bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Medulloblastoma and other neoplasms in patients with heterozygous germline SUFU variants: A scoping review
Authors: Lee Stephanie G. , Evans Gareth , Stephen Maddie , Goren Rachel , Bondy Melissa , Goodman Steven
Published: January 2024

In 2002, heterozygous suppressor of fused variants (SUFU+/−) in the germline were described to have a tumor suppressor role in the development of pediatric medulloblastoma (MB). Other neoplasms associated with pathologic germline SUFU+/− variants have also been described among patients with basal cell nevus syndrome (BCNS; BCNS is also known as Gorlin syndrome, nevoid basal cell carcinoma [BCC] syndrome or Gorlin‐Goltz syndrome; OMIM 109400), an autosomal‐dominant cancer predisposition syndrome. The phenotype of patients with germline SUFU+/− variants is very poorly characterized due to a paucity of large studies with long‐term follow‐up. As such, there is a clinical need to better characterize the spectrum of neoplasms among patients with germline SUFU+/− variants so that clinicians can provide accurate counseling and optimize tumor surveillance strategies. The objective of this study is to perform a scoping review to map the evidence on the rate of medulloblastoma and to describe the spectrum of other neoplasms among patients with germline SUFU+/− variants. A review of all published literature in PubMed (MEDLINE), EMBASE, Cochrane, and Web of Science were searched from the beginning of each respective database until October 9, 2021. Studies of pediatric and adult patients with a confirmed germline SUFU+/− variant who were evaluated for the presence of any neoplasm (benign or malignant) were included. There were 176 patients (N = 30 studies) identified with a confirmed germline SUFU+/− variant who met inclusion criteria. Data were extracted from two cohort studies, two case‐control studies, 18 case series, and eight case reports. The median age at diagnosis of a germline SUFU+/− variant was 4.5 years where 44.4% identified as female and 13.4% of variants were de novo. There were 34 different neoplasms (benign and malignant) documented among patients with confirmed germline SUFU+/− variants, and the most common were medulloblastoma (N = 59 patients), BCC (N = 21 patients), and meningioma (N = 19 patients). The median age at medulloblastoma diagnosis was 1.42 years (range 0.083–3; interquartile range 1.2). When data were available for these three most frequent neoplasms (N = 95 patients), 31 patients (32.6%) had neither MB, BCC nor meningioma; 51 patients (53.7%) had one of medulloblastoma or BCC or meningioma; eight patients (8.4%) had two of medulloblastoma or BCC or meningioma, and five patients (5.3%) had medulloblastoma and BCC and meningioma. This is the first study to synthesize the data on the frequency and spectrum of neoplasms specifically among patients with a confirmed germline SUFU+/− variant. This scoping review is a necessary step forward in optimizing evidence‐based tumor surveillance strategies for medulloblastoma and estimating the risk of other neoplasms that could impact patient outcomes.
PAM‐Engineered Toehold Switches as Input‐Responsive Activators of CRISPR‐Cas12a for Sensing Applications
Authors: Bagheri Neda , Chamorro Alejandro , Idili Andrea , Porchetta Alessandro
Published: January 2024

The RNA‐programmed CRISPR effector protein Cas12a has emerged as a powerful tool for gene editing and molecular diagnostics. However, additional bio‐engineering strategies are required to achieve control over Cas12a activity. Here, we show that Toehold Switch DNA hairpins, presenting a rationally designed locked protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) in the loop, can be used to control Cas12a in response to molecular inputs. Reconfiguring the Toehold Switch DNA from a hairpin to a duplex conformation through a strand displacement reaction provides an effective means to modulate the accessibility of the PAM, thereby controlling the binding and cleavage activities of Cas12a. Through this approach, we showcase the potential to trigger downstream Cas12a activity by leveraging proximity‐based strand displacement reactions in response to target binding. By utilizing the trans‐cleavage activity of Cas12a as a signal transduction method, we demonstrate the versatility of our approach for sensing applications. Our system enables rapid, one‐pot detection of IgG antibodies and small molecules with high sensitivity and specificity even within complex matrices. Besides the bioanalytical applications, the switchable PAM‐engineered Toehold Switches serve as programmable tools capable of regulating Cas12a‐based targeting and DNA processing in response to molecular inputs and hold promise for a wide array of biotechnological applications.
Electrically conducting polymers and composites for applications in space exploration
Authors: Ryan Emily A. , Seibers Zach D. , Reynolds John R. , Shofner Meisha L.
Published: January 2024

Pushing the boundaries of space exploration and settlement requires innovative materials that are multi‐functional, reusable, and tolerant of the extreme hazards in space environments. Polymers represent an interesting class of materials for these applications due to their range of properties, low density, and ease of manufacturing. Electrically conductive materials based on polymers and other organic materials can be beneficial for safety purposes or for integrating advanced functions, such as dust mitigation and non‐destructive evaluation. Given the unique demands of the space industry, emerging materials developed for space may not appear in conventional forums. Conversely, many investigators focus on polymers and composites for other applications and may not realize the suitability of their material for space. This review provides an informational bridge between experts from conventional polymer fields and more space‐focused research groups. First, a brief history of polymer material integration from Apollo to Artemis is used as a context for their increasing importance to space exploration. Next, a polymer and composite materials‐focused summary of space hazards is discussed for different space environments. Finally, different space applications suitable for electrically conductive polymers and composites are discussed in the context of enabling space exploration and developing new terrestrial technology.
Shared genetic risk between anorexia nervosa and cardiovascular disease events: Evidence from genome‐wide association studies
Authors: Qi Baiyu , Graff Mariaelisa , Eating Disorders Working Group of the Psychiatric Genomics C  , Bulik Cynthia M , North Kari E , Munn‐Chernoff Melissa A
Published: January 2024

Objective

Cardiovascular complications occur in up to 80% of patients with anorexia nervosa (AN), yet the underlying mechanisms warrant further investigation. We assessed the genetic correlation (rg) between AN and cardiovascular disease (CVD) events to inform whether elevated cardiovascular risk among individuals with AN is due to shared genetic effects.

Method

We used genome‐wide association study summary statistics for AN (N = 72,517), AN with binge eating (N = 12,630), AN without binge eating (N = 12,516), and six CVD events (N = 390,142 to 977,323). We calculated the rgs via linkage disequilibrium score regression and corrected for multiple testing using false discovery rate.

Results

Significant rgs emerged between AN with heart failure (rg = –0.11, SE = 0.05, q = .04) and myocardial infarction (rg = –0.10, SE = 0.03, q = .01). AN with binge eating had a significant rg with myocardial infarction (rg = –0.15, SE = 0.06, q = .02). No significant rg emerged between AN without binge eating and any CVD event.

Discussion

Some loci affect the liability to AN and CVD in opposite directions and the shared genetic effects may not be consistent across all CVD events. Our results provide further evidence suggesting that the elevated cardiovascular risk in AN may not be due to shared genetic underpinnings, but more likely a downstream consequence of the disease.
Stone milling conditions and starter culture source influence phytic acid content and antioxidant activity in whole‐grain sourdough bread
Authors: Kulathunga Jayani , Simsek Senay
Published: January 2024

Background and Objectives

There is interest in whole‐grain sourdough bread related to evidence of increased nutrient availability and antioxidant compounds. Antioxidants play a remarkable role in the body's defense system against reactive oxygen species. In contrast, phytic acid has adverse effects as it reduces the availability of minerals. This research study was carried out to compare the phytic acid content and antioxidant activity of stone‐milled whole‐grain flour and sourdough bread made with two different starter cultures.

Findings

The phytic acid content of all the bread samples was significantly (p < .05) lower than the flour samples they were produced from. Significant (p < .05) differences were observed in sourdoughs' phenolic contents and antioxidant capacities with different starter cultures. The antioxidant capacity of polyphenols extracted from bread samples was negatively correlated with the coarse particle size fraction and positively correlated with the fine particle size fraction.

Conclusions

The phytic acid content and antioxidant capacity of the bread were affected by the starter culture. Processing whole‐grain flour into sourdough bread reduced the phytic acid content and improved the antioxidant activity.

Significance and Novelty

The content of bioactive compounds and anti‐nutritional factors in sourdough bread can be monitored by using different milling conditions, particle sizes, and starter cultures.
Unraveling the role of δ‐zeins in methionine bio‐fortification of maize
Authors: Devi Veena , Sethi Mehak , Singh Alla , Chaudhary Dharam P.
Published: January 2024

Background and Objectives

Maize is a major ingredient of animal feed. However, its nutritional quality is poor due to the deficiency of essential amino acid methionine. The animal feed, prepared as a corn–legume mixture to balance the nutritional quality, remains deficient in methionine. Therefore, the bio‐fortification of maize for methionine is the best option to make nutritionally balanced animal and poultry feed. The present study was designed to evaluate the profile of zeins and the expression profile of methionine‐associated target genes in high‐ and low‐methionine maize.

Findings

Results of sodium dodecyl sulfate‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed that the 10‐kDa zein was accumulated during kernel development, and its accumulation was higher in high methionine lines. Gene expression analysis through real‐time polymerase chain reaction revealed that higher expression of 10‐ and 18‐kDa zeins is associated with higher methionine accumulation.

Conclusions

The above results indicate that 10‐ and 18‐kDa genes are the potential targets for the methionine bio‐fortification in maize, which is required for animal and poultry feed.

Significance and Novelty

The present study suggests that 10‐ and 18‐kDa genes are the major source of methionine, and the regulation of these genes is crucial to enhancing the methionine content in maize. The results indicate that these genes are potential targets for genetic engineering in maize to enhance methionine accumulation.
Establishment and validation of a prediction model for nonrecovery of left ventricular ejection fraction in acute myocardial infarction patients combined with decreased left ventricular ejection fraction
Authors: Yang Yang , Dong You Zheng , Hou An Xue , Liu De Ping , He Jin Wu , Chen Jun Ye , Jiang Xing Hua
Published: January 2024

Background

This study aimed to investigate the risk factors for nonrecovery of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) during follow‐up in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) combined with reduced LVEF, and establish and verify a risk prediction model based on these factors.

Methods

In this study, patients with AMI who underwent PCI in a high‐volume PCI center between December 2018 and December 2021 were consecutively enrolled, screened, and randomly assigned to the model establishment and validation cohorts. A predictive model method based on least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression was used for establishment and validation.

Results

Cardiac troponin I, myoglobin, left ventricular end‐diastolic dimension, multivessel disease, and no‐reflow were identified as potential predictors of LVEF recovery failure. The areas under the curve were 0.703 and 0.665 in the model establishment and validation cohorts, respectively, proving that the prediction model had some predictive ability. The calibration curves of the two cohorts showed good agreement with those of the nomogram model. In addition, the decision curve analysis showed that the model had a net clinical benefit.

Conclusion

This prediction model can assess the risk of nonrecovery of LVEF in patients with AMI undergoing PCI combined with LVEF reduction during follow‐up, and conveniently screen high‐risk patients with nonrecoverable LVEF early.
Lactate dehydrogenase‐to‐albumin ratio: A superior inflammatory marker for predicting contrast‐associated acute kidney injury after percutaneous coronary intervention
Authors: Zeng Ji‐Lang , Chen Jun‐Han , Zhang Li‐Wei , Chen Li‐Chuan , Liang Wen‐Jia , You Zhebin , Lin Kai‐Yang , Guo Yansong
Published: January 2024

Purpose

Inflammation is commonly considered a mechanism underlying contrast‐associated acute kidney injury (CA‐AKI). This study aimed to explore the predictive capability of the novel inflammatory marker lactate dehydrogenase‐to‐albumin ratio (LAR) for CA‐AKI following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and further compare it with other common inflammatory biomarkers.

Methods

This study enrolled 5,435 patients undergoing elective PCI. The primary outcome was CA‐AKI, and the secondary outcome was all‐cause mortality. All patients were grouped into three groups based on the LAR tertiles.

Results

Three hundred fifteen patients (5.8%) experienced CA‐AKI during hospitalization. The fully adjusted logistic regression suggested a significant increase in the risk of CA‐AKI in LAR Tertile 3 (odds ratio [OR]: 2.51, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.68−3.83, p < .001) and Tertile 2 (OR: 2.11, 95% CI: 1.42−3.20, p < .001) compared to Tertile 1. Additionally, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis demonstrated that LAR exhibited significantly superior predictive capability for CA‐AKI compared to other inflammatory biomarkers. Regarding the secondary outcome, multivariate COX regression analysis showed a positive correlation between elevated LAR levels and all‐cause mortality.

Conclusion

In patients undergoing elective PCI, LAR was significantly independently associated with CA‐AKI, and it stood out as the optimal inflammatory biomarker for predicting CA‐AKI.
Challenges and protective strategies on zinc anode toward practical aqueous zinc‐ion batteries
Authors: Al‐Abbasi Malek , Zhao Yanrui , He Honggang , Liu Hui , Xia Huarong , Zhu Tianxue , Wang Kexuan , Xu Zhu , Wang Huibo , Zhang Wei , Lai Yuekun , Ge Mingzheng
Published: January 2024

Over the past decades, there has been a growing interest in rechargeable aqueous Zn‐ion batteries (AZIBs) as a viable substitute for lithium‐ion batteries. This is primarily due to their low cost, lower redox potential, and high safety. Nevertheless, the progress of Zn metal anodes has been impeded by various challenges, including the growth of dendrites, corrosion, and hydrogen evolution reaction during repeated cycles that result in low Coulombic efficiency and a short lifetime. Therefore, we represent recent advances in Zn metal anode protection for constructing high‐performance AZIBs. Besides, we show in‐depth analyses and supposed hypotheses on the working mechanism of these issues associated with mildly acidic aqueous electrolytes. Meanwhile, design principles and feasible strategies are proposed to suppress dendrites' formation of Zn batteries, including electrode design, electrolyte modification, and interface regulation, which are suitable for restraining corrosion and hydrogen evolution reaction. Finally, the current challenges and future trends are raised to pave the way for the commercialization of AZIBs. These design principles and potential strategies are applicable in other metal‐ion batteries, such as Li and K metal batteries.
Comparative study on structural behavior of ferrocement wall panels
Authors: Gopal Deepana , Shobarajkumar D.
Published: January 2024

In this fast‐developing world both in the form of trends and population. House is a basic need for everyone and it is always preferred to be completed within a minimum time. Ferrocement wall panels will be a great advantage it accommodate quicker construction. It also helps the building to be built with required shape and size and also with a better aesthetic appearance. Other advantages include less cost and also provide better insulation for soundproofing. Because of their ease of replace ability, they can be assembled into an appropriate framework. They can be restructured anywhere at any time, so it is a better substitute than any other kinds of walls. In this investigation, the structural behaviour of ferrocement wall panels of size 2.5 and 3 m in length, 1 m width with 30 mm thickness has been casted with and without addition of nanosilica which obtained from Zea mays was investigated. Amorphous nanosilica has been extracted from Zea mays plant by a series of process like separating the parts of the Zea mays plant, washing the parts to remove dirt, acid wash, drying, calcination, sol–gel adjustment and then post filtration pre, post filtration, which include corrosive pre‐treatment by acid wash, draining, sol–gel adjustment and drying in hot air oven have been used in this work, which will enhance the mechanical properties of ferrocement. ANSYS Software was used to create finite element models to analyse the behaviour of the wall panel from static response to failure. Finally, the experimental and numerical model comparisons were presented and evaluated.
TGFβ‐induced EN1 promotes tumor budding of adenoid cystic carcinoma in patient‐derived organoid model
Authors: Hui Zhixuan , Wang Bo , Liu Zhengyan , Wei Jinhui , Gan Jiaxing , Landstrom Marene , Mu Yabing , Zang Guangxiang
Published: January 2024

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) and basal cell adenoma (BCA) share many histological characteristics and often need a differential diagnosis in clinical pathology. Recently, we found homeobox protein engrailed‐1 (EN1) was a potential diagnostic marker for ACC in an organoids library of salivary gland tumors (SGTs). Here we aim to confirm EN1 as a differential diagnostic marker for ACC, and further investigate the regulatory mechanism and biological function of EN1 in tumor progression. The transcriptional analysis, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, Western blot and immunohistochemistry staining were performed and revealed that EN1 was specifically and highly expressed in ACC, and accurately differentiated ACC from BCA. Furthermore, TGFβ signaling pathway was found associated with ACC, and the regulation of EN1 through TGFβ was detected in the human ACC cell lines and patient‐derived organoids (PDOs). TGFβ‐induced EN1 was important in promoting tumor budding in the PDOs model. Interestingly, a high level of EN1 and TGFβ1 in the budding tips was observed in ACC clinical samples, and the expression of EN1 and TGFβ1 in ACC was significantly associated with the clinical stage. In summary, our study verified EN1 is a good diagnostic marker to differentiate ACC from BCA. TGFβ‐induced EN1 facilitates the tumor budding of ACC, which might be an important mechanism related to the malignant phenotype of ACC.
CCheXR‐Attention: Clinical concept extraction and chest x‐ray reports classification using modified Mogrifier and bidirectional LSTM with multihead attention
Authors: Rani Somiya , Jain Amita , Kumar Akshi , Yang Guang
Published: January 2024

Radiology reports cover different aspects from radiological observation to the diagnosis of an imaging examination, such as x‐rays, magnetic resonance imaging, and computed tomography scans. Abundant patient information presented in radiology reports poses a few major challenges. First, radiology reports follow a free‐text reporting format, which causes the loss of a large amount of information in unstructured text. Second, the extraction of important features from these reports is a huge bottleneck for machine learning models. These challenges are important, particularly the extraction of key features such as symptoms, comparison/priors, technique, finding, and impression because they facilitate the decision‐making on patients' health. To alleviate this issue, a novel architecture CCheXR‐Attention is proposed to extract the clinical features from the radiological reports and classify each report into normal and abnormal categories based on the extracted information. We have proposed a modified Mogrifier long short‐term memory model and integrated a multihead attention method to extract the more relevant features. Experimental outcomes on two benchmark datasets demonstrated that the proposed model surpassed state‐of‐the‐art models.
Automatic measurement of fetal abdomen subcutaneous soft tissue thickness from ultrasound image based on a U‐shaped attention network with morphological method
Authors: Yuan Zhenming , Xu Tianhao , Yu Cheng , Ye Xiaojun , Zhang Jian
Published: January 2024

Fetal abdominal subcutaneous soft tissue thickness (FASSTT) is a key indicator in evaluating fetal growth, development, and nutritional status. Currently, manual measurement in FASSTT faces the problems of difficulty in positioning, time consumption, and inaccurate measurement. Therefore, this article proposes an automatic measurement scheme for FASSTT. Firstly, a U‐shaped attention network VGG‐SeUnet is proposed to automatically segment the subcutaneous soft tissue area of the fetal abdomen. Secondly, based on the segmentation results, a morphological method is proposed to obtain FASSTT. Specifically, the segmentation network uses VGG16 as the encoder and connects the decoder through jump connections for multi‐scale fusion. We introduce channel attention to jump connections, which enables the model to select key channels for feature fusion. At the same time, the model uses the proposed DF_Loss function for training to solve the problem of sample imbalance. Based on the segmentation results, a morphological distance transformation algorithm is proposed to obtain FASSTT by drawing the maximum inscribed circle and calculating its diameter. The method is evaluated on a fetal abdominal circumference ultrasound dataset containing 135 samples. The DSC, mIOU, mPA, Precision and Recall of the segmentation experiments reache 88.9%, 81.02%, 90.44%, 86.38%, and 90.44% respectively. The difference between FASSTT's result from that provided by radiologist is 0.0615 cm in Average Error (AVE) and 0.081 cm in Root Mean Square Error (RMSE). The overall performance of this algorithm is superior to existing methods with excellent performance, and the measurement error is less than 1 millimeter. This result proves that the proposed scheme in this paper can achieve automated measurement of FASSTT and assist doctors in subsequent evaluation of fetal development and nutritional status.
To sleep or not to sleep: Dormancy and life history traits in Eucypris virens (Crustacea, Ostracoda)
Authors: Bellin Nicolò , Rossi Valeria
Published: January 2024

Dormancy represents an investment with its own costs and benefit. Besides the advantage obtained from the avoidance of harsh environments and from the synchronization of life cycles with seasonal changes, an organism could benefit from a temporary stop in growth and reproduction. To test this hypothesis a transgenerational experiment was carried out comparing the life history traits of clonal females of Eucypris virens from resting and non‐resting eggs at two different photoperiods: short day length (6:18 L:D), proxy of favorable but unpredictable late winter‐spring hydroperiod, and long day length (16:8 L:D) proxy of dry predictable unfavorable season, inducing resting egg production and within‐generation plasticity (WGP). Clonal females that were dormancy deprived showed the highest age at first deposition and the lowest fecundity. Dormancy seems to work as a resetting mechanism of reproduction. Transgenerational plasticity (TGP) had a bounce back pattern: the phenotype of F1 generation was influenced by cues experienced in the F0 generation but the effects of F0 exposure were not evident in the F2. TGP might be adaptive when a mother experiences some kind of seasonality or stochasticity producing both resting and nonresting eggs. A positive relationship between the number of resting eggs and the total number of eggs per females suggested the absence of trade‐off between dormancy and reproduction. Both WGP and TGP increase the mother long term fitness with important consequences on population dynamics, on the way a species spread throughout space and time and might respond to climate change.
Anthropometric assessment: ESPGHAN quality of care survey from paediatric hospitals in 28 European countries
Authors: Litwin Anna , Le Thi Thu Giang , Pancheva Rouzha , Niseteo Tena , Hauer Almuthe Christina , Kindermann Angelika , Lacaille Florence , Nicastro Emanuele , Czubkowski Piotr , Ikrath Katharina , Gerasimidis Konstantinos , Koletzko Sibylle ,   for the Quality of Care Network
Published: January 2024

Objectives

Assessment of anthropometric data is essential for paediatric healthcare. We surveyed the implementation of European Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) evidence‐based guidelines and practical recommendations on nutritional care, particularly regarding anthropometric measurements.

Methods

Paediatric hospitals from 28 European countries provided pseudonymized data through online questionnaires on hospital characteristics and their standards of nutritional care. Practical tasks assessed an unbiased collection and reporting of anthropometric measurements in random patients' files and discharge letters.

Results

Of 114 hospitals (67% academic), 9% have no nutritionist/dietitian available, 18% do not provide standard policy to assess weight and height and 15% lack training for nursing staff for accurate performance. A wall‐mounted stadiometer to measure standing height and equipment for sitting weight is unavailable in 9% and 32%, respectively. Infant length is measured by one instead of two healthcare professionals and with a tape instead of a rigid length measuring board in 58% and 15% of hospitals, respectively.

The practical tasks reviewed 1414 random patients, thereof 446 younger than 2 years of age. Missing documentation occurred significantly more often for height versus weight and their percentiles in infants ≤2 years versus older children, and in general paediatric versus gastrointestinal patients, with no difference between academic and nonacademic hospitals. Review of documented anthropometric data in discharge letters disclosed that consultants significantly underestimated the deficits in their units compared to documented data.

Conclusions

The survey revealed significant gaps in performance and documentation of anthropometry in the participating hospitals. A resurvey will assess changes in quality of care over time.
Quinoa alleviates osteoporosis in ovariectomized rats by regulating gut microbiota imbalance
Authors: Dou Jinfang , Liang Zhengting , Liu Jiaxian , Liu Nannan , Hu Xuehong , Tao Siyu , Zhen Xianjie , Yang Lihua , Zhang Jinghua , Jiang Guangjian
Published: January 2024

BACKGROUND

Postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMO) is associated with dysregulation of bone metabolism and gut microbiota. Quinoa is a grain with high nutritional value, and its effects and potential mechanisms on PMO have not been reported yet. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the bone protective effect of quinoa on ovariectomy (OVX) rats by regulating bone metabolism and gut microbiota.

Results

Quinoa significantly improved osteoporosis‐related biochemical parameters of OVX rats and ameliorated ovariectomy‐induced bone density reduction and trabecular structure damage. Quinoa intervention may repair the intestinal barrier by upregulating the expression of tight junction proteins in the duodenum. In addition, quinoa increased the levels of Firmicutes, and decreased the levels of Bacteroidetes and Prevotella, reversing the dysregulation of the gut microbiota. This may be related to estrogen signaling pathway, secondary and primary bile acid biosynthesis, benzoate degradation, synthesis and degradation of ketone bodies, NOD‐like receptor signaling pathway and biosynthesis of tropane, piperidine and pyridine alkaloids. Correlation analysis showed that there is a strong correlation between gut microbiota with significant changes in abundance and parameters related to osteoporosis.

Conclusion

Quinoa could significantly reverse the high intestinal permeability and change the composition of gut microbiota in OVX rats, thereby improving bone microstructure deterioration and bone metabolism disorder, and ultimately protecting the bone loss of OVX rats. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.
In vitro digestion and colonic fermentation characteristics of media‐milled purple sweet potato particle‐stabilized Pickering emulsions
Authors: Ye Liuyu , Hu Hong , Wang Yong , Cai Zizhe , Yu Wenwen , Lu Xuanxuan
Published: January 2024

BACKGROUND

Pickering emulsions stabilized by multicomponent particles have attracted increasing attention. Research on characterizing the digestion and health benefit effects of these emulsions in the human gastrointestinal tract are quite limited. This work aims to reveal the digestive characteristics of media‐milled purple sweet potato particle‐stabilized Pickering emulsions (PSPP‐Es) during in vitro digestion and colonic fermentation.

RESULTS

The media‐milling process improved the in vitro digestibility and fermentability of PSPP‐Es by reaching afree fatty acids release rate of 43.11 ± 4.61% after gastrointestinal digestion and total phenolic content release of 101.00 ± 1.44 μg gallic acid equivalents/mL after fermentation. In addition, PSPP‐Es exhibited good antioxidative activity (2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl and ferric reducing antioxidant power assays), α‐glucosidase inhibitory activity (half‐maximal inhibitory concentration: 6.70%, v/v), and prebiotic effects, reaching a total short‐chain fatty acids production of 9.90 ± 0.12 mol L−1, boosting the growth of Akkermansia, Bifidobacterium, and Blautia and inhibiting the growth of Escherichia–Shigella.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings indicate that the media‐milling process enhances the potential health benefits of purple sweet potato particle‐stabilized Pickering emulsions, which is beneficial for their application as a bioactive component delivery system in food and pharmaceutical products. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.
Evaluation of Focused Assessment With Sonography for Trauma Completeness of Children in the Clinical Setting
Authors: Firnberg Maytal , Addo Newton , Lin‐Martore Margaret , Shaahinfar Ashkon , Kornblith Aaron
Published: January 2024

Objectives

We evaluated the completeness of real‐world Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (FAST) in children after blunt abdominal trauma by benchmarking against established expert guidelines.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study, analyzing a random sample of FASTs from two urban pediatric emergency departments. Two experts reviewed and labeled all FASTs for completeness using a predefined guideline of 5 anatomic views and 30 landmarks. We compared frequencies of views and landmarks as medians with interquartile ranges.

Results

We analyzed 200 FASTs, consisting of 1636 video clips, performed by 31 clinicians representing 198 children with a median age of 10 years (IQR 5,14). Over half of FASTs (52%) had all 5 views. The right upper quadrant view was most commonly visualized (96.5%), and suprapubic sagittal was least (65%). None of the FASTs included all 30 landmarks, ranging from 0 to 28 and median of 19 (IQR 15,23). The least visualized landmark of the right and left upper quadrants was caudal liver edge (60%) and splenic tip (64%), respectively. In the pericardial view, it was left atrium (45%). In both transverse and sagittal pelvic views, retro‐uterine space was least visualized in girls, 21 and 29% respectively.

Conclusions

In our study, most FAST views and landmarks were visualized. However, the pelvic sagittal view was the least frequently visualized view, and caudal liver edge was the least visualized landmark. Future research should evaluate if variability in visualizing FAST views and landmarks correlates with inconsistencies in diagnostic test performance.
Advantages of using a dual‐filler system with carbon black and rockwool fiber on Nitrile Rubber composites from a technical standpoint
Authors: da Rocha Elisson Brum Dutra , de Sousa Ana Maria Furtado , Furtado Cristina Russi Guimarães
Published: January 2024

This study produced and characterized composites based on nitrile rubber reinforced with rockwool fiber (RW) and carbon black (CB). Ten formulations with dual‐filler loading amounts ranging from 0 to 40 phr of CB and RW were designed using a simplex‐centroid mixture. The composites were assessed regarding their rheometric, rheological, mechanical, and thermal properties. The use of the RW in the dual‐filler system contributed to overall improvements in Shore A hardness, tear strength, modulus at 50%, and resilience, as well as reducing the Payne effect. Instead of using 40 phr of CB alone, a dual‐filler system comprising 20 phr of CB and 20 phr of RW lowers the Payne effect by around 60%, improves resilience by 35%, modulus at 50% strain by 8%, and the residual stress at equilibrium (σ∞/σ0) by 7%. On the other hand, the tensile strength is reduced by 23%. The optimum cure time, crosslink density, and maximum decomposition rate temperature were not affected by the rockwool's presence in the dual‐filler system. In general, the use of RW in combination with CB is advantageous mainly because it reduces compressive stress relaxation, which is an important property for sealing applications.

Highlights

Dual‐filler systems based on carbon black (CB) and rockwool fiber (RW) offer advantages.

RW‐rich dual‐filler systems reduce stress relaxation.

RW‐rich dual‐filler systems reduce the Payne effect.

CB‐rich dual‐filler systems increase tensile strength.
Heparanase‐1 and MMPs in Covid‐19 and non‐Covid‐19 pneumonia
Authors: Masola Valentina , Marrone Giuseppe , Condoluci Carola , Franchi Marco , Stella Leonardo , Biolato Marco , Miele Luca , Gambaro Giovanni , Vecchio Claudia Dal , Onisto Maurizio
Published: January 2024

Together with the ACE2 protein, heparan sulfate present at the level of the glycocalyx in the lung epithelia is considered a cellular “co‐receptor” for the viral spike protein that allows severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV) to infect cells. An increase in the amount and activity of heparanase‐1 (HPSE), the only enzyme capable of degrading the heparan sulfate (HS) chains of the glycocalyx and of the extracellular matrix, has been described in the plasma of patients affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid‐19). Furthermore, the activity of matrix metalloproteases, or MMPs, has been related to matrix degradation, oxidative stress, and inflammation in Covid‐19 patients. In this study, we enrolled 26 Covid‐19 patients and 15 controls with diagnosis of non‐SARS‐CoV‐2‐related pneumonia. We evaluated the expression and activity of HPSE and the expression of MMPs in their serum together with other clinical markers of disease and inflammation. Results proved that HPSE expression and activity serum levels were significantly increased, whereas MMP2 and 9 were decreased in Covid‐19 versus non‐Covid‐19 pneumonia patients. In addition, IL‐6 levels were higher, whereas platelet and white blood cells were lower in Covid‐19 with respect to non‐Covid‐19 pneumonia. Moreover, MMP9 but not HPSE (expression and activity) levels were increased in Covid‐19 pneumonia patients with ongoing lung alteration over time. In summary, the present findings indicate that HPSE and MMPs are differentially regulated in Covid‐19 and non‐Covid‐19 pneumonia.
A dual path hybrid neural network framework for remaining useful life prediction of aero‐engine
Authors: Lu Xinhua , Pan Haobo , Zhang Lingxiao , Ma Li , Wan Hui
Published: January 2024

Predicting the remaining useful life (RUL) of an engine is one of the key tasks of Prognostics and health management (PHM). Modern mechanical equipment typically operates in complex operating conditions and fault modes, leading to dispersed distribution of sensor data and challenges for feature extraction. To improve the accuracy of predicting the RUL under the complex scenarios, this paper proposes a multi‐scale convolutional network (CNN) and bidirectional gated recurrent unit (MSC‐BiGRU) mode under a dual path framework with temporal attention. Specifically, the multi‐scale CNN in the first path is to learn complex features, and Swish Activation function is used to improve the prediction ability of the network; the bidirectional gated recurrent unit (BiGRU) in the second path can handle both forward and backward time series, and adaptively capture the importance of outputs at different times using temporal attention, enhancing the model's feature extraction ability in the temporal dimension. A feature fusion mechanism is developed to connect two paths in parallel, overcoming the overfitting and high computational complexity in deep complex models. We verify the effectiveness of the proposed method using a simulated turbofan engine dataset, especially on datasets FD002 and FD004 under complex operating conditions and fault modes, the RMSE values were reduced by 17.37% and 9.97%, respectively, compared to the BiGRU‐TSAM.
Annuloselectivity of Dibenzoxazepines and Arynes in the Presence of CO2: [2+2] vs [2+2+2] Annulation
Authors: Zhang Kun , Liu Shiqi , Wang Leyi , Liu Xiangrui , Xu Jiaxi , Chen Ning
Published: January 2024

The annulation of arynes with dibenzo[b,f][1,4]oxazepines (N‐aryl cyclic imines) in the presence of CO2 has been studied in comparison with 3,4‐dihydroisoquinolines (N‐alkyl cyclic imines). For the reaction with dibenzo[b,f][1,4]oxazepines, [2+2] annulation takes place specifically with arynes, with CO2 acting only as the protecting gas. 3,4‐dihydroisoquinolines, however, exclusively underwent [2+2+2] annulation with arynes and CO2, with CO2 as a reactant. Our findings offer insights into imine‐aryne annulation under CO2 and suggest that steric and nucleophilic factors control the annuloselectivity. Reactivity analysis revealed that electron‐rich and less steric N‐alkyl cyclic imines and electron‐deficient benzynes favor the [2+2+2] annulation, while electron‐deficient and bulky N‐aryl cyclic imines prefer the [2+2] annulation. In the [2+2] annulation, the Hammett analyses reveal that both the nucleophilic attack of imines to benzynes (the first step, negative ρ) and the attack of phenyl anions on the iminium species (the second step, positive ρ) affect the reaction rate.
Less is More: Underlying Mechanism of Zn Electrode Long‐Term Stability using Sodium L‐Ascorbate as Electrolyte Additive
Authors: Luo Yuzhe , Yin Jiayi , Chen Peng , Wang Bin , Xu Jiangtao , Wang Zhaohui , Guo Kunkun
Published: January 2024

Structured passivation layers and hydrated Zn2+ solvation structure strongly influence Zn depositions on Zn electrodes and then the cycle life and electrochemical performance of aqueous zinc ion batteries. To achieve these, the electrolyte additive of sodium L‐ascorbate (Ass) is introduced into aqueous zinc sulfate (ZnSO4, ZS) electrolyte solutions. Combined experimental characterizations with theoretical calculations, the unique passivation layers with vertical arrayed micro‐nano structure are clearly observed, as well as the hydrated Zn2+ solvation structure is changed by replacing two ligand water molecules with As−, thus regulating the wettability and interfacial electric field intensity of Zn surfaces, facilitating rapid ionic diffusions within electrolytes and electrodes together with the inhibited side reactions and uniform depositions of Zn2+. When tested in Zn||Zn symmetric cell, the electrolyte containing Ass is extraordinarily stably operated for the long time ≈3700 h at both 1 mA cm−2 and 1 mAh cm−2. In Zn||MnO2 full coin cells, the energy density can still maintain as high as ≈184 Wh kg−1 at the power density high up to 2 kW kg−1, as well as the capacity retention can reach up to 80.5% even after 1000 cycles at 2 A g−1, which are substantially superior to the control cells.
Heat shock interferes with the amino acid metabolism of bovine cumulus-oocyte complexes in vitro: a multistep analysis
Authors: Mzedawee Hayder Radhi Hussein , Kowsar Rasoul , Moradi-Hajidavaloo Reza , Shiasi-Sardoabi Roya , Sadeghi Khaled , Nasr-Esfahani Mohammad Hossein , Hajian Mehdi
Published: January 2024

By affecting the ovarian pool of follicles and their enclosed oocytes, heat stress has an impact on dairy cow fertility. This study aimed to determine how heat shock (HS) during in vitro maturation affected the ability of the bovine cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) to develop, as well as their metabolism of amino acids (AAs). In this study, COCs were in vitro matured for 23 h at 38.5 °C (control; n = 322), 39.5 °C (mild HS (MHS); n = 290), or 40.5 °C (severe HS (SHS); n = 245). In comparison to the control group, the MHS and SHS groups significantly decreased the percentage of metaphase-II oocytes, as well as cumulus cell expansion and viability. The SHS decreased the rates of cleavage and blastocyst formation in comparison to the control and MHS. Compared to the control and MHS-COCs, the SHS-COCs produced significantly more phenylalanine, threonine, valine, arginine, alanine, glutamic acid, and citrulline while depleting less leucine, glutamine, and serine. Data showed that SHS-COCs had the highest appearance and turnover of all AAs and essential AAs. Heat shock was positively correlated with the appearance of glutamic acid, glutamine, isoleucine, alanine, serine, valine, phenylalanine, and asparagine. Network analysis identified the relationship between HS and alanine or glutamic acid, as well as the relationship between blastocyst and cleavage rates and ornithine. The findings imply that SHS may have an impact on the quality and metabolism of AAs in COCs. Moreover, the use of a multistep analysis could simply identify the AAs most closely linked to HS and the developmental competence of bovine COCs.
The 6:1 short stitch SL-WL-ratio: short term closure results of transverse and midline incisions in elective and emergency operations
Authors: Golling M. , Breul V. , Zielska Z. , Baumann P.
Published: January 2024

Aim

To analyze laparotomy closure quality (suture/wound length ratio; SL/WL) and short term complications (surgical site occurrence; SSO) of conventional midline and transverse abdominal incisions in elective and emergency laparotomies with a longterm, absorbent, elastic suture material.

Method

Prospective, monocentric, non-randomized, controlled cohort study on short stitches with a longterm resorbable, elastic suture (poly-4-hydroxybutyrate, [p-4OHB]) aiming at a 6:1 SL/WL-ratio in midline and transverse, primary and secondary laparotomies for elective and emergency surgeries.

Results

We included 351 patients (♂: 208; ♀: 143) with midline (n = 194), transverse (n = 103), and a combined midline/transverse L-shaped (n = 54) incisions. There was no quality difference in short stitches between elective (n = 296) and emergency (n = 55) operations. Average SL/WL-ratio was significantly higher for midline than transverse incisions (6.62 ± 2.5 vs 4.3 ± 1.51, p < 0.001). Results in the first 150 patients showed a reduced SL/WL-ratio to the following 200 suture closures (SL/WL-ratio: 5.64 ± 2.5 vs 6.1 ± 2.3; p < 0.001). SL/WL-ratio varied insignificantly among the six surgeons participating while results were steadily improving over time.

Clinically, superficial surgical site infections (SSI, CDC-A1/2) were encountered in 8%, while 4,3% were related to intraabdominal complications (CDC-A3). An abdominal wall dehiscence (AWD) occurred in 22/351 patients (6,3%)—twice as common in emergency than elective surgery (12,7 vs 5,1%)—necessitating an abdominal revision in 86,3% of cases.

Conclusion

We could show that a short stitch 6:1 SL/WL-ratio with a 2–0 single, ultra-long term, absorbent, elastic suture material can be performed in only 43% of cases (85% > 4:1 SL/WL-ratio), significantly better in midline than transverse incisions. Transverse incisions should preferably be closed in two layers to achieve a sufficient SL/WL-ratio equivalent to the median incision.

Clinical Trials.gov Identifier

NCT01938222.
The diagnostic role of the systemic inflammation index in patients with immunological diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Mangoni Arduino A. , Zinellu Angelo
Published: January 2024

The identification of novel, easily measurable biomarkers of inflammation might enhance the diagnosis and management of immunological diseases (IDs). We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate an emerging biomarker derived from the full blood count, the systemic inflammation index (SII), in patients with IDs and healthy controls. We searched Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science from inception to 12 December 2023 for relevant articles and evaluated the risk of bias and the certainty of evidence using the Joanna Briggs Checklist and the Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation Working Group system, respectively. In 16 eligible studies, patients with IDs had a significantly higher SII when compared to controls (standard mean difference, SMD = 1.08, 95% CI 0.75 to 1.41, p < 0.001; I2 = 96.2%, p < 0.001; moderate certainty of evidence). The pooled area under the curve (AUC) for diagnostic accuracy was 0.85 (95% CI 0.82–0.88). In subgroup analysis, the effect size was significant across different types of ID, barring systemic lupus erythematosus (p = 0.20). In further analyses, the SII was significantly higher in ID patients with active disease vs. those in remission (SMD = 0.81, 95% CI 0.34–1.27, p < 0.001; I2 = 93.6%, p < 0.001; moderate certainty of evidence). The pooled AUC was 0.74 (95% CI 0.70–0.78). Our study suggests that the SII can effectively discriminate between subjects with and without IDs and between ID patients with and without active disease. Prospective studies are warranted to determine whether the SII can enhance the diagnosis of IDs in routine practice. (PROSPERO registration number: CRD42023493142).
Mixture polarization in inter-rater agreement analysis: a Bayesian nonparametric index
Authors: Mignemi Giuseppe , Calcagnì Antonio , Spoto Andrea , Manolopoulou Ioanna
Published: January 2024

In several observational contexts where different raters evaluate a set of items, it is common to assume that all raters draw their scores from the same underlying distribution. However, a plenty of scientific works have evidenced the relevance of individual variability in different type of rating tasks. To address this issue the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) has been used as a measure of variability among raters within the Hierarchical Linear Models approach. A common distributional assumption in this setting is to specify hierarchical effects as independent and identically distributed from a normal with the mean parameter fixed to zero and unknown variance. The present work aims to overcome this strong assumption in the inter-rater agreement estimation by placing a Dirichlet Process Mixture over the hierarchical effects’ prior distribution. A new nonparametric index $$\lambda$$
λ
is proposed to quantify raters polarization in presence of group heterogeneity. The model is applied on a set of simulated experiments and real world data. Possible future directions are discussed.