bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Biomedical Efficacy of Garlic‐Extract‐Loaded Core‐Sheath Plasters for Natural Antimicrobial Wound Care
Authors: Majd Hamta , Gultekinoglu Merve , Bayram Cem , Karaosmanoğlu Beren , Taşkıran Ekim Z. , Kart Didem , Erol Özgür Doğuş , Harker Anthony , Edirisinghe Mohan
Published: April 2024

This work explores the application of Allium sativum (Garlic) extract, in the creation of novel polymeric core‐sheath fibers for wound therapy applications. The core‐sheath pressurized gyration (CS PG) technology is utilized to mass‐produce fibers with a polycaprolactone (PCL) core and a polyethylene oxide (PEO) sheath, loaded with garlic extract. The produced fibers maintain structural integrity, long‐term stability and provide a cell‐friendly surface with rapid antibacterial activity. The physical properties, morphology, therapeutic delivery, cytotoxicity, thermal and chemical stability of PCL, PEO, PEO/Garlic, Core‐Sheath (CS) PEO/PCL and PEO/Garlic/PCL fibers are analyzed. Findings show that the addition of garlic extract greatly increases the fibers’ thermal durability, while decreasing their diameter, thus improving cell adhesion and proliferation. In‐vitro release tests reveal a rapid release of garlic extract, which has significant antibacterial action against both Gram‐negative Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Gram‐positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) bacteria species. Cell viability experiments validate the fiber samples' biocompatibility and nontoxicity, making them appropriate for integrative medicine applications. These core‐sheath structures emphasize the potential of combining natural therapeutic agents with advanced material technologies to develop cost‐effective, sustainable and highly effective wound dressings, offering a promising solution to the growing concerns associated with conventional synthetic antibacterial agents.
A Systematic Study and Biomedical Investigation on O‐Terphenyl Incorporated Copper(II) Chloride Crystal via Slow Evaporation Technique
Authors: Ponsankarar Lalitha , Srinivasan Arumugam , Vallinayagam Sugumari , Arockiaswamy Sinthiya , Chinnappa Nivetha , Manickam Muthuselvam , Umapathy Devan , Arockiam Antony Joseph Velanganni
Published: April 2024

Current research trends emphasize the need to characterize and analyze the biomedical applications and antibacterial/fungal activity and anticancer studies of O‐terphenyl incorporated copper (II) chloride (OTCC) single crystals by the method of slow evaporation. For this research, a brand‐new inorganic competitive coordination approach is used for crystal formation. As a result, single crystal X‐ray diffraction examination validated the growth of phase in the OTCC crystal. A powder X‐ray diffraction (PXRD) study confirmed the crystalline purity. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR) analysis is used to identify the functional groups of organic substances contained in the sample. This sample's optical transparency is assessed using a UV‐Vis‐NIR between 200 and 800 nm in wavelength. In these recent trends, emphasized chemically supported investigation into OTCC crystals and their antibacterial activity and anticancer activity against pathogens are revealed. The outcome of this work will be the effect of metal doping with organic‐based materials, which could be an important reliable weapon in the field of cancer treatment. Many researchers during recent years has done tremendous work exploring and developing drug designs, whereas attention has been drawn to metal‐based organic crystals, metal‐based crystals have the most effect on drug resistance and treat cancer cells. The biological efficacy of this crystal is tested, and it is discovered to have pharmacological qualities such as antibacterial and anticancer capabilities.
Complex Impedance Study of Graphite Nanopowder (GNP) Reinforced Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA)‐Bismuth Ferrite (BiFeO3) Composite Films
Authors: Shrivastava Shubham , Chakroborty Subhendu , Yadav Tarun , Moharana Srikanta , Malviya Jitendra
Published: April 2024

In this work, the graphite nanopowder (GNP) reinforced poly(vinyl alcohol) based Bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3; BFO) composite films with different weight percentages of GNP using a solution casting technique. The electrical properties of GNP‐reinforced PVA composites are investigated using a complex impedance spectroscopy (CIS) technique to show the bulk and grain effect with the rise in frequency by an impedance analyzer in a frequency range from 102 to 106 Hz at room temperature. The single semicircle is showing in the complex planes using the real and imaginary impedance characteristics. The GNP‐reinforced PVA composite films show evidence of bulk and grain impact in complicated impedance analysis. Based on the Nyquist plot, it appeared that only the bulk effects of the resultant composite systems are present.
Dielectric and Electrical Behavior of Apraseodymium Based Tungsten Bronze Ceramics
Authors: Devi Saraswati , Behera Saubhagyalaxmi , Moharana Srikanta , Chakroborty Subhendu , Barik Arundhati
Published: April 2024

The ceramic oxide Na2Ba2Pr2W2Ti4Nb4O30 (NBPWTN) is prepared by a mechanical mixed oxide route. The compound formation and the phase are concluded from the x‐ray diffraction pattern taken at room temperature (XRD). The uniform distribution of grains of various sizes with negligible voids is studied from scanning electron micrograph of the sample pellet. The presence of dielectric dispersion and ferroelectric phase in the material is observed from the temperature‐dependent dielectric parameters at selected frequencies. The existence of ferroelectricity in the material is further confirmed by the room temperature hysteresis loop. Impedance spectroscopic studies informed about the correlation between the microstructure and electrical behavior. The frequency variation of AC conductivity refers to Jonscher's law. The temperature variation of frequency exponent term n indicates OLPT (overlapping large polaron‐tunneling) model of the conduction mechanism in the sample. NBPWTN is a strong candidate for applications involving thermistor‐related devices because of the temperature dependency of resistance. The value of temperature sensitivity coefficient β in our investigation is achieved between 2000 and 11 000 K, confirming that the material has a high‐temperature stability property and is ideal for high‐temperature electronics applications. The high room temperature dielectric constant value of the ceramic (around 500) is useful for dielectric capacitor applications.
RP HPLC Enabled Novel Analytical Method for the Development and Quantification of Cefuroxime Axetil in its Bulk Drug and Pharmaceutical Formulations
Authors: Mishra Haragouri , Behera Amulyaratna , Kar Sidhartha Shankar , Dash Swagatika
Published: April 2024

Current investigations aim to develop and validate an accurate, simple, specific, and precise RP‐HPLC method for the detection of cefuroxime axetil, in bulk and tablet dosage forms. Despite extensive literature reviews, no method could be found for estimating the variables mentioned above. The chromatographic separation is achieved on Sunfire C18 column (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 µm) of HPLC (Agilent Tech 1100), with 5 µm mobile phase composed of methanol, orthophosphoric acid (0.05%) adjusted to a pH of 3.0 in water, 40:60% v/v triethylamine using isocratic mode of elution, at wavelength 278.0 nm using UV Spectrophotometer, temperature 25 °C, detection is done. The developed method is done as per ICH guidelines. A linear calibration curve is found to be linear in concentrations between 1 and 5 µg mL−1 (r2 = 0.9995). The percentage recoveries of cefuroxime axetil are found to be in the range of 95.68–96.98%. The percentage of relative standard deviations in intraday trials is found to be 0.61, 0.66, and 0.88, respectively, and in interday studies are 0.06, 0.16, and 0.29, respectively, demonstrating good accuracy and little variance. The proposed method is highly sensitive, robust, precise, accurate, and the use of green solvents makes this method safe and efficacious.
Unveiling the Potential of Coffee Grounds, Banana Peels and Egg Shells as an Eco‐Friendly and Sustainable Fertilizer
Authors: Aboelkheir Mostafa Galal , Filho Nicolle Ferreira , Gomes Fernando
Published: April 2024

Coffee grounds, along with other organic materials like eggshells and banana peels, offer a promising solution for improving food security. This research brings innovation to the forefront by reimagining kitchen waste as a valuable resource for sustainable agriculture, introducing a multicomponent fertilizer approach, exploring different application methods, and focusing on a staple crop, ultimately contributing to the broader discourse on food security and environmental conservation. This study evaluated the effect of coffee grounds, eggshells, and banana peels as fertilizers on the growth and germination of Phaseolus vulgaris (common bean) plants. Two types of fertilizers are prepared: a dry mixture and a wet mixture obtained by boiling the dry mixture in water for 15 min. The height of the plants is measured weekly over a period of four weeks. The results indicated that the wet fertilizer mixture is more effective in promoting plant growth than the dry mixture. Plants that received the wet fertilizer mixture exhibited a higher growth rate and reached a greater height than those that received the dry mixture. It can be concluded that the wet fertilizer mixture is more efficient in promoting the growth of Phaseolus vulgaris plants than the dry mixture.
Estimation of Lexisinatide in Bulk and Tablets by RP‐UPLC Method Developed by Quality by Design Concept
Authors: Godela Ramreddy , Venugopal Muralidharan , Yagnambhatla Rajendra , Gugulothu Suryam , Mayasa Vinyas , Maddukuri Sravya , Patil Archana S.
Published: April 2024

The primary goal of the proposed study is to establish and validate a low‐cost, sensitive, reliable, and trouble‐free RP‐UPLC process with improved performance for the direct estimation of Lixisenatide in pure powder and fixed‐dose tablet form. The proposed method is optimized by implementing quality by design studies. The method is optimized using quadratic model of central composite design (CCD) of randomized response surface study. Successful separation of Lixisenatide is obtained by the use of Phenyl‐XBD (1.7 µm, 2.1 mm × 100 mm) column and a mobile phase of acetonitrile: 0.1% w/v OPA (60:40) with 0.5 mL min−1 flow rate. The separated Lixisenatide and its degradants are explorated with PDA detector which has the ability to provide comprehensive spectral information, rapid data acquisition, quantitative analysis, and peak purity analysis of all compounds simultaneously. The RT of Lixisenatide is found to be 1.34 min. The lowest concentration of Lixisenatide's limit of detection and limit of quantification makes guarantees regarding the method's sensitivity. For the provided range of linear concentrations (1.25–7.5 µg mL−1), the regression coefficient is found to be 0.999. The computed average percentage recoveries of Lixisenatide in spiked solutions ranged from 98.9% to 101.2%. The % degradation of Lixisenatide in the presence of a variety of forced conditions confirms the existing method's stability. Lixisenatide is significantly photo sensitive when compared to other stressful conditions such as acid, base hydrolysis, and oxidation. The proposed UPLC approach separates Lixisenatide with high sensitivity, a short retention time, and an affordable solvent system.
Structural Modeling, Spectroscopic Signature and NBO Analysis of Octopamine and Its Radical
Authors: Yadav Nagendra , Yadav Tarun , Vishwkarma Anil Kumar , Chakroborty Subhendu , Tripathi Pankaj Kumar , Pandey Fanindra Pati , Pathak Amit , Ansari Mariyam
Published: April 2024

The present communication deals with theoretical vibrational spectroscopic signature (IR and Raman) of octopamine molecule and its radical. All theoretical calculations for octopamine and its radical are performed at DFT/B3LYP/6‐31++G (d, p) level. Besides, the vibrational frequencies of these two structures has been compared. Most of the vibrational frequencies agree well with experimental ones. It has been documented how the geometrical characteristics and vibrational frequencies of octopamine are affected when hydrogen is removed from the oxygen atom's site. The HOMO‐LUMO energy gap in the case of neutral form of octopamine is computed to be 5.42 eV while for deprotonated octopamine this gap has been increased by 0.78 eV. The NBO analysis is also performed to ensure stability of radical of octopamine. The magnitude of occupancy at bonding orbitals within the 0.997–0.885e, and 0.996–0.885e range in octopamine and octopamine, respectively, is calculated.
A Review on Seed Oil‐Based Polyurethane and Its Composites Derived from Biosources: Synthesis, Degradation, and Adsorption Studies
Authors: Vijayan Jyothy G. , Prabhu T. Niranjana
Published: April 2024

Polyurethanes (PUs) are versatile polymers used in industries at large scale. PUs are in used in the form of foam, elastomers, adhesives, fibers, thermosets, thermoplastics, etc. Polyols and isocyanates are the two compounds used to synthesize PU. Day by day increasing price of crude oil and its destructive impact on the environment motivate researchers to develop bio‐PU. Seed oils are attracting nowadays because of their renewability and low cost. They are the best substitutes for fossil fuel‐based polyol used in the preparation of PUs. However, these bio‐based PUs show lower thermal, mechanical properties, which needs improvement to further their utilization. The need to maintain a cleaner environment for the survival of both aquatic and terrestrial lives including human beings is very crucial and is a subject of increasing concern to the environmentalists. The removal of heavy metals, dyes, and organic pollutants from wastewater before their discharge in the environmental is very important due to its polluting effect on the underground water. This review article emphasizes on to provide insight on the developments in the field of chemistry, types, and synthesis of various PUs, as well as on the components used to synthesize bio‐based PUs and water treatment applications. Additionally, details on the PU's environmental friendliness are highlighted, with a focus on their potential to recycling and recovery. This review also highlights the details of the synthesis, uses, and potential futures of PU composites.
Recommendations for the Management of Initial and Refractory Pediatric Status Dystonicus
Authors: Vogt Lindsey M. , Yang Kathryn , Tse Gabriel , Quiroz Vicente , Zaman Zainab , Wang Laura , Srouji Rasha , Tam Amy , Estrella Elicia , Manzi Shannon , Fasano Alfonso , Northam Weston T. , Stone Scellig , Moharir Mahendranath , Gonorazky Hernan , McAlvin Brian , Kleinman Monica , LaRovere Kerri L. , Gorodetsky Carolina , Ebrahimi‐Fakhari Darius
Published: April 2024

Status dystonicus is the most severe form of dystonia with life‐threatening complications if not treated promptly. We present consensus recommendations for the initial management of acutely worsening dystonia (including pre–status dystonicus and status dystonicus), as well as refractory status dystonicus in children. This guideline provides a stepwise approach to assessment, triage, interdisciplinary treatment, and monitoring of status dystonicus. The clinical pathways aim to: (1) facilitate timely recognition/triage of worsening dystonia, (2) standardize supportive and dystonia‐directed therapies, (3) provide structure for interdisciplinary cooperation, (4) integrate advances in genomics and neuromodulation, (5) enable multicenter quality improvement and research, and (6) improve outcomes. © 2024 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
Parameterized algorithms for Steiner tree and (connected) dominating set on path graphs
Authors: de Figueiredo Celina M. H. , Lopes Raul , de Melo Alexsander A. , Silva Ana
Published: April 2024

Chordal graphs are the intersection graphs of subtrees of a tree, while interval graphs of subpaths of a path. Undirected path graphs, directed path graphs and rooted directed path graphs are intermediate graph classes, defined, respectively, as the intersection graphs of paths of a tree, of directed paths of an oriented tree, and of directed paths of an out branching. All of these path graphs have vertex leafage 2. Dominating Set, Connected Dominating Set, and Steiner tree problems are ‐hard parameterized by the size of the solution on chordal graphs, ‐complete on undirected path graphs, and polynomial‐time solvable on rooted directed path graphs, and hence also on interval graphs. We further investigate the (parameterized) complexity of all these problems when constrained to chordal graphs, taking the vertex leafage and the aforementioned classes into consideration. We prove that Dominating Set, Connected Dominating Set, and Steiner tree are on chordal graphs when parameterized by the size of the solution plus the vertex leafage, and that Weighted Connected Dominating Set is polynomial‐time solvable on strongly chordal graphs. We also introduce a new subclass of undirected path graphs, which we call in–out rooted directed path graphs, as the intersection graphs of directed paths of an in–out branching. We prove that Dominating Set, Connected Dominating Set, and Steiner tree are solvable in polynomial time on this class, generalizing the polynomiality for rooted directed path graphs proved by Booth and Johnson (SIAM J. Comput. 11 (1982), 191‐199.) and by White et al. (Networks 15 (1985), 109‐124.).
A web‐based survey on the occurrence of emotional blunting in patients with major depressive disorder in Japan: Patient perceptions and attitudes
Authors: Kikuchi Toshiaki , Iga Jun‐ichi , Oosawa Masato , Hoshino Tatsuya , Moriguchi Yoshiya , Izutsu Miwa
Published: April 2024

Aims

To determine the prevalence and impact of emotional blunting (EB) in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) in Japan, and identify treatment needs for EB using patients' perceptions and attitudes.

Methods

Eligible patients in Japan (aged 18–59 years) who reported a diagnosis of MDD and antidepressant medication use for >3 months were eligible to complete an online survey. The primary outcome was the prevalence of EB, self‐reported using a validated screening question. Secondary outcomes included the correlation between EB symptoms (measured by the Oxford Depression Questionnaire [ODQ]) and scores on the Patient Health Questionnaire 9‐item (PHQ‐9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7‐item (GAD‐7), Work and Social Adjustment Scale (WSAS), and the EuroQol 5‐Dimension 5‐Levels questionnaire (EQ‐5D‐5L). Descriptive questions were used to explore patients' perceptions and attitudes toward EB.

Results

In total, 3376 patients were included in the analysis (56% male; 48% aged 50–59 years). Overall, 67.1% of patients self‐reported symptoms of EB, with 10% rating these as severe. The mean (SD) ODQ total score was 78.2 (21.5), which increased with worsening EB symptoms. There were correlations between ODQ total scores and the PHQ‐9, GAD‐7, WSAS, and EQ‐5D‐5L scores (correlation coefficients: 0.67, 0.55, 0.56, −0.51, respectively; all p < 0.0001). Descriptive analyses showed that one‐third of patients reporting EB symptoms did not tell their physician, with two‐thirds finding these symptoms distressing and likely to affect recovery.

Conclusion

EB is an important clinical issue in Japan that needs to be considered alongside functional recovery when managing treatment of patients with MDD.
Synthesis of chitosan and gum arabic functionalized silver nanocomposite for efficient removal of methylene blue and antibacterial activity
Authors: Bharathi Devaraj , Wadaan Mohammad Ahmad , Mythili R. , Lee Jintae
Published: April 2024

The discharge of industrial effluent has a harmful effect on the aquatic ecosystems and surrounding environment. The unprocessed discharge of organic dyes into the aquatic environment is a significant contributor to the aquatic pollution. Hence, it is imperative to ensure the proper disposal of organic colorants and their derivatives before their discharge into wastewater. The present study aimed to synthesis silver (Ag) nanocomposite using gum arabic (GA) and chitosan (CS) by an environment‐friendly and sustainable method. The formulated Ag nanocomposite was characterized using UV–visible, FTIR, TEM coupled with EDS. The FTIR analysis demonstrated the existence of polymers that have a crucial role in the formation of nano‐Ag‐composite. TEM revealed that the synthesized Ag nanocomposite had a spherical nanostructure, with diameters ranging from 18 to 95 nm. Further studies were conducted on Ag nanocomposite to analyze the breakdown of Methylene Blue (MB) under visible light irradiation. The synthesized Ag nanocomposite demonstrated a removal efficiency of 93.3% for MB after 60 min. Furthermore, the reusability of the Ag nanocomposite was studied, and it demonstrated substantial photocatalytic activity after three consecutive cycles. In addition, Ag nanocomposite (100 μg/mL) demonstrated potential inhibition against Escherichia coli (20 mm) and Staphylococcus aureus (18 mm). Finally, our findings showed that the synthesized nanocomposite can be employed as an outstanding photocatalyst and also bactericidal agent in both industrial and clinical sectors.
A flame‐retardant, dendrite‐inhibiting sandwich separator prepared by electrospinning for high‐performance and safety lithium batteries
Authors: Li Zhirui , Liao Can , Han Longfei , Cao Yukun , Huang Ju , Kan Yongchun , Hu Yuan
Published: April 2024

As the “safety switch” of lithium batteries, the separator controls the electrochemical performance and safety performance of lithium batteries. However, highly flammable and easy to induce lithium dendrite generation of commercial polyolefin pose a huge safety hazard for current commercial lithium‐ion batteries. Therefore, developing a flame‐retardant, lithium dendrite‐inhibiting separator can achieve further leap in the lithium battery industry. A “sandwich” separator (SPS‐B) is designed by integrating silk fibroin (SF), decabromodiphenyl ethane, and polyvinyl alcohol through electrospinning. SPS‐B shows excellent flame‐retardant properties through a free radical trapping mechanism. Moreover, the SPS‐B demonstrated satisfactory capability of suppressing lithium dendrites by constructing Li3N‐SEI with high ionic conductivity and high strength, and the secondary structure β‐sheets of SF can inhibit the “tip effect” of lithium dendrites, which enables efficient lithium plating/stripping in Li//Li and Li//Cu cells. In addition, the enhanced porosity, electrolyte affinity of SPS‐B promotes excellent electrochemical performance with enhanced discharge capacity and reduced concentration polarization. Finally, fire risk of soft‐pack batteries are evaluated by continuous external heating. Compared with commercial separator, soft‐pack batteries with SPS‐B show much lower heat release rate, peak temperature and flue gas release rate, further confirming the effectiveness of SPS‐B in reducing fire risk. Overall, the SPS‐B provides a satisfactory way to develop high‐performance and superior safety lithium batteries.
Preparation of superhydrophobic asymmetric vitrimer coating with high porosity and the key role of hierarchical pocket structure on long freeze delay time and high durability
Authors: Xiong Yang , Zhang Zihong , Liu Ying , Ye Min , Hu Chengyao , Chen Jun , Huang Yawen
Published: April 2024

It is still a big challenge to prepare superhydrophobic anti‐icing coatings with long freeze delay performance and high durability. In this work, in different with conventional flexible porous coating, we prepared an asymmetric coating with hierarchical pocket structure by a facile hot‐pressing/salt‐leaching (BHS) method on a polyacrylate vitrimer polymer with mellability. The asymmetric architecture endowed porous coating with low density and high adhesion strength. The in‐situ growth of silica nanoparticles in above porous coating and surface modification generated a superhydrophobic hierarchical pocket structure. As a result, the freezing delay time was drastically increased to 14,400 s at −10°C. Furthermore, owing to hierarchical pocket structure, the coating could maintain its superhydrophobicity and anti‐icing performance under water flow impacting at 10 kPa pressure, 30 cycles of sandpaper abrasion, 50 cycles of tape peeling, showing advantageous high durability. By employing the hierarchical porous coating on heat exchangers, the energy consumption was drastically reduced by 93%.
Poly(vinyl alcohol)/graphene nanoplatelet nanocomposites: Elucidation of the nanofiller, dispersing agent, and interphase effects on thermomechanical properties
Authors: Mansourian‐Tabaei Mohammad , Al‐Sughayer Rami , Rushing Grace , Ucak‐Astarlioglu Mine G. , Al‐Ostaz Ahmed , Nouranian Sasan
Published: April 2024

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/graphene nanoplatelet (GnP) nanocomposite films were fabricated by a solution casting method. High loadings (30–40 wt.%) of two GnP grades, that is, xGnP C300 (low surface area/large size) and C750 (high surface area/small size), were utilized in combination with three commercial dispersing agents, that is, DISPERBYK‐161, DISPERBYK‐162 TF, and DISPERBYK‐2014, to yield films with desirable stiffness and energy dissipation characteristics (dynamic mechanical analysis, DMA), as well as thermal properties (thermogravimetric analysis, TGA) for potential impact resistance applications. The addition of GnPs and dispersing agents to PVA leads to a maximum six‐fold increase in its Young's modulus for the PVA sample containing 40 wt.% C300 GnPs and DISPERBYK‐162 TF. However, the modulus of resilience drops dramatically for the same sample (about 18‐fold decrease), as expected. Also, C300 GnPs yield nanocomposites with higher Young's moduli that those obtained using C750 GnPs. The atomic force microscopy stiffness maps illustrate that C300 GnPs disperse better in the PVA matrix. Furthermore, the average interphase thickness in the PVA‐C300 nanocomposites (~300 nm) is almost double that of PVA‐C750 nanocomposites. Based on the TGA results, the addition of GnPs and dispersing agent to the PVA matrix leads to a moderate increase (an average of 3.5%) in the value of the neat PVA, while its char yield increases by an average 8.5‐fold. Specifically, the PVA/GnP nanocomposites containing DISPERBYK‐162 TF yield the largest and char yield values than the other systems. The insights gained in this work can guide the design of coatings for impact resistance applications.
Characteristics and treatment of acute myeloid neoplasms with cutaneous involvement in infants up to 6 months of age: A retrospective study
Authors: Renaud Juliette , Goemans Bianca F. , Locatelli Franco , Pigazzi Martina , Redmond Shelagh , Kuehni Claudia E. , Destaillats Alice , Alonzo Todd A. , Gerbing Robert B. , Gamis Alan , Aplenc Richard , Renella Raffaele , Cooper Todd , Ceppi Francesco
Published: April 2024

Background

Myeloid neoplasms account for 50% of cases of pediatric leukemias in infants. Approximately 25%–50% of patients with newborn leukemia have cutaneous extramedullary disease (EMD). In less than 10% of patients, aleukemic leukemia cutis or isolated extramedullary disease with cutaneous involvement (cEMD) occurs when skin lesions appear prior to bone marrow involvement and systemic symptoms. Interestingly, in acute myeloid leukemia with cutaneous EMD (AML‐cEMD) and cEMD, spontaneous remissions have been reported.

Method

This is a multicentric retrospective cohort study aiming to describe characteristics, treatment, and outcome of infants with either cEMD or presence of cutaneous disease with involvement of the bone marrow (AML‐cEMD). This study included patients born between 1990 and 2018 from Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United States, diagnosed between 0 and 6 months of life with cEMD or AML‐cEMD. Descriptive statistics, Fisher's exact test, Kaplan–Meier method, and log rank test were applied.

Results

The cohort consisted of n = 50 patients, including 42 AML‐cEMD and eight cEMD patients. The most common genetic mutation found was a KMT2A rearrangement (n = 26, 52%). Overall 5‐year event‐free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) were 66% [confidence interval (CI): 51–78] and 75% [CI: 60–85], respectively. In two patients, complete spontaneous remission occurred without any therapy. Central nervous system (CNS) involvement was found in 25% of cEMD patients. No difference in outcomes was observed between the AML‐cEMD and cEMD groups, but none of the latter patients included in the study died. KMT2A rearrangements were not associated with poorer prognosis.

Conclusion

In the largest cohort to date, our study describes the characteristics of infants with cutaneous involvement of myeloid neoplasms including cytomolecular findings and survival rates. Further prospective biologic and clinical studies of these infants with myeloid neoplasms will be required to individualize therapy for this rare patient population.
Familial genetic and environmental transmission of depression: A multi‐informant twin family study
Authors: Ding Qingwen , Zhou Yueyue , Yu Shuting , Cui Xiaobing , Wang Xiaoyu , Li Xinying
Published: April 2024

The phenomenon of familial clustering in depression is well established, yet the mechanisms by which depression is transmitted within families remain poorly understood. In the current study, we investigate the familial genetic and environmental transmission of depression by incorporating data from both adolescent twins and their parents. A total of 987 twin families were recruited from the Beijing Twin Study. Depression assessments were conducted for both adolescents and their parents. Twins' depression was assessed through reports from both the twins themselves and their parents, while parental depression was assessed by parental self‐report. We employed a nuclear twin family model to examine genetic and environmental influences on adolescent depression. Our results, based on both self‐ and parent‐report, demonstrate significant additive and dominant genetic influences on depression. We also found mild yet significant sibling environmental influences, while familial environmental influences were absent. Notably, parent‐reported depression showed higher heritability but lower unique environmental influences compared with self‐reported depression. These results highlight the important role of genetic transmission and sibling environmental transmission in explaining depression. Our study delineates the underlying mechanism of familial transmission in depression and can inform early treatments to halt transmission during adolescence.
Shear relaxation behavior for degraded polypropylene melt in torque rheometer
Authors: Jiang Taijun , Xu Cheng , Chen Duanfeng , Hu Can , Zeng Guangsheng
Published: April 2024

Shear relaxation behavior for polymer melt exists in different processing techniques and influences the dimensional accuracy and production efficiency of polymer products. A micro physical and mathematical model based on microstructure of polymer chains and processing parameters was established and verified by experimental results obtained from a torque rheometer. The shear relaxation time of polypropylene degraded by di‐tert‐butyl peroxide was characterized with torque rheometer. The effects of microstructure and processing parameters on the shear relaxation time was investigated. The results showed that a wider molecular weight distribution could result in a decrease in shear relaxation time and polypropylene chains with higher molecular weight were more sensitive to molecular weight distribution. The shear relaxation time declined exponentially with shear rate and increased with internal pressure. The temperature could enhance the movement of polymer chains and reduce the shear relaxation time linearly, but polypropylene with lower molecular weight was less sensitive to temperature. The insight obtained from the mathematical and experimental results can be profoundly applied in practical process control to manufacture product with better dimensional stability and production efficiency for viscoelastic polymer.

Highlights

A physical and mathematical model based on microstructure and processing parameters of molecular chains was established to explore the shear relaxation mechanism.

Shear relaxation time of polypropylene degraded by di‐tert‐butyl peroxide was characterized with the help of torque rheometer.

The effects of microstructure and processing parameters on shear relaxation time was investigated to optimize the manufacturing of polypropylene products.
Unveiling the interaction mechanisms of cold atmospheric plasma and amino acids by machine learning
Authors: Chai Zhao‐Nan , Wang Xu‐Cheng , Yusupov Maksudbek , Zhang Yuan‐Tao
Published: April 2024

Plasma medicine has attracted tremendous interest in a variety of medical conditions, ranging from wound healing to antimicrobial applications, even in cancer treatment, through the interactions of cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) and various biological tissues directly or indirectly. The underlying mechanisms of CAP treatment are still poorly understood although the oxidative effects of CAP with amino acids, peptides, and proteins have been explored experimentally. In this study, machine learning (ML) technology is introduced to efficiently unveil the interaction mechanisms of amino acids and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in seconds based on the data obtained from the reactive molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, which are performed to probe the interaction of five types of amino acids with various ROS on the timescale of hundreds of picoseconds but with the huge computational load of several days. The oxidative reactions typically start with H‐abstraction, and the details of the breaking and formation of chemical bonds are revealed; the modification types, such as nitrosylation, hydroxylation, and carbonylation, can be observed. The dose effects of ROS are also investigated by varying the number of ROS in the simulation box, indicating agreement with the experimental observation. To overcome the limits of timescales and the size of molecular systems in reactive MD simulations, a deep neural network (DNN) with five hidden layers is constructed according to the reaction data and employed to predict the type of oxidative modification and the probability of occurrence only in seconds as the dose of ROS varies. The well‐trained DNN can effectively and accurately predict the oxidative processes and productions, which greatly improves the computational efficiency by almost ten orders of magnitude compared with the reactive MD simulation. This study shows the great potential of ML technology to efficiently unveil the underpinning mechanisms in plasma medicine based on the data from reactive MD simulations or experimental measurements.
Graphical models for identifying pore‐forming proteins
Authors: Xu Nan , Kahn Theodore W. , Jacob Theju , Liu Yan
Published: April 2024

Pore‐forming toxins (PFTs) are proteins that form lesions in biological membranes. Better understanding of the structure and function of these proteins will be beneficial in a number of biotechnological applications, including the development of new pest control methods in agriculture. When searching for new pore formers, existing sequence homology‐based methods fail to discover truly novel proteins with low sequence identity to known proteins. Search methodologies based on protein structures would help us move beyond this limitation. As the number of known structures for PFTs is very limited, it's quite challenging to identify new proteins having similar structures using computational approaches like deep learning. In this article, we therefore propose a sample‐efficient graphical model, where a protein structure graph is first constructed according to consensus secondary structures. A semi‐Markov conditional random fields model is then developed to perform protein sequence segmentation. We demonstrate that our method is able to distinguish structurally similar proteins even in the absence of sequence similarity (pairwise sequence identity < 0.4)—a feat not achievable by traditional approaches like HMMs. To extract proteins of interest from a genome‐wide protein database for further study, we also develop an efficient framework for UniRef50 with 43 million proteins.
Natural products from Xenorhabdus and Photorhabdus show promise as biolarvicides against Aedes albopictus
Authors: Touray Mustapha , Ulug Derya , Gulsen Sebnem Hazal , Cimen Harun , Hazir Canan , Bode Helge B. , Hazir Selcuk
Published: April 2024

BACKGROUND

In the perpetual struggle to manage mosquito populations, there has been increasing demand for the development of biopesticides to supplant/complement current products. The insecticidal potential of Xenorhabdus and Photorhabdus has long been recognized and is of interest for the control of important mosquitoes like Aedes albopictus which vectors over 20 different arboviruses of global public health concern.

RESULTS

The larvicidal effects of cell‐free supernatants, cell growth cultures and cell mass of an extensive list of Xenorhabdus and Photorhabdus spp. was investigated. They were quite effective against Ae. albopictus causing larval mortality ranging between 52–100%. Three Photorhabdus spp. and 13 Xenorhabdus spp. release larvicidal compounds in cell‐free supernatants. Cell growth culture of all tested species exhibited larvicidal activity, except for Xenorhabdus sp. TS4. Twenty‐one Xenorhabdus and Photorhabdus bacterial cells (pellet) exhibited oral toxicity (59–91%) against exposed larvae. The effect of bacterial supernatants on the mosquito eggs were also assessed. Bacterial supernatants inhibited the hatching of mosquito eggs; when unhatched eggs were transferred to clean water, they all hatched. Using the easyPACId approach, the larvicidal compounds in bacterial supernatant were identified as fabclavine from X. szentirmaii and xencoumacin from X. nematophila (causing 98 and 70% mortality, respectively, after 48 h). Xenorhabdus cabanillasii and X. hominickii fabclavines were as effective as commercial Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis and spinosad products within 5 days post‐application (dpa).

CONCLUSION

Fabclavine and xenocoumacin can be developed into novel biolarvicides, can be used as a model to synthesize other compounds or/and can be combined with other commercial biolarvicides. © 2024 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
Monolithic n‐Type Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor Inverter Integrated Circuits Based on Wide and Ultrawide Bandgap Semiconductors
Authors: Chettri Dhanu , Mainali Ganesh , Xiao Na , Tang Xiao , Li Xiaohang
Published: April 2024

Wide bandgap (WBG) and ultrawide bandgap (UWBG) semiconductors in n‐type metal–oxide–semiconductor (n‐MOS) integrated circuits (ICs) are increasingly being explored for their potential applications in the rapidly developing field of electronics. This review comprehensively examines the role of n‐MOS inverters underpinned by WBG and UWBG semiconductors and their application possibilities. It delves into various n‐MOS inverter topologies, including resistive, enhancement or diode‐load, depletion‐load, and pseudo‐complementary MOS inverter topologies. Each topology's operational principles, unique advantages, and potential performance are elucidated in detail. Finally, these topologies are simulated using the Advanced Design System software for a fair comparison between various topologies. The literature and simulation results show that the pseudo‐D topology has the best gain and improved noise margin. The review methodology involves an extensive exploration of WBG/UWBG n‐MOS inverters to advance the current understanding of WBG/UWBG n‐MOS‐based ICs.
Current insights and future perspectives of flavonoids: A promising antihypertensive approach
Authors: Harahap Urip , Syahputra Rony Abdi , Ahmed Amer , Nasution Azhari , Wisely Wenny , Sirait Maureen Lazurit , Dalimunthe Aminah , Zainalabidin Satirah , Taslim Nurpudji Astuti , Nurkolis Fahrul , Kim Bonglee
Published: April 2024

Hypertension, or high blood pressure (BP), is a complex disease influenced by various risk factors. It is characterized by persistent elevation of BP levels, typically exceeding 140/90 mmHg. Endothelial dysfunction and reduced nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability play crucial roles in hypertension development. L‐NG‐nitro arginine methyl ester (L‐NAME), an analog of L‐arginine, inhibits endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) enzymes, leading to decreased NO production and increased BP. Animal models exposed to L‐NAME manifest hypertension, making it a useful design for studying the hypertension condition. Natural products have gained interest as alternative approaches for managing hypertension. Flavonoids, abundant in fruits, vegetables, and other plant sources, have potential cardiovascular benefits, including antihypertensive effects. Flavonoids have been extensively studied in cell cultures, animal models, and, to lesser extent, in human trials to evaluate their effectiveness against L‐NAME‐induced hypertension. This comprehensive review summarizes the antihypertensive activity of specific flavonoids, including quercetin, luteolin, rutin, troxerutin, apigenin, and chrysin, in L‐NAME‐induced hypertension models. Flavonoids possess antioxidant properties that mitigate oxidative stress, a major contributor to endothelial dysfunction and hypertension. They enhance endothelial function by promoting NO bioavailability, vasodilation, and the preservation of vascular homeostasis. Flavonoids also modulate vasoactive factors involved in BP regulation, such as angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE) and endothelin‐1. Moreover, they exhibit anti‐inflammatory effects, attenuating inflammation‐mediated hypertension. This review provides compelling evidence for the antihypertensive potential of flavonoids against L‐NAME‐induced hypertension. Their multifaceted mechanisms of action suggest their ability to target multiple pathways involved in hypertension development. Nonetheless, the reviewed studies contribute to the evidence supporting the useful of flavonoids for hypertension prevention and treatment. In conclusion, flavonoids represent a promising class of natural compounds for combating hypertension. This comprehensive review serves as a valuable resource summarizing the current knowledge on the antihypertensive effects of specific flavonoids, facilitating further investigation and guiding the development of novel therapeutic strategies for hypertension management.
Statistical Complexity of Quantum Learning
Authors: Banchi Leonardo , Pereira Jason Luke , Jose Sharu Theresa , Simeone Osvaldo
Published: April 2024

Learning problems involve settings in which an algorithm has to make decisions based on data, and possibly side information such as expert knowledge. This study has two main goals. First, it reviews and generalizes different results on the data and model complexity of quantum learning, where the data and/or the algorithm can be quantum, focusing on information‐theoretic techniques. Second, it introduces the notion of copy complexity, which quantifies the number of copies of a quantum state required to achieve a target accuracy level. Copy complexity arises from the destructive nature of quantum measurements, which irreversibly alter the state to be processed, limiting the information that can be extracted about quantum data. As a result, empirical risk minimization is generally inapplicable. The paper presents novel results on the copy complexity for both training and testing. To make the paper self‐contained and approachable by different research communities, an extensive background material is provided on classical results from statistical learning theory, as well as on the distinguishability of quantum states. Throughout, the differences between quantum and classical learning are highlighted by addressing both supervised and unsupervised learning, and extensive pointers are provided to the literature.
H∞ attenuation of disturbance switching over multiple frequency ranges
Authors: Cai Chenxiao , Song Xiaoqi , Liu Jason J. R. , Cheng Peng , Lam James
Published: April 2024

This paper addresses the problem of switching control for systems subject to external disturbances that vary over multiple frequency ranges. Specifically, two different scenarios of disturbance injection are considered; namely, the disturbance may switch between different prescribed frequency ranges, subject to an average dwell time setting, or the disturbance may reside within one of the frequency ranges. To address these scenarios, a disturbance‐triggered control scheme is developed that divides the entire frequency range into low‐, mid‐, and high‐frequency ranges. This scheme ensures closed‐loop stability under average dwell time frequency‐range switching and achieves performance when operated under individual frequency ranges. Synthesis conditions in matrix inequalities are derived to characterize the switching control, and an iterative algorithm is proposed for finding a desired set of controller gains. Finally, two examples are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed control method.
Distributed finite‐time backstepping adaptive containment control for multiple unmanned aerial vehicles with input saturation
Authors: Liu Bojian , Li Aijun , Guo Yong , Wang Changqing
Published: April 2024

This paper investigates a distributed adaptive finite‐time containment control scheme for multiple unmanned aerial vehicles subject to external disturbances and input saturation. Combined with a novel indicator of the saturation degree designed by the hyperbolic tangent function, an adaptive method is proposed to deal with the input saturation issue, which considers both symmetry and asymmetry saturation. Moreover, to address the problem of the “explosion of terms” inherent in the traditional backstepping controller design, a fixed‐time sliding mode differentiator is utilized to approximate the derivative of the virtual signal in the command‐filtered backstepping method. Finally, the convergence of the errors and the practicability of the control law are verified by Lyapunov stability analysis and numerical simulations.