bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Using parsed and annotated corpora to analyze parliamentarians' talk in Finland
Authors: Andrushchenko Mykola , Sandberg Kirsi , Turunen Risto , Marjanen Jani , Hatavara Mari , Kurunmäki Jussi , Nummenmaa Timo , Hyvärinen Matti , Teräs Kari , Peltonen Jaakko , Nummenmaa Jyrki
Published: June 2021

We present a search system for grammatically analyzed corpora of Finnish parliamentary records and interviews with former parliamentarians, annotated with metadata of talk structure and involved parliamentarians, and discuss their use through carefully chosen digital humanities case studies. We first introduce the construction, contents, and principles of use of the corpora. Then we discuss the application of the search system and the corpora to study how politicians talk about power, how ideological terms are used in political speech, and how to identify narratives in the data. All case studies stem from questions in the humanities and the social sciences, but rely on the grammatically parsed corpora in both identifying and quantifying passages of interest. Finally, the paper discusses the role of natural language processing methods for questions in the (digital) humanities. It makes the claim that a digital humanities inquiry of parliamentary speech and interviews with politicians cannot only rely on computational humanities modeling, but needs to accommodate a range of perspectives starting with simple searches, quantitative exploration, and ending with modeling. Furthermore, the digital humanities need a more thorough discussion about how the utilization of tools from information science and technologies alter the research questions posed in the humanities.
Selective catalytic hydrogenation of biomass derived furans to secondary alcohols using Pt/polyoxometalate catalysts under mild reaction conditions
Authors: Sherbi Magdy , Stuckart Maria , Albert Jakob
Published: June 2021

Promising bifunctional catalyst systems composed of platinum and polyoxometalates (POMs) were applied successfully for the selective catalytic hydrogenation of 2,5‐dimethylfuran (DMF) to 2‐hexanol under mild conditions. Pt(acac)2 was found to be the most active Pt precursor for the ring opening of DMF, and the Keggin‐type POM K3[PW12O40] was identified as the most promoting acidic support for 2‐hexanol formation at 80 °C and 10 bar H2 pressure using n‐decane as a carrier liquid. It was revealed that modifications in the synthetic procedure of the Pt/K3[PW12O40] catalytic system allowed its catalytic performance to be enhanced. Thus, a higher yield of 2‐hexanol (72.5%) was achieved compared to that (49%) obtained using a commercial Pt/C catalyst with the same Pt loading. The Wells–Dawson‐type POM containing catalyst Pt/K6[α‐P2W18O62] was found to be selective for 2‐hexanon formation (56.4% yield) under identical reaction conditions. Furthermore, furan and 2‐methylfuran were also selectively hydrogenated to 1‐butanol (59.7% yield) and 1/2‐pentanol (44.3% yield), respectively, under the applied reaction conditions. Moreover, using analytical tools like N2‐physisorption, NH3‐TPD, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP‐OES), CO chemisorption, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), revealed that the higher total acid site density of the K3[PW12O40] enhances C=O hydrogenation and overcomes the rate‐limiting step of 2‐hexanone hydrogenation to 2‐hexanol. This demonstrates the high performance of the bi‐functional catalyst system Pt/K3[PW12O40] towards ring opening of various furans and the very high selectivity towards alcohol formation. This approach opens new interesting valorization pathways for several furanic compounds with respect to sustainable alcohol formation. © 2021 The Authors. Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining published by Society of Industrial Chemistry and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Static Magnetic Field (0.2–0.4 T) Stimulates the Self‐Renewal Ability of Osteosarcoma Stem Cells Through Autophagic Degradation of Ferritin
Authors: Zhao Bin , Yu Tongyao , Wang Shenghang , Che Jingmin , Zhou Liangfu , Shang Peng
Published: June 2021

Static magnetic field (SMF) can alter cell fate decisions in many ways. However, the effects of SMF on cancer stem cells (CSCs) are little‐known. In this particular study, we evaluate the biological effect of moderate‐intensity SMF on osteosarcoma stem cells (OSCs) and try to clarify the underlying mechanisms of action. First, we demonstrated that prolonged exposure to SMF induced the proliferation and tumorsphere formation in K7M2 and MG63 OSCs. Moreover, SMF promoted the release of ferrous iron (Fe2+) and provoked reactive oxygen species (ROS) in OSCs. Interestingly, SMF evidently triggered the autophagic degradation of ferritin, which is characterized by the activation of microtubule‐associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) and nuclear receptor co‐activator 4 (NCOA4), and downregulation of ferritin heavy chain 1 (FTH1) in OSCs. Particularly, the colony‐forming ability of K7M2 OSCs promoted by SMF was obviously abolished by using a small interfering RNA (siRNA) against NCOA4. Finally, treatment of the tumor‐bearing mice with SMF did not affect the tumor volume or tumor mass, nor pulmonary metastasis of K7M2 OSCs, but the SMF‐treated K7M2 OSCs caused a preference of pulmonary metastasis in a mouse model, which suggested that SMF might induce the metastatic characteristic of OSCs. Consequently, this paper demonstrates for the first time that the cumulative SMF exposure promoted the self‐renewal ability of OSCs via autophagic degradation of ferritin, implying that ferritinophagy may be a potential molecular target for cancer. © 2021 Bioelectromagnetics Society.
SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and cancer
Authors: Stingi Aureliano , Cirillo Luca
Published: June 2021

Despite huge efforts towards understanding the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) pathogenesis, little is known about the long‐term consequences of the disease. Here, we critically review existing literature about oncogenesis as a potential long‐term effect of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. Like other viral infections, SARS‐CoV‐2 may promote cancer onset by inhibiting tumor suppressor genes. We conclude that, although unlikely, such hypothesis cannot be excluded a priori and we delineate an experimental approach to address it. Also see the video abstract here: https://youtu.be/TBUTDSLR7vY
Modern cities modelled as “super‐cells” rather than multicellular organisms: Implications for industry, goods and services
Authors: Chang Jie , Ge Ying , Wu Zhaoping , Du Yuanyuan , Pan Kaixuan , Yang Guofu , Ren Yuan , Heino Mikko P. , Mao Feng , Cheong Kang Hao , Qu Zelong , Fan Xing , Min Yong , Peng Changhui , Meyerson Laura A.
Published: June 2021

The structure and “metabolism” (movement and conversion of goods and energy) of urban areas has caused cities to be identified as “super‐organisms”, placed between ecosystems and the biosphere, in the hierarchy of living systems. Yet most such analogies are weak, and render the super‐organism model ineffective for sustainable development of cities. Via a cluster analysis of 15 shared traits of the hierarchical living system, we found that industrialized cities are more similar to eukaryotic cells than to multicellular organisms; enclosed systems, such as factories and greenhouses, paralleling organelles in eukaryotic cells. We further developed a “super‐cell” industrialized city model: a “eukarcity” with citynucleus (urban area) as a regulating centre, and organaras (enclosed systems, which provide the majority of goods and services) as the functional components, and cityplasm (natural ecosystems and farmlands) as the matrix. This model may improve the vitality and sustainability of cities through planning and management.
Viscosity Blending Approach for 22.42% Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Shin Gwang Su , Kim Jeong‐Hyeon , Lee Sang‐Uk , Park Nam‐Gyu
Published: June 2021

We report here the viscosity blending approach toward high efficiency perovskite solar cells. A binary solvent is introduced in the precursor solution, where 2‐methoxyethaol (2ME) is mixed with dimethylformamide (DMF) or dimethylacetamide (DMAc). Viscosity of the binary solvent system is estimated by calculating the viscosity blending number. For the ratio of DMF (DMAc): 2ME = 75:25 leading to the viscosity of 1.0317 (1.1699) cSt, a forward‐scanned power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 22.42% is achieved along with photocurrent density of 25.46 mA/cm2, voltage of 1.122 V and fill factor of 0.785, which is higher than the PCE of 20.59% for the single DMF solvent. The binary solvent with optimal viscosity is found to be beneficial to reducing trap density and improving carrier lifetime even in thicker perovskite film.
Reevaluate how to evaluate: Systemic assessment biases affect students' confidence in college upper‐division biology laboratory courses
Authors: Bozinovic Kesten , Feng Zuying , Stewart Christine M. , Engelhart Darcy C. , Gong Sylvia , Vu Jeanne P. , Vasquez Miguel F. , Bozinovic Goran
Published: June 2021

Grades influence students' confidence and decisions to complete STEM degrees and pursue relevant careers. What affects students' confidence and performance in college upper‐division biology laboratory courses and how relevant are evaluation methods to career success? STEM laboratory courses are an excellent model to address these issues because of the hybrid environment, combining traditional lecture course format and the practical application of knowledge. We surveyed 567 students in two upper‐division laboratory molecular biology courses at a major research university to compare course‐content self‐assessment, students' predicted grades, and actual grades received. By analyzing students' confidence and correlating them to grades assigned by the instructor, we identified biases including student and Instructor Assistant (IA) gender, IA experience, and academic quarter. Considering the systemic effect of identified biases, a correlation (R2 = 0.37, p < 0.01) between predicted and actual grades, and weak but statistically significant correlation (R2 = 0.10, p < 0.01) between students' comprehensive course‐content self‐assessment and their predicted grade are not surprising. Our analysis suggests that students' quantifiable self‐assessment, a relatively simple and data‐rich resource, helps identify evaluation bias. If administered periodically throughout the course, these assessments can help mitigate biases, improve student learning, evaluation, and retention in STEM fields.
Patient‐reported factors associated with early arrival for stroke treatment
Authors: Eddelien Heidi S. , Butt Jawad H. , Amtoft André C. , Nielsen Nicholine S. K. , Jensen Emilie S. , Danielsen Ida M. K. , Christensen Thomas , Danielsen Anne K. , Hornnes Nete , Kruuse Christina
Published: June 2021

Objective

Timely evaluation and initiation of treatment is the key for improving stroke outcomes, although minimizing the time from symptom onset to the first contact with healthcare professionals remains a challenge. We aimed to identify patient‐related factors associated with early hospital arrival.

Materials and methods

In this cross‐sectional survey, we included patients with stroke or transient ischemic attack admitted directly to one of two noncomprehensive stroke units or transferred to the units from comprehensive stroke centers in the Capital Region of Denmark. Patient‐reported factors associated with early hospital arrival were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression analysis adjusted for age, sex, education, living arrangement, brain location of the stroke, stroke severity, patient‐perceived symptom severity, history of prior stroke, stroke risk factors, and knowledge of stroke symptoms.

Results

In total, 479 patients with acute stroke were included (median age 74 (25th–75th percentile, 64–80), 40% women), of whom 46.4% arrived within 180 min of symptom onset. Factors associated with early hospital arrival were patients or bystanders choosing emergency medical service (EMS) for the first contact with a medical professional (adjusted odds ratio (OR), 3.41; 95% confidence interval, CI [1.57, 7.35]) or the patient's perceived symptom severity above the median score of 25 on a 100‐point verbal scale (adjusted OR, 2.44; 95% CI [1.57, 3.82]). Living alone reduced the likelihood of early arrival (adjusted OR, 0.53; 95% CI [0.33, 0.86]).

Conclusions

Only when patients perceived symptoms as severe or when EMS was selected as the first contact, early arrival for stroke treatment was ensured.
A survey on doctors’ cognition of depression in patients with epilepsy
Authors: Peng Weifeng , Ding Jing , Zhan Shaokang , Wang Xin ,    the epilepsy group affiliated to Neurology Committee, Shanghai Medical Association
Published: June 2021

Objective

This survey aimed to assess doctors’ cognition on depressive symptoms in patients with epilepsy in Shanghai China.

Methods

Questionnaires were handed out to doctors who have taken part in the epilepsy care, covering those from all third‐grade hospitals and several second‐grade hospitals in Shanghai China. Respondents were asked to make choices for their demographic profiles, clinical practices, acquired knowledge of, and attitudes toward the comorbidity of epilepsy and depression.

Results

A total of 282 questionnaires were collected from 16 hospitals in Shanghai China, of which 280 copies were included in the statistical analysis. Respondents were mainly less than 50 years (260, 92.8%), mostly residents and attendings (206, 73.6%), and mostly master and doctor's degrees (225, 80.3%). The ratio of epileptologists and nonepileptologists was 56 (20.1%):224 (79.9%). Compared to nonepileptologists and residents, epileptologists and doctors with higher professional titles were more likely to answer that they received a higher percentage of patients with the comorbidity of epilepsy and depression (≥30%), and they knew very well about the knowledge, and held the view that depression exacerbated seizures (p < .05). Surprisingly, most doctors including chief doctors and epileptologists answered that they had difficulties in prescribing antidepressants. Quite a few doctors from lower class hospitals even preferred to use tricyclic antidepressants for controlling depressive symptoms in patients with epilepsy.

Significance

Doctors, especially younger doctors and nonepileptologists, need more training to get knowledge of the comorbidity of epilepsy and depression. However, the therapeutic methods for depressive symptoms in patients with epilepsy were still limited and in a challenge.
Effects of the covid‐19 pandemic on neurological diseases
Authors: Khoshsirat Nahid Abbasi , Qorbani Mostafa , Farivar Ali Mokhtari , Mohammadpoor Nami Sahar , Mohammadian Khonsari Nami
Published: June 2021

Background

Covid‐19 has caused many complications for both the infected and those in need of medical care. This may be due to infection‐related prognosis worsening or the patients’ avoidance of referring to the hospital for fear of contracting the infection. The decline of acute referral to the ER of many significant conditions with severe results on both the well‐being and life‐expectancy is a serious concern. To address these concerns, we designed this study to evaluate the recent pandemic's impact on “in‐hospital mortality” caused by neurological disorders pre and postpandemic.

Methods and material

The inclusion criteria were any acute neurological condition and the consent of the patients eligible for our study. The definitions of all assessed conditions and the comorbidities are ICD‐10 based. Hypertension and diabetes mellitus, due to their high prevalence, were evaluated separately from other internal comorbidities. The total number of the enrolled patients was 1742, 671 of whom had been during the COVID‐19 pandemic, and 1071 had attended the ER during the prepandemic era.

Results

The overall mortality was significantly higher during the pandemic, and the covid infected had suffered higher mortality rates. (p‐value < 0.05)

Conclusion

During the pandemic, those with minor strokes and other nonlife‐threatening ailments had avoided hospital care leading to a significantly higher rate of critical conditions. Increased incidence of strokes and ICHs during the pandemic, too, caused significant increased in‐hospital mortality.
Vitamin D and Vitamin D‐binding protein and risk of bladder cancer: A nested case‐control study in the Norwegian Janus Serum Bank Cohort
Authors: Hektoen Helga H. , Robsahm Trude E. , Stenehjem Jo S. , Axcrona Karol , Babigumira Ronnie , Mondul Alison M. , Gislefoss Randi E. , Andreassen Bettina K
Published: June 2021

Background

 High circulating levels of vitamin D (25(OH)D) are suggested to reduce the risk of urinary bladder cancer (BC), but the evidence is weak, and several studies lack sufficient adjustment for potential confounders (e.g., smoking, body mass index (BMI), and physical activity). Moreover, few studies have investigated the role of vitamin D‐binding protein (DBP) in this context. We conducted a matched nested case–control study including 378 cases and 378 controls within the Norwegian population‐based Janus cohort, using serum collected 5–41 years prior to diagnosis, to study 25(OH)D and BC risk, by taking circulating DBP into account.

Methods

Cox regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), for 25(OH)D, DBP, and the molar ratio of 25(OH)D:DBP, an estimate of unbound (free) 25(OH)D levels. We adjusted for smoking (status and pack‐years), BMI, physical activity, education and (mutually) for 25(OH)D and DBP. Restricted cubic splines were employed to examine nonlinear associations.

Results

High optimal levels of circulating 25(OH)D (≥100 nmol/L) (HR 0.35, 95% CI 0.19–0.64) were associated with decreased BC risk, when compared with insufficient concentrations (50–74 nmol/L). This association was less pronounced for optimal levels (75–99 nmol/L) (HR = 0.69, 95% CI 0.47–1.01). Moreover, estimated free 25(OH)D, was associated with decreased BC risk for molar ratio 17–21 (HR 0.66, 95% CI 0.44–0.97) and ≥22 (HR 0.50, 95% CI 0.29–0.82), compared to molar ratio 11–16. The HR function for BC risk was not linear, rather reversed u‐shaped, with the highest HR at 62.5 nmol/L and 13.5 molar ratio, respectively.

Conclusion

High levels of total and estimated free 25(OH)D were associated with reduced risk of BC, compared with insufficient concentrations. DBP was not associated with BC risk. We did not observe any impact of DBP or any of the studied lifestyle factors on the association between 25(OH)D and BC.
Generation of multiagent animation for object transportation using deep reinforcement learning and blend‐trees
Authors: Chen Shao‐Chieh , Liu Guan‐Ting , Wong Sai‐Keung
Published: June 2021

This paper proposes a framework that integrates reinforcement learning and blend‐trees to generate animation of multiple agents for object transportation. The main idea is that in the learning stage, policies are learned to control agents to perform specific skills, including navigation, pushing, and orientation adjustment. The policies determine the blending parameters of the blend‐trees to achieve locomotion control of the agents. In the simulation stage, the policies are combined to control the agents to navigate, push objects, and adjust orientation of the objects. We demonstrated several examples to show that the framework is capable of generating animation of multiple agents in different scenarios.
Dendrobium huoshanense Polysaccharides Prevent Inflammatory Response of Ulcerative Colitis Rat through Inhibiting the NF‐κB Signaling Pathway
Authors: Gu Fang‐Li , Huang Ren‐Shu , He Xiao‐Mei , Chen Nai‐Fu , Han Bang‐Xing , Deng Hui
Published: June 2021

The polysaccharides of the Chinese herbal medicine Dendrobium huoshanense exhibit anti‐inflammatory effects in multiple organs through regulating the immune responses. In the present study, we constructed ulcerative colitis (UC) model rats using dextran sulfate sodium to investigate the anti‐inflammatory effects of D. huoshanense polysaccharides (DHP). After oral administration of DHP for two weeks, the indices of UC symptoms, including the ratio of colon weight to length, Disease Activity Index (DAI), and Colon Mucosal Damage Index (CMDI), all decreased significantly compared with the UC model group. The histological sections also revealed better cell orders in DHP treatments than in the UC model rats. Moreover, in treatment with high dose of DHP (200 mg/kg), the treatment efficacy arrived the similar levels to those in the treatment with 300 mg/kg sulfasalazine, which is a typical medicine to treat UC. These results indicated that DHP has a high efficacy to treat UC in model rats. Furthermore, serum levels of interleukin‐1β, tumor necrosis factor‐α, interleukin‐17, and transforming growth factor‐β were assessed using the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method, and the levels of nuclear factor‐κB in colon tissue sections were determined using the immunohistochemical method. The results showed that all these indices decreased significantly after administration of DHP in UC model rats, which might be the mechanisms underlying the DHP‐suppressed UC inflammation. Overall, this study indicated that DHP might be directly used to treat UC and is a promising source to develop novel drugs against UC.
A Prospective of Multiple Biopharmaceutical Activities of Procyanidins‐RichUapaca togoensisPax Extracts: HPLC‐ESI‐TOF‐MS Coupled with Bioinformatics Analysis
Authors: Ibrahime Sinan Kouadio , Aktumsek Abdurrahman , de la Luz Cádiz‐Gurrea María , Leyva‐Jiménez Francisco Javier , Fernández‐Ochoa Álvaro , Segura‐Carretero Antonio , Glamocilja Jasmina , Sokovic Marina , Nenadić Marija , Zengin Gokhan
Published: June 2021

The article reports the chemical composition, antioxidant, six key enzymes inhibitory and antimicrobial activities of two solvent extracts (water and methanol) of leaves and stem bark ofUapaca togoensis. For chemical composition, methanol extract of stem bark exhibited significant higher total phenolic (129.86 mg GAE/g) and flavanol (10.44 mg CE/g) contents. Methanol extract of leaves and water extract of stem bark showed high flavonoids (20.94 mg RE/g) and phenolic acid (90.40 mg CAE/g) content, respectively. In addition, HPLC‐ESI‐TOF‐MS analysis revealed thatU. togoensiswas rich in procyanidins. The methanol and water extracts of stem bark had overall superior antioxidant activity; however, only methanol extract of stem bark showed higher inhibition of cholinesterase (AChE: 2.57 mg GALAE/g; BChE: 4.69 mg GALAE/g), tyrosinase (69.53 mg KAE/g) and elastase (2.73 mmol CE/g). Potent metal chelating ability was showed by water extract of leaves (18.94 mg EDTAE/g), higher inhibition of amylase was detected for water extracts of leaves (0.94 mmol ACAE/g) and stem bark (0.92 mmol ACAE/g). The tested extracts have shown wide‐spectrum antibacterial properties and these effects have shown to be more effective againstAspergillus ochraceus,Penicillium funiculosum,Trichoderma viride,Bacillus cereus,Escherichia coliandPseudomonas aeruginosa. The results revealed that the antioxidant, enzyme inhibitory and antimicrobial activities depended on the extraction solvents and the parts of plant. Bioinformatics analysis on the 17 major compounds showed modulation of pathway associated with cancer. In brief,U. togoensismight be valuable as potential source of natural agents for therapeutic application.
Green and Red Brazilian Propolis: Antimicrobial Potential and Anti‐Virulence against ATCC and Clinically Isolated Multidrug‐Resistant Bacteria
Authors: de Souza Silva Thayná , Silva Júlia M. B. , Braun Gláucia H. , Mejia Jennyfer A. A. , Ccapatinta Gari V. C. , Santos Mário Ferreira Conceição , Tanimoto Matheus H. , Bastos Jairo K. , Parreira Renato L. T. , Orenha Renato P. , Borges Alexandre , Berretta Andresa A. , Veneziani Rodrigo C. S. , Martins Carlos H. G. , Ambrósio Sérgio R.
Published: June 2021

Brazilian green and red propolis stand out as commercial products for different medical applications. In this article, we report the antimicrobial activities of the hydroalcoholic extracts of green (EGP) and red (ERP) propolis, as well as guttiferone E plus xanthochymol (8) and oblongifolin B (9) from red propolis, against multidrug‐resistant bacteria (MDRB). We undertook the minimal inhibitory (MIC) and bactericidal (MBC) concentrations, inhibition of biofilm formation (MICB50), catalase, coagulase, DNase, lipase, and hemolysin assays, along with molecular docking simulations. ERP was more effective by displaying MIC and MBC values <100 μg mL−1. Compounds 8 and 9 displayed the lowest MIC values (0.98 to 31.25 μg mL−1) against all tested Gram‐positive MDRB. They also inhibited the biofilm formation of S. aureus (ATCC 43300 and clinical isolate) and S. epidermidis (ATCC 14990 and clinical isolate), with MICB50 values between 1.56 and 6.25 μg mL−1. The molecular docking results indicated that 8 and 9 might interact with the catalase's amino acids. Compounds 8 and 9 have great antimicrobial potential.
Directional atherectomy before paclitaxel coated balloon angioplasty in complex femoropopliteal disease: The VIVA REALITY study
Authors: Rocha‐Singh Krishna J. , Sachar Ravish , DeRubertis Brian G. , Nolte‐Ernsting Claus C. A. , Winscott John G. , Krishnan Prakash , Scott Eric C. , Garcia Lawrence A. , Baeriswyl Jean‐Luc , Ansel Gary , Rosenfield Kenneth , Zeller Thomas ,   The REALITY Investigators
Published: June 2021

Background

Drug coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty significantly reduces reintervention rates in patients with symptomatic femoropopliteal peripheral artery disease (PAD). However, stand‐alone DCB use in long, severely calcified lesions is frequently associated with vessel recoil and/or high‐grade dissections necessitating provisional stent implantation.

Objectives

Assess the safety and effectiveness of a vessel preparation strategy with directional atherectomy (DA) prior to DCB angioplasty in patients with symptomatic severely calcified femoropopliteal PAD.

Methods

REALITY (NCT02850107) prospectively enrolled subjects at 13 multinational centers with 8–36 cm femoropopliteal stenoses or occlusions with bilateral vessel wall calcification treated with DA prior to DCB angioplasty. The primary effectiveness endpoint was 12‐month primary patency, and the primary safety endpoint was freedom from major adverse events through 30 days. Independent angiographic and duplex core laboratories assessed outcomes and a Clinical Events Committee adjudicated events.

Results

A total of 102 subjects were enrolled; one lesion was treated per subject. The mean lesion length was 17.9 ± 8.1 cm, 39.0% were chronic total occlusions (mean lesion length 22.6 ± 8.6 cm); 86.2% of lesions exhibited moderate to severe bilateral calcification. Provisional stents were implanted in 8.8% (9/102) of subjects. Twelve‐month primary patency rate was 76.7% (66/86) and freedom from CD‐TLR rate was 92.6% (87/94). No device or procedure related deaths and one index‐limb major amputation were reported.

Conclusions

Plaque excision with DA in patients with symptomatic severely calcified femoropopliteal arterial disease prior to DCB angioplasty is a safe and effective treatment strategy with a low provisional stent rate.
Pressure‐controlled intermittent coronary sinus occlusion improves the vasodilatory microvascular capacity and reduces myocardial injury in patients with STEMI
Authors: Scarsini Roberto , Terentes‐Printzios Dimitrios , Shanmuganathan Mayooran , Kotronias Rafail A. , Borlotti Alessandra , Marin Federico , Langrish Jeremy , Lucking Andrew , Ribichini Flavio ,   Oxford Acute Myocardial Infarction (OxAMI) Study, Kharbanda Rajesh , Ferreira Vanessa M. , Channon Keith M. , De Maria Giovanni Luigi , Banning Adrian P.
Published: June 2021

Background

Preliminary data suggest that pressure‐controlled intermittent coronary sinus occlusion (PICSO) might reduce the infarct size (IS) in patients with anterior ST‐elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). However, the applicability of this therapy to patients with inferior STEMI and its exact mechanism of action is uncertain.

Methods and results

Thirty‐six patients (27 anterior and 9 inferior) with STEMI underwent PICSO‐assisted‐primary percutaneous intervention (PPCI) and were compared with matched controls who underwent standard PCI (n = 72). Median age was 63 (55–70) years and 82% were male.

Coronary microvascular status was assessed using thermodilution‐derived index of microcirculatory resistance (IMR) and the vasodilatory capacity was assessed using the resistive reserve ratio (RRR). IS and microvascular obstruction (MVO) were assessed using cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) within 48 h and 6 months of follow‐up.

At completion of PPCI, IMR improved significantly in PICSO‐treated patients compared with controls in patients with either anterior (63.7 [49.8–74.6] vs. 35.9 [27.9–47.6], p < 0.001) or inferior STEMI (60.0 [47.6–67.1] vs. 22.7 [18.4–35.0], p < 0.001). RRR significantly improved after PICSO treatment for anterior (1.21 [1.01–1.42] vs. 1.73 [1.51–2.16], p = 0.002) or inferior STEMI (1.39 [1.05–1.90] vs. 2.87 [2.17–3.78], p = 0.001), whereas it did not change in controls compared with baseline.

Patients treated with PICSO presented significantly less frequently with MVO (66.6% vs. 86.1%, p = 0.024) and smaller 6‐month IS compared with controls (26% [17%–30%] vs. 30% [21%–37%], p = 0.045).

Conclusion

PICSO therapy may improve microvascular function and vasodilatory capacity, which contributes to reducing IS in patients with STEMI undergoing PPCI.
Microwave‐Assisted Biosynthesis of CuO Nanoparticles Using Atalantia monophylla (L.) Leaf Extract and its Biomedical Applications
Authors: Verma Ravikant , Khan Anisa Basheer , Khan M. Imran K. , Amar Ashutosh Kumar , Sah Suresh , Jaiswal Krishna Kumar , Singh Ram Kishore
Published: June 2021

The facile and rapid biosynthesis of copper oxide nanoparticles (AM‐CuONPs) using Atalantia monophylla leaves extract under microwave irradiation is investigated. Optical and structural characterizations confirm the synthesis of spherical to rod‐shaped phase pure AM‐CuONPs. The antibacterial activity of AM‐CuONPs is higher with Gram‐positive bacteria compared to Gram‐negative bacteria. The antioxidant potential of AM‐CuONPs is reflected in radical scavenging activities in a concentration‐dependent manner, tested by 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl and 3‐ethylenebenzothiazoline‐6‐sulfonic acid diammonium salt assay. The promising anticancer activity of AM‐CuONPs is observed by killing ∼80 % of HeLa cells without affecting normal human embryonic kidney cells. The results reveal the potential of biosynthesized AM‐CuONPs for antibacterial, antioxidant, and anticancer applications.
Wie aus Chemie Biologie entsteht
Authors: Groß Michael
Published: June 2021

Die Frage nach dem Ursprung des Lebens hat schon viel Spekulation ausgelöst. Jetzt allerdings steht die Wissenschaft kurz davor, den entscheidenden Schritt von lebloser Materie zu evolvierenden Molekülen im Labor nachvollziehen zu können.
Prevalence of cannabis use among individuals with a history of cancer in the United States
Authors: Cousins Matthew M. , Jannausch Mary L. , Coughlin Lara N. , Jagsi Reshma , Ilgen Mark A.
Published: June 2021

Background

Patients with cancer have played a key role in advocating for legal access to cannabis, but little is known about links between cancer and cannabis use or cannabis‐related beliefs. The authors used data from a national survey to study these relationships.

Methods

Nationally representative data collected by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health from 2015 to 2019 were acquired. Patterns of cannabis use and cancer history were examined and tested within age group subpopulations via domain analysis using survey weights.

Results

Data for 214,505 adults, including 4741 individuals (3.8%) with past (>1 year ago) cancer diagnosis and 1518 individuals (1.2%) with recent (≤1 year ago) cancer diagnosis, were examined. Cannabis use was less common in those with past (8.9%; 95% CI, 8.0%‐9.8%) or recent (9.9%; 95% CI, 6.9%‐11.1%) cancer diagnosis than in those without a history of cancer (15.9%; 95% CI, 15.7%‐16.1%). However, when analyses were stratified by age group, those 18 to 34 years of age were more likely to report past cannabis use, and those 35 to 49 years of age were more likely to report past or recent cannabis use if they had a history of cancer. Younger patients felt that cannabis was more accessible and less risky if they had a history of cancer.

Conclusions

Patients with cancer were less likely to report cannabis use, but there were different cannabis perceptions and use patterns by age. Age should be considered in studies of cannabis and cancer, and policy initiatives may be needed to aid provision of quality information on cannabis risk to those with cancer.

Lay Summary

Cannabis (marijuana) use is increasing in the United States, but we do not have much information on the relationship between cannabis use and cancer.

We studied information from a representative group of people and found that younger patients generally reported more past and/or recent cannabis use if they had been diagnosed with cancer whereas older individuals did not.

Beliefs about cannabis risk and accessibility differed by age.

Clinical trials to study cannabis should account for patient age, and accurate information about cannabis should be provided to help patients with cancer make decisions about cannabis use.
Chatbots: Security, privacy, data protection, and social aspects
Authors: Hasal Martin , Nowaková Jana , Ahmed Saghair Khalifa , Abdulla Hussam , Snášel Václav , Ogiela Lidia
Published: June 2021

Chatbots are artificial communication systems becoming increasingly popular and not all their security questions are clearly solved. People use chatbots for assistance in shopping, bank communication, meal delivery, healthcare, cars, and many other actions. However, it brings an additional security risk and creates serious security challenges which have to be handled. Understanding the underlying problems requires defining the crucial steps in the techniques used to design chatbots related to security. There are many factors increasing security threats and vulnerabilities. All of them are comprehensively studied, and security practices to decrease security weaknesses are presented. Modern chatbots are no longer rule‐based models, but they employ modern natural language and machine learning techniques. Such techniques learn from a conversation, which can contain personal information. The paper discusses circumstances under which such data can be used and how chatbots treat them. Many chatbots operate on a social/messaging platform, which has their terms and conditions about data. The paper aims to present a comprehensive study of security aspects in communication with chatbots. The article could open a discussion and highlight the problems of data storage and usage obtained from the communication user—chatbot and propose some standards to protect the user.
An effective way for Taiwanese stock price prediction: Boosting the performance with machine learning techniques
Authors: Nguyen Hai T. , Tran Toan B. , Bui Phuong H. D.
Published: June 2021

The stock forecast is one of the most challenging tasks that have attracted numerous economists and scientists worldwide. Stock prices can be affected by many reasons, such as physiological, rational, and irrational behavior. Such factors can combine to make the prices volatile and very challenge to predict with great accuracy for a long time in numerous cases. In this study, we have deployed a long short‐term memory architecture with various time‐steps and classic machine learning methods such as random forests, support vector machines, and autoregression on the Taiwanese stock market collected in 14–15 years. As shown from the visual results, the predicted values have followed the patterns as the actual prices with low error rates in various metrics, including root mean square error and mean absolute error. This work is expected to provide a valuable tool for investigating stock price patterns of stock markets in the future.
A HNO3‐Responsive Aqueous Biphasic System for Metal Separation: Application towards CeIV Recovery
Authors: Schaeffer Nicolas , Vargas Silvia J. R. , Passos Helena , Brandão Paula , Nogueira Helena I. S. , Svecova Lenka , Papaiconomou  , Coutinho João A. P.
Published: June 2021

An acidic aqueous biphasic system (AcABS) presenting a desired and reversible phase transition with HNO3 concentration and temperature was developed herein as an integrated platform for metal separation. The simple, economical, and fully incinerable (C,H,O,N) AcABS composed of tetrabutylammonium nitrate ([N4444][NO3])+HNO3+H2O was characterized and presented an excellent selectivity towards CeIV against other rare earth elements and transition metals from both synthetic solutions and nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery leachates. The acid‐driven self‐assembly of AcABS bridges the gap between traditional ABS and liquid–liquid extraction whilst retaining their advantageous qualities, including compatibility with highly acidic solutions, water as the primary system component, the avoidance of organic diluents, rapid mass transfer, and the potential integration of the leaching and separation steps.
A lymphodepleted non‐human primate model for the assessment of acute on‐target and off‐tumor toxicity of human chimeric antigen receptor‐T cells
Authors: Yagyu Shigeki , Mochizuki Hidemi , Yamashima Kumiko , Kubo Hiroshi , Saito Shoji , Tanaka Miyuki , Sakamoto Kengo , Shimoi Akihito , Nakazawa Yozo
Published: June 2021

Objectives

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)‐T cell therapy possesses the potential to cause unexpected on‐target toxicities that may be life‐threatening. Non‐human primates (NHPs) share considerable structural homology and expression profiles of most proteins with humans and are therefore utilised as an animal model for non‐clinical safety studies. We have developed a lymphodepleted NHP model by conditioning the animals with immunosuppressive chemotherapy designed to simulate clinical practice conditions, to induce transient mixed chimerism before the administration of human CAR‐T cells redirected to target Ephrin type‐B receptor 4 (EPHB4‐CAR‐T cells) to evaluate the toxicity of these cells.

Methods

We administered 60 mg m−2 day−1 of fludarabine for 4 days and 30 mg kg−1 day−1 of cyclophosphamide for 2 days intravenously to cynomolgus macaques for lymphodepletion; then, 3.3 × 106 kg−1 of non‐transduced or EPHB4‐CAR‐T cells was infused into the macaques, respectively. All macaques were closely monitored and evaluated for potential toxicity for 7 days.

Results

Lymphodepletion was successfully achieved on day −1 before T‐cell infusion and persisted over 7 days without severe organ toxicities. A single administration of human EPHB4‐CAR‐T cells did not induce overt organ toxicities, although EPHB4‐CAR‐T cells were activated in vivo as evidenced by the elevation in copy numbers of the CAR transgene 24 h after infusion.

Conclusion

Although this NHP model is limited for the full evaluation of toxicity of human CAR‐T cells and the conditioning protocol should be further optimised, this lymphodepleted NHP model could be used to assess acute on‐target/off‐tumor toxicities of CAR‐T cells.
Let's move out together: a framework for the intersections between movement and mutualism
Authors: Shaw Allison K. , Naven Narayanan  , Stanton Daniel E.
Published: June 2021

Movement is a widespread behavior across organisms and is driven in part by interspecific interactions. Generally, negative interspecific interactions (such as competition and natural enemies) are more often studied in the context of movement than positive interactions (mutualism). Mutualistic relationships are incredibly common, yet only a subset are studied in the context of movement (transportation mutualisms). Overall, the costs and benefits that an individual experiences are shaped both by their movement behavior and their mutualistic relationships, as well as the intersection between these. Here we argue that the intersection between movement behavior and mutualistic relationships is understudied, and we present a conceptual framework to synthesize the links between movement and mutualisms and give examples of species that exhibit each. Our framework serves both to highlight the ways that mutualism can shape movement (and vice versa) and to draw parallels across different organisms (enabling a more abstract perspective of these biological systems, complementing the system‐focused perspective). Finally, we show how considering movement in light of mutualisms (and vice versa) presents a number of new research questions to be answered by each empirical and theoretical approach going forward.
Left atrial volume and left ventricular mass indices in heart failure with preserved and reduced ejection fraction
Authors: Gehlken Carolin , Screever Elles M. , Suthahar Navin , van der Meer Peter , Westenbrink B. Daan , Coster Jennifer E. , Van Veldhuisen Dirk J. , de Boer Rudolf A. , Meijers Wouter C.
Published: June 2021

Aims

Two key echocardiographic parameters that are currently used to diagnose heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) are left atrial volume index (LAVi) and left ventricular mass index (LVMi). We investigated whether patients' characteristics, biomarkers, and co‐morbidities are associated with these parameters and whether the relationships differ between patients with HFpEF or HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).

Methods

We consecutively enrolled 831 outpatients with typical signs and symptoms of HF and elevated N‐terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP) levels and categorized patients based upon left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF): LVEF < 40% (HFrEF), LVEF between 40% and 50% (HF with mid‐range ejection fraction), and LVEF ≥ 50% (HFpEF). The study includes consecutively enrolled HF patients from an HF outpatient clinic at a tertiary medical centre in the Netherlands. All patients underwent baseline characterization, laboratory measurements, and echocardiography.

Results

Four hundred sixty‐nine patients had HFrEF, 189 HF with mid‐range ejection fraction, and 173 HFpEF. The patients with HFrEF were rather male [HFrEF: 323 (69%); HFpEF: 80 (46%); P < 0.001], and the age was comparable (HFrEF 67 ± 13; HFpEF 70 ± 14; P = 0.069). In HFpEF, more patients had hypertension [190 (40.5%); 114 (65.9%); P < 0.001], higher body mass indices (27 ± 8; 30 ± 7; P < 0.001), and atrial fibrillation [194 (41.4); 86 (49.7); P = 0.029]. The correlation analyses showed that in HFrEF patients, LAVi was significantly associated with age (β 0.293; P < 0.001), male gender (β 0.104; P = 0.042), body mass index (β −0160; P = 0.002), diastolic blood pressure (β −0.136; P < 0.001), New York Heart Association (β 0.174; P = 0.001), atrial fibrillation (β 0.381; P < 0.001), galectin 3 (β 0.230; P < 0.001), NT‐proBNP (β 0.183; P < 0.001), estimated glomerular filtration rate (β −0.205; P < 0.001), LVEF (β −0.173; P = 0.001), and LVMi (β 0.337; P < 0.001). In HFpEF patients, only age (β 0.326; P < 0.001), atrial fibrillation (β 0.386; P < 0.001), NT‐proBNP (β 0.176; P = 0.036), and LVMi (β 0.213; P = 0.013) were associated with LAVi.

Conclusions

Although LVMi and LAVi are hallmark parameters to diagnose HFpEF, they only correlate with a few characteristics of HF and mainly with atrial fibrillation. In contrast, in HFrEF patients, LAVi relates strongly to several other HF parameters. These findings underscore the complexity in visualizing the pathophysiology of HFpEF and question the relation between cardiac structural remodeling and the impact of co‐morbidities.
Electrochemical Probe of the Reduced Graphene Oxide Modified by Bare Gold Nanoparticles Functionalized Zr(IV)‐based Metal‐organic Framework for Detecting Nitrite
Authors: Chen Jing , Li Shuying , Xu Fanghong , Zhang Qian
Published: June 2021

Widely presented nitrite in drinking water, food and even physiological system endangers human health. Here,bare gold nanoparticles functionalized Zr‐based metal‐organic framework modified reduced graphene oxide (GNPs/UiO‐66‐NH2/rGO) nanocomposites were prepared by hydrothermal method. This experiment studies the morphology, composition, structure and electrochemical behavior of the sensor. The experimental results show that the sensor has a peak potential of 0.9 V, the concentration range of NO2− is 5.0 μM to 768 μM, the linear regression equation of the calibration curve is Ipa=0.3646+0.00642 C (R2=0.9998), and the LOD is as low as 3.7 μM (S/N=3). Therefore, an electrochemical sensor platform for trace detection of NO2− was successfully constructed.
Relation of the electrochemical interplay between H2PtCl6 and H2O/H3O+/H2+ and the hydrogen‐evolution reaction
Authors: Kriek Roelof J. , Mogwase Boitumelo M.S. , Vorster Schalk W.
Published: June 2021

The electrodeposition of platinum from hexachloroplatinic acid solutions, on glassy carbon, was studied by developing multiple cyclic voltammetry transients. The development of an isopotential point, only observed under hydrogen‐evolution conditions, is postulated to be associated with the reduction of [PtCl4]2− to Pt0 and the oxidation of the adsorbed molecular hydrogen ion (H2+)ads species to (H3O+)ads. The adsorption of H2+ inhibits the continued reduction of [PtCl4]2− and the ‘cleansing’ of the platinum surface, that is, the removal of H2+ through hydrogen evolution, results in the opening up of active sites to allow for the continued reduction of [PtCl4]2− on the return sweep, which results in an isopotential point (IPP). This IPP is not observed in the absence of hydrogen evolution, due to saturation of the surface by (H2+)ads, and correlates with a model that explains the interplay between platinum chloride species, hydrogen containing species (H2O/H3O+/H2+), and the hydrogen‐evolution reaction.
Carbazole based organic dyes as effective photosensitizers: A comprehensive analysis of their structure‐property relationships
Authors: Naik Praveen , Keremane Kavya S. , Elmorsy Mohamed R. , El‐Shafei Ahmed , Adhikari Airody Vasudeva
Published: June 2021

The present work describes the effect of structural modification of carbazole‐based photosensitizers carrying carboxylic acid as a common anchoring functionality, on the photovoltaic parameters of newly fabricated DSSCs. In this study, we have selected our previously reported three carbazole‐based derivatives, viz. S1‐3 having different structural designs, that is, D‐π‐A (S1), D‐D‐π‐A (S2), and A‐π‐D‐π‐A (S3) with different donor units and π‐spacers, but an identical cyanoacetic acid anchoring unit. We have evaluated their optical, electrochemical, and photovoltaic behaviors in order to explore their structure‐property relationships. Also, the theoretical investigations were performed to obtain a deeper understanding of their HOMO‐LUMO levels, charge distribution in FMOs, directional flow of electrons within the push‐pull type sensitizers, and optical behavior. Finally, the DSSCs were constructed by employing these dyes as sensitizers without any co‐absorbents and the performance of the devices was evaluated by using illuminated current‐voltage characteristics. Among the tested dyes, di‐anchoring S3 exhibited improved PCE of 3.77 % due to its strong adsorption on the TiO2 surface that resulted in superior VOC of the cell. While the S2 containing electron‐releasing anisole as an auxiliary donor exhibited better JSC value leading to the optimum PCE of 3.73 % which is comparable to that of S3. Obviously, these results validate the role of the π‐spacer and additional donor of the sensitizers on the overall performance of the DSSCs.