bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association between blood pressure and endovascular treatment outcomes differs by baseline perfusion and reperfusion status
Authors: Kim Beom Joon , Singh Nishita , Kim Hyeran , Menon Bijoy K. , Almekhlafi Mohammed , Ryu Wi-Sun , Kim Joon-Tae , Kang Jihoon , Baik Sung Hyun , Kim Jun Yup , Lee Keon-Joo , Jung Cheolkyu , Han Moon-Ku , Bae Hee-Joon
Published: August 2023

We hypothesized that the association between BP and endovascular treatment (EVT) outcomes would differ by baseline perfusion and recanalization status. We identified 388 ICA or M1 occlusion patients who underwent EVT ≤ 24 h from onset with successful recanalization (TICI ≥ 2b). BP was measured at 5-min intervals from arrival and during the procedure. Systolic BPs (SBP) were summarized as dropmax (the maximal decrease over two consecutive measurements), incmax (the maximal increase), mean, coefficient of variation (cv), and standard deviation. Adequate baseline perfusion was defined as hypoperfusion intensity ratio (HIR) ≤ 0.5; infarct proportion as the volume ratio of final infarcts within the Tmax > 6 s region. In the adequate perfusion group, infarct proportion was closely associated with SBPdropmax (β ± SE (P-value); 1.22 ± 0.48, (< 0.01)), SBPincmax (1.12 ± 0.33, (< 0.01)), SBPcv (0.61 ± 0.15 (< 0.01)), SBPsd (0.66 ± 0.08 (< 0.01)), and SBPmean (0.71 ± 0.37 (0.053) before recanalization. The associations remained significant only in SBPdropmax, SBPincmax, and SBPmean after recanalization. SBPincmax, SBPcv and SBPsd showed significant associations with modified Rankin Scale score at 3 months in the pre-recanalization period. In the poor perfusion group, none of the SBP indices was associated with any stroke outcomes regardless of recanalization status. BP may show differential associations with stroke outcomes by the recanalization and baseline perfusion status.
Recycling of silver nanoparticles from electronic waste via green synthesis and application of AgNPs-chitosan based nanocomposite on textile material
Authors: Mondal Moni Sankar , Paul Ayon , Rhaman Mukitur
Published: August 2023

The main thrust of this project is the fabrication of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) from electronic waste (PCB board) and applying it on 100% cotton fabric as an antimicrobial agent. The nanoparticle formation of silver was done by green synthesis way using an aqueous leaf extract of Eichhornia crassipes. Furthermore, chitosan was also applied to the fabric with silver nanoparticles by coating. FTIR and SEM tests characterized the fabricated silver nanoparticles, and antimicrobial tests were followed by the disc diffusion method. The SEM analysis showed an average particle size of 76.91 nm. The FTIR analysis showed the successful reduction of silver nanoparticles and the bonding with chitosan and cellulose. Besides, the EDX reports confirmed the existence of AgNPs by indicating a strong signal in the silver region. In addition, SEM characteristics analysis confirmed the uniform deposition of silver nanoparticles. Finally, the antimicrobial property was tested against gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria. The antimicrobial result was found satisfactory in the case of green-synthesized recycled AgNPs. However, the effectiveness was not observed to be higher than green-synthesized pure AgNPs. In this study, the zone of inhibition of AgNPs was also compared to the reference antibiotics Ciprofloxacin.
The impact of circulatory arrest with selective antegrade cerebral perfusion on brain functional connectivity and postoperative cognitive function
Authors: Kim Tae-Hoon , Oh Jooyoung , Lee Ha , Kim Myeong Su , Sim Seo-A. , Min Sarang , Song Suk-Won , Kim Jae-Jin
Published: August 2023

Aortic surgery is one of the most challenging types of surgeries, which is possibly related to cognitive sequelae. We aimed to investigate the changes in resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) associated with intraoperative circulatory arrest (CA) in aortic surgery, exploring the relationship between the altered connectivity and postoperative cognitive functions. Thirty-eight patients participated in this study (14 with CA, 24 without). Functional magnetic resonance imaging was scanned on the fifth day after surgery or after the resolution of delirium if it was developed. We assessed the differences in the development of postoperative cognitive changes and rsFC between patients with and without CA. The occurrence of postoperative delirium and postoperative cognitive dysfunction was not significantly different between the patients with and without the application of CA. However, patients with CA showed increased in posterior cingulate cortex-based connectivity with the right superior temporal gyrus, right precuneus, and right hippocampus, and medial prefrontal cortex-based connectivity with the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. The application of moderate hypothermic CA with unilateral antegrade cerebral perfusion is unlikely to affect aspects of postoperative cognitive changes, whereas it may lead to increased rsFC of the default mode network at a subclinical level following acute brain insults.
Autophagy and mitophagy-related extracellular mitochondrial dysfunction of cerebrospinal fluid cells in patients with hemorrhagic moyamoya disease
Authors: Youn Dong Hyuk , Kim Nayoung , Lee Aran , Han Sung Woo , Kim Jong-Tae , Hong Eun Pyo , Jung Harry , Jeong Myeong Seon , Cho Sung Min , Jeon Jin Pyeong ,   First Korean Stroke Genetics Association Research (The FirstKSGAR) study, Chang In Bok , Sheen Seung Hun , Rhim Jong Kook , Kang Keunsoo , Ahn Jun Hyong , Jeon Hong Jun , Lee Sungyoung , Yoo Chan Jong , Hyun Dong Keun , Park Jeong Jin , Kwon Seungwon , Galea Ian , Gaastra Ben
Published: August 2023

We aimed to investigate whether mitochondrial dysfunction in extracellular cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which is associated with autophagy and mitophagy, might be involved in neurological outcomes in adult patients with hemorrhagic moyamoya disease (MMD) whose pathogenesis related to poor outcomes is not well-known. CSF samples were collected from 43 adult MMD patients and analyzed according to outcomes at 3 months. Fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis (FACS) and the JC-1 red/green ratio were used to assess mitochondrial cells and intact mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). We performed quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting analyses of autophagy and mitophagy-related markers, including HIF1α, ATG5, pBECN1, BECN1, BAX, BNIP3L, DAPK1, and PINK1. Finally, FACS analysis with specific fluorescence-conjugated antibodies was performed to evaluate the potential cellular origin of CSF mitochondrial cells. Twenty-seven females (62.8%) with a mean age of 47.4 ± 9.7 years were included in the study. Among 43 patients with hemorrhagic MMD, 23 (53.5%) had poor outcomes. The difference in MMP was evident between the two groups (2.4 ± 0.2 in patients with poor outcome vs. 3.5 ± 0.4 in patients with good outcome; p = 0.02). A significantly higher expression (2–ΔCt) of HIF1α, ATG5, DAPK1 followed by BAX and BNIP3L mRNA and protein was also observed in poor-outcome patients compared to those with good outcomes. Higher percentage of vWF-positive mitochondria, suggesting endothelial cell origins, was observed in patients with good outcome compared with those with poor outcome (25.0 ± 1.4% in patients with good outcome vs. 17.5 ± 1.5% in those with poor outcome; p < 0.01). We observed the association between increased mitochondrial dysfunction concomitant with autophagy and mitophagy in CSF cells and neurological outcomes in adult patients with hemorrhagic MMD. Further prospective multicenter studies are needed to determine whether it has a diagnostic value for risk prediction.
Matching intraoperative teaching and learning for medical undergraduates via modified briefing-intraoperative teaching-debriefing (BID) model
Authors: Chang Yu-Tang , Chen Nan-Chieh , Huang Shu-Hung , Lai Chung-Sheng , Chen Cheng-Sheng , Chang Ting-Wei , Chang Po-Chih
Published: August 2023

Intraoperative teaching is a challenging task. The briefing–intraoperative teaching–debriefing (BID) model, which is based on guided discovery learning at limited time intervals, has rarely been investigated. This study validated the benefits of the modified BID model on medical clerks. This study involved 37 first-year medical clerks enrolled from September 2019 to May 2020. Every learner scrubbed in one the totally implantable venous access device placement surgery and completed a pre-/posttest survey on surgical procedures and associated anatomy conducted through an intraoperative teaching questionnaire. Of these participants, 15 merely observed throughout the entire procedure (observation group), whereas the remaining 22 performed simple suturing under supervision (suturing group). All participants underwent an objective structured assessment of simple interrupted suturing skills at the end of the observership. Correlations were tested using a two‐tailed paired t-test, with a p-value < 0.05 indicating statistical significance. The response rate was 100% and participants could reconfirm the precise venous access, catheter tip location, and suture materials for portal fixation after totally implantable venous access device placement (p < 0.05). Although a relatively higher satisfaction of the intraoperative teaching environment and educator attitude was reported in the suturing group than in the observation group, the difference in scores on the objective structured assessment was not statistically significant (8.7 ± 1.8 vs. 7.2 ± 3.7; p = 0.104). Our findings indicate that the modified BID model with hands-on experience is a practicable module for matching intraoperative teaching and learning via learning perception enhancement for medical undergraduates during totally implantable venous access device placement.
Improved EEG-based emotion recognition through information enhancement in connectivity feature map
Authors: Akhand M. A. H. , Maria Mahfuza Akter , Kamal Md Abdus Samad , Murase Kazuyuki
Published: August 2023

Electroencephalography (EEG), despite its inherited complexity, is a preferable brain signal for automatic human emotion recognition (ER), which is a challenging machine learning task with emerging applications. In any automatic ER, machine learning (ML) models classify emotions using the extracted features from the EEG signals, and therefore, such feature extraction is a crucial part of ER process. Recently, EEG channel connectivity features have been widely used in ER, where Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC), mutual information (MI), phase-locking value (PLV), and transfer entropy (TE) are well-known methods for connectivity feature map (CFM) construction. CFMs are typically formed in a two-dimensional configuration using the signals from two EEG channels, and such two-dimensional CFMs are usually symmetric and hold redundant information. This study proposes the construction of a more informative CFM that can lead to better ER. Specifically, the proposed innovative technique intelligently combines CFMs’ measures of two different individual methods, and its outcomes are more informative as a fused CFM. Such CFM fusion does not incur additional computational costs in training the ML model. In this study, fused CFMs are constructed by combining every pair of methods from PCC, PLV, MI, and TE; and the resulting fused CFMs PCC + PLV, PCC + MI, PCC + TE, PLV + MI, PLV + TE, and MI + TE are used to classify emotion by convolutional neural network. Rigorous experiments on the DEAP benchmark EEG dataset show that the proposed CFMs deliver better ER performances than CFM with a single connectivity method (e.g., PCC). At a glance, PLV + MI-based ER is shown to be the most promising one as it outperforms the other methods.
Virtual reality to understand pain-associated approach behaviour: a proof-of-concept study
Authors: Hilger Kirsten , Häge Anne-Sophie , Zedler Christina , Jost Michael , Pauli Paul
Published: August 2023

Pain-associated approach and avoidance behaviours are critically involved in the development and maintenance of chronic pain. Empirical research suggests a key role of operant learning mechanisms, and first experimental paradigms were developed for their investigation within a controlled laboratory setting. We introduce a new Virtual Reality paradigm to the study of pain-related behaviour and investigate pain experiences on multiple dimensions. The paradigm evaluates the effects of three-tiered heat-pain stimuli applied contingent versus non-contingent with three types of arm movements in naturalistic virtual sceneries. Behaviour, self-reported pain-related fear, pain expectancy and electrodermal activity were assessed in 42 healthy participants during an acquisition phase (contingent movement-pain association) and a modification phase (no contingent movement-pain association). Pain-associated approach behaviour, as measured by arm movements followed by a severe heat stimulus, quickly decreased in-line with the arm movement-pain contingency. Slower effects were observed in fear of movement-related pain and pain expectancy ratings. During the subsequent modification phase, the removal of the pain contingencies modified all three indices. In both phases, skin conductance responses resemble the pattern observed for approach behaviour, while skin conductance levels equal the pattern observed for the self-ratings. Our findings highlight a fast reduction in approach behaviour in the face of acute pain and inform about accompanying psychological and physiological processes. We discuss strength and limitations of our paradigm for future investigations with the ultimate goal of gaining a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms involved in chronic pain development, maintenance, and its therapy.
Atomic reconstruction induced by uniaxial stress in MnP
Authors: Kozawa Tatsuya , Fujihala Masayoshi , Uchihara Takeru , Mitsuda Setsuo , Yano Shin-ichiro , Tamatsukuri Hiromu , Munakata Koji , Nakao Akiko
Published: August 2023

In condensed matter physics, pressure is frequently used to modify the stability of both electronic states and atomic arrangements. Under isotropic pressure, the intermetallic compound MnP has recently attracted attention for the interplay between pressure-induced superconductivity and complicated magnetic order in the vicinity . By contrast, we use uniaxial stress, a directional type of pressure, to investigate the effect on the magnetism and crystal structure of this compound. An irreversible magnetisation response induced by uniaxial stress is discovered in MnP at uniaxial stress as low as $$0.04\ \text {GPa}$$

0.04

GPa

. Neutron diffraction experiments reveal that uniaxial stress forms crystal domains that satisfy pseudo-rotational symmetry unique to the MnP-type structure. The structure of the coexisting domains accounts for the stress-induced magnetism. We term this first discovered phenomenon atomic reconstruction (AR) induced by uniaxial stress. Furthermore, our calculation results provide guidelines on the search for AR candidates. AR allows crystal domain engineering to control anisotropic properties of materials, including dielectricity, elasticity, electrical conduction, magnetism and superconductivity. A wide-ranging exploration of potential AR candidates would ensure that crystal domain engineering yields unconventional methods to design functional multi-domain materials for a wide variety of purposes.
miRNA profiling as a complementary diagnostic tool for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Authors: Cheng Jack , Ho Wen-Kuang , Wu Bor-Tsang , Liu Hsin-Ping , Lin Wei-Yong
Published: August 2023

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the most prevalent motor neuron disease characterized by its complex genetic structure, lacks a single diagnostic test capable of providing a conclusive diagnosis. In order to demonstrate the potential for genetic diagnosis and shed light on the pathogenic role of miRNAs in ALS, we developed an ALS diagnostic rule by training the model using 80% of a miRNA profiling dataset consisting of 253 ALS samples and 103 control samples. Subsequently, we validated the diagnostic rule using the remaining 20% of unseen samples. The diagnostic rule we developed includes miR-205-5p, miR-206, miR-376a-5p, miR-412-5p, miR-3927-3p, miR-4701-3p, miR-6763-5p, and miR-6801-3p. Remarkably, the rule achieved an 82% true positive rate and a 73% true negative rate when predicting the unseen samples. Furthermore, the identified miRNAs target 21 genes in the PI3K-Akt pathway and 27 genes in the ALS pathway, including notable genes such as BCL2, NEFH, and OPTN. We propose that miRNA profiling may serve as a complementary diagnostic tool to supplement the clinical presentation and aid in the early recognition of ALS.
Puberty timing and relative age as predictors of physical activity discontinuation during adolescence
Authors: Gallant François , Hebert Jeff J. , Thibault Véronique , Mekari Saïd , Sabiston Catherine M. , Bélanger Mathieu
Published: August 2023

Among same-age adolescents, those who enter puberty relatively later and those who are relatively younger (e.g., born later in the year) might be at greater risk of physical activity discontinuation. This study aimed to (1) describe gender-specific discontinuation, re-engagement, and uptake rates in various types of physical activities from the age of 11 to 17 years, and (2) assess puberty timing and relative age as predictors of discontinuation from organized, unorganized, individual, and group-based physical activities. Longitudinal data from 781 (56% girls, age 10–13 years at study baseline) Canadian participants who self-reported puberty status, birthdate, and involvement in 36 physical activities every four months from 2011 to 2018 was analyzed. The incidence of discontinuation, re-engagement, and uptake in organized/unorganized and individual/group activities from grade 6 until grade 12 was described and Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate associations of puberty timing and relative age with organized/unorganized and individual/group activity discontinuation. Results demonstrate that individual and unorganized activities are maintained longer than group-based and organized activities. Girls who started puberty earlier were more likely to discontinue organized activities than girls with average-puberty timing [Hazard ratio (HR) (95% confidence interval (CI)) 1.68 (1.05–2.69)]. Compared to boys born in the 4th quarter of the year, boys born in the 2nd quarter of the year were less likely to discontinue organized [HR (95% CI) 0.41 (0.23–0.74)], unorganized [HR (95% CI) 0.33 (0.16–0.70)], group [HR (95% CI) 0.58 (0.34–0.98)], and individual activities[HR (95% CI) 0.46 (0.23–0.91)], and boys born in the 3rd quarter were less likely to discontinue unorganized activities[HR (95% CI) 0.41 (0.19–0.88)]. This study illustrates the patterns of physical activity participation throughout adolescence. However, the generalizability of findings may be limited due to participant representation.
Cardamonin protects against iron overload induced arthritis by attenuating ROS production and NLRP3 inflammasome activation via the SIRT1/p38MAPK signaling pathway
Authors: Li Shaocong , He Qi , Chen Baihao , Zeng Jiaxu , Dou Xiangyun , Pan Zhaofeng , Xiao Jiacong , Li Miao , Wang Fanchen , Chen Chuyi , Lin Yuewei , Wang Xintian , Wang Haibin , Chen Jianfa
Published: August 2023

Iron homeostasis plays an essential role in joint health, while iron overload can cause damage and death of cartilage cells. Cardamonin (CAR) is a substance found in the fruit of the chasteberry plant and has anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor activities. We first administered iron dextran (500 mg/kg) intraperitoneally to establish an iron overload mouse model and surgically induced osteoarthritis. The extent of OA and iron deposition were assessed using Micro-ct, Safranin-O/fast green staining, H&E staining, and Prussian Blue 10 weeks later. We administered primary chondrocytes with Ferric Ammonium Citrate (FAC) to evaluate the chondrocyte changes. Chondrocytes were identified in vitro by toluidine blue staining, and chondrocyte viability was evaluated by CCK-8. The rate of apoptosis was determined by Annexin V-FITC/PI assay. The mechanism of action of CAR was verified by adding the SIRT1 inhibitor EX527, and the expression of SIRT1 and MAPK signaling pathways was detected by Western blot. Iron overload also promoted chondrocyte apoptosis, a process that was reversed by CAR. In addition, CAR reduced NLRP3 inflammasome production via the SIRT1-MAPK pathway, and the SIRT1 inhibitor EX527 inhibited the treatment of OA by CAR.CAR inhibited cartilage degeneration induced by iron overload both in vivo and in vitro. Besides, our study showed that iron overload not only inhibited type II collagen expression but also induced MMP expression by catalyzing the generation of NLRP3 inflammasome. Our results suggest that CAR can treat KOA by promoting SIRT1 expression and inhibiting p38MAPK pathway expression to reduce the production of NLRP3 inflammasome vesicles.
Grey hybrid normalization with period based entropy weighting and relational analysis for cities rankings
Authors: Esangbedo Moses Olabhele , Wei Jieyun
Published: August 2023

Researchers have addressed uncertainty in multicriteria decision making from the perspective of the performance values of the alternatives, weighting of the evaluation criteria, and the evaluation methods. Still, they are yet to address the uncertainty caused by the normalization approach. In this paper, we show that different normalization methods, namely sum normalization, min–max normalization, vector normalization, and maximization normalization, can result in different rankings of the alternatives while the performance values and weights are unchanged. We applied the grey system theory to address the problem of uncertainty in this study from three aspects: alternative performance values measurement, criteria weighting, and decision matrix/table normalization within a period. The grey hybrid normalization method is proposed as the main contribution in this paper. Then, we present the rankings of 48 cities under uncertainty to decide the location of a branch office of a Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer as a practical example based on the grey entropy weighting method and grey relational analysis with positive and negative references (GRA-PNR) within the period from the year 2019 to 2021. The research results using this approach ranked New York City the best, with a stock market capitalization of economy validity as the top contributor in terms of weighting. Finally, we used simple additive weighting with grey value and the technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution with grey value methods to validate the study results.
TGF-β1 stimulation and VDR-dependent activation modulate calcitriol action on skeletal muscle fibroblasts and Smad signalling-associated fibrogenesis
Authors: Srikuea Ratchakrit , Hirunsai Muthita
Published: August 2023

Fibroblasts play a pivotal role in fibrogenesis after skeletal muscle injury. Excess fibrous formation can disrupt contractile functions and delay functional recovery. Although vitamin D receptor (VDR) is expressed explicitly in regenerating muscle compared with uninjured muscle, how calcitriol [1α,25(OH)2D3] directly regulates skeletal muscle primary fibroblast proliferation, the transition to myofibroblasts, and Smad signalling-associated fibrogenesis is currently unknown. Herein, the effects of calcitriol on cultured skeletal muscle primary fibroblasts of male C57BL/6 mice (aged 1 month old) were investigated. The percentage of BrdU+ nuclei in primary fibroblasts was significantly decreased after calcitriol treatment; however, the antiproliferative effect of calcitriol was diminished after TGF-β1 stimulation to induce fibroblast to myofibroblast transition. This suppressive effect was associated with significantly decreased VDR expression in TGF-β1-treated cells. In addition, Vdr siRNA transfection abolished the effects of calcitriol on the suppression of α-SMA expression and Smad2/3 signalling in myofibroblasts, supporting that its antifibrogenic effect requires VDR activation. Compared with calcitriol, the antifibrotic agent suramin could inhibit fibroblast/myofibroblast proliferation and suppress the expression of TCF-4, which regulates fibrogenic determination. Collectively, these findings suggest that profibrotic stimulation and VDR-dependent activation could modulate the effects of calcitriol on skeletal muscle fibroblast proliferation and fibrogenesis processes. Therefore, TGF-β1 and VDR expression levels are crucial determinants for the antifibrogenic effect of calcitriol on skeletal muscle after injury.
Effectiveness of the production of tissue-engineered living bone graft: a comparative study using perfusion and rotating bioreactor systems
Authors: Kazimierczak Paulina , Kalisz Grzegorz , Sroka-Bartnicka Anna , Przekora Agata
Published: August 2023

Bioreactor systems are very precious tools to generate living bone grafts in vitro. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of rotating and perfusion bioreactor in the production of a living bone construct. Human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMDSCs) were seeded on the surfaces of hydroxyapatite-based scaffolds and cultured for 21 days in three different conditions: (1) static 3D culture, (2) 3D culture in a perfusion bioreactor, and (3) dynamic 3D culture in a rotating bioreactor. Quantitative evaluation of cell number showed that cultivation in the perfusion bioreactor significantly reduced cell proliferation compared to the rotating bioreactor and static culture. Osteogenic differentiation test demonstrated that BMDSCs cultured in the rotating bioreactor produced significantly greater amount of osteopontin compared to the cells cultured in the perfusion bioreactor. Moreover, Raman spectroscopy showed that cultivation of BMDSCs in the rotating bioreactor enhanced extracellular matrix (ECM) mineralization that was characterized by B-type carbonated substitution of hydroxyapatite (associated with PO43− groups) and higher mineral-to-matrix ratio compared to the ECM of cells cultured in the perfusion system. Thus, it was concluded that the rotating bioreactor was much more effective than the perfusion one in the generation of bone tissue construct in vitro.
Light-absorption-driven photocatalysis and antimicrobial potential of PVP-capped zinc oxide nanoparticles
Authors: Singh Karanpal , Nancy  , Bhattu Monika , Singh Gurjinder , Mubarak Nabisab Mujawar , Singh Jagpreet
Published: August 2023

Toxic dyes in water bodies and bacterial pathogens pose serious global challenges to human health and the environment. Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) demonstrate remarkable photocatalytic and antibacterial potency against reactive dyes and bacterial strains. In this work, PVP-ZnO NPs have been prepared via the co-precipitation method using polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as a surfactant. The NPs’ microstructure and morphology were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), having a size of 22.13 nm. High-resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) analysis showed spherical-shaped PVP-ZnO NPs with sizer ranging from 20 to 30 nm. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) confirmed the hybrid nature of the NPs, and UV–Vis spectroscopy showed an absorption peak at 367 nm. The PVP-ZnO NPs exhibited high photocatalytic activity, achieving 88% and nearly 95% degradation of reactive red-141 azo dye with 10 mg and 20 mg catalyst dosages, respectively. The antibacterial properties of the NPs were demonstrated against Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis, with inhibition zones of 24 mm and 20 mm, respectively. These findings suggest that PVP-ZnO NPs can be effectively used for water treatment, targeting both dye and pathogenic contaminants.
Moderate binding of villin headpiece protein to C3N3 nanosheet reveals the suitable biocompatibility of this nanomaterial
Authors: Luo Yuqi , Gu Zonglin , Perez-Aguilar Jose Manuel , Liao Weihua , Huang Yiwen , Luo Yanbo
Published: August 2023

Since its recent successful synthesis and due to its promising physical and chemical properties, the carbon nitrite nanomaterial, C3N3, has attracted considerable attention in various scientific areas. However, thus far, little effort has been devoted to investigating the structural influence of the direct interaction of this 2D nanomaterial and biomolecules, including proteins and biomembranes so as to understand the physical origin of its bio-effect, particularly from the molecular landscape. Such information is fundamental to correlate to the potential nanotoxicology of the C3N3 nanomaterial. In this work, we explored the potential structural influence of a C3N3 nanosheet on the prototypical globular protein, villin headpiece (HP35) using all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. We found that HP35 could maintain its native conformations upon adsorption onto the C3N3 nanosheet regardless of the diversity in the binding sites, implying the potential advantage of C3N3 in protecting the biomolecular structure. The adsorption was mediated primarily by vdW interactions. Moreover, once adsorbed on the C3N3 surface, HP35 remains relatively fixed on the nanostructure without a distinct lateral translation, which may aid in keeping the structural integrity of the protein. In addition, the porous topological structure of C3N3 and the special water layer present on the C3N3 holes conjointly contributed to the restricted motion of HP35 via the formation of a high free energy barrier and a steric hindrance to prevent the surface displacement. This work revealed for the first time the potential influence of the 2D C3N3 nanomaterial in the protein structure and provided the corresponding in-depth molecular-level mechanism, which is valuable for future applications of C3N3 in bionanomedicine.
Intraoperative neurological pupil index and postoperative delirium and neurologic adverse events after cardiac surgery: an observational study
Authors: Lee Seohee , Jung Dhong-Eun , Park Dongnyeok , Kim Tae Jung , Lee Hyung-Chul , Bae Jinyoung , Nam Karam , Jeon Yunseok , Cho Youn Joung
Published: August 2023

Neurological pupil index (NPi) calculated by automated pupillometry predicts clinical outcomes in critically ill patients. However, there are few data on intraoperative NPi and postoperative outcome after cardiac surgery. We evaluated the relationships between intraoperative NPi and clinical outcomes, such as delirium, in cardiac surgery patients. NPi was measured at baseline, after anesthesia induction, at 30 min intervals after initiation of cardiopulmonary bypass or anastomosis of coronary artery bypass graft, and at skin closure. Abnormal NPi was defined as one or more measurements of NPi < 3.0 during surgery. The worst intraoperative NPi was recorded, then multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship between abnormal NPi and postoperative delirium following cardiac surgery. Among 123 included patients, postoperative delirium developed in 19.5% (24/123) of patients. Intraoperative abnormal NPi was significantly associated with postoperative delirium (odds ratio 6.078; 95% confidence interval 1.845–20.025; P = 0.003) after adjustment for Society of Thoracic Surgeons Predicted Risk of Mortality score, coronary artery disease, and use of calcium channel blockers. In conclusion, abnormal intraoperative NPi independently predicted postoperative delirium following cardiac surgery. Intraoperative application of pupillometry may have prognostic value for development of postoperative delirium, thereby enabling close surveillance and early intervention in high-risk patients.

Registry number: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04136210).
Transient vegetation degradation reinforced rapid climate change (RCC) events during the Holocene
Authors: Li Xinzhou , Liu Xiaodong , Pan Zaitao , Shi Zhengguo , Xie Xiaoning , Ma Hongyan , Zhai Jizhou , Liu Heng , Xie Xiaoxun , Dai Aona
Published: August 2023

High-resolution multi-proxies from geological archives have revealed a series of rapid climate change (RCC) events during the Holocene. These events coincided with the so-called “Bond events”, which were previously linked to a weakened thermohaline circulation. However, the proposed atmosphere-ocean teleconnections associated with these events are regionally distinct, which explains why most previous studies have only explained a subset of the RCC events, depending on region and proxy type; moreover, the suggested mechanisms are much debated. Here, we present a major effort of Holocene transient simulations that identify a series of centennial-scale RCC events that are consistent with records from geological archives. All eight Holocene RCC events were captured in North China (NC) and pervasive throughout the Northern Hemisphere (NH) in experiments with active dynamic vegetation modules (DV), whereas they were largely absent in experiments without DV. These results suggest that the collapse of the terrestrial vegetation and the resulting feedback played a crucial role in RCC events. Our findings supplement or even challenge the notion that North Atlantic cooling, closely linked to ice-rafted debris (IRD) events, was the dominant driver of RCC events.
Thiol-based defect healing of WSe2 and WS2
Authors: Schwarz Aviv , Alon-Yehezkel Hadas , Levi Adi , Yadav Rajesh Kumar , Majhi Koushik , Tzuriel Yael , Hoang Lauren , Bailey Connor S. , Brumme Thomas , Mannix Andrew J. , Cohen Hagai , Yalon Eilam , Heine Thomas , Pop Eric , Cheshnovsky Ori , Naveh Doron
Published: August 2023

Recent research on two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) has led to remarkable discoveries of fundamental phenomena and to device applications with technological potential. Large-scale TMDCs grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) are now available at continuously improving quality, but native defects and natural degradation in these materials still present significant challenges. Spectral hysteresis in gate-biased photoluminescence (PL) measurements of WSe2 further revealed long-term trapping issues of charge carriers in intrinsic defect states. To address these issues, we apply here a two-step treatment with organic molecules, demonstrating the “healing” of native defects in CVD-grown WSe2 and WS2 by substituting atomic sulfur into chalcogen vacancies. We uncover that the adsorption of thiols provides only partial defect passivation, even for high adsorption quality, and that thiol adsorption is fundamentally limited in eliminating charge traps. However, as soon as the molecular backbone is trimmed and atomic sulfur is released to the crystal, both bonds of the sulfur are recruited to passivate the divalent defect and the semiconductor quality improves drastically. Time-dependent X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is applied here together with other methods for the characterization of defects, their healing, leading energies and occupation. First-principles calculations support a unified picture of the electronic passivation of sulfur-healed WSe2 and WS2. This work provides a simple and efficient method for improving the quality of 2D semiconductors and has the potential to impact device performance even after natural degradation.
Explainable deep learning approach for extracting cognitive features from hand-drawn images of intersecting pentagons
Authors: Tasaki Shinya , Kim Namhee , Truty Tim , Zhang Ada , Buchman Aron S. , Lamar Melissa , Bennett David A.
Published: August 2023

Hand drawing, which requires multiple neural systems for planning and controlling sequential movements, is a useful cognitive test for older adults. However, the conventional visual assessment of these drawings only captures limited attributes and overlooks subtle details that could help track cognitive states. Here, we utilized a deep-learning model, PentaMind, to examine cognition-related features from hand-drawn images of intersecting pentagons. PentaMind, trained on 13,777 images from 3111 participants in three aging cohorts, explained 23.3% of the variance in the global cognitive scores, 1.92 times more than the conventional rating. This accuracy improvement was due to capturing additional drawing features associated with motor impairments and cerebrovascular pathologies. By systematically modifying the input images, we discovered several important drawing attributes for cognition, including line waviness. Our results demonstrate that deep learning models can extract novel drawing metrics to improve the assessment and monitoring of cognitive decline and dementia in older adults.
A chromosome-scale Rhubarb (Rheum tanguticum) genome assembly provides insights into the evolution of anthraquinone biosynthesis
Authors: Li Ying , Wang Zhenyue , Zhu Mingjia , Niu Zhimin , Li Minjie , Zheng Zeyu , Hu Hongyin , Lu Zhiqiang , Zhang Jin , Wan Dongshi , Chen Qiao , Yang Yongzhi
Published: August 2023

Rhubarb is the collective name for various perennial plants from the genus Rheum L. and the Polygonaceae family. They are one of the most ancient, commonly used, and important herbs in traditional Chinese medicine. Rhubarb is a major source of anthraquinones, but how they are synthesized remains largely unknown. Here, we generate a genome sequence assembly of one important medicinal rhubarb R. tanguticum at the chromosome level, with 2.76 Gb assembled into 11 chromosomes. The genome is shaped by two recent whole-genome duplication events and recent bursts of retrotransposons. Metabolic analyses show that the major anthraquinones are mainly synthesized in its roots. Transcriptomic analysis reveals a co-expression module with a high correlation to anthraquinone biosynthesis that includes key chalcone synthase genes. One CHS, four CYP450 and two BGL genes involved in secondary metabolism show significantly upregulated expression levels in roots compared with other tissues and clustered in the co-expression module, which implies that they may also act as candidate genes for anthraquinone biosynthesis. This study provides valuable insights into the genetic bases of anthraquinone biosynthesis that will facilitate improved breeding practices and agronomic properties for rhubarb in the future.
A practical preparation of bicyclic boronates via metal-free heteroatom-directed alkenyl sp2-C‒H borylation
Authors: Peng Pei-Ying , Zhang Gui-Shan , Gong Mei-Ling , Zhang Jian-Wei , Liu Xi-Liang , Gao Dingding , Lin Guo-Qiang , Li Qing-Hua , Tian Ping
Published: August 2023

Bicyclic boronates play critical roles in the discovery of functional materials and antibacterial agents, especially against deadly bacterial pathogens. Their practical and convenient preparation is in high demand but with great challenge. Herein, we report an efficient strategy for the preparation of bicyclic boronates through metal-free heteroatom-directed alkenyl sp2-C‒H borylation. This synthetic approach exhibits good functional group compatibility, and the corresponding boronates bearing halides, aryls, acyclic and cyclic frameworks are obtained with high yields (43 examples, up to 95% yield). Furthermore, a gram-scale experiment is conducted, and downstream transformations of the bicyclic boronates are pursued to afford natural products, drug scaffolds, and chiral hemiboronic acid catalysts.
Carbon footprints of the equity portfolios of Chinese fund firms
Authors: Wang Jinglei , Guan Dabo , Zhang Zengkai , Chen Danbo , Yu Xiang
Published: August 2023

Under the dual carbon goals in China, the transition to a net-zero carbon economy requires massive amounts of capital, which must be provided and facilitated by financial institutions. Yet, there are no unified, publicly available disclosures of the investment carbon footprint of Chinese financial institutions, leaving them facing great climate-related risks. Here we demonstrate that the aggregated financed emissions show an upward trend from 2015, and the investment portfolios are more exposed to carbon-intensive assets, based on the equity portfolios of China’s 105 fund firms. We further explore the decarbonization potential for fund firms and show that sustainability-aware fund firms are characterized by financed emission reductions and carbon efficiency gains. To fulfill sustainable investing, China’s institutional investors should focus on investment allocations shifting to high-tech sectors and target the improvement of self-reported carbon emissions.
Preclinical evaluation of manufacturable SARS-CoV-2 spike virus-like particles produced in Chinese Hamster Ovary cells
Authors: Alpuche-Lazcano Sergio P. , Stuible Matthew , Akache Bassel , Tran Anh , Kelly John , Hrapovic Sabahudin , Robotham Anna , Haqqani Arsalan , Star Alexandra , Renner Tyler M. , Blouin Julie , Maltais Jean-Sébastien , Cass Brian , Cui Kai , Cho Jae-Young , Wang Xinyu , Zoubchenok Daria , Dudani Renu , Duque Diana , McCluskie Michael J. , Durocher Yves
Published: August 2023

Background

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, novel vaccines need to be developed that are readily manufacturable and provide clinical efficacy against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. Virus-like particles (VLPs) presenting the spike antigen at their surface offer remarkable benefits over other vaccine antigen formats; however, current SARS-CoV-2 VLP vaccines candidates in clinical development suffer from challenges including low volumetric productivity, poor spike antigen density, expression platform-driven divergent protein glycosylation and complex upstream/downstream processing requirements. Despite their extensive use for therapeutic protein manufacturing and proven ability to produce enveloped VLPs, Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells are rarely used for the commercial production of VLP-based vaccines.

Methods

Using CHO cells, we aimed to produce VLPs displaying the full-length SARS-CoV-2 spike. Affinity chromatography was used to capture VLPs released in the culture medium from engineered CHO cells expressing spike. The structure, protein content, and glycosylation of spikes in VLPs were characterized by several biochemical and biophysical methods. In vivo, the generation of neutralizing antibodies and protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection was tested in mouse and hamster models.

Results

We demonstrate that spike overexpression in CHO cells is sufficient by itself to generate high VLP titers. These VLPs are evocative of the native virus but with at least three-fold higher spike density. In vivo, purified VLPs elicit strong humoral and cellular immunity at nanogram dose levels which grant protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Conclusions

Our results show that CHO cells are amenable to efficient manufacturing of high titers of a potently immunogenic spike protein-based VLP vaccine antigen.
Multifunctional calcium polyphenol networks reverse the hostile microenvironment of trauma for preventing postoperative peritoneal adhesions
Authors: Zhang Pei , Gong Yan , Pan Qingqing , Fan Zhenlin , Li Genke , Pei Mengyu , Zhang Junhe , Wang Tianyun , Zhou Guangdong , Wang Xiansong , Ren Wenjie
Published: August 2023

CaPNs are synthesized in one step from Ca2+ and gallic acid and prolonged Ca2+ and gallic acid release which prevent postoperative adhesions during the hostile microenvironment of trauma via exerting their multiple functions.
Phosphorescence enhancement of pyridinium macrocycles by poly(vinylalcohol)
Authors: Zhang Zhi-Yuan , Deng Chun-Yun , Shen Chen-Chen , Xu Rong-Yao , Wang Xi-Zhen , Wang Yan-Hao , Ding Bo , Li Bin , Li Jian , Li Chunju
Published: August 2023

A phosphorescence enhancement of pyridinium macrocycles/monomers phosphors are realized with up to 14.7-fold prolonging of phosphorescence lifetimes and visible afterglow by doping into poly(vinylalcohol) (PVA) matrix.
A two-dimensional MXene-supported CuRu catalyst for efficient electrochemical nitrate reduction to ammonia
Authors: Zhao Fang , Li Guangxin , Hua Qianqian , Cao Jianghui , Song Jiliang , Gao Liguo , Ma Tingli , Ren Xuefeng , Liu Anmin
Published: August 2023

The Ru–Cu/Cu2O@Ti3C2 exhibited excellent nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR) performance.
Tuning the spin-crossover properties of FeII4L6 cages via the interplay of coordination motif and linker modifications
Authors: Paschelke Tobias , Trumpf Eicke , Grantz David , Pankau Malte , Grocholski Niclas , Näther Christian , Sönnichsen Frank D. , McConnell Anna J.
Published: August 2023

The spin-crossover temperature of FeII4L6 cages in solution was tuned up to 186 K by coordination motif and linker modifications to 2,2′-pyridylbenzimidazole-based ligands.
Predictive capability of THM models for drinking water treatment and distribution
Authors: Hogue Derek , Mirchandani Pitu B. , Boyer Treavor H.
Published: August 2023

This work evaluates generalizability of THM models and provides a framework to promote cohesive and collaborative model development efforts moving forward.
The effect of grafted alkyl side chains on the properties of poly(terphenyl piperidinium) based high temperature proton exchange membranes
Authors: Che Xuefu , Wang Lele , Wang Ting , Dong Jianhao , Yang Jingshuai
Published: August 2023

New high-performance high temperature proton exchange membranes have been developed for fuel cell applications.
MXene-based wearable supercapacitors and their transformative impact on healthcare
Authors: Iravani Siavash , Varma Rajender S.
Published: August 2023

This perspective aims to shed light on the significant biomedical applications of MXene-based wearable supercapacitors and their transformative impact on healthcare.
The rational design of ARUK2007145, a dual inhibitor of the α and γ isoforms of the lipid kinase phosphatidylinositol 5-phosphate 4-kinase (PI5P4K)
Authors: Aldred Gregory G. , Rooney Timothy P. C. , Willems Henriette M. G. , Boffey Helen K. , Green Christopher , Winpenny David , Skidmore John , Clarke Jonathan H. , Andrews Stephen P.
Published: August 2023

We report the rational design of PI5P4Kα/γ dual inhibitors. ARUK2007145 (39) is disclosed as a potent, cell-active probe molecule with ADMET properties amenable to conducting experiments in cells.
Tuning atomic-scale mixing of nanoparticles produced by atmospheric-pressure spark ablation
Authors: Petallidou Klito C. , Ternero Pau , Messing Maria E. , Schmidt-Ott Andreas , Biskos George
Published: August 2023

Mixed nanoparticles at atomic scale have been synthesized by atmospheric-pressure spark ablation using different combinations of electrode diameters–polarities.
Enhancing the antimicrobial activity of silver nanoparticles against ESKAPE bacteria and emerging fungal pathogens by using tea extracts
Authors: Raza Sada , Wdowiak Mateusz , Grotek Mateusz , Adamkiewicz Witold , Nikiforow Kostiantyn , Mente Pumza , Paczesny Jan
Published: August 2023

The sale of antibiotics and antifungals has skyrocketed since 2020.
Revolutionizing fuel production through biologically synthesized zero-dimensional nanoparticles
Authors: Vyas Yogeshwari , Chundawat Priyanka , Dharmendra Dharmendra , Chaubisa Purnima , Kumar Mukesh , Punjabi Pinki B. , Ameta Chetna
Published: August 2023

CQDs were synthesized by water caltrop peels. A CuSe@CQDs composite was utilized for the degradation of dye pollutants along with the generation of hydrogen. 99.4% of thymol blue was degraded and the rate of H2 production was 2360 μmol g−1 h−1.
A high thermal stability ohmic contact for GaN-based devices
Authors: Wu Chia-Yi , Chao Tien-Sheng , Chou Yi-Chia
Published: August 2023

A TiN contact on AlGaN/GaN HEMTs shows high thermal stability and great performance applications for co-integration of GaN with Si ICs.
Au@C/Pt core@shell/satellite supra-nanostructures: plasmonic antenna–reactor hybrid nanocatalysts
Authors: Wang Zixin , Wang Hui
Published: August 2023

Choosing Au@C/Pt core@shell/satellite supra-nanostructures as hybrid photocatalysts enables kinetic modulation of catalytic cascade oxidation reactions through plasmonic excitations.
Self-assembly of cellulose nanocrystals confined to square capillaries
Authors: Ackroyd Amanda J. , De Paolis Adam , Xu Yi-Tao , Momeni Arash , Hamad Wadood Y. , MacLachlan Mark J.
Published: August 2023

The self-assembly of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) was studied in square capillaries. Confinement causes CNCs to form central defects surrounded by concentric chiral nematic layers that depend on the size of the capillary.