bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring the Potential of Azo Compounds in Leukemia Treatment: Synthesis and Characterization of New Derivatives with Dimedone and Meldrum's Acid End Groups
Authors: Güney Yağmur , Dilek Ömer , Sezgin Barış , Tilki Tahir
Published: September 2023

This scholarly investigation presents pioneering drug candidates for combating leukemia, distinguished by reduced side effects and elevated efficacy. The study focuses on azo compounds for their selective targeting against cancerous cells, and customizable properties. Novel azo compounds, DMTPC and DMTPD, were skillfully synthesized via diazotization of 3‐(4‐Methyl‐1H‐imidazol‐1‐yl)‐5‐(trifluoromethyl)aniline with dimedone and meldrum‘s acid. Comprehensive characterization employed advanced analytical techniques like1H‐NMR,13C‐NMR, LC‐MS, FT‐IR, and XRD. UV‐Vis and fluorescence spectrophotometers scrutinized absorption and fluorescence properties in diverse solvents. Theoretical DFT computations provided optimized geometries, vibrational frequencies, NMR chemical shifts, absorption wavelengths, HOMOs‐LUMOs, Mulliken charges, and molecular orbital energies. Encouragingly, experimental and theoretical values aligned well. ADME properties and toxicity profiles were evaluated using online web servers. Molecular dynamics simulations explored interactions of DMTPC and DMTPD with the leukemia inhibitory factor protein (PDB ID: 1EMR) compared to Nilotinib. Molecular docking studies indicated DMTPC′s promising potential with a binding energy of −8.8 kcal/mol, approaching Nilotinib's −9.4 kcal/mol. This investigation accentuates the burgeoning research paradigm of exploiting azo compounds in the formidable battle against leukemia, opening new avenues for breakthroughs in this field.
Synthesis of 2,5‐Diphenyl‐2H‐[1,2,3]triazole‐4‐carboxylic Acid Appended Phenylalanine for Thixotropic Metallogelation and Stiffness Manipulation
Authors: Mondal Sahabaj , Baidya Mrinmay , Haldar Debasish
Published: September 2023

Organic‐inorganic hybrid materials are highly important for designing and engineering bioinspired structures and functions. Herein, we have demonstrated the synthesis and metallogelation of triazole‐appended phenylalanine and resulting stiffness enhancement. The 2,5‐diphenyl‐2H‐[1,2,3]triazole‐4‐carboxylic acid was synthesized by sequential C−N bond formation and electro‐oxidative N−N coupling under metal‐free conditions and coupled with L‐Phe to develop the gelator. Starting with basic (pH 11) solutions (5 mg/mL) of gelator, we show that significant stiffness enhancement is achieved upon adding Ca2+. From rheology, the storage modulus exhibits 8‐fold increase by the calcium‐induced gelation. The calcium‐induced gels are thixotropic in nature. The calcium ion bivalency leads to “cross‐links” and promote assembly of gelators, which not only influences the gel microstructure but also manipulates subsequent mechanical properties of the metallogels.
Solution‐Processed 1D Wurtzite ZnS Nanostructures with Controlled Crystallographic Orientation and Tunable Band‐Edge Emission
Authors: Cai Jing , Liu Peifeng , Lei Junyu , Zhang Yongliang , Xiang Yu , Wang Xizhang , Wu Qiang , Hu Zheng
Published: September 2023

1D compound semiconductor nanomaterials possess unique physicochemical properties that strongly depend on their size, composition, and structures. ZnS has been widely investigated as one of the most important semiconductors, and the control of crystallographic orientation of 1D ZnS nanostructures is still challenging and crucial to exploring their anisotropic properties. Herein, a solution‐processed strategy is developed to synthesize 1D wurtzite (w‐)ZnS nanostructures with the specific <002> and <210> orientations by co‐decomposing the copper dibutyldithiocarbamate {[(C4H9)2NCS2]2Cu, i.e., R2Cu} and zinc dibutyldithiocarbamate (R2Zn) precursors in the mixed solvents of oleylamine and 1‐dodecanethoil. A solution–solid–solid (SSS)‐Oriented growth mechanism is proposed, which includes oriented nucleation dominated and SSS growth dominated stages. The crystallographic orientation mainly depends on the interfacial energy and ligand effect. The 1D w‐ZnS nanostructures with controlled crystallographic orientation display unique morphologies, i.e., <002>‐oriented w‐ZnS nanorod enclosed with {110} facets while <210>‐oriented w‐ZnS nanobelt enclosed with wide (002) and narrow (110) facets. The bandgap of 1D w‐ZnS nanostructures can be tuned from 3.94 to 3.82 eV with the crystallographic growth direction varied from <002> to <210>, thus leading to the tunable band‐edge emission from ≈338 to ≈345 nm.
Palladium‐Catalyzed Combinatorial Synthesis of Biphenyls on Droplet Microarrays at Nanoliter Scale
Authors: Höpfner Julius , Brehm Marius , Levkin Pavel A.
Published: September 2023

The rising costs of pharmaceutical research are currently limiting the productivity of drug discovery and development, but can potentially be diminished via miniaturization of the synthesis and screening of new compounds. As droplet microarrays already present themselves as a versatile tool for highly miniaturized biological screening of various targets, their use for chemical synthesis is still limited. In this study, the influential palladium‐catalyzed Suzuki–Miyaura reaction is successfully implemented at the nanoliter scale on droplet microarrays for the synthesis of an 800‐compound library of biphenyls. Each reaction is carried out in individual 150 nL droplets. Remarkably, the synthesis of these 800 compounds requires a minimal amount of reagents, totaling 80 µmol, and a solvent volume of 400 µL. Furthermore, the cleavage kinetics and purity of the obtained biphenylic compounds are investigated. Via the solid‐phase synthesis approach, the compounds could be purified from excess reactants and catalyst prior to the analysis and a UV‐cleavable linker allows for fast and additive‐free cleavage of each compound into the individual 100 nL droplet. This novel approach expands the toolbox of the droplet microarray for miniaturized high‐throughput chemical synthesis and paves the way for future synthesis and screening of chemical compounds in a single platform.
Advanced Functionalized Materials Based on Layer‐by‐Layer Assembled Natural Cellulose Nanofiber for Electrodes: A Review
Authors: Du Keke , Zhang Dongyan , Zhang Shuangbao , Tam Kam Chiu
Published: September 2023

The depletion of fossil fuel resources and its impact on the environment provide a compelling motivation for the development of sustainable energy sources to meet the increasing demand for energy. Accordingly, research and development of energy storage devices have emerged as a critical area of focus. The electrode materials are critical in the electrochemical performance of energy storage devices, such as energy storage capacity and cycle life. Cellulose nanofiber (CNF) represents an important substrate with potentials in the applications of green electrode materials due to their environmental sustainability and excellent compatibility. By utilizing the layer‐by layer (LbL) process, well‐defined nanoscale multilayer structure is prepared on a variety of substrates. In recent years, increasing attention has focused on electrode materials produced from LbL process on CNFs to yield electrodes with exceptional properties, such as high specific surface area, outstanding electrical conductivity, superior electrochemical activity, and exceptional mechanical stability. This review provides a comprehensive overview on the development of functional CNF via the LbL approach as electrode materials.
Ca2Ln(BS3)(SiS4) (Ln = La, Ce, and Gd): Mixed Metal Thioborate‐Thiosilicates as Well‐Performed Infrared Nonlinear Optical Materials
Authors: Han Ya‐Xiang , Hu Chun‐Li , Mao Jiang‐Gao
Published: September 2023

The first examples of thioborate‐thiosilicates, namely Ca2Ln(BS3)(SiS4) (Ln = La, Ce, and Gd), are synthesized by rationally designed high‐temperature solid‐state reactions. They crystalize in the polar space group P63mc and feature a novel three‐dimensional crystal structure in which the discrete [BS3]3− and [SiS4]4− anionic groups are linked by Ca2+ and Ln3+ cations occupying the same atomic site. Remarkably, all three compounds show comprehensive properties required as promising infrared nonlinear optical materials, including phase‐matchable strong second harmonic generation (SHG) responses at 2.05 µm (1.1–1.2 times that of AgGaS2 ), high laser‐induced damage thresholds (7–10 times that of AgGaS2), wide light transmission range (0.45–11 µm), high thermal stabilities (>800 °C), and large calculated birefringence (0.126–0.149 @1064 nm), which justify the material design strategy of combining [BS3]3− and [SiS4]4− active units. Theoretical calculations suggest that their large SHG effects originate mainly from the synergy effects of the LnS6, BS3, and SiS4 groups. This work not only broadens the scope of research on metal chalcogenides but also provides a new synthetic route for mixed anionic thioborates.
Dynamic Variation of Rectification Observed in Supramolecular Mixed Mercaptoalkanoic Acid
Authors: Kong Gyu Don , Jang Jiung , Choi Suin , Lim Gayoung , Kim In Soo , Ohto Tatsuhiko , Maeda Seiya , Tada Hirokazu , Yoon Hyo Jae
Published: September 2023

Functionality in molecular electronics relies on inclusion of molecular orbital energy level within a transmission window. This can be achieved by designing the active molecule with accessible energy levels or by widening the window. While many studies have adopted the first approach, the latter is challenging because defects in the active molecular component cause low breakdown voltages. Here, it is shown that control over the packing structure of monolayer via supramolecular mixing transforms an inert molecule into a highly tunable rectifier. Binary mixed monolayer composed of alkanethiolates with and without carboxylic acid head group as a proof of concept is formed via a surface‐exchange reaction. The monolayer withstands high voltages up to |4.5 V| and shows a dynamic rectification–external bias relationship in magnitude and polarity. Sub‐highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) levels activated by the widened transmission window account for these observations. This work demonstrates that simple supramolecular mixing can imbue new electrical properties in electro‐inactive organic molecules.
Boosting Potassium Storage via Multifunctional Interface with High Lattice‐Matching
Authors: Miao Junping , Liang Shuaitong , Shi Haiting , Wang Shuo , He Jianxin , Xu Zhiwei
Published: September 2023

Atomic‐scale interface engineering is a prominent strategy to address the large volume expansions and sluggish redox kinetics for reinforcing K‐storage. Here, to accelerate charge transport and lower the activation energy, dual carbon‐modified interfacial regions are synthesized with high lattice‐matching degree, which is formed from a CoSe2/FeSe2 heterostructure coated onto hollow carbon fibers. State‐of‐the‐art characterization techniques and theoretical analysis, including ex‐situ soft X‐ray absorption spectroscopy, synchrotron X‐ray tomography, ultrasonic transmission mapping, and density functional theory, are conducted to probe local atomic structure evolution, mechanical degradation mechanisms, and ion/electron migration pathways. The results suggest that the heterostructure composed of the same crystal system and space group can sharply regulate the redox kinetics of transition metal selenium and dual carbon‐modified approach can tailor physicochemical degradation. Overall, this work presents the design of a stable heterojunction synergistic superior hollow carbon substrate, inspiring a pathway of interface engineering strategy toward high‐performance electrode.
3D printing of customized functional devices for smart biomedical systems
Authors: Yang Hao , Fang Haiqiu , Wang Chongze , Wang Yanjiao , Qi Chao , Zhang Yunlong , Zhou Qiang , Huang Mengxin , Wang Min , Wu Mingbo
Published: September 2023

The escalating demands for smart biomedical systems ignite a significantly growing influence of three‐dimensional (3D) printing technology. Recognized as a revolutionary and potent fabrication tool, 3D printing possesses unparalleled capabilities for generating customized functional devices boasting intricate and meticulously controlled architectures while enabling the integration of multiple functional materials. These distinctive advantages arouse a growing inclination toward customization and miniaturization, thereby facilitating the development of cutting‐edge biomedical systems. In this comprehensive review, the prevalent 3D printing technologies employed in biomedical applications are presented. Moreover, focused attention is paid to the latest advancements in harnessing 3D printing to fabricate smart biomedical systems, with specific emphasis on exemplary ongoing research encompassing biomedical examination systems, biomedical treatment systems, as well as veterinary medicine. In addition to illuminating the promising potential inherent in 3D printing for this rapidly evolving field, the prevailing challenges impeding its further progression are also discussed. By shedding light on recent achievements and persisting obstacles, this review aims to inspire future breakthroughs in the realm of smart biomedical systems.
Substrate‐Driven Catalyst Reducibility for Oxygen Evolution and Its Effect on the Operation of Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzers
Authors: Cho Jaewoo , Kim Kyu-Su , Kim Soo , Shao Yuyan , Kim Yong-Tae , Park Sehkyu
Published: September 2023

To increase the efficiency of hydrogen production by proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers (PEMWEs), the relationships between the specific activity and stability of the membrane–electrode assembly (MEA) must be clarified. Ir oxide electrodeposited on Ti substrate is used as an oxygen electrode, and its electronic properties and electrochemical behavior in PEMWE operation are observed. The electrode, fabricated through a facile strategy based on annealing in the air atmosphere, enhances the specific oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity and stability in PEMWE operation. Furthermore, the electronic catalyst–substrate interactions associated with different reducibilities in the heteroatom system are studied. The morphology, electronic properties, and chemical state of the oxygen electrode are investigated through X‐ray spectroscopy, microscopy techniques, and computational analyses. Thermal treatment of the catalyst‐coated substrate decreases the bulk oxidation state of Ir and increases the surface oxidation state. According to the electrochemical and physical behavior analyses of PEMWEs, the oxygen content in the Ir oxide structure, which defines the OER activity and its stability, is influenced by the crystalline structure and formation of a stable interface between the catalyst and substrate. The outcomes can facilitate the development of strategies for enhancing the performance of PEMWEs and designing rational MEAs.
Exploring Highly Efficient Broadband Self‐Trapped‐Exciton Luminophors: from 0D to 3D Materials
Authors: Stroyuk Oleksandr , Raievska Oleksandra , Zahn Dietrich R. T. , Brabec Christoph J.
Published: September 2023

The review summarizes our recent reports on brightly‐emitting materials with varied dimensionality (3D, 2D, 0D) synthesized using “green” chemistry and exhibiting highly efficient photoluminescence (PL) originating from self‐trapped exciton (STE) states. The discussion starts with 0D emitters, in particular, ternary indium‐based colloidal quantum dots, continues with 2D materials, focusing on single‐layer polyheptazine carbon nitride, and further evolves to 3D luminophores, the latter exemplified by lead‐free double halide perovskites. The review shows the broadband STE PL to be an inherent feature of many materials produced in mild conditions by “green” chemistry, outlining PL features general for these STE emitters and differences in their photophysical properties. The review is concluded with an outlook on the challenges in the field of STE PL emission and the most promising venues for future research.
Are there any “science people” in undergraduate health science courses? Assessing science identity among pre‐nursing and pre‐allied health students in a community college setting
Authors: Perkins Heather , Royse Emily A. , Cooper Sara , Kurushima Jennifer D. , Schinske Jeffrey N.
Published: September 2023

Science identity, or one's sense of recognition and competence as a scientist, is an invaluable tool for predicting student persistence and success, but is understudied among undergraduates completing preparatory work for later studies in medicine, nursing, and allied health (“pre‐health career students”). In the United States, pre‐health career students make up approximately half of all biology students and, as professionals, play important roles in caring for an aging, increasingly diverse population, managing the ongoing effects of a pandemic, and navigating socio‐political shifts in public attitudes toward science and evidence‐based medicine. Pre‐health career students are also often members of groups marginalized and minoritized in STEM education, and generally complete their degrees in community college settings, which are chronically under‐resourced and understudied. Understanding these students' science identities is thus a matter of social justice and increasingly important to public health in the United States. We examined science identity and engagement among community college biology students using two scales established and validated for use with STEM students attending four‐year institutions. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were used on two sub‐samples drawn from the pool of 846 participants to confirm that the factor structures functioned as planned among the new population. Science identity values were then compared between pre‐health career students (pre‐nursing and pre‐allied health) and other groups. Pre‐health career students generally reported interest and performance/competence on par with their traditional STEM, pre‐med, and pre‐dentistry peers, challenging popular assumptions about these students' interests and abilities. However, they also reported significantly lower recognition than traditional STEM and pre‐med/dentistry students. The implications for public health, researchers, and faculty are discussed.
Exploring new depths: Applying machine learning for the analysis of student argumentation in chemistry
Authors: Martin Paul P. , Kranz David , Wulff Peter , Graulich Nicole
Published: September 2023

Constructing arguments is essential in science subjects like chemistry. For example, students in organic chemistry should learn to argue about the plausibility of competing chemical reactions by including various sources of evidence and justifying the derived information with reasoning. While doing so, students face significant challenges in coherently structuring their arguments and integrating chemical concepts. For this reason, a reliable assessment of students' argumentation is critical. However, as arguments are usually presented in open‐ended tasks, scoring assessments manually is resource‐consuming and conceptually difficult. To augment human diagnostic capabilities, artificial intelligence techniques such as machine learning or natural language processing offer novel possibilities for an in‐depth analysis of students' argumentation. In this study, we extensively evaluated students' written arguments about the plausibility of competing chemical reactions based on a methodological approach called computational grounded theory. By using an unsupervised clustering technique, we sought to evaluate students' argumentation patterns in detail, providing new insights into the modes of reasoning and levels of granularity applied in students' written accounts. Based on this analysis, we developed a holistic 20‐category rubric by combining the data‐driven clusters with a theory‐driven framework to automate the analysis of the identified argumentation patterns. Pre‐trained large language models in conjunction with deep neural networks provided almost perfect machine‐human score agreement and well‐interpretable results, which underpins the potential of the applied state‐of‐the‐art deep learning techniques in analyzing students' argument complexity. The findings demonstrate an approach to combining human and computer‐based analysis in uncovering written argumentation.
Seeing the benefits, but not taking advantage of them: Dog and cat owners’ beliefs about veterinary telemedicine
Authors: Springer Svenja , Lund Thomas Bøker , Corr Sandra A. , Sandøe Peter
Published: September 2023

Background

Telemedicine offers benefits to clients and their animals, but potential disadvantages are also being debated.

Methods

Using a questionnaire, we investigated dog and cat owners’ (N = 2117) use of and beliefs about telemedicine and whether beliefs impact past and expected future use.

Results

Although the majority of owners are aware that telemedicine can lead to the risk of something being missed, they see great potential in remote consultation in terms of usefulness for follow‐up appointments or improving access to a specialist. However, only 12% of dog owners and 6% of cat owners have used telemedicine, and around 25% of owners who have never used it would be willing to use it in the future. Owners with a larger number of recent veterinary visits were more likely to have used telemedicine.

Limitations

Although a definition of ‘telemedicine’ was provided, respondents may have had different perceptions of what this meant.

Conclusion

Owners of dogs and cats recognise the potential benefits of telemedicine, but there is a mismatch with the actual uptake. This not only raises questions about the current availability of telemedicine but also should increase veterinary professionals’ understanding of its potential benefits in veterinary practice.
Machine learning and blockchain technologies for cybersecurity in connected vehicles
Authors: Ahmad Jameel , Zia Muhammad Umer , Naqvi Ijaz Haider , Chattha Jawwad Nasar , Butt Faran Awais , Huang Tao , Xiang Wei
Published: September 2023

Future connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) must be secured against cyberattacks for their everyday functions on the road so that safety of passengers and vehicles can be ensured. This article presents a holistic review of cybersecurity attacks on sensors and threats regarding multi‐modal sensor fusion. A comprehensive review of cyberattacks on intra‐vehicle and inter‐vehicle communications is presented afterward. Besides the analysis of conventional cybersecurity threats and countermeasures for CAV systems, a detailed review of modern machine learning, federated learning, and blockchain approach is also conducted to safeguard CAVs. Machine learning and data mining‐aided intrusion detection systems and other countermeasures dealing with these challenges are elaborated at the end of the related section. In the last section, research challenges and future directions are identified.

This article is categorized under:

Commercial, Legal, and Ethical Issues > Security and Privacy

Technologies > Machine Learning

Technologies > Internet of Things
Analysis of Virtual Reality Based on the Internet of Things on Human Psychology ‘Internet of Thoughts’ (IoThs) for Rich Content Extraction Applied Natural Language Processing and Deep Learning
Authors: Mah Pascal Muam , Skalna Iwona , Pełech-Pilichowski Tomasz , Derlecki Tomasz , Nasr Mahmoud , Munyeshuri Eric , Amuzang Gilly Njoh , Itoe Micheal Blake Somaah , Tah Ning Frida
Published: September 2023

In the past decade, a lot of challenges to access, assess, and to acquire the needed technological opportunities to teach computers what naturally comes from the human brain and to understand how we naturally react when we rely on technology. The ability to document human thoughts, reactions and behavior to computers has led to the coming of NLP, AI, Dl, & ML. Aim to understand the influence of IoT on humans with the use of DL to achieve content correctness and accuracy with virtual technology. Studies show that the way we think, react, and do the things we think “Internet of thoughts” reflect our personality. The way we think determines the way we react and the way we do things are based on how we think. Technology advancement has reinforced a lot of changes in humans which makes humans vulnerable to personal content exposure misappropriation due to the continuously changing nature of humanity and language. The study uses NLP, DL and behavior-oriented drive and influential function and results show that IoT based on VR influences human psychology “Internet of Thoughts”.
Kosmetische und funktionelle Ergebnisse nach Resektion kutaner Neurofibrome bei Neurofibromatose I
Authors: Walz Benjamin , Pfefferle Vanessa , Häfner Hans-Martin , Kofler Lukas
Published: September 2023

Hintergrund

Neurofibromatose Typ 1, auch Morbus Recklinghausen genannt, ist ein neurokutanes Tumorsyndrom, welches genetisch bedingt ist und mit teils ausgeprägtem Befall des Integuments mit Neurofibromen (Nervenscheidentumoren) einhergeht. Kutane Neurofibrome können für Patienten sehr belastend sein und tragen v. a. an äußerlich sichtbaren oder funktionell relevanten Körperstellen zu einer Verminderung der Lebensqualität bei. Die vorliegende Arbeit soll zeigen, inwiefern durch eine Resektion kutaner Neurofibrome eine Verbesserung der Lebensqualität bewirkt werden kann.

Methodik

Wir führten eine retrospektive Datenerhebung per Fragebogen zur Lebensqualität vor und nach der Operation kutaner Neurofibrome in der Universitätshautklinik durch. Verwendet wurden ein adaptierter dermatologischer Lebensqualitätsindex sowie ein in unserer Hautklinik eingesetzter postoperativer Fragebogen zu Komplikationen und Patientenzufriedenheit. Zudem wurden Daten der Patienten aus Arztbriefen, Operationsberichten und Ambulanzdokumentationen entnommen. Befragt wurden 30 Patienten mit Neurofibromatose Typ 1, die innerhalb der Jahre 2016 bis 2020 in der Hautklinik Tübingen ambulant oder stationär operiert wurden. Die Befragungsergebnisse wurden statistisch ausgewertet und als absolute und relative Häufigkeiten dargestellt.

Ergebnisse

Unsere Studie zeigt eine Verbesserung der Lebensqualität nach operativer Therapie kutaner Neurofibrome, hinsichtlich Einschränkungen im Alltag, Befangenheit, Einschränkungen der Kleiderwahl und der Freizeitgestaltung. Dabei kam es bei der Mehrheit der Patienten zu keinem neuen Auftreten von Neurofibromen im Operationsgebiet; Komplikationen wie Nachblutungen oder Wundinfekte fallen in unserer Studie moderat bis gering aus.

Diskussion

In Relation zu hoher Zufriedenheit mit dem operativen und kosmetischen Ergebnis sowie positivem Einfluss auf die Lebensqualität spricht dies für ein günstiges Risiko-Nutzen-Verhältnis der Resektion kutaner Neurofibrome bei Neurofibromatose I.
HadISDH.extremes Part II: Exploring Humid Heat Extremes Using Wet Bulb Temperature Indices
Authors: Willett Kate M.
Published: September 2023

Heat events may be humid or dry. While several indices incorporate humidity, such combined indices obscure identification and exploration of heat events by their different humidity characteristics. The new HadISDH.extremes global gridded monitoring product uniquely provides a range of wet and dry bulb temperature extremes indices. Analysis of this new data product demonstrates its value as a tool for quantifying exposure to humid verses dry heat events. It also enables exploration into “stealth heat events”, where humidity is high, perhaps enough to affect productivity and health, while temperature remains moderate. Such events may not typically be identified as “heat events” by temperature-focused heat indices. Over 1973–2022, the peak magnitude of humid extremes (maximum daily wet bulb temperature over a month; TwX) for the global annual mean increased significantly at 0.13 ± 0.04°C (10 yr)−1, which is slightly slower than the global annual mean Tw increase of 0.22± 0.04°C (10 yr)−1. The frequency of moderate humid extreme events per year (90th percentile daily maxima wet bulb temperature exceedance; TwX90p) also increased significantly at 4.61 ± 1.07 d yr−1 (10 yr)−1. These rates were slower than for temperature extremes, TX and TX90p, which respectively increased significantly at 0.27 ± 0.04°C (10 yr)−1 and 5.53 ± 0.72 d yr−1 (10 yr)−1. Similarly, for the UK/Europe focus region, JJA-mean TwX increased significantly, again at a slower rate than for TX and mean Tw. HadISDH.extremes shows some evidence of “stealth heat events” occurring where humidity is high but temperature remains more moderate.
Erleben von Zukunftsunsicherheit, Armutsrisiken und prekären Lebenslagen im Pflegeheim
Authors: Richter Stefanie
Published: September 2023

Die Situation von Menschen im Pflegeheim, die besonders dem Risiko der „pflegebedingten Verarmung“ ausgesetzt sind, ist in der Forschung wenig präsent. Der Beitrag befasst sich mit dem Erleben von Unsicherheiten, Armut und prekären Lebenslagen älterer Menschen im Heim. Grundlage liefern Daten einer ethnographischen Studie zum Älterwerden und zum Leben mit chronischen Erkrankungen. Anhand von Fällen wird ein Spektrum prekärer Lebenslagen skizziert. Deutlich wird u. a.: Menschen mit diversen soziobiografischen Hintergründen können im Zuge von Hilfebedürftigkeit und Heimübergängen von Unsicherheiten, Armut und prekären Lebenslagen betroffen sein. Nicht zu wissen, ob das verfügbare Geld genügt, um Kostensteigerungen bis zum Lebensende zu decken, kennzeichnet eine häufig erlebte Zukunftsunsicherheit; drohende Armut bzw. die Abhängigkeit von Sozialhilfe können pflege- und institutionell bedingte Verlusterfahrungen von Autonomie, Teilhabe und Lebensgestaltung verschärfen und den Gesamtzustand weiter destabilisieren. Das Erleiden bleibt weitgehend unsichtbar; strukturelle Probleme werden individualisiert.
Identification of a novel five ferroptosis-related gene signature as a promising prognostic model for breast cancer
Authors: Cheng Tian- cheng , Wu Jia-hao , Zhu Bei , Gao Hai-yan , Zheng Lin , Chen Wei-xian
Published: September 2023

Background

Breast cancer (BCa) is a major challenge for women’s health worldwide. Ferroptosis is closely related to tumorigenesis and cancer progression. However, the prognostic value of ferroptosis-related genes in BCa remains unclear, and more accurate prognostic models are urgently needed.

Methods

Gene expression profiles and clinical information of BCa patients were collected from public databases. LASSO and multivariate Cox regression analysis were utilized to construct the prognostic gene signature. Kaplan–Meier plotter, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and nomogram were used to validate the prognostic value of the gene signature. Gene set enrichment analysis was performed to explore the molecular functions and signaling pathways.

Results

Differentially expressed ferroptosis-related genes between BCa samples and normal tissues were obtained. A novel five-gene signature including BCL2, SLC40A1, TFF1, APOOL, and PRAME was established for prognosis prediction. Patients stratified into high-risk or low-risk group displayed significantly different survival. Kaplan–Meier and ROC curves showed a good performance for survival prediction in different cohorts. Biological function analysis revealed that the five-gene signature was associated with cancer progression, immune infiltration, immune response, and drug resistance. Nomogram including the five-gene signature was established.

Conclusion

A novel five ferroptosis-related gene signature and nomogram could be used for prognostic prediction in BCa.
Diagnostik und Therapie IgA Nephropathie – 2023
Authors: Schimpf Judith , Kronbichler Andreas , Windpessl Martin , Zitt Emanuel , Eller Kathrin , Säemann Marcus D. , Lhotta Karl , Rudnicki Michael
Published: September 2023

Die Immunglobulin A Nephropathie (IgAN) ist die häufigste Glomerulonephritis weltweit und führt bei ungefähr einem Drittel der PatientInnen innerhalb von 10 bis 20 Jahren zur terminalen Nierenerkrankung. Die Pathogenese der IgAN ist nicht eindeutig geklärt. Vermutlich kommt es durch eine Dysregulation des mukosalen Immunsystems zu einer Untergalaktosylierung der IgA-Moleküle, Bildung von IgG Auto-Antikörpern und zur Zirkulation von IgG-IgA-Immunkomplexen, welche sich im Mesangium ablagern und schließlich zur Glomerulonephritis führen. Eine IgAN kann gelegentlich durch eine andere Erkrankung ausgelöst werden, deswegen sollten diese sekundären Ursachen einer IgAN identifiziert bzw. ausgeschlossen werden (chronisch entzündliche Darmerkrankungen, Infektionen, Tumore, rheumatische Erkrankungen). Charakteristische Befunde einer IgAN im variablen Ausmaß sind ein nephritisches Harnsediment (dysmorphe Erythrozyten, Akanthozyten, Erythrozytenzylinder), Proteinurie, eine Einschränkung der Nierenfunktion, eine arterielle Hypertonie, oder auch eine intermittierende schmerzlose Makrohämaturie, vor allem bei Infekten des oberen Respirationstraktes. Die Diagnose einer IgAN kann jedoch ausschließlich durch eine Nierenbiopsie gestellt werden. Dabei sollte eine histologische Klassifizierung (MEST‑C score) durchgeführt werden, um die Prognose abschätzen zu können. Die wichtigste therapeutische Maßnahme besteht in einer Optimierung der supportiven Therapie, das beinhaltet u. a. eine konsequente Kontrolle des Blutdrucks, eine Hemmung des RAS, und die Gabe eines SGLT2-Hemmers. Eine systemische immunsuppressive Therapie mit Kortikosteroiden wird kontroversiell diskutiert, sollte restriktiv gehandhabt und nur nach individueller Nutzen-Risiko-Abwägung unter bestimmten Bedingungen, die für eine progressive IgAN sprechen, verabreicht werden. Neue vielversprechende Therapeutika sind enterales Budesonid oder der duale Angiotensin-II-Rezeptor- und Endothelin-Rezeptor-Antagonist Sparsentan. Eine rapid-progressive IgAN sollte mit Kortikosteroiden und Cyclophosphamid ähnlich einer ANCA-assoziierten Vaskulitis behandelt werden.
Diagnostik und Therapie der Lupusnephritis – 2023
Authors: Odler Balazs , Pollheimer Marion J. , Kronbichler Andreas , Säemann Marcus D. , Windpessl Martin , Gauckler Philipp , Rudnicki Michael , Zitt Emanuel , Neumann Irmgard , Lhotta Karl , Eller Kathrin
Published: September 2023

Das vorliegende Manuskript fasst die Empfehlungen der Österreichischen Gesellschaft für Nephrologie zur Diagnose und Therapie der Lupusnephritis zusammen und erläutert die Hintergründe der entsprechenden Empfehlungen anhand der vorhandenen Literatur. Wir besprechen im Detail die immunsuppressive Therapie in proliferativen Stadien der Lupusnephritis (Stadium III und IV mit/ohne Stadium V) und in der Lupusnephritis im reinen Stadium V mit großer Proteinurie. Zudem wird auch die konservative, supportive Therapie der Lupusnephritis detailliert besprochen. In den Abbildungen haben wir versucht, einen Leitfaden für die Praxis zur Therapie der Lupusnephritis zu erstellen.
Cost-effectiveness of granulocyte colony-stimulating factors (G-CSFs) for the prevention of febrile neutropenia (FN) in patients with cancer
Authors: Aapro Matti S. , Chaplin Stephen , Cornes Paul , Howe Sebastian , Link Hartmut , Koptelova Natalia , Mehl Andrea , Di Palma Mario , Schroader Bridgette Kanz , Terkola Robert
Published: September 2023

Purpose

Clinical practice guidelines recommend the use of all approved granulocyte colony-stimulating factors (G-CSFs), including filgrastim and pegfilgrastim, as primary febrile neutropenia (FN) prophylaxis in patients receiving high- or intermediate-risk regimens (in those with additional patient risk factors). Previous studies have examined G-CSF cost-effectiveness by cancer type in patients with a high baseline risk of FN.

This study evaluated patients with breast cancer (BC), non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), or non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) receiving therapy who were at intermediate risk for FN and compared primary prophylaxis (PP) and secondary prophylaxis (SP) using biosimilar filgrastim or biosimilar pegfilgrastim in Austria, France, and Germany.

Methods

A Markov cycle tree-based model was constructed to evaluate PP versus SP in patients with BC, NSCLC, or NHL receiving therapy over a lifetime horizon. Cost-effectiveness was evaluated over a range of willingness-to-pay (WTP) thresholds for incremental cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained. Sensitivity analyses evaluated uncertainty.

Results

Results demonstrated that using biosimilar filgrastim as PP compared to SP resulted in incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) well below the most commonly accepted WTP threshold of €30,000. Across all three countries, PP in NSCLC had the lowest cost per QALY, and in France, PP was both cheaper and more effective than SP. Similar results were found using biosimilar pegfilgrastim, with ICERs generally higher than those for filgrastim.

Conclusions

Biosimilar filgrastim and pegfilgrastim as primary prophylaxis are cost-effective approaches to avoid FN events in patients with BC, NSCLC, or NHL at intermediate risk for FN in Austria, France, and Germany.
Effects of Synthetic Jets on Swirl Inflow in a Variable-Geometry Twin Air-Intake
Authors: Yadav Krishna Kumar Rajnath , Paul Akshoy Ranjan , Jain Anuj , Alam Firoz
Published: September 2023

Air intakes are an integral part of contemporary passenger and military aircraft engines. Their impact on aerodynamic performance across the entire flight envelope is critical to aircraft flight safety, efficiency, and manoeuvrability, especially at high Mach numbers due to shock waves. The high demand for reductions in aircraft weight and size and enhancements in durability, comfort, and thermal and radar signatures compel researchers and engineers to explore new designs and develop efficient air intakes for high-performance aircraft engines. Although a number of studies on air intake have been conducted and reported in the open literature, there is little information available in the public domain on bifurcated twin air intakes using synthetic jet. As a result, the primary goal of this research is to use computational fluid dynamics modelling to investigate the effects of synthetic jets on swirl inflow variable geometry twin air intake aerodynamic performance over a range of Reynolds numbers. Some important parameters (distortion coefficient, non-uniformity index, swirl coefficient, and static and total pressure coefficients) were investigated. Both static and total pressure recovery have been increased at all swirl numbers. A significant decrease in distortion coefficient and swirl coefficient has also been achieved, reaching a 53% reduction in the distortion coefficient and a 62% reduction in the swirl coefficient. The reduction in the non-uniformity index is achieved by 62% for the controlled flow case. The findings show that synthetic jets are effective in controlling the flow separation in the twin air intakes and enhancing aerodynamic performance.
Assessment and management of heart failure in patients with chronic kidney disease
Authors: Guaricci Andrea Igoren , Sturdà Francesca , Russo Roberto , Basile Paolo , Baggiano Andrea , Mushtaq Saima , Fusini Laura , Fazzari Fabio , Bertandino Fulvio , Monitillo Francesco , Carella Maria Cristina , Simonini Marco , Pontone Gianluca , Ciccone Marco Matteo , Grandaliano Giuseppe , Vezzoli Giuseppe , Pesce Francesco
Published: September 2023

Heart failure (HF) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are two pathological conditions with a high prevalence in the general population. When they coexist in the same patient, a strict interplay between them is observed, such that patients affected require a clinical multidisciplinary and personalized management. The diagnosis of HF and CKD relies on signs and symptoms of the patient but several additional tools, such as blood-based biomarkers and imaging techniques, are needed to clarify and discriminate the main characteristics of these diseases. Improved survival due to new recommended drugs in HF has increasingly challenged physicians to manage patients with multiple diseases, especially in case of CKD. However, the safe administration of these drugs in patients with HF and CKD is often challenging. Knowing up to which values ​​of creatinine or renal clearance each drug can be administered is fundamental. With this review we sought to give an insight on this sizable and complex topic, in order to get clearer ideas and a more precise reference about the diagnostic assessment and therapeutic management of HF and CKD.
Constraint reranking in diachronic OT: binary-feet and word-minimum phenomena in Austronesian
Authors: Smith Alexander D.
Published: September 2023

Languages throughout the Malayo-Polynesian branch of Austronesian exhibit a range of sound changes which all appear to be triggered by the presence of a schwa in an open penultimate syllable. These changes are gemination of the final-syllable onset, deletion of penultimate schwa in three-or-more syllable words, and the shift of schwa to a full vowel in open penultimate syllables only. The changes are analyzed as a product of drift, whereby changes in daughter languages are motivated by some property of the proto-language. In this case, it is argued that schwa was a zero-mora vowel in Proto-Austronesian and Proto-Malayo-Polynesian, and that these changes worked to add a mora to a word which would otherwise contain a degenerate single-mora foot. The observed changes are then analyzed as a product of constraint promotion modeled in Diachronic Optimality Theory, whereby constraint movement over time may explain historical sound change. In the case of Malayo-Polynesian, it is shown that the promotion of the Binary Foot constraint (Ft-Bin)can explain all three of the attested schwa-triggered sound changes.
OIE4PA: open information extraction for the public administration
Authors: Siciliani Lucia , Ghizzota Eleonora , Basile Pierpaolo , Lops Pasquale
Published: September 2023

Tenders are powerful means of investment of public funds and represent a strategic development resource. Despite the efforts made so far by governments at national and international levels to digitalise documents related to the Public Administration sector, most of the information is still available in an unstructured format only. With the aim of bridging this gap, we present OIE4PA, our latest study on extracting and classifying relations from tenders of the Public Administration. Our work focuses on the Italian language, where the availability of linguistic resources to perform Natural Language Processing tasks is considerably limited. Nevertheless, OIE4PA adopts a multilingual approach so it can be applied to several languages by providing appropriate training data. Rather than purely training a classifier on a portion of the extracted relations, the backbone idea of our learning strategy is to put a supervised method based on self-training to the proof and to assess whether or not it improves the performance of the classifier. For evaluation purposes, we built a dataset composed of 2,000 triples which have been manually annotated by two human experts. The in-vitro evaluation shows that OIE4PA achieves a MacroF$$_1$$

1

equal to 0.89 and a 91$$\%$$
%
accuracy. In addition, OIE4PA was used as the pillar of a prototype search engine, which has been evaluated through an in-vivo experiment with positive feedback from 32 final users, obtaining a SUS score equal to 83.98.
Biodegradability of Cellulose Diacetate in Aqueous Environments
Authors: Serbruyns Lynn , Van de Perre Dimitri , Hölter Dirk
Published: September 2023

Cellulose acetate with a degree of substitution (DS) of 2.5, commonly referred to as cellulose diacetate, has been discussed as an important source of microplastic in the environment, especially since it is used to produce cigarette filters. According to EU Single-Use Plastics Directive tobacco products are one of the ten most found SUP products in beach litter by number. However, at present only very few biodegradation studies with natural microbial communities in aqueous media have been reported. In the present study aqueous aerobic biodegradation simulation tests were performed on commercial materials according to international standards (ASTM D6691, ISO 14851 and ISO 19679) to address this bias. Cellulose diacetate proved to be biodegradable or showed strong indication to be non-persistent in freshwater (> 90% relative biodegradation after 100 days at 21 °C), seawater (> 90% after 142 days at 30 °C) and seawater/sediment interface (> 70% after 360 days at 25 °C) under defined laboratory conditions. In freshwater, biodegradation of cellulose diacetate was characterized by a prolonged lag phase (75 days), followed by > 90% relative biodegradation in a short time frame (25 days). This indicates that an abiotic degradation or hydrolysis to reduce the DS is not a pre-requisite to initiate the biodegradation of cellulose diacetate. In addition, it was found that the lag phase can be significantly shortened (from 75 to 5 days) by using pre-adapted microorganisms. In contrast to what could have been expected from literature our present study demonstrates that microorganisms can adapt to a DS as high as 2.5 and metabolize the material. This underlines the importance of studies with natural communities of microorganisms to get a more realistic idea of the persistence of a polymer material.
Gradient descent-based freeform optics design for illumination using algorithmic differentiable non-sequential ray tracing
Authors: Koning Bart de , Heemels Alexander , Adam Aurèle , Möller Matthias
Published: September 2023

Algorithmic differentiable ray tracingis a new paradigm that allows one to solve the forward problem of how light propagates through an optical system while obtaining gradients of the simulation results with respect to parameters specifying the optical system. Specifically, the use of algorithmically differentiable non-sequential ray tracing provides an opportunity in the field of illumination engineering to design complex optical system. We demonstrate its potential by designing freeform lenses that project a prescribed irradiance distribution onto a plane. The challenge consists in finding a suitable surface geometry of the lens so that the light emitted by a light source is redistributed into a desired irradiance distribution. We discuss the crucial steps allowing the non-sequential ray tracer to be differentiable. The obtained gradients are used to optimize the geometry of the freeform, and we investigate the effectiveness of adding a multi-layer perceptron neural network to the optimization that outputs parameters defining the freeform lens. Lenses are designed for various sources such as collimated beams or point sources, and finally, a grid of point sources approximating an extended source. The obtained lens designs are finally validated using the commercial non-sequential ray tracer LightTools.
Women Partners, Feeling Rules, and the Gendered Consequences of Porn Addiction
Authors: Ortiz Stephanie M.
Published: September 2023

A significant portion of the research on porn addiction has focused on the construction of this social problem and the heterosexual male addicts, yet relatively little is known about women partners. Analyzing open-ended online surveys and interviews with women partners of male porn addicts, this article demonstrates how the medicalization of porn addiction has social consequences which are profoundly gendered and tangled in emotion work. Respondents’ narratives reveal how family, friends, therapists, and partners center the addict’s “recovery” and “healing” by imposing feeling rules that suppress women’s anger and sadness. These feeling rules repress partners’ discussions of the social challenges of porn addiction and lead women to seek out anonymous support online on a site explicitly designed to affirm partners. The site provides opportunities for respondents to discuss the implications of their relationships in ways not fully possible offline. This article thus expands sociological understandings of porn addiction, gender, and emotion work by (1) highlighting the social implications for women who in these partnerships, especially those which reflect and reproduce gender inequalities, and by (2) documenting how women make meaning of social support which affirms, rather than minimizes, those gendered experiences. By doing so, this article raises questions about how the medicalization of other issues related to sexuality, paired with clinical authority of therapists, results in the constraining of women’s intimate lives under the guise of treatment.