bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Perceptions of virtual versus in‐person recovery meetings: A cross‐sectional survey of Oxford House residents
Authors: Bobak Ted J. , Wilson Daniel , Bell Justin S. , Jason Leonard A.
Published: June 2024

This study investigates shifts in the modality of addiction recovery communities from person‐to‐person interactions to virtual platforms in the context of the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic. Our study involves members of the Oxford House recovery homes (n = 284), a major network of recovery‐supportive housing in the United States and abroad. Many residents participate in 12‐step meetings during their stay, traditionally conducted in‐person, but due to physical distancing regulations, many of these meetings transitioned to virtual platforms. We collected cross‐sectional survey data focusing on user perceptions of virtual 12‐step meetings in terms of accessibility, cost, convenience, support network strength and recovery network quality. Our study found significant differences in perceptions among different demographic groups, suggesting challenges in transitioning recovery support to online platforms. Notably, participants aged 46 and older showed a greater propensity to use online recovery forums and found online meetings convenient. Non‐White individuals and women demonstrated a more favourable perception of online meetings—a trend that also held true among those with at least some college education. Furthermore, the results show that those who initiated their recovery prior to the COVID‐19 lockdown viewed online methods more favourably, particularly in terms of accessibility and cost. Our data also revealed that participants who were categorically involved in 12‐step recovery (Alcoholics Anonymous/Narcotics Anonymous) demonstrated a more positive perception of online methods in terms of the strength of social networks and social support quality, despite some resistance to virtual transition and maintaining focus. Further research is needed to understand these nuanced impacts and develop strategies to enhance the effectiveness of online recovery meetings.
Accessing Active Fragments for Drug Discovery Utilising Nitroreductase Biocatalysis
Authors: Holder Lauren , Yuce Eda , Oriomah Gabriel , Jenkins Aimee‐Page , Reynisson Jóhannes , Winter Anja , Cosgrove Sebastian C.
Published: June 2024

Biocatalysis has played a limited role in the early stages of drug discovery. This is often attributed to the limited substrate scope of enzymes not affording access to vast areas of novel chemical space. Here, we have shown a promiscuous nitroreductase enzyme (NR‐55) can be used to produce a panel of functionalised anilines from a diverse panel of aryl nitro starting materials. After screening on analytical scale, we show that sixteen substrates could be scaled to 1 mmol scale, with several poly‐functional anilines afforded with ease under the standard conditions. The aniline products were also screened for activity against several cell lines of interest, with modest activity observed for one compound. This study demonstrates the potential for nitroreductase biocatalysis to provide access to functional fragments under benign conditions.
Vaginal artery pseudoaneurysm after a hysterectomy: A case report and review of the literature
Authors: Zabihi Fariba , Moeindarbari Somayeh , Khoroushi Farzaneh , Mishan Mohammad , Ravankhah Moghaddam Khosrow
Published: June 2024

Key clinical message

This was the first report of a pseudoaneurysm in a vaginal artery after hysterectomy, unlike other published studies that were of pseudoaneurysms in uterine or vaginal arteries after delivery.

A 51‐year‐old woman presented with massive vaginal bleeding 7 days after a hysterectomy, which caused hemoglobin to drop. The patient was suspicious of having a vaginal artery pseudoaneurysm according to the sonography. Her bleeding was stopped after the ligation of her left internal iliac artery.
Paradoxical air embolism in patients undergoing hysteroscopic surgery for cesarean scar pregnancy: A case report and review of the literatures
Authors: Amirkhanloo Fatemeh , Haddadi Mohammad , Ebrahimi Mahbod
Published: June 2024

Key Clinical Message

Cesarean scar pregnancy cases who undergo hysteroscopic suction aspiration could be at higher risk of air emboli due to dilated, low‐resistant, high‐velocity blood vessels.
Exploring Mercosur‐EU interregionalism: A multifaceted analysis of its past, present and future functions and dynamics
Authors: Alvarez María V.
Published: June 2024

This article provides an analysis of the relationship between the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) and the European Union (EU) focusing on its purposes and functions, by exploring the literature on interregionalism through the perspectives of three distinct schools of thought: neorealism, neoliberal institutionalism and constructivism. Considering the functions theoretically fed by these theories behind interregional relations‐balancing, institution‐building and collective identity‐building‐, the paper attempts at providing a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing the past and current purposes and functions of Mercosur‐EU relations and holds the potential to anticipate future trends. Our central argument underscores the enduring relevance of the setting of rules and norms and the focus on material gains in shaping the core of the relationship, particularly regarding the trade agreement, while the ideational function of sharing collective identity and values has experienced certain erosion. Nevertheless, increasingly crucial will be the geopolitical purpose, concerning balancing and counterbalancing external actors, given the current era of geopolitical upheaval where binary narratives fall short. We are not concerned with forecasting the future of the relationship as a whole; instead, we aim to analyse which functions will hold greater significance.
A Novel Fluorescent Gemcitabine Prodrug That Follows a Nucleoside Transporter‐Independent Internalization and Bears Enhanced Therapeutic Efficacy With Respect to Gemcitabine
Authors: Vrettos Eirinaios Ι. , Kyrkou Stavroula G. , Zoi Vasiliki , Giannakopoulou Maria , Chatziathanasiadou Maria V. , Kanaki Zoi , Agalou Adamantia , Bistas Vasileios‐Panagiotis , Kougioumtzi Anastasia , Karampelas Theodoros , Diamantis Dimitrios A. , Murphy Carol , Beis Dimitris , Klinakis Apostolos , Tamvakopoulos Constantin , Kyritsis Athanasios P. , Alexiou George A. , Tzakos Andreas G.
Published: June 2024

The multiplexity of cancer has rendered it the second leading cause of mortality worldwide and theragnostic prodrugs have gained popularity in recent years as a means of treatment. Theragnostic prodrugs enable the simultaneous diagnosis and therapy of tumors via high‐precision real‐time drug release monitoring. Herein, we report the development of the small theragnostic prodrug GF, based on the nucleoside anticancer agent gemcitabine and the fluorescent dye 5(6)‐carboxyfluorescein. We have successfully demonstrated its efficient internalization in tumor cells, showing localization throughout both the early and late endocytic pathways. Its mechanism of cell internalization was evaluated, confirming its independence from nucleoside transporters. Its cellular localization via confocal microscopy revealed a clathrin‐mediated endocytosis mechanism, distinguishing it from analogous compounds studied previously. Furthermore, GF exhibited stability across various pH values and in human blood plasma. Subsequently, its in vitro cytotoxicity was assessed in three human cancer cell lines (A549, U87 and T98). Additionally, its pharmacokinetic profile in mice was investigated and the consequent drug release was monitored. Finally, its in vivo visualization was accomplished in zebrafish xenotransplantation models and its in vivo efficacy was evaluated in A549 xenografts. The results unveiled an intriguing efficacy profile, positioning GF as a compelling candidate warranting further investigation.
Realizing Color Transitions for Three Copper (I) Cluster Organic‐Inorganic Hybrid Materials by Adjusting Reaction Conditions
Authors: Shao Juan‐Juan , Xue Zhen‐Dong , Chen Wei‐Min , Zhang Yi , Gao Qiang , Chen Li‐Zhuang , Wang Fang‐Ming
Published: June 2024

Copper iodide organic‐inorganic hybrid materials have been favored by many researchers in the field of solid‐state lighting (SSL) due to their structural diversity and optical adjustability. In this paper, three isomeric copper iodide cluster hybrid materials, Cu4I6(L)2(1), Cu5I4.5Cl2.5(L)2(2) and Cu5I7(L)2) (3) (L=1‐(4‐methylpyrimidin‐2‐yl)‐1,4‐diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octan‐1‐ium), were achieved by adjusting the reaction conditions. The crystal color transit from green, yellow to orange and the internal quantum yield (IQY) increase from 57 %–88 %. All three complexes have good thermal stability, good solution processability, and high quantum yield. And origin and mechanism of luminescence of complexes were further studied. This study can provide ideas and theoretical basis for the regulation of cuprous iodide cluster luminescent materials.
Electrochemical Biosensors for Blood‐Borne Viruses Detection: A Review
Authors: Ketabi Kiana , Mohammadinejad Arash , Soleimanjahi Hoorieh , Rezayi Majid , Meshkat Zahra
Published: June 2024

This review article discusses the advancements in electrochemical biosensors for detecting blood‐borne viruses. Infections like HBV, HCV, HIV, and HTLV transmitted through blood can be life‐threatening and have significant impact on both the health and social life. Therefore, timely diagnosis of these infections is crucial. Various effective diagnostic methods have been developed to detect these infections. The combination of nanotechnology and biology has led to creation of new diagnostic techniques using electrodes to detect microorganisms. This review aims to summarize recent studies on the performance of electrochemical biosensors for detecting blood‐borne viruses in the last five years, comparing their characteristics, limits of detection, and other relevant parameters.
A many objective based feature selection model for software defect prediction
Authors: Mao Qi , Zhang Jingbo , Zhao Tianhao , Cai Xingjuan
Published: June 2024

Given the escalating magnitude and intricacy of software systems, software measurement data often contains irrelevant and redundant features, resulting in significant resource and storage requirements for software defect prediction (SDP). Feature selection (FS) has a vital impact on the initial data preparation phase of SDP. Nonetheless, existing FS methods suffer from issues such as insignificant dimensionality reduction, low accuracy in classifying chosen optimal feature sets, and neglect of complex interactions and dependencies between defect data and features as well as between features and classes. To tackle the aforementioned problems, this paper proposes a many‐objective SDPFS (MOSDPFS) model and the binary many‐objective PSO algorithm with adaptive enhanced selection strategy (BMaOPSO‐AR2) is proposed within this paper. MOSDPFS selects F1 score, the number of features within subsets, and correlation and redundancy measures based on mutual information (MI) as optimization objectives. BMaOPSO‐AR2 constructs a binary version of MaOPSO using transfer functions specifically for binary classification. Adaptive update formulas and the introduction of the R2 indicator are employed to augment the variety and convergence of algorithm. Additionally, performance of MOSDPFS and BMaOPSO‐AR2 are tested on the NASA‐MDP and PROMISE datasets. Numerical results prove that a proposed model and algorithm effectively reduces feature count while enhancing predictive accuracy and minimizing model complexity.
A New Biphenol‐bis(polyazacyclophane) Receptor with Unusual Photophysical Properties Towards Zn2+
Authors: Mancini Luca , Inclán Mario , Paderni Daniele , Giorgi Luca , Formica Mauro , García‐España Enrique , Fusi. Vieri
Published: June 2024

The new ligand 3,3′‐bis(((2‐(3,6,9‐triaza‐1(2,6)‐pyridinacyclodecaphane‐6‐yl)ethyl)amino)methyl)‐[1,1′‐biphenyl]‐2,2′‐diol (L) has been synthesized and characterized. It contains two pyridinacyclophane macrocycles spaced by a 2,2’‐biphenol moiety. The acid‐base behaviour of L as well as its binding properties towards Zn2+ ion have been investigated. This work is inserted in the field of fluorescent ditopic receptors, formed by two polyamines spaced by a aromatic fragments. This ligand represents a new example of a peculiar case of polyamine fluorescent receptor in which the interaction with Zn2+ is translated into a deactivation of the emission. Enough data to describe and explain this unusual behaviour was obtained through potentiometric, UV‐Vis, fluorescence and NMR titrations as well as theoretical calculations. This studies have shown that the metal cation is indirectly affecting the emission favouring a conformation in which the fluorophore is at stacking distance from the electron poor pyridine moieties. This gives rise to an oxidative photoinduced electron transfer from the excited state of the fluorophore to the electron‐poor Zn2+ coordined pyridine.
The Independent Contribution of Positive and Negative Metacognitions About Smoking to Urge to Smoke, Withdrawal Symptoms and Dependence in Smoking‐Dependent Men
Authors: Khosravani Vahid , Nikčević Ana V. , Spada Marcantonio M. , Samimi Ardestani Seyed Mehdi , Najafi Mahmoud
Published: June 2024

Previous research has indicated that various factors, such as psychological distress, distress intolerance, anhedonia, impulsivity and smoking metacognitions, have been individually linked to the urge to smoke, withdrawal symptoms and dependence. However, these factors have not been collectively examined to determine whether smoking metacognitions independently and significantly contribute to these outcomes. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the impact of distress intolerance, anhedonia, impulsivity and smoking metacognitions on the urge to smoke, withdrawal symptoms and dependency in men who are dependent on smoking. A total of 300 smoking‐dependent men completed psychological scales and smoking‐related measures. The findings of the study indicated that positive metacognitions about emotion regulation significantly predicted the urge to smoke, even when accounting for other significant predictors such as the number of daily cigarettes smoked, psychological distress, anhedonia and impulsivity. Furthermore, positive metacognitions about cognitive regulation were found to be a significant predictor of withdrawal symptoms, independent of other significant predictors such as psychological distress and the urge to smoke. Smoking dependence was predicted by negative metacognitions about uncontrollability beyond other significant predictors, including the number of daily cigarettes smoked and distress intolerance. These results highlight the role of metacognitions about smoking in both short‐ and long‐term clinical outcomes related to smoking. Consequently, addressing such beliefs during treatment for smoking dependence should be an important therapeutic goal.
Pharmacokinetics, Mass Balance, Safety, and Tolerability of Obeldesivir in Healthy Participants
Authors: Anoshchenko Olena , Abdelghany Mazin , Lichtman Amos , Duan Ran , Chen Henry , Shaik Naveed A. , Peng Chi‐Chi , Yue Qin , Subramanian Raju , Hyland Robert H. , Davies Santosh , Castellanos Keelin , Mak Lily , Shen Gong , Xiao Deqing , Caro Luzelena , Winter Helen , Llewellyn Joe , Humeniuk Rita
Published: June 2024

There is an unmet need for safe and efficacious oral therapies for COVID‐19 with low potential for drug–drug interactions. Obeldesivir is an orally administered nucleoside prodrug that has shown antiviral potency in nonclinical studies against SARS‐CoV‐2 and its circulating variants. Obeldesivir is metabolized to the active nucleoside triphosphate (GS‐443902), which acts as an inhibitor of the SARS‐CoV‐2 RNA‐dependent RNA polymerase, thereby inhibiting viral RNA synthesis. Here, we report the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics from a first‐in‐human, randomized, placebo‐controlled, phase I study following oral administration of obeldesivir and a phase I, open‐label absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion study following oral administration of [14C]‐obeldesivir. Overall, obeldesivir was safe and well tolerated at single and multiple doses between 100 and 1,600 mg, with low potential for QT prolongation as assessed by QT‐concentration analysis. The exposures to GS‐441524 increased dose proportionally in the 100–900‐mg dose range. GS‐441524 accumulated by 35% after twice‐daily and 12% after once‐daily dosing for 5 days. Dose‐proportional increases in the intracellular concentration of GS‐443902 were also observed in peripheral blood mononuclar cells. Plasma exposure of GS‐441524 was not significantly altered by food intake. Following oral administration of [14C]‐obeldesivir (500 mg; 100 μCi), the mean cumulative [14C]‐dose recovery was 90.7% with 58.5% in urine and 32.2% in feces. GS‐441524 was the predominant plasma component (90% of 14C‐area under the concentration–time curve) and was primarily eliminated via renal excretion. Collectively, data from these studies support selection of the obeldesivir 350 mg twice‐daily dosing regimen for further evaluation in phase III studies for COVID‐19.
Impact of cell lysis treatment before saliva metagenomic DNA extraction on the oral microbiome and the associated resistome
Authors: Tansirichaiya Supathep , Songsomboon Kittikun , Chaianant Nichamon , Lertsivawinyu Wasawat , Al‐Haroni Mohammed
Published: June 2024

Objectives

The human oral microbiome, a complex ecosystem linked to oral and systemic health, harbors a diverse array of microbial populations, including antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). As a critical component of the One Health approach to tackle antibiotic resistance, comprehending the oral resistome's composition and diversity is imperative. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of chemical cell lysis treatment using MetaPolyzyme on the detectability of the oral microbiome, resistome, and DNA quality and quantity.

Materials and Methods

Saliva samples were collected from five healthy individuals, and each of the samples was subjected to DNA extraction with and without the treatment with MetaPolyzyme. Through metagenomic sequencing, we analyzed, assessed, and compared the microbial composition, resistome, and DNA characteristics between both groups of extracted DNA.

Results

Our study revealed that MetaPolyzyme treatment led to significant shifts in the detectability of microbial composition, favoring Gram‐positive bacteria, notably Streptococcus, over Gram‐negative counterparts. Moreover, the MetaPolyzyme treatment also resulted in a distinct change in ARG distribution. This shift was characterized by an elevated proportion of ARGs linked to fluoroquinolones and efflux pumps, coupled with a reduction in the prevalence of tetracycline and β‐lactam resistance genes when compared with the nontreated group. Alpha diversity analysis demonstrated altered species and ARG distribution without affecting overall diversity, while beta diversity analysis confirmed significant differences in the taxonomical composition and oral resistome between treated and nontreated groups.

Conclusions

These findings underscore the critical role of cell lysis treatment in optimizing oral metagenomic studies and enhance our understanding of the oral resistome's dynamics in the context of antimicrobial resistance.
A Facile Method to Transform Pickled Olive Wastes Into Sulfur‐Doped Carbon for Sodium‐Ion Battery Electrode
Authors: Medina Alejandro , Alcántara Ricardo , Lavela Pedro , Tirado José L.
Published: June 2024

This work provides a novel, low‐cost, and effective method to prepare disordered carbon materials for advanced sodium‐ion batteries using biomass. A large amount of olive stone waste is yearly produced in the world, and it could be re‐used for fine applications other than fuel for heat production. After treatment with sulfuric acid solution and carbonization process, wastes of olive stone are efficiently transformed into optimized carbon electrode material. XRD, XRF and XPS, electron microscopy, and physical gas adsorption are used for the compositional, microstructural, and textural characterization of the carbons. During the synthesis, impurities are removed, C−S links are formed and micropores pores are created. Sulfuric acid acts like S‐dopant. The latent pores, or pores closed to nitrogen, can be found using CO2 adsorption, and are very suitable for accommodation for sodium. The results reveal that the reversible capacity is raised from ca. 200 mAh g−1 to ca. 250 mAh g−1 for the carbon obtained through treatment with sulfuric acid. The improved electrochemistry is the result of the s‐doping and the porosity.
High PSR capacitor‐less LDO with adaptive bulk‐driven feedforward technique
Authors: Lin Changhong , Chen Zhijian , Tang Xian , Lin Xiaoling , Zheng Yanqi
Published: June 2024

This article presents a capacitor‐less low dropout (LDO) regulator with a high power supply rejection (PSR) for system‐on‐chip (SoC) applications. With the proposed adaptive bulk‐driven feedforward (ABDFF) technique, in which the ripples are injected adaptively to the bulk of power transistor, the LDO maintains a steady PSR enhancement in wide load conditions, and a lower quiescent current and faster load transient response are realized. Post‐layout simulation results show that the proposed LDO regulator achieves −75‐dB PSR at 1 MHz from 1 to 100 mA and 60‐fs figure of merit (FoM) with a 100‐pF load capacitor.
Medical Comorbidities, Nutritional Markers, and Cardiovascular Risk Markers in Youth With ARFID
Authors: Burton‐Murray Helen , Sella Aluma Chovel , Gydus Julia E. , Atkins Micaela , Palmer Lilian P. , Kuhnle Megan C. , Becker Kendra R. , Breithaupt Lauren E. , Brigham Kathryn S. , Aulinas Anna , Staller Kyle , Eddy Kamryn T. , Misra Madhusmita , Micali Nadia , Thomas Jennifer J. , Lawson Elizabeth A.
Published: June 2024

Objective

Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is common among populations with nutrition‐related medical conditions. Less is known about the medical comorbidity/complication frequencies in youth with ARFID. We evaluated the medical comorbidities and metabolic/nutritional markers among female and male youth with full/subthreshold ARFID across the weight spectrum compared with healthy controls (HC).

Method

In youth with full/subthreshold ARFID (n = 100; 49% female) and HC (n = 58; 78% female), we assessed self‐reported medical comorbidities via clinician interview and explored abnormalities in metabolic (lipid panel and high‐sensitive C‐reactive protein [hs‐CRP]) and nutritional (25[OH] vitamin D, vitamin B12, and folate) markers.

Results

Youth with ARFID, compared with HC, were over 10 times as likely to have self‐reported gastrointestinal conditions (37% vs. 3%; OR = 21.2; 95% CI = 6.2–112.1) and over two times as likely to have self‐reported immune‐mediated conditions (42% vs. 24%; OR = 2.3; 95% CI = 1.1–4.9). ARFID, compared with HC, had a four to five times higher frequency of elevated triglycerides (28% vs. 12%; OR = 4.0; 95% CI = 1.7–10.5) and hs‐CRP (17% vs. 4%; OR = 5.0; 95% CI = 1.4–27.0) levels.

Discussion

Self‐reported gastrointestinal and certain immune comorbidities were common in ARFID, suggestive of possible bidirectional risk/maintenance factors. Elevated cardiovascular risk markers in ARFID may be a consequence of limited dietary variety marked by high carbohydrate and sugar intake.
Shared Genetic Influences Between Loss‐of‐Control Eating and Body Mass Index in Adolescent Twins
Authors: Matherne Camden E. , Qi Baiyu , Rhee Soo Hyun , Stallings Michael C. , Corley Robin P. , Hewitt John K. , Munn‐Chernoff Melissa A.
Published: June 2024

Objective

Pediatric loss‐of‐control (LOC) eating is associated with high BMI and predicts binge‐eating disorder and obesity onset with age. Research on the etiology of this common comorbidity has not explored the potential for shared genetic risk. This study examined genetic and environmental influences on LOC eating and its shared influence with BMI.

Method

Participants were 499 monozygotic and 398 same‐sex dizygotic twins (age = 17.38 years ± 0.67, BMIz = 0.03 ± 1.03, 54% female) from the Colorado Center for Antisocial Drug Dependence Study. LOC eating was assessed dichotomously. Self‐reported height and weight were converted to BMIz. Univariate and bivariate twin models estimated genetic and environmental influences on LOC eating and BMIz.

Results

More girls (21%) than boys (9%, p < 0.001) reported LOC eating. The phenotypic correlation with BMIz was 0.03 in girls and 0.18 in boys. Due to the nonsignificant phenotypic correlation in girls, bivariate twin models were fit in boys only. Across all models, the best‐fitting model included genetic and unique environmental effects. Genetic factors accounted for 0.51 (95% CI: 0.23, 0.73) of the variance of LOC eating in girls and 0.54 (0.18, 0.90) in boys. The genetic correlation between LOC eating and BMIz in boys was 0.45 (0.15, 0.75).

Discussion

Findings indicate moderate heritability of LOC eating in adolescence, while emphasizing the role of unique environmental factors. In boys, LOC eating and BMIz share a proportion of their genetic influences.
Optical cavity type of sensor elements for a wide range of hydrogen gas detection
Authors: Yamane Haruki , Yanase Satoshi , Takahashi Koki , Seko Nobuya , Shigemura Koji
Published: June 2024

We have demonstrated a wide range of hydrogen gas detection from 200 ppm to 100% at room temperature by using optical cavity type of sensor elements with polarization interference. This explosion‐proof type of sensor element provides a hydrogen monitoring system in flammable environments for gaseous fuels.
Redox‐Driven Logic Gates Based on Intramolecular Weak Interactions in Pyridyl‐Containing Diarylnitroxides
Authors: Levitskiy Oleg A. , Prolubshikov Igor V. , Bogdanov Alexey V. , Magdesieva Tatiana V.
Published: June 2024

A new stable diarylnitroxide with two 2‐pyridyl groups in the ortho‐positions of the phenyl rings, in the close vicinity to the NO fragment, was obtained. Conformational flexibility of the molecule provides stimuli‐responsive reversible on/off switching of the intramolecular interactions, stabilizing the oxidized and reduced states of the nitroxide (due to the n‐π* interaction and the intramolecular H‐bonding, respectively) and giving rise to novel properties. The intrinsic electrofluorochromism of the oxoammonium cation rigidified by the intramolecular N−O bond between the pyridyl lone pair and the O atom was first disclosed. Structural simplicity and facile synthesis of the diarylnitroxide make it promising for creating novel types of redox‐switchable molecular logic gates.
Organocatalysis for Enantioselective Decarboxylative Nucleophilic Addition Reactions
Authors: Yasukawa Naoki , Nakamura Shuichi
Published: June 2024

The catalytic decarboxylation of malonic acid half oxy‐ and thioesters, β‐ketocarboxylic acids, and their related compounds is a straightforward, powerful, and atom‐economical strategy for the in‐situ formation of enolates, which are important and well‐studied synthons for various functional materials and natural products. This strategy, inspired by the biosynthesis of polyketides and fatty acids, is an attractive method for synthesizing enols from carboxyl compounds with less reactive α‐hydrogen atoms under mild conditions. In addition, these reactions are environmentally friendly and are of great interest to chemists because the use of a stoichiometric amount of base can be avoided, and the only byproduct is CO2. Thus far, remarkable progress has been made, especially in the field of organocatalytic enantioselective decarboxylation reactions, allowing for the stereocontrolled formation of new C−H, C−C, C−heteroatom, and C−X bonds. This review provides a comprehensive overview of organocatalytic enantioselective decarboxylation reactions and highlights the significant progress made since 2020. In particular, it focuses on chiral catalyst systems and transition states as key parameters for decarboxylation reactions.
Cyclic Nitronates via Sugar‐Derived Nitroalkenes in a Hetero‐Diels‐Alder/[3,3]‐Sigmatropic Rearrangement Pathway
Authors: Vazquez Darián , Spanevello Rolando A. , Sarotti Ariel M. , Mangione María I.
Published: June 2024

Diels‐Alder between nitroalkenes derived from a sugar scaffold and cyclopentadiene were examined. Depending on chemical structure of nitroalkene and polarity of solvent used, the reaction proceeded via the formation of a nitronate intermediate. Cyclic nitronates highly functionalized were obtained as chemically stable and stereochemically pure compounds. [3,3] sigmatropic shift of these ones afforded the Diels Alder cycloadducts in quantitative yield. Mechanistic aspects of reaction between nitroalkenes and cyclopentadiene has been studied using DFT computational methods. Nitronate derivatives are attractive intermediates and open the way for the construction of valuable compounds with potential applications.
High‐Thermal‐Conductive AlN‐Shell‐Encapsulated Al Phase‐Change Macrocapsules for High‐Temperature Heat Storage
Authors: Guo Yunqi , Guo Haonan , Zhang Zhihao , Sheng Nan , Gariboldi Elisabetta , Zhu Chunyu
Published: June 2024

High‐temperature metallic phase‐change material is a very promising material alternative to traditional sensible heat‐storage materials in thermal energy storage systems. Nevertheless, the challenges such as their susceptibility to corrosive behavior, vulnerability to leakage, and proneness to oxidation in high‐temperature liquid phase present significant constraints that hinder their widespread applications. In this article, an approach to fabricate millimeter‐scale phase‐change capsules for macroscopic encapsulation of Al with high‐thermal‐conductive AlN shell is introduced. The study encompasses the preparation of Al@AlN macrocapsules with inner cavity, which can accommodate thermal volume expansion, through the direct powder formation combined with a two‐step sintering process, under a comparative evaluation of the atmospheric treatments involving N2, O2, and Ar. As the result, a calcination temperature of 1000 °C in Ar atmosphere is proper for the capsule formation. The Al metal core of the as‐obtained capsule shows a latent heat of fusion of 347.4 J g−1 and a melting temperature of 655.6 °C. The Al@AlN capsules also exhibit good thermal and stability, ensuring their potential application in high‐temperature heat storage and utilization.
Evaluating the bioaccessibility and antioxidant activity of polyphenols extracted from vegetables by‐product
Authors: Mahajan Anwesha , Sharma Paras , Goudar Giridhar , Gogoi Pallabika , Ananthan Rajendran , Kalpuri Subhash , Longvah Thingnganing
Published: June 2024

The processing of vegetables generates by‐products that are abundant in polyphenols and antioxidants. However, they degrade rapidly due to poor management and a short life expectancy. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of in vitro digestion (IVD) on the phenolic compositions, antioxidant properties, and polyphenolic profile of the beetroot pomace (BP), carrot pomace (CP), and tomato pomace (TP) by‐products. The results showed a reduction in phenolic compositions for total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), total anthocyanin content (TAC), and total proanthocyanidin content (TPAC), which ranged between 27.55% and 63.34%, 16.38% and 31.43%, 32.58% and 77.41%, and 28.81% and 60.78%, after IVD, respectively. Similarly, antioxidant activity evaluated by 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′‐azino‐bis‐3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulfonic acid (ABTS•+), Ferric‐reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), metal chelating activity (MCA), and reducing power (RP), also showed a reduction. High‐performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection (HPLC‐DAD) analysis of individual polyphenols varied widely for free and bound phenolic fractions of samples. Among the polyphenolic fractions, catechin (CAT) and protocatechuic acid (PCA) were the highest in BP and CP, respectively in free forms, has shown to be increased after gastrointestinal digestion. Naringenin (NAR) was recorded with the highest both in their free and bound forms in TP and reduced postdigestion. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first report to evaluate the effect of IVD on free and bound individual polyphenolic content in evaluated samples.
Zinc‐mediated efficient and environmentally benign synthesis of salicylate esters
Authors: Taşdemir Harun , Traş Semih , Çat Yesim , Gürer Sonay , Sağırlı Akın
Published: June 2024

Considerable synthetic effort has been devoted to acid‐ or base‐catalysed transesterification of alkyl salicylate with alcohol in order to synthesize salicylate esters efficiently. In this study, the transesterification of methyl salicylate with 12 different alcohols was carried out by the use of Zn dust as a catalyst. Depending on the alcohol used in the transesterification reaction, the completion of the reaction was within a range of 8–15 h at a temperature between 100 and 170°C. The use of Zn dust provided reusability and almost complete recovery with moderate to excellent yields (42%–97%). The structural elucidation of the products was performed using IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR and GC–MS data obtained from the Wiley GC/MS Library and the in‐house “Parkim Fragrance House GC/MS Library.”
Proteome‐wide association study using cis and trans variants and applied to blood cell and lipid‐related traits in the Women's Health Initiative study
Authors: Chen Brian D. , Lee Chanhwa , Tapia Amanda L. , Reiner Alexander P. , Tang Hua , Kooperberg Charles , Manson JoAnn E. , Li Yun , Raffield Laura M.
Published: June 2024

In most Proteome‐Wide Association Studies (PWAS), variants near the protein‐coding gene (±1 Mb), also known as cis single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), are used to predict protein levels, which are then tested for association with phenotypes. However, proteins can be regulated through variants outside of the cis region. An intermediate GWAS step to identify protein quantitative trait loci (pQTL) allows for the inclusion of trans SNPs outside the cis region in protein‐level prediction models. Here, we assess the prediction of 540 proteins in 1002 individuals from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI), split equally into a GWAS set, an elastic net training set, and a testing set. We compared the testing r2 between measured and predicted protein levels using this proposed approach, to the testing r2 using only cis SNPs. The two methods usually resulted in similar testing r2, but some proteins showed a significant increase in testing r2 with our method. For example, for cartilage acidic protein 1, the testing r2 increased from 0.101 to 0.351. We also demonstrate reproducible findings for predicted protein association with lipid and blood cell traits in WHI participants without proteomics data and in UK Biobank utilizing our PWAS weights.
A hydrologic signature approach to analysing wildfire impacts on overland flow
Authors: Bolotin L. A. , McMillan H.
Published: June 2024

Post‐fire flooding and debris flows are often triggered by increased overland flow resulting from wildfire impacts on soil infiltration capacity and surface roughness. Increasing wildfire activity and intensification of precipitation with climate change make improving understanding of post‐fire overland flow a particularly pertinent task. Hydrologic signatures, which are metrics that summarize the hydrologic regime of watersheds using rainfall and runoff time series, can be calculated for large samples of watersheds relatively easily to understand post‐fire hydrologic processes. We demonstrate that signatures designed specifically for overland flow reflect changes to overland flow processes with wildfire that align with previous case studies on burned watersheds. For example, signatures suggest increases in infiltration‐excess overland flow and decrease in saturation‐excess overland flow in the first and second years after wildfire in the majority of watersheds examined. We show that climate, watershed and wildfire attributes can predict either post‐fire signatures of overland flow or changes in signature values with wildfire using machine learning. Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), air temperature, amount of developed/undeveloped land, soil thickness and clay content were the most used predictors by well‐performing machine learning models. Signatures of overland flow provide a streamlined approach for characterizing and understanding post‐fire overland flow, which is beneficial for watershed managers who must rapidly assess and mitigate the risk of post‐fire hydrologic hazards after wildfire occurs.
Calcium accumulation or iron deposition: Delving into the temporal sequence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis pathophysiology in the primary motor cortex
Authors: Ghaderi Sadegh , Mohammadi Sana , Fatehi Farzad
Published: June 2024

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) causes progressive motor neuron degeneration, but an in vivo understanding of its early pathology remains limited. A recent study used topographic layer imaging to investigate iron and calcium accumulation in the primary motor cortex (M1) of patients with ALS compared with controls. Despite the preserved cortical thickness, ALS patients showed increased iron in layer 6 and calcium accumulation in layer 5a and the superficial layer. Calcium accumulation was particularly prominent in the low‐myelin borders, potentially preceding the demyelination. This study reveals a novel in vivo pathology in ALS, suggesting that calcium dysregulation may precede iron accumulation and contribute to early M1 cell degeneration. Further investigation using quantitative susceptibility mapping and complementary techniques, such as diffusion kurtosis imaging, along with ultrahigh‐field magnetic resonance imaging, into the role of calcium and early intervention strategies is warranted.
KCa channel targeting impairs DNA repair and invasiveness of patient‐derived glioblastoma stem cells in culture and orthotopic mouse xenografts which only in part is predictable by KCa expression levels
Authors: Ganser Katrin , Stransky Nicolai , Abed Tayeb , Quintanilla‐Martinez Leticia , Gonzalez‐Menendez Irene , Naumann Ulrike , Koch Pierre , Krueger Marcel , Ruth Peter , Huber Stephan M. , Eckert Franziska
Published: June 2024

Prognosis of glioblastoma patients is still poor despite multimodal therapy. The highly brain‐infiltrating growth in concert with a pronounced therapy resistance particularly of mesenchymal glioblastoma stem‐like cells (GSCs) has been proposed to contribute to therapy failure. Recently, we have shown that a mesenchymal‐to‐proneural mRNA signature of patient derived GSC‐enriched (pGSC) cultures associates with in vitro radioresistance and gel invasion. Importantly, this pGSC mRNA signature is prognostic for patients' tumor recurrence pattern and overall survival. Two mesenchymal markers of the mRNA signature encode for IKCa and BKCa Ca2+‐activated K+ channels. Therefore, we analyzed here the effect of IKCa‐ and BKCa‐targeting concomitant to (fractionated) irradiation on radioresistance and glioblastoma spreading in pGSC cultures and in pGSC‐derived orthotopic xenograft glioma mouse models. To this end, in vitro gel invasion, clonogenic survival, in vitro and in vivo residual DNA double strand breaks (DSBs), tumor growth, and brain invasion were assessed in the dependence on tumor irradiation and K+ channel targeting. As a result, the IKCa‐ and BKCa‐blocker TRAM‐34 and paxilline, respectively, increased number of residual DSBs and (numerically) decreased clonogenic survival in some but not in all IKCa‐ and BKCa‐expressing pGSC cultures, respectively. In addition, BKCa‐ but not IKCa‐blockade slowed‐down gel invasion in vitro. Moreover, systemic administration of TRAM‐34 or paxilline concomitant to fractionated tumor irradiation increased in the xenograft model(s) residual number of DSBs and attenuated glioblastoma brain invasion and (numerically) tumor growth. We conclude, that KCa‐blockade concomitant to fractionated radiotherapy might be a promising new strategy in glioblastoma therapy.
Adolescent maternal mortality at a district health services over a five year period in South Africa: A retrospective study
Authors: Basu Jayati Kusari , Stewart Aimee , Feucht Ute , Wing Jeffrey , Basu Debashis
Published: June 2024

Objective

To determine the trend in adolescent maternal deaths and deliveries over a period of 5 years and 9 months (July 2014–March 2020) at the Ekurhuleni Health District in South Africa.

Methods

The present study was a retrospective review and secondary data analysis using data from the District Health Information System and clinical oversight data from the District Clinical Specialist Team. The study population was adolescent pregnant women aged 10–19 years who died at health facilities. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for analysis.

Results

There was a total of 12 559 adolescent deliveries. Adolescent birth rate was lower than that of sub‐Saharan Africa. Adolescent deaths (n = 37) contributed to around 8% of the total maternal deaths. Deliveries (97%) and deaths (98%) were most common among women aged 15–19 years. Six (16%) women had a repeat pregnancy. A total of 21 (57%) had booked for antenatal care. There were few antenatal visits (mean 4 ± SD 2.1). The main three causes of death were hypertension (35%) followed by hemorrhage (24%) and suicide (14%). Postpartum deaths (62%) were significantly (chi‐square test, P = 0.02) higher than antepartum deaths (38%). The majority (73%) of newborns were born alive which was significantly (chi‐square test, P = 0.002) higher than those which were stillborn (27%).

Conclusion

The main challenges were the high number of adolescent deliveries, repeat pregnancies, and preventable causes of death. Multidisciplinary collaboration involving obstetricians, midwives, pediatricians, school health services, social workers and psychologists is indispensable for comprehensive management, prioritizing pregnancy prevention among this vulnerable group.
Estimating the saturated hydraulic conductivity of the vadose zone with an automatic infiltration data logger for the BEST algorithm
Authors: Baqerkhani Alireza , Zare Abyaneh Hamid , Bahmani Omid , Nozari Hamed
Published: June 2024

Our study discusses the development and testing of an automated infiltration data logger device within the context of the Beerkan estimation of soil transfer parameters (BEST) algorithm. The main purpose of our study was to compare automated and manual data retrieval methods and their impact on the output results of the BEST algorithm. The device monitors the cumulative infiltration of water into the soil under a constant pressure water head, storing all relevant information. One notable advantage of this device is its ability to save electronic data. The device underwent a trial test at a farm in Kermanshah province, Iran. The BEST algorithm was used to calculate the saturated hydraulic conductivity using cumulative infiltration curves, and a comparison was made between the manual technique and the automated data logger infiltrometer method for extracting cumulative infiltration data. The average standard differences in the BEST algorithms between the manual method and the automated data collection method were 39% and 6%, respectively. An automated data logger infiltrometer offers benefits such as preventing soil surface disturbance, providing a constant water head for accurate calculations of hydraulic conductivity, improving measurement speed, reducing the time required for water penetration, enhancing data collection accuracy and not requiring a professional operator.
Efficient and Reliable Emergency Routing for Wireless Body Area Networks
Authors: Alte Bhavana , Vidhate Amarsinh
Published: June 2024

The development of Wireless Body Area Networks (WBAN) is currently in progress with the aim of facilitating communication among small body sensors. This data can be employed to offer prompt or timely aid to individuals who are not just in a critical state but also those who are unable to promptly commute to medical facilities due to physical limitations, congested roadways, or their place of residence. Another crucial requirement for WBAN is their capability to deliver quality of service for diverse forms of network traffic. Privacy and system security are crucial to protecting patient records throughout use and storage by healthcare providers. This study introduces a novel emergency data handling method for emergency healthcare communication networks. Furthermore, the proposed system provides Reliable Emergency Routing to ensure secure transfer of emergency and non‐emergency WBAN data rewards are used to establish routes to securely transmit non‐emergency and emergency data in highly exposed situations while minimizing data loss and delay. Simulations showed that the recommended approach outperformed current protocols in energy consumption, latency, packet delivery ratio throughput, and communication overhead.
Extraction of collagen morphological features from second‐harmonic generation microscopy images viaGLCMandCTanalyses: A cross‐laboratory study
Authors: Cicchi R. , Baria E. , Mari M. , Filippidis G. , Chorvat D.
Published: June 2024

Second‐harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy provides a high‐resolution label‐free approach for noninvasively detecting collagen organization and its pathological alterations. Up to date, several imaging analysis algorithms for extracting collagen morphological features from SHG images—such as fiber size and length, order and anisotropy—have been developed. However, the dependence of extracted features on experimental setting represents a significant obstacle for translating the methodology in the clinical practice. We tackled this problem by acquiring SHG images of the same kind of collagenous sample in various laboratories using different experimental setups and imaging conditions. The acquired images were analyzed by commonly used algorithms, such as gray‐level co‐occurrence matrix or curvelet transform; the extracted morphological features were compared, finding that they strongly depend on some experimental parameters, whereas they are almost independent from others. We conclude with useful suggestions for comparing results obtained in different labs using different experimental setups and conditions.
PAIR UP Imaging Science Program, a new framework for a diverse scientific workforce
Authors: Langford George M.
Published: June 2024

PAIR‐UP is a new conceptual framework for developing a diverse scientific workforce for the 21st century. PAIR‐UP stand for Partnering to Advance Imaging Research for Underrepresented scientists Program. The goal of PAIR‐UP is to solve the longstanding and wicked problem of underrepresentation of Black scientists in the imaging science field. PAIR‐UP uses a multipronged approach designed to create culturally responsive environments at historically white colleges and universities (HWCUs) where Black scientists are culturally isolated. The PAIR‐UP model shows that maintaining a strong cultural identity empowers Black scientists to be more creative and productive and therefore persistent in the discipline.