bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Frying Method and Oil Type on the Quality Attributes of Turkey Nuggets and Frying Oils
Authors: Şişik Oğraş Şeyma , Kaplan Hatice
Published: January 2022

The aim of the study is to determine the effects of frying under standard atmospheric and pressure conditions on some quality characteristics of turkey nuggets. Turkey nuggets are fried under atmospheric and pressure conditions using sunflower or hazelnut oil. Pressure frying decreases the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) value of turkey nuggets while sunflower oil increases this value. Under atmospheric conditions, nuggets fried with hazelnut oils show higher moisture content than hazelnut oil. The pH is affected by the type of oil. The frying under pressure results in a decrease in the internal and external a* value of nuggets. Under pressure conditions, the use of hazelnut oil increases the external a* value. The application of pressure also causes an increase in the external L* value in the presence of sunflower oil. These treatments also show higher hardness, springiness, gumminess, and chewiness values compared to atmospheric condition. The use of sunflower oil causes a decrease in resilience, cohesiveness, springiness, and chewiness values. After frying, hazelnut oil shows lower peroxide and total polar material values than sunflower oil. However, peroxide value and total polar material are not affected by frying method.

Practical applications: Color and texture are very important factors for the quality of nuggets. Pressure and atmospheric conditions show different effects on color parameters. Frying under pressure conditions decreases the external L*, which is an important quality parameter. Hazelnut oil shows lower TBARS value than sunflower oil. Moreover, pressure application causes a decrease in TBARS value. Frying process under pressure decreases the hardness and adhesiveness, while it increases the juiciness of product. On the other hand, the use of hazelnut oil as frying oil shows less changes in peroxide and total polar material during frying than sunflower oil, but the frying method and oil type interaction has no significant influence on these parameters.
Study of the influence laws of the flow and cavitation characteristics in an injector control valve
Authors: Ren Rina , Su Tiexiong , Ma Fukang , Wu XiaoJun , Xu Chunlong , Zhao Xin
Published: January 2022

Fuel cavitation can cause damage to the structure of an injector control valve, which can further affect the service life of the injector. Therefore, it is of great importance to carry out research on the mechanism of cavitation in injector control valves. In this study, the dynamic evolution of the cavitation and fuel flow characteristics during the opening of a ball valve in a high‐pressure common rail injector control valve were studied. First, a transient CFD simulation of the cavitation during the opening of the control valve was performed using dynamic mesh technology to analyze the evolution and formation mechanism of the cavitation. The cavitation was influenced by the fuel flow velocity, which was affected by the sealing cone angle and the ball valve movement. Additionally, the fuel reflux could effectively inhibit the development of cavitation. By comparing with the pressure, velocity, and mass flow rate of the fuel under conditions without cavitation, it was found that the cavitation had a remarkable effect on reducing the hydraulic shock to the ball valve and sealing cone as well as stabilizing the fluctuation of the fuel velocity in the control chamber. In addition, the cavitation noticeably decreased the fuel mass flow rate (by up to 32% at 0.015 ms) and increased the average pressure in the chamber (by up to 29.1% at 0.01 ms), ultimately leading to a slower response of the control valve. The analysis of different inlet pressures of the control valve indicated that the increase in the inlet pressure caused the cavitation to extend upward along the sealing cone, and that the cavitation ring area and the cavitation strength increased.
Highly branched amylopectin binder for sulfur cathodes with enhanced performance and longevity
Authors: Hencz Luke , Chen Hao , Wu Zhenzhen , Qian Shangshu , Chen Su , Gu Xingxing , Liu Xianhu , Yan Cheng , Zhang Shanqing
Published: January 2022

The sulfur cathode of lithium‐sulfur (Li‐S) batteries suffers from inherent problems of insufficient mechanical strength and the dissolution of sulfur and polysulfides. Inspired by the extraordinarily resilient and strong binding force of the Great Wall binder, that is, the sticky rice mortar, we extracted highly branched amylopectin (HBA), the effective ingredient, as a low‐cost, nontoxic and environmentally benign aqueous binder for the sulfur cathode. The HBA‐based cells outperform the Li‐S batteries based on the traditional polyvinyldene diflouride (PVDF) binder and a lowly branched polysaccharide binder. The improved electrochemical performance in the HBA‐based cell could be attributed to two mechanisms. First, the branched structure of the HBA provides enhanced mechanical and adhesive properties, which allow for a robust electronic and ionic conductive framework to be maintained throughout the cathode after extended cycling. Second, the HBA shows enhanced polysulfide retention due to the polymer's abundant lone‐pair rich hydroxyl groups and the formation of C─S bonds between the HBA and polysulfides prohibits the shuttle effect of polysulfides. The improved mechanical properties and polysulfide retention function of the HBA binder facilitate the HBA‐based Li‐S battery to deliver a long cycle life of 500 cycles at 2 C while only displaying a capacity fading of 0.104% per cycle.
Influenza virus entry and replication inhibited by 8‐prenylnaringenin from Citrullus lanatus var. citroides (wild watermelon)
Authors: Hanada Akari , Morimoto Ryosuke , Horio Yuka , Shichiri Mototada , Nakashima Ayaka , Ogawa Taro , Suzuki Kengo , Sumitani Hidenobu , Ogata Tokutaro , Isegawa Yuji
Published: January 2022

We previously demonstrated the anti‐influenza activity of Citrullus lanatus var. citroides (wild watermelon, WWM); however, the active ingredient was unknown. Here, we performed metabolomic analysis to evaluate the ingredients of WWM associated with antiviral activity. Many low‐molecular weight compounds were identified, with flavonoids accounting for 35% of all the compounds in WWM juice. Prenylated flavonoids accounted for 30% of the flavonoids. Among the measurable components of phytoestrogens in WWM juice, 8‐prenylnaringenin showed the highest antiviral activity. We synthesized 8‐prenylnaringenin and used liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry to quantitate the active ingredient in WWM. The antiviral activities of 8‐prenylnaringenin were observed against H1N1 and H3N2 influenza A subtypes and influenza B viruses. Moreover, 8‐prenylnaringenin was found to inhibit virus adsorption and late‐stage virus replication, suggesting that the mechanisms of action of 8‐prenylnaringenin may differ from those of amantadine and oseltamivir. We confirmed that 8‐prenylnaringenin strongly inhibited the viral entry of all the influenza virus strains that were examined, including those resistant to the anti‐influenza drugs oseltamivir and amantadine. This result indicates that 8‐prenylnaringenin may activate the host cell's defense mechanisms, rather than directly acting on the influenza virus. Since 8‐prenylnaringenin did not inhibit late‐stage virus replication of oseltamivir‐resistant strains, 8‐prenylnaringenin may interact directly with viral neuraminidase. These results are the first report on the anti‐influenza virus activity of 8‐prenylnaringenin. Our results highlight the potential of WWM and phytoestrogens to develop effective prophylactic and therapeutic approaches to the influenza virus.
MDReg‐Net: Multi‐resolution diffeomorphic image registration using fully convolutional networks with deep self‐supervision
Authors: Li Hongming , Fan Yong ,   for the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Published: January 2022

We present a diffeomorphic image registration algorithm to learn spatial transformations between pairs of images to be registered using fully convolutional networks (FCNs) under a self‐supervised learning setting. Particularly, a deep neural network is trained to estimate diffeomorphic spatial transformations between pairs of images by maximizing an image‐wise similarity metric between fixed and warped moving images, similar to those adopted in conventional image registration algorithms. The network is implemented in a multi‐resolution image registration framework to optimize and learn spatial transformations at different image resolutions jointly and incrementally with deep self‐supervision in order to better handle large deformation between images. A spatial Gaussian smoothing kernel is integrated with the FCNs to yield sufficiently smooth deformation fields for diffeomorphic image registration. The spatial transformations learned at coarser resolutions are utilized to warp the moving image, which is subsequently used as input to the network for learning incremental transformations at finer resolutions. This procedure proceeds recursively to the full image resolution and the accumulated transformations serve as the final transformation to warp the moving image at the finest resolution. Experimental results for registering high‐resolution 3D structural brain magnetic resonance (MR) images have demonstrated that image registration networks trained by our method obtain robust, diffeomorphic image registration results within seconds with improved accuracy compared with state‐of‐the‐art image registration algorithms.
The effect of the Shaker head‐lift exercise on swallowing function following treatment for head and neck cancer: Results from a randomized, controlled trial with videofluoroscopic evaluation
Authors: Tuomi Lisa , Dotevall Hans , Bergquist Henrik , Petersson Kerstin , Andersson Mats , Finizia Caterina
Published: January 2022

Background

Dysphagia is common following treatment for head and neck cancer (HNC) and intervention to improve swallowing function is warranted. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the Shaker head‐lift exercise (HLE) to improve dysphagia in HNC patients.

Methods

Patients treated for HNC with radiochemotherapy and with subsequent dysphagia were randomly assigned to intervention (HLE, n = 25) and control (standard dysphagia management, n = 27) groups. Videofluoroscopic evaluation of penetration‐aspiration, initiation, residue, movement of selected structures, and self‐perceived swallowing function, before and after 8 weeks of treatment, were compared.

Results

Although adherence to training was high, no statistically significant differences in objectively measured swallowing function between the groups or within‐group changes were found. Self‐perceived swallowing function improved in the intervention group.

Conclusions

In this HNC population, neither HLE nor standard dysphagia management improved objectively measured swallowing function as evaluated after 8 weeks. Future research focusing on finding effective interventions for dysphagia is warranted.
Cortical Bone Loss Following Gastric Bypass Surgery Is Not Primarily Endocortical
Authors: Sadoughi Saghi , Pasco Courtney , Joseph Gabby B , Wu Po-Hung , Schafer Anne L , Kazakia Galateia J
Published: January 2022

Roux-en Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery is an effective treatment for obesity; however, it may negatively impact skeletal health by increasing fracture risk. This increase may be the result not only of decreased bone mineral density but also of changes in bone microstructure, for example, increased cortical porosity. Increased tibial and radial cortical porosity of patients undergoing RYGB surgery has been observed as early as 6 months postoperatively; however, local microstructural changes and associated biological mechanisms driving this increase remain unclear. To provide insight, we studied the spatial distribution of cortical porosity in 42 women and men (aged 46 ± 12 years) after RYGB surgery. Distal tibias and radii were evaluated with high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) preoperatively and at 12 months postoperatively. Laminar analysis was used to determine cortical pore number and size within the endosteal, midcortical, and periosteal layers of the cortex. Paired t tests were used to compare baseline versus follow-up porosity parameters in each layer. Mixed models were used to compare longitudinal changes in laminar analysis outcomes between layers. We found that the midcortical (0.927 ± 0.607 mm−2 to 1.069 ± 0.654 mm−2, p = 0.004; 0.439 ± 0.293 mm−2 to 0.509 ± 0.343 mm−2, p = 0.03) and periosteal (0.642 ± 0.412 mm−2 to 0.843 ± 0.452 mm−2, p < 0.0001; 0.171 ± 0.101 mm−2 to 0.230 ± 0.160 mm−2, p = 0.003) layers underwent the greatest increases in porosity over the 12-month period at the distal tibia and radius, respectively. The endosteal layer, which had the greatest porosity at baseline, did not undergo significant porosity increase over the same period (1.234 ± 0.402 mm−2 to 1.259 ± 0.413 mm−2, p = 0.49; 0.584 ± 0.290 mm−2 to 0.620 ± 0.299 mm−2, p = 0.35) at the distal tibia and radius, respectively. An alternative baseline-mapping approach for endosteal boundary definition confirmed that cortical bone loss was not primarily endosteal. These findings indicate that increases in cortical porosity happen in regions distant from the endosteal surface, suggesting that the underlying mechanism driving the increase in cortical porosity is not merely endosteal trabecularization. © 2022 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).
Predicted fat mass and lean mass in relation to all‐cause and cause‐specific mortality
Authors: Liu Mengyi , Zhang Zhuxian , Zhou Chun , Ye Ziliang , He Panpan , Zhang Yuanyuan , Li Huan , Liu Chengzhang , Qin Xianhui
Published: January 2022

Background

Studies on the prospective association of body composition with mortality in US general populations are limited. We aimed to examine this association by utilizing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a representative sample of US adults, linked with data from the National Death Index.

Methods

We analysed data of NHANES 1988–1994 and 1999–2014, with 55 818 participants [50.6% female, baseline mean age: 45.0 years (SE, 0.2)]. Predicted fat mass and lean mass were calculated using the validated sex‐specific anthropometric prediction equations developed by the NHANES based on individual age, race, height, weight, and waist circumference. Body composition and other covariates were measured at only one time point. Multivariable Cox regression was used to investigate the associations of predicted fat mass and lean mass with overall and cause‐specific mortality, adjusting for potential confounders. Interactions between age and body composition on mortality were examined with likelihood ratio testing.

Results

Mean predicted fat mass was 24.1 kg [95% confidence interval (CI): 23.9–24.3) for male participants and 29.9 kg (95% CI: 29.6–30.1) for female participants, while mean predicted lean mass was 59.3 kg (95% CI: 59.1–59.5) for male participants and 41.7 kg (95% CI: 41.5–41.8) for female participants. During a median period of 9.7 years from the survey, 10 408 deaths occurred. When predicted fat and lean mass were both included in the model, predicted fat mass showed a U‐shaped association with all‐cause mortality, with significantly higher risk at two ends: Quintile 1 (HR, 1.17; 95% CI: 1.05–1.31), Quintile 2 (HR, 1.14; 95% CI: 1.04–1.26) and Quintile 5 (HR, 1.37; 95% CI: 1.12–1.68) compared with Quintile 3. In contrast, predicted lean mass showed a L‐shaped association with all‐cause mortality, with higher mortality in those with lower lean mass: Quintile 1 (HR, 1.64; 95% CI: 1.46–1.83) and Quintile 2 (HR, 1.29; 95% CI: 1.18–1.42) compared with Quintile 3. Similar results were found for cardiovascular, cancer, and respiratory cause‐specific mortality. Age was a significant modifier: There was a monotonic positive association of predicted fat mass with mortality in younger participants (<60 years), but an approximate J‐shaped association in older participants (≥60 years) (P interaction <0.001); there was a stronger inverse association between predicted lean mass and mortality in older participants (≥60) compared with those <60 years (P interaction <0.001).

Conclusions

In this US general population, predicted fat mass and lean mass were independent predictors for overall and cause‐specific mortality. Age was a significant modifier on the associations.
Myocardial Deformation in the Pediatric Age Group: Normal Values for Strain and Strain Rate Using 2D Magnetic Resonance Feature Tracking
Authors: Voges Inga , Negwer Inken , Caliebe Amke , Boroni Grazioli Simona , Daubeney Piers E.F. , Uebing Anselm , Pennell Dudley J. , Krupickova Sylvia
Published: January 2022

Background

Myocardial deformation can be assessed from routine cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) images using two‐dimensional feature tracking (2D‐FT). Although reference values are essential for implementation of strain imaging in clinical practice, data for the healthy pediatric age group are limited.

Purpose

To provide pediatric MR reference values for strain and strain rate for all four heart chambers.

Study Type

Retrospective.

Subjects

One hundred and fifty‐seven healthy children from two institutions (102 male, age 4.7–18 years).

Field Strength/Sequence

1.5 T; balanced steady‐state free precession sequence.

Assessment

Left ventricular (LV) global and regional longitudinal, circumferential, and radial strain and strain rate as well as right ventricular (RV) and atrial global and regional longitudinal strain and strain rate were measured in two‐, three‐, and four‐chamber views and the short axis stack. The relationships between strain parameters and age, height, weight, and gender were investigated. Age‐ and height‐specific centile curves and tables were created for LV strain and strain rate. For all other global strain parameters, the mean was calculated as a reference.

Statistical Tests

Lambda‐mu‐sigma (LMS)‐method of Cole and Green, univariable, and multivariable linear regression models. A P value <0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.

Results

Age, height and weight had a significant influence on LV global strain values. These parameters also showed an influence on RV strain but only in boys (girls P = 0.12) and none of the variables had a significant influence on atrial strain (P = 0.19–0.49). Gender differences were only found for RV strain values.

Data Conclusion

Pediatric potential reference values for myocardial deformation parameters of both ventricles and atria are provided. The values may serve as a reference in future studies and clinical practice.

Level of Evidence

3

Technical Efficacy

Stage 5
Highly adaptive Phenuiviridae with biomedical importance in multiple fields
Authors: Sun Ming‐Hui , Ji Yu‐Fei , Li Guo‐Hui , Shao Jian‐Wei , Chen Rui‐Xu , Gong Huan‐Yu , Chen Shou‐Yi , Chen Ji‐Ming
Published: January 2022

The newly established virus family Phenuiviridae in Bunyavirales harbors viruses infecting three kingdoms of host organisms (animals, plants, and fungi), which is rare in known virus families. Many phenuiviruses are arboviruses and replicate in two distinct hosts (e.g., insects and humans or rice). Multiple phenuivirid species, such as Dabie bandavirus, Rift Valley fever phlebovirus, and Rice stripe tenuivirus, are highly pathogenic to humans, animals, or plants. They impose heavy global burdens on human health, livestock industry, and agriculture and are research hotspots. In recent years the taxonomy of Phenuiviridae has been expanded greatly, and research on phenuiviruses has made significant progress. With these advances, this review drew a novel panorama regarding the biomedical significance, distribution, morphology, genomics, taxonomy, evolution, replication, transmission, pathogenesis, and control of phenuiviruses, to aid researchers in various fields to recognize this highly adaptive and important virus family and conduct relevant risk analysis.
Variable structure model predictive controller based gain scheduling for frequency regulation in renewable based power system
Authors: Sibtain Daud , Gulzar Muhammad Majid , Murtaza Ali F. , Murawwat Sadia , Iqbal Muhammad , Rasool Imran , Hayat Aamir , Arif Arslan
Published: January 2022

This paper presents a load frequency control (LFC) design using the variable structure model predictive controller (VSMPC) for gain scheduling (GS) of PI controller in PV connected thermal for multi‐area system. Due to the increasing impact of renewable energy sources into the grid system, the system frequency deteriorates. The proposed PV connected thermal system is evaluated under varying load conditions under increased penetration of the PV source. The combination of renewable energy into the thermal power system aggravates the frequency and it is indispensable to mitigate such a problem by introducing an optimal controller. Perturbation in load greatly affects the system frequency and this problem is addressed by using VSMPC based gain scheduling knowing the effect of proportional and integral in transient and steady‐state conditions. The oscillations in frequency are controlled by a proposed controller and the impact of frequency under penetration of PV is monitored. Further verification of the proposed technique is accomplished through communication delay in the governor and turbine. The Hardware in the loop (HIL) which validates the accuracy and real time performance of the controller. Finally, the validation of the proposed controller is compared with MPC to tune PI controller and renowned evolutionary tuned techniques like particle swarm optimization (PSO), genetic algorithm (GA) and firefly algorithm (FA) to optimize PI controller. The VSMPC with GS of PI controller shows promising results.
PPAR‐γ agonist pioglitazone alleviates inflammatory response induced by lipopolysaccharides in osteoblast cells
Authors: Yu Hua‐jun , Wang Lai‐jie , Huang Kai , Guo Qiao‐feng , Lin Bing‐yuan , Liu Yi‐yang , Yu Ming , Ma Gou‐ping
Published: January 2022

Osteomyelitis is an acute or chronic inflammatory bone disease with a high disability rate. As an anti‐inflammatory factor, peroxisome proliferator activated receptor‐γ (PPAR‐γ) is not only implicated in a variety of inflammatory responses but also regulates osteoblast differentiation and bone mass. However, the role of PPAR‐γ in osteomyelitis is not fully understood. In the present study, we demonstrated that PPAR‐γ showed a lower expression level in infected bone tissue of osteomyelitis patients as compared with uninfected bone tissue from nonosteomyelitis patients with fracture of the hip. We applied lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) in MC3T3‐E1 osteoblast precursor cell line as an in vitro model for osteomyelitis. LPS treatment increased osteomyelitis‐associated inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) and tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), whereas PPAR‐γ levels and cell viability in MC3T3‐E1 cells were suppressed. PPAR‐γ antagonist GW9662 further enhanced IL‐6 and TNF‐α levels, and decreased cell viability in the presence of LPS treatment. In contrast, PPAR‐γ agonist pioglitazone antagonized the effect of LPS treatment in MC3T3‐E1 cells. These findings suggest that PPAR‐γ downregulation is associated with the inflammation and progression of osteomyelitis, and PPAR‐γ agonist could serve as a therapeutic strategy to attenuate inflammatory responses. This study provides novel insights into the physiopathogenesis of osteomyelitis and future study is required to validate the findings in animal model and uncover the molecular mechanism of PPAR‐γ‐dependent anti‐inflammation in osteoblasts.
Nerve decompression surgery suppresses TNF‐ɑ expression and T cell infiltration in a rat sciatic nerve chronic constriction injury model
Authors: Mukai Michiaki , Uchida Kentaro , Inoue Gen , Satoh Masashi , Miyagi Masayuki , Yokozeki Yuji , Hirosawa Naoya , Matsuura Yusuke , Ohtori Seiji , Takaso Masashi
Published: January 2022

Decompression surgery (DS) is a standard treatment for chronic nerve compression injuries; however, the mechanisms underlying its effects remain unclear. Here, we investigated the effects of DS on messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) and T cell recruitment in a rat sciatic nerve (SN) chronic constriction injury (CCI) model. Male Wistar rats were subjected to CCI to establish a model of SN injury (CCI group). DS, in which all ligatures were removed, was performed 3 days after CCI surgery (CCI + dec group). Mechanical sensitivity was assessed using the von Frey test 3, 7, and 14 days after the CCI surgery. Gene expression of Tnfa, Cd3, Cxcl10, and immunolocalization of TNF‐α and the pan T cell marker, CD3, was evaluated using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and immunohistochemistry, respectively. In addition, the effects of TNF‐α on Cxcl10 expression and CXCL10 protein production were evaluated using qPCR and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay in SN cell culture. Rats that received DS had significantly higher withdrawal threshold levels than those in the CCI group. In addition, Tnfa, Cd3, and Cxcl10 mRNA expression increased following CCI. DS suppressed this elevated expression, with the CCI + dec group showing significantly reduced expression levels compared to the CCI group. Furthermore, TNF‐α induced Cxcl10 expression and CXCL10 protein production in SN cell culture. Therefore, DS reduced TNF‐α expression and T cell recruitment in the rat SN CCI model. These observations may partly explain the mechanism underlying the therapeutic effects of DS.
The Effect of (Val)ganciclovir on Hearing in Congenital Cytomegalovirus: A Systematic Review
Authors: De Cuyper Elise , Acke Frederic , Keymeulen Annelies , Dhooge Ingeborg
Published: January 2022

Objective

To search for existing evidence of a beneficial effect of (val)ganciclovir on hearing in children with congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) infection and to identify future research questions.

Study Design

Systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses guidelines, searches were performed in PUBMED, EMBASE, and WEB OF SCIENCE on December 15, 2021.

Methods

Studies providing ear‐specific hearing results after treating children with cCMV‐related hearing loss with (val)ganciclovir were retained. A meta‐analysis [Peto odds ratio (OR), Review Manager 5.3] was performed to compare hearing outcome between treated and untreated children. The National Institutes of Health tool was used for quality assessment and heterogeneity was assessed with I2 statistics.

Results

Eighteen studies with a total of 682 treated patients were included for the systematic review. Our meta‐analysis showed that treating symptomatic children with hearing loss resulted in more hearing improvement [Peto OR 7.72, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.08–19.34] and less hearing deterioration (Peto OR 0.23, 95% CI 0.10–0.57). Relative to an improvement and deterioration rate of 9.4% and 28.2% in an untreated group, the rate of the treated group was 44.5% and 6.3%, respectively.

Conclusions

There is sufficient evidence in literature to support treatment with (val)ganciclovir of children with symptomatic cCMV and hearing loss. However, still today, there is insufficient evidence of the potential beneficial role of (val)ganciclovir on hearing outcome of children with isolated hearing loss, late‐onset hearing loss, and asymptomatic cCMV. The urgent need for future prospective, randomized clinical trials still exists. A standardization of definitions and treatment protocols would create uniformity in future studies. Laryngoscope, 132:2241–2250, 2022
Enhanced Upconversion Photoluminescence Assisted by Flexoelectric Field in Oxide Nanomembranes
Authors: Dong Zhengang , Chen Haisheng , Qi Minqun , Shen Jiaying , Liu Weiwei , Guo Er‐Jia , Li Danfeng , Zhang Yang , Wu Zhenping
Published: January 2022

Flexoelectricity refers to the linear coupling between electric polarization and strain gradients, and exhibits in all materials with arbitrary crystal symmetries. Recent breakthroughs on synthesizing high‐quality freestanding perovskite oxides have provided new opportunities to couple this universal effect to various functionalities. In particular, the interplay between flexoelectricity and upconversion emission in lanthanide doped freestanding perovskite oxide SrTiO3:Er3+ nanomembranes is experimentally demonstrated. The tunable flexoelectricity leads to an over fourfold enhancement in upconversion photoluminescence (PL) through strain gradient engineering. The observed significant PL enhancement can be ascribed to the strain gradient induced polarization, or more fundamentally, inversion symmetry breaking. Furthermore, this behavior is reversible and exhibits excellent antifatigue characteristics even after 104 bending cycles. The showcased strong coupling between flexoelectricity and photoluminescence in nonpolar materials offers dramatically greater design freedom for various strain‐tunable optoelectronic devices, regardless of the lattice symmetry of the constituent materials.
Microduplication of 16p11.2 locus Potentiates Hypertrophic Obesity in Association with Imbalanced Triglyceride Metabolism in White Adipose Tissue
Authors: Wang Dilong , Mai Qiuyan , Yang Xiuyan , Chi Xinjin , Li Ruohan , Jiang Jian , Luo Liang , Fang Xiaoyi , Yun Peng , Liang Liyang , Yang Guang , Song Kun , Fang Liang , Chen Yun , Zhang Ying , He Yulong , Li Ningning , Pan Yihang
Published: January 2022

Scope

Copy number variation (CNV) of 16p11.2 is a common genetic factor contributing to the etiology of abnormal weight status, while the underlying mechanism is not fully elucidated yet.

Methods and Results

The 16p11.2 CNV mouse model with microduplication of the 7Slx1b‐Sept1 region (dp/+) is evaluated under normal chow conditions. Compared to the wild type littermates (WT), the dp/+ mice exhibit obvious obese phenotype characterized by significant increase in body mass index, fat pad mass, and fat ratio, with visceral‐dominant fat deposits at 12‐week age. White adipose tissue (WAT), liver tissue, and plasma are sampled to assess the comorbid metabolic syndrome. In dp/+ mice, histopathologic analyses reveal hypertrophic adipocytes and hepatic steatosis; serological examinations show hyperlipemia and hyperinsulinemia. Further, by comparing lipidomic and transcriptomic profiling of epididymal WAT between dp/+ and WT mice, the study finds the triglyceride (TG) accumulation in dp/+ mice in association with the dysfunction of lipid droplets. Validation of TG‐metabolism‐associated genes in WAT and in primary cultured adipocytes show enhanced TG synthesis and declined TG hydrolysis in the dp/+ model.

Conclusion

This study elucidates that the imbalanced TG synthesis/hydrolysis in adipocytic lipid droplets may contribute to the hypertrophic obesity and metabolic disorders in mice with 16p11.2 microduplication.
Discovery of Urinary Biomarkers of Spinach Consumption Using Untargeted LC‐MS Metabolomics in a Human Intervention Trial
Authors: Xi Muyao , La Barbera Giorgia , Eriksen Jane Nygaard , Prahm August Pilegaard , Jeppesen Palle Bekker , Dragsted Lars Ove
Published: January 2022

Scope

Biomarkers for intake of green leafy vegetables such as spinach can help investigate their health effects. However, only few potential intake markers have been reported in the literature so far.

Methods and Results

Based on a cross‐over study on whole leaf and minced spinach, we investigate changes in metabolites before and after spinach intake and differences between the two treatments and health status. Nineteen volunteers (12 healthy subjects and 7 short bowel patients) completed the study within 48 days. Urine samples (24‐h intervals before and after spinach intake) and serum samples (baseline, post 8 d, and post 15 d) are collected and analyzed by ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC‐QTOF‐MS). The acquired data is analyzed by multivariate and univariate analyses. Three candidate biomarkers are observed in urine only after the spinach intake, including des‐amino arginine pentenol ester, D/L‐malic acid ester of cis‐p‐coumarate, D/L‐malic acid ester of trans‐p‐coumarate, and 69 metabolites are present before spinach intake but showing an altered level after treatment. These metabolites are related to dietary habits or meal structure, and some changes are possibly affected by spinach intake. The candidate biomarkers are independent of spinach pre‐processing and healthy status. No markers are discovered in serum samples.

Conclusion

We propose structures for three candidate spinach intake biomarkers; these markers will need further validation in independent studies.
The nutritional impact of a feeding protocol for infants on high flow nasal cannula therapy
Authors: Walter Sarah , DeLeon Stephanie , Walther Jonathan P. , Sifers Felicia , Garbe Michael Connor , Allen Christine
Published: January 2022

Background

Clinicians may be reluctant to feed patients on high‐flow nasal cannula (HFNC) therapy, despite studies suggesting it is beneficial and safe. We describe the implementation of a feeding protocol for patients with bronchiolitis on HFNC and determine its effect on nutrition goals.

Methods

Prospective bedside data on enteral volume, feed interruptions, and aspiration events were collected on patients with bronchiolitis who were <24 months of age, treated with HFNC, and fed per a developed protocol. Exclusion criteria included history of prematurity <32 weeks, congenital heart disease, or positive‐pressure ventilation before feeding. Length of intensive care unit and hospital stay was compared with both a concurrent cohort (CC) of patients not fed per the protocol and a retrospective cohort (RC) admitted prior to protocol creation.

Results

Seventy‐eight patients met the criteria for the prospective study arm: 24 patients were included in the CC, and 74 were included in the RC. Seventy‐one percent of prospective patients received enteral nutrition (EN) on HFNC day 1 vs 42% of the CC. In the prospective cohort, feed interruption occurred in 23% of patients and was associated with higher flow rates; however, no aspiration events occurred. Patients fed per protocol were fed 8–10 h sooner and discharged 1 day earlier than those in the RC.

Conclusion

The use of a feeding protocol for patients with bronchiolitis on HFNC was safe and associated with shorter time to initiate EN and shorter length of hospital stay.
Synthesis of low phosphorus flame retardant containing benzimidazole and hydroxyl and its application in reducing combustion smoke for epoxy resin
Authors: Wang Junjie , Zhou Hong , Pan Zhiquan , Wu Hanjun , Wang Dongsheng
Published: January 2022

Abstact

In this work, an economic and environmentally friendly phosphorus‐nitrogen‐based flame‐retardant containing benzimidazole structure and hydroxyl group (DOPO‐BHM) was successfully synthesized by a simple two‐step procedure. The as‐prepared DOPO‐BHM was characterized by1H NMR,31P NMR, and FTIR, and incorporated into epoxy matrix as co‐curing agent to remarkably improve the flame retardancy of epoxy resin (EP). When the amount of DOPO‐BHM in EP was 6% and the phosphorus content was as low as 0.408%, the EP/DOPO‐BHM composites achieved a high limiting oxygen index (LOI) of 32.7% and V‐0 vertical firing grade. Furthermore, the cone calorimeter (CC) test results showed that the values of total heat release (THR), heat release rate (HRR), total smoke production (TSP), and smoke production rate (SPR) of EP/6% DOPO‐BHM decreased by 12.9%, 28.5%, 30.0%, and 47.8% relative to EP, respectively, indicating that the modified EP had good performance of reducing heat release and inhibiting smoke release. In addition, FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and pyrolysis‐gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py‐GC/MS) were carried on to understand the flame retardancy mechanism. The characterizations indicated that the flame retardancy effect of DOPO‐BHM was in both condensed and gaseous phase, and gaseous phase played a dominant role. In addition, the mechanical test results showed that the tensile strength, bending strength, and non‐notched impact strength of EP/6% DOPO‐BHM were improved to a certain extent. In summary, DOPO‐BHM could significantly improve the flame retardant effect of EP without loss of mechanical properties and reduce emissions of phosphorus and smoke.
Interaction between working memory load and the ability to resist interference from negative distractors in dysphoria
Authors: Huang Zhi‐jing , Li Fan‐fan , Zhang Yu‐ting , Li Xu
Published: January 2022

Although the relationship between emotional working memory (WM) and depressive symptoms has been well established in clinical samples, research in the subclinical population has produced mixed results. The present study tested the effect of WM load on control of interference from emotional (positive, negative, neutral) distractors in dysphoria. Dysphoric (n = 32) and non‐dysphoric (n = 35) university students were administered the emotional 2‐back (lower WM load) and 3‐back (higher WM load) tasks. Results showed that resisting negative distractors was more difficult for the dysphoric group than the non‐dysphoric group, but only in the 3‐back task. The results demonstrate that dysphoria is associated with greater interference from negative distractors under high WM load. We conclude that both WM load and emotional valence have an effect on WM performance in dysphoria, and the poor ability to resist interference from negative distractors in WM might be a key cognitive vulnerability factor for depression.
A new insight into the push‐pull effect of substituents via the stilbene‐like model compounds
Authors: Cao Chaotun , Zeng Zhao , Cao Chenzhong
Published: January 2022

In this paper, authors report on 1‐pyridyl‐2‐arylethenes, 1‐furyl‐2‐arylethylenes, 1,2‐diphenylpropylenes and substituted cinnamyl anilines as stilbene‐like model compounds to investigate the factors dominating the push‐pull effect of substituents via using the nuclear magnetic resonance chemical shift of bridging bond carbon atoms. It is demonstrated that the maximum push‐pull effect is not always between the strong electron‐donating D and strong electron‐accepting A groups in D‐π‐A compounds. The action mode of push‐pull effect of substituents in D‐π‐A compounds is dominated by their molecular parent structure. The contribution of field/inductive effect and conjugative effect of a group to the push‐pull effect is unequal. When the D‐π‐A parent molecule is in a plane, the influence of field/inductive effect of a group on the push‐pull effect is greater than or close to that of its conjugative effect does. Although the parent molecule is sterically twisted, the push‐pull effect is mainly dependent on the conjugative effect of a group. The results of this paper can provide us a new insight into the push‐pull effect of substituents.
Event‐triggered leader‐following consensus for a class of nonlinear multiagent systems with time‐varying delay
Authors: Karaki Bilal J. , Mahmoud Magdi S.
Published: January 2022

This article studies the consensus problem for discrete‐time nonlinear multiagent systems with time delay. Based on an asynchronous event‐triggered mechanism where local information of a communication graph is involved, a distributed consensus protocol is proposed to reduce the network communication congestion for achieving state consensus for multiagent systems with nonlinear perturbations. To avoid complications involving data fusion, this distributed consensus protocol allows every agent to broadcast its state at its own triggering condition instead of using continuous updates and without continuous monitoring of the triggering condition. To save the energy consumption involved in a consensus protocol, the proposed event‐triggering guaranteed cost is investigated in this article for multiagent systems. We select an agent as a leader that is constrained by its neighbors and controlled by the proposed protocol as other agents. It has been theoretically demonstrated that the consensus problem of multiagent systems with nonlinear perturbation and time delays can be achieved if the control gains and the triggering parameters are appropriately selected. Sufficient conditions are given to guarantee that the agents achieve consensus. Moreover, the gain matrix and triggering parameters of the proposed protocol are cast into matrix inequalities conditions. A simulation example is given to illustrate the effectiveness of the theoretical results.
Theoretical and Experimental Investigations of N‐ and O‐Alkylated Sulfonamides: Density Functional Theory, Hirshfeld Surface Analysis, and Molecular Docking Studies
Authors: Danish Muhammad , Bibi Ayesha , Akhtar Arusa , Noreen Nadia , Batool Fatima , Zahra Nallain , Arshad Muhammad Nadeem , Asiri Abdullah M.
Published: January 2022

The current article is based on the synthesis of new N‐ and O‐alkylated sulfonamides; 4‐{[Ethyl‐(naphthalene‐2‐sulfonyl)‐amino]‐methyl}‐cyclohexanecarboxylic acid ethyl ester (IV), 4‐[(2‐nitrobenzene‐1‐sulfonylamino)‐methyl]‐cyclohexanecarboxylic acid ethyl ester (V) and 4‐[(Cyclohexa‐1,5‐dienesulfonylamino)‐methyl]‐cyclohexanecarboxylic acid methyl ester (VI). These compounds were characterized by FT‐IR spectroscopy, ESI‐MS spectrometry, and X‐ray crystallography. Density functional theory (DFT) of sulfonamide esters was carried out through the Gaussian‐09 program to optimize structures. Hirshfeld surface analysis has been performed to understand the intermolecular interactions. Biological evaluation of all compounds was done to check their application for antibacterial (Halomonas halophila, Shigella sonnei, Bacillus subtilis, Chromohalobacter salexigens, Staphylococcus aureus Escherichia coli, Serratia marcescens, Chromohalobacter israelensis, Nesseria gonorrhoeae, Klebsiella pneumonia, and Halomonas salina), anti‐fungal (Aspergillus niger), enzyme inhibition activity (Acetylcholine esterase and butyrylcholine esterase) and anti‐oxidant activity (DPPH (2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl) scavenging method, were carried out. Molecular docking was performed to check the interaction modes of these sulfonamide esters.
Recent Advances on N‐Heterocyclic Carbene‐Palladium‐catalyzed Heck Reaction
Authors: Anju Panthananickal Joseph , Neetha Mohan , Anilkumar Gopinathan
Published: January 2022

Heck reaction is a synthetically important C−C bond forming coupling reaction happening between alkenes and aryl or vinyl halides catalyzed by palladium complexes to form substituted alkenes. This review focusses on the recent advancements in the development of various types of N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands coupled with palladium catalyst that can catalyze Mizoroki‐Heck reactions. NHC ligands have unique characteristic nature, and hence widely used in homogeneous catalysis. Generally, they have good σ‐donating and sparingly π‐accepting properties. It is more stable and shows superior π‐accepting properties when compared to phosphine ligands that is under prominent studies. Thus, they can stabilize large extend of metal oxidation states and have high thermal stability. Most of the catalysts outlined here provide efficient and green synthetic route for the development of C−C coupled bond formations. The review encompasses literature from 2017 to 2021.
Chitosan/ZIF‐8 Composite Beads Fabricated by In Situ Growth of MOFs Crystals on Chitosan Beads for CO2 Adsorption
Authors: Li Chao , He Naipu , Zhao Xiaozhu , Zhang Xuehui , Li Wen , Zhao Xuerui , Qiao Yaoyu
Published: January 2022

CO2 responsive polymer chitosan is introduced to fabricate polymer/MOFs composite materials used to explore CO2 adsorption and recyclability. Chitosan beads (CBs) are successively immersed in the solution of Zn2+ and the solution of 2‐methylimidazole to fabricate chitosan/ZIF‐8 composite beads (CBsZx) by in situ growth of ZIF‐8 crystal on chitosan beads. CBsZx are characterized by powder XRD, FT‐IR, SEM, TEM, TGA and BET. The morphology, size and distribution of the ZIF‐8 crystals on CBsZx are tuned by adjusting the concentration of Zn2+ in the soaking solution. The coordination of the free amino groups on chitosan skeleton with Zn2+ and self‐emulsifying properties of chitosan have played a key role in situ growth of the ZIF‐8 crystals on chitosan beads. Additionally, the adsorption capacity and recyclability of CBsZx for CO2 has been evaluated. Compared with the pure ZIF‐8 crystals, the adsorption capacity of CBsZx for CO2 is significantly enhanced by 90 %. The kinetic models indicate that the adsorption of CBsZx for CO2 belongs to physical adsorption, when the ZIF‐8 crystals on chitosan beads have the regular shape and size. Moreover, the adsorption capacity of CBsZx for CO2 is remained more than 80 % after 3 recycling.
C3N4/Cu/ZnFe2O4 Ternary Nanocomposites: Removal of Environmental Pollutants by the Synergy of Physical Adsorption and Photocatalysis
Authors: Sun Xiaorui , Liu Hongfu , Yang Jia , Fu Mingyan , Tan Mingdan , Yin Guihua , Shi Wenbing , Huang Huisheng , Shi Jianwei
Published: January 2022

Although binary composites can enhance the separation efficiency of photo‐generated carriers to a certain extent, there is still space for further improvement. Here, we focus on using copper, a cheap transition metal, as an electron channel to improve the photo‐generated carrier separation efficiency of ZnFe2O4 (ZFO) and C3N4 (CN) composites. The kinetic constants of sample 40 %‐ZFO/CN for photodegradation reaction are 2.96 and 1.98 times than that of pure sample ZFO and CN under the same conditions. However, the kinetic constants of 3 %Cu@40 %‐ZFO/CN are 7.33 and 4.92 times than that of pure sample ZFO and CN, respectively. This is probably due to the physical adsorption performances of ternary composites for pollutants are significantly stronger than those of binary composites. The best photocatalysts achieved 90 % degradation efficiency within 15 minutes. A more reasonable photocatalytic mechanism model was proposed. Photo‐generated hole, superoxide anion, and hydroxyl radical all play an important role in the photocatalytic reaction. The importance of them is superoxide anion > photo‐generated hole > singlet oxygen > hydroxyl radical from high to low.
Enzymatic Resolution of cis‐Dimethyl‐1‐acetylpiperidine‐2,3‐dicarboxylate for the Preparation of a Moxifloxacin Building Block
Authors: Fogal Stefano , Bergantino Elisabetta , Motterle Riccardo
Published: January 2022

This work presents the enantioselective resolution of a water‐soluble racemic mixture of cis‐dimethyl 1‐acetylpiperidine‐2,3‐dicarboxylate catalyzed by Candida antarctica lipase B. The separation of the carboxylic acid product in its (2R,3S) configuration from non‐reacted substrate in the (2S,3R) configuration was easily obtained by organic phase extraction. The latter molecule can be used as an enantiomerically pure precursor in the synthesis of (4aS,7aS)‐octahydro‐1H‐pyrrolo[3,4‐b]pyridine, an expensive building block in the production of the antibiotic Moxifloxacin. On the other hand, the hydrolyzed product in the (2R,3S) configuration can be used for the preparation of a neuromediator analogue. The lipase demonstrated enantioselectivity towards the (2R,3S) substrate enantiomer and regioselectivity towards the ester in position 3 of the molecule. Studies of hydrolysis kinetics and the use of the immobilized enzyme were performed to evaluate its industrial application.