bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A tight relationship between BOLD fMRI activation/deactivation and increase/decrease in single neuron responses in human association cortex
Authors: Laurent Marie-Alphée , Jacques Corentin , Yan Xiaoqian , Jurczynski Pauline , Colnat-Coulbois Sophie , Maillard Louis , Cam Steven Le , Ranta Radu , Cottereau Benoit R , Koessler Laurent , Jonas Jacques , Rossion Bruno
Published: February 2025

The relationship between Blood-Oxygen-Level-Dependent (BOLD) responses in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and increases or decreases in neural firing rate across human brain regions, especially the association cortex, remains largely unknown. Here, we contrast direct measures of neuronal activity in two adjacent brain regions of the fusiform gyrus (FG) associated with fMRI increases (lateral FG portion) or decreases (medial FG portion) of the same category-selective neural activity. In both individual brains tested across multiple recording sessions, a frequency-tagging stimulation objectively identified a substantial proportion (about 70%) of face-selective neurons. While single-units recorded in the lateral FG showed a selective increase to faces, neurons localized in the medial FG decreased spiking activity selectively to faces. Beyond a relative reduction to faces compared to non-face objects, about a third of single neurons found in the medial FG showed genuine suppression of baseline spiking activity upon presentation of a face. These observations clarify the nature of face-selective neural activity in the human brain, which can be expressed both as increases and active suppressions of spiking activity, and, more generally, shed light on the physiological basis of the fMRI signal.
Pain persists in mice lacking both Substance P and CGRPα signaling
Authors: MacDonald Donald Iain , Jayabalan Monessha , Seaman Jonathan , Balaji Rakshita , Nickolls Alec , Chesler Alexander
Published: February 2025

The neuropeptides Substance P and CGRPα have long been thought important for pain sensation. Both peptides and their receptors are expressed at high levels in pain-responsive neurons from the periphery to the brain making them attractive therapeutic targets. However, drugs targeting these pathways individually did not relieve pain in clinical trials. Since Substance P and CGRPα are extensively co-expressed we hypothesized that their simultaneous inhibition would be required for effective analgesia. We therefore generated Tac1 and Calca double knockout (DKO) mice and assessed their behavior using a wide range of pain-relevant assays. As expected, Substance P and CGRPα peptides were undetectable throughout the nervous system of DKO mice. To our surprise, these animals displayed largely intact responses to mechanical, thermal, chemical, and visceral pain stimuli, as well as itch. Moreover, chronic inflammatory pain and neurogenic inflammation were unaffected by loss of the two peptides. Finally, neuropathic pain evoked by nerve injury or chemotherapy treatment was also preserved in peptide-deficient mice. Thus, our results demonstrate that even in combination, Substance P and CGRPα are not required for the transmission of acute and chronic pain.
Searching for a common host: parasitoids of Lema daturaphila on Datura stramonium in Central Mexico
Authors: Villanueva-Hernández Carol Estefanía , Núñez-Farfán Juan
Published: February 2025

Background

Natural enemies of herbivore insects can change the arms race between plants and insects. Their presence and abundance even can affect the co-evolution of interacting species. The annual herb Datura stramonium varies geographically in the extent of its direct defenses against herbivores. Its main specialist herbivore, Lema daturaphila, is adapted to cope with these defenses, but little is known about its natural enemies. Here, we determined the presence and incidence of L. daturaphila parasitoids as an initial step to explore other ecological and evolutionary relationships in a tri-trophic context.

Methods

Field collections of L. daturaphila eggs and larvae were performed during the summers of 2018 and 2019 in eleven natural populations of D. stramonium in central Mexico. We recorded their development to evaluate the emergence of parasitoids and their relationship with the abundance of herbivore individuals and environmental variables in each locality.

Results

We found six parasitoid fly and wasp species that are new records for Mexico or the host. Throughout their distribution, the interaction varies widely among populations and years. In some localities, egg parasitoids dominate over larval parasitoids and vice versa, and they exert strong pressures on the survival of L. daturaphila’s populations. The abundance of Emersonella lemae, the egg parasitoid, is related to the clutch size of L. daturaphila and climatic conditions such as temperature, altitude, and precipitation. As an apparent defense strategy against parasitoid flies, larvae of L. daturaphila release their oral secretions, which contain alkaloids from D. stramonium. At a geographic scale, these findings change the scenario between the plant-herbivore interaction and open the field to explore the different selective pressures among populations.
Application of Artificial Neural Networks for Early Detection of Diabetes Mellitus: Insights from a Case Study in Kaura Namoda Nigeria
Authors: H Kabiru , A Buhari Shehu. , Kankara Idris Aliyu
Published: February 2025

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a chronic disorder which needs urgent attention. Detection of the disease from the grass root using patient risk factors is the key for early prevention of the disease. The aim of this paper is to use Artificial Neural Network (ANN) for early detection of DM.  Datasets were collected from past patient records of patients suffering from DM in General Hospital Kaura Namoda, Nigeria between 2019 to 2023. The hospital and region are selected because most of the cases of DM were reported in the hospital and the prevalence of the disease in the region is about 8% to 10%.  The datasets consists of two sample size of 400 patients each, the first sample dataset consist of 400 patients with demographic, clinical and lifestyle risk factors and second sample dataset consist of 400 patients with demographic, clinical, lifestyle and dietary risk factors. Backward stepwise feature selection method was employed to eliminate the least informative features and the method retained Six (6) risk factors for the first sample dataset age, family history of DM, blood glucose level, blood pressure level, body mass index, physical activity, and removes one risk factor sex. For the second sample dataset, the method  retained twelve (12) risk factors age, family history of DM, blood Glucose level, blood pressure, body mass index, physical activity, preference for sweet food, red meats, refined carbs, energy drinks, white rice, processed meat and remove sex  and preference for salty food. The results of the analysis showed that MLPNN model demonstrated high accuracy in detecting DM and non-DM patients, with improved performance when dietary risk factors were included. The paper concludes that in order to detect DM and Non-DM accurately, dietary risk factors must be included apart from demographic, clinical and lifestyle risk factors.
An Overview Study of Multi-sensor Fusion for Map Building and Localization
Authors: Zheng ShiYu , Yu Xiang Jing
Published: February 2025

This paper reviews the application of multi-sensor fusion in simultaneous localisation and map construction (SLAM) technology. With the development of robotics, autonomous driving and virtual reality, there is an increasing demand for precise localisation and map construction.SLAM technology has emerged to solve the problem of autonomous robot localisation and map construction in unknown environments. However, single-sensor SLAM systems have limitations, such as limited sensing capability and susceptibility to noise interference. Multi-sensor fusion SLAM significantly improves the performance and robustness of the system by integrating the advantages of multiple sensors. The multi-sensor fusion SLAM system includes key components such as sensor data reading, front-end visual odometry, back-end optimisation, loopback detection and map building. The sensor data is first optimised to reduce noise and then further processed according to the task requirements. Sensors are categorised into internal sensors (e.g. IMUs and wheeled odometers) and external sensors (e.g. cameras, LIDAR, UWB sensors, etc.). Common data fusion methods include filter-based fusion (e.g., Extended Kalman Filter, Particle Filter), optimisation-based fusion (e.g., Graph Optimisation, Nonlinear Least Squares) and deep learning-based fusion (e.g., Convolutional Neural Network, Recurrent Neural Network). These methods are able to handle different types of sensor data and improve the performance of SLAM systems.
Multi-sensor fusion SLAM technology has a wide range of applications in fields such as robot navigation, autonomous driving, virtual reality, geographic information systems and mapping. In the future, the technology will pay more attention to the combination of multimodal fusion and deep learning, optimising the computational efficiency of the algorithms, improving the real-time and robustness of the system, as well as the fusion of cloud SLAM and edge computing, to promote the development and advancement of the related fields.
Flood Risk and Resilience: Evidence from the 2024 Flood in Maiduguri, Nigeria
Authors: UMAR Ibrahim Abatcha , BUKAR Wakil Malah , MUSTAPHA Abdullahi , KYARI Aisha , BUKAR Mohammed Alhaji , IBRAHIM Hassan Hassan , JIMME Mohammed. Abba , KACHALLA Umar
Published: February 2025

Flooding poses a critical threat to rapidly urbanizing areas in the Global South, where climate variability and inadequate infrastructure intensify vulnerability. Maiduguri, Nigeria, offers a salient case study, as demonstrated by the 2024 flood, one of the most severe in the city's recorded history. This study triangulates qualitative interviews and quantitative rainfall data (1992–2024) to examine three dimensions of the disaster: (1) repercussions on infrastructure, livelihoods, and marginalized populations; (2) the influence of shifting rainfall patterns on flood severity; and (3) the efficacy of preparedness and response strategies. Results highlight an upward trend in seasonal rainfall (Sen's Slope: 10.27 mm/year) and a Rainfall Anomaly Index of 3.07 2024, confirming the intensification of extreme precipitation events. The flood displaced over 157,000 residents, disproportionately disrupting lives of women, children, and the elderly, highlighting systemic inequalities. Delayed infrastructure maintenance and suboptimal early warning systems were key amplifiers of flood impact. These findings emphasize the need for climate-informed urban planning, reinforced infrastructure resilience, and comprehensive disaster-management protocols. This study enriches scholarly discourse on adapting to and mitigating climate-induced disasters in rapidly expanding urban contexts throughout the Global South.
Numerical Modeling of Seawater Intrusion: Implication for Sustainable Coastal Aquifer Management
Authors: Egware Abel Emamezi
Published: February 2025

Aim: To examine the numerical modeling of seawater intrusion and show its implication for sustainable coastal acquifer management.
Problem Statement: The global rise in the world population has necessitated the essentiality of water which also has linkage with power and agriculture. However, arid and semi-arid regions occupy almost one-third of the global land surface which makes many regions to be under harsh and rising water stress. The intrusion of seawater into some sections of aquifers has been one of the major problems contributing to water scarcity, especially during the dry season.
Significance of Study: A numerical model is a reasonably accurate and economical tool to simulate and predict the head and quality of groundwater in coastal aquifers if it is properly calibrated using the available measurements of heads, pumping rates, and boundary conditions. The calibrated geo-hydrological parameters can then be used to validate the model for another set of measured data. Thus, it is imperative to predict seawater intrusion into coastal aquifer using numerical modeling tools for water management and sustainability purpose.
Methodology: This review article was compiled using references from previous literatures addressing seawater intrusion into coastal aquifer. Cited cases were referenced from different relevant journals.
Discussion: This article has presented the fundamental principles and mechanisms of seawater intrusion into coastal aquifer. It was observed that seawater intrusion may arise as a result of moderately lower groundwater withdrawal in dry seasons during which the intrusion of seawater is considerably much when compared with the rainy season. The major influencing factors are temperature, rainfall, abstraction rate and evaporation. However, abstraction rate is the most vital variable in relation to rise in population because the saline water migrates more inland due to water over-extraction from the subsurface without adequate replenishment in either semi-arid or arid regions. Different applicable mathematical models for seawater intrusion into coastal aquifer stated in this review are visual MODFLOW, MT3DMS routines, SEAWAT-2000 routines and FEFLOW routines. The applications of these models in the numerical modeling of coastal aquifers in some countries are stated and with their respective influence on the objectives of the study and the results obtained.
Conclusion: In conclusion, the use of numerical modeling in studying the nature of seawater intrusion is imperative to achieve sustainable coastal aquifer management.
Selectivity of Abamectin Against Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens) (Chrysopidae, Neuroptera)
Authors: R Sheeba Jasmine
Published: February 2025

Relative toxicities of abamectin along with spinosad, cypermethrin and chlorpyrifos currently used in cotton fields to control bollworms on the general predator, Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens) at egg, larvae and adult stages were evaluated under laboratory conditions in Tamil Nadu, India. The insecticide concentrations studied were equivalent to those prescribed for field application inclusive of various doses for abamectin. The results revealed that there was no significant adverse effect on hatchability of C. carnea caused by abamectin 1.9 EC. However, the fecundity and longevity of adults were significantly reduced at higher concentrations (2 and 2.4 ml l-1) of abamectin. The larva upon direct exposure to insecticides recorded a maximum 40.0 per cent mortality at the highest dose of abamectin (2.4 ml l-1). When the larva were fed with the insecticides treated eggs at 2.4 ml l-1, the larval mortality was 36.7 per cent and the pupation and adult emergence were 68.4 and 61.5 per cent, respectively. Abamectin at lower doses had caused very little impact upon C. carnea. All the doses of abamectin were comparatively safer than chlorpyrifos and cypermethrin. Thus, abamectin is found harmless to C. carnea and can provide selectivity in an integrated control programme for cotton bollworms.
Effect of Combined use of Nutrition and Weed Management Practices on the Weed Studies, Seed Yield and Microbial Counts of Soil in Blackgram (Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper)
Authors: Choudhary Mahendra , Shukla D.K. , Shukla Anil , Singh S.P. , Pal M.S. , Singh V. K. , Kumar Ajay , Singh A.P.
Published: February 2025

A study was conducted at NEB Crop Research Center, G.B.Pant University of Aagriculture &Technology, Pantnagar, to evaluate the effect of combined use of weed and nutrition management through seed inoculation, foliar application and weed management practices on the weed studies (weed count weed dry weight and weed control efficiency) and seed yield parameters of blackgram. The experiment was laid out in the factorial randomized block design with 3 factors, which 2 factors were about nutrient management i.e., seed inoculation (Rhizobium+ PSB & Rhizobium sp.+PGPR), and foliar nutrition (water spray, Nano urea @0.25 &18:18:18 NPK @2%), and one was about weed management (weedy check, Propaquizafop + Imazethapyr & Fomesafen% + Fluazifop-p-butyl). Results showed that among seed inoculation treatments, Rhizobium sp.+PGPR performs better in terms of total weed count, weed dry biomass, seed yield and microbial count (actinomycetes and bacteria) in soil whereas seed inoculation did not influence the weed control index, initial and final plant population and fungi count. After Weed-free treatment, Fomesafen% + Fluazifop-p-butyl gave minimum weed count, weed dry weight, maximum yield and microbial count (actinomycetes and bacteria) among weed management treatments. However, among foliar nutrition, 18:18:18 NPK @2% treatment gave maximum weed dry biomass and maximum seed yield, with microbial count in soil whereas foliar nutrition did not exert an effect on weed count, weed control index, plant initial and final plant population and fungi count. These findings highlight the importance of nutrient management through seed inoculation and foliar nutrition with weed management practices in addressing productivity issues with sustainability improving returns for black gram farmers.
Window Treatment—Bringing Art and Joy to Hospital Rooms
Authors: Wu David Shih , Harding Candice D. , Lombard Felicia M.
Published: January 2024

This Arts and Medicine feature coauthored by a patient and her hospital clinicians describes the use of hand-drawn window art in hospital rooms as a way to bring color and creativity into inpatient settings and build community among hospital staff and patients.
Guiding Values for Health Policy in Divided Times
Authors: Galea Sandro
Published: January 2024

This JAMA Forum discusses 3 health policy concepts (policy humility, radical compassion, and reasoned reform) to help decision-makers during this period of increased political division in the US.
Disparities in Diagnostic Timeliness and Outcomes of Pediatric Appendicitis
Authors: Michelson Kenneth A. , Bachur Richard G. , Rangel Shawn J. , Finkelstein Jonathan A. , Monuteaux Michael C. , Goyal Monika K.
Published: January 2024

This cohort study compares rates of delayed diagnosis and complications of appendicitis by race and ethnicity and Child Opportunity Index among children in 8 states.
Clinical Trials for Patients With Cancer
Authors: Abu Rous Fawzi , Desai Aakash , Singhi Eric K.
Published: January 2024

This JAMA Oncology Patient Page explains clinical trials and what patients should consider regarding enrollment.
Older Woman With Proptosis, Ptosis, and Blurred Vision
Authors: Gibbons Alison B. , Eberhart Charles , Li Emily
Published: January 2024

A woman in her early 70s with a history of coronary artery disease, hypertension, and colon polyps presented to oculoplastic surgery with 1 week of progressive right-sided proptosis, headache, right eyelid ptosis, and blurry vision. Outside magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated an infiltrative mass involving right greater than left orbital apices, the right optic nerve, and right extraocular muscles. What would you do next?
Balancing: A solution to our distorted indices of transient dynamics
Authors: Hinrichsen Richard A.
Published: January 2024

Because populations are at the mercy of random disturbances large and small, they rarely, if ever, converge on predicted long‐term behaviors. Therefore, when employing matrix population models, ecologists study the dynamics of populations that depart from stable distributions. Necessary for such studies are indices of transient dynamics that measure the size of short‐term population fluctuations. These indices advance our understanding of population dynamics by revealing that population growth rate in a single timestep can far exceed the stable population growth rate. Despite their value, indices of transient behavior possess two major shortcomings: they are scale dependent and easily distorted by outsized population classes. Distortion occurs whenever immature classes, due to their sheer size, carry greater weight in the calculation of population size than mature classes. Beluga sturgeon (Huso huso), for example, have an immature age class (eggs) that is several orders of magnitude larger than its mature age classes. To remove the undue influence of outsized classes, I use balancing, which rescales classes by the stable population distribution and makes the indices of transient dynamics scale invariant. I apply balancing to 1800 population projection matrices for various species across the Animal Kingdom, using reactivity and the Henrici metric of non‐normality as indices of transient dynamics. I found that balancing profoundly changes the picture of which populations have the greatest or least potential transient dynamics. Using a population projection matrix for northern pike (Esox lucius), I demonstrate how balancing influences pseudospectra contour plots that are used to infer transient dynamics.
Verification of surface‐guided radiation therapy (SGRT) alignment for proton breast and chest wall patients by comparison to CT‐on‐rails and kV‐2D alignment
Authors: Zhao Hui , Sarkar Vikren , St James Sara , Paxton Adam , Su Fan‐Chi Frances , Price Ryan G. , Dial Christian , Poppe Matthew , Gaffney David , Salter Bill
Published: January 2024

Background

Surface‐guided radiation therapy (SGRT) systems have been widely installed and utilized on linear accelerators. However, the use of SGRT with proton therapy is still a newly developing field, and published reports are currently very limited.

Purpose

To assess the clinical application and alignment agreement of SGRT with CT‐on‐rails (CTOR) and kV‐2D image‐guided radiation therapy (IGRT) for breast treatment using proton therapy.

Methods

Four patients receiving breast or chest wall treatment with proton therapy were the subjects of this study. Patient #1′s IGRT modalities were a combination of kV‐2D and CTOR. CTOR was the only imaging modality for patients #2 and #3, and kV‐2D was the only imaging modality for patient #4. The patients’ respiratory motions were assessed using a 2‐min surface position recorded by the SGRT system during treatment. SGRT offsets reported after IGRT shifts were recorded for each fraction of treatment. The agreement between SGRT and either kV‐2D or CTOR was evaluated.

Results

The respiratory motion amplitude was <4 mm in translation and <2.0° in rotation for all patients. The mean and maximum amplitude of SGRT offsets after application of IGRT shifts were ≤(2.6 mm, 1.6°) and (6.8 mm, 4.5°) relative to kV‐2D‐based IGRT; ≤(3.0 mm, 2.6°) and (5.0 mm, 4.7°) relative to CTOR‐based IGRT without breast tissue inflammation. For patient #3, breast inflammation was observed for the last three fractions of treatment, and the maximum SGRT offsets post CTOR shifts were up to (14.0 mm, 5.2°).

Conclusions

Due to the overall agreement between SGRT and IGRT within reasonable tolerance, SGRT has the potential to serve as a valuable auxiliary IGRT tool for proton breast treatment and may improve the efficiency of proton breast treatment.
A deep learning approach to remove contrast from contrast‐enhanced CT for proton dose calculation
Authors: Wang Xu , Hao Yao , Duan Ye , Yang Deshan
Published: January 2024

Purpose

Non‐Contrast Enhanced CT (NCECT) is normally required for proton dose calculation while Contrast Enhanced CT (CECT) is often scanned for tumor and organ delineation. Possible tissue motion between these two CTs raises dosimetry uncertainties, especially for moving tumors in the thorax and abdomen. Here we report a deep‐learning approach to generate NCECT directly from CECT. This method could be useful to avoid the NCECT scan, reduce CT simulation time and imaging dose, and decrease the uncertainties caused by tissue motion between otherwise two different CT scans.

Methods

A deep network was developed to convert CECT to NCECT. The network receives a 3D image from CECT images as input and generates a corresponding contrast‐removed NCECT image patch. Abdominal CECT and NCECT image pairs of 20 patients were deformably registered and 8000 image patch pairs extracted from the registered image pairs were utilized to train and test the model. CTs of clinical proton patients and their treatment plans were employed to evaluate the dosimetric impact of using the generated NCECT for proton dose calculation.

Results

Our approach achieved a Cosine Similarity score of 0.988 and an MSE value of 0.002. A quantitative comparison of clinical proton dose plans computed on the CECT and the generated NCECT for five proton patients revealed significant dose differences at the distal of beam paths. V100% of PTV and GTV changed by 3.5% and 5.5%, respectively. The mean HU difference for all five patients between the generated and the scanned NCECTs was ∼4.72, whereas the difference between CECT and the scanned NCECT was ∼64.52, indicating a ∼93% reduction in mean HU difference.

Conclusions

A deep learning approach was developed to generate NCECTs from CECTs. This approach could be useful for the proton dose calculation to reduce uncertainties caused by tissue motion between CECT and NCECT.
Tumor‐Microenvironment‐Responsive Cerium‐Enriched Copper Nanozyme with O2 Supply and Oxidative Stress Amplification for In Situ Disulfiram Chemotherapy and Chemodynamic Therapy Intensification
Authors: Lin Jinyan , Huang Cailin , Wang Peiyuan , He Yueyang , Luo Qiang , Liu Xiaolong , Li Yang
Published: January 2024

Traditional chemotherapy has faced tough challenges of systemic toxicity, hypoxia resistance, and inadequacy of monotherapy. Developing the tumor‐specific O2‐supply‐enhanced chemotherapy without toxic drugs while combing other precise treatments can substantially improve therapeutic efficacy. Herein, a CeO2‐enriched CuO nanozyme with O2 supply and oxidative stress amplification for tumor‐specific disulfiram (DSF) chemotherapy and intensified chemodynamic therapy by synergistic in situ “nontoxicity–toxicity” activation is developed. Notably, CeO2 can not only act as a morphological “regulator,” but also serve as a cascaded enzyme‐mimetic catalyst via tumor‐microenvironment‐responsive cascaded‐logical programmable valence conversion. Once internalized inside tumor cells, the nanozyme can be degraded by lysosomal acidity to release nontoxic DSF and Cu2+, which can trigger in situ “Cu2+‐DSF” chelation, generating a highly toxic Cu(DTC)2 for in situ chemotherapy. Moreover, the enriched CeO2 with catalase‐mimetic activity can decompose the endogenous H2O2 into O2, which can relieve the hypoxia to enhance the chemotherapeutic efficacy. Furthermore, the simultaneously generated Ce3+ can exert peroxidase‐mimetic activity to catalyze H2O2 into hydroxyl radicals (•OH) for chemodynamic therapy. This Fenton‐like chemistry is accompanied by the regeneration of Ce4+, which can deplete the intracellular overproduced GSH to amplify the oxidative stress. Therefore, this nanozyme can provide an alternative to precise cancer treatment.
Roll‐to‐Roll Compatible Topochemical Wetting Control for Metamaterial Printing
Authors: Donie Yidenekachew J. , Ramamurthy Maya , Chakraborty Rohan D. , Francis Lorraine F. , Frisbie C. Daniel , Ferry Vivian E.
Published: January 2024

The widespread utilization of metamaterials, despite their immense transformative potential, faces challenges regarding scalability in mass production. To address these limitations, an additive method that leverages liquid inks and selective wetting to produce scalable and cost‐effective metamaterials is presented. UV‐based imprinting lithography is utilized to fabricate surface energy‐modulated patterns, enabling precise solution patterning. This approach, unlike conventional UV‐based imprinting lithography, not only accurately produces the negative replica of the stamp topography during UV‐induced crosslinking but also transfers a hydrophobic layer onto the raised surfaces of the imprinted hydrophilic layer, resulting in 3D shapes with spatially modulated surface energy. In the second process step, a functional ink is dragged over the patterned substrate where it dewets to fill the hydrophilic recesses. This innovative process enables high‐speed metamaterial production, with ink deposition speeds up to 12 m min−1. The method accommodates a wide range of inks, including metals, dielectrics, and semiconductors, providing meticulous control over vertical structures such as pattern thickness and hetero‐multilayer formation. Additionally, it offers flexibility in creating metamaterials on free‐standing ultra‐thin sheets, introducing desirable attributes like foldability and disposability. The effectiveness of this approach is validated through the fabrication and characterization of metallic metamaterials.
Adaptive Output Feedback Control for Uncertain Nonlinear Systems with Unknown Modeling Errors
Authors: Cai Jianping , Chen Gang , Wu Xiushan , Yan Qiuzhen , Li Jianning
Published: January 2024

It is well known that unknown modeling errors cannot be avoided in practice. Such unmeasured uncertainties are usually denoted as unknown nonlinear functions that exist in every channel of the system equation. This paper aims to develop an output feedback adaptive control scheme by constructing state estimation filters to address such unknown modeling errors. In the controller design, these uncertainties caused by modeling errors will be accumulated to the last step for compensation. Unknown parameters existing in the upper bound functions of unknown nonlinear functions and system parameters are estimated synchronously based on tuning function approaches. It is shown that the designed output feedback controller can ensure the stability and tracking performance of the closed‐loop system, and the transient performance in terms of a truncated norm is also established.
Enhancing Photocatalytic CO2 Conversion through Oxygen‐Vacancy‐Mediated Topological Phase Transition
Authors: Yang Sudong , Guo Xu , Li Xiaoning , Wu Tianze , Zou Longhua , He Zhiying , Xu Qing , Zheng Junjie , Chen Lin , Wang Qingyuan , Xu Zhichuan J.
Published: January 2024

Weak adsorption of gas reactants and strong binding of intermediates present a significant challenge for most transition metal oxides, particularly in the realm of CO2 photoreduction. Herein, we demonstrate that the adsorption can be fine‐tuned by phase engineering of oxide catalysts. An oxygen vacancy mediated topological phase transition in Ni‐Co oxide nanowires, supported on a hierarchical graphene aerogel (GA), is observed from a spinel phase to a rock‐salt phase. Such in situ phase transition empowers the Ni‐Co oxide catalyst with a strong internal electric field and the attainment of abundant oxygen vacancies. Among a series of catalysts, the in situ transformed spinel/rock‐salt heterojunction supported on GA stands out for an exceptional photocatalytic CO2 reduction activity and selectivity, yielding an impressive CO production rate of 12.5 mmol g−1 h−1 and high selectivity of 96.5 %. This remarkable performance is a result of the robust interfacial coupling between two topological phases that optimizes the electronic structures through directional charge transfer across interfaces. The phase transition process induces more Co2+ in octahedral site, which can effectively enhance the Co‐O covalency. This synergistic effect balances the surface activation of CO2 molecules and desorption of reaction intermediates, thereby lowering the energetic barrier of the rate‐limiting step.
Controlling Monoterpene Isomerization by Guiding Challenging Carbocation Rearrangement Reactions in Engineered Squalene‐Hopene Cyclases
Authors: Ludwig Julian , Curado‐Carballada Christian , Hammer Stephan C. , Schneider Andreas , Diether Svenja , Kress Nico , Ruiz‐Barragán Sergi , Osuna Sílvia , Hauer Bernhard
Published: January 2024

The interconversion of monoterpenes is facilitated by a complex network of carbocation rearrangement pathways. Controlling these isomerization pathways is challenging when using common Brønsted and Lewis acid catalysts, which often produce product mixtures that are difficult to separate. In contrast, natural monoterpene cyclases exhibit high control over the carbocation rearrangement reactions but are reliant on phosphorylated substrates. In this study, we present engineered squalene‐hopene cyclases from Alicyclobacillus acidocaldarius (AacSHC) that catalyze the challenging isomerization of monoterpenes with unprecedented precision. Starting from a promiscuous isomerization of (+)‐β‐pinene, we first demonstrate noticeable shifts in the product distribution solely by introducing single point mutations. Furthermore, we showcase the tuneable cation steering by enhancing (+)‐borneol selectivity from 1 % to >90 % (>99 % de) aided by iterative saturation mutagenesis. Our combined experimental and computational data suggest that the reorganization of key aromatic residues leads to the restructuring of the water network that facilitates the selective termination of the secondary isobornyl cation. This work expands our mechanistic understanding of carbocation rearrangements and sets the stage for target‐oriented skeletal reorganization of broadly abundant terpenes.
Spin‐state Conversion by Asymmetrical Orbital Hybridization in Ni‐doped Co3O4 to Boost Singlet Oxygen Generation for Microbial Disinfection
Authors: Duan Meilin , Huang Chao , Zhang Gong , Shi Hao , Zhang Pengfei , Li Limin , Xu Tong , Zhao Zhen , Fu Zhujun , Han Jingrui , Xu Yuanhong , Ding Xiaoteng
Published: January 2024

Singlet oxygen (1O2) plays a significant role in environmental and biomedical disinfection fields. Electrocatalytic processes hold great potential for 1O2 generation, but remain challenging. Herein, a facile Ni doping converted spin‐state transition approach is reported for boosting 1O2 production. Magnetic analysis and theoretical calculations reveal that Ni occupied at the octahedral site of Co3O4 can effectively induce a low‐to‐high spin‐state transition. The high‐spin Ni−Co3O4 generate appropriate binding strength and enhance electron transfer between the Co centers with oxygen intermediates, thereby improving the catalytic activity of Ni−Co3O4 for effective generating 1O2. In neutral conditions, 1×106 CFU mL−1 Gram‐negative ESBL‐producing Escherichia coli (E. coli) could be inactivated by Ni−Co3O4 system within 5 min. Further antibacterial mechanisms indicate that 1O2 can lead to cell membrane damage and DNA degradation so as to irreversible cell death. Additionally, the developed Ni−Co3O4 system can effectively inactivate bacteria from wastewater and bioaerosols. This work provides an effective strategy for designing high‐spin electrocatalysis to boost 1O2 generation for disinfection process.
Switching from Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence in Single Crystals for Low‐Threshold Laser to Room‐temperature Phosphorescence in Amorphous‐Film for Highly Efficient OLEDs
Authors: Gong Hao , Song Yixing , He Jingping , Wang Ping , Xiang Yuhao , Li Shuai , Yao Jiannian , Liao Bo , Liao Qing , Fu Hongbing
Published: January 2024

Metal‐organic phosphorescent complexes containing Ir or Pt are work horse in organic light‐emitting diode (OLED) technology, which can harvest both singlet and triplet excitons in electroluminescence (EL) owing to strong heavy‐atom effect. Recently, organic room‐temperature phosphorescence (ORTP) have achieved high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) in rigid crystalline state, which, however, is unsuitable for OLED fabrication, therefore leading to an EL efficiency far low behind those of metal‐organic phosphorescent complexes. Here, we reported a luminescence mechanism switch from thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) in single crystal microwires to ORTP in amorphous thin‐films, based on a tert‐butylcarbazole difluoroboron β‐diketonate derivative of DtCzBF2. Tightly packed and well‐faceted single‐crystal microwires exhibit aggregation induced emission (AIE), enabling TADF microlasers at 473 nm with an optical gain coefficient as high as 852 cm−1. In contrast, loosely packed dimers of DtCzBF2 formed in guest‐host amorphous thin‐films decrease the oscillator strength of fluorescence transition but stabilize triplets for ORTP with a PLQY up to 61 %, leading to solution‐processed OLEDs with EQE approaching 20 %. This study opens possibilities of low‐cost ORTP emitters for high performance OLEDs and future low‐threshold electrically injected organic semiconductor lasers (OSLs).
Molecular Crystals Constructed by Polar Molecular Cages: A Promising System for Exploring High‐performance Infrared Nonlinear Optical Crystals
Authors: Zhao Xin , Lin Chensheng , Wang Chao , Tian Haotian , Yan Tao , Li Bingxuan , Ye Ning , Luo Min
Published: January 2024

Polar molecular crystals, with their densely stacked polar nonlinear optical (NLO) active units, are favored for their large second harmonic generation (SHG) responses and birefringence. However, their potential for practical applications as Infrared (IR) NLO materials has historically been underappreciated due to the weak inter‐molecular interaction forces that may compromise their physicochemical properties. In this study, we propose molecular crystals with polar molecular cages as a treasure‐house for the development of superior IR NLO materials and a representative system, binary chalcogenide molecular crystals, composed of [P4Sn] (n=3–9) polar molecular cages, is introduced. These crystals may not only achieve wide band gap, large SHG response, and birefringence in a single structure, but also exhibit favorable physicochemical properties. We subsequently obtained a polar molecular crystal, α‐P4S5, which demonstrated exceptional IR optical properties, including a strong SHG response (1.1×AGS), wide band gap (3.02 eV), large birefringence (0.134@2050 nm), and a broad transmission range (0.41–14.7 μm). Moreover, it showed excellent water resistance and hardness. These findings highlight the potential of polar molecular crystals as a promising platform for the development of high‐performance IR NLO materials.
Identification of long noncoding RNAs of silkworm at the early stage of Bombyx mori bidensovirus infection
Authors: Chen Yeping , Wang Zihe , Wu Chengyue , Li Hao , Qian Heying , Wang Mengdong , Wu Ping , Guo Xijie , Zhang Zhendong
Published: January 2024

Bombyx mori bidensovirus (BmBDV) is one of the most important pathogens of silkworm. It mainly infects midgut cells of silkworm and causes losses to the sericulture industry. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to play an important role in the regulation of antiviral immune response in silkworm. To explore whether lncRNAs are involved in BmBDV infection and immune response of silkworm, we performed a comparative transcriptome analysis to identify the lncRNAs and mRNAs between the BmBDV infected and noninfected silkworm larvae at the early stage. A total of 16,069 genes and 974 candidate lncRNAs were identified, among which 142 messenger RNA (mRNAs) and four lncRNAs were differentially expressed (DE). Target gene prediction revealed that 142 DEmRNAs were coexpressed with four DElncRNAs, suggesting that the expression of mRNA is mainly affected through trans‐regulation activities. A regulatory network of DElncRNAs and DEmRNAs was constructed, showing that many genes targeted by different DElncRNAs are involved in metabolism and immunity, which implies that these genes and lncRNAs play an important role in the replication of BmBDV. Our results will help us to improve our understanding of lncRNA‐mediated regulatory roles in BmBDV infection, providing a new perspective for further exploring the interaction between host and BmBDV.
The Role of Aromatic Alcohol Additives on Asymmetric Organocatalysis Reactions: Insights from Theory
Authors: Banerjee Subhrashis , Vanka Kumar
Published: January 2024

The presence of an aromatic additive has been seen to enhance, often significantly, the enantioselectivity and yield in asymmetric organocatalysis. Considering their success across a dizzying range of organocatalysts and organic transformations, it would seem unlikely that a common principle exists for their functioning. However, the current investigations with DFT suggest a general principle: the phenolic additive sandwiches itself, through hydrogen bonding and π⋅⋅⋅π stacking, between the organocatalyst coordinated electrophile and nucleophile. This is seen for a wide range of experimentally reported systems. That such complex formation leads to enhanced stereoselectivity is then demonstrated for two cases: the cinchona alkaloid complex (BzCPD), catalysing thiocyanation (2‐naphthol additive employed), as well as for L‐pipecolicacid catalysing the asymmetric nitroaldol reaction with a range of nitro‐substituted phenol additives. These findings, indicating that dual catalysis takes place when phenolic additives are employed, are likely to have a significant impact on the field of asymmetric organocatalysis.
Non‐symmetrical sparking may hint “zits” on a pulsar surface
Authors: Wang Zhengli , Lu Jiguang , Jiang Jingchen , Cao Shunshun , Wang Weiyang , Liang Enwei , Xu Renxin
Published: January 2024

Pulsar electrodynamics could be relevant to the physics of stellar surface, which remains poorly understood for more than half a centenary and is difficult to probe due to the absence of direct and clear observational evidence. Nevertheless, highly sensitive telescopes (e.g., China's Five‐hundred‐meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope, FAST) may play an essential role to solve the problem since the predicted surface condition would have quite different characteristics in some models of pulsar structure, especially after the establishment of the standard model of particle physics. For instance, small hills (or “zits”) may exist on solid strangeon star surface with rigidity, preferential discharge, that is, gap sparking, may occur around the hills in the polar cap region. In this work, with the 110‐min polarization observation of PSR B095008 targeted by FAST, we report that the gap sparking is significantly non‐symmetrical to the meridian plane on which the rotational and magnetic axes lie. It is then speculated that this asymmetry could be the result of preferential sparking around zits which might rise randomly on pulsar surface. Some polarization features of both single pulses and the mean pulse, as well as the cross‐correlation function of different emission regions, have also been presented.
The anatomical pattern of ductal arborization in parotid glands using cone‐beam computerized sialography
Authors: Amiel Tevel , Shauly Oren , Istoyler Ella Gilenson , Alterman Michael , Keshet Naama , Mazor Sigal , Pikovsky Anna , Aframian Doron J. , Joskowicz Leo , Nadler Chen
Published: January 2024

Cone‐Beam Computed Tomography‐Sialography (Sialo‐CBCT) is used to demonstrate salivary ductal structure. This study aimed to conduct a volumetric analysis of the anatomical morphology of Normal‐Appearing Glands (NAGs) in parotid sialo‐CBCT. Our retrospective study included 14 parotid sialo‐CBCT scans interpreted as NAGs in 11 patients with salivary gland impairment. The main duct length and width, as well as number and width of secondary and tertiary ducts were manually evaluated. We found that the main parotid duct showed an average width of 1.39 mm, 1.15 mm, and 0.98 mm, for the proximal, middle and distal thirds, respectively. The arborization pattern showed approximately 20% more tertiary (average number 11.1 ± 2.7) than secondary ducts (average number 9.0 ± 2.4) and approximately 8% narrower tertiary ducts (average width 0.65 ± 0.11 mm) compared to the secondary ducts (average width 0.77 ± 0.14 mm). Our anatomical analysis of NAGs in parotid sialo‐CBCT demonstrated progressive narrowing of the main duct and increasing arborization and decreasing lumen size starting from the primary to the tertiary ducts. This is the most updated study regarding the anatomy of the parotid glands as demonstrated in sialo‐CBCT. Our results may provide clinicians with the basic information for understanding aberration from normal morphology, as seen in salivary gland pathologies as well facilitate planning of treatment strategies, such as minimally invasive sialo‐endoscopies, commonly practiced today.
The incremental healthcare cost associated with cancer in Belgium: A registry‐based data analysis
Authors: Gorasso Vanessa , Vandevijvere Stefanie , Van der Heyden Johan , Pelgrims Ingrid , Hilderink Henk , Nusselder Wilma , Demoury Claire , Schmidt Masja , Vansteelandt Stijn , De Smedt Delphine , Devleesschauwer Brecht
Published: January 2024

Background

Similar to many countries, Belgium experienced a rapid increase in cancer diagnoses in the last years. Considering that a large part of cancer types could be prevented, our study aimed to estimate the annual healthcare burden of cancer per site, and to compare cost with burden of disease estimates to have a better understanding of the impact of different cancer sites in Belgium.

Methods

We used nationally available data sources to estimate the healthcare expenditure. We opted for a prevalence‐based approach which measures the disease attributable costs that occur concurrently for 10‐year prevalent cancer cases in 2018. Average attributable costs of cancer were computed via matching of cases (patients with cancer by site) and controls (patients without cancer). Years of life lost due to disability (YLD) were used to summarize the health impact of the selected cancers.

Results

The highest attributable cost in 2018 among the selected cancers was on average €15,867 per patient for bronchus and lung cancer, followed by liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, and mesothelioma. For the total cost, lung cancer was the most costly cancer site with almost €700 million spent in 2018. Lung cancer was followed by breast and colorectal cancer that costed more than €300 million each in 2018.

Conclusions

In our study, the direct attributable cost of the most prevalent cancer sites in Belgium was estimated to provide useful guidance for cost containment policies. Many of these cancers could be prevented by tackling risk factors such as smoking, obesity, and environmental stressors.
Enantioselective Total Synthesis of the Morphogen (−)‐Thallusin and Mediated Uptake of Fe(III) into the Green Seaweed Ulva
Authors: Wienecke Paul , Ulrich Johann F. , Morales‐Reyes Cristina F. , Dhiman Seema , Wichard Thomas , Arndt Hans‐Dieter
Published: January 2024

A fully enantioselective, catalytic synthesis of the algal morphogen (−)‐thallusin using polyene cyclization chemistry is reported. The synthesis features dedicated precursor design, introduction of a TMS‐substituted arene as a regioselective terminator, very high enantiomer excess (ee) on gram scale, and productive scaffold functionalization. Furthermore, an ee determination methodology of thallusin samples was developed, and the ee of biosynthesized thallusin was determined. Fe(III)‐uptake studies demonstrated that the cellular uptake of iron facilitated by thallusin derivatives was independent of their morphogenic activity, suggesting their active import via siderophore transporters as a shuttle system.