bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Plant Disease Detection using Ensembled CNN Framework
Authors: Mondal Subhash , Banerjee Suharta , Mukherjee Subinoy , Sengupta Diganta
Published: October 2022

Agriculture exhibits the prime driving force for growth of agro-based economies globally. In the field of agriculture, detecting and preventing crops from attacks of pests is the major concern in today's world. Early detection of plant disease becomes necessary to prevent the degradation in the yield of crop production. In this paper, we propose an ensemble based Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) architecture that detects plant disease from the images of the leaves of the plant. The proposed architecture takes into account CNN architectures like VGG-19, ResNet-50, and InceptionV3 as its base models, and the prediction from these models is used as an input for our meta-model (Inception-ResNetV2). The approach helped us in building a generalized model for disease detection with an accuracy of 97.9 % under test conditions.
Performance measurement with high performance computer of HW-GA anomaly detection algorithms for streaming data
Authors: Fondaj Jakup , Hasani Zirije , Krrabaj Samedin
Published: October 2022

Anomaly detection is very important in every sector as health, education, business, etc. Knowing what is going wrong with data/digital system help peoples from every sector to take decision. Detection anomalies in real time Big Data is nowadays very crucial. Dealing with real time data requires speed, for this reason the aim of this paper is to measure the performance of our previously proposed HW-GA algorithm compared with other anomaly detection algorithms. Many factors will be analyzed which may affect the performance of HW-GA as visualization of result, amount of data and performance of computers. Algorithm execution time and CPU usage are the parameters which will be measured to evaluate the performance of HW-GA algorithm. Also, another aim of this paper is to test the HW-GA algorithm with large amount of data to verify if it will find the possible anomalies and the result to compare with other algorithms. The experiments will be done in R with different datasets as real data Covid-19 and e-dnevnik data and three benchmarks from Numenta datasets. The real data have not known anomalies but in the benchmark data the anomalies are known this is in order to evaluate how the algorithms work in both situations. The novelty of this paper is that the performance will be tested in three different computers which one of them is high performance computer.
The cloacal microbiome of a cavity-nesting raptor, the lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni)
Authors: Costanzo Alessandra , Ambrosini Roberto , Franzetti Andrea , Romano Andrea , Cecere Jacopo G. , Morganti Michelangelo , Rubolini Diego , Gandolfi Isabella
Published: October 2022

Background

Microbial communities are found on any part of animal bodies exposed to the environment, and are particularly prominent in the gut, where they play such a major role in the host metabolism and physiology to be considered a “second genome”. These communities, collectively known as “microbiome”, are well studied in humans and model species, while studies on wild animals have lagged behind. This is unfortunate, as different studies suggested the central role of the gut microbiome in shaping the evolutionary trajectories of species and their population dynamics. Among bird species, only few descriptions of raptor gut microbiomes are available, and mainly carried out on captive individuals.

Objectives

In this study, we aimed at improving the knowledge of raptor microbiomes by providing the first description of the gut microbiome of the lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni), a cavity-nesting raptor.

Results

The gut microbiome of the lesser kestrel was dominated by Actinobacteria (83.9%), Proteobacteria (8.6%) and Firmicutes (4.3%). We detected no differences in microbiome composition between males and females. Furthermore, the general composition of the microbiome appears similar to that of phylogenetically distant cavity-nesting species.

Conclusions

Our results broaden the knowledge of raptor gut microbial communities and let us hypothesize that the distinct nest environment in terms of microclimate and presence of organic material from previous breeding attempts, to which cavity-nesting species that reuse the nest are exposed, might be an important driver shaping microbiomes.
Achromobacter xylosoxidans Subspecies denitrificans Endocarditis in a Patient with Prosthetic Aortic Valve: A Case Report and Review of Literature
Authors: Kar Mitra
Published: October 2022

Achromobacter xylosoxidans subspecies denitrificans flourishes in presence of oxygen, commonly isolated from aquatic milieu. It is rarely implicated as the causative agent of endocarditis. It is not known to cause virulent infections in patients but causes severe infections in immunosuppressed patients with underlying co-morbidities. Present report is first case of Achromobacter xylosoxidans prosthetic valve endocarditis from India. This case report accounts for a 47-year-old man, suffering from Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD), who presented to the cardiology emergency with chief complaints of remitting type high-grade fever for years years followed by persistent fever for 10 days. On echocardiography and positively flagged BACTEC blood culture reports was diagnosed as a case of Achromobacter xylosoxidans subspecies denitrificans bacteraemia and prosthetic aortic valve endocarditis. Antibiotics were started according to the susceptibility testing but the patient could not complete the course of treatment as he developed dyspnoea and cardiac arrest following which he could not be resuscitated.
PSMA PET Scan
Authors: Kwon Daniel H. , Velazquez Ana I. , de Kouchkovsky Ivan
Published: October 2022

This JAMA Oncology Patient Page describes the PSMA PET scan, an imaging test used to detect prostate cancer throughout the body.
The Male to Female Ratio in Treatment-Warranted Retinopathy of Prematurity
Authors: Hoyek Sandra , Peacker Bryan L. , Acaba-Berrocal Luis A. , Al-Khersan Hasenin , Zhao Yan , Hartnett Mary Elizabeth , Berrocal Audina M. , Patel Nimesh A.
Published: October 2022

Importance

Literature and anecdotal evidence suggest a relationship between male sex and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). It is not known whether a difference, if present, is sex-related pathophysiologic predisposition or sex difference in meeting ROP screening criteria.

Objective

To evaluate the association of sex with the development of treatment-warranted ROP.

Data Sources

PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases were searched from 2000 to 2022. The search strategy used keywords including retinopathy of prematurity or ROP or retrolental fibroplasia and treatment or anti-VEGF or bevacizumab or ranibizumab or aflibercept or conbercept or laser or cryotherapy and gender or sex or male or female and medical subject headings terms.

Study Selection

All studies reporting on treatment with anti–vascular endothelial growth factor, laser photocoagulation, and/or cryotherapy for ROP were identified. Studies reporting sex distribution in the treatment group were included in the meta-analysis. Exclusion criteria included case reports, case series of fewer than 10 treated patients, systematic reviews, conference abstracts, letters to the editor, animal studies, and non-English records.

Data Extraction and Synthesis

Two reviewers independently screened and extracted the data following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The proportions of treated male and female infants were combined using random-effects meta-analysis.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Numbers and percentages of male and female infants treated for ROP.

Results

Of 11 368 identified studies, 316 met inclusion criteria, yielding a total of 31 026 treated patients. A higher percentage of male infants were treated for ROP (55% [95% CI, 0.54%-0.55%]), with low heterogeneity between studies (I2 = 34%; P < .001). Thirty-eight studies reported sex distribution in the screened population (170 053 patients; 92 612 [53%] male vs 77 441 [47%] female). There was no significant difference in the odds of receiving treatment between screened male and female infants (pooled odds ratio, 1.04 [95% CI, 0.91-1.18]; P = .67).

Conclusions and Relevance

More male infants are treated for ROP than female infants. This could be due to a known relative pathophysiological fragility of preterm male infants in addition to a difference in ROP screening rates, with more male infants meeting the criteria than female infants. These findings have implications for future studies and may prompt more careful clinical monitoring of male neonates.
Impact of heat generation and use of experimental instruments in a fume hood on pollutant capture efficiency
Authors: Muta Ryota , Ito Kazuhide
Published: October 2022

A fume hood is a local ventilation system that is typically installed in a laboratory space to ensure the safety of workers from chemical exposure. A fume hood is designed to capture hazardous gas‐phase pollutants generated inside a box‐like enclosure, and the pollutant capture efficiency is regulated by the average opening surface air velocity. However, few cases exist in which the pollutant capture efficiency inside the fume hood is precisely analyzed and quantitatively visualized. In this study, the capture performance of a fume hood under actual use conditions was evaluated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The factors that could affect the performance, that is, the exhaust airflow rate, experimental instruments inside, worker in front, and heat source within the fume hood, were parametrically considered. The numerical analyses revealed that experimental instruments near the opening surface significantly affected the airflow into the fume hood and decreased its capture performance. Under the inadequate condition of a low exhaust airflow rate, pollutant leakage inside the chamber was observed due to the presence of a worker in front of the fume hood and the heat source inside. Furthermore, the pollutant capture performance was slightly improved by changing the layout/position of the experimental instrument.
Architectural characteristics and management of group homes for persons with disabilities
Authors: Matsuda Yuji , Tobimatsu Taketo , Fujii Risa
Published: October 2022

Japan's group homes, where usually three to seven people with disabilities live in a community residence, are gradually increasing in number as a residence for persons with disabilities. However, it remains unclear what challenges exist in opening and operating such homes, and how the challenges differ depending on the type of resident disability. A questionnaire survey was administered among corporations operating group homes for persons with disabilities (GHD) in Japan's Kanto region regarding issues during opening and operation of GHDs, as well as the condition of the buildings. The results revealed the following issues. First, in metropolitan areas such as Tokyo, it is difficult to construct or lease a building with sufficient space. Second, GHDs, where people with intellectual disabilities live, are often positioned as permanent residences. Furthermore, in GHDs where the residents primarily have physically disabilities, it is often difficult to achieve sufficient floor space. In addition, in GHDs primarily housing people with mental disabilities, they are often positioned as temporary residences prior to living alone in apartments, etc., and understanding from neighborhood residents constitutes a major issue.
Rhodium‐Catalyzed CH Functionalization to Construct Annulated Molecules
Authors: Mahato Sujit , Sarkar Writhabrata , Naskar Koushik , Deb Indubhusan
Published: October 2022

Rhodium complexes are exceptionally significant in homogeneous catalysis. The synthetic community observed the rapid burgeoning of such rhodium catalysis since the discovery of Wilkinson's catalyst. Rhodium‐catalyzed tandem C(sp
2
)H/C(sp
3
)H activation and annulation with alkenes, alkynes, arenes, and other reactive partners is a rapidly growing research field to obtain a new class of heterocycles and thereby generates potential biologically active pharmacophores. Superior reactivity of rhodium catalysts is attributed due to its good π‐acceptor character that favors the CH bond activation reaction of substrates containing a wide range of directing groups, such as amides, imines, carboxylic acid (derivatives), benzylic alcohols, ketones, various heterocycles and shown efficiency toward annulation reaction with various befitting partners; even undirected CH activations have also been achieved. This article provides a brief account of the recent developments in rhodium‐catalyzed CH activation/annulation reactions for the synthesis of new classes of fused cyclic scaffolds using suitable coupling partners. For the rhodium‐catalyzed annulation strategies, different types of cyclization reactions, namely, oxidative, redox‐neutral, photoredox, electrochemical reactions are discussed. In addition, the enantioselective synthesis of annulated molecules using chiral rhodium catalysts has also been highlighted.
Green Solvents for CH Functionalization
Authors: Santoro Stefano , Brufani Giulia , Rossini Gabriele , Vaccaro Luigi
Published: October 2022

Organic solvents are ubiquitous in most of the synthetic processes and play a crucial role in influencing the chemical behavior of catalytic system and/or reactive species. Modern chemistry inevitably includes an evaluation of the chemical efficiency and the environmental impact of a desired procedure. CH functionalization processes represent an important advance in terms of chemical efficiency to form new CC and CX bonds, and also for this type of transformation there is a great deal of interest for the use of safer/greener solvents that could replace the classic toxic ones. In this article, the current state of the art on the use of greener solvents as media for accessing chemically and environmentally efficient protocols for CH functionalization processes is summarized.
Iridium‐Catalyzed Para‐Selective CH Borylation Reactions
Authors: Chaturvedi Jagriti , Hassan Mirja Md Mahamudul , Haldar Chabush , Chattopadhyay Buddhadeb
Published: October 2022

Over the past few years, the CH activation reaction has been recognized as a powerful method for the direct functionalization of hydrocarbons such as alkyl, alkenyl, and aryl CH bonds. Among them, the iridium‐catalyzed CH bond activation and borylation of aryl CH bonds is one of the most valuable methods. Interestingly, the major challenge in these reactions is how to control the site selectivity. On the contrary, while many methods are available for the site‐selective borylation of ortho and meta CH bonds of arene, borylation at the para position of arene remains an unmet challenge. Only a few methods have been developed till date based on the employment of iridium‐catalysis. The developments achieved so far are either based on the manipulation of steric factor of the substrates and ligand framework that are attached directly with the catalyst, or via the employment of various noncovalent interactions. In this article, we have discussed the developments of para selective borylations of arenes and heteroarenes using iridium catalysis that has happened only in recent times.
Manganese‐Catalyzed Regioselective CH Allylation, Allenylation, Halogenation, Dehydrogenative Annulation, and Amidation
Authors: Parmar Diksha , Sharma Upendra
Published: October 2022

In recent years, CH bond activation/functionalization directed by noble transition metals has arisen as a versatile platform in organic synthesis. Second‐row transition metals such as ruthenium, rhodium, and palladium have shown exceptional potential. However, due to the reasonably high prices of these noble transition metals, developing economic and earth‐abundant first‐row transition metals as alternate catalysts is appealing. In this context, manganese‐based catalysts are promising, considering the abundance of manganese in the earth's crust. In addition, manganese is a vital nutrient in all living beings and also presents as a cofactor in a range of enzymes, including oxidoreductases, transferases, and hydrolases, thus implying that it is safe to use. In this article, manganese‐catalyzed CH functionalization, including allylation, allenylation, halogenation, dehydrogenative annulation, and amidation through CH activation reported since 2016, has been summarized, with major emphasis on the mechanistic aspects. Few examples on manganese‐catalyzed annulations reported in 2014 and 2015 have also been discussed.
Asymmetric Alkene Hydroarylation via CH Functionalization
Authors: Wang Zi‐Chao , Shi Shi‐Liang
Published: October 2022

Asymmetric alkene hydroarylation through aromatic CH functionalization constitutes one of the most direct methods for the preparation of enantioenriched alkylated arenes. These reactions have many advantageous features, such as excellent atom‐, step‐, and redox‐economy, using simple feedstock chemicals, and without the generation of by‐products. We herein summarize recent advances in transition metal‐catalyzed enantioselective alkene hydroarylation via CH functionalization.
Chiral Cyclopentadienyl Ligand for Asymmetric CH Activation
Authors: Sun Jiaqiong , Zheng Guangfan
Published: October 2022

Asymmetric CH activation is a highly efficient and practical synthetic methodology for the direct construction of value‐added chiral organic molecular from simple starting materials. The chiral cyclopentadienyl ligand and its analogs are of great significance in asymmetric catalysis. Since the pioneering work by Cramer and Rovis, numerous efforts have been achieved in the design and synthesis of novel chiral cyclopentadienyl (Cp
X
) ligands as well as their metal complexes, which cause eruptive development of Cp
X
M‐catalyzed asymmetric CH functionalization. This article highlights the recent significant progress in the realm of direct and convenient creation of chiral elements via chiral Cp
X
M complex‐catalyzed CH functionalization, including the creation of central chirality (carbon and heteroatom central chirality), axial chirality, planar chirality, and helical chirality.
Metal‐Free, Persulfate‐Mediated Oxidative Radical CH Functionalizations
Authors: Gupta Anjali , Laha Joydev K.
Published: October 2022

Carbon–carbon/carbon–heteroatom bond formation via oxidative CH functionalization is a novel approach which shifts the focus from the standard organic synthesis involving selective reactions at functional groups. The new logic relies on the controlled functionalization of specific CH bonds, even in the presence of supposedly more reactive functional groups and is currently a heavily explored topic. Peroxydisulfate oxidants have risen as an economical and readily available choice of inorganic oxidant, catalyzing a wide range of oxidative transformations, varying from laboratory experiments to industrial processes. The current article provides a comprehensive analysis of significant oxidative transformations brought about by persulfates, with or without the aid of any additives, under transition‐metal‐free conditions. The report focuses on the critical assessment of the reactions involved, the explored substrate scopes, and the underlying mechanisms. This article can be a useful guide for the organic chemists interested in the expedient synthesis of new chemical entities, formulation of mechanistic manifolds involving the sulfate radical anion, or designing of novel oxidative transformations. However, a thorough understanding of the unsolved mechanisms can further reinforce the field.
Palladium‐Catalyzed CH Functionalization via Transient Directing Group Strategy
Authors: Ding Mingruo , Zhang Fengzhi
Published: October 2022

Transition metal‐catalyzed carbon–hydrogen bond (CH) activation and functionalization have exponentially developed in the past 30 years. The use of transition‐metal catalysts in combination with directing groups enables the site‐selective CH activation and functionalization to occur even at inactivated and less reactive sites. To avoid the extra steps to introduce directing groups at specific sites in the substrates and to remove these groups before producing the final products, a new transient directing group strategy using temporarily installed coordinating auxiliaries has been devised for CH bond activation, which allows the temporarily and reversibly installment of a catalytic amount of a coordinating auxiliary and achieve the regioselective CH bond functionalization. In this article, palladium‐catalyzed functionalization of C(sp
2
)H and C(sp
3
)H bonds mediated by transient imine‐directed ligands was discussed, which allowed the efficient construction of new carbon−carbon and carbon−heteroatom bonds from various types of CH bonds.
Diazo Compounds as Cross‐Coupling Partners in C(sp
2
)H Bond Functionalization
Authors: Pontini Lorenzo , Angelini Tommaso , Marinozzi Maura
Published: October 2022

Diazo compounds are undoubtedly among the most versatile classes of organic compounds. Thanks to their ability to serve as either carbene precursors or 1,3‐dipoles, they have traditionally been used in a broad array of useful transformations including cyclopropanations, carbon−hydrogen, and heteroatom‐hydrogen insertions, ylide formations, 1,2‐migrations, and 1,3‐dipolar cycloadditions.

Although more than 120 years old diazo compounds continue to find new applications in organic synthesis. Over the last two decades, carbon–hydrogen bond functionalization has been emerging as a cutting‐edge research area. According to this approach, the reaction is initiated by a first step of metal‐catalyzed carbon–hydrogen bond activation, followed by a cross‐coupling reaction of the nucleophilic metal‐carbon species, thus generated, with an appropriate electrophilic partner. Since electrophilic metal carbenes can be generated starting from diazo compounds, that is what carbon–hydrogen bond activation and diazo compound decomposition can be realized within the same catalytic cycle by choosing the appropriate catalytic system. This article deals with the metal‐catalyzed intermolecular functionalization of carbon(sp
2
)–hydrogen bonds by the use of diazo compounds as electrophilic cross‐coupling partners.
Direct measurement of CTDIw on helical CT scans
Authors: DePew Kyle D. , Boggs Robert C. , Yester Michael V. , Barnes Gary T.
Published: October 2022

Purpose

Medical physics computed tomography (CT) practice involves measurements to determine CTDIvol on representative clinical CT protocols. In current practice the majority of CT exams employ helical scans. To determine CTDIvol for a helical scan, one measures CTDIw with an axial scan, then divides by the pitch. Problems arise in CT units where one is unable to select an axial scan with the same detector configuration and pre‐patient (bowtie) filtration that is employed on the helical scan. Presented is a method to measure CTDIw on helical scans.

Methods

The body and head CTDI phantoms were supported on the gantry shroud with brackets attached to the phantom. The phantom is above the tabletop and remains stationary during helical scans as the table moves beneath the phantom. With the phantom stationary, the CTDIw associated with head and body helical scans was measured. CTDIw was also measured for head and body axial scans with the same pre‐patient filtrations and detector configurations.

Results

For both the head and body CTDI phantom the agreement between the axial and helical CTDIw measurements was <1.5%.

Conclusions

Body and head CTDIw and CTDIvol can be directly measured by employing helical scans with the method in this paper
Andreas Pfaltz, Inspiration and Friend
Authors: Jacobsen Eric N.
Published: October 2022

No Abstract

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A Great Chemist and Friend
Authors: Buchwald Stephen L.
Published: October 2022

No Abstract

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Applying minimally invasive biomarkers of chronic stress across complex ecological contexts
Authors: DeCaro Jason A. , Helfrecht Courtney
Published: October 2022

Chronic stress is both theoretically and methodologically challenging to operationalize through biomarkers. Yet minimally invasive, field‐friendly biomarkers of chronic stress are valuable in research linking biology and culture, seeking to understand differential patterns of human development across ecological contexts, and exploring the evolution of human sociality. For human biologists, a central question in measurement and interpretation of biomarkers is how stress‐responsive physiological systems are regulated across diverse human ecologies. This article aims to describe a conditional toolkit for human biologists interested in the study of chronic stress, highlighting a mix of longstanding and novel biomarkers, with special focus on hair/fingernail cortisol, latent herpesvirus antibodies, allostatic load indices, and serial/ambulatory data collection approaches. Future trends in chronic stress biomarker research, including epigenetic approaches, are briefly considered. This overview considers: (1) challenges in separating a distinctly psychosocial dimension of chronic stress from adversity more broadly; (2) essential characteristics of human ecology that shape interpretation; (3) retrospective vs. longitudinal sampling; (4) the role of age, developmental effects, and local biologies; (5) different timescales of chronicity; and (6) the role of culture.
Continuous ulnar nerve block at the forearm for early active mobilisation following flexor tendon reconstruction
Authors: Watanabe T. , Kamimura K. , Shirahata M. , Moriya K.
Published: October 2022

A 63‐year‐old woman had sustained a subcutaneous rupture of the flexor digitorum profundus tendon of the little finger due to osteoarthritis of the pisotriquetral joint. She underwent excision of the pisiform bone and reconstruction of the flexor digitorum profundus tendon of the little finger using an autogenous palmaris longus tendon graft. After surgery, a continuous ulnar nerve block was performed at the forearm under ultrasound and nerve stimulator guidance. During rehabilitation, she could not actively extend her little finger independently due to the block; however, she could actively extend it when the dorsum of the metacarpophalangeal joint was pressed by the occupational therapist, resulting in successful early active mobilisation. A continuous ulnar nerve block at the forearm may help to facilitate early active mobilisation after reconstructive surgery for little finger flexor tendon rupture. However, it may restrict the active extension of the little finger because the block does not spare the innervation of the intrinsic muscles responsible for little finger extension.
Finite time adaptive filter control of nonlinear systems with actuator faults and state constraints
Authors: Zhang Huiyun , Wu Libing , Yan Weijun , Hu Yuhan
Published: October 2022

The finite time adaptive filter control problem is studied for strict‐feedback nonlinear systems with actuator faults and state constraints in this paper. First, with the aid of the backstepping technique, the controller and the adaptive laws are designed to compensate the actuator faults and parameter uncertainties. Then, the dynamic surface control is used to establish a first‐order filter to alleviate computational burden for the reason of the derivative of virtual control laws. In addition, none of the system states violate predefined constraint boundaries by utilizing a log‐type barrier Lyapunov function. Furthermore, the boundedness can be ensured for all the closed‐loop signals, and better tracking performance of the system is obtained within a finite‐time. Finally, the simulation examples are shown to prove the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed strategy.
Comparative pharmacokinetic study of nine bioactive components in osteoarthritis rat plasma using ultra‐performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry after single and combined oral administration of Epimedii Folium and Chuanxiong Rhizoma extracts
Authors: Wu Enhui , Zhang Jianhua , Chen Wenjun , Wang Yahong , Yin Hua
Published: October 2022

The herb pair Epimedii Folium–Chuanxiong Rhizoma (EF–CR), derived from the classical traditional Chinese medicine ‘Xian Ling Pi San’, has a distinctive compatibility therapeutic profile and is clinically safe and effective. This study aimed to investigate and compare the pharmacokinetic characteristics of nine analytes in osteoarthritis (OA) rat plasma after the oral administration of EF, CR or a combination of these two herbs. We developed an ultra‐performance liquid chromatography method coupled with quadrupole linear ion‐trap mass spectrometry to simultaneously quantify and assess the pharmacokinetics of icariin, epimedin A, epimedin B, epimedin C, icariside I, icariside II, ferulic acid, ligustilide and senkyunolide A of the EF–CR pair in the plasma of osteoarthritic rats. The pharmacokinetic parameters showed that the absorption of multiple components was significantly enhanced and residence time was prolonged in the EF–CR group (P < 0.05) compared to the single‐herb group. These parameters revealed that the combination of EF and CR exhibited synergistic effects of the nine bioactive components, suggesting the potential application of the EF–CR combination for the treatment of OA.
SERS spectroscopy with machine learning to analyze human plasma derived sEVs for coronary artery disease diagnosis and prognosis
Authors: Huang Xi , Liu Bo , Guo Shenghan , Guo Weihong , Liao Ke , Hu Guoku , Shi Wen , Kuss Mitchell , Duryee Michael J. , Anderson Daniel R. , Lu Yongfeng , Duan Bin
Published: October 2022

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is one of the major cardiovascular diseases and represents the leading causes of global mortality. Developing new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for CAD treatment are critically needed, especially for an early accurate CAD detection and further timely intervention. In this study, we successfully isolated human plasma small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) from four stages of CAD patients, that is, healthy control, stable plaque, non‐ST‐elevation myocardial infarction, and ST‐elevation myocardial infarction. Surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) measurement in conjunction with five machine learning approaches, including Quadratic Discriminant Analysis, Support Vector Machine (SVM), K‐Nearest Neighbor, Artificial Neural network, were then applied for the classification and prediction of the sEV samples. Among these five approaches, the overall accuracy of SVM shows the best predication results on both early CAD detection (86.4%) and overall prediction (92.3%). SVM also possesses the highest sensitivity (97.69%) and specificity (95.7%). Thus, our study demonstrates a promising strategy for noninvasive, safe, and high accurate diagnosis for CAD early detection.
Ultrasound evidence of altered lumbar fascia in patients with low back pain
Authors: Tamartash Hassan , Bahrpeyma Farid , Mokhtari Dizaji Manijhe
Published: October 2022

Different hypotheses have been proposed about the role of lumbar connective tissue in low back pain (LBP). However, none of the previous studies have examined the change in the elastic behavior of lumbar fascia in patients with LBP. The present study aimed to evaluate the changes in the elastic behavior of lumbar fascia in patients with chronic non‐specific LBP based on ultrasound imaging. The sonographic strain imaging assessed the thoracolumbar fascia (TLF) of 131 human subjects (68 LBP and 63 non‐LBP). Assessments were done at L2–L3 and L4–L5 levels bilaterally. The points were located 2 cm lateral to the midpoint of the interspinous ligament. There were no significant differences in age, sex, and BMI between LBP and healthy individuals. There is a strong inverse relationship between pain severity (r = −0.76, n = 68, p = 0.004) and the TLF elastic modulus coefficient. No significant relationship were observed between age (r = 0.053, n = 68, p = 0.600), BMI (r = −0.45, n = 68, p = 0.092), and gender (r = −0.09, n = 68, p = 0.231) with the TLF elasticity coefficient. The LBP group had a 25%–30% lower TLF elastic modulus coefficient than healthy individuals. The present study is the first to evaluate the elastic coefficient of TLF using the ultrasound imaging method. The study results showed that the TLF elastic coefficient in patients with LBP was reduced compared to healthy individuals and directly related to LBP severity.
The efficacy and cardiac toxicity of different‐dose pegylated liposomal doxorubicin in elderly patients with diffuse large B lymphoma
Authors: Li Li , Chen Rongrong , Zhou De , Sun Jianai , Wang Lulu , Zhu Lixia , Shen Huafei , Xie Wanzhuo , Ye Xiujin
Published: October 2022

Objectives

In order to explore the impact of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) dose intensity on survival outcomes of newly diagnosed elderly patients with diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL), we performed a retrospective study to compare the efficacy and adverse effects of RCEOP (70 mg/m2), RCdOP (20–30 mg/m2) and RCDOP (30–45 mg/m2). The optimal PLD dose of patients with different clinical characteristics of subgroups was explored to provide a clue for the selection of clinical PLD dose.

Methods

A total of 335 DLBCL patients (60–85 years old) who were newly diagnosed and completed at least four cycles of RCE(D)OP were selected. The patients were mainly divided into RCEOP (126 cases) (epirubicin 70 mg/m2), RCdOP (151 cases) (PLD 20–30 mg/m2) and RCdOP (58 cases) (PLD 30–45 mg/m2). The effects of different doses of PLD on clinical efficacy, cardiotoxicity and prognosis of patients were retrospectively analyzed. Subgroup analysis was performed to compare the clinical characteristics of different subgroups.

Results

Our study showed that PLD and epirubicin had similar efficacy (overall survival (OS) p = 0.776; progression‐free survival (PFS) p = 0.959). RCDOP (30–45 mg/m2 PLD) group had a higher complete remission (CR) rate of 75.9% compared with RCdOP (20–30 mg/m2 PLD) group (P D vs. d = 0.018). In the overall population, there was no significant difference in survival between RCDOP and RCdOP groups (OS P D vs. d = 0.661; PFS P D vs. d = 0.212). In patients with underlying cardiovascular diseases, the PFS of the RCDOP group was significantly better than the RCdOP group (p = 0.043). Meanwhile, patients in the RCDOP group tended to have a better prognosis than those in the RCEOP group (OS: RCDOP vs. RCEOP p = 0.054, PFS: RCDOP vs. RCEOP p = 0.053). There was no significant difference in the incidence of cardiotoxicity and other adverse events among the three groups. For the low‐risk (age‐adjusted‐International Prognostic Index = 0/1) old patients without cardiovascular disease, RCdOP was considered a better strategy in OS (p = 0.020).

Conclusion

In the general population, the CR rate in the RCDOP group was significantly higher than that in the RCdOP group (p = 0.018). For elderly DLBCL patients with cardiovascular disease, the effect benefit brought by the PLD dose was more obvious, and the PFS of the RCDOP group was significantly better than that of the RCdOP group (p = 0.043). Full dose of PLD is an efficient alternative in the treatment of patients with preexisting cardiovascular diseases.
Trends, predictors, and outcomes of transcatheter aortic valve implantation in patients with bicuspid aortic valve related disease: Insights from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample and Nationwide Readmission Database
Authors: Ullah Waqas , Zahid Salman , Muhammadzai Hamza , Khalil Fouad , Kumar Arnav , Minhas Abdul Mannan Khan , Khan Muhammad Zia , Virani Salim S. , Fischman David L. , Shah Pinak , Bhatt Deepak L.
Published: October 2022

Background

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has increasingly been utilized in patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) related aortic stenosis (AS) with insufficient large‐scale data on its safety.

Methods

The Nationwide Inpatient Sample and Nationwide Readmission Database (2011–2018) were queried to identify patients undergoing TAVI for BAV versus trileaflet aortic valve (TAV) associated AS. The in‐hospital, 30‐ and 180‐day odds of outcomes were assessed using a propensity‐matched analysis (PSM) to calculate adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with its 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results

A total of 216,723 TAVI (TAV: 214,050 and BAV: 2,673) crude and 5,347 matched population (TAV: 2,674 and BAV: 2,673) was included in the final analysis. At index admission, the adjusted odds of in‐hospital mortality (aOR: 1.57, 95% CI: 0.67–3.66), stroke (aOR: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.38–1.57), cardiac tamponade (aOR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.17–3.36), vascular complications (aOR: 0.33, 95% CI: 0.09–1.22), cardiogenic shock (aOR: 1.77, 95% CI: 0.93–3.38), paravalvular leak (aOR: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.26–1.14), need for mechanical circulatory support device, and permanent pacemaker implantation (PPM) (aOR: 1.02, 95% CI: 0.69–1.52) were not significantly different between TAVI for BAV versus TAV. At 30‐ and 180‐day follow‐up duration, the risk of stroke and major postprocedural complications remained similar, except that TAVI in BAV had a higher incidence of PPM implantation compared with TAV. The yearly trend showed an increase in the utilization of TAVI for both TAV and BAV and a steady decline in the overall annual rate of in‐hospital complications.

Conclusion

TAVI utilization in patients with BAV has increased over the recent years. The relative odds of in‐hospital mortality, and all other major complications, were similar between patients undergoing TAVI for BAV‐ and TAV‐related AS.
Novel technique for transcatheter closure of sinus venosus atrial septal defect: The temporary suture‐holding technique
Authors: Hejazi Yahia , Hijazi Ziyad M. , Saloos Hesham Al , Ibrahim Haytham , Mann Gurdeep S. , Boudjemline Younes
Published: October 2022

Background

Transcatheter repair of sinus venosus atrial septal defect (SVASD) has become an alternative option to surgical repair. There are potential significant complications related to stent stability in the superior vena cava (SVC) and potential migration of the stent that need to be addressed. Therefore, the technique is still evolving.

Objectives

To report results of a new modification “the suture technique” that improves safety profile of positioning and securing a covered stent in the SVC.

Methods

This is a descriptive, single center, retrospective review of patients who underwent SVASD closure using the suture technique at our institution between 02/2020 and 08/2022.

Results

Fourteen patients underwent transcatheter repair of SVASD using the suture technique. All procedures were successful. The suture technique allowed precise stent placement in all patients without any migration or complication. Six patients required additional stent placement at the level of the SVC. One patient had an additional covered stent placed to eliminate a tiny residual shunt. Two patients had negligible residual shunts at the time of the procedure. At follow‐up, all patients clinically improved and had significant reduction in right heart size on echocardiography and/or magnetic resonance imaging. No arrhythmia was reported in any patient. None required re‐intervention after a mean follow‐up of 16.5 ± SD 10.5 months.

Conclusions

The suture technique appears to be safe modification. Although our study involves small sample size with no comparative group, we believe our technique offers greater control over stent positioning, reducing the risk of stent embolization and residual shunting in transcatheter closure of SVASD.
The dilemma of juvenile fibrous dysplasia versus chronic osteomyelitis of the posterior mandible: A case report
Authors: Zain‐Alabdeen Ebtihal , Abdelfattah Ashraf , Kordi Osama , Al‐Sadhan Ra’ed
Published: October 2022

The clinical and radiographic dilemma of fibrous dysplasia versus osteomyelitis is highlighted in this case of a 4‐year‐old girl with a bony hard swelling in mandibular body and ramus. Rather than relying on histopathological appearance alone, dental professionals should be familiar with the radiographic differences between the two conditions.
Transport, Spectroscopic, and Electrical Properties of Thermally Rearranged Nanocomposite Membranes
Authors: Patel Harsh D. , Acharya Naveen K.
Published: October 2022

Nanocomposite membranes are a class of innovative filtering materials consisting of nanofillers embedded in a polymeric or inorganic oxide matrix that functionalizes the membrane. Thermally rearranged (TR) polymers have a good blend of selectivity and permeability. Nanocomposite membranes were tested after applying a TR process. The selectivity decreases with increasing permeability, showing a trade‐off relationship between permeability and selectivity. TR polymer nanocomposite exhibits higher gas permeability than silica‐doped and pure polymer. The selectivity for H2/N2 and H2/CO2 gas pairs exceeds the Robeson upper‐bound limit, and in the case of the H2/CH4 gas pair. The selectivity for H2/N2 , H2/CH4 and H2/CO2 gas pairs exceeds the Robeson upper‐bound limit.
Monitoring of Oxygen, pH, CO2, and Biomass in Smart Single‐Use Shake Flasks
Authors: Maschke Rüdiger W. , John Gernot T. , Eibl Dieter
Published: October 2022

Shake flasks enjoy great popularity due to their ease‐of‐use and cost‐effectiveness. Furthermore, using single‐use shake flasks provides additional advantages over reusable glass versions, since they do not need to be cleaned or pre‐sterilized. Despite their widespread use, there are, however, clear disadvantages associated with using shake flasks, which are primarily related to the lack of measurement and control capabilities. Therefore, this article discusses how optical sensors can be employed in single‐use shake flasks to measure oxygen, carbon dioxide, pH, and biomass.
Laboratory testing of dispersant effectiveness at high pressures
Authors: Antoniou Eleftheria , Kalogerakis Nicolas
Published: October 2022

Oil spills remain a serious environmental problem, and can have significant economic and ecological consequences. Despite the advantages, accidental deep‐sea oil releases during offshore exploration or production activities are of particular concern as the potential for such incidents increases significantly as we move to deeper waters. Dispersants are important mitigation tools as they have the capability to disperse the oil into a cloud of tiny oil droplets that can be readily degraded by hydrocarbon degraders if suitable environmental conditions prevail. In the case of an offshore incident, the dispersant is injected near the point of crude oil release so that dispersion is more effective. Given that our experience with subsea dispersant use is limited, the effect of pressure on the effectiveness of the dispersant has not been established, and hence, the composition and amount of dispersant to be injected has not been optimized. For typical surface oil spills, dispersant effectiveness is experimentally measured under laboratory conditions by the US‐Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) baffled flask test, which was later adapted as ASTM standard method F3251. Despite its extended use, this test cannot be used for testing dispersants at elevated pressures. In order to see whether pressure affects dispersant effectiveness, we developed a simple laboratory test protocol using a high‐pressure reactor (HPR). In addition, the effectiveness of five commercially available dispersants (COREXIT™ EC9500A, COREXIT™ EC9500B and COREXIT™ EC9527A, Marichem™, and Oiler 60) applied to a dead light crude oil has been determined at various pressures for the first time, and these values have been related to the standard baffled flask test (BFT) at atmospheric pressure. It is shown that pressure increase adversely affects dispersant effectiveness; however, the effect varies from a few percent to nearly a 50% decrease for a pressure increase of 100 bar depending on the particular dispersant used.
Self‐Assembly of Linear, Natural Antimicrobial Peptides: An Evolutionary Perspective
Authors: Baltutis Verity , O'Leary Paul D. , Martin Lisandra L.
Published: October 2022

Antimicrobial peptides are an ancient and innate system of host defence against a wide range of microbial assailants. Mechanistically, unstructured peptides undergo a secondary structure transition into amphipathic α‐helices, upon contact with membrane surfaces. This leads to peptide binding and removal of the membrane components in a detergent‐like manner or via self‐organisation into trans‐membrane pores (either barrel‐stave or toroidal pore) thereby destroying the microbe. Self‐assembly of antimicrobial peptides into oligomers and ultimately amyloid has been mostly examined in parallel, however recent findings link diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease as an aberrant activity of a protective neuropeptide with antimicrobial activity. These self‐assembled oligomers can also interact with membranes. Here, we review those antimicrobial peptides reported to self‐assemble into amyloid, where supported by structural evidence. We consider their membrane activities as antimicrobial peptides and present evidence of consistent self‐assembly patterns across major evolutionary groups. Trends are apparent across these groups, supporting the mounting data that self‐assembly of antimicrobial peptides into amyloid should be considered as synergistic to the antimicrobial peptide response.
A logic “OR” gate composed of a blue light‐induced CRISPR/dCas9 system and a Tet‐on system activates cancer suppressor genes to inhibit the growth of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma cells
Authors: Huang Xinbo , Wang Jieyi , Wu Xia , Jiang Bin , Chen Menghui , Chen Han , Mao Yan , zhou Cheng , Yu Bo
Published: October 2022

Optogenetic systems and tetracycline‐induced expression systems have been used in biological research. In gene circuits, light and tetracycline are often used to control the activation or inhibition of gene expression. In our study, we used a blue light induction system and tetracycline induction system to construct an “OR” logic gate, which can specifically induce the expression of p53 protein or E‐cadherin in the case of blue light or tetracycline, thus inhibiting the growth of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma cells. Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma is a kind of skin surface tumour. The activation of two tumour suppressor genes has a synergistic inhibitory effect on cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, and blue light and tetracycline also provide a flexible means for gene regulation.