bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
COMSOL Multiphysics simulation of hydromagnetic flow in horizontal channels with diverse media: Insights into momentum and heat diffusion limitations
Authors: Ahmed Sahin , Das Bikash
Published: March 2024

The Darcy–Forchheimer model for a two‐dimensional hydromagnetic flow in a horizontal channel, including the dynamic interaction of porous and nonporous media, is investigated in this study due to the importance of the consequences of heat exchange in porous materials. The novelty of the current investigation is to study the hydrodynamics of fluid flowing through a channel with free and non‐Darcy porous media linked next to one another influenced by the potent Lorentz force. The prime objective of this investigation is to analyze the influence of critical nondimensional parameters on the rate of heat transfer and shear forces exerted on the walls of the channel. Numerical simulations are carried out using the finite element method within the COMSOL Multiphysics program, which offers a versatile framework to explore the behavior of velocity and isothermal contours. The essential optimal stability of this adopted model is achieved for specific scenarios employing a finely meshed grid and grid‐independent analysis. It is noteworthy that larger Prandtl numbers enhance heat transmission rates from surfaces at high temperatures, whereas greater Eckert numbers are correlated with lower Nusselt numbers. On the lower surface, the Forchheimer and magnetic drag forces reduce skin friction, whereas the top surface displays a different pattern. The aforesaid findings have a variety of engineering applications by improving the flow dynamics in porous and nonporous materials. This study can be beneficial in designing heat exchanger devices.
Exploring landscape and geologic controls on spatial patterning of streambank groundwater discharge in a mixed land use watershed
Authors: Jackson Kevin E. , Moore Eric M. , Helton Ashley M. , Haynes Adam B. , Barclay Janet R. , Briggs Martin A.
Published: March 2024

Preferential groundwater discharge features along stream corridors are ecologically important at local and stream network scales, yet we lack quantification of the multiscale controls on the spatial patterning of groundwater discharge. Here we identify physical attributes that best explain variation in the presence and lateral extent of preferential groundwater discharges along two 5th order streams, the Housatonic and Farmington Rivers, and 32 1st to 4th order reaches across the Farmington River network. We mapped locations of preferential groundwater discharge exposed along streambanks using handheld thermal infrared cameras paired with high‐resolution topographic and land use land cover datasets, surficial soil characteristic maps, and depth‐to‐bedrock geophysical measurements. The unconfined Housatonic River, MA, USA (12 km) had fewer discharge locations and less lateral extent (41 discharge locations with 38 m of active discharge/km of river) compared to the partially confined Farmington River, CT, USA (26 km; 169 discharge locations with 129 m of active discharge/km of river). Using a moving window analysis, we found along both rivers that discharge was more likely to occur where bank slopes were steeper, floodplain extent was narrower, and degree of confinement was higher. Along the Farmington River, groundwater discharge was more likely to occur where saturated hydraulic conductivity was higher and depth‐to‐bedrock was shallower. Among the 32 stream reaches surveyed (33.2 km of total stream length) within the Farmington River watershed, preferential discharge was observed in all but two stream reaches, varied from 0 to 25% of lateral extent along stream banks (mean = 6%), and was more likely to occur where stream reach slopes were steep, saturated hydraulic conductivity was high, and watershed urbanization was low. Our results show that, though both surface (e.g., topographic, land use land cover) and subsurface (e.g., soil characteristics, bedrock depth) factors control the prevalence of streambank preferential groundwater discharge, the dominant controls vary across valley settings and stream sizes.
The Transthyretin Protein and Amyloidosis – An Extraordinary Chemical Biology Platform
Authors: Hammarström Per
Published: March 2024

The amyloidoses are diseases caused by accumulation of amyloid fibrils from over 40 different human misfolded proteins in various organs of the body depending on precursor protein. Amyloidogenesis is a self‐perpetuating reaction with deleterious consequences causing degeneration in cells and organs where depositions occur. Transthyretin, TTR, is an amyloidogenic protein causing sporadic disease from the wild‐type protein during aging and from numerous different autosomal dominant familial mutations at earlier ages depending on the sequence of the hereditary variant. Until recently the disease process was poorly understood, and therapies were scarce. Over the past decades, spurred by clinical data, using chemical biology research, the mechanisms of TTR production and misfolding have been elucidated affording almost complete coverage of the TTR amyloidogenesis pathway to be targeted. This translational science success has provided a plethora of therapeutic options for the TTR amyloidoses providing an inspiring example for success in previously intractable diseases.
Using liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry to predict potential biomarkers for missed miscarriage and its metabolic pathways in a tertiary center: A cross‐sectional analytic study
Authors: Xia Lina , Zhao Huan , Shan Li , Ma Xiaohong , An Peixing , Duan Xiaoyan
Published: March 2024

Objective

To determine and compare the serum metabolites in missed abortion versus normal early pregnancy using ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography and tandem time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry, and to determine how these metabolites can be used to predict the potential biomarkers and possible metabolic pathways of a missed abortion.

Methods

The serum of patients with a missed abortion was used as the experimental group and the serum of patients with an induced abortion during normal early pregnancy was used as the control group. Principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least square discriminant analysis were additionally used to observe the difference in metabolite distribution between the two groups. A variable weight value (variable importance in the projection; VIP) obtained from the orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis model more than 1 and P less than 0.05 were taken to indicate significant differences in metabolite screening. After this, enrichment analysis of the metabolic pathways of these metabolites was conducted using Fisher precise test in order to find the metabolic pathway with the highest correlation with the differential metabolites.

Results

In total, 30 patients were included in the experimental group, with 30 patients in the control group. Fifty‐five metabolites (VIP > 1, P < 0.05) with significant differences related to missed abortion were selected, among which 35 metabolites increased and 20 decreased in patients with a missed abortion. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that the four metabolic pathways with the highest correlation were cholesterol metabolism, arginine biosynthesis, cell apoptosis, and the FoxO signaling pathway.

Conclusion

The missed abortion serum metabolites and changes in related metabolic pathways reported in this study provide a basis for the early prediction and diagnosis of a missed abortion.
Sexual quality of life and postoperative deep dyspareunia after vNOTES benign adnexal procedures
Authors: Berisha Laura , Hurni Yannick , Simonson Colin , Di Serio Marcello , Lachat Régine , Bodenmann Pauline , Seidler Stéphanie , Mathevet Patrice , Huber Daniela
Published: March 2024

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the impact of vNOTES on postoperative sexual dysfunction in patients undergoing adnexal procedures.

Methods

We analyzed data from patients who underwent vNOTES adnexal surgeries for benign conditions between May 2020 and May 2023. The primary outcome was the presence of new postoperative deep dyspareunia (DD) or other sexual dysfunctions, which were assessed through a phone survey conducted 6 to 24 months after surgery. Secondary outcomes included surgical feasibility, operative times, complications rate, and postoperative pain evaluation.

Results

We included 103 patients for primary and secondary outcomes and 111 patients for secondary outcomes analysis only. Newly postoperative DD was reported by three patients (2.9%), remained present at 12 postoperative months in one case (1.0%), and spontaneously disappeared in two cases (1.9%) after four and 10 postoperative months, respectively. In the remaining 100 patients (97.1%), no new DD or other sexual function disorders were reported after surgery. vNOTES procedures were successfully performed in all cases, with a mean operative time of 38.2 ± 19.6 min and a conversion rate to conventional laparoscopy of 0.9%. No significant complication was observed.

Conclusion

This study suggests a very limited risk of developing postoperative sexual dysfunction after vNOTES benign adnexal procedures.
Lycopene prevents cell death in NRK‐52E cells by inhibition of high glucose‐activated DNA damage and apoptotic, autophagic, and necrotic pathways
Authors: Usta Ayşe , Yüksek Veysel , Çetin Sedat , Dede Semiha
Published: March 2024

This study aims to investigate the effects of lycopene on apoptotic, autophagic, and necrotic pathways, oxidative status, and DNA damage in diabetic nephropathy at the molecular level. The sample of the study includes seven groups: lycopene (L), high glucose (G), high glucose + lycopene (GL), and control (C) groups tested at 12 and 24 h. The expression levels of genes in oxidative, apoptotic, autophagic, and necrotic cell death pathways are determined by reverse transcription‐quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis. The comet assay method is used for the analysis of DNA damage. It is observed that adding lycopene to high glucose for protective purposes reduces the expression of genes related to apoptosis, autophagy, and necrosis, as well as the DNA damage index, compared to cells given high glucose alone. Lycopene can be a safe and effective alternative agent.
Automatic classification of acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells and lymphocyte subtypes based on a novel convolutional neural network
Authors: MoradiAmin Morteza , Yousefpour Mitra , Samadzadehaghdam Nasser , Ghahari Laya , Ghorbani Mahdi , Mafi Majid
Published: March 2024

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a life‐threatening disease that commonly affects children and is classified into three subtypes: L1, L2, and L3. Traditionally, ALL is diagnosed through morphological analysis, involving the examination of blood and bone marrow smears by pathologists. However, this manual process is time‐consuming, laborious, and prone to errors. Moreover, the significant morphological similarity between ALL and various lymphocyte subtypes, such as normal, atypic, and reactive lymphocytes, further complicates the feature extraction and detection process. The aim of this study is to develop an accurate and efficient automatic system to distinguish ALL cells from these similar lymphocyte subtypes without the need for direct feature extraction. First, the contrast of microscopic images is enhanced using histogram equalization, which improves the visibility of important features. Next, a fuzzy C‐means clustering algorithm is employed to segment cell nuclei, as they play a crucial role in ALL diagnosis. Finally, a novel convolutional neural network (CNN) with three convolutional layers is utilized to classify the segmented nuclei into six distinct classes. The CNN is trained on a labeled dataset, allowing it to learn the distinguishing features of each class. To evaluate the performance of the proposed model, quantitative metrics are employed, and a comparison is made with three well‐known deep networks: VGG‐16, DenseNet, and Xception. The results demonstrate that the proposed model outperforms these networks, achieving an approximate accuracy of 97%. Moreover, the model's performance surpasses that of other studies focused on 6‐class classification in the context of ALL diagnosis.

Research Highlights

Deep neural networks eliminate the requirement for feature extraction in ALL classification

The proposed convolutional neural network achieves an impressive accuracy of approximately 97% in classifying six ALL and lymphocyte subtypes.
Extracellular vesicles as a promising source of lipid biomarkers for breast cancer detection in blood plasma
Authors: Dorado Erika , Doria Maria Luisa , Nagelkerke Anika , McKenzie James S. , Maneta‐Stavrakaki Stefania , Whittaker Thomas E. , Nicholson Jeremy K. , Coombes Raoul Charles , Stevens Molly M. , Takats Zoltan
Published: March 2024

Extracellular vesicles (EVs), including exosomes and microvesicles, mediate intercellular communication in cancer, from development to metastasis. EV‐based liquid biopsy is a promising strategy for cancer diagnosis as EVs can be found in cancer patients’ body fluids. In this study, the lipid composition of breast cancer‐derived EVs was studied as well as the potential of blood plasma EVs for the identification of lipid biomarkers for breast cancer detection. Initially, an untargeted lipidomic analysis was carried out for a panel of cancerous and non‐cancerous mammary epithelial cells and their secreted EVs. We found that breast cancer‐derived EVs are enriched in sphingolipids and glycerophospholipids compared to their parental cells. The initial in vitro study showed that EVs and their parental cells can be correctly classified (100% accuracy) between cancerous and non‐cancerous, as well as into their respective breast cancer subtypes, based on their lipid composition. Subsequently, an untargeted lipidomic analysis was carried out for blood plasma EVs from women diagnosed with breast cancer (primary or progressive metastatic breast cancer) as well as healthy women. Correspondingly, when blood plasma EVs were analysed, breast cancer patients and healthy women were correctly classified with an overall accuracy of 93.1%, based on the EVs’ lipid composition. Similarly, the analysis of patients with primary breast cancer and healthy women showed an overall accuracy of 95% for their correct classification. Furthermore, primary and metastatic breast cancers were correctly classified with an overall accuracy of 89.5%. This reveals that the blood plasma EVs’ lipids may be a promising source of biomarkers for detection of breast cancer. Additionally, this study demonstrates the usefulness of untargeted lipidomics in the study of EV lipid composition and EV‐associated biomarker discovery studies. This is a proof‐of‐concept study and a starting point for further analysis on the identification of EV‐based biomarkers for breast cancer.
SPINK5 inhibits esophageal squamous cell carcinoma metastasis via immune activity
Authors: Chen Jie , Lu Juncheng , Chen Zhiqiang , Liu Zihao , Sun Yuejun , He Shuyan , Mi Yedong , Gao Yi , Shen Dong , Lin Qingfeng
Published: March 2024

Background

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a predominant subtype of esophageal cancer with relatively high mortality worldwide. Serine peptidase inhibitor Kazal‐type 5 (SPINK5) is reported to be downregulated in ESCC. However, its explicit role in ESCC remains further investigation.

Methods

The tumor tissues and adjacent non‐cancerous tissues were obtained from 196 patients with ESCC for the determination of SPINK5 mRNA levels. Additionally, the relationship between SPINK5 mRNA levels and clinicopathological features of ESCC patients was explored. The effects of SPINK5 on the invasion and migration of ESCC cells were assessed using Transwell assays. Furthermore, SPINK5 mRNA and LEKTI protein were measured in ESCC cell lines after treatment with poly (I:C), lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or unmethylated CpG DNA. Moreover, the correlation between expression of SPINK5 and nuclear factor‐kappa B (NF‐κB) signaling pathway‐related genes was analyzed in the TCGA‐ESCC cohort, and the effects of SPINK5 on NF‐κB transcription was analyzed using a luciferase reporter gene assay. Finally, the correlations between SPINK5 and infiltration of immune cells, immune scores, stromal scores and ESTIMATE (i.e., Estimation of STromal and Immune cells in MAlignant Tumor tissues using Expression data) scores were explored.

Results

SPINK5 mRNA levels were downregulated in tumor tissues, which was significantly correlated with higher lymph node metastases. Overexpressed SPINK5 inhibited cell invasion and migration in ESCC cell lines. Mechanistically, LPS‐induced activation of Toll‐like receptor 4 (TLR4) decreased SPINK5 mRNA and LEKTI in KYSE150 and KYSE70 cells. Spearman correlation analysis revealed that SPINK5 mRNA was significantly negatively correlated with a total of seven NF‐κB signaling pathway‐related genes in TCGA‐ESCC patients. Moreover, downregulation of SPINK5 increased and upregulation of SPINK5 decreased the activity of the NF‐κB promoter in HEK293T cells. Finally, immune cells infiltration analysis revealed that SPINK5 was significantly correlated with the infiltration of various immune cells, stromal scores, immune scores and ESTIMATE scores.

Conclusions

SPINK5 plays critical roles in the TLR4/NF‐κB pathway and immune cells infiltration, which might contribute to the ESCC metastasis. The findings of the present study may provide a promising biomarker for the diagnosis and treatment of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
What does the scale‐up of long‐acting HIV pre‐exposure prophylaxis mean for the global hepatitis B epidemic?
Authors: Mohareb Amir M. , Kouamé Menan Gérard , Nouaman Marcellin , Kim Arthur Y. , Larmarange Joseph , Neilan Anne M. , Lacombe Karine , Freedberg Kenneth A. , Boyd Anders , Coffie Patrick , Hyle Emily P.
Published: March 2024

Introduction

The HIV and hepatitis B virus (HBV) epidemics are interconnected with shared routes of transmission and specific antiviral drugs that are effective against both viruses. Nearly, 300 million people around the world live with chronic HBV, many of whom are from priority populations who could benefit from HIV prevention services. Oral pre‐exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV has implications in the prevention and treatment of HBV infection, but many people at increased risk of HIV acquisition may instead prefer long‐acting formulations of PrEP, which are currently not active against HBV.

Discussion

People at increased risk for HIV acquisition may also be at risk for or already be living with HBV infection. Oral PrEP with tenofovir is effective in preventing both HIV and HBV, and tenofovir is also the recommended treatment for chronic HBV infection. Although implementation of oral PrEP has been challenging in sub‐Saharan Africa, investments in its scale‐up could secondarily reduce the clinical impact of HBV. Long‐acting PrEP, including injectable medicines and implantable rings, may overcome some of the implementation challenges associated with oral PrEP, such as daily pill burden, adherence challenges and stigma; however, current formulations of long‐acting PrEP do not have activity against HBV replication. Ideally, PrEP programmes would offer both oral and long‐acting formulations with HBV screening to optimize HIV prevention services and HBV prevention and care, when appropriate. People who are not immune to HBV would benefit from being vaccinated against HBV before initiating long‐acting PrEP. People who remain non‐immune to HBV despite vaccination may benefit from being offered oral, tenofovir‐based PrEP given its potential for HBV PrEP. People using PrEP and living with HBV who are not linked to dedicated HBV care would also benefit from laboratory monitoring at PrEP sites to ensure safety when using and after stopping tenofovir. PrEP programmes are ideal venues to offer HBV screening, HBV vaccination for people who are non‐immune and treatment with tenofovir‐based PrEP for people with indications for HBV therapy.

Conclusions

Long‐acting PrEP holds promise for reducing HIV incidence, but its implications for the HBV epidemic, particularly in sub‐Saharan Africa, should not be overlooked.
Effect of differentiated direct‐to‐pharmacy PrEP refill visits supported with client HIV self‐testing on clinic visit time and early PrEP continuation
Authors: Zewdie Kidist Belay , Ngure Kenneth , Mwangi Margaret , Mwangi Dominic , Maina Simon , Etyang Lydia , Maina Gakuo , Ogello Vallery , Owidi Emmah , Mugo Nelly R. , Baeten Jared M. , Mugwanya Kenneth K.
Published: March 2024

Introduction

Delivery of oral pre‐exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is being scaled up in Africa, but clinic‐level barriers including lengthy clinic visits may threaten client continuation on PrEP.

Methods

Between January 2020 and January 2022, we conducted a quasi‐experimental evaluation of differentiated direct‐to‐pharmacy PrEP refill visits at four public health HIV clinics in Kenya. Two clinics implemented the intervention package, which included direct‐to‐pharmacy for PrEP refill, client HIV self‐testing (HIVST), client navigator, and pharmacist‐led rapid risk assessment and dispensing. Two other clinics with comparable size and client volume served as contemporaneous controls with the usual clinic flow. PrEP continuation was evaluated by visit attendance and pharmacy refill records, and time and motion studies were conducted to determine time spent in the clinics. Dried blood spots were collected to test for tenofovir‐diphosphate (TFV‐DP) at random visits. We used logistic regression to assess the intervention effect on PrEP continuation and the Wilcoxon rank sum test to assess the effect on clinic time.

Results

Overall, 746 clients were enrolled, 366 at control clinics (76 during pre‐implementation and 290 during implementation phase), and 380 at direct‐to‐pharmacy clinics (116 during pre‐implementation and 264 during implementation phase). Prior to implementation, the intervention and control clinics were comparable on client characteristics (female: 51% vs. 47%; median age: 33 vs. 33 years) and PrEP continuation (35% vs. 37% at 1 month, and 37% vs. 39% at 3 months). The intervention reduced total time spent at the clinic by 35% (median of 51 minutes at control vs. 33 minutes at intervention clinics; p<0.001), while time spent on HIV testing (20 vs. 20 minutes; p = 0.50) and pharmacy (8 vs. 8 minutes; p = 0.8) was unchanged. PrEP continuation was higher at intervention versus the control clinics: 45% versus 33% at month 1, 34% versus 25% at month 3 and 23% versus 16% at month 6. TFV‐DP was detected in 85% (61/72) of samples, similar by the study group (83% vs. 85%).

Conclusions

A client‐centred PrEP delivery approach with direct‐to‐pharmacy PrEP refill visits plus client HIVST significantly reduced clinic visit time by more than one‐third and improved PrEP continuation in public health HIV clinics in Kenya.
Phase 1 randomized pharmacokinetic and safety study of a 90‐day tenofovir vaginal ring in the United States
Authors: Liu Albert Y. , Gundacker Holly , Richardson Barbra , Chen Beatrice A. , Hoesley Craig , van der Straten Ariane , Brown Amanda , Beamer May , Robinson Jennifer , Jacobson Cindy E. , Scheckter Rachel , Bunge Katherine , Schwartz Jill , Thurman Andrea , Piper Jeanna M. , Marzinke Mark A. ,   the MTN‐038 Protocol Team for the Microbicide Trials Network
Published: March 2024

Introduction

Tenofovir‐based oral pre‐exposure prophylaxis is currently approved for HIV prevention; however, adherence in women has been low. A vaginal gel containing tenofovir (TFV) demonstrated partial protection to HIV but protection was not confirmed in additional studies. Vaginal rings offer user‐controlled long‐acting HIV prevention that could overcome adherence and protection challenges. TFV may also help prevent herpes simplex virus type 2 acquisition when delivered intravaginally. We evaluated the pharmacokinetics, safety, adherence and acceptability of a 90‐day TFV ring.

Methods

Between January and June 2019, Microbicide Trials Network (MTN)‐038 enrolled 49 HIV‐negative participants into a phase 1, randomized (2:1) trial comparing a 90‐day ring containing 1.4 grams (g) TFV to a placebo ring. TFV concentrations were quantified in plasma, cervicovaginal fluid (CVF), rectal fluid and cervical tissue, and TFV‐diphosphate (TFV‐DP) in cervical tissue. Used rings were analysed for residual TFV. Safety was assessed by adverse events (AEs); acceptability and adherence by self‐report.

Results

Mean age was 29.5; 46 identified as cisgender‐female and three gender non‐conforming. There were no differences in the proportion of participants with grade ≥2 genitourinary AEs in the TFV versus placebo arms (p = 0.41); no grade ≥3 AEs were reported. Geometric mean TFV concentrations increased through day 34 in CVF/rectal fluid and day 59 in plasma, but declined across compartments by day 91. Geometric mean TFV‐DP tissue concentrations exceeded the 1000 fmol/mg target through day 56, but fell to 456 fmol/mg at day 91. Among 32 rings returned at the end of the study, 13 had no or low (<0.1 g) residual TFV. Residual TFV did not differ by socio‐demographics, sexual activity, Nugent Score or vaginal microbiota. Most participants reported being fully adherent to ring use: 85% and 81% in the TFV and placebo arms, respectively (p = 1.00). A majority of participants reported liking the ring (median 8 on a 10‐point Likert scale) and reported a high likelihood of using the ring in the future, if effective (median 9).

Conclusions

The 90‐day TFV ring was well‐tolerated, acceptable and exceeded target cervical tissue concentrations through day 56, but declined thereafter. Additional studies are needed to characterize the higher release from TFV rings in some participants and the optimal duration of use.
Sex differences in functional connectivity and the predictive role of the connectome‐based predictive model in Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Li Yuqing , Zhu Wanqiu , Zhou Shanshan , Li Hui , Gao Ziwen , Huang Ziang , Li Xiaohu , Yu Yongqiang , Li Xiaoshu
Published: March 2024

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by cognitive decline. Sex differences in the progression of AD exist, but the neural mechanisms are not well understood. The purpose of the current study was to explore sex differences in brain functional connectivity (FC) at different stages of AD and their predictive ability on Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores using connectome‐based predictive modeling (CPM). Resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging was collected from 81 AD patients (44 females), 78 amnestic mild cognitive impairment patients (44 females), and 92 healthy controls (50 females). The FC analysis was conducted and the interaction effect between sex and group was investigated using two‐factor variance analysis. The CPM was used to predict MoCA scores. There were sex‐by‐group interaction effects on FC between the left dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus and left middle temporal gyrus, left precuneus and right calcarine fissure surrounding cortex, left precuneus and left middle occipital gyrus, left middle temporal gyrus and left precentral gyrus, and between the left middle temporal gyrus and right cuneus. In the CPM, the positive network predictive model significantly predicted MoCA scores in both males and females. There were significant sex‐by‐group interaction effects on FC between the left precuneus and left middle occipital gyrus, and between the left middle temporal gyrus and right cuneus could predict MoCA scores in female patients. Our results suggest that there are sex differences in FC at different stages of AD. The sex‐specific FC can further predict MoCA scores at individual level.
Earliest Records of Holocene Cetaceans in the Black Sea
Authors: Aiken Magie , Gladilina Elena , Çakirlar Canan , Telizhenko Serhii , Bejenaru Luminita , Bukhsianidze Maia , Olsen Morten Tange , Gol'din Pavel
Published: March 2024

The timing of the Holocene transition of the Black Sea from a brackish lake to a marine sea has long been debated. Here, we report on the earliest records of cetaceans in the Black Sea region as a proxy for the connection with the Mediterranean and the transition from a brackish to marine environment. We base our analysis on cetacean skeletal finds and archival data on cetacean skeletal remains from the Bosphorus, the western, northern and eastern Black Sea, and the Kerch Strait. We find that all three contemporary cetacean species in the Black Sea – the harbour porpoise, bottlenose dolphin and common dolphin – had migrated out of the Mediterranean to the Bosphorus and the Black Sea at least 8000–7000 years ago and reached the northern Black Sea by 5500 years ago at the latest. Our study suggests the establishment of a Mediterranean–Black Sea biogeographical connection for marine vertebrates at least 7000 years ago. The early presence of cetaceans in the Black Sea has implications for understanding its Holocene transition, as well as the evolutionary and ecological history of these species more generally.
Enhancing saltiness perception in bone broth: the additive effect of oil and optimization of sodium‐reduction formula for consumer acceptability
Authors: Zhang Lulu , Cao Xiaoxiao , Zhu Baoqing , Wang Houyin , Zhong Kui , Shi Bolin , Zhao Lei
Published: March 2024

BACKGROUND

Excessive NaCl intake in liquid and semi‐solid food (e.g. soup, hot pot base, sauce) poses a high risk to human health, and reducing NaCl intake is a major concern for global health.

RESULTS

Using the generalized Labeled Magnitude Scale (gLMS) method, the study verified the possibility of sodium reduction through oil addition. The compromised acceptance threshold (CAT) and hedonic rejection threshold (HRT) were determined. The gLMS results showed that the saltiness intensity of samples containing 0.36% NaCl and 2.29% sunflower seed oil was significantly higher than that of samples containing only 0.36% NaCl (P < 0.05). CAT and HRT results indicated that by adding 3.59% sunflower oil, the NaCl content could be reduced to a minimum of 0.14% without causing sensory rejection in bone broth samples. The quantitative descriptive analysis method was used to determine the effects of NaCl and oil concentrations on the sensory attributes of bone broth samples. Furthermore, it was used to analyze the consumer acceptability drivers in combination with the hedonic scale to optimize the formulation of reduced‐salt bone broth products. Notably, sample E (0.36% NaCl, 2.29% fat) not only had a significant salt reduction effect with a 20% decrease in NaCl, but also had improved overall acceptability.

CONCLUSION

This study provides theoretical guidance for designing salt‐reduction cuisine within the catering and food industries, including bone broth and hot pot bases. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.
Changes in chemical components and hepatoprotective effect of redPanax notoginsengprocessed by aspartic acid impregnation treatment
Authors: Cui Ying , Wu Jianfa , Zhang Danli , Li Dan , Zhang Jing , Li Wei , Wang Chongzhi , Yuan Chunsu , Liu Zhi
Published: March 2024

BACKGROUND

RedPanax notoginseng(RPN) is one of the major processed products ofP. notoginseng(PN), with more effective biological activities. However, the traditional processing method of RPN has some disadvantages, such as low conversion rate of ginsenosides and long processing time.

RESULTS

In this work, we developed a green, safe, and efficient approach for RPN processing by aspartic acid impregnation pretreatment. Our results showed that the optimized temperature, steaming time, and concentration of aspartic acid were 120 °C, 1 h, and 3% respectively. The original ginsenosides in PN treated by aspartic acid (Asp‐PN) were completely converted to rare saponins at 120 °C within just 1 h. The concentration of the rare ginsenosides in Asp‐PN was two times higher than that in untreated RPN. In addition, we examined the protective effect of RPN and Asp‐PN on acetaminophen‐induced liver injury in a mouse model. The results showed that Asp‐PN has significantly more potent hepatoprotective action than the RPN. The hepatoprotection of Asp‐PN in acetaminophen‐induced hepatotoxicity may be due to its anti‐oxidative stress, anti‐apoptotic, and anti‐inflammatory activities.

CONCLUSION

These results indicated that aspartic acid impregnation pretreatment may provide an effective method to shorten the steaming time, improve the conversion rate of ginsenosides, and enhance hepatoprotective activity of RPN. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.
Comprehensive evaluation of factors influencing selenium fertilization biofortification
Authors: Huang Ruilin , Bañuelos Gary S. , Zhao Jianrong , Wang Zhangmin , Farooq Muhammad Raza , Yang Yuling , Song Jiaping , Zhang Zezhou , Chen Youtao , Yin Xuebin , Shen Lidong
Published: March 2024

BACKGROUND

Dietary selenium (Se) deficiency, stemming from low Se concentrations in agricultural products, threatens human health. While Se‐containing fertilizers can enhance the Se content in crops, the key factors governing Se biofortification with Se fertilization remain unclear.

RESULTS

This study constructed a global meta‐analysis dataset based on field experiments comprising 364 entries on Se content in agricultural products and 271 entries on their yield. Random forest models and mixed effects meta‐analyses revealed that plant types (i.e., cereals, vegetables, legumes, and forages) primarily influenced Se biofortification, with Se fertilization rates being the next significant factor. The random forest model, which included variables like plant types, Se fertilization rates, methods and types of Se application, initial soil conditions (including Se content, organic carbon content, and pH), soil types, mean annual precipitation, and temperature, explained 82.14% of the variation in Se content and 48.42% of the yield variation in agricultural products. For the same agricultural products, the increase in Se content decreased with higher rates of Se fertilization. The increase in Se content in their edible parts will be negligible for cereals, forages, legumes, and vegetable crops, when Se fertilization rates were 164, 103, 144, and 147 g Se ha−1, respectively. Conversely, while low Se fertilization rates enhanced yields, high rates led to a yield reduction, particularly in cereals.

CONCLUSION

Our findings highlight the need for balanced and precise Se fertilization strategies to optimize Se biofortification benefits and minimize the risk of yield reduction. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.
Effect of cinnamon essential oil/γ‐cyclodextrin inclusion complex on papaya quality and shelf‐life
Authors: Phan Chiuyen , Tran Dinhthinh , Le Khanh , Le Vutruongson , Trinh Ngocdat , Pham Thinga
Published: March 2024

BACKGROUND

Papaya, a highly nutritious and economically significant fruit, is susceptible to infections caused by phytopathogenic fungi. Cinnamon essential oil, derived from Cinnamomum cassia (CC), shows promise in preserving papaya due to its antifungal properties. However, CC is volatile, sensitive to environmental factors, and carries a strong aroma. γ‐Cyclodextrin (γ‐CD) is known for encapsulating hydrophilic molecules, shielding them from environmental influences, reducing odor, and enabling controlled release due to its unique channel structure. This study aimed to tackle these challenges by preparing and characterizing an inclusion complex of CC with γ‐CD (CC‐γ‐CD), and subsequently evaluating its efficacy in preserving papaya fruits.

RESULTS

Analyses, including Fourier‐infrared, powder X‐ray diffraction, thermal gravity analysis, differential scanning calorimeter, and scanning electron microscopy, revealed successful encapsulation of CC components within the γ‐CD cavity. Evaluations of the CC‐γ‐CD complex's impact on papaya fruit shelf life and quality showed notable enhancements. Fruits treated with CC‐γ‐CD inclusion complex at a dose of 10 g kg−1 exhibited a 55% extension in shelf‐life, evidenced by reduced disease severity index compared with untreated fruit in the same storage conditions. Detailed physicochemical and bromatological assessments highlighted significant improvements, particularly in fruit treated with CC‐γ‐CD inclusion complex at a dose of 10 g kg−1.

CONCLUSION

The application of CC‐γ‐CD inclusion complex at 10 g kg−1 extended the shelf‐life of papaya fruit, significantly and markedly improved the overall quality. These findings underscore the potential of the CC‐γ‐CD inclusion complex as an effective preservative for papaya, offering a promising solution for its postharvest management and marketability. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.
Reporting of core outcomes in gastric cancer surgery trials over the past 25 years (systematic review)
Authors: Naqvi Anie , Matias Nadia , Al‐Khaffaf Bilal
Published: March 2024

Background

Gastric cancer, a leading cause of cancer‐related mortality worldwide, has seen limited improvement in survival over the past 3 decades. Surgical resection is the cornerstone of curative management but the optimal approach remains unclear. Decision‐making is hindered by inconsistent outcome reporting limiting data synthesis between trials. International consensus between healthcare professionals and patients has formed a core outcome set to be reported as a minimum. We appraised outcomes previously reported.

Methods

Evidence Based Medicine Reviews, MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL were searched for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and systematic reviews of RCTs during years 1995–2021. We searched trial registries for protocols of ongoing and future trials.

Results

Ninety‐nine articles from 64 studies and 69 trial protocols were included. No study reported all core outcomes: average reported per trial was 4 (interquartile range: 2). ‘Serious’ adverse events were reported by 98%, completeness of tumour removal by 85% and surgery‐related death by 74%. Outcomes important to patients were reported least: quality of life (22%) and nutritional effects (15%). Defining outcomes and time frames used was variable.

Conclusions

Critically important outcomes are poorly reported in the literature and the status has not improved in future trials. Further work is required to improve uptake.
Dendronized Ag/Au Nanomats: Antimicrobial Scaffold for Wound Healing Bandages
Authors: Lasak Magdalena , Nirwan Viraj P. , Kuc‐Ciepluch Dorota , Lysek‐Gladysinska Malgorzata , Javier de la Mata F. , Gomez Rafael , Fahmi Amir , Ciepluch Karol
Published: March 2024

Electrospun polymer nanofibers, due to high surface area‐to‐volume ratio, high porosity, good mechanical strength, and ease of functionalization, appear as promising multifunctional materials for biomedical applications. Thanks to their unidirectional structure, imitating the extracellular matrix (ECM), they can be used as scaffolds for cell adhesion and proliferation. In addition, the incorporation of active groups inside nanofiber can give properties for bactericides. The proposed nanomats incorporate nanoparticles templated within the electrospun nanofibers that prevent infections and stimulate tissue regeneration. The generated hybrid electrospun nanofibers are composed of a copolymer of L‐lactide‐block‐ε‐caprolactone (PL‐b‐CL), 70:30, blended with homopolymer polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and gold (Au) nanoparticles. A low cytotoxicity and slightly increased immunoreactivity, stimulated by the nanomat, are observed. Moreover, the decoration of the hybrid nanomat with dendronized silver nanoparticles (Dend‐Ag) improves their antibacterial activity against antibiotic‐resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The use of Dend‐Ag for decorating offers several functional effects; namely, it enhances the antibacterial properties of the produced nanomats and induces a significant increase within macrophages’ cytotoxicity. The unidirectional nanostructures of the generated hybrid nanomats demonstrate unique collective physio—chemical and biological properties suitable for a wide range of biomedical applications. Here, the antibacterial properties facilitate an optimal environment, contributing to accelerated wound healing.
Sulfidation behavior of an AlCoCrNiSi high‐entropy alloy
Authors: Smola Grzegorz , Gawel Richard , Grzesik Zbigniew
Published: March 2024

High‐entropy alloys (HEAs) are promising new materials considered for application in high temperature environments. In this work, the sulfidation behavior of an Al–Co–Cr–Ni–Si HEA at different elevated temperatures and various sulfur vapor partial pressures is investigated. Thermogravimetric studies indicate that the sulfidation kinetics are in accordance with the parabolic rate law. The corrosion rate has a strong temperature dependence, whereas the influence of sulfur vapor pressure is practically nonexistent. Changes in temperature also do not seem to affect the sulfidation mechanism as evidenced by the Arrhenius correlation determined between the obtained parabolic rate constants and temperature. Combined SEM–EDS and XRD studies reveal the formation of a thick multilayer scale on the studied alloy, where the outermost relatively compact part is built of Co0.5NiS2 and CrAl2S4 while the inner, rather porous part also contains metallic inclusions, including Si near the scale/substrate interface.
A new index to estimate the corrosion resistance of aluminium‐containing steel
Authors: Ooi Steve
Published: March 2024

A new index that estimates the corrosion resistance of aluminium‐containing steel is established and verified. It is based on the well‐known pitting resistance equivalent number (PREN) but accounts for aluminium additions. It is shown that aluminium enhances the corrosion resistance of chromium‐containing steel, with a coefficient of 5.2. The new corrosion resistance index (CRI) is as follows CRI = Cr + 3.3Mo + 16N + 5.2Al. A minimum of 4 wt% of chromium addition is needed. In addition, the atomic ratio of chromium to aluminium addition needs to be higher than 1, for this new index to be valid. This new index allows for simple alloy design guidelines for steel applications that require improved corrosion resistance. Analysis of the data from the literature shows that this index becomes inaccurate when the corrosion environment is in the presence of NaCl, and aluminium becomes less effective in enhancing corrosion resistance.
A Molecular Rheology Dynamics Study on 3D Printing of Liquid Crystal Elastomers
Authors: Ustunel Senay , Pandya Harsh , Prévôt Marianne E. , Pegorin Gisele , Shiralipour Faeze , Paul Rajib , Clements Robert J. , Khabaz Fardin , Hegmann Elda
Published: March 2024

This work presents a rheological study of a biocompatible and biodegradable liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) ink for three dimensional (3D) printing. These materials have shown that their structural variations have an effect on morphology, mechanical properties, alignment, and their impact on cell response. Within the last decade LCEs are extensively studied as potential printing materials for soft robotics applications, due to the actuation properties that are produced when liquid crystal (LC) moieties are induced through external stimuli. This report utilizes experiments and coarse‐grained molecular dynamics to study the macroscopic rheology of LCEs in nonlinear shear flow. Results from the shear flow simulations are in line with the outcomes of these experimental investigations. This work believes the insights from these results can be used to design and print new material with desirable properties necessary for targeted applications.
Exact periodic solution of the undamped Helmholtz oscillator subject to a constant force and arbitrary initial conditions
Authors: Big‐Alabo Akuro , Alfred Peter Brownson
Published: March 2024

The Helmholtz oscillator is a nonlinear mixed‐parity oscillator that models the asymmetric vibrations of many engineering and scientific systems. This paper investigated a general and completely integrable form of the Helmholtz oscillator and derived its exact periodic solution from the first integral of the governing differential equation. The considered Helmholtz oscillator has general linear and nonlinear stiffness constants, is subject to a constant force, and has arbitrary initial conditions. Its exact time period was derived in terms of the complete elliptic integral of the first kind, while the exact displacement was derived in terms of the Jacobi elliptic sine function. The validity of the exact solutions was verified for various combinations of the system parameters and initial conditions by comparing with numerical solutions. The exact solutions and numerical solutions were found to match perfectly. Furthermore, the exact solution was applied to analyze the vibration response of real‐world systems that could be modeled as Helmholtz oscillators. The present exact solutions provide benchmark solutions that could be used to determine the accuracy of new and existing approximate solutions for the Helmholtz oscillator.
An ANS/ATFs‐based unsymmetric solid‐shell finite element algorithm for high‐quality finite deformation analysis of hyper‐elastic shell
Authors: Ma Ru‐Xia , Cen Song , Li Chen‐Feng
Published: March 2024

An effective updated Lagrangian (UL) algorithm is designed for extending the recent distortion‐tolerant unsymmetric 8‐node, 24‐DOF hexahedral solid‐shell element, US‐ATFHS8, to finite deformation analysis of hyper‐elastic shell structures. The distinguishing feature of this unsymmetric element is that two different interpolation schemes are employed for virtual displacement and real stress calculations, respectively. The assumed natural strain (ANS) method with shell assumptions, referring to the current configuration, is introduced to modify the strain tensors derived from the assumed virtual displacement fields in terms of isoparametric coordinates, thereby mitigating shear locking and trapezoidal locking. On the other hand, the analytical trial functions (ATFs) derived from the general solutions of homogenous governing equations for linear elasticity are updated in each increment step to obtain the incremental deformation gradient, which is then utilized for calculating the real stresses for curing the numerical difficulties in large deformation problems. Numerical examples show that the proposed algorithm enables the hyper‐elastic solid‐shell element US‐ATFHS8 to exhibit excellent performance in both regular and distorted meshes and yield considerable results even when other models cannot work.
Fetal diagnosis and management of pulmonary artery sling: A case series
Authors: Bennett Scott , Hornberger Lisa K. , Fruitman Deborah , Bradley Timothy J. , Mansukhani Gitanjali P.
Published: March 2024

Objective

Pulmonary artery sling is a rare congenital anomaly accounting for 2% of all patients with vascular anomalies that cause airway obstruction. In the normal heart, the left (LPA) and right (RPA) pulmonary arteries arise in the intrapericardial space. However, in the pulmonary artery sling, the LPA trunk arises in the extrapericardial space from the posterior aspect of the mid RPA and courses posterior to the trachea causing tracheal compression and, at times, bronchial compression. While a full spectrum of congenital cardiac pathology can be identified before birth, only a few case reports document the prenatal diagnosis of an Left pulmonary artery sling (LPAS).

Method

We retrospectively identified all cases of prenatal LPAS from three Canadian fetal cardiology centers (2015–2022).

Results

Using the 3‐vessel‐tracheal view via fetal echocardiography (FE), four fetuses from three pregnancies demonstrated abnormal origin of the LPA from RPA and echogenic trachea. In one of two affected monochorionic twins coronal imaging demonstrated a significant narrowing of the large airways consistent with significant airway obstruction.

Conclusion

Prenatal detection of LPAS by FE is possible and should prompt an evaluation for airway obstruction in the coronal view. Investigating associated lesions and genetic testing are recommended for informed shared decision making.