bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Recent Development on the Determination of Allergens in Food
Authors: Nitride C. , Ferranti P. , D'Auria G. , Monaci L. , Pilolli R.
Published: June 2024

Risk assessment of unintended food allergens, contaminants in the food production chain, relies on the availability of analytical methods capable of providing accurate measurements. DNA‐ and immune‐based assays are first action methods providing within a short time frame information about the measurand, expressed as milligrams of total protein of the allergenic ingredient per kilogram of food product. On the other hand,
isotope dilution mass spectrometry
(
IDMS
) serves as a confirmatory method by providing peptide absolute quantification with a small measurement uncertainty, achieved by removing instrumental fluctuations. This analytical approach is a step forward to metrological traceable methods for food allergen analysis. All the detection methods can measure DNA, single peptides, or proteins, while the allergenic consumer protection and the action levels to support the quantitative risk assessments are based on the total mass of the allergenic food proteins. This article provides an overview of the analytical methods to be used in the frame of food allergen detection with a focus on methodological advancement.
Euthyphro Dilemma
Authors: Miller Christian
Published: June 2024

The Euthyphro dilemma is named after a particular exchange between Socrates and Euthyphro in Plato's dialogue
Euthyphro
. In a famous passage, Socrates asks, “Is the pious loved by the gods because it is pious, or is it pious because it is loved by the gods?” He proceeds to advance arguments that clearly favor the first of these two options. The primary interest in the Euthyphro dilemma over the years, however, has concerned the relationship between God and morality in the monotheistic religious tradition, where God is taken to be omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent, having created the universe initially and still actively involved in it today. But there has also been a recent surge of interest in a version of the dilemma that applies to so‐called response‐dependent accounts of normative properties in metaethics.
Internet Ethics
Authors: Matthews Steve
Published: June 2024

Ethically, what happens when our social, political, and commercial activities transfer to the virtual environment? In such an environment self‐presentations and interpersonal engagement are subject to digital filters, new forms of anonymity are enabled, and the nature of accountability and trust must be reimagined. The Internet presents us with a dual‐use problem – in which the same technology can be used for harm and for good – as well as a problem in which online and offline practices intersect, thereby creating novel ethical difficulties. The incremental evolution of the new online normativity means that agents online easily lose sight of what is morally at stake in how they act there, as well as how they may be targeted. These considerations provide the framework used in this entry for analyzing many of the most recent ethical problems and issues. These include (a) persuasive technologies, such as microtargeting, e‐nudges, digital choice architecture, and gamification; (b) cyberhate, including such categories as trolling or flaming; (c) online scams, including phishing, lottery scams, or romance scams; (d) virtuality, which raises a dilemma for deciding what is harmful, as well as questions concerning the genuineness of online relationships and identity; (e) information control and flow, with issues for Internet freedom versus censorship, surveillance, cybersecurity, and cyberwar; and (f) digital attacks on democracy, especially algorithmic manipulation of data feeds.
Comparative Religious Ethics
Authors: Stalnaker Aaron
Published: June 2024

Comparative religious ethics is a mature subfield of ethics that interprets and compares particular ethical visions, in pursuit of various critical, constructive, and theoretical goals. Work in this field seeks better understanding of general ideas, themes, and traditions, as well as specific figures and issues, and draws on a much wider range of sources than is typical for current theorizing and criticism. This entry outlines and analyzes the field, gives a brief history of comparative religious ethics, discusses strengths and weaknesses of different strategies of comparison, and closes with a discussion of descriptive and normative goals in the field.
Impartiality
Authors: Cullity Garrett
Published: June 2024

Impartiality is primarily a feature of deliberation: the feature it has when it is not unduly influenced by the deliberator's own interests, preferences, or loyalties. Relatedly, it can be a feature of judgment (especially judgment concerning goodness and badness); it can also be ascribed to the point of view that is adopted in deliberating or judging impartially, and to persons who adopt that point of view. This gives rise to several different projects in moral philosophy, offering different explanations of the relationship between morality and impartiality.
Value, Fitting‐Attitude Account of
Authors: Rabinowicz Wlodek
Published: June 2024

According to an influential tradition in value analysis,to be valuable is to be a fitting object of a pro‐attitude– a fitting object of favoring. If it is fitting to favor an object for its own sake, then the object has final value. If it is fitting to favor it for the sake of its effects or for the sake of some whole of which it is a part, then its value is, respectively, instrumental or contributive. Analogously,disvalue is connected to fitting disfavoring; that is, to fitting con‐attitudes. Apart from the linkage between value and attitudes, what is distinctive for this approach is its reduction of the evaluative to the deontic: an object's value is explicated in terms of the stance thatoughtto be taken toward the object. That it is fitting to have a pro‐attitude, that there are reasons to have it, or that the attitude is appropriate, required, or called for, are different ways of expressing the deontic component in fitting attitude (FA) analysis. On some versions, the FA‐account is meant to be a conceptual analysis; on other versions, it is a metaphysical account of the nature of value or goodness.
Cognitivism
Authors: Strandberg Caj
Published: June 2024

According to cognitivism, moral sentences like “Stealing is wrong” or “She is a typical good person” function to convey facts about the world, which means that they can be true or false in the same manner as ordinary fact‐stating sentences. Whether cognitivism is correct or not is considered to be one of the main issues in metaethics, since it has implications for a number of central issues in moral philosophy, such as the possibility of moral truths, the existence of moral properties, the objectivity of morality, the nature of moral disagreement, and the connection between moral language and attitudes. Cognitivism is primarily debated in analytic philosophy, although related issues are discussed by classical philosophers and philosophers within other traditions.
Maimonides, Moses
Authors: Diamond James A.
Published: June 2024

Moses Maimonides (1138–1204) is arguably the most seminal thinker to have emerged throughout the course of Jewish intellectual history. Virtually every current of Jewish thought intersects in his written legacy, be it philosophy, theology, biblical exegesis, rabbinics, or jurisprudence. He was born in Cordoba, Spain, and, after frenetic peregrinations caused by Almohadic Islamic extremism, ended in old Cairo (Fustat), Egypt, a somewhat more tolerant environment, where he led an active and exhausting career as community head, physician, rabbinic decisor, and writer of much of his literary corpus that remains with us today. That corpus embraces a wide spectrum of Jewish thought; although there is no tract dedicated exclusively to ethics and ethical theory, it was a subject that preoccupied him, as evidenced by its treatment in practically every genre of thought he engaged. Of paramount importance to understanding, or reconstructing, his ethical theory is his own religious faith and tradition. While a prominent exponent of medieval Jewish rationalism, he was also a devout rabbinic Jew, thoroughly committed to Judaism's combined foundational canon of the Old Testament and classical rabbinic literature. Any account of his ethical theory must take into consideration his dedication to Jewish law as refracted through the rabbinic lens, and cannot be divorced from his conceptions of God and revelation as the sources of the normative Jewish apparatus to which he remained dedicated.
Ancillary‐Care Obligations
Authors: Richardson Henry S.
Published: June 2024

Ancillary‐care obligations are a type of special obligation of beneficence that arise in the context of focused, special relationships – fleeting or established, professional or informal – between people. They arise in a way that is incidental or ancillary in relation to the purposes of those interacting, and hence will often constitute special obligations – obligations owed to particular others – that the interacting individuals did not intend to incur. Ancillary‐care obligations arise in two main situations: (a) that of two people who informally fall into a relationship with one another that is not yet a friendship or other obligation‐creating relationship, and yet may contingently generate obligations ancillary to the relationship; and (b) that of relationships between professionals (such as journalists, public health officials, and medical researcher teams) and those with whom they must professionally interact when the interaction incidentally reveals that those they are interacting with have important needs – perhaps urgent ones. Theorizing about ancillary‐care obligations is most advanced in the context of medical research ethics. In that context, where the general (not special) obligation of rescue is widely recognized as a minimum baseline, competing theories are offered of the special, ancillary‐care obligations that go beyond that. To ground these obligations, current theories appeal either to the nature of the relationship between the interacting parties or to the fact that the obligation‐holders had gained special permission to obtain personal (e.g., medical) information from the others. The possibility of synthesizing these two types of theory has also been floated.
Patents
Authors: Ashcroft Richard E.
Published: June 2024

A patent is a legal instrument conferring upon the inventor a temporary limited monopoly on the use of an invention. Patents are a form of intellectual property right. In most advanced economies, the application for grant of a patent is subject to a process of examination to determine whether the application has merit and meets the defined requirements for grant of a patent. These may vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, but the essential elements are as follows: (a) the invention must be
clearly described
, and that description
lodged publicly
so that it may be inspected by any interested party; (b) the application must establish that the invention is
novel
; (c) it must involve an
inventive step
; (d) it must be capable of
industrial application
; (e) it must involve patentable subject matter; and (f) the disclosure must be
clear and complete
.
Crystalline Metal–Organic Framework Coatings Engineered via Metal–Phenolic Network Interfaces
Authors: Wang Tianzheng , Lin Zhixing , Mazaheri Omid , Chen Jingqu , Xu Wanjun , Pan Shuaijun , Kim Chan‐Jin , Zhou Jiajing , Richardson Joseph J. , Caruso Frank
Published: June 2024

Crystalline metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have garnered extensive attention owing to their highly ordered porous structure and physicochemical properties. However, their practical application often requires their integration with various substrates, which is challenging because of their weakly adhesive nature and the diversity of substrates that exhibit different properties. Herein, we report the use of amorphous metal–phenolic network coatings to facilitate the growth of crystalline MOF coatings on various particle and planar substrates. Crystalline MOFs with different metal ions and morphologies were successfully deposited on substrates (13 types) of varying sizes, shapes, and surface chemistries. Furthermore, the physicochemical properties of the coated crystalline MOFs (e.g., composition, thickness) could be tuned using different synthesis conditions. The engineered MOF‐coated membranes demonstrated excellent liquid and gas separation performance, exhibiting a high H2 permeance of 63200 GPU and a H2/CH4 selectivity of 10.19, likely attributable to the thin nature of the coating (~180 nm). Considering the vast array of MOFs available (>90,000) and the diversity of substrates, this work is expected to pave the way for creating a wide range of MOF composites and coatings with potential applications in diverse fields.
Pendant Proton‐Relays Systematically Tune the Rate and Selectivity of Electrocatalytic Ammonia Generation in a Fe‐Porphyrin Based Metal–Organic Framework
Authors: Ghatak Arnab , Shanker G. Shiva , Sappati Subrahmanyam , Liberman Itamar , Shimoni Ran , Hod Idan
Published: June 2024

Electrocatalytic nitrite reduction (eNO2RR) is a promising alternative route to produce ammonia (NH3). Until now, several molecular catalysts have shown capability to homogeneously reduce nitrite to NH3, while taking advantage of added secondary‐sphere functionalities to direct catalytic performance. Yet, realizing such control over heterogeneous electrocatalytic surfaces remains a challenge. Herein, we demonstrate that heterogenization of a Fe‐porphyrin molecular catalyst within a 2D Metal–Organic Framework (MOF), allows efficient eNO2RR to NH3. On top of that, installation of pendant proton relaying moieties proximal to the catalytic site, resulted in significant improvement in catalytic activity and selectivity. Notably, systematic manipulation of NH3 faradaic efficiency (up to 90 %) and partial current (5‐fold increase) was achieved by varying the proton relay‐to‐catalyst molar ratio. Electrochemical and spectroscopic analysis show that the proton relays simultaneously aid in generating and stabilizing of reactive Fe‐bound NO intermediate. Thus, this concept offers new molecular tools to tune heterogeneous electrocatalytic systems.
A resonance sonorheometry guided dose reduction of plasma transfusion in repetitive hip surgery in a patient with a severe factor XI deficiency: a case report
Authors: Supthut H. , Peck P. , Hertenstein B. , Delle C. , Winterhalter M.
Published: June 2024

Factor XI deficiency is a rare disorder with an unpredictable bleeding tendency. Here, we report the successful use of the sonic estimation of elasticity via resonance sonorheometry for guiding the management of haemostasis in a patient with a severe factor XI deficiency in repeated revision hip surgeries. Regardless of an administration of fresh frozen plasma, a significant haemorrhage occurred at the first of three hip surgeries. The repeat application of fresh frozen plasma normalised the prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time and the resonance sonorheometry clot time values; the factor XI activity increased to a sufficient level. No significant bleeding occurred in the second and third hip surgery. Using a resonance sonorheometry guided approach in haemostasis management has the potential to improve safety for patients with factor XI deficiency undergoing surgery by ensuring sufficient clotting and preventing side effects.
Kinship assessment and insights into reproductive behaviour of the Critically Endangered green sawfish Pristis zijsron in Western Australia
Authors: Ingelbrecht Jack , Lear Karissa O. , Phillips Nicole M. , Wueringer Barbara E. , Lymbery Alan J. , Norman Bradley M. , Morgan David L.
Published: June 2024

In this study, single nucleotide polymorphisms were used to investigate kinship and philopatry for the Critically Endangered green sawfish, Pristis zijsron, in Western Australia.

Sampling was conducted in an important nursery area: the Ashburton River estuary and adjacent tidal creeks. Kinship was inferred from the genotypes of 104 sawfish sampled between 2011 and 2014 (n = 31), and 2020 and 2022 (n = 73).

The total number of dams contributing across all sites and time periods was estimated to be between 50 and 56.

Fifty‐two full sibling dyads, 90 half sibling dyads and 72 third‐degree dyads were detected, involving 58, 67, and 46 P. zijsron, respectively. Of these, 34 half sibling dyads were related maternally and 56 related paternally, including multiple maternal and paternal half siblings pupped in different years, suggesting both female and male philopatry. Catch data indicated that two groups of maternal half siblings were littermates, demonstrating multiple paternity. A high degree of relatedness was found across the study area, with 88% of P. zijsron related to at least one other individual up to the third‐degree.

Evidence for female philopatry in P. zijsron highlights the importance of protecting nursery areas for this species. The occurrence of philopatric behaviour in male and female P. zijsron suggests that dispersal might be limited in both sexes of this species, highlighting the need to investigate the amount of genetic diversity and incidence of inbreeding within remaining populations.
Three autism subtypes based on single‐subject gray matter network revealed by semi‐supervised machine learning
Authors: Xu Guomei , Geng Guohong , Wang Ankang , Li Zhangyong , Liu Zhichao , Liu Yanping , Hu Jun , Wang Wei , Li Xinwei
Published: June 2024

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous, early‐onset neurodevelopmental condition characterized by persistent impairments in social interaction and communication. This study aims to delineate ASD subtypes based on individual gray matter brain networks and provide new insights from a graph theory perspective. In this study, we extracted and normalized single‐subject gray matter networks and calculated each network's topological properties. The heterogeneity through discriminative analysis (HYDRA) method was utilized to subtype all patients based on network properties. Next, we explored the differences among ASD subtypes in terms of network properties and clinical measures. Our investigation identified three distinct ASD subtypes. In the case–control study, these subtypes exhibited significant differences, particularly in the precentral gyrus, lingual gyrus, and middle frontal gyrus. In the case analysis, significant differences in global and nodal properties were observed between any two subtypes. Clinically, subtype 1 showed lower VIQ and PIQ compared to subtype 3, but exhibited higher scores in ADOS‐Communication and ADOS‐Total compared to subtype 2. The results highlight the distinct brain network properties and behaviors among different subtypes of male patients with ASD, providing valuable insights into the neural mechanisms underlying ASD heterogeneity.
Beyond the heart: Cognitive and verbal outcomes in Arab children with congenital heart diseases
Authors: Dardas Latefa Ali , Al‐Ammouri Iyad , Sweis Sami , Eid Ahmad , Abid Mohammad , Pan Wei
Published: June 2024

Background

This study investigates how congenital heart diseases (CHD) characteristics and interventions affect cognitive and verbal skills in Arab children, while also uncovering previously unexplored connections between these skills and the quality of life (QoL) scores as perceived by both children and parents.

Methods

A cross‐sectional study was conducted in Jordan, involving 62 children with CHD aged 6–16. Data were collected through standardized intelligence tests (namely The Raven's Progressive Matrices Test and The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children) and QoL assessments.

Results

Sex, disease severity, cyanosis, CHD defect status, conducted operations, and types of interventions did not significantly influence cognitive scores. However, a significant difference was observed in Wechsler's scores between cyanotic and non‐cyanotic children (p < .01) and between severe and moderate cases (p = .01). Further, a significant positive correlation was identified between Wechsler's Scores and QoL reported by parents (r = 0.33, p < .01). This correlation was particularly pronounced in the social and school functioning dimensions of QoL.

Conclusions

This study highlights the need for personalized care approaches for children with CHDs based on their individual characteristics. While cognitive abilities did not directly correlate with children's QoL reports, a significant positive correlation between verbal skills and QoL reported by parents underscores the importance of effective communication in assessing a child's overall well‐being. Future research should further examine the cognitive development in this population, employing neurocognitive investigations and longitudinal studies to gain a deeper understanding of their cognitive profiles and trajectories.
Trust in unions drives egalitarianism: Longitudinal evidence
Authors: García‐Castro Juan Diego , Venegas Márquez Martin , Pérez‐Ahumada Pablo
Published: June 2024

Despite the fundamental role of unions in reducing economic inequality, social psychology still needs to incorporate the systematic study of unions concerning the contemporary theories of intergroup inequality. In this study, we do so by testing the reciprocal relationship between trust in unions and social‐dominance orientation egalitarianism (SDO‐E) over time. Using data from the Longitudinal Social Survey of Chile, which is a panel study with a representative sample of urban areas, we carried out a Random Intercept Cross‐Lagged Panel Model with four waves (2016–2019, N = 2972–2153). We controlled the main effect by sex, age, political ideology and educational level. The results show a positive relationship between SDO‐E and trust in unions within and between levels. This means that people who trust in unions also tend to have higher SDO‐E (between effect), and an intraindividual increase in trust in labour unions tends to be followed by an increase in SDO‐E (within effect). Trusting unions as an institution that promotes the hierarchy reduction between workers and employers helps increase people's SDO‐E over time. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement.
Precisely Prelithiated Polyacrylic Acid Binder Improving Electrochemical Performance of Micron‐Sized Silicon Anodes for Lithium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Zhu Run , Liu Siyuan , Li Tongtao , Yang Dong
Published: June 2024

Silicon, serving as an anode material of Li‐ion batteries, offers a theoretical capacity significantly higher than graphite, but its practical application is hindered by poor conductivity, low lithium ion diffusivity, and severe volumetric expansion. Here, a simple and eco‐friendly methodology is proposed to synthesize precisely prelithiated polyacrylic acid binder, optimizing the interface between the binder and micron Si particles. The incorporation of these binders not only mitigates the detrimental effects of volumetric expansion but also enhances mechanical strength, and ionic conductivity of the anode, significantly improving the initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE), cycling stability, and rate performance of micron‐sized Si anodes. This study not only highlights the potential of prelithiated binders in overcoming the limitations of micron‐sized Si anodes but also sets a new benchmark for the development of high‐capacity, eco‐friendly Li‐ion batteries.
Minimum Spanning Tree‐Based Clustering for Chemical Evaluation of Commercial Nail Polish Samples Using Spectroanalytical Data
Authors: Castello Heloisa Froehlick , Silva Felipe Lopes Rodrigues , Ferreira Dennis Silva , Levada Alexandre Luis Magalhães , Pereira‐Filho Edenir Rodrigues , Manhas Verbi Pereira Fabiola
Published: June 2024

This study discusses potential toxic elements detection in conventional nail polish, including Cr and Pb. The noteworthy results highlight well‐established potential risks of elevated Cr and Pb concentrations. These elements are not allowed in the European Union. Implementing the minimum spanning tree (MST) approach and the isolation forest algorithm effectively clustered samples. Forty‐five samples were analyzed, and four clusters were identified. Two presented six samples with high concentrations of Fe (Cluster 1 with four samples) and Cr and Pb (Cluster 2 with two samples). The other 39 samples presented low concentrations of the determined elements (Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, and Pb). Cadmium, Zn, and Mn were not detected in any of the analyzed samples. Furthermore, integrating energy‐dispersive x‐ray fluorescence (ED‐XRF) and laser‐induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) enabled fast direct analysis of nail polish samples, streamlining a swift and reliable data acquisition process. This research underscores the importance of ongoing vigilance and monitoring of potential health hazards associated with nail polish formulations, especially in regions with regulatory restrictions on certain elements.
Strategies for the Development of Asymmetric and Non‐Directed Petasis Reactions
Authors: Gonzalez Kevin J. , Cerione Chloe , Stoltz Brian M.
Published: June 2024

The Petasis reaction is a multicomponent reaction of aldehydes, amines and organoboron reagents and is a useful method for the construction of substituted amines. Despite the significant advancement of the Petasis reaction since its invention in 1993, strategies for asymmetric and non‐directed Petasis reactions remain limited. To date, there are very few catalytic asymmetric Petasis reactions and almost all asymmetric reports employ a chiral auxiliary. Likewise, the aldehyde component often requires a directing group, ultimately limiting the reaction's scope. In this Concept, key methods for asymmetric and non‐directed Petasis reactions are discussed, focusing on how these conceptual advances can be applied to solve long‐standing gaps in the Petasis literature.
Axonemal tubules in the distal sperm tail of Wolbachia‐infected Drosophila simulans males contain ring‐like intraluminal structures that persist after axoneme fragmentation
Authors: Pratelli Ambra , Riparbelli Maria Giovanna , Callaini Giuliano
Published: June 2024

Wolbachia are obligate intracellular alphaproteobacteria that enhance their spreading by altering the reproductive mechanisms of several invertebrates. Among the reproductive alterations, Wolbachia also causes cytoplasmic incompatibility that leads to embryo death when infected males are crossed with uninfected females, thus selecting infected females. However, the presence of Wolbachia has important fitness costs and infected Drosophila simulans males produce less sperm than their uninfected counterparts. Such sperm suffer, indeed, of some structural alterations that hinder their proper function. We took advantage of the fact that several sperm have abnormal distal regions of the tail, in which the plasma membrane is broken and the axonemal components splayed, making the ultrastructural aspects clearly observable. We found that axoneme reduction in the distal region of the sperm does not follow a unique pattern as observed in other insects, but occurs by losing accessory tubules or peripheral doublets. The axonemal tubules contain distinct coaxial ring‐like structures that are still observed after axoneme fragmentation and form large clusters of several units.
Hydrogen production from chemical hydrogen storage materials over copper‐based catalysts
Authors: Long Jian‐Jun , Wu Hao‐Chong , Liu Yuan‐Ting , Ding Yi‐Yue , Yao Qi‐Lu , Metin Onder , Lu Zhang‐Hui
Published: June 2024

Hydrogen, as a clean and efficient energy source, is one of the important energy carriers in the future. However, the safe storage and delivery of hydrogen is still a bottleneck in its practical applications. Chemical hydrides (such as NaBH4, NH3BH3, N2H4·H2O, N2H4BH3, and HCOOH) are considered as potential chemical hydrogen storage materials that can achieve rapid on‐site hydrogen production. At present, the most critical issue for them is to develop economic catalysts to achieve efficient hydrogen production from chemical hydrides. Copper (Cu) is considered as a promising catalyst that is one of the most reactive metals among the first‐row transition metals and economically cheap. In this review, we outline the recent advancements of Cu‐based catalysts in catalyzing hydrogen production from chemical hydrides. Moreover, the synthesis methods, characterization techniques, and hydrogen production catalytic activity of Cu‐based catalysts were also introduced. Finally, a brief conclusion and outlook are given for the application of Cu‐based catalysts in the dehydrogenation of chemical hydrides. We hope that this review will stimulate interest in the promising research area of Cu‐based catalysts for the dehydrogenation of chemical hydrides.
Copper‐based nanocatalysts toward chemoselective hydrogenation reaction
Authors: Guo Hui , Pei Ling‐Jun , Xie Shao‐Lei , Shen Meng‐Qi , Yang Yong , Liu Hu
Published: June 2024

Cu‐based catalysts are widely used in various heterogeneous catalytic reaction systems, the precise control of their electronic structure is an intrinsic requirement for the rational design of metal catalysts, and it is also an important basis for clarifying their structure‐activity relationships. Changing the electronic structure of Cu‐based catalysts is an important way to improve the catalytic hydrogenation performance of Cu‐based catalysts by controlling the adsorption intensity between the reaction adsorbate and the active center. In this paper, the application of selective hydrogenation of Cu‐based catalysts is reviewed, with a special emphasis on the selective catalytic hydrogenation reduction of p‐nitrostyrene and CO2. This review particularly emphasizes the application of Cu‐based catalysts in the field of selective hydrogenation and discusses the influence of their different properties on selective hydrogenation performance.
The protective effect of vitamin D on ovarian reserve and anti‐mullerian hormone in patients undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer, a randomized phase ΙΙ clinical trial
Authors: Dastmardi Zahra , Lashkari Marzieh , Saeedian Arefeh , Aghili Mahdi , Alipour Sadaf
Published: June 2024

Background

Reduced ovarian reserve is among the crucial long‐term side effects of using chemotherapy agents in breast cancer, yielding early ovarian failure. On the other hand, vitamin D is an essential factor in protecting the follicles and an important predictive factor for successful IVF therapy.

Aim

The aim of this study is evaluation of vitamin D as a agent that can reduce fertility complications of chemotherapy specially in young women.

Methods

Breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy at two cancer institutes were enrolled in this study. The case group received 1000 IU of calcitriol, and the AMH level was measured at the baseline, after chemotherapy, and six months after chemotherapy. The primary end point was improvement in the AMH level after six months of chemotherapy. the secondary endpoint was to evaluate the predictive factors of AMH level decline during chemotherapy.

Results

Between 2018 and 2019, 18 and 15 patients were enrolled in the case and control groups, respectively. The mean AMH level (ngr/ml) of the patients in the case and control group were 3.16 and 2.37 ng/mL, respectively (p‐value = .16). These levels were 0.387 and 0.19 after six months (p‐value = .38). The AMH rise immediately after chemotherapy cycles to six months after chemotherapy, in the case and control groups were 0.86 and 0.44 ng/mL, respectively, which was slightly higher in the case group but not statistically significant between two groups (p‐value = .054).

Conclusion

Despite a minimal rise in the AMH level after six months of chemotherapy, the study could not demonstrate any protective effect of vitamin D on patients' ovarian reserve undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer. Further larger studies are needed to evaluate the effect of vitamin D supplements on ovarian reserve beside optimal dose and duration.
Photoluminescence Quenching Upon Growth of Metal Nanoparticles: Quantum‐Mechanical Views
Authors: Gangopadhyay P.
Published: June 2024

In dictating the optical processes in metal nanoparticles, for instance, quantum nature of free electrons is significantly dominant and plays very crucial roles at the level of nanoscale dimensions of materials. As consequences of the quantum‐confinement effects on the conduction electrons, surface‐plasmon resonance induced optical absorption and light emission properties of metal nanoparticles are found to be strongly dependent on physical dimensions of the nanomaterials. In addition, surface‐confined acoustic vibration (phonon) modes have been experimentally observed to depend on the sizes of the metal nanoparticles. Also, interestingly, tuning of the surface‐plasmon resonance condition is found to enhance the intensity of the acoustic Raman modes in metal nanoparticles. The study highlights the role of plasmon‐phonon coupling in Co metal nanoparticles embedded in a silica‐glass. In the research field of nanosciences and nanotechnologies, extraordinary behaviour and properties of nanoscale matters are investigated. In this context, interesting studies have been discussed in this review article to elaborate optical, chemical and photoluminescence properties of nanoscale Ag metal particles. Subtle detection of optical phenomena associated with the excited many‐body electronic processes in the metal nanoparticles, for example, are very interesting but definitely challenging. Here we make an attempt to find out how the thermal growth of Ag metal nanoparticles in a glass matrix snuffs out the light emission from the samples? Quantum mechanical interpretations of the underlying processes about the quenching of photoluminescence phenomena with the growth of the metal nanoparticles will help to fine tune the optical properties of plasmonic systems as well as to harness potential applications of the nanomaterials.
Metal‐Organic Frameworks for Dual Photo‐Oxidation and Capture of Arsenic from Water
Authors: G‐Saiz Paula , Gonzalez Navarrete Bárbara , Dutta Subhajit , Vidal Martín Elvira , Reizabal Ander , Oyarzabal Itziar , Wuttke Stefan , Lanceros‐Méndez Senentxu , Rosales Maibelin , García Andreina , Fernández de Luis Roberto
Published: June 2024

Despite rapid technological progress, heavy metal water pollution, and particularly arsenic contamination, remains a significant global challenge. In addition, the stabilization of trivalent arsenic as neutral arsenite (AsIII) species hinders its removal by conventional sorbents. While adsorption of anionic arsenate (AsV) species is in principle more feasible, there are only few adsorbents capable of adsorbing both forms of arsenic. In this work, we explore the potential of two well‐known families of Metal‐Organic Frameworks (MOFs), UiO‐66 and MIL‐125, to simultaneously adsorb and photo‐oxidize arsenic species from water. Our results demonstrate that the formation of AsV ions upon light irradiation promotes the subsequent adsorption of AsIII species. Thus, we propose the combined utilization of photocatalysis and adsorption with Metal‐Organic Framework photocatalysts for water remediation purposes.
Distributed video transmission reduction approach for energy saving in WMSNs
Authors: Abbood Iman Kadhum , Idrees Ali Kadhum
Published: June 2024

Wireless Multimedia Sensor Networks (WMSNs) are composed of a large number of sensor nodes that are distributed in a region to collect and transmit data. Video transmission is one of the most important applications of WMSNs because it can provide critical information about monitored areas. WMSNs face challenges related to energy consumption, bandwidth usage, and network congestion related to huge amounts of data collected by sensors. To tackle this problem, this paper proposes the Distributed Video Transmission Reduction Approach for Energy Saving in WMSN (DiViTRA). The method involves two phases: sensing and transmission phases. DiViTRA achieves frame rate adaptation to reduce the number of captured video frames and save energy during the sensing phase. In the transmission phase, three effective techniques, ORB (Oriented FAST and Rotated BRIEF), Brute‐Force (BF) Matcher, and Grid‐based Motion Statistics (GMS) are applied to decide whether to transmit the current captured frame or remove it and adjust the frame capturing rate of the video sensor accordingly. In the case of frame transmission, the DiViTRA approach compresses the frame using two data reduction approaches: PCA (Principal Component Analysis) and Huffman encoding. Through simulations, DiViTRA demonstrates a 12% reduction in energy consumption, and 71% is a ratio of reduction in sent frames while preserving stream quality. The approach has been validated in scenarios involving critical events, showcasing its efficacy in maintaining data integrity during transmission.
Acute atrazine intoxication in heifers: Case report and toxicological studies
Authors: Marron Yolanda M. , De Gerónimo Eduardo , Poo Juan I. , García Juan A. , Rustichelli Millán Gina , Britos Gastón E. , Lázaro Fermín , Cantón Germán J.
Published: June 2024

Atrazine is a triazine organochloride herbicide, frequently used in different agricultural activities. Rare acute intoxication with atrazine is reported in production animals, and its metabolism in mammals is unknown. We report a spontaneous case of atrazine acute intoxication in 16.1% animals of a 168‐beef heifer herd exposed to the herbicide at a farm located in Buenos Aires province, Argentina. Affected heifers showed different neurological signs and died suddenly, similar to the previous natural atrazine intoxication report. During autopsy, no gross lesions were observed. Different body fluids and tissues samples were collected during postmortem examination. No relevant histopathological findings were observed. High levels of atrazine and its metabolites were detected in different fluids and tissues by ultra‐liquid chromatography high performance coupled to triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. These findings suggest ruminal or hepatic metabolization of atrazine in the exposed cattle. This is the first report of quantification and distribution of atrazine and its metabolites in intoxicated mammals providing relevant information for diagnostic purposes.
Increasing disturbance frequency undermines coral reef recovery
Authors: Emslie Michael J. , Logan Murray , Bray Peran , Ceccarelli Daniela M. , Cheal Alistair J. , Hughes Terry P. , Johns Kerryn A. , Jonker Michelle J. , Kennedy Emma V. , Kerry James T. , Mellin Camille , Miller Ian R. , Osborne Kate , Puotinen Marji , Sinclair‐Taylor Tane , Sweatman Hugh
Published: June 2024

Climate‐driven alterations to disturbance regimes are increasingly disrupting patterns of recovery in many biomes. Here, we examine the impact of disturbance and subsequent level of recovery in live hard coral cover on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) across the last three decades. We demonstrate that a preexisting pattern of infrequent disturbances of limited spatial extent has changed to larger and more frequent disturbances, dominated by marine heatwaves and severe tropical cyclones. We detected an increase in the impact (measured as coral loss) across 265 individual disturbance impacts on 131 reefs in a 36‐year dataset (1985–2022). Additionally, the number of survey reefs impacted by disturbance has increased each decade from 6% in the 1980s to 44% in the 2010s, as has the frequency of mass coral bleaching across the GBR, which has increased between 19% and 28% per year, and cyclones (3%–5% per year), resulting in less time for recovery. Of the 265 disturbance impacts we recorded, complete recovery to the highest levels of coral cover recorded earlier in this study (the “historical benchmark”) occurred only 62 (23%) times. Of the 23% of disturbance impacts that resulted in complete recovery to historical benchmarks, 34/62 recovered to their benchmark in 2021 or 2022. Complete recovery was more likely when the historical benchmark was <25% live hard coral cover. The lack of recovery was attributed to recovery time windows becoming shorter due to increases in the frequency of cyclones and of thermal stress events that result in mass coral bleaching episodes. These results confirm that climate change is contributing to ecosystem‐wide changes in the ability of coral reefs to recover.
Dead mammal walking: A month‐long march by a bison (Bison bison) after an ungulate–vehicle collision
Authors: Jung Thomas S. , Lewis Christopher J. , Miller Hannah A. , Kuba Kazuhisa , Thacker Caeley
Published: June 2024

Globally, ungulate–vehicle collisions (UVCs) are a major human safety concern and may also represent a significant source of mortality for some ungulate populations. However, records of UVC based on counts of roadside carcasses or reports by drivers involved in these incidents are assuredly underestimated because not all ungulates struck die immediately or at the roadside or are reported by drivers or authorities. Here, we provide an observation and analysis of the movements of a GPS‐collared bison (Bison bison) that was involved in a UVC on the Alaska Highway and died in a thick boreal forest 29 days later. During that time, she moved 49.7 km from where she was hit. Her daily movement rate (in kilometers per hour) and daily net displacement (in kilometers per day) were significantly greater in the 29‐day period before she was struck compared with 29 days afterward. This vivid example illustrates that individuals injured in a UVC can die several weeks later and at a considerable distance from where they were initially struck. Moreover, when they eventually die, it may be where their carcass would not be found or associated with a UVC. Bison are the largest land mammal in North America and perhaps more robust to some lower impact UVC than smaller bodied species. Even so, if not for the GPS collar on this bison, we would have never known the fate of this individual, and the carcass likely never found. Taken together, the movements and final resting place of this bison illuminate how estimates of mortality as a result of UVC can be underestimated when the animal does not die immediately and in a location where it can be found. Given our data, we further urge managers to consider roadside counts of animals killed in UVC as a minimum estimate when considering options for mitigation.
Circulating brain‐derived neurotrophic factor levels and heart failure: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Behnoush Amir Hossein , Khalaji Amirmohammad , Fazlollahpour‐Naghibi Andarz , Bagheri Kimia , Goshtasbi Parmis , Mohseni Ghazal , El Kanty Aouatif Erasmia , Vinciguerra Caterina , Cannavo Alessandro
Published: June 2024

Aims

Biomarkers are paramount for managing heart failure (HF) patients as prognostic and therapeutic efficacy index tools. Systemic levels of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) can add to the HF biomarker scenario, allowing for potentiated efficacy in diagnosis, prognostic stratification, and prediction of patient response to a given therapeutic intervention because BDNF is one of the primary rulers of myocardial function. Yet, whether BDNF is a reliable clinical biomarker awaits clinical validation. Hence, we aimed to answer this relevant question via a systematic review and meta‐analysis of existing studies.

Methods and results

International databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and the Web of Science, were comprehensively searched for studies assessing BDNF levels in patients with HF versus non‐HF controls or as a prognostic factor for HF complications. Data were extracted and analysed by random‐effect meta‐analysis. Standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed to pool the results of studies. We included 11 studies in the final review, among which six underwent meta‐analysis. These studies analysed 1420 HF patients, with a mean age of 65.4 ± 11.2 years. Meta‐analysis revealed that patients with HF had significantly lower circulating BDNF levels than healthy controls (SMD −2.47, 95% CI −4.39 to −0.54, P‐value = 0.01). Moreover, patients with higher New York Heart Association functional classification had lower levels of BDNF. Adverse clinical outcomes such as all‐cause mortality and HF rehospitalization were also associated with lower levels of BDNF in individual studies.

Conclusions

BDNF levels are decreased in patients with HF. Most importantly, we observed an association between lower BDNF levels and poor prognosis in patients with HF. Our study supports BDNF as an easy‐to‐dose diagnostic and prognostic biomarker to be implemented in clinical practice for HF. Further studies are warranted to address this ability specifically.
Expansion of the National Amyloidosis Centre staging system to detect early mortality in transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis
Authors: Nitsche Christian , Ioannou Adam , Patel Rishi K. , Razvi Yousuf , Porcari Aldostefano , Rauf Muhammad U. , Bandera Francesco , Aimo Alberto , Emdin Michele , Martinez‐Naharro Ana , Venneri Lucia , Petrie Aviva , Wechalekar Ashutosh , Lachmann Helen , Hawkins Philip N. , Gillmore Julian D. , Fontana Marianna
Published: June 2024

Aims

Transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR‐CA) is stratified into prognostic categories using the National Amyloidosis Centre (NAC) staging system. The aims of this study were to further expand the existing NAC staging system to incorporate an additional disease stage that would identify patients at high risk of early mortality.

Methods and results

The traditional NAC staging system (stage 1: N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide [NT‐proBNP] ≤3000 ng/L and estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] ≥45 ml/min; stage 3: NT‐proBNP >3000 ng/L and eGFR <45 ml/min; stage 2: remainder) was expanded by the introduction of a new stage 4 (defined as NT‐proBNP ≥10 000 ng/L irrespective of eGFR) and studied in 2042 patients. The optimal NT‐proBNP cut‐point was established using time‐dependent receiver operating characteristic curves in the subgroup of patients with NAC stage 3 disease. Mortality at 1 year according to NAC stage was 2.3% (n = 20/886) for stage 1, 8.8% (n = 62/706) for stage 2, 10.4% (n = 28/270) for stage 3, and 30.6% (n = 55/180) for stage 4 (log‐rank p < 0.001). After adjustment for age, mortality hazard for stage 4 was >15‐fold higher than that of stage 1 (hazard ratio [HR] 15.5; 95% confidence interval [CI] 9.3–26.1) and >3‐fold higher than that of stage 3 (HR 3.4; 95% CI 2.2–5.4). The increased risk of early mortality was consistent across the different genotypes and subclasses of patients based on the severity of heart failure symptoms and echocardiographic parameters.

Conclusions

The proposed modification of the NAC staging system identifies patients with ATTR‐CA at a high risk of early mortality, who may benefit from a more intensive treatment strategy, and who are most likely to experience an event early in the course of a clinical trial.