bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and Characterization of Biosurfactants from Non‐edible Feedstocks: Comparative Assessment and Their Applications in Biodiesel
Authors: Rawat Neha , Bhonsle Aman Kumar , Trivedi Jayati , Singh Raj Kumar , Atray Neeraj
Published: September 2022

Surfactants are one of the versatile products of the chemical industry owing to their inherent nature to lower the surface and interfacial tension and interface layer stabilization but restricted due to non‐degradability issues and hazardous effects. For combating such problems, bio‐based surfactants (Biosurfactants) could be potential alternative. The biosurfactants are an integral part of life as they have been explored in pharmaceutical sectors, therapeutics, health, food products, health and beauty products, and agriculture, creating sustainable economics and promoting sustainable development goals. Therefore, researchers have been interested in producing, optimizing, and utilizing biosurfactants for various applications. In the present work, biosurfactants were prepared from three different feeds, namely Jatropha carcus, Sapium sebiferum, and used cooking oil (UCO) using sodium bisulfite (NaHSO3) as sulfonating reagent and alumina (Al2O3)as the heterogeneous catalyst to yield 70 %, and comparative assessment was done. The biosurfactant production involved a two‐step process viz. biodiesel production and biosurfactant production thereof. The biodiesel produced in the first step met all the BIS 15607 : 2016 specifications and both products were confirmed through analytical techniques like Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Further, the produced biosurfactants were employed to reduce the biodiesel‐glycerol layer separation time, and a significant time reduction in the biodiesel‐glycerol separation was found.
Synthesis of TBAB‐based Deep Eutectic Solvents as the Catalyst in the Coupling Reaction between CO2 and Epoxides under Ambient Temperature
Authors: Wang Zixian , Yan Ting , Guo Li , Wang Qindong , Zhang Ran , Zhan Haijuan , Yi Lan , Chen Jialin , Wu Xiaoqin
Published: September 2022

The development of an efficient, easily prepared, and environmentally friendly catalyst is important for the coupling reaction between CO2 and epoxides. Herein, novel TBAB‐based (tetrabutylammonium bromide, TBAB) deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have been applied in the transformation of CO2 and epoxides into cyclic carbonates with exhibit high activity and selectivity under mild conditions (25 °C, 8 bar CO2), The excellent activity and versatility of the TBAB‐based DESs can be attributed to the hydrogen‐bond interaction between the TBAB and citric acid. Due to hydrogen‐bond interaction between −OH and Br−, the Br− becomes more flexible and facilitates the nucleophilic ring‐opening process. The density functional theory (DFT) method has been used to explore the mechanism governing the CO2 cycloaddition reaction. DFT results imply that intramolecular hydrogen bonding and the flexible nucleophilic Br− anion can significantly accelerate the ring‐opening process. Hence, the ring‐closure reaction may be the rate‐determining step in the CO2 cycloaddition reaction catalyzed by TBAB‐based DESs. Both the experimental and computational results have demonstrated that the synergistic effect between the −OH and Br− in the TBAB‐based DESs play a significant role in the acceleration of the ring‐opening process of the CO2 cycloaddition reaction.
One‐Step Hydrothermal Synthesis of Boric Acid‐Functionalized Carbon Dots and their Applications in Glucose Sensing
Authors: Liu Huiling , Chen Qinqin , Hou Juan , Yang Guang , Feng Wei
Published: September 2022

In this work, a straightforward one‐step hydrothermal method was efficiently applied to prepare boronic acid‐functionalized N‐doped carbon dots (BN‐CDs) using 3‐aminobenzeneboronic acid and ascorbic acid as the starting materials. The BN‐CDs exhibited a size distribution ranging from 1.5 nm to 4.0 nm, demonstrated good fluorescence stability and a high fluorescence quantum yield of 26.03 %. Glucose could accumulate on the surface of BN‐CDs by covalently binding boric acid groups to glucose cis‐glycol, thereby leading to the selective fluorescence quenching performance. A sensitive sensing platform for glucose detection was established in the linear range of 8—940 μmol/L with the detection limit (LOD) of 2.4 μmol/L. Satisfactory results were obtained in three kinds of sample analysis. It is worth mentioning that the incubation time of the proposed sensing platform is much shorter than that of most reported elsewhere. The BN‐CDs based fluorescence detection method demonstrates good feasibility in practical applications.
Electrostatic Induced Peptide Hydrogels for pH‐Controllable Doxorubicin Release and Antitumor Activity
Authors: Tang Yuanhan , Lu Yingying , Li Lingyi , Shi Changxin , Zhang Xin , Li Xinyue , Niu Yuzhong , Liu Fangjie , Wang Linlin , Xu Wenlong
Published: September 2022

Drug carriers can improve the accuracy of drug efficacy and release behaviors. As drug carrier, short peptide hydrogels have promising future since their good biocompatibility and mechanical properties. In this study, we reported a short peptide (FFWDD) that was used as drug carrier to encapsulate doxorubicin (DOX) hydrochloride by forming a drug‐loaded hydrogel. The prepared hydrogel has complex interlaced network structure and good mechanical strength that allows it to encapsulate the drug. The strong electrostatic interaction between FFWDD and DOX resulted in less release at pH 7.4 and high release at pH 5.5, which may reduce the side effect of DOX. Drug release kinetics showed release in both pH 7.4 and pH 5.5 is in accordance with the Makoid‐Banakar model (R2=0.9973 and 0.9964), reflecting the Non‐Fickian diffusion and Quasi‐Fickian diffusion release mechanism by the Korsmeyer‐Peppas model, respectively. CCK‐8 assays demonstrated the excellent biocompatibility of the peptide against human embryonic kidney cells (HEK293) and showed that the antitumor effect of the hydrogel to colon cancer LoVo cells was similar to that of the single DOX. DOX released from the drug delivery system could be taken up by tumor cells in large quantities and accumulate in the nucleus. This research has refined peptide hydrogels as drug carriers, which are expected to be used as drug carriers in biomedical applications.
Utilization of Photocatalysis and Pyroelectric Catalysis to Enhance Catalytic Properties in Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48) O3 Nanocubes: A Study on Pyro‐/photo‐bi‐catalysis Degradation of Dye Wastewater
Authors: Zhao Yaru , Liu Zhifeng , Ruan Mengnan , Guo Zhengang
Published: September 2022

Photo‐generated carriers efficient separation and transportation are pivotal in determining the efficiency of photocatalysis technology. In this work, we utilize pyroelectric‐assisted photocatalysis to promote the effective separation of carriers of Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 (PZT) nanocubes, and the degradation of dyes is realized under thermal gradient excitation and visible light irradiation. Under the conditions of 20–55 °C hot‐cold cycles and visible light, using the same PZT catalysts, the degradation rate of the pyro‐/photo‐bi‐catalysis is up to 95.09 %, much higher than 66.21 % or 11.41 % which are achieved by the conditions only photocatalytic or pyroelectric catalysis. It is found that the improvement in bi‐catalysis efficiency is not only because of the pyro‐generated and photogenerated carriers generation, but also on account of pyroelectric polarization promotes separation of photo‐induced carriers. These results indicate that pyroelectric PZT can degrade dye wastewater by using multiple clean energy sources such as solar energy and thermal energy simultaneously. The multiple fields superposition catalysis of PZT nanocubes is potential in the future application of dye wastewater treatment.
Beyond the Conventional Photodynamic Therapy by Water‐Soluble Phthalocyanines
Authors: Abdulcelil Yüzer Lecturer , Kübra Demircioglu Perihan , Derya Yetkin Lecturer , Ince Mine , Ayaz Furkan
Published: September 2022

Compared to the classical chemotherapy applications, PDT applications are based on a non‐toxic compound that can be specifically activated by shining a certain wavelength of light. Constitituvely active chemotherapy drug agents lead to detrimental and unwanted side effects that halt the normal life standards of the cancer patients. Localized and controlled activation of the drug agents by PDT applications aims to overcome the side effects associated with the treatment. In our study we synthesized a unique set of phthalocyanine molecules that are water soluble to make them biocompatible. Moreover, these compounds anti‐cancer activities were measured from multiple angles. Anti‐cancer PDT activities of the derivatives were studied by testing their effects on the cell proliferation, apoptosis and cell cycle progression. Moreover, these derivatives anti‐metastatic, anti‐angiogenic and immunomodulatory photodynamic activities were comprehensively studied by focusing on the intracellular signaling pathways that may play important roles in carcinogenesis, angiogenesis, metastasis and immune reactions. For the first time to our knowledge we are presenting data beyond the classical or canonical PDT applications in which generation of the reactive oxygen species (ROS) is explained as the main mechanism of the action for the PDT applications. Our results suggest that non‐canonical PDT activity can be observed independent of the ROS generation efficiencies probably by affecting the intracellular signaling pathways. These novel set of phthalocyanine derivatives may find applications against colon, lung, breast and prostate cancer.
Ethanol Based Electrolyte for Ultra‐stable Zn/NiHCF Batteries
Authors: Wang Jiang , Duan Jingying , Zhang Yimin , Chen Mingming , Wang Chengyang
Published: September 2022

Prussian blue analogs (PBAs) have attracted widespread attention as cathode materials for aqueous zinc ion batteries (AZIBs) in view of their open frameworks, adjustable redox sites, and high operating voltages. However, the poor cycling stability limits its practical application severely. Herein, the cubic K2NiFe(CN)6 (NiHCF) is prepared as the active cathode material for AZIBs. The cycling stability of the Zn/NiHCF battery is improved greatly just by simply replacing the H2O with ethanol (EA) as electrolyte solvent. Ex‐situ XRD and SEM characterizations reveal the stable morphology of NiHCF during charging/discharge process in the 0.5 M Zn(OTf)2‐EA electrolyte and violent phase transformation from NiHCF to Zn2Fe(CN)6 in 3 M Zn(OTf)2‐H2O electrolyte, indicating that 0.5 M Zn(OTf)2‐EA electrolyte can inhibit the negative phase transformation aging process of NiHCF and improve the electrochemical performance effectively. Impressively, the Zn/NiHCF battery with 0.5 M Zn(OTf)2‐EA as electrolyte exhibits a really high capacity retention rate of 94.2 % after 500 cycles at 150 mA g−1.
Synergistic Effects on the Mercury Sorption Behaviors Using Hybrid Cellulose Fiber/Chitosan Foam
Authors: Allouche Fella‐Naouel
Published: September 2022

The aim of this study is to explore the use of a possible combination of both cellulose fiber and chitosan as natural renewable polymer to introduce a circular economy concept. In this work, cellulose fibers were incorporated into chitosan to prepare hybrid foam (1/5 w/w). The conditioned composite material was obtained by co‐dissolution in acetic acid using the freeze‐drying method. Column experiments were performed on the prepared foam to study the kinetic of mercury sorption to evaluate their feasibility and real applications in different industrial sectors. Experimental data show that the maximum adsorption capacity of mercury by hybrid cellulose fiber/chitosan foam is 400 mg g−1, pH 4.0 at 20 °C. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy EDX and specific surface area with BET analysis were used to provide a qualitative estimation of the fabricated composite foam. To elucidate the chemical modification of the material, FT‐IR analysis was performed. The resulting composite foam still demonstrates excellent adsorption performance after regeneration.
Recent Advances on the Role of Nitrogen‐Based Heterocyclic Scaffolds in Targeting HIV through Reverse Transcriptase Inhibition
Authors: Kumar Ankur , Wahan Simranpreet K. , Virendra Sharma Arvind , Chawla Pooja A.
Published: September 2022

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) caused by human immunodeficiency virus continues to scavenge lives of millions around the world. Reverse transcriptase (RT) also known as the RNA‐directed DNA polymerase enzyme is responsible for converting RNA into viral DNA through process known as reverse transcription. Investigations on the pathogenic aspects of the RT enzyme, its associated elements such as gag (group‐specific antigen gene), pol (polymerase gene), and env (environmental gene) (envelope gene) reveals its contribution towards emergence of resistance to all various anti‐HIV drugs. Therefore, research into the control and blockage of the RT pathway has been a prominent focus in the quest for novel targets for HIV treatment. A slew of heterocyclics has been claimed to play a significant part in the fight against doomy HIV, saving the lives of millions of people throughout the world and providing hope for HIV treatment. Due to their improved potency and selectivity, as well as the fact that they have fewer off‐target effects against the several targets implicated in RT inhibition, heterocyclics are becoming more and more useful. The RT inhibition pathway, the function of numerous heterocyclic scaffolds, and their ability to inhibit the RT enzyme pathway have all been the main topics of this paper. Recent advances in RT inhibitors in the last eight years (2014–2022) including mechanisms of action, preclinical and clinical investigations, structural activity relationships, and docking studies, to investigate mechanistic studies that would eventually aid in the design and development of powerful RT inhibitors have also discussed.
Effect of Nb(V) doping on the Structure and Oxygen Chemisorption on Nanocrystalline TiO2
Authors: Kuranov Dmitry , Platonov Vadim , Khmelevsky Nikolay , Bozhev Ivan , Maksimov Sergey , Rumyantseva Marina , Krivetskiy Valeriy
Published: September 2022

This work is devoted to the study of the effect of niobium doping on the structural characteristics and chemisorption of oxygen on the TiO2 surface. Pure and Nb doped TiO2 was obtained by flame spray pyrolysis and characterized using SEM, TEM, XRD, low‐temperature nitrogen adsorption XRF, XPS, TPR‐H2 methods. The introduction of niobium stabilizes the anatase phase, increases the specific surface area of TiO2 and the concentration of chemisorbed oxygen. By in situ conductivity measurements depending on the oxygen partial pressure, it is shown that an increase in the Nb concentration leads to the growth of the fraction of chemisorbed oxygen with a lower effective charge.
Waste Polystyrene‐derived Sulfonated Fluorescent Carbon Nanoparticles for Cation Sensing
Authors: Teo Jerald Y. Q. , Zheng Xin Ting , Seng Debbie Hwee Leng , Hui Hui Kim , Chee Pei Lin , Su Xiaodi , Loh Xian Jun , Lim Jason Y. C.
Published: September 2022

Polystyrene, one of the most widely‐produced plastics worldwide, is non‐biodegradable and has unsustainable life‐cycles with only a small fraction recycled presently. Hence, there is considerable effort underway to explore new methods to give post‐consumer polystyrene waste a new lease‐of‐life as functional materials. In this study, we report the synthesis of the first polyanionic fluorescent carbon nanoparticles from sulfonated waste polystyrene food containers via an environmentally‐benign route in water. By virtue of their sulfonate groups, these biocompatible and fluorescent nanoparticles show a number of distinct behaviours in the presence of different main group and transition metal cations. Al3+ brings about both fluorescence enhancement and nanoparticle precipitation, whilst fluorescence quenching was observed for paramagnetic and toxic transition metal cations, with Cu2+ eliciting the most sensitive fluorescence response (LoD=26 μM). These fluorescence intensity perturbations are likely a consequence of direct metal cation coordination to the exposed sulfonate groups on the nanoparticles. Our findings suggest the potential of using post‐synthetically modified waste plastics to produce a family of luminescent carbon materials for environmental sensing of these hazardous cations.
Size‐Controllable Synthesis of ZIF‐8 and Derived Nitrogen‐Rich Porous Carbon for CO2 and VOCs Adsorption
Authors: Qiu Jingting , Xu Xiang , Liu Baogen , Guo Yang , Wang Huijun , Yu Lingyun , Jiang Yuwei , Huang Changsheng , Fan Binfeng , Zeng Zheng , Li Liqing
Published: September 2022

It's acknowledged that surface chemical and pore structure of adsorbent are main parameters to determine adsorption results. Herein, we prepared zeolitic imidazolate frameworks‐8 (ZIF‐8) with different average sizes (50, 120, and 2200 nm) and demonstrated their specific surface area and pore volume decreased with increasing particle size. ZIF‐8 (ZN) exhibits a large specific surface area (1626.4 m2 g−1) and total pore volume (1.088 mL g−1), but it has been shown to lack the non‐specific adsorption capacity for the adsorbate. Carbonization at 800 °C is proved to be an effective method to expose massive surface nitrogen‐containing functional groups and adjust the aperture to an appropriate pore size range for derived porous carbon of ZIF‐8 (ZCN). High nitrogen content (18.7 at. %) greatly improves the affinity for CO2 and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), as explained by the density functional theory (DFT) calculation results. Meanwhile, particle size influences the pore‐forming results after carbonization directly. Among them, ZC50 generates a certain amount of narrow micropore in range of 0.7–1.0 nm, located in the optimal pore size range of CO2 adsorption calculated by Grand canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) simulation, thus possessing the largest CO2 adsorption capacity (4.03 mmol g−1 at 25 °C). Besides, ZC120 exhibits more superior mesopore structure that could strengthen multilayer adsorption for VOCs.
Less Is More: Hollow‐Truss Microlattice Metamaterials with Dual Sound Dissipation Mechanisms and Enhanced Broadband Sound Absorption
Authors: Li Xinwei , Yu Xiang , Zhai Wei
Published: September 2022

Being a lightweight material with high design freedoms, there are increasing research interests in microlattice metamaterials as sound absorbers. However, thus far, microlattices are limited to one sound dissipation mechanism, and this inhibits their broadband absorption capabilities. Herein, as opposed to improving performances via the addition of features, a dissipation mechanism is subtractively introduced by hollowing out the struts of the microlattice. Then, a class of hollow‐truss metamaterial (HTM) that is capable of harnessing dual concurrent dissipation mechanisms from its complex truss interconnectivity and its hollow interior is presented. Experimental sound absorption measurements reveal superior and/or customizable absorption properties in the HTMs as compared to their constitutive solid‐trusses. An optimal HTM displays a high average broadband coefficient of 0.72 at a low thickness of 24 mm. Numerically derived, a dissipation theorem based on the superimposed acoustic impedance of the critically coupled resistance and reactance of the outer‐solid and inner‐hollow phases, across different frequency bands, is proposed in the HTM. Complementary mechanical property studies also reveal improved compressive toughness in the HTMs. This work demonstrates the potential of hollow‐trusses, where they gain the dissipation mechanism through the subtraction of the material and display excellent acoustic properties.
Anticipatory Recurrent Monitoring with Uncertainty and Assumptions
Authors: Kallwies Hannes , Leucker Martin , Sánchez César , Scheffel Torben
Published: September 2022

Runtime Verification is a lightweight verification approach that aims at checking that a run of a system under observation adheres to a formal specification. A classical approach is to synthesize a monitor from an LTL property. Usually, such a monitor receives the trace of the system under observation incrementally and checks the property with respect to the first position of any trace that extends the received prefix. This comes with the disadvantage that once the monitor detects a violation or satisfaction of the verdict it cannot recover and the erroneous position in the trace is not explicitly disclosed. An alternative monitoring problem, proposed for example for Past LTL evaluation, is to evaluate the LTL property repeatedly at each position in the received trace, which enables recovering and gives more information when the property is breached. In this paper we study this concept of recurrent monitoring in detail, particularly we investigate how the notion of anticipation (yielding future verdicts when they are inevitable) can be extended to recurrent monitoring. Furthermore, we show how two fundamental approaches in Runtime Verification can be applied to recurrent monitoring, namely Uncertainty—which deals with the handling of inaccurate or unavailable information in the input trace—and Assumptions, i.e. the inclusion of additional knowledge about system invariants in the monitoring process.
Correction to: Art Therapy
Authors: Nielsen Fran
Published: September 2022

The book was inadvertently published with an error: There is a misplaced reference to image 11.5 in PDF and book version of Chapter 11, which needed to be corrected.
Eccentrically widened bone tunnels after all-inside anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a computed tomography and three-dimensional model-based analysis
Authors: Liu Di , Cai Zi-Jun , Lu Wen-Hao , Pan Lin-Yuan , Yang Yun-Tao , Li Yu-Sheng , Xiao Wen-Feng
Published: September 2022

Purpose

To evaluate the extent of tunnel widening after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) using the all-inside technique and to establish its correlation with patient-reported clinical outcomes and femoral graft bending angle (GBA).

Methods

Tunnel widening was evaluated using computed tomography (CT)-based three-dimensional (3D) models, and the femoral GBA was directly measured on CT images using the Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) software. Clinical follow-up was routine procedure, and patient-reported clinical outcomes mainly included International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC), Lysholm, and Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Scores (KOOS) scores, and subjective knee stability assessment.

Results

Fifty-two patients received standard all-inside ACLR, with a median follow-up of 6 months. Reconstructed anterior cruciate ligaments (ACLs) were scanned during the first 3 days and 6 months after surgery. On both the femoral and tibial sides, bone tunnels were most significantly enlarged at the articular aperture segment; the femoral tunnel was 9.2 ± 1.3 mm postoperatively and was significantly enlarged by 32% to a mean tunnel diameter of 12.1 ± 2.0 mm at 6 months after surgery. Moreover, the extent of tunnel enlargement gradually decreased as the measured levels approached those of the bone cortex. The femoral tunnel center was shifted into the anterior and distal direction, and the tibial tunnel center was shifted into the posterior and lateral direction. Additionally, the mean femoral GBA was 105.9° ± 8.1° at the 6-month follow-up. Tunnel enlargement and GBA were not significantly correlated with patient-reported outcomes.

Conclusions

Femoral and tibial tunnels were significantly greater and eccentrically shifted at the 6-month follow-up after all-side ACLR. However, the extent of tunnel widening does not markedly affect the short-term clinical outcomes. Meanwhile, the femoral GBA was not significantly correlated with femoral tunnel widening or patient-reported outcomes. Although the tunnel widening following all-inside ACLR was not associated with clinical outcomes, it potentially caused difficulties in revision ACLR.

Level of evidence

Level IV.
Determination of hair cortisol in horses: comparison of immunoassay vs LC-HRMS/MS
Authors: Saluti Giorgio , Ricci Matteo , Castellani Federica , Colagrande Maria Novella , Di Bari Gabriella , Vulpiani Michele Podaliri , Cerasoli Francesco , Savini Giovanni , Scortichini Giampiero , D’Alterio Nicola
Published: September 2022

The measure of hair cortisol concentration (HCC) is becoming an emerging approach to monitor mid-/long-term stress in animals, so it is more and more important to develop accurate and reliable methods. In the light of this, the aim of the present study was to compare mane HCCs of 47 horses with different managements, by means of an immunoassay (ELISA) and liquid chromatography coupled to hybrid high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS/MS). After the washing step, the ground hair was extracted with methanol. The extract was evaporated and redissolved in two different aqueous solutions, depending on the detection technique. The methods were validated according to EMA guideline for bioanalytical method validation, in the range 2–50 pg mg−1 (ELISA) and 1–100 pg mg−1 (LC-HRMS/MS). Satisfactory quantitative performances were obtained for both of the approaches, but this latter demonstrated better precision. The detected concentrations in real samples were encompassing the range 1.3–8.8 pg mg−1 and 2.0–17.9 pg mg−1 by means of LC-HRMS/MS and ELISA, respectively. Overall, HCCs measured with ELISA technique were 1.6 times higher. The overestimation of immunoassay results might be caused by cross-reactivity phenomena of laboratory reagents and other structurally similar hormones present in the mane.

Graphical abstract
Refined Parameterizations for Computing Colored Cuts in Edge-Colored Graphs
Authors: Morawietz Nils , Grüttemeier Niels , Komusiewicz Christian , Sommer Frank
Published: September 2022

In the NP-hard Colored (s,t)-Cut problem, the input is a graph G = (V,E) together with an edge-coloring ℓ : E → C, two vertices s and t, and a number k. The question is whether there is a set $S\subseteq C$
S
⊆
C
of at most k colors such that deleting every edge with a color from S destroys all paths between s and t in G. We continue the study of the parameterized complexity of Colored (s,t)-Cut. First, we consider parameters related to the structure of G. For example, we study parameterization by the number ξi of edge deletions that are needed to transform G into a graph with maximum degree i. We show that Colored (s,t)-Cut is W[2]-hard when parameterized by ξ3, but fixed-parameter tractable when parameterized by ξ2. Second, we consider parameters related to the coloring ℓ. We show fixed-parameter tractability for three parameters that are potentially smaller than the total number of colors |C| and provide a linear-size problem kernel for a parameter related to the number of edges with rare edge colors.
Combined [68 Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 and low-dose 2-[18F]FDG PET/CT using a long-axial field of view scanner for patients referred for [177Lu]-PSMA-radioligand therapy
Authors: Alberts Ian , Schepers Robin , Zeimpekis Konstantinos , Sari Hasan , Rominger Axel , Afshar-Oromieh Ali
Published: September 2022

Purpose

Performing 2-[18F]FDG PET/CT in addition to a PSMA-ligand PET/CT can assist in the detection of lesions with low PSMA expression and may help in prognostication and identification of patients who likely benefit from PSMA-radioligand therapy (PSMA-RLT). However, the cost and time needed for a separate PET/CT examination might hinder its routine implementation. In this communication, we present our initial experiences with additional low-dose 2-[18F]FDG PET/CT as part of a dual-tracer and same-day imaging protocol which exploits the higher sensitivity exhibited by long-axial field-of-view (LAFOV) and total-body PET/CT systems and demonstrates its feasibility.

Methods

Fourteen patients referred for evaluation for PSMA-RLT received [68 Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT at 1 h p.i. with a standard activity of 150 MBq and an additional low-dose 2-[18F]FDG PET/CT with 40 MBq 1 h thereafter using a long-axial field-of-view PET/CT system in a single sitting and as per institutional protocol. Scans were scrutinized by two experienced nuclear medicine physicians for mismatch findings.

Results

The combined protocol identified additional lesions with low or absent PSMA-expression but high FDG-avidity in 1/14 (7%) patients. The protocol was easily implemented and well tolerated by all patients.

Conclusion

Additional low-dose 2-[18F]FDG-PET/CT is feasible as part of a same-day imaging protocol and can help reveal lesions of low PSMA avidity as part of therapy assessment for [177Lu]-PSMA radioligand therapy and demonstrates higher sensitivity compared to [68 Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT alone in some patients.
Individual radiosensitivity reflected by γ-H2AX and 53BP1 foci predicts outcome in PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy
Authors: Widjaja Liam , Werner Rudolf A. , Krischke Elke , Christiansen Hans , Bengel Frank M. , Bogdanova Natalia , Derlin Thorsten
Published: September 2022

Purpose

γ-H2AX and 53BP1 are fundamental for cellular DNA damage response (DDR) after radiation exposure and are linked to cell repair, arrest, or apoptosis. We aimed to evaluate whether DDR-markers in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) may have predictive potential for outcome in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients receiving [177Lu]Lu-prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) radioligand therapy (RLT).

Methods

We prospectively enrolled 20 men with advanced mCRPC scheduled for PSMA-targeted RLT. Prior to the first cycle of [177Lu]Lu-PSMA RLT, all patients underwent [18F]F-PSMA-1007 positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) for assessment of tumor PSMA expression (assessing maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of all tumor lesions). Blood samples were collected prior to, + 1 h after, and + 24 h after administration of [177Lu]Lu-PSMA, and DDR-markers γ-H2AX and 53BP1 were determined in PBLs through immunocytofluorescence. We then tested the predictive performance of DDR-markers relative to clinical and PET-based parameters for progressive disease (PSA-PD) after 2 cycles. In addition, the predictive value for progression-free survival (PSA-PFS, provided as median and 95% confidence interval [CI]) was explored.

Results

Low baseline 53BP1 and γ-H2AX foci (P = 0.17) tended to predict early PSA-PD, whereas low SUVmax was significantly associated with higher risk for PSA-PD (P = 0.04). In Kaplan–Meier analysis, there was a trend towards prolonged PSA-PFS in patients with higher baseline 53BP1 of 6 months (mo; 95%CI, 4–9 mo) compared to 3 mo in patients with low 53BP1 (95% CI, 2–3 mo; P = 0.12). Comparable results were recorded for higher γ-H2AX expression (6 mo [95% CI, 3–9 mo] relative to 3 mo [95% CI, 2–4 mo] in patients with low γ-H2AX; P = 0.12). SUVmax, however, did not demonstrate predictive value (P = 0.29). Consistently, in univariate Cox-regression analysis, baseline 53BP1 foci demonstrated borderline significance for predicting PSA-PFS under [177Lu]Lu-PSMA RLT (P = 0.05).

Conclusion

In this prospective study investigating mCRPC patients undergoing [177Lu]Lu-PSMA RLT, low baseline DDR-markers in PBLs tended to predict poor outcome. Although the study group was small and results need further confirmation, these preliminary findings lay the foundation for exploring additive radiosensitizing or treatment intensification in future studies with high-risk individuals scheduled for RLT.
High rate of complications after corrective midfoot/subtalar arthrodesis and Achilles tendon lengthening in Charcot arthropathy type Sanders 2 and 3
Authors: Regauer Markus , Grasegger Veronika , Fürmetz Julian , Kussmaul Adrian Calvacanti , Böcker Wolfgang , Ehrnthaller Christian
Published: September 2022

Purpose

Corrective midfoot resection arthrodesis is the standard treatment of Charcot arthropathy type Sanders 2 and 3 with severe dislocation. In order to critically evaluate the effect of surgical correction, a retrospective analysis of our patient cohort was performed. Hereby, special emphasis was set on the analysis of the pre- and post-operative equinus position of the hindfoot.

Methods

Retrospectively, all patients (n = 82) after midfoot resection arthrodesis in Charcot type Sanders 2 or 3 were included. Complications were recorded, and the mean complication-free interval was calculated. Additionally, the calcaneal pitch as well as Meary’s angle were measured pre- and post-operatively and in case of complications.

Results

Overall complication rate was 89%. Revision surgery was necessary in 46% of all patients. The mean complication-free interval was 285 days (0–1560 days). Calcaneal pitch and Meary’s angle significantly improved after operation but returned to pre-operative values after onset of complications. Achilles tendon lengthening showed no significant effects on the mean complication-free interval.

Conclusion

Operative treatment of Charcot arthropathy remains a surgical challenge with high complication rates. Surgical correction of equinus position has been highlighted for successful treatment but was not able to prevent complications in this study, which is demonstrated by the recurrent decrease of the calcaneal pitch in cases of reoperation. Therefore, as a conclusion of our results, our treatment algorithm changed towards primarily addressing the equinus malpositioning of the hindfoot by corrective arthrodesis of the hindfoot.
Transmitter and receiver of the low frequency horseshoe bat Rhinolophus paradoxolophus are functionally matched for fluttering target detection
Authors: Schoeppler Diana , Kost Katrin , Schnitzler Hans-Ulrich , Denzinger Annette
Published: September 2022

Flutter-detecting foragers require specific adaptations of the transmitter and the receiver of their echolocation systems to detect and evaluate flutter information in the echoes of potential prey. These adaptations include Doppler shift compensation (DSC), which keeps the echo frequency from targets ahead constant at a reference frequency (fref), and an auditory fovea in the cochlea, which results in foveal areas in the hearing system with many sharply tuned neurons with best frequencies near fref. So far, this functional match has been verified only for a very few key species, but is postulated for all flutter-detecting foragers. In this study we determined both, the transmitter and receiver properties within individuals of the Bourret’s horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus paradoxolophus), an allometric outlier in the rhinolophid family. Here we show that the transmitter and receiver are functionally matched in a similar way as postulated for all flutter-detecting foragers. The performance of DSC, measured as the ability to keep the echo frequency constant at fref, had a precision similar to that found in other flutter-detecting foragers, and the audiogram showed the characteristic course with a minimum at fref. Furthermore, we show for a rhinolophid bat a variation over time of the coupled resting frequency and fref. Finally, we discuss the tight match between transmitter and receiver properties, which is guaranteed by the link between the foveal areas of the receiver and the audio–vocal control system for DSC.
Strengthened connection between meridional location of winter polar front jet and surface air temperature since the mid-1990s
Authors: Pang Xueqi , Wu Bingyi , Ding Shuoyi
Published: September 2022

This study reveals a marked enhancement in the relationship between the variations in location of the winter East Asian Polar Front Jet (EAPJ) and the surface air temperature (SAT) in Eurasia since the mid-1990s. Before the mid-1990s, an evident wave train related to the meridional location of the EAPJ exhibited an anticyclonic anomaly over northern Europe and a cyclonic anomaly in northwestern Asia. With an equatorward shift of the EAPJ after the mid-1990s, the wave train experiences a notable adjustment that is conducive to East Asian cooling, displaying an anticyclonic anomaly around the Kara-Laptev Seas and a cyclonic anomaly near northeastern Asia. Arctic warming anomalies and sea ice loss contributed significantly to these decadal changes. Simulation experiments forced by observed Arctic sea-ice variability further confirm this result. Since the mid-1990s, Arctic sea ice loss (or Arctic warming anomaly) has contributed to a reduction in westerly winds in high latitudes by modulating the meridional temperature gradient. The deaccelerated winds intensify the Arctic cold air propagating to the south, enhancing the atmospheric baroclinicity and the westerly flow in the upper level at the south side of the EAPJ, favoring the southward shift of the EAPJ. With the equatorward shift of the EAPJ, the corresponding SAT anomalies in East Asia are more salient.
Complications following metal bar removal after Nuss repair are rare in a duocentric retrospective evaluation
Authors: Heydweiller Andreas C. , König Tatjana T. , Yavuz S. Tolga , Schwind Martin , Rohleder Stephan , Oetzmann von Sochaczewski Christina
Published: September 2022

Purpose

Minimally invasive pectus excavatum repair has gained widespread acceptance and its results and complications are well-described. However, there is a substantial debate on the risks and frequencies of complications following metal bar removal. We, therefore, aimed to analyse all complications that occurred during and after metal bar removal at our two paediatric surgical centres.

Methods

Bar removal surgeries were identified via procedural codes and electronic records were reviewed using a pre-specified data extraction chart. Both intra- and postoperative complications were included and the latter scored according to Clavien–Dindo. We analysed the influence of the pre-specified potential predictors age, sex, and the number of implanted metal bars on the occurrence of complications using logistic regression.

Results

We included 279 patients with a median age of 19 years (interquartile range 17–20 years). 15 patients experienced 17 complications. Of 11 postoperative complications, only an enlarging pleural effusion required a chest drain in local anaesthesia, resulting in a Claven-Dindo grade IIIa, whereas the remainder were classified as grade I. Neither age (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.97, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.84–1.13, P = 0.73), nor sex (aOR 0.88, 95% CI 0.19–4.07, P = 0.87) or the number of bars (aOR 0.64, 95% CI 0.15–2.71, P = 0.547) did influence the occurrence of complications.

Conclusion

Complications following metal bar removal were scarce in our duocentric retrospective series and usually of minor relevance. However, to address the perceived paucity of data on the frequency and severity of complications following metal bar removal, further studies, including large database research is necessary.
Unified mean-field modeling of viscous short-fiber suspensions and solid short-fiber reinforced composites
Authors: Karl Tobias , Böhlke Thomas
Published: September 2022

Mean-field homogenization is an established and computationally efficient method estimating the effective linear elastic behavior of composites. In view of short-fiber reinforced materials, it is important to homogenize consistently during process simulation. This paper aims to comprehensively reflect and expand the basics of mean-field homogenization of anisotropic linear viscous properties and to show the parallelism to the anisotropic linear elastic properties. In particular, the Hill–Mandel condition, which is generally independent of a specific material behavior, is revisited in the context of boundary conditions for viscous suspensions. This study is limited to isothermal conditions, linear viscous and incompressible fiber suspensions and to linear elastic solid composites, both of which consisting of isotropic phases with phase-wise constant properties. In the context of homogenization of viscous properties, the fibers are considered as rigid bodies. Based on a chosen fiber orientation state, different mean-field models are compared with each other, all of which are formulated with respect to orientation averaging. Within a consistent mean-field modeling for both fluid suspensions and solid composites, all considered methods can be recommended to be applied for fiber volume fractions up to 10%. With respect to larger, industrial-relevant, fiber volume fractions up to 20%, the (two-step) Mori–Tanaka model and the lower Hashin–Shtrikman bound are well suited.
How we do it—the use of peritoneal patches for reconstruction of vena cava inferior and portal vein in hepatopancreatobiliary surgery
Authors: Radulova-Mauersberger O. , Distler M. , Riediger C. , Weitz J. , Welsch T. , Kirchberg J.
Published: September 2022

Purpose

Extended resections in hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) surgery frequently require vascular resection to obtain tumor clearance. The use of alloplastic grafts may increase postoperative morbidity due to septic or thrombotic complications. The use of suitable autologous venous interponates (internal jugular vein, great saphenous vein) is frequently associated with additional incisions. The aim of this study was to report on our experience with venous reconstruction using the introperative easily available parietal peritoneum, focusing on key technical aspects.

Methods

All patients who underwent HPB resections with venous reconstruction using peritoneal patches at our department between January 2017 and November 2021 were included in this retrospective analysis with median follow-up of 2 months (IQR: 1–8 months). We focused on technical aspects of the procedure and evaluated vascular patency and perioperative morbidity.

Results

Parietal peritoneum patches (PPPs) were applied for reconstruction of the inferior vena cava (IVC) (13 patients) and portal vein (PV) (4 patients) during major hepatic (n = 14) or pancreatic (n = 2) resections. There were no cases of postoperative bleeding due to anastomotic leakage. Following PV reconstruction, two patients showed postoperative vascular stenosis after severe pancreatitis with postoperative pancreatic fistula and bile leakage, respectively. In patients with reconstruction of the IVC, no relevant perioperative vascular complications occurred.

Conclusions

The use of a peritoneal patch for reconstruction of the IVC in HPB surgery is a feasible, effective, and low-cost alternative to alloplastic, xenogenous, or venous grafts. The graft can be easily harvested and tailored to the required size. More evidence is still needed to confirm the safety of this procedure for the portal vein regarding long-term results.
Feasibility, acceptability, and utility of a nurse-led survivorship program for people with metastatic melanoma (MELCARE)
Authors: Lai-Kwon Julia , Kelly Brooke , Lane Sarah , Biviano Rebecca , Bartula Iris , Brennan Frank , Kivikoski Ingrid , Thompson Jake , Dhillon Haryana M. , Menzies Alexander , Long Georgina V.
Published: September 2022

Purpose

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and
targeted therapy (TT) have improved the survival of people with metastatic melanoma. We assessed the feasibility, acceptability, and utility of a novel model of nurse-led, telehealth-delivered survivorship care (MELCARE) for this survivor group.

Methods

People ≥ 18 years diagnosed with unresectable stage III or stage IV melanoma who were ≥ 6 months post initiation of ICI/TT with a radiological response suggestive of a long-term response to ICI/TT were recruited from a specialist melanoma centre in Australia. All participants received MELCARE, a nurse-led survivorship program involving two telehealth consultations 3 months apart, needs assessment using the Distress Thermometer (DT) and Problem List, and creation of a survivorship care plan. Feasibility, acceptability, and utility were assessed using rates of consent and study completion, time taken to complete each component of MELCARE, the Acceptability of Intervention Measure (AIM), and a customised utility survey.

Results

31/54 (57%) people consented. Participants were male (21, 68%), with a median age of 67 (range: 46–82). Eleven (35%) were receiving/had received ipilimumab and nivolumab and 27 (87%) had ceased treatment. Feasibility was demonstrated with 97% completing MELCARE. Utility was demonstrated on a customised survey and supported by a reduction in the mean DT score (initial: 5.6, SD: 2.9; follow-up: 1.5, SD: 1.2). Acceptability was demonstrated on 3/4 AIM items.

Conclusion

MELCARE was feasible and acceptable with high levels of utility. However, the consent rate was 57% indicating some people do not require support. Future studies should consider MELCARE’s optimal timing, resourcing, and cost-effectiveness.
Novel hepatoviruses in synanthropic bats in the upper Midwestern United States
Authors: Temeeyasen Gun , Hause Ben M.
Published: September 2022

A nearly complete genome sequence of hepatovirus G was isolated from an Eptesicus fuscus bat submitted for rabies virus testing due to human exposure in South Dakota. The predicted polyprotein sequence was 78.2% and 74.4% identical to genotypes G1 and G2, respectively, recovered from bats in Ghana. Quantitative PCR on 90 E. fuscus bats showed that eight (8.9%) were positive for hepatovirus G. Targeted sequencing of the VP2 region of the genome for five positive samples showed >99% identity to hepatovirus G strain Ef15893, demonstrating that hepatovirus G commonly circulates in E. fuscus bats in the upper Midwest.
Benchmarking online sequence-to-sequence and character-based handwriting recognition from IMU-enhanced pens
Authors: Ott Felix , Rügamer David , Heublein Lucas , Hamann Tim , Barth Jens , Bischl Bernd , Mutschler Christopher
Published: September 2022

Handwriting is one of the most frequently occurring patterns in everyday life and with it comes challenging applications such as handwriting recognition, writer identification and signature verification. In contrast to offline HWR that only uses spatial information (i.e., images), online HWR uses richer spatio-temporal information (i.e., trajectory data or inertial data). While there exist many offline HWR datasets, there are only little data available for the development of OnHWR methods on paper as it requires hardware-integrated pens. This paper presents data and benchmark models for real-time sequence-to-sequence learning and single character-based recognition. Our data are recorded by a sensor-enhanced ballpoint pen, yielding sensor data streams from triaxial accelerometers, a gyroscope, a magnetometer and a force sensor at 100 Hz. We propose a variety of datasets including equations and words for both the writer-dependent and writer-independent tasks. Our datasets allow a comparison between classical OnHWR on tablets and on paper with sensor-enhanced pens. We provide an evaluation benchmark for seq2seq and single character-based HWR using recurrent and temporal convolutional networks and transformers combined with a connectionist temporal classification (CTC) loss and cross-entropy (CE) losses. Our convolutional network combined with BiLSTMs outperforms transformer-based architectures, is on par with InceptionTime for sequence-based classification tasks and yields better results compared to 28 state-of-the-art techniques. Time-series augmentation methods improve the sequence-based task, and we show that CE variants can improve the single classification task. Our implementations together with the large benchmark of state-of-the-art techniques of novel OnHWR datasets serve as a baseline for future research in the area of OnHWR on paper.