bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Airborne Thermal Data Identifies Groundwater Discharge at the North-Western Coast of the Dead Sea
Authors: Mallast Ulf , Schwonke Friedhelm , Gloaguen Richard , Geyer Stefan , Sauter Martin , Siebert Christian
Published: November 2013

A qualitative and quantitative monitoring of groundwater discharge was conducted based on an airborne thermal campaign undertaken along the north-western coast of the Dead Sea in January 2011 to contribute to the relatively scarce information on groundwater discharge to date in the region. The application of airborne thermal data exploits thermal contrasts that exist between discharging groundwater and background sea surface temperatures of the Dead Sea. Using these contrasts, 72 discharge sites were identified from which only 42 were known from previous in situ measurements undertaken at terrestrial springs by the Israel Hydrological Service. Six of these sites represent submarine springs and at a further 24 locations groundwater appears to seep through the sediment. Although the abundance of groundwater seepage sites suggests a significant, but so far unknown groundwater source, the main contribution appears to originate from terrestrial springs. In an attempt to provide a quantitative approach for terrestrial springs, a linear bootstrap regression model between in situ spring discharge and respective thermal discharge plumes (r2 = 0.87 p < 0.001) is developed and presented here. While the results appear promising and could potentially be applied to derive discharge values at unmonitored sites, several influence factors need to be clarified before a robust and reliable model to efficiently derive a complete quantitative picture of groundwater discharge can be proposed.
Assessing the Potential of Low-Cost 3D Cameras for the Rapid Measurement of Plant Woody Structure
Authors: Nock Charles , Taugourdeau Olivier , Delagrange Sylvain , Messier Christian
Published: November 2013

Detailed 3D plant architectural data have numerous applications in plant science, but many existing approaches for 3D data collection are time-consuming and/or require costly equipment. Recently, there has been rapid growth in the availability of low-cost, 3D cameras and related open source software applications. 3D cameras may provide measurements of key components of plant architecture such as stem diameters and lengths, however, few tests of 3D cameras for the measurement of plant architecture have been conducted. Here, we measured Salix branch segments ranging from 2–13 mm in diameter with an Asus Xtion camera to quantify the limits and accuracy of branch diameter measurement with a 3D camera. By scanning at a variety of distances we also quantified the effect of scanning distance. In addition, we also test the sensitivity of the program KinFu for continuous 3D object scanning and modeling as well as other similar software to accurately record stem diameters and capture plant form (<3 m in height). Given its ability to accurately capture the diameter of branches >6 mm, Asus Xtion may provide a novel method for the collection of 3D data on the branching architecture of woody plants. Improvements in camera measurement accuracy and available software are likely to further improve the utility of 3D cameras for plant sciences in the future.
Electrochemical Determination of Glycoalkaloids Using a Carbon Nanotubes-Phenylboronic Acid Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode
Authors: Wang Huiying , Liu Mingyue , Hu Xinxi , Li Mei , Xiong Xingyao
Published: November 2013

A versatile strategy for electrochemical determination of glycoalkaloids (GAs) was developed by using a carbon nanotubes-phenylboronic acid (CNTs-PBA) modified glassy carbon electrode. PBA reacts with α-solanine and α-chaconine to form a cyclic ester, which could be utilized to detect GAs. This method allowed GA detection from 1 μM to 28 μM and the detection limit was 0.3 μM. Affinity interaction of GAs and immobilized PBA caused an essential change of the peak current. The CNT-PBA modified electrodes were sensitive for detection of GAs, and the peak current values were in quite good agreement with those measured by the sensors.
Becoming Monument, Activating Windsor
Authors: Engle Karen
Published: November 2013

What does it mean to live in a dying place? This auto-critical article asks this question in the context of the Windsor/Detroit region, one of the most economically depressed zones in North America. Using the work of Barthes, Benjamin, and Taussig, I ruminate on the psycho-somatic experiences of trying to navigate a world that most writers have already dismissed as haunted and abandoned.
Spin relaxation in antiferromagnetic Fe–Fe dimers slowed down by anisotropic DyIII ions
Authors: Mereacre Valeriu , Klöwer Frederik , Lan Yanhua , Clérac Rodolphe , Wolny Juliusz A , Schünemann Volker , Anson Christopher E , Powell Annie K
Published: November 2013

By using Mössbauer spectroscopy in combination with susceptibility measurements it was possible to identify the supertransferred hyperfine field through the oxygen bridges between DyIII and FeIII in a {Fe4Dy2} coordination cluster. The presence of the dysprosium ions provides enough magnetic anisotropy to “block” the hyperfine field that is experienced by the iron nuclei. This has resulted in magnetic spectra with internal hyperfine fields of the iron nuclei of about 23 T. The set of data permitted us to conclude that the direction of the anisotropy in lanthanide nanosize molecular clusters is associated with the single ion and crystal field contributions and 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy may be informative with regard to the the anisotropy not only of the studied isotope, but also of elements interacting with this isotope.
Relation entre sources trophiques et capacité de survie chez Macrolophus pygmaeus (Hemiptera : Miridae)
Authors: Hamdi Faten , Bonato Olivier
Published: November 2013

L'influence de différents régimes trophiques sur la capacité de survie et la longévité d'une espèce zoophytophage (Macrolophus pygmaeus Rambur ; Hemiptera : Miridae) a été étudiée. Les différentes sources trophiques, présentées seules ou en combinaison étaient de l'eau libre, une plante (tabac), et une proie (œufs d’Ephestia kuehniella Zeller ; Lepidoptera : Pyralidae). Le régime trophique a fortement influencé la longévité et la survie des adultes quel que soit leur sexe. L'eau, libre ou apportée par la plante, est une ressource indispensable à la survie. La plante, comparée à l'eau libre, n'a pas eu d'effet significatif sur la longévité mais a influencé positivement la survie. On a observé un effet certain de la présence simultanée de l'eau et des œufs.
Fecal microbiota transplantation: the state of the art
Authors: Di Bella Stefano , Drapeau Cecilia , García-Almodóvar Esther , Petrosillo Nicola
Published: November 2013

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is an emerging problem in terms of incidence, morbidity and mortality. Currently available treatment options are not always effective, especially in cases of recurrent/refractory or complicated CDI. The gut microbiota transplantation is a technique that has been sporadically practiced since the ‘50s, but its clinical efficacy has only recently been supported by scientific evidence. In the present article, we report the pathophysiological basis and the clinical indications of this technique that, in light of its low cost, and proven efficacy and safety, is likely to become part of the management guidelines of difficult cases of CDI in the near future.
A network analysis of character relations in Etienne van Heerden’s Toorberg
Authors: Senekal Burgert A.
Published: November 2013

Etienne van Heerden’s Toorberg can be approached as a modern, postcolonial farm novel, partly because it challenges the concept of lineage of inheritance, which is characteristic of the traditional farm novel. Lineage of inheritance implies a strong family bond, and it is therefore instructive to investigate how family ties function within this novel. The article views family ties within Toorberg using Social Network Analysis (SNA), a largely unknown theoretical framework that can also be applied within the study of literature. It is shown how characters’ positions in this network can be calculated in terms of degree centrality, closeness centrality, Eigenvector centrality and betweenness centrality, and how these measures expose the way in which this novel undermines the traditional concept of inheritance.
Multiple points, scheme rank and symmetric tensor rank
Authors: Ballico Edoardo
Published: November 2013

In this paper we prove some upper bounds for the symmetric tensor rank of a symmetric tensor (or a homogeneous polynomial) in terms of integers associated to any zero-dimensional scheme evincing the scheme rank of the homogeneous polynomial.
Warped product pointwise semi-slant submanifolds of Kähler manifolds
Authors: Şahin Bayram
Published: November 2013

It is known that there exist no warped product semi-slant submanifolds in Kähler manifolds [15]. Recently, Chen and Garay studied pointwise slant submanifolds of almost Hermitian manifolds in [9] and obtained many new results for such submanifolds. In this paper, we first introduce pointwise semi-slant submanifolds of Kähler manifolds and then we show that there exists non-trivial warped product pointwise semi-slant submanifolds of Kähler manifold by giving an example, contrary to the semi-slant case. We present a characterization theorem and establish an inequality for the squared norm of the second fundamental form in terms of the warping function for such warped product submanifolds in Kähler manifolds. The equality case is also considered.
Free Boundary Determination in Nonlinear Diffusion
Authors: Hussein M. S. , Lesnic D. , Ivanchov M.
Published: November 2013

Free boundary problems with nonlinear diffusion occur in various applications, such as solidification over a mould with dissimilar nonlinear thermal properties and saturated or unsaturated absorption in the soil beneath a pond. In this article, we consider a novel inverse problem where a free boundary is determined from the mass/energy specification in a well-posed one-dimensional nonlinear diffusion problem, and a stability estimate is established. The problem is recast as a nonlinear least-squares minimisation problem, which is solved numerically using the lsqnonlin routine from the MATLAB toolbox. Accurate and stable numerical solutions are achieved. For noisy data, instability is manifest in the derivative of the moving free surface, but not in the free surface itself nor in the concentration or temperature.
Recursive Identification of Wiener-Hammerstein Systems with Nonparametric Nonlinearity
Authors: Hu Xiao-Li , Jiang Yue-Ping
Published: November 2013

A recursive scheme is proposed for identifying a single input single output (SISO) Wiener-Hammerstein system, which consists of two linear dynamic subsystems and a sandwiched nonparametric static nonlinearity. The first linear block is assumed to be a finite impulse response (FIR) filter and the second an infinite impulse response (IIR) filter. By letting the input be a sequence of mutually independent Gaussian random variables, the recursive estimates for coefficients of the two linear blocks and the value of the static nonlinear function at any fixed given point are proven to converge to the true values, with probability one as the data size tends to infinity. The static nonlinearity is identified in a nonparametric way and no structural information is directly used. A numerical example is presented that illustrates the theoretical results.
H2O and HCl trace gas kinetics on crystalline and amorphous HCl hydrates in the range 170 to 205 K: the HCl/H2O phase diagram revisited
Authors: Iannarelli R. , Rossi M. J.
Published: November 2013

Abstract. In this laboratory study, H2O ice films of 1 to 2 μm thickness have been used as surrogates for ice particles at atmospherically relevant conditions in a stirred flow reactor (SFR) to measure the kinetics of evaporation and condensation of HCl and H2O on crystalline and amorphous HCl hydrates. A multidiagnostic approach has been employed using FTIR absorption spectroscopy in transmission to monitor the condensed phase and residual gas mass spectrometry (MS) for the gas phase. An average mass balance ratio between HCl adsorbed onto ice and the quantity of HCl measured using FTIR absorption, (Nn − Nesc − Nads)/NFTIR = 1.182 ± 0.123 has been obtained. The rate of evaporation Rev(HCl) for crystalline HCl hexahydrate (HCl·6H2O) films and amorphous HCl/H2O mixtures has been found to be lower by a factor of 10 to 250 compared to Rev(H2O) in the overlapping temperature range 175 to 190 K. Variations of the accommodation coefficient α (HCl) on pure HCl·6H2O up to a factor of 10 have been observed. The kinetic parameters are thermochemically consistent with the corresponding equilibrium vapour pressure. In addition, we propose an extension of the HCl/H2O phase diagram of crystalline HCl·6H2O based on the analysis of deconvoluted FTIR spectra of samples outside its known existence area. A brief evaluation of the atmospheric importance of both condensed phases, amorphous HCl/H2O and crystalline HCl·6H2O, is performed in favour of the amorphous phase.
Phosphate monoesterase and diesterase activities in the North and South Pacific Ocean
Authors: Sato M. , Sakuraba R. , Hashihama F.
Published: November 2013

Abstract. Phosphate monoesterase and diesterase activities were measured with soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) and labile and total dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) concentrations in the North and South Pacific Ocean, to reveal the microbial utilization of phosphate esters in the Pacific Ocean. Both esterase activities were noticeably enhanced around the western part of 30° N, where the surface SRP concentration was below 10 nM, while they showed no significant correlation with DOP concentration. The proportion of the activity in the dissolved fraction was higher for diesterase than monoesterase, which may support results from previous genomic analyses. Substrate affinity and the maximum hydrolysis rate of monoesterase were the highest at lower concentrations of SRP, showing the adaptation of microbes to inorganic phosphorus nutrient deficiency at the molecular level. The calculated turnover time of monoesters was 1 to 2 weeks in the western North Pacific Ocean, which was much shorter than the turnover time in other areas of the Pacific Ocean but longer than the turnover time in other phosphate-depleted areas. In contrast, the turnover rate of diesters was calculated to exceed 100 days, revealing that diesters in the western North Pacific were a biologically refractory phosphorus fraction. In the present study, it was revealed that both phosphate monoesters and diesters can be a phosphorus source for microbes in the phosphate-depleted waters, although the dynamics of the two esters are totally different.
QVAST: a new Quantum GIS plugin for estimating volcanic susceptibility
Authors: Bartolini S. , Cappello A. , Martí J. , Del Negro C.
Published: November 2013

Abstract. One of the most important tasks of modern volcanology is the construction of hazard maps simulating different eruptive scenarios that can be used in risk-based decision making in land-use planning and emergency management. The first step in the quantitative assessment of volcanic hazards is the development of susceptibility maps (i.e., the spatial probability of a future vent opening given the past eruptive activity of a volcano). This challenging issue is generally tackled using probabilistic methods that use the calculation of a kernel function at each data location to estimate probability density functions (PDFs). The smoothness and the modeling ability of the kernel function are controlled by the smoothing parameter, also known as the bandwidth. Here we present a new tool, QVAST, part of the open-source geographic information system Quantum GIS, which is designed to create user-friendly quantitative assessments of volcanic susceptibility. QVAST allows the selection of an appropriate method for evaluating the bandwidth for the kernel function on the basis of the input parameters and the shapefile geometry, and can also evaluate the PDF with the Gaussian kernel. When different input data sets are available for the area, the total susceptibility map is obtained by assigning different weights to each of the PDFs, which are then combined via a weighted summation and modeled in a non-homogeneous Poisson process. The potential of QVAST, developed in a free and user-friendly environment, is here shown through its application in the volcanic fields of Lanzarote (Canary Islands) and La Garrotxa (NE Spain).
A FASHION FLOP: THE INNOVATIVE DESIGN PROTECTION AND PIRACY PREVENTION ACT
Authors: Purcell Lauren E.
Published: November 2013

A FASHION FLOP: THE INNOVATIVE DESIGN PROTECTION AND PIRACY PREVENTION ACT
El Derecho de Asociación
Authors: Núñez Moncada Sahira Karine
Published: November 2013

La Libertad de Asociación es un derecho protegido por nuestra constitución en su artículo 78, derecho que posibilita o permite que los ciudadanos constituyamos todo tipo de asociaciones sin importar las tendencias; siempre y cuando estas no sean contrarias a la Ley, procurando con ello mejorar y defender las condiciones de los grupos de interés con distintas tendencias ideológicas, políticas o religiosas para el fortalecimiento de la sociedad civil y la voz de la opinión pública, necesarias e indispensables en un país democrático Será misión del derecho positivo nuestro, no sólo no menoscabar este derecho natural de asociación, sino también el establecer las oportunas defensas contra cualquier atentado de la comunidad o de un particular que tienda a negarlo, abolirlo o impedir su ejercicio. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/lrd.v32i0.1251 Revista de Derecho, Vol. 32, Nº 1, Año 2011: 49-83
Novedades Legislativas Año 2011
Authors: Editora La
Published: November 2013

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/lrd.v32i0.1254 Revista de Derecho, Vol. 32, Nº 1, Año 2011: 151-153
Ley de Trasparencia y Acceso a la Información Pública
Authors: Editora La
Published: November 2013

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/lrd.v32i0.1255 Revista de Derecho, Vol. 32, Nº 1, Año 2011: 157-178
Direct Immersion-Solid Phase Microextraction for the Determination of Chlorinated Pesticide Residues in Tomatoes by Gas Chromatography with an Electron Capture Detector
Authors: Mariani Maurizio Boccacci , Giannetti Vanessa , Testani Elena , Ceccarelli Valentina
Published: November 2013

The use of pesticides in agriculture has grown dramatically over the last decades. Environmental exposure of humans to agrochemicals is common and results in both acute and chronic health effects. In this study, direct immersion-solid phase microextraction (SPME) was coupled with electron capture detection for trace determination of 19 chlorinated pesticides in tomato samples, using a 100 μm polydimethylsiloxane fiber. The experimental parameters extraction time, extraction temperature, stirring, and salting out were evaluated and optimized. The LODs ranged from 0.5 to 8 μg/kg, and the LOQs from 5 to 30 μg/kg. A linear response was confirmed by correlation coefficients ranging from 0.97 to 0.9985. The developed method was tested by analyzing real samples purchased within the network of Italian distribution. The samples were found to be free from detectable residues of the studied pesticides. SPME has been shown to be a fast extraction technique that has several advantages such as solvent-free extraction, simplicity, and compatibility with the chromatographic analytical system.
Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry-Based Metabolic Profiling and Differentiation of Ginseng Roots According to Cultivation Age Using Variable Selection
Authors: Park Hae Eun , Lee Seok-Young , Hyun Sun-Hee , Kim Da Yeon , Marriott Philip J , Choi Hyung-Kyoon
Published: November 2013

Ginseng roots are an important herbal resource worldwide, and the adulteration of ginseng with age is recognized as a serious problem. It is therefore crucial to develop objective criteria or standard protocols for differentiating ginseng root samples according to their cultivation age. The reported study used GC/MS combined with multivariate statistical analysis with variable selection to obtain metabolic profiling and an optimal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) model for the differentiation of ginseng according to cultivation age. Relative levels of various metabolites, such as amino acids, alcohols, fatty acids, organic acids, and sugars, were measured for various ginseng cultivation ages. Increasing cultivation age resulted in the production of higher levels of panaxynol and panaxydol, which are active polyacetylene compounds in ginseng. In addition, optimized PLS-DA models for the prediction of ginseng age were obtained by selecting variables based on a variable importance in the projection cut-off value of 1.3. Proline, glucaric acid, mannose, gluconic acid, glucuronic acid, myoinositol, panaxydol, and panaxynol are suggested as key and relevant compounds with which to differentiate the age of ginseng samples. The findings of this study suggest that GC/MS-based metabolic profiling can be used to differentiate ginseng samples according to cultivation age.
The Analysis of Pergolide Residues in Horse Plasma by LC with Fluorescence Detection
Authors: Doran Gregory , Hughes Kristopher , Rendle David , Edwards Scott
Published: November 2013

Pergolide is used to treat pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (equine Cushing's Disease), a neurodegenerative condition associated with loss of dopaminergic inhibition of the pituitary in horses. After oral administration, only low concentrations of the drug are achieved in plasma, making drug detection and quantification difficult. While direct analysis of plasma using sensitive MS/MS techniques is possible, dirty plasma samples and mobile phase buffers can cause instrumentation to become rapidly incapacitated. A method using LC with fluorescence detection was developed for pergolide analysis. LOQ for the instrumentation was 2 ng/mL when using direct injection of horse plasma samples, while interferences from the matrix were nominal. The use of SPE provided cleaner extracts and increased the LOQ in plasma samples to 0.15 ng/mL. The LC method developed allowed high sample throughput before pre-columns required replacement, which was extended when SPE cleanup was used. The effectiveness of SPE for the cleanup and preconcentration of plasma samples containing pergolide was demonstrated with spiked and naturally incurred samples; LC-MS/MS was used to validate the SPE method against direct injection samples.
Uterine Tumors Resembling Ovarian Sex Cord Tumors
Authors: Pradhan Dinesh , Mohanty Sambit K.
Published: November 2013

Uterine tumors resembling ovarian sex cord tumors (UTROSCT) are rare neoplasms of unknown etiology. Only 67 cases have been reported in the literature, to our knowledge, so far. The neoplasm usually occurs in middle-aged women. Most patients present with abnormal uterine bleeding and/or abdominal pain, along with an enlarged uterus or a palpable uterine mass. There is no specific imaging finding, and the diagnosis is made exclusively on histopathologic examination. A multitude of architectural patterns are described, which include plexiform cords, anastomosing trabeculae, watered-silk, microfollicle, macrofollicle, tubules, retiform, solid cellular islands, and diffuse pattern of growth. The neoplastic cells are usually small with round to ovoid nuclei, nuclear monotony, mild nuclear hyperchromasia, and inconspicuous nucleoli with scant eosinophilic cytoplasm. Nuclear grooves are rare. Mitotic figures are infrequent, and necrosis is mostly absent. This tumor depicts a diverse immunohistochemical profile with expression of sex cord, epithelial, and smooth muscle lineages markers. Sex cord markers, such as inhibin, calretinin, CD99, WT1, and MART-1; epithelial markers, such as pancytokeratin and epithelial membrane antigen; smooth muscle markers, such as smooth muscle actin, desmin, and histone deacetylase 8; and miscellaneous markers, such as CD10, estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, S100, and CD117, are often coexpressed. Immunoexpression for calretinin and at least for one of the other sex cord markers is required to establish a diagnosis of UTROSCT. Hysterectomy with or without bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy is usually the treatment for UTROSCT. Although most UTROSCTs behave benignly, some do recur, and thus, this entity should be considered as a tumor of low malignant potential. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge on UTROSCT and its clinical relevance.
Taking a Leave
Authors: Cohen Marya J.
Published: July 2024

This essay describes the author’s experiences and mental health journey leading to her taking a leave from work.
Prenatal Cannabis Use and Maternal Pregnancy Outcomes
Authors: Young-Wolff Kelly C. , Adams Sara R. , Alexeeff Stacey E. , Zhu Yeyi , Chojolan Edwin , Slama Natalie E. , Does Monique B. , Silver Lynn D. , Ansley Deborah , Castellanos Carley L. , Avalos Lyndsay A.
Published: July 2024

Importance

Many studies have evaluated whether in utero cannabis exposure is associated with fetal and neonatal outcomes, yet little is known about whether prenatal cannabis use is associated with maternal health outcomes during pregnancy.

Objective

To evaluate whether prenatal cannabis use is associated with maternal health outcomes during pregnancy.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This population-based retrospective cohort study included pregnancies in Northern California from January 2011 to December 2019 that lasted 20 weeks or longer and were screened for prenatal cannabis use.

Exposures

Prenatal cannabis use was defined as any self-reported use during early pregnancy or a positive toxicology test result based on universal screening at entrance to prenatal care (approximately 8-10 weeks’ gestation). Self-reported frequency of use (daily, weekly, monthly or less, never, unknown), use defined only by self-report, and use defined only by toxicology test results were examined.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Electronic health record data were used to define the following outcomes: gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, eclampsia, gestational diabetes, gestational weight gain greater and less than guidelines, placenta previa, placental abruption, placenta accreta, and severe maternal morbidity. Adjusted risk ratios (aRRs) were calculated using a modified Poisson regression.

Results

The sample (n = 316 722 pregnancies; 250 221 unique individuals) included 84 039 (26.5%) Asian/Pacific Islander, 20 053 (6.3%) Black, 83 145 (26.3%) Hispanic, and 118 333 (37.4%) White individuals; the mean (SD) age was 30.6 (5.4) years. Overall, 20 053 (6.3%) screened positive for prenatal cannabis use; 2.9% were positive by self-report, 5.3% by toxicology testing, and 1.8% by both. The frequency of cannabis use was 1930 (0.6%) daily, 2345 (0.7%) weekly, 4892 (1.5%) monthly or less, and 10 886 (3.4%) unknown. Prenatal cannabis use was associated with greater risk of gestational hypertension (aRR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.13-1.21), preeclampsia (aRR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.01-1.15), weight gain less than (aRR, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.01-1.08) and greater than (aRR, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.08-1.10) guidelines, and placental abruption (aRR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.05-1.36). The pattern of results was similar when defining prenatal cannabis use only by self-report or only by toxicology testing, and associations between the frequency of prenatal cannabis use and outcomes varied with outcome.

Conclusions and Relevance

The results of this cohort study suggest that prenatal cannabis use was associated with several adverse maternal health outcomes during pregnancy. Continued research is needed to understand whether characteristics of prenatal cannabis use (eg, dose, mode, and timing) moderate these associations.
Management of Elevated Blood Pressure in the Hospital—Rethinking Current Practice
Authors: Jacobs Zachary G. , Anderson Timothy S.
Published: July 2024

This Clinical Insight proposes a new framework for managing asymptomatic blood pressure elevation in the hospital setting.
EMR-Documented Contraception for Patients Prescribed Medications With Adverse Perinatal Outcomes
Authors: Nolan Joseph V. , Muhonen Marisa A. , Jaeb Michael A. , Semanik Michael G. , Nembhard Wendy N. , Stowe Zachary N.
Published: July 2024

This cross-sectional study examines the rates of method of contraception documentation in the electronic medical record (EMR) for patients receiving 1 of 3 drugs known to be associated with adverse perinatal outcomes.
Ultraprocessed Foods at Home and Children's Attentional Bias Toward Those Foods
Authors: McNeel Katherine , Shearrer Grace E. , Papantoni Afroditi , Nansel Tonja R. , Lipsky Leah M. , Burger Kyle S.
Published: July 2024

This study examines the association between exposure to ultraprocessed foods at home and children’s attentional bias for those foods.
Incidence of Nonsynostotic Plagiocephaly and Developmental Disorders
Authors: Lynch Mary E. , White Melanie J. , Rabatin Amy E. , Brandenburg Joline E. , Theuer Amanda B. , Viet Katrina M. , Hollman John H. , Driscoll Sherilyn W.
Published: July 2024

Importance

This is the first population-based study quantifying the incidence of nonsynostotic positional plagiocephaly and/or brachycephaly (PPB) in infancy and its association with developmental disorders.

Objective

To report the incidence of PPB before age 1 year, the incidence of craniosynostosis, and the percentage of children with PPB diagnosed with a developmental disorder by age 7 years.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This was a retrospective, population-based cohort study of children in the Rochester Epidemiology Project (REP) born in Olmsted County, Minnesota, from January 1, 2008, through December 31, 2012, with follow-up through age 7 years. Data were analyzed from March 2021 to April 2024.

Exposure

Physical examination detecting cranial deformity.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome was the incidence of PPB. Secondary outcomes were the incidence of craniosynostosis and the percentage of children with PPB diagnosed with a developmental disorder by age 7 years.

Results

Of 9909 infants (5084 [51.3%] male; 9205 [92.9%] born at term and 704 [7.1%] born preterm) included in the study, 575 had PPB, for a PPB incidence of 5.8% (95% CI, 5.3%-6.3%). The incidence of PPB was 5.3% (95% CI, 4.8%-5.8%) in term infants vs 11.8% (95% CI, 9.4%-14.6%) in preterm infants. The incidence of craniosynostosis was 0.16% (95% CI, 0.09%-0.26%). A developmental disorder was known or suspected in 4.2% (95% CI, 2.7%-6.2%) of infants at the time of PPB diagnosis; among 402 infants with PPB and follow-up through age 7 years, 30 (7.5%; 95% CI, 5.0%-10.7%) had a confirmed developmental disorder by 7 years of age. The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children with a history of PPB who were followed up to age 7 years was 2.2% (9 of 402 children).

Conclusions and Relevance

This study found that only a small percentage of the infants had positional head deformity significant enough to be documented and/or referred for subspecialty evaluation, and only a small subset of these children went on to have a developmental disorder in childhood. This information is helpful for counseling families about their child’s developmental risk at time of PPB diagnosis.
Benefits and Harms of Proposed Social Media Legislation
Authors: Moreno Megan A. , Radesky Jenny S.
Published: July 2024

This Viewpoint identifies potential strategies to address issues in adolescents’ use of social media and cautions against the premature adoption of some strategies, such as parental permissions and age restrictions.
The Influence of Annealing on the Compositional and Crystallographic Properties of Sputtered Li–Al–O Thin Films
Authors: Lourens Florian , Rogalla Detlef , Suhr Ellen , Ludwig Alfred
Published: July 2024

Li–Al–O materials are interesting for several applications. Herein, a Li–Al–O thin‐film materials library, deposited by inert magnetron sputtering and postdeposition annealing in O2 atmosphere, is used to study the effects of different annealing temperatures (300–850 °C) and durations (1 min to 7 h) on crystallinity and composition of the films. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy depth profiling reveals inhomogeneous compositional depth profiles of conventionally annealed films (300–650 °C, 3–7 h) with increased Li contents toward the film surface and increased Al contents toward the film–substrate interface, as confirmed by a combination of Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and deuteron‐induced nuclear reaction analysis. The minimum temperature for the formation of crystalline LiAlO2 in the otherwise amorphous films is 550 °C. The undesired inhomogeneous depth profiles are transformed into homogeneous ones by rapid thermal annealing (750–850 °C, 1–10 min), while simultaneously causing the formation of crystalline LiAlO2. Therefore, rapid thermal annealing is shown to be more suitable than conventional annealing for the thermal processing of Li–Al–O thin films. Moreover, this conclusion is expected to have broader relevance beyond Li–Al–O materials, as it is likely to apply to other Li metal oxides, of which there are many technologically relevant ones.
Multi‐Resonance TADF Conjugated Polymers toward Highly Efficient Solution‐Processible Narrowband Green OLEDs
Authors: Wang Tao , Huang Zhongyan , Zhang Hongyang , Miao Jingsheng , Yang Chuluo
Published: July 2024

Due to the extended conjugation along the polymeric backbone and the scarcity of suitable multi‐resonance (MR) emitting units for polymerization, precisely adjusting the colors of MR‐thermally activated delayed fluorescence (MR‐TADF) conjugated polymers to green and red region remains to be a formidable challenge. Herein, this work develops a series of green MR‐TADF polymers for the first time by attaching MR emitting moiety as pendant to an acceptor triphenyltriazine while simultaneously embedding acceptor moiety into polycarbazole backbone. Benefitting from the enhanced intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) interaction by introducing acceptor on the para‐carbon position of boron (B) atom of the MR unit, as well as extended conjugation along backbone, all polymers exhibit red‐shifted emissions with emission peaks of 505–517 nm and full‐width at half maximums (FWHMs) of below 48 nm compared to the pendant bluish‐green MR unit peaking at 484 nm. The solution‐processed devices based on these polymers exhibit excellent performances with maximum quantum efficiency (EQE) of 22.2%, emission peak at 511 nm and FWHM of 44 nm, which represents the state‐of‐the‐art performance among the MR‐TADF polymer‐based narrowband OLEDs.
The Role of Point Defects in Heterojunction Photocatalysts: Perspectives and Outlooks
Authors: Zu Di , Wei Hehe , Lin Zezhou , Bai Xiaopeng , Ivan Md Nahian Al Subri , Tsang Yuen Hong , Huang Haitao
Published: July 2024

The development of efficient photocatalysts is a mainstay for the advancement of photocatalytic technology. Heterojunction photocatalysts can overcome the inherent limitations of single photocatalysts, integrating the advantages of each component, and achieving efficient separation of photogenerated charges, making them a research focus in the field of photocatalysis. The role of point defects in photocatalytic reactions is diverse and can significantly influence the performance of photocatalysts. This review comprehensively summarizes the latest advancements in point defect engineering for the modulation of heterojunction photocatalysts. First, the types of point defects and their impact on photocatalytic processes are introduced. Subsequently, the common types of heterojunction photocatalysts are presented. Then, in accordance with recent research progress, the regulatory mechanisms of point defects within heterojunction photocatalysts are outlined, with a particular focus on their functions on surface/interfacial properties and photogenerated charge transfer processes. Finally, the challenges faced by point defect engineering in optimizing heterojunction photocatalysts and promising solutions are proposed. This review provides an in‐depth understanding of the role of point defect engineering in heterojunction photocatalysts, with the expectation of offering insights into the development of highly active photocatalytic materials.
Direct Upcycling of Degraded LiCoO2 Material Toward High‐Performance Single‐Crystal NCM Cathode
Authors: Yang Zhuoli , Xing Chunxian , Chen Long , Tao Shuqiang , Zhang Yucheng , Wang Guangren , Yang Peng , Zhou Jian , Zhang Chuchu , Chen Jiaqi , Fei Linfeng
Published: July 2024

The growing volume of spent lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) with degraded LiCoO2 (D‐LCO) cathodes is arising as an environmental concern as well as a waste of strategic resources. Current recycling strategies for D‐LCO materials primarily focus on metal extractions (Li and Co), which produce large quantities of wastewater and waste residues and consume substantial amounts of energy. Inspiringly, the rapid proliferation of electric vehicles has catalyzed the ever‐increasing production of LIBs with ternary layered oxides as the prevalent cathode materials. Herein, this work reports a simple, green, and economic upcycling strategy for direct transformation of D‐LCO into high‐performance single‐crystal LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 (NCM111) cathode materials. By simultaneous lithium replenishment, particle size reduction, and chemical composition engineering in the upcycling process, the NCM111 product delivers a high specific capacity (159.0 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C) and an excellent cycling stability (82.1% retention after 200 cycles at 1 C), outperforming those of commercial materials. This work highlights the immense potential of upcycling strategies in mitigating the environmental ramifications of spent LIBs and paves the way for the sustainable development of LIBs industry.
Lignin Nanosphere‐Modified MXene Activated‐Rapid Gelation of Mechanically Robust, Environmental Adaptive, Highly Conductive Hydrogel for Wearable Sensors Application
Authors: Zeng Zi‐Fan , Yang Yu‐Qin , Pang Xiao‐Wen , Jiang Baiyu , Gong Li‐Xiu , Liu Zonglin , Peng Li , Li Shi‐Neng
Published: July 2024

Advanced conductive hydrogels demonstrate substantial potential for wearable devices. Nevertheless, the transformative advance in soft electronics raises harsh requirements on the hydrogel candidates, such as rapid and on‐site fabrication, mechanical flexibility, high sensitivity, and wide use temperature. Here, this problem is overcome by incorporating a dual catalytic system based on lignin‐modified MXene‐Fe3+ into commercial hydrogels. This system 1) can form a composite hydrogel in a time scale of min at ambient condition without the supply of external energy, 2) incorporates multiple enhanced strategies into polymer chains, and 3) constructs well‐organized hybrid conductive network. The fabricated hydrogel displays an improved and balanced overall performance, including high ductility (2139%), moderate electrical conductivity, and strong temperature tolerance (−70–50 °C). Combined with the great merits of above performance, the hydrogel‐based sensor with good sensing (maximum GF: 2.8), stable repeatability (200% for 200 cycles), and wide work window of 0%–947%, thereby disclosing promising application in physiological movements, such as motion recognition and breathing state detection. Sensationally, even in complex or harsh surroundings, the sensors also produce stable and reliable signal output. Together, the strategy provides a new mentality of designing hydrogel materials for booming and advanced wearable electronics.
Chitosan‐Based Hydrogels as Antibacterial/Antioxidant/Anti‐Inflammation Multifunctional Dressings for Chronic Wound Healing
Authors: Xu Jingchen , Chang Lili , Xiong Yuhuan , Peng Qiang
Published: July 2024

Due to repeated microbial infection, persistent inflammation, excessive oxidative stress, and cell dysfunction, chronic wounds are difficult to heal, posing a serious threat to public health. Therefore, developing multifunctional wound dressings that can regulate the complex microenvironment of chronic wounds and enhance cellular function holds great significance. Recently, chitosan has emerged as a promising biopolymer for wound healing due to its excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability, and versatile bioactivity. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of delayed chronic wound healing and discuss the healing–promoting properties of chitosan and its derivatives, such as good biocompatibility, antibacterial activity, hemostatic capacity, and the ability to promote tissue regeneration. On this basis, the potential applications of chitosan‐based hydrogels are summarized in chronic wound healing, including providing a suitable microenvironment, eliminating bacterial infections, promoting hemostasis, inhibiting chronic inflammation, alleviating oxidative stress, and promoting tissue regeneration. In addition, the concerns and perspectives for the clinical application of chitosan‐based hydrogels are also discussed.
Supramolecular Modulator Assisted Cryo‐Engineered Porous Cu‐DNA Nano‐Vehicles for Versatile Theranostic Agent Delivery
Authors: Ren Cui , Wang Fang , Meng Xiaoyi , Zhou Ruiang , Sun Zhaogang , Cheng Yue , Chu Hongqian , Wang Yong
Published: July 2024

DNA nanotechnology combines structural design with therapeutic functions via programmable DNA motifs, but faces challenges in drug loading capacity. Herein a pore‐engineering strategy is reported to develop a highly porous, universal DNA nano‐vehicle through coordination self‐assembly, cryo‐engineering, and supramolecular chemistry, adapting to diverse cargo loading with desired theranostic agents. Thus, the complex synthesis and compatibility challenges typically associated with switching between different drug carriers are avoided. To this end, Cu2+ and nucleic acid therapeutic G3139 self‐assemble into a prefabricated solid nanostructure, which subsequently undergoes ultrafast freezing and sublimation to introduce porosity, forming highly porous Cu‐G3139 nanoparticles (CG NPs). The porous CG NPs efficiently accommodate diverse therapeutic molecules, from chemotherapeutics to non‐chemotherapeutic agents, facilitated by positively‐charged cyclodextrin. As a proof‐of‐concept, the photosensitizer indocyanine green (ICG) is loaded and coated with tannic acid (TA) to form CICG@TA, enabling remarkable photothermal and fluorescence imaging‐guided synergistic tumor ablation. This work represents the first demonstration of sublimation‐induced pore formation in metal‐DNA hybrid nanoparticles without chemical etching, offering a scalable “plug‐and‐play” platform for personalized cancer therapy without redesign. This versatile pore‐engineering strategy, merging supramolecular chemistry with cryo‐engineered porosity, opens up new avenues for efficient, customized multidrug delivery for diverse tumor theranostic applications.
Strong Elastic Protein Nanosheets Enable the Culture and Differentiation of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells on Microdroplets
Authors: Mojares Elijah , Nadal Clemence , Hayler Daniel , Kanso Hassan , Chrysanthou Alexandra , Neri Cruz Carlos E. , Gautrot Julien E.
Published: July 2024

Advances in stem cell technologies, revolutionizing regenerative therapies and advanced in vitro testing, require novel cell manufacturing pipelines able to cope with scale up and parallelization. Microdroplet technologies, which have transformed single cell sequencing and other cell‐based assays, are attractive in this context, but the inherent soft mechanics of liquid‐liquid interfaces is typically thought to be incompatible with the expansion of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), and their differentiation. In this work, the design of protein nanosheets stabilizing liquid‐liquid interfaces and enabling the adhesion, expansion and retention of stemness by iPSCs is reported. Microdroplet microfluidic chips are used to control the formulation of droplets with defined dimensions and size distributions. The resulting emulsions sustain high expansion rates, with excellent retention of stem cell marker expression. iPSCs cultured in such conditions retain the capacity to differentiate into cardiomyocytes. This work provides clear evidence that local nanoscale mechanics, associated with interfacial viscoelasticity, provides strong cues able to regulate and maintain pluripotency, as well as to support commitment in defined differentiation conditions. Microdroplet technologies appear as attractive candidates to transform cell manufacturing pipelines, bypassing significant hurdles paused by solid substrates and microcarriers.
Highly Absorbing Monolayer MoS2 for a Large Reflection Phase Modulation
Authors: Wang Yingying , Li Zhonglin , Li Xianglin , Gao Kangyu , Yin Zhixiong , Liu Wenjun , Zhong Bo , Kan Guangfeng , Wang Xiaofei , Jiang Jie , Shen Zexiang
Published: July 2024

Manipulation of wavefront lies at the core of next‐generation information technologies. Compared to metal and dielectric metasurfaces, atomic 2D materials exhibit excellent prospects toward fulfilling ultra‐thin thickness requirements in flat optics in wavefront shaping, with thickness much smaller than those of traditional bulky devices. However, phase manipulation by light propagating through atomic 2D materials is suppressed due to its sub‐nanometer thickness. Here, an approach is reported to realize reflection phase singularities by establishing a zero‐reflection point in a monolayer MoS2‐based multilayer system, which broadens topological study beyond polarization singularity. This is achieved through the creation of a multilayer Fabry‐Perot‐type interference, and a pronounced phase change in the reflected light is realized due to the high absorption of monolayer MoS2 in the studied wavelength range. As an application, a rapid, sensitive, and label‐free detection of SARS‐CoV‐2 (2019‐nCov) antigen is demonstrated with a detection limit of 10−12 M L−1 (62 pg ml−1) by using monolayer MoS2 based optical biosensor. In addition to offering a comprehensive study in phase singularity, efficient wavefront engineering based on the reflective system using materials is presented with atomic thickness which may greatly simplify optical architecture in flat optics, and promote its development toward compactness and integrated functions.
Targeted Solutions to Improve the Overall Performance of Hydride‐Based All‐Solid‐Batteries
Authors: Zhou Wei , Hu Wenqiang , Zhou Jiao , Yan Fei , Song Yun
Published: July 2024

All‐solid‐state lithium batteries using solid electrolytes hold promise for enhancing energy density. However, some electrolytes with high ionic conductivity are declared unusable because they failed to show compatible with the anode, cathode or even worse, both. Herein, it simultaneously introduced doping and interfacial tuning to prepare fast ion conductor LiBH4‐MgO‐MgI2, which can achieve an ionic conductivity of 1.45 × 10−4 S cm−1 at 50 °C. This electrolyte has the usable ionic conductivity near room temperature, but faces the most extreme challenge of instability at both the lithium anode and high‐voltage cathode. Targeted solution strategies is proposed to return this electrolyte to serviceability. The physical isolation and lithium alloy is employed to solve the lithium anode issue, while the bilayer electrolyte design is applied to the high voltage cathode issue. The LiCoO2|Li3InCl6|LiBH4‐MgO‐MgI2|C|Li and LiCoO2|Li3InCl6|LiBH4‐MgO‐MgI2|LiAl, cycled upon 25 cycles at 0.1 C, achieving reversible capacities of 70 and 90 mAh g−1, respectively. With the targeted solutions for ionic conductivity, anode and cathode compatibility, it will pave the way for commercial application for hydride electrolytes.