bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bradykinesia and Its Progression Are Related to Interhemispheric Beta Coherence
Authors: Wilkins Kevin B. , Kehnemouyi Yasmine M. , Petrucci Matthew N. , Anderson Ross W. , Parker Jordan E. , Trager Megan H. , Neuville Raumin S. , Koop Mandy M. , Velisar Anca , Blumenfeld Zack , Quinn Emma J. , Bronte‐Stewart Helen M.
Published: January 2023

Objective

Bradykinesia is the major cardinal motor sign of Parkinson disease (PD), but its neural underpinnings are unclear. The goal of this study was to examine whether changes in bradykinesia following long‐term subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS) are linked to local STN beta (13–30 Hz) dynamics or a wider bilateral network dysfunction.

Methods

Twenty‐one individuals with PD implanted with sensing neurostimulators (Activa® PC + S, Medtronic, PLC) in the STN participated in a longitudinal ‘washout’ therapy study every three to 6 months for an average of 3 years. At each visit, participants were withdrawn from medication (12/24/48 hours) and had DBS turned off (>60 minutes) before completing a repetitive wrist‐flexion extension task, a validated quantitative assessment of bradykinesia, while local field potentials were recorded. Local STN beta dynamics were investigated via beta power and burst duration, while interhemispheric beta synchrony was assessed with STN‐STN beta coherence.

Results

Higher interhemispheric STN beta coherence, but not contralateral beta power or burst duration, was significantly associated with worse bradykinesia. Bradykinesia worsened off therapy over time. Interhemispheric STN‐STN beta coherence also increased over time, whereas beta power and burst duration remained stable. The observed change in bradykinesia was related to the change in interhemispheric beta coherence, with greater increases in synchrony associated with further worsening of bradykinesia.

Interpretation

Together, these findings implicate interhemispheric beta synchrony as a neural correlate of the progression of bradykinesia following chronic STN DBS. This could imply the existence of a pathological bilateral network contributing to bradykinesia in PD. ANN NEUROL 2023;93:1029–1039
New Surijokocixiidae (Insecta: Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha) from the Middle Triassic of China
Authors: Zhang Qianqi , Szwedo Jacek , Zheng Daran , Zhang Haichun
Published: January 2023

A new Middle Triassic (Ladinian) planthopper of the family Surijokocixiidae (Surijokocixioidea, Fulgoromorpha) from the Tongchuan Formation in Shaanxi, NW China is established as Sinosurijikocixius tongchuanensis gen. et sp. nov. All the known taxa assigned to Surijokocixiidae are reviewed and compared. The palaeogeographic distributional pattern of Surijokocixiidae from the middle Permian to Late Triassic is summarized.
Flow regime identification in aerated stirred vessel using passive acoustic emission and machine learning
Authors: Forte Giuseppe , Antonelli Matteo , Brunazzi Elisabetta , Simmons Mark J. , Stitt Hugh , Alberini Federico
Published: January 2023

Smart at‐ or online process sensors, which employ machine learning (ML) to process data, have been the subject of extensive research in recent years, due to their potential for real‐time process control. In this paper, a passive acoustic emission process sensor has been used to detect gas–liquid regimes within a stirred, aerated vessel using novel ML approaches. Pressure fluctuations (acoustic emissions) in an air‐water system were recorded using a piezoelectric sensor installed on the external wall of three identical cylindrical tanks of diameter, T = 160 mm, filled to a volume of 5 L (height, H = 1.5 T). The tanks were made of either glass, steel, or aluminium, and each tank was equipped with a Rushton turbine of diameter, D = 0.35 T. The investigated flow regimes, flooding, loading, complete dispersion, and un‐gassed, were obtained by changing the air feed flow rates and by varying the impeller speed. The acoustic spectra obtained were processed to select an optimal number of features characterizing each of the regimes, and these were used to train three different ML algorithms. The pre‐processing includes a principal component analysis (PCA) step, which reduces the volume of data fed to the ML algorithms, saving computational time up to a factor of 5. The algorithms (decision tree, k‐nearest neighbour, and support vector machines) were challenged to use these features to identify the correct flow regime. Accurate predictions of the three gas–liquid regimes of interest have been achieved. The accuracy of the prediction ranges from 90% to 99%, and this difference is related to the material used for the vessel.
From P‐type to N‐type: Peripheral fluorination of axially substituted silicon phthalocyanines enables fine tuning of charge transport
Authors: Vebber Mário C. , King Benjamin , French Callum , Tousignant Mathieu , Ronnasi Bahar , Dindault Chloé , Wantz Guillaume , Hirsch Lionel , Brusso Jaclyn , Lessard Benoît H.
Published: January 2023

Silicon phthalocyanines (R2‐SiPcs) are a family of promising tunable materials for organic electronic applications. We report the chemistry of the synthesis of axially substituted fluorinated SiPcs (tb‐Ph)2‐FxSiPc (where X = 0, 4, 8, or 16) and explore how the degree of fluorination effects optical and electronic properties. A new treatment with boron trichloride was included to obtain Cl2‐FXSiPcs from F2‐FXSiPcs, activating the axial position for further functionalization. We observed that as the degree of fluorination increased, so did the electron affinity of the compounds, leading to a drop in frontier orbital levels, as measured by electrochemistry and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS). The deeper energy levels enabled successful (tb‐Ph)2‐F4SiPc and poly [[6,7‐difluoro[(2‐hexyldecyl)oxy]‐[5,8‐quinoxalinediyl]‐2,5‐thiophenediyl]] (PTQ10) blends for organic photovoltaics and photodetectors. All four compounds were incorporated in organic thin‐film transistors (OTFTs), where the degree of fluorination influenced device operation, changing it from p‐type conduction for (tb‐Ph)2‐F0SiPc, to ambipolar for (tb‐Ph)2‐F4SiPc, and n‐type for (tb‐Ph)2‐F8SiPc and (tb‐Ph)2‐F16SiPc. The OTFT devices made with (tb‐Ph)2‐F16SiPc achieved a low average threshold voltage of 7.0 V in N2 and retained its n‐type mobility when exposed to air.
2‐(N‐Morpholino)ethanesulphonic acid mediated facile and rapid one‐pot synthesis of gold nanoparticles and its application for colorimetric detection of heparin in human serum
Authors: Yu Rui , Kong Xiang‐Juan , Chen Tao‐Li , Fang Yan‐Zhao , Xiao Qiang
Published: January 2023

A facile and rapid method for one‐pot synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) has been developed. It employed 2‐(N‐morpholino)ethanesulphonic acid (MES) to act as reducing agent, buffering agent, and capping ligand to perform the reduction of the gold precursor (HAuCl4) into AuNPs. The AuNPs were synthesized by a simple mixing of MES buffer (pH 6.0) and HAuCl4 solution under a vortex at room temperature, and the process was completed within 1 min, which not only significantly simplifies the preparation procedure without heating or cooling but also greatly shortens the reaction time. Moreover, a novel colorimetric approach for sensitive detection of heparin was fabricated based on the prepared AuNPs. The detection limit was determined to be 3.1 μg/ml (i.e., 0.465 U/ml) with a linear response range of 3.25–130 μg/ml. Additionally, the sensor was also successfully applied for the detection of heparin in human blood serum samples, demonstrating its potential applicability for disease diagnosis in the future.
Direct pumping of polar fluids with traveling‐wave dielectrophoresis
Authors: Xu Yihong , Brown Keith A.
Published: January 2023

Efficiently pumping fluids without moving parts in extremely miniaturized formats is challenging. Here, we propose and numerically explore a new type of fluid pump in which a series of electrodes driven at different phases produce a force directly on the molecules of the fluid. This effect is based on traveling‐wave dielectrophoresis (twDEP), which has been observed to drive the motion of colloidal particles. Here, we leverage the time needed for fluid molecules with permanent dipoles to align with the applied field to maintain a phase lag between the applied field and the molecular polarization. While requiring operation in the GHz range, this effect is predicted to be efficient due to its ability to directly drive bulk fluid motion. We begin by establishing the foundational equations for this effect and performing finite element simulations to determine its magnitude in a model geometry. By combining theory and a systematic series of calculations, we validate that twDEP pumps should exhibit a fluid flow that scales as the voltage squared divided by the electrode period and that it should increase with the complex permittivity of the fluid and decrease with increasing viscosity. This results in a general equation that predicts the performance of twDEP pumps. Collectively, these computations provide a blueprint for producing twDEP pumps of polar fluids such as water and ethanol. We conclude by noting that the growing interest in high power microwave technology along with metasurfaces to locally tailor phase could provide a path to realizing twDEP pumps in practice.
Evolution of the theoretical description of the isoelectric focusing experiment: II. An open system isoelectric focusing experiment is a transient, bidirectional isotachophoretic experiment
Authors: Vigh Gyula , Gaš Bohuslav
Published: January 2023

The carrier ampholytes‐based (CA‐based) isoelectric focusing (IEF) experiment evolved from Svensson's closed system IEF (constant spatial current density, absence of convective mixing, counter‐balancing electrophoretic and diffusive fluxes yielding a steady state pH gradient) to the contemporary open system IEF (absence of convective mixing, large cross‐sectional area electrode vessels, lack of counter‐balancing electrophoretic‐ and diffusive fluxes leading to transient pH gradients). Open system IEF currently is described by a two‐stage model: In the first stage, a rapid IEF process forms the pH gradient which, in the second stage, is slowly degraded by isotachophoretic processes that move the most acidic and most basic CAs into the electrode vessels. An analysis of the effective mobilities and the effective mobility to conductivity ratios of the anolyte, catholyte, and the CAs indicates that in open system IEF experiments a single process, transient bidirectional isotachophoresis (tbdITP) operates from the moment current is turned on until it is turned off. In tbdITP, the anolyte and catholyte provide the leading ions and the pI 7 CA or the reactive boundary of the counter‐migrating H3O+ and OH− ions serves as the shared terminator. The outcome of the tbdITP process is determined by the ionic mobilities, pKa values, and loaded amounts of all ionic and ionizable components: It is constrained by both the transmitted amount of charge and the migration space available for the leading ions. tbdITP and the resulting pH gradient can never reach steady state with respect to the spatial coordinate of the separation channel.
Can small stream solute–land cover relationships predict river solute concentrations?
Authors: Webster Jackson R. , Jackson C. Rhett , Knoepp Jennifer D. , Bolstad Paul V.
Published: January 2023

Most studies of land use effects on solute concentrations in streams have focused on smaller streams with watersheds dominated by a single land‐use type. Using land cover as a proxy for land use, the objective of this study was to determine whether the hydrologically‐driven response of solutes to land use in small streams could be scaled up to predict concentrations in larger receiving streams and rivers in the rural area of the Little Tennessee River basin. We measured concentrations of typically limiting nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus), abundant anions (chloride, sulfate), and base cations in 17 small streams and four larger river sites. In the small streams, total solute concentration was strongly related to land cover ‐‐ highest in streams with developed watersheds, lowest in streams with forested watersheds, and streams with agricultural watersheds were in between. In general, the best predictor of solute concentrations in the small streams was forest land cover. We then predicted solute concentrations for the river sites based on the solute‐‐land cover relationships of the small streams using multiple linear regressions. Results were mixed ‐‐ some of the predicted river concentrations were close to measured values, others were greater or less than measured concentrations. In general, river concentrations did not scale with land cover‐solute relationships found in small tributaries. Measured values of nitrogen solutes in the river sites were greater than predicted, perhaps due to the presence of waste water treatment plants. We attributed other differences between measured and predicted river concentrations to the heterogeneous geochemistry of this mountainous region. The combined complexity of hydrology, geochemistry, and human land‐use of this mountainous region make it difficult to scale up from small streams to larger river basins.
Extracellular vesicle‐based nucleic acid delivery
Authors: Lu Mei , Shao Wanxuan , Xing Haonan , Huang Yuanyu
Published: January 2023

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a heterogeneous class of natural vesicles that facilitate intercellular communication by functional transfer of lipids and biomolecular cargoes, such as miRNAs, mRNAs and proteins. As a naturally occurring delivery vehicle for nucleic acids, EVs are characterized by multiple advantageous characteristics, such as unique size and structure, excellent biocompatibility, immunologically inert, increased stability in circulation, intrinsic targeting capacity and the capability of membrane fusion and crossing biological barriers. Of note, the delivery properties of EVs can be further improved by genetic engineering of donor cells or direct modification of EVs. Over the last decade, EVs have sparkled intensive interest for delivery of small RNAs, including small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs). In recent years, increasing attention has been focused on exploring a variety of strategies to harness EVs for delivery of more nucleic acid types. In the present perspective, we provide a capsule overview of the latest accomplishments and trends in the field of EV‐based delivery systems for siRNAs, miRNAs, messenger RNAs (mRNAs), clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats‐associated endonuclease (CRISPR/Cas) systems, antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), circular RNA (circRNAs), long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and DNAs. This perspective may offer insights into the rational design of more cutting‐edge extracellular vesicle‐based nucleic acid delivery nanoplatforms.
The rainy season in the Southern Peruvian Andes: A climatological analysis based on the new Climandes index
Authors: Sedlmeier Katrin , Imfeld Noemi , Gubler Stefanie , Spirig Christoph , Caiña Karim Quevedo , Escajadillo Yury , Rohrer Mario , Schwierz Cornelia
Published: January 2023

The rainy season is of high importance for livelihoods in the Southern Peruvian Andes (SPA), especially for agriculture, which is mainly rain fed and one of the main income sources in the region. Therefore, knowledge and predictions of the rainy season such as its onset and ending are crucial for planning purposes. However, such information is currently not readily available for the local population. Moreover, an evaluation of existing rainy season indices shows that they are not optimally suited for the SPA and may not be directly applicable in a forecasting context. Therefore, we develop a new index, named Climandes index, which is tailored to the SPA and designed to be of use for operational monitoring and forecasting purposes. Using this index, we analyse the climatology and trends of the rainy season in the SPA. We find that the rainy season starts roughly between September and January with durations between 3 and 8 months. Both onset and duration show a pronounced northeast‐southwest gradient, regions closer to the Amazon Basin have a considerably longer rainy season. The inter‐annual variability of the onset is very high, that is, 2–5 months depending on the station, while the end of the rainy season shows a much lower variability (i.e., 1.5–3 months). The spatial patterns of total precipitation amount and dry spells within the rainy season are only weakly related to its timing. Trends in rainy season characteristics since 1965 are mostly weak and not significant, but generally indicate a tendency towards a shortening of the rainy season in the whole study area due to a later onset and an increase in precipitation sums during the rainy season in the northwestern study area.
Global entrepreneurship in healthcare: A systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis
Authors: Mishra Akanksha , Pandey Neeraj
Published: January 2023

The Covid‐19 pandemic transformed the global entrepreneurship arena. The healthcare sector also transitioned from the traditional in‐person patient‐physician interaction to the virtual telemedicine healthcare delivery system with global outreach. The entrepreneur alliances in the healthcare sector almost doubled during the pandemic with maximum tie‐ups with international healthcare institutions. The study takes a bibliometric perspective by analyzing articles on global entrepreneurship in healthcare. It provides the most influential authors and institutions, the thematic structure through cluster analysis, co‐word network analysis, and co‐citation analysis related to the literature on global entrepreneurship in the healthcare domain. The findings emphasized the importance of local alliances compared to global alliances in healthcare service delivery, especially during a pandemic. Technology was found to be a great enabler for global entrepreneurship. The study also highlights the emerging research themes for scholars working on global entrepreneurship in the healthcare sector.
Inhibition of albendazole and 2‐(2‐aminophenyl)‐1H‐benzimidazole against tyrosinase: mechanism, structure–activity relationship, and anti‐browning effect
Authors: Wen Yiting , Zhang Yujia , Zhang Xiaoli , Wang Linjun , Pan Qiuxia , Bai Qiuhan , Zhu Du , Chai Weiming
Published: January 2023

BACKGROUND

Tyrosinase is the key enzyme involved in enzymatic browning of plant‐derived foods. Inhibition of tyrosinase activity contributes to the control of food browning. Due to safety regulations or other issues, most identified tyrosinase inhibitors are not suitable for practical use. Therefore, it is necessary to search for novel tyrosinase inhibitors. In this study, the anti‐tyrosinase activity and mechanism of albendazole and 2‐(2‐aminophenyl)‐1H‐benzimidazole (2‐2‐A‐1HB) were investigated through ultraviolet–visible absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence spectra, molecular docking, and molecular dynamic (MD) simulation. The anti‐browning effect of albendazole on fresh‐cut apples was then elucidated.

RESULTS

Albendazole and 2‐2‐A‐1HB were both efficient tyrosinase inhibitors with IC50 of 51 ± 1.5 and 128 ± 1.3 μmol L−1, respectively. Albendazole suppressed tyrosinase non‐competitively and formed tyrosinase–albendazole complex statically. Hydrogen bond and hydrophobic interaction were major driving forces in stabilizing the tyrosinase–albendazole complex. While 2‐2‐A‐1HB inhibited the enzyme competitively and quenched its intrinsic fluorescence through a static mechanism, it generated strong binding affinity with tyrosinase through hydrophobic interaction. MD simulations further validated that albendazole/2‐2‐A‐1HB could form stable complexes with tyrosinase and loosened its basic framework structure, leading to a change in secondary structure and conformation. In addition, albendazole could delay the browning of fresh‐cut apples by inhibiting the activity of polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase and phenylalanine ammonia‐lyase, and reducing the oxidation of phenolic compounds.

CONCLUSION

This research might provide a deep view of tyrosinase inhibition by benzimidazole derivatives and a theoretical basis for developing albendazole as a potential fresh‐keeping agent. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
Structural basis for rice starch multi‐digestible fractions revealed by consecutive reaction kinetics model
Authors: Li Cheng
Published: January 2023

BACKGROUND

Starch‐based foods (e.g. rice) usually contain multiple starch fractions with distinct digestion rate constants, although their nature is currently unknown. The present study applied the recently developed consecutive reaction kinetics model to fit the in vitro digestion curves for starch fractions deconvoluted from the overall digestograms to differentiate their binding and catalysis rates to starch digestive enzymes. The fitting parameters were then correlated with starch molecular structures obtained from published data to understand starch structural features determining the binding and catalytic rate constants.

RESULTS

Binding and catalysis rates for the rapidly (RDF) and slowly digestible starch fraction (SDF) were controlled by distinct starch structural features. Typically, (i) the binding rate constant for RDF was negatively correlated with the amount of amylose short to intermediate chains, whereas it was positively correlated with the relative length of amylopectin intermediate chains; (ii) the catalysis rate constant for RDF was negatively correlated with the amount of amylose short to intermediate chains, relative length of amylose intermediate chains and amount of amylopectin long chains, whereas it was positively correlated with starch molecular size as well as relative length of amylopectin intermediate chains; (iii) and the catalysis rate constant for SDF was negatively correlated with the amount of amylopectin long chains, whereas it was positively correlated with starch molecular size.

CONCLUSION

These results provide a better understanding of the nature of different starch digestible fractions and the development of foods such as rice with slow starch digestibility. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
Validated high‐performance thin‐layer chromatographic method for quantification of gallic acid and ellagic acid in fruits of Terminaliachebula, Phyllanthusemblica, and Quercusinfectoria
Authors: Godiyal Shilpa , Laddha Kirti
Published: January 2023

A simple and rapid high‐performance thin‐layer chromatographic method for quantification of gallic acid and ellagic acid in dried fruits of Terminalia chebula, Phyllanthus emblica, and Quercus infectoria has been developed. The chromatographic development was carried out on precoated silica gel 60 F254 plates in a mixture of toluene:ethyl acetate:chloroform:formic acid (4:8:1:3 v/v/v/v). The plate was scanned densitometrically at a wavelength of 280 nm. The retention factor value of gallic acid and ellagic acid was found to be 0.63 ± 0.2 and 0.53 ± 0.1, respectively. The developed method was validated in terms of linearity, precision, accuracy, sensitivity, robustness, specificity and stability as per the international conference of harmonization guidelines. The method showed good linear relationship over a range of 100–600 ng/band (gallic acid) and 100–500 ng/band (ellagic acid) with a regression coefficient (r2) of 0.997 (gallic acid) and 0.996 (ellagic acid). The method showed high accuracy (99.65%–100.85%). The percentage relative standard deviation of intra‐day and inter‐day precision studies was not more than 2%. The method is highly robust and has displayed high specificity. The developed method is new, simple, and accurate and can be successfully employed in routine analysis of raw materials and formulations containing gallic acid and ellagic acid.
Spatiotemporal variations of soil salinization in China's West Songnen Plain
Authors: Yu Hao , Wang Zongming , Mao Dehua , Jia Mingming , Chang Shouzhi , Li Xiaoyan
Published: January 2023

Preventing soil salinization and improving soil productivity play vital roles in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the premise of which is understanding the spatiotemporal patterns of soil salinity in various ecosystems. To improve regional ecosystem management decisions, we examined the spatial variations and temporal changes of soil salinity in China's West Songnen Plain by separately developing prediction models of soil salinity for vegetated and non‐vegetated areas (VEA and NEVA) through the combination of field samples, LANDSAT series images, and the partial least square regression (PLSR) method. Twelve variables, encompassing spectral bands, vegetation, and soil salinity indices, were extracted from LANDSAT satellite images. Among the investigated variables, the enhanced vegetation index (EVI), red band, and digital elevation model (DEM) yielded the best results for assessing the soil salinity in VEA. In contrast, the green band and SI2 exhibited the most significant correlation with soil salinity for NEVA. Based on 10‐fold cross‐validation, models predicted soil salinity with R2 values of 0.812 and 0.803. Results reveal that the salt‐affected areas in the West Songnen Plain were estimated at 1.23 × 106 hm2 in 2016 with evident heterogeneous distribution. Intensively salt‐affected area (IA) and moderately salt‐affected area (MA) are mainly distributed in the low‐lying central and northern regions of the plain. From 1991 to 2016, the salt‐affected area experienced a rapid increase followed by a slight decline with a peak in 2000. This suggests effective soil amelioration due to ecological projects and a wetter climate, however, the salt‐affected area still had a net increase of 0.32 × 106 hm2. The variation of different salt‐affected levels was characterized by an increase in slightly salt‐affected area (SA), MA, and IA. Cropland was the dominant land cover type affected by soil salinization, with the affected area expanding from 0.39 × 106 hm2 in 1991 to 0.57 × 106 hm2 in 2016. MA and SA were the dominant levels of soil salinization in grassland, with MA expanding by 1.3‐times from 1991 to 2016. Although the area of soil salinization increased from 1991 to 2016, the salt‐affected area was reduced, and the salt‐affected level was downgraded in some parts of the study area after 2000. These results could provide support for monitoring soil salinization in other regions, with the findings expected to benefit ecosystem conservation and restoration for regional sustainable development and provide support for evaluating SDGs.
Expanded and Independent Spanish Validation of the MDS‐Non Motor Rating Scale
Authors: Cubo Esther , Luo Sheng , Martínez‐Martín Pablo , Stebbins Glenn T. , Lin Jeffrey , Choi Dongrak , García‐Bustillo Alvaro , Mir Pablo , Santos‐Garcia Diego , Serrano‐Dueñas Marcos , Rodriguez‐Violante Mayela , Singer Carlos ,   and the Spanish MDS‐NMS Validation Study Group
Published: January 2023

Background

The Movement Disorder Society‐sponsored Non‐motor Rating Scale (MDS‐NMS) assess the severity and disability caused by non‐motor symptoms (NMS) in Parkinson's disease (PD).

Objective

This article encapsulates the formal process for completing this program and the data on the first officially approved non‐English version of the MDS‐NMS (Spanish).

Methods

The MDS‐NMS translation program involves four steps: translation and back‐translation; cognitive pre‐testing to ensure that raters and patients understand the scale and are comfortable with its content; field testing of the finalized version; analysis of the factor structure of the tested version against the original English language version for the nine domains that could be analyzed in a confirmatory factor analysis. To be designated an “Official MDS translation,” the confirmatory factor analysis Comparative Fit Index had to be ≥0.90.

Results

The Spanish MDS‐NMS was tested in 364 native‐Spanish‐speaking patients with PD from seven countries. For all subjects with fully computable data with all domains of the MDS‐NMS (n = 349), the Comparative Fit Index was ≥0.90 for the nine eligible domains. Missing data were negligible and moderate floor effect (42.90%) was found for the Non‐Motor Fluctuations subscale. Item homogeneity coefficient was adequate, and the correlation of the MDS‐NMS domains with other measures for related constructs was acceptable (rs ≥ 0.50).

Conclusions

The Spanish version of the MDS‐NMS followed the IPMDS Translation Program protocol, reached the criterion to be designated as an Official Translation, and is now available on the MDS website.
Modeling and Parameter Estimation for Gas‐Phase Polyethylene Product Properties Using Dynamic and Steady‐State Data
Authors: Gibson Lauren A. , Jiang Yan , Boller Timothy , Chiang Hsu , McAuley Kimberley B.
Published: January 2023

Models are developed for gas‐phase ethylene/1‐hexene copolymerization using a 3‐site hafnocene catalyst. The models accurately predict joint molecular weight distribution and copolymer composition data for 15 semibatch lab‐scale copolymerization runs and 6 steady‐state pilot‐plant copolymerization runs, respectively. Kinetic rate constants and activation energies, which are common to both models, are estimated for the three types of active sites for each reaction in the kinetic scheme. Using parameter subset selection and estimation techniques, it is found that 34 of the 61 parameters should be estimated from the data. Incorporating the pilot‐plant data allow for estimation of two parameters, a deactivation rate constant and a β‐hydride elimination activation energy, that are not estimable using the lab‐scale data alone. At the 95% confidence level, 25 of the 34 parameters are significantly different than zero, which is more than the 19 significant parameter estimates obtained from the lab‐scale data alone. Good fits to the data are obtained, as are reliable predictions for a validation run not used in parameter estimation.
Enhanced electrochemical performance of 3‐D microporous nickel/nickel oxide nanoflakes for application in supercapacitors
Authors: Singh Balwant Kr. , Das Debabrata , Attarzadeh Navid , Chintalapalle Srija N. , Ramana Chintalapalle V.
Published: January 2023

Increasing energy demands, depletion of fossil fuels, and environmental issues have impelled society to choose the pathways of renewable and clean energy, which motivated scientists and engineers to develop sustainable, renewable, and clean energy resources. However, the major challenge is the implementation of low‐cost, flexible approaches and materials to fulfill the requirements of energy storage and conversion technologies, specifically those involving batteries and supercapacitors. In this context, herein, we demonstrate an integrated approach to realize three‐dimensional (3‐D) mesoporous nickel(Ni)/nickel oxide (NiO) nanostructures with enhanced performance for supercapacitor applications. Conformal deposition of NiO nanoflakes on 3‐D mesoporous Ni onto inexpensive Cu substrates with large active surface area, providing easy ion accessibility through mesoporous channels and improving electron transport through interconnected nickel network. The 3‐D mesoporous Ni/NiO nanoflakes exhibit excellent electrochemical performance, namely, areal capacitance of 720 mFcm−2, energy density of 4 μWhcm−2 and power density of 2.5 mWcm−2 and a reasonable capacity retention for 5000 cycles. We believe that these results may provide a roadmap to further tune the conditions so as to engineer oxide architectures to derive enhanced energy performance of supercapacitor devices for practical applications.
Ohmic charging in capacitive deionization: Efficient water desalination using capacitive spacers
Authors: Nordstrand Johan , Dutta Joydeep
Published: January 2023

Capacitive deionization (CDI) is a promising desalination technology based on electrosorption on the surfaces of microporous electrodes. However, low total dissolved solids (TDS) in the water restricts its efficacy. In this work, we develop the theory of capacitive spacers (CS) in CDI. The investigations reveal a mechanism that we call ohmic charging; that is, the resistive losses in the spacer region drive adsorption in the CS. As a consequence, the obtained results show that such spacers can improve desalination efficiency, especially at ion‐starved conditions. The spacers also enhance the charging rate of the electrodes because the overall resistance is lower when the current can pass the spacer material instead of the solution, through the adsorption of anions on one side and cations on the other. Going deeper, the investigations reveal a major challenge; the spacer naturally discharges on the same timescale as the electrode charging timescale. However, only the fast timescale matters with low ionic content solutions, and under these conditions the CS are found to be superior. Put together, CS can make a significant difference, especially when the ion concentration is low or the cycle times are short.
Governance response during COVID‐19 and political affirmative action: Evidence from local governments in India
Authors: Pandey Vivek , Rathi Ankita , Kumar Deepak
Published: January 2023

A great deal of work argues that the entry of women into public spaces can promote political and institutional change. The COVID‐19 provides an opportunity to investigate whether and under what conditions women's political representation in rural local governments deliver effective local governance? Drawing from two rounds of data collected in 174 local governments and 1051 households in three Indian states, the paper shows that women Pradhans in the Gram Panchayats had no differential impact on the governance response to COVID‐19 compared to the unreserved ones. Analyzing the heterogeneity in these responses suggests that institutional factors like the proportion of women in village council and local entrepreneurship diversity can enhance women Pradhan's capacity to respond to the pandemic. We explore two channels that enable women Pradhan to govern effectively during the pandemic: improving women's participation in the labor force and reducing household's vulnerability to poverty in the pre‐COVID period.
CRISPR‐induced exon skipping of β‐catenin reveals tumorigenic mutants driving distinct subtypes of liver cancer
Authors: Mou Haiwei , Eskiocak Onur , Özler Kadir A. , Gorman Megan , Yue Junjiayu , Jin Ying , Wang Zhikai , Gao Ya , Janowitz Tobias , Meyer Hannah V. , Yu Tianxiong , Wilkinson John E , Kucukural Alper , Ozata Deniz M. , Beyaz Semir
Published: January 2023

CRISPR/Cas9‐driven cancer modeling studies are based on the disruption of tumor suppressor genes by small insertions or deletions (indels) that lead to frame‐shift mutations. In addition, CRISPR/Cas9 is widely used to define the significance of cancer oncogenes and genetic dependencies in loss‐of‐function studies. However, how CRISPR/Cas9 influences gain‐of‐function oncogenic mutations is elusive. Here, we demonstrate that single guide RNA targeting exon 3 of Ctnnb1 (encoding β‐catenin) results in exon skipping and generates gain‐of‐function isoforms in vivo. CRISPR/Cas9‐mediated exon skipping of Ctnnb1 induces liver tumor formation in synergy with YAPS127A in mice. We define two distinct exon skipping‐induced tumor subtypes with different histological and transcriptional features. Notably, ectopic expression of two exon‐skipped β‐catenin transcript isoforms together with YAPS127A phenocopies the two distinct subtypes of liver cancer. Moreover, we identify similar CTNNB1 exon‐skipping events in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Collectively, our findings advance our understanding of β‐catenin‐related tumorigenesis and reveal that CRISPR/Cas9 can be repurposed, in vivo, to study gain‐of‐function mutations of oncogenes in cancer. © 2023 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
SN‐38, an active metabolite of irinotecan, enhances anti‐PD‐1 treatment efficacy in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Lee Yi‐Mei , Chen Yu‐Hsin , Ou Da‐Liang , Hsu Chia‐Lang , Liu Jia‐Hua , Ko Jenq‐Yuh , Hu Mickey C‐T , Tan Ching‐Ting
Published: January 2023

Anti‐programmed cell death 1 (anti‐PD‐1) therapy shows definite but modest activity in patients with advanced/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Preliminary evidence suggests that SN‐38, an activated form of irinotecan that increases expression of the transcription factor FoxO3a, can suppress programmed cell death ligand‐1 (PD‐L1) expression in breast and ovarian tumor models. We analyzed the SN‐38‐mediated activation of natural killer cells in vitro and explored the efficacy of SN‐38 in combination with anti‐PD‐1 for treatment in vivo. In vitro, SN‐38 enhanced the expression of FoxO3a and reduced the expression of c‐Myc and PD‐L1 dose‐dependently in tumor cells. Low‐dose SN‐38 increased interferon‐γ secretion by NK cells and promoted NK cell‐mediated cytotoxicity in tumor cells. In vivo studies revealed that at non‐cytotoxic drug concentrations, SN‐38 significantly enhanced anti‐PD‐1 activity in suppressing murine tumor growth. We found increased NK cell and CD8+ T‐cell infiltration in post‐treatment tumors. RNA‐seq analysis indicated that SN‐38 increased the enrichment of immune cells and biological function genes related to the immune responses. SN‐38 is a potentially beneficial adjunct to checkpoint inhibitor therapy in HNSCC. Further studies exploring its mechanism of action and possible applications are necessary. © 2023 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
End‐group controlling aqueous solution properties in star‐shaped poly(2‐hydroxyethyl acrylate) and poly(2‐hydroxyethyl acrylate)‐b‐poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) polymers
Authors: Hermosillo‐Ochoa Eduardo , Cortez‐Lemus Norma A.
Published: January 2023

Star‐shaped poly(2‐hydroxyethyl acrylate) (PHEA)6 polymers were synthesized using hexafunctional chain transfer agent (CTA) trithiocarbonate type via reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. The (PHEA)6 polymers with dodecyl chain‐end were non‐water soluble. As the molecular weight increased, the polymers could disperse in water, forming large aggregates with a DH of 1027 to 525 nm. On the contrary, the (PHEA)6 polymers with the carboxylic acid group at the chain‐end were completely soluble in water. Then, (PHEA)6 polymers were chain extended with N‐isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) to obtain poly(2‐hydroxyethyl acrylate)‐b‐poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PHEA‐b‐PNIPAM) block copolymers. The dodecyl group strongly affects the aqueous solution properties of the copolymers even with a high PNIPAM content. Copolymers with dodecyl chain‐end were insoluble or partially soluble in water, forming large aggregates (0.5 mg/ml in distilled water). The copolymers with carboxylic acid end‐group were totally water soluble. The thermo‐responsive phase behavior of the star‐shaped block copolymers was studied, and for this purpose, it was necessary to remove the RAFT group containing the dodecyl tail. The intense turbidity observed in the aqueous dispersions of the corresponding copolymers made it challenging to determine the LCST accurately. The copolymers with a carboxylic end group were evaluated as is.
ALP Production in Weak Mesonic Decays
Authors: Guerrera A.W.M. , Rigolin S.
Published: January 2023

Axion–Like–Particles are among the most economical and well motivated extensions of the Standard Model. In this work ALP production from hadronic and leptonic meson decays are studied. The hadronization part of these decay amplitudes have been obtained using Brodsky–Lepage method or LQCD, at needs. In particular, the general expressions for ALP emission in mesonic s– and t–channel tree–level processes are thoroughly discussed, for pseudoscalar and vector mesons. Accordingly, the calculation of the decay amplitudes for and are presented. Finally, bounds on the (low–energy effective Lagrangian) ALP–fermion couplings are derived, from present and future flavor experiments.
Metabolism of sumatriptan revisited
Authors: Pöstges Timo , Lehr Matthias
Published: January 2023

Scientific literature describes that sumatriptan is metabolized by oxidative deamination of its dimethylaminoethyl residue by monoamine oxidase A (MAO A) and not by cytochrome P450 (CYP)‐mediated demethylation, as is usual for such structural elements. Using recombinant human enzymes and HPLC‐MS analysis, we found that CYP enzymes may also be involved in the metabolism of sumatriptan. The CYP1A2, CYP2C19, and CYP2D6 isoforms converted this drug into N‐desmethyl sumatriptan, which was further demethylated to N,N‐didesmethyl sumatriptan by CYP1A2 and CYP2D6. Otherwise, sumatriptan and its two desmethyl metabolites were metabolized by recombinant MAO A but not by MAO B to the corresponding acetaldehyde, with sumatriptan being only a poor substrate for MAO A compared to the N‐demethylated and the N,N‐didemethylated derivatives.
Effects of far‐red light on tritrophic interactions between the two‐spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae) and the predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis on tomato
Authors: Meijer Davy , van der Vleut Jaimie , Weldegergis Berhane T. , Costaz Thibault , Duarte Marcus Vinicius Alfenas , Pekas Apostolos , van Loon Joop J. A. , Dicke Marcel
Published: January 2023

BACKGROUND

The use of light‐emitting diode (LED) lights in horticulture allows growers to adjust the light spectrum to optimize crop production and quality. However, changes in light quality can also influence plant–arthropod interactions, with possible consequences for pest management. The addition of far‐red light has been shown to interfere with plant immunity, thereby increasing plant susceptibility to biotic stress and increasing pest performance. Far‐red light also influences plant emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and might thus influence tritrophic interactions with biological control agents. We investigated how far‐red light influences the VOC‐mediated attraction of the predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis to tomato plants infested with Tetranychus urticae, and its ability to control T. urticae populations.

RESULTS

Far‐red light significantly influences herbivore‐induced VOC emissions of tomato plants, characterized by a change in relative abundance of terpenoids, but this did not influence the attraction of P. persimilis to herbivore‐induced plants. Supplemental far‐red light led to an increased population growth of T. urticae and increased numbers of P. persimilis. This resulted in a stronger suppression of T. urticae populations under supplemental far‐red light, to similar T. urticae numbers as in control conditions without supplemental far‐red light.

CONCLUSION

We conclude that supplemental far‐red light can change herbivore‐induced VOC emissions but does not interfere with the attraction of the predator P. persimilis. Moreover, far‐red light stimulates biological control of spider mites in glasshouse tomatoes due to increased population build‐up of the biocontrol agent. © 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
Are root parasitic broomrapes still a good target for bioherbicide control?
Authors: Vurro Maurizio
Published: January 2023

Root parasitic weeds of the genera Orobanche and Phelipanche (commonly named broomrapes) are responsible for enormous yield losses of several crops all around the world. Traditional weed management methods, including among others the use of herbicides, soil fumigation and solarization, and mechanical, agronomic or physical methods, may have limits of use or can provide a modicum of control. Difficulties in controlling parasitic weeds are due to both the enormous number of seeds produced by each plant that can remain viable for many years, even in the absence of a host, and to the unique physiological and biological properties of the parasite. Although long considered a suitable and promising approach, biological control, in particular the use of microbial organisms or compounds stimulating or inhibiting seed germination, has had no commercial success and no products have reached the market. This article provides a quick overview of the bioherbicide approaches attempted until now, briefly discussing the causes of the failures and the possibility to improve biocontrol agents’ effectiveness. Indeed, despite the failures, the ‘bioherbicide’ approach deserves renewed interest in light of the enormous scientific and technological progress made in past years, which offers new chances of success. © 2023 The Author. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
Dynamic generalized fast initial response for EWMA control schemes for monitoring processes with startup and post‐startup problems
Authors: Ajibade Ganiyu Ayodele , Enoch Opeyemi Oluwole
Published: January 2023

The exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) control schemes have been proven to be very effective at monitoring random shifts or disturbances in a given process. However, EWMA is somewhat insensitive to the shifts at the process startup. Consequently, fast initial response feature (FIR) or headstart has often been used to increase the sensitivity of EWMA at the process startup. Although FIR feature significantly increases the sensitivity of the EWMA at the startup, its effects diminished after few observations thereby making FIR‐based schemes less sensitive compared to the classical EWMA at the process post‐startup. In this paper, we proposed the dynamic generalized fast initial response for the EWMA control schemes for monitoring processes with startup and post‐startup problems. The proposed scheme is highly sensitive at the startup and has a sensitivity equal to that of the classical EWMA at the process post‐startup. The average run length based performance comparisons of the proposed chart and its counterparts are presented. Real‐life examples are offered to demonstrate the applications of the proposed scheme.
First‐principles study on stability, Debye temperature, mechanical, electronic and magnetic properties of Fe2B compounds
Authors: Wei Xiang , Chen Zhiguo , Mao Hong , Peng Guangwei , Liu Baogang , Wu Jiwen
Published: January 2023

In this work, the stability, Debye temperature, mechanical, electronic and magnetic properties of four kinds of Fe2B with the different crystal structures were investigated by first‐principles calculation, and the results of Fe2B with or without spin polarization were comparatively analyzed. It was found that spin polarization increases the thermodynamic stability and Debye temperature of T1 (ICSD NO: 30446) and T2 (42530), but reduces that of T3 (16809) and T4 (160789). Only T1 and T2 are thermodynamically stable compounds, but all of the Fe2B are mechanically stable. Ferromagnetic T1 and T2 have the largest Young's modulus, shear modulus, Vickers hardness and fracture toughness. Moreover, their Vickers hardness is much larger than that of the others. Electronic structures revealed that the larger modulus (B, E and G) of T1 and T2 originate from their stronger Fe‐Fe bonds and/or weaker elastic anisotropy. The Ms of unit cell of T3 and T4 are larger than that of T1 and T2. Thus, ferromagnetic T1 and T2 can be considered as the excellent candidates for high‐performance wear‐resistance materials and strong ferromagnetic materials with high hardness, whereas the T3 and T4 are just suitable for the application of strong ferromagnetic materials without wear.
Influence of early‐age vibration on concrete strength
Authors: Basler Felix , Mähner Dietmar , Fischer Oliver , Hilbig Harald
Published: January 2023

This report examines the strength of young and early age concrete that has been systematically exposed to horizontal, sinusoidal vibrations with varying vibration parameters. Specimens were subjected to vibrations of predefined vibration times (4–14 h) and the compressive strength was determined after a period of 28 days. It was found that the different parameters have no critical influence on compressive strength and that vibration prior to initial setting of the concrete can increase its strength. Additional information to examine the reasons for this increase was obtained by further investigations (nuclear magnetic resonance, x‐ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis).