bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Neonatal outcomes between trial of labor and cesarean delivery for extreme preterm infants
Authors: Gilboa Itamar , Gabbai Daniel , Yogev Yariv , Attali Emmanuel , Zaltz Noa , Herzlich Jacky , Hiersch Liran , Lavie Michael
Published: December 2024

Objective

To compare adverse neonatal outcomes between trial of vaginal delivery and upfront cesarean delivery for singleton infants born at 24 to 28 weeks of gestation.

Methods

This is a retrospective cohort study that was conducted at a university‐affiliated tertiary medical center between 2011 and 2022, involving singleton pregnancies delivered between 240/7 and 276/7 weeks of gestation. Participants were divided into two groups based on their intended mode of delivery: a trial of labor (TOL) group and an upfront cesarean delivery (CD) group. The primary outcome was defined as neonatal death. The secondary outcome was defined as any of the following: intraventricular hemorrhage, necrotizing enterocolitis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, neonatal sepsis, periventricular leukomalacia, disseminated intravascular coagulation, umbilical cord arterial PH <7.1, or use of postpartum mechanical ventilation. Analyses were performed using an intention‐to‐treat approach.

Results

Overall, 199 patients were enrolled, with 64 in the TOL group and 135 in the upfront CD group. Neonatal deaths occurred in 48 cases (24.2%) across the entire cohort, with no significant difference between the TOL (18.8%) and upfront CD (26.7%) groups (P = 0.223). Rates of other composite adverse outcome were comparable between the groups (26.6% vs. 31.9%, P = 0.448), respectively. A sub‐analysis comparing patients with pre‐existing contraindications for vaginal delivery, without maternal or fetal indications for delivery, to those in the TOL group who experienced spontaneous onset of labor showed no differences in primary or secondary outcomes between the groups.

Conclusion

We found no difference in adverse neonatal outcomes between TOL and upfront CD for singletons born at 24–28 weeks gestation.
Legal challenges in expanding the provider base for abortion in Asia
Authors: Jain Dipika
Published: December 2024

In Asia as elsewhere, strict regulations on who is authorized to provide abortion services and to prescribe or dispense medical abortion adversely impact access, especially for marginalized persons and residents in remote areas. The WHO's 2022 Abortion Care Guideline provides an important framework for states to formulate and implement policies to serve sexual and reproductive rights of access to abortion services. The Guideline calls for decriminalization of abortion services to increase authorization to provide abortion services and to promote self‐managed medical abortion. This review examines the legal and policy frameworks of Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Nepal against the WHO Guideline. Legal and policy reforms successfully introduced in Bangladesh and Nepal to grow the provider base allow healthcare systems to expand safe abortion. This review outlines further challenges where the WHO Guideline on decriminalization and availability of medical abortion is disregarded and advocates a reproductive justice approach promoting egalitarian access to services even among the most marginalized.
Genomic features of lichen‐associated black fungi
Authors: Keller Victoria , Calchera Anjuli , Otte Jürgen , Schmitt Imke
Published: December 2024

Lichens are mutualistic associations consisting of a primary fungal host, and one to few primary phototrophic symbiont(s), usually a green alga and/or a cyanobacterium. They form complex thallus structures, which provide unique and stable habitats for many other microorganisms. Frequently isolated from lichens are the so‐called black fungi, or black yeasts, which are mainly characterized by melanized cell walls and extremophilic lifestyles. It is presently unclear in which ways these fungi interact with other members of the lichen symbiosis. Genomic resources of lichen‐associated black fungi are needed to better understand the physiological potential of these fungi and shed light on the complexity of the lichen consortium. Here, we present high‐quality genomes of 14 black fungal lineages, isolated from lichens of the rock‐dwelling genus Umbilicaria. Nine of the lineages belong to the Eurotiomycetes (Chaetothyriales), four to the Dothideomycetes, and one to the Arthoniomycetes, representing the first genome of a black fungus in this class. The PacBio‐based assemblies are highly contiguous (5–42 contigs per genome, mean coverage of 79–502, N50 of 1.0–7.3 mega‐base‐pair (Mb), Benchmarking Universal Single‐Copy Orthologs (BUSCO) completeness generally ≥95.4%). Most contigs are flanked by a telomere sequence, suggesting we achieved near chromosome‐level assemblies. Genome sizes range between 26 and 44 Mb. Transcriptome‐based annotations yielded ~11,000–18,000 genes per genome. We analyzed genome content with respect to repetitive elements, biosynthetic genes, and effector genes. Each genome contained a polyketide synthase gene related to the dihydroxynaphthalene‐melanin pathway. This research provides insights into genome content and metabolic potential of these relatively unknown, but frequently encountered lichen associates.
Additive CHARMM Force Field for Pterins and Folates
Authors: Balduzzi Elsa , Yin Wenlu , Lambry Jean‐Christophe , Myllykallio Hannu , Aleksandrov Alexey
Published: December 2024

Folates comprise a crucial class of biologically active compounds related to folic acid, playing a vital role in numerous enzymatic reactions. One‐carbon metabolism, facilitated by the folate cofactor, supports numerous physiological processes, including biosynthesis, amino acid homeostasis, epigenetic maintenance, and redox defense. Folates share a common pterin heterocyclic ring structure capable of undergoing redox reactions and existing in various protonation states. This study aimed to derive molecular mechanics (MM) parameters compatible with the CHARMM36 all‐atom additive force field for pterins and biologically important folates, including pterin, biopterin, and folic acid. Three redox forms were considered: oxidized, dihydrofolate, and tetrahydrofolate states. Across all protonation states, a total of 18 folates were parameterized. Partial charges were derived using the CHARMM force field parametrization protocol, based on targeting reference quantum mechanics monohydrate interactions, electrostatic potential, and dipole moment. Bonded terms were parameterized using one‐dimensional adiabatic potential energy surface scans, and two‐dimensional scans to parametrize in‐ring torsions associated with the puckering states of dihydropterin and tetrahydropterin. The quality of the model was demonstrated through simulations of three protein complexes using optimized and initial parameters. These simulations underscored the significantly enhanced performance of the folate model developed in this study compared to the initial model without optimization in reproducing structural properties of folate–protein complexes. Overall, the presented MM model will be valuable for modeling folates in various redox states and serve as a starting point for parameterizing other folate derivatives.
Optimization and kinetic study of nitrate removal from aqueous solution using tea waste
Authors: Xuan Liew Lih , Yeong Yin Fong
Published: December 2024

BACKGROUND

Nitrate contamination in groundwater poses significant risks to public health and the environment worldwide. This study explores the optimized use of tea waste, a byproduct of tea extraction and consumption, as an adsorbent for the removal of nitrate from aqueous solutions.

RESULTS

Scanning electron microscopy and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis revealed that tea waste has irregular cluster cavities and visible pore formations, indicating numerous active sites for nitrate adsorption. The specific surface area, total pore volume, and pore diameter were found to be 2.4914 m2 g−1, 0.0036 cm3 g−1, and 9.8077 nm, respectively. A total of 20 adsorption experiments were conducted based on conditions recommended by a statistical tool using Design‐Expert 13.0 software. The data showed a strong fit to a quadratic model, with a significant P‐value of 0.0109 and a high determination coefficient (R2 = 0.9327). Using response surface methodology, the study achieved a maximum nitrate removal efficiency of 84.49% under optimal conditions, which included an initial nitrate concentration of 50 mg L−1, an adsorbent weight of 0.706 g, and a contact time of 15 min. Further analysis of adsorption isotherms and kinetics revealed that the Freundlich isotherm (R2 = 0.9556) and the pseudo‐second‐order kinetic model (R2 = 0.9454) best described the experimental data.

CONCLUSION

These findings indicate that tea waste is an effective and sustainable adsorbent for mitigating nitrate contamination in aqueous solutions, offering a promising approach to address water quality challenges globally. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).
Development of the Dutch translational knowledge agenda for inherited metabolic diseases
Authors: Hieltjes I. J. , van der Lee J. H. , Groenendijk M. C. , van Haaften G. , van Hasselt P. M. , Lunsing R. J. , van Prooijen G. J. J. , de Ruiter E. M. , van Spronsen F. J. , Verhoeven‐Duif N. M. , de Vreugd A. , Wagenmakers M. , Zweers H. , Dekker H. , Waterham H. R. , van Karnebeek C. D. , Wanders R. J. A. , Wevers R. A.
Published: December 2024

Background

Inherited metabolic diseases (IMDs) may have considerable implications for patients and their families. Despite their individual rarity, covering a spectrum of over 1800 distinct diseases, the diseases collectively exert a significant impact, with often lifelong disabilities. The United for Metabolic Diseases consortium was established to catalyze research with translation into the best possible care.

Aim

To generate a translational knowledge agenda, which identifies and prioritizes research questions, directly relevant to patient care or for IMD patients and their families.

Methods and Results

Following a process established by the Knowledge Institute of the Dutch Association of Medical Specialists, we generated a comprehensive translational knowledge agenda for IMDs. A multidisciplinary steering committee, composed of 12 diverse metabolic experts collected research questions through an online questionnaire using snowballing. The 462 proposed questions were categorized and prioritized during a meeting attended by 22 representatives of all stakeholder groups. The resulting top 10 research questions cover multiple themes, i.e. prediction of disease progression, development of novel tools, mechanistic insights, improved diagnostics, therapeutic integration of multi‐omics techniques, assessment of impact on daily life, expanding treatment avenues, optimal study designs, effect of lifestyle interventions, and data utilization using FAIR principles.

Discussion

This collective endeavor reflects the collaborative spirit needed for rare disease research. This knowledge agenda will guide funding directions and applications but will also boost interdisciplinary collaboration to push the field of IMDs research forward in a renewed UMD consortium. Patient engagement, transparency, and a comprehensive approach make this knowledge agenda a pivotal step toward addressing the pressing research needs and priorities in this domain.
Estimates of HIV Incidence, Prevalence, and Mortality in China 2018
Authors: Chen Fangfang , Li Dongmin , Tang Houlin , Ge Lin , Cui Yan , Li Peilong , Cai Chang , Qin Qianqian , Jin Yichen , Qu Shuquan , Liu Zhongfu , Shao Yiming , Wu Zunyou , Han Mengjie , Lv Fan
Published: December 2024

A thorough and precise comprehension understanding of the HIV epidemic is crucial for effective HIV prevention and control. This study aimed to update the estimates of the overall HIV burden in China in 2018 and to assess the trends of HIV prevalence, incidence, and mortality from 1985 to 2018. The Estimation and Projection Package (EPP)/Spectrum software was utilized for estimation, a method highly recommended by UNAIDS. Data were collected from more than 1800 HIV sentinel surveillance sites, population‐based seroprevalence surveys, and HIV screening of antenatal clinics and pre‐marital medical check‐ups across the country. Assumptions about age and sex were used to adapt the parameters of disease progression, including CD4 progression rates and mortality rates for individuals on and off antiretroviral therapy (ART). Joinpoint (version 4.7.0.0) was used to analyze the trends of prevalence, incidence, mortality, and fatality rates from 1985 to 2018. In 2018, the total number of people living with HIV (PLWH) adults in China was estimated to be 1.23 million, corresponding to approximately 106.5/100 000 in the country. A total of 71.8% of adult PLWH were men. Over half of PLWH (58.6%) were infected through heterosexual contact, about one‐third (30.2%) through male‐to‐male transmission, 9.0% through IDU, and 2.3% due to former plasma donation. HIV incidence in adults reached its first small peak in 1992 with 52 400 new infections (95% confidence interval: 2700–920 000). After a brief period of rapid decline between 1992 and 1994, the annual number of new infections among adults increased again and remained relatively stable at 81 000 (95% uncertainty interval [UI]: 60 000–105 000) in 2018. In recent years, the number of new infections through blood donation has been eliminated, and the number of infections through injecting drug use has been kept low. Sexual contact became the predominant transmission route, while casual sexual contact became increasingly common. Overall, HIV mortality has been steadily increasing and has recently begun to decline during the period of 2012–2018. The number of deaths from HIV/AIDS in 2018 was approximately 35 000 (95% UI: 30 000–41 000). The number of estimated PLWH in China has exceeded one million, due to the ongoing occurrence of new infections and longer survival rates. HIV transmission through blood products has been eradicated. Casual sex has become a significant mode of transmission. It is recommended to enhance the implementation of strategies and measures for sexual communication in the general population and to bolster multidisciplinary research.
Quantifying the Evolution of Extreme Drought Under Climate Change and Its Impacts on Vegetation Productivity Over the Hai River Basin of China
Authors: Yao Tingting , Liu Suxia , Hu Shi , Mo Xingguo
Published: December 2024

There has been increasing attention paid to the effects of drought, especially extreme drought, on vegetation productivity under climate change. However, there are still challenges in quantifying the variations and the adverse effect of extreme drought on vegetation productivity at a regional scale within the context of historical climate change. This study quantified changes in the characteristics of extreme droughts and their effects on vegetation productivity in the Hai River Basin (HRB) of China, using factual climate (with climate trends) and counterfactual climate (detrended) data from the ISIMIP3a project. Standardised Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) and Run theory were utilised to determine characteristic factors (drought frequency, duration, severity, intensity and peak) under climate change. By comparing factual and counterfactual forcing simulations, the detected changes in characteristic factors were attributed to climatic trends. The negative effects of extreme droughts on gross primary productivity (GPP) were quantified. Results showed that there were more serious extreme drought events that occurred in HRB from 1901 to 2019 under factual climate than those under counterfactual climate. The difference was exacerbated in the late stages (1980–2019) over most of the basin. A deceleration was found in the rising pattern of GPP over the last four decades, exacerbating the adverse effects of extreme droughts on GPP under climate change. Compared to those during 1982–2000, GPP experienced further losses related to extreme droughts during 2000–2018 at a rate of 2°gC°m−2°day−1. Furthermore, extreme drought‐related GPP losses were most pronounced in summer, indicating that vegetation was more sensitive to extreme droughts during this season. These findings enhance our understanding of historically observed trends of extreme drought and suggest that more strategies should be implemented to protect vegetation from the increasing trends of extreme drought.
PDO And AMO Modulated the Interdecadal Change in Relationship of Summer Precipitation Between Western and Eastern Parts of Northern China
Authors: Du Yuchun , Chen Huopo
Published: December 2024

The summer precipitation over northern China generally presents an obvious dipole pattern, but the relationship between western northern China (WNC) and eastern northern China (ENC) has experienced a significant interdecadal change, with a significant positive correlation for the periods of 1920s–1940s (P1) and 1980s–2000s (P3), while a negative correlation for 1950s–1970s (P2). Further analyses reveal that the atmospheric circulation and water vapour transport anomalies triggered by the negative phase of Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), coupling with an eastward‐propagating Silk Road Pattern‐like teleconnection stimulated by the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), can jointly produce the favourable conditions for summer precipitation in ENC but unfavourable for WNC during P2, comparing with P1 and P3. This results in a dipole pattern of summer precipitation over northern China, leading to a negative correlation between precipitation in these two regions. During P1 and P3, precipitation anomalies in northern China mainly exhibit strong regional consistency, with primarily positive anomalies during P1 and negative anomalies during P3. However, the instability of the precipitation relationship during P3 is greater than those of P1 and P2, which may be attributed to the enhanced impact of the interdecadal variation of ENSO at the same period.
Comparison of closed‐system transfer devices to compound cytotoxic medicines in a hospital pharmacy compounding unit
Authors: Smith Evonne Katherine
Published: December 2024

Background

The use of a closed system transfer device (CSTD) is recommended when compounding hazardous cytotoxic medicines for operator and environmental protection. The hospital pharmacy compounding unit has used the CSTD PhaSeal since 2014. Recent evidence suggests an alternative CSTD, Equashield, may be a suitable alternative.

Aim

To determine if Equashield provides any advantages financially, in compounding time, rubber bung contamination, cytotoxic medicine surface contamination, staff satisfaction, and work health and safety benefits when compared to PhaSeal.

Method

CSTD PhaSeal was compared to Equashield by performing a financial cost comparison, time in motion study to compare compounding time, evaluation of product contamination rates and cytotoxic surface contamination levels, work health and safety (WH&S) review and staff satisfaction survey. This project was exempt due to the local policy requirements that constitute research by the Children's Health Queensland Research Ethics Committee (Reference no: EX/23/QCHQ/97690). The justification for this ethics exemption was as follows: the study conformed with the Ethical considerations in quality assurance and evaluation activities and met local requirements for a quality assurance activity and did not involve any assessment of staff. Informed consent was obtained from all staff via verbal explanation of the project and their voluntary participation. Staff consented via completion of the voluntary survey.

Results

The cost to compound using Equashield instead of PhaSeal was increased by AUD $4684 over a 6‐month period, with a compounding time saving benefit of approximately 1 min per product. Product contamination by rubber stopper core was 16 per 100,000 products using Equashield. Surface cytotoxic contamination levels remained undetectable before and after the comparison. Staff preferred Equashield and a WH&S product review determined Equashield required less torque and force during use and may reduce repetitive strain injury.

Conclusion

Equashield performed better in time to compound, rate of product contamination, staff satisfaction and WH&S assessment. The cost of Equashield was greater; however, Equashield demonstrated benefits over Phaseal in other areas of comparison, which could potentially offset the cost increase. The pharmacy demonstrated Equashield may be a suitable alternative to PhaSeal.
A Multi‐Center Study of Ossiculoplasty Hearing Outcomes and a Grading Scale of Ear Environment Risk
Authors: Gluth Michael B. , Judd Ryan T. , Gurgel Richard K. , Dornhoffer John L. , Kutz Walter , Carlson Matthew L. , Kuthubutheen Jafri , Anderson Ryan D. , Killeen Daniel E. , Barnes Jason H. , Fussell Wanda L. , Jeganathan Chaithanya
Published: December 2024

Objective

To determine which ear environment risk factors impact ossiculoplasty hearing outcomes and to generate a statistically‐valid grading system for ossiculoplasty outcome reporting.

Study Type

Retrospective case series.

Methods

A multi‐institutional database was generated from cases performed between 2011 and 2019. Preoperative and postoperative hearing thresholds were recorded alongside potential ear environment risk factors. Multiple variable linear regression statistical analyses of risk factors were applied to determine independent association with postoperative pure tone average air‐bone gap (PTA‐ABG). Significant factors were used to generate a statistically‐weighted grading scale of Ear Environment Risk (EER).

Results

1679 cases had a mean follow‐up time of 33.6 months (SD 36.3) and a mean postoperative PTA‐ABG of 21.2 (SD 12.8). Multiple revision status (p < 0.001), presence of canal wall down mastoidectomy cavity (p = 0.020), absent malleus (p < 0.001), absent stapes superstructure (p = 0.016), frequent otorrhea (p = 0.008), pediatric age (p < 0.001), and blunted/lateralized tympanic membrane (p = 0.003) were independently correlated with PTA‐ABG. These factors were incorporated into an EER Scoring System with four distinct risk groups wherein each risk group was significantly correlated with PTA‐ABG, and this grading system was better correlated with PTA‐ABG (Kendall's τ = 0.193) than other existing published grading scales.

Conclusion

Grading environment risk according to a novel EER scoring system generates meaningful risk groupings that correlate with ossiculoplasty postoperative PTA‐ABG, and this holds potential to frame reporting of hearing outcomes for future ossiculoplasty research.

Level of Evidence

3 Laryngoscope, 2024
Glycosylated Polymers Toward Stable Protein‐Based Lighting
Authors: Gutierrez‐Armayor David , Asin Alicia , Patrian Marta , Nieddu Mattia , Costa Rubén D.
Published: December 2024

Protein‐based optoelectronics faces two challenges to keep the performance of conventional technologies: stabilizing proteins through water‐free fabrication methods and developing bio‐friendly interfaces. In this context, bio‐hybrid lighting, which integrates fluorescent protein (FP) based photon down‐converting filters, represents an emerging concept toward ensuring a sustainable lighting sector. They promise to replace rare earth and/or toxic emitters applied for photon down‐conversion in white commercial LEDs with FP‐polymer color filters. A key component is a branched polyethylene oxide that stabilizes FPs in a water‐less environment upon film forming. Recently sugar additives are successfully used as natural desiccation protectants against osmotic dehydration stress to further enhance FP stability by reinforcing intra‐protein H‐bonding. Herein, the glycosylation of the branched polymer is disclosed to stabilize FPs in coatings that resulted in 300‐fold enhanced device stability due to a significant reduction of the heat generation and slow‐down of the H‐transfer‐assisted emission deactivation process compared to reference polymer coatings. Thermal and spectroscopic techniques suggest that this finding is related to the higher crystallinity of the coatings and rigid environment provided by the glycosylated polymers. Overall, this work reinforces the use of sugars (additives or glycosylated polymers) to preserve the emission/thermal properties of FPs in water‐less environments for optoelectronics.
α‐Synuclein Gene Hypomethylation in LRRK2 Parkinson's Disease Patients
Authors: de Mena Lorena , Parés Guillem , Garrido Alicia , Pilco‐Janeta Daniel F. , Fernández Manel , Pérez Jesica , Tolosa Eduardo , Cámara Ana , Valldeoriola Francesc , Ezquerra Mario , Martí María‐José , Fernández‐Santiago Rubén ,   the Barcelona LRRK2 Study Group
Published: December 2024

Background

α‐Synuclein (SNCA) gene hypomethylation was reported in idiopathic Parkinson's disease (iPD). Based on a high clinical resemblance between iPD and leucine‐rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2)‐driven Parkinson's disease (L2PD), we investigated the epigenetic status of SNCA in an extensive LRRK2 clinical cohort from Spain.

Methods

We assessed the methylation levels of 23 CpG sites in the SNCA promoter region using peripheral blood DNA from L2PD patients (n = 151), LRRK2 nonmanifesting carriers (n = 55), iPD patients (n = 115), and healthy control subjects (n = 154) (total: N = 475).

Results

Compared with control subjects, we found significant SNCA hypomethylation in 11 of 23 CpGs in L2PD (48%), whereas 22 CpGs (96%) were hypomethylated in iPD. In line with a healthy status, asymptomatic mutation carriers had similar SNCA methylation profiles to control subjects.

Conclusions

This study shows for the first time that SNCA hypomethylation occurs in patients with L2PD. Further studies addressing SNCA methylation status in additional worldwide LRRK2 cohorts are warranted. © 2024 The Author(s). Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
Feasibility study of using next‐generation reservoir computing (NG‐RC) model to estimate liver tumor motion from external breathing signals
Authors: Samadi Miandoab Payam , Setayeshi Saeed , Blanck Oliver , Saramad Shahyar
Published: December 2024

Background

Respiratory motion is a challenge for accurate radiotherapy that may be mitigated by real‐time tracking. Commercial tracking systems utilize a hybrid external‐internal correlation model (ECM), integrating continuous external breathing monitoring with sparse X‐ray imaging of the internal tumor position.

Purpose

This study investigates the feasibility of using the next generation reservoir computing (NG‐RC) model as a hybrid ECM to transform measured external motions into estimated 3D internal motions.

Methods

The NG‐RC model utilizes the nonlinear vector autoregressive (NVAR) machine to account for the hysteresis or phase differences between external and internal motions. The datasets used to evaluate the efficacy of the NG‐RC model include 57 motion traces from the CyberKnife system. The datasets were divided into three regions (central, lower, and upper livers) and three motion patterns. These patterns include linear and nonlinear motion patterns (Group A), hysteresis motion patterns (Group B), and all motion patterns (Group C). Moreover, various updating techniques were examined, such as continuously updating the NG‐RC model using the first‐in‐first‐out (FIFO) approach and sampling the internal tumor position every 0 s (strategy A), 60 s (strategy B), 30 s (strategy C), and 50 s (strategy D).

Results

The NG‐RC model combined with strategy C resulted in better estimation accuracy than the reported CyberKnife cases (Wilcoxon signed rank p < 0.05). For linear and nonlinear motion patterns, the 3D radial estimation accuracy (mean ± SD) using the NG‐RC model combined with strategy C and the CyberKnife system was 1.20 ± 0.78 and 1.1 ± 0.20 mm in the central liver, 0.66 ± 0.25 and 1.49 ± 0.50 mm in the lower liver, and 1.73 ± 0.86 and 1.61 ± 0.42 mm in the upper liver. For hysteresis motion patterns, the corresponding values were 1.13 ± 0.37 and 1.45 ± 0.33 mm, 1.43 ± 1.30 and 1.67 ± 0.42 mm, and 1.20 ± 0.68 and 1.46 ± 0.54 mm in the central, lower, and upper livers, respectively.

Conclusion

This study proposed a new hybrid correlation model for real‐time tumor tracking, which can be used to account for both linear and nonlinear motion patterns, as well as hysteresis motion patterns. Additionally, the NG‐RC model required shorter training data sets (15 s) during pre‐treatment and short internal motion sampling (every 30 s) during treatment compared to other ECMs.
T1‐contrast enhanced MRI generation from multi‐parametric MRI for glioma patients with latent tumor conditioning
Authors: Eidex Zach , Safari Mojtaba , Qiu Richard L. J. , Yu David S. , Shu Hui‐Kuo , Mao Hui , Yang Xiaofeng
Published: December 2024

Background

Gadolinium‐based contrast agents (GBCAs) are commonly used in MRI scans of patients with gliomas to enhance brain tumor characterization using T1‐weighted (T1W) MRI. However, there is growing concern about GBCA toxicity. This study develops a deep‐learning framework to generate T1‐postcontrast (T1C) from pre‐contrast multiparametric MRI.

Purpose

We propose the tumor‐aware vision transformer (TA‐ViT) model that predicts high‐quality T1C images. The predicted tumor region is significantly improved (p < 0.001) by conditioning the transformer layers from predicted segmentation maps through the adaptive layer norm zero mechanism. The predicted segmentation maps were generated with the multi‐parametric residual (MPR) ViT model and transformed into a latent space to produce compressed, feature‐rich representations. The TA‐ViT model was applied to T1w and T2‐FLAIR to predict T1C MRI images of 501 glioma cases from an open‐source dataset. Selected patients were split into training (N = 400), validation (N = 50), and test (N = 51) sets. Model performance was evaluated with the peak‐signal‐to‐noise ratio (PSNR), normalized cross‐correlation (NCC), and normalized mean squared error (NMSE).

Results

Both qualitative and quantitative results demonstrate that the TA‐ViT model performs superior against the benchmark MPR‐ViT model. Our method produces synthetic T1C MRI with high soft tissue contrast and more accurately synthesizes both the tumor and whole brain volumes. The synthesized T1C images achieved remarkable improvements in both tumor and healthy tissue regions compared to the MPR‐ViT model. For healthy tissue and tumor regions, the results were as follows: NMSE: 8.53 ± 4.61E‐4; PSNR: 31.2 ± 2.2; NCC: 0.908 ± 0.041 and NMSE: 1.22 ± 1.27E‐4, PSNR: 41.3 ± 4.7, and NCC: 0.879 ± 0.042, respectively.

Conclusion

The proposed method generates synthetic T1C images that closely resemble real T1C images. Future development and application of this approach may enable contrast‐agent‐free MRI for brain tumor patients, eliminating the risk of GBCA toxicity and simplifying the MRI scan protocol.
Efficient Synthesis and Characterization of Antibacterial Xanthan Gum–Based Self‐Healing Hydrogels: Conventional Versus Microwave Treated
Authors: Etemadi Moghaddam Homa , Baghban Salehi Mahsa
Published: December 2024

The development of self‐healing hydrogels with mechanical integrity is vital for biomedical applications. This study synthesizes multi‐network (MN) self‐healing hydrogels using xanthan gum (XG) through conventional and microwave‐assisted methods via free‐radical polymerization. The synthesis materials included XG, acrylamide, acrylonitrile, sodium dodecyl sulfate, ferric chloride hexahydrate, and ammonium persulfate. Conventional synthesis took 60 min at 70°C, while microwave synthesis was completed in 4.5 min at 540 W, enhancing energy and material efficiency. Structural tests like FTIR and SEM confirmed the results. Microwave synthesis produced a layered structure with smaller pores, leading to slower swelling kinetics, and EDX mapping showed higher Fe3+ ion concentrations, indicating better crosslinking. Thermal gravimetric analysis demonstrated that degradation onset temperatures were 184°C for microwave‐assisted synthesis XG hydrogel (MHXG) and 163°C for the water bath XG hydrogel method (HXG), indicating a 20°C enhancement due to the coherent structure induced by microwave treatment. Evaluation of self‐healing capabilities through visual and rheological tests showed significant enhancements in MHXG, which exhibited a self‐healing time of 2 h compared to 1 day required by HXG, attributed to increased crosslink density and hydrogen bonding facilitated by microwave treatment. Rheological assessments confirmed that both hydrogel types maintained their structural integrity and viscoelastic properties after healing. MHXG exhibited a mechanical strength of 21.12 kPa and elasticity of 10 kPa, whereas HXG showed 11.59 kPa and 1 kPa, respectively. Microwave‐treated hydrogel showed enhanced antibacterial effectiveness against Staphylococcus aureus due to better distribution of agents in the matrix. This method for synthesizing XG‐based self‐healing hydrogels is promising for advanced biomedical applications.
Investigation of the Physicochemical and Antibacterial Activities of Plant Extract of Juniperus communis L. With Poly(Butylene Adipate‐Co‐Terephthalate) Films for Food Packaging
Authors: Venkatesan Raja , Mayakrishnan Vishnuvarthanan , Kamaraj Eswaran , Alrashed Maher M. , Kim Seong‐Cheol
Published: December 2024

In this work, a plant‐based composite materials that can be used as food packaging has been developed. Juniperus communis L. extract, which is known to have good antibacterial activity, was added to poly(butylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate) (PBAT) at different percentage (1%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%) and produced films by solution casting method. All the prepared PBAT films were subjected to characterization techniques like attenuated total reflection‐infrared spectroscopy (ATR‐IR), x‐ray diffraction (XRD), surface morphology, thermal stability, mechanical strength, film color, opacity, wettability, and antibacterial properties. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was conducted on thermal stability of PBAT composite films. To examine the suitability of composite films for food packaging, measurements on opacity and water vapor permeability have been performed. It was determined that the higher the percentage of Juniperus communis L., which enhanced the test results. The PBAT composite films' antibacterial activity against both gram‐positive (S. aureus) and gram‐negative (E. coli) bacteria was tested. The optimum antibacterial activity against S. aureus and E. coli was observed in the PBAT composite film with 20% of Juniperus communis L. plant extract. However, it can be supposed that the food packaging characteristics are improved by adding Juniperus communis L. plant extract to the PBAT.
Tumour purity assessment with deep learning in colorectal cancer and impact on molecular analysis
Authors: Schoenpflug Lydia A , Chatzipli Aikaterini , Sirinukunwattana Korsuk , Richman Susan , Blake Andrew , Robineau James , Mertz Kirsten D , Verrill Clare , Leedham Simon J , Hardy Claire , Whalley Celina , Redmond Keara , Dunne Philip , Walker Steven , Beggs Andrew D , McDermott Ultan , Murray Graeme I , Samuel Leslie M , Seymour Matthew , Tomlinson Ian , Quirke Philip ,   S:CORT consortium, Rittscher Jens , Maughan Tim , Domingo Enric , Koelzer Viktor H
Published: December 2024

Tumour content plays a pivotal role in directing the bioinformatic analysis of molecular profiles such as copy number variation (CNV). In clinical application, tumour purity estimation (TPE) is achieved either through visual pathological review [conventional pathology (CP)] or the deconvolution of molecular data. While CP provides a direct measurement, it demonstrates modest reproducibility and lacks standardisation. Conversely, deconvolution methods offer an indirect assessment with uncertain accuracy, underscoring the necessity for innovative approaches. SoftCTM is an open‐source, multiorgan deep‐learning (DL) model for the detection of tumour and non‐tumour cells in H&E‐stained slides, developed within the Overlapped Cell on Tissue Dataset for Histopathology (OCELOT) Challenge 2023. Here, using three large multicentre colorectal cancer (CRC) cohorts (N = 1,097 patients) with digital pathology and multi‐omic data, we compare the utility and accuracy of TPE with SoftCTM versus CP and bioinformatic deconvolution methods (RNA expression, DNA methylation) for downstream molecular analysis, including CNV profiling. SoftCTM showed technical repeatability when applied twice on the same slide (r = 1.0) and excellent correlations in paired H&E slides (r > 0.9). TPEs profiled by SoftCTM correlated highly with RNA expression (r = 0.59) and DNA methylation (r = 0.40), while TPEs by CP showed a lower correlation with RNA expression (r = 0.41) and DNA methylation (r = 0.29). We show that CP and deconvolution methods respectively underestimate and overestimate tumour content compared to SoftCTM, resulting in 6–13% differing CNV calls. In summary, TPE with SoftCTM enables reproducibility, automation, and standardisation at single‐cell resolution. SoftCTM estimates (M = 58.9%, SD ±16.3%) reconcile the overestimation by molecular data extrapolation (RNA expression: M = 79.2%, SD ±10.5, DNA methylation: M = 62.7%, SD ±11.8%) and underestimation by CP (M = 35.9%, SD ±13.1%), providing a more reliable middle ground. A fully integrated computational pathology solution could therefore be used to improve downstream molecular analyses for research and clinics. © 2024 The Author(s). The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
Photovoltaic and Piezoelectric Power Generation Characteristics of Flexible Poly(Vinylidene Fluoride‐Ran‐Trifluoroethylene) Thin Films
Authors: Lee Eunmi , Son Jong Yeog
Published: December 2024

We investigated the photovoltaic and piezoelectric power generation characteristics of ferroelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride‐ran‐trifluoroethylene, PVDF‐TrFE) thin films on flexible indium tin oxide (ITO)/polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates. The solar cells and piezoelectric hybrid devices provide consistent energy to extend battery life and improve self‐charging. The flexible PVDF‐TrFE thin films with a transmittance of about 60% in the visible region showed a remanent polarization of about 10.5 μC/cm2 (2Pr ~ 21.0 μC/cm2) with excellent β‐phase formation. The flexible PVDF‐TrFE thin films exhibited optimal ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties by exhibiting β‐phase without α‐phase. Since β‐phase is the phase that carries high dipole alignment of the material, which is important for maximizing power output, the performance of the material in photovoltaic and piezoelectric applications is enhanced. The PVDF‐TrFE capacitor exhibited not only a piezoelectric generation characteristic with an approximate voltage of 1.1 V under compression, but also a photovoltaic generation feature with an open‐circuit voltage of about 0.23 V and a short‐circuit current of approximately 0.13 mA/cm2.
High Tg, Low CTE Transparent Poly(Amide‐Imide)s Based on Synergistic Regulation of Lithium Ions Coordination and Ortho‐Position Effect of 9,9‐Bis(4‐Aminophenyl)Fluorene
Authors: Yang Lei , Xing Jinglei , Bai Minghui , Fang Xingzhong , Chen Guofei
Published: December 2024

Transparent polyimides were expected to be an alternative to glass substrates. To meet the requirements of high transparency, high heat resistance, and low coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) for substrate materials, a series of poly(amide‐imide)s (PAIs) were synthesized from 2,2′‐bis(trifluoromethyl)benzidine (TFDB), (hexafluoroisopropylidene)diphthalic anhydride (6FDA), cyclobutane‐1,2,3,4‐tetracarboxylic dianhydride (CBDA), terephthaloyl chloride (TPC) and 9,9‐bis(4‐aminophenyl)fluorene (FDA) with different substituents. And the corresponding films were prepared by adding 0 or 2 pph lithium chloride (LiCl). Through the adjustment of monomer ratio, regulation of the amino ortho‐position of diamine monomer, and coordination of Li ions, all PAIs exhibited high glass transition temperatures (T
g) of 390°C–436°C, low CTE of 12.5–60.9 ppm K−1, excellent optical transmittances of 71%–84% at 400 nm, high tensile strengths of 140–204 MPa, and high tensile moduli of 4.4–7.2 GPa. In particular, PAI‐M‐1‐2‐2Li showed the best comprehensive properties with the transmittance of 83% at 400 nm, T
g of 432°C, CTE of 18.7 ppm K−1, tensile modulus of 6.9 GPa and tensile strength of 204 MPa, which made it competitive in flexible display applications.
Hydrophobic Thin Layers Based on N‐Coordinated Metallaboroxine Polymers
Authors: Novák Miroslav , Srb Michael , Schwarz Jiří , Růžičková Zdeňka , Bouška Marek , Podzimek Štěpán , Ruleová Pavlína , Jambor Roman
Published: December 2024

The reaction of organogallium amide LGa(NEt2)2 (1) and organotin carbonate L(Ph)SnCO3 (2), where L = 2,6‐(Me2NCH2)2C6H3, with organoboronic acids RB(OH)2 yielded molecular gallium‐ and stannaboroxines LM(O3B2R2) (3–8) (3: M = Ga, R = 4‐tBu‐C6H4; 4: M = Ga, R = 4‐CF3‐C6H4; 5: M = Ga, R = 3,5‐(CF3)2‐C6H3; 6: M = PhSn, R = 4‐tBu‐C6H4; 7: M = PhSn, R = 4‐CF3‐C6H4; 8: M = PhSn, R = 3,5‐(CF3)2‐C6H3). The Lewis acidity of boron atom (especially in 8) allowed to form N → B coordination bond with bases such as 4‐Me2N‐pyridine (DMAP) or poly(4‐vinylpyridine‐co‐styrene) (PVPS) yielding new compounds DMAP→8 (9) and PVPS→8 (10). The good film forming properties of 10 allowed the deposition of transparent thin layers by spin‐coating method and the determination of their hydrophobic properties by the sessile drop method. The study of hydrophobicity was subsequently focused on the content of stannaboroxine 8 in PVPS and on the concentration influence of the deposited PVPS:8 mixture solution. The parameters of thin layers such as thickness, transparency, and roughness were also determined.
Preparation of High Mechanical Performance Polyimides by Microbranched Cross‐Linked Structures
Authors: He Xiansheng , Xu Mingkun , Dou Qian , Li Yanhui , Wang Qihua , Wang Tingmei , Tao Liming
Published: December 2024

To improve the modulus and tensile strength of polyimide films, this study utilized diamines with amide bonds as monomers, introducing hydrogen bonding into the material. Additionally, a microbranched cross‐linked structure was created by incorporating a triamino compound, and its effect on film properties was analyzed. The results showed that the microbranched cross‐linked structure and amide bonding significantly improved the storage modulus, tensile strength, shape memory properties, and toughness of the polyimide films. Specifically, at 2% concentration of 1,3,5‐tris(4‐aminophenoxy)benzene, the storage modulus of the polyimide films reached 12.97GPa, the tensile strength was 243 MPa, the elongation at break was 5.58%, and the toughness was improved by 2.59 times. At this concentration, the shape fixation rate of normal polyimide was 96.7%, and the shape recovery rate was 92%. These findings suggest that the modified polyimide films exhibit high strength and are suitable for applications in high‐temperature environments.
Degradation of Low‐Concentration Perfluoroalkyl Substances With a Nonthermal Gas–Liquid Plasma Reactor
Authors: Jenks Lauren Rene , Bulusu Radha Krishna Murthy , Gallan Rachel , Wandell Robert , Tang Youneng , Locke Bruce R.
Published: December 2024

A continuous gas–liquid flowing film reactor with nanosecond pulsed power, where plasma channels generated in argon propagate along the gas–liquid interface, was utilized to degrade aqueous solutions of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) yielded maximum percentage degradations of 81.6% and 76.5% for the low (98 ± 29 ppt) and high (300 ± 30 ppt) concentrations, respectively, at 2 mL/min liquid flow and a pulse repetition frequency of 0.5 to 2 kHz. A mixture of perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs) and perfluoroalkane sulfonic acids (PFSAs) was also degraded. Sequential multi‐pass treatments of PFOA with an initial concentration of 413 ± 142 ppt using 2 kHz resulted in 84.3% degradation in the first pass and no PFOA was detected after additional passes.
SUPERMAGO: Protein Function Prediction Based on Transformer Embeddings
Authors: de Oliveira Gabriel Bianchin , Pedrini Helio , Dias Zanoni
Published: December 2024

Recent technological advancements have enabled the experimental determination of amino acid sequences for numerous proteins. However, analyzing protein functions, which is essential for understanding their roles within cells, remains a challenging task due to the associated costs and time constraints. To address this challenge, various computational approaches have been proposed to aid in the categorization of protein functions, mainly utilizing amino acid sequences. In this study, we introduce SUPERMAGO, a method that leverages amino acid sequences to predict protein functions. Our approach employs Transformer architectures, pre‐trained on protein data, to extract features from the sequences. We use multilayer perceptrons for classification and a stacking neural network to aggregate the predictions, which significantly enhances the performance of our method. We also present SUPERMAGO+, an ensemble of SUPERMAGO and DIAMOND, based on neural networks that assign different weights to each term, offering a novel weighting mechanism compared with existing methods in the literature. Additionally, we introduce SUPERMAGO+Web, a web server‐compatible version of SUPERMAGO+ designed to operate with reduced computational resources. Both SUPERMAGO and SUPERMAGO+ consistently outperformed state‐of‐the‐art approaches in our evaluations, establishing them as leading methods for this task when considering only amino acid sequence information.
High Coercivity and Strong [00l] Crystallographic Texture in Sm(CoFeCuZr)7.4 Nanoflakes Prepared by Surfactant‐Assisted Ball Milling
Authors: Raza Shahzab , Alam Mehran Khan , Han Guangbing , Kang Shishou
Published: December 2024

Sm(Co0.61Fe0.21Cu0.13Zr0.05)7.4 nanoflakes are prepared by surfactant‐assisted ball milling from annealed ingots, and the ingots are synthesized by the arc‐melting process. The X‐ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of nanoflakes exhibit two hard magnetic phases: Sm2Co17 is the primary hard phase, which provides high saturation magnetization, and SmCo5 acts as a minor hard phase, presumably impeding the movement of magnetic domain walls, thereby increasing intrinsic coercivity. The high coercivity value of 7.2 kOe is achieved after 0.5 h ball milling. In addition, the XRD patterns of nanoflakes at different milling times show a strong [00l] crystallographic texture after the magnetic alignment. A remanence value of 1.03 T and a maximum energy product of 123 kJ m−3 achieve in 0.5 h milled nanoflakes. The aligned nanoflakes show strong anisotropic behavior with a degree of anisotropy value of 0.81. Henkel plots indicate the strong exchange coupling interaction in nanoflakes milled for 0.5 h. Based on the analysis of temperature‐dependent hysteresis loops and initial magnetization curves, the coercivity is controlled by the pinning of domain wall movement and the nucleation of the reverse domains.