bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
13C and 15N Benchtop NMR Detection of Metabolites via Relayed Hyperpolarization**
Authors: Alcicek Seyma , Van Dyke Erik , Xu Jingyan , Pustelny Szymon , Barskiy Danila A.
Published: April 2023

Parahydrogen‐based nuclear spin hyperpolarization allows various magnetic‐resonance applications, and it is particularly attractive because of its technical simplicity, low cost, and ability to quickly (in seconds) produce large volumes of hyperpolarized material. Although many parahydrogen‐based techniques have emerged, some of them remain unexplored due to the lack of careful optimization studies. In this work, we investigate and optimize a novel parahydrogen‐induced polarization (PHIP) technique that relies on proton exchange referred to below as PHIP‐relay. An INEPT (insensitive nuclei enhanced by polarization transfer) sequence is employed to transfer polarization from hyperpolarized protons to heteronuclei (
N and
C) and nuclear signals are detected using benchtop NMR spectrometers (1 T and 1.4 T, respectively). We demonstrate the applicability of the PHIP‐relay technique for hyperpolarization of a wide range of biochemicals by examining such key metabolites as urea, ammonium, glucose, amino acid glycine, and a drug precursor benzamide. By optimizing chemical and NMR parameters of the PHIP‐relay, we achieve a 17,100‐fold enhancement of
N signal of [
C,
N
]‐urea compared to the thermal signal measured at 1 T. We also show that repeated measurements with shorter exposure to parahydrogen provide a higher effective signal‐to‐noise ratio compared to longer parahydrogen bubbling.
WSO‐T2FSM: War strategy optimization‐based type‐2 fuzzy‐based starling murmuration for addressing the routing problem in mobile ad hoc network
Authors: Ahila Devi E. , Chandrasekar A. , Radhika S.
Published: April 2023

Nowadays, research based on mobile ad hoc network's (MANET) performance improvement has drawn a particular concentration from scientists worldwide. The shortest path selection among destination and source nodes determines the network's throughput in MANET. In addition, power management and energy consumption are also the major difficulties that MANET suffers. The conventional routing protocols are intended for static bonding, but that protocol does not satisfy the stability in ad hoc networks by means of regularly changing connectivity. This shows the routing problem in MANETs. Therefore, to overcome the routing issues and maintain energy efficiently, the Type‐2 fuzzy‐based Starling Murmuration Optimizer (SMO)‐War Strategy Optimization (WSO) (T2FSMO‐WSO) routing protocol is proposed in this paper. MANET takes into account four input parameters: route length, active link ratio to global traffic, network lifetime, and control packet ratio. The SMO algorithm is employed to choose the relay node with low energy consumption. The trapezoidal membership functions are used to describe the fuzzy sets for these parameters. The content‐based routing among source and destination nodes is determined using the WSO algorithm. The simulation outcomes reveal that the proposed method discovers highly stable paths with minimum distance and minimized the consumption of energy.
An autonomic resource management system for energy efficient and quality of service aware resource scheduling in cloud environment
Authors: Kumar Ashok , Lal Madan , Kaur Sumandeep
Published: April 2023

Efficient utilization of resources is a challenging task in cloud computing due to heterogeneity of resources and fluctuating resource demands of multifarious applications. This article presents an autonomic resource allocation approach for energy efficient utilization of resources while satisfying QoS needs of the end‐users. The proposed approach is based on antlion optimization and makes use of resource utilization history for autonomic allocation and efficient use of resources. It can operate in one of the three different modes namely, energy‐saving, performance, and balanced mode depending on the projected workload of an application. The performance analysis of the proposed approach is carried out in CloudSim simulator under different workload conditions.
The impacts of tenure diversity on boardroom and corporate carbon emission performance: Exploring from the moderating role of corporate innovation
Authors: Cahyono Suham , Harymawan Iman , Kamarudin Khairul Anuar
Published: April 2023

This paper examines the relationship between tenure diversity, corporate innovation, and carbon emission performance in developing countries, with a particular focus on the interaction model of corporate innovation in the nexus. The study is conducted in a unique setting of Indonesian firms with a high level of tenure diversity and carbon performance, excluding the financial industry from 2015 to 2021 and covering 1466 firm‐year observations. The study confirms that tenure diversity in the boardroom is a significant driver in reducing carbon emissions, as it has the potential to lower emissions during production cycles. However, the results suggest that there may be a poor decline in emissions when firms are too diverse. The authors' findings are robust and consistent over several robustness checks and endogeneity tests. This study is the first to focus on a quantitative measurement of carbon emission performance based on the Global Reporting Initiative in developing countries.
Sponge diversification in marine lakes: Implications for phylogeography and population genomic studies on sponges
Authors: Maas Diede L. , Prost Stefan , de Leeuw Christiaan A. , Bi Ke , Smith Lydia L. , Purwanto Purwanto , Aji Ludi P. , Tapilatu Ricardo F. , Gillespie Rosemary G. , Becking Leontine E.
Published: April 2023

The relative influence of geography, currents, and environment on gene flow within sessile marine species remains an open question. Detecting subtle genetic differentiation at small scales is challenging in benthic populations due to large effective population sizes, general lack of resolution in genetic markers, and because barriers to dispersal often remain elusive. Marine lakes can circumvent confounding factors by providing discrete and replicated ecosystems. Using high‐resolution double digest restriction‐site‐associated DNA sequencing (4826 Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms, SNPs), we genotyped populations of the sponge Suberites diversicolor (n = 125) to test the relative importance of spatial scales (1–1400 km), local environmental conditions, and permeability of seascape barriers in shaping population genomic structure. With the SNP dataset, we show strong intralineage population structure, even at scales <10 km (average FST = 0.63), which was not detected previously using single markers. Most variation was explained by differentiation between populations (AMOVA: 48.8%) with signatures of population size declines and bottlenecks per lake. Although the populations were strongly structured, we did not detect significant effects of geographic distance, local environments, or degree of connection to the sea on population structure, suggesting mechanisms such as founder events with subsequent priority effects may be at play. We show that the inclusion of morphologically cryptic lineages that can be detected with the COI marker can reduce the obtained SNP set by around 90%. Future work on sponge genomics should confirm that only one lineage is included. Our results call for a reassessment of poorly dispersing benthic organisms that were previously assumed to be highly connected based on low‐resolution markers.
Achieving conservation targets by jointly addressing climate change and biodiversity loss
Authors: Suraci Justin P. , Farwell Laura S. , Littlefield Caitlin E. , Freeman Patrick T. , Zachmann Luke J. , Landau Vincent A. , Anderson Jesse J. , Dickson Brett G.
Published: April 2023

Unprecedented rates of climate change and biodiversity loss have galvanized efforts to expand protected areas (PAs) globally. However, limited spatial overlap between the most important landscapes for mitigating climate change and those with the highest value for biodiversity may impede efforts to simultaneously address both issues through new protections. At the same time, there is a need to understand how lands with high conservation value align with existing patterns of land management, both public and private, which will inform strategies for developing new conservation areas. To address these challenges, we developed three composite indices to identify the highest conservation value lands across the conterminous United States (CONUS) and Alaska, drawing on a suite of key ecological and environmental indicators. Two indices characterize the most important conservation lands for addressing climate change (based on climate accessibility, climate stability, and total carbon storage) and biodiversity (based on species richness, ecological integrity, and ecological connectivity), while a third, combined index simultaneously addresses both conservation challenges. We found that existing PAs in the United States have relatively low overlap with the highest conservation value lands, regardless of the index used (10%–13% in CONUS, 27%–34% in Alaska), suggesting limited effectiveness of current protections but substantial opportunity for expanding conservation into high‐value, unprotected areas. In unprotected landscapes, the highest value lands for addressing climate change generally diverged from those identified as most important for protecting biodiversity (22%–38% overlap, depending on index and geography). Our combined index reconciled these spatial trade‐offs through high overlap with both the climate and biodiversity indices (66%–72%). Of the unprotected high conservation value lands identified by each of our three indices, we found ≥70% are privately managed in CONUS, while 16%–27% are privately managed in Alaska, underscoring the need to engage private landowners and land trusts in efforts to substantially increase the total footprint of conservation lands in the United States. Our findings highlight the importance of balancing climate and biodiversity objectives when identifying new lands for conservation and provide guidance on where to target new protections to simultaneously address both goals. To facilitate planning using the indices, we developed an interactive web application.
Patients with cardiac amyloidosis are at a greater risk of mortality and hospital readmission after acute heart failure
Authors: Berthelot Emmanuelle , Broussier Amaury , Hittinger Luc , Donadio Cristiano , Rovani Xavier , Salengro Emmanuel , Megbemado Richard , Godreuil Christian , Belmin Joel , David Jean Philippe , Genet Bastien , Damy Thibaud ,   FINC‐94 Network
Published: April 2023

Aims

Cardiac amyloidosis (CA) is an under‐diagnosed cause of heart failure (HF) and has a worse prognosis than other forms of HF. The frequency of death or rehospitalization following discharge for acute heart failure (AHF) in CA (relative to other causes) has not been documented. The study aims to compare hospital readmission and death rates 90 days after discharge for AHF in patients with vs. without CA and to identify risk factors associated with these events in each group.

Methods and results

Patients with HF and CA (HF + CA+) were recruited from the ICREX cohort, after screening of their medical records. The cases were matched 1:5 by sex and age with control HF patients without CA (HF + CA−). There were 27 HF + CA + and 135 HF + CA− patients from the ICREX cohort included in the study. Relative to the HF + CA− group, HF + CA+ patients had a higher heart rate (P = 0.002) and N‐terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide levels (P < 0.001) and lower blood pressure (P < 0.001), weight, and body mass index values (P < 0.001) on discharge. Ninety days after discharge, the HF + CA+ group displayed a higher death rate, a higher all‐cause hospital readmission rate, and a higher hospital readmission rate for AHF. Death and hospital readmissions occurred sooner after discharge in the HF + CA+ group than in the HF + CA− group.

Conclusions

The presence of CA in patients with HF was associated with a three‐fold greater risk of death and a two‐fold greater risk of all‐cause hospital readmission 90 days after discharge. These findings emphasize the importance of close, active management of patients with CA and AHF.
Assessment of tau phosphorylation and β‐amyloid pathology in human drug‐resistant epilepsy
Authors: Aroor Alisha , Nguyen Phuoc , Li Yibo , Das Rohit , Lugo Joaquin N. , Brewster Amy L.
Published: April 2023

Objective

Epilepsy can be comorbid with cognitive impairments. Recent evidence suggests the possibility that cognitive decline in epilepsy may be associated with mechanisms typical of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Neuropathological hallmarks of AD have been found in brain biopsies surgically resected from patients with drug‐resistant epilepsies. These include hyperphosphorylation of the tau protein (p‐tau) that aggregates into neuropil threads (NT) or neurofibrillary tangles (NFT), as well as the presence of β‐amyloid (Aβ) deposits. While recent studies agree on these AD neuropathological findings in epilepsy, some contrast in their correlation to cognitive decline. Thus, to further address this question we determined the abundance of p‐tau and Aβ proteins along with their association with cognitive function in 12 cases of refractory epilepsy.

Methods

Cortical biopsies surgically extracted from the temporal lobes of patients with refractory epilepsy were processed for immunohistology and enzyme‐linked immunoassays to assess distribution and levels, respectively, of p‐tau (Antibodies: Ser202/Thr205; Thr205; Thr181) and Aβ proteins. In parallel, we measured the activation of mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) via p‐S6 (Antibodies: Ser240/244; Ser235/236). Pearson correlation coefficient analysis determined associations between these proteins and neurophysiological scores for full‐scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ).

Results

We found a robust presence of p‐tau (Ser202/Thr205)‐related NT and NFT pathology, as well as Aβ deposits, and p‐S6 (Ser240/244; Ser235/236) in the epilepsy biopsies. We found no significant correlations between p‐tau (Thr205; Thr181), Aβ, or mTOR markers with FSIQ scores, although some correlation coefficients were modest to strong.

Significance

These findings strongly support the existence of hyperphosphorylated tau protein and Aβ deposits in patients with human refractory epilepsy. However, their relation to cognitive decline is still unclear and requires further investigation.
Anatomical classification of pharyngeal and laryngeal endoscopic images using artificial intelligence
Authors: Nakajo Keiichiro , Ninomiya Youichi , Kondo Hibiki , Takeshita Nobuyoshi , Uchida Erika , Aoyama Naoki , Inaba Atsushi , Ikematsu Hiroaki , Shinozaki Takeshi , Matsuura Kazuto , Hayashi Ryuichi , Akimoto Tetsuo , Yano Tomonori
Published: April 2023

Background

The entire pharynx should be observed endoscopically to avoid missing pharyngeal lesions. An artificial intelligence (AI) model recognizing anatomical locations can help identify blind spots. We developed and evaluated an AI model classifying pharyngeal and laryngeal endoscopic locations.

Methods

The AI model was trained using 5382 endoscopic images, categorized into 15 anatomical locations, and evaluated using an independent dataset of 1110 images. The main outcomes were model accuracy, precision, recall, and F1‐score. Moreover, we investigated focused regions in the input images contributing to the model predictions using gradient‐weighted class activation mapping (Grad‐CAM) and Guided Grad‐CAM.

Results

Our AI model correctly classified pharyngeal and laryngeal images into 15 anatomical locations, with an accuracy of 93.3%. The weighted averages of precision, recall, and F1‐score were 0.934, 0.933, and 0.933, respectively.

Conclusion

Our AI model has an excellent performance determining pharyngeal and laryngeal anatomical locations, helping endoscopists notify of blind spots.
Challenges and opportunities to provide immunization services: Analysis of data from a cross‐sectional study on a sample of pharmacists in a developing country
Authors: Sakr Fouad , Dabbous Mariam , Rahal Mohamad , Salameh Pascale , Akel Marwan
Published: April 2023

Background and Aims

Vaccine‐preventable illnesses continue to be a global health concern as immunization coverage remains below its targets. National plans emphasize on the essential role of multidisciplinary efforts and approaches to vaccination programs. Pharmacists are globally getting involved in immunization services as important members of the healthcare team. This study aimed to determine barriers, and assess challenges and possible opportunities to provide immunization in the Lebanese pharmacy practice.

Methods

This was a cross‐sectional study that included pharmacists from all over Lebanon, as part of a national research to assess the role of pharmacists as immunizers. All registered pharmacists in Lebanon practicing in community, hospital, or other clinical settings were considered eligible for participation. A web‐based self‐administered validated questionnaire, which is initially developed by the American Pharmacists Association, was adapted with permission.

Results

A total of 315 pharmacists responded to the survey. Only 23.1% declared completing an immunization training program. Over half of pharmacists (58.4%) administer vaccines to patients. A significant association between lack of support from physicians to pharmacists (adjusted odds ratio [ORa] = 2.099, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.290–3.414, p = 0.003) and vaccine administration was found, while cost associated with professional development and additional training (ORa = 0.533, 95% CI = 0.287–0.989, p = 0.046) was inversely associated to it. Logistic, financial, and legislative requirements as essential necessities were determined to successfully expand pharmacist‐led immunization services.

Conclusions

The major barriers and challenges to vaccine administration by pharmacists comprised a lack of physicians' support and expenses associated with professional development and additional training. Pharmacists administer more vaccination despite lack of support from physicians; whereas they administer less vaccination due to cost associated with professional development and further training. The scope of pharmacy practice in Lebanon is not well recognized by other healthcare providers and stakeholders to include immunization services.
Marangoni convection in a dielectric fluid layer with an AC electric field and nonuniform volumetric heat source due to incident radiation
Authors: Savitha Yaradehalli Lakkanna , Nanjundappa Chikkanalluru Erappa , Shivakumara Inapura Siddagangaiah
Published: April 2023

The role of a uniform AC electric field and a nonuniform volumetric heat source arising due to an external incident radiation on the onset of Marangoni convection in a horizontal layer of an incompressible dielectric fluid is investigated. The bottom rigid surface is fixed at a constant temperature while the top free surface at which the surface tension acts is considered to be nondeformable and a Robin boundary condition on the perturbation temperature is invoked. The nonuniform internal heating within the fluid layer alters the conduction temperature profile from linear to nonlinear in the vertical coordinate. The linear stability of the quiescent basic solution is studied with respect to normal mode disturbances. The resulting stability eigenvalue problem with variable coefficient is solved numerically using the Galerkin method. The impact of governing parameters on the instability of the system is discussed thoroughly. The forces causing instability reinforce together and are found to be tightly coupled. It is observed that the strength of nonuniform heat source and the electric Rayleigh number is to hasten, while an increase in the Biot number is to delay the onset of Marangoni electroconvection. Finally, the results obtained under the limiting cases are shown to be in good agreement with those published earlier.
Hydrodynamic and mass transfer correlations for SiC ceramic foam monolithic trays used in distillation column
Authors: Na Jian , Li Hong , Liu Xia , Ou Xiaoxia , Fan Xiaolei , Gao Xin
Published: April 2023

BACKGROUND

Cellular foam materials are excellent engineering materials for many applications in chemical engineering, especially process intensification of chemical conversions and separation. Recently, a silicon carbide (SiC) ceramic foam monolithic tray was developed as an excellent mass transfer tool to improve distillation and it showed an improved operational flexibility. Previous studies have revealed the effects of open cell diameter and tray thickness on the hydraulic performance and mass transfer efficiency of SiC foam monolithic trays, but relevant correlations are still missing, limiting their practical uses.

RESULTS

In this study, based on the published experimental data, empirical correlations were developed to predict the hydrodynamic performance and mass transfer efficiency of SiC ceramic foam monolithic trays. The new correlations include the influence of the tray structure parameters, such as open cell (or pore) diameter and tray thickness, and of the operation conditions (such as the liquid and vapor volumetric flow rates), and the data obtained agree well with the experimental results.

CONCLUSION

The availability of such empirical correlations can be beneficial for the chemical engineering design of practical distillation processes based on SiC foam monolithic trays. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).
Genetic counseling program remediation practices for students underperforming in clinical skills: An exploratory study
Authors: Scouten Rachel W. , Wesson Melissa , Wetherill Leah , Vance Gail H. , Delk Paula R.
Published: April 2023

Program‐level clinical remediation in genetic counseling training programs aims to help students who are underperforming gain clinical skills to successfully manage clinical counseling sessions with patients. Student remediation often requires intervention, including discussions with program leadership and/or a formal remediation plan through the program. This study surveyed genetic counseling program leaders to explore the remediation landscape by identifying skills in which students underperformed, program remediation activities to improve skills, and remediation outcomes. Thirteen participants indicated their program required at least one student to complete program‐level clinical remediation during the last 10 years. Eight of the 13 programs (61.5%) required at least one student to participate in clinical remediation for underperformance in professionalism, seven (53.8%) for underperformance in educating patients, six (46.2%) for underperformance in critical thinking, and two (15.4%) for underperformance in demonstrating empathy. Nineteen students were remediated for underperformance in critical thinking. Of those 19 students, one student (5.2%) was dismissed from the training program, and five students (26.3%) chose to withdraw from their program. One of 13 (7.7%) students remediated for underperformance in educating patients and one of 11 (9.1%) students remediated for underperformance in professionalism chose to withdraw from their programs. All students remediated for underperformance in demonstrating empathy successfully completed program‐level clinical remediation and graduated. The most frequently endorsed factor positively associated with remediation success was completion of additional in‐person patient encounters. The most frequent barrier was a student's poor mental health. Participants most frequently endorsed identification of resources for specific areas of remediation to improve their programs' efficacy in clinical remediation practices. This exploratory study provides valuable information describing clinical skills that require remediation in genetic counseling graduate training, the remediation practices utilized by training programs, and resources that may increase remediation success.
Does a youth intern programme strengthen HIV service delivery in South Africa? An interrupted time‐series analysis
Authors: Tollefson Deanna , Dasgupta Sayan , Setswe Geoffrey , Reeves Sarah , Churchyard Gavin , Charalambous Salome , Duerr Ann
Published: April 2023

Introduction

Since 2018, Youth Health Africa (YHA) has placed unemployed young adults at health facilities across South Africa in 1‐year non‐clinical internships to support HIV services. While YHA is primarily designed to improve employment prospects for youth, it also strives to strengthen the health system. Hundreds of YHA interns have been placed in programme (e.g. HIV testing and counselling) or administrative (e.g. data and filing) roles, but their impact on HIV service delivery has not been evaluated.

Methods

Using routinely collected data from October 2017 to March 2020, we conducted an interrupted time‐series analysis to explore the impact of YHA on HIV testing, treatment initiation and retention in care. We analysed data from facilities in Gauteng and North West where interns were placed between November 2018 and October 2019. We used linear regression, accounting for facility‐level clustering and time correlation, to compare trends before and after interns were placed for seven HIV service indicators covering HIV testing, treatment initiation and retention in care. Outcomes were measured monthly at each facility. Time was measured as months since the first interns were placed at each facility. We conducted three secondary analyses per indicator, stratified by intern role, number of interns and region.

Results

Based on 207 facilities hosting 604 interns, YHA interns at facilities were associated with significant improvements in monthly trends for numbers of people tested for HIV, newly initiated on treatment and retained in care (i.e. loss to follow‐up, tested for viral load [VL] and virally suppressed). We found no difference in trends for the number of people newly diagnosed with HIV or the number initiating treatment within 14 days of diagnosis. Changes in HIV testing, overall treatment initiation and VL testing/suppression were most pronounced where there were programme interns and a higher number of interns; change in loss to follow‐up was greatest where there were administrative interns.

Conclusions

Placing interns in facilities to support non‐clinical tasks may improve HIV service delivery by contributing to improved HIV testing, treatment initiation and retention in care. Using youth interns as lay health workers may be an impactful strategy to strengthen the HIV response while supporting youth employment.
Visualizing Cerebral Small Vessel Degeneration During Aging and Diseases Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Authors: Huang Peiyu , Chen Kang , Liu Chen , Zhen Zhiming , Zhang Ruiting
Published: April 2023

Cerebral small vessel disease is a major contributor to brain disorders in older adults. It is associated with a much higher risk of stroke and dementia. Due to a lack of clinical and fluid biomarkers, diagnosing and grading small vessel disease are highly dependent on magnetic resonance imaging. In the past, researchers mostly used brain parenchymal imaging markers to represent small vessel damage, but the relationships between these surrogate markers and small vessel pathologies are complex. Recent progress in high‐resolution magnetic resonance imaging methods, including time‐of‐flight MR angiography, phase‐contrast MR angiography, black blood vessel wall imaging, susceptibility‐weighted imaging, and contrast‐enhanced methods, allow for direct visualization of cerebral small vessel structures. They could be powerful tools for understanding aging‐related small vessel degeneration and improving disease diagnosis and treatment. This article will review progress in these imaging techniques and their application in aging and disease studies. Some challenges and future directions are also discussed.

Evidence Level

4.

Technical Efficacy

3.
Preparation of D‐histidine modified zeolitic imidazolate framework‐90 coated capillary column and its application in open‐tube capillary electrochromatography enantioseparation
Authors: Qi Shengda , Niu Xiao , Zhang Huige , Chen Hongli , Chen Xingguo
Published: April 2023

Metal‐organic framework materials are a class of novel crystalline porous materials with regular pore structures formed by covalent bonding between metal centers and organic functional groups. Metal‐organic framework materials have attracted great interest in analytical chemistry due to their unique properties such as good stability and permanent porosity. In this work, D‐histidine was used to carry out chiral modification of zeolitic imidazolate framework‐90 under mild conditions, and the D‐histidine modified zeolitic imidazolate framework‐90 coated capillary column was prepared. This chiral capillary column was used to separate epinephrine, norepinephrine, terbutaline, and tryptophan enantiomers. Under optimum conditions, baseline separations were achieved. The intra‐day, inter‐day, and inter‐column relative standard deviations (n = 3) of the four pairs of enantiomeric migration times were 0.15%–0.56%, 0.74%–2.40%, and 1.93%–3.18%, respectively. Moreover, the D‐histidine modified zeolitic imidazolate framework‐90 coated capillary could be reused for at least 150 runs without significant changes in the separation efficiency and migration time.
Process modeling paradigm change
Authors: Pańkowska Małgorzata
Published: April 2023

Business process modeling and implementation has taken researchers' attention for almost 30 years, since Hammer and Champy published in 1992 their book on business process reengineering. Process management proponents mostly focused on the system approach and workflow modeling. In this paper, we would like to emphasize the issues of business process paradigm development. This paper's aim is to confront workflow modeling with case management. These two approaches have different purposes, although, through their application, the process paradigm change is presented. This study methodology covers the literature survey (LS) and case study. The LS on the application of Case Management Model Notation (CMMN) is included to answer the question for what purposes CMMN is applied. The empirical part covers a case study on remote audit (e‐audit) process modeling. Further, a discussion on the strengths and weaknesses of e‐audit process is included. Final conclusions concern the transformability of process modeling methodologies. This paper contributes to process management theory with explanations of how and why specific e‐audit processes are developed and how they expand process managers' practices. The e‐audit activities are included in step‐by‐step processes as well as in the case management model to improve knowledge sharing and practice improvement.
Exploring the mismatch between the theory and application of photosynthetic quotients in aquatic ecosystems
Authors: Trentman Matt T. , Hall Robert O. , Valett H. Maurice
Published: April 2023

Estimates of primary productivity in aquatic ecosystems are commonly based on variation in , rather than . The photosynthetic quotient (PQ) is used to convert primary production estimates from units of to C. However, there is a mismatch between the theory and application of the PQ. Aquatic ecologists use PQ = 1–1.4. Meanwhile, PQ estimates from the literature support PQ = 0.1–4.2. Here, we describe the theory on why PQ may vary in aquatic ecosystems. We synthesize the current understanding of how processes such as assimilation and photorespiration can affect the PQ. We test these ideas with a case study of the Clark Fork River, Montana, where theory predicts that PQ could vary in space and time due to variation in environmental conditions. Finally, we highlight research needs to improve our understanding of the PQ. We suggest departing from fixed PQ values and instead use literature‐based sensitivity analyses to infer C dynamics from primary production estimated using .
On a link criterion for Lipschitz normal embeddings among definable sets
Authors: Nhan Nguyen Xuan Viet
Published: April 2023

It is known by a result of Mendes and Sampaio that the Lipschitz normal embedding of a subanalytic germ is fully characterized by the Lipschitz normal embedding of its link. In this note, we show that the result still holds for definable germs in any o‐minimal structure on . We give an example showing that for homomorphisms between MD‐homologies induced by the identity map, being isomorphic is not enough to ensure that the given germ is Lipschitz normally embedded. This is a negative answer to the question asked by Bobadilla et al. in their paper about moderately discontinuous homology.
Ulam–Hyers stability of fractional Itô–Doob stochastic differential equations
Authors: Mchiri Lassaad
Published: April 2023

This article is devoted to prove the existence and uniqueness (EU) of solution of fractional Itô–Doob stochastic differential equations (FIDSDE) with order
by using the fixed point technique (FPT). We analyze the Ulam–Hyers stability (UHS) of FIDSDE by using the Gronwall inequality (GI) and the stochastic analysis techniques. We present an application of our results by two theoretical examples.
Adherence to hydroxyurea and clinical outcomes among children with sickle cell anemia
Authors: Reeves Sarah L. , Dombkowski Kevin J. , Peng Hannah K. , Phan Hanna , Kolenic Giselle , Creary Susan E. , Madden Brian , Lisabeth Lynda D.
Published: April 2023

Objective

Hydroxyurea lowers the incidence of vaso‐occlusive pain crises (VOC) and acute chest syndrome (ACS) among children with sickle cell anemia (SCA). Our objective was to assess the relationship between levels of adherence to hydroxyurea and clinical outcomes among children and adolescents with SCA.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study included Medicaid data (2005–2012) from Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, South Carolina, and Texas. The study population consisted of children 1–17 years old with SCA enrolled in Medicaid for 3 years. Among children that initiated hydroxyurea, the medication possession ratio (MPR) was calculated as the proportion of days covered by hydroxyurea. Six months after initiation of hydroxyurea, clinical outcomes were assessed through the end of the study period: numbers of VOC‐related inpatient admissions and emergency department visits, and encounters for ACS. Multivariable Poisson models were used to predict outcomes by MPR quartile adjusting for previous healthcare utilization, state, and age.

Results

Hydroxyurea was initiated by 515 children. The median MPR was 0.53 (interquartile range = 0.3–0.8). The annual median number of visits was 0.0 for ACS, 1.3 for VOC‐related emergency department, and 1.4 for VOC‐related inpatient admissions. For each outcome, the highest quartile of MPR had the lowest predicted count; this difference was significant for ACS visits when compared with the lowest quartile of MPR.

Conclusion

This study demonstrated a high level of adherence (>75%) was essential to achieve a lower incidence of common negative clinical outcomes. Further, moderate and severe hydroxyurea nonadherence may be more common than previously appreciated among children, emphasizing the importance of developing and testing innovative strategies to increase adherence.
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation with reduced toxicity conditioning regimen in mitochondrial neurogastrointestinal encephalopathy syndrome
Authors: Ozek Gülcihan , Aksoylar Serap , Uçar Sema Kalkan , Canda Ebru , Akcan Mediha , Cartı Ozgür , Siviş Zuhal Onder , Oymak Yeşim , Yazıcı Havva , Bax Bridget , Bulut Fatma Derya , Yoldaş Çelik Merve , Erdem Fehime , Çoker Mahmut , Kansoy Savaş
Published: April 2023

Background

Mitochondrial neurogastrointestinal encephalomyopathy (MNGIE) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder due to mutations in the TYMP gene. Clinical findings are characterized by neurologic manifestations and severe gastrointestinal dysfunction. The syndrome is usually fatal, the most effective treatment appears to be hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).

Procedure

In this retrospective study, we evaluated HSCT that was performed using a reduced toxicity myeloablative conditioning regimen in patients with MNGIE at our center.

Results

A total of six allogeneic transplant procedures were performed in four patients. Three patients had fully matched donors, and one patient had a haploidentical donor. Treosulfan‐based myeloablative conditioning regimen was applied in five of six transplants. Bone marrow was used as a stem cell source. One patient is being followed up in the 4th year of posttransplant with full chimeric and without graft versus host disease (GVHD). One patient died of acute stage IV gastrointestinal system GVHD. Two patients underwent second transplantation due to engraftment failure, one of which was the patient who had a haploidentical transplant.

Conclusions

Treosulfan‐based regimen is well tolerated, although engraftment failure with this conditioning regimen can be a significant problem. We share our haploidentical transplant experience, which will be the first reported case in the literature.
Chemodiversity of propolis samples collected in various areas of Benin and Congo: Chromatographic profiling and chemical characterization guided by 13C NMR dereplication
Authors: Azonwade François , Mabanza‐Banza Balthazar B. , Le Ray Anne‐Marie , Bréard Dimitri , Blanchard Patricia , Goubalan Elvire , Baba‐Moussa Lamine , Banga‐Mboko Henri , Richomme Pascal , Derbré Séverine , Boisard Séverine
Published: April 2023

Introduction

Propolis is a resinous natural substance collected by honeybees from buds and exudates of various trees and plants; it is widely accepted that the composition of propolis depends on the phytogeographic characteristics of the site of collection.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to determine the phytochemical composition of ethanolic extracts from eight propolis batches collected in different regions of Benin (north, center, and south) and Congo, Africa.

Material and methods

Characterization of propolis samples was performed by using different hyphenated chromatographic methods combined with carbon‐13 nuclear magnetic resonance (13C NMR) dereplication with MixONat software. Their antioxidant or anti‐advanced glycation end‐product (anti‐AGE) activity was then evaluated by using diphenylpicrylhydrazyl and bovine serum albumin assays, respectively.

Results

Chromatographic analyses combined with 13C NMR dereplication showed that two samples from the center of Benin exhibited, in addition to a huge amount of pentacyclic triterpenes, methoxylated stilbenoids or phenanthrenoids, responsible for the antioxidant activity of the extract for the first one. Among them, combretastatins might be cytotoxic. For the second one, the prenylated flavanones known in Macaranga‐type propolis were responsible for its significant anti‐AGE activity. The sample from Congo was composed of many triterpene derivatives belonging to Mangifera indica species.

Conclusion

Therefore, propolis from the center of Benin seems to be of particular interest, due to its antioxidant and anti‐AGE properties. Nevertheless, as standardization of propolis is difficult in tropical zones due to its great chemodiversity, a systematic phytochemical analysis is required before promoting the use of propolis in food and health products in Africa.
Employment and performance of modified chitosan for the removal of copper ions and methylene blue in wastewater
Authors: Mohamed Yasser M. A. , Abd El‐Aziz Mahmoud E. , Kamal Kholod H. , Elgohary Elzahraa A. , Stafford Jason , Davies Philip , El Nazer Hossam A.
Published: April 2023

Exploring new and efficient adsorbents for the purification of water from heavy metals and organic waste to provide clean drinking water is highly demanded. Herein, the synthesis of polymeric materials based on grafting chitosan (Cs) by various acrylic monomers as acrylic acid (AA), 2‐acrylamide‐2‐methyl propane sulfonic acid (AMPS), and acrylamide (Am) namely S1, S2, or S3, respectively, using methylene bisacrylamide (NMBAm) as crosslinker was performed. The formed polymeric compound was characterized by utilizing Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X‐ray, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller. It was determined that S2 possessed a higher specific surface area of 109.133 m2/g, which is higher than S1 (71.2553 m2/g) and S3 (62.8847 m2/g). The as‐prepared polymeric compounds were utilized for the removal of copper ions (Cu2+) and methylene blue (MB) from wastewater in the absence and presence of UV light irradiation. The kinetic study and the adsorption isotherms for the removal of Cu2+ and MB as organic pollutants using the as‐prepared polymeric compound were studied.
Structural polymorphism and cytotoxicity of brain‐derived β‐amyloid extracts
Authors: Al Adem Kenana , Lee Sungmun
Published: April 2023

To date, more than 37 amyloidogenic proteins have been found to form toxic aggregates that are implicated in the progression of numerous debilitating protein misfolding diseases including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Extensive literature highlights the role of β‐amyloid (Aβ) aggregates in causing excessive neuronal cell loss in the brains of AD patients. In fact, major advances in our understanding of Aβ aggregation process, including kinetics, toxicity, and structures of fibrillar aggregates have been revealed by examining in vitro preparations of synthetic Aβ peptides. However, ongoing research shows that brain‐derived Aβ aggregates have specific characteristics that distinguish them from in vitro prepared species. Notably, the molecular structures of amyloid fibrils grown in the human brain were found to be markedly different than synthetic Aβ fibrils. In addition, recent findings report the existence of heterogeneous Aβ proteoforms in AD brain tissue in contrast to synthetically produced full‐length aggregates. Despite their high relevance to AD progression, brain‐derived Aβ species are less well‐characterized compared with synthetic aggregates. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the literature on brain‐derived Aβ aggregates with particular focus on recent studies that report their structures as well as pathological roles in AD progression. The main motivation of this review is to highlight the importance of utilizing brain‐derived amyloids for characterizing the structural and toxic effects of amyloid species. With this knowledge, brain‐derived aggregates can be adopted to identify more relevant drug targets and validate potent aggregation inhibitors toward designing highly effective therapeutic strategies against AD.
Preparation of High‐Intensity Fluorescent Black Phosphorus Nanosheets
Authors: Zhou Yue , Chen Jiarong , Yue Lan , Ren Dasen
Published: April 2023

Black phosphorus (BP) nanosheets have been widely used in the field of electronic devices for their exceptional qualities, but the preparation and optical properties of black phosphorus nanosheets need to be further explored. Herein, high fluorescence intensity black phosphorus nanosheets are prepared by a simple and economical solvothermal method using red phosphorus (RP) and ethylenediamine as raw materials. The physical structure and morphology of black phosphorus nanosheets crystals are characterized by X‐ray diffractometer (XRD), Raman spectrometer, transmission electron microscope (TEM), and atomic force microscope (AFM), and the effect of the concentration of raw material to solvent ratio on the structure and optical properties of the prepared black phosphorus nanosheets are also investigated. Black phosphorus nanosheets containing mostly monolayer structures with transverse dimensions of about 200 nm are obtained using the solvothermal method. When the preparation parameter is RP/EDA = 30 g L−1, the room‐temperature photoluminescence center of the black phosphorus nanosheets is 470 nm with superior luminescence performance.
Influence of Fibroin Membrane Composition and Curing Parameters on the Performance of a Biodegradable Enzymatic Biosensor Manufactured from Silicon‐Free Carbon
Authors: Janus Kevin A. , Achtsnicht Stefan , Tempel Laura , Drinic Aleksander , Kopp Alexander , Keusgen Michael , Schöning Michael J.
Published: April 2023

Herein, fibroin, polylactide (PLA), and carbon are investigated for their suitability as biocompatible and biodegradable materials for amperometric biosensors. For this purpose, screen‐printed carbon electrodes on the biodegradable substrates fibroin and PLA are modified with a glucose oxidase membrane and then encapsulated with the biocompatible material Ecoflex. The influence of different curing parameters of the carbon electrodes on the resulting biosensor characteristics is studied. The morphology of the electrodes is investigated by scanning electron microscopy, and the biosensor performance is examined by amperometric measurements of glucose (0.5–10 mM) in phosphate buffer solution, pH 7.4, at an applied potential of 1.2 V versus a Ag/AgCl reference electrode. Instead of Ecoflex, fibroin, PLA, and wound adhesive are tested as alternative encapsulation compounds: a series of swelling tests with different fibroin compositions, PLA, and Ecoflex has been performed before characterizing the most promising candidates by chronoamperometry. Therefore, the carbon electrodes are completely covered with the particular encapsulation material. Chronoamperometric measurements with H2O2 concentrations between 0.5 and 10 mM enable studying the leakage current behavior.
Performance Improvement of AlGaN‐Based Deep‐Ultraviolet Light‐Emitting Diodes with Multigradient Electron Blocking Layer and Triangular Last Quantum Barrier
Authors: Lv Quanjiang , Cao Yiwei , Li Rongfan , Liu Ju , Yang Tianpeng , Mi Tingting , Wang Xiaowen , Liu Wei , Liu Junlin
Published: April 2023

The performance improvements of AlGaN‐based deep ultraviolet light‐emitting diodes (DUV‐LEDs) with multigradient electron blocking layer (EBL) and triangular last quantum barrier (LQB) are investigated. The results show that the maximum internal quantum efficiency (IQE) is improved by 44.9% and light output power (LOP) is improved by 58.1% at 200 A cm−2, exhibiting a tremendous improvement compared to the conventional structure. These improvements are mainly attributed to the fact that both multigradient EBL and triangular LQB can generate negative polarization charges in the graded composition layer, which leads to a significant increase in hole concentration compared to the conventional EBL and LQB structures. Meanwhile, the multigradient EBL can transform the conventional triangular barrier into an arc‐shaped barrier, increasing the electron potential barrier height and decreasing the hole potential barrier height. This unique design suppresses electron leakage and enhances hole injection, leading to a significant enhancement of the IQE and alleviation of the efficiency droop.
General expressions of molecular multicenter integrals for Slater‐type orbitals
Authors: Yu Tao , Si Yitao , Zhou Jiancheng
Published: April 2023

Employing Fourier‐transform technique, this work derives the molecular multicenter integrals for the modified Slater‐type orbitals (STOs) with arbitrary principal and angular quantum numbers, in which the spherical harmonics parts are the homogeneous solutions of original STOs. The integrands include spherical Bessel functions and associated Legendre functions. One‐electron three‐center nuclear attraction integral and two‐electron four‐center Coulomb repulsion integral are presented as numerical integrations in two dimensions and three dimensions, respectively. A simple Python script is provided to run the formulas. The correctness and computational efficiency of the script have been verified.