bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Main Factors Influencing Adherence to drug Therapy in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Vodolagin Mikhail V. , Polukhin Nikita V.
Published: October 2021

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus is a disease that requires the patient to strictly adhere to the prescribed treatment throughout his life to prevent the development of various complications of diabetes. The need for repeated daily medication intake, learning knowledge about diabetes, gaining skills of self-monitoring of health indicators (glucose, blood pressure, level of physical activity), visits to healthcare facilities for preventive examinations and treatment is a heavy burden on the patient, reducing the quality of life and motivation to comply with the prescriptions of the attending physician.

Objectives: To analyze the level of adherence to drug therapy and its factors in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Methods: The survey was carried out over the Internet from November 2020 to February 2021. 434 respondents with diabetes mellitus, aged from 18 to 80, were included into study. Among them there were 221 women (50,92%) and 213 men (49,08%). The proportion of respondents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) was 23,96% (n = 104, 95% CI 20,17%–28,22%), with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) – 76,04% (n = 330, 95% CI 71,78%–79,83%). The survey questionnaire consisted of 2 parts. The first part contained 54 questions related to demographic, socioeconomic, and health status of participants’ along with questions designed to identify respondents’ risk factors, diabetes course and complications, information technology usage in treatment and health management process. The second part of the survey contained 25 questions based on the “Russian universal questionnaire for quantifying adherence to treatment” (KOP-25). The Pearson chi-square test and Cramér's V test of the effect size were used to assess the collected nominal data.

Results: A low level of adherence to drug therapy prevailed among all respondents, 38,48% (n = 167). Statistically significant differences in the level of adherence to drug therapy were found among respondents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (p < 0,0001), ones visited the schools of diabetes (p <0,001), respondents with a high level of knowledge about diabetes (p <0,001), respondents who adhered to the prescribed medical regimen (p = 0,001), respondents who visit a doctor at least 1 time per year (p = 0,001), ones who used remote forms of interaction with the attending physician (p <0,001), respondents in younger age groups (p <0,001), respondents with a shorter duration of diabetes mellitus (p = 0,005).

Conclusion: The main direction for the quality of life improvement for patients with diabetes mellitus is to increase patients' awareness of possible ways to change their lifestyle while maintaining a high level of adherence to drug therapy using information and communication technologies and telemedicine.
New Formulation and Characterization of Topical Films of Tioconazole and Evaluation of Their Antifungal Therapy
Authors: Ansari Siddique Akber
Published: October 2021

Purpose: New formulation of Scleroglucan (Sclg) films loaded with tioconazole, a medication typically applied for dermal treatments prepared. The feasibility of that treatment relies on                      the penetration of medications through the target layers of the skin in effective                 concentrations.

Methods: Dynamic and mechanical characterization and swelling studies of the novel delivery system were analysed. An aqueous solution of Sclg (Cp=1% w/v) and glycerol (2% w/v) was prepared and kept at room temperature under magnetic stirring for 72 hrs. Tioconazole previously solubilised in Labrasol, was added to the polymer/glycerol solution.  4 ml of solution was poured in a plastic plate. The films were dried at 40°C for 1 hr and then allowed to dry at room temperature (about 25°C) for a week. Translucent films were obtained.

The fungal strain used to test the film are CO23 sensitive to drugs, CO23 RFLC resistant to fluconazole, CO23 RFK resistant to  micafungin, ATCC  standard strain.

Results: The water uptake of the films significantly increased up to 24 hrs. The optical microscope films images show that the presence of the drug did not significantly influence the appearance of the samples. The in vitro studies demonstrated the perceptible fungal activity of the new formulation against Candida albicans infections.

Conclusion: The patches showed antimicrobial activity against all tested strains. An evident inhibition zone diameter, about 40 mm, for the strains sensitive to azoles (CO23 RFK and CO23) in comparison to strain resistant to fluconazole (CO23 RFLC) was observed. After 48 hours the inhibition zone diameters were reduced of about 6-7 mm in comparison to those observed after 24 hours of incubation.
Assessment of Prescription Pattern Prescribed to Patients Affected by Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Cross Sectional Health Survey Conducted in Different Hospitals of Bangladesh
Authors: Marzia Zannatul , Sarkar Shahin , Hossain Md. Emran , Jahan Sadia , Hussain Md. Arafat
Published: October 2021

Introduction: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease that affects the joints with variable degrees of severity depending on the patient. As it is a chronic disease and patients have to go through medication for a long period of time, choosing the proper drug is very crucial to avoid irrational use of drug. The present study was designed to evaluate the usual prescription pattern that are prescribed by the physicians, and unveiling the scenario of patient care treating for arthritis.

Materials and Methods: The current survey-based research study was conducted in seven divisional areas of Bangladesh. Data was collected for Five months periods from September 2020 to January 2021. This cross-sectional study was carried out at a variety of private and governmental hospitals. The study included 300 individuals who had been on antirheumatic medicines for at least six months. Patient demographic details, prescribed drugs, adverse drug reactions, and use of complementary and substitute medicine were used to analyze the pattern of drug use.

Results and Discussions: The results of the study found that most of the patients are from 40 to 60 years of age. The number of drug prescribed ranges from 3 to 8, with an average of 6.1 medicines per prescription. The most used Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) were tofacitinib, glucocorticosteroids were prednisolone and NSAIDs were Aceclofenac group. None of these drugs were prescribed as generic names, rather proprietary names were used.

Conclusion: Most of the patients are treated with more than one drug to fight against arthritis. So the incidence of drug interaction should be observed carefully. Moreover, both the prescriber and patient should be aware of ensuring rationale use of drug.
The Transition to Equilibrium in a System with Gravitationally Interacting Particles. I. Temperature Relaxation
Authors: Boichenko A. M. , Klenovskii M. S.
Published: October 2021

The distribution function of systems in equilibrium must have the canonical form of the Gibbs distribution. To substantiate this behavior of systems, attempts have been made for more than 100 years to involve their mechanical behavior. In other words, it seems that a huge number of particles of the medium as a result of interaction with each other according to dynamic laws, is able to explain the statistical behavior of systems during their transition to equilibrium. Modeling of gravitationally interacting particles is carried out and it is shown that in this case, the distribution function does not evolve to the canonical form. Earlier, the same results were obtained for classical Coulomb plasma. On the other hand, such a statistical effect as relaxation is well described by the dynamic behavior of the system, and the simulation data are in agreement with the known theoretical results obtained in various statistical approaches.
(DES)APRENDA!
Authors: Colling Leandro
Published: October 2021

Apresentação geral do segundo número da Periódicus.
Educar para a emancipação humana: o papel atual da escola e a busca por políticas LGBT no ambiente escolar
Authors: Cavalcante Francisco Brenno Soares , Da Silva Maria Madalena
Published: October 2021

O presente trabalho aborda como a escola passa a ser uma ferramenta indispensável para a manutenção da opressão LGBT dentro da sociedade centrada no conflito de classes. Além disso, identifica os entraves e propõe medidas de enfrentamento a invisibilidade que o público LGBT está submetido no ambiente escolar, assim, busca um vislumbramento de uma educação compromissada com a construção de uma sociedade emancipada no combate a toda e qualquer opressão.
Blood DNA methylation score predicts breast cancer risk: applying OPERA in molecular, environmental, genetic and analytic epidemiology
Authors: Hopper John L. , Nguyen Tuong L. , Li Shuai
Published: October 2021

In this issue, Kresovich and colleagues have published a hallmark paper in Molecular, Environmental, Genetic and Analytic Epidemiology. By applying artificial intelligence to the Sister Study they created a new methylation‐based breast cancer risk score (mBCRS) based on blood DNA methylation. Using a prospective design and after accounting for age and questionnaire‐based breast cancer risk factors, the Odds PER Adjusted standard deviation (OPERA) for mBCRS and polygenic risk score (PRS) was 1.58 (95% CI: 1.38, 1.81) and 1.58 (95% CI: 1.36, 1.83), respectively, and the corresponding area under the receiver operating curve was 0.63 for both. Therefore, mBCRS could be as powerful as the current best PRS in differentiating women of the same age in terms of their breast cancer risk. These risk scores are among the strongest known breast cancer risk‐stratifiers, shaded only by new mammogram risk scores based on measures other than conventional mammographic density, such as Cirrocumulus and Cirrus, which when combined have an OPERA as high as 2.3. The combination of PRS and mBCRS with the other measured risk factors gave an OPERA of 2.2. OPERA has many advantages over changes in areas under the receiver operator curve because the latter depend on the order in which risk factors are considered. Although more replication is needed using prospective data to protect against reverse causation, there are many novel molecular and analytic aspects to this paper which uncovers a potential mechanism for how genetic and environmental factors combine to cause breast cancer.
Impact Resistance and Properties of (Cr,Al,Si)N Coatings Deposited by Gas Flow Sputtering with Pulsed DC Supply
Authors: Bobzin Kirsten , Kalscheuer Christian , Hassanzadegan Aghdam Parisa
Published: October 2021

To increase the erosion and corrosion resistance of compressor blades, hard (Cr,Al,Si)N coatings are used. Physical vapor deposition (PVD) is a well‐known method for the deposition of nitride hard coatings. The application of pulse technique in power supply of conventional PVD technologies like magnetron sputtering shows a great potential for increasing the durability and lifetime of different tools and components. However, one disadvantage of conventional PVD is the line‐of‐sight characteristic. This is eliminated by means of the convection‐driven transport mechanism in high speed physical vapor deposition (HS‐PVD) technology, based on gas flow sputtering. Herein, the influence of gas flow sputtering with bipolar pulsed direct current (DC) power supply on coating properties and impact resistance of (Cr,Al,Si)N/substrate compound is investigated. Thereby, (Cr,Al,Si)N coatings are deposited onto X3CrNiMo13‐4 by HS‐PVD using continuous DC and bipolar pulsed DC supply. Nanoindentation analyses show an increase in indentation hardness using pulsed DC compared with continuous DC. Moreover, the lowest imprint depth and degree of cohesive and adhesive failures are observed in this case. These release a high potential for pulsed power supply in HS‐PVD, resulting in denser morphology, higher hardness and impact resistance compared with DC.
Rapid Fabrication of 3D Chiral Microstructures by Single Exposure of Interfered Femtosecond Vortex Beams and Capillary‐Force‐Assisted Self‐Assembly
Authors: Pan Deng , Liu Shunli , Li Jiawen , Ni Jincheng , Xin Chen , Ji Shengyun , Lao Zhaoxin , Zhang Chenchu , Xu Bing , Li Rui , Fan Shengyin , Li Pengju , Hu Yanlei , Wu Dong , Chu Jiaru
Published: October 2021

The rapid fabrication of 3D chiral microstructures is of great significance in the fields of optics and mechanics. Here, a hybrid strategy is presented that combines spatial‐light‐modulator‐assisted two‐photon polymerization (SATPP, top‐down) and capillary‐force‐assisted self‐assembly (bottom‐up) for efficiently yielding chiral microstructures. Based on SATPP, the pre‐subunit can be efficiently fabricated via 3D chiral discrete vortex beam (CDVB), which is generated by interfering multiple parallel vortex beams. Then, the 3D chiral microstructures are assembled by subunits with the aid of meniscus‐directed capillary force. This strategy can fabricate stable 3D chiral microstructures and improve the manufacturing efficiency by more than 100 times. Furthermore, the height, diameter, rotation angle, and handedness of chiral microstructure can be flexibly regulated. Because the obvious chiral feature of the manufactured assembly, it can exhibit strong vortical dichroism when excited by the light carrying orbital angular momentums. Also, it can be used to prepare functional microrobots base on the chiral body rotation. This hybrid strategy can rapidly manufacture 3D chiral microstructures, which can be utilized as multifunctional scalable platform with promising prospect in micro/nano robotics, optical sensors, and advanced functional devices.
High‐Performance Organic Solar Cells from Non‐Halogenated Solvents
Authors: Wang Di , Zhou Guanqing , Li Yuhao , Yan Kangrong , Zhan Lingling , Zhu Haiming , Lu Xinhui , Chen Hongzheng , Li Chang‐Zhi
Published: October 2021

High‐performance organic solar cells (OSCs) at the current stage are majorly accomplished from the processing of halogenated solvents, such as chloroform, which will be constrained for upscale fabrication due to the adverse health and environmental impacts. Therefore, exploring the high‐performance OSCs from non‐halogenated solvent processing becomes highly necessary, yet largely lagged behind. Herein, it is demonstrated high‐performance OSCs can be obtained from the hot spin processing of different non‐halogenated solvents, and achieve the highest reported efficiency of OSCs from non‐halogenated solvent processing so far. It is revealed that the phase evolution of ternary blends during solution‐to‐solid transition has a correlation to the substrate temperature. With the elevated substrate temperature of hot spin coating, the optimal blend films can be secured in different kinds of non‐halogenated solvents. As result, high‐performance OSCs are obtained with excellent power conversion efficiencies of 18.25% in o‐xylene, 18.20% in p‐xylene, and 18.12% in toluene, respectively. To the author's best knowledge, these results represent the best‐performed OSCs made from non‐halogenated solvents so far.
Piezo‐Photocatalysis over Metal–Organic Frameworks: Promoting Photocatalytic Activity by Piezoelectric Effect
Authors: Zhang Chenxi , Lei Da , Xie Chenfan , Hang Xiaoshuai , He Chuanxin , Jiang Hai‐Long
Published: October 2021

The built‐in electric field can be generated in the piezoelectric materials under mechanical stress. The resulting piezoelectric effect is beneficial to charge separation in photocatalysis. Meanwhile, the mechanical stress usually gives rise to accelerated mass transfer and enhanced catalytic activity. Unfortunately, it remains a challenge to differentiate the contribution of these two factors to catalytic performance. Herein, for the first time, isostructural metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), i.e., UiO‐66‐NH2(Zr) and UiO‐66‐NH2(Hf), are adopted for piezo‐photocatalysis. Both MOFs, featuring the same structures except for diverse Zr/Hf‐oxo clusters, possess distinctly different piezoelectric properties. Strikingly, UiO‐66‐NH2(Hf) exhibits ≈2.2 times of activity compared with that of UiO‐66‐NH2(Zr) under simultaneous light and ultrasonic irradiation, though both MOFs display similar activity in the photocatalytic H2 production without ultrasonic irradiation. Given their similar pore features and mass transfer behaviors, the activity difference is unambiguously assignable to the piezoelectric effect. As a result, the contributions of the piezoelectric effect to the piezo‐photocatalysis can be clearly distinguished owing to the stronger piezoelectric property of UiO‐66‐NH2(Hf).
Designing Artificial Vibration Modes of Piezoelectric Devices Using Programmable, 3D Ordered Structure with Piezoceramic Strain Units
Authors: Li Zhanmiao , Yi Xingyu , Yang Jikun , Bian Lang , Yu Zhonghui , Dong Shuxiang
Published: October 2021

Piezoelectric ceramic devices, which utilize multifarious vibration modes to realize electromechanical coupling and energy conversions, are extensively used in high‐technological fields. However, the excitation of basic modes is mainly subjected to natural eigenfrequency of ceramic devices, which is related to the structure and material parameters. Herein, inspired by metamaterial theory, a programmable, 3D ordered structure with piezoceramic strain units (3D OSPSU) is developed to artificially generate basic modes in a broad frequency band other than only in narrow eigenfrequency. A (2 × 2 × 2) arrayed, co‐fired, multilayer 3D OSPSU is painstakingly designed and fabricated for generating basic modes, such as flexural, extension, shear, torsion, and even coupled modes at nonresonance. To validate the 3D OSPSU method, a five‐degree‐of‐freedom micro–nano actuating platform based on only one co‐fired multilayer ceramic is constructed. The proposed methodology provides a new paradigm for creating extraordinary material properties of piezoelectric ceramics and will inspire brand‐new piezoelectric device designs.
Ratiometric FRET Encoded Hierarchical ZrMOF @ Au Cluster for Ultrasensitive Quantifying MicroRNA In Vivo
Authors: Liang Zichen , Hao Changlong , Chen Chen , Ma Wei , Sun Maozhong , Xu Liguang , Xu Chuanlai , Kuang Hua
Published: October 2021

Here, Zirconium metal−organic frameworks @ gold (ZrMOF @ Au) cluster architectures have been fabricated and then functionalized with two fluorescent dyes (Quasar [QS] and Cyanine5.5 [Cy5.5]) through deoxyribonucleic acid hybridization, to form a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) encoded ZrMOF  @  Au‐QS/Cy5.5 complex. In the presence of the target intracellular microRNA (miR)‐21, the fluorescence of Cy5.5 at 705 nm (F705) decreases and the fluorescence of QS at 665 nm (F665) increases when Cy5.5 is released from the surface of ZrMOF  @  Au‐QS/Cy5.5. The change in the fluorescence ratio (F705/F665) shows an outstanding linear range of 0.006–67.9 amol/ngRNA, and the limit of detection is 4.51 zmol/ngRNA in living cells. The high ratio loading of nucleic acid on surface of ZrMOF @ Au cluster and two fluorescence encoded signal enables better sensitivity and reliability. Zeptomolar sensitivity and good linearity against target affords distinct imaging‐based monitoring of the cancer marker miR‐21 both in living cells and in vivo. At the same time, the architecture displays remarkable photothermal conversion efficiency (53.7%) and gives rise to outstanding therapy ability in vivo. This strategy offers new avenues for the intelligent quantification of miRNAs for simultaneous diagnoses and treatments of early‐stage cancers.
On‐Site Production of Dilute H2O2with Zinc–Air Battery
Authors: Wu Weiguo , Huang Lin , Li Yiming , Li Mengli , Chen Yang , Yang Yi , Chen Xiaodie , Wu Yuanyuan , Gu Li , Cao Xuebo
Published: October 2021

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is extensively applied in environmental remediation, disinfection, bleaching, and so on. Two‐electron oxygen reduction reaction for synthesizing H2O2is the most promising alternative to the traditional energy‐intensive anthraquinone process. Existing strategies for electrocatalytic synthesis of H2O2generally proceed well in alkaline electrolytes. But environmental application demands the reaction to take place in a broad pH range, especially in acidic medium. Here a zinc‐air battery technology is developed for on‐site production of H2O2in alkaline, neutral, and acidic conditions. A key component of the battery is the tubular cathode fabricated by partially oxidized carbon nanotubes self‐assembled on the substrate of nickel foam. The battery exhibits an unusual 2e−discharge property and achieves an appreciable H2O2accumulation (215.1 µmol, 497 ppm, 162.5 mg L−1h−1) in acidic solution within 3 h, which is among the highest value ever been reported through electrosynthesis. Excitingly, the battery coupled with UV light demonstrates a promising application in water purification, which enables rapid degradation of model pollutants and actual pollutants ranging from municipal sewage to dye and pesticide wastewaters. Furthermore, this water treatment technology can be self‐powered, as the battery in the system generates the power that is available to drive UV lights.
Palladium‐Catalyzed Synthesis of α‐Methyl Ketones from Allylic Alcohols and Methanol
Authors: Biswal Priyabrata , Samser Shaikh , Meher Sushanta Kumar , Chandrasekhar Vadapalli , Venkatasubbaiah Krishnan
Published: October 2021

One‐pot synthesis of α‐methyl ketones starting from 1,3‐diaryl propenols or 1‐aryl propenols and methanol as a C1 source is demonstrated. This one‐pot isomerization‐methylation is catalyzed by commercially available Pd(OAc)2 with H2O as the only by‐product. Mechanistic studies and deuterium labelling experiments indicate the involvement of isomerization of allyl alcohol followed by methylation through a hydrogen‐borrowing pathway in these isomerization‐methylation reactions.

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A Dynamical Compact Model of Diffusive and Drift Memristors for Neuromorphic Computing
Authors: Zhuo Ye , Midya Rivu , Song Wenhao , Wang Zhongrui , Asapu Shiva , Rao Mingyi , Lin Peng , Jiang Hao , Xia Qiangfei , Williams R. Stanley , Yang J. Joshua
Published: October 2021

Different from nonvolatile memory applications, neuromorphic computing applications utilize not only the static conductance states but also the switching dynamics for computing, which calls for compact dynamical models of memristive devices. In this work, a generalized model to simulate diffusive and drift memristors with the same set of equations is presented, which have been used to reproduce experimental results faithfully. The diffusive memristor is chosen as the basis for the generalized model because it possesses complex dynamical properties that are difficult to model efficiently. A data set from statistical measurements on SiO2:Ag diffusive memristors is collected to verify the validity of the general model. As an application example, spike‐timing‐dependent plasticity is demonstrated with an artificial synapse consisting of a diffusive memristor and a drift memristor, both modeled with this comprehensive compact model.
Recent Advances in Machine Learning for Fiber Optic Sensor Applications
Authors: Venketeswaran Abhishek , Lalam Nageswara , Wuenschell Jeffrey , Ohodnicki P. R. , Badar Mudabbir , Chen Kevin P. , Lu Ping , Duan Yuhua , Chorpening Benjamin , Buric Michael
Published: October 2021

Over the last three decades, fiber optic sensors (FOS) have gained a lot of attention for their wide range of monitoring applications across many industries, including aerospace, defense, security, civil engineering, and energy. FOS technologies hold great promise to form the backbone for next‐generation intelligent sensing platforms that offer long‐distance, high‐accuracy, distributed measurement capabilities and multiparametric monitoring with resilience to harsh environmental conditions. The major limitations posed by FOS are 1) cross‐sensitivity, 2) enormous volume and large data generation, 3) low data processing speed, 4) degradation of signal‐to‐noise ratio over the fiber length, and 5) overall cost of sensor and interrogator systems. These challenges can be overcome by building advanced data analytics engines enabled by recent breakthroughs in machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI). This article presents a comprehensive review of recent studies that integrate ML and AI algorithms with FOS technologies. This review also highlights several FOS technology development directions that promise a significant impact on widespread use for several industrial applications, with an emphasis on energy systems monitoring. A perspective on future directions for further research development is also provided.
Are Cenozoic relict species also climatic relicts? Insights from the macroecological evolution of the giant sedges ofCarexsect.Rhynchocystis(Cyperaceae)
Authors: Sanz‐Arnal María , Benítez‐Benítez Carmen , Miguez Monica , Jiménez‐Mejías Pedro , Martín‐Bravo Santiago
Published: October 2021

Premise

Most of the Paleotropical flora widely distributed in the Western Palearctic became extinct during the Mio‐Pliocene as a result of global geoclimatic changes. A few elements from this Cenozoic flora are believed to remain as relicts in Macaronesia, forming part of the laurel forests. Although the origins of the present species assembly are known to be heterogeneous, it is unclear whether some species should be considered climatic relicts with conserved niches. An ideal group for studying such relict characteristics is a Miocene lineage ofCarexsect.Rhynchocystis(Cyperaceae), which comprises four species distributed in mainland Palearctic and Macaronesia.

Methods

We reconstructed the current and past environmental spaces for extant mainland and Macaronesian species, as well as for Pliocene fossils. We also studied the bioclimatic niche evolution. Species distribution modeling and ensemble small modeling were performed to assess the potential distribution over time.

Results

Climatic niche analyses and distribution modeling revealed that the ecological requirements of Macaronesian species did not overlap with those of either mainland species or with the Pliocene fossils. Conversely, the niches of mainland species displayed significant similarity and equivalence.

Conclusions

Macaronesian species are not climatic relicts from the Paleotropical flora, but instead seem to have changed the ecological niche of their ancestors. By contrast, despite their ancient divergence (Late Miocene), mainlandC. pendulaandC. agastachysshow conserved niches, with competitive exclusion likely shaping their mostly allopatric ranges.
Polyunsaturated fatty acid consumption and weight gain during pregnancy: NISAMI Cohort study
Authors: Santana Jerusa da Mota , Pereira Marcos , Carvalho Gisele Queiroz , dos Santos Djanilson Barbosa , de Oliveira Ana Marlucia
Published: October 2021

Objectives

Few studies have investigated the influence of polyunsaturated fatty acid consumption on excessive weight gain during pregnancy. Thus, we analyzed the association between the intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω‐6 and ω‐3) and weight gain in women during pregnancy.

Methods

This is a cohort study of 250 pregnant women enrolled in municipal pre‐natal services. Weight, height, and dietary intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids were evaluated at the baseline. The semi‐quantitative food frequency questionnaire was employed to assess the main exposure. Gestational weight was measured in the first, second, and third trimesters. A dietary pattern involving the consumption of fatty acids was identified through factor analysis. A generalized estimating equation was used for the data analysis.

Results

The prevalence of excessive weight gain at the end of pregnancy was 35.2%. Consumption patterns 1 (salted meats, offal, vegetable oil, snacks, legumes, and oleaginous foods) and 2 (red meat, sausages, butter, margarine, mayonnaise, acarajé, caruru, vatapá, and refined cereals) revealed a risk for the accumulation of excess weight during pregnancy. Women who adhered to consumption patterns 1 (RR: 2.39; 95% CI: 1.44–3.94) and 2 (RR: 2.39; 95% CI: 1.44–3.94) were more susceptible to excess weight gain during pregnancy.

Conclusions

Women who adhered to dietary patterns involving foods that are sources of ω‐6 fatty acids and saturated fatty acids were more susceptible to gaining weight during pregnancy compared to those who adhered less to these patterns.
Regioselective ortho‐sulfonamidation: Exploration of Intrinsic Directing Property of β‐Carbolines and their Photophysical Studies
Authors: Bora Darshana , Reddy Dannarm Srinivas , Elza John Stephy , Sana Sravani , Sonti Rajesh , Shankaraiah Nagula
Published: October 2021

A regioselective ruthenium‐catalysed strategy for synthesising mono‐, ortho‐sulfonamidated β‐carboline derivatives using sulfonyl azide was accomplished by relying on the intrinsic directing property of β‐carbolines. This protocol is apt for all types of substitutions with compelling yields. We have investigated the reaction mechanism using ESI‐MS by arresting the intermediates associated with this selective transformation. The achieved molecules were also surfaced with potential percentage inhibition against cancer cell lines. In addition, practical and computational analysis on these new scaffolds demonstrated photophysical properties.
Odorant metabolism of the olfactory cleft mucus in idiopathic olfactory impairment patients and healthy volunteers
Authors: Ijichi Chiori , Wakabayashi Hidehiko , Sugiyama Shingo , Hayashi Kazuhiro , Ihara Yusuke , Nishijima Hironobu , Touhara Kazushige , Kondo Kenji
Published: October 2021

Background

It remains unclear whether the metabolic activity of nasal mucus in the olfactory and respiratory areas is different. Moreover, age‐ and olfaction‐related changes may affect metabolism.

Methods

Hexanal, octanal, and 2‐methylbutanal were selected for in vitro metabolism analysis and compared between the olfactory cleft and respiratory mucus of participants < 50‐year‐old with normal olfaction using gas chromatography mass spectrometry. The metabolic activity of hexanal in the olfactory cleft mucus was further compared between three groups, (1) normal olfaction, age < 50 years old, (2) normal olfaction, age ≥50 years old, and (3) idiopathic olfactory impairment. To characterize the enzyme(s) responsible for aldehyde reduction, we also tested if epalr22897estat and 3,5‐dichlorosalicylic acid, types of reductase inhibitors, affect metabolism.

Results

Conversion of aldehydes to their corresponding alcohols was observed in the olfactory cleft and respiratory mucus. The metabolic production of hexanol, octanol, and 2‐methybutanol was significantly higher in the olfactory cleft mucus than in the respiratory mucus (p < 0.01). The metabolic conversion of hexanal to hexanol in the mucus of the idiopathic olfactory impairment group was significantly lower than that in the age‐matched normal olfaction group. Excluding the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) regenerating system from the reaction mixture inhibited metabolism. The addition of either epalr22897estat or 3,5‐dichlorosalicylic acid did not inhibit this metabolic conversion.

Conclusions

The enzymatic metabolism of odorants in the olfactory cleft mucus is markedly higher than in the respiratory mucus and decreases in patients with idiopathic olfactory impairment.
The impact of diabetes on cognitive impairment and its progression to dementia
Authors: Dove Abigail , Shang Ying , Xu Weili , Grande Giulia , Laukka Erika J. , Fratiglioni Laura , Marseglia Anna
Published: October 2021

Introduction

Diabetes is a well‐established risk factor for dementia, but its impact on the prodromal phase of dementia is unclear.

Methods

Cohorts of older adults who were cognitively healthy (n = 1840) or had cognitive impairment‐no dementia (CIND; n = 682) were followed over 12 years to detect incident CIND and dementia, respectively.

Results

Poorly controlled diabetes (glycated hemoglobin [HbA1c] ≥7.5%; reference = normoglycemia) was associated with double the risk of CIND (Cox regression multi‐adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 2.01, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.13‐3.58) and triple the risk CIND progressing to dementia (HR 2.87, 95% CI 1.20‐6.85). Co‐morbid diabetes and heart disease doubled the risk of incident CIND and dementia, although neither disease conferred a significant risk of either outcome alone. Elevated systemic inflammation contributed to the diabetes‐associated increased dementia risk.

Conclusions

Diabetes characterized by poor glycemic control or cardiovascular complications is related to a greater risk of the development and progression of cognitive impairment. Inflammation may play a role in these relationships.
Novel robust gain scheduled PID controller design usingDRregions
Authors: Rosinová Danica , Veselý Vojtech , Hypiusová Mária
Published: October 2021

This paper develops a new design procedure for robust output feedback gain scheduled and switched PID controller design for a linear parameter varying discrete‐time system with polytopic uncertainties. The proposed approach is based onDRregions for robust pole placement and allows to consider also other performance indices. The design procedure aims to design a robust PID gain scheduled and switched controller for polytopic gain scheduled and switched plant model such that the closed‐loop eigenvalues for fixed gain scheduled parameters are in the prescribedDRregion and the corresponding quadratic performance has the minimal value. The obtained design procedure can be also used to design a robust discrete‐time switched controller with arbitrarily switching law.
Identification of point source dischargers of per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances in the United States
Authors: Andrews David Q. , Hayes Jared , Stoiber Tasha , Brewer Bailey , Campbell Chris , Naidenko Olga V.
Published: October 2021

Drinking water contamination with per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) poses a health risk for communities across the country. The vast majority of the water systems across the United States lack both the technology and the funds to filter out PFAS. Release of PFAS with industrial wastewater from a variety of facilities is a significant contributor to PFAS contamination of drinking water. Here, we provide a screening‐level analysis of the potential for environmental PFAS releases from contaminated sites, active industrial sites, wastewater treatment plants, and waste disposal sites (including active and inactive landfills) nationwide. With specific case studies from the US states of Michigan and California, we examine how testing has identified a large number of diverse PFAS sources. Testing results alongside the list of potential sources can be used to inform state‐ or local‐level investigations as well as aid in the development of effluent guidelines and industrial pretreatment programs.

Article Impact Statement

The identification of point sources and establishing per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) effluent guidelines can help mitigate the PFAS contamination of drinking water.
Protective effects of 3,4',5,7‐tetrahydroxyflavone against squalene monohydroperoxide‐induced skin wrinkles and its green extraction using deep eutectic solvents
Authors: Lee Jong Woo , Kang Byungyoung , Park Junseong
Published: October 2021

Three flavone derivatives, 3,4′,5,7‐tetrahydroxyflavone (3,4′,5,7‐THF) and their glycosides 3,4′,5,7‐tetrahydroxyflavone‐3‐rhamnoglucoside, and 3,4′,5,7‐tetrahydroxyflavone‐3‐glucoside, were identified by partial enzymatic conversion of Camellia sinensis seed extract (CSSE). 2,2‐Diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity of these compounds and lipid peroxidation inhibition effects of 3.4′,5,7‐THF were tested to evaluate their antioxidant properties. To investigate the effects of 3,4′,5,7‐THF on squalene monohydroperoxide (SQLOOH)‐induced wrinkle formation, the dorsal skin of SKH1 hairless mice was used. Four weeks of treatment with 3,4′,5,7‐THF reduced wrinkle formation, in contrast to that observed in the group treated with SQLOOH only. A green and simple method has been suggested for the extraction of 3,4′,5,7‐THF from CSSE hydrolysate with nine deep eutectic solvents. A mixture of choline chloride and xylose yielded the best extraction result. These findings suggest that 3,4′,5,7‐THF is a natural compound with potential application in preventing SQLOOH associated skin aging.
A MSALL quantitative method for the determination of Poloxamer 188 in rat plasma by UHPLC–Q‐TOF/MS and its application to pharmacokinetic study
Authors: Feng Yixuan , Li Lele , Li Yuxuan , Zhou Xinxin , Lin Xiaoying , Cui Yue , Zhu Heyun , Feng Bo
Published: October 2021

Poloxamer (PL)188 is a commonly used pharmaceutical excipient with unique physicochemical properties. In this study, an MSALL quantitative method for the determination of PL188 in rat plasma by UHPLC–Q‐TOF/MS was developed and validated. PL188 was analyzed on PLRP‐S reversed‐phase column (50 × 4.6 mm, 8 μm, 1,000 Å) with mobile phase 0.1% formic acid–water and 0.1% formic acid in acetonitrile–isopropanol (2:3, v/v). The liner range was 0.1–10.0 μg/ml. A pharmacokinetic study was performed on rats at a dose of 5 mg/kg by intravenous injection. The pharmacokinetic parameters of intravenous injection were as follows: half‐life was 2.0 ± 1.1 h, volume of distribution was 5.1 ± 3.2 L/kg, area under the concentration–time curve was 3.0 ± 0.6 μg/L h and clearance was 1.7 ± 0.3 L/h/kg. The results indicated that PL188 could be rapidly distributed to tissues with a high clearance rate. This study can provide a good reference for the further study of PL188.
Peptides Derived from Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor B Show Potent Binding to Neuropilin‐1
Authors: Mota Filipa , Yelland Tamas , Hutton Jennie A. , Parker Jennifer , Patsiarika Anastasia , Chan A. W. Edith , O'Leary Andrew , Fotinou Constantina , Martin John F. , Zachary Ian C. , Djordjevic Snezana , Frankel Paul , Selwood David L.
Published: October 2021

Vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs) regulate significant pathways in angiogenesis, myocardial and neuronal protection, metabolism, and cancer progression. The VEGF‐B growth factor is involved in cell survival, anti‐apoptotic and antioxidant mechanisms, through binding to VEGF receptor 1 and neuropilin‐1 (NRP1). We employed surface plasmon resonance technology and X‐ray crystallography to analyse the molecular basis of the interaction between VEGF‐B and the b1 domain of NRP1, and developed VEGF‐B C‐terminus derived peptides to be used as chemical tools for studying VEGF‐B ‐ NRP1 related pathways. Peptide lipidation was used as a means to stabilise the peptides. VEGF‐B‐derived peptides containing a C‐terminal arginine show potent binding to NRP1‐b1. Peptide lipidation increased binding residence time and improved plasma stability. A crystal structure of a peptide with NRP1 demonstrated that VEGF‐B peptides bind at the canonical C‐terminal arginine binding site. VEGF‐B C‐terminus imparts higher affinity for NRP1 than the corresponding VEGF‐A165 region. This tight binding may impact on the activity and selectivity of the full‐length protein. The VEGF‐B167 derived peptides were more effective than VEGF‐A165 peptides in blocking functional phosphorylation events. Blockers of VEGF‐B function have potential applications in diabetes and non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Recent Advances in the Prediction of Pharmacokinetics Properties in Drug Design Studies: A Review
Authors: Pantaleão Simone Q. , Fernandes Philipe O. , Gonçalves José Eduardo , Maltarollo Vinícius G. , Honorio Kathia Maria
Published: October 2021

This review presents the main aspects related to pharmacokinetic properties, which are essential for the efficacy and safety of drugs. This topic is very important because the analysis of pharmacokinetic aspects in the initial design stages of drug candidates can increase the chances of success for the entire process. In this scenario, experimental and in silico techniques have been widely used. Due to the difficulties encountered with the use of some experimental tests to determine pharmacokinetic properties, several in silico tools have been developed and have shown promising results. Therefore, in this review, we address the main free tools/servers that have been used in this area, as well as some cases of application. Finally, we present some studies that employ a multidisciplinary approach with synergy between in silico, in vitro, and in vivo techniques to assess ADME properties of bioactive substances, achieving successful results in drug discovery and design.
Seeded Growth of Multipod ZIF‐8 Nanostructures
Authors: Bu Jidong , Yao Chenxue , Li Fengting , Hou Shifeng
Published: October 2021

We report a facile method to fabricate ZIF‐8 nanostructures in the form of multipods. The success of this work relies on the use of seeded growth as the synthetic strategy, where uniform polyhedral ZIF‐8 nanocrystals were prepared initially and served as seeds, followed by the addition of Zn precursor and imidazole to allow preferable growth to specific facets of the seeds and thus the formation of multipod structure. In particular, we were able to rationally synthesize ZIF‐8 nanostructures in the form of hexapod and dendrite, respectively, using the similar seeded growth procedure, when the seed morphology was cube and truncated rhombic dodecahedron, respectively. Systematic studies were carried out to reveal the effect of several reaction parameters (e. g., seed amount and CTAB concentration) on growth pattern and thus product morphology. The current work demonstrates the feasibility and versatility of seeded growth for synthesis of colloidal metal‐organic frameworks (CMOFs) with multipod structure and could find important use in fabrication of CMOFs with controlled sizes and shapes.
Regulator‐Requested Non‐Interventional Postauthorization Safety and Effectiveness Studies for Oncology Drugs: A Systematic Review
Authors: Zhang Xiao , Chen Lei , Bracco Oswaldo L. , Setoguchi Soko , Zhou Wei , Burcu Mehmet
Published: October 2021

There has been a growing number of oncology drug approvals. Non‐interventional postauthorization safety/effectives studies (PASSs/PAESs) aim to provide real‐world evidence on the safety/effectiveness of oncology drugs postapproval. To understand the current landscape, a comprehensive search as of March 1, 2021, was conducted in major register/databases. We found that requested studies increased from 1 in 2006–2010 to 47 in 2016–2020. Of 78 total studies identified, 50 focused on safety/risk assessment (64.1%), 6 on effectiveness (7.7%), 3 on drug utilization (3.8%), 1 on disease epidemiology (1.3%), and 18 on effectiveness of additional risk minimization measures (23.1%). For safety/risk assessment studies, 58.9% focused on nonspecific end points (e.g., frequency of adverse events). For effectiveness studies, the leading primary outcome was overall survival. Overall, safety/risk assessment studies concerning nonspecific end points for vascular endothelial growth factor (receptor) inhibitors were most requested. Regarding data sources, though a majority (71.8%) used primary data collection, a growing proportion utilized secondary data sources. Among 23 studies with information available on study design, 10 (43.5%) were single‐arm cohort studies, 9 (39.1%) were cross‐sectional studies, 3 (13.1%) were comparative cohort studies, and 1 (4.3%) was a nested‐case‐control study. In conclusion, there was an increasing number of oncology‐specific non‐interventional PASSs/PAESs, with a majority on safety/risk assessment. Although most utilized primary data collection, there was an increasing use of secondary real‐world data sources. Few conducted comparative analyses, and most used single‐arm designs. Future efforts are needed to assess how findings of these studies would impact regulatory decisions and improve knowledge of toxicity for clinical/translational development.
A new design of transformerless, non‐isolated, high step‐up DC‐DC converter with hybrid fuzzy logic MPPT controller
Authors: Basha Chakarajamula Hussaian , Murali Matcha
Published: October 2021

Under Partial Shading Conditions (PSCs), the solar PV nonlinear characteristics consist of multiple Maximum Power Points (MPPs). As a result, it is very difficult to extract the peak power of the solar PV. In this article, an Improved Grey Wolf Optimization‐based Fuzzy Logic Controller (IGWO‐FLC) is proposed to track the MPP of the solar PV. The advantages of the proposed hybrid soft computing Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) controller are high accuracy, very less oscillations across MPP, and high tracking speed. Also, a new transformerless, high step‐up, Non‐isolated Boost Converter (NIBC) is introduced in this work to improve the voltage profile of the solar PV system at different atmospheric conditions. The introduced converter circuit makes use of the network LC3D3 to improve the voltage conversion ratio, reduced voltage stress on switches, and universal input voltage. In addition, the network LC3D3 acts as a filter to reduce the output power ripples of the converter. The steady‐state performance of the proposed converter is analyzed at Continuous Conduction Mode (CCM) and Discontinuous Conduction Mode (DCM) of operations. The MATLAB/Simulink window is used to validate the proposed PV fed NIBC system at uniform and different PSCs of the solar PV. Also, the NIBC performance is investigated by applying an M62252P8020 type programmable DC‐source.
Glucocorticoid‐induced osteonecrosis in systemic lupus erythematosus patients
Authors: Kaneko Kaichi , Chen Hao , Kaufman Matthew , Sverdlov Isaak , Stein Emily M. , Park‐Min Kyung‐Hyun
Published: October 2021

Osteonecrosis (ON) is a complex and multifactorial complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). ON is a devastating condition that causes severe pain and compromises the quality of life. The prevalence of ON in SLE patients is variable, ranging from 1.7% to 52%. However, the pathophysiology and risk factors for ON in patients with SLE have not yet been fully determined. Several mechanisms for SLE patients’ propensity to develop ON have been proposed. Glucocorticoid is a widely used therapeutic option for SLE patients and high‐dose glucocorticoid therapy in SLE patients is strongly associated with the development of ON. Although the hips and knees are the most commonly affected areas, it may be present at multiple anatomical locations. Clinically, ON often remains undetected until patients feel discomfort and pain at specific sites at which point the process of bone death is already advanced. However, strategies for prevention and options for treatment are limited. Here, we review the epidemiology, risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment options for glucocorticoid‐induced ON, with a specific focus on patients with SLE.
Heating and acceleration of ions with Kappa distribution functions by low‐frequency Alfvén wave
Authors: Li Kehua , Li Jingchun , Lu Xingqiang , Chen Shijia
Published: October 2021

Heating and acceleration of ions with Kappa distribution functions (with parameter ) in low‐beta plasmas, by a low‐frequency Alfvén wave, is investigated using test‐particle simulations, yielding interesting new results. As long as the Alfvén wave amplitude is sufficiently large, the computed net heating energy of ions becomes independent of the wave frequency and amplitude, always approaching the same value of . The eventual energy of ions is dictated only by the initial ion energy and the ratio of the magnetic field energy density to the plasma density. The heating effect of the Kappa ions increases with . During the heating process, the ions are picked up by the Alfvén wave and pitch angle scattered, forming a quasi‐isotropic spherical shell velocity distribution. The Kappa ions are accelerated in the parallel direction, reaching a bulk flow speed roughly equal to the local Alfvén speed. Higher ‐value in the initial Kappa distribution leads to faster saturation. The above results may explain certain features of the ion heating and acceleration in the solar wind and corona.