bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Near‐Infrared Emissive Cascaded Artificial Light‐Harvesting System with Enhanced Antibacterial Efficiency
Authors: Chen Maowen , Lu Zhenni , Li Man , Jiang Bei , Liu Senkun , Li Yinuo , Zhang Bangrui , Li Xianying , Yi Tao , Zhang Dengqing
Published: May 2023

Combination of platinum(II) metallacycles and photodynamic inactivation presents a promising antibacterial strategy. Herein, a cascaded artificial light‐capturing system is developed in which an aggregation‐induced emission‐active platinum(II) metallacycle (PtTPEM) is utilized as the antenna, sulforhodamine 101 (SR101) as a key conveyor, and the near‐infrared emissive photosensitizer Chlorin‐e6 (Ce6) as the final energy acceptor. The well‐dispersed Ce6 in the proximity of energy donors not only avoids self‐quenching in the physiological environment but also contributes to energy transfer from donor to acceptor, thereby significantly improving the 1O2 generation ability of the light‐harvesting system under white light irradiation. By integrating the platinum(II) metallacycle and 1O2, a more efficient synergistic antibacterial effect is achieved at low concentrations, along with a significant decrease in dark toxicity caused by PtTPEM.
Drycells: Cell‐Suspension Micro Liquid Marbles for Single‐Cell Picking
Authors: Tenjimbayashi Mizuki , Yamamoto Shota , Uto Koichiro
Published: April 2023

Cell‐picking technology is essential for cell culturing. Although the recently developed tools enable single‐cell‐level picking, they rely on special skills or additional devices. In this work, a dry powder that encapsulates single to several cells with a >95% aqueous culture medium, thereby acting as a powerful cell‐picking tool, is reported. The proposed “drycells” are formed by spraying a cell suspension onto a powder bed of hydrophobic fumed silica nanoparticles. The particles adsorb to the droplet surface and form a superhydrophobic shell, which prevents the drycells from coalescence. The number of encapsulated cells per drycell can be controlled by adjusting the drycell size and cell‐suspension concentration. Moreover, it is possible to encapsulate a pair of normal or cancerous cells and create several cell colonies within a single drycell. A sieving process can be used to sort the drycells according to size. The size of the droplet can range from one to hundreds of micrometers. The drycells are sufficiently stiff to be collected using tweezers; however, centrifugation separates them into nanoparticles and cell‐suspension layers, with the separated particles being recyclable. Various handling techniques, such as splitting coalescence and inner liquid replacement, can be used. It is believed that the application of the proposed drycells will greatly improve the accessibility and productivity of single‐cell analysis.
Neuromorphic Artificial Vision Systems Based on Reconfigurable Ion‐Modulated Memtransistors
Authors: Yang Zhen , Zhang Teng , Liu Keqin , Dang Bingjie , Xu Liying , Yang Yuchao , Huang Ru
Published: April 2023

Conventional vision systems suffer from lots of data handling between memory and processing units. Inspired by how humans recognize noisy images and the flexible modulation on the timescale of ion dynamics inside an emerging memtransistor, a novel neuromorphic vision system is reported based on the ion‐modulated memtransistors. By controlling the ion‐doping processes under adequate stimuli strengths, both short‐term and long‐term ion dynamics can be utilized to deliver energy‐efficient data processing. When dealing with image reconstructions, the short‐term accumulation effect of the device can help filter noises in a set of received noisy images while enhancing the original pattern information. The increased contrast can help distinguish the actual contents. To demonstrate systematic performances with the reconfiguration of devices, the nonlinear relationship between channel conductance variation and the amplitude of gate pulses into the network‐level simulation is extracted. Also, with the nonvolatile conductance change characteristic, the task of recognizing noisy images is performed to verify the versatility of ion‐modulated memtransistors in the neuromorphic artificial vision systems. An interactive preprint version of the article can be found here: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.167939089.96499861/v1
Defect Pyrochlore‐Type Mott–Schottky Photocatalysts for Enhanced Ammonia Synthesis at Low Pressure
Authors: Zhao Zihan , Tan Ruike , Kong Yuxiang , Zhang Zihao , Qiu Shou , Mu Xiaoyue , Li Lu
Published: April 2023

The ambient ammonia synthesis coupled with distributed green hydrogen production technology can provide promising solutions for low‐carbon NH3 production and H2 storage. Herein, we reported Ru‐loaded defective pyrochlore K2Ta2O6−x with remarkable visible‐light absorption and a very low work function, enabling effective visible‐light‐driven ammonia synthesis from N2 and H2 at low pressure down to 0.2 atm. The photocatalytic rate was 2.8 times higher than that of the best previously reported photocatalyst and the photo‐thermal rate at 425 K was similar to that of Ru‐loaded black TiO2 at 633 K. Compared to perovskite‐type KTaO3−x with the same composition, the pyrochlore exhibited a 3.7‐fold increase in intrinsic activity due to a higher photoexcited charge separation efficiency and a higher conduction band position. The interfacial Schottky barrier and spontaneous electron transfer between K2Ta2O6−x and Ru further improve photoexcited charge separation and accumulate energetic electrons to facilitate N2 activation.
Untersuchung von Ladungstransferprozessen in einer kovalent verknüpften [Ge9]‐Cluster‐Imin Dyade
Authors: Wallach Christoph , Selic Yasmin , Geitner Felix S. , Kumar Ajeet , Thyrhaug Erling , Hauer Jürgen , Karttunen Antti J. , Fässler Thomas F.
Published: April 2023

C60 Donor Dyaden, in denen der Kohlenstoffkäfig kovalent an eine Elektronen‐Donoreinheit gebunden vorliegt, werden als ein mögliches Elektronentransfersystem diskutiert, und es wurde gezeigt, dass kugelförmige [Ge9]‐Clusteranionen bezüglich ihrer elektronischen Struktur eng mit den Fullerenen verwandt sind. Die optischen Eigenschaften dieser Cluster und ihrer funktionalisierten Derivate sind jedoch nahezu unbekannt. Wir berichten nun über die Synthese des intensiv roten [Ge9]‐Clusters, welcher an ein ausgedehntes π‐Elektronensystem gebunden ist. [Ge9{Si(TMS)3}2{CH3C=N}‐DAB(II)Dipp]− (1−) entsteht bei der Reaktion von [Ge9{Si(TMS)3}2]2− mit Bromdiazaborol DAB(II)Dipp‐Br in CH3CN (TMS=Trimethylsilyl; DAB(II)=1,3,2‐Diazaborol mit einem ungesättigten Gerüst; Dipp=2,6‐Di‐iso‐propylphenyl). Die reversible Protonierung der Imineinheit in 1− führt zum tiefgrünen, zwitterionischen Cluster [Ge9{Si(TMS)3}2{CH3C=N(H)}‐DAB(II)Dipp] (1‐H). Optische Spektroskopie in Kombination mit zeitabhängigen Dichtefunktional‐theoretischen Berechnungen legen eine Elektronentransfer‐Anregung zwischen dem Cluster und dem antibindenden π*‐Orbital der Iminiumeinheit als Urache für die intensive Farbe nahe. Ein Absorptionsmaximum von 1‐H im roten Bereich des elektromagnetischen Spektrums und der entsprechende niedrigste angeregte Zustand bei λ=669 nm machen die Verbindung zu einem interessanten Ausgangspunkt für weitere Untersuchungen, die auf das Design photoaktiver Clusterverbindungen abzielen.
Probing Charge‐Transfer Processes in a Covalently Linked [Ge9]‐Cluster Imine Dyad
Authors: Wallach Christoph , Selic Yasmin , Geitner Felix S. , Kumar Ajeet , Thyrhaug Erling , Hauer Jürgen , Karttunen Antti J. , Fässler Thomas F.
Published: April 2023

C60 donor dyads in which the carbon cage is covalently linked to an electron‐donating unit have been discussed as one possibility for an electron‐transfer system, and it has been shown that spherical [Ge9] cluster anions show a close relation to fullerenes with respect to their electronic structure. However, the optical properties of these clusters and of functionalized cluster derivatives are almost unknown. We now report on the synthesis of the intensely red [Ge9] cluster linked to an extended π‐electron system. [Ge9{Si(TMS)3}2{CH3C=N}‐DAB(II)Dipp]− (1−) is formed upon the reaction of [Ge9{Si(TMS)3}2]2− with bromo‐diazaborole DAB(II)Dipp‐Br in CH3CN (TMS=trimethylsilyl; DAB(II)=1,3,2‐diazaborole with an unsaturated backbone; Dipp=2,6‐di‐iso‐propylphenyl). Reversible protonation of the imine entity in 1− yields the deep green, zwitterionic cluster [Ge9{Si(TMS)3}2{CH3C=N(H)}‐DAB(II)Dipp] (1‐H) and vice versa. Optical spectroscopy combined with time‐dependent density functional theory suggests a charge‐transfer excitation between the cluster and the antibonding π* orbital of the imine moiety as the cause of the intense coloration. An absorption maximum of 1‐H in the red region of the electromagnetic spectrum and the corresponding lowest‐energy excited state at λ=669 nm make the compound an interesting starting point for further investigations targeting the design of photo‐active cluster compounds.
DetectingLegionella pneumophilain Cooling Tower Water Samples with a DNAzyme/Bead‐Based Fluorescence Assay
Authors: Qian Shuwen , McConnell Erin M. , Rothenbroker Meghan , Gu Jimmy , Alungulesa Simina , Godbout Louis , Li Yingfu
Published: April 2023

Legionella pneumophilais the causative agent behind the deadly waterborne disease Legionnaires’, which is commonly transmitted by the spread of contaminated droplets from cooling tower water samples. The lack of effective detection methods presents a challenge forL. pneumophilaoutbreak control. Previously, an RNA‐cleaving DNAzyme called LP1 was reported to specifically targetL. pneumophila. In this study, LP1 was immobilized onto agarose beads via streptavidin‐biotin interaction to develop a bead‐based fluorescence assay forL. pneumophiladetection. This bead‐based assay demonstrated excellent stability and functionality in various cooling tower water samples. To improveL. pneumophilamonitoring in real‐world samples, a lysozyme treatment was used to enhanceL. pneumophilarecognition. The limit of detection of this DNAzyme‐based bead assay can reach 103 CFUs in cell‐spiked cooling tower water samples without cell culturing or signal amplification steps.
Functionalization of electrospun nanofiber for biomedical application
Authors: Chakrapani Gayathri , Ramakrishna Seeram , Zare Mina
Published: April 2023

For centuries, nanofibers have been fabricated by converting polymeric materials into nanofibers with tunable mixtures, dimensions, pore structure, and interface properties. Nanofibers include many benefits for transporting drug substances with various biomedical applications. Electrospun nanofibers with customizable geometries and release properties are readily formed due to advances in nanotechnology. The structural characteristics of the electrospun nanofibers/nano yarns are tremendous owing to their large surface‐to‐volume ratio, interconnected pores, lightweight and permeability, which helps in their wide applications in the health care, energy and environmental aspects of research. The present review focuses on the recent advances in electrospun nanofibers for biomedical applications. Further, this review will examine nanofiber uses in therapeutic delivery and tissue engineering. Additionally, the potential biomedical applications of nanofibers in wound healing and cancer research are reviewed.
Prediction of terephthalic acid yield in aqueous hydrolysis of polyethylene terephthalate
Authors: Abedsoltan Hossein , Zoghi Zeinab , Mohammadi Amir H.
Published: April 2023

Aqueous hydrolysis is used to chemically recycle polyethylene terephthalate (PET) due to production of high‐quality terephthalic acid (TPA), the PET monomer. PET hydrolysis depends on various factors including PET size, catalyst concentration, and reaction temperature. So, modeling PET hydrolysis by considering the effective factors can provide useful information for material researchers to specify how to design and run these reactions. It will save time, energy, and materials by optimizing the hydrolysis conditions. Machine learning algorithms enable to design models to predict the output results. For the first time, 381 experimental data were gathered to model aqueous hydrolysis of PET. Effective factors on PET hydrolysis were connected to the TPA yield. The logistic regression was applied to rank the effective factors. Two algorithms were proposed, artificial neural network multi‐layer perceptron (ANN‐MLP) and adaptive network‐based fuzzy inference system (ANFIS). The dataset was divided into training, validating, and testing sets to train, validate, and test the models, respectively. The models predicted TPA yield sufficiently where the ANFIS model outperformed. R‐squared (R2) and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) loss functions were employed to measure the efficiency of the models and evaluate their performance.
Enhancing thermal stability of polycarbonate films with one‐sided coating of graphene oxide
Authors: Nguyen Thao , Wei Jacob
Published: May 2023

In this study, polycarbonate (PC) films were coated with a thin layer of graphene oxide (GO) or its reduced form (rGO) via vacuum filtration. The effects of the coating on PC were studied by means of modulated differential scanning calorimetry (mDSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy. As shown by mDSC, there was no significant change in glass transition temperature (Tg), indicating little molecular interaction between the PC and the coating. In addition, GO and rGO showed poorer thermal stability than the neat PC, which is consistent with the literature. Despite these findings, both GO‐ and rGO‐coated PC films exhibited significantly higher onset thermal degradation temperatures than the neat PC. Moreover, when the rGO loading was below a certain level, the coated PC films demonstrated a comprehensive enhancement in thermal stability over the entire temperature range of TGA measurement. Such enhancement could be observed even at very low rGO loadings when the surface of the PC film was partially coated.
Groundwater treatment and disinfection by electrochemical advanced oxidation process: Influence of the supporting electrolyte and the nature of the contaminant
Authors: Soares Beatriz S. , de Mello Rodrigo , Motheo Artur J.
Published: April 2023

The United Nations (UN) has considered water a human right since 1977. However, freshwater available for consumption represents less than 1% of all water on Earth. Groundwater represents one of the largest reserves of drinking water and is susceptible to chemical contamination, especially from pollutants that seep into the soil, such as atrazine, bisphenol A, and tetracycline. These substances, along with Escherichia coli, were selected to simulate contamination in groundwater samples and evaluate the efficiency of electrochemical oxidation using boron‐doped diamond anodes and four different anion salts to analyze their impact on the treatment process. After electrolysis, the degradation of tetracycline, bisphenol A and atrazine was found to increase with decreasing current density, with average values of 77%, 96% and 100% at 15 mA cm−2 and 68%, 83% and 99% at 35 mA cm−2, respectively. Moreover, the mineralization of these substances showed the same behavior, decreasing from 67%, 64%, and 54% at 15 mA cm−2 to 52%, 35%, and 49% at 35 mA cm−2. The analysis of the results showed that the ions present in the solution significantly affect the degradation process and that they interact with the impurities used. For atrazine and tetracycline, the degradation efficiency followed the same pattern,  <  <  < . However, in the case of bisphenol A and E. coli, phosphate showed better results, similar to nitrate. The high efficiency in eliminating bacteria, even at high concentrations, shows that the electrochemical treatment system has a strong bactericidal effect, eliminating bacterial colonies with up to 5 min of treatment.
Critical challenges and advances in recombinant adeno‐associated virus (rAAV) biomanufacturing
Authors: Fu Qiang , Polanco Ashli , Lee Yong Suk , Yoon Seongkyu
Published: May 2023

Gene therapy is a promising therapeutic approach for genetic and acquired diseases nowadays. Among DNA delivery vectors, recombinant adeno‐associated virus (rAAV) is one of the most effective and safest vectors used in commercial drugs and clinical trials. However, the current yield of rAAV biomanufacturing lags behind the necessary dosages for clinical and commercial use, which embodies a concentrated reflection of low productivity of rAAV from host cells, difficult scalability of the rAAV‐producing bioprocess, and high levels of impurities materialized during production. Those issues directly impact the price of gene therapy medicine in the market, limiting most patients’ access to gene therapy. In this context, the current practices and several critical challenges associated with rAAV gene therapy bioprocesses are reviewed, followed by a discussion of recent advances in rAAV‐mediated gene therapy and other therapeutic biological fields that could improve biomanufacturing if these advances are integrated effectively into the current systems. This review aims to provide the current state‐of‐the‐art technology and perspectives to enhance the productivity of rAAV while reducing impurities during production of rAAV.
Identification of an EMT‐related gene‐based prognostic signature in osteosarcoma
Authors: Gong Haoli , Tao Ye , Xiao Sheng , Li Xin , Fang Ke , Wen Jie , Zeng Ming , Liu Yiheng , Chen Yang
Published: April 2023

Background

The correlation between epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) and osteosarcoma (OS) has been widely reported. Integration of the EMT‐related genes to predict the prognosis is significant for investigating the mechanism of EMT in OS. Here, we aimed to construct a prognostic EMT‐related gene signature for OS.

Methods

Transcriptomic and survival data of OS patients were downloaded from Therapeutically Applicable Research to Generate Effective Treatments (TARGET) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). We performed univariate Cox regression, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression, and stepwise multivariate Cox regression analysis to construct EMT‐related gene signatures. Kaplan–Meier analysis and time‐dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) were applied to evaluate its predictive performance. GSVA, ssGSEA, ESTIMATE, and scRNA‐seq were performed to investigate the tumor microenvironment, and the correlation between IC50 of drugs and ERG score was investigated. Furthermore, Edu and transwell experiments were conducted to assess the malignancy of OS cells.

Results

We constructed a novel EMT‐related gene signature (including CDK3, MYC, UHRF2, STC2, COL5A2, MMD, and EHMT2) for outcome prediction of OS. According to the signature, patients stratified into high‐ and low‐ERG‐score groups exhibited significantly different prognoses. ROC curves and Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed a promising performance of the signature with external validation. GSVA, ssGSEA, ESTIMATE algorithm, and scRNA‐seq excavated EMT‐related pathways and suggested the correlation between ERG score and immune activation. Notably, the pivotal gene CDK3 was upregulated in OS tissue and positively related to OS cell proliferation and migration.

Conclusion

Our EMT‐related gene signature might reference OS risk stratification and guide clinical strategies as an independent prognostic factor in OS.
Survival in elderly patients with breast cancer with and without autoimmune disease
Authors: Dedousis Demitrios , Zhang Annie L. , Vassiliou Anastasia N. , Cao Shufen , Yammani Deepthi , Kyasaram Ravi K. , Shanahan John P. , Keinath Melissa C. , Hsu Melinda L. , Fu Pingfu , Dowlati Afshin , Montero Alberto J.
Published: April 2023

Background

Patients with certain autoimmune conditions are at a reduced risk of developing breast cancer compared to the general population. Despite this, little is known about outcomes in patients with breast cancer who have a concurrent autoimmune diagnosis.

Methods

This study compared differences in outcomes between women with breast cancer who had or did not have an autoimmune diagnosis. The SEER‐Medicare databases (2007–2014) were used to identify patients with breast cancer and diagnosis codes were used to identify those with an autoimmune disorder.

Results

The studied autoimmune diseases had a prevalence of 27% among the 137,324 patients with breast cancer. Autoimmune disease was associated with significantly longer overall survival (OS) and significantly lower cancer‐specific mortality (CSM) among stage IV breast cancer patients (p < 0.0001). After controlling for the effects of age, race, chronic kideny disease, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy autoimmune disease was still predictive of improved OS (HR: 1.45, 95% CI: 1.35–1.55, p < 0.0001) and CSM (HR: 1.40, 95% CI: 1.29–1.5, p < 0.0001). By contrast, in patients with stage I–III breast cancer, the presence of an autoimmune diagnosis was associated with a lower OS (p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001, and p = 0.026, respectively), compared to patients without autoimmune disease.

Conclusions

We found a higher prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and systemic lupus erythematosus in patients with breast cancer compared to age matched cohorts in the general population. The presence of an autoimmune diagnosis was associated with a lower OS in stages I–III breast cancer and improved OS and CSM in patients with stage IV disease. These results suggest that anti‐tumor immunity plays an important role in late stage breast cancer and could potentially be exploited to improve the effectiveness of immunotherapy.
Resolving Confusion Surroundingd‐Ala‐d‐Ala Ligase Catalysis in Cyanobacterial Mycosporine‐Like Amino Acid (MAA) Biosynthesis
Authors: Dextro Rafael B. , Fiore Marli F. , Long Paul F.
Published: April 2023

Mycosporine‐like amino acids (MAAs) are natural UV‐absorbing sunscreens that evolved in cyanobacteria and algae to palliate harmful effects from obligatory exposure to solar radiation. Multiple lines of evidence prove that in cyanobacteria all MAAs are derived from mycosporine‐glycine, which is typically modified by an ATP‐dependent ligase encoded by the genemysD. The function of the mysD ligase has been experimentally described but haphazardly named based solely upon sequence similarity to thed‐alanine‐d‐alanine ligase of bacterial peptidoglycan biosynthesis. Combining phylogeny and alpha‐fold tertiary protein structure prediction unambiguously distinguished mysD fromd‐alanine‐d‐alanine ligase. The renaming of mysD to mycosporine‐glycine‐amine ligase (MG‐amine ligase) using recognised enzymology rules of nomenclature is, therefore, proposed, and considers relaxed specificity for several different amino acid substrates. The evolutionary and ecological context of MG‐amine ligase catalysis merits wider appreciation especially when considering exploiting cyanobacteria for biotechnology, for example, producing mixtures of MAAs with enhanced optical or antioxidant properties.
Intraprocedural delayed reassessment of paravalvular regurgitation in TAVR significantly reduces the use of postdilatation
Authors: De la Torre Hernandez Jose M. , Veiga Fernandez Gabriela , Barrera Sergio , Sainz Laso Fermin , Lee Dae‐Hyun , Ruisanchez Villar Cristina , Lerena Piedad , Garcia Camarero Tamara , Cuesta Cosgaya Jose M. , Gil Ongay Aritz , Zueco Javier
Published: May 2023

Objectives

We sought to investigate the effect of a 15‐min delayed intraprocedural reassessment of paravalvular aortic regurgitation (PVR) after an immediate evaluation of posttranscatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) on the regurgitation grading and usage of postdilatation.

Background

PVR after TAVR is associated with poor prognosis, but postdilatation may increase the risk of other complications.

Methods

In a prospective cohort of consecutive patients treated with balloon‐expandable valve ES‐3 ultra, the degree of PVR was assessed immediately and 15 min after that first evaluation (excluded severe cases), with the indication of postdilatation based on the delayed assessment. As a control group, the previous consecutive series of patients also treated with the same model of valve prosthesis was used.

Results

A total of 180 patients were included in the prospective study cohort and 152 in the retrospective control group. In the study group, the immediate PVR assessment showed none‐trace 27.5%, mild 52%, moderate 19%, and severe 1.5%, and the delayed re‐evaluation graded PVR as none‐trace 83%, mild 15.6%, and moderate 1.2% (p < 0.001 as compared to immediate). In the control group, the immediate PVR assessment showed none‐trace 33.5%, mild 52%, moderate 13%, and severe 1.5%. The rate of postdilatation was 2.8% in the study group versus 10.5% in the control group (p = 0.006). At discharge, no differences were observed between groups in PVR echocardiographic grading.

Conclusions

A post‐TAVR delayed intraprocedural reassessment of the PVR shows a clearly lower degree of regurgitation as compared to immediate evaluation, which significantly decreased the indication of postdilatation.
Nopol Production Over Sn‐MCM‐41 Immobilized in a Wall‐Coated Microreactor using Formaldehyde GeneratedEx‐Situ
Authors: García Diana C. , Sánchez Jorge H. , Martínez Juan D. , Alarcón Edwin A. , Villa Aída L.
Published: April 2023

The kinetic study of the synthesis of nopol from β‐pinene and formaldehyde generatedex‐situwas carried out in a continuous flow process using Sn‐MCM‐41 wall‐coated microreactors of 1/8“ stainless steel tubes. The presence of Sn2+and Sn4+species was identified through XPS and TEM; the homogeneous distribution of tin on the support throughout the surface of the coating was verified by SEM analysis. Taylor flow regime and the kinetic control of the reaction were verified with hydrodynamic studies. A determination coefficient of 0.92 was obtained for the mathematical adjustment of the equation that described the reaction pathway obtained under the assumption of a dual‐site Langmuir‐Hinshelwood formalism with product desorption as the limiting step.
What did the scientific literature learn from internal company documents in the pharmaceutical industry? A scoping review
Authors: Gagnon Marc‐André , Dong Miaoran
Published: April 2023

Objective

To identify all scientific papers that used internal industry documents in the pharmaceutical sector and analyze what and how the scientific literature learned about corporate influence in the pharmaceutical sector through these internal documents.

Design

Scoping review.

Methods

Using different series of keywords, we searched six databases, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, Business Source Complete, and PAIS, for peer‐reviewed journal articles analyzing pharmaceutical corporations' internal documents. We completed the scoping review using a purposive snowball sampling method to extract relevant case studies and peer‐reviewed journal articles from relevant articles' reference lists when our search keywords failed to capture them. To analyze the content of the literature and better categorize the types of corporate strategies at play in the pharmaceutical sector, we used categories of ghost‐management previously developed in the literature.

Results

We identified 37 peer‐reviewed papers in the final results. All the articles included in the final results are published in English. Almost all articles obtained most of their internal document data through legal proceedings. All 37 articles unveil dynamic ghost‐management strategies that pharmaceutical corporations employ to safeguard their corporate interest. The strategies identified relate to scientific capture (n = 28), professional capture (n = 16), regulatory capture (n = 6), media capture (n = 3), market capture (n = 4), technological capture (n = 2), civil society capture (n = 4), and others (n = 2).

Conclusion

The scientific literature using internal documents confirmed widespread corporate influence in the pharmaceutical sector. While the academic literature used internal documents related to only a handful of products, our research results, based on ghost‐management categories, demonstrate the extent of corporate influence in every interstice of pharmaceutical markets, particularly in clinical research and clinical practice. It also allows us to better refine the conceptual categories of ghost‐management to better map corporate influence and conflict of interest.
Analysis of perioperative corticosteroid therapy in children undergoing cardiac surgery: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Chen Daliu , Du Yongchun
Published: April 2023

The advantages and disadvantages of using corticosteroids in children undergoing cardiac surgery is still contentious. To examine how perioperative corticosteroids affect postoperative mortality and clinical outcomes in pediatric cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). We used MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Database to conduct a comprehensive search up through January 2023. Children aged 0–18 undergoing cardiac surgery were included in the meta‐analysis of randomized controlled studies comparing perioperative corticosteroids with other therapeutic therapies, placebo, or no treatment. All‐cause hospital mortality was the primary endpoint of the study. Hospitalization duration was a secondary result. The Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment Tool was used to evaluate the research quality. Ten trials and 7798 pediatric participants were included in our analysis. Children taking corticosteroids had no significant difference in all‐cause in‐hospital mortality using a random‐effect model with relative risk (RR) = 0.38, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.16–0.91, I2 = 79%, p = .03 for methylprednisolone and RR = 0.29, 95% CI = 0.09–0.97, I2 = 80%, p = .04. For the secondary outcome, there was a significant difference between the corticosteroid and placebo groups, with pooled standard mean difference (SMD) = −0.86, 95% CI = −1.57 to −0.15, I2 = 85%, p = .02 for methylprednisolone and SMD = −0.97, 95% CI −1.90 to −0.04, I2 = 83%, p = .04 for dexamethasone. Perioperative corticosteroids may not improve mortality, but they reduce hospital stay compared to placebo. Further evidence from randomized controlled studies with larger samples is required for approaching at a valid conclusion.
Canny aspiration paraphernalia framework based healthcare monitoring system and secure medical interoperability
Authors: Narahari Narasimhaiah , Praveen Sam Rachapudi
Published: April 2023

The technology of the Internet of Things (IoT) is growing rapidly and is becoming a milestone in digital health surveillance. Catastrophic disruption, diminished accuracy level, inevitable health status, and insecure patient interoperability are key disadvantages to transfer data in healthcare monitoring. Therefore, this work proposed a novel framework named Canny Aspiration Paraphernalia Strategy which introduced Highbrow Data Conveyance Method (HDCM) that is utilized for analyzing and monitoring patients' health through gateways. To estimate and transfer higher priority data to the server, Hostage stimulating algorithm has been proposed and these higher priority data are estimated by Anticipatory Stochastic depiction depending on their present health circumstances, the imminent health state of the more closely associated patients were also estimated. Finally, the Yoke Layer Haven protocol secures medical interoperability by transferring data from the Sensor node to the server. Henceforth, by using all the above‐mentioned strategies in the Novel Framework, medical transmission is efficient for patients' health status monitoring and safe medical Interoperability. The proposed system is implemented in Spyder platform and the result obtained shows that the proposed system has a high throughput as well as data transmission rate which reduces the delay of network and encryption time due to the effective transmission of data using a medical wireless sensor system.
Accessing the Primary Solid–Electrolyte Interphase on Lithium Metal: A Method for Low‐Concentration Compound Analysis
Authors: von Holtum Bastian , Kubot Maximilian , Peschel Christoph , Rodehorst Uta , Winter Martin , Nowak Sascha , Wiemers‐Meyer Simon
Published: April 2023

Invited for this month′s cover is the group of Martin Winter at the University of Münster. The image shows idea of the developed sample treatment method enabling the accumulation of solid electrolyte interphase originating compounds. The Research Article itself is available at 10.1002/cssc.202201912.
A guide and tools for selecting and accessing microclimate data for mechanistic niche modeling
Authors: Meyer Abigail V. , Sakairi Yutaro , Kearney Michael R. , Buckley Lauren B.
Published: April 2023

Most ecological analyses and forecasts use weather station data or coarse interpolated, gridded air temperature data. Yet, these products often poorly capture the microclimates experienced by organisms that respond to fine‐scale spatial and temporal environmental variation near the surface. Sources of historic and projected future data with finer spatial and temporal resolution are proliferating. We qualitatively and quantitatively review and evaluate the available data on three core issues central to microclimate modeling: the quality of the input environmental data, the ability of algorithms to capture microclimatic processes given environmental forcing data, and how best to access microclimatic data. We show how differences between observed environmental conditions and those estimated using environmental forcing data, microclimate algorithms, and precomputed microclimate datasets can be substantial depending on the variable, location, and season. The choice of environmental dataset to parameterize biophysical models has ramifications for biological estimates, such as the duration of potential activity and incidence of thermal stress. New data sources offering high temporal and spatial resolution correspond well to observational data and have the potential to revolutionize understanding of the ecological implications of microclimate variability. We provide resources to help users select and access appropriate environmental data for biological applications, including users' guides and interactive visualization, to better infer how organisms experience climate variability and change.
Worsening of chronic heart failure: definition, epidemiology, management and prevention. A clinical consensus statement by the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology
Authors: Metra Marco , Tomasoni Daniela , Adamo Marianna , Bayes‐Genis Antoni , Filippatos Gerasimos , Abdelhamid Magdy , Adamopoulos Stamatis , Anker Stefan D. , Antohi Laura , Böhm Michael , Braunschweig Frieder , Gal Tuvia Ben , Butler Javed , Cleland John G.F. , Cohen‐Solal Alain , Damman Kevin , Gustafsson Finn , Hill Loreena , Jankowska Ewa A. , Lainscak Mitja , Lund Lars H. , McDonagh Theresa , Mebazaa Alexandre , Moura Brenda , Mullens Wilfried , Piepoli Massimo , Ponikowski Piotr , Rakisheva Amina , Ristic Arsen , Savarese Gianluigi , Seferovic Petar , Sharma Rajan , Tocchetti Carlo Gabriele , Yilmaz Mehmet Birhan , Vitale Cristiana , Volterrani Maurizio , von Haehling Stephan , Chioncel Ovidiu , Coats Andrew J.S. , Rosano Giuseppe
Published: April 2023

Episodes of worsening symptoms and signs characterize the clinical course of patients with chronic heart failure (HF). These events are associated with poorer quality of life, increased risks of hospitalization and death and are a major burden on healthcare resources. They usually require diuretic therapy, either administered intravenously or by escalation of oral doses or with combinations of different diuretic classes. Additional treatments may also have a major role, including initiation of guideline‐recommended medical therapy (GRMT). Hospital admission is often necessary but treatment in the emergency service or in outpatient clinics or by primary care physicians has become increasingly used. Prevention of first and recurring episodes of worsening HF is an essential component of HF treatment and this may be achieved through early and rapid administration of GRMT. The aim of the present clinical consensus statement by the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology is to provide an update on the definition, clinical characteristics, management and prevention of worsening HF in clinical practice.
Young, unemployed, excluded: Unemployed young adults report more ostracism
Authors: Albath Elianne A. , Büttner Christiane M. , Rudert Selma C. , Sibley Chris G. , Greifeneder Rainer
Published: April 2023

Ostracism—being excluded and ignored—is commonly investigated in experimental settings, leaving specific societal risk groups greatly unexplored. Here, we examined whether individuals’ employment status and age affect ostracism frequency and outsider feelings. Using panel data from two countries, we find that especially younger unemployed (vs. younger employed or older unemployed) adults report experiencing ostracism more frequently (SOEP‐IS; N = 1,750) and feeling more like outsiders (NZAVS; N ∼ 30,000 per wave). A subsequent survey study (N = 331) additionally tested three possible mediators for why younger (vs. older) unemployed individuals are more at risk of experiencing ostracism (occupational future time perspective [FTP], descriptive work norms, and work centrality). Moreover, unemployment stigma consciousness—expected stigmatisation—positively correlates with ostracism frequency and outsider feelings. The findings identify unemployed individuals as one at‐risk group for experiencing ostracism and make a first informative step in minimising ostracism experiences and their consequences for those affected.
Stationary solutions in applied dynamics: A unified framework for the numerical calculation and stability assessment of periodic and quasi‐periodic solutions based on invariant manifolds
Authors: Hetzler Hartmut , Bäuerle Simon
Published: April 2023

The determination of stationary solutions of dynamical systems as well as analyzing their stability is of high relevance in science and engineering. For static and periodic solutions a lot of methods are available to find stationary motions and analyze their stability. In contrast, there are only few approaches to find stationary solutions to the important class of quasi‐periodic motions–which represent solutions of generalized periodicity–available so far. Furthermore, no generally applicable approach to determine their stability is readily available. This contribution presents a unified framework for the analysis of equilibria, periodic as well as quasi‐periodic motions alike. To this end, the dynamical problem is changed from a formulation in terms of the trajectory to an alternative formulation based on the invariant manifold as geometrical object in the state space. Using a so‐called hypertime parametrization offers a direct relation between the frequency base of the solution and the parametrization of the invariant manifold. Over the domain of hypertimes, the invariant manifold is given as solution to a PDE, which can be solved using standard methods as Finite Differences (FD),Fourier‐Galerkin‐methods (FGM) or quasi‐periodic shooting (QPS). As a particular advantage, the invariant manifold represents the entire stationary dynamics on a finite domain even for quasi‐periodic motions – whereas obtaining the same information from trajectories would require knowing them over an infinite time interval. Based on the invariant manifold, a method for stability assessment of quasi‐periodic solutions by means of efficient calculation ofLyapunov‐exponents is devised. Here, the basic idea is to introduce a Generalized Monodromy Mapping, which may be determined in a pre‐processing step: using this mapping, theLyapunov‐exponents may efficiently be calculated by iterating this mapping.
Gene‐level association analysis of bivariate ordinal traits with functional regressions
Authors: Wang Shuqi , Chiu Chi‐Yang , Wilson Alexander F. , Bailey‐Wilson Joan E. , Agron Elvira , Chew Emily Y. , Ahn Jaeil , Xiong Momiao , Fan Ruzong
Published: April 2023

In genetic studies, many phenotypes have multiple naturally ordered discrete values. The phenotypes can be correlated with each other. If multiple correlated ordinal traits are analyzed simultaneously, the power of analysis may increase significantly while the false positives can be controlled well. In this study, we propose bivariate functional ordinal linear regression (BFOLR) models using latent regressions with cumulative logit link or probit link to perform a gene‐based analysis for bivariate ordinal traits and sequencing data. In the proposed BFOLR models, genetic variant data are viewed as stochastic functions of physical positions, and the genetic effects are treated as a function of physical positions. The BFOLR models take the correlation of the two ordinal traits into account via latent variables. The BFOLR models are built upon functional data analysis which can be revised to analyze the bivariate ordinal traits and high‐dimension genetic data. The methods are flexible and can analyze three types of genetic data: (1) rare variants only, (2) common variants only, and (3) a combination of rare and common variants. Extensive simulation studies show that the likelihood ratio tests of the BFOLR models control type I errors well and have good power performance. The BFOLR models are applied to analyze Age‐Related Eye Disease Study data, in which two genes, CFH and ARMS2, are found to strongly associate with eye drusen size, drusen area, age‐related macular degeneration (AMD) categories, and AMD severity scale.
Pore structure characteristics of different lithofacies of the Longmaxi shale, Western Hunan‐Hubei Region, China: Implications for reservoir quality prediction
Authors: Zhang Qin , Radwan Ahmed E. , Kai Wang , Liu Chang , Song Zeping , Lu Donglian , Zhang Mengjie , Guo Chaojie , Yin Shuai
Published: April 2023

Lithofacies and micropore characteristics of shale reservoir directly affect the exploration and development of natural gas. To determine the development potential of shales of the Longmaxi Formation in the Western Hunan‐Hubei Region, the lithofacies types and micropore structure characteristics of the Longmaxi Formation shales have been systematically studied in this paper, based on ordinary thin sections, argon ion polishing–scanning electron microscopy, physical property testing, x‐ray diffraction whole‐rock and clay mineral analysis, isothermal nitrogen, and carbon dioxide adsorptions. According to the principle of ‘laminar structure + total organic carbon (TOC) + mineral composition of felsic, clay, and carbonate minerals’, eight types of shale lithofacies were identified. The effective porosity of the Longmaxi shale ranges from 1.8% to 14.4%, with a peak range from 3% to 6%, while the permeability ranges from 0.001 to 1.27 mD, with an average of 0.106 mD. Combined with the isothermal adsorption experiments, the proportion of mesopores is the largest in the Longmaxi shale, followed by macropores and micropores. Moreover, the pore diameters of mesopores are concentrated between 3 and 10 nm, while those of micropores are concentrated between 0.4 and 0.9 nm. The pore volume of shale is most developed when the content of brittle felsic minerals is 50% ~ 75% and the content of clay minerals is 25% ~ 50%, and the TOC content is positively correlated with the pore volume and specific surface area. There are significant differences in the pore development characteristics of different lithofacies. The shale reservoir space analysis indicates that micropores are controlled by TOC content and clay minerals, while the macropores are controlled by depositional intergranular pores, TOC content, and felsic content, as well as diagenetic pyrite mould pores, microfractures pores, and intercrystalline pores. On the other hand, mesopores are related to a mix of depositional and diagenetic factors with dominant contribution of intergranular pores, intercrystalline pores, organic pores, and intergranular shrinkage fractures pores. It is found that the pore development of massive organic‐rich siliceous shale lithofacies has the best reservoir quality, including well‐connected intergranular pores, intercrystalline pores, organic pores, and shrinkage fractures. Therefore, the massive organic‐rich siliceous shale lithofacies is the dominant fine‐grained reservoir lithofacies in the studied area. Based on understating the pore characteristics of different lithofacies, this study can provide a scientific basis for the prediction of favourable sweet spots of shale gas reservoir in the Longmaxi Formation, western Hunan‐Hubei Region.
Hierarchical categorization learning is associated with representational changes in the dorsal striatum and posterior frontal and parietal cortex
Authors: Frank Sebastian M. , Maechler Marvin R. , Fogelson Sergey V. , Tse Peter U.
Published: May 2023

Learning and recognition can be improved by sorting novel items into categories and subcategories. Such hierarchical categorization is easy when it can be performed according to learned rules (e.g., “if car, then automatic or stick shift” or “if boat, then motor or sail”). Here, we present results showing that human participants acquire categorization rules for new visual hierarchies rapidly, and that, as they do, corresponding hierarchical representations of the categorized stimuli emerge in patterns of neural activation in the dorsal striatum and in posterior frontal and parietal cortex. Participants learned to categorize novel visual objects into a hierarchy with superordinate and subordinate levels based on the objects' shape features, without having been told the categorization rules for doing so. On each trial, participants were asked to report the category and subcategory of the object, after which they received feedback about the correctness of their categorization responses. Participants trained over the course of a one‐hour‐long session while their brain activation was measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Over the course of training, significant hierarchy learning took place as participants discovered the nested categorization rules, as evidenced by the occurrence of a learning trial, after which performance suddenly increased. This learning was associated with increased representational strength of the newly acquired hierarchical rules in a corticostriatal network including the posterior frontal and parietal cortex and the dorsal striatum. We also found evidence suggesting that reinforcement learning in the dorsal striatum contributed to hierarchical rule learning.