bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Facile Fabrication of Novel S‐scheme Ag3PO4/g‐C3N4/Zeolite Photocatalyst for Boosting Photocatalytic Tetracycline Degradation and Hydrogen Production
Authors: Gao Sihang , Li Rui , Zhu Qiuli , Gao Dengzheng , Guo Qingbin , Wang Li , Hu Xiaolong , Song Junying
Published: December 2024

This study presents a novel ternary Ag3PO4/g‐C3N4/zeolite composite for photocatalytic H2 production and TC degradation through S‐scheme electron transport. The S‐scheme Ag3PO4/g‐C3N4 heterojunction was successfully constructed on zeolite surface through calcination and precipitation processes. The results indicated that Ag3PO4/g‐C3N4/zeolite‐50 % presented dramatically enhanced photocatalytic TC degradation performance, and the TC degradation efficiency was up to 92.86 % in 180 min under visible light. The corresponding reaction rate constant was 0.01205 min−1 which was 2.18 and 7.48 times greater than those of pure Ag3PO4 (0.00554 min−1) and g‐C3N4 (0.00161 min−1), respectively. Meanwhile, the highest H2 production rate (2748.6 μmol g−1 h−1) was achieved over Ag3PO4/g‐C3N4/zeolite‐50 % under simulated solar light which was around 26.5 and 5.6 times higher than that of g‐C3N4 and Ag3PO4, respectively. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of the ternary composite was mainly due to the synergistic effect of S‐scheme Ag3PO4/g‐C3N4 heterojunction and zeolite support which endowed the composite with excellent adsorption activity, enhanced light response ability, and efficient separation of photoinduced carriers. TC degradation mechanism and pathways were proposed based on quenching experiment and HPLC‐MS results. Overall, this study proposes a promising strategy for significantly improving photocatalytic activity and applying in photocatalytic pollutant degradation and hydrogen production.
A Stable Carbon‐Centered Radical Showing Six Amphoteric Redox States
Authors: Acan Ali S. , Wenzel Jonas O. , Breher Frank , Podlech Joachim
Published: December 2024

An air‐ and moisture‐stable hydrocarbon radical with four six‐ and three five‐membered rings alternately fused to a heptacycle was obtained by ortho fusion in a suitably ortho,ortho’‐substituted diphenylfluorene and subsequent re‐establishment of the conjugation. The radical was obtained in five consecutive steps from commercially available starting materials with a total yield of 34 %; key steps are Suzuki couplings and cyclizing SEAr reactions. Mesityl substituents at the five‐membered rings ensure the stability of the radical. This cyclopenta‐fused polyaromatic hydrocarbon (CP‐PAH) was characterized by EPR and UV/Vis spectroscopy and by cyclic voltammetry. Quantum chemical calculation disclosed further properties and led to simulated spectra (spin densities, aromaticity, orbital energies, and UV/Vis/NIR). This radical is best described with the unpaired electron centered in the outer five‐membered rings; these resonance formulas show the largest number of fully intact benzene rings. Its triradical character was computed to be very small and can be neglected. The five‐membered rings show notable antiaromatic character, especially in the central ring. The constitution of the radical could be further substantiated by X‐ray crystallographic analysis of its direct precursor.
Generate and Analyze Three‐Dimensional Dendritic Spine Morphology Datasets With SpineTool Software
Authors: Ustinova Anita , Volkova Ekaterina , Rakovskaya Anastasiya , Smirnova Daria , Korovina Olesya , Pchitskaya Ekaterina
Published: December 2024

Dendritic spine morphology is associated with the current state of the synapse and neuron, and changes during synaptic plasticity in response to stimulus. At the same time, dendritic spine alterations are reported during various neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders and other brain states. Accurate and informative analysis of spine shape has an urgent need for studying the synaptic processes and molecular pathways in normal and pathological conditions, and for testing synapto‐protective strategies during preclinical studies. Primary neuronal cultures enable high quality imaging of dendritic spines and offer a wide spectrum of accessible experimental manipulations. This article outlines the protocol for isolating, culturing, fluorescent labeling, and imaging of mouse primary hippocampal neurons by three‐dimensional (3D) confocal microscopy in a normal state and in conditions of low amyloid toxicity—an in vitro model of Alzheimer's disease. An alternate protocol describes the neuronal morphology analysis using the EGFP expressing neurons in line‐M transgenic mouse brain slices. Since the dendritic spines are relatively small structures lying close to the confocal microscope resolution limit, their proper segmentation on the images is challenging. This protocol highlights the image‐preprocessing steps, including generation of theoretical point spread function and deconvolution, which enhances resolution and removes noise, thereby enhancing the 3D spine reconstruction results. SpineTool, an open source Python–based script, enables 3D segmentation of dendrites and spines and numerical metric calculation, including key measures, such as spine length, volume, and surface area, with a new feature, the chord length distribution histogram, improving clustering results. SpineTool supports both manual and machine learning spine classification (i.e., mushroom, thin, stubby, filopodia) and automated clustering using k‐means and DBSCAN methods. This protocol provides detailed instructions for using SpineTool to analyze and classify dendritic spines in control and experimental groups, enhancing our understanding of spine morphology across different experimental conditions. © 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Basic Protocol 1: Obtaining 3D confocal dendritic spine images of hippocampal neuronal culture in normal state and conditions of low amyloid toxicity

Alternate Protocol: Obtaining confocal dendritic spine images of mice hippocampal neurons from fixed brain slices

Support Protocol: Post‐processing deconvolution of confocal images

Basic Protocol 2: Segmentation of dendritic spines with SpineTool

Basic Protocol 3: Spine dataset preparation using SpineTool

Basic Protocol 4: Clustering of dendritic spines with SpineTool

Basic Protocol 5: Machine classification of dendritic spines with SpineTool
Optimized Distance Vector Hop Localization Based on Pelican Optimization Algorithm in Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Nanthakumar Sathish , Jothilakshmi P.
Published: December 2024

In recent days, underwater exploration has emerged as one of the most predominant technologies for enhancing surveillance and early warning systems. Finding the location of the nodes placed in underwater is a difficult task owing to its harsh underwater environment. In large underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs), pinpointing the exact coordinates of sensor nodes may not be feasible or be incredibly expensive. In most of the applications, the coarse coordinate of the node is adequate. The primary technique used in UWSNs to determine the location of sensor nodes, based on the average distance between hops, is referred to as distance vector‐hop (DV‐Hop) localization. Nevertheless, the positioning accuracy in the classic DV‐Hop technique is influenced by the average hop distance. To reduce the localization error, it is possible to create a distinct and optimized DV‐Hop approach. To improve the effectiveness of the localization process, the average distance between hops is primarily used as an objective function. The optimization of this objective function is achieved by employing the Pelican Optimization Algorithm (POA). There is a noticeable decrease in the localization discrepancy if the optimized average hop distance is used to precisely determine the unidentified node to the anchor node distance among them. The factors used to evaluate the ability of the proposed methodology are the ratio of anchor, transmission range, and the density of the node. Compared to other localization procedures, the obtained outcomes demonstrate that the optimized approach that has been suggested achieves a low localization error of 0.3.
Impact of neighborhood disadvantage on cardiometabolic health and cognition in a community‐dwelling cohort
Authors: Krishnamurthy Sudarshan , Lu Lingyi , Johnson Christian J. , Baker Laura D. , Leng Xiaoyan , Gaussoin Sarah A. , Hughes Timothy M. , Ma Da , Caban‐Holt Allison , Byrd Goldie S. , Craft Suzanne , Lockhart Samuel N. , Bateman James R.
Published: December 2024

INTRODUCTION

Neighborhood disadvantage may be an important determinant of cardiometabolic health and cognitive aging. However, less is known about relationships among individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

METHODS

The objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between neighborhood disadvantage measured by national Area Deprivation Index (ADI) rank with measures of cardiometabolic health and cognition among Wake Forest (WF) Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC) participants, with and without MCI.

RESULTS

ADI was positively associated with blood pressure and cardiometabolic index (CMI), and negatively associated with global and Preclinical Alzheimer's Cognitive Composite (PACC5) scores, in cognitively unimpaired (CU) individuals. ADI was only positively associated with hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) in MCI.

DISCUSSION

Neighborhood disadvantage is associated more strongly with measures of cardiometabolic health and cognition among CU individuals rather than MCI. These findings demonstrate a need for structural solutions to address social determinants of health in an attempt to reduce cardiometabolic and cognitive risks.
A new tool to quantify biodiversity change under landscape transformation
Authors: Hilário Renato Richard , Carvalho William Douglas , Xavier Bruna Da Silva , Palmeirim Jorge M. , Vieira Marcus Vinícius , Mustin Karen , Cardoso Pedro
Published: December 2024

Identifying how species richness or diversity changes with different proportions of natural and anthropized environments in the landscape is important for landscape management for conservation. Here, we propose a new method to assess biodiversity changes in landscapes with varying proportions of habitat types. The algorithm is based on the resampling of individuals recorded in different habitats considering both the proportion occupied by each habitat in the landscape and the number of individuals recorded in each habitat. The diversity is assessed based on the sampled individuals. If a functional/phylogenetic tree or distance matrix is provided, the function returns the functional or phylogenetic richness values. This procedure is replicated a number of times with different proportions of each of the habitats in the landscape. Our method copes with two or more habitat types in the landscape and works with taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversities. We tested our method using 10 different simulated scenarios and one empirical dataset with bats (Chiroptera) to assess whether they behaved as expected. Our method performed as expected in all scenarios and in the empirical dataset (considering also the functional and phylogenetic diversities in this latter case). The possibility of working with more than two habitat types and with different dimensions of diversity (i.e., functional and phylogenetic diversity) is a major advantage of the new method. We show that this is a valuable tool to assess biodiversity changes in the context of landscape planning, helping to promote more sustainable landscapes often composed of multiple habitat types with mixed biodiversity composition.
Climate Extremes in Consecutive Years Impacted the Number and Fate of Duck Nests on Great Salt Lake Marshes
Authors: Conover Michael R. , Bell Mark E.
Published: December 2024

The number of ground‐nesting ducks in the marshes of Great Salt Lake (GSL), Utah has drastically decreased in the past few decades. One potential cause for this decline is the increase in climate extremes caused by global warming. From 2019 through 2023, GSL marshes experienced 1 year of historic spring rainfall (2019), 2 years of historic droughts (2021 and 2022), and 1 year of record snowfall (2023). We used this time period to test the hypothesis that climate extremes impact both the number of duck nests and their fate (i.e., successful, depredated, or abandoned). We counted 563 nests of cinnamon teal (Spatula cyanoptera), 168 mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), and 220 gadwalls (Mareca strepera). Nest numbers varied among years and were positively correlated with the amount of spring rainfall (April and May). Clutch sizes differed among years and were lowest during the drought years. Raccoons (Procyon lotor) and striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) were the major predators of nests. The percentage of all duck nests that were depredated varied among years and increased from 40% and 46% during the 2 wet years to 75% and 90% during the 2 drought years. The percentage of nests that were successful varied among years and were highest during the wet years. The yearly percentage of successful nests was negatively correlated with the abundance of all predators and positively correlated with snowfall because few skunks and raccoons survived the winter of 2023 with its heavy snowfall. Daily survival rates ( = 0.93), were similar among duck species, but varied among years; DSRs were lowest during the drought years (0.86 and 0.92) and highest during the wet years (0.96 for both years). Our results suggest that climate extremes will have an adverse impact on both the number of duck nests and the percentage of them that are successful.
Cumulative and Lag Effects of Meteorological Drought on Vegetation Cover in the Yellow River Basin
Authors: Zhou Pingping , Wu Hao , Song Xiaoyan , Ma Yuqian , Zhang Junyao , Li Yi , Sun Wenyi , Zhai Jun
Published: December 2024

Global warming has led to an increase in the frequency of meteorological drought events, posing a significant threat to ecosystem security, particularly in arid and semi‐arid regions. Previous studies have utilized correlation analyses to examine the relationship between vegetation and meteorological drought; however, a knowledge gap remains regarding the causal process between the two. This study investigates the linkage between solar‐induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) and the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) in the Yellow River Basin (YRB) from 2001 to 2019 and explores the cumulative and lagged effects of vegetation SIF in response to SPEI. The results indicated that the cumulative and lag effects of vegetation SIF response to meteorological drought varied with the intensity of water stress. Vegetation in arid regions exhibited poor meteorological drought tolerance and high sensitivity, and the cumulative time and lag time of SIF response to SPEI are 6.5 and 2 months, respectively. Forest, compared with cropland and grassland, demonstrated greater meteorological drought tolerance and reduced sensitivity. For forests, the cumulative and lag time of SIF response to SPEI were 8.7 and 7.4 months, respectively. Grassland was more influenced by precipitation, while forests were more affected by temperature. By analysing the response of SIF to SPEI, this study focuses on the cumulative and lag effects of vegetation on meteorological drought, which will strengthen the understanding of the response of vegetation to meteorological drought in arid and semi‐arid areas.
Endomyocardial biopsy in the diagnosis of cardiac sarcoidosis
Authors: Mälkönen Henriikka , Lehtonen Jukka , Pöyhönen Pauli , Uusitalo Valtteri , Mäyränpää Mikko I. , Kupari Markku
Published: December 2024

Aims

We set out to assess the utility of endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) in cardiac sarcoidosis (CS). Historically, EMB sensitivity in CS is only ≤25%, but comprehensive analyses of its current diagnostic performance are not available.

Methods and results

The data of 260 consecutive patients with CS (mean age 49 years, 60% female) meeting the Heart Rhythm Society diagnostic criteria were analysed retrospectively. Overall, 216 patients (83%) had undergone EMB, 47 with repeat procedures. EMB overall sensitivity was 38%, rising to 49% after repeat biopsies. On logistic regression analysis, positive EMB was predicted independently by presentation with ventricular tachyarrhythmia with an odds ratio (OR) of 3.8 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2–12.0, p = 0.021), left ventricular ejection fraction ≤45% (OR 3.7, 95% CI 1.5–9.1, p = 0.004), elevation of cardiac troponins (OR 2.7, 95% CI 1.1–6.4, p = 0.024), and presence of late gadolinium enhancement in left ventricular mid‐apical septal segments on magnetic resonance imaging (OR 4.1, 95% CI 1.2–13.8, p = 0.024). EMB sensitivity, counting in repeats, was 16% in patients (n = 37) without any independent predictor versus 38%, 60%, 79%, and 88% in those with 1 (n = 76), 2 (n = 62), 3 (n = 33), and 4/4 (n = 8) predictors, respectively. The rate of serious complications was 0.7% without mortality or permanent harm. Positive EMB was not an independent predictor of prognosis.

Conclusion

The sensitivity of EMB in CS depends on the extent, activity, and location of myocardial involvement, being the higher the more severe CS is. Its use should rely on weighing the pre‐test likelihood and individual value of positive biopsy against the procedural risks.
Nickel Complex Based Electrodes for Li‐ion Batteries
Authors: Pasquini Luca , Beyan Surafel Mustefa , Khamidov Anvar , Jubault Valentin , Munteanu Tatiana , Canard Gabriel , Knauth Philippe , Siri Olivier
Published: December 2024

This work focuses on the development of nickel‐based quinone complexes as electrode materials for next‐generation rechargeable batteries. These complexes were synthesized with different substituents and their potential as anode materials in lithium‐based systems was investigated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDX) confirmed the uniform distribution and composition of the electrode materials deposited by spin coating. Comprehensive electrochemical testing, including galvanostatic charge‐discharge cycling and impedance spectroscopy, showed that the dinickel complex 2 a present low capacity (10 mA h g−1) while the 2 b presents a maximum specific capacity up to 28 mA h g−1 at 0.4 C and very good stability over more than 200 cycles. Analogue 2 c exhibited a maximum specific capacity up to 25 mA h g−1 at 0.2 C, maintaining high cycling stability across different C‐rates but significantly lower capacity at higher C‐rates, indicating mass transport limitations.
Aggregation Bias and Socioeconomic Gradients in Waiting Time for Hospital Admissions
Authors: Carlsen Fredrik , Holmås Tor Helge , Kaarboe Oddvar
Published: December 2024

Waiting time is a rationing mechanism that is used in publicly funded healthcare systems as a mean to ensure equal access for equal need. However, several studies suggest that individuals with higher socioeconomic status wait less. These studies typically measure patients' socioeconomic status as an aggregate measure from patients' residential area and the results are hence vulnerable for aggregation biases. We shed light on the magnitude of the aggregation bias by analyzing socioeconomic gradients in waiting times when education and income are measured on three different levels: the individual level, the population cell level, and the municipal level. Our individual level socioeconomic gradient is modest compared with the literature. When socioeconomic status is measured on an aggregate level, we observe stronger associations with socioeconomic variables and less accurate estimates. A researcher who only has access to the aggregate data runs the risk of overstating the magnitude of the socioeconomic gradients.
ETHos – A Swiss‐Made Open‐Source Modular Photoreactor for Laboratory‐Scale Photochemical Reactions
Authors: Rackl Jonas W. , Müller Alexander F. , Bärtschi Christoph , Wennemers Helma
Published: December 2024

The emergence of photoredox chemistry has enabled the development of previously inaccessible synthetic transformations. Despite the popularity of photoredox chemistry, commercial photoreactors remain expensive. As a result, most academic research groups resort to self‐built, not easily replicable reactor designs, jeopardizing the reproducibility and accessibility of photochemical research. To address these issues, this work introduces an easily replicable and modular open‐source photoreactor optimized for lab‐scale photochemical synthesis. The reactor is operationally simple, operates consistently and reproducibly, and is inexpensive to manufacture. Our design integrates active temperature regulation, an exchangeable vial rack, and customizable light sources into a hybrid structure of machined aluminum, 3D‐printed parts, and commercially available components. The open‐source reactor with detailed 3D CAD files on GitHub is designed to make research in the field of photochemistry more accessible and reproducible.
Inflammatory, Hematological, and Biochemical Biomarkers in COVID‐19 Patients
Authors: Ayako Rebeccah M. , Patel Kirtika , Ndede Isaac , Nordgren Johan , Larrson Marie , Mining Simeon K.
Published: December 2024

Introduction

There are few accurate prognostic indications of the illness's development and severity for COVID‐19, despite certain biomarkers having been investigated. The unexpected nature of COVID‐19's course, which can quickly progress from asymptomatic to life‐threatening symptoms, lies at the heart of the disease's intricacy. Predicting SARS‐CoV‐2 pathogenicity through laboratory biomarkers and as such, identifying the patients’ illness severity at the time of their initial admission would be crucial in improving patient care. In this study, we sought to evaluate the potential of hematological, biochemical, and inflammatory biomarkers in predicting the course of COVID‐19 at a tertiary hospital in western Kenya.

Methods

This cross‐sectional study involved 48 COVID‐19 patients (16 asymptomatic; 16 moderate symptomatic; and 16 severe symptomatic) and 48 age‐sex‐matched COVID‐19‐negative clients attending the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Kenya. Demographic information, self‐reported chronic illnesses, symptoms, and laboratory results were collected at recruitment.

Results

Significantly, the severity of COVID‐19 was associated with; hemoglobin (p < 0.0001), white blood cells (p = 0.0022), hematocrit (p < 0.0001), blood urea nitrogen (p = 0.01), blood sodium (p = 0.0002), potassium (p = 0.0483), C‐reactive protein (p = 0.0002), and Lactate Dehydrogenase (p < 0.0001). Regression analysis of CRP revealed a strong positive correlation (p = 0.0006) whereas LDH revealed a weak positive correlation (p < 0.0001) with COVID‐19 disease severity. Discriminative accuracy was highest when asymptomatic was compared to severe COVID‐19 for CRP and LDH (AUC: 0.8867, 95% CI: 0.7532–1.000) and (AUC: 1.000, 95% CI: 1.000–1.000) respectively.

Conclusion

The hematological indices, inflammatory and biochemical biomarkers studied have the potential to predict the course of COVID‐19. These parameters may be useful in helping design appropriate care for COVID‐19 patients.
Blocking of Tim‐3 Ameliorates Spinal Cord Ischemia‐Reperfusion Injury Through Inhibiting Neuroinflammation and Promoting M1‐to‐M2 Phenotypic Polarization of Microglia
Authors: Li Zhenxing , Zhou Binbin , Chen Guanghui , Yang Xiangyu , Su Han , Li Bolin
Published: December 2024

Background

Blocking of Tim‐3 exerts therapeutic effects in a series of ischemia‐reperfusion injury (IRI).

Methods

In this work, a cross‐clamped aortic arch was conducted to establish SCIRI rat model. Besides, rat spinal microglia was subjected to OGD/R to mimic I/R‐like conditions in vitro. The in vivo and in vitro therapeutic effects of Tim‐3 antibody in SCIRI were investigated from these aspects: neuronal apoptosis, neuroinflammation, microglia activation, and polarization.

Results

It was verified that Tim‐3 was highly expressed in spinal cord tissues of SCIRI rats and blocking of Tim‐3 attenuated SCIRI‐induced pathological injury, neuronal apoptosis, neuroinflammation, and microglia activation (M1 polarization). In addition, it was verified that Tim‐3 was highly expressed in OGD/R‐treated rat spinal microglia and blocking of Tim‐3 attenuated OGD/R‐induced inflammation and spinal microglia activation (M1 polarization).

Conclusions

Tim‐3 antibody can exert therapeutic effects in SCIRI through inhibiting neuroinflammation and promoting microglia polarization from M1 to M2 phenotype.
Pharmacist‐managed diabetes care and change in A1C: A retrospective matched cohort study
Authors: Meyer Nicholas C. , Younes Fatme , Grindeland Carlina J. , Roemmich Monte L. , Gugel‐Bryant Douglas W.
Published: December 2024

Introduction

Studies have demonstrated the positive impact of pharmacist‐managed diabetes care (PMDC) on hemoglobin A1C (A1C) reduction from baseline, but data comparing the pharmacist's impact on usual medical care (UMC) are less robust.

Objectives

This study compared the A1C reduction in patients with diabetes enrolled in PMDC plus UMC (PMDC + UMC) with similar patients receiving UMC independent of clinical pharmacy services.

Methods

This was a retrospective, matched cohort study conducted at a large, not‐for‐profit healthcare system in North Dakota. Patients with diabetes who received care from an ambulatory care pharmacist in addition to UMC between July 2018 and June 2020 were included in the PMDC+UMC cohort. The comparator cohort included propensity‐matched patients solely receiving UMC during the same period. The primary endpoint was the mean change in A1C at 12 months in both cohorts. The secondary endpoint was the percentage of patients in each cohort achieving an A1C <7% at 12 months. Normally distributed continuous variables were analyzed using the Wilcoxon rank sum test. Categorical data were analyzed using Chi‐square tests.

Results

In total, 158 patients managed by a pharmacist met the inclusion criteria for the study. A matched cohort of 158 practitioner‐managed patients was used for comparison. Pharmacist‐managed patients achieved a greater mean reduction in A1C (−1.70%) at 12 months compared with those managed by practitioners only (−1.31%), a between‐means difference of −0.39% (p = 0.0073). More patients managed by pharmacists (24.6%) reached an A1C of <7% compared with patients receiving UMC only (22.8%); however, the difference was not statistically significant.

Conclusion

Incorporation of PMDC for patients with diabetes is associated with a greater improvement in A1C at 12 months compared with UMC alone. Although not statistically significant, more patients referred to PMDC reached an A1C of <7%. Implementation of similar PMDC programs may help more patients reach their glycemic goals.
Hydrogenation of biomass‐derived succinic acid to form 1,4‐butanediol over Co/SiO2 catalyst
Authors: Liu Chenwei , Jing Ran , Li Yue , Sun Daolai , Lv Jianhua
Published: December 2024

Background

Succinic acid is a vital platform chemical derivable from lignocellulosic biomass. Various non‐noble metal catalysts were used to hydrogenate succinic acid and produce 1,4‐butanediol in this study. Among them, Co‐loaded SiO2 with a moderate mean pore size of 10 nm exhibited a superior catalytic performance.

Results

The high catalytic activity of Co‐loaded SiO2, which was prepared by an impregnation method, was demonstrated in the hydrogenolysis of succinic acid to provide 1,4‐butanediol. The Co/SiO2 catalyst reduced at 400 °C and calcined at 300 °C existed in the form of Co2+ and Co0, exhibiting a high catalytic activity. The production of 1,4‐butanediol from succinic acid was significantly enhanced at a temperature of 200 °C and an H2 pressure exceeding 5 MPa. At 200 °C and 7 MPa H2 pressure, a 1,4‐butanediol selectivity of 67.8% and a full succinic acid conversion were obtained over Co/SiO2.

Conclusion

The Co‐loaded SiO2 with a moderate mean pore size of 10 nm was conducive to the efficient generation of 1,4‐butanediol from succinic acid. The Co/SiO2 catalyst reduced at 400 °C existed in the form of Co0 and Co2+. It was suggested that the efficient synthesis of 1,4‐butanediol from succinic acid was facilitated by the cooperative action of Co0 and Co2+. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).
Dopamine‐conjugated extracellular vesicles induce autophagy in Parkinson's disease
Authors: Sul Jae Hoon , Shin Sol , Kim Hark Kyun , Han Jihoon , Kim Junsik , Son Soyoung , Lee Jungmi , Baek Seung Hyun , Cho Yoonsuk , Lee Jeongmi , Park Jinsu , Ahn Donghoon , Park Sunyoung , Palomera Leon F. , Lim Jeein , Kim Jongho , Kim Chanhee , Han Seungsu , Chung Ka Young , Lee Sangho , Kam Tae‐in , Lee Yunjong , Kim Jeongyun , Park Jae Hyung , Jo Dong‐Gyu
Published: December 2024

The application of extracellular vesicles (EVs) as vehicles for anti‐Parkinson's agents represents a significant advance, yet their clinical translation is hampered by challenges in efficient brain delivery and complex blood‐brain barrier (BBB) targeting strategies. In this study, we engineered dopamine onto the surface of adipose‐derived stem cell EVs (Dopa‐EVs) utilizing a facile, two‐step cross‐linking approach. This engineering enhanced neuronal uptake of the EVs in primary neurons and neuroblastoma cells, a process shown to be competitively inhibited by dopamine pretreatment and dopamine receptor antibodies. Notably, Dopa‐EVs demonstrated increased brain accumulation in mouse Parkinson's disease (PD) models. Therapeutically, Dopa‐EVs administration led to the rescue of dopaminergic neuronal loss and amelioration of behavioural deficits in both 6‐hydroxydopamine (6‐OHDA) and α‐Syn PFF‐induced PD models. Furthermore, we observed that Dopa‐EVs stimulated autophagy evidenced by the upregulation of Beclin‐1 and LC3‐II. These findings collectively indicate that surface modification of EVs with dopamine presents a potent strategy for targeting dopaminergic neurons in the brain. The remarkable therapeutic potential of Dopa‐EVs, demonstrated in PD models, positions them as a highly promising candidate for PD treatment, offering a significant advance over current therapeutic modalities.
AI Chatbot, Human, and In‐Between: Examining the Broader Spectrum of Technology‐Human Interactions in Driving Customer‐Brand Relationships Across Experience and Credence Services
Authors: Sheng Margaret L. , Natalia Natalia , Rusfian Effy Zalfiana
Published: December 2024

Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have driven companies to incorporate AI chatbots into service encounters. However, research exploring how to balance human and AI interactions in service encounters for brand‐building strategies remains limited. Grounded in social response theory and the attachment‐aversion model of consumer‐brand relationships, this study examines the effect of different service chat agent types (substitution chatbot, augmentation chatbot, and human chat agent) on brand usage intention, with brand‐self distance and consumer brand engagement as mediating mechanisms. Service types (experience vs. credence service) act as boundary conditions moderating the relationship between service chat agents and brand‐self distance. Through two experiments involving actual interactions with three types of service chat agents, the results show that substitution chatbots negatively influence consumers' perceived brand‐self distance, engagement, and usage intention across both service types. For experience services, augmentation chatbots lead to a closer brand‐self distance than human chat agents, enhancing consumer brand engagement and brand usage intention. While for credence services, augmentation chatbots perform comparably to human chat agents. The results offer guidance for service managers and policymakers on optimizing the balance between human and technological inputs to enhance customer‐brand relationships.
Spiral cardiac quantitative susceptibility mapping for differential cardiac chamber oxygenation—Initial validation in relation to invasive blood sampling
Authors: Li Jiahao , Villar‐Calle Pablo , Chiu Caitlin , Reza Mahniz , Narula Nupoor , Li Chao , Zhang Jinwei , Nguyen Thanh D. , Wang Yi , Zhang Robert S. , Kim Jiwon , Weinsaft Jonathan W. , Spincemaille Pascal
Published: December 2024

Purpose

To develop a breath‐hold cardiac quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) sequence for noninvasive measurement of differential cardiac chamber blood oxygen saturation (ΔSO2).

Methods

A non‐gated three‐dimensional stack‐of‐spirals QSM sequence was implemented to continuously sample the data throughout the cardiac cycle. Measurements of ΔSO2 between the right and left heart chamber obtained by the proposed sequence and a previously validated navigator Cartesian QSM sequence were compared in three cohorts consisting of healthy volunteers, coronavirus disease 2019 survivors, and patients with pulmonary hypertension. In the pulmonary‐hypertension cohort, Bland–Altman plots were used to assess the agreement of ΔSO2 values obtained by QSM and those obtained by invasive right heart catheterization (RHC).

Results

Compared with navigator QSM (average acquisition time 419 ± 158 s), spiral QSM reduced the scan time on average by over 20‐fold to a 20‐s breath‐hold. In all three cohorts, spiral QSM and navigator QSM yielded similar ΔSO2. Among healthy volunteers and coronavirus disease 2019 survivors, ΔSO2 was 17.41 ± 4.35% versus 17.67 ± 4.09% for spiral and navigator QSM, respectively. In pulmonary‐hypertension patients, spiral QSM showed a slightly smaller ΔSO2 bias and narrower 95% limits of agreement than that obtained by navigator QSM (1.09% ± 6.47% vs. 2.79% ± 6.99%) when compared with right heart catheterization.

Conclusion

Breath‐hold three‐dimensional spiral cardiac QSM for measuring differential cardiac chamber blood oxygenation is feasible and provides values in good agreement with navigator cardiac QSM and with reference right heart catheterization.
An Enhanced and Highly Efficient Semi‐Implicit Combined Lagrange Multiplier Approach Preserving Original Energy Law for Dissipative Systems
Authors: Liu Zhengguang , Zheng Nan , Li Xiaoli
Published: December 2024

Recently, a new Lagrange multiplier approach was introduced by Cheng, Liu, and Shen, which has been broadly used to solve various challenging phase field problems. To design original energy‐stable schemes, they have to solve a nonlinear algebraic equation to determine the introduced Lagrange multiplier, which can be computationally expensive, especially for large‐scale and long‐time simulations involving complex nonlinear terms. In this article, we propose an essential improved technique to modify this issue, which can be seen as a semi‐implicit combined Lagrange multiplier approach. In general, the newly constructed schemes keep all the advantages of the Lagrange multiplier method and significantly reduce the computation costs. Besides, the new proposed second‐order backward difference formula (BDF2) scheme dissipates the original energy, as opposed to a modified energy for the classic Lagrange multiplier approach. In addition, we establish a general framework for extending our constructed method to dissipative systems. Finally, several examples have been presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Nurses' Experiences of Communicating With Families in Municipal Home Health Care
Authors: Bruce Elisabeth , Pusa Susanna , Sundin Karin
Published: December 2024

Aim

To illuminate nurses' experiences of communicating with families in home health care.

Design

A qualitative inductive approach.

Background

An increasing number of ageing and sick people are being granted home health care. Nurses' duties involve caring for both patients and their families, which includes the important task of meeting and talking with them.

Methods

Fourteen registered nurses working in home health care in Sweden participated in individual narrative semistructured interviews. The interviews were analysed with content analysis. To make sure all components of the study were clear, the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist was used as a guide.

Result

Communication with families was viewed as a crucial action for building rapport to facilitate the involvement and support of families in difficult situations. The nurses highlighted the struggles they sometimes faced in communication when they found it difficult to reach the family. When the communication was supportive for the family, the nurses felt that they were empowering the family members to empower themselves.

Conclusion

This study highlights the vital role of communication in home health care nursing. Effective communication fosters trust and enables nurses to meet family needs.

Implications for the Profession

Effective communication between nurses and families in home health care is crucial from a health care perspective. Building reciprocal relationships fosters trust, enabling nurses to efficiently identify and address family needs and enhancing the quality of care.

Patient or Public Contribution

No patient or public contribution.
Susceptibility of Brazilian populations of Rachiplusia nu (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) to insecticides and determination of diagnostic concentrations for a proactive resistance management program
Authors: Godoy Daniela N , Dallanora Arthur , Pretto Venicius E , Palharini Ramon B , Diniz Luiz H M , Moreira Rafaella P , Reis Alexandre C , Warpechowski Luiz F , Bernardi Oderlei
Published: December 2024

BACKGROUND

The sunflower looper, Rachiplusia nu (Guenée), evolved resistance to the insecticidal protein Cry1Ac expressed in soybean and emerged as an important soybean pest in Brazil, requiring the application of insecticides for their control. Here, we characterized the susceptibility of Brazilian populations of R. nu to several insecticides and developed diagnostic concentrations for a proactive insect resistance management (IRM) program.

RESULTS

Geographically distinct populations of R. nu from Brazil showed a small amount of variation in susceptibility to 15 growth regulator‐, muscle‐, nerve‐ and respiration‐action insecticides, presenting resistance levels ≤6.2‐fold those of a susceptible population. In contrast, field populations of R. nu showed 11‐ to 31‐fold higher resistance to flubendiamide (muscle‐acting) and bifenthrin (nerve‐acting) than did the susceptible population, suggesting the presence of low to moderate resistance levels. The diagnostic concentration of each insecticide established in the current study caused >98% mortality against field populations of R. nu.

CONCLUSIONS

In general, field populations of R. nu from Brazil showed a small amount of variation in susceptibility and low levels of resistance to major insecticides commonly used for their control. The estimated diagnostic concentrations defined here are recommended for use in a proactive IRM program for monitoring the resistance of R. nu to insecticides. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.
Towards Design and Development of an MRI Conditional Robot to Enable Curvilinear Transperineal Prostate Biopsy
Authors: Lafreniere Samuel , Padasdao Blayton , Konh Bardia
Published: December 2024

Background

In‐bore MRI prostate biopsy offers improved visualisation and detection of significant prostate cancer; however, it is not widely practiced in cancer diagnosis due to its associated costs.

Methods

This work introduces the first prototype towards a 7‐degrees‐of‐freedom (DOF) MRI‐conditional piezoelectrically actuated robotic system for transperineal prostate biopsy. The robot enables needle insertions in the desired trajectories. Kinematic and static models of the active needle as well as automated control of the robot are presented.

Results

It is shown that the controller can force the needle to realize the reference sine and triangular bending angles with an accuracy of 1.78 and 1.88°, respectively, in air. The trajectory tracking capability of the system in free space is shown with an RMS error of 0.86 mm and a standard deviation of 0.36 mm.

Conclusions

The robot's capability to steer the needle towards target inside a phantom and extract a sample was evaluated.
Quantile connectedness of artificial intelligence tokens with the energy sector
Authors: Malik Farooq , Umar Zaghum
Published: December 2024

Artificial intelligence (AI) tokens are digital assets that integrate AI capabilities by operating on decentralized networks using AI algorithms in order to automate tasks, make intelligent decisions, and swiftly adapt based on data. Given that AI tokens are energy intensive assets, in this paper, we explore how major AI tokens are connected to oil, natural gas, and biofuel under extreme market movements using daily data from June 2019 to March 2024. We find that AI tokens are net transmitters of shocks while the entire energy sector is the net receiver of shocks at the return level. However, both AI tokens and oil are net transmitters of shocks at the volatility level. We also show that total dynamic connectedness significantly increased during the start of COVID‐19 pandemic and the Russian‐Ukraine war. Our quantile‐based connectedness analysis further shows that return and volatility connectedness is considerably higher at low and high quantiles, indicating that shocks to AI tokens spread more intensely during extreme market movements. These results indicate that AI tokens are subject to contagion and thus offer inadequate portfolio diversification under major market movements.
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Reporting and Missing (M) Scores in the Industry 5.0 Era: Broadening Firms' and Investors' Decisions to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals
Authors: Yadav Sanjeev , Samadhiya Ashutosh , Kumar Anil , Luthra Sunil , Pandey Krishan Kumar
Published: December 2024

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors are gradually being utilized to assess organizations' long‐term success, drive capital, and inform company decision‐making toward sustainable growth. Despite a few research investigations, studies on ESG are still developing by using a broader range of new technologies to improve ESG transparency; overcoming shortcomings that have arisen have yet to be examined. Industry 5.0 (I5.0) provides an effective paradigm for comprehending the significance of technology in enhancing ESG disclosure and reporting. To handle the critical shift to wider sustainable development goals (SDGs) specifically, SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 13 (Climate Action) within the ESG monitoring system, this research digs into current ESG reporting concerns and obstacles. The study systematically reviews I5.0 and ESG reporting literature. The study also carries out an extensive content‐centric assessment of relevant sources and information mappings to accomplish the research aims. The findings reveal that the fundamental characteristics of I5.0 are consistent with ESG, while I5.0 may accommodate ESG capabilities by improving ESG disclosure reliability, expanding from retrospective to prospective and real‐time reporting, customizing, broadening the range of reporting, lowering costs, and improving effectiveness. The findings suggest that ESG reporting must expand outside its company‐centric emphasis, altering existing accounting methods to embrace ESG disclosure requirements more appropriately. ESG performance can be improved with clearer representation of environmental and social consequences, guiding both firms' and investors' decisions (double materiality concept) towards SDGs. New or missing (M) scores revealed by I5.0 technologies can assist both investors and company managers.
Double Sampling for Informatively Missing Data in Electronic Health Record‐Based Comparative Effectiveness Research
Authors: Levis Alexander W. , Mukherjee Rajarshi , Wang Rui , Fischer Heidi , Haneuse Sebastien
Published: December 2024

Missing data arise in most applied settings and are ubiquitous in electronic health records (EHR). When data are missing not at random (MNAR) with respect to measured covariates, sensitivity analyses are often considered. These solutions, however, are often unsatisfying in that they are not guaranteed to yield actionable conclusions. Motivated by an EHR‐based study of long‐term outcomes following bariatric surgery, we consider the use of double sampling as a means to mitigate MNAR outcome data when the statistical goals are estimation and inference regarding causal effects. We describe assumptions that are sufficient for the identification of the joint distribution of confounders, treatment, and outcome under this design. Additionally, we derive efficient and robust estimators of the average causal treatment effect under a nonparametric model and under a model assuming outcomes were, in fact, initially missing at random (MAR). We compare these in simulations to an approach that adaptively estimates based on evidence of violation of the MAR assumption. Finally, we also show that the proposed double sampling design can be extended to handle arbitrary coarsening mechanisms, and derive nonparametric efficient estimators of any smooth full data functional.
Regiospecific Synthesis of Thioether‐Linked 3‐Hydroxy Oxindoles From Spiroepoxy Oxindoles and Their Cytotoxicity Evaluation
Authors: Kabra Pratik , Sakla Akash P. , Kumar Manisurya , Sathish Manda , Dandekar Manoj P. , Shankaraiah Nagula
Published: December 2024

A facile synthesis of thioether‐linked 3‐hydroxy oxindoles was achieved through regiospecific ring‐opening of spiroepoxy oxindoles with oxadiazole‐2‐thiols and benzimidazole‐2‐thiols as nucleophiles. The thiol heteronucleophile attacks from the less hindered position of spiroepoxides, yielding 3‐substituted‐3‐hydroxy oxindoles in high yields (up to 86%). The synthetic procedure offers an attractive route for diversely substituted 3‐hydroxy oxindoles that are prominent frameworks in many natural products. Further, the in vitro cytotoxicity evaluation shows that most of these molecules possessed considerable cytotoxic activity against a panel of human cancer cell lines by comparing 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU) as control. The morphological studies like phase contrast, AO/EB, and DAPI of the most potent compound 5e highlight apoptotic features on skin melanoma cell lines (SKMEL‐29). Additionally, compound 5e was also studied for inhibition of tubulin polymerization, and the result was correlated with molecular docking studies.
Atomically Dispersed Mn‐Doped Ru@RuO2 Core/Shell Nanostructure with High Acidic Water Oxidation Performance Arising from Multiple Synergies
Authors: Ma Haibin , Zhou Jun , Zhao Yang , Wang Shijie , Hu Zhiwei , Ma Jiwei , Cheng Hongfei
Published: December 2024

The high overpotential and unsatisfactory stability of RuO2‐based catalysts seriously hinder their application in acidic oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Herein, a Ru@RuO2 core/shell catalyst doped with atomically dispersed Mn species, denoted as Ru@Mn‐RuO2, is reported, which is prepared by a facile one‐pot method. Detailed structural characterizations confirm that Mn is homogeneously and atomically distributed in RuO2 shell, which causes lattice contraction of RuO2. The as‐prepared Ru@Mn‐RuO2 exhibits a very low overpotential of 190 mV at the current density of 10 mA cm−2 and an excellent stability of 360 h, far surpassing the control samples Ru@RuO2 without atomically dispersed Mn dopants and home‐made RuO2 nanoparticles without metallic Ru core. With the further assistance of density functional theory calculations, the enhanced OER activity of Ru@Mn‐RuO2 is attributed to multiple synergistic effects, including the MnOx‐Ru (oxide shell) synergy, MnOx‐Ru (metal core) synergy, and the Ru (core)‐RuO2 (shell) synergy. Besides, the atomically dispersed Mn doping can increase the formation energy of soluble Ru cations, thus leading to the excellent stability of the Ru@Mn‐RuO2 catalyst. This work shines light on the design of electrocatalysts with multiple synergistic effects towards efficient acid water splitting.