bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Photoredox‐Catalyzed 1,4‐Dichloromethyldimerization of Alkenes with Chloroform: Access to Polychlorinated Vicinal Diaryl Alkanes
Authors: Qian Zhu‐Ming , Yang Ming‐Lin , Guan Zhi , Huang Chu‐Sheng , He Yan‐Hong
Published: January 2025

A visible‐light‐mediated strategy is reported for the direct synthesis of polychlorinated vicinal diaryl alkanes from aryl alkenes and chloroform. In this approach, two haloalkyl radicals generated from chloroform via halogen atom transfer (XAT) and direct single electron transfer (SET) within the same photoredox catalysis cycle enable the 1,4‐dichloromethyldimerization of alkenes. Besides chloroform, this strategy is applicable to carbon tetrachloride, bromotrichloromethane, and α‐bromo carboxylic esters, yielding corresponding 1,4‐disubstituted vicinal diaryl alkanes. Diverse polychlorinated structures containing highly congested vicinal quaternary carbon centers are effectively synthesized by this method. The potential of this reaction in late‐stage drug modification is highlighted by the successful transformation of olefins with pharmaceutical structures.
A Chiral Porous Organic Polymer Used as the Stationary Phase for High‐Resolution Gas Chromatography Separations
Authors: Wang Wei , Wang Zhen , Wang Yuwei , Sun Liquan , Zhang Jiangjiang , Zhang Yukui , Luo Aiqin
Published: January 2025

A chiral porous organic polymer (cPOP) was synthesized through nucleophilic substitution polymerization between dichloromaleimide and aromatic amine. This cPOP was used as a new chiral stationary phase (CSP) for gas chromatography (GC) chiral separation. In this work, we first used this cPOP as the CSP for gas chromatography to investigate its ability to separate racemic mixtures, including amino acid derivatives, chiral alcohols, aldehydes, alkanes, ketones, esters, and organic acids. The results showed that the column can effectively separate various racemic mixtures and achieve baseline separation of threonine (Rs = 1.91). Furthermore, the separation mechanism was elucidated by density functional theory (DFT) simulation. Additionally, the cPOP column demonstrated good repeatability and stability. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) for intraday were 0.11%–0.12% (n = 3) for the retention time of n‐butyl glycidyl ether, 0.1%–0.34% (n = 3) for interday, and 2.25%–3.37% (n = 3) for column to column. This work shows that cPOP has good potential as chiral stationary phases in gas chromatography.
Organic alkalis as potential additives in hot water flooding for enhancing heavy oil recovery
Authors: Du Xuan , Xi Changfeng , Zhou You , Shen Dehuang , Wang Bojun , Liu Tong , Zhao Fang , Zhao Jiu , Qi Zongyao , Lin Lixing , Istratescu Georgeta , Babadagli Tayfun , Li Huazhou Andy
Published: January 2025

Alkali–surfactant–polymer (ASP) flooding is a chemical enhanced oil recovery method; its working mechanisms include mobility control, wettability alteration, and in‐situ emulsification. However, conventional alkalis used in the ASP flooding could cause some serious issues, including scaling, formation damage, and pipe corrosion. In this study, we investigated the feasibility of incorporating organic alkalis as chemical additives in hot water flooding to enhance heavy oil recovery. The focus was on studying the interfacial properties, that is, interfacial tension (IFT) and wettability, emulsification mechanisms, thermal stability of alkalis, and recovery efficiency through coreflooding experiments. Three organic alkalis, including diethylamine (DEA), ethanolamine (ETA), and triethlymine (TEA), were selected to evaluate their potentials in enhancing heavy oil recovery and investigate their recovery mechanisms. Coreflooding experiments were conducted at 50°C and 2 MPa with sandpacks saturated with a high total‐acid‐number (TAN) heavy oil sample. The measurement results demonstrated that all three organic alkalis could effectively reduce the IFT between water and heavy oil from 22.7 to 1.6 mN/m and favourably alter the wettability of rock surface. ETA exhibited good thermal stability up to 100°C in hot water applications. The interaction between organic alkalis and heavy oil could generate either water‐in‐oil or oil‐in‐water emulsions, depending on the water–oil ratio (WOR). The coreflooding experiments showed a significant increase (16%–17.5%) in heavy oil recovery using ETA for two distinct injection strategies. IFT reduction, wettability alteration, and emulsification were found to be the main recovery mechanisms when organic alkalis are utilized as chemical additives for hot water flooding.
Bubble size and rise velocity, gas holdup, and frother concentration in flotation
Authors: Zhou Joe Z.
Published: January 2025

It was revealed from the literature that although Sauter mean bubble diameter, d32, remained virtually unchanged after critical coalescence concentration (CCC), gas holdup kept rising without reaching a maximum plateau. In addition, for a given d32, different gas holdups were obtained for different types of frothers, contrary to conventional belief regarding bubbly columns. A brief analysis was given in this Note, by considering the effect of different hydrodynamic environment surrounding a bubble in a swarm from a single bubble alone on dynamic frother adsorption. Based on the balance between hydrodynamic drag and surface tension gradient force acting on a bubble, it was speculated that frother adsorption density or compactness in the dynamic adsorption layer on a bubble would be lower in swarms than in single bubble systems of the same size. This could allow further frother adsorption after CCC and CMV (concentration at minimum/terminal velocity for single bubbles). Consequently gas holdup might continue to rise. Moreover, the overlap of adsorption layers between adjacent bubbles caused stronger molecular interactions among frothers of longer hydrocarbon chains, or larger molecular weights with different head groups, and interfered bulk free water flow through the channels of rising bubbles, leading to their stronger drag to slow bubbles thereby higher gas holdups for a given bubble size. It appeared that bubble surfaces in real flotation systems may not be totally immobilized.
Deep learning models for forecasting sour gas generation in a petroleum refinery
Authors: Dharmalingam Balakrishnan , Arul Jesu Gnanaprakasam , Marimuthu Thirumarimurugan
Published: January 2025

Sour water stripping is a critical process in petroleum refineries, essential for the safe handling and disposal of wastewater that contains hazardous components such as hydrogen sulphide (H₂S) and ammonia (NH₃). Effective management of sour gas, the product of sour water stripping, is crucial to minimize environmental impacts of release of pollutants like sulphur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen oxides (NOₓ). This study explores the application of advanced deep learning models for forecasting sour gas generation in a refinery setting. Utilizing a comprehensive dataset from a sour water stripper unit, various deep learning architectures, such as recurrent neural networks (RNNs), long short‐term memory networks (LSTMs), bidirectional LSTMs (BiLSTMs), one dimensional convolutional neural network (1D‐CNN), and few hybrid models were employed to predict sour gas output. The evaluation metrics indicate that the 1D‐CNN and two‐layer LSTM models outperformed the other models, whereas the CNN‐LSTM encoder–decoder model did not result in good prediction among all the models studied. These findings underscore the capability of deep learning techniques to improve predictive accuracy and enhance operational efficiency in refinery sour gas management.
Self‐Reported Oral Health‐Related Quality of Life and Orofacial Esthetics Among Young Adults With Treated Dental Trauma
Authors: Odersjö Mari Louise , Johansson Lina , Robertson Agneta , Sabel Nina
Published: January 2025

Objectives

This study aimed to explore how young adults with a history of dental trauma and restored teeth perceive their oral health–related quality of life (OHRQoL) and orofacial esthetics, with a focus on gender‐based differences.

Materials and Methods

This pilot study is a retrospective case–control study. Young adults experiencing dental trauma and consequently receiving dental treatment were asked to answer CPQ11‐14, Oral Esthetic Scale (OES), and some complimentary questions concerning the esthetics of their teeth. A control group was recruited. t‐Test was used to analyze the scores of CPQ11‐14 and OES, comparing both the study group and the control group, as well as assessing differences between the genders. Regression analysis ANOVA was used to examine the relationship between the OES questions and CPQ11‐14 domains.

Results

The study group comprised 74 individuals (mean age = 23 years, SD 2.8), including 48 females and 26 males, with an equivalent number in the control group (mean age = 23 years, SD 3.4), with 49 females and 25 males. The mean score of the CPQ11‐14 was 8.8 (SD 7.2) for the study group and 8.0 (SD 6.8) for the control group. Within the emotional well‐being domain, the study group exhibited a higher mean score (3.4, SD 3.6) compared to the control group (1.5, SD 2.6) (p < 0.001 t‐test). Females in the study group scored higher in the emotional well‐being domain (4.0, SD 3.7) compared to females in the control group (1.8, SD 2.7), (p < 0.01 independent t‐test). The study group, who reported low satisfaction with their tooth color or alignment in the OES, also scored higher in the social well‐being domain of CPQ11‐14 (p < 0.026, ANOVA). This was not observed in the control group.

Conclusions

Young adults with treated dental trauma trend to report a negative impact on their oral health‐related quality of life and oral esthetics, particularly females.
Environmental Sustainability Award Winners: Do They Communicate Their Environmental Performance Without Potential Greenwashing?
Authors: Marrucci Luca , Iovino Roberta , Iraldo Fabio
Published: January 2025

Sustainability awards are often seen as a mark of credibility and can help companies attract new customers, investors and partners. However, there is some question as to whether the companies that win sustainability awards—and therefore who ought to be genuinely committed to sustainability—correctly communicate their environmental performances according to internationally recognised principles for the fair use of environmental labels and claims such as those set by ISO standards. This study examined the web communication practices of a sample of 100 Italian companies that had won a sustainability award. Our findings showed that, while most of these companies boasted their environmental performance in several ways, they did not always follow the above‐mentioned communication principles. This suggests that companies need further training and education on how to communicate their environmental performance correctly and in a substantiated manner, thus preventing the risk of greenwashing.
A 0.5–5 Gb/s Wide Range, 160 fJ/Pulse Fully Integrated 13th‐Order CMOS IR‐UWB Transmitter for Wireless Capsule Endoscopy Systems
Authors: Akuri Naga Ganesh , Kumar Kunal , Kumar Sandeep , Nikhil K. S. , Song Hanjung
Published: January 2025

This paper proposes a novel technique based fully integrated 13th‐order derivative CMOS impulse‐radio ultrawideband (IR‐UWB) transmitter with wide range of adaptive data rates for wireless capsule endoscopy systems (WCE). The proposed IR‐UWB transmitter involves BPSK modulator‐integrated RF power amplifier (PA) approach for WCE in first time as per author's best knowledge. The CMOS BPSK modulator with resonator technique generates 13th‐order Modulated Gaussian pulse without the pulse generator. It has a peak‐to‐peak value of 25 mV and PSD level of −72.60 dBm/MHz, data rate variability from 500 Mbps to 5 Gbps. The BPSK modulator with resonator is designed by time constant analysis in first time. In addition, a proposed CMOS PA is designed using four stacked transistors, which achieves a high output power as well as high efficiency for entire frequency band of operation from 3 to 16 GHz and wide impedance matching. The PA achieved an excellent gain of 16.55 dB with gain ripple of 0.25 dB only. Moreover, the PA achieved the saturated output power of 18.2 to 19.3 dBm with OP1dB of 15.96 to 16.72 dBm across entire bandwidth. Without violating FCC guidelines, PA strengths both peak‐to‐peak values, and PSD level of BPSK modulated signal to 80 mV and −46.42 dBm/MHz. An IR‐UWB transmitter has been implemented and fabricated using 65‐nm CMOS Process, which consumes of only 160 fJ/pulse for generating Gaussian pulses order ranging from third‐order to more than 13th‐order at various data rates.
Three‐Port Bidirectional DC–DC Converter for Application in Renewable Energy Systems
Authors: de Alencar Juliana Carvalho , Berrehil El Kattel Menaouar , Pinheiro Gabriel José Oliveira , Torrico‐Bascopé Grover Victor , Torrico‐Bascopé René Pastor
Published: January 2025

This paper proposes a new three‐port bidirectional DC–DC converter designed for integration into photovoltaic systems with battery energy storage. The proposed topology features three ports: two for power supply (one powered by batteries and the other by photovoltaic panels) and a third for the load. Due to its bidirectional characteristics, this converter facilitates power flow both from the batteries and/or photovoltaic panels to the load, as well as from the photovoltaic panels to the batteries. The converter operates in open loop, and this paper presents qualitative and quantitative analyses of the converter operating in continuous conduction mode (CCM) for two power flow scenarios. Additionally, an illustrative design is detailed for a nominal power of 1.5 kW, a switching frequency of 30 kHz, a battery voltage of 48 V, a photovoltaic panel voltage of 142 V, and a load bus voltage of 250 V. The theoretical analysis is validated through experimental results. Some of the main highlights include operating the inductor at twice the switching frequency, significantly reducing both the inductor's size and the input current ripple. Furthermore, the optimal battery current ripple occurs at a duty cycle close to 50%, where it is practically zero. The converter efficiency was analyzed in all power flow scenarios at various operating points, reaching up to 97.33%. Furthermore, a supplementary video showcasing its functionality is included with this manuscript.
Forecasting Gold Volatility in an Uncertain Environment: The Roles of Large and Small Shock Sizes
Authors: Zhang Li , Wang Lu , Ji Yu , Pan Zhigang
Published: January 2025

In a complex and volatile macroeconomic environment, precious metals, which have the functions of preservation, appreciation, and hedging, play an important role in investment risk management. Therefore, this study adopts the extended GARCH‐MIDAS model to investigate the underlying connection between gold price volatility and different uncertain shocks. In this paper, we consider five uncertainty indicators and then decompose them into different states to capture their shock sizes. Next, we introduce uncertainty shocks into the MIDAS structure to test whether they contain relevant and valid information about gold price volatility forecasts. Specifically, parameter significance suggests a positive association between uncertain indicators and gold price volatility, but variability in the influence of their shock sizes on gold price volatility. Out‐of‐sample results present that the extended model that includes asymmetric shock sizes outperforms other competitive models. Besides, the model that includes large shock sizes exhibits better predictive performance than the model that includes small shocks. Finally, based on the empirical analyses, this paper provides new insights for the gold industry, futures exchanges, government regulators, and investors engaged in futures hedging to achieve risk control and financial stability in response to uncertain shocks.
Estimation of Constrained Factor Models for High‐Dimensional Time Series
Authors: Liu Yitian , Pan Jiazhu , Xia Qiang
Published: January 2025

This article studies the estimation of the constrained factor models for high‐dimensional time series. The approach is based on the eigenanalysis of a nonnegative definite matrix constructed from the autocovariance matrices. The convergence rate of the estimator for loading matrix and the asymptotic normality of the estimated factor score are explored under regularity conditions set for the proposed model. Our estimation for the constrained factor models can achieve the optimal rate of convergence even in the case of weak factors. The finite sample performance of our approach is examined and compared with the existing methods by Monte Carlo simulations. Our methodology is illustrated and supported by a real data example.
Economic Conditions and Predictability of US Stock Returns Volatility: Local Factor Versus National Factor in a GARCH‐MIDAS Model
Authors: S alisu Afees A. , Liao Wenting , Gupta Rangan , Cepni Oguzhan
Published: January 2025

The aim of this paper is to utilize the generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity–mixed data sampling (GARCH‐MIDAS) framework to predict the daily volatility of state‐level stock returns in the United States (US), based on the weekly metrics from the corresponding broad economic conditions indexes (ECIs). In light of the importance of a common factor in explaining a large proportion of the total variability in the state‐level economic conditions, we first apply a dynamic factor model with stochastic volatility (DFM‐SV) to filter out the national factor from the local components of weekly state‐level ECIs. We find that both the local and national factors of the ECI generally tend to affect state‐level volatility negatively. Furthermore, the GARCH‐MIDAS model, supplemented by these predictors, surpasses the benchmark GARCH‐MIDAS model with realized volatility (GARCH‐MIDAS‐RV) in a majority of states. Interestingly, the local factor often assumes a more influential role overall, compared with the national factor. Moreover, when the stochastic volatilities associated with the local and national factors are integrated into the GARCH‐MIDAS model, they outperform the GARCH‐MIDAS‐RV in over 80% of the states. Our findings have important implications for investors and policymakers.
Reduced White Matter Damage and Lower Neuroinflammatory Potential of Microglia and Macrophages in Hri/Eif2ak1−/− Mice After Contusive Spinal Cord Injury
Authors: Saraswat Ohri Sujata , Myers Scott A. , Rood Benjamin , Brown Brandon L. , Chilton Paula M. , Slomnicki Lukasz , Liu Yu , Wei George Z. , Andres Kariena R. , Mohan Divya , Howard Russell M. , Whittemore Scott R. , Hetman Michal
Published: January 2025

Cellular stressors inhibit general protein synthesis while upregulating stress response transcripts and/or proteins. Phosphorylation of the translation factor eIF2α by one of the several stress‐activated kinases is a trigger for such signaling, known as the integrated stress response (ISR). The ISR regulates cell survival and function under stress. Here, germline knockout mice were used to determine contributions by three major ISR kinases, HRI/EIF2AK1, GCN2/EIF2AK4, and PKR//EIF2AK2, to pathogenesis of moderate contusive spinal cord injury (SCI) at the thoracic T9 level. One‐day post‐injury (dpi), reduced levels of peIF2α were found in Hri−/− and Gcn2−/−, but not in Pkr−/− mice. In addition, Hri−/− mice showed attenuated expression of the downstream ISR transcripts, Atf4 or Chop. Such differential effects of SCI‐activated ISR correlated with a strong or moderate enhancement of locomotor recovery in Hri−/− or Gcn2−/− mice, respectively. Hri−/− mice also showed reduced white matter loss, increased content of oligodendrocytes (OL) and attenuated neuroinflammation, including decreased lipid accumulation in microglia/macrophages. Cultured neonatal Hri−/− OLs showed lower ISR cytotoxicity. Moreover, cell autonomous reduction in neuroinflammatory potential was observed in microglia and bone marrow‐derived macrophages derived from Hri−/− mice. These data identify HRI as a major positive regulator of SCI‐associated secondary injury. In addition, targeting HRI may enable multimodal neuroprotection to enhance functional recovery after SCI.
Team Diversity as a Safety Asset: A Field Investigation of Language Diversity and Occupational Safety
Authors: Lacerenza Christina N. , Johnson Stefanie K. , Schwatka Natalie V. , Beldon Marissa A. , Dennerlein Jack T.
Published: January 2025

Despite significant progress in understanding how situational factors influence safety compliance, the effects of team diversity—particularly language diversity—on safety outcomes remain underexplored. This is particularly concerning given the prevalence of language diversity in teams operating in hazardous environments and the disparities in accident rates, injuries, and fatalities among workers from diverse linguistic and racial‐ethnic backgrounds. In this study, we examine how language diversity affects occupational safety, and therefore begin to resolve an unsettled deliberation of whether diversity is a detractor or catalyst of safety outcomes. Integrating social identity theory and work on leader member exchange differentiation, we develop and test a model hypothesizing that team language diversity is positively related to safety compliance and that this relationship can be explained by leaders' relationships with followers. Analysis of survey data from over 1,000 construction workers (162 teams) showed that our hypotheses were generally supported; that team language diversity was positively related to safety compliance. Further, we found that this relationship can be explained by the process of leader‐member exchange differentiation, but only when leaders also exhibit safety‐specific transformational leadership (SSTL). We discuss these results in detail and implications for scientists and human resource practitioners are presented.
How Does the Visibility of LGBTQ+ Directors Influence Firm Value? The Mediating Role of Environmental, Social, and Governance Performance
Authors: Federo Ryan , Aguilera Ruth V.
Published: January 2025

Board directors who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other identities (LGBTQ+) are now more visible at the corporate apex, as the attainment of diversity, equity, and inclusion at the upper echelons is a goal for many organizations, researchers, and policymakers worldwide. The visibility of LGBTQ+ directors implies the shift toward truly diverse boards that demonstrate commitment to the provision of equal career opportunities and empowerment for all types of individuals. However, we still lack knowledge regarding the relationship between LGBTQ+ board representation and firm outcomes. Drawing on upper echelons and signaling theories, we examine a sample of Fortune 500 companies to identify how LGBTQ+ directors influence their firm values. Our OLS regressions on an unbalanced panel dataset of 441 firms in 2021–2022 reveal that the visibility of LGBTQ+ directors is positively associated with enterprise value, and this relationship is mediated by environmental, social, and governance performance, which can be attributed to corporate social performance. Our research contributes to the literature by showing how the visibility of LGBTQ+ status in the boardroom can matter on firms.
Impact of Variable Viscosity on Unsteady Couette Flow
Authors: Jha Basant Kumar , Danjuma Yahaya Jibrin
Published: January 2025

This research presents the effect of space‐dependent and viscosity variation on the time‐dependent flow of viscous, incompressible fluid in a finite channel (Couette flow). The viscosity of the fluids is assumed to grow exponentially. The governing equations and the boundary conditions are nondimensionalized with the aid of dimensionless parameters and solved semi‐analytically using the Laplace transformation method and its numerical inversion approach called Riemann‐sum approximation (RSA). Time‐dependent velocity profiles, time‐dependent skin frictions, and time‐dependent mass flow rates of the fluids with variables viscosity and of the fluids with constant viscosity are obtained exactly in the Laplace domain in terms of modified Bessel functions of the first and second kinds. Due to the complexity of the solutions to the problem, the analytical procedure could not be obtained in the time domain, so the RSA is sought. For the validation of the method used, steady‐state solutions of the velocity profiles, skin frictions, and the mass flow rates of the fluids with variable viscosity and constant viscosity are obtained analytically and compared with the numerical results. Graphs are plotted and tables are tabulated for the analysis of the effect of space‐dependent and viscosity variation of the fluid flows. In the course of analysis, it is observed that the velocity profile is higher in the case where the fluid viscosity is constant compared with the variable viscosity.
The Impact of Cash Flow Uncertainty on Investment‐Cash Flow Sensitivity in China: The Debt Financing Channel
Authors: Ding Sai , Kim Minjoo , Zhang Xiao , Zhou Yanyu
Published: January 2025

Chinese firms' investment‐cash flow sensitivity (ICFS) declined during the global financial crisis (GFC), contradicting the conventional financial constraint interpretation of ICFS. We analyse this phenomenon by examining how cash flow uncertainty affects financing investment. We find that ICFS reveals not only the relationship between investment and cash flow but also that between internal funds and debt financing. When internal funds and debt financing are complementary, cash flow uncertainty decreases ICFS more than when they are substitutes. The relationship between internal funds and debt financing weakens when cash flow uncertainty rises. A natural experiment based on the GFC and the post‐GFC economic stimulus package confirms the causal relationship between cash flow uncertainty and ICFS.
Pancreas Segmentation Based on Multi‐Stage Attention Enhanced U‐Net
Authors: He Peng , Kong Qian qian , Chen Yun , Shao Chang Bin , Su Zhen
Published: January 2025

Considering that the pancreas occupies a very small proportion of the abdominal organs and varies in size, shape, and position, U‐Net encounters challenges related to intra‐class inconsistency and inter‐class indistinction in pancreatic segmentation tasks. To address these issues, this paper proposes a pancreas segmentation method based on a multi‐stage attention enhanced U‐Net to effectively leverage feature information at each stage of the U‐Net architecture. In particular, during the encoding phase of U‐Net, triple attention is utilized to capture dependencies between different dimensions; during the skip connection phase, a channel cross‐fusion Transformer is introduced to fuse multi‐scale channel information from different layers of the encoder; and during the decoding phase, feature integration convolution is employed to enhance the model's capacity for integrating global and local information. A four‐fold cross‐validation was performed on 82 Three‐Dimensional Computed Tomography (3D CT) scans from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and 281 3D CT scans from the Medical Segmentation Decathlon (MSD) to evaluate the proposed model. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method achieved superior performance on both pancreatic datasets, surpassing mainstream pancreatic segmentation methods, with average Dice scores of 87.16% and 87.53%, respectively, yielding improvements of 2.58% and 1.71% compared to U‐Net. The proposed method is an end‐to‐end pancreatic segmentation algorithm suitable for small organ region segmentation in complex tissues, capable of high‐precision pancreatic segmentation in processing entire 3D CT image slices.
Application of psychobiotics in clinical treatment of mental disorders: Neurodevelopmental disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, depression and anxiety
Authors: Cui Jingwei , Wang Wenxin , Tang Yue , Feng Siyuan , Liu Hong , Hao Zikai
Published: January 2025

Psychobiotics are a distinct category of probiotics known for their beneficial effects on human health, particularly in influencing mental well‐being. Typical psychobiotics include genera such as Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, and Bifidobacterium. The gut microbiota influences bidirectional communication between the brain and the gastrointestinal (GI) system. Neurons in the enteric nervous system directly interact with neurotransmitters, short‐chain fatty acids (SCFAs), gut hormones, and anti‐inflammatory cytokines produced by the gut microbiota, thereby affecting signal transmission in the central nervous system. Unlike traditional probiotics, psychobiotics have the capacity to generate or stimulate the host to produce neurotransmitters, SCFAs, gut hormones, and anti‐inflammatory cytokines. It is precisely this potential that has led to the widespread use of psychobiotics over the past decade to improve and treat mental disorders. This article briefly reviews the clinical applications of psychobiotics in improving and treating conditions such as neurodevelopmental disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, depression and anxiety. It is proposed that the novel therapeutic approach of using Bacillus licheniformis as an adjuvant treatment for patients with depression shows a certain degree of feasibility. Finally, this review suggests that the current evidence regarding the improvement and treatment of mental and neurological disorders with psychobiotics is still limited. Further in‐depth research is needed to clarify their effectiveness and mechanisms of action in the clinical management of various mental disorders.
Knowledge, Attitudes and Willingness of Caregivers of Preterm Infants Toward Autism: A Cross‐Sectional Study
Authors: Ma Dan , Luo Hong , Wang Yanhong , Zhou Wei , Lu Yongguang , Lv Binhao , Zhang Li , Hua Yimin
Published: January 2025

Background

To examine the knowledge, attitudes and willingness of caregivers of preterm infants toward autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Methods

This cross‐sectional study was conducted from September to December 2022 at the Hospital and enrolled the caregivers of preterm infants. The final questionnaire, developed by the authors, included four dimensions: demographic data, knowledge (16 items), attitudes (10 items) and willingness (seven items).

Results

This study included 702 participants (77.21% females). The average knowledge, attitude and willingness scores were 7.75 ± 3.47 (total: 16), 38.54 ± 4.38 (total: 50) and 31.38 ± 3.95 (total: 35), respectively. Female (OR = 1.945, 95% CI: 1.182–2.797, p = 0.003), college or bachelor's (OR = 4.429, 95% CI: 1.525–9.788, p = 0.006), master or above (OR = 3.864, 95% CI: 1.194–12.500, p = 0.024) and stable work (OR = 2.098, 95% CI: 1.421–3.098, p < 0.001) were independently associated with sufficient knowledge. Age 30–34 (OR = 0.639, 95% CI: 0.423–0.695, p = 0.033), age ≥ 35 (OR = 0.517, 95% CI: 0.334–0.802, p = 0.003) and urban residency (OR = 1.697, 95% CI: 1.118–2.576, p = 0.013) were independently associated with favourable attitudes. The knowledge scores (OR = 1.100, 95% CI: 1.041–1.162, p = 0.001), attitude scores (OR = 1.212, 95% CI: 1.158–1.690, p < 0.001) and a monthly income of 10,000–20,000 RMB (OR = 2.125, 95% CI: 1.208–3.736, p = 0.009) were independently associated with the positive willingness.

Conclusions

This study observed poor knowledge but favourable attitudes and willingness toward ASD among caregivers of preterm infants. More attention should be paid to the education of caregivers to improve the knowledge of autism in the families of premature infants.
Regio Selective Synthesis of Pyrazole Derivatives of 5‐Chloro‐2‐Methoxy Phenyl Hydrazide and Their Biological Evaluation
Authors: Bavishi Abhay , Vala Hardev , Swami Sagar , Thakrar Shailesh , Shah Anamik , Sarkar Dhiman
Published: January 2025

Present study involves synthesis of derivatives of (5‐chloro‐2‐methoxyphenyl) (5‐alkyl‐3‐(substituted) (phenyl/alkyl)‐1H‐pyrazol‐1‐yl) methanones. Structural elucidation of the synthesized compounds was depicted by the data of 1H and 13C NMR, IR, and Mass spectral analysis. The newly synthesized compounds 1a–1d and 2a–2i were screened in vitro against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra using an established XRMA protocol. Among the screened compounds, 2d, 2f, and 2h showed good percent inhibition against the active stage of M. tuberculosis H37Ra 80.77, 55.70, and 79.54, respectively, at 30 μg/mL of inhibitor concentration. Further in secondary screening, compound 2d exhibited significant antitubercular activity on the active stage of M. tuberculosis H37Ra with IC50 of 0.208 μg/mL. The synthesized compounds were also screened for antibacterial activity and found no significant activity against Gram‐positive Bacteria Bacillus subtitles and Staphylococcus aureus and Gram negative bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli at 30 μg/mL, which confirms the specificity of inhibitory activity against M. tuberculosis and more selectively against the active stage. The present study will be helpful for the further development of these molecules into antitubercular lead candidates.
Finite Element Model of Patient‐Specific Flanged Acetabular Components Highlights Biomechanical Effects of Bone Density and Cortical Shell Thickness
Authors: Lee Haena‐Young , Boettner Friedrich , Blevins Jason L. , Rodriguez Jose A. , Lipman Joseph D. , Quevedo González Fernando J. , Bostrom Mathias P. , Wright Timothy M. , Sculco Peter K.
Published: January 2025

Patient‐specific flanged acetabular components are utilized to treat failed total hip arthroplasties with severe acetabular defects. We previously developed and published a finite element model that investigated the impact of hip joint center lateralization on construct biomechanics during gait conditions. This model consisted of a patient‐specific implant designed to address a superior‐medial defect created in a standard pelvic geometry. This study aims to utilize the same model and examine how cortical shell thickness and ischial cancellous bone density affect the strain distribution in the bone and bone–implant micromotion. Using published studies and bone density analyses of patients who had undergone total hip arthroplasties with flanged acetabular components, we established a thickness range for the cortical shell (1.5, 1, and 0.75 mm) and two levels of ischial cancellous bone density (100% and 25%). We compared the resulting bone strains against the fatigue strength of the bone (0.3% strain) as a criterion for local bone failure and the bone–implant micromotion against the threshold associated with bone ingrowth (20 µm). A thinner pelvic cortical shell and lower ischial cancellous bone density increased areas of bone at risk of failure, particularly at the ischial screws (from 6% to 38%), and decreased areas compatible with bone ingrowth. These findings agree with our clinical knowledge that compromised ischial bone and inadequate ischial fixation negatively impact the survivorship of flanged acetabular components. This series establishes our modeling approach of a computational model that can be utilized to guide implant design to best treat unique acetabular defects.
Long‐term growth and nutrition outcomes in children following intestinal transplantation
Authors: Miri Ahmad , Iverson Angela K. , Law Nathan , Lee Junghyae , Quiros Navarrete Ruben E. , Reyes‐Santiago Emille M. , Nakayuenyongsuk Warapan , Mercer David F. , Vargas Luciano M. , Merani Shaheed , Grant Wendy J. , Langnas Alan N. , Quiros‐Tejeira Ruben E.
Published: January 2025

Objective

Intestinal transplantation (ITx) has become an accepted option for children with serious complications from intestinal failure and parenteral nutrition (PN) dependence. We aimed to assess long‐term growth and nutritional outcomes in these patients. We also assessed factors influencing nutritional status and ability to wean off tube feedings (TFs) after ITx.

Methods

We looked retrospectively into post‐ITx growth parameters, nutrition treatment, and micronutrient status for children who survived for 5 or more years after ITx. One hundred thirty‐three children between 1993 and 2014 were involved. Descriptive data and growth parameters were collected over 15 years after ITx. We also analyzed influencing factors, including the presence of permanent stoma, prolonged use of steroids, partial gastrectomy at the time of ITx, developmental delay, concurrent visceral transplant, and graft rejection episodes.

Results

There was an increase in the height z‐scores over the 15‐year period post‐ITx (p < 0.001). There was a downward trend in body mass index (BMI) z‐scores over the 15‐year post‐ITx period. Isolated intestinal transplant patients showed a better height z‐score compared to multivisceral transplant (p = 0.04). The height and BMI z‐scores for patients on steroids were not significantly different from the z‐scores for steroid‐free patients (p = 0.72, 0.99, respectively). There was no significant change in height and BMI z‐scores based on prednisolone dose: ≤0.2 mg/kg (p = 0.76); >0.2 mg/kg (p = 0.52). Patients were more likely to require supplemental TF up to 15 years post‐ITx when they had partial gastrectomy (p < 0.001), permanent ostomy (p = 0.009), or developmental delay (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

There was improved long‐term linear growth post‐ITx. Developmental delay, partial gastrectomy, and a permanent ostomy are likely to delay TF wean post‐ITx.
Single‐Malt Whisky Versus Cocktail? Approaches to Surgical Lymphedema Management
Authors: Lazar Sabrina Valentina , Song Sophia , Eggert Gina Rose , Cheng Ming‐Huei , Nguyen Dung Hoang
Published: January 2025

Lymphedema is a chronic, dynamic, and multifaceted disease that is effectively treated by surgery. However, there is a lack of consensus in the field about the ideal technique; is it better to perform one surgery type at a time (the “single‐malt whisky” approach), or combine different procedures in a single surgery (the “cocktail” approach)? Here, we review advances in these opposing camps, compare outcomes, and discuss potential paradigm shifts in the surgical treatment of lymphedema.
Moral injury: State of the Science
Authors: Litz Brett T.
Published: January 2025

In this paper, I provide a concise overview of the state of the scientific study of moral injury (MI). I argue that the state of science is immature, characterized by the lack of a paradigmatic theory and a lack of rigor in terms of construct definition and measurement. Because researchers, clinicians, and the media reify the results of empirical and clinical outcome studies that are chiefly exploratory and fraught with internal validity problems, enthusiasm about MI continues to far outweigh scientific and actionable, practice‐based knowledge. I posit that the field needs to have epistemic humility about MI, focus on building a paradigmatic model to generate and test hypotheses that will ultimately create knowledge about the causes and consequences of MI, and employ evidence‐based assessment and intervention approaches to mitigate and treat the problem. To facilitate research in this area, I summarize the social–functional theory of moral behavior and a new theory of MI based on it. I also make recommendations for future research to advance the field into a normal science, which requires hypothesis‐driven research and valid measurement.
Abnormal Unidirectional Lasing from the Combined Effect of non‐Hermitian Modulated Bound States in the Continuum and Fabry–Pérot Resonance
Authors: Fang Yun‐tuan , Bu Fan , He Sailing
Published: January 2025

To transform bound state‐in‐continuum (BIC)‐related unidirectional radiation into BIC‐related unidirectional lasing, a 1‐D grating with a parity‐time (PT)‐symmetry configuration is proposed. Through non‐Hermitian modulation, the BIC undergoes an asymmetric split in the –k and +k spaces. Abnormal phenomena have also been observed. The asymmetric BIC makes the grating either a gain cavity or a loss cavity depending on the incident direction of the plane wave. With plane wave incidence, the grating exhibits Fano resonance with energy conservation. However, for diverging light incident from a line source or a Gaussian source, the coupling of the gain cavity and loss cavity produces a new phenomenon, unidirectional and single‐mode lasing with an interesting wavefront transformation from a diverging wave to a unidirectional plane wave. The physical mechanism is explained by the joint effect of the asymmetric PT‐BICs and cavity resonance.
Tailored Metal‐Oxygen Bonding in Amorphous Perovskite CoSnO3 for Broadband Ultrafast Laser State Active Manipulation
Authors: Kong Linghao , Chu Hongwei , Gao Shang , Pan Zhongben , Pan Han , Li Ying , Gao Kong , Zhao Shengzhi , Li Dechun
Published: January 2025

Amorphous perovskite CoSnO3 has attracted significant attention due to its unique properties and various modification methods. However, modifying metal‐oxygen bonds on the nonlinear optical (NLO) characteristics remains uncharted. In this study, a dehydration method is employed to convert the metal‐hydroxyl bonds (M─OH) of hydroxide CoSn(OH)6 into metal‐oxygen bonds (M─O), successfully preparing amorphous CoSnO3 with oxygen vacancies. Subsequently, effective regulation of the metal‐oxygen bonds in amorphous CoSnO3 is achieved through an ion exchange strategy, yielding Fe‐doped CoSnO3 (Fe‐CoSnO3). Comprehensive characterization and analysis revealed that the regulation of metal‐oxygen bonds accelerated the electron transition rate, resulting in a fast recovery time of ≈245.1 fs for Fe‐CoSnO3, accompanied by a significant boost in broadband NLO properties. Notably, when Fe‐CoSnO3 is utilized as a saturable absorber (SA), it exhibited superior mode‐locking characteristics compared to CoSnO3 in the range of 1–2 µm. Specifically at the communication band of 1.5 µm, the dynamic switching between single‐wavelength and dual‐wavelength mode‐locking operations is achieved. With the ultrafast laser state manipulation, a digital encoding is also demonstrated. This work confirmed that the tailoring of metal‐oxygen bonds makes Fe‐CoSnO3 an excellent NLO material for ultrafast optical applications, and this tailoring strategy provides new insights for designing advanced NLO materials.
The Current Progress in the Quest for Vaccines Against the Semliki Forest Virus Complex
Authors: Cheong Dorothy Hui Juan , Yi Bowen , Wong Yi Hao , Chu Justin Jang Hann
Published: January 2025

The Semliki Forest virus (SFV) complex comprises of arboviruses that are transmitted by arthropod vectors and cause acute febrile illness in humans. In the last seven decades, re‐emergence of these viruses has resulted in numerous outbreaks globally, affecting regions including Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe and the Caribbean. These viruses are transmitted to humans by the bite of infected mosquitoes. Symptoms of infection include high fever, severe joint pain, skin rash, muscle pain and headache. Fatal cases were reported, and mortality rate increased during the epidemic of these viruses. There is therefore a need to control the spread of these emerging arboviruses. Given that vaccination is one of the most effective ways to protect populations against viral outbreaks, efforts have been made to develop and test potential vaccine candidates. However, there are still no licensed vaccines available against the medically important viruses in the SFV complex. This review first summarizes the current knowledge of the SFV complex disease pathogenesis. Next, seven strategies that have been applied in vaccine development against these viruses are reviewed, indicating the immune response and efficacies of these vaccine candidates in in vivo models of infection. Finally, the more promising candidates that have entered clinical trials are discussed and insights into the future development of vaccines for viruses of the SFV complex are given.
Spatiotemporal Control Over Circadian Rhythms With Light
Authors: Kolarski Dušan , Szymanski Wiktor , Feringa Ben L.
Published: January 2025

Circadian rhythms are endogenous biological oscillators that synchronize internal physiological processes and behaviors with external environmental changes, sustaining homeostasis and health. Disruption of circadian rhythms leads to numerous diseases, including cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, cancer, diabetes, and neurological disorders. Despite the potential to restore healthy rhythms in the organism, pharmacological chronotherapy lacks spatial and temporal resolution. Addressing this challenge, chrono‐photopharmacology, the approach that employs small molecules with light‐controlled activity, enables the modulation of circadian rhythms when and where needed. Two approaches—relying on irreversible and reversible drug activation—have been proposed for this purpose. These methodologies are based on photoremovable protecting groups and photoswitches, respectively. Designing photoresponsive bioactive molecules requires meticulous structural optimization to obtain the desired chemical and photophysical properties, and the design principles, detailed guidelines and challenges are summarized here. In this review, we also analyze all the known circadian modulators responsive to light and dissect the rationale following their construction and application to control circadian biology from the protein level to living organisms. Finally, we present the strength of a reversible approach in allowing the modulation of the circadian period and the phase.
Complexation of CcmB with CcmACD safeguards heme translocation for cytochrome c maturation
Authors: Xu Yuanyou , Wang Wei , Zhang Qianrou , Han Sirui , Wang Jiahao , Wu Shihua , Gao Haichun
Published: January 2025

Cytochrome c maturation (CCM), a posttranslational modification involving covalent attachment of heme to polypeptides (apocyt c), is essential for the activity and cellular function of cytochromes c. Here, we identify and substantiate CcmB as heme translocase in bacteria. When in excess, CcmB expels intracellular heme into the periplasm and thus is detrimental to the cell. We then show that complexation with CcmACD ensures heme translocated by CcmB to be used for CCM only. Moreover, structural analysis and atomistic molecular dynamics simulations reveal that CcmB absorbs heme from the membrane to a heme pocket formed in the dimer interface of the transmembrane helix‐bundles. These data, collectively by providing detailed insights into the conformational landscape of CcmB during heme entry, fill in the missing link in our understanding of the heme translocation for CCM.
The Dynamical Behaviors of a Stochastic Mumps Infectious Disease Model
Authors: Zhang Suping , Yang Feng , Wu Xiuyang
Published: January 2025

The study of infectious disease dynamics plays an important role in reflecting the transmission mechanisms of epidemics. Compared with the traditional statistical methods, understanding dynamics of an infectious disease can better make people understand some global characteristics of epidemic and help in designing appropriate strategies to control diseases. Early studies of mumps mainly focused on deterministic models. However, environmental noises are inevitable during the spread of infectious diseases. This paper extends a mumps transmission model from a deterministic to a stochastic framework and explores the dynamical behaviors of the model by constructing suitable Lyapunov functions. Our model is a six‐dimensional stochastic model. The construction of suitable Lyapunov functions is very challenging. Firstly, we show that this model has a unique global positive solution for any positive initial values. Secondly, we compute the basic reproduction numbers and present sufficient conditions for the existence of a unique ergodic stationary distribution and the extinction of the disease. Finally, we perform numerical simulations and sensitivity analysis for exploring the effect of some parameters and the white noises on the behavior of the model. The theoretical results can provide necessary guidelines to public health administrators for controlling and preventing diseases.