bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Myricetin attenuates the inflammatory bowel disease in prediabetic mice via inflammation inhibition and gut microbiota modulation
Authors: Yang Li , Gao Yongchao , Wang Hui , Zhong Weizhi , Gong Jupeng , Farag Mohamed A. , Zhao Yonghua , Xiao Jianbo
Published: April 2024

Myricetin shows great anti‐inflammatory effect on colitis and supplementation with myricetin could improve gut microbiota dysbiosis. It is reported that the abnormal blood glucose condition of prediabetes could aggravate the progression of inflammation. However, there is no report on whether myricetin has the protective effect on inflammation comorbid prediabetes. This study aimed to explore the effect and potential mechanism of myricetin on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)‐induced colitis in prediabetic mice. Several indexes related to colitis were evaluated on DSS‐induced prediabetic mice. Myricetin intervention improved body weight loss, disease activity index score in DSS‐induced colitis in prediabetic mice. Myricetin alleviated inflammation by inhibiting proinflammatory cytokines and myeloperoxidase production in DSS‐induced colitis in prediabetic mice. Furthermore, myricetin showed recovery of intestinal barrier integrity by increasing the expression of tight junction proteins (ZO‐1, Occludin and Claudin‐1). At the gut microbiota level, myricetin showed protective effects via modulating gut dysbiosis associated with DSS‐induced colitis in prediabetic mice. In addition, myricetin could significantly increase the short chain fatty acids produced by gut microbiota. Myricetin may be serving as a novel therapeutic agent which could be used in the treatment of DSS‐induced colitis in prediabetic patients in the future with its added value as well reported antidiabetic agent.
How Seeking Transfer Often Fails to Help Define Medically Inappropriate Treatment
Authors: White Douglas B. , Pope Thaddeus M.
Published: April 2024

On September 1, 2023, Texas made important revisions to it its decades‐old statute granting legal safe harbor immunity to physicians who withhold or withdraw life‐sustaining treatment over the objection of critically ill patients’ surrogate decision‐makers. However, lawmakers left untouched glaring flaws in a key safeguard for patients—the transfer option. The transfer option is ethically important because, when no hospital is willing to accept the patient in transfer, that fact is taken as strong evidence that the surrogates’ treatment requests fall outside accepted medical practice. But there are serious shortcomings in how the transfer option is carried out in Texas and many other states, which undermines the ethical usefulness of the process. We identify these shortcomings and recommend revisions to state statutes and professional guidelines to overcome them.
The Pandemic of Invisible Victims in American Mental Health
Authors: Appel Jacob M.
Published: April 2024

Although considerable attention has been devoted to the concepts of “visible” and “invisible” victims in general medical practice, especially in relation to resource allocation, far less consideration has been devoted to these concepts in behavioral health. Distinctive features of mental health care in the United States help explain this gap. This essay explores three specific ways in which the American mental health care system protects potentially “visible” individuals at the expense of “invisible victims” and otherwise fails to meet the needs of great numbers of people with serious psychiatric conditions: prioritization of the wrong patients, incentivization of excessive caution among providers, and a narrow definition of psychiatry's purview. While each of these practices has been discussed elsewhere in the literature, they are rarely considered as part of an interrelated and systemic problem. Reconceptualizing these three issues as aspects of the larger conflict between the interests of “visible” and “invisible” victims may prove a path toward reform.
The Power of Proximity: Toward an Ethic of Accompaniment in Surgical Care
Authors: Nicholson C. Phifer , Bodd Monica H. , Sarosi Ellery , Carlough Martha C. , Lysaught M. Therese , Curlin Farr A.
Published: April 2024

Although the field of surgical ethics focuses primarily on informed consent, surgical decision‐making, and research ethics, some surgeons have started to consider ethical questions regarding justice and solidarity with poor and minoritized populations. To date, those calling for social justice in surgical care have emphasized increased diversity within the ranks of the surgical profession. This article, in contrast, foregrounds the agency of those most affected by injustice by bringing to bear an ethic of accompaniment. The ethic of accompaniment is born from a theological tradition that has motivated work to improve health outcomes in those at the margins through its emphasis on listening, solidarity against systemic drivers of disease, and proximity to individuals and communities. Through a review of surgical ethics and exploration of a central patient case, we argue for applying an ethic of accompaniment to the care of surgical patients and their communities.
Do Suicide Attempters Have a Right Not to Be Stabilized in an Emergency?
Authors: Struc Aleksy Tarasenko
Published: April 2024

The standard of care in the United States favors stabilizing any adult who arrives in an emergency department after a failed suicide attempt, even if he appears decisionally capacitated and refuses life‐sustaining treatment. I challenge this ubiquitous practice. Emergency clinicians generally have a moral obligation to err on the side of stabilizing even suicide attempters who refuse such interventions. This obligation reflects the fact that it is typically infeasible to determine these patients’ level of decisional capacitation—among other relevant information—in this unique setting. Nevertheless, I argue, stabilizing suicide attempters over their objection sometimes violates a basic yet insufficiently appreciated right of theirs—the right against bodily invasion. In such cases, it is at least prima facie wrong to stabilize a patient who wants to die even if they lack a contrary advance directive or medical order and suffer from no terminal physical illness.
Additional Steps for Maintaining Public Trust in the FDA
Authors: Berger Mitchell
Published: April 2024

This letter responds to the essay “Securing the Trustworthiness of the FDA to Build Public Trust in Vaccines,” by Leah Z. Rand, Daniel P. Carpenter, Aaron S. Kesselheim, Anushka Bhaskar, Jonathan J. Darrow, and William B. Feldman, in the special report “Time to Rebuild: Essays on Trust in Health Care and Science,” in the September‐October 2023 issue of the Hastings Center Report.
Comparing the effects and potencies of perchlorate and nitrate on amphibian metamorphosis using a modified amphibian metamorphosis assay (AMA)
Authors: Fort Douglas J. , Peake Brittanie F. , Mathis Michael B. , Leopold M. Annegaaike , Wolf Jeffrey C. , Weterings Peter J. J. M.
Published: April 2024

A modified amphibian metamorphosis assay was performed in which Nieuwkoop and Faber (NF) stage 47 Xenopus laevis larvae were exposed to different concentrations of either perchlorate (ClO4−) or nitrate (NO3−) for 32 days. Larvae were exposed to 0.0 (control), 5, 25, 125, 625, and 3125 μg/L ClO4−, or 0 (control), 23, 71, 217, 660, and 2000 mg/L NO3−. The primary endpoints were survival, hind limb length (HLL), forelimb emergence and development, developmental stage (including time to NF stage 62 [MT62]), thyroid histopathology, wet weight, and snout‐vent length (SVL). Developmental delay as evidenced by altered stage distribution and increased MT62, a higher degree of thyroid follicular cell hypertrophy, and an increase in the prevalence of follicular cell hyperplasia was observed at concentrations ≥125 μg/L ClO4−. The no observed effect concentration (NOEC) for developmental endpoints was 25.0 μg/L ClO4− and the NOEC for growth endpoints was 3125 μg/L ClO4−. Exposure to nitrate did not adversely affect MT62, but a decreasing trend in stage distribution and median developmental stage at ≥217 mg/L NO3− was observed. No histopathologic effects associated with nitrate exposure were observed. An increasing trend in SVL‐normalized HLL was observed at 2000 mg/L NO3−. Nitrate did not alter larval growth. The NOEC for developmental endpoints was 71 mg/L NO3−, and 2000 mg/L NO3− for growth endpoints. The present study provided additional evidence that the effects and potency of nitrate and perchlorate on metamorphosis and growth in X. laevis are considerably different.
Effect of Hepatic Impairment on Trilaciclib Pharmacokinetics
Authors: Li Chao , Preston Richard A. , Dumas Emily , Beelen Andrew , Marbury Thomas C.
Published: April 2024

Trilaciclib is a first‐in‐class, intravenous cyclin‐dependent kinase 4 and 6 inhibitor approved for reducing the incidence of chemotherapy‐induced myelosuppression in adult patients with extensive‐stage small cell lung cancer receiving a platinum/etoposide‐containing or topotecan‐containing regimen. No dose adjustment is recommended for participants with mild hepatic impairment (HI) based on previous population pharmacokinetic (PK) analysis. This open‐label, parallel‐group study examined the impact of moderate and severe HI on the PK of trilaciclib. The study employed a reduced study design. Participants with moderate (Child–Pugh B, n = 8) and severe (Child–Pugh C, n = 5) HI and matched healthy controls (n = 11) received a single intravenous dose of trilaciclib 100 mg/m2. The unbound fraction of trilaciclib was comparable between the HI groups and the matched healthy control group. The unbound trilaciclib extent of exposure (i.e., area under the concentration‐time curve) in participants with moderate and severe HI was ∼40% and ∼60% higher, respectively, compared with healthy matched controls based on Child–Pugh classification. Ad hoc analysis using National Cancer Institute classification showed similar results. The US Food and Drug Administration‐approved trilaciclib dose of 240 mg/m2 should be reduced by ∼30%, to 170 mg/m2, for patients with moderate or severe HI.
Cell‐based tissue engineered flexor tendon allograft: A canine in vivo study
Authors: Lin Subin , Reisdorf Ramona , Lu Chun Kuan , Wang Zhanwen , An Kai‐Nan , Moran Steven L. , Amadio Peter C. , Zhao Chunfeng
Published: April 2024

This study aimed to compare the clinically established autologous extrasynovial tendon graft to a newly developed tissue‐engineered allograft (Eng‐allograft) in terms of functional outcomes following flexor tendon reconstruction in a canine model. The second and fifth flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) tendons from 16 dogs were transected and repaired in Zone II. After 6 weeks of cage activity, the repaired tendons were intentionally ruptured, creating a clinically relevant model for reconstruction. The re‐ruptured FDP tendons were then reconstructed using either the clinically standard autologous extrasynovial tendon graft or the Eng‐allograft, which had been revitalized with autologous bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and synovialized using carbodiimide derivatized synovial fluid (cd‐SYN). Following 12 weeks of postoperative rehabilitation, the functional outcomes of the surgical digits were evaluated. The Eng‐allograft group exhibited improved digital function, including lower digit work of flexion and reduced adhesion status, while maintaining similar tendon gliding resistance compared to the autograft group. However, the failure load of both the distal and proximal host/graft conjunctions in the Eng‐allograft group was significantly lower than that of the autograft group with higher graft rupture at the host−graft junction. In conclusion, the decellularized allogenic intrasynovial tendon, when revitalized BMSCs and synovialized with cd‐SYN, demonstrates positive effects on digital function improvement and adhesion reduction. However, the healing at both proximal and distal graft/host junctions is far lower than the autograft. Further research is needed to enhance the healing capacity of allograft conjunctions, aiming to achieve a comparable level of healing seen with autografts.
Value of the monocyte‐to‐high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio in refining the detection of prevalent heart failure: Insights from the NHANES 1999–2018
Authors: Wang Letian , Liu Yang , Shi Wenrui , Liu Xu , Qin Mu
Published: April 2024

The monocyte‐to‐high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (MHR) is a novel marker that can help estimate the degree of atherosclerosis by considering inflammation and lipid abnormalities. This study aimed to assess the association between the MHR and prevalent heart failure (HF) and to explore the value of the MHR in detecting prevalent HF in the general US population. Our study included 25,374 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999–2018). Among the participants, 749 (2.95%) reported a history of HF, and the HF group had a significantly higher MHR than the non‐HF group. Adjusted analyses revealed that each standard deviation increase in the MHR was associated with a 27.8% increase in the risk of HF. The association between the MHR and prevalent HF was linear across the entire MHR range. Adding the MHR to conventional cardiovascular risk factors significantly improved the area under the curve (0.875; p < 0.001), continuous net reclassification index (0.187; p < 0.001), and integrated discrimination index (0.004; p < 0.001). Our study suggests a potential association between the MHR and HF risk, and the findings enhance HF risk stratification and provide novel insights into the interplay between the coronary atherosclerotic burden and HF in clinical settings.
Erratum to “A footnote to a theorem of Kawamata”
Authors: Fujino Osamu , Lopes Margarida Mendes , Pardini Rita , Tirabassi Sofia
Published: April 2024

We give an alternative proof of Theorem A in the paper: Mendes Lopes, Pardini, Tirabassi, A footnote to a theorem of Kawamata. We also explain how to fill a gap in the original proof.
Precise prediction of cerebrospinal fluid amyloid beta protein for early Alzheimer's disease detection using multimodal data
Authors: Sun Jingnan , Xie Zengmai , Sun Yike , Shen Anruo , Li Renren , Yuan Xiao , Lu Bai , Li Yunxia
Published: April 2024

Alzheimer's disease (AD) constitutes a neurodegenerative disorder marked by a progressive decline in cognitive function and memory capacity. The accurate diagnosis of this condition predominantly relies on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) markers, notwithstanding the associated burdens of pain and substantial financial costs endured by patients. This study encompasses subjects exhibiting varying degrees of cognitive impairment, encompassing individuals with subjective cognitive decline, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia, constituting a total sample size of 82 participants. The primary objective of this investigation is to explore the relationships among brain atrophy measurements derived from magnetic resonance imaging, atypical electroencephalography (EEG) patterns, behavioral assessment scales, and amyloid β‐protein (Aβ) indicators. The findings of this research reveal that individuals displaying reduced Aβ1‐42/Aβ‐40 levels exhibit significant atrophy in the frontotemporal lobe, alongside irregularities in various parameters related to EEG frequency characteristics, signal complexity, inter‐regional information exchange, and microstates. The study additionally endeavors to estimate Aβ1‐42/Aβ‐40 content through the application of a random forest algorithm, amalgamating structural data, electrophysiological features, and clinical scales, achieving a remarkable predictive precision of 91.6%. In summary, this study proposes a cost‐effective methodology for acquiring CSF markers, thereby offering a valuable tool for the early detection of AD.
Probabilistic analysis of a class of compartmental models formulated by random differential equations
Authors: Bevia Vicente J. , Carlos Cortés Juan , Luisovna Pérez Cristina , Villanueva Rafael‐Jacinto
Published: April 2024

This paper deals with the probabilistic analysis of a class of compartmental models formulated via a system of linear differential equations with time‐dependent non‐homogeneous terms. For the sake of generality, we assume that initial conditions and rates between compartments are random variables with arbitrary distributions while the source terms defining the flows entering the compartments are stochastic processes. We then take extensive advantage of the so‐called random variable transformation (RVT) technique to determine the first probability distribution of the solution of such a randomized model under very general hypotheses. In the simplest but relevant case of time‐independent source terms, we also obtain the probability distribution of the equilibrium, which is a random vector. Furthermore, we first particularize the aforementioned results for different types of integrable source terms that permit obtaining an explicit solution of the compartmental model: random constants, a train of Dirac delta impulses with random intensities, and a Wiener process. Secondly, we show an alternative approach based on the Liouville–Gibbs equation, which is useful when dealing with source terms that do not admit a closed‐form primitive. All the previous theoretical results are first illustrated through several numerical examples and simulations where a wide range of different probability distributions are assumed for the model parameters. The paper concludes by applying a compartmental model that describes the dynamics of oral drug administration through multiple chronologically spaced doses using synthetic data generated according to pharmacological references.
Localization of the discrete one‐dimensional quasi‐periodic Schrödinger operators
Authors: Refai Walid
Published: April 2024

In this paper, we study the spectral properties of a family of discrete one‐dimensional quasi‐periodic Schrödinger operators (depending on a phase theta). In large disorder, under some suitable conditions on
and a diophantine rotation number, we prove using basically KAM theory that the spectrum of this operator is pure point for all
with exponential decaying eigenfunctions.
Association of Ultraprocessed Food Consumption with Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Among Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes: Findings from the UK Biobank
Authors: Li Yue , Lai Yuwei , Geng Tingting , Xia Peng‐Fei , Chen Jun‐Xiang , Tu Zhou‐Zheng , Yang Kun , Liao Yun‐Fei , Liu Gang , Pan An
Published: April 2024

Scope

Among patients with diabetes, who have modified nutritional behavior and a higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), the influence of ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) on CVD remains unknown. The study aims to evaluate the association between UPF intake and the risk of CVD among individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and further examine the potential biological pathways linking the association.

Methods and results

This study includes 5405 participants with T2D who provided at least one 24‐h dietary recall from the UK Biobank study. In the fully adjusted models, a 10% increase in the proportion of UPFs is associated with higher hazards of overall CVD (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.10; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.04, 1.15), coronary heart disease (HR: 1.10; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.16), heart failure (HR: 1.14; 95% CI: 1.05, 1.25), but not stroke (HR: 1.01; 95% CI: 0.90, 1.12). Cystatin C, high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C), apolipoprotein A, C‐reactive protein, and body mass index collectively explain 26.9% (12.8%, 48.5%) of the association between UPF intake and the risk of overall CVD.

Conclusion

Higher UPF intakes are associated with increased hazards of CVD among individuals with T2D, and the association is partly mediated through worsening biomarkers of renal function, lipid metabolism, inflammation, and body weight.
Evaluating the relationship between magnetic resonance image quality metrics and deep learning‐based segmentation accuracy of brain tumors
Authors: Muthusivarajan Rajarajeswari , Celaya Adrian , Yung Joshua P. , Long James P. , Viswanath Satish E. , Marcus Daniel S. , Chung Caroline , Fuentes David
Published: April 2024

Background

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans are known to suffer from a variety of acquisition artifacts as well as equipment‐based variations that impact image appearance and segmentation performance. It is still unclear whether a direct relationship exists between magnetic resonance (MR) image quality metrics (IQMs) (e.g., signal‐to‐noise, contrast‐to‐noise) and segmentation accuracy.

Purpose

Deep learning (DL) approaches have shown significant promise for automated segmentation of brain tumors on MRI but depend on the quality of input training images. We sought to evaluate the relationship between IQMs of input training images and DL‐based brain tumor segmentation accuracy toward developing more generalizable models for multi‐institutional data.

Methods

We trained a 3D DenseNet model on the BraTS 2020 cohorts for segmentation of tumor subregions enhancing tumor (ET), peritumoral edematous, and necrotic and non‐ET on MRI; with performance quantified via a 5‐fold cross‐validated Dice coefficient. MRI scans were evaluated through the open‐source quality control tool MRQy, to yield 13 IQMs per scan. The Pearson correlation coefficient was computed between whole tumor (WT) dice values and IQM measures in the training cohorts to identify quality measures most correlated with segmentation performance. Each selected IQM was used to group MRI scans as “better” quality (BQ) or “worse” quality (WQ), via relative thresholding. Segmentation performance was re‐evaluated for the DenseNet model when (i) training on BQ MRI images with validation on WQ images, as well as (ii) training on WQ images, and validation on BQ images. Trends were further validated on independent test sets derived from the BraTS 2021 training cohorts.

Results

For this study, multimodal MRI scans from the BraTS 2020 training cohorts were used to train the segmentation model and validated on independent test sets derived from the BraTS 2021 cohort. Among the selected IQMs, models trained on BQ images based on inhomogeneity measurements (coefficient of variance, coefficient of joint variation, coefficient of variation of the foreground patch) and the models trained on WQ images based on noise measurement peak signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) yielded significantly improved tumor segmentation accuracy compared to their inverse models.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that a significant correlation may exist between specific MR IQMs and DenseNet‐based brain tumor segmentation performance. The selection of MRI scans for model training based on IQMs may yield more accurate and generalizable models in unseen validation.
Development of chitosan by using a zeolite‐supported CaO derived from waste chicken eggshell to remove Acid Red 1 dye from the aqueous solution
Authors: Katowah Dina F. , Alzahrani Hanan K.
Published: April 2024

ZSM‐5 zeolite modified with acetic acid eggshell and chitosan was impregnated in three distinct proportions. As nanocomposites (NCs), the purpose of the composites was to adsorb Acid Red 1 dye (AR‐1) from an aqueous solution. The characterization of chitosan@CaO/zeolite NCs included (CHT)1@(CaO/ZT)1, (CHT)1.5@(CaO/ZT)1, and (CHT)1@(CaO/ZT)1.5, as determined by FTIR, XRD, EDX, BET, TGA, and UV–Visible absorption spectroscopy. In a bulk system, the adsorption of the AR‐1 dye onto (CHT)1@(CaO/ZT)1.5 was analyzed in terms of solution temperature, pH, contact time, and NCs dosage. The most favorable parameters for achieving efficient dye adsorption were: a pH of 2, an adsorbent dosage of 0.05 g/25 mL of dye solution, and 20 mg/L of dye concentration at 22°C temperature. The reaction reached equilibrium after 120 min. The estimated adsorption efficiency of the AR‐1 dye by the prepared NCs is 99.70%. The mechanism by which the dye was sequestered onto (CHT)1@(CaO/ZT)1.5 was exothermic. The correlation coefficient (R2) for the pseudo‐second‐order adsorption kinetic model held true at different temperatures with a value of 0.99, indicating that the model accurately described the chemical interaction between the adsorbent and Acid Red (AR‐1). Adsorption processes are characterized as exothermic, feasible, and spontaneous when the Gibbs free energy (ΔG°) and enthalpy (ΔH°) changes have negative values, respectively. It was determined that the Langmuir model best described the isotherm behavior of AR‐1 dye adsorption onto (CHT)1@ (CaO/ZT)1.5. Under ideal conditions, the surface was found to be homogeneous and had a maximum adsorption capacity (qm) of 84.03 mg/g.
Microencapsulation of ADN with HTPB‐based membrane in the presence of the bonding agents Tepan or Tepanol**
Authors: Silva Jessica O. , Cardoso Kamila P. , Diniz Milton F. , Nagamachi Márcio Y. , Ferrão Luiz F. A.
Published: April 2024

Ammonium dinitramide (ADN) has appeared as a promising oxidizer for green propellants and thereby a potential substitute for ammonium perchlorate, largely in use in composite propellants for tactical and strategic long‐range missiles. The novelty lies in replacing ammonium perchlorate with a chlorine‐free oxidizer less harmful to the health and environment. However, ADN is hygroscopic and can potentially react with other chemical components, which could be overcome by microencapsulating the particles. The simple coacervation method was tested herein to microencapsulate ADN with a membrane made of hydroxyl‐terminated polybutadiene as pre‐polymer and methylene diphenyl diisocyanate as the curing agent. The effect of polyamine bonding agents on the capsule formation was tested by adding 0.5 or 2 % of Tepan or Tepanol, whose efficacy to bond to ADN was confirmed by detecting ammonia release through infrared spectroscopy. The capsule membrane was examined by optical and scanning electron microscopy. The dissolution time and rate were the parameters adopted to quantify permeability in a straight dissolution test in water, which demonstrated that 0.5 % Tepanol can provide the most effective protection. The infrared spectroscopy indicated that 60 °C temperature for prolonged periods, normally experienced by propellants, does not chemically affect the capsules’ membrane but can turn it lumpy. In conclusion, these polyamine bonding agents can assist the capsule formation over ADN particles using the simple coacervation method, however, their functionality on mechanical properties of propellants needs to be substantiated in forthcoming works as well as the effect of the concentration of bonding agents on propellant formulations.
The Rotating Excitons in 2D Materials: Valley Zeeman Effect and Chirality
Authors: Cui Yu , Ma Xin‐Jun , Deng Jia‐Pei , Li Shao‐Juan , Yang Ran‐Bo , Li Zhi‐Qing , Wang Zi‐Wu
Published: April 2024

The rotational dynamics of the intralayer and interlayer excitons with their inherent momenta of inertia in the monolayer and bilayer transition metal dichalcogenides, respectively, where the new chirality of exciton is endowed by the rotational angular momentum, namely, the formations of left‐ and right‐handed excitons at the +K and −K valleys, respectively, is proposed. It is found that angular momenta exchange between excitons and its surrounding phononic bath result in the large fluctuation of the effective g‐factor and the asymmetry of valley Zeeman splitting observed in most recently experiments, both of which sensitively depend on the magnetic moments provided by the phononic environment. This rotating exciton model not only proposes a new controllable knob in valleytronics, but opens the door to explore the angular momentum exchange of the chiral quasiparticles with the many‐body environment.
Evaluating Pauli Errors on Cluster States by Weighted Distances
Authors: Choong Pak Shen , Girolami Davide
Published: April 2024

The problem of evaluating the differences between quantum states before and after being affected by errors encoded in unitary transformations is addressed. Standard distance functions, e.g., the Bures length, are not fully adequate for such a task. Weighted distances are instead the appropriate information measures to quantify the distinguishability of multipartite states. Here, the previously introduced weighted Bures length and the newly defined weighted Hilbert‐Schmidt distance are employed to quantify how much single‐qubit Pauli errors alter cluster states. For both types of weighted distances, it is found that different errors of the same dimension change cluster states in a different way, i.e., their detectability is in general different. Indeed, they transform an ideal cluster state into a state whose weighted distances from the input depends on the specific chosen Pauli rotation, as well as the position of the affected qubit in the graph related to the cluster state. As these features are undetected by using standard distances, the study proves the usefulness of weighted distances to monitor key but elusive properties of many‐body quantum systems.
Effects of Stochastic Magnetic Noise on the SERF Co‐Magnetometer
Authors: Li Feng , Wang Zhuo , Fan Wenfeng , Qin Bodong , Zhou Xinxiu , Pang Haoying , Quan Wei
Published: April 2024

Stochastic magnetic field noise has a non‐negligible negative impact on the performance of quantum precision measurement instruments such as spin‐exchange relaxation‐free (SERF) co‐magnetometer in terms of sensitivity and stability. Conventional magnetic field error analysis and suppression methods are not applicable to stochastic magnetic field noise. In this paper, a stochastic model of the SERF co‐magnetometer is proposed to analyze the mechanism of stochastic magnetic field noise. The mean and covariance propagation model of the SERF co‐magnetometer is given based on the stochasticity model and statistical principles. The analysis of simulation experiments reveals that reducing the longitudinal electron spin polarization can somewhat reduce the standard deviation of the system output caused by stochastic magnetic field noise. And the atomic ensembles are most resistant to stochastic magnetic field noise when the electron spin polarization strongly couples with the nuclear spin polarization. Finally, the experiments verified the above conclusions. In conclusion, this paper provides theoretical and experimental support for analyzing and suppressing the effect of stochastic magnetic field noise on the SERF co‐magnetometer, which is of great significance for improving the sensitivity and stability of the measurement.
Enhanced therapeutic effects of apoptotic cell‐conditioned mesenchymal stem cells in lupus‐prone MRL/lpr mice
Authors: Zhang Zhuoya , Cui Yiyuan , Huang Saisai , Liu Weilin , Chen Chen , Feng Xuebing , Wang Dandan , Sun Lingyun
Published: April 2024

Background

Apoptotic cell‐conditioned mesenchymal stem cells (AC‐MSCs) exhibit stronger T cell suppressive ability via cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2)/prostaglandin E2 (PGE2); however, whether AC‐MSCs exhibit enhanced therapeutic effects on systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) remains unknown.

Methods

Splenocytes from MRL/MPJ‐Faslpr (MRL/lpr) mice were cocultured with AC‐MSCs, and the proportion of plasma cells was determined by flow cytometry. MSCs, AC‐MSCs, COX2 knockdown MSCs, and COX2 knockdown AC‐MSCs were infused into MRL/lpr mice (n = 10/group). Survival rates and lupus symptoms, including proteinuria, kidney injury, renal immune complex deposition, and autoantibody production, were assessed. Additionally, the number of plasma cells and serum levels of inflammatory cytokines were measured.

Results

The AC‐MSCs significantly inhibited plasma cells via PGE2 after 24 h coculture in vitro, whereas MSCs did not. In the MRL/lpr mice, AC‐MSC treatment led to a significantly higher survival rate than phosphate‐buffered saline (PBS) treatment (90% vs. 50%, p < 0.05). Moreover, AC‐MSC infusion decreased urine protein levels as early as 1 week after administration (0.89 ± 0.55 mg/mL vs. 1.59 ± 0.60 mg/mL, p < 0.05, compared with PBS treatment). Administration of both MSCs and AC‐MSCs reduced renal immunoglobulin G and complement C3 deposition, whereas COX2 knockdown MSCs and COX2 knockdown AC‐MSCs did not. Serum anti‐dsDNA antibody levels in AC‐MSC‐treated mice significantly decreased (0.40 ± 0.25 vs. 0.99 ± 0.58, p < 0.05), compared with PBS treatment, as well as the number of plasma cells in both the spleen ([2.14 ± 1.05] × 106 vs. [8.02 ± 4.01] × 106, p < 0.01) and renal‐draining lymph nodes ([0.78 ± 0.68] × 106 vs. [2.49 ± 1.45] × 106, p < 0.05). Additionally, AC‐MSCs inhibited the production of inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin‐21, tumor necrosis factor‐alpha, and monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1.

Conclusions

AC‐MSCs enhanced the therapeutic effects in mice with lupus, which were partially mediated by COX2/PGE2. Therefore, AC preconditioning may be a new strategy for MSC transplantation in the treatment of SLE.
Comparative study of soil interaction and driving characteristics of different agricultural and space robots in an agricultural environment
Authors: Wirkus Malte , Hinck Stefan , Backe Christian , Babel Jonathan , Riedel Vadim , Reichert Nele , Kolesnikov Andrej , Stark Tobias , Hilljegerdes Jens , Küçüker Hilmi Doğu , Ruckelshausen Arno , Kirchner Frank
Published: April 2024

This paper investigates four different mobile robots with respect to their driving characteristics and soil preservation properties in an agricultural environment. Thereby, robots of classical design from agriculture as well as systems from space robotics with advanced locomotion concepts are considered to determine the individual advantages of each rover concept with respect to the application domain. Locomotion experiments were conducted to analyze the general driving behavior, tensile force, and obstacle‐surmounting capability and ground interaction of each robot. Various soil conditions typical for the area of application are taken into account, which are varied in terms of moisture and density. The presented work covers the specification of the conducted experiments, documentation of the implementation as well as analysis and evaluation of the collected data. In the evaluation, particular attention is paid to the change in driving characteristics under different soil conditions, as well as to the soil stress caused by driving, since soil quality is of critical importance for agricultural applications. The analysis shows that the advanced locomotion concepts, as used in space robotics, also have positive implications for certain requirements in agricultural applications, such as maneuverability in wet conditions and soil conservation. The results show potential for design innovations in agricultural robotics that can be used, to open up new fields of application for instance in the context of precision farming.
New Ciprofloxacin–Pyrazolopyrimidine Hybrids as Topoisomerase IV and Gyrase Inhibitors against MRSA AUMC 261
Authors: Samir Mohamed , Ramadan Mohamed , Abdelrahman Mostafa H. , Abdelbaset Mahmoud S. , Abdel‐Aziz Mohamed , Mohamed Halby Hamada , Abuo‐Rahma Gamal El‐Din A.
Published: April 2024

Eleven novel ciprofloxacin–pyrazolopyrimidine hybrids 4 a–k were synthesized and structurally elucidated using NMR, elemental analysis, and mass spectrometry. The antibacterial screening showed that the newly synthesized compounds revealed a remarkable shifting of antibacterial activity from Gram–negative toward Gram–positive bacteria. Most of the synthesized hybrids displayed good to excellent activity against Staph aureus ATCC 6538 especially hybrids 4 a and 4 g which revealed MICs of 12.5 and 6.25 μg/ml, respectively, compared to the ciprofloxacin MIC, 25 μg/ml as a reference drug. In addition, both hybrids displayed potent activity toward MRSA AUMC 261 with MICs, 71 and 36 μg/ml respectively, compared to the ciprofloxacin MIC, 190 μg/ml as a reference drug. Additionally, hybrids, 4 a and 4 g exhibited effective inhibitory activity against DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV enzymes with IC50 values, 0.404, 1.626 μM and 3.647 and 3.791 μM, respectively, compared to ciprofloxacin IC50 values 0.661 and 8.159. A molecular modeling investigation showed a high fitting affinity of hybrids 4 a and 4 g toward gyrase and topoisomerase IV active sites compared to ciprofloxacin.
Colorimetric Silver Ion Detection Based on Silver Metallization of Gold Nanorods
Authors: Sepahvand Marzieh , Ghasemi Forough
Published: April 2024

Despite the use of silver in various industries, this heavy metal can pose serious risks to living organisms and the environment. Therefore, the development of simple measurement strategies for detection of silver ions (Ag+) with high sensitivity is of great importance. In this research, gold nanorods (AuNRs) have been used as indicator element in colorimetric sensor, which provides the possibility of facile and visual detection of silver by forming gold@silver core‐shell nanostructures (Au@Ag NRs). The basis of this sensor is the metallization of silver on AuNRs through ascorbic acid (AA) as a reducing agent, which forms Au@Ag NRs. During this mechanism, Ag+ is converted to silver atom (Ago) in the presence of AA and the surface of AuNRs is coated by inducing metallization. Any changes in composition and dimensions of AuNRs will cause color changes in the detection solution and subsequently spectral changes. The obtained results showed a good correlation between silver concentration and probe response (λo–λ) in the range of 2.5 to 30.0 μmol L−1 with a detection limit of 1.3 μmol L−1. In addition, the evaluation of the sensor in water and soil samples showed that it has acceptable accuracy in detecting silver ions in real conditions.
Silver Sulfide Anchored Anatase TiO2 Nanoparticles for Ultrafast Degradation of Selective Textile Dyes
Authors: Murugadoss Govindhasamy , Venkatesh Nachimuthu , Rajabathar Jothiramalingam , Kandhasamy Narthana , Kumar Manavalan Rajesh
Published: April 2024

The surface modification of the TiO2 with selective narrow band gap of metal or metal sulfide is an attractive attention in recent years. Herein, tiny Ag2S nanoparticles are well anchored on the TiO2 surface by a cost‐effective chemical precipitation method for efficient photocatalytic activity. The decoration of Ag2S nanoparticles is clearly identified through electron microscopy studies. The UV‐Vis diffuse reflection spectra (DRS) revealed that TiO2/Ag2S composites absorbed broad spectrum in the visible region. The reduced band‐gap of 2.41 eV by anchored the Ag2S on TiO2 may boosted the photocatalytic activity. Particularly, incorporation of Ag2S nanoparticles increased charge separation efficiency, lowering recombination, and improving photocatalytic performance. Because of their unique structural and optical properties, TiO2/Ag2S composites have increased photocatalytic activity. The photocatalytic performance of the pristine Ag2S and Ag2S anchored TiO2 are Crystal violet (CV) and Methyl orange (MO) dye molecules under same experimental condition. As expected, the TiO2/Ag2S showed highest photocatalytic degradation efficiency than alone TiO2.
Functional Polyorganosilsesquioxane Nanocomposite Hydrogels With Encapsulated Silver Nanoparticles – Promising Compounds Against Gastrointestinal Pathogen Bacteria
Authors: Migulin D. A. , Rozanova J. V. , Meshkov I. B. , Milenin S. A. , Shitikov E. A. , Muzafarov A. M.
Published: April 2024

Nowadays the most common gastrointestinal related gram‐negative H. pylori and E. coli pathogen bacteria that are considered to be the main causes for the development of various gastric diseases and bloodstream infections are rapidly developing resistance against the standard antibiotics, commonly used in the clinical practices. One of the alternative high potential approaches for solving problems of bacterial resistance includes applications of silver‐based materials and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). In the present study two types of amine‐ and triazol‐ functional polyorganosilsesquioxane nanocomposite sorbent hydrogels with narrowly dispersed AgNPs were developed. In vitro antibacterial activity and cytotoxicity tests showed concentration‐ and time‐dependent activity of the prepared nanocomposites against gram‐negative E. coli and H. pylori bacteria and a reduced cytotoxicity towards Caco‐2 human colon epithelial cells. Molecular structures and chemical compositions of the synthesized composites elucidated with transmission and scanning electron microscopy and UV‐Vis spectroscopy revealed spherical and narrowly dispersed along the polymer matrices AgNPs with average sizes of 3–5 nm. It was estimated that the chemical composition and particularly the zeta‐potentials values that were found to be dependent on the molecular structures of the synthesized nanocomposites had a high influence on the AgNPs antibacterial activity and cytoxicity profiles.
Synthesis of cNDI‐Peptide‐Dimer as a G4 Cluster‐Selective Binder and its Interaction with G4 Dimer
Authors: Ono Kentaro , Sato Shinobu , Takenaka Shigeori
Published: April 2024

The amino acid unit carrying cyclic naphthalene diimide (cNDI) was synthesized by linking the amino moiety of cNDI as a G4‐specific ligand with the γ‐carboxylic acid moiety of Fmoc‐Glu. cNDI‐peptide‐dimer, 1 was synthesized by peptide synthesizer using this unit. 1 exhibited an extremely strong binding constant of the order of 108 M−1 with telomeric G4 dimer, probably due to cooperative stacking of the its two G4 planes. It also showed an IC50 at the nM level by the TRAP assay. The results obtained here are expected to enable the design of peptide ligands with multiple cNDI sites targeting the G4 cluster by using the amino acid units of cNDI.
Broadband Room‐Temperature Photodetection via InBiTe3 Nanosheet
Authors: Chen Shijie , Wu Tuntan , Chen Hang , Zhou Wei , Gao Yanqing , Yao Niangjuan , Jiang Lin , Huang Zhiming
Published: April 2024

Broadband room‐temperature photodetection has become a pressing need as application requirements for communication, imaging, spectroscopy, and sensing have evolved. Topological insulators (TIs) have narrow bandgap structures with a wide absorption spectral response range, which should meet the requirements of broadband detection. However, owing to their high carrier concentration and low carrier mobility resulting in poor noise equivalent power (NEP), they are generally considered unsuitable for photodetection. Here, InBiTe3 alloy nanosheet formed by doping In2Te3 into Bi2Te3(≈ 1:1) is utilized, effectively improving carrier mobility by over ten times while maintaining a narrow bandgap structure, to fabricate a broadband photodetector covering a wide response range from visible to millimeter wave (MMW). Under the synergistic multi‐mechanism of the photoelectric effect in the visible−infrared region and the electromagnetic‐induced potential well (EIW) effect in Terahertz band, the performance of NEP = 75 pW Hz−1/2 and response time τ ≈100 µs in visible to infrared band and the performance of NEP = 6.7 × 10−3 pW Hz−1/2, τ ≈8 µs in Terahertz region are achieved. The results demonstrate the promising prospects of topological insulator alloy (like InBiTe3) nanosheet in optoelectronic detection applications and provide a direction for the research into high‐performance broadband photoelectric detectors via TIs.
VOx Matrix Confinement Approach to Generate Sub‐3 nm L10‐Pt‐Based Intermetallic Catalysts for Fuel Cell Cathode
Authors: Deng Yingjie , Zhang Longhai , Zheng Jie , Dang Dai , Zhang Jiaxi , Gu Xianrui , Yang Xue , Tan Weiquan , Wang Liming , Zeng Long , Chen Chao , Wang Tiejun , Cui Zhiming
Published: April 2024

Pt‐based intermetallic compounds (IMCs) are considered as a class of promising fuel cell electrocatalysts, owing to their outstanding intrinsic activity and durability. However, the synthesis of uniformly dispersed IMCs with small sizes presents a formidable challenge during the essential high‐temperature annealing process. Herein, a facile and generally applicable VOx matrix confinement strategy is demonstrated for the controllable synthesis of ordered L10‐PtM (M = Fe, Co, and Mn) nanoparticles, which not only enhances the dispersion of intermetallic nanocrystals, even at high loading (40 wt%), but also simplifies the oxide removal and acid‐washing procedures. Taking intermetallic PtCo as an example, the as‐prepared catalyst displays a high‐performance oxygen reduction activity (mass activity of 1.52 A mgPt−1) and excellent stability in the membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) (the ECSA has just 7% decay after durability test). This strategy provides an economical and scalable route for the controlled synthesis of Pt‐based intermetallic catalysts, which can pave a way for the commercialization of fuel cell technologies.
Thermocatalytic Hydrogen Production from Water at Boiling Condition
Authors: Wang Lin , Wang Min , Syeda Arooj , Ye Fei , Liu Congyan , Tao Ye , Chen Chunhui , Liu Bo
Published: April 2024

Thermochemical water‐splitting cycles are technically feasible for hydrogen production from water. However, the ultrahigh operation temperature and low efficiency seriously restrict their practical application. Herein, one‐step and one‐pot thermocatalytic water‐splitting process is reported at water boiling condition catalyzed by single atomic Pt on defective In2O3. Water splitting into hydrogen is verified by D2O isotopic experiment, with an optimized hydrogen production rate of 36.4 mmol·h−1·g−1 as calculated on Pt active sites. It is revealed that three‐centered Pt1In2 surrounding oxygen vacancy as catalytic ensembles promote the dissociation of the adsorbed water into H, which transfers to singlet atomic Pt sites for H2 production. Remaining OH groups on adjacent In sites from Pt1In2 ensembles undergoes O─O bonding, hyperoxide formation and diminishing via triethylamine oxidation, water re‐adsorption for completing the catalytic cycle. Current work represents an isothermal and continuous thermocatalytic water splitting under mild condition, which can re‐awaken the research interest to produce H2 from water using low‐grade heat and competes with photocatalytic, electrolytic, and photoelectric reactions.
High Carrier Mobility and Promising Thermoelectric Module Performance of N‐Type PbSe Crystals
Authors: Wang Siqi , Wen Yi , Zhu Yingcai , Wang Ziyuan , Liu Dongrui , Zheng Junqing , Zhan Shaoping , Xie Hongyao , Ge Zhenhua , Gao Xiang , Cao Qian , Chang Cheng , Zhao Li‐Dong
Published: April 2024

The scarcity of Te hampers the widespread use of Bi2Te3‐based thermoelectric modules. Here, the thermoelectric module potential of PbSe is investigated by improving its carrier mobility. Initially, large PbSe crystals are grown with the temperature gradient method to mitigate grain boundary effects on carrier transport. Subsequently, light doping with <1mole‰ halogens (Cl/Br/I) increases room‐temperature carrier mobility to ~1600 cm2 V−1 s−1, achieved by reducing carrier concentration compared to traditional heavy doping. Crystal growth design and light doping enhance carrier mobility without affecting effective mass, resulting in a high power factor ~40 µW cm−1 K−2 in PbSe‐Cl/Br/I crystals at 300 K. Additionally, Cl/Br/I doping reduces thermal conductivity and bipolar diffusion, leading to significantly lower thermal conductivity at high temperature. Enhanced carrier mobility and suppressed bipolar effect boost ZT values across the entire temperature range in n‐type PbSe‐Cl/Br/I crystals. Specifically, ZT values of PbSe‐Br crystal reach ~0.6 at 300 K, ~1.2 at 773 K, and the average ZT (ZTave) reaches ~1.0 at 300–773 K. Ultimately, ~5.8% power generation efficiency in a PbSe single leg with a maximum temperature cooling difference of 40 K with 7‐pair modules is achieved. These results indicate the potential for cost‐effective and high‐performance thermoelectric cooling modules based on PbSe.