bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of machine‐learning models for the prediction of 1‐year adverse outcomes of patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention for acute ST‐elevation myocardial infarction
Authors: Tofighi Saeed , Poorhosseini Hamidreza , Jenab Yaser , Alidoosti Mohammad , Sadeghian Mohammad , Mehrani Mehdi , Tabrizi Zhale , Hashemi Parisa
Published: September 2023

Background

Acute ST‐elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide, and primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is the preferred treatment option.

Hypothesis

Machine learning (ML) models have the potential to predict adverse clinical outcomes in STEMI patients treated with primary PCI. However, the comparative performance of different ML models for this purpose is unclear.

Methods

This study used a retrospective registry‐based design to recruit consecutive hospitalized patients diagnosed with acute STEMI and treated with primary PCI from 2011 to 2019, at Tehran Heart Center, Tehran, Iran. Four ML models, namely Gradient Boosting Machine (GBM), Distributed Random Forest (DRF), Logistic Regression (LR), and Deep Learning (DL), were used to predict major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) during 1‐year follow‐up.

Results

A total of 4514 patients (3498 men and 1016 women) were enrolled, with MACE occurring in 610 (13.5%) subjects during follow‐up. The mean age of the population was 62.1 years, and the MACE group was significantly older than the non‐MACE group (66.2 vs. 61.5 years, p < .001). The learning process utilized 70% (n = 3160) of the total population, and the remaining 30% (n = 1354) served as the testing data set. DRF and GBM models demonstrated the best performance in predicting MACE, with an area under the curve of 0.92 and 0.91, respectively.

Conclusion

ML‐based models, such as DRF and GBM, can effectively identify high‐risk STEMI patients for adverse events during follow‐up. These models can be useful for personalized treatment strategies, ultimately improving clinical outcomes and reducing the burden of disease.
Antianginal effects of empagliflozin in patients with type 2 diabetes and refractory angina; a randomized, double‐blind placebo‐controlled trial (EMPT‐ANGINA Trial)
Authors: Mansouri Mohammad Hadi , Mansouri Pejman , Sadeghi Masoumeh , Hashemi Seyedeh Melika , Khosravi Alireza , Behjati Mohaddeseh , Shahabi Javad , Mansouri Asieh , Zavar Reihaneh , Amirpour Afshin , Sanei Hamid , Sarrafzadegan Nizal
Published: September 2023

Introduction

Sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are emerging antidiabetic agents with various potential cardiovascular benefits. The EMPT‐ANGINA trial examined the effect of empagliflozin on the angina burden in those with concurrent type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and refractory angina (RA).

Method

In this 8‐week, double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled trial, 75 patients with T2DM and RA were randomly assigned to one of two groups: empagliflozin (n = 37) and placebo (n = 38). The primary outcome was an improvement in angina, which was assessed by the Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ). The secondary outcomes of this study included alterations in the SAQ domains and exercise test components.

Results

The mean age of individuals in the empagliflozin and placebo groups was 67.46 ± 9.4 and 65.47 ± 7.0 years, respectively (p = .304). Patients who received empagliflozin showed a significant improvement in both the primary endpoint, which was the SAQ Summary Score (192.73 ± 20.70 vs. 224 ± 25.36, p < .001) and the secondary endpoints. Exercise test components, including treadmill exercise duration, time till angina, 1 mm ST‐segment depression onset, and heart rate (HR) recovery, were all significantly improved in the empagliflozin group. This positive impact was reached with no clinically significant changes in resting and exertion HR or blood pressure. There were no significant side effects in the empagliflozin group (p = .125).

Conclusion

Empagliflozin can be safely added as a metabolic modulator agent to existing antianginal medications in individuals with concurrent T2DM and RA to reduce angina symptoms and enhance exercise capacity with minimal side effects.
Triple kill: Fabrication of composites coming from waste face masks, polystyrene microplastics, graphene, and their electromagnetic interference shielding behaviors
Authors: Xiang Meng , Fan Wangxi , Lin Wei , Zhou Shilong , Li Fengman , Yang Zhou , Dong Shuang
Published: September 2023

Conducting polymer composites possessing excellent electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI SE) are effective methods to prevent the harm caused by electromagnetic pollution. Since COVID‐19 in 2019, people have made a lot of progress in the recycling of waste face masks (FMs). Besides, effective measures are needed to reduce the harm of microplastics (MPs) pollution in the water environment. However, so far, no publications are available in the literature that simultaneously solve the problem of electromagnetic pollution, FM pollution, and MP pollution. Herein, FMs, polystyrene MPs (PS MPs), and graphene (Gr) were used to fabricate EMI shielding composites with isolated conductive network structures via the adhesion of polydopamine (PDA). The effects of isolated conductive networks, different sizes of PS MPs, and different layers of FMs on the adsorption properties of FMs‐PDA‐Gr, as well as electrical performance for the obtained polypropylene‐PDA‐Gr composites, were studied. The composites displayed EMI SE for 29.3 dB in X‐band with 2 vol.% Gr content due to the isolated conductive network structure, which may be useful to the simultaneous elimination of garbage from electromagnetic pollution, FMs pollution, and MPs pollution to a certain degree.
Hydrothermal Synthesis of MA3Sb2I9 for Hydrogen Production Applications
Authors: Ahmad Khursheed , Niyitanga Theophile , Chaudhary Archana , Raza Waseem , Khan Rais Ahmad , Kim Haekyoung
Published: September 2023

With increasing energy demands and environment concerns, the substitution of lead hybrid perovskites with antimony‐based perovskite structures is an important research topic. Herein we report the synthesis of a lead‐free perovskite‐like material MA3Sb2I9 by a hydrothermal method and the photocatalytic performance of the material in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The synthesized material MA3Sb2I9 has been characterized by PXRD, SEM, EDX and UV‐Vis absorption spectroscopy. The band gap of the synthesized material was observed to be 2.28 eV. MA3Sb2I9 demonstrated good catalytic performance for the splitting of HI using hypophosphorous acid (H3PO2) as scavenger. For enhancing the rate of hydrogen evolution, platinum nanoparticles have been used as a co‐catalyst in different ratios. The hydrogen evolution performance of MA3Sb2I9 enhanced up to 883 μmol g−1 upon addition of 3 mg of Pt nanoparticles due to generation of additional Fermi levels in the catalytic system. The MA3Sb2I9 material demonstrated good stability showing no evident reduction in catalytic activity after four consecutive cycles.
Progress in Organic Triboluminescent EuD4TEA Crystal
Authors: Shohag Md Abu
Published: September 2023

Organic triboluminescent (TL) crystals have attracted significant attention in recent years for their potential applications in various fields such as damage sensing in aerospace structures, cyanide detection in water, and radiation sensing. Europium tetrakis dibenzoylmethide triethylammonium (EuD4TEA) is a class of organic TL crystals that have shown promising results in terms of sensitivity due to their high TL intensity, however, they exhibit thermal instability and fragility concerns. In this review, recent research progress on the development, characterizations, TL properties, and potential applications of EuD4TEA crystals in various fields, are summarized. The review will conclude with the current challenges of EuD4TEA crystals, such as fragility nature, thermal instability, and increasing cost of europium. Despite having challenges, EuD4TEA crystals have the potential for damage sensing in the structural composite.
Straw mulching combined with phosphorus fertilization increased photosynthesis rate and grain yield of wheat due to reduced stomatal and mesophyll limitations
Authors: He Peng , Xie Wei , Ma Hongliang , Huang Xiulan , Zou Qiaosheng , Ai Dailong , Haolan Chen , Fan Gaoqiong , Yang Hongkun
Published: September 2023

Phosphorus (P) has been proposed as an important factor determining photosynthesis through improvements in leaf anatomical traits and carboxylation efficiency. However, little is known about the combined effects of straw mulch and P fertilizer on the relationship between flag leaf P content and photosynthesis. This study was conducted to determine the combined effects of straw mulch combined with P fertilizer on wheat flag leaf photosynthetic capacity and grain yield. We performed field experiments during 2020–2022 to investigate the combined effects of straw mulch (0 and 8000 kg ha−1) with P fertilizer (0, 75, and 120 kg P2O5ha−1) in Southwest China. Straw mulch with 75 kg P2O5ha−1gave an 18.3% yield advantage over no mulch with 120 kg P2O5ha−1. Straw mulching with P fertilizer increased flag leaf P content and increased stomatal density. These changes increased stomatal conductance, mesophyll conductance, and net photosynthetic rate (Pn) by 17.4%, 16.3%, and 20.8%, respectively, compared with no‐mulch plots. The increasedPnwas found associated with decreased stomatal and mesophyll limitation. Straw mulching with P fertilizer increased the activities of ribulose‐1,5‐bisphosphate carboxylase‐oxygenase and sucrose synthesis enzymes, thus promoting sucrose synthesis in flag leaves, which is beneficial for increasing grain number per meter square and grain yield. Straw mulching combined with 75 kg P2O5ha−1increased flag leaves P content and stomatal density, and increased stomatal and mesophyll conductance, resulting in improved leaf photosynthesis and grain yield.
Facilitation of animals is stronger during summer marine heatwaves and around morphologically complex foundation species
Authors: Montie Shinae , Thomsen Mads S.
Published: September 2023

Foundation species create biogenic habitats, modify environmental conditions, augment biodiversity, and control animal community structures. In recent decades, marine heatwaves (MHWs) have affected the ecology of foundation species worldwide, and perhaps also their associated animal communities. However, no realistic field experiment has tested how MHWs affect animals that live in and around these foundation species. We therefore tested, in a four‐factorial field experiment, if colonisation by small mobile marine animals (epifauna) onto plates with attached single versus co‐occurring foundation species of different morphological complexities, were affected by 3–5°C heating (that mirrored a recent extreme MHW in the study area) and if the heating effect on the epifauna varied within and between seasons. For this experiment mimics of turf seaweed represented the single foundation species and holdfasts of seven common canopy‐forming seaweed represented the co‐occurring foundation species with different morphological complexities. We found that the taxonomic richness and total abundance of epifauna, dominated by copepods, generally were higher on heated plates with complex seaweed holdfasts in warmer summer trials. Furthermore, several interactions between test‐factors were significant, e.g., epifaunal abundances, were, across taxonomic groups, generally higher in warmer than colder summer trials. These results suggest that, in temperate ecosystems, small, mobile, short‐lived, and fast‐growing marine epifauna can be facilitated by warmer oceans and morphologically complex foundation species, implying that future MHWs may increase secondary production and trophic transfers between primary producers and fish. Future studies should test whether these results can be scaled to other ecological species‐interactions, across latitudes and biogeographical regions, and if similar results are found after longer MHWs or within live foundation species under real MHW conditions.
Tunable Fungal Monofilaments from Food Waste for Textile Applications
Authors: Kanishka B Wijayarathna E. R. , Mohammadkhani Ghasem , Moghadam Farshad Homayouni , Berglund Linn , Ferreira Jorge A. , Adolfsson Karin H. , Hakkarainen Minna , Zamani Akram
Published: September 2023

A fungal biorefinery is presented to valorize food waste to fungal monofilaments with tunable properties for different textile applications. Rhizopus delemar is successfully grown on bread waste and the fibrous cell wall is isolated. A spinnable hydrogel is produced from cell wall by protonation of amino groups of chitosan followed by homogenization and concentration. Fungal hydrogel is wet spun to form fungal monofilaments which underwent post‐treatments to tune the properties. The highest tensile strength of untreated monofilaments is 65 MPa (and 4% elongation at break). The overall highest tensile strength of 140.9 MPa, is achieved by water post‐treatment. Moreover, post‐treatment with 3% glycerol resulted in the highest elongation % at break, i.e., 14%. The uniformity of the monofilaments also increased after the post‐treatments. The obtained monofilaments are compared with commercial fibers using Ashby's plots and potential applications are discussed. The wet spun monofilaments are located in the category of natural fibers in Ashby's plots. After water and glycerol treatments, the properties shifted toward metals and elastomers, respectively. The compatibility of the monofilaments with human skin cells is supported by a biocompatibility assay. These findings demonstrate fungal monofilaments with tunable properties fitting a wide range of sustainable textiles applications.
Bearing capacity and failure mechanism of strip footings lying on slopes subjected to various rainfall patterns and intensities
Authors: Zhang Wengang , Gu Xin , Ou Qiang
Published: September 2023

Footing on slope is a prevalent construction encountered in geotechnical engineering, and its safety is receiving increased attention. A natural rainfall event will inevitably have adverse influences on the stability and bearing capacity of strip footings lying on slopes; however, the conventional practice to simulate the rainfall is realized by varying the soil moisture content and the actual rainfall characteristics cannot be fully reflected. As a result, the finite element (FE) software ABAQUS is employed in this study to model the temporally varying rainfall, and the bearing capacity, as well as failure mode of the strip footing placed at the top of slopes, is estimated accordingly. A series of FE analyses are carried out to quantify the influences of rainfall pattern, rainfall intensity, soil strength properties (i.e., effective cohesion c′ and effective friction angle φ′) and several geometric parameters associated with the location of embedded footing with B in width, such as the edge distance ratio L/B and the embedded depth ratio D/B. Results show that the bearing capacity will be decreased and the failure mode evidently changes under rainfall condition. Moreover, it is noted that the rainfall pattern produces less substantial impact on the bearing capacity and failure mode, compared with the rainfall intensity.
A multimodal cortical network of sensory expectation violation revealed by fMRI
Authors: Grundei Miro , Schmidt Timo Torsten , Blankenburg Felix
Published: September 2023

The brain is subjected to multi‐modal sensory information in an environment governed by statistical dependencies. Mismatch responses (MMRs), classically recorded with EEG, have provided valuable insights into the brain's processing of regularities and the generation of corresponding sensory predictions. Only few studies allow for comparisons of MMRs across multiple modalities in a simultaneous sensory stream and their corresponding cross‐modal context sensitivity remains unknown. Here, we used a tri‐modal version of the roving stimulus paradigm in fMRI to elicit MMRs in the auditory, somatosensory and visual modality. Participants (N = 29) were simultaneously presented with sequences of low and high intensity stimuli in each of the three senses while actively observing the tri‐modal input stream and occasionally reporting the intensity of the previous stimulus in a prompted modality. The sequences were based on a probabilistic model, defining transition probabilities such that, for each modality, stimuli were more likely to repeat (p = .825) than change (p = .175) and stimulus intensities were equiprobable (p = .5). Moreover, each transition was conditional on the configuration of the other two modalities comprising global (cross‐modal) predictive properties of the sequences. We identified a shared mismatch network of modality general inferior frontal and temporo‐parietal areas as well as sensory areas, where the connectivity (psychophysiological interaction) between these regions was modulated during mismatch processing. Further, we found deviant responses within the network to be modulated by local stimulus repetition, which suggests highly comparable processing of expectation violation across modalities. Moreover, hierarchically higher regions of the mismatch network in the temporo‐parietal area around the intraparietal sulcus were identified to signal cross‐modal expectation violation. With the consistency of MMRs across audition, somatosensation and vision, our study provides insights into a shared cortical network of uni‐ and multi‐modal expectation violation in response to sequence regularities.
Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and safety of bococizumab, a monoclonal antibody against proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9, in healthy subjects when administered in co‐mixture with recombinant human hyaluronidase: A phase 1 randomized trial
Authors: Bass Almasa , Plotka Anna , Mridha Khurshid , Sattler Catherine , Kim Albert M. , Plowchalk David R.
Published: September 2023

Aim

Prior to the discontinuation of bococizumab's clinical development, it was considered advantageous to develop an infrequent dosing regimen (eg, monthly). Therefore, we conducted a phase 1 study to evaluate the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and safety of bococizumab when administered in co‐mixture with recombinant human hyaluronidase (rHuPH20).

Method

Healthy subjects (N = 60) were randomized equally among 4 groups that received a single subcutaneous dose of either bococizumab 150, 300, or 450 mg co‐mixed with rHuPH20 or bococizumab 300 mg alone. Bioavailability and lipid‐lowering effect of bococizumab were evaluated by using ANCOVA models.

Results

In the groups administered bococizumab co‐mixed with rHuPH20, dose‐normalized Cmax and AUCinf were 26.6 to 39.1% and 18.3 to 36.6% greater, respectively, compared with bococizumab 300 mg alone. Despite these increases, mean percent reductions from baseline in low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol were smaller in the bococizumab 300 mg + rHuPH20 group than in the bococizumab 300‐mg group at Day 21 (52.2% and 59.5%, respectively) and were similar at Day 29 (51.7% and 49.6%, respectively). Compared with the group administered bococizumab 300 mg alone, the bococizumab 300 mg + rHuPH20 group did not show a significantly altered AUEC85 (ratio of adjusted means: 102.5%, 90% confidence interval: 96.1‐109.3%) but did show a higher MaxELDL‐C (ratio of adjusted means: 125.4%, 90% confidence interval: 103.3‐152.2%), indicating diminution of efficacy. The most frequent adverse events were injection‐site erythema, injection‐site bruising, and nasopharyngitis; all injection‐site adverse events were mild.

Conclusion

Co‐mixture with rHuPH20 increased the bioavailability of bococizumab without proportional increase in pharmacodynamic effect.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02667223.
Molecular dynamics simulation on engine oil nanolubricant boundary lubrication conditions
Authors: Srivastava Isha , Kotia Ankit , Ghosh Subrata Kumar
Published: September 2023

The employment of nanoparticle additives in engine oil provides an effective technique for improvement in engine performance and emission. In this study, graphene, graphene–MWCNT, and graphene–SiO2 hybrid nanoparticles have been dispersed in engine oil (n‐decane) to measure the effects of microscopic characteristics of interfacial layer between the carbon–carbon, carbon–hydrogen, carbon–oxygen, and hydrogen–oxygen molecules under fixed shear rate 600 s−1. The boundary lubrication conditions are depicted with nanoindentation operation, in which interaction between the atoms generates the molecular forces under indentation and scratching operation that provide the nucleation and propagation of dislocation in the planes. The result shows that in an early stage of nanoindentation, plastic deformation occurs in the lubricant substrate around the indenter. Furthermore, forces generated in the z‐direction have a significant effect as compared with the forces x‐ and y‐directions. Nanoindentation results concluded that for graphene–MWCNT/engine oil (n‐decane) nanoparticles, at a volume fraction of 1.8%, the nanoparticles outperformed all other nanolubricants. At a volume fraction of 0.3%, the adhesion between the solid and liquid interface was increased by 2.5% graphene nanolubricant, 4% graphene–MWCNT nanolubricant, and 8% graphene–SiO2 nanolubricant. At 1.8% volume fraction, 240% increase in graphene–MWCNT nanolubricant, 72% increase in graphene nanolubricant, and 20% increase in graphene–SiO2 nanolubricant. This trend indicates that the performance of graphene SiO2 nanolubricants is superior at low‐volume fractions, whereas the performance of graphene nanolubricants and graphene–MWCNT nanolubricants is superior at high‐volume fractions. Also we observed the scratching effect of indenter on nanolubricants.
Different adverse childhood experiences and adolescents' altruism: The mediating role of life history strategy
Authors: Gao Hanjing , Liu Qianwen , Wang Zhenhong
Published: September 2023

Introduction

The present study sought to investigate whether the relationship between childhood trauma, childhood socioeconomic (SES), and adolescents' altruism were mediated by their life history strategies and different adverse childhood experiences may function diversely on altruism, with two waves of data collected 6 months apart in a longitudinal design among Chinese adolescents.

Methods

A total of 658 adolescents (Mage = 13.51, SD = 0.73 at T1) were recruited and completed the online survey; their life history strategies were measured by the Mini‐K, the Delayed of Gratification Questionnaire (DOG), and the Chinese version of the Adolescent Risk‐Taking Questionnaire (ARQ‐RB) together, and their altruism was collected again after six months.

Results

After controlling for gender and their altruism at T1, the results showed that childhood trauma (i.e., emotional maltreatment, physical maltreatment), as well as low SES and fast life history strategy, were significantly negatively correlated with adolescents' altruism at T2. Importantly, life history strategy at T1 mediated the relationship between T1 emotional maltreatment, T1 low SES, and adolescents' altruism at T2. However, the effect of physical maltreatment on altruism was not mediated by life history strategy.

Conclusions

This study indicated that emotional maltreatment and low SES can affect adolescents' altruism by influencing the formation of adolescents' life history strategies. The findings revealed the different influences of adverse childhood experiences on adolescents' altruism, which supplied new empirical evidence for the life history theory and provided certain reference values for cultivating adolescents' altruism.
Active Vitamin D Use and Fractures in Hemodialysis Patients: Results from the International DOPPS
Authors: Komaba Hirotaka , Zhao Junhui , Karaboyas Angelo , Yamamoto Suguru , Dasgupta Indranil , Hassan Mohamed , Zuo Li , Christensson Anders , Combe Christian , Robinson Bruce M. , Fukagawa Masafumi
Published: September 2023

Active vitamin D is commonly used to control secondary hyperparathyroidism in dialysis patients, but it is unknown whether active vitamin D directly improves bone strength, independently of its ability to suppress parathyroid hormone (PTH). We analyzed the association between the prescription of active vitamin D and incidence of any fracture and hip fracture in 41,677 in-center hemodialysis patients from 21 countries in phases 3 to 6 (2005 to 2018) of the Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS). We used Cox regression, adjusted for PTH and other potential confounders, and used a per-protocol approach to censor patients at treatment switch during follow-up. We also used a facility preference approach to minimize confounding by indication. Overall, 55% of patients were prescribed active vitamin D at study enrollment. Event rates (per patient-year) were 0.024 for any fracture and 0.010 for hip fracture. The adjusted hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) comparing patients prescribed versus not prescribed active vitamin D was 1.02 (0.90 to 1.17) for any fracture and 1.00 (0.81 to 1.23) for hip fracture. In the facility preference approach, there was no difference in fracture rate between facilities with higher versus lower active vitamin D prescriptions. Thus, our results do not suggest a PTH-independent benefit of active vitamin D in fracture prevention and support the current KDIGO guideline suggesting the use of active vitamin D only in subjects with elevated or rising PTH. Further research is needed to determine the role of active vitamin D beyond PTH control. © 2023 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).
Stem cell factor modulates HIF‐1α levels and diminishes 5‐FU sensitivity in 5‐FU resistant pancreatic cells by altering the anabolic glucose metabolism
Authors: Xiang Fu , Luo Fuwen
Published: September 2023

Resistance to chemotherapy in cancer leads to poor therapeutic outcomes and also leads to challenges in treatment. The present work evaluated the mechanism involved in the resistance of 5‐flurouracil (5‐FU) in pancreatic cancer. At least 14 different pancreatic cancer (PC) cell lines were used for the study. For in vivo study female nude mice were selected. Patient‐derived tumor xenograft samples were obtained from patients. The study involved, study for glucose uptake, fluorescence‐activated cell sorting for glucose transporter, 3‐[4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl]‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide for cell survival, Picto‐micrography for clonogenic assay, glutamine uptake assay, extracellular acidification and oxygen consumption rate, carbon dioxide release assay and lactate assay were also done. In addition to this, quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction analysis for expression of genes, chromatin immunoprecipitation assay, western blot for protein expression, and immunohistochemical analysis in tumor sections, the tumors were studied by imaging for hypoxia and localization of TKT and CTPS‐2. Also, patient‐derived xenograft tumors were engrafted in nude mice, followed by a glucose uptake assay. We reported that elevated glycolytic flux causes dependence on glucose in cancer cells and, at the same time, increases pyrimidine biosynthesis. It was also found that stem cell factor‐mediated stabilization of hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1a (HIF‐1α) modulates the resistance in PC. Targeting HIF‐1α in combination with 5‐FU, strongly reduced the tumor burden. The study concludes that stem cell factor modulates HIF‐1α and decreases the sensitivity in 5‐FU resistant pancreatic cancer cells by targeting glucose metabolism. Deceased expression levels of CTPS‐2 and TKT, which are regulators of pyrimidine biosynthesis could better the chance of survival in patients of pancreatic cancer receiving treatment of 5‐FU.
Synthesis of 2‐amino‐4‐aryl‐6‐styrylpyrimidines through aza‐Michael addition/nucleophilic addition/dehydrogenation cascade reactions
Authors: Wang Yue , Li Zheng
Published: September 2023

An efficient method for the synthesis of 2‐amino‐4‐aryl‐6‐styrylpyrimidines by the reactions of various distyryl ketones with guanidine hydrochloride through aza‐Michael addition/nucleophilic addition/dehydrogenation cascade processes is described. The salient features of this protocol are the use of easy‐to‐obtain substrates, transition‐metal‐free system, mild reaction conditions, high atom economy, wide substrate scope, satisfactory yield, and simple work‐up procedures.
Understanding citizens' perception of channels for participating in administration based on their motivation in an authoritarian regime: The case of Gaza Province, Mozambique
Authors: Sitoe Artur José , Lim Seunghoo
Published: September 2023

Studies aiming to evaluate the effectiveness of channels for participating in administration have been conducted mainly in democratic, developed countries. However, outcomes from those settings may not apply to developing or less developed countries where democracy has yet to be consolidated. In Mozambique, which has an authoritarian regime, the effectiveness of participatory channels from the public point of view remains unexplored. Therefore, based on participants' motives for participation, this study empirically examines citizens' perception of channels for participating in administration with specific reference to Gaza Province and suggests that policy makers and administrators design participation channels for local governments to ensure and protect citizens' authentic participation in administration.
CRISPR/Cas9‐based functional genomics strategy to decipher the pathogenicity of genetic variants in inherited metabolic disorders
Authors: Muñoz‐Pujol Gerard , Ugarteburu Olatz , Segur‐Bailach Eulàlia , Moliner Sonia , Jurado Susana , Garrabou Glòria , Guitart‐Mampel Mariona , García‐Villoria Judit , Artuch Rafael , Fons Carme , Ribes Antonia , Tort Frederic
Published: September 2023

The determination of the functional impact of variants of uncertain significance (VUS) is one of the major bottlenecks in the diagnostic workflow of inherited genetic diseases. To face this problem, we set up a CRISPR/Cas9‐based strategy for knock‐in cellular model generation, focusing on inherited metabolic disorders (IMDs). We selected variants in seven IMD‐associated genes, including seven reported disease‐causing variants and four benign/likely benign variants. Overall, 11 knock‐in cell models were generated via homology‐directed repair in HAP1 haploid cells using CRISPR/Cas9. The functional impact of the variants was determined by analyzing the characteristic biochemical alterations of each disorder. Functional studies performed in knock‐in cell models showed that our approach accurately distinguished the functional effect of pathogenic from non‐pathogenic variants in a reliable manner in a wide range of IMDs. Our study provides a generic approach to assess the functional impact of genetic variants to improve IMD diagnosis and this tool could emerge as a promising alternative to invasive tests, such as muscular or skin biopsies. Although the study has been performed only in IMDs, this strategy is generic and could be applied to other genetic disorders.
LncRNA‐associated competing endogenous RNA network analysis uncovered key lncRNAs involved in temozolomide resistance and tumor recurrence of glioblastoma
Authors: Nayak Rojalin , Mallick Bibekanand
Published: September 2023

Temozolomide (TMZ) is a common alkylating chemotherapeutic agent used to treat brain tumors such as glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and anaplastic astrocytoma. GBM patients develop resistance to this drug, which has an unclear and complicated molecular mechanism. The competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) play critical roles in tumorigenesis, drug resistance, and tumor recurrence in cancers. This study aims to predict ceRNAs, their possible involvement, and underlying molecular mechanisms in TMZ resistance. Therefore, we analyzed coding and non‐coding RNA expression levels in TMZ‐resistant GBM samples compared to sensitive GBM samples and performed pathway analysis of mRNAs differentially expressed (DE) in TMZ‐resistant samples. We next applied a mathematical model on 950 DE long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs), 116 microRNAs (miRNAs), and 7977 mRNAs and obtained 10 lncRNA‐associated ceRNAs that may be regulating potential target genes involved in cancer‐related pathways by sponging 25 miRNAs in TMZ‐resistant GBM. Among these, two lncRNAs named ARFRP1 and RUSC2 regulate five target genes (IRS1, FOXG1, GNG2, RUNX2, and CACNA1E) involved in AMPK, AKT, mTOR, and TGF‐β signaling pathways that activate or inhibit autophagy causing TMZ resistance. The novel lncRNA‐associated ceRNA network predicted in GBM offers a fresh viewpoint on TMZ resistance, which might contribute to treating this malignancy.
Investigation of α‐glucosidase and α‐amylase inhibitory effects of phenoxy chalcones and molecular modeling studies
Authors: Kurşun‐Aktar Bedriye Seda , Adem Şevki , Tatar‐Yilmaz Gizem , Hameed Zeyad Adıl Hameed , Oruç‐Emre Emine Elçin
Published: September 2023

Diabetes mellitus is one of the most critical health problems affecting the quality of life of people worldwide, especially in developing countries. According to the World Health Organization reports, the number of patients with diabetes is approximately 420 million, and this number is estimated to be 642 million in 2040. There are 2 main types of diabetes: Type 1 (T1DM), where the body cannot produce enough insulin, and Type 2 (T2DM), where the body cannot use insulin properly. Patients with T1DM are treated with insulin injections while oral glucose‐lowering drugs are used for patients with T2DM. Oral antihyperglycemic drugs used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus have different mechanisms. Among these, α‐Glucosidase and α‐amylase inhibitors are one of the most important inhibitors. The antidiabetic effect of the chalcones, which show rich activity, draws attention. This research aims to synthesize chalcone derivatives that could show potential antidiabetic activity. In this study, the inhibitory activity of the chalcone compounds (4a‐4g, 5a‐5g) was tested against α‐glucosidase and α‐amylase enzymes. Besides, molecular modeling was utilized to predict potential interactions of the synthesized compounds that exhibit inhibitory effects. In both in vitro and in silico studies, the analyses revealed that compound 5e exhibits strong inhibitory effects against α‐glucosidase enzymes (Binding energy: −7.75 kcal/mol, IC50: 28.88 μM). Additionally, compound 4f demonstrates encouraging inhibitory effects against α‐Amylase (Binding energy: −11.08 kcal/mol, IC50: 46. 21 μM).
Effects of three different plant‐derived polysaccharides on growth performance, immunity, antioxidant function, and cecal microbiota of broilers
Authors: Zhao Guiling , Niu Yu , Wang Huixian , Qin Songke , Zhang Ruiqiang , Wu Yanping , Xiao Xiao , Xu Yinglei , Yang Caimei
Published: September 2023

BACKGROUND

This study investigated the effects of dietary plant polysaccharides on growth performance, immune status and intestinal health in broilers. We randomly divided 960 one‐day‐old Arbor Acres broiler chicks into four groups. The control (CON) group was fed a basal diet, and the remaining groups were fed a basal diet supplemented with 1000 mg kg−1 Ginseng polysaccharide (GPS), Astragalus polysaccharide (APS), or Salvia miltiorrhiza polysaccharide (SMP) for 42 days.

RESULTS

Dietary supplementation with SMP significantly increased body weight (BW) at 21 and 42 days of age, average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) during the starter and whole experimental period, decreased the concentrations of interleukin‐1 beta (IL‐1β), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF‐α) and malondialdehyde (MDA), increased the levels of interleukin‐4 (IL‐4) and interleukin‐10 (IL‐10) and catalase (CAT) activity in the serum (P < 0.05). GPS, APS, and SMP supplementation increased serum levels of immunoglobulins, activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐Px), total superoxide dismutase (T‐SOD) and total antioxidant capacity (T‐AOC), and cecal concentrations of acetic acid and propionic acid of broilers (P < 0.05). Furthermore, high‐throughput sequencing results showed that the relative abundance of Firmicutes was decreased while the relative abundance of Bacteroidota, Alistipes, and Prevotellaceae_NK3B31_group were increased (P < 0.05) in the GPS, APS, and SMP groups compared with the CON group.

CONCLUSION

Dietary GPS, APS, and SMP supplementation could improve growth performance, enhance immune function by increasing serum immunoglobulin and regulating cytokines, improve antioxidant function by increasing serum antioxidant enzyme activity, increase volatile fatty acid levels and improve the microbial composition in the cecum of broilers. Dietary SMP supplementation had the optimal effect in this study. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
Impacts of abiotic factors on the growth of three commercial biological control agents, on the growth and mycotoxinogenesis of Fusarium graminearum and on their interaction
Authors: Dieye Cheikh Ahmeth Tidiane , Durand Noël , Schorr‐Galindo Sabine , Strub Caroline , Fontana Angélique
Published: September 2023

BACKGROUND

Evolving climatic conditions impact the behavior of microorganisms. The lack of efficiency of beneficial microorganisms against pathogens can be due to these evolving abiotic factors more favorable to the development and adaptation of pathogens. It is therefore of great interest to understand their impact (especially temperature increase and relative humidity (RH) variation) on pathogenic and non‐pathogenic microorganisms. This work aimed to examine the possible effects of increasing temperature (20, 25, 30 and 33 °C) and RH (40%, 50%, 60% and 80%) on the growth and mycotoxin production (deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEN)) of Fusarium graminearum, on the growth of three commercial biocontrol agents (BCAs; Mycostop®, Xedavir® and Polyversum®) and on the pathogen–BCA interaction.

RESULTS

Results demonstrated that BCAs have contrasting impacts on the growth and mycotoxinogenesis of F. graminearum depending on abiotic factors. At 25 °C and regardless of RH, commercial BCAs limit DON production by F. graminearum, but at 30 °C and intermediate RH, Xedavir® is no longer effective. The ability of Xedavir® to control the production of ZEN production by F. graminearum is also affected by abiotic factors. However, increasing temperature has an opposite effect on its ability to control the accumulation of ZEN. Polyversum® oomycete is the BCA with the most resilient efficacy against F. graminearum toxinogenesis under the different abiotic factors.

CONCLUSION

This work provides new knowledge of the effect of these abiotic parameters on the interaction between BCA and F. graminearum, especially on the production of mycotoxins. It paves the way for the development of efficient and resilient mycotoxin biocontrol strategies using beneficial microorganisms against F. graminearum, thus contributing to global food security. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
Transcriptomic analysis on responses of the liver and kidney of finishing pigs fed cadmium contaminated rice
Authors: Xia Yaoyao , Li Jun , Ren Wenkai , Feng Zemeng , Huang Ruilin , Yin Yulong
Published: September 2023

BACKGROUND

Cadmium (Cd) is a common harmful substance that has many deleterious effects on the liver and kidney. Most reports about Cd toxic studies focused on its inorganic status, whereas the toxicity of Cd in organic materials is less studied. Here, we performed RNA‐seq to explore the influences of Cd contaminated rice on function of the liver and kidney of finishing pigs.

RESULTS

The concentration of Cd in liver and kidney of pigs fed Cd contaminated rice increased by 4.00 and 2.94 times, respectively, compared to those in the control group. With transcriptomic analysis, approximately 4–6 × 107 clean reads were acquired. Five differently expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the liver, and 12 DEGs in the kidney. SPHK2 was commonly down‐regulated. No significantly enriched gene ontology (GO) terms were identified. By Kyoto encyclopaedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) enrichments, four pathways were identified in hepatic tissue, and five pathways in nephritic tissue. Intriguingly, two pathways (sphingolipid metabolism and VEGF signalling pathway) were altered both in the liver and kidney.

CONCLUSION

Cd contaminated rice may cause liver and kidney damage and inflammation, or even lead to more severe harm to these tissues. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Age‐based shifts in habitat selection of wild turkey broods
Authors: Nelson Stefan D. , Keever Allison C. , Wightman Patrick H. , Bakner Nicholas W. , Collier Bret A. , Chamberlain Michael J. , Cohen Bradley S.
Published: September 2023

Animals exhibit pronounced age‐based shifts in habitat selection, often because of increasing body size. Body size affects how animals access resources, traverse landscapes, and perceive predation risk. While adults may be habitat generalists, offspring may be constrained by diet, predation avoidance methods, and mobility given smaller body size, and thus be more specialized. Observed declines in eastern wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) productivity and recruitment across the southeastern United States has necessitated evaluations of availability and composition of brood habitat. As poults are smaller and have more specialized resource requirements than adults, selection of vegetation likely changes as poults age. We evaluated aged‐based shifts in selection relative to vegetation communities, normalized difference vegetation indices (NDVI), and distances to trails by eastern wild turkey brooding females in a pine (Pinus spp.)‐dominated landscape in Georgia, USA, from April–July during 2017–2020. We used step‐selection functions and conditional logistic regression to evaluate resource selection of 36 brooding females. Of 175 nests monitored, 36 (20.6%) successfully hatched a brood and only 12 broods had at least 1 poult survive ≥28 days post‐hatch (i.e., 6.9% of nests produced a poult that was recruited into the population). Overall, brooding females selected for pastures (β = 0.730; 95% CI = 0.5144–0.9452), hardwoods (β = 0.324; 95% CI = 0.1608–0.4865), areas closer to trails (β = −0.002; 95% CI = −0.0023–−0.0014), and areas with greater NDVI values (β = 2.714; 95% CI = 1.7897–3.6380). Habitat selection shifted as broods aged, suggesting resource needs shift to scale allometrically with body size as broods get older. For example, selection strength waned as broods aged and broods were 2.47 times less likely to select pastures on day 28 relative to day 1 post‐hatch. Pastures were selected for after broods hatched, whereas selection for young pines increased as poults aged. Despite pine‐dominated cover types comprising nearly a third of the usable landscape, young pine communities were avoided by females with recently hatched broods. Managers may create better brood habitat by promoting early successional vegetation communities amidst a diversity of other land cover types to account for changing resource needs and predator avoidance capabilities as poults age.
Coastal landscape degradation and disappearance of Davislaguna Lake, Sørkappland, Svalbard, 1900–2021
Authors: Ziaja Wieslaw , Ostafin Krzysztof , Maciejowski Wojciech , Kruse Frigga
Published: September 2023

The paper describes the transformation of the coastal landscape near former Davislaguna Lake, SE Spitsbergen. It is a comparative study which outlines the changing state of the area based on old maps, other archival materials, remote sensing data from the years 1900 to 2021, and our own fieldwork performed since 2005. The indirect cause of this transformation is identified herein as climate warming which has produced a progressive degradation of the cryosphere and triggered three key forces behind the said transformation: glacial recession in the 20th century, shortening of the sea‐ice season, permafrost thawing in the 21st century. From the year 1900 to the 1920s the coastal landscape of the study area consisted of a bay with beaches between a mountain range in the west and a tidewater glacier tongue protruding into the sea in the northeast. The tongue subsequently melted and the bay became transformed into a coastal plain, with the resulting lake becoming separated from the sea by a gravel‐sand bar by 1936. Afterwards, both the plain and lake dwindled in size due to the decline of the bar found to the west. This process continued until the lake became divided into two parts in the 1980s; one of these then disappeared between 2006 and 2010, and the second one by 2021. Hence, the land in question, with the coastal plain partly glaciated and surrounding the bay, then unglaciated and surrounding the lake, became over time replaced by the sea. Today, the process of abrasion acting near the sea is destroying the remaining beaches and cutting down the steep slopes of area mountains and ice‐cored moraines.
Strength and multiple types of physical activity predict cognitive function independent of low muscle mass in NHANES 1999–2002
Authors: Storoschuk Kristi L. , Gharios Ryan , Potter Gregory D. M. , Galpin Andrew J. , House Benjamin T. , Wood Thomas R.
Published: September 2023

Introduction

Multiple domains of cognitive function decline with age, resulting in a significant burden on quality of life and the healthcare system. Recent studies increasingly point to links between muscle mass, particularly low muscle mass, and risk of cognitive decline. However, complex relationships exist between muscle mass, muscle function, physical activity, and overall health.

Methods

Data from 1,424 adults 60+ years old in the 1999‐2000 and 2001‐2002 editions of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were used to investigate the relationship between low muscle mass and cognitive function after accounting for strength, physical activity, and nutritional and metabolic risk factors for cognitive decline.

Results

Muscle strength and physical activity independently predicted performance in the digit symbol substitution test, with muscle mass and muscle strength explaining 0.5% and 5% of the variance in cognitive function, respectively. In graphical network analyses, the association between low muscle mass and cognitive function appeared to be primarily mediated by neuromuscular function. Physical activity was associated with strength but, surprisingly, not muscle mass, which was instead more closely related to total mass.

Conclusions

Low muscle mass is a relatively poor predictor of cognitive function after accounting for physical activity and strength in older individuals from a representative population dataset in the US. Future studies should account for the way in which muscle mass is accrued, which is likely to confound any association between muscle mass and health outcomes.