Abstract

We study holographic supersymmetric Rényi entropies from a family of hyperbolic black holes in an Einstein-Maxwell-dilaton (EMD) system under the BPS condition. We calculate the thermodynamic quantities of these hyperbolic black holes. We find a remarkably simple formula of the supersymmetric Rényi entropy that unifies (interpolates) 11 cases embeddable to 10 or 11 dimensional supergravity. It reproduces many known results in the literature, and gives new results with distinctive features. We show that the supersymmetric version of the modular entropy and the capacity of entanglement cannot be mapped to thermal quantities, due to the dependence of the temperature and the chemical potential by the BPS condition. We also calculate the entanglement spectrum. We derive the potential of the EMD system from a V = 0 solution and obtain two neutral solutions with scalar hair as a byproduct.
Algebraic Entropy of Path Algebras and Leavitt Path Algebras of Finite Graphs
Authors: Bock Wolfgang , Canto Cristóbal Gil , Barquero Dolores Martín , González Cándido Martín , Campos Iván Ruiz , Sebandal Alfilgen
Published: June 2024

The Gelfand–Kirillov dimension is a well established quantity to classify the growth of infinite dimensional algebras. In this article we introduce the algebraic entropy for path algebras. For the path algebras, Leavitt path algebras and the path algebra of the extended (double) graph, we compare the Gelfand–Kirillov dimension and the entropy. We show that path algebras over finite graphs can be classified to be of finite dimension, finite Gelfand–Kirillov dimension or finite algebraic entropy. We show indeed how these three quantities are dependent on cycles inside the graph. Moreover we show that the algebraic entropy is conserved under Morita equivalence but perhaps for a different filtration. In addition we give several examples of the entropy in path algebras and Leavitt path algebras.
Lower and Upper Solutions for System of Differential Equations Involving Homeomorphism and Nonlinear Boundary Conditions
Authors: Rodríguez–López Jorge , Szymańska-Dȩbowska Katarzyna , Zima Mirosława
Published: June 2024

We study the existence of solution to the system of differential equations $$(\phi (u'))'=f(t,u,u')$$

(
ϕ

(

u
′

)

)

′

=
f

(
t
,
u
,

u
′

)

with nonlinear boundary conditions $$\begin{aligned} g(u(0),u,u')=0, \quad h(u'(1),u,u')=0, \end{aligned}$$

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(
u

(
0
)

,
u
,

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)

=
0
,

h

(

u
′

(
1
)

,
u
,

u
′

)

=
0
,

where $$f:[0,1]\times \mathbb {R}^{n}\times \mathbb {R}^{n}\rightarrow \mathbb {R}^{n}$$

f
:

[
0
,
1
]

×

R

n

×

R

n

→

R

n

, $$g,h:\mathbb {R}^{n}\times C([0,1],\mathbb {R}^{n})\times C([0,1],\mathbb {R}^{n})\rightarrow \mathbb {R}^{n}$$

g
,
h
:

R

n

×
C

(

[
0
,
1
]

,

R

n

)

×
C

(

[
0
,
1
]

,

R

n

)

→

R

n

are continuous, $$\phi :\prod _{i=1}^{n}(-a_i,a_i) \rightarrow \mathbb {R}^{n}$$

ϕ
:

∏

i
=
1

n

(
-

a
i

,

a
i

)

→

R

n

, $$0<a_i\le +\infty $$

0
<

a
i

≤
+
∞

, $$\phi (s)=\left( \phi _1(s_1),\dots ,\phi _n(s_n)\right) $$

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(
s
)

=

ϕ
1

(

s
1

)

,
⋯
,

ϕ
n

(

s
n

)

and $$\phi _i:(-a_i,a_i)\rightarrow \mathbb {R}$$

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i

:

(
-

a
i

,

a
i

)

→
R

is a one dimensional regular or singular homeomorphism. Our proofs are based on the concept of the lower and upper solutions.
Effect of accelerated extraction and sonication on the antioxidant capacity of wood and bark extracts of wet-hearted silver fir (Abies alba Mill.)
Authors: Vek Viljem , Hofmann Tamás , Rajczi Eszter Visiné , Osolnik Urša , Poljanšek Ida , Oven Primož
Published: June 2024

The aim of this study was to compare the antioxidant capacity of hydrophilic extracts of different tissues of wet-hearted silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) logs. Wet heart is a wood defect of silver fir and lowers the value of wood. The exploitation of extractives could increase utilization and financial returns. The bark, sapwood, heartwood and knotwood were investigated by using two green extraction methods: ultrasound assisted extraction (US) and accelerated solvent extraction (ASE), with aqueous ethanol as solvent. Total extractive content (TEC), total polyphenol content (TPC) and antioxidant capacities (FRAP, DPPH, ABTS) from the extracts were determined and compared. The highest contents of total hydrophilic extractives were measured in knotwood (23.07%, ASE) and bark (10.31%, ASE), and the lowest values were determined for sapwood (2.00%, ASE) and heartwood (3.56%, ASE). The ASE method resulted in significantly higher TPC (0.65–10.58%) than the US (0.46–9.19%) method. Nevertheless, the simplicity of instrumentation and costs can make US also a potential candidate for future extraction and utilization. The highest antioxidant capacities were measured in knotwood (FRAP: 159.75 mg AAE/g, ABTS: 316.15 mg TE/g, DPPH: 189.23 mg TE/g) and bark (FRAP: 159.75 mg AAE/g, ABTS: 126.81 mg TE/g, DPPH: 74.52 mg TE/ g) extracts, prepared with ASE, which complements well the existing literature data on silver fir extractives. The knotwood and bark of wet-hearted silver fir is an abundant source of antioxidant polyphenols, whereas sapwood and heartwood are poor in these extractives and potentially unsuitable for the valorization by the extraction of natural antioxidants.
Diversity in bread and durum wheat stigma morphology and linkage of increased stigma length to dwarfing gene Rht14
Authors: Pallotta Margaret , Okada Takashi , Roy Stuart , Pearson Allison , Baumann Ute , Whitford Ryan
Published: June 2024

Key message

The dwarfing allele Rht14 of durum wheat associates with greater stigma length, an important trait for hybrid breeding, whilst major dwarfing alleles Rht-B1b and Rht-D1b showed little to no effect.

Although much understudied in wheat, the stigma is a crucial component for attaining grain set, the fundamental basis for yield, particularly in hybrid production systems where successful grain set relies on wind-driven pollen dispersal by the male parent and effective pollen capture by the female parent. Females with long stigma that exsert early are thought to be advantageous. Using glasshouse-grown lines, we examined variation in Total Stigma Length (TSL) across diverse panels comprising 27 durum and 116 bread wheat genotypes. Contrasting genotypes were selected for population development and genetic analysis. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis was performed on a durum F2 population and a bread wheat recombinant inbred line (RIL) population. Contrasting with studies of anther length, we found no large effect on TSL of the GA-insensitive semi-dwarfing genes Rht-B1 and Rht-D1 in either durum or bread wheat. However, in durum cultivar Italo, we identified a region on chromosome 6A which is robustly associated with larger TSL and contains the Rht14 allele for reduced plant height, a trait that is favourable for female line development in hybrid systems. This dual effect locus explained 25.2 and 19.2% of TSL phenotypic variation in experiments across two growing seasons, with preliminary results suggesting this locus may increase TSL when transferred to bread wheat. In a bread wheat, RIL population minor QTL on 1A and 2A was indicated, but the strongest association was with Ppd-B1. Methods developed here, and the identification of a TSL-enhancing locus provides advances and further opportunities in the study of wheat stigma.
Quantization of the energy for the inhomogeneous Allen–Cahn mean curvature
Authors: Nguyen Huy The , Wang Shengwen
Published: June 2024

We consider the varifold associated to the Allen–Cahn phase transition problem in $${\mathbb {R}}^{n+1}$$

R

n
+
1

(or $$n+1$$

n
+
1

-dimensional Riemannian manifolds with bounded curvature) with integral $$L^{q_0}$$

L

q
0

bounds on the Allen–Cahn mean curvature (first variation of the Allen–Cahn energy) in this paper. It is shown here that there is an equidistribution of energy between the Dirichlet and Potential energy in the phase field limit and that the associated varifold to the total energy converges to an integer rectifiable varifold with mean curvature in $$L^{q_0}, q_0 > n$$

L

q
0

,

q
0

>
n

. The latter is a diffused version of Allard’s convergence theorem for integer rectifiable varifolds.
Cranial bone thickness and density anomalies quantified from CT images can identify chronic increased intracranial pressure
Authors: Liu Jiawei , Chaij Jasmine , Linguraru Marius George , French Brooke , Keating Robert , Alexander Allyson L. , Porras Antonio R.
Published: June 2024

Purpose

The diagnosis of chronic increased intracranial pressure (IIP)is often based on subjective evaluation or clinical metrics with low predictive value. We aimed to quantify cranial bone changes associated with pediatric IIP using CT images and to identify patients at risk.

Methods

We retrospectively quantified local cranial bone thickness and mineral density from the CT images of children with chronic IIP and compared their statistical differences to normative children without IIP adjusting for age, sex and image resolution. Subsequently, we developed a classifier to identify IIP based on these measurements. Finally, we demonstrated our methods to explore signs of IIP in patients with non-syndromic sagittal craniosynostosis (NSSC).

Results

We quantified a significant decrease of bone density in 48 patients with IIP compared to 1,018 normative subjects (P < .001), but no differences in bone thickness (P = .56 and P = .89 for age groups 0–2 and 2–10 years, respectively). Our classifier demonstrated 83.33% (95% CI: 69.24%, 92.03%) sensitivity and 87.13% (95% CI: 84.88%, 89.10%) specificity in identifying patients with IIP. Compared to normative subjects, 242 patients with NSSC presented significantly lower cranial bone density (P < .001), but no differences were found compared to patients with IIP (P = .57). Of patients with NSSC, 36.78% (95% CI: 30.76%, 43.22%) presented signs of IIP.

Conclusion

Cranial bone changes associated with pediatric IIP can be quantified from CT images to support earlier diagnoses of IIP, and to study the presence of IIP secondary to cranial pathology such as non-syndromic sagittal craniosynostosis.
Emerging and anticipated innovations in prostate cancer MRI and their impact on patient care
Authors: Correia Eduardo Thadeu de Oliveira , Baydoun Atallah , Li Qiubai , Costa Daniel N. , Bittencourt Leonardo Kayat
Published: June 2024

Prostate cancer (PCa) remains the leading malignancy affecting men, with over 3 million men living with the disease in the US, and an estimated 288,000 new cases and almost 35,000 deaths in 2023 in the United States alone. Over the last few decades, imaging has been a cornerstone in PCa care, with a crucial role in the detection, staging, and assessment of PCa recurrence or by guiding diagnostic or therapeutic interventions. To improve diagnostic accuracy and outcomes in PCa care, remarkable advancements have been made to different imaging modalities in recent years. This paper focuses on reviewing the main innovations in the field of PCa magnetic resonance imaging, including MRI protocols, MRI-guided procedural interventions, artificial intelligence algorithms and positron emission tomography, which may impact PCa care in the future.
Impact of gestational diabetes mellitus on neonatal outcomes in small for gestational age infants: a multicenter retrospective study
Authors: Hirsch Ayala , Peled Tzuria , Schlesinger Shaked , Sela Hen Y. , Grisaru-Granovsky Sorina , Rottenstreich Misgav
Published: June 2024

Objective

To evaluate obstetric and perinatal outcomes among small for gestational age (SGA) infants born to patients diagnosed with Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

Materials and methods

A multicenter retrospective cohort study between 2005 and 2021. The perinatal outcomes of SGA infants born to patients with singleton pregnancy and GDM were compared to SGA infants born to patients without GDM. The primary outcome was a composite adverse neonatal outcome. Infants with known structural/genetic abnormalities or infections were excluded. A univariate analysis was conducted followed by a multivariate analysis (adjusted odds ratio [95% confidence interval]).

Results

During the study period, 11,662 patients with SGA infants met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Of these, 417 (3.6%) SGA infants were born to patients with GDM, while 11,245 (96.4%) were born to patients without GDM. Overall, the composite adverse neonatal outcome was worse in the GDM group (53.7% vs 17.4%, p < 0.01). Specifically, adverse neonatal outcomes such as a 5 min Apgar score < 7, meconium aspiration, seizures, and hypoglycemia were independently associated with GDM among SGA infants. In addition, patients with GDM and SGA infants had higher rates of overall and spontaneous preterm birth, unplanned cesarean, and postpartum hemorrhage. In a multivariate logistic regression assessing the association between GDM and neonatal outcomes, GDM was found to be independently associated with the composite adverse neonatal outcome (aOR 4.26 [3.43–5.3]), 5 min Apgar score < 7 (aOR 2 [1.16–3.47]), meconium aspiration (aOR 4.62 [1.76–12.13]), seizures (aOR 2.85 [1.51–5.37]) and hypoglycemia (aOR 16.16 [12.79–20.41]).

Conclusions

Our study demonstrates that GDM is an independent risk factor for adverse neonatal outcomes among SGA infants. This finding underscores the imperative for tailored monitoring and management strategies in those pregnancies.
CDKL5 deficiency-related neurodevelopmental disorders: a multi-center cohort study in Italy
Authors: Dell’Isola Giovanni Battista , Fattorusso Antonella , Pisani Francesco , Mastrangelo Mario , Cordelli Duccio Maria , Pavone Piero , Parisi Pasquale , Ferretti Alessandro , Operto Francesca Felicia , Elia Maurizio , Carotenuto Marco , Pruna Dario , Matricardi Sara , Spezia Elisabetta , Spalice Alberto , Scorrano Giovanna , Savasta Salvatore , Prontera Paolo , Di Cara Giuseppe , Fruttini Daniela , Salpietro Vincenzo , Striano Pasquale , Verrotti Alberto
Published: June 2024

CDKL5 deficiency disorder (CDD) is a complex clinical condition resulting from non-functional or absent CDKL5 protein, a serine–threonine kinase pivotal for neural maturation and synaptogenesis. The disorder manifests primarily as developmental epileptic encephalopathy, with associated neurological phenotypes, such as hypotonia, movement disorders, visual impairment, and gastrointestinal issues. Its prevalence is estimated at 1 in 40,000–60,000 live births, and it is more prevalent in females due to the lethality of germline mutations in males during fetal development. This Italian multi-center observational study focused on 34 patients with CDKL5-related epileptic encephalopathy, aiming to enhance the understanding of the clinical and molecular aspects of CDD. The study, conducted across 14 pediatric neurology tertiary care centers in Italy, covered various aspects, including phenotypic presentations, seizure types, EEG patterns, treatments, neuroimaging findings, severity of psychomotor delay, and variant-phenotype correlations. The results highlighted the heterogeneity of seizure patterns, with hypermotor-tonic-spasms sequence seizures (HTSS) noted in 17.6% of patients. The study revealed a lack of clear genotype–phenotype correlation within the cohort. The presence of HTSS or HTSS-like at onset resulted a negative prognostic factor for the presence of daily seizures at long-term follow-up in CDD patients. Despite extensive polypharmacotherapy, including medications such as valproic acid, clobazam, cannabidiol, and others, sustained seizure freedom proved elusive, affirming the inherent drug-resistant nature of CDD. The findings underscored the need for further research to explore response rates to different treatments and the potential role of non-pharmacological interventions in managing this challenging disorder.
Can we encourage the endoscopic treatment for external snapping hip (ESH)? A systematic review of current concepts
Authors: Giai Via Riccardo , Elzeiny Ahmed , Pantè Salvatore , De Vivo Simone , Massè Alessandro , Giachino Matteo
Published: June 2024

Background

Snapping hip syndrome (SHS) is characterized by snapping sensation and pain and affects up to 10% of the general population. External snapping hip syndrome (ESHS), the most common form, is often due to repetitive movements in sports or anatomical predispositions. Conservative treatment includes physiotherapy and corticosteroid injections, while surgery is considered if conservative measures fail. Open surgical techniques carry several risks, while modern arthroscopic techniques offer less invasive options, such as endoscopic iliotibial band release (ITB) and gluteus maximus tenotomy.

Materials and methods

A systematic review was conducted adhering to the PRISMA guidelines. Relevant studies were searched in four databases: Pubmed, Scopus, Embase, and Medline. The selected articles were evaluated according to the criteria of levels of evidence. The Risk of Bias In Non-randomized Studies of Interventions (ROBINS-I) was used to analyze the retrospective studies. This paper was registered in the International Prospective Registry of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO).

Results

Out of 9 included studies, 403 patients with 689 hips underwent endoscopic treatment. ITB release and his variations were the main surgical techniques. Gluteus maximus tenotomy was also used in some studies. Postoperative rehabilitation protocols varied. Patients generally experienced significant improvements in symptoms and functional outcomes, with low rates of recurrence (1.02%) and revision (0.15%). Complications were minimal.

Conclusions

Endoscopic treatment of ESH shows favorable results, improving functional outcomes and returning patients to pre-injury activity levels. Long-term efficacy and costeffectiveness need to be evaluated, emphasizing the importance of large-scale prospective randomized trials to clarify surgery's benefits in refractory ESH cases.
Duality in optimal consumption–investment problems with alternative data
Authors: Chen Kexin , Wong Hoi Ying
Published: June 2024

This study investigates an optimal consumption–investment problem in which the unobserved stock trend is modulated by a hidden Markov chain that represents different economic regimes. In the classic approach, the hidden state is estimated using historical asset prices, but recent technological advances now enable investors to consider alternative data in their decision-making. These data, such as social media commentary, expert opinions, COVID-19 pandemic data and GPS data, come from sources other than standard market data sources but are useful for predicting stock trends. We develop a novel duality theory for this problem and consider a jump-diffusion process for alternative data series. This theory helps investors identify “useful” alternative data for dynamic decision-making by providing conditions for the filter equation that enable the use of a control approach based on the dynamic programming principle. We apply our theory to provide a unique smooth solution for an agent with constant relative risk aversion once the distributions of the signals generated from alternative data satisfy a bounded likelihood ratio condition. In doing so, we obtain an explicit consumption–investment strategy that takes advantage of different types of alternative data that have not been addressed in the literature.
Computed tomography for evaluation of abdominal wall hernias—what is the value of the Valsalva maneuver?
Authors: Ghafoor S. , Hoppe A. T. , Lange M. , Tognella A. , Bueter M. , Lehmann K. , Alkadhi H. , Stocker D.
Published: June 2024

Purpose

To investigate the differences in the visibility and size of abdominal wall hernias in computed tomography (CT) with and without Valsalva maneuver.

Methods

This single-center retrospective study included consecutive patients who underwent abdominal CTs with Valsalva maneuver between January 2018 and January 2022. Inclusion criteria was availability of an additional non-Valsalva CT within 6 months. A combined reference standard including clinical and surgical findings was used. Two independent, blinded radiologists measured the hernia sac size and rated hernia visibility on CTs with and without Valsalva. Differences were tested with a Wilcoxon signed rank test and McNemar’s test.

Results

The final population included 95 patients (16 women; mean age 46 ± 11.6 years) with 205 hernias. Median hernia sac size on Valsalva CT was 31 mm compared with 24 mm on non-Valsalva CT (p < 0.001). In 73 and 82% of cases, the hernias were better visible on CT with Valsalva as compared to that without. 14 and 17% of hernias were only visible on the Valsalva CT. Hernia visibility on non-Valsalva CT varied according to subtype, with only 0 and 3% of umbilical hernias not being visible compared with 43% of femoral hernias.

Conclusions

Abdominal wall hernias are larger and better visible on Valsalva CT compared with non-Valsalva CT in a significant proportion of patients and some hernias are only visible on the Valsalva CT. Therefore, this method should be preferred for the evaluation of abdominal wall hernias.
Evaluation of pathogenicity of WT1 intron variants by in vitro splicing analysis
Authors: Inoue Seiya , Kondo Atsushi , Inoki Yuta , Ichikawa Yuta , Tanaka Yu , Ueda Chika , Kitakado Hideaki , Suzuki Ryota , Okada Eri , Sakakibara Nana , Horinouchi Tomoko , Nozu Kandai
Published: June 2024

Background

Wilms tumor 1 (WT1; NM_024426) causes Denys–Drash syndrome, Frasier syndrome, or isolated focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. Several WT1 intron variants are pathogenic; however, the pathogenicity of some variants remains undefined. Whether a candidate variant detected in a patient is pathogenic is very important for determining the therapeutic options for the patient.

Methods

In this study, we evaluated the pathogenicity of WT1 gene intron variants with undetermined pathogenicity by comparing their splicing patterns with those of the wild-type using an in vitro splicing assay using minigenes. The three variants registered as likely disease-causing genes: Mut1 (c.1017-9 T > C(IVS5)), Mut2 (c.1355-28C > T(IVS8)), Mut3 (c.1447 + 1G > C(IVS9)), were included as subjects along the 34 splicing variants registered in the Human Gene Mutation Database (HGMD)®.

Results

The results showed no significant differences in splicing patterns between Mut1 or Mut2 and the wild-type; however, significant differences were observed in Mut3.

Conclusion

We concluded that Mut1 and Mut2 do not possess pathogenicity although they were registered as likely pathogenic, whereas Mut3 exhibits pathogenicity. Our results suggest that the pathogenicity of intronic variants detected in patients should be carefully evaluated.