bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluating glioma‐associated microRNA by complementation on a biological nanosensor
Authors: Li Zizhuo , Wan Xin , Li Mingming , He Qiuxia , Yang Haichao , Zhang Wei , Yang Xiuhua
Published: June 2022

Glioma is a tumor in the brain and spinal cord originating in the glial cells that surround the nerve cells. Among several microRNAs reported, miRNA‐363 is associated with human glioma. Based on miRNA‐363 levels, the development and progression of glioma can be monitored. The current study used an interdigitated electrode sensor to monitor microRNA‐363 levels, which indeed reflects the severity of glioma. The interdigitated electrode was generated using a photolithography technique followed by surface chemical modification carried out to insert miRNA‐363 complementary oligo as the probe complexed with gold nanoparticles. The proposed sensor works based on the dipole moment between two electrodes, and when molecular immobilization or interaction occurs, the response by the signal output changes. The changes in the target microRNA‐363 sequence were standardized to identify glioma. The limit of detection of miRNA‐363 was 10 fM with anR2value of 0.996 on the linear coefficient regression ranges between 1 fM and 100 pM. Furthermore, unrelated sequences failed to increase the response of the current with the complementary probe, indicating specific miRNA‐363 detection on the interdigitated electrode. This study demonstrates the platform to be used for determining the presence of microRNA‐363 in glioma and as the basis for other biomarker analyses.
Responses to prenatal opioid and alcohol abuse: A review of US and Australian mandatory reporting laws
Authors: Kenny Maureen C. , Mathews Ben , Pathirana Maheshi
Published: June 2022

Prenatal substance use, specifically opioid and excessive alcohol use, can cause significant adverse effects for the unborn foetus in both the short‐and long‐term. Responses by state social systems occur on a spectrum of prevention and early intervention to support mothers. Some but not all states include reporting duties, so that professionals made aware of the situation may alert agencies that can intervene to provide appropriate support. This article will review legal duties to report maternal substance use during pregnancy in the US and Australia. We identify variations in these laws regarding who is required to report, what circumstances must be reported and what indicates child abuse or neglect. Inconsistencies in laws raise questions about the nature of different approaches, and how reforms might be made to improve provision of support. Informed by the medical literature, the contemporary context and federal policy in the US, we make recommendations for reform, and for the appropriate response to such reports.
Campus police: Real law enforcement or not?
Authors: Miles David
Published: June 2022

In my long career, I have heard many disparaging remarks regarding my role on campus.
Lignin Nanoparticles Support Lipase‐Tyrosinase Enzymatic Cascade in the Synthesis of Lipophilic Hydroxytyrosol Ester Derivatives
Authors: Tomaino Elisabetta , Capecchi Eliana , Piccinino Davide , Saladino Raffaele
Published: June 2022

Lipophilic esters of hydroxytyrosol have been synthesized in a one‐pot procedure from tyrosol and long side‐chain carboxylic acids by a lignin nanoparticles supported enzymatic cascade of lipase M and tyrosinase. The reaction involved the initial esterification of the aliphatic carboxylic group with the hydroxyl group of tyrosol followed by ortho‐hydroxylation of the aromatic moiety. Lipase M and tyrosinase were immobilized on lignin nanoparticles by layer‐by‐layer procedure using chitosan as positive charged polyelectrolyte and Concanavalin A as molecular spacer to control the optimal distance between the active sites of the two enzymes. The occurrence of substrate channeling effect was hypothesized on the basis of FRET analysis. Lipophilic hydroxytyrosol esters were synthesized in high yield in 2‐methyltetrahydrofuran and in the presence of a very low amount of buffer to generate the hydration sphere of the enzyme.
Precisely Tuning the Surface Nanostructure of Ni@Pd Nanocatalysts for Enhanced Formic Acid Oxidation
Authors: Li Xiang , Zhang Junjun , Dou Jingjing , Li Mengyang , Feng Xiaohua , Liu Ge
Published: June 2022

Constructing Ni@Pd nanocatalysts can effectively improve the catalytic efficiency of Pd atoms. However, it is difficult to grow Pd atoms uniformly on the Ni surface due to the large lattice mismatch between Ni and Pd. Herein, we demonstrate that the well‐defined Ni@Pd nanocatalysts can be obtained by the galvanic replacement reaction between Ni and Pd at room temperature. By simply regulating the content of Pd precursor in the galvanic replacement reaction, the atomic percentages of Pd can be controlled from 2 % to 9 %. In synthesized Ni@Pd nanocatalysts, the Ni@Pd0.06 core‐shell nanocrystals show the highest mass activity (1186 mA mgPd−1) and specific activity (4.21 mA cm−2), which are 5.6 times and 2.6 times higher than that of the commercial Pd/C nanocatalyst (212 mA mgPd−1, 1.60 mA cm−2). The enhanced performance is mainly attributed to the synergistic effect between Pd and Ni and the core‐shell nanostructure.
Effect of Hydrothermal Carbonization Parameters and Performance of Carbon Dioxide Adsorption on Pineapple Peel Waste Biochar
Authors: Ibrahim Muthmirah , Hameed Bassim H. , Ouakouak Abdelkader , Mohd Din Azam Taufik
Published: June 2022

Low‐cost biochar adsorbents were prepared from pineapple peel waste (PPW) via hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) for CO2 capture. The effects of hydrothermal carbonization temperature, retention time, and heating rate were studied. The hydrochar samples were further carbonized to produce pineapple peel biochar adsorbents. The effects of CO2 concentration in the feed, adsorption temperature, and feed flow rate on adsorption capacity were investigated in a fixed‐bed column adsorption system. The experimental data were analyzed using pseudo‐first‐order and pseudo‐second‐order kinetics, and the Avrami equation. The CO2 adsorption capacity of this system was improved with increasing CO2 feed concentration and decreased with rising temperature and feed flow rate. The Avrami kinetics model was best fitted to the experimental data. The CO2 adsorption performance of PPW biochar (PPW‐BC) in a fixed‐bed column was successfully predicted by the Thomas and Yoon‐Nelson models. The prepared PPW‐BC adsorbents could be a viable option for CO2 capture because they were synthesized from a low‐cost biomass source and are environmentally benign.
Cyanoethyl cellulose‐based eutectogel electrolyte enabling high‐voltage‐tolerant and ion‐conductive solid‐state lithium metal batteries
Authors: Zhang Hao , Zhou Lixue , Du Xiaofan , Zhang Jianjun , Tian Songwei , Liu Tingting , Zhang Jinning , Hu Sijia , Song Weiling , Zhou Xinhong , Cui Guanglei
Published: June 2022

Solid‐state polymer electrolytes are an important factor in the deployment of high‐safety and high‐energy‐density solid‐state lithium metal batteries. Nevertheless, use of the traditional polyethylene oxide‐based solid‐state polymer electrolyte is limited due to its inherently low ionic conductivity and narrow electrochemical stability window. Herein, for the first time, we specifically designed a cyanoethyl cellulose‐in‐deep eutectic solvent composite eutectogel as a promising candidate for hybrid solid‐state polymer electrolytes. It is found that the proposed eutectogel electrolyte achieves high ionic conductivity (1.87 × 10−3 S cm−1 at 25°C), superior electrochemical stability (up to 4.8 V), and outstanding lithium plating/striping behavior (low overpotential of 0.04 V at 1 mA cm−2 and 1 mA h cm−2 over 300 h). With the eutectogel‐based solid‐state polymer electrolyte, a 4.45 V LiCoO2/Li metal battery delivers prominent long‐term lifespan (capacity retention of 85% after 200 cycles) and high average Coulombic efficiency (99.5%) under ambient conditions, significantly outperforming the traditional carbonate‐based liquid electrolyte. Our work demonstrates a promising strategy for designing eutectogel‐based solid‐state polymer electrolytes to realize high‐voltage and high‐energy lithium metal batteries.
Phosphorescence Induction by Host‐Guest Complexation with Cyclodextrins – The Role of Regioisomerism and Affinity
Authors: Hayduk Matthias , Schaller Torsten , Niemeyer Felix C. , Rudolph Kevin , Clever Guido H. , Rizzo Fabio , Voskuhl Jens
Published: June 2022

We present an in‐depth investigation of cyclodextrin complexes with guest compounds featuring complexation‐induced room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) in aqueous solution. Very interestingly, only the complexed regioisomers bearing lateral substituents on meta‐position show RTP, whereas the stronger host‐guest systems with para‐substituted dyes show no RTP features. The reported systems were investigated regarding their complexation behavior in water using isothermal titration calorimetry and mass spectrometry. In the case of γ‐CD very strong 1 : 1 inclusion complexes (Kaup to 5.13×105 M−1) were unexpectedly observed. It was found that not only a strong binding to the cyclodextrin cavity is needed to restrict motion, inducing the emission, but also the conformation inside the cavity plays a pivotal role – as supported by an extensive NMR study and MD simulations.
Chemically Laminated 2D Bis(terpyridine)metal Polymer Films: Formation Mechanism at the Liquid–Liquid Interface and Redox Rectification
Authors: Komeda Joe , Takada Kenji , Maeda Hiroaki , Fukui Naoya , Tsuji Takuya , Nishihara Hiroshi
Published: June 2022

Recent studies on molecular 2D materials with high tunability of structure and function have focused mostly on the discovery of new precursors. Here, we demonstrate a facile one‐pot synthesis of laminated 2D coordination polymer films comprising bis(terpyridine)iron and cobalt at a water/dichloromethane interface. Cross‐sectional elemental mapping unveiled the stratum‐like structure of the film and revealed that the second layer grows to the dichloromethane side below the first layer. Cyclic voltammetry clarified that the bottom layer mediates charge transfer between the top layer and the substrate in a narrow potential region of mixed‐valence states. Furthermore, the bilayer film sandwiched by electrodes in a dry condition shows stable rectification character, and the barrier voltage corresponds to the redox potential difference between the two layers. This study introduces a new strategy for polymer design to explore the materials science of molecular 2D materials.
Design, Synthesis and Characterization of a Visible‐Light‐Sensitive Molecular Switch and Its PEGylation Towards a Self‐Assembling Molecule
Authors: Paolino Marco , Saletti Mario , Reale Annalisa , Licciardi Mariano , Varvarà Paola , Marquette Arnaud , Léonard Jérémie , Bonechi Claudia , Donati Alessandro , Giorgi Gianluca , Giuliani Germano , Carlotti Benedetta , Ortica Fausto , Latterini Loredana , Gentile Mariangela , Paccagnini Eugenio , Olivucci Massimo , Cappelli Andrea
Published: June 2022

HBDI‐like chromophores represent a novel set of biomimetic switches mimicking the fluorophore of the green fluorescent protein that are currently studied with the hope to expand the molecular switch/motor toolbox. However, until now members capable of absorbing visible light in their neutral (i. e. non‐anionic) form have not been reported. In this contribution we report the preparation of an HBDI‐like chromophore based on a 3‐phenylbenzofulvene scaffold capable of absorbing blue light and photoisomerizing on the picosecond timescale. More specifically, we show that double‐bond photoisomerization occurs in both the E‐to‐Z and Z‐to‐E directions and that these can be controlled by irradiating with blue and UV light, respectively. Finally, as a preliminary applicative result, we report the incorporation of the chromophore in an amphiphilic molecule and demonstrate the formation of a visible‐light‐sensitive nanoaggregated state in water.
Fine‐Tuning of Structural Distortion and Magnetic Anisotropy by Organosulfonates in Octahedral Cobalt(II) Complexes
Authors: Shao Dong , Xu Fang‐Xue , Yin Lei , Li Hong‐Qing , Sun Yu‐Chen , Ouyang Zhong‐Wen , Wang Zhen‐Xing , Zhang Yi‐Quan , Wang Xin‐Yi
Published: June 2022

Comprehensive Summary

Precise modulation of the magnetic anisotropy of metal ions remains highly important for the development of high–performance single‐molecule magnets (SMMs). We herein reported the synthetic, structural, spectral, magnetic, and computational studies on four mononuclear CoII complexes in a distorted octahedral environment. The change of the organosulfonate anions triggers significant modification of the distorted octahedral CoN6 coordination sphere, which enables us to tackle the influence of the structural distortion on the magnetic anisotropy in these complexes. Magnetic measurements revealed that the four complexes possess easy–plane magnetic anisotropy with large and positive zero‐field splitting parameters, which decrease with the increasing distortion of the pseudo–octahedral CoII coordination geometry. This correlation was further confirmed by high–frequency/–field EPR (HF–EPR) spectra and theoretical calculations. Dynamic magnetic susceptibility measurements indicate that these complexes both exhibit slow magnetic relaxation under an external dc field, indicating the field‐induced single‐ion magnets (SIMs) of the four complexes. These results indicate that structural distortion plays an important role in the magnetic anisotropy of CoII complexes and should be carefully considered in the design of molecular complexes with high magnetic anisotropy.
Systematic Exploration of Passive Permeability in Tetrapeptides with Hydrogen‐Bond‐Accepting Amino Acid Side Chains
Authors: Shimizu Hiroki , Renslo Adam R.
Published: June 2022

We synthesized and experimentally tested the passive permeability of more than thirty tetrapeptides mimicking the N‐terminus of the pro‐apoptotic protein Smac (Second mitochondria‐derived activator of caspases). Each peptide bore one or two unnatural Hydrogen Bond Acceptor‐bearing Amino Acid (HBA‐AA) residues, such that intramolecular hydrogen bonding with proximal backbone amide N−H donors is feasible. Passive permeability of the synthetic peptides was determined using the parallel artificial membrane permeability assay (PAMPA). Experimental permeability values were found to span three orders of magnitude, providing useful empirical guidance for the design of more permeable Smac mimetics specifically, and peptidic ligands generally.
Class‐index corpus‐index measure: A novel feature selection method for imbalanced text data
Authors: Parlak Bekir
Published: June 2022

In the field of text classification, some of the datasets are unbalanced datasets. In these datasets, feature selection stage is important to increase performance. There are many studies in this area. However, existing methods have been developed based on the document frequency of only intra‐class. In this study, a new method is proposed considering the situation of the feature in class and corpus. A new feature selection method, namely class‐index corpus‐index measure (CiCi) was presented for unbalanced text classification. The CiCi is a probabilistic method which is calculated using feature distribution in both class and corpus. It has shown a higher performance compared to successful methods in the literature. Multinomial Naïve Bayes and support vector machines were used as classifiers in the experiments. Three different unbalanced datasets are used in the experiments. These benchmark datasets are reuters‐21578, ohsumed, and enron1. Experimental results show that the proposed method has more performance in terms of three different success measures.
Calibration and Validation of a Mechanistic COVID‐19 Model for Translational Quantitative Systems Pharmacology – A Proof‐of‐Concept Model Development for Remdesivir
Authors: Samieegohar Mohammadreza , Weaver James L. , Howard Kristina E. , Chaturbedi Anik , Mann John , Han Xiaomei , Zirkle Joel , Arabidarrehdor Ghazal , Rouse Rodney , Florian Jeffry , Strauss David G. , Li Zhihua
Published: June 2022

With the ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), there is an urgent need to accelerate the traditional drug development process. Many studies identified potential COVID‐19 therapies based on promising nonclinical data. However, the poor translatability from nonclinical to clinical settings has led to failures of many of these drug candidates in the clinical phase. In this study, we propose a mechanism‐based, quantitative framework to translate nonclinical findings to clinical outcome. Adopting a modularized approach, this framework includes an in silico disease model for COVID‐19 (virus infection and human immune responses) and a pharmacological component for COVID‐19 therapies. The disease model was able to reproduce important longitudinal clinical data for patients with mild and severe COVID‐19, including viral titer, key immunological cytokines, antibody responses, and time courses of lymphopenia. Using remdesivir as a proof‐of‐concept example of model development for the pharmacological component, we developed a pharmacological model that describes the conversion of intravenously administered remdesivir as a prodrug to its active metabolite nucleoside triphosphate through intracellular metabolism and connected it to the COVID‐19 disease model. After being calibrated with the placebo arm data, our model was independently and quantitatively able to predict the primary endpoint (time to recovery) of the remdesivir clinical study, Adaptive Covid‐19 Clinical Trial (ACTT). Our work demonstrates the possibility of quantitatively predicting clinical outcome based on nonclinical data and mechanistic understanding of the disease and provides a modularized framework to aid in candidate drug selection and clinical trial design for COVID‐19 therapeutics.
Push‐Pull Phenoxazine‐Based Sensitizers for p‐Type DSSCs: Effect of Acceptor Units on Photovoltaic Performance
Authors: Keremane Kavya S. , Planchat Aurélien , Pellegrin Yann , Jacquemin Denis , Odobel Fabrice , Vasudeva Adhikari Airody
Published: June 2022

Finding new efficient p‐type sensitizers for NiO photocathodes is a great challenge for the development of promising low‐cost tandem dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Now, the focus of researchers investigating these cells has been to create high‐performance p‐type systems. With this intention, herein, the design and synthesis of six new phenoxazine‐based donor–acceptor (D–A)‐configured organic dyes PO1–6 was reported, comprising different acceptor moieties specially designed for the sensitization of mesoporous p‐type semiconductor NiO for the construction of p‐type DSSCs (p‐DSSCs). This work includes structural, photophysical, thermal, electrochemical, theoretical, and photoelectrochemical studies of these dyes, including evaluation of their structure‐property relationships. The optical studies revealed that PO1–6 displayed adequate absorption and emission features in the range of 480–550 and 560–650 nm, respectively, with a bandgap in the order of 2.05–2.40 eV, and their thermodynamic parameters favored an efficient interfacial charge transfer involving NiO. Among the six new dyes, the device based on sensitizer PO2 carrying electron‐withdrawing 1,3‐diethyl‐2‐thiobarbituric acid achieved the highest power conversion efficiency of 0.031 % (short‐circuit current density=0.89 mA cm−2, open‐circuit voltage=101 mV, and fill factor=35 %). Conclusively, the study furnishes an understanding of the intricacies involved in the structural modification of phenoxazine‐based sensitizers to further ameliorate the performance of the p‐type DSSCs.
Multi‐layer neural network algorithm for vehicle‐to‐everything communication in 5G networks
Authors: Feki Souhir , Hamdi Monia , Belghith Aymen , Zarai Faouzi , Algarni Abeer D.
Published: June 2022

Internet of Vehicles (IoVs), the emerging trend of Internet of Things (IoTs), has undoubtedly become a promising trend to improve communication among vehicles on the roads. Vehicle‐to‐everything (V2X) communication that is based on 5G technology enables vehicle users to communicate and collaborate with each other to enhance road traffic efficiency and safety. Owing to the increased traffic load and restricted resources of existing network substructure, a channel that responds to the latency and reliability needs of V2X communication must be designed. Thereby, several intelligent spectrum allocation techniques have been proposed to improve the system's overall effectiveness. In this paper, we discuss the spectrum sharing issue of V2X communication in Device‐to‐Device (D2D)‐based cellular networks. We propose a new multi‐layer neural network (MLNN)‐based Resource Allocation and sharing approach (MNNRA) for D2D‐based V2X communications. According to the main advantages of MLNN, the proposed algorithm takes several profits by improving system performance while reducing computational complexity. Numerical analysis is presented to approve the effectiveness of our proposed solution in terms of network sum rate, packet reception ratio, resource utilization ratio, and time complexity.
A single‐sided trans‐nasal catheter for smooth and efficient oxygen delivery can improve the safety in patients undergoing pancreato‐biliary endoscopy under intravenous sedation: A randomized trial
Authors: Ishii Ken , Kubota Kensuke , Nakao Tomomi , Koyama Yuji , Fujita Yuji , Akaba Kuniaki , Matsuhashi Nobuyuki , Nakajima Atsushi
Published: June 2022

Background

Pancreato‐biliary endoscopic procedures often need to be performed under deep intravenous sedation. The patients are at an increased risk of respiratory depression influenced by the anatomical dead space of the upper respiratory system. We aimed to evaluate the benefit of oxygen delivery through a single‐sided trans‐nasal catheter (TC) for patients undergoing pancreato‐biliary endoscopy.

Methods

Oxygen supplementation during the procedure was provided either by insertion of a single‐sided TC or insertion of a conventional nasal catheter (NC). A prospective, single‐blind, randomized controlled study was conducted in two groups.

Results

The number of patients who indicated a decrease in the peripheral transcutaneous oxygen saturation (SpO2; desaturation) was significantly lower in the TC group than in the counterpart (8/58; 13.8% vs. 26/58; 44.8% p < 0.001). The efficient oxygen delivery in the safe range was better conserved in the TC group than in the NC one. There was no adverse effect on both groups. The maximum SpO2 while the endoscopic procedure was significantly higher in the TC group (99.7% vs. 99.3% p = 0.016) and the minimum SpO2 was also significantly higher in the same group (97.7% vs. 94.1% p < 0.0001), which meant that the efficient oxygen delivery was better maintained in TC group than the NC group.

Conclusions

A single‐sided TC placed in the pharynx in patients undergoing pancreato‐biliary endoscopy prepares a superior condition of the patients for venous sedation, maintained hyper‐oxygen saturation and a relatively higher SpO2 level to be maintained in limited conditions to reduce the dead space with acceptable tolerance, as compared to the placement of a conventional NC.
Diagnostic yield of proximal jejunal lesions with third‐generation capsule endoscopy
Authors: Hirata Issei , Tsuboi Akiyoshi , Oka Shiro , Sumioka Akihiko , Iio Sumio , Hiyama Yuichi , Kotachi Takahiro , Yuge Ryo , Hayashi Ryohei , Urabe Yuji , Tanaka Shinji
Published: June 2022

Objectives

Capsule endoscopy (CE) has been shown to have poor diagnostic performance when the capsule passes quickly through the small bowel, especially the proximal jejunum. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic yield of proximal jejunal lesions with third‐generation CE technology.

Methods

We retrospectively examined 138 consecutive patients, 76 (55.0%) of whom were men. The patients’ median age was 70 years, and proximal jejunal lesions were detected by CE and/or double‐balloon endoscopy at Hiroshima University Hospital between January 2011 and June 2021. We analyzed the diagnostic accuracy of CE for proximal jejunal lesions and compared the characteristics of the discrepancy between the use of CE and double‐balloon endoscopy with Pillcam SB 2 (SB2) and Pillcam SB 3 (SB3).

Results

SB2 and SB3 were used in 48 (35%) and 90 (65%) patients, respectively. There was no difference in baseline characteristics between these groups. Small‐bowel lesions in the proximal jejunum comprised 75 tumors (54%), 50 vascular lesions (36%), and 13 inflammatory lesions (9%). The diagnostic rate was significantly higher in the SB3 group than in the SB2 group for tumors (91% vs. 72%, p < 0.05) and vascular lesions (97% vs. 69%, p < 0.01). For vascular lesions, in particular, the diagnostic rate of angioectasia improved in the SB3 group (100%) compared with that in the SB2 group (69%).

Conclusions

SB3 use improved the detection of proximal jejunal tumors and vascular lesions compared with SB2 use.
Airport noise disturbs foraging behavior of Japanese pipistrelle bats
Authors: Wang Weiwei , Gao Huimin , Li Chengrong , Deng Yingchun , Zhou Daying , Li Yaqi , Zhou Wenyu , Luo Bo , Liang Haiying , Liu Wenqin , Wu Pan , Jing Wang , Feng Jiang
Published: June 2022

The expansion of anthropogenic noise poses an emerging threat to the survival and reproductive success of various organisms. Previous investigations have focused on the detrimental effects of anthropogenic noise on the foraging behavior in some terrestrial and aquatic animals. Nevertheless, the role of airport noise in impairing foraging activities of most wild animals has been neglected. Here, we aimed to assess whether foraging behavior in free‐living Japanese pipistrelle bats (Pipistrellus abramus) can be disturbed by airport noise. We used audio recording to monitor foraging activities of bats at 11 sites around the runway of a municipal airport. We quantified noise level and spectra, aircraft activity, habitat type, nightly temperature, wind speed, and moon phase for each site. The analysis revealed that noise level and aircraft activity were significant negative predictors for the number of bat passes and feeding buzzes around the runway, even after controlling for the effects of other environmental factors. There was no marked spectral overlap between bat echolocation pulses and airport noise in the presence and absence of low‐flying aircraft. The spectro‐temporal parameters of echolocation vocalizations emitted by bats were dependent on noise level, aircraft activity, and habitat type. These results provide correlative evidence that airport noise can reduce foraging activities of wild pipistrelle bats. Our findings add to the current knowledge of adverse impacts of airport noise on foraging bats in artificial ecosystems and provide a basis for further research on the mechanisms behind noise pollution near airports.
Effects of different mineral reaction kinetics equations on predicting long‐term CO2 mineral sequestration
Authors: Li Heng , Wang Fugang , Pan Huilin , Wu Mingjie , Wang Yaohui , Tian Hailong , Yuan Yilong , Yang Zhijie
Published: June 2022

CO2 geological storage (CGS) is one of the important means to effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Mineral trapping is an important factor affecting long‐term storage security. The process of mineral trapping is significantly affected by mineral reaction kinetics. Therefore, it is of great significance to clarify the influence trend and degree of the control equation of mineral reaction kinetics on predicting the process of CO2 storage and the amount of mineral sequestration. In this paper, the effect of different reaction rate equations on predicting long‐term CO2 sequestration mechanisms are compared and analyzed by numerical simulation using the existing reaction rate equations. The results show that different reaction rate equations of related minerals have no significant effect on predicting the total amount of CO2 sequestration and the transformation relationship among different minerals, but will significantly affect different forms of CO2 sequestration, especially mineral trapping. The ratio of mineral trapping predicted by different reaction rate equations is 20% to 41%. And the predicted CO2 mineral trapping rate is twice as high when the linear rate equation is used as when the nonlinear rate equation is used. In previous studies, linear rate equations have been widely used to describe the dissolution/precipitation reactions of related minerals, which may greatly overestimate the reaction rate and theoretical capture capacity of minerals. Therefore, it is urgent to carry out reaction kinetics experiments and numerical simulation studies on various major minerals under the condition of CO2 geological storage in the future, to obtain a more accurate mineral dissolution/precipitation reaction rate equation and improve the ability to evaluate the long‐term CO2 geological sequestration safety.
Alkylation of Benz[a]anthracene Affects Toxicity to Early–Life Stage Zebrafish and In Vitro Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor 2 Transactivation in a Position-Dependent Manner
Authors: Dubiel Justin , Green Derek , Raza Yamin , Johnson Hunter M. , Xia Zhe , Tomy Gregg T. , Hontela Alice , Doering Jon A. , Wiseman Steve
Published: June 2022

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are structurally diverse organic chemicals that can have adverse effects on the health of fishes through activation of aryl hydrocarbon receptor 2 (AhR2). They are ubiquitous in the environment, but alkyl PAHs are more abundant in some environmental matrices. However, relatively little is known regarding the effects of alkylation on the toxicity of PAHs to fishes in vivo and how this relates to potency for activation of AhR2 in vitro. Therefore, the objectives of the present study were to determine the toxicity of benz[a]anthracene and three alkylated homologs representing various alkylation positions to early life stages of zebrafish (Danio rerio) and to assess the potency of each for activation of the zebrafish AhR2 in a standardized in vitro AhR transactivation assay. Exposure of embryos to each of the PAHs caused a dose-dependent increase in mortality and malformations characteristic of AhR2 activation. Each alkyl homolog had in vivo toxicities and in vitro AhR2 activation potencies different from those of the parent PAH in a position-dependent manner. However, there was no statistically significant linear relationship between responses measured in these assays. The results suggest a need for further investigation into the effect of alkylation on the toxicity of PAHs to fishes and greater consideration of the contribution of alkylated homologs in ecological risk assessments. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:1993–2002. © 2022 SETAC

Abstract

Alkylation alters the potency of benz[a]anthracene in vitro and in vivo. BAA = benz[a]anthracene; 8-MBAA = 8-methylbenz[a]anthracene; 4-MBAA = 4-methylbenz[a]anthracene; 7,12-DMBAA = 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene.
Gd2O3/b‐TiO2 composite nanoprobes with ultra‐high photoconversion efficiency for MR image‐guided NIR‐II photothermal therapy
Authors: Chen Jia , Chen Tianxiang , Fang Qianlan , Pan Chunshu , Akakuru Ozioma Udochukwu , Ren Wenzhi , Lin Jie , Sheng Aizhu , Ma Xuehua , Wu Aiguo
Published: June 2022

Photothermal therapy (PTT), as an important noninvasive and effective tumor treatment method, has been extensively developed into a powerful cancer therapeutic technique. Nevertheless, the low photothermal conversion efficiency and the limited tissue penetration of typical photothermal therapeutic agents in the first near‐infrared (NIR‐I) region (700–950 nm) are still the major barriers for further clinical application. Here, we proposed an organic/inorganic dual‐PTT agent of synergistic property driven by polydopamine‐modified black‐titanium dioxide (b‐TiO2@PDA) with excellent photoconversion efficiency in the second NIR (NIR‐II) region (1000–1500 nm). More specifically, the b‐TiO2 treated with sodium borohydride produced excessive oxygen vacancies resulting in oxygen vacancy band that narrowed the b‐TiO2 band gap, and the small band gap led to NIR‐II region wavelength (1064 nm) absorbance. Furthermore, the combination of defect energy level trapping carrier recombination heat generation and conjugate heat generation mechanism, significantly improved the photothermal performance of the PTT agent based on b‐TiO2. The photothermal properties characterization indicated that the proposed dual‐PTT agent possesses excellent photothermal performance and ultra‐high photoconversion efficiency of 64.9% under 1064 nm laser irradiation, which can completely kill esophageal squamous cells. Meanwhile, Gd2O3 nanoparticles, an excellent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) agent, were introduced into the nanosystem with similar dotted core–shell structure to enable the nanosystem achieve real‐time MRI‐monitored cancer therapeutic performance. We believe that this integrated nanotherapeutic system can not only solve the application of PTT in the NIR‐II region, but also provide certain theoretical guidance for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of esophageal cancer.
Exploring the dynamics of the equity–commodity nexus: A study of base metal futures
Authors: Saishree Ipsita , Padhi Puja
Published: June 2022

This empirical exercise explores different aspects of the time‐varying linkage between the commodity and equity markets in India, focusing on base metal futures. The Dynamic Conditional Correlation model (2002) and Diebold–Yilmaz spillover index (2012) are employed to ascertain the presence, pattern, direction, and magnitude of the connectedness between the returns of base metal futures and related equity indices over the period of 2006–2019. The study builds on a less‐studied “input” channel of linkage between the two, reckoning with the economic fundamentals of demand–supply interaction. Our results show that 36% of the return forecast error variance originates from spillovers, to which the contribution of equity indices is minimal. It indicates segmentation between the two markets which offer the scope for potential diversification. Further, base metal futures are the net transmitters and equity indices are the net recipients of spillovers. Positive correlations outweigh the negative correlations, in both frequency and magnitude.
Millions of digitized historical sea‐level pressure observations rediscovered
Authors: Hawkins Ed , Alexander Lisa V. , Allan Rob J.
Published: June 2022

Millions of sub‐daily sea‐level pressure observations taken between 1919 and 1960 over the British and Irish Isles were transcribed from paper records in the early 2000s but were not published and subsequently forgotten. A chance discussion led to the rediscovery of the transcribed data and 5.47 million observations from 160 locations are now made available, although the data have not been fully quality‐controlled. Much of the data are 3‐hourly, allowing for detailed examinations of synoptic weather variations for this region and time period, and will be invaluable for constraining future reanalyses. We illustrate the value of the data using a stormy period during October and November 1928 and discuss the remaining quality‐control issues.
From psychiatric hospitals to residential facilities: Characteristics of patients who benefited from an institutional partnership
Authors: Stojanov Thomas , Perquier Florence , Boiteux Catherine , Soudani Martine Le Noc , Château Naïssa , Perozziello Anne , Gallarda Thierry
Published: June 2022

Objectives

The population of older adults is growing fast, especially in Europe and Northern America. Old age is often associated with mental health comorbidities. Moreover, life expectancy of people suffering from psychiatric disorders has increased, but with age‐related difficulties, such as loss of independence. This represents a challenge for public health policies, as this population requires specific care and living conditions. As a response, a convention was signed between living facilities for dependent elderly (EHPAD) and the GHU Paris Psychiatry and Neurosciences. The agreement included dedicated places in EHPAD for older patients with psychiatric disorders. The aim of the study was to describe the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of those patients.

Methods

We conducted a cross‐sectional study among patients who applied for an EHPAD admission.

Results

Between 2016 and 2019, 163 patients applied for placement in an EHPAD, and 117 were admitted (72%). Applicants were 71 years old on average. Admitted patients were older than non‐admitted and lived in different Parisian sectors. Among admitted patients, nine in 10 were single, divorced or widowed, and 64.3% were childless. Almost half of them were schizophrenic or had delusional disorders (46.9%), and 65.3% were considered as moderately dependent. At the time of the study, 89 patients still lived in EHPAD. Almost half of them had anxiety and depressive disorders (48.3%), 19.1% had cognitive disorders, and 42.7% manifested agitation.

Conclusions

Our study highlighted older psychiatric patients' specificities regarding their admission status into long‐term living facilities.
Hemispheric functional segregation facilitates target detection during sustained visuospatial attention
Authors: DiNuzzo Mauro , Mascali Daniele , Bussu Giorgia , Moraschi Marta , Guidi Maria , Macaluso Emiliano , Mangia Silvia , Giove Federico
Published: June 2022

Visuospatial attention is strongly lateralized, with the right hemisphere commonly exhibiting stronger activation and connectivity patterns than the left hemisphere during attentive processes. However, whether such asymmetry influences inter‐hemispheric information transfer and behavioral performance is not known. Here we used a region of interest (ROI) and network‐based approach to determine steady‐state fMRI functional connectivity (FC) in the whole cerebral cortex during a leftward/rightward covert visuospatial attention task. We found that the global FC topology between either ROIs or networks was independent on the attended side. The side of attention significantly modulated FC strength between brain networks, with leftward attention primarily involving the connections of the right visual network with dorsal and ventral attention networks in both the left and right hemisphere. High hemispheric functional segregation significantly correlated with faster target detection response times (i.e., better performance). Our findings suggest that the dominance of the right hemisphere in visuospatial attention is associated with an hemispheric functional segregation that is beneficial for behavioral performance.
Diagnostic value of ophthalmic artery Doppler indices for prediction of preeclampsia at 28–32 weeks of gestation
Authors: Saleh Maasoumeh , Naemi Mahsa , Aghajanian Sepehr , Saleh Mahboubeh , Hessami Kamran , Bakhtiyari Mahmood
Published: June 2022

Objective

The aim of this study was to examine the diagnostic value of ophthalmic artery Doppler indices in predicting preeclampsia along with other markers in the third trimester of pregnancy.

Methods

Normotensive pregnancies were included during 28–32 weeks of gestation to undergo uterine and ophthalmic artery Doppler ultrasound. Maternal and fetal characteristics were documented at the visit between the 28 and 32 weeks of gestation, and pregnancy‐associated plasma protein A (PAPP‐A) values in the first trimester were collected to be integrated into a multiparametric prediction model.

Results

Of 795 included participants, 48 cases progressed to preeclampsia. All assessed ophthalmic Doppler parameters including first and second peak systolic velocities (PSVs), second to first peak ratio (PR), and pulsatility index (PI), were statistically different in patients who developed preeclampsia later on. The average PR (sensitivity: 100% [95% CI, 0.81–1.00]; specificity: 90% [95% CI, 0.86–0.93]) and PI between the eyes, PAPP‐A multiple of median and uterine artery PI were determined to be the most important predictors of PE, which were subsequently integrated into a multiple regression model (sensitivity: 94% [95% CI, 0.70–1.00]; specificity: 93% [95% CI, 0.89–0.96]).

Conclusion

This study provided a screening method for individuals at higher risk of progressing to preeclampsia in the third trimester of pregnancy.
Days with and without self‐injurious thoughts and behaviors: Impact of childhood maltreatment on adolescent online social networking
Authors: Grocott Lauren R. , Mair Anneliese , Galione Janine N. , Armey Michael F. , Huang Jeff , Nugent Nicole R.
Published: June 2022

Introduction

Among adolescents, an increasing rate of interpersonal interactions occurs online. Previous research has shown that interpersonal context exerts a robust impact on suicidal thoughts or behaviors, yet little attention has focused on examining the content of online interactions surrounding self‐injurious thoughts or behaviors. As such, the present study sought to compare online social networking behaviors among adolescents on days with and without experiencing self‐injurious thoughts or behaviors, as influenced by childhood maltreatment history.

Method

Adolescents aged 13–18 hospitalized for self‐injurious thoughts or behaviors were recruited as part of an ongoing longitudinal study. A subsample (N = 22) of adolescents provided data from their online social networking platforms (i.e., text messages, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter). Using a mixed‐methods approach, online social networking data on days of experiencing self‐injurious thoughts or behaviors and days of not experiencing self‐injurious thoughts or behaviors were compared.

Results

Results indicate the frequency and content of online social networking messaging do not change by day of self‐injurious thoughts or behaviors or history of childhood maltreatment. However, childhood maltreatment predicts received conflictual messages as well as sent symptomatic messages on days of experiencing self‐injurious thoughts or behaviors.

Conclusions

Childhood maltreatment may play a role in the content of adolescent online behaviors, particularly on days when they experience self‐injurious thoughts or behaviors. Implications for intervention are discussed.
Expression and prognostic significance of chromatin modulators EHMT2/G9a and KDM2b in acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Gouda Mahmoud B. Y. , Zidane Mohammed A. , Abdelhady Abdelhady Sayed , Hassan Naglaa M.
Published: June 2022

Epigenetics factors are critical for normal cell function and their regulation is sensitive to malignancy development. EHMT2/G9a and KDM2b are key epigenetics players in different cancer types. However, their expression profiles and related consequences in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients have not been known yet. In addition to routine lab work, expression levels of EHMT2/G9a and KDM2b were determined in 110 adult and pediatric patients withDe NovoAML. Relations between their expression and patients' clinical data were tested by statistical methods. EHMT2/G9a and KDM2b were highly expressed in AML patients against control cases and associated with the presence of adverse genomic alterations. In response to induction chemotherapy, EHMT2/G9a and KDM2b showed to be significantly high in resistant and relapsed patients in comparison to the complete remission group. KDM2b overexpression was associated with CD11c (integrin alpha X) downregulation. Kaplan−Meier analysis indicated that EHMT2/G9a and KDM2b overexpression was correlated with poor survival status in AML patients. We conclude that EHMT2/G9a and KDM2b expression levels could be used as independent prognostic factors for AML disease.
High hemoglobin fluctuation was a protective factor for cardiovascular‐related death in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients: A retrospective analysis of 232 patients with PD
Authors: Liu Daoqin , Yang Chengcheng , Zhou Ru , Zhao Hongjing , Si Tingwei , Liu Chunsheng , Wu Qiwen
Published: June 2022

Objectives

This study aimed to investigate the effect of hemoglobin (Hb) fluctuation after dialysis on the prognosis of cardiovascular‐related and all‐cause deaths in peritoneal dialysis (PD).

Methods

According to the Hb fluctuation, patients were divided into low fluctuation group, moderate fluctuation group, and high fluctuation group, and then, the effects of Hb fluctuation after dialysis on the prognosis of cardiovascular‐related and all‐cause death in PD were analyzed by regression analysis.

Results

A total of 232 patients were selected in this study. Compared with the low Hb fluctuation group, the moderate and high fluctuation groups had lower body mass index (BMI), estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and baseline Hb, and the moderate fluctuation group had less erythropoietin (EPO) and dialysis dose. Compared with survivors, patients with cardiovascular‐related and all‐cause deaths had lower mean Hb and Hb fluctuation (all p < 0.05). Cox regression analysis showed that before and after adjusting for confounding factors, Hb fluctuation was still independently correlated with cardiovascular prognosis, and higher Hb fluctuation was still a protective factor for cardiovascular‐related death in the Hb‐substandard group, but there was no significant correlation between Hb fluctuation and all‐cause death. Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that Hb fluctuation was positively correlated with Kt/V and EPO dosage, but negatively correlated with the baseline Hb.

Conclusion

High Hb fluctuation was a protective factor for cardiovascular‐related death in PD with substandard Hb. Compared with Hb fluctuation, correction of anemia timely and making Hb reaches the standard level had a greater impact on reducing cardiovascular‐related death in PD.
Pim‐2 regulates bone resorptive activity of osteoclasts via V‐ATPase a3 isoform expression in periodontal disease
Authors: Heo Soon C. , You Jae C. , Jung Suhan , Kim Yu N. , Shin Sang‐Hun , Lee Jae‐Yeol , Kim Hyung J.
Published: June 2022

Cytoplasmic serine/threonine Pim kinases have emerged as important modulators of immune regulation and oncology. However, their regulatory roles in bone remodeling remain obscure. Here, we aimed to determine the roles of Pim kinases in periodontal disease (PD), focusing on the regulation of osteoclastogenesis and bone resorptive activity. We investigated Pim kinases expression in PD by analyzing data from the online Gene Expression Omnibus database and using ligature‐induced periodontitis mouse model. The expression of Pim kinases during receptor activator of nuclear factor kB ligand (RANKL)‐induced osteoclastogenesis was assessed in mouse bone marrow‐derived macrophages (BMMs) using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption activity were respectively verified by tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase staining and dentin disc‐based bone resorption assays. We silenced and overexpressed Pim‐2 using small interfering RNA (siRNA) and retroviral vector, respectively, to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying Pim‐2 regulation in RANKL‐induced osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption activity. Upregulated expression of Pim‐2 was observed in both patients with PD and periodontitis‐affected mouse gingival tissues. siRNA‐mediated silencing of Pim‐2 in BMMs diminished RANKL‐induced resorptive activity without affecting osteoclastogenesis. Moreover, RANKL‐triggered stimulation of a3 isoform, which is a subunit of vacuolar‐type ATPase, was selectively attenuated in BMMs on silencing Pim‐2. The overexpression of Pim‐2 with a retroviral vector stimulated the a3 subunit, thus inducing bone resorption activity. Taken together, these results suggest that Pim‐2 acts as a major modulator of osteoclastic activity by regulating a3 isoform expression in PD.