bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preparation and properties of polyester fibers with polyacrylamide hydrogel grafted by UV‐irradiation
Authors: Zhang Youjie , Qiang Xiao‐Qi , Xu Jianguo , Miao Miao , Guo Dan , Wang Xinqi , Ma Xiaoyan , Li Nana
Published: December 2023

It is widely recognized that polyester (PET) fibers with swelling properties are necessary for advanced applications of PET fibers in waterproof fabrics. This study presented the UV‐initiated methods to graft polyacrylamide (PAM) hydrogel on the surface of PET fibers. In the one‐step method, PET fibers are impregnated with a mixed solution of the photoinitiator benzophenone (BP) and the monomer acrylalkylamine (AM). Then, the PET fiber was directly exposed to UV light. In the two‐step method, PET fibers were first impregnated with a photoinitiator solution to generate BP radicals. Then, the fibers impregnated with a monomer solution before being grafted by UV light. Both two methods ultimately achieve PAM gelation‐modified PET fibers. The chemical composition and surface structure were detected by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscope. The findings demonstrate that the PAM hydrogel was successfully grafted on the PET fibers through one‐step method or a two‐step method. In addition, the properties of the grafted PET fibers were evaluated by grafting yield, contact angle, and swelling test. The study indicated that the modified PET fibers via a two‐step method exhibited a superior grafting yield up to 29.3% (PET‐2n) and 54% (PET‐2) compared to the one‐step technique (PET‐1). It was shown that the grafting efficacy of PET fibers modified by two‐step method is better than one‐step method. The static contact angles of PET fibers by UV‐Induced were all reduced. For instance, the contact angles of PET‐2n were decreased from 115° to 62.9°; and the two‐step modified PET fiber after acetone cleaning (PET‐2) decreased from 115° to 60°. It was suggested that the hydrophilicity of the modified PET fibers significantly increased. In addition, the research shows that the gelation‐modified fibers were all possessed swelling properties.
In‐situ grafting of porous silica on the surface of polyvinyl chloride by atmospheric pressure plasma jet to enhance its hydrophilic and slow‐release drug properties
Authors: Liu Chang , Liu Yafeng , Sui Siyuan , Zha Jingjing , Kong Ling , Sun Hongmei , Ni Guohua
Published: December 2023

In order to mitigate inflammation caused by the implanted device, the hydrophilic and slow‐release drug coating of PVC was prepared by the treatment of atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) and grafting porous SiO2 sphere to load the anti‐inflammatory drug ibuprofen. The structural change of the original PVC, the PVC treated by APPJ as well as the PVC‐grafted porous SiO2 coating were characterized. The results showed that SiO2 spheres were regularly arranged on the surface of the PVC treated by APPJ due to its surface grafted with numerous oxygen‐containing functional groups. The PVC‐grafted porous SiO2 sphere coating exhibited hydrophilic properties and its contact angle was only 19.83°. Meanwhile, this coating had a significant slow‐release of ibuprofen and remained equilibrium after 96 h, compared with the original PVC fully releasing IBU for 24 h. This work gives an innovative strategy for preparing the functional coating.

Highlights

APPJ technique presented to increase oxygen‐containing function groups on PVC.

SiO2 spheres grafted and regularly arranged on the APPJ‐treated PVC surface.

Mesoporous SiO2 nanoparticle coating was prepared on PVC surface.

Ibuprofen loaded into the mesoporous SiO2 nanoparticle coating.

The coating has the properties of hydrophilic and slow‐release of ibuprofen.
Analysis of degradation products in thermally treated TATB
Authors: Coffee Keith R. , Panasci‐Nott Adele F. , Olivas Jason A. , Selinsky John , Morrison Keith D. , Burnham Alan K. , Klunder Gregory L. , Reynolds John G.
Published: December 2023

Delineating the chemical composition of TATB (1,3,5‐triamino‐2,4,6‐trinitrobenzene) residues produced from the exposure to abnormal thermal environments should lead to a better understanding of the decomposition paths. Identifying and quantifying each compound in thermally produced residues, monitors which compounds are degrading or forming along the decomposition route, as well as providing input for the kinetic models of those pathways.

Here we report the methodology of isolating, identifying, and where possible, quantifying soluble compounds present in solid residues of thermally treated TATB (330 °C for tens of minutes). Samples were extracted with DMSO, separated using chromatography, and quantified using their absorption at 354 nm. Identification of unknown compounds was accomplished using high resolution mass spectrometry. TATB, F1 (diamino‐dinitro‐benzofurazan), HO‐TATB (2,4,6‐triamino‐1‐hydroxyl‐3,5‐dinitrobenzene), and T4A (1‐chloro‐3,5‐dinitro‐2,4,6‐triaminobenzene) were trace compounds detected in the unreacted TATB. Ten more compounds that formed in the residues were structurally identified including F2 (amino‐nitro‐difurazan). Several more compounds were observed but not completely identified. We propose possible structures for the unknowns. Of the compounds formed, F1 was the most abundant compound reaching 4.5 % by weight of the degraded solid sample. Other degradation compounds were estimated to sum to trace levels, well below 1 %. Most compounds were new, having not been detected and identified in previous studies of production grade and thermally aged TATB. Many compounds only reached detectable concentrations after several min of thermal exposure.
Development and application of process safety competency framework in agroindustry: A case study
Authors: Revez Daniela , Mendes‐Silva Gustavo Peron
Published: December 2023

Events in industries have shown that a lack of process safety culture has an important contribution in driving the site to fail. The culture is composed of the values, competencies, and attitudes that drive the organization to success. Thus, competency is a core step in developing a proper foundation to implement process safety management (PSM). In the food industry, the competencies related to process safety are not as well developed as in other types of industries. Although the industry has several information and training programs on process safety, such information needs to be organized into a framework to better direct people and assure standardization and sustainment. This case study presents the proposal for a process safety competency framework with the goal to provide the knowledge and skills necessary for people at different levels in the organization to be successful in managing hazards. The competencies are defined in a way to make the contents assertive with the roles and levels of expertise also using the 70%, 20%, 10% methodology of learning and andragogy. As an initial result of this work, we could verify an increase in the leading process safety event registration, which shows an increase of awareness and culture.
Visual resources and interaction in Grade 4 science teaching—Moving in and out of discourse when exploring concepts of evolution and adaption
Authors: Walldén Robert , Larsson Pia N.
Published: December 2023

Although visual aids are widely considered a valuable source of scaffolding, the nature and active utilization of these aids in current science classrooms are not well understood. This qualitative study explores interaction in the teaching of concepts related to evolution, with a specific focus on a teacher's use of different visual support material. Based on a classroom study in a linguistically diverse Grade 4 classroom, we employed the perspective of discourse‐bridging interaction to develop three broad categories of interactional examples, which we related to three kinds of visual support material used in the instruction: generic visual support images, naturalistic images, and disciplinary images showing examples of natural selection. The findings show that the interaction moved in and out of science discourse in a way that reflected the images' properties. A generic visual support image illustrated the concept of “adaption” as puzzle pieces fitting together, which promoted everyday and anthropomorphic examples of animals and people striving to fit in. When the teacher used naturalistic images, the discourse shifted between a range of perspectives, while visual aids and whiteboard drawings showing the classic examples of giraffes evolving (a disciplinary image) were employed to clarify the notion of natural selection. We discuss the study's implications for using visual support material in a planned way that supports disciplinary understanding.
Psychopathological risk stability and change in a sample of mothers and preschool children before, during and after the peak of COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: Cimino S. , Tambelli R. , Genova F. , Agostini F. , Trombini E. , Cerniglia L.
Published: December 2023

Numerous studies have found that the COVID‐19 epidemic and the measures to stop it have had a substantial impact on the mental health of the general population. Nevertheless, the majority of this research only looked at the variations in the degree of psychopathological symptoms in individuals before and after the first wave of the pandemic. In a sample of N = 380 preschoolers and their mothers assessed through the Symptom Check‐List/90‐R and of the Child Behaviour Check‐List, the present study aimed at exploring psychopathological risk in mothers and their offspring's dysregulation levels before (T1), during (T2) and after (T3) the peak of COVID‐19 pandemic. Our main results showed that mothers' relational distress increased from T1 to T2 and then increased again from T2 to T3. Moreover, maternal aggressiveness, hostility, and anxiety scores significantly decreased from T1 to T2 but slightly increased from T2 to T3. In children, dysregulation levels increased from T1 to T2 but decreased from T2 to T3. Children of mothers with clinical scores at the SCL‐90/R showed significantly higher dysregulation problems at T1, T2 and T3 than children of mothers with scores below the clinical threshold. This study adds to previous literature in that it evaluates stability or change in maternal and offspring scores not only in the pre‐pandemic period and during the first wave of the pandemic, but it also considers the subsequent months, focusing on a broad range of maternal symptoms, rather than assessing depressive and anxiety symptoms as most of previous research did.
Two‐Photon Direct Laser Writing of 3D Scaffolds through C, H‐Insertion Crosslinking in a One‐Component Material System
Authors: Song Dan , Husari Ayman , Kotz‐Helmer Frederik , Tomakidi Pascal , Rapp Bastian E. , Rühe Jürgen
Published: December 2023

The popularity of two‐photon direct laser writing in biological research is remarkable as this technique is capable of 3D fabrication of microstructures with unprecedented control, flexibility and precision. Nevertheless, potential impurities such as residual monomers and photoinitiators remaining unnoticed from the photopolymerization in the structures pose strong challenges for biological applications. Here, the first use of high‐precision 3D microstructures fabricated from a one‐component material system (without monomers and photoinitiators) as a 3D cell culture platform is demonstrated. The material system consists of prepolymers with built‐ in crosslinker motieties, requiring only aliphatic C, H units as reaction partners following two‐photon excitation. The material is written by direct laser writing using two‐photon processes in a solvent‐free state, which enables the generation of structures at a rapid scan speed of up to 500 mm s−1 with feature sizes scaling down to few micrometers. The generated structures possess stiffnesses close to those of common tissue and demonstrate excellent biocompatibility and cellular adhesion without any additional modification. The demonstrated approach holds great promise for fabricating high‐precision complex 3D cell culture scaffolds that are safe in biological environments.
Fast Near‐Infrared Photodetectors Based on Nontoxic and Solution‐Processable AgBiS2
Authors: Huang Yi‐Teng , Nodari Davide , Furlan Francesco , Zhang Youcheng , Rusu Marin , Dai Linjie , Andaji‐Garmaroudi Zahra , Darvill Daniel , Guo Xiaoyu , Rimmele Martina , Unold Thomas , Heeney Martin , Stranks Samuel D. , Sirringhaus Henning , Rao Akshay , Gasparini Nicola , Hoye Robert L. Z.
Published: December 2023

Solution‐processable near‐infrared (NIR) photodetectors are urgently needed for a wide range of next‐generation electronics, including sensors, optical communications and bioimaging. However, it is rare to find photodetectors with >300 kHz cut‐off frequencies, especially in the NIR region, and many of the emerging inorganic materials explored are comprised of toxic elements, such as lead. Herein, solution‐processed AgBiS2 photodetectors with high cut‐off frequencies under both white light (>1 MHz) and NIR (approaching 500 kHz) illumination are developed. These high cut‐off frequencies are due to the short transit distances of charge‐carriers in the ultrathin photoactive layer of AgBiS2 photodetectors, which arise from the strong light absorption of this material, such that film thicknesses well below 120 nm are sufficient to absorb >65% of NIR to visible light. It is also revealed that ion migration plays a critical role in the photo‐response speed of these devices, and its detrimental effects can be mitigated by finely tuning the thickness of the photoactive layer, which is important for achieving low dark current densities as well. These outstanding characteristics enable the realization of air‐stable, real‐time heartbeat sensors based on NIR AgBiS2 photodetectors, which strongly motivates their future integration in high‐throughput systems.
Recent progress in low‐swellable polymer‐based smart photonic crystal sensors
Authors: Qi Yong , Zhang Shufen
Published: December 2023

Low‐swelling polymers (LSPs) generally refer to materials with a low solvent absorption ratio or volume expansion rate at swelling equilibrium. LSPs with exceptional responsiveness could be upgraded to smart sensors with structural color self‐reporting by bridging photonic crystals (PCs). Based on the regulation of swelling to effective refractive index, lattice spacing, the order‐disorder arrangement of nanostructures, and incident/detection angle, the structural color feedback of smart photonic crystal sensors (SPCSs) can quantitatively and visually reveal the stimulus, which greatly promotes the interdisciplinary development of nanophotonic technology in the fields of chemical engineering, materials science, engineering mechanics, biomedicine, environmental engineering, etc. Herein, to clarify the role of the photonic structures and polymer molecules in high‐performance SPCSs, LSP‐based SPCSs are summarized and discussed, including general swelling mechanisms, color change strategies, structural design, and typical functional applications. It aims to figure out the combination rule between PC structures and LSPs, optimize the design of PC structures, and expound the corresponding structural color sensing mechanisms, inspiring the fabrication of next‐generation SPCSs. Finally, perspectives on future structural design and sensing applications are also presented. It is believed that SPCSs are multifunctional nanophotonic tools for the interdisciplinary development of numerous engineering fields in the future.
How Atomic Bonding Plays the Hardness Behavior in the Al–Co–Cr–Cu–Fe–Ni High Entropy Family
Authors: Fantin Andrea , Lepore Giovanni O. , Widom Michael , Kasatikov Sergey , Manzoni Anna M.
Published: December 2023

A systematic study on a face‐centered cubic‐based compositionally complex alloy system Al–Co–Cr–Cu–Fe–Ni in its single‐phase state is carried out, where a mother senary compound Al8Co17Cr17Cu8Fe17Ni33 and five of its suballoys, obtained by removing one element at a time, are investigated and exhaustively analyzed determining the contribution of each alloying element in the solid solution. The senary and the quinaries are compared using experimental techniques including X‐ray absorption spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and first principles hybrid Monte Carlo/molecular dynamics simulations. Chemical short‐range order and bond length distances have been determined both at the experimental and computational level. Electronic structure and local atomic distortions up to 5.2 Å have been correlated to the microhardness values. A linear regression model connecting hardness with local lattice distortions is presented.
Ritual and university education: Systemic coexistence after COVID‐19
Authors: Córdoba‐Pachón José‐Rodrigo
Published: December 2023

This paper explores the realm of university education after COVID‐19, in which there is a perceived need to manage the ‘old’ and the ‘new’. The paper brings two different systems approaches to that end: the systems theory of autopoiesis and the systems identity technology of profilicity. In their own way, both explain the phenomena of ‘blindness’ to social situations, potentially enabling meaningful conversations to occur. However, they require a broader, common ground so that they could also coexist with each other. This could lead us to consider the inclusion of rituals in education. Two perspectives about ritual are brought forth to start developing such common ground. With these, the paper proposes a number of questions and implications to further develop systemic coexistence.
Application of sol‐gel universal sorbent coated fabric phase sorptive extraction membranes in combination with high‐performance liquid chromatography‐ultraviolet detection to monitor endocrine‐disrupting chemicals in milk and environmental water samples
Authors: Olayanju Basit , Kabir Abuzar , Manousi Natalia , Furton Kenneth G.
Published: December 2023

Here, we deployed sol‐gel universal sorbent‐coated fabric phase sorptive extraction membranes in tandem with high‐performance liquid chromatography equipped with an ultraviolet detector (HPLC‐UV) for the analysis of 10 endocrine‐disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Due to the varying polarities of the studied compounds indicated by their octanol/water partition coefficient ‘log Kow’ (1.47–5.07), the extraction membrane was designed with different functionalities that are capable of simultaneous interaction with compounds of diverse natures including polar, non‐polar, and ionic species via sol‐gel sorbent coating technology. An isocratic mode of HPLC‐UV at 55:45% acetonitrile:water (v/v) on a reverse phase C18 Zorbax column (5 μm, 150 mm, 4.6 mm) was used for the separation and quantitation. Calibration curves were found linear between 25 and 2000 ppb for all compounds except cortisone in the range of 25–1000 ppb which provided an R2 value above 0.9940 in all cases. The intra‐day reproducibility and inter‐day reproducibility were found in the range of 1.2–12.8 and 0.2–14.1 (expressed as percent relative standard deviation), respectively. The validated method was finally deployed for the analysis of environmental water and milk samples with estradiol showing the highest concentrations among the studied compounds.
New validated liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry method for the determination of Dacomitinib in human plasma and its application to a pharmacokinetic study
Authors: Gupta Tinku , Sahoo NaliniKanta , Rambabu Maddela , Praveen M. , Charde Shrikant , Sahu Madhusmita , Chakrabarti Prasun , Hung Bui Thanh , Margala Martin , Unhelkar Bhuvan , Narayanankutty Arunaksharan
Published: December 2023

Dacomitinib, a quinazoline compound, exhibits antineoplastic activity against brain metastasis activities in non‐small cell lung cancer and the central nervous system. In this study, the liquid–liquid extraction method with high‐performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry detection method was established and validated for the determination of Dacomitinib in human plasma. Plasma samples were prepared and chromatographic separation was achieved on analytical column Discovery C18 (10 cm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) with gradient elutes at a flow rate of 0.8 mL/min, using a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile and ammonium formate. Dacomitinib and dacomitinib D10 (internal standard) were detected by multiple reactions. The method was fully validated according to the United States Food and Drug Administration guidelines. The calibration curve was linear with an excellent correlation coefficient (r2 ˂ 0.99). The method validation steps such as carry‐over, matrix effect, extraction recovery, dilution effect, intra‐inter accuracy, and precision were found within acceptable limits. The method was then applied to a pharmacokinetic study in human plasma. After oral administration, the plasma concentration in different volunteers reached 0.5–250.01 ng/mL. The result established can be applied to the estimation of drugs in human plasma.
Phytochemical analysis and high‐performance thin‐layer chromatography guided quantification of Boeravinone B from Boerhaavia diffusa root extracts: Assessment of in vitro safety analysis
Authors: Laasya T. P. Sri , Thapliyal Somesh , Goel Kapil Kumar , Kumar Bhupinder , Poduri Ramarao , Joshi Gaurav
Published: December 2023

An Indian traditional medicinal plant, Boerhaavia diffusa (Punarnava), is reported for its diuretic activity and helps in impaired  kidney function. The present study indicates that alkaloids, carbohydrates, saponins, phytosterols, flavonoids, and glycosides are absent in the petroleum ether extract and present chiefly in the methanolic extract of roots. The phytosterols were found to be present in the ethyl acetate extract, while other phytochemical constituents, that is, alkaloids, carbohydrates, saponins, flavonoids, and glycosides, were absent. From high‐performance thin‐layer chromatography, the results indicated that out of all the three extracts and two marketed formulations, ethyl acetate root extract (LEA) has the highest amount of Boeravinone B content. Further, different root extracts of B. diffusa and two marketed formulations were evaluated on the human embryonic kidney cell line to understand pharmacological safety. From the results, it was observed that LEA and petroleum ether root extracts showed a higher percentage of cell survival and a better safety profile up to the dose of 1 mg/mL. The overall results indicated that further preclinical evaluation of B. diffusa is needed to understand the mechanism behind nephroprotective potential which can further expedite the drug discovery process of nephroprotective molecules.
Low dielectric constant and highly intrinsic thermal conductivity fluorine‐containing epoxy resins with ordered liquid crystal structures
Authors: Fan Xuerong , Liu Zheng , Wang Shuangshuang , Gu Junwei
Published: December 2023

Epoxy resins with a high dielectric constant and low intrinsic thermal conductivity coefficient cannot meet the current application requirements of advanced electronic and electrical equipment. Therefore, novel fluorine‐containing liquid crystal epoxy compounds (TFSAEy) with fluorinated groups, biphenyl units, and flexible alkyl chains are first synthesized via amidation and esterification reactions. Then, 4,4′‐diaminodiphenylmethane (DDM) is used as a curing agent to prepare the corresponding fluorine‐containing liquid crystal epoxy resins. The obtained dielectric constant (ε) and dielectric loss (tan δ) values of TFSAEy/DDM at 1 MHz are 2.54 and 0.025, respectively, which are significantly lower than those of conventional epoxy resins (E‐51/DDM, 3.52 and 0.038). Additionally, the intrinsic thermal conductivity coefficient (λ) of TFSAEy/DDM is 0.36 W/(m·K), 71.4% higher than that of E‐51/DDM (0.21 W/(m·K)). Meanwhile, the corresponding elastic modulus, hardness, glass transition temperature, and heat resistance index of TFSAEy/DDM are 5.73 GPa, 0.35 GPa, 213.5°C, and 188.7°C, respectively, all superior to those of E‐51/DDM (3.68 GPa, 0.27 GPa, 107.2°C, and 174.8°C), presenting potential application in high‐heating electronic component packaging and printed circuit boards.
Investigation of Ogikenchuto (TJ‐98) for intestinal fibrosis using a mouse model of dextran sulfate sodium‐induced colitis
Authors: Watanabe Shunsuke , Inoue Mikihiro , Naoe Atsuki , Murayama Mika
Published: December 2023

Background

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory disease of unknown etiology. Although various new drugs have been developed in recent years, many of them are expensive, generating a demand for inexpensive and useful therapeutic drugs. Ogikenchuto (TJ‐98), an existing Kampo medicine, has been used to treat ulcers and similar conditions for some time. The current study therefore investigated whether TJ‐98 could be a new therapeutic agent for UC, a chronic inflammatory disease.

Methods

This study used 6‐week‐old female C57BL/6J mice to establish a mouse model of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)‐induced colitis. We then evaluated the therapeutic effects of tacrolimus and TJ‐98 on colitis based on body weight, intestinal length, intestinal fibrosis, and cytokines. Sirius red staining was used to evaluate intestinal fibrosis, while interleukin‐1 beta (IL‐1β), interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), and tumor necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α) were used to evaluate cytokines involved in inflammation.

Results

Neither tacrolimus nor TJ‐98 ameliorated weight loss. Although tacrolimus did not remediate intestinal shortening, intestinal fibrosis, or cytokine levels (IL‐1β, IL‐6, and TNF‐α), TJ‐98 did ameliorate intestinal shortening and intestinal fibrosis and decrease IL‐1β levels.

Conclusions

This study confirmed that TJ‐98 suppressed the inflammation caused by DSS‐induced enteritis and decreased the associated intestinal fibrosis, highlighting its potential as an inexpensive novel therapeutic agent for UC.
Multiple programmed cell death patterns and immune landscapes in bladder cancer: Evidence based on machine learning and multi‐cohorts
Authors: Li Zhiwei , Li Yong , Liu Li , Zhang Chiteng , Li Xiucheng
Published: December 2023

Background

Bladder cancer (BLCA) is the most prevalent malignant neoplasm of the urinary tract, and ranks seventh as the most frequent systemic neoplasm in males. Dysregulation of programmed cell death (PCD) has been implicated in various stages of cancer progression, including tumorigenesis, invasion, and metastasis. However, the correlation between multiple PCD modes and BLCA is lacking. Thus, a risk prediction model was built based on 12 models of PCD to predict prognosis and immunotherapy response in patients with BLCA.

Methods

The RNA sequencing transcriptome data of BLCA were collected from the Cancer Genome Atlas Program (TCGA) and GEO datasets. Univariate Cox and LASSO regression analyzes were performed to identify PCD‐related genes (PCDRGs) significant for prognosis. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to develop a prognostic model for PCD. Survival analysis and chi‐squared test were employed to analyze the survival variations between different risk groups. Univariate and multivariate Cox analyses were performed to evaluate the model as an independent prognostic predictor. A nomogram was formulated using both clinical data and the model to predict the survival rates of BLCA patients. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes were performed to analyze and elucidate the molecular mechanisms and pathways operating within different risk score groups. Furthermore, the immune landscape was investigated and the efficacy of various anti‐tumor drugs was evaluated for BLCA. Finally, consensus clustering analysis was adopted to explore the association between different PCD clusters and clinical characteristics.

Results

Assessment of the public datasets and multivariate Cox analysis yielded 1254 PCDRGs, of which 10 PCDRGs for BLCA were identified. Based on the PCDRGs, a prognostic model was built for BLCA patient prognosis. Compared with the low‐risk group, the high‐risk group had a poorer prognosis. The model predicted area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.751, 0.753, and 0.763, respectively, for 1‐, 3‐, and 5‐year survival of BLCA patients. The nomogram further demonstrated the credibility of the prognosis model. The low‐risk group patients exhibited lower TIDE scores and higher TMB scores, implying better response of the low‐risk group to immunotherapy. The consensus clustering analysis indicated that compared with PCD cluster A, PCD cluster B was significantly more expressed in PCDRGs, suggesting a closer relation of PCD cluster B to PCDRGs. Patients in PCD cluster B had lower risk scores.

Conclusion

To summarize, the effects of 12 PCD patterns on BLCA were synthesized and the correlation between PCD and BLCA was explored. These findings provide new and convincing evidence for individualized treatment of BLCA, and help guide the treatment strategy and improve the prognosis of BLCA patients.
Atezolizumab and bevacizumab for non‐resectable or metastatic combined hepatocellular‐cholangiocarcinoma: A multicentric retrospective study
Authors: Gigante Elia , Bouattour Mohamed , Bedoya José Ursic , Regnault Hélène , Ziol Marianne , Assenat Eric , Paradis Valérie , Calderaro Julien , Ganne‐Carrié Nathalie , Bouhier‐Leporrier Karine , Amaddeo Giuliana , Nault Jean Charles
Published: December 2023

Backgrounds

The efficacy of atezolizumab/bevacizumab has never been reported in patients with metastatic/unresectable combined hepatocellular‐cholangiocarcinoma (cHCC‐CCA).

Patients and Methods

We retrospectively included patients with a histological diagnosis of unresectable/metastatic cHCC‐CCA and treated with atezolizumab/bevacizumab (2020–2022) in 7 centers. Clinical and radiological features were collected at the beginning of atezolizumab/bevacizumab. We reported the radiological response using RECIST criteria, overall survival (OS) and progression‐free survival (PFS).

Results

Sixteen patients with cHCC‐CCA were included and were predominantly male (75%) with advanced fibrosis/cirrhosis (69%). Nine patients received atezolizumab/bevacizumab as a first‐line systemic treatment, 5 as a second line, 1 as a third line and 1 as a fifth line. Severe digestive bleeding occurred in 2 patients. Among the 9 patients treated in the first line, 4 experienced radiological progression, 3 partial response and 1 had stable disease. Patients treated with atezolizumab/bevacizumab in the first line had a median OS of 13 months and a median PFS of 3 months. Among the 7 patients receiving atezolizumab/bevacizumab as a second line or more, 4 patients harbored a stable disease, 2 a partial response, and 1 a progressive disease.

Conclusions

The combination of atezolizumab and bevacizumab showed signs of anti‐tumor efficacy in patients with unresectable/metastatic cHCC‐CCA.
Protecting Privacy in Volunteered Geographic Information Processing
Authors: Löchner Marc , Dunkel Alexander , Burghardt Dirk
Published: December 2023

Social media data is used for analytics, e.g., in science, authorities, or the industry. Privacy is often considered a secondary problem. However, protecting the privacy of social media users is demanded by laws and ethics. In order to prevent subsequent abuse, theft, or public exposure of collected datasets, privacy-aware data processing is crucial. In this chapter, we show a set of concepts to process social media data with social media user’s privacy in mind. We present a data storage concept based on the cardinality estimator HyperLogLog to store social media data, so that it is not possible to extract individual items from it, but only to estimate the cardinality of items within a certain set, plus running set operations over multiple sets to extend analytical ranges. Applying this method requires to define the scope of the result before even gathering the data. This prevents the data from being misused for other purposes at a later point in time and thus follows the privacy by design principles. We further show methods to increase privacy through the implementation of abstraction layers. As another additional instrument, we introduce a method to implement filter lists on the incoming data stream. A conclusive case study demonstrates our methods to be protected against adversarial actors.
Visually Reporting Geographic Data Insights as Integrated Visual and Textual Representations
Authors: Beck Fabian , Latif Shahid
Published: December 2023

Geographic information volunteered by the public is usually also of public interest. However, just publishing the data is not enough to make the data accessible and usable for the public. The raw data might need to be abstracted and interpreted, as well as visually presented to be understandable to non-experts. To address this, we propose interactive visual reporting solutions that leverage natural language and visualizations for geo-related data. We present these reports as interactive documents, but also in other media such as virtual reality environments. First, we have studied the interplay of textual and visual content in such reports. To ease the creation of content, we have developed solutions for authoring interactive documents with a close linking of textual contents and visually presented data. Moreover, we propose automatic report generation approaches that specifically support the exploration of the geo-related data starting from an explanatory summary.
Locally Convex Bialgebroid of an Action Lie Groupoid
Authors: Kališnik J.
Published: December 2023

Action Lie groupoids are used to model spaces of orbits of actions of Lie groups on manifolds. For each such action groupoid $$M\rtimes H$$

M
⋊
H

, we construct a locally convex bialgebroid $$\mathord {\textrm{Dirac}}(M\rtimes H)$$

Dirac
(
M
⋊
H
)

with an antipode over $$\mathord {{\mathcal {C}}^{\infty }_{c}}(M)$$

C

c
∞

(
M
)

, from which the groupoid $$M\rtimes H$$

M
⋊
H

can be reconstructed as its spectral action Lie groupoid $$\mathord {\mathcal{A}\mathcal{G}_{ sp }}(\mathord {\textrm{Dirac}}(M\rtimes H))$$

A

G

sp

(
Dirac
(
M
⋊
H
)
)

.
A new example for the Lavrentiev phenomenon in nonlinear elasticity
Authors: Almi Stefano , Krömer Stefan , Molchanova Anastasia
Published: December 2023

We present a new example for the Lavrentiev phenomenon in context of nonlinear elasticity, caused by an interplay of the elastic energy’s resistance to infinite compression and the Ciarlet–Nečas condition, a constraint preventing global interpenetration of matter on sets of full measure.
Die Rolle von kardialen Biomarkern in der perioperativen Risikoevaluation von nichtkardiochirurgischen Patienten – eine Zusammenfassung der ESAIC-Leitlinie 2023
Authors: M’Pembele René , Roth Sebastian , Lurati Buse Giovanna
Published: December 2023

Hintergrund

Die ESAIC-Leitlinie aus dem Jahr 2023 beleuchtet den klinischen Wert von kardialem Troponin (cTn) und B‑Typ natriuretischen Peptiden (BNP) zur Risikoevaluation in nichtkardiochirurgischen Patienten.

Ziele der Arbeit

Zusammenfassung der Empfehlungen der neuen ESAIC-Leitlinie.

Material und Methoden

Die Evidenz für die Empfehlungen der Leitlinie wurde aus Studien extrahiert, die den perioperativen Nutzen von cTn und BNP für die Anwendungsbereiche der Prognoseabschätzung, Risikoprädiktion und Therapieoptimierung untersuchten. Für die Erstellung des Empfehlungsgrads wurden zusätzlich 12 relevante Endpunkte und das Risiko-Nutzen-Verhältnis der systematischen Messung der Biomarker mitberücksichtigt.

Ergebnisse

Es konnten 115 Studien als Grundlage für die Leitlinienempfehlungen identifiziert werden. Die verfügbare Evidenz variierte stark zwischen den 12 verschiedenen Endpunkten. Zusätzlich zeigte sich ein Evidenzgefälle für die einzelnen Anwendungsbereiche der Biomarker. Es wurden schwache Empfehlungen für die präoperative, postoperative und sequenzielle Messung von cTn und die präoperative Messung von BNP zur Prognoseabschätzung abgegeben. Für die Risikoprädiktion wurde ebenfalls eine schwache Empfehlung für die sequenzielle und postoperative Messung von cTn sowie präoperative Messung von BNP abgegeben. Die Evidenz von kardialen Biomarkern zur Therapieoptimierung war unzureichend, sodass ihr Nutzen unklar blieb und keine Empfehlung abgegeben werden konnte.

Diskussion

Kardiale Troponine und BNP können bei nichtkardiochirurgischen Patienten für die Prognoseabschätzung und Risikoprädiktion für ausgewählte Endpunkte verwendet werden. Therapieentscheidungen sollten nicht aufgrund der Erhöhung dieser Biomarker getroffen werden.
Cryptographic Competitions
Authors: Bernstein Daniel J.
Published: December 2023

Competitions are widely viewed as the safest way to select cryptographic algorithms. This paper surveys procedures that have been used in cryptographic competitions, and analyzes the extent to which those procedures reduce security risks.
Determination of carbon in microplastics and single cells by total consumption microdroplet ICP-TOFMS
Authors: Vonderach Thomas , Gundlach-Graham Alexander , Günther Detlef
Published: December 2023

Recently, spICP-MS analyses of microplastics have demonstrated that the detection capabilities of ICP-MS are sufficient to determine the size and composition of such materials. However, solution nebulization or microdroplet generation limits the sizes of droplets, microparticles, or cells that can be efficiently introduced into commonly used horizontal ICP-MS configurations. Therefore, we introduced the development of a downward-pointing ICP coupled to a time-of-flight mass spectrometer (ICP-TOFMS), which enables quantitative transport of large microdroplets (diameters up to 90 µm) into the ICP. Here, we report the capabilities of downward ICP-TOFMS for the quantitative analysis of single cells and microplastic particles. For calibration of element mass amount per particle or cell, microdroplets (70 µm diameter) composed of multielement solutions were measured by ICP-TOFMS. Microplastic beads (polystyrene) and spleenocyte cells were then also embedded in microdroplets and measured by ICP-TOFMS with ion optics optimized to determine the signals from 12C+ and other isotopes of interest, including 140Ce, 153Eu, 165Ho, and 175Lu from the REE beads and 31P for the cells. The results achieved using the prototype instrument of a vertical downward-pointing ICP-TOFMS demonstrate that such a plasma configuration is well suited to analyze microplastics and single cells. For single microbead and cell analyses, the critical mass for carbon was 4.8 pg, and the mean determined carbon mass amounts were 14 and 23 pg, respectively. For the microbead analysis, the detected carbon mass corresponds to a particle diameter of 2.93 ± 0.24 µm, which is consistent with the scanning (transmission) electron microscopy–determined diameter of 2.97 ± 0.04 µm. Furthermore, in the analysis of spleenocyte cells, carbon and phosphorus masses were determined to be correlated.

Graphical abstract
Digital consent in gynecology: an evaluation of patient experience
Authors: Ellis Laura Burney , Barcroft Jennifer , St John Edward , Loughran Dafydd , Kyrgiou Maria , Phelps David
Published: December 2023

Introduction

The surgical consent process is a crucial discussion between patient and surgeon, which is predominantly documented utilizing hand-written forms. The exchange of individualized information allows the patient to make a truly informed decision. Digital consent (also known as electronic consent or e-consent) has been shown to improve accuracy of information provided without increasing the time taken to consent patients. We aimed to evaluate patient experience and effectiveness of digital consent in a gynecology department in a tertiary London Teaching Hospital.

Methods

A questionnaire was designed and completed by 100 patients undergoing gynecological surgery: 50 consented using paper and 50 consented digitally. The questionnaire included 8 statements, with five possible answers to select, ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree, on a standard five-point Likert Scale. Patients were all female and categorized into age groups (deciles) and asked whether consent was taken digitally or on paper. Data were collected between January and July 2021.

Results

Most responses were positive with 87% (694/800) of responses to the questions being either strongly agree or agree. Patients who were consented using paper selected ‘strongly agree’ 43.5% (174/400) of the time in comparison to 64.8% (259/400) of the time when they were consented digitally. The majority, 86% (43/50), of digitally consented patients received a copy of the consent form in comparison to 18% (9/50) of those consented using paper. On average, the patients consented digitally were older than their paper-consented counterparts (49–58 and 59–68 respectively). The mean scores for the questions relating to the ease of reading the form, ease of understanding the form, understanding of the potential complications, and overall satisfaction were higher in those digitally consented (p < 0.05).

Discussion

Overall, patients were satisfied with both methods of consent. However, individuals who were consented digitally reported higher levels of satisfaction throughout the consent process, compared to paper consent. These data suggest that digital consent is an acceptable alternative to paper consent for patients and facilitates adherence to national consent guidance, which stipulates patients should be given the information they request.
Explainable empirical risk minimization
Authors: Zhang Linli , Karakasidis Georgios , Odnoblyudova Arina , Dogruel Leyla , Tian Yu , Jung Alex
Published: December 2023

The successful application of machine learning (ML) methods increasingly depends on their interpretability or explainability. Designing explainable ML (XML) systems is instrumental for ensuring transparency of automated decision-making that targets humans. The explainability of ML methods is also an essential ingredient for trustworthy artificial intelligence. A key challenge in ensuring explainability is its dependence on the specific human end user of an ML system. The users of ML methods might have vastly different background knowledge about ML principles, with some having formal training in the specific field and others having none. We use information-theoretic concepts to develop a novel measure for the subjective explainability of predictions delivered by a ML method. We construct this measure via the conditional entropy of predictions, given the user signal. Our approach allows for a wide range of user signals, ranging from responses to surveys to biophysical measurements. We use this measure of subjective explainability as a regularizer for model training. The resulting explainable empirical risk minimization (EERM) principle strives to balance subjective explainability and risk. The EERM principle is flexible and can be combined with arbitrary ML models. We present several practical implementations of EERM for linear models and decision trees. Numerical experiments demonstrate the application of EERM to weather prediction and detecting inappropriate language in social media.
Relationship between the demand for food delivery and takeaway services and the associated plastic packaging waste during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Iimuro Mai , Tabata Tomohiro
Published: December 2023

Food delivery and takeaway services (FDTS), the demand for which has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, are expected to continue to grow after the pandemic; however, this creates a social problem as this service is a source of plastic packaging waste. This study aims to evaluate the environmental impact of plastic packaging waste resulting from the changes in demand for FDTS before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey was conducted among Osaka residents to understand changes in FDTS use before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. A web survey revealed that there was a 5.8% increase in the demand for FDTS during the COVID-19 pandemic. Next, the annual plastic packaging waste emissions associated with FDTS and the corresponding CO2 emissions from plastic container manufacturing were estimated. The annual load of plastic packaging waste consumed as a result of FDTS was estimated to be 6153 t (4531–6497 t) during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the annual CO2 emissions from plastic container manufacturing and waste treatment were estimated to be 47,033 t CO2 (33,860–49,661 t CO2). These results revealed that plastic packaging waste and CO2 emissions increased by 1.35-fold during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Training healthcare professionals to be ready for practice in an era of social distancing: a realist evaluation
Authors: Lefroy Janet , Bialan Jessica , Moult Alice , Hay Fiona , Stapleton Claire , Thompson Jessica , Diggory Kate , Mustafa Nageen , Farrington Julia , Aynsley Sarah A. , Jacklin Simon , Winterton Adam , Cope Natalie
Published: December 2023

Background

Programme changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted variably on preparation for practice of healthcare professional students. Explanations for such variability need exploration. The aim of our study was to understand what clinical learning, whilst under socially distanced restrictions, worked and why (or why not).

Methods

We conducted a realist evaluation of the undergraduate healthcare programmes at one UK university in 2020–21. Initial programme theories to be tested in this study were derived from discussions with programme leads about the changes they implemented due to the pandemic. Study participants were students and teaching faculty. Online interview transcripts were coded, identifying why interventions had worked or not. This resulted in a set of ‘context-mechanism-outcome’ (CMO) statements about each intervention. The initial programme theories were refined as a result.

Results and discussion

29 students and 22 faculty members participated. 18 CMO configurations were identified relating to clinical skills learning and 25 relating to clinical placements. Clinical skills learning was successful whether in person, remote or hybrid if it followed the steps of: demonstration—explanation—mental rehearsal—attempt with feedback. Where it didn’t work there was usually a lack of observation and corrective feedback. Placements were generally highly valued despite some deficiencies in student experience. Being useful on placements was felt to be good preparation for practice. If student numbers are to expand, findings about what works in distance learning of clinical skills and the value of various modes of induction to clinical workplace activity may also be relevant post-pandemic.
Learning to discuss safety within the European seaweed aquaculture sector
Authors: van den Burg S. W. K. , Koch S. J. I. , Banach J. L. , Hoffmans Y. , van Hoof L. , Nauta R. W. , Jak R. G. , Makri E. , Wadsworth E. , Post S. , Kristensen K.
Published: December 2023

Seaweed is seen as a promising future source of biomass, and significant efforts are taken to upscale seaweed aquaculture production in Europe. Despite regulatory frameworks for food safety, environmental safety, and occupational health and safety applicable to seaweed production, a major barrier to upscaling production is the lack of commonly accepted, uniform frameworks for safety assessment. As a consequence, efforts to deal with food safety, environmental safety, and occupational health and safety are fragmented. Based on a literature review and consultations with stakeholders, this paper introduces a generic protocol on how to approach safety of the production of seaweed. A prototype version of the generic protocol was evaluated in a practical setting in Norway. Results show that a consistent, structured approach to safety makes it possible to identify hazards and prioritize and collect data on key hazards. The protocol facilitated a sector discussion on safety, providing a shared discourse to talk about safety. It must be acknowledged that the farming and processing practices and the location of cultivation strongly influence which hazards are most relevant. The protocol succeeded in bringing focus to data collection, putting effort into the analysis of hazards considered most relevant in a practical setting.