bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Catalyst Separation
Authors: Konrath Robert , Heutz Frank J. L. , Kamer Paul C. J. , Vogt Dieter
Published: May 2023

Although homogeneous catalysis provides advantages, such as high activity, selectivity and tunability of a catalyst, applications in industry will always require efficient solutions for the intrinsic separation problem. The major drawback results from the difficult recovery and recycling of these expensive and mostly toxic transition metal complexes. Multiple approaches tackle this issue by immobilising homogeneous catalysts. Typically, catalysts can be anchored to suitable supports or immobilised using multiphasic techniques. More elaborate approaches combine size-exclusion filtration with continuous flow catalysis, enabling simultaneous catalyst and product separation through nanofiltration membranes. This chapter will give an overview of these methods and critically discuss their advantages, drawbacks and distinguish between established and more recent achievements.
Process Intensification in Catalysis
Authors: Falß Sebastian , Rieks Martin , Kockmann Norbert
Published: May 2023

Intensification of chemical (and/or physical) processes (PI) leads to higher efficiency in smaller equipment, better quality from more robust and flexible processes, as well as cost reduction with increased safety. These goals are very ambitious and need a complete toolbox of measures on all relevant length scales, from molecules to chemical plants, together with appropriate methods. Catalysis should facilitate, accelerate, and direct chemical transformations for enhanced conversion and selectivity, while improved transport processes and energy supply provide comparable process conditions for each molecule. Novel energy logistics assists chemical transformations as well as molecular and convective transport, while integration of various operations generates new opportunities for chemical production processes. Catalysis and process intensification are an intrinsically tied couple for sustainable and green chemistry and engineering.
Recent advances in copper-catalyzed decarboxylative reactions of propargylic cyclic carbonates/carbamates
Authors: You Yong , Zhang Yan-Ping , Wang Zhen-Hua , Zhao Jian-Qiang , Yin Jun-Qing , Yuan Wei-Cheng
Published: May 2023

Copper-catalyzed decarboxylative reactions are powerful strategies for the construction of widely available skeletons such as allenes, ethynyl-containing heterocycles, and quaternary carbon centers.
Bonding character, electronic properties, and electronic transitions of perfluorocubane as a small electron acceptor
Authors: Li Xiaojun , Li Shuna , Lu Jun , Ren Hongjiang , Zhang Mengqi , Zhang Wangdi
Published: May 2023

Perfluorocubane as an electron acceptor molecule possesses a small diamagnetic ring current and its electronic transitions originate from the surface of cubic frame to inner cavity, which plays a key role in the design of novel electronic materials.
Visible-light promoted cascade cyanoalkylsulfonylation/ipso-cyclization ofN-arylpropiolamides toward sulfonated spiro[4,5]trienonesviaSO2insertion
Authors: Shan Xiwen , Gao Yu , Lu Yaru , Huang Rong , Sun Tengteng , Lu Kui , Zhao Xia
Published: May 2023

A visible-light promoted cascade cyanoalkylsulfonylation/ipso-cyclization ofN-arylpropiolamides toward sulfonated spiro[4,5]trienonesviaSO2insertion was developed.
Effect of PEIE and polylysine as interfacial layers on the performance of air-processed organic solar cells under both indoor and 1 sun conditions
Authors: Javanbakht Lomeri Hamed , Polino Giuseppina , Podapangi Suresh , Brown Thomas M. , Brunetti Francesca
Published: May 2023

Interfacial layers improve organic solar cells performance, but they behave differently in low light intensities respect to 1 sun. This study highlights the importance of selecting the right IFLs to suppress leakage current and enhance efficiency.
Self-crosslinked N-doped carbon dot supported Pd as an efficient catalyst for dehydrogenation of formic acid at room temperature
Authors: Lin Zhongxuan , Liu Ouyang , Guan Shuyan , Zhao Xinru , Yuan Zhenluo , Liu Xianyun , Bian Linyan , Fan Yanping , Peng Qiuming , Han Shumin , Liu Baozhong
Published: May 2023

The optimized Pd/CDs-III catalyst shows 100% FA dehydrogenation within 21 min, with a TOF value of 256 h−1 at 298 K. This work provides a powerful guidance for the rational design of active catalysts for dehydrogenation of FA.
Solvent-dependent supramolecular assembly behavior of a coumarin-headed amphiphile
Authors: Zhou Yuxue , Jiang Yuqian , Zhang Xiao , Sun Donglan , Jiang Jian
Published: May 2023

To study the effect of solvent on supramolecular self-assembly behaviors, a chiral courmarin-substituted glutamine amphiphile, L/DG-Cm, was synthesized for investigation.
Intelligibility of Word-Initial Obstruent Consonants in Mandarin-Speaking Prelingually Deafened Children With Cochlear Implants
Authors: Yang Jing , Wang Xianhui , Yu Jue , Xu Li
Published: May 2023

Purpose:

This study assessed the intelligibility of obstruent consonants in prelingually deafened Mandarin-speaking children with cochlear implants (CIs).

Method:

Twenty-two Mandarin-speaking children with normal hearing (NH) aged 3.25–10.0 years and 35 Mandarin-speaking children with CIs aged 3.77–15.0 years were recruited to produce a list of Mandarin words composed of 17 word-initial obstruent consonants in different vowel contexts. The children with CIs were assigned to chronological age–matched (CA) and hearing age–matched (HA) subgroups with reference to the NH controls. One hundred naïve NH adult listeners were recruited for a consonant identification task that consisted of a total of 2,663 stimulus tokens through an online research platform. For each child speaker, the consonant productions were judged by seven to 12 different adult listeners. An average percentage of consonants correct was calculated across all listeners for each consonant.

Results:

The CI children in both the CA and HA subgroups showed lower intelligibility in their consonant productions than the NH controls. Among the 17 obstruents, both CI subgroups showed higher intelligibility for stops, but they demonstrated major problems with the sibilant fricatives and affricates and showed a different confusion pattern from the NH controls on these sibilants. Of the three places (alveolar, alveolopalatal, and retroflex) in Mandarin sibilants, both CI subgroups showed the lowest intelligibility and the greatest difficulties with alveolar sounds. For the NH children, there was a significant positive relationship between overall consonant intelligibility and chronological age. For the children with CIs, the best fit regression model revealed significant effects of chronological age and age at implantation, with their quadratic terms included.

Conclusions:

Mandarin-speaking children with CIs experience major challenges in the three-way place contrasts of sibilant sounds in consonant production. Chronological age and the combined effect of CI-related time variables play important roles in the development of obstruent consonants in the CI children.
120‐GHz 2‐bit reflection‐type phase shifter based on PIN diodes switched‐lines
Authors: Ouattara David , Durand Cédric , Bourdel Sylvain , Paillardet Frédéric , Vincent Loic , Corsi Jordan , Ferrari Philippe
Published: May 2023

In this paper, a 2‐bit digital reflection‐type phase shifter (RTPS) working at 120 GHz is presented. It uses a compact coupled‐lines coupler with low insertion loss and high isolation over a wide bandwidth. The loads are made by a microstrip‐line loaded by three PN jonction separated by an intermediate region I (PIN) diodes whose states are tuned ON/OFF to obtain 90°, 180° and 270° phase shift relative to the reference (0°). Measurement results show root mean square (RMS) phase and amplitude error equal to 10.3° and 1.2 dB, respectively. The maximum insertion loss is equal to 8.6 dB, leading to a figure of merit of 31°/dB. As shown by simulation, by flipping PIN diodes and using negative voltage for biasing, the maximum insertion loss could be reduced to 3.6 dB (figure of merit of 75°/dB) along with a great improvement in RMS phase and amplitude errors, thus showing the potential of the proposed architecture.
Multiple injections of energetic electrons associated with the flare and CME event on 9 October 2021
Authors: Jebaraj Immanuel C. , Kouloumvakos A. , Dresing N. , Warmuth A. , Wijsen N. , Palmroos C. , Gieseler J. , Marmyleva A. , Vainio R. , Krupar V. , Wiegelmann T. , Magdalenic J. , Schuller F. , Battaglia A. F. , Fedeli A.
Published: May 2023

Context. We study the solar energetic particle (SEP) event observed on 9 October 2021 by multiple spacecraft, including Solar Orbiter. The event was associated with an M1.6 flare, a coronal mass ejection, and a shock wave. During the event, high-energy protons and electrons were recorded by multiple instruments located within a narrow longitudinal cone.

Aims. An interesting aspect of the event was the multi-stage particle energisation during the flare impulsive phase and also what appears to be a separate phase of electron acceleration detected at Solar Orbiter after the flare maximum. We aim to investigate and identify the multiple sources of energetic electron acceleration.

Methods. We utilised SEP electron observations from the Energetic Particle Detector (EPD) and hard X-ray (HXR) observations from the Spectrometer/Telescope for Imaging X-rays (STIX) on board Solar Orbiter, in combination with radio observations at a broad frequency range. We focused on establishing an association between the energetic electrons and the different HXR and radio emissions associated with the multiple acceleration episodes.

Results. We find that the flare was able to accelerate electrons for at least 20 min during the non-thermal phase, observed in the form of five discrete HXR pulses. We also show evidence that the shock wave contributed to the electron acceleration during and after the impulsive flare phase. The detailed analysis of EPD electron data shows that there was a time difference in the release of low- and high-energy electrons, with the high-energy release delayed. Also, the observed electron anisotropy characteristics suggest a different connectivity during the two phases of acceleration.
Smallholder Participation in Modernising Agri-Food Value Chains in Thailand: The Role of Traditional Markets
Authors: Ørtenblad Sinne Borby , Larsen Marianne Nylandsted , Bruun Thilde Bech , Ortiz-Gonzalo Daniel
Published: May 2023

The strategic focus of food retailers on stringent product requirements and the logistical management of fresh produce from farm to shelf have often been seen as raising barriers for smallholders, thus leading to the exclusion of resource-constrained farmers. Our study contributes to research on the inclusion of smallholders in modern agri-food value chains and on the integration of their perspectives in studies of dynamics in value chains through a combined qualitative and quantitative exploration of vegetable-producing smallholders in northern Thailand. We find that smallholders are not excluded from Thailand’s modern agri-food value chains, regardless of their household assets, but are instead integrated through traditional structures. To some extent, they do have room for manoeuvre in selecting different marketing channels and some bargaining power. Traditional markets can be very important for linking smallholders to modern agri-food value chains, but limited knowledge exchange, structural challenges in gaining access to certification and product differentiation all reduce the possibilities for upgrading. We emphasise the importance of viewing smallholders as active navigators within value chains and of understanding their motivations in making use of different sales channels in order to understand the complexities of their realities while not overlooking the power structures within value chains.
The sudden transition to remote learning in response to COVID-19: lessons from Malaysia
Authors: Salleh Mohd Idzwan Mohd , Alias Nor Aziah , Ariffin Suriyani , Ibrahim Zainuddin , Ramli Ahmad Razi , Aliman Sharifah
Published: May 2023

Higher education students are frequently required to assess lecturers with a convenient, fast, and anonymous learning management system. Following the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak, Universiti Teknologi MARA Malaysia (UiTM) adopted a remote teaching and learning approach. This study examined how lecturers’ professionalism, course impression, and facilitating conditions at UiTM affected undergraduate and graduate students’ remote learning pre- and mid-pandemic. The higher prediction accuracy of the model demonstrated that students’ remote learning activities were highly related to lecturers’ professionalism, course impression, and facilitating conditions. The structural model demonstrated that the t-statistics of all measurement variables were significant at 1%. The strongest predictor of students’ enjoyment of remote learning pre- and mid-pandemic was lecturers’ professionalism. In the importance-performance matrix, lecturers’ professionalism was in the quadrant for ‘keep up the good work’. Facilitating conditions and course impression did not require further improvement even during the pandemic. The influence of remote learning was demonstrated in the students’ graduation rates and grades. The results also presented theoretical and practical implications for the UiTM hybrid learning plan post-pandemic.
Uncovering solvent-engineering mechanisms in Y6:PM6 solar cells
Authors: Raab Timo , Seewald Tobias , Kraner Stefan , Schmidt-Mende Lukas
Published: May 2023

Additives, like 1-chloronaphtalene (CN), are commonly used in Y6:PM6 solar cells as they lead to an increased power conversion efficiency. In this work, we investigate the influence of CN during spin coating of Y6:PM6 dissolved in chloroform via an in situ transmission setup. We show that, in the presence of CN, the film formation of Y6:PM6 can be divided into two parts: one related to the evaporation of chloroform and one related to the evaporation of CN. This is mostly related to Y6 being dissolved in CN. We find that even for low CN concentration, the film formation is not completed for several minutes after the spin coating process. Furthermore, the removal of CN is needed to achieve a smooth film surface. We demonstrate that this fast removal can be achieved by spin coating the electron transport layer PDINN from methanol. The methanol is acting as an anti-solvent for the CN, leading to its removal from the film. Using this approach, solar cells fabricated with a high CN concentration of 5% feature a comparable performance to ones with more common concentrations between 0.5% and 1%.
Perspectives on two-dimensional ultra-thin materials in energy catalysis and storage
Authors: Wang Chengming , Guan Shuyan , Zhang Huanhuan , Shen Ruofan , Yuan Huiyu , Li Baojun
Published: May 2023

Over the past few decades, the design and development of advanced materials based on two-dimensional (2D) ultra-thin materials for efficient energy catalysis and storage have aroused much attention. 2D ultra-thin materials have emerged as the most promising candidates for energy catalysis and storage because of their unique physical, chemical, and electronic properties. Herein, we review the research and application of 2D ultra-thin material-based catalysts for heterogeneous catalysis. The various catalysts based on 2D ultra-thin materials, such as MXenes, GO, black phosphorus, and h-BN, are discussed in detail for catalytic processes in the fields of electrocatalysis, photocatalysis, and energy catalysis. The fundamental relationships between the electronic structure and catalytic activity of 2D ultra-thin materials were described at the atomic level. A significant emphasis on the development of 2D ultra-thin materials and their intrinsic activity and stability was presented. Finally, the prediction and prospection of the future development of 2D ultra-thin materials as efficient nanomaterials are also conveyed. It is important to thoroughly understand and summarize such 2D ultra-thin materials to provide further guidance for structural optimization and performance improvement.
Numerical analysis of droplet breakup, cooling, and solidification during gas atomisation
Authors: Wang Gezhou , Deng Yuanbin , Adjei-Kyeremeh Frank , Zhang Jiali , Raffeis Iris , Bührig-Polaczek Andreas , Kaletsch Anke , Broeckmann Christoph
Published: May 2023

As gas atomisation has been the main method for producing high-performance spherical powders in the past decades, its application in the production of metallic powders has become one of the main research subjects in this field. Since it is challenging to directly observe the atomising gas and to investigate melt flow states by experiments, numerical simulation is attracting increasing interest in studying the gas atomisation process. In this work, various computational fluid dynamics models were implemented to simulate the gas atomisation process. With the models, the droplet breakup, cooling, and solidification within the coupled process were investigated. The final mean particle size was predicted through numerical simulations and compared with the statistics extracted from the gas atomisation process, which shows that a reasonable mass median diameter of the particle can be predicted numerically. The results also show a clear relationship between the breakup trajectory and the resulting particle size.
The Literary-Inspired Web Series, Dickens and LGBTQIA+ Representation:Public History—A David Copperfield Web Series(2019–20)
Authors: Louttit Chris
Published: May 2023

Web series adaptations of the classics have been a familiar part of digital popular culture since the watershed appearance of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries (2012–13). Adaptation critics, including Douglas M. Lanier, Jennifer Camden, and Kate Faber Oestrich, have tended to focus on relatively high-profile Austen and Shakespeare vlog adaptations, especially those produced by Pemberley Digital. In this article, I update the genre’s genealogy by turning instead to later waves of low-budget creativity that have taken this transmedia form in new directions since the peak years of the literary-inspired web series in the mid-2010s. I pay particular attention to Quip Modest’s Public History–A David Copperfield Web Series (2019–20), a relatively rare example of a Dickens adaptation in the web series format which remoulds the multi-generational three-decker saga into an LGBTQIA+ positive coming-of-age narrative for the Generation Z audience. My contextualised close reading of the adaptation simultaneously reframes our understanding of Dickens’s digital canonicity and helps us better grasp the cultural logic of the literary web series adaptation community.
Perceiving Aesthetic Properties
Authors: Voltolini Alberto
Published: May 2023

In this paper, I want to claim that, in conformity with overall intuitions, there are some aesthetic properties that are perceivable. For they are high-level properties that are not only grasped immediately, but also attended to holistically—just like the grouping properties they depend on and that are responsible for the Gestalt effects or switches through which they are grasped. Yet, unlike such grouping properties, they are holistically attended to in a disinterested modality, where objects and their properties are regarded for their own sake.
The diversification of CaribbeanBuxusin time and space: elevated speciation rates in lineages that accumulate nickel and spreading to other islands from Cuba in non-obligate ultramafic species
Authors: González Gutiérrez Pedro A , Fuentes-Bazan Susy , Di Vincenzo Vanessa , Berazaín-Iturralde Rosalina , Borsch Thomas
Published: May 2023

Background and Aims

The genus Buxus has high levels of endemism in the Caribbean flora, with ~50 taxa. In Cuba, 82 % grow on ultramafic substrates and 59 % are nickel (Ni) accumulators or Ni hyperaccumulators. Hence it is an ideal model group to study if this diversification could be related to adaptation to ultramafic substrates and to Ni hyperaccumulation.

Methods

We generated a well-resolved molecular phylogeny, including nearly all of the Neotropical and Caribbean Buxus taxa. To obtain robust divergence times we tested for the effects of different calibration scenarios, and we reconstructed ancestral areas and ancestral character states. Phylogenetic trees were examined for trait-independent shifts in diversification rates and we used multi-state models to test for state-dependent speciation and extinction rates. Storms could have contributed to Cuba acting as a species pump and to Buxus reaching other Caribbean islands and northern South America’.

Key Results

We found a Caribbean Buxus clade with Mexican ancestors, encompassing three major subclades, which started to radiate during the middle Miocene (13.25 Mya). Other Caribbean islands and northern South America were reached from ~3 Mya onwards.

Conclusions

An evolutionary scenario is evident in which Buxus plants able to grow on ultramafic substrates by exaptation became ultramafic substrate endemics and evolved stepwise from Ni tolerance through Ni accumulation to Ni hyperaccumulation, which has triggered species diversification of Buxus in Cuba. Storms could have contributed to Cuba acting as a species pump and to Buxus reaching other Caribbean islands and northern South America’.
Single-cell RNA-seq data clustering by deep information fusion
Authors: Ren Liangrui , Wang Jun , Li Wei , Guo Maozu , Yu Guoxian
Published: May 2023

Determining cell types by single-cell transcriptomics data is fundamental for downstream analysis. However, cell clustering and data imputation still face the computation challenges, due to the high dropout rate, sparsity and dimensionality of single-cell data. Although some deep learning based solutions have been proposed to handle these challenges, they still can not leverage gene attribute information and cell topology in a sensible way to explore the consistent clustering. In this paper, we present scDeepFC, a deep information fusion-based single-cell data clustering method for cell clustering and data imputation. Specifically, scDeepFC uses a deep auto-encoder (DAE) network and a deep graph convolution network to embed high-dimensional gene attribute information and high-order cell–cell topological information into different low-dimensional representations, and then fuses them to generate a more comprehensive and accurate consensus representation via a deep information fusion network. In addition, scDeepFC integrates the zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) into DAE to model the dropout events. By jointly optimizing the ZINB loss and cell graph reconstruction loss, scDeepFC generates a salient embedding representation for clustering cells and imputing missing data. Extensive experiments on real single-cell datasets prove that scDeepFC outperforms other popular single-cell analysis methods. Both the gene attribute and cell topology information can improve the cell clustering.
RaggedExperiment: the missing link between genomic ranges and matrices in Bioconductor
Authors: Ramos Marcel , Morgan Martin , Geistlinger Ludwig , Carey Vincent J , Waldron Levi
Published: May 2023

The RaggedExperiment R / Bioconductor package provides lossless representation of disparate genomic ranges across multiple specimens or cells, in conjunction with efficient and flexible calculations of rectangular-shaped summaries for downstream analysis. Applications include statistical analysis of somatic mutations, copy number, methylation, and open chromatin data. RaggedExperiment is compatible with multimodal data analysis as a component of MultiAssayExperiment data objects, and simplifies data representation and transformation for software developers and analysts.

Motivation and Results

Measurement of copy number, mutation, single nucleotide polymorphism, and other genomic attributes that may be stored as VCF files produce “ragged” genomic ranges data: i.e. across different genomic coordinates in each sample. Ragged data are not rectangular or matrix-like, presenting informatics challenges for downstream statistical analyses. We present the RaggedExperiment R/Bioconductor data structure for lossless representation of ragged genomic data, with associated reshaping tools for flexible and efficient calculation of tabular representations to support a wide range of downstream statistical analyses. We demonstrate its applicability to copy number and somatic mutation data across 33 TCGA cancer datasets.
BRGenomics for analyzing high-resolution genomics data in R
Authors: DeBerardine Michael
Published: May 2023

I present here the R/Bioconductor package BRGenomics, which provides fast and flexible methods for post-alignment processing and analysis of high-resolution genomics data within an interactive R environment. Utilizing GenomicRanges and other core Bioconductor packages, BRGenomics provides various methods for data importation and processing, read counting and aggregation, spike-in and batch normalization, re-sampling methods for robust ‘metagene’ analyses, and various other functions for cleaning and modifying sequencing and annotation data. Simple yet flexible, the included methods are optimized for handling multiple datasets simultaneously, make extensive use of parallel processing, and support multiple strategies for efficiently storing and quantifying different kinds of data, including whole reads, quantitative single-base data, and run-length encoded coverage information. BRGenomics has been used to analyze ATAC-seq, ChIP-seq/ChIP-exo, PRO-seq/PRO-cap, and RNA-seq data; is built to be unobtrusive and maximally compatible with the Bioconductor ecosystem; is extensively tested; and includes complete documentation, examples, and tutorials.

Availability and implementation

BRGenomics is an R package distributed through Bioconductor (https://bioconductor.org/packages/BRGenomics). Full documentation with examples and tutorials are available online (https://mdeber.github.io).
‘Caring as a Female Concern’: Social Work Students’ Choices within the Boundaries of care
Authors: Cowan Fiona , Robinson Kim
Published: May 2023

Australian social work university cohorts are increasingly made up of female, mature-aged students. The Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) mandates a requirement of 1,000 h of unpaid field education across two placements, with full-time attendance as the norm. There is a growing body of research that suggests students experience financial, social, emotional and psychological stress during lengthy unpaid field placements. Yet little is currently known about the impacts specific to female students who have caring responsibilities at the time of their placement. In response, this initial Honours research conducted by a student with this lived experience explored the experiences of fifteen female social work students who had caring responsibilities at the time of their field placements. The analysis was situated in a feminist paradigm and generated five themes from the student responses, and this article focuses on one theme, ‘caring as a female concern’. The findings suggest that mature aged female students who juggle caring responsibilities, unpaid placement and other life responsibilities are particularly disadvantaged at the time of field placement, to the detriment of their own and their families’ financial, social, emotional, and psychological wellbeing. It calls for urgent changes to the AASW accreditation standards.
Cerebrospinal fluid transcripts may predict shunt surgery responses in normal pressure hydrocephalus
Authors: Levin Zachary , Leary Owen P , Mora Victor , Kant Shawn , Brown Sarah , Svokos Konstantina , Akbar Umer , Serre Thomas , Klinge Petra , Fleischmann Alexander , Ruocco Maria Grazia
Published: May 2023

Molecular biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases are critical for advancing diagnosis and therapy. Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) is a neurological disorder characterized by progressive neurodegeneration, gait impairment, urinary incontinence and cognitive decline. In contrast to most other neurodegenerative disorders, NPH symptoms can be improved by the placement of a ventricular shunt that drains excess CSF. A major challenge in NPH management is the identification of patients who benefit from shunt surgery. Here, we perform genome-wide RNA sequencing of extracellular vesicles in CSF of 42 NPH patients, and we identify genes and pathways whose expression levels correlate with gait, urinary or cognitive symptom improvement after shunt surgery. We describe a machine learning algorithm trained on these gene expression profiles to predict shunt surgery response with high accuracy. The transcriptomic signatures we identified may have important implications for improving NPH diagnosis and treatment and for understanding disease aetiology.
Compellingly negative: Bayesian analysis shows handedness and dementia are not associated
Authors: McManus I C
Published: May 2023

This scientific commentary refers to “The role of hand preference in cognition and neuropsychiatric symptoms in neurodegenerative diseases” by Saari & Vuoksimaa (https://doi.org/10.1093/braincomms/fcad137).
Cognitive and neuropsychiatric endophenotypes in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Authors: Costello Emmet , Ryan Marie , Donohoe Bronagh , Kavanagh Caoimhe , Pinto-Grau Marta , Doherty Mark , McLaughlin Russell Lewis , McHutchison Caroline , Abrahams Sharon , Heverin Mark , Hardiman Orla , Pender Niall
Published: May 2023

First- and second-degree relatives of people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis report higher rates of neuropsychiatric disorders, indicating that risk genes may be pleiotropic, causing multiple phenotypes within kindreds. Such phenotypes may constitute a disease endophenotype that associates with disease liability. We have directly investigated cognitive functioning and neuropsychiatric traits among relatives of people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis to identify potential endophenotypes of the disease. In a family-based, cross-sectional study design, first- and second-degree relatives of people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (n = 149) were compared to controls (n = 60) using an in-depth neuropsychological and neuropsychiatric assessment. Subgroup analyses examined the effect of family history and C9orf72 repeat expansion status (n = 16 positive carriers). Relatives of people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis had lower scores on executive functioning, language and memory tasks compared to controls, with large effect sizes observed on object naming (d = 0.91, P = 0.00001) and phonemic verbal fluency (d = 0.81, P = 0.0003). Relatives also had higher autism quotient attention to detail traits (d = −0.52, P = 0.005), lower conscientiousness (d = 0.57, P = 0.003) and lower openness to experience personality traits (d = 0.54, P = 0.01) than controls. These effects were typically larger in relatives of people with familial, rather than sporadic, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and were present in both gene carrier and non-carrier relatives of probands with a C9orf72 repeat expansion. Poorer phonemic fluency and object naming, along with autism and personality traits, are more frequent in relatives of people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Among kindreds carrying the C9orf72 repeat expansion, these traits were identified in relatives regardless of their carrier status, suggesting the presence of a disease-associated endophenotype that is not exclusively mediated by the C9orf72 expansion.
Risk and resilience: exploring the potential of LGBTQ third sector and academic partnership
Authors: Nodin Nuno , Pestano Catherine , Peel Elizabeth , Rivers Ian , Tyler Allan
Published: May 2023

The Risk and Resilience Explored [RaRE] Project (2010–2016) was a collaborative process involving a third sector agency, university partners and volunteers to better understand the risk and resilience factors associated with specific mental health issues among lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ) people. In this article, we discuss the project’s collaborative ethos, based on a Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) approach. We explain how the CBPR approach benefitted from including academic partners from the onset of the project, as well as from the direct and indirect engagement of community volunteers. We then explore some of our experience of third sector and academic partner collaboration in more depth, highlighting topic summaries salient to this partnership: support and continuity, upskilling of staff and volunteers for mutual benefit, accessible communication across sectors, and aligning priorities. We conclude by setting out recommendations based on our experience for those interested in developing similarly collaborative projects.
Determination of Related Substances in Promethazine Hydrochloride and Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide in Oral Solution by RP-HPLC Method
Authors: Patil Amruta Sainath , Amrutkar Sunil V , Nalwade Santaji
Published: May 2023

The goal of this study is to provide a single, widely applicable high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) technique for the determination of related substances in multicomponent oral solution of promethazine hydrochloride and dextromethorphan hydrobromide. For the assessment of impurities of promethazine hydrochloride and dextromethorphan hydrobromide in oral solution, a unique, sensitive, quick, stability-indicating gradient HPLC technique has been created. For chromatographic separation, an Agilent Eclipse XDB-C18, 250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm column was used with a buffered mobile phase consisting of a mixture of potassium dihydrogen phosphate pH 3.0:acetonitrile (80:20) v/v as mobile phase A and potassium dihydrogen phosphate pH 3.0:acetonitrile:methanol (10:10:80) v/v/v as mobile phase B. The separation was performed at a flow rate of 1.2 mL/min and a detection wavelength of 224 nm. The temperature of the column oven was regulated at 40°C. With good sensitivity and resolution, all compounds were effectively separated on a reverse-phase HPLC column. Acid, base, photolytic, thermal, oxidative and humidity stress conditions significantly degraded dextromethorphan hydrobromide and promethazine hydrochloride. The developed technique was validated according to the criteria of the International Conference on Harmonization for all validation parameters such as specificity, accuracy, linearity, precision, the limit of detection, the limit of quantitation and robustness.
Information-based estimation of causality networks from high-dimensional multivariate time series
Authors: Fotiadis Akylas , Kugiumtzis Dimitris
Published: May 2023

One of the most challenging aspects in the study of the complex dynamical systems is the estimation of their underlying, interdependence structure. Being in the era of Big Data, this problem gets even more complicated since more observed variables are available. To estimate direct causality effects in this setting, dimension reduction has to be employed in the Granger causality measure. The measure should also be capable to detect non-linear effects, persistently present in real-world complex systems. The model-free information-based measure of partial mutual information from mixed embedding (PMIME) has been developed to address these issues and it was found to perform well on multivariate time series of moderately high dimension. Here, the problem of forming complex networks from direct, possibly non-linear, high-dimensional time series at the order of hundreds is investigated. The performance of the measure PMIME is tested on two coupled dynamical systems in discrete time (coupled Hénon maps) and continuous time (coupled Mackey–Glass delay differential equations). It is concluded that the correct detection of the underlying causality network depends mainly on the network density rather than on its size (number of nodes). Finally, the effect of network size is investigated in the study of the British stock market in the period around Brexit.
Infectious agents and their physiological correlates in early marine Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)
Authors: Wang Yuwei , Bass Arthur L , Hinch Scott G , Li Shaorong , Di Cicco Emiliano , Kaukinen Karia H , Ferguson Hugh , Ming Tobi J , Patterson David A , Miller Kristina M
Published: May 2023

The early marine life of Pacific salmon is believed to be a critical period limiting population-level survival. Recent evidence suggests that some infectious agents are associated with survival but linkages with underlying physiological mechanisms are lacking. While challenge studies can demonstrate cause and effect relationships between infection and pathological change or mortality, in some cases pathological change may only manifest in the presence of environmental stressors; thus, it is important to gain context from field observations. Herein, we examined physiological correlates with infectious agent loads in Chinook salmon during their first ocean year. We measured physiology at the molecular (gene expression), metabolic (plasma chemistry) and cellular (histopathology) levels. Of 46 assayed infectious agents, 27 were detected, including viruses, bacteria and parasites. This exploratory study identified:

 

Importantly, our study provides the first evidence that the molecular activation of viral disease response and the lesions observed during the development of the PRV-related disease jaundice/anemia in farmed Chinook salmon are also observed in wild juvenile Chinook salmon.
Defining Biological Remission in Crohn’s Disease: Interest, Challenges and Future Directions
Authors: Pierre Nicolas , Vieujean Sophie , Peyrin-Biroulet Laurent , Meuwis Marie-Alice , Louis Edouard
Published: May 2023

In Crohn’s disease, the treat-to-target strategy has been greatly encouraged and has become a standard of care. In this context, defining the target [remission] constitutes a major stake and is fuelling the literature. Currently, clinical remission [symptom control] is no longer the only objective of treatments since it does not allow to closely control inflammation-induced tissue damage. The introduction of endoscopic remission as a therapeutic target clearly represented progress but this examination remains invasive, costly, not well accepted by patients and does not allow tight control of disease activity. More fundamentally, morphological techniques [e.g. endoscopy, histology, ultrasonography] are limited since they do not evaluate the biological activity of the disease but only its consequences. Besides, emerging evidence suggests that biological signs of disease activity could better guide treatment decisions than clinical parameters. In this context, we stress the necessity to define a novel treatment target: biological remission. Based on our previous work, we propose a conceptual definition of biological remission which goes beyond the classical normalization of inflammatory markers [C-reactive protein and faecal calprotectin]: absence of biological signs associated with the risk of short-term relapse and mid-/long-term relapse. The risk of short-term relapse seems essentially to be characterized by a persistent inflammatory state while the risk of mid-/long-term relapse implies a more heterogeneous biology. We discuss the value of our proposal [guiding treatment maintenance, escalation or de-escalation] but also the fact that its clinical implementation would require overcoming major challenges. Finally, future directions are proposed to better define biological remission.
A case report of percutaneous MitraClip implantation in an adult with a double-outlet right ventricle
Authors: Kumar Preetham , Gordon Brent M , Kheiwa Ahmed , Abudayyeh Islam
Published: May 2023

Background

Atrioventricular valve regurgitation (AVVR) is present in up to 75% of Fontan patients, and it is associated with an increased risk of Fontan circulation failure, morbidity, and mortality. Traditional treatment options include surgical repair vs. surgical replacement. We present, to the best of our knowledge, one of the first cases of successful trans-catheter repair of severe common AVVR using the MitraClip device.

Case summary

A 20-year-old male with a history of double-outlet right ventricle (DORV) with unbalanced common atrioventricular canal to the right ventricle, severely hypoplastic left ventricle, and total anomalous pulmonary venous return status post-Fontan procedure presented with progressively worsening dyspnoea on exertion. Transoesophageal echocardiogram demonstrated severe common AVVR. After discussion of the case during the adult congenital heart disease multidisciplinary conference, patient underwent successful placement of two MitraClip devices, reducing the regurgitation from torrential to moderate.

Discussion

MitraClip therapy can be used to alleviate symptoms in patients deemed as high risk for surgery. However, careful attention must be paid to haemodynamics before and after clip placement, which may predict short-term clinical outcomes.
Irisin reduces orthodontic tooth movement in rats by promoting the osteogenic potential in the periodontal ligament
Authors: Yang Yang , Pullisaar Helen , Stunes Astrid Kamilla , Nogueira Liebert Parreiras , Syversen Unni , Reseland Janne Elin
Published: May 2023

Objectives

Positive effects of irisin on osteogenic differentiation of periodontal ligament (PDL) cells have been identified previously, this study aims to examine its effect on orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) in vivo.

Materials and methods

The maxillary right first molars of male Wistar rats (n = 21) were moved mesially for 14 days, with submucosal injection of two dosages of irisin (0.1 or 1 μg) or phosphate-buffered saline (control) every third day. OTM was recorded by feeler gauge and micro-computed tomography (μCT). Alveolar bone and root volume were analysed using μCT, and plasma irisin levels by ELISA. Histological characteristics of PDL tissues were examined, and the expression of collagen type I, periostin, osteocalcin (OCN), von Willebrand factor (vWF) and fibronectin type III domain-containing protein 5 (FNDC5) in PDL was evaluated by immunofluorescence staining.

Results

Repeated 1 μg irisin injections suppressed OTM on days 6, 9, and 12. No significant differences were observed in OTM in the 0.1 μg irisin group, or in bone morphometric parameters, root volume or plasma irisin, compared to control. Resorption lacunae and hyalinization were found at the PDL-bone interface on the compression side in the control, whereas they were scarce after irisin administration. The expression of collagen type I, periostin, OCN, vWF, and FNDC5 in PDL was enhanced by irisin administration.

Limitations

The feeler gauge method may overestimate OTM.

Conclusions

Submucosal irisin injection reduced OTM by enhancing osteogenic potential of PDL, and this effect was more significant on the compression side.
Association of atrial fibrillation and outcomes in patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation
Authors: Krishan Satyam , Munir Muhammad Bilal , Khan Muhammad Zia , Al-Juhaishi Taha , Nipp Ryan , DeSimone Christopher V , Deshmukh Abhishek , Stavrakis Stavros , Barac Ana , Asad Zain Ul Abideen
Published: May 2023

Aims

Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a potentially curative therapy for several malignant and non-malignant haematologic conditions. Patients undergoing HSCT are at an increased risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AF). We hypothesized that a diagnosis of AF would be associated with poor outcomes in patients undergoing HSCT.

Methods and results

The National Inpatient Sample (2016–19) was queried with ICD-10 codes to identify patients aged >50 years undergoing HSCT. Clinical outcomes were compared between patients with and without AF. A multivariable regression model adjusting for demographics and comorbidities was used to calculate the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and regression coefficients with corresponding 95% confidence intervals and P-values. A total of 50 570 weighted hospitalizations for HSCT were identified, out of which 5820 (11.5%) had AF. Atrial fibrillation was found to be independently associated with higher inpatient mortality (aOR 2.75; 1.9–3.98; P < 0.001), cardiac arrest (aOR 2.86; 1.55–5.26; P = 0.001), acute kidney injury (aOR 1.89; 1.6–2.23; P < 0.001), acute heart failure exacerbation (aOR 5.01; 3.54–7.1; P < 0.001), cardiogenic shock (aOR 7.73; 3.17–18.8; P < 0.001), and acute respiratory failure (aOR 3.24; 2.56–4.1; P < 0.001) as well as higher mean length of stay (LOS) (+2.67; 1.79–3.55; P < 0.001) and cost of care (+67 529; 36 630–98 427; P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Among patients undergoing HSCT, AF was independently associated with poor in-hospital outcomes, higher LOS, and cost of care.
Effects of hyperbaric exposure on mechanical and electronic parameters of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators
Authors: Guenneugues Romain , Henckes Anne , Mansourati Vincent , Mansourati Jacques
Published: May 2023

Aims

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is the standard adjuvant treatment for life-threatening or disabling pathologies. Currently, mechanical and electronic variations of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD) in hyperbaric conditions have not been evaluated. As a result, many patients eligible for HBOT but ICD recipients cannot undergo this therapy, even in emergency situations.

Methods and results

Twenty-two explanted ICD of various brands and models were randomized in two groups: single hyperbaric exposure at an absolute pressure of 4000 hPa and 30 iterative hyperbaric exposures at an absolute pressure of 4000 hPa. Mechanical and electronic parameters of these ICD were blindly assessed before, during, and after hyperbaric exposures. Regardless of the hyperbaric exposure, we could not find any mechanical distortion, inappropriate occurrence of anti-tachycardia therapies, dysfunction of tachyarrhythmia therapeutic programming, or dysfunction of programmed pacing parameters.

Conclusion

Dry hyperbaric exposure seems harmless on ICD tested ex vivo. This result may lead to a reconsideration of the absolute contraindication of emergency HBOT to ICD recipients. A real-life study in these patients with an indication to HBOT should be performed to assess their tolerance to the treatment.
Use of Mindex and Demiquet for assessing nutritional status in older adults
Authors: Thuayngam Yanisa , Komolsuradej Narucha , Buathong Napakkawat , Srikrajang Siwaluk
Published: May 2023

Background

The Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) is a validated questionnaire that estimates nutritional status. Given that this questionnaire uses stature measurement, which are unreliable in older adults, Mindex and Demiquet are alternatives to BMI for assessing malnutrition risk. However, the correlation of Mindex and Demiquet values with MNA scores has not been investigated.

Objectives

This cross-sectional study examined the correlation of Mindex and Demiquet with nutritional status and blood parameters in older adults in Thailand.

Methods

The correlation of Mindex and Demiquet with MNA scores and body mass index (BMI), as well as blood parameters, was evaluated. Sociodemographic characteristics, anthropometric measurements, and blood test results were collected from 347 participants aged 60 years and older (mean ± SD, 66.4 ± 5.3 years). Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient and multiple logistic regression analyses were used in statistical analyses.

Results

MNA scores were significantly correlated with Mindex (P < 0.001) and Demiquet (P = 0.001), and BMI was related to Mindex and Demiquet (P < 0.001). Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) predicted MNA scores (P = 0.048) in males but not females.

Conclusions

Mindex and Demiquet values were positively correlated with MNA scores and BMI. In addition, LDL-C predicted MNA scores in male older adults.