bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gold(I)‐Catalyzed Ring‐Closing Alkyne‐Carbonyl Metathesis for the Synthesis of Butenolides
Authors: Su Zhenjie , Amin Pathan Mosim , Wang Shaozhong
Published: September 2023

Alkyne‐carbonyl metathesis is a type of carbon‐carbon forming reaction involving the construction a carbon‐carbon double bond and a carbonyl group in one transformation. Herein, a Au(I)‐catalyzed ring‐closing alkyne‐carbonyl metathesis protocol has been developed to make densely substituted γ‐butenolides from propargyl α‐ketoesters. It features 100 % atom economy, excellent substrate flexibility and benign functional group tolerance. Mechanistic studies demonstrate that the coordinative interaction between the gold catalyst and the alkyne might initiate the transfer of an oxygen atom and the formation of the carbon‐carbon double bond. By using this gold‐catalyzed ring‐closing alkyne‐carbonyl metathesis as a key step reaction, four naturally occurring butenolide‐type compounds including decumbic acid (45 % yield for 3 steps), deoxyisosporothric acid (32 % yield for 5 steps), lichesterinic acid (34 % yield for 5 steps) and isomuronic acid (6 % yield for 8 steps) have been synthesized starting from commercially available starting materials.
Using machine learning to predict adverse events in acute coronary syndrome: A retrospective study
Authors: Song Long , Li Yuan , Nie Shanshan , Feng Zeying , Liu Yaxin , Ding Fangfang , Gong Liying , Liu Liming , Yang Guoping
Published: September 2023

Background

Up to 30% of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) die from adverse events, mainly renal failure and myocardial infarction (MI). Accurate prediction of adverse events is therefore essential to improve patient prognosis.

Hypothesis

Machine learning (ML) methods can accurately identify risk factors and predict adverse events.

Methods

A total of 5240 patients diagnosed with ACS who underwent PCI were enrolled and followed for 1 year. Support vector machine, extreme gradient boosting, adaptive boosting, K‐nearest neighbors, random forest, decision tree, categorical boosting, and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) were developed with 10‐fold cross‐validation to predict acute kidney injury (AKI), MI during hospitalization, and all‐cause mortality within 1 year. Features with mean Shapley Additive exPlanations score >0.1 were screened by XGBoost method as input for model construction. Accuracy, F1 score, area under curve (AUC), and precision/recall curve were used to evaluate the performance of the models.

Results

Overall, 2.6% of patients died within 1 year, 4.2% had AKI, and 4.7% had MI during hospitalization. The LDA model was superior to the other seven ML models, with an AUC of 0.83, F1 score of 0.90, accuracy of 0.85, recall of 0.85, specificity of 0.68, and precision of 0.99 in predicting all‐cause mortality. For AKI and MI, the LDA model also showed good discriminating capacity with an AUC of 0.74.

Conclusion

The LDA model, using easily accessible variables from in‐hospital patients, showed the potential to effectively predict the risk of adverse events and mortality within 1 year in ACS patients after PCI.
Fluorescence and Phosphorescence Energy Transfer in Cucurbituril‐Based Supramolecular Systems
Authors: Berdnikova Daria V. , Chernikova Ekaterina Y.
Published: September 2023

Supramolecular systems demonstrating resonance energy transfer have recently became a topical area on the borderline of supramolecular chemistry, photochemistry, photophysics and biology. The modularity of supramolecular interactions is a prerequisite for fine tuning of optical properties, which is difficult to achieve by other means. As a component of such systems, cucurbit[n]uril (CB[n]) macrocycles can play a wide spectrum of roles from anchoring of FRET pairs and modulation of the optical output to providing biocompatibility of FRET stains for cell imaging. The aim of this Review is to outline the development of the CB[n]‐based systems with fluorescence (FRET) and phosphorescence (TS‐FRET) energy transfer and to highlight achievements, challenges and perspectives of this fascinating combination of a classical photophysical process and a classical supramolecular host. Particular attention in this Review is given to the current and potential applications of the reviewed systems.
Reaction Pathways in Carbonates and Esters
Authors: Tundo Pietro , Aricò Fabio
Published: September 2023

This review reports on the competition/collaboration among intertwined base‐catalyzed acyl cleavage bimolecular mechanism (BAc2)/base‐catalyzed alkyl cleavage bimolecular mechanism (BAl2) or the related acid catalyzed mechanisms AAc2/AAl2 and AAl1 concerning Carbonates chemistry also in comparison with Esters reactivity. A consistent analysis of the experimental data so far available in the literature led to proposing a theoretical Model outlining the differences in energy profiles among the above‐mentioned reaction mechanisms. The reactions involving Carbonates are so tightly interconnected that the formation of the final product is driven by a precise not interfering sequence of BAc2‐BAl2 (or AAl2‐AAc2) mechanisms. When entropic effect (in cyclisations) or an anchimeric effect (mustard carbonates, isosorbide methylation) are involved, the difference in Gibbs activation energy is reduced allowing chemical transformations that would normally require higher temperatures. In these cases (intramolecular alkylation, cyclisation reaction, and alkylation by mustard carbonates) only a catalytic amount of base is required as the leaving group CH3OCOO− decomposes restoring the base. As Green Chemistry is concerned, syntheses with much lower environmental impact are achieved with Carbonates when compared with the corresponding ones involving Chlorine chemistry.
Multifunctional Interlayer Engineering for Silkworm Excrement‐Derived Porous Carbon Enabling High‐Energy Lithium Sulfur Batteries
Authors: Jiang Si‐Jie , Wu Cui‐Xia , Liu Rui , Wang Jun , Xu Yan‐Song , Cao Fei‐Fei
Published: September 2023

Lithium‐sulfur (Li−S) batteries show advantage of high theoretical capacity. However, the shuttle effect of polysulfides and sluggish sulfur redox kinetics seriously reduce their service life. Inspired by the porous structural features of biomass materials, herein, a functional interlayer is fabricated by silkworm excrement‐derived three‐dimensional porous carbon accommodating nano sized CoS2 particles (SC@CoS2). The porous carbon delivers a high specific surface area, which provides adequate adsorption sites, being responsible for suppressing the shuttle effect of polysulfides. Meanwhile, the porous carbon is favorable for hindering the aggregation of CoS2 and maintaining its high activity during extended cycles, which effectively accelerates the polysulfides conversion kinetics. Moreover, the SC@CoS2 functional interlayer effectively limits the formation of Li dendrites and promotes the uniform deposition of Li on the Li electrode surface. As a result, the CMK‐3/S cathode achieves a high initial capacity of 1599.1 mAh g−1 at 0.2 C rate assisted by the polypropylene separator coated with the functional interlayer and 1208.3 mAh g−1 is maintained after the long cycling test. This work provides an insight into the designing of long‐lasting catalysts for stable functional interlayer, which encourages the application of biomass‐derived porous carbon in high‐energy Li−S batteries.
Analysis and control of single‐phase transformerless dual‐frequency grid‐connected inverter
Authors: Chen Zhigang , Wang Yamei , Yang Liyong , Liu Shuo , Tong Chaonan , Lv Yongchao
Published: September 2023

To simplify the inverter topology and suppress the leakage current more effectively, a novel transformerless dual‐frequency grid‐connected inverter with a common direct current (DC) bus is proposed. The proposed inverter retains the advantages of the traditional dual‐frequency inverter such as high efficiency and absence of resonance. In the novel topology, the power unit adopts the highly efficient reliable inverter concept (HERIC) topology with a unipolar modulation strategy, and the auxiliary unit adopts the H‐bridge topology with a bipolar modulation strategy. It is verified that the circulating current between the two units can be eliminated in the proposed inverter. The sensitivity of the circulating current is discussed by considering the tolerance of the filter inductances. In the leakage current equivalent circuit, the DC bus of the power unit is connected to the grid through a low‐impedance branch in parallel with the parasitic capacitance. Therefore, the leakage current is effectively suppressed. Finally, the experimental results are provided to verify the performance of the inverter.
Port reduction operation of a three‐port nonagonal modular multilevel converter as soft open point
Authors: Liu Wenjun , Yan Jiahao , Qin Zhiwen , Yuan Bo , Wang Yaoqiang , Liang Jun
Published: September 2023

Nonagonal modular multilevel converter (MMC) is a three‐port AC/AC converter promising as a soft open point (SOP) to connect different AC feeders or buses in distribution networks, owing to its flexible power control, transformerless structure, and low power component count and its capability of accommodating multiple AC ports of different frequencies. An SOP should be able to work under port reduction condition, which is often encountered when maintenance is required or the network structure is reconfigured. However, as a component reuse converter of circular structure, nonagonal MMC cannot turn off one or some of its branches to achieve this. To address this issue, a control scheme is proposed in this paper to enable nonagonal MMC to operate under port reduction condition by switching the nonagonal MMC to a hexagonal MMC, which is an AC/AC topology of a similar circular structure but has only two ports. Without inserting extra switches, the nine branches of nonagonal MMC is redistributed into six branches. By alternately operating the submodules, no submodules need to be shut down, reducing the submodule capacitor voltage fluctuation during port reduction operation. RTlab results verify the feasibility of the quasi‐hexagonal topology and the effectiveness of port reduction control.
Applications of biomarkers of exposure and biological effects in users of new generation tobacco and nicotine products: Tentative proposals
Authors: Yach Derek , Scherer Gerhard
Published: September 2023

Despite efforts to eliminate smoking, more than 1 billion people worldwide continue to use combustible cigarettes through choice or inability to quit. With an associated 8 million deaths, the provision of noncombustible tobacco and nicotine products that smokers will accept to replace combustible cigarettes can lessen harm. However, most of these products have entered the market only in the past 20 years. Therefore, particularly for some smoking‐related diseases, epidemiological studies to test harm reduction potential are only now becoming feasible. For cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, around two decades of data might be required. In this article, we discuss how the use of biomarkers might be applied to supplement epidemiological research for regulators. We further discuss how health providers and insurers can keep up with the rapid changes in biomarker research and recognize these reduced risks.
Nesting innovations in neotropical parrots associated to anthropogenic environmental changes
Authors: Romero‐Vidal Pedro , Blanco Guillermo , Hiraldo Fernando , Díaz‐Luque José A. , Luna Álvaro , Lera Daiana , Zalba Sergio , Carrete Martina , Tella José L.
Published: September 2023

Parrots are among the most diverse and widely distributed groups of birds and one of the most threatened bird orders mainly due to habitat loss and illegal poaching. Most parrots are obligate cavity nesters, so the logging of mature trees and the transformation of natural cliffs represent important threats to their conservation. Here, we report novel observations of Neotropical parrots nesting in previously unrecorded substrates. We show the first documented case of the cliff‐nesting burrowing parrots trying to breed at ground level in an abandoned burrowing owl cavity. Additionally, we provide the first documented observations of this species attempting to nest in building cavities in three urbanized areas of Argentina. Moreover, we report data from four countries of 148 pairs of eight species typically breeding in tree cavity using palm tree bracts as nest sites. Behavioral plasticity in nest sites may allow parrots to maximize their nesting success by exploiting alternative breeding substrates. Moreover, these novelties could contribute to cope with habitat loss and further transformation. However, further research is needed to assess the consequences of these nesting innovations in terms of individual fitness and population dynamics as well as potential factors promoting their appearance.
Physiology of the widespread pulsating soft coralXenia umbellatais affected by food sources, but not by water flow
Authors: Hill C. E. L. , Abbass S. G. , Caporale G. , El‐Khaled Y. C. , Kuhn L. , Schlenzig T. , Wild C. , Tilstra A.
Published: September 2023

Coral energy and nutrient acquisition strategies are complex and sensitive to environmental conditions such as water flow. While high water flow can enhance feeding in hard corals, knowledge about the effects of water flow on the feeding of soft corals, particularly those pulsating, is still limited. In this study, we thus investigated the effects of feeding and water flow on the physiology of the pulsating soft coralXenia umbellata. We crossed three feeding treatments: (i) no feeding, (ii) particulate organic matter (POM) in the form of phytoplankton and (iii) dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the form of glucose, with four water volume exchange rates (200, 350, 500 and 650 L h−1) over 15 days. Various ecophysiological parameters were assessed including pulsation rate, growth rate, isotopic and elemental ratios of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) as well as photo‐physiological parameters of the Symbiodiniaceae (cell density, chlorophyll‐aand mitotic index). Water flow had no significant effect but feeding had a substantial impact on the physiology of theX. umbellataholobiont. In the absence of food, corals exhibited significantly lower pulsation rates, lower Symbiodiniaceae cell density and lower mitotic indices compared to the fed treatments, yet significantly higher chlorophyll‐aper cell and total N content. Differences were also observed between the two feeding treatments, with significantly higher pulsation rates and lower chlorophyll‐aper cell in the DOC treatment, but higher C and N content in the POM treatment. Our findings suggest that theX. umbellataholobiont can be viable under different trophic strategies, though favouring mixotrophy. Additionally, the physiology of theX. umbellatamay be regulated through its own pulsating behaviour without any positive or negative effects from different water flow. Therefore, this study contributes to our understanding of soft coral ecology, particularly regarding the competitive success and widespread distribution ofX. umbellata.
Haemodynamic and metabolic phenotyping of patients with aortic stenosis and preserved ejection fraction: A specific phenotype of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction?
Authors: De Biase Nicolò , Mazzola Matteo , Del Punta Lavinia , Di Fiore Valerio , De Carlo Marco , Giannini Cristina , Costa Giulia , Paneni Francesco , Mengozzi Alessandro , Nesti Lorenzo , Gargani Luna , Masi Stefano , Pugliese Nicola Riccardo
Published: September 2023

Aims

Degenerative aortic valve stenosis with preserved ejection fraction (ASpEF) and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) display intriguing similarities. This study aimed to provide a non‐invasive, comparative analysis of ASpEF versus HFpEF at rest and during exercise.

Methods and results

We prospectively enrolled 148 patients with HFpEF and 150 patients with degenerative moderate‐to‐severe ASpEF, together with 66 age‐ and sex‐matched healthy controls. All subjects received a comprehensive evaluation at rest and 351/364 (96%) performed a combined cardiopulmonary exercise stress echocardiography test. Patients with ASpEF eligible for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (n = 125) also performed cardiac computed tomography (CT). HFpEF and ASpEF patients showed similar demographic distribution and biohumoral profiles. Most patients with ASpEF (134/150, 89%) had severe high‐gradient aortic stenosis; 6/150 (4%) had normal‐flow, low‐gradient ASpEF, while 10/150 (7%) had low‐flow, low‐gradient ASpEF. Both patient groups displayed significantly lower peak oxygen consumption (VO2), peak cardiac output, and peak arteriovenous oxygen difference compared to controls (all p < 0.01). ASpEF patients showed several extravalvular abnormalities at rest and during exercise, similar to HFpEF (all p < 0.01 vs. controls). Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) thickness was significantly greater in ASpEF than HFpEF and was inversely correlated with peak VO2 in all groups. In ASpEF, EAT was directly related to echocardiography‐derived disease severity and CT‐derived aortic valve calcium burden.

Conclusion

Functional capacity is similarly impaired in ASpEF and HFpEF due to both peripheral and central components. Further investigation is warranted to determine whether extravalvular alterations may affect disease progression and prognosis in ASpEF even after valve intervention, which could support the concept of ASpEF as a specific sub‐phenotype of HFpEF.
Extending the π‐System in MnI Diimine Tricarbonyl Complexes: Impacts on Photochemistry, Electrochemistry, and CO2 Catalytic Reduction Activity
Authors: Cohen Kailyn Y. , Evans Rebecca , Bocarsly Andrew B.
Published: September 2023

The complex [Mn(bpy)(CO)3Br], has been previously studied as both an electrocatalyst and a photocatalyst, in conjugation with a photosensitizer, for CO2 reduction to CO. This study considers the relationship between this catalytic activity and the steric and electronic nature of the aromatic diimine ligand. To this end, the π‐system in the bidentate ligand is increased step‐wise from 2,2′‐bipyridine (bpy) to 2‐(2‐pyridyl)quinoline (pq) to 2,2′‐biquinoline (bqn) in a series of three fac‐[Mn(α‐diimine)(CO)3Br] complexes. It is found that the propensity of these complexes to photochemically dimerize trends with the energy of the α‐diimine π* energy. Electrochemically, it is observed that the second reduction event in these systems becomes increasingly thermodynamically favorable and approaches the potential of the first reduction event as the π‐system expands. In fac‐[Mn(bqn)(CO)3Br], the second reduction is more favorable than the first reduction, precluding the formation of a dimer intermediate; even though, chemical reduction of fac‐[Mn(bqn)(CO)3Br] confirms that the dimer, [Mn(bqn)(CO)3Br]2 is able to form and not prevented by steric considerations. Though the second reduction potential is more positive for bqn and pq than for bpy, the CO2 reduction mechanism changes such that the overpotential for carbon dioxide reduction occurs at more negative potentials, leading to a decrease in overall catalytic activity.
Improving UAV‐SfM photogrammetry for modelling high‐relief terrain: Image collection strategies and ground control quantity
Authors: Dai Wen , Zheng Guanghui , Antoniazza Gilles , Zhao Fei , Chen Kai , Lu Wangda , Lane Stuart N.
Published: September 2023

Image collection strategies and ground control points (GCPs) are of particular importance for uncrewed aerial vehicle combined with Structure‐from‐Motion (UAV–SfM) photogrammetry, and the generalization of their effects has proved elusive. This study designed various photogrammetric scenarios to investigate the effects of image collection strategies, ground control quantity, and their interaction on digital elevation model (DEM) errors and their spatial structure in high‐relief terrain. The results of 1.77 × 105 UAV–SfM scenarios provide insights for improving UAV–SfM practices. A high image capture angle (20–40°) enhances camera calibration quality decreasing the magnitude and spatial correlation of errors. High camera inclination reduces the sensitivity of mean and standard deviation of error to flying height but not the spatial correlation of error. Including additional data (e.g. supplemented convergent images; images captured at multiple flying heights) has only a minor effect if imagery is highly inclined. GCPs provide more effective constraints than image collection strategies. The mean error and standard error decline quickly with a small number of GCPs and then become stable in all scenarios, but the spatial correlation of error can be further improved with increasing GCPs. However, the effects of GCP quantity do interact with image collection strategies. High camera inclination reduces requirements for GCPs, whilst strategies combining different flying heights and image orientations have little effect on necessary GCP quantity. The distribution of GCPs still affects the errors, but the effect of GCP distribution becomes less important with an increase in the number of GCPs. Finally, we show that UAV–SfM photogrammetric quality assessment should routinely assess the spatial dependence of error using a statistic like Moran's I.
Paleoecological data complete historical and archaeological archives: Human–environment nexus at the fluvio maritime city port of Chilia (Licostomo; Northern Danube delta) since the 14th century
Authors: Preoteasa Luminița , Hanganu Diana , Dan Anca , Florescu Gabriela , Sava Gabriela , Pascal Daniela , Dobre Mihaela , Olteanu Dan , Țuțuianu Laurențiu , Stănică Aurel , Vespremeanu‐Stroe Alfred
Published: September 2023

This study reconstructs the paleoecological settings of Chilia/Licostomo, the most important Genoese colony in the Danube delta. Our paleoenvironmental data (i.e., sedimentology, pollen, charcoal, radiocarbon ages) corroborate historical and archaeological information over the last seven centuries to document the habitation at Chilia and its military and socioeconomic activity during ca. 14th–19th centuries A.D. Palynological data show the continuous presence of humans, with anthropogenic pollen index calculation (API) values between 2% and 16% during the last five centuries. The variability of API, corroborated with the major peaks of the charcoal concentration, matches the documented military conflicts and population changes in the area: the Ottoman conquest of Dobrugea (15th century A.D.), the Zaporozhians Cossaks raids (17th century A.D.), and the Russian–Ottoman wars (18th–19th centuries A.D.). The presence of coprophilous fungi fits the Ottoman tradition of animal husbandry, whereas their appearance after the Zaporozhians Cossacks raids and their good correlation with open land vegetation suggest that the Chilia loess island was temporally used as a refuge from multiple menaces (e.g., wars, administrative crisis). These paleoecological data, together with the rare archaeological findings, exclude human habitation of the Chilia Plain earlier than the documented arrival of the Lipovans during the late 18th century A.D. The critical assessment of the correspondences between the paleoecological and historical data shows the relevance of the approach in deltaic environments, when applied to lagoon/lacustrine sediments, yet often limited to chronologically disparate, decennial‐ to multicentennial‐scale temporal frameworks.
The mechanisms underlying the negative effect of socioeconomic status on depressive symptoms among older adults: The roles of social support and living arrangement
Authors: Hu Fangfang , Jing Yurong , Qin Wenzhe , Han Wantong , Xu Lingzhong , Li Yinlong
Published: September 2023

Objectives

Previous studies have found an association between socioeconomic status (SES) and depressive symptoms among older adults, however the mechanisms underlying this association remained unclear. This study aimed to examine the mediating role of social support and the moderating role of living arrangement in the association between SES and depressive symptoms.

Methods

Data was collected from the 2020 Household Health Interview Survey in Taian city, Shandong Province, China. A total of 3896 older adults aged 60 and above were included in this study. Depressive symptoms was measured by the Patient health Questionnaire‐9 (PHQ‐9), Social support by the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), and other variables by related demographic scales. The moderated mediation model was examined using HAYES PROCESS 3.5.

Results

SES negatively predicted depressive symptoms among older adults, and social support could mediate this association. Living arrangement played a moderating role in the relationship between social support and depressive symptoms (the second half of the mediating effect), and the effect was stronger among older adults who lived alone.

Conclusions

Social support partially mediated the relationship between SES and depressive symptoms among older adults, and living alone strengthened the effect of social support on depressive symptoms. Interventions that address older adults' social support and living arrangement may ameliorate depressive symptoms among older adults.
Performance of ChatGPT in French language Parcours d'Accès Spécifique Santé test and in OBGYN
Authors: Guigue Paul‐Adrien , Meyer Raanan , Thivolle‐Lioux Gaetan , Brezinov Yoav , Levin Gabriel
Published: September 2023

Objectives

To evaluate the performance of ChatGPT in a French medical school entrance examination.

Methods

A cross‐sectional study using a consecutive sample of text‐based multiple‐choice practice questions for the Parcours d'Accès Spécifique Santé. ChatGPT answered questions in French. We compared performance of ChatGPT in obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN) and in the whole test.

Results

Overall, 885 questions were evaluated. The mean test score was 34.0% (306; maximal score of 900). The performance of ChatGPT was 33.0% (292 correct answers, 885 questions). The performance of ChatGPT was lower in biostatistics (13.3% ± 19.7%) than in anatomy (34.2% ± 17.9%; P = 0.037) and also lower than in histology and embryology (40.0% ± 18.5%; P = 0.004). The OBGYN part had 290 questions. There was no difference in the test scores and the performance of ChatGPT in OBGYN versus the whole entrance test (P = 0.76 vs P = 0.10, respectively).

Conclusions

ChatGPT answered one‐third of questions correctly in the French test preparation. The performance in OBGYN was similar.
Diagnosing of Parkinson's disease based on hand drawing analysis using Bi‐Directional LSTM equipped with fuzzy inferential soft‐max classifier
Authors: Ramzani Elias , Yadollahzadeh‐Tabari Meisam , GolesorkhtabarAmiri Mehdi , Pouyan Ali A.
Published: September 2023

Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a brain‐related disease that eventually causes disability and disrupts a person's normal life. Most physicians and researchers try to diagnose it quickly and treat it on time. In recent years, computer science and the field of artificial intelligence (machine learning) have helped researchers find a way to detect the disease early. This article proposes a method that diagnoses Parkinson's disease by analyzing the hand drawing shaped by the individuals using Bi‐Directional Long Short‐Term Memory (Bi‐LSTM) neural network. In addition, this paper proposes a Fuzzy Inferential Classifier for the Dense layer, which classifies the output of LSTM Blocks to the associated classes by modifying the Soft‐max function. Our decision to propose this classifier was because, in some cases, hand‐drawing data related to people with Parkinson's disease have no significant difference with the healthy subjects for the distinguishing and are often very similar to each other. A standard dataset has been used in this paper, which includes spirals drawn test (including static spiral, dynamic spiral, and stability specific point) by a group of healthy people and people with Parkinson's disease. The proposed method has reached 97%, 98.5%, and 100% accuracy rates for the three mentioned spiral tests with a smoother training loss and accuracy plots. In addition, the results outperform state‐of‐the‐art research conducted on this dataset and show at least more than 2.5% improvement in the accuracy rate in comparison.
Endoplasmic reticulum stress‐mediated autophagy alleviates lipopolysaccharide‐induced nucleus pulposus cell pyroptosis by inhibiting CHOP signaling in vitro
Authors: Chen Lu , Zhu Lei , Shi Hang , Xie Zhi‐Yang , Jiang Zan‐Li , Xu Zheng‐Yuan , Zhang Zi‐Jian , Wu Xiao‐Tao
Published: September 2023

Pyroptosis, a newly discovered pro‐inflammatory programmed necrosis of cells, serves as an initiating and promoting event that leads to intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration (IDD). Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and autophagy are vital regulatory mechanisms of cellular homeostasis, which is also closely related to IDD. However, the role and relationship of ERS and autophagy in the pyroptosis of nucleus pulposus cell (NPC) are not well understood. In this research, we aimed to elucidate the role and mechanism of ERS‐C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced cell pyroptosis and determine its interaction with autophagy. ERS and autophagy inducers or inhibitors were used or not in the preconditioning of rat NPCs. Cell viability, pyroptosis‐related protein expression, caspase‐1 activity assay, and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay were performed to observe rat NPC pyroptosis after the treatment of LPS. Activation of the ERS pathway and autophagy were assessed by quantitative real‐time PCR, western blot analyses, and immunofluorescence staining assay to classify the molecular mechanisms. Our results showed that LPS stimulation induced NPC pyroptosis with concomitant activation of the ERS‐CHOP pathway and initiated autophagy. Activation of the ERS‐CHOP pathway exacerbated rat NPC pyroptosis, whereas autophagy inhibited cell pyroptosis. LPS‐induced cell pyroptosis and CHOP upregulation were negatively regulated by autophagy. LPS‐induced autophagy was depressed by the ERS inhibitor but aggravated by the ERS inducer. Taken together, our findings suggested that LPS induced NPC pyroptosis by activating ERS‐CHOP signaling and ERS mediated LPS‐induced autophagy, which in turn alleviated NPC pyroptosis by inhibiting CHOP signaling.
Survey of the training needs of genetic assistants supports the creation of genetic assistant training programs
Authors: Rider Renee A. , Cubano Luis , Madden Ebony B. , Rowley Robb K. , Manolio Teri A.
Published: September 2023

Despite the increasing numbers of genetic assistants (GAs) in the genomics workforce, their training needs and how to best prepare GAs for their role have not been well defined. We sought to identify the current educational status of GAs, opinions on their training needs, and attitudes about GA training programs (GATPs). Survey links were emailed to NSGC members, 17 state genetic counseling (GC) professional organizations, and genomic medicine researchers. Respondents (n = 411) included GCs (n = 231) and GAs (n = 136). Like other studies, we found that the GA position is filled by a range of education levels and career aspirations. Most respondents supported the creation of GATPs, with 63% endorsing that GATPs would be helpful and half endorsing a short‐term (3 months or less) program. Most believed GATPs should focus on general knowledge, with almost all practical skills learned on‐the‐job. If more GATPs are created, our survey provides evidence that graduates would be hired. Indeed, of those whose work setting required a bachelor's degree, the number of respondents who favored keeping that requirement was similar to the number who favored hiring a GA without a degree if they attended a GATP. However, there were concerns about GATPs. Many (44%) believed creating GATPs could discourage candidates from becoming GAs. We observed that there are two types of GAs: entry‐level and bachelor's‐level, with the entry‐level being those who do not have and are not working to obtain a bachelor's degree and the bachelor's‐level being those who do/are. GATPs could focus on the education of entry‐level GAs, while gaps in the knowledge base of bachelor's‐level GAs could be addressed by augmenting bachelor's curriculum or providing additional training after hire. Further research on the training needs of GAs and hiring practices of institutions will be vital to understanding their training needs and designing and implementing effective GATPs.
Antigen processing and presentation‐related signature‐derived BNIP3 is a novel oncogene and immunotherapy determinant in osteosarcoma based on machine learning and in vitro validation
Authors: Chen Yang , Cao Yajie , Wu Song , Cao Xu , Cai Ting , Hu Hai
Published: September 2023

Background

In recent decades, osteosarcoma has remained the most prevalent kind of malignant tumor. An important and crucial factor in immunotherapy is antigen processing and presentation (APP). The specific functions and pathogenic processes of APP in osteosarcoma have not, however, been studied.

Methods

Patients with osteosarcoma were divided into groups using APP‐related genes. Machine learning was used to further build the APP‐related score. Investigated in‐depth were the prognostic relevance of the score, mutation features, immunological aspects, and pharmacological prediction performance. Investigations of the prognostic utility, immunological traits, drug prediction effectiveness and immunotherapy prediction of BNIP3 were performed in‐depth.

Results

Investigations by cell counting kit‐8, Transwell and 5‐ethynyl‐2‐deoxyuridine (EdU) demonstrated that BNIP3 is an osteosarcoma tumor accelerator. The osteosarcoma gene BNIP3 may promote macrophage migration. The APP‐related score shows potential for clinical use.

Conclusions

It was anticipated that more in vitro and in vivo studies would confirm BNIP3’s tumorigenic and immunogenic processes in osteosarcoma.
Three‐Dimensional Fast Spin Echo Pituitary MRI in Treatment‐Naïve Cushing's Disease: Reduced Impact of Reader Experience and Increased Diagnostic Accuracy
Authors: Liu Zeyu , Hou Bo , You Hui , Lu Lin , Duan Lian , Li Mingli , Fan Xiaoyuan , Deng Kan , Yao Yong , Zhu Huijuan , Feng Feng
Published: September 2023

Background

In patients with Cushing's disease, the preoperative identification of pituitary adenomas is crucial to treatment. However, increasing diagnostic accuracy remains an unresolved issue.

Purpose

To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy and the impact of readers' experience regarding high‐resolution contrast‐enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (hrMRI) for identifying pituitary adenomas in comparison with conventional contrast‐enhanced MRI (cMRI) and dynamic contrast‐enhanced MRI (dMRI).

Study Type

Retrospective.

Population

Sixty‐five patients (median age, 39 years; interquartile range [IQR], 28–53 years; 60% females) with treatment‐naïve Cushing's disease.

Field Strength/Sequence

3‐T, seven fast spin echo sequences.

Assessment

The diagnostic accuracies of identifying pituitary adenomas on cMRI, dMRI, combined cMRI and dMRI (cdMRI), and hrMRI were independently evaluated by six readers with three experience levels (high: >20 years, modest: 10–20 years, low: <10 years; two readers for each experience level). Readers were asked to localize the lesion, and measure its diameter on the sequence where identified. The reference standard was postoperative histopathology. The impact of readers' experience and interobserver agreement were assessed. Image quality was assessed using a 5‐point Likert scale, including overall image quality, sharpness, and structural conspicuity.

Statistical Tests

McNemar's test, Cochran's test, Wilcoxon signed‐rank test, Mann–Whitney U test, and κ statistics for interobserver agreement. A P‐value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

For identifying pituitary adenomas (median diameter, 5 mm; IQR, 4–5 mm), hrMRI had significantly higher sensitivity (87.7%–93.8%) than cMRI, dMRI, and cdMRI (52.3%–75.4%) for readers with different experience levels. The interobserver agreement was moderate (κ = 0.461–0.523). The sensitivity for hrMRI was comparable between readers with different experience levels (P = 0.371). All image quality scores on hrMRI were significantly higher than cMRI and dMRI (5.0 vs. 4.0).

Data Conclusion

For identifying pituitary adenomas in patients with treatment‐naïve Cushing's disease, hrMRI may show high diagnostic accuracy and seems not to be affected by readers' experience.

Level of Evidence

3

Technical Efficacy

Stage 2
Fear of sin and fear of God: Scrupulosity predicts women's daily experiences of mental contamination following sexual trauma
Authors: Jones Alyssa C. , Tipsword Jordyn M. , Brake C. Alex , Fenlon Emily E. , Adams Thomas G. , McCann Jesse P. , Badour Christal L.
Published: September 2023

Mental contamination refers to feelings of dirtiness in response to thoughts, images, or memories. Mental contamination is frequently reported after sexual trauma and is associated with symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Differences in individuals’ views about morality and purity may influence the severity of mental contamination, though this has been studied primarily outside of samples assessed for trauma and/or PTSD. The present study addressed this gap by investigating scrupulosity as a prospective predictor of daily sexual trauma–related mental contamination and PTSD symptoms. Participants included 40 adult women with a history of sexual trauma and current sexual trauma–related mental contamination who completed baseline diagnostic interviews and questionnaires followed by two assessments every day for 2 weeks. The results indicate that scrupulosity was positively correlated with PTSD symptom severity and sexual trauma–related mental contamination at baseline. Scrupulosity was also a prospective predictor of increased daily sexual trauma–related mental contamination, B = 0.19, SE = 0.07, p = .010, but not daily PTSD symptoms, B = −0.10, SE = .08, p = .198. The findings indicate that scrupulosity may be an important factor in understanding recovery from sexual assault.
Publication and collaboration anomalies in academic papers originating from a paper mill: Evidence from a Russia‐based paper mill
Authors: Abalkina Anna
Published: September 2023

This study attempts to detect papers originating from the Russia‐based paper mill ‘International Publisher’ LLC. A total of 1,063 offers to purchase co‐authorship on a fraudulent papers published from 2019 to mid‐2022 on the 123mi.ru website were analysed. This study identifies at least 451 papers that are potentially linked to the paper mill, including one preprint, a duplication paper and 16 republications of papers erroneously published in hijacked journals. Evidence of suspicious provenance from the paper mill is provided: matches in title, number of co‐authorship slots, year of publication, country of the journal, country of a co‐authors and similarities of abstracts. These problematic papers are co‐authored by scholars from at least 39 countries and are submitted to both predatory and reputable journals. This study also demonstrates collaboration anomalies in questionable papers and examines indicators of the Russia‐based paper mill. The value of co‐authorship slots offered by ‘International Publisher’ LLC from 2019 to 2021 is estimated at $6.5 million. Since this study only analysed a single paper mill, it is likely that the number of papers with forged authorship is much higher.
Evaluation of Animal Fats and Vegetable Oils as Comonomers in Polymer Composite Synthesis: Effects of Plant/Animal Sources and Comonomer Composition on Composite Properties
Authors: Lopez Claudia V. , Smith Ashlyn D. , Smith Rhett C.
Published: September 2023

Rancid animal fats unsuitable for human or animal food production represent low‐value and abundant, yet underexploited organic chemical precursors. The current work describes a strategy to synthesize high sulfur‐content materials (HSMs) that directly utilizes a blend of partially hydrolyzed chicken fat and plant oils as the organic comonomers, following up on analogous reactions using brown grease in place of chicken fat. The reaction of sulfur and chicken fat with either canola or sunflower oil yielded crosslinked polymer composites CFSx or GFSx, respectively (x = wt% sulfur, varied from 85%–90%). The composites exhibited compressive strengths of 24.7–31.7 MPa, and flexural strengths of 4.1–5.7 MPa, exceeding the value of established construction materials like ordinary Portland cement (compressive strength ≥17 MPa required for residential building, flexural strength 2–5 MPa). The composites also exhibited thermal stability up to 215–224 °C. The simple single‐step protocol described herein represents a way to upcycle an affordable and previously unexploited animal fat resource to form structural composites via the atom economical inverse vulcanization mechanism.
Highly Inductive Coil Spring Strain/Compress Sensors Integrated with Shape Memory Alloy and Shape Memory Polymers‐CNTs
Authors: Truong TranThuyNga , Yun Hayeong , Kim Jooyong
Published: September 2023

Future wearable electronic gadgets offer great potential for using stretchable, strain‐sensitive materials to instantly detect human motion and record physiological information. This paper presens a strain/compress sensor made from a Shape memory alloy (SMA) coil spring covered with silver pastes and the composite of carbon nanotubes and Shape memory polymer (SMP). The combination of the shape memory materials that expand or contract automatically by temperature improved the mechanics of the sensor. First, the proposed sensors showed an excellent ability to broad‐range strain of 250% and compress of 50% with a relative inductance (∆L/L0) range from ‐35% to 50%, respectively. Durability during 1000 loading and unloading cycles at 200% strain is included. Secondly, by monitoring changes in resistance, inductance, and time, it is determined how many silver layers appropriate for transformation should be in order to improve the recovery time of the SMA coil spring. Moreover, the presence of CNTs in the composite‐covered outer of sensors helps to reduce the influence of the relation between resistance and temperature in the range from 30 °C to 110 °C. Finally, a device is suggested for monitoring arm and triceps brachii muscle movements based on the stretchable area as a key parameter.
Design of single‐layer bandstop fractal frequency selective surface based on WLAN applications
Authors: Chen Xiaojia , Liu Tao , Zhang Wangwei , Guo Dongming , Zhu Huaxin
Published: September 2023

In this letter, we present a new frequency selective surface (FSS) for shielding 2.4–2.5 and 4.98–5.825 GHz wireless local area network (WLAN) bands. This FSS structure is based on the traditional Sierpinski octagon and we improve it. Compared with the traditional structure, the improved one has a smaller element size and better angular stability. The design is realized on float glass with a relative permittivity () of 8, and the unit cell size is 0.1152λ0 × 0.1152λ0 (λ0 is the free space wavelength at the first resonant frequency). Wide rejection bandwidths (−10 dB) of 910 and 1630 MHz are obtained at 2.4–2.5 and 4.98–5.825 GHz, respectively. The surface current distribution and the equivalent circuit model are illustrated to explain the resonance behavior of the proposed FSS. Furthermore, this FSS exhibits stable frequency response to incident angles of 0°–80° under transverse electric and transverse magnetic polarizations. Finally, this FSS structure was fabricated and measured. The measured results demonstrate that this FSS structure has good performance in WLAN applications.
Technical note: Evaluation of the dose enhancement effect for a novel transmission‐type x‐ray tube using the Monte Carlo method
Authors: Lin Chin‐Hsiung , Wu Chin‐Hui , Lai Yuan‐Chun , Chuang Ho‐Da , Hsiao Ching‐Yu , Wu Ni‐Shan , Tseng Shao‐Chun , Feng Chen‐Ju , Hsu Shih‐Ming
Published: September 2023

Purpose

Transmission‐target x‐ray tubes generate more x‐rays than reflection thick‐target x‐ray tubes. A transmission x‐ray tube combined with radiosensitizers has a better radiation enhancement effect. This study investigated the feasibility of using a transmission x‐ray tube with radiosensitizers in clinical radiotherapy and its effect on radiation dose enhancement.

Methods

This study used MCNP6.2 to simulate the model of a transmission x‐ray tube and Co‐60 beam.   The radiation enhancement effect of radiosensitizers was examined with iodine‐127 (I‐127), radioiodinated iododeoxyuridine (IUdR), and gold nanoparticles (GNPs).

Results

The study results showed that the dose enhancement factor (DEF) of the transmission x‐ray tube with GNPs was 10.27, which was higher than that of I‐127 (6.46) and IUdR (3.08). The DEF of the Co‐60 beam with GNPs, I‐127, and IUdR was 1.23, 1.19, and 1.2, respectively. The Auger electron flux of the transmission x‐ray tube with GNPs was 1.19E+05 particles/cm2.

Conclusions

This study found that a transmission x‐ray tube with appropriate radiosensitizers could produce a high rate of Auger electrons to fulfill the radiation enhancement effect, and this procedure has the potential to become a radiotherapy modality.
Quality assessment of routine brain imaging at 0.55 T: initial experience in a clinical workflow
Authors: Lavrova Anna , Mishra Shruti , Richardson Jacob , Masotti Maria , Kurokawa Ryo , Kurokawa Mariko , Itriago‐Leon Pedro , Gulani Vikas , McCracken Brendan , Wright Katherine , Hussain Hero K. , Moritani Toshio , Seiberlich Nicole
Published: September 2023

The purpose of this study was to assess the quality of clinical brain imaging in healthy subjects and patients on an FDA‐approved commercial 0.55 T MRI scanner, and to provide information about the feasibility of using this scanner in a clinical workflow. In this IRB‐approved study, brain examinations on the scanner were prospectively performed in 10 healthy subjects (February–April 2022) and retrospectively derived from 44 patients (February–July 2022). Images collected using the following pulse sequences were available for assessment: axial DWI (diffusion‐weighted imaging), apparent diffusion coefficient maps, 2D axial fluid‐attenuated inversion recovery images, axial susceptibility‐weighted images (both magnitude and phase), sagittal T1‐weighted (T1w) Sampling Perfection with Application Optimized Contrast images, sagittal T1w MPRAGE (magnetization prepared rapid gradient echo) with contrast enhancement, axial T1w turbo spin echo (TSE) with and without contrast enhancement, and axial T2‐weighted TSE. Two readers retrospectively and independently evaluated image quality and specific anatomical features in a blinded fashion on a four‐point Likert scale, with a score of 1 being unacceptable and 4 being excellent, and determined the ability to answer the clinical question in patients. For each category of image sequences, the mean, standard deviation, and percentage of unacceptable quality images (<2) were calculated. Acceptable (rating ≥ 2) image quality was achieved at 0.55 T in all sequences for patients and 85% of the sequences for healthy subjects. Radiologists were able to answer the clinical question in all patients scanned. In total, 50% of the sequences used in patients and about 60% of the sequences used in healthy subjects exhibited good (rating ≥ 3) image quality. Based on these findings, we conclude that diagnostic quality clinical brain images can be successfully collected on this commercial 0.55 T scanner, indicating that the routine brain imaging protocol may be deployed on this system in the clinical workflow.