bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The association between frailty and anxiety: A systematic review
Authors: Tan Melissa , Bhanu Cini , Frost Rachael
Published: May 2023

Objectives

Previous systematic reviews show a clear relationship between frailty and depression, however the association with anxiety is much less frequently explored. Previous single studies indicate evidence is mixed. We completed a systematic review and meta‐analysis to identify the relationship between frailty and anxiety.

Methods

We searched five electronic databases for observational studies in older people in community, care home and outpatient settings with any/no health conditions that measured the association between anxiety and frailty using validated measures. Studies were screened by one reviewer with 10% checked by a second reviewer. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool was used to assess study quality. We used meta‐analysis to aggregate study findings, with subgroup analyses to explore heterogeneity.

Results

Out of 1272 references, a total of 20 cross‐sectional and 1 longitudinal studies were eligible. Older adults with frailty were substantially more likely to display anxiety symptoms than robust populations, across both dichotomous and continuous data sets (n = 10, OR = 3.48, 95% CI: 2.08, 5.81, p < 0.0001, I2 = 94%; N = 5, SMD = 3.13, 95% CI: 1.06, 5.21, I2 = 98%). Similarly, pre‐frail older adults were more likely to have anxiety symptoms than robust older adults but to a lesser extent (N = 6, OR = 1.95, 95% CI: 1.41, 2.71, I2 = 63%; N = 3, SMD = 1.70, 95% CI: 0.01, 3.38, I2 = 98%).

Conclusions

There is a clear association between pre‐frailty/frailty and anxiety in older adults. However, data are heterogeneous and primarily from cross‐sectional studies so causality cannot be determined. Future research should evaluate the effectiveness of anxiety screening and treatments in frail older adults.
Regulation voltage of LiNiPO4 by density functional theory (DFT) calculation to move towards practical application
Authors: Zhang Bo , He Yufang , Wang Aiping , Xiao Xiang , Liu Jinli , Wu Yingqiang , Wang Li , Xu Hong , Li Jiangang , Zhang Hao , He Xiangming
Published: May 2023

LiNiPO4 (working at ~5.1 V) shows potential advantages in the competition of cathode materials for lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) because of high energy density. However, the high‐voltage electrolyte developed can only remain relatively stable in the range of less than 4.8 V, so the operating voltage of LiNiPO4 needs to be adjusted to smaller to better exploit its high‐voltage advantages. To regulate the operating voltage of LiNiPO4 while ensuring the relative stability of its electrochemical properties, in this work, all the 3d, 4d, and 5d transition metals (TMs) are, respectively, doped into the Ni site of LiNiPO4 to screen out the doped models with excellent electrochemical performance. In particular, the changes in lattice structure, electronic properties, formation energy, mechanical properties, anisotropy, and working voltage were used as screening criteria. By considering the above screening criteria, the Cr‐ and Fe‐doped LiNiPO4 with open circuit voltage ~4.7 and ~4.8 V are considered to have leading performance and can be used for applicable high‐voltage LIBs. The screening results of this work can provide an overall understanding of the doping of LiNiPO4 by TMs and have advanced a theoretical idea for the design of new high‐voltage LIBs cathode materials.
Fullerene modification of WO3 electron transport layer toward high‐efficiency MA‐free perovskite solar cells with eliminated light‐soaking effect
Authors: Yu Xin , Cai Bing , Zhang Jinxia , Li Xingcheng , Wang Xue , Duan Gongtao , Zhang Wenfeng , Liu Xinhang , Zhang Wen‐Hua , Yang Shangfeng
Published: May 2023

In perovskite solar cells (PSCs), the light‐soaking effect, which means device performance changes obviously under continuous light illumination, is potentially harmful to loaded devices as well as accurately assessing their efficiency. Herein, chemically stable tungsten trioxide (WO3) with high electron mobility is used as electron transport material in methylamine (MA)‐free PSCs. However, the light‐soaking effect is observed apparently in our devices. A fullerene derivative, C60 pyrrolidine Tris‐acid (CPTA), is introduced to modify the interface between WO3 and perovskite (PVK) layers, which can bond with WO3 and PVK simultaneously, leading to the passivation of the defect and the suppression of trap‐assisted nonradiative recombination. What is more, the introduction of CPTA can enhance the built‐in electric field between WO3 and PVK layers, thereby facilitating the electron extraction and inhibiting the carrier accumulation at the interface. Consequently, the light‐soaking effect of WO3‐based PSCs has been eliminated, and the power conversion efficiency has been boosted from 17.4% for control device to 20.5% for WO3/CPTA‐based PSC with enhanced stability. This study gives guidance for the design of interfacial molecules to eliminate the light‐soaking effect.
A comparison of peripheral blood stem cell collection outcomes for multiple myeloma; mobilization matters in the era of IMiD induction
Authors: Chandler Thea , Parrish Christopher , Karakantza Marina , Carmichael Jonathan , Pawson David , Cook Gordon , Seymour Frances
Published: May 2023

Collection of peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs) for autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) requires mobilization from the bone marrow. There is variation in mobilization choice; during the COVID‐19 pandemic BSBMT&CT guidelines recommended using granulocyte‐colony stimulating factor (G‐CSF) alone to minimize the use of chemotherapy. We report on the impact of mobilization regimen on stem cell collection, and whether IMiD‐containing induction therapy impacts on mobilization and consequently transplant engraftment times for 83 patients undergoing ASCT at Leeds Teaching Hospitals.

Cyclophosphamide plus G‐CSF (cyclo‐G) mobilization yielded more CD34+ cells (8.94 vs. 4.88 ×106/kg, p = < 0.0001) over fewer days (1.6 vs. 2.4 days, p = 0.007), and required fewer doses of salvage Plerixafor than G‐CSF only (13.6% vs. 35%, p = 0.0407). IMiD‐containing induction impaired all of these factors. CD34+ doses > 8×106/kg were more frequent with Cyclo‐G (62% vs. 11%, p = 0.0001), including for those receiving IMiD 1st line induction (50% vs. 13.3%, p = 0.0381). Note that 92.6% of those receiving IMiD‐free inductions were mobilized with Cyclo‐G.

The novel agents used in modern induction regimens (e.g Daratumumab) have been shown to impair yields, increasing the importance of optimizing mobilization regimens in the first instance. Furthermore, as cellular therapies become established in the management of multiple myeloma emerging data highlights the potential benefits of stem cell top up in the management of the haematological toxicities of these therapies. Our findings support re‐adoption of Cyclo‐G as the gold standard for mobilization to optimize PBSC harvesting and ensure sufficient cells for subsequent ASCTs.
Design of a quasi‐oppositional FBI based fuzzy PIDF (1 + PI) controller for frequency regulation with renewable energy sources and energy storage elements
Authors: Sahu Jugajyoti , Satapathy Priyambada , Sahu Binod Kumar , Mohanty Pradeep Kumar , Naik Amiya Kumar
Published: May 2023

Integration of renewable energy sources (RESs) in modern power system has put a great challenge on researchers and system engineers to satisfactorily operate the power system when it is subjected to various disturbances. Automatic generation control (AGC) plays a very essential role in modern power system to control the tie‐line power flows and system frequencies. This paper illustrates about optimal design and implementation of various controllers for AGC of a two‐area non‐reheat thermal power system with some supplementary generation from dish stirling solar thermal system and wind‐turbine system. In addition to the generating sources, some energy storage systems like capacitive energy storage and redox flow battery are integrated to improve the dynamic stability of the system. Various controllers like fuzzy logic based PID controller, PID controller with filter (PIDF) and fuzzy PIDF (1 + PI) controller are used as supplementary controllers of the AGC system. The proposed controllers are optimally designed by FBI algorithm and QO‐FBI algorithm. A step load of 1% (0.01 pu) is applied in area‐1 to analyze the performances of the proposed controllers. Investigation of the study includes undershoot, overshoot and settling time of frequency and tie‐line power deviations. The percentage improvement of QO‐FBI based FPIDF (1 + PI) controller with respect to ICA based FPIDF (1 + PI) controller is examined. It is noticed that, AGC system equipped with QO‐FBI based FPIDF (1 + PI) controller outperforms ICA‐FPIDF (1 + PI) controller in all aspects. The superiority of the QO‐FBI based FPIDF (1 + PI) controller is validated under parametric variation in system parameters. Sensitivity analysis is also carried out by varying the inputs to the intermittent renewable sources. Comparative performance analysis reveals that QO‐FBI based FPIDF (1 + PI) controller performs better in comparison with other proposed controllers and a recently proposed ICA based FPIDF (1 + PI) controller.
High variability and enhanced nocturnal oxygen uptake in coral reef sponges
Authors: Moskovich Raz , Diga Rei , Ilan Micha , Yahel Gitai
Published: May 2023

Sponges are animals that feed by filtering water through their perforated body. We examined the in situ diel dynamics of sponge metabolism by continuously measuring the oxygen concentrations in the water inhaled and exhaled by undisturbed sponges. A clear daily pattern of oxygen removal was evident for six of the seven species we studied with their nocturnal oxygen removal being almost double the diurnal values (+ 86 ± 57%). Oxygenic photosynthesis by the sponge's symbiotic or endolithic phototrophic microbes may explain some of the diel difference, but significant day–night differences were also observed in three sponge species for which no evidence of photosynthetic activity (tested with imaging pulse‐amplitude‐modulation Fluorometry) was found. Mean oxygen removal (± 95% confidence interval for the mean) per species ranged from 1.7 ± 1 μmol O2 per liter (hereafter: μmol O2 L−1) for the low microbial abundance (LMA) sponge Callyspongia siphonella to 30.5 ± 10.5 μmol O2 L−1 for the high microbial abundance HMA) sponge Theonella swinhoei with considerable variation in oxygen removal across all scales (minutes to hours, within and among specimens). Events of high oxygen removal (> 50 μmol L−1) were regularly observed for five of the seven species and were predominantly nocturnal, occasionally lasting several hours. The high variability in oxygen removal stresses the need for long‐term in‐situ measurements of benthic suspension feeders metabolism.
PCBP1 protects bladder cancer cells from mitochondria injury and ferroptosis by inducing LACTB mRNA degradation
Authors: Luo Yang , Zhang Yunli , Pang Shiyu , Min Jingxian , Wang Tao , Wu Dali , Lin Chun , Xiao Zebin , Xiang Qi , Li Qing , Ma Lili
Published: May 2023

Although Poly C Binding Protein 1 (PCBP1) affects cellular ferroptosis and mitochondrial dysfunction, the mechanisms by which PCBP1 regulates bladder cancer (BC) cell functions are unknown. In this study, two BC cell lines (T24 and UMUC3) were treated with different doses of ferroptosis inducer erastin to analyze the effect of PCBP1. Online databases (RPISeq and CatRAPID) were used to predict the possible direct interaction between PCBP1 protein and serine β‐lactamase‐like protein (LACTB) mRNA, which was further validated via RNA pull‐down, RNA immunoprecipitation, and luciferase reporter assays. Mitochondria injury and ferroptosis were evaluated using CCK‐8 assay, TUNEL staining, flow cytometry, corresponding kits, and JC‐1 staining. In vivo experiments were conducted using tumor xenograft models. Quantitative reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction was used to detect transcript expression levels, while protein levels were analyzed using western blot and immunohistochemistry. PCBP1 expression was significantly upregulated in BC tissues and cell lines. Also, PCBP1 knockdown increased erastin‐mediated ferroptosis in T24 and UMUC3 cells, while PCBP1 overexpression decreased erastin‐mediated ferroptosis in T24 and UMUC3 cells. Mechanistic results showed that LACTB mRNA is a novel PCBP1‐binding transcript. LACTB upregulation promoted erastin‐induced ferroptosis and mitochondrial dysfunction. Furthermore, LACTB overexpression reversed PCBP1‐mediated ferroptosis protection, including decreased ROS and enhanced mitochondrial function, which were further alleviated after phosphatidylserine decarboxylase (PISD) overexpression. Moreover, PCBP1 silencing significantly enhanced tumor inhibition effect of sulfasalazine in xenograft mice transplanted with T24 and UMUC3 cells, leading to LACTB upregulation and PISD downregulation. In conclusion, PCBP1 protects BC cells against mitochondria injury and ferroptosis via LACTB/PISD axis.
Earlier second polar body transfer and further mitochondrial carryover removal for potential mitochondrial replacement therapy
Authors: Li Wenzhi , Liao Xiaoyu , Lin Kaibo , Cai Renfei , Guo Haiyan , Ma Meng , Wang Yao , Xie Yating , Zhang Shaozhen , Yan Zhiguang , Si Jiqiang , Gao Hongyuan , Zhao Leiwen , Chen Li , Yu Weina , Chen Chen , Wang Yun , Kuang Yanping , Lyu Qifeng
Published: May 2023

The second polar body (PB2) transfer in assisted reproductive technology is regarded as the most promising mitochondrial replacement scheme for preventing the mitochondrial disease inheritance owing to its less mitochondrial carryover and stronger operability. However, the mitochondrial carryover was still detectable in the reconstructed oocyte in conventional second polar body transfer scheme. Moreover, the delayed operating time would increase the second polar body DNA damage. In this study, we established a spindle‐protrusion‐retained second polar body separation technique, which allowed us to perform earlier second polar body transfer to avoid DNA damage accumulation. We could also locate the fusion site after the transfer through the spindle protrusion. Then, we further eliminated the mitochondrial carryover in the reconstructed oocytes through a physically based residue removal method. The results showed that our scheme could produce a nearly normal proportion of normal‐karyotype blastocysts with further reduced mitochondrial carryover, both in mice and humans. Additionally, we also obtained mouse embryonic stem cells and healthy live‐born mice with almost undetectable mitochondrial carryover. These findings indicate that our improvement in the second polar body transfer is conducive to the development and further mitochondria carryover elimination of reconstructed embryos, which provides a valuable choice for future clinical applications of mitochondrial replacement.
A homozygous EVC mutation in a prenatal fetus with Ellis–van Creveld syndrome
Authors: Wang Jie , Wang Xiaohua , Jia Yueqi , Li Xiangnan , Liu Guohui , Sa Rula , Yu Haiquan
Published: May 2023

Background

Ellis–van Creveld (EvC) syndrome, caused by variants in EVC, is a rare genetic skeletal dysplasia. Its clinical phenotype is highly diverse. EvC syndrome is rarely reported in prenatal stages because its presentation overlaps with other diseases.

Methods

A Chinese pedigree diagnosed with EvC syndrome was enrolled in this study. Whole‐exome sequencing (WES) was applied in the proband to screen potential genetic variant(s), and then Sanger sequencing was used to identify the variant in family members. Minigene experiments were applied.

Results

WES identified a homozygous variant (NM_153717.3:c.153_174 + 42del) in EVC which was inherited from the heterozygous parents and confirmed by Sanger sequencing. Further experiments demonstrated that this variant disrupts the canonical splicing site and produces a new splicing site at NM_153717.3: c.‐164_174del, which ultimately leads to a 337 bp deletion at the 3′ end of exon 1 and loss of the start codon.

Conclusion

This is the first reported case of EvC syndrome based on a splicing variant and detailed delineation of the aberrant splicing effect in the fetus. Our study demonstrates the pathogenesis of this new variant, expands the spectrum of EVC mutations, and demonstrates that WES is a powerful tool in the clinical diagnosis of diseases with genetic heterogeneity.
Loss probability in priority limited processing queueing system
Authors: Yashina Marina , Tatashev Alexander , de Alencar Marcelo Sampaio
Published: May 2023

In this paper, a queueing system with a preemptive priority limited processor sharing system with some versions of the discipline is considered. The problem of lost probability is an important aspect for developing methods to improve efficiency and productivity of in modern communications system and computer networks. In the paper, the following conditions are considered. The total service rate depends on the number of jobs serviced simultaneously, and this number is limited. The service rate of simultaneously serviced jobs is the same. There are jobs of different priorities. If the maximum quantity of jobs are serviced simultaneously, and a new job arrives, then depending on the priorities of the arriving and serviced jobs, the arriving job can be lost or preempt a serviced job. Four versions of the service discipline are considered. Depending on the discipline version, an arriving job can preempt or not preempt a job of the same priority, and preempted job is lost or its service is resumed later. This paper develops an approach to compute the loss probability of a prescribed priority job for each version of the discipline.
Gender‐specific data‐driven adiposity subtypes using deep‐learning‐based abdominal CT segmentation
Authors: Zou Xiantong , Zhou Xianghai , Li Yufeng , Huang Qi , Ni Yuan , Zhang Ruiming , Zhang Fang , Wen Xin , Cheng Jiayu , Yuan Yanping , Yu Yue , Guo Chengcheng , Xie Guotong , Ji Linong
Published: May 2023

Objective

The aim of this study was to quantify abdominal adiposity and generate data‐driven adiposity subtypes with different diabetes risks.

Methods

A total of 3817 participants from the Pinggu Metabolic Disease Study were recruited. A deep‐learning‐based recognition model on abdominal computed tomography (CT) images (A‐CT model) was developed and validated in 100 randomly selected cases. The volumes and proportions of subcutaneous fat, visceral fat, liver fat, and muscle fat were automatically recognized in all cases. K‐means clustering was used to identify subgroups using the proportions of the four fat components.

Results

The Dice indices among the measurements assessed by the A‐CT model and manual evaluation to detect liver fat, muscle fat, and subcutaneous fat areas were 0.96, 0.95, and 0.92, respectively. Three subtypes were generated separately in men and women: visceral fat dominant type (VFD); subcutaneous fat dominant type (SFD); and intermuscular fat dominant type (MFD). Compared with the SFD group, the MFD group had similar diabetes risk, and the VFD group had a 60% higher diabetes risk when age and BMI were adjusted for in men. The adjusted odds ratio for diabetes was 1.92 (95% CI: 1.32‐2.78) in the MFD group and 6.14 (95% CI: 4.18‐9.03) in the VFD group in women.

Conclusions

This study identified gender‐specific abdominal adiposity subgroups, which may help clinicians to distinguish diabetes risk quickly and automatically.
Comparative adherence trajectories of oral disease‐modifying agents in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Earla Jagadeswara Rao , Li Jieni , Hutton George J. , Johnson Michael L. , Aparasu Rajender R.
Published: May 2023

Study Objective

This study compared the adherence trajectories of fingolimod (FIN), teriflunomide (TER), and dimethyl fumarate (DMF) users with multiple sclerosis (MS) as there is limited evidence regarding the comparative adherence patterns of different oral disease‐modifying agents (DMAs).

Design

A retrospective cohort study

Data Source

2015–2019 IBM MarketScan Commercial Claims Database.

Patients

Adults (≥18 years) with MS (International Classification of Diseases [ICD]‐9/10‐Clinical Modification [CM]:340/G35) diagnosis and ≥1 DMA prescription.

Intervention

Incident FIN‐, TER‐, or DMF use based on the index DMA with 1 year of washout period.

Measurements

The DMA adherence trajectories based on the proportion of days covered (PDC) were examined using the Group‐Based Trajectory Modeling (GBTM) one year after the treatment initiation. Generalized boosting models (GBM)‐based inverse probability treatment weights (IPTW) were incorporated in multinomial logistic regression to assess the comparative adherence trajectories across oral DMAs with FIN group as a reference category.

Measurements and Main Results

The study cohort consisted of 1913 patients with MS who were initiated with FIN (24.2%,n = 462), TER (24.0%,n = 458), and DMF (51.9%,n = 993) during 2016–2018. The adherence rate (PDC ≥ 0.8) among FIN, TER, and DMF users was found to be 70.8% (n = 327), 59.6% (n = 273), and 61.0% (n = 606), respectively. The GBTM grouped patients into three adherence trajectories: Complete Adherers—59.1%, Slow Decliners—22.6%, and Rapid Discontinuers—18.3%. The multinomial logistic regression model involving GBM‐based IPTW revealed that DMF (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 2.32, 95% confidence interval [CI]:1.57–3.42) and TER (aOR: 2.50, 95% CI: 1.62–3.88) users had higher odds to be rapid discontinuers relative to FIN users. In addition, TER users were more likely (aOR: 1.50, 95% CI: 1.06–2.13) to be slow decliners compared with FIN users.

Conclusion

Teriflunomide and DMF were associated with poorer adherence trajectories than FIN. More research is needed to evaluate the clinical implications of these adherence trajectories of oral DMAs to optimize the management of MS.
Patterns of health‐promoting behaviors and associated factors in family caregivers of people receiving cancer treatment: A latent class profile analysis
Authors: Son Elisa H. , Wallen Gwenyth R. , Flynn Sharon , Yang Li , Lee Lena J.
Published: May 2023

Objective

Family caregivers tend to neglect their health while prioritizing the needs of their care recipients. Identifying subgroups of caregivers based on the patterns of health‐promoting behaviors (HPBs) may help develop tailored interventions for them, yet little is known. The purpose of this study was: (1) to identify latent classes with distinct patterns of HPBs in family caregivers of people with cancer; and (2) to investigate factors associated with the latent class membership.

Methods

We performed a cross‐sectional data analysis using the baseline dataset from a longitudinal survey study that assessed HPBs of family caregivers of individuals who received cancer treatment at a national research hospital (N = 124). Latent class profile analysis was conducted to identify latent classes based on the subdomains of the Health‐Promoting Lifestyle Profile II, followed by multinomial logistic regression analysis to investigate factors associated with the latent class membership.

Results

Three latent classes were identified: a high level of HPB (Class 1, 25.8%); a moderate level of HPB (Class 2, 53.2%); and a low level of HPB (Class 3, 21.0%) of HPBs. Controlling for caregiver age and sex, caregiver burden due to lack of family support, perceived stress, self‐efficacy and body mass index were factors associated with the latent class membership.

Conclusions

HPBs of our caregiver sample appeared in relatively stable patterns at different levels. Higher caregiver burden and perceived stress and lower self‐efficacy were associated with the lower practice of HPBs overall. Our findings may serve as a reference for screening caregivers who need support and developing person‐centered interventions.
Biogeochemistry of low‐ and high‐centered ice‐wedge polygons in wetlands in Svalbard
Authors: Jones Eleanor L. , Hodson Andrew J. , Redeker Kelly R. , Christiansen Hanne H. , Thornton Steve F. , Rogers Jade
Published: May 2023

Arctic wetlands are a globally significant store of soil organic carbon. They are often characterized by ice‐wedge polygons, which are diagnostic of lowland permafrost, and which greatly influence wetland hydrology and biogeochemistry during summer. The degradation of ice‐wedge polygons, which can occur in response to climate change or local disturbance, has poorly understood consequences for biogeochemical processes. We therefore used geochemical analyses from the active layer and top permafrost to identify and compare the dominant biogeochemical processes in high‐centered (degraded) and low‐centered (pristine) polygons situated in the raised beach sediments and valley‐infill sediments of Adventdalen, Central Svalbard. We found similar organic‐rich sediments in both cases (up to 38 dry wt.%), but while low‐centered polygons were water‐saturated, their high‐centered counterparts had a relatively dry active layer. Consequently, low‐centered polygons showed evidence of iron and sulfate reduction leading to the precipitation of pyrite and siderite, whilst the high‐centered polygons demonstrated more oxidizing conditions, with decreased iron oxidation and low preservation of iron and sulfate reduction products in the sediments. This study thus demonstrates the profound effect of ice‐wedge polygon degradation on the redox chemistry of the host sediment and porewater, namely more oxidizing conditions, a decrease in iron reduction, and a decrease in the preservation of iron and sulfate reduction products.
Value of synthetic MRI quantitative parameters in preprocedural evaluation for TRUS/MRI fusion‐guided biopsy of the prostate
Authors: Cao Haiyan , Xu Wenjuan , Xu Yan , Rong Xin , Xiao Xiao , Feng Hao , Wang Xiaoxiang , Wang Lei , Qi Tingyue , Zhang Li
Published: May 2023

Background

Transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) fusion‐guided biopsy has a high clinical application value. However, this technique has some limitations, which limit its use in routine clinical practice. Therefore, the selection of suitable proatate lesions for this technique is worthy of our attention. Synthetic MRI (SyMRI) is capable of quantifying multiple relaxation parameters, which might have potential value in preprocedural evaluation for TRUS/MRI fusion‐guided biopsy of the prostate. The aim of our study is to examine the value of SyMRI quantitative parameters in preprocedural evaluation for TRUS/MRI fusion‐guided biopsy of the prostate.

Methods

We prospectively selected 148 lesions in 137 patients who underwent prostate biopsy in our hospital. Next, 2–4 needles of TRUS/MRI fusion‐guided biopsy combined with 10 needles of system biopsy (SB) were used as the protocol for prostate biopsy. Before biopsy, the MAGiC sequences of the MRI images of the enrolled patients underwent post‐processing, and the longitudinal relaxation time (T1), transverse relaxation time (T2), and proton density (PD) were extracted. The biopsy pathology results were used as a gold standard to compare the differences in SyMRI quantitative parameters between benign and malignant prostate lesions in the peripheral and transitional zones. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted to confirm the optimal SyMRI quantitative parameter for prostate lesion benignancy/malignancy performance, and the cutoff values of these parameters were used for grouping the lesions. The single‐needle biopsy prostate cancer (PCa)‐positivity rates (number of positive biopsy needles/total biopsy needles) and PCa overall detection rates by TRUS/MRI fusion‐guided biopsy and SB were compared in different subgroups.

Results

The T1 and T2 values can determine the benignancy/malignancy of prostate transition lesions(p < 0.01), and the T2 value has a greater diagnostic performance (p = 0.0376). The T2 value can determine the benignancy/malignancy of prostate peripheral lesions. The optimal diagnostic cutoff values for T2 were 77 and 81 ms, respectively. The single‐needle PCa positivity rate of TRUS/MRI fusion‐guided biopsy was higher than SB for any prostate lesions in different subgroups (p < 0.01). However, only in the subgroup of transition zone lesions with T2 ≤ 77 ms, the PCa overall detection rate of TRUS/MRI fusion‐guided biopsy was significantly higher than that of SB (p = 0.031).

Conclusion

SyMRI‐T2 value can provide a theoretical basis for the selection of suitable lesions for TRUS/MRI fusion‐guided biopsy.
Agrimoniin is a dual inhibitor of AKT and ERK pathways that inhibit pancreatic cancer cell proliferation
Authors: Zhang Xiongfei , Chen Jianping , Xi Beili , Liu Yutong , Wang Shaojun , Gu Ling , Zhao Huanhuan , Tao Li , Hua Yang , Wang Yan , Chen Meijuan
Published: May 2023

Molecular‐targeted therapy has shown its effectiveness in pancreatic cancer, while single‐targeted drug often cannot provide long‐term benefit because of drug resistance. Fortunately, multitarget combination therapy can reverse drug resistance and achieve better efficacy. The typical treatment characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine monomer on tumor are multiple targets, with small side effects, low toxicity, and so forth. Agrimoniin has been reported to be effective on some cancers, while the mechanism still needs to be clarified. In this study, we used 5‐ethynyl‐2′‐deoxyuridine, cell counting kit‐8, flow cytometry, and western blot experiments to confirm that agrimoniin can significantly inhibit the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cell PANC‐1 by inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. In addition, by using SC79, LY294002 (the agonist or inhibitor of AKT pathway), and U0126 (the inhibitor of ERK pathway), we found that agrimoniin inhibited cell proliferation by simultaneously inhibiting AKT and ERK pathways. Moreover, agrimoniin could significantly increase the inhibitory effect of LY294002 and U0126 on pancreatic cancer cells. Meanwhile, in vivo experiments also supported the above results. In general, agrimoniin is a double‐target inhibitor of AKT and ERK pathways in pancreatic cancer cells; it is expected to be used as a resistance reversal agent of targeted drugs or a synergistic drug of the inhibitor of AKT pathway or ERK pathway.
“It's that invisible illness”: Patient and clinician perspectives on outcomes in pulmonary arterial hypertension treatment
Authors: Auriemma Catherine L. , Minhas Jasleen , Blue Randi , Lapatra Tess , Kawut Steven M. , Courtright Katherine R.
Published: May 2023

Knowledge of what outcomes are most meaningful to pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) stakeholders is limited. In this qualitative study, patients and clinicians endorsed personalized physical activity, symptoms, and psychosocial well‐being as key outcomes to assess PAH treatment response, yet few are routinely measured in PAH clinical trials.
Control barrier functionals: Safety‐critical control for time delay systems
Authors: Kiss Adam K. , Molnar Tamas G. , Ames Aaron D. , Orosz Gabor
Published: May 2023

Abstarct

This work presents a theoretical framework for the safety‐critical control of time delay systems. The theory of control barrier functions, that provides formal safety guarantees for delay‐free systems, is extended to systems with state delay. The notion of control barrier functionals is introduced, to attain formal safety guarantees by enforcing the forward invariance of safe sets defined in the infinite dimensional state space. The proposed framework is able to handle multiple delays and distributed delays both in the dynamics and in the safety condition, and provides an affine constraint on the control input that yields provable safety. This constraint can be incorporated into optimization problems to synthesize pointwise optimal and provable safe controllers. The applicability of the proposed method is demonstrated by numerical simulation examples.
Complete coverage path planning for wheeled agricultural robots
Authors: Pour Arab Danial , Spisser Matthias , Essert Caroline
Published: May 2023

In the agricultural industry, an evolutionary effort has been made over the last two decades to achieve precise autonomous systems to perform typical in‐field tasks, including harvesting, mowing, and spraying. One of the main objectives of an autonomous system in agriculture is to improve the efficiency while reducing the environmental impact and cost. Due to the nature of these operations, complete coverage path planning (CCPP) approaches play an essential role to find an optimal path which covers the entire field while taking into account land topography, operation requirements, and robot characteristics. The aim of this paper is to propose a CCPP approach defining the optimal movements of mobile robots over an agricultural field. First, a method based on tree exploration is proposed to find all potential solutions satisfying some predefined constraints. Second, a similarity check and selection of optimal solutions method is proposed to eliminate similar solutions and find the best solutions. The optimization goals are to maximize the coverage area and to minimize overlaps, nonworking path length, and overall travel time. To explore a wide range of possible solutions, our approach is able to consider multiple entrances for the robot. For fields with a complex shape, different dividing lines to split them into simple polygons are also considered. Our approach also computes the headland zones and covers them automatically which leads to a high coverage rate of the field.
BatNet: a deep learning‐based tool for automated bat species identification from camera trap images
Authors: Krivek Gabriella , Gillert Alexander , Harder Martin , Fritze Marcus , Frankowski Karina , Timm Luisa , Meyer‐Olbersleben Liska , von Lukas Uwe Freiherr , Kerth Gerald , van Schaik Jaap
Published: May 2023

Automated monitoring technologies can increase the efficiency of ecological data collection and support data‐driven conservation. Camera traps coupled with infrared light barriers can be used to monitor temperate‐zone bat assemblages at underground hibernacula, where thousands of individuals of multiple species can aggregate in winter. However, the broad‐scale adoption of such photo‐monitoring techniques is limited by the time‐consuming bottleneck of manual image processing. Here, we present BatNet, an open‐source, deep learning‐based tool for automated identification of 13 European bat species from camera trap images. BatNet includes a user‐friendly graphical interface, where it can be retrained to identify new bat species or to create site‐specific models to improve detection accuracy at new sites. Model accuracy was evaluated on images from both trained and untrained sites, and in an ecological context, where community‐ and species‐level metrics (species diversity, relative abundance, and species‐level activity patterns) were compared between human experts and BatNet. At trained sites, model performance was high across all species (F1‐score: 0.98–1). At untrained sites, overall classification accuracy remained high (96.7–98.2%), when camera placement was comparable to the training images (<3 m from the entrance; <45° angle relative to the opening). For atypical camera placements (>3 m or >45° angle), retraining the detector model with 500 site‐specific annotations achieved an accuracy of over 95% at all sites. In the ecological case study, all investigated metrics were nearly identical between human experts and BatNet. Finally, we exemplify the ability to retrain BatNet to identify a new bat species, achieving an F1‐score of 0.99 while maintaining high classification accuracy for all original species. BatNet can be implemented directly to scale up the deployment of camera traps in Europe and enhance bat population monitoring. Moreover, the pretrained model can serve as a baseline for transfer learning to automatize the image‐based identification of bat species worldwide.
Effect of the culture medium on the behavior of the austenitic stainless steel with the specific 316L grade
Authors: Sidane Djahida , Khireddine Hafit
Published: May 2023

The use of 316L stainless steel as an orthopedic bone plate material or as a substrate for coating implies the need to study its properties in a biological medium simulating human body environment. Therefore, the aim of this work is to investigate the microstructural characteristics, corrosion resistance, and mechanical properties of 316L stainless steel in the culture medium and then to check the cytotoxicity of the stainless steel in the presence of human mesenchymal stem cells. The characteristics of the stainless steel were evaluated by studying the microstructure of the samples in untreated state and after soaking in minimum essential medium‐alpha (α‐MEM) for 7 days. The results indicated the formation on the surface of the 316L stainless steel of goethite and deposits composed of Ca and P with porous and amorphous structures, which led to the decrease in the elastic modulus and the hardness of the soaked stainless steel as shown by nanoindentation test. Nevertheless, the hardness and the elastic modulus of the steel after soaking were influenced only for a surface depth of approximately 0.1% of the thickness of the sample. The potentiodynamic polarization curves exhibited that the corrosion resistance of the soaked stainless steel was reduced because of the higher passive current density. However, it should be noticed that the breakdown potential of the steel after soaking was slightly higher, leading to a wider range of passivation. In addition, microscopy examination showed the mesenchymal stem cell adhesion on the materials after 9 days of culture.
Longitudinal self‐learning of individualized treatment rules in a nutrient supplementation trial with missing data
Authors: Zhou Yiwang , Song Peter X. K.
Published: May 2023

Longitudinal outcomes are prevalent in clinical studies, where the presence of missing data may make the statistical learning of individualized treatment rules (ITRs) a much more challenging task. We analyzed a longitudinal calcium supplementation trial in the ELEMENT Project and established a novel ITR to reduce the risk of adverse outcomes of lead exposure on child growth and development. Lead exposure, particularly in the form of in utero exposure, can seriously impair children's health, especially their cognitive and neurobehavioral development, which necessitates clinical interventions such as calcium supplementation intake during pregnancy. Using the longitudinal outcomes from a randomized clinical trial of calcium supplementation, we developed a new ITR for daily calcium intake during pregnancy to mitigate persistent lead exposure in children at age 3 years. To overcome the technical challenges posed by missing data, we illustrate a new learning approach, termed longitudinal self‐learning (LS‐learning), that utilizes longitudinal measurements of child's blood lead concentration in the derivation of ITR. Our LS‐learning method relies on a temporally weighted self‐learning paradigm to synergize serially correlated training data sources. The resulting ITR is the first of this kind in precision nutrition that will contribute to the reduction of expected blood lead concentration in children aged 0‐3 years should this ITR be implemented to the entire study population of pregnant women.
Single Site Coordination Enabled Construction of Metal‐Diketimine‐Linked Covalent Organic Frameworks for Boosted Electrooxidation of Biomass Derivative
Authors: Zheng Chaoyang , Zhang Shun , Li Zhixi , Xiao Liyun , Song Meina , Du Jing , Guo Jun , Gao Xiaoqing , Peng Yongwu , Tang Zhiyong , Zhao Meiting
Published: May 2023

Aromatic aldehydes are widely used for the construction of covalent organic frameworks (COFs). However, due to the high flexibility, high steric hindrance, and low reactivity, it remains challenging to synthesize COFs using ketones as building units, especially the highly flexible aliphatic ones. Here, the single nickel site coordination strategy is reported to lock the configurations of the highly flexible diketimine to transform discrete oligomers or amorphous polymers into highly crystalline nickel‐diketimine‐linked COFs (named as Ni‐DKI‐COFs). The strategy has been successfully extended to the synthesis of a series of Ni‐DKI‐COFs by the condensation of three flexible diketones with two tridentate amines. Thanks to the ABC stacking model with high amount and easily accessible single nickel (II) sites on their 1D channels, Ni‐DKI‐COFs are exploited as well‐defined electrocatalyst platforms for efficiently electro‐upgrading biomass‐derived 5‐Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) into value‐added 2,5‐furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) with a 99.9% yield and a 99.5% faradaic efficiency as well as a high turnover frequency of 0.31 s−1.
Lactate‐Responsive Gene Editing to Synergistically Enhance Macrophage‐Mediated Cancer Immunotherapy
Authors: Li Yuwei , Wei Yue , Huang Ying , Qin Geng , Zhao Chuanqi , Ren Jinsong , Qu Xiaogang
Published: May 2023

Combination therapies involving metabolic regulation and immune checkpoint blockade are considered an encouraging new strategy for cancer therapy. However, the effective utilization of combination therapies for activating tumor‐associated macrophages (TAMs) remains challenging. Herein, a lactate‐catalyzed chemodynamic approach to activate the therapeutic genome editing of signal‐regulatory protein α (SIRPα) to reprogram TAMs and improve cancer immunotherapy is proposed. This system is constructed by encapsulating lactate oxidase (LOx) and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat‐mediated SIRPα genome‐editing plasmids in a metal–organic framework (MOF). The genome‐editing system is released and activated by acidic pyruvate, which is produced by the LOx‐catalyzed oxidation of lactate. The synergy between lactate exhaustion and SIRPα signal blockade can enhance the phagocytic ability of TAMs and promote the repolarization of TAMs to the antitumorigenic M1 phenotype. Lactate exhaustion‐induced CD47‐SIRPα blockade efficiently improves macrophage antitumor immune responses and effectively reverses the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment to inhibit tumor growth, as demonstrated by in vitro and in vivo studies. This study provides a facile strategy for engineering TAMs in situ by combining CRISPR‐mediated SIRPα knockout with lactate exhaustion for effective immunotherapy.
Hierarchical Synergistic Structure for High Resolution Strain Sensor with Wide Working Range
Authors: Zhou Runhui , Zhang Yufei , Xu Fan , Song Zhuoyu , Huang Jiaoya , Li Zemin , Gao Chen , He Jiang , Gao Wenchao , Pan Caofeng
Published: May 2023

Strain sensors have been attracting tremendous attention for the promising application of wearable devices in recent years. However, the trade‐off between high resolution, high sensitivity, and broad detection range is a great challenge for the application of strain sensors. Herein, a novel design of hierarchical synergistic structure (HSS) of Au micro cracks and carbon black (CB) nanoparticles is reported to overcome this challenge. The strain sensor based on the designed HSS exhibit high sensitivity (GF > 2400), high strain resolution (0.2%) even under large loading strain, broad detection range (>40%), outstanding stability (>12000 cycles), and fast response speed simultaneously. Further, the experiments and simulation results demonstrate that the carbon black layer greatly changed the morphology of Au micro‐cracks, forming a hierarchical structure of micro‐scale Au cracks and nano‐scale carbon black particles, thus enabling synergistic effect and the double conductive network of Au micro‐cracks and CB nanoparticles. Based on the excellent performance, the sensor is successfully applied to monitoring tiny signals of the carotid pulse during body movement, which illustrates the great potential in the application of health monitoring, human‐machine interface, human motion detection, and electronic skin.
Impacts of emerging and novel plastic waste variants on marine and coastal ecosystems: Challenges and implications on the circular economy
Authors: Roy Chowdhury Priyadarshi , Medhi Himani , Bhattacharyya Krishna G. , Hussain Chaudhery Mustansar
Published: May 2023

The twenty‐first century is confronted with the consequences of enormous amounts of global emerging plastic waste resulting from an excessive use of plastic, which has been imparting several negative impacts on the environment and human health. Moreover, some novel variants have also been reported in some coastal environments, so far, as a result of mixing of plastic waste with various other matrices. As a result, the problem of various forms of plastic waste within the marine ecosystem has emerged as a major concern in recent years. The current review is focused on the detrimental implications of various emerging and novel plastic variants, with an emphasis on coastal and marine environments. This review highlights the fate and transportation patterns of plastic waste, along with the contemporary examples of its implications on marine biota. Additionally, this work also examines the impacts of marine plastic waste on the environment. The review further highlights the importance of circular economy of plastic waste for sustainability. Then in the end, the growing anxieties about the impacts of plastic waste on coastal as well as marine environment, along with the strategies for reducing its impacts on ecological sustainability are discussed.

This article is categorized under:

Climate and Environment > Circular Economy
Fractal characteristics of artificially matured lacustrine shales from Ordos Basin, West China
Authors: Yang Fei , Wang Fang , Du Jiangmin , Yang Shuang , Wen Rongqin
Published: May 2023

Nanometer scaled pores are critical to studying gas shale reservoirs. In order to obtain the information of the evolution mechanism of nanoscale pore within lacustrine organic-rich shales, artificially matured shale samples from the Ordos Basin were treated using hydrous pyrolysis experiment. Low-temperature nitrogen adsorption, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES), and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) experiments were used to investigate the nanopore evolution with migration and precipitation of materials. The results show that the pore sizes were distributed from 1.1 to 500 nm, and the overall porosity tends to increase first and then decrease. The micropores and fine mesopores (< 10 nm) increased gradually from the 250 to the 350 °C, calcite appeared dissolution following a small peak of feldspar dissolution at this stage, and the CO2 reaches a partial pressure peak at 350 °C. The micropores, mesopores and macropores increased steeply from the 370 °C to the 450 °C. Organic pores were not developed until 350 °C, and well developed at 370 and 400 °C. Organic pores, intergranular pores of clay and intragranular pores of pyrite were well developed at 370 °C. The cumulative specific surface areas increased at 400 °C caused by the dehydration and transformation reaction of clay minerals. This study could provide a reference for the exploration of shale gas in lacustrine shales with different thermal maturities.