bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Study of an unsteady magnetohydrodynamic‐free convective flow under parabolic ramped temperature and concentration in the presence of Soret and heat sink
Authors: Bormudoi Mridusmita , Ahmed Nazibuddin
Published: January 2024

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of Soret, thermal radiation, and chemical reaction on an unsteady magnetohydrodynamic free convective flow past an impulsively initiated semi‐infinite vertical plate with heat sink under parabolic ramped temperature and parabolic ramped concentration. Using some nondimensional parameters, the flow boundary equations in this case are first converted to dimensionless equations. The closed‐form Laplace transform technique is employed here to solve the partial differential equations and get the solutions for fluid velocity, temperature, and concentration. The velocity, temperature, and concentration of the fluid tend to vary with the effect of various flow factors. These changes are graphically represented and analyzed. Differences in skin friction, Nusselt number, and Sherwood number for the different relevant parameters are also recorded. The Soret number hikes the fluid velocity and concentration. The rate of heat transfer, mass transfer, and momentum transfer improves due to the application of parabolic ramped conditions.
Ten years of in vitro fertilization in Indonesia: Access to infertility care in a developing country
Authors: Wiweko Budi , Mansyur Eliza , Yuningsih Tita , Sini Ivan , Silvana Vita , Maidarti Mila , Harzif Achmad Kemal , Pratama Gita , Sumapraja Kanadi , Muharam Raden , Hestiantoro Andon , Soebijanto Soegiharto , Listyasari Nurin Aisyiyah , Sirait Batara , Hendarto Hendy , Djuwantono Tono , Halim Binarwan , Angsar Ilyas , Abdullah Nusratuddin , Adnyana Putra , Widad Shofwal , Samsulhadi Samsulhadi , Hidayat Syarief Thaufik , Bayuaji Hartanto , Permadi Wiryawan , Hendry Dedy , Lubis Syahnural , Iffanolida Pritta Ameilia , Mutia Kresna , Septyani Tri , Siregar Fahreza Akbar , Khairani Namira , Jovito Axel , Hayatunnufus Yuli , Cahya Ni Putu , Yulinda Dafi , Susanto Sarah , Azzahra Tiara Berliana
Published: January 2024

Objective

This research was conducted to assess access to assisted reproductive technologies (ART) and the current status of the in vitro fertilization (IVF) program that have been implemented in Indonesia over the last 10 years.

Methods

We established a retrospective cohort study and descriptive analysis of the current state of access to infertility care in Indonesia. The data were collected from all IVF centers, clinics, and hospitals in Indonesia from 2011 to 2020, including the number of IVF clinics, total ART cycles, retrieved fresh and frozen embryos, average age of IVF patients, IVF pregnancy rate, and causes of infertility.

Results

The number of reported fertility clinics in Indonesia has increased from 14 clinics in 2011 to 41 clinics by 2020. As many as 69 569 ART cycles were conducted over the past 10 years, of which 51 892 cycles used fresh embryos and 17 677 cycles used frozen embryos. The leading cause of consecutive infertility diagnosis was male infertility. Nearly half of the women who underwent IVF procedures (48.9%) were under 35 years old. The pregnancy rate outcome of women who underwent IVF ranged from 24.6% to 37.3%.

Conclusion

Developments in ART in Indonesia have led to improvements in the ART cycles performed throughout the 10 year period. The identification of key areas that require improvement can provide an opportunity to enhance access to infertility care.
Quality of life following a maternal near‐miss event during the COVID‐19 pandemic at a tertiary care center in South India
Authors: Santhosh Smitha , Vimalraj Sajala , Kalpana MM
Published: January 2024

Objective

To assess the quality of life (QoL) in women following a maternal near‐miss event and to assess the women's attitude towards future fertility and their contraceptive choices.

Methods

A cross‐sectional observational study was conducted in Government Medical College, Kozhikode, India among women who had experienced a near‐miss event (n = 50) between January 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021 during the peak of the COVID‐19 pandemic. The QoL was assessed using the WHO Quality of Life, BREF Version, questionnaire, which was administered to the consenting participants over phone. Information regarding desire for future fertility, contraceptive choices, and urogenital symptoms was also collected. A comparison between the short‐term and long‐term effects on the QoL was also done.

Results

A maternal near‐miss event was not found to adversely affect the overall quality of life in the present study. The scores in all the four domains—physical, psychological, social relationships, and environmental—suggested good QoL, although greater variability in values were observed in the physical and psychological domains. The influence in these two domains was more pronounced following a perinatal loss and following prolonged physical morbidities. There was no difference in short‐ and long‐term QoL following a maternal near miss (MNM). The MNM did not influence the contraceptive choices and there was no subsequent pelvic floor dysfunction in most women.

Conclusion

MNM was not found to adversely affect the overall subsequent QoL in the present study. There was no difference in short‐ and long‐term QoL following a MNM. Studies carried out over a longer period of time with a control group would yield more information.
Prenatal diagnosis and outcomes in fetuses with duplex kidney
Authors: Ma Chunling , Huang Ruibin , Fu Fang , Zhou Hang , Wang You , Yan Shujuan , Guo Fei , Chen Huanyi , Li Lushan , Jing Xiangyi , Li Fucheng , Han Jin , Li Dongzhi , Li Ru , Liao Can
Published: January 2024

Objective

Duplex kidney is a relatively frequent form of urinary system abnormality. This study aimed to elucidate the value of chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) and whole exome sequencing (WES) for duplex kidney and the perinatal outcomes of duplex kidney fetuses.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study included 63 patients with duplex kidney diagnosed using antenatal ultrasound between August 2013 and January 2023. We reviewed the clinical characteristics, genetic test results, and pregnancy outcomes of the patients.

Results

Among the 63 cases based on the inclusion criteria, the CMA detected seven (11.1%) clinically significant variants and nine variants of uncertain significance (VUS), and the pathogenic/likely pathogenic (P/LP) copy number variations (CNVs) in the recurrent region that were associated with prenatal duplex kidney included 17q12, 17p13.3, and 22q11.2. No significant disparity was observed in the CMA detection rate between the unilateral and bilateral groups, or between the isolated and non‐isolated groups. WES identified three (50%) P/LP single‐gene variants in six fetuses with duplex kidney. We detected the following pathogenic genes in the duplex kidney fetuses: KMT2D, SMPD4, and FANCI. Pregnancy termination in cases where clinically significant variants were detected by genetic testing was different in statistical significance from that in cases with negative results (9/10, 90.0% vs 8/48, 16.7%, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

This study elucidated the value of CMA and WES for fetal duplex kidney, proving that CMA and WES may be useful tools in prenatal diagnosis and genetic counseling.
Is lower fetal heart rate variability a susceptibility marker to the impact of negative coparenting on infant regulatory capacity?
Authors: Pinto Tiago Miguel , Figueiredo Bárbara
Published: January 2024

Lower fetal heart rate variability (FHRV) may be a prenatal endophenotypic susceptibility marker and increase the impact of both positive and negative coparenting on infant regulatory capacity. This study analyzed the moderator role of FHRV in the association between positive and negative coparenting and infant regulatory capacity at 3 months. The sample comprised 86 first‐born infants and their mothers and fathers recruited at a public Health Service in Northern Portugal. FHRV was recorded during routine cardiotocography examination at the third trimester of gestation. Mothers and fathers reported on coparenting and infant regulatory capacity at 2 weeks and 3 months postpartum. FHRV moderated the association between mother's and father's negative coparenting at 2 weeks postpartum and infant regulatory capacity at three months. Infants with low FHRV presented higher regulatory capacity when mothers or fathers reported less negative coparenting, while lower regulatory capacity when mothers or fathers reported more negative coparenting, than infants with high FHRV. Findings suggested lower FHRV as a prenatal endophenotypic susceptibility marker that increases the impact of negative coparenting on infant regulatory capacity.
A self‐adaptive, data‐driven method to predict the cycling life of lithium‐ion batteries
Authors: Han Chao , Gao Yu‐Chen , Chen Xiang , Liu Xinyan , Yao Nan , Yu Legeng , Kong Long , Zhang Qiang
Published: January 2024

Accurately forecasting the nonlinear degradation of lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) using early‐cycle data can obviously shorten the battery test time, which accelerates battery optimization and production. In this work, a self‐adaptive long short‐term memory (SA‐LSTM) method has been proposed to predict the battery degradation trajectory and battery lifespan with only early cycling data. Specifically, two features were extracted from discharge voltage curves by a time‐series‐based approach and forecasted to further cycles using SA‐LSTM model. The as‐obtained features were correlated with the capacity to predict the capacity degradation trajectory by generalized multiple linear regression model. The proposed method achieved an average online prediction error of 6.00% and 6.74% for discharge capacity and end of life, respectively, when using the early‐cycle discharge information until 90% capacity retention. Furthermore, the importance of temperature control was highlighted by correlating the features with the average temperature in each cycle. This work develops a self‐adaptive data‐driven method to accurately predict the cycling life of LIBs, and unveils the underlying degradation mechanism and the importance of controlling environmental temperature.

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Three‐dimensional (3D) polylactic acid gradient scaffold to study the behavior of osteosarcoma cells under dynamic conditions
Authors: De Luca Angela , Capuana Elisa , Carbone Camilla , Raimondi Lavinia , Carfì Pavia Francesco , Brucato Valerio , La Carrubba Vincenzo , Giavaresi Gianluca
Published: January 2024

This study adopts an in vitro method to recapitulate the behavior of Saos‐2 cells, using a system composed of a perfusion bioreactor and poly‐L‐lactic acid (PLLA) scaffold fabricated using the low‐cost thermally‐induced phase separation (TIPS) technique. Four distinct scaffold morphologies with different pore sizes were fabricated, characterized by Scanning electron microscopy and micro‐CT analysis and tested with osteosarcoma cells under static and dynamic environments to identify the best morphology for cellular growth. In order to accomplish this purpose, cell growth and matrix deposition of the Saos‐2 osteosarcoma cell line were assessed using Picogreen and OsteoImage assays. The obtained data allowed us to identify the morphology that better promotes Saos‐2 cellular activity in static and dynamic conditions. These findings provided valuable insights into scaffold design and fabrication strategies, emphasizing the importance of the dynamic culture to recreate an appropriate 3D osteosarcoma model. Remarkably, the gradient scaffold exhibits promise for osteosarcoma applications, offering the potential for targeted tissue engineering approaches.
VEGF‐delivering PEG hydrogels promote vascularization in the porcine subcutaneous space
Authors: Quizon Michelle J. , Deppen Juline N. , Barber Graham F. , Kalelkar Pranav P. , Coronel María M. , Levit Rebecca D. , Garcia Andres J.
Published: January 2024

For cell therapies, the subcutaneous space is an attractive transplant site due to its large surface area and accessibility for implantation, monitoring, biopsy, and retrieval. However, its poor vascularization has catalyzed research to induce blood vessel formation within the site to enhance cell revascularization and survival. Most studies focus on the subcutaneous space of rodents, which does not recapitulate important anatomical features and vascularization responses of humans. Herein, we evaluate biomaterial‐driven vascularization in the porcine subcutaneous space. Additionally, we report the first use of cost‐effective fluorescent microspheres to quantify perfusion in the porcine subcutaneous space. We investigate the vascularization‐inducing efficacy of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)‐delivering synthetic hydrogels based on 4‐arm poly(ethylene) glycol macromers with terminal maleimides (PEG‐4MAL). We compare three groups: a non‐degradable hydrogel with a VEGF‐releasing PEG‐4MAL gel coating (Core+VEGF gel); an uncoated, non‐degradable hydrogel (Core‐only); and naïve tissue. After 2 weeks, Core+VEGF gel has significantly higher tissue perfusion, blood vessel area, blood vessel density, and number of vessels compared to both Core‐only and naïve tissue. Furthermore, healthy vital signs during surgery and post‐procedure metrics demonstrate the safety of hydrogel delivery. We demonstrate that VEGF‐delivering synthetic hydrogels induce robust vascularization and perfusion in the porcine subcutaneous space.
Prostatic morphological changes throughout life: Cytochemistry as a tool to reveal tissue aging markers
Authors: Guerra Luiz Henrique Alves , Campos Silvana Gisele Pegorin , Taboga Sebastião Roberto , Vilamaior Patricia Simone Leite
Published: January 2024

The prostate undergoes normal or pathological morphological changes throughout life. An understanding of these changes is fundamental for the comprehension of aging‐related pathological processes such as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and cancer. In the present study, we show some of these morphological changes, as well as histochemical techniques like Weigert's resorcin‐fuchsin method, Picrosirius Red, and Gömöri's reticulin for use as tools in the study of prostate tissue under light microscopy. For this purpose, prostates of the Mongolian gerbil (n = 9), an experimental model that develops BPH spontaneously, were analyzed at three life stages: young (1 month old), adult (3 months old), and old (15 months old). The results showed that fibrillar components such as collagen, and reticular and elastic fibers, change throughout life. In young animals, the prostate has cuboidal epithelium surrounded by thin layers of smooth muscle, continuous collagen fibers, winding reticular fibers, and sporadic elastic fibers. With adulthood, the epithelium becomes columnar, encircled by compacted muscle cells among slender collagen fibers, elongated reticular fibers, and linear elastic fibers. In aging individuals, the prostate's epithelium stratifies, surrounded by thick muscle layers among dense collagen fibers, disordered reticular fibers, and elastic fibers in different planes. We also identified a few accumulations of lipid droplets and lipofuscin granules in adult animals and high accumulation in old animals evidenced by Oil red O and Gömöri‐Halmi techniques, respectively. The histochemical techniques presented here have been demonstrated to be useful and accessible tools in prostate studies.

Research Highlights

Cytochemical techniques to study prostate morphology.

The prostate changes with age.
Homogenization of German daily and monthly mean temperature time series
Authors: Kunert Lisa , Friedrich Karsten , Imbery Florian , Kaspar Frank
Published: January 2024

Long time series can be potentially influenced by breakpoints. This study presents an automatic procedure to detect and homogenize breakpoints in German daily and monthly mean temperature time series. To verify breakpoints metadata information is used. The homogenization tool is evaluated with a synthetic data set with the result of smaller mean bias and RMSE than the unhomogenized data. For homogenized German temperature data in most cases, smaller and less breakpoints are detected compared to the raw data. The mean differences of trends before and after homogenization is small (0.05 K/length of each time series). The result of the homogenization is presented in three case studies. After homogenization, the trend in these cases is closer to the calculated trend for Germany calculated using a gridded data set.
Using social media for patient care, research, and professional development: A North American Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition position paper
Authors: Silverman Jason A. , Chugh Ankur , Hollier John M. , Martin Nicole , Raghu Vikram K. , Rosas‐Blum Eduardo , van Tilburg Miranda A. L. , Venkataraman‐Rao Priya , Venkatesh Rajitha D. , Lu Peter L.
Published: January 2024

The advent of social media has changed numerous aspects of modern life, with users developing and maintaining personal and professional relationships, following and sharing breaking news and importantly, searching for and disseminating health information and medical research. In the present paper, we reviewed available literature to outline the potential uses, pitfalls and impacts of social media for providers, scientists and institutions involved in digestive health in the domains of patient care, research and professional development. We recommend that these groups become more active participants on social media platforms to combat misinformation, advocate for patients, and curate and disseminate valuable research and educational materials. We also recommend that societies such as NASPGHAN assist its members in accessing training on effective social media use and the creation and maintenance of public‐facing profiles and that academic institutions incorporate substantive social media contributions into academic promotion processes.
Thermal‐Triggered Phase Separation and Ion Exchange Enables Photoluminescence Tuning of Stable Mixed‐Halide Perovskite Nanocrystals for Dynamic Display
Authors: Li Xinkuo , Sun Ke , Wu Jiajia , Liu Yi , Li Linhan , Xiao Zhu , Li Zhou , Liu Xiaofeng , Xu Beibei , Qiu Jianrong , Tan Dezhi
Published: January 2024

Flexible regulation of bandgap of perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs) is fundamentally critical for desirable optoelectronic functions and applications. Here, regulating chemical composition and emission wavelength of PNCs in glass by a simple heat‐treatment process are reported, which is established to rely on the thermal‐trigger phase separation and ion exchange. The first principle calculations are overall performed to reveal the mechanism of bandgap engineering and optimization of emission performance. The PNCs exhibit excellent stability against thermal, ultraviolet irradiation, and organic molecules. The bandgap of PNCs in the heat‐treated glass can also be re‐modulated by ultrafast laser irradiation. Ultrafast laser direct writing of multi‐color patterns and holographic dynamic displays are achieved, which hold great potential in the application of encryption‐decryption and emissive devices.
Highly efficient electrocatalysts for seawater electrolysis under high current density: A critical review
Authors: Kitiphatpiboon Nutthaphak , Chen Meng , Feng Changrui , Li Shasha , Abudula Abuliti , Guan Guoqing
Published: January 2024

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA) strategy, water electrolysis will be a second priority for hydrogen production by 2030, which can support sustainable development goals (SDGs). However, for the large‐scale application, especially seawater electrolysis at a high current density, cost and durability of the electrocatalytic system need to be taken into account. Herein, fundamental mechanisms of seawater electrolysis in a wide range of pH values, potential electrocatalysts for overall water splitting, recent progress on synthesis electrocatalysts and basic principles for the evaluation of electrocatalysts are reviewed. Subsequently, critical parameters and issues for scaling‐up of seawater electrolyzers are critically discussed. Finally, future prospects for completing sustainable hydrogen production from seawater for sustainable development are outlooked. It is anticipated to offer guidelines for the design and production of innovative electrocatalysts with high electrocatalytic activity and durability for the industrial scale application.
RAND research finds partial link between child suicide increase, opioid crisis
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: January 2024

Following a decades‐long general decline in suicide rates among children ages 10‐17, an unprecedented increase in those rates occurred over a seven‐year period, driven in part by the nation's opioid crisis, suggests new research by the RAND Corporation.
Schizophrenia drug poised to become first‐in‐class treatment
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: January 2024

Officials representing a biopharmaceutical company that bills itself as delivering transformative medicines for people living with psychiatric and neurological conditions said they are pleased that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently accepted its New Drug Application (NDA) for schizophrenia in adults, which they said could become a novel pharmacological approach for treating this serious mental illness.
Readers reveal more about what's on their minds for 2024
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: January 2024

Editor's note: Last week in our Preview Issue we featured your challenges and opportunities for the new year. Here are more of your responses.
Prevalence of anterior atlantoaxial subluxation and association with established rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Alp Gülay , Cinakli Haluk , Akar Servet , Solmaz Dilek
Published: January 2024

Objective

Spinal involvement in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is limited to the upper cervical spine, leading to cervical spine instability. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of anterior atlantoaxial subluxation (aAAS) and its associated risk factors in patients with RA.

Method

This single‐centre cross‐sectional study 240 patients consecutively were recruited. Radiographs of the cervical spine were obtained in the flexion and neutral neck positions and read by two blinded observers. The diagnosis of aAAS was based on the distance between the anterior aspect of the dens and the posterior aspect of the anterior arch of the atlas, which was >3 mm during flexion. Statistical analysis was performed to determine the predictive factors of aAAS.

Results

Two hundred and forty patients with a mean ± SD age of 56.4 ± 11.4 years were recruited, and 191 (78%) were female. The mean ± SD duration of the disease was 10.2 ± 8.5 years. Of all 25 cases (10.4%) diagnosed with aAAS, the mean anterior atlantodental interval in patients with AAS was 4.19 ± 1.20 mm. One in three patients with aAAS had no neck pain. Patients with aAAS had longer disease duration, lower age at diagnosis, lower body mass index, higher anti‐cyclic citrullinated peptide autoantibodies (anti‐CCP), more frequent erosion, joint restriction, and joint prostheses. In the multivariate regression model, joint limitation, history of joint prostheses, low BMI, and higher anti‐CCP levels were independent predictors of the aAAS.

Conclusion

Thirty‐three percent of patients with cervical involvement do not experience neck pain. Cervical involvement should be considered even without neck pain, particularly in established diseases.
A phase 1 trial utilizing a pharmacokinetic endpoint to determine the optimal dose of ramucirumab in children and adolescents with relapsed or refractory solid tumors, including central nervous system tumors
Authors: Pilbeam Kristy L. , Pradhan Kamnesh , Croop James , Minard Charles G. , Liu Xiaowei , Voss Stephan D. , Isikwei Emasenyie , Berg Stacey L. , Reid Joel M. , Fox Elizabeth , Weigel Brenda J.
Published: January 2024

Background

Ramucirumab is a monoclonal antibody that binds the extracellular domain of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR‐2) and prevents binding of VEGF ligands. Based on population pharmacokinetic (PK) analysis and correlation with efficacy in adults, a target steady state trough concentration (Css,min) ≥ 50 µg/mL was established.

Procedures

This phase 1 trial (ADVL1416) used a rolling six design and a PK primary endpoint to define the recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) of ramucirumab in children with recurrent/refractory solid tumors. Two dose levels (DL) were planned (DL1: 8 mg/kg, DL2: 12 mg/kg administered intravenously [IV] every 2 weeks). Toxicity during the initial 6 weeks was used to assess maximum tolerated dose (MTD). Cycle 1 Day 42 trough (Cmin) ≥ 50 µg/mL was the target concentration for the PK endpoint. At the RP2D, cohorts for PK expansion and children with central nervous tumors were planned.

Results

Twenty‐nine patients were enrolled; 28 were eligible; median age [range] = 13.5 [1–21] years; 22 were evaluable for the PK endpoint. Dose‐limiting proteinuria occurred at both DLs; however, the MTD was not exceeded. At DL2 (12 mg/kg), the median Day 42 Cmin (n = 16) was 87.8 µg/mL; 15 of 16 patients achieved a Cmin ≥ 50 µg/mL.

Conclusion

Ramucirumab was well tolerated in children and adolescents with solid tumors. The RP2D for ramucirumab was 12 mg/kg IV every 2 weeks. This trial demonstrates the feasibility of incorporating a primary PK endpoint to determine dose escalation and the RP2D in children. Studies of ramucirumab in children with selected solid tumors are ongoing.
Changes in the astronaut serum proteome during prolonged spaceflight
Authors: Kimura Yayoi , Nakai Yusuke , Ino Yoko , Akiyama Tomoko , Moriyama Kayano , Aiba Tatsuya , Ohira Takashi , Egashira Kenji , Yamamoto Yu , Takeda Yuriko , Inaba Yutaka , Ryo Akihide , Saito Tomoyuki , Kumagai Ken , Hirano Hisashi
Published: January 2024

The molecular mechanisms associated with spaceflight‐induced biological adaptations that may affect many healthy tissue functions remain poorly understood. In this study, we analyzed temporal changes in the serum proteome of six astronauts during prolonged spaceflight missions using quantitative comprehensive proteome analysis performed with the data‐independent acquisition method of mass spectrometry (DIA‐MS). All six astronauts participated in a spaceflight mission for approximately 6 months and showed a decreasing trend in T‐scores at almost all sites where dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry scans were performed. DIA‐MS successfully identified 624 nonredundant proteins in sera and further quantitative analysis for each sampling point provided information on serum protein profiles closely related to several time points before (pre‐), during (in‐), and after (post‐) spaceflight. Changes in serum protein levels between spaceflight and on the ground suggest that abnormalities in bone metabolism are induced in astronauts during spaceflight. Furthermore, changes in the proteomic profile occurring during spaceflight suggest that serum levels of bone metabolism‐related proteins, namely ALPL, COL1A1, SPP1, and POSTN, could serve as highly responsive indicators of bone metabolism status in spaceflight missions. This study will allow us to accelerate research to improve our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of biological adaptations associated with prolonged spaceflight.
TATB thermal decomposition: Expanding the molecular profile with cryo‐focused pyrolysis GC‐MS
Authors: Morrison Keith D. , Moore Jason S. , Coffee Keith R. , Koroglu Batikan , Burnham Alan K. , Reynolds John G.
Published: January 2024

Understanding the molecular composition of high explosives during thermal decomposition is vital for predicting the sensitivity, safety, and performance of explosive materials. The thermal decomposition of 1,3,5‐triamino‐2,4,6‐trinitrobenzene (TATB) has been linked to the formation of furazans through a series of dehydration reactions of the NO2 and NH2 groups on the phenyl ring, along with breakdown into small molecules (≤120 amu). Molecular identification of compounds formed in this transformation of the furazans to light gases has been lacking. To address this, we have applied a pseudo‐confined sampling system in a cryo‐focused pyrolysis gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (pyGC‐MS) system to molecularly identify these intermediates. By design, sublimation of TATB, which has complicated MS analyses of thermal degradation, was significantly reduced and additional compounds were identified with potential structural information. In addition to the known furazan compounds, one of these compounds forms from the loss of oxygen from benzo‐trifurazan (F3) and produces an open ring structure that may be the first step in the formation of lower molecular weight furazan breakdown products. The loss of a nitro group from benzo‐monofurazan (F1) was also discovered and implicates the formation of oxidizing NO2 gas in the thermal decomposition mechanism. These findings are vital for understanding the proper heat flow from energetic materials on a molecular level, necessary when measuring enthalpy and developing decomposition models based on kinetic parameters.
Exploring Late‐Time Cosmic Acceleration with Eos Parameterizations in Horava‐Lifshitz Gravity via Baryon Acoustic Oscillations
Authors: Khurana Madhur , Chaudhary Himanshu , Debnath Ujjal , Sardar Alok , Mustafa Ghulam
Published: January 2024

In this study, the framework of Horava‐Lifshitz gravity to model the Universe's dark matter and dark energy (DE) components is adopted. Specifically, two recent parametrizations for DE models: the CBDRM‐type and CADMM‐type parameterizations is considered. In the analysis, the Hubble parameter is explicitly expressed, denoted as , for these two distinct dark energy models. By doing so, investigate and quantify the accelerated cosmic expansion rate characterizing the late‐time Universe is aimed. This study uses a wide range of datasets. This dataset consists of recent measurements of baryon acoustic oscillations (BAOs) collected over a period of 22 years with the Cosmic Chronometers (CC) dataset, Type Ia supernovae (SNIa) dataset, the Hubble diagram of gamma‐ray bursts (GRBs), quasars (Q), and the latest measurement of the Hubble constant (R22). Consequently, a crucial aspect of this study by plotting the vs. H0 plane is presented. In the context of the ΛCDM model, after incorporating all the datasets, including the R22 prior, the following results: H0 = 71.674089 ± 0.734089 and is obtained. For the CBDRM model, H0 = 72.355058 ± 1.004604 and is found. In the case of the CADMM model, the analysis yields H0 = 72.347804 ± 0.923328 and . Cosmographic analyses for both of the proposed parameterizations in comparison to the ΛCDM paradigm are conducted. Additionally, Diagnostic tests to investigate the evolution of both models is applied. Finally, the Information Criteria test demonstrates that the ΛCDM model emerges as the preferred choice among the models is considered.
Grid‐based assessment of hydrogen leakages for an offshore process to improve the design and human performance
Authors: Malik Asher Ahmed , Rusli Risza , Nazir Salman , Wong Rizal Harris , Arshad Ushtar
Published: January 2024

Hydrogen is gaining global recognition as a sustainable energy source, but its combustible nature raises concerns, especially in congested offshore settings. Steam methane reforming (SMR) remains the predominant hydrogen production method; however, offshore SMR facilities exposed to harsh weather could potentially compromise safety because of leakages. This study uses the fire dynamics simulator (FDS) to carry out the first‐of‐its‐kind CFD modeling of hydrogen leakage and its wind‐influenced dispersion on an offshore SMR platform. It also provides the spatial risk that accounts for the probabilities of human errors and wind speeds. The study uses a grid‐based approach with 120 monitor points (MPs) to measure locally dispersed gas concentration. At 2 m/s wind speed, only nine grids contain explosive concentrations while the rest remain safe. At 5 m/s, the flammable zones increase by 133%, affecting 21 grids. Extreme wind speeds of 12.5 m/s have limited impact, but SMR1 exhibits higher stoichiometric concentrations. MPs 43–48 record flammable concentrations at all wind speeds; however, at 12.5 m/s the explosion risk is well below the threshold of 1 × 10−4 due to the low wind occurrence probability. Overall, this research contributes to addressing the safety concerns associated with hydrogen in offshore settings and provides a foundation for future risk assessments.
A new look at angiogenesis inhibition of geniposide in experimental arthritis by blocking angiopoietin‐2 exocytosis
Authors: Gan Peirong , Wu Hong , Zhu Yulong , Shu Yin , Wei Yi
Published: January 2024

Angiogenesis is a key player in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis. Exocytosis from Weibel–Palade bodies is a prerequisite for angiopoietin‐2 (Ang‐2) to activate endothelial cells and initiate angiogenesis. Geniposide (GE) was previously reported to exert anti‐angiogenic effects. The aim of this study was to shed light on whether and how GE regulates Ang‐2 exocytosis. A rat model of adjuvant arthritis (AA) was established to evaluate the therapeutic effect of GE (60 and 120 mg/kg) especially in synovial angiogenesis. In addition, the Matrigel plug assay was used to detect the effect of GE (120 and 240 mg/kg) on angiogenesis in AA mice. In vitro, sphingosine‐1‐phosphate (S1P)‐stimulated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were used to investigate the effect and mechanism of GE on Ang‐2 exocytosis. It was found that GE improved the symptoms of AA rats and inhibited angiogenesis in AA, which may be related to the down‐regulation of S1P receptors 1, 3 (S1PR1, S1PR3), phospholipase Cβ3 (PLCβ3), inositol 1,4,5‐trisphosphate receptor (IP3R) and Ang‐2 expression. The results of in vitro experiments showed that S1P induced rapid release of Ang‐2 from HUVECs with multigranular exocytosis. Suppression of the S1P/S1PR1/3/PLCβ3/Ca2+ signal axis by the S1PR1/3 inhibitor VPC23019 and the IP3R inhibitor 2‐APB blocked Ang‐2 exocytosis, accompanied by diminished angiogenesis in vitro. GE dose‐dependently weakened S1P/S1PR1/3/PLCβ3/Ca2+ signal axis activation, Ang‐2 exocytosis and angiogenesis in HUVECs (p < 0.05, p < 0.01). Overall, these findings revealed that angiogenesis inhibition of GE was partly attributed to the intervention of Ang‐2 exocytosis through negatively modulating the S1P/S1PR1/3/PLCβ3/Ca2+ signal axis, providing a novel strategy for rheumatoid arthritis anti‐angiogenic therapy.
Efficacy of plant‐derived dietary supplements in improving overall menopausal symptoms in women: An updated systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Oh Mi Ra , Park Jae Ho , Park Seon Kyeong , Park Soo Hyun
Published: January 2024

This updated systematic review and meta‐analysis aims to confirm the effectiveness of plant‐based supplements in improving overall menopausal symptoms and vasomotor symptoms. A systematic review of the literature was conducted by searching the PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, EMBASE, and CENTRAL databases up to June 2022. Randomized placebo‐controlled clinical trials that evaluated the effects of dietary supplements on menopausal symptoms were included. Outcome measures included daily hot flash frequency, Kupperman's index, Menopause Rating Scale, and Greene Climacteric Scale. Pooled data were analyzed using a fixed‐effects model and expressed as a weighted mean difference with a 95% confidence interval for continuous outcomes. For qualitative assessment, 67 studies were selected. For quantitative assessment, 54 reports were obtained from 61 studies. The study participants were peri‐ or postmenopausal women aged 38–85, most of whom experienced hot flashes as a menopausal symptom. The investigational products included 28 soy‐derived, 6 red clover‐derived, and 28 other plant‐derived supplements. Qualitative assessment revealed that approximately 76% of the studies were generally of fair or good quality, whereas 24% were of low quality. Meta‐analysis results indicated significant improvements in all questionnaire scores, including hot flash frequency, in the dietary supplement group compared with the placebo group. Comprehensive evaluation using different questionnaire tools showed that the various plant‐derived dietary supplements can significantly alleviate menopausal symptoms. However, further rigorous studies are needed to determine the association of plant‐derived dietary supplements with menopausal health because of the general suboptimal quality and heterogeneous nature of current evidence.
Semi‐Quantum Secure Multiparty Summation and its Applications to Anonymous Auction and Ranking
Authors: Ye Chong‐Qiang , Li Jian , Chen Xiu‐Bo , Dong Mianxiong , Ota Kaoru , Khalique Aeysha , Durad M. Hanif
Published: January 2024

Semi‐quantum secure summation allows multiple parties with limited quantum capabilities to perform collective calculations under the premise of protecting privacy. However, current approaches are confined to low‐dimensional quantum states as information carriers and are restricted to scenarios involving two or three parties. This limitation hinders their universality and ability to fulfill the requirements of practical secure multiparty computations. To address these challenges, a novel semi‐quantum secure multiparty summation (SQSMS) protocol is proposed based on high‐dimensional entangled states and single‐particle states. The protocol leverages the entanglement correlation to guarantee the security of the transmission, enabling resistance against various potential attacks. Then, by utilizing the IBM Qiskit platform, corresponding quantum circuits and simulation results are presented to validate the feasibility and correctness of the protocol. Furthermore, building upon the foundation of the SQSMS protocol, semi‐quantum anonymous auction and anonymous ranking protocols are further constructed. Compared with previous approaches, the designed protocols cater to the requirements of their respective counterparts. Consequently, the approach may have broad applications in semi‐quantum secure multiparty computation scenarios.
A Two‐Step Entanglement Concentration for the Less‐Entangled Four‐Photon Cluster States
Authors: Yang Zi‐Long , Xiu Xiao‐Ming , Lv Liu , Mo Xiao‐Cheng , Liu Si‐Tong , Wang Xin‐Ying , Zhao Zi‐Lin , Yuan Zi‐Qing , Chen Si‐Ge , Zhang Xin‐Yi , Dong Hai‐Kuan , Ji Yan‐Qiang , Dong Li
Published: January 2024

Entanglement concentration serves as an essential tool to obtain the maximally entangled states from the less‐entangled states in quantum information processing tasks. An efficient two‐step entanglement concentration protocol (ECP) is proposed to concentrate the less‐entangled four‐photon cluster states with four unknown coefficients into the maximally entangled states in this paper. The protocol utilizes parity‐check gate and photon‐polarized controlled‐Z gate, constructed with a single semiconductor quantum dot in a single optical microcavity (quantum dot‐cavity coupled system) and several linear optical elements. The discarded quantum states can be recycled in the next round concentration to achieve a higher success probability. Under conditions of strong coupling and weak side leakage rate, the ECP can tend toward ideal fidelity and efficiency. Compared to the previously proposed ECPs that utilize various auxiliary tools such as additional entangled states and complex quantum logic gates, the ECP significantly simplifies the analysis process and enables efficient implementation. Thus, the ECP is more economical and feasible in future optical systems.
Implications of target signal choice in passive acoustic monitoring: an example of age‐ and sex‐dependent vocal repertoire use in African forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis)
Authors: Swider Colin R. , Hedwig Daniela , Wrege Peter H. , Parks Susan E.
Published: January 2024

Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) is an effective remote sensing approach for sampling acoustically active animal species and is particularly useful for elusive, visually cryptic species inhabiting remote or inaccessible habitats. Key advantages of PAM are large spatial coverage and continuous, long‐term monitoring. In most cases, a signal detection algorithm is utilized to locate sounds of interest within long sequences of audio data. It is important to understand the demographic/contextual usage of call types when choosing a particular signal to use for detection. Sampling biases may result if sampling is restricted to subsets of the population, for example, when detectable vocalizations are produced only by a certain demographic class. Using the African forest elephant repertoire as a case study, we test for differences in call type usage among different age‐sex classes. We identified disproportionate usage by age‐sex class of four call types—roars, trumpets, rumbles, and combination calls. This differential usage of signals by demographic class has implications for the use of particular call types in PAM for this species. Our results highlight that forest elephant PAM studies that have used rumbles as target signals may have under‐sampled adult males. The addition of other call types to PAM frameworks may be useful to leverage additional population demographic information from these surveys. Our research exemplifies how an examination of a species' acoustic behavior can be used to better contextualize the data and results from PAM and to strengthen the resulting inference.
A comparison of hyperparameter tuning procedures for clinical prediction models: A simulation study
Authors: Dunias Zoë S. , Van Calster Ben , Timmerman Dirk , Boulesteix Anne‐Laure , van Smeden Maarten
Published: January 2024

Tuning hyperparameters, such as the regularization parameter in Ridge or Lasso regression, is often aimed at improving the predictive performance of risk prediction models. In this study, various hyperparameter tuning procedures for clinical prediction models were systematically compared and evaluated in low‐dimensional data. The focus was on out‐of‐sample predictive performance (discrimination, calibration, and overall prediction error) of risk prediction models developed using Ridge, Lasso, Elastic Net, or Random Forest. The influence of sample size, number of predictors and events fraction on performance of the hyperparameter tuning procedures was studied using extensive simulations. The results indicate important differences between tuning procedures in calibration performance, while generally showing similar discriminative performance. The one‐standard‐error rule for tuning applied to cross‐validation (1SE CV) often resulted in severe miscalibration. Standard non‐repeated and repeated cross‐validation (both 5‐fold and 10‐fold) performed similarly well and outperformed the other tuning procedures. Bootstrap showed a slight tendency to more severe miscalibration than standard cross‐validation‐based tuning procedures. Differences between tuning procedures were larger for smaller sample sizes, lower events fractions and fewer predictors. These results imply that the choice of tuning procedure can have a profound influence on the predictive performance of prediction models. The results support the application of standard 5‐fold or 10‐fold cross‐validation that minimizes out‐of‐sample prediction error. Despite an increased computational burden, we found no clear benefit of repeated over non‐repeated cross‐validation for hyperparameter tuning. We warn against the potentially detrimental effects on model calibration of the popular 1SE CV rule for tuning prediction models in low‐dimensional settings.
Trifunctional L‐Cysteine Assisted Construction of MoO2/MoS2/C Nanoarchitecture Toward High‐Rate Sodium Storage
Authors: Gong Feilong , Chen Zhilin , Zhao Yang , Zhang Hongge , Zeng Guang , Yao Cuijie , Gong Lihua , Zhang Yonghui , Liu Jian , Wei Shizhong
Published: January 2024

The volume collapse and slow kinetics reaction of anode materials are two key issues for sodium ion batteries (SIBs). Herein, an “embryo” strategy is proposed for synthesis of nanorod–embedded MoO2/MoS2/C network nanoarchitecture as anode for SIBs with high‐rate performance. Interestingly, L‐cysteine which plays triple roles including sulfur source, reductant, and carbon source can be utilized to produce the sulfur vacancy–enriched heterostructure. Specifically, L‐cysteine can combine with metastable monoclinic MoO3 nanorods at room temperature to encapsulate the “nutrient” of MoOx analogues (MoO2.5(OH)0.5 and MoO3·0.5H2O) and hydrogen‐deficient L‐cysteine in the “embryo” precursor affording for subsequent in situ multistep heating treatment. The resultant MoO2/MoS2/C presents a high‐rate capability of 875 and 420 mAh g−1 at 0.5 and 10 A g−1, respectively, which are much better than the MoS2‐based anode materials reported by far. Finite element simulation and analysis results verify that the volume expansion can be reduced to 42.8% from 88.8% when building nanorod–embedded porous network structure. Theoretical calculations reveal that the sulfur vacancies and heterointerface engineering can promote the adsorption and migration of Na+ leading to highly enhanced thermodynamic and kinetic reaction. The work provides an efficient approach to develop advanced electrode materials for energy storage.
Engineering Non‐precious Trifunctional Cobalt‐Based Electrocatalysts for Industrial Water Splitting and Ultra‐High‐Temperature Flexible Zinc‐Air Battery
Authors: Gu Tengteng , Shen Jiadong , Sun Zhaoyu , Li Fangkun , Zhi Chunyi , Zhu Min , Liu Jun
Published: January 2024

Developing efficient, robust, and cost‐effective trifunctional catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at high current density and high temperature is crucial for water splitting at industry‐level conditions and ultra‐high‐temperature Zinc‐air battery (ZAB). Herein, cobalt nanoparticles well‐integrated with nitrogen‐doped porous carbon leaves (Co@NPCL) by direct annealing of core‐shell bimetallic zeolite imidazolate frameworks is synthesized. Benefiting from the homogeneous distribution of metallic Co nanoparticles, the conductive porous carbon, and the doped N species, the as‐fabricated Co@NPCL catalysts exhibit outstanding trifunctional performances with low overpotentials at 10 mA cm−2 for HER (87 mV) and OER (276 mV), long‐lasting lifetime of over 2000 h, and a high half‐wave potential of 0.86 V versus RHE for ORR. Meanwhile, the Co@NPCL catalyst can serve as both cathode and anode for water splitting at industrial conduction, and exhibit a stable cell voltage of 1.87 V to deliver a constant catalytic current of 500 mA cm−2 over 60 h. Moreover, the excellent trifunctional activity of Co@NPCL enables the flexible ZAB to operate efficiently at ultra‐high temperature of 70 °C, delivering 162 mW cm−2 peaks power density and an impressive stability for 4500 min at 2 mA cm−2.