bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Thinner inner retinal layers are associated with lower cognitive performance, lower brain volume, and altered white matter network structure—The Maastricht Study
Authors: van der Heide Frank C. T. , Steens Indra L. M. , Limmen Betsie , Mokhtar Sara , van Boxtel Martin P. J. , Schram Miranda T. , Köhler Sebastian , Kroon Abraham A. , van der Kallen Carla J. H. , Dagnelie Pieter C. , van Dongen Martien C. J. M. , Eussen Simone J. P. M. , Berendschot Tos T. J. M. , Webers Carroll A. B. , van Greevenbroek Marleen M. J. , Koster Annemarie , van Sloten Thomas T. , Jansen Jacobus F. A. , Backes Walter H. , Stehouwer Coen D. A.
Published: August 2023

INTRODUCTION

The retina may provide non‐invasive, scalable biomarkers for monitoring cerebral neurodegeneration.

METHODS

We used cross‐sectional data from The Maastricht study (n = 3436; mean age 59.3 years; 48% men; and 21% with type 2 diabetes [the latter oversampled by design]). We evaluated associations of retinal nerve fiber layer, ganglion cell layer, and inner plexiform layer thicknesses with cognitive performance and magnetic resonance imaging indices (global grey and white matter volume, hippocampal volume, whole brain node degree, global efficiency, clustering coefficient, and local efficiency).

RESULTS

After adjustment, lower thicknesses of most inner retinal layers were significantly associated with worse cognitive performance, lower grey and white matter volume, lower hippocampal volume, and worse brain white matter network structure assessed from lower whole brain node degree, lower global efficiency, higher clustering coefficient, and higher local efficiency.

DISCUSSION

The retina may provide biomarkers that are informative of cerebral neurodegenerative changes in the pathobiology of dementia.
Functionalization of Pentacene: A Facile and Versatile Approach to Contorted Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
Authors: Wu Meng‐Xiang , Li Yantong , Liu Peipei , Shi Xusheng , Kang Hao , Zhao Xiao‐Li , Xu Lin , Li Xiaodong , Fang Junfeng , Fang Zhiwei , Cheng Ya , Yu Huakang , Shi Xueliang , Yang Hai‐Bo
Published: August 2023

In this work, a facile and versatile strategy for the synthesis of contorted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) starting from the functionalized pentacene was established. A series of novel PAHs 1–4 and their derivatives were synthesized through a simple two‐step synthesis procedure involving an intramolecular reductive Friedel–Crafts cyclization of four newly synthesized pentacene aldehydes 5–8 as a key step. All the molecules were confirmed by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction and their photophysical and electrochemical properties were studied in detail. Interestingly, the most striking feature of 1–4 is their highly contorted carbon structures and the accompanying helical chirality. In particular, the optical resolution of 2 was successfully achieved by chiral‐phase HPLC, and the enantiomers were characterized by circular dichroism and circularly polarized luminescence spectroscopy. Despite the highly nonplanar conformations, these contorted PAHs exhibited emissive properties with moderate‐to‐good fluorescence quantum yields, implying the potential utility of this series PAHs as high‐quality organic laser dyes. By using a self‐assembly method with the help of epoxy resin, a bottle microlaser based on 3 a was successfully illustrated with a lasing wavelength of 567.8 nm at a threshold of 0.3 mJ/cm2. We believe that this work will shed light on the chemical versatility of pentacene and its derivatives in the construction of novel functionalized PAHs.
Minimalist Design of Wireframe DNA Nanotubes: Tunable Geometry, Size, Chirality, and Dynamics
Authors: Luo Xin , Saliba Daniel , Yang Tianxiao , Gentile Serena , Mori Keita , Islas Patricia , Das Trishalina , Bagheri Neda , Porchetta Alessandro , Guarne Alba , Cosa Gonzalo , Sleiman Hanadi F.
Published: August 2023

DNA nanotubes (NTs) have attracted extensive interest as artificial cytoskeletons for biomedical, synthetic biology, and materials applications. Here, we report the modular design and assembly of a minimalist yet robust DNA wireframe nanotube with tunable cross‐sectional geometry, cavity size, chirality, and length, while using only four DNA strands. We introduce an h‐motif structure incorporating double‐crossover (DX) tile‐like DNA edges to achieve structural rigidity and provide efficient self‐assembly of h‐motif‐based DNA nanotube (H‐NT) units, thus producing programmable, micrometer‐long nanotubes. We demonstrate control of the H‐NT nanotube length via short DNA modulators. Finally, we use an enzyme, RNase H, to take these structures out of equilibrium and trigger nanotube assembly at a physiologically relevant temperature, underlining future cellular applications. The minimalist H‐NTs can assemble at near‐physiological salt conditions and will serve as an easily synthesized, DNA‐economical modular template for biosensors, plasmonics, or other functional materials and as cost‐efficient drug‐delivery vehicles for biomedical applications.
Nitrate rejection of sulfonic acid group incorporated polyethersulfone‐type nanofiltration membrane and reutilization of the concentrated solution
Authors: Li Zeya , Wang Xiuli , Zhang Qinglei , Zhai Mingyu , Yang Shuqin , Li Xida , Yang Sirui , Wu Xin , Song Laizhou
Published: August 2023

The nanofiltration (NF) membrane technology has attracted considerable attention for the rejection removal of various salts. However, the practical application of this membrane separation process has been severely retarded due to the ineffective rejection of monovalent ions (such as nitrate and chloride), undesirable filtration flux, and insufficient disposal of the concentrated solution. In this work, three polyethersulfone‐type NF membranes were fabricated and their morphologies, functional groups, chemical components, wettabilities, chargeabilities, and rejection molecular weights were characterized. Among them, the membrane of NF_M3 bearing sulfonic acid group (SO3H) shows the desirable rejection efficiency of nitrate (90.32%), acceptable solution filtration flux (10.15 L m−2 h−1 at 0.6 MPa), and the decent pure water permeation flux (50.8 L m−2 h−1 at 0.6 MPa). The introduction of SO3H can significantly enhance the performances of NF_M3 membrane in hydrophilicity, chargeability, anti‐fouling, and the oxidation resistance. Promisingly, the concentrated nitrate was ingeniously recycled for the electrochemical intercalation of flake graphite to prepare expandable graphite, and the obtained expanded graphite has an acceptable expanded volume (243 mL g−1 via the microwave expansion process), thereby achieving the resource utilization of NF concentrated solution.
Enhancement of sustainable fused deposition modeling 3D‐printing with agave Americana fiber‐reinforced poly(lactic) acid biofilaments
Authors: da Silva Neto Thalita , de Freitas João Vitor Gomes , Barbosa Rennan F. S. , Medeiros Simone F. , Rosa Derval S. , Mulinari Daniella R.
Published: August 2023

Additive manufacturing (AM) of eco‐friendly biocomposites has been growing recently to obtain green fillers capable of reducing bioplastic costs without compromising the material processability and performance. This paper aims to study the effect of using different Agave America fiber volume ratios on the morphological, chemical, and thermal properties, contact angle, and hardness of poly(lactic) acid (PLA) filament for 3D printing. Sustainable biofilaments of PLA filled with 10 and 5 wt% of Agave Americana fiber were prepared in a thermokinetic mixer and extruded in a machine, and then used to print testing samples using fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printer. Biofilaments were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetry (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) techniques. The addition of fiber did not significantly influence the biofilament's diameter and density compared to pure PLA. On the other hand, it influenced printed biofilaments' thermal stability and morphological characteristics. The biocomposites developed have shown enhancement in their shore hardness. Thus, the use of Agave Americana fiber reinforced in a PLA matrix did not compromise its thermal properties, nor its processability and printability, which could open the possibility of future research with a biocomposite with higher fiber content and an environmentally friendly alternative over traditional filler materials.
Effects of B Cell Depletion by CD19‐Targeted Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells in a Murine Model of Systemic Sclerosis
Authors: Avouac Jérôme , Cauvet Anne , Orvain Cindy , Boulch Morgane , Tilotta Françoise , Tu Ly , Thuillet Raphaël , Ottaviani Mina , Guignabert Christophe , Bousso Philippe , Allanore Yannick
Published: August 2023

Objective

Our goal was to study the tolerance and efficacy of two B cell depletion strategies, including one with CD19‐targeted chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells, in a preclinical model mimicking the severe lung damages observed in systemic sclerosis.

Methods

B cell depletion strategies were evaluated in the Fra‐2 transgenic (Tg) mouse model. We considered a first group of 16 untreated mice, a second group of 15 mice receiving a single dose of anti‐CD20 monoclonal antibody (mAb), and a third group of 8 mice receiving CD19‐targeted CAR‐T cells in combination with anti‐CD20 monoclonal antibody. After six weeks of clinical evaluation, different validated markers of inflammation, lung fibrosis, and pulmonary vascular remodeling were assessed.

Results

CD19‐targeted CAR‐T cells infusion in combination with anti‐CD20 mAb resulted in a deeper B cell depletion than anti‐CD20 mAb alone in the peripheral blood and lesional lungs of Fra‐2 Tg mice. CAR‐T cell infusion worsened the clinical score and increased mortality in Fra‐2 Tg mice. In line with the above findings, CAR‐T cell infusion significantly increased lung collagen content, the histological fibrosis score, and right ventricular systolic pressure. CAR‐T cells accumulated in lesional lungs and promoted T activation and inflammatory cytokine production. Treatment with anti‐CD20 mAb in monotherapy had no impact on lung inflammation–driven fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension.

Conclusion

B cell therapies failed to show efficacy in the Fra2 Tg mice. The exacerbated Fra‐2 lung inflammatory burden stimulated accumulation and expansion of activated CD19‐targeted CAR‐T cells, secondarily inducing T cell activation and systemic inflammation, finally leading to disease worsening.
Exploring the therapeutic mechanisms of Sijunzi decoction in the treatment of sarcopenia: Key targets and signaling pathways
Authors: Dai Jin , Wang Haifeng , Jiang Libin , Zhang Fuying , Lin Jin , Wang Ling , Yang Jun , Wang Xiao
Published: August 2023

Sarcopenia, an age‐associated condition, negatively impacts the quality of life. This study investigates the mechanism of Sijunzi decoction (SJZD), a traditional Chinese formula, against sarcopenia. Active compounds and potential targets of SJZD for sarcopenia were gathered from databases. Hub targets were identified using protein–protein interaction networks, with GO and KEGG analyses suggesting potential pathways. Molecular docking was used to assess compound–target affinity. A lipopolysaccharide‐induced sarcopenia rat model was used to verify the targets. Sijunzi decoction contains 92 compounds and 47 targets for sarcopenia. The top 10 hub targets comprise AKT1, ALB, INS, IL6, TNF, TP53, VEGFA, SIRT1, CAT and FOS. GO and KEGG analyses indicate involvement in steroid hormone response, vesicle lumen, receptor agonist activity, and FoxO and HIF‐1 signaling pathways. Validation experiments showed that SJZD alleviates sarcopenia by downregulating SIRT1, IL‐6, TNF and AKT1. Sijunzi decoction treats sarcopenia by targeting SIRT1, IL‐6, TNF and AKT1, potentially involving FoxO and HIF‐1 signaling pathways. This highlights SJZD’s potential for sarcopenia treatment.
High compassion predicts fewer sleep difficulties: A general population study with an 11‐year follow‐up
Authors: Tolonen Iina , Saarinen Aino , Puttonen Sampsa , Kähönen Mika , Hintsanen Mirka
Published: August 2023

Introduction

This study investigated the cross‐sectional and longitudinal associations between self‐reported compassion and sleep quality.

Methods

The data came from the population‐based Young Finns Study with an 11‐year follow‐up on compassion and sleep (n = 1064). We used regression models, multilevel models, and cross‐lagged panel models to analyze the data.

Results

The results showed that high compassion was cross‐sectionally associated with lesser sleep deficiency and fewer sleep difficulties. High compassion also predicted fewer sleep difficulties over an 11‐year follow‐up (adjusted for age, gender, socioeconomic position in childhood and adulthood, body mass index, health behaviors, and working conditions). This association disappeared when controlling for depressive symptoms. The predictive pathway seemed to proceed more likely from high compassion to fewer sleep difficulties than vice versa.

Discussion

Compassion may buffer against sleep difficulties, possibly via reducing depressive symptoms.
Co‐opted board, environment, social and governance
Authors: Maneenop Sakkakom , Padungsaksawasdi Chaiyuth , Treepongkaruna Sirimon
Published: August 2023

The ultimate goal shared by society is sustainable development, a process of addressing current needs without sacrificing resources of future generations. To achieve sustainability, companies should consider of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) in their stakeholder engagement process. Investment in ESG activities is unavoidably decided at the board, making board characteristics become crucial for sustainability. We explore the effect of co‐opted directors, appointed after the incumbent CEO assumes office, on corporate ESG performance. Our findings show that firms with co‐opted directors tend to have poorer ESG performance. Investing in ESG is a long‐run corporate policy. Consistent with the managerial myopia hypothesis, the co‐opted directors, representing weaker governance mechanisms with ineffective monitoring roles, provide managers fewer incentives to invest in the long run. We address endogeneity concerns by conducting instrumental variable analyses.
A deep learning‐based interpretable decision tool for predicting high risk of chemotherapy‐induced nausea and vomiting in cancer patients prescribed highly emetogenic chemotherapy
Authors: Zhang Jingyue , Cui Xudong , Yang Chong , Zhong Diansheng , Sun Yinjuan , Yue Xiaoxiong , Lan Gaoshuang , Zhang Linlin , Lu Liangfu , Yuan Hengjie
Published: August 2023

Objective

This study aims to develop a risk prediction model for chemotherapy‐induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) in cancer patients receiving highly emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC) and identify the variables that have the most significant impact on prediction.

Methods

Data from Tianjin Medical University General Hospital were collected and subjected to stepwise data preprocessing. Deep learning algorithms, including deep forest, and typical machine learning algorithms such as support vector machine (SVM), categorical boosting (CatBoost), random forest, decision tree, and neural network were used to develop the prediction model. After training the model and conducting hyperparameter optimization (HPO) through cross‐validation in the training set, the performance was evaluated using the test set. Shapley additive explanations (SHAP), partial dependence plot (PDP), and Local Interpretable Model‐Agnostic Explanations (LIME) techniques were employed to explain the optimal model. Model performance was assessed using AUC, F1 score, accuracy, specificity, sensitivity, and Brier score.

Results

The deep forest model exhibited good discrimination, outperforming typical machine learning models, with an AUC of 0.850 (95%CI, 0.780–0.919), an F1 score of 0.757, an accuracy of 0.852, a specificity of 0.863, a sensitivity of 0.784, and a Brier score of 0.082. The top five important features in the model were creatinine clearance (Ccr), age, gender, anticipatory nausea and vomiting, and antiemetic regimen. Among these, Ccr had the most significant predictive value. The risk of CINV decreased with increased Ccr and age, while it was higher in the presence of anticipatory nausea and vomiting, female gender, and non‐standard antiemetic regimen.

Conclusion

The deep forest model demonstrated good discrimination in predicting the risk of CINV in cancer patients prescribed HEC. Kidney function, as represented by Ccr, played a crucial role in the model's prediction. The clinical application of this predictive tool can help assess individual risks and improve patient care by proactively optimizing the use of antiemetics in cancer patients receiving HEC.
Physical based motion reconstruction from videos using musculoskeletal model
Authors: Sun Libo , Tian Rui , Qin Wenhu
Published: August 2023

We propose a novel method that combines human pose estimation and physical simulation of character animation. Our approach allows characters to learn from the actor's skills captured in videos and subsequently reconstruct the motions with high fidelity in a physically simulated environment. Firstly, we model the character based on the human musculoskeletal system and build a complete dynamics model of the proposed system using the Lagrange equations of motion. Next, we employ the pose estimation method to process the input video and generate human reference motion. Finally, we design a hierarchical control framework consisting of a trajectory tracking layer and a muscle control layer. The trajectory tracking layer aims to minimize the difference between the reference motion pose and the actual output pose, while the muscle control layer aims to minimize the difference between the target torque and the actual output muscle force. The two layers interact by passing parameters through a proportional differential controller until the desired learning objective is achieved. A series of complex experimental results demonstrate that our proposed method can learn to produce comparable high‐quality motions with high similarity from videos of different complexity levels and remains stable in the presence of muscle contracture weakness perturbations.
Management ofPALB2‐associated breast cancer: A literature review and case report
Authors: Toss Angela , Ponzoni Ornella , Riccò Beatrice , Piombino Claudia , Moscetti Luca , Combi Francesca , Palma Enza , Papi Simona , Tenedini Elena , Tazzioli Giovanni , Dominici Massimo , Cortesi Laura
Published: August 2023

Key Clinical Message

Germline pathogenic variants (PV) of thePALB2tumor suppressor gene are associated with an increased risk of breast, pancreatic, and ovarian cancer. In previous research,PALB2‐associated breast cancer showed aggressive clinicopathological phenotypes, particularly triple‐negative subtype, and higher mortality regardless of tumor stage, type of chemotherapy nor hormone receptor status. The identification of this germline alteration may have an impact on clinical management of breast cancer (BC) from the surgical approach to the systemic treatment choice. We herein report the case of a patient with a germline PV ofPALB2, diagnosed with locally advanced PD‐L1 positive triple‐negative BC, who progressed after an immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)‐containing regimen and then experienced a pathologic complete response after platinum‐based chemotherapy. This case report hints a major role of the germlinePALB2alteration compared to the PD‐L1 expression as cancer driver and gives us the opportunity to extensively review and discuss the available literature on the optimal management ofPALB2‐associated BC. Overall, our case report and review of the literature provide additional evidence that the germline analysis ofPALB2gene should be included in routine genetic testing for predictive purposes and to refine treatment algorithms.
Metal‐Free Electrochemical Reduction of Disulfides in an Undivided Cell under Mass Transfer Control
Authors: Malviya Bhanwar K. , Hansen Eric C. , Kong Caleb J. , Imbrogno Joseph , Verghese Jenson , Guinness Steven M. , Salazar Chase A. , Desrosiers Jean‐Nicolas , Kappe C. Oliver , Cantillo David
Published: August 2023

Electroorganic synthesis is generally considered to be a green alternative to conventional redox reactions. Electrochemical reductions, however, are less advantageous in terms of sustainability, as sacrificial metal anodes are often employed. Divided cell operation avoids contact of the reduction products with the anode and allows for convenient solvent oxidation, enabling metal free greener electrochemical reductions. However, the ion exchange membranes required for divided cell operation on a commercial scale are not amenable to organic solvents, which hinders their applicability. Herein, we demonstrate that electrochemical reduction of oxidatively sensitive compounds can be carried out in an undivided cell without sacrificial metal anodes by controlling the mass transport to a small surface area electrode. The concept is showcased by an electrochemical method for the reductive cleavage of aryl disulfides. Fine tuning of the electrode surface area and current density has enabled the preparation of a wide variety of thiols without formation of any oxidation side products. This strategy is anticipated to encourage further research on greener, metal free electrochemical reductions.
CO2‐Free Calcium Carbide Manufacturing: Demanded Strategy in the Carbon‐Neutral Chemical Industry
Authors: Samoylenko Dmitriy E. , Rodygin Konstantin S. , Ananikov Valentine P.
Published: August 2023

Comprehensive Summary

Calcium carbide is considered a possible key component in the sustainable carbon cycle, including convenient recycling of carbon wastes to industrial uptake. However, currently employed CaC2 manufacturing process produces significant amounts of CO2. One of the main factors of its appearance is the formation of carbon oxide during the reaction. The reaction of lime ore with coal inevitably results in the formation of CO and the loss of one carbon atom. CO is usually burnt, forming CO2 to maintain the required high temperature during synthesis – 2200 °C. In the present study, we discuss that the use of calcium metal instead of lime represents a good opportunity to prevent CO2 emission since the reaction of Ca with carbon occurs in an atom‐efficient manner and results in only CaC2 at a much lower temperature of 1100 °C. Here, the reaction of Ca with carbon was successfully tested to synthesize CaC2. The desired product was isolated in gram‐scale amounts in 97.2% yield and 99% purity. The environmental friendliness of the proposed method originates from the calculations of the E‐factor. Rationalization is provided concerning the cost factor of Ca within the considered process.
PY‐IT, an Excellent Polymer Acceptor†
Authors: Bai Qingqing , Liang Qiming , Liu Qian , Liu Bin , Guo Xugang , Niu Li , Sun Huiliang
Published: August 2023

Comprehensive Summary

All‐polymer solar cells (all‐PSCs) have attracted considerable attention due to their inherent advantages over other types of organic solar cells, including superior optical and thermal stability, as well as exceptional mechanical durability. Recently, all‐PSCs have experienced remarkable advancements in device performance thanks to the invention of polymerized small‐molecule acceptors (PSMAs) since 2017. Among these PSMAs, PY‐IT has garnered immense interest from the scientific community due to its exceptional performance in all‐PSCs. In this review, we presented the design principles of PY‐IT and discussed the various strategies employed in device engineering for PY‐IT‐based all‐PSCs. These strategies include additive and interface engineering, layer‐by‐layer processing methods, meniscus‐assisted coating methods, and ternary strategy. Furthermore, this review highlighted several novel polymeric donor materials that are paired with PY‐IT to achieve efficient all‐PSCs. Lastly, we summarized the inspiring strategies for further advancing all‐PSCs based on PY‐IT. These strategies aim to enhance the overall performance and stability of all‐PSCs by exploring new materials, optimizing device architectures, and improving fabrication techniques. By leveraging these approaches, we anticipate significant progress in the development of all‐PSCs and their potential as a viable renewable energy source.
Coordinated Axial Ligand and d‐π Conjugated Network Makes the Difference: Engineered 2D Mn‐Based Antioxidase Mimic for Enhancing Stem Cell Protection
Authors: Fatrekar Adarsh P. , Sreeram Swathi , Vernekar Amit
Published: August 2023

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) refer to various partially reduced oxygen moieties that are naturally generated due to biochemical processes. Elevated formation of ROS leads to damage to biomolecules, resulting in oxidative stress and cell death. The increased level of ROS also affects therapeutics based on stem cell transplantation. Nanomaterials‐based enzyme mimetics have attracted immense attention, but there are several challenges to be addressed in terms of selectivity, efficiency, and biocompatibility. This highlight focuses on a recent investigation by Cheng and coworkers, who engineered an Mn‐superoxide dismutase (Mn‐SOD)‐inspired material with Mn‐N5 sites having an axial ligand and 2D d‐π‐conjugated network. This engineering approach enhances antioxidase‐like function and effectively rescues stem cells from ROS. In addition, it also protects osteogenesis‐related gene transcription, ensuring survival rates and osteogenic differentiation of hMSCs under ROS environment. This versatile and robust artificial antioxidase holds promise for stem cell therapies and ROS‐originated diseases.
Neuroarchitecture of the central complex in the Madeira cockroach Rhyparobia maderae: Pontine and columnar neuronal cell types
Authors: Jahn Stefanie , Althaus Vanessa , Heckmann Jannik , Janning Mona , Seip Ann‐Katrin , Takahashi Naomi , Grigoriev Clara , Kolano Juliana , Homberg Uwe
Published: August 2023

Insects have evolved remarkable abilities to navigate over short distances and during long‐range seasonal migrations. The central complex (CX) is a navigation center in the insect brain that controls spatial orientation and directed locomotion. It is composed of the protocerebral bridge (PB), the upper (CBU) and lower (CBL) division of the central body, and a pair of noduli. While most of its functional organization and involvement in head‐direction coding has been obtained from work on flies, bees, and locusts that largely rely on vision for navigation, little contribution has been provided by work on nocturnal species. To close this gap, we have investigated the columnar organization of the CX in the cockroach Rhyparobia maderae. Rhyparobia maderae is a highly agile nocturnal insect that relies largely but not exclusively on antennal information for navigation. A particular feature of the cockroach CX is an organization of the CBU and CBL into interleaved series of eight and nine columns. Single‐cell tracer injections combined with imaging and 3D analysis revealed five systems of pontine neurons connecting columns along the vertical and horizontal axis and 18 systems of columnar neurons with topographically organized projection patterns. Among these are six types of neurons with no correspondence in other species. Many neurons send processes into the anterior lip, a brain area highly reduced in bees and unknown in flies. While sharing many features with the CX in other species, the cockroach CX shows some unique attributes that may be related to the ecological niche of this insect.
Cross‐modal person re‐identification based on deep attention hash learning
Authors: Zhang Rui , Cao Yihao , Zhang Weiquan , Cai Xingjuan
Published: August 2023

Person re‐identification based on text description is a critical task in modern security systems. However, existing methods primarily focus on performance and overlook the crucial aspect of retrieval efficiency. In this article, we propose a novel two‐stage multimodal re‐discovery algorithm called DCH‐ReID, which leverages attention hashing. First, we introduce a chunked mapping hash learning method that effectively mitigates confusion between hash codes. Second, we propose a hash learning approach based on the channel attention mechanism, assigning higher binary bit weights to important body parts. Finally, to balance retrieval performance and time efficiency, we present a two‐stage retrieval scheme. Through extensive experiments on the CUHK‐PEDES benchmark dataset, we validate that our proposed DCH‐ReID algorithm exhibits superior efficiency and higher accuracy compared to current mainstream text‐based pedestrian re‐identification algorithms.
A new parallel tabu search algorithm for the optimization of the maximum vertex weight clique problem
Authors: Dülger Özcan , Dökeroğlu Tansel
Published: August 2023

The efficiency of metaheuristic algorithms depends significantly on the number of fitness value evaluations performed on candidate solutions. In addition to various intelligent techniques used to obtain better results, parallelization of calculations can substantially improve the solutions in cases where the problem is NP‐hard and requires many evaluations. This study proposes a new parallel tabu search method for solving the Maximum Vertex Weight Clique Problem (MVWCP) on the Non‐Uniform Memory Access (NUMA) architectures using the OpenMP parallel programming paradigm. Achieving scalability in the NUMA architectures presents significant challenges due to the high complexity of their memory systems, which can lead to performance loss. However, our proposed Tabu‐NUMA algorithm provides up to speed‐up with 64 cores for ten basic problem instances in DIMACS‐W and BHOSLIB‐W benchmarks. And it improves the performance of the serial Multi Neighborhood Tabu Search (MN/TS) algorithm for 38 problem instances in DIMACS‐W and BHOSLIB‐W benchmarks. We further evaluate our algorithm on larger datasets with thousands of edges and vertices from Network Data Repository benchmark problem instances, and we report significant improvements in terms of speed up. Our results confirm that the Tabu‐NUMA algorithm is among the best recent algorithms for solving MVWCP on the NUMA architectures.
A Novel Quasi‐Planar Two‐dimensional Carbon Sulfide with Negative Poisson's Ratio and Dirac Fermions
Authors: Nulakani Naga Venkateswara Rao , Ali Mohamad Akbar , Subramanian Venkatesan
Published: August 2023

In the present study, a novel and unconventional two‐dimensional (2D) material with Dirac electronic features has been designed using sulflower with the help of density functional theory methods and first principles calculations. This 2D material comprises of hetero atoms (C, S) and belongs to the tetragonal lattice with P4/nmm space group. Scrutiny of the results show that the 2D nanosheet exhibits a nanoporous wave‐like geometrical structure. Quantum molecular dynamics simulations and phonon mode analysis emphasize the dynamical and thermal stability. The novel 2D nanosheet is an auxetic material with an anisotropy in the in‐plane mechanical properties. Both composition and geometrical features are completely different from the conditions necessary for the formation of Dirac cones in graphene. However, the presence of semi‐metallic nature, linear band dispersion relation, massive fermions and massless Dirac fermions are observed in the novel 2D nanosheet. The massless Dirac fermions exhibit highly isotropic Fermi velocities (vf=0.68×106 m/s) along all crystallographic directions. The zero‐band gap semi metallic features of the novel 2D nanosheet are perturbative to the electric field and external strain.
Binuclear Biphenyl Organogold(III) Complexes: Synthesis, Photophysical and Theoretical Investigation, and Anticancer Activity
Authors: Giuso Valerio , Yang Jeannine , Forté Jérémy , Dossmann Héloïse , Daniel Chantal , Gourlaouen Christophe , Mauro Matteo , Bertrand Benoît
Published: August 2023

A series of four binuclear complexes of general formula [(C^C)Au(Cl)(L^L)(Cl)Au(C^C)], where C^C is 4,4’‐diterbutylbiphenyl and L^L is either a bridging diphosphine or 4,4’‐bipyridine, are synthetized with 52 to 72 % yield and structurally characterized by X‐ray diffraction. The use of the chelating 1,2‐diphenylphosphinoethane ligand in a 1 : 2 (P^P):Au stoichiometry leads to the near quantitative formation of a gold double‐complex salt of general formula [(C^C)Au(P^P)][(C^C^)AuCl2]. The compounds display long‐lived yellow‐green phosphorescence with λem in the range of 525 to 585 nm in the solid state with photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQY) up to 10 %. These AuIII complexes are tested for their antiproliferative activity against lung adenocarcinoma cells A549 and results show that compounds 2 and 5 are the most promising candidates. The digold salt 5 shows anticancer activity between 66 and 200 nM on the tested cancer cell lines, whereas derivative 2 displays concentration values required to reduce by 50 % the cell viability (IC50) between 7 and 11 μM. Reactivity studies of compound 5 reveal that the [(C^C)Au(P^P)]+ cation is stable in the presence of relevant biomolecules including glutathione suggesting a structural mechanism of action.
Host‐Guest Complexes of Pillar[5]arene as Components for Supramolecular Light‐Harvesting Systems with Tunable Fluorescence
Authors: Li Xiuxiu , Wu Zhiying , Wang Qi , Li Zheng‐Yi , Sun Xiao‐Qiang , Xiao Tangxin
Published: August 2023

A guest molecule containing a short alkyl spacer between the tetraphenylethylene group and the methylpyridinium group was designed and synthesized. After complexation with a water‐soluble pillar[5]arene, the resulting host‐guest complex can further self‐assemble into fluorescence‐emitting nanoparticles in water. By loading a commercially available dye Rhodamine 6G into the nanoparticles, an efficient artificial light‐harvesting system with high donor/acceptor ratios (>400/1) was successfully constructed. The obtained systems show considerable antenna effects with values of more than 10 times. The system also exhibits tunable fluorescence emission behavior and can be used as a fluorescent ink for information encryption.
Development of the VGF Crystal Growth Recipe: Intelligent Solutions of Ill‐Posed Inverse Problems using Images and Numerical Data
Authors: Dropka Natasha , Holena Martin , Thieme Cornelia , Chou Ta‐Shun
Published: August 2023

Development of the Vertical Growth Freeze crystal growth process is a typical example of solving the ill‐posed inverse problem, which violates one or more of Hadamard's well‐posedness criteria of solution existence, uniqueness, and stability. In this study, different data‐driven approaches are used to solve inverse problems: Reduced Order Modelling method of Proper Orthogonal Decomposition with Inverse Distance weighting (ROM POD InvD), an approximation method of Kriging and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) employing images, combination of images and numerical data and solely numerical data, respectively. The ≈200 training data are generated by Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations of the forward problem. Numerical input data are related to the temperatures and coordinates in 10 characteristic monitoring points in the melt and crystal, while the image input data are related to the interface shape and position. Using the random mean squared error as a criterion, the Kriging method based on images and numerical data and the ANN method based on numerical data are able to capture the system behavior more accurately, in contrast to the ROM POD InvD method, which is based solely on images.
OTUB1 inhibits breast cancer by non‐canonically stabilizing CCN6
Authors: Zhao Ying , Ruan Jing , Li Zhongding , Su Xian , Chen Kangmin , Lin Yimin , Cai Yuepiao , Wang Peng , Liu Baohua , Schlüter Dirk , Liang Guang , Wang Xu
Published: August 2023

Background

CCN6 is a matricellular protein that critically regulates the tumourigenesis and progression of breast cancer. Although the tumour‐suppressive function of CCN6 has been extensively studied, molecular mechanisms regulating protein levels of CCN6 remain largely unclear. This study aims to investigate the regulation of CCN6 by ubiquitination and deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) in breast cancer.

Methods

A screening assay was performed to identify OTUB1 as the DUB for CCN6. Various biochemical methods were applied to elucidate the molecular mechanism of OTUB1 in the regulation of CCN6. The role of OTUB1–CCN6 interaction in breast cancer was studied with cell experiments and the allograft model. The correlation of OTUB1 and CCN6 in human breast cancer was determined by immunohistochemistry and Western blot.

Results

We found that CCN6 protein levels were controlled by the ubiquitin–proteasome system. The K48 ubiquitination and degradation of CCN6 was inhibited by OTUB1, which directly interacted with CCN6 through its linker domain. Furthermore, OTUB1 inhibited the ubiquitination of CCN6 in a non‐canonical manner. Deletion of OTUB1, concomitant with reduced CCN6 abundance, increased the migration, proliferation and viability of breast cancer cells. Supplementation of CCN6 abolished the effect of OTUB1 deletion on breast cancer. Importantly, OTUB1 expression was downregulated in human breast cancer and positively correlated with CCN6 levels.

Conclusion

This study identified OTUB1 as a novel regulator of CCN6 in breast cancer.
Wideband reflecting frequency‐selective surface polarizer for X‐band applications
Authors: Suganya Anandan , Natarajan Rajesh
Published: August 2023

This paper proposed the design of a broadband linear‐to‐circular reflecting polarizer for X‐band applications. The polarizer is designed with three‐arm dipole‐shaped unit cells with a full ground plane to get wideband performance. The incident linear polarized wave is converted to a right‐handed circularly polarized wave upon reflection from the polarizer. The footprint of the unit cell is 9 × 9 mm, which is printed on a FR‐4 substrate. Fabricated prototype is measured for its performances like polarization conversion ratio (PCR), fractional bandwidth, and aperture efficiency. The PCR is about 97%, and the fractional bandwidth is 64% with the aperture efficiency of more than 80%. Polarizer performance is analyzed in transverse electric and transverse magnetic modes, and they are stable up to 40° of various incident angles. The polarizer exhibits the 3‐dB axial ratio bandwidth from 8 to 12 GHz, which is suitable for satellite applications.
Body‐related self‐conscious emotions, self‐compassion, and dietary restraint in Canadian undergraduate university students: A multilevel mediation and moderation analysis
Authors: Bourke Matthew , Pila Eva
Published: August 2023

Objective

Self‐compassion has an inverse association with dietary restraint however, the mechanisms linking self‐compassion and dietary restraint are not clear. This study aimed to determine to what extent self‐compassion was inversely concurrently related to dietary restraint, indirectly through body‐related self‐conscious emotions, and to what extent trait self‐compassion moderated the concurrent within‐person association between body‐related self‐conscious emotions and dietary restraint.

Method

Data was collected from 224 Canadian university students who reported on trait self‐compassion at baseline and body‐related shame, guilt, envy, and embarrassment, and dietary restraint biweekly between November 2020 and August 2021.

Results

Results from a 2‐1‐1 multilevel mediation model showed that trait self‐compassion was indirectly concurrently related to dietary restraint through body‐related shame, guilt, envy, and embarrassment. Results from the moderation model showed that there was a significant positive concurrent within‐person association between body‐related shame, envy, and embarrassment, but not guilt, with dietary restraint. These relationships were not moderated by trait self‐compassion.

Discussion

This study adds to our understanding of the concurrent association between body‐related self‐conscious emotions and dietary restraint, and the mechanisms through which self‐compassion is related to dietary restraint. Given body‐related self‐conscious emotions were related to dietary restraint at both the within‐person and between‐person level, both compassion‐focused interventions that aim to improve general levels of body‐related self‐conscious emotions and interventions that aim to overcome spikes in these emotions compared with one's usual level are warranted.

Public Significance Statement

Negative body‐related self‐conscious emotions were related to higher levels of dietary restraint both across individuals and within individuals over time; and may play a mechanistic role in linking self‐compassion with dietary restraint. Interventions aimed at reducing negative body‐related self‐conscious emotions are warranted in the prevention of eating disorder psychopathology.
Specific alien plant species predominantly deliver nectar sugar and pollen but are not preferentially visited by wild pollinating insects in suburban riparian ecosystems
Authors: Egawa Chika , Yuta Teru , Koyama Asuka
Published: August 2023

The invasion of alien plants has been rapidly proceeding worldwide due to urbanisation. This might be beneficial to wild pollinating insects, since some alien plant species have large flowers and/or long flowering periods, which can increase nectar sugar and pollen availability. To determine the relative contribution of alien plants to floral resource supply and whether resource‐rich alien plants, if any, serve as an important food source of pollinating insects, we performed year‐round field observations in suburban riverbanks. We quantified the per‐unit‐area availability of nectar sugar and pollen delivered by alien and native flowering species and counted wild flower visitors (bees and wasps, hoverflies and butterflies) per plant species. The available nectar sugar and pollen per area were predominantly delivered by a few specific alien species, and the relative contribution of other species to floral resource provision was low throughout the period that wild flower visitors were observed. Nonetheless, the resource‐rich alien plants were not visited by as many insects as expected based on their contribution to resource provision. Rather, on a yearly basis, these plants received equal or even fewer visits than other flowering species, including resource‐poor natives. We show that despite their great contribution to the gross floral resource supply, resource‐rich alien plants do not serve as a principal food source for wild pollinating insects, and other plants, especially natives, are still needed to satisfy insect demand. For the conservation of pollinating insects in suburban ecosystems, maintaining floral resource diversity would be more beneficial than having an increase in gross floral resources by allowing the dominance of specific alien plants.
Data‐driven control by using data‐driven prediction and LASSO for FIR typed inverse controller
Authors: Suzuki Motoya , Kaneko Osamu
Published: August 2023

In this paper, we propose data‐driven control for the case of that the structure of the ideal controller is unknown. In this case, it is natural to implement FIR typed controller. Here, we utilize FRIT for the case of FIR typed inverse controller. In general, FIR might have unnecessarily large number of its taps. To prevent it, we also utilize LASSO regression so as to realize FIR typed inverse controller in as less numbers of the tap as possible. Moreover, we also utilize data‐driven prediction to determine hyper parameters required in LASSO regression. The validity of our proposed method is verified by using experiments.
Role of serum cytokines in the prediction of heart failure in patients with coronary artery disease
Authors: Hou Qingzhen , Sun Zhuhua , Zhao Liqin , Liu Ye , Zhang Junfang , Huang Jing , Luo Yifeng , Xiao Yan , Hu Zhaoting , Shen Anna
Published: August 2023

Aims

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common cause of heart failure (HF). This study aimed to identify cytokine biomarkers for predicting HF in patients with CAD.

Methods and results

Twelve patients with CAD without HF (CAD‐non HF), 12 patients with CAD complicated with HF (CAD‐HF), and 12 healthy controls were enrolled for Human Cytokine Antibody Array, which were used as the training dataset. Then, differentially expressed cytokines among the different groups were identified, and crucial characteristic proteins related to CAD‐HF were screened using a combination of the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator, recursive feature elimination, and random forest methods. A support vector machine (SVM) diagnostic model was constructed based on crucial characteristic proteins, followed by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Finally, two validation datasets, GSE20681 and GSE59867, were downloaded to verify the diagnostic performance of the SVM model and expression of crucial proteins, as well as enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay was also used to verify the levels of crucial proteins in blood samples. In total, 12 differentially expressed proteins were overlapped in the three comparison groups, and then four optimal characteristic proteins were identified, including VEGFR2, FLRG, IL‐23, and FGF‐21. After that, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the constructed SVM classification model for the training dataset was 0.944. The accuracy of the SVM classification model was validated using the GSE20681 and GSE59867 datasets, with area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values of 0.773 and 0.745, respectively. The expression trends of the four crucial proteins in the training dataset were consistent with those in the validation dataset and those determined by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay.

Conclusions

The combination of VEGFR2, FLRG, IL‐23, and FGF‐21 can be used as a candidate biomarker for the prediction and prevention of HF in patients with CAD.
Investigation and evaluation of a 3D‐printed optical modified cultivation vessel for improved scattered light measurement of biotechnologically relevant organisms
Authors: Rehfeld Johanna S. , Kuhnke Louis M. , Ude Christian , John Gernot T. , Beutel Sascha
Published: August 2023

In the field of bioprocess development miniaturization, parallelization and flexibility play a key role reducing costs and time. To precisely meet these requirements, additive manufacturing (3D‐printing) is an ideal technology. 3D‐printing enables rapid prototyping and cost‐effective fabrication of individually designed devices with complex geometries on demand. For successful bioprocess development, monitoring of process‐relevant parameters, such as pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), and biomass, is crucial. Online monitoring is preferred as offline sampling is time‐consuming and leads to loss of information. In this study, 3D‐printed cultivation vessels with optical prisms are evaluated for the use in upstream processes of different industrially relevant microorganisms and cell lines. It was shown, that the 3D‐printed optically modified well (OMW) is of benefit for a wide range of biotechnologically relevant microorganisms and even for mammalian suspension cells. Evaluation tests with Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells were performed, providing highly reproducible results. Growth behavior of OMW cultures was comparable to behavior of shake flask (SF) cultivations and the signal to noise ratio in online biomass measurement was shown to be reduced up to 95.8% by using the OMW. Especially the cultivation phases with low turbidity respective optical densities below 1.0 rel.AU could be monitored accurately for the first time. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that the 3D‐printed optics are transferable to different well geometries and sizes, enabling efficient biomass monitoring for individual requirements with tailor‐made 3D‐printed cultivation vessels in small scale.