bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A comprehensive review on synthesis of dihydropyrimidione via Biginelli reaction catalyzed by reusable magnetic nanocatalyst (from 2020–till date)
Authors: Shakya Ruchi , Kurmi Balak Das , Patel Preeti
Published: March 2023

The discovery of a new class of heterocyclic compounds by Pietro Biginelli in 1891 was regarded as a watershed point in the history of chemistry. Biginelli is a well‐known organic chemistry technique for generating dihydropyrimidones/thiones, which are important biological compounds. The chemistry of the Biginelli motifs has been studied in drug development because of the extensive use of multiple Biginelli adducts in various domains. The current review focuses on the magnetic reusable iron nanocatalysts, imparting their catalytic role in the Biginelli reaction, which can be impregnated with ionic liquids, Lewis's acids, metal (monometallic or bimetallic), or hybrid polymers as catalyst support. Our ongoing interest in developing environmentally friendly synthetic methodologies prompted us to investigate the utility of magnetically reusable catalysts where workup provides an eco‐friendly approach in comparison with traditional methods to provide a clear understanding of pathways leading to the formation of Biginelli adducts.
Decomposition kinetics of sodium amalgam in fixed bed of WC‐coated tubular SS‐304 packing: Modelling and validation
Authors: Manivannan Sridhar , Mandal Debapriya , Dabhade Prasad A. , Chamfekar Manish J. , Paul Christ P.
Published: March 2023

Erosion of graphite packing in continuously operating fixed bed sodium amalgam decomposers leads to performance degradation accompanied by clogging in the downstream process lines which not only increases the maintenance and catalyst refilling costs but also aggravates the risk of mercury vapour exposure. To overcome this drawback, the present work utilizes tubular SS‐304 packing coated with tungsten carbide (WC) on the outer surface. The coating is obtained using an indigenously developed laser‐directed energy deposition facility. Dedicated experimental setup is developed for each set of process parameters to comparatively study the fixed bed decomposition kinetics at steady state for three types of WC‐coated SS‐304 packing and a conventional spherical graphite packing. In parallel, a numerical 3D–1D model is implemented using open source computational solvers and is experimentally validated. The algorithm of this model is based on proposed drop–fill approach for WC‐coated SS‐304 packing and modified drop approach for spherical graphite packing, respectively. In terms of decomposition rates, the performance of WC‐coated SS‐304 packing surpasses that of spherical graphite packing at high amalgam flowrates; meanwhile, the average alteration in experimental steady‐state temperature profile after continuous operation of 2 years is around 2% for WC‐coated SS‐304 packing as compared to nearly 17% for spherical graphite packing.
Current status and future perspectives on the biological production of polyhydroxyalkanoates
Authors: Che Lin , Jin Wenbiao , Zhou Xu , Han Wei , Chen Yidi , Chen Chuan , Jiang Guangming
Published: March 2023

Nowadays, the environmental pollution caused by conventional petroleum‐based plastics is one of the most serious problems facing mankind, and it is of great significance to look for alternative plastics with biodegradable feature. Notably, the bioplastics based on polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) have been a focus on research and development during the past several decades. In this review, the recent advances on the biological production of PHA were summarized, mainly including biosynthetic pathways and methods, followed by the extraction processes. Furthermore, the current status on PHA production using industrial waste streams was also discussed. For the moment, the relative higher production cost hindered the large‐scale biological production of PHA. Therefore, some insightful strategies were presented about the future research and scale production on biological production of PHA.
Preparation and characterization of CO2/O2 selective facilitated transport films by coating polyvinyl alcohol/polyethylene glycol/aminated sodium lignosulfonate on TiO2/ZnO‐modified LDPE
Authors: Zhao Ye , Qiu Xiaolin , Wang Jie , Chen Xiaojing , Chen Jinhua , Zhang Jiawei
Published: March 2023

A novel facilitated transport film was prepared by coating polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/polyethylene glycol (PEG)/aminated sodium lignosulfonate on TiO2/ZnO‐modified low‐density polyethylene (LDPE). Monoethanolamine (MEA), diethanolamine (DEA), ethylenediamine (EDA), diethylenetriamine (DETA), tetramethylpiperidine amine (TEMP), and acrylamide (AM) were selected to modify sodium lignosulfonate (Ls) for enhancing the selectivity and permeability of CO2/O2. The fabricated Ls were characterized by fourier transform infrared (FTIR), thermogravimetric test (TG), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The CO2 permeability and CO2/O2 selectivity were improved with the increase in the amount of amine groups. Compared with the addition of Ls modified by alcohol amine, the composite film has higher selectivity to CO2 after the addition of DETA‐Ls or TEMP‐Ls. The selectivity of the 1:3:3EDA/MEA‐Ls‐g‐AM composite film reached 13.7, and CO2 permeability increased by 5.54 times. The storage test also demonstrated that the composite films have better freshness retention ability. As a result, modified LDPE coated by PVA/PEG/aminated Ls has the potential as an active modified atmosphere packaging material.
Ambipolar Columnar Self‐assembled Organic Semiconductors based on Heteroatom bay‐Annulated Perylene Bisimides
Authors: Behera Paresh Kumar , Yadav Kajal , Shankar Rao D. S. , Pandey Upendra Kumar , Sudhakar Achalkumar Ammathnadu
Published: March 2023

Highly electron‐deficient heteroatom (N, S, Se) bay‐annulated PBIs exhibiting ordered columnar phase over a wide mesomorphic range including ambient temperature are reported in this manuscript. These compounds with six peripheral n‐decyloxy chains exhibited absorption spectra with high molar extinction coefficients, electron‐deficient nature and self‐assembling behaviour. A detailed comparison with the PBIs bearing six peripheral n‐decyl chains was also carried out to get the valuable insights on the structure‐property relations in this important class of organic semiconductors. Both of the PBI series were tested for their charge carrier mobility by space charge limited current method and found that they exhibit ambipolar conductivity. This is in contrary to the vast body of literature, where most of the PBI based semiconductors exhibit electron transport behaviour. In general, PBIs derived from tri‐n‐alkyl anilines exhibit higher mobility values than the PBIs derived from tri‐n‐alkoxy anilines. Especially, the ambipolar S‐annulated PBI derived from tri‐n‐alkyl aniline exhibited highest hole (8.39×10−3 cm2/V.s) and electron (1.5×10−2 cm2/V.s) mobility values and promising for the application in organic electronics.
Multicriteria assessment of technology pathways to produce renewable and sustainable biofuels: case study in eastern Canada
Authors: Bele Georgiana , Benali Marzouk , Stuart Paul R.
Published: March 2023

One of the key pathways that can contribute to net‐zero goals is to enhance the use of renewable and sustainable biofuels. However, uncertainties remain owing to critical challenges to selecting the right sustainable biofuels technology most suitable for the longer term. These uncertainties can be partly addressed using a multidisciplinary perspective for scenarios and multicriteria decision‐making analysis. Multicriteria decision support tools (DSTs) are a powerful means to conduct the comparison of technology pathways at different technology readiness levels (TRLs). For this case study, a multidimensional DST was used to compare two technology pathways: (1) gasification combined with Fischer–Tropsch; and (2) hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) to produce biofuels. The metrics available in the DST were examined, and five metrics related to evaluating profitability, robustness and capital efficiency as well as socio‐economic performance were selected. HTL was found to have a higher yield for renewable gasoline and diesel, largely due to higher economic performance and reduced environmental footprint as compared with the integrated gasification Fischer–Tropsch process. However, the TRL of 8–9 of biomass gasification was higher than that of HTL, which was still at 5–6, reflecting that the gasification process is essentially proven at a pre‐commercial scale. Based on sensitivity and scenario analyses, the importance of government support for capital cost and of biofuel price production incentives was identified as critical. From this comparison, HTL emerges as an attractive process for the future because of its outperformance from technical and environmental perspectives, but further demonstration efforts are still needed at the commercial scale. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Techno‐economic and policy analysis of hydrogen and gasoline production from forest biomass, agricultural residues and municipal solid waste in California
Authors: Gilani Haris R. , Ibrik Karim , Sanchez Daniel L.
Published: March 2023

Techno‐economic and policy analyses were performed of hydrogen and gasoline production from forest biomass (FB). They were compared with fuels produced using agricultural residues and municipal solid waste in California. Twelve process designs were analyzed, with and without carbon capture and storage, and life‐cycle analysis was performed, using California's Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation (GREET) 3.0 model, to calculate the average life‐cycle carbon intensity of different process designs for hydrogen and gasoline. Discounted cash flow models were developed to assess profitability in terms of the net present value and internal rate of return (IRR). The results showed that forest‐to‐fuel pathways (positive IRR between 2%−16%) were the least competitive biomass‐based pathway option. Sensitivity analysis was performed on economic parameters including feedstock price and renewable identification number (RIN) credit price. In the case of RIN credits, profitability declined significantly as the proportion of FB from federal lands increased given existing statutory limitations. Given the importance of increasing forest management to reduce wildfire risks, the necessary additional policy incentives were quantified to equalize the cost of forest‐to‐fuels pathways with the other biofuels pathways. To ensure FB‐to‐fuels pathways are cost competitive with agricultural residues, policymakers could increase the low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) credit price for forest fuels (additional credit price support of $41–75 t/CO2e), give additional credit to lifecycle emissions reductions from forest fuels (additional carbon intensity decrease of 19–76 gCO2e MJ−1), provide concessionary debt or equity with a target weighted average cost of capital (WACC) = 3–4%, subsidize capital costs (12–22% of costs), or subsidize FB delivery ($35–66 per dry ton delivered).
A simple and rapid liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method for the simultaneous determination of 15 bile acids in human serum and its application to patients with decompensated cirrhosis
Authors: Li Ying , Cui Li , Liu Mingli , Zhao Furong , Sun Hongzhi
Published: March 2023

Liver cirrhosis is currently the twelfth leading cause of death globally and the sixth leading cause of death in China. Its treatment is expensive. Changes in the composition of the serum bile acid pool are sensitive indicators of the severity of liver cirrhosis. In this study, a novel LC–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) method was developed and used to simultaneously determine 15 bile acids in human serum in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. Sample preparation involved spiking with isotope internal standards followed by protein precipitation. The analytical run time was 5 min. The LC–MS/MS method was fully validated according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) C62A and the consensus of method development and validation of liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry in clinical laboratories. The method achieved an acceptable coefficient of variation for precision (0.83%–14.80%) and accuracy (89.39%–107.62%). Finally, as proof of applicability, the method was applied to patients with decompensated cirrhosis in routine clinical sample analysis. The degree of variation of different bile acids was clearly shown. These results indicated that abnormal metabolic pathways might play important roles in decompensated cirrhosis.
Error‐related brain activity associated with obsessive–compulsive symptoms in youth
Authors: Becker Hannah , Liu Yanni , Hanna Gregory L. , Bilek Emily , Block Stefanie Russman , Hardee Jillian E. , Heitzeg Mary M. , Pagliaccio David , Marsh Rachel , Fitzgerald Kate D.
Published: March 2023

Background

Subclinical obsessive–compulsive symptoms (OCS) are common in children, and increase risk for later onset of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). In pediatric patients with OCD, neuroimaging research implicates altered neural mechanisms for error‐processing, but whether abnormal brain response occurs with subclinical OCS remains poorly understood.

Methods

Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), 113 youth (8–18 years; 45 female) from a community sample were scanned during an error‐eliciting Go/No‐Go task. OCS were assessed dimensionally using the obsessive–compulsive subscale of the Child Behavior Checklist. The association between OCS scores and error‐related brain activity was examined at the whole‐brain level.

Results

Lower OCS scores associated with stronger response to errors in dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), caudate, putamen, thalamus, and occipital cortex. Additionally, lower OCS related to higher capacity for inhibitory control, as indexed by greater accuracy on No‐Go trials during fMRI scanning. The relationship between lower OCS and better accuracy on No‐Go trials was mediated by greater error‐related dACC activity.

Conclusions

The inverse relationship between OCS and error‐related activity in the dACC and extended cortical–striatal–thalamic circuitry may index an adaptive process by which subclinical OCS are minimized in youth. Further, these results identify an observable pattern of brain activity that tracks with subclinical OCS severity. Understanding the link between neural networks for error processing and the normal to abnormal range of OCS may pave the way for brain‐based strategies to identify children who are more likely to develop OCD and enable the targeting of preventive strategies to reduce risk.
Still a rite of passage? A perspective on current therapeutic attitudes and interventions in relation to cyberbullying
Authors: Jones Callum
Published: March 2023

This paper examines cyberbullying concerning therapeutic interventions. A section on bullying and how bullying impacts the therapeutic environment is included. The author provides his definition of bullying to incorporate cyberbullying and how it is no longer a “new issue” but an evolving one. The current status of therapeutic interventions used to support victims of cyberbullying has been explored, emphasising their effectiveness in assisting those experiencing bullying. A segment has been implemented to comprehend whether practitioners fully understand the potential implications of cyberbullying on clients, whether bullying is still seen as a “rite of passage” and what the possible consequences of this could be. Peer interventions and support groups concerning cyberbullying have been referenced, including The KiVa Programme, the Shared Concern Method and The Circle of Friends Method. These have highlighted specific examples of therapeutic and nontherapeutic approaches to intervene with cyberbullying. A section on potential further training is presented for practitioners working within educational environments. Moreover, physical, psychological, sexual and relational bullying are discussed in the article when applicable, with the umbrella term “bullying” used to discuss all forms of bullying at once. The paper has uncovered two key messages: (1) cyberbullying requires more awareness in counselling and is no longer a new issue and (2) more extensive training is required to assist therapists to work with cyberbullying victims.
Dihydrophenanthrene Dimers: Why and Where It Is Possible to Isolate Their Precursors
Authors: Di Fabio Giovanni , Zarrelli Armando
Published: March 2023

An interesting class of compounds of natural origin is dihydrophenanthrene dimers, which are characterized by a series of remarkable biological properties. Considering the hypothesis that each dimer is obtained through a biosynthetic mechanism that involves the coupling of the corresponding radicals of the single dihydrophenanthrene unit, we identified 29 dihydrophenanthrenes. Of these dihydrophenanthrenes, 11 were new compounds that could be isolated from 10 different plant species; 11 had already been identified, but not yet isolated in the 17 different plant species from which the corresponding dimers had been isolated; and 7 were known and had been isolated in the same plant sources of the corresponding dimers. A targeted analysis of several natural extracts from specific plant sources would allow the identification of known or new molecules with potential and/or specific biological activities and, in a final analysis, would confirm the relative biosynthetic mechanism.
Ileal atresia and total colonic hirschsprung disease in a 36‐week neonate: A case report
Authors: Atqiaee Khashahyar , Hiradfar Mehran , Mashhadi Mahdi Parvizi , Khanghah Ali Samady
Published: March 2023

Intestinal atresia and hirschsprung disease are two common causes of bowel obstruction in neonates; simultaneous occurrence is rare. This report delineates a 36‐week newborn with ileal atresia and total colonic hirschsprung who was referred to our unit due to failure of meconium passage during the first 48 h after birth.
Exchange Interactions and Magnetic Properties of a Molecular Mn18‐Ring Complex
Authors: Bandemehr Jascha , Atanasov Mihail , Vittal Rao Shashank , Neese Frank , Pietzonka Clemens , Ivlev Sergei I. , Kraus Florian
Published: March 2023

[Mn3O(OAc)7(HOAc)]6 ⋅ x AcOH (x=6–9) represents a rare example of a compound containing molecular Mn18‐rings. These are formed by Mn3(μ3‐O) subunits in which the high‐spin Mn(III) centers are bridged by three pairs of acetate anions (AcO−). An AcOH molecule coordinates to one of the Mn atoms leading to [Mn3(μ3‐O)(μ2‐OAc)6(AcOH)]‐units, designated in short as Mn3‐units, that are interconnected by acetate anions via the other two Mn atoms to form Mn18‐rings. Magnetic measurements show weak ferromagnetic interactions between them that are suppressed in strong magnetic field. Quantum‐chemical calculations on Mn3 model complexes using independently DFT and ab‐initio multi reference methods (CASSCF/NEVPT2) show a correlation between the orientation of the pseudo‐Jahn‐Teller axes of pairs of Mn(III) magnetic centers and corresponding exchange coupling energies. Weak coupling between Mn3‐units within the Mn18‐ring allowed to simulate the magnetic susceptibility versus temperature dependence in terms of basically uncoupled magnetic moments of each Mn3‐unit within the ring.
A secure protocol for patient monitoring in wireless body area networks
Authors: Tyagi Pooja , Kumari Saru , Gupta Mridul Kumar , Chen Chien‐Ming , Wu Tsu‐Yang , Kumar Sachin
Published: March 2023

Recently, an authentication scheme was presented for health‐care in IoT for WBANs by Fotouhi et al. Authors asserted their scheme to be free from a number of attacks. Here, we find that Fotouhi et al.'s scheme suffers from insider attack, fails to provide proper authentication and bears inefficient password update phase. Therefore their scheme has security pitfalls that can lead to further security breaches. We remove the weaknesses of Fotouhi et al.'s scheme and hence propose a user authentication scheme for patient care. Our scheme is suitable for providing special care to patients in the healthcare industry. The proposed scheme facilitates health professionals to access the real‐time data of patients under treatment for some diseases. It also safeguards the medical staff from catching an infection from the patients by minimizing the need to come in direct contact with the patients. We justify the security of our proposed scheme by applying the random oracle model to it. The proposed scheme is compared with some related works to judge its efficacy over the compared counterparts.
Combined Modelling of Triply Paired Electronic States of HO2+ ion with 3 Symmetry using Coupled Eigen Model
Authors: Xavier F. George D.
Published: March 2023

The multi state triply paired coupled adiabatic electronic states of

,
symmetries for the title ion have been modelled using the triply paired coupled eigen valued functions with the principal aim of getting a set of well optimized triply paired coupled functions, capable of explaining all the microscopic topograhical features present in the chosen coupled electronic states. The high quality size truncated dynamically correlated points at the limit of complete basis set (CBS) were utilized for this purpose. The proposed model function are presented in an “easy to understand” linear form with respect to the pre‐defined variables which are directly dependent on the diabatic potentials and coupling strengths found in the diabatic matrix. Its most important feature (an essential criterion to be selected for modelling the triply degenerate seam pathway) is the ability to predict the existence of an uniquely defined triply degenerate iso‐energetic geometry among the chosen coupled states in addition to the prediction of the existence of many doubly degenerate iso‐energetic geometries in those states and hence can be adaptable to any general molecular system where such triply or doubly degenerate geometries are believed to occur. The title ion is one among them where many doubly iso‐energetic geometries were located but not the triply degenerate one as it is a three atomic system unlike the polyatomic case where the triply degenerate geometry will most likely to be found. To do this work, one requires the knowledge of four asymptotic diatomic curves upon atom+diatom dissociation whose correct correlated spectroscopic states are O2+
, O2
, O2+
, OH+
. The quality and the characteristics of analytical surface of the ion is discussed well in detail.
Evaluation of the Efficacy and Safety of Antiplatelet Therapeutics in Rabbits
Authors: Kuszynski Dawn S. , Christian Barbara D. , Bernard Matthew P. , Lauver D. Adam
Published: March 2023

Hemostasis is a multifactorial process that involves vasoconstriction of blood vessels, activation of the coagulation cascade, and platelet aggregation. Inappropriate activation of hemostatic processes can result in thrombosis and tissue ischemia. In patients at risk for thrombotic events, antiplatelet therapeutic agents inhibit platelet activation, thereby reducing the incidence of pathologic clot formation. Platelets are activated by several endogenous chemical mediators, including adenosine diphosphate, thrombin, and thromboxane. These activation pathways serve as attractive drug targets. The protocols described in this article are designed to evaluate the preclinical efficacy and safety of novel antiplatelet therapeutics in rabbits. Here, we provide two protocols for blood collection, two for determining platelet activation, and one for assessing bleeding safety. Together, these protocols can be used to characterize the efficacy and safety of antiplatelet agents for hemostasis. © 2023 The Authors. Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Basic Protocol 1: Blood collection via the central ear artery

Alternative Protocol 1: Blood collection via the jugular vein

Basic Protocol 2: Platelet aggregation assessment via light transmission aggregometry

Alternative Protocol 2: Platelet activation assessment via flow cytometry

Basic Protocol 3: Determination of tongue bleeding time
Pluripotent stem cells: Basic biology or else differentiations aimed at translational research and the role of flow cytometry
Authors: Bose Bipasha , Nihad Muhammad , P Sudheer Shenoy
Published: March 2023

Pluripotent stem cell research has revolutionized the modern era for the past 14 years with the advent of induced pluripotent stem cells. Before this time, scientists had access to human and mouse embryonic stem cells primarily for basic research and an attempt towards lineage‐specific differentiations for cell therapy applications. Regarding pluripotent stem cells, expression of bonafide marker proteins such as Oct4, Nanog, Sox2, Klf4, c‐Myc, and Lin28 have been considered giving a perfect readout for pluripotent stem cells and assessed using an analytical flow cytometer. In addition to the intracellular markers, surface markers such as stage‐specific embryonic antigen‐1 for mouse cells and SSEA‐4 for human cells are needed to sort pure populations of stem cells for further downstream applications for cell therapy. The surface marker SSEA‐4 is the most appropriate for obtaining pure populations of human pluripotent stem cells. When differentiated in a controlled manner using growth factors or small molecules, it is mandatory to assess the downregulation of pluripotency markers (Oct4, Nanog, Sox2, and Klf4) with subsequent up‐regulation of stage‐specific differentiation markers. Such assessments are done using flow cytometry. Pluripotent stem cells have a high teratoma‐forming potential in vivo. Small amounts of undifferentiated PSCs might lead to dangerous teratomas upon transplantation if leftover in the pool of differentiated cells. Hence, flow cytometry is essential for sorting out PSC populations with teratoma‐forming potential. The pure populations of differentiated progenitors need to be flow‐sorted before differentiating them further for cell therapy applications. For example, Glycoprotein 2 is a specific cell‐surface marker for pancreatic progenitors that enables one to sort the pancreatic progenitors differentiated from human PSCs. Taken together, analytical flow cytometry, and cell sorting provide indispensable tools in PSC research and cell therapy.
Experimental study on 3D internal penny‐shaped crack propagation in brittle materials under uniaxial compression
Authors: Xu Jiyun , Li Hanzhang , Wang Haijun , Tang Lei
Published: March 2023

Fractures are widely present in geomaterials of civil engineering and deep underground engineering. Given that geomaterials are usually brittle, the fractures can significantly affect the evaluation of underground engineering construction safety and the early warning of rock failure. However, the crack initiation and propagation in brittle materials under composite loading remain unknown so far. In this study, a three‐dimensional internal laser‐engraved cracking technique was applied to produce internal cracks without causing damage to the surfaces. The uniaxial compression tests were performed on a brittle material with internal cracks to investigate the propagation of these internal cracks at different dip angles under compression and shear. The test results show that the wing crack propagation mainly occurs in the specimen with an inclined internal crack, which is a mixed‐Mode I–II–III fracture; in contrast, Mode I fracture is present in the specimen with a vertical internal crack. The fractography characteristics of Mode III fracture display a lance‐like pattern. The fracture mechanism in the brittle material under compression is that the internal wing cracks propagate to the ends of the whole sample and cause the final failure. The initial deflection angle of the wing crack is determined by the participation ratio of stress intensity factors KII to KI at the tip of the internal crack.
Hospital‐based higher calorie refeeding and mealtime distress in adolescents and young adults with anorexia nervosa or atypical anorexia nervosa
Authors: Accurso Erin C. , Cheng Jing , Machen Vanessa I. , Buckelew Sara , Kreiter Anna , Adams Sally , Le Grange Daniel , Golden Neville H. , Garber Andrea K.
Published: March 2023

Objective

The StRONG study demonstrated that higher calorie refeeding (HCR) restored medical stability faster in patients hospitalized with anorexia nervosa (AN) and atypical AN (AAN), with no increased safety events compared with standard‐of‐care lower calorie refeeding (LCR). However, some clinicians have expressed concern about potential unintended consequences of HCR (e.g., greater mealtime distress). The purpose of this study was to examine patient treatment preference and compare mealtime distress, food refusal, and affective states between treatments.

Method

Participants (N = 111) in this multisite randomized clinical trial were ages 12–24 years, with AN or AAN, admitted to hospital with medical instability who received assigned study treatment (HCR or LCR). Treatment preference was assessed prior to randomization in the full sample. In a subset of participants (n = 45), linear mixed effect models were used to analyze momentary ratings of mealtime distress (pre, during, and post‐meals) and daily affective state during the hospitalization.

Results

About half (55%) of participants reported a preference for LCR. Treatment assignment was not associated with food refusal, mealtime distress, or affective states in the subsample. Food refusal increased significantly over the course of refeeding (p = .018). Individuals with greater depression experienced more negative affect (p = .033), with worsening negative affect over time for individuals with higher eating disorder psychopathology (p = .023).

Discussion

Despite understandable concerns about potential unintended consequences of HCR, we found no evidence that treatment acceptability for HCR differed from LCR for adolescents and young adults with AN and AAN.

Public Significance

The efficacy and safety of higher calorie refeeding in hospitalized patients with anorexia nervosa has been demonstrated. However, it is not known whether higher calorie refeeding (HCR) increases meal‐time distress. This study demonstrated that HCR was not associated with increased mealtime distress, food refusal, or affective states, as compared with lower calorie refeeding. These data support HCR treatment acceptability for adolescents/young adults with anorexia nervosa and atypical anorexia nervosa.
An Old World leaf‐cutting, fungus‐growing ant: A case of convergent evolution
Authors: Dejean A. , Naskrecki P. , Faucher C. , Azémar F. , Tindo M. , Manzi S. , Gryta H.
Published: March 2023

The African myrmicine ant Crematogaster clariventris is a territorially dominant arboreal species that constructs very hard carton nests. Noting that workers cut off leaves from different plant species while building or repairing their nests, we asked ourselves if there was a correlation. We conducted scanning electron microscopic observations of nest walls that revealed the presence of fungal mycelia. As the presence of filamentous Ascomycota has been shown on arboreal ant nests worldwide, we used a metabarcoding approach and, indeed, noted the presence of Operational Taxonomic Unit (OTU) Cre_006041 of the Capnodiales known to reinforce large nests of an unidentified African Crematogaster. This OTU was also recorded in the workers' bodies. At a very low level, we also noted OTU Cre_320021 of the Chaetothyriales known for their relationships with the African plant‐ant species C. margaritae. Therefore, by cutting leaves and growing fungus, C. clariventris illustrates a case of convergent evolution with higher New World leaf‐cutting, fungus‐growing Attina of the genera Acromyrmex, Amoimyrmex and Atta. However, there are notable differences. Leaf‐cutting Attina cultivate Agaricaceae (Basidiomycota) for food, whereas C. clariventris uses Capnodiales to reinforce their nests (i.e., after the mycelium died, the hyphae's cell walls remained sturdy forming a natural composite material), have a distinct geographical origin (i.e., New World vs. Old World) and belong to a distinct ant tribe in the subfamily Myrmicinae (i.e., Attini vs. Crematogastrini). Furthermore, leaf‐cutting Attina evolved an efficacious means of cutting leaves by using their mandibles asymmetrically, whereas C. clariventris workers, typically, use their mandibles symmetrically.
Red deerCervus elaphusblink more in larger groups
Authors: Rowe Zeke W. , Robins Joseph H. , Rands Sean A.
Published: March 2023

Most animals need to spend time being vigilant for predators, at the expense of other activities such as foraging. Group‐living animals can benefit from the shared vigilance effort of other group members, with individuals reducing personal vigilance effort as group size increases. Behaviors like active scanning or head lifting are usually used to quantify vigilance but may not be accurate measures of this. We suggest that measuring an animal's blinking rate gives a meaningful measure of vigilance: increased blinking implies reduced vigilance, as the animal cannot detect predators when its eyes are closed. We describe an observational study of a captive population of red deer, where we measured the blinking rates of individual deer from groups of differing sizes (where mean group size ranged between 1 and 42.7 individuals). We demonstrate that as group size increases in red deer, individuals increase their blink rate, confirming the prediction that vigilance should decrease. Blinking is a simple non‐invasive measure and offers a useful metric for assessing the welfare of animals experiencing an increase in perceived predation risk or other stressors.
Evaluation of serum levels of Irisin as a marker of endothelial dysfunction in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Ahmed Thoraya Mohamed , Nassar Mahmoud , Mohamed Hanaa Ahmed Abdallah , Elhadidy Khaled El‐sayed , Farhan Hanan Mohamed , El Basset Ahmed Sayed Abd , Elmessiery Riem M. , Kamel Mahmoud Farid
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Insulin resistance and obesity have been associated with irisin, a protein in fat cells. The levels of irisin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) were significantly lower than those in non‐diabetics. This study aimed to examine the relationship between serum irisin levels and endothelial dysfunction in patients with T2DM.

Methods

There were 90 participants in this study. We matched 65 patients with T2DM with 25 healthy control participants. A series of tests were performed on the participants, including fasting blood glucose, 2 hours postprandial blood glucose, glycated haemoglobin, triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol, high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C), low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C), TG/HDL‐C ratio and albumin/creatinine ratio. In addition to measuring high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hs‐CRP). Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique was used for estimating irisin concentrations.

Results

Flow‐mediated dilation (FMD) was significantly lower in patients with T2DM; however, there was a non‐statistically significant difference between healthy controls and patients with T2DM regarding serum Irisin level. CRP and LDL levels were inversely correlated with circulating irisin levels. In a stepwise regression analysis, only the hs‐CRP and LDL were statistically significant in predicting irisin level.

Conclusions

In patients with T2DM, serum levels of irisin were inversely correlated with hyperglycaemia, body mass index and per cent body fat; this suggests that detecting irisin levels early can prevent cardiovascular diseases from progressing. According to the study results, serum irisin serves as a predictive marker for early cardiovascular disease, thus preventing the disease from progressing. There is a need for further research in order to understand how irisin contributes to the development of atherosclerosis and the development of diabetic complications.
Approximation of Bayesian Hawkes process with inlabru
Authors: Serafini Francesco , Lindgren Finn , Naylor Mark
Published: March 2023

Hawkes process are very popular mathematical tools for modeling phenomena exhibiting a self‐exciting or self‐correcting behavior. Typical examples are earthquakes occurrence, wild‐fires, drought, capture‐recapture, crime violence, trade exchange, and social network activity. The widespread use of Hawkes process in different fields calls for fast, reproducible, reliable, easy‐to‐code techniques to implement such models. We offer a technique to perform approximate Bayesian inference of Hawkes process parameters based on the use of the R‐package inlabru . The inlabru R‐package, in turn, relies on the INLA methodology to approximate the posterior of the parameters. Our Hawkes process approximation is based on a decomposition of the log‐likelihood in three parts, which are linearly approximated separately. The linear approximation is performed with respect to the mode of the parameters' posterior distribution, which is determined with an iterative gradient‐based method. The approximation of the posterior parameters is therefore deterministic, ensuring full reproducibility of the results. The proposed technique only requires the user to provide the functions to calculate the different parts of the decomposed likelihood, which are internally linearly approximated by the R‐package inlabru . We provide a comparison with the bayesianETAS  R‐package which is based on an MCMC method. The two techniques provide similar results but our approach requires two to ten times less computational time to converge, depending on the amount of data.
Uptake and Effects of Nanoplastics on the Dinoflagellate Gymnodinium corollarium
Authors: Annenkov Vadim V. , Pal'shin Viktor A. , Annenkova Nataliia V. , Zelinskiy Stanislav N. , Danilovtseva Elena N.
Published: March 2023

Plastic nanoparticles (NPs) are the final state of plastic degradation in the environment before they disintegrate into low-molecular-weight organic compounds. Unicellular organisms are highly sensitive to the toxic effects of nanoplastics, because they are often capable of phagotrophy but are unable to consume a foreign material such as synthetic plastic. We studied the effect of polystyrene, poly(vinyl chloride), poly(methyl acrylate), and poly(methyl methacrylate) NPs on the photosynthetic dinoflagellate Gymnodinium corollarium Sundström, Kremp et Daugbjerg. Fluorescent tagged particles were used to visualize plastic capture by dinoflagellate cells. We found that these dinoflagellates are capable of phagotrophic nutrition and thus should be regarded as mixotrophic species. This causes their susceptibility to the toxic effects of plastic NPs. Living cells ingest plastic NPs and accumulate in the cytoplasm as micrometer-level aggregates, probably in food vacuoles. The action of nanoplastics leads to a dose-dependent increase in the level of reactive oxygen species in dinoflagellate cells, indicating plastic degradation in the cells. The introduction of a methyl group into the main chain in the α-position in the case of poly(methyl methacrylate) causes a drastic reduction in toxicity. We expect that such NPs can be a tool for testing unicellular organisms in terms of heterotrophic feeding ability. We suggest a dual role of dinoflagellates in the ecological fate of plastic waste: the involvement of nanoplastics in the food chain and its biochemical destruction. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:1124–1133. © 2023 SETAC
Astrocytic circadian clock control of energy expenditure by transcriptional stress responses in the ventromedial hypothalamus
Authors: Mendoza‐Viveros Lucia , Marmolejo‐Gutierrez Clarisa , Cid‐Castro Carolina , Escalante‐Covarrubias Quetzalcóatl , Montellier Emilie , Carreño‐Vázquez Erick , Noriega Lilia G. , Velázquez‐Villegas Laura A. , Tovar Armando R. , Sassone‐Corsi Paolo , Aguilar‐Arnal Lorena , Orozco‐Solis Ricardo
Published: March 2023

Hypothalamic circuits compute systemic information to control metabolism. Astrocytes residing within the hypothalamus directly sense nutrients and hormones, integrating metabolic information, and modulating neuronal responses. Nevertheless, the role of the astrocytic circadian clock on the control of energy balance remains unclear. We used mice with a targeted ablation of the core‐clock gene Bmal1 within Gfap‐expressing astrocytes to gain insight on the role played by this transcription factor in astrocytes. While this mutation does not substantially affect the phenotype in mice fed normo‐caloric diet, under high‐fat diet we unmasked a thermogenic phenotype consisting of increased energy expenditure, and catabolism in brown adipose and overall metabolic improvement consisting of better glycemia control, and body composition. Transcriptomic analysis in the ventromedial hypothalamus revealed an enhanced response to moderate cellular stress, including ER‐stress response, unfolded protein response and autophagy. We identified Xbp1 and Atf1 as two key transcription factors enhancing cellular stress responses. Therefore, we unveiled a previously unknown role of the astrocytic circadian clock modulating energy balance through the regulation of cellular stress responses within the VMH.
Proxalutamide in metastatic castration‐resistant prostate cancer: Primary analysis of a multicenter, randomized, open‐label, phase 2 trial
Authors: Zhou Tie , Qin Shengfei , Xu Weidong , Tang Shouyan , Chen Guanghua , Li Song , Hou Jianguo , Gao Xu , Shi Guowei , Sun Zhongquan , Jin Jie , Chen Lijun , Sun Weibing , Liu Ben , Wang Jingen , Meng Qinggui , Wang Dongwen , Hu Zhiquan , He Dalin , Yang Yong , Song Xishuang , Fu Cheng , Wang Yinhuai , Ye Dingwei , Zhang Wei
Published: March 2023

We aim to assess the safety and efficacy of proxalutamide, a novel androgen receptor antagonist, for men with metastatic castration‐resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) in a multicenter, randomized, open‐label, phase 2 trial. In our study, the enrolled mCRPC patients were randomized to 100, 200 and 300 mg dose groups at 1:1:1. The primary efficacy endpoint was prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) response rate. The secondary endpoints included objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR) and time to PSA and radiographic progression. Safety and pharmacokinetics were also assessed. Finally, there were 108 patients from 17 centers being enrolled. By week 16, there were 13 (35.1%), 12 (36.4%) and 15 (42.9%) patients with confirmed 50% or greater PSA decline in 100 mg (n = 37), 200 mg (n = 33) and 300 mg (n = 35) groups, respectively. Among the 19 patients with target lesions at study entry, three (15.8%) had a partial response and 12 (63.2%) had stable disease. The ORRs of 20.0%, 22.2%, 0% and DCRs of 80.0%, 88.9%, 60.0% were, respectively, achieved in 100, 200 and 300 mg groups. By the maximum follow‐up time of 24 weeks, there were 42.6% and 10.2% of cases experiencing PSA progression and radiographic progression, respectively. Overall, adverse events (AEs) were experienced by 94.4% of patients, most of which were mild or moderate. There were 28 patients experiencing ≥grade 3 AEs. The most common AEs were fatigue (17.6%), anemia (14.8%), elevated AST (14.8%) and ALT (13.0%), decreased appetite (13.0%). These findings preliminarily showed the promising antitumor activity of proxalutamide in patients with mCRPC with a manageable safety profile. The proxalutamide dose of 200 mg daily is recommended for future phase 3 trial (Clinical trial registration no. CTR20170177).
Exploring the influence mechanism of water grinding on the gel properties of corn starch based on changes in its structure and properties
Authors: Dong Ying , Dai Yangyong , Xing Fu , Hou Hanxue , Wang Wentao , Ding Xiuzhen , Zhang Hui , Li Cheng
Published: March 2023

BACKGROUND

At present, most studies have focused on the preparation of modified starches by dry grinding. As an excellent starch plasticizer, water might enhance the action of grinding on the structure of starch granules, and water grinding might improve the gel properties of starch. Therefore, this article explored the influence mechanism of water grinding on the gel properties of corn starch based on the changes in its structure and properties.

RESULTS

The results showed that water grinding could make water enter the starch granules and hydrate the starch molecules, and the starch gelatinized after water grinding for 20 min. Thus, water enhanced the action of grinding on the structure of the starch granules. Under the plasticization and grinding action of water grinding, the mechanochemical effect of the starch granules occurred. When the starch was in the aggregation stage (7.5–10 min), the crystallinity of the starch increased, and the starch molecules rearranged into a more stable structure, which increased apparent viscosity (η), elastic modulus (G′) and viscous modulus (G″) of the starch gels.

CONCLUSION

Therefore, appropriate water grinding (10 min) contributed to increasing the viscoelasticity of starch gels. This study provided a theoretical foundation for research on improving the properties of starch by mechanical modification in future. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
Role of Inferior Vena Cava Collapsibility Index in the Prediction of Hypotension Associated With Central Neuraxial Block
Authors: Sethi Divya , Jadhav Vinayak Laxman , Garg Garima
Published: March 2023

Background

There are only a few studies on perioperative use of inferior vena cava collapsibility index (IVCCI) to predict hypotension after anesthesia. The study aimed to evaluate IVCCI as predictor of hypotension in patients receiving central neuraxial block (CNB) for elective surgery.

Method

One hundred patients of ASA grade I/II, aged 18–60 years undergoing elective surgery under CNB were enrolled. Ultrasound IVC examination was performed preoperatively and the patients were allocated to Group C (Collapsing group: IVCCI ≥50%) or Group NC (Non‐Collapsing group: IVCCI <50%). Thereafter, in the operation theatre, the patient was given CNB and observed for development of hypotension. The hypotension was treated with additional fluid bolus (5 mL kg−1 over 10 minutes) and/or vasopressor (mephentramine 6 mg IV). The primary objective was to compare the incidence of hypotension; the secondary objective was to compare the fluid and vasopressor requirement in the Groups C and NC.

Result

Six patients were excluded from study due to poor visualization of IVC. The mean IVCCI for Group C (n = 53) was 56.06 ± 4.62% and Group NC (n = 41) was 34.01 ± 8.94%. The incidence of hypotension was 56.60% (20/53) in Group C and 4.87% (2/41) in Group NC (P < .001). The vasopressor and fluid requirement was also statistically significantly higher in Group C compared with Group NC (P < .001).

Conclusion

Preoperative ultrasound assessment of IVCCI is useful in predicting hypotension after CNB in patients receiving CNB for elective surgery.