bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Generating Self‐Adjuvated Nanofiber Vaccines by Coating Bacterial Flagella with Antigens
Authors: Fu Zhenzhen , Lin Sisi , Chen Huan , Guo Haiyan , Li Juanjuan , Chen Yanmei , Lu Yue , Liu Jinyao , Huang Wei , Pang Yan
Published: February 2025

Bacteria‐based vaccines have received increasing attention given the ability to induce strong systemic immune responses. However, the application of bacteria as therapeutic agents inevitably suffers from infection‐associated side effects due to the living characteristics. Here, the use of bacteria‐derived flagella is described to construct self‐adjuvated nanofiber vaccines. With the help of charge‐reversal mediated by decoration with cationic polymers, the flagella can be coated with negatively charged antigens through electrostatic interaction. By virtue of the large aspect ratio, the resulting nanofiber vaccines show prolonged retention at the injection site and increased uptake by dendritic cells and macrophages. Thanks to the innate immunogenicity, self‐adjuvated flagella robustly promote dendritic cell maturation and macrophage polarization, resulting in the elicitation of antigen‐specific T‐cell and B‐cell immune responses. In ovalbumin‐overexpressing melanoma‐bearing mice, immunization with ovalbumin‐carried vaccines not only exhibits a favorable tolerance, but also displays superior inhibition efficacies on tumor growth and metastasis separately under the therapeutic and prophylactic settings. The flexibility of this approach is further demonstrated for vaccine fabrication by coating with the SARS‐CoV‐2 Spike protein S1 subunit. Bacterial flagella‐based self‐adjuvated nanofiber platform proposes a versatile strategy to develop various vaccines for disease prevention and treatment.
Red Phosphorescence at Elevated Temperatures Enabled by Dexter Energy Transfer in Polyaromatic Hydrocarbon‐Xanthone Systems
Authors: Yang Guangxin , Hao Subin , Dan Yuxin , Dang Li , Zhang Han , Zhang Qiang , Li Anze , Li Ming‐De , Yuan Wang Zhang
Published: February 2025

Organic materials with red persistent phosphorescence hold immense promise for biotechnology due to their excellent tissue permeability and high signal‐to‐background ratios. However, inefficient spin‐orbit coupling, high triplet susceptibility, and narrow energy gapspromoted nonradiative deactivations, pose a formidable obstacle to achieving efficient red phosphorescence. This study addresses these challenges by introducing xanthone (Xan)‐based host–guest systems. Utilizing polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as guests, efficient red to near‐infrared (NIR) phosphorescent materials with ultralong lifetimes and high quantum yields of up to 821 ms and 2.32%, respectively, are successfully developed. Ultrafast spectroscopy and theoretical studies reveal that Dexter energy transfer (DET) is the dominant mechanism responsible for red phosphorescence. This DET process between Xan and PAHs not only effectively utilizes the dark triplet state of the Xan host but also significantly enhances the triplet generation of the PAH guests, transforming them into potent phosphorescent luminophores. Furthermore, the inherent rigidity of Xan and PAHs endows the resulting materials with excellent phosphorescence performance, even at elevated temperatures (e.g., 423 K). This strategy, proven to be general, paves the way for designing efficient red/NIR phosphorescent materials through the DET mechanism, enabling their applications in molecular imaging and advanced high‐temperature encryption.
Giant and Anisotropic Enhancement of Spin‐Charge Conversion in Graphene‐Based Quantum System
Authors: Anadón Alberto , Pezo Armando , Arnay Iciar , Guerrero Rubén , Gudín Adrián , Guio Alba , Yactayo Melissa , Ghanbaja Jaafar , Camarero Julio , Manchon Aurelien , Petit‐Watelot Sebastien , Perna Paolo , Rojas‐Sánchez Juan‐Carlos
Published: February 2025

The ever‐increasing demand for efficient data storage and processing has fueled the search for novel memory devices. By exploiting the spin‐to‐charge conversion phenomena, spintronics promises faster and low power solutions alternative to conventional electronics. In this work, a remarkable 34‐fold increase in spin‐to‐charge current conversion is demonstrated when incorporating a 2D epitaxial graphene monolayer between iron and platinum layers by exploring spin‐pumping on‐chip devices. Furthermore, it is found that the spin conversion is also anisotropic. This enhancement and anisotropy is attributed to the asymmetric Rashba contributions driven by an unbalanced spin accumulation at the differently hybridized top and bottom graphene interfaces, as highlighted by ad‐hoc first‐principles theory. The improvement in spin‐to‐charge conversion as well as its anisotropy reveals the importance of interfaces in hybrid 2D‐thin film systems, opening up new possibilities for engineering spin conversion in 2D materials, leading to potential advances in memory, logic applications, or unconventional computing.
High‐Transmission Mid‐Infrared Bandpass Filters using Hybrid Metal‐Dielectric Metasurfaces for CO2 Sensing
Authors: Soliman Amr , Williams C , Hopper Richard , Udrea Florin , Butt Haider , Wilkinson Timothy D.
Published: February 2025

Mid‐infrared (MIR) spectroscopy is widely applied in many applications such as gas sensing, industrial inspection, astronomy, and imaging. While thin‐film narrowband interference filters are cost‐effective for MIR sensing, their complex fabrication limits their suitability for miniaturized systems. Plasmonic nanostructures, though explored for MIR applications, suffer from broad spectral responses and low efficiencies due to the ohmic losses inherent in metals. All‐dielectric metasurfaces, with low intrinsic losses, have been proposed as alternatives for MIR spectroscopy. However, their operation is typically limited to reflection mode. In this work, a hybrid metal‐dielectric metasurface operating in transmission mode for MIR spectroscopy is introduced. Composed of germanium (Ge) atop aluminium (Al) cylinders on a calcium fluoride (CaF2) substrate, the metasurface achieves high transmission efficiency (80%) at λ = 2.6 µm and a narrow full‐width‐half‐maximum of 0.4 µm. The transmission response arises due to the hybridization of modes between the Ge and Al structures. Numerical simulations are demonstrated, a straightforward fabrication method, and successful deployment as an in‐line optical filter for CO2 gas detection, achieving a detection limit of ≈0.04% (≈400 ppm). This work highlights the potential of hybrid metasurfaces as in‐line gas sensing filters in MIR spectroscopy.
A Conformationally Driven Mechanism in n‐Type Doping of Naphthalene Diimide‐Bithiophene Copolymer by 1H‐Benzimidazoles
Authors: Cimò Simone , Denti Ilaria , Rossi Lorenzo , Cassinelli Marco , Rossi Martina , Castagna Rossella , LeCroy Garrett , Salleo Alberto , Caironi Mario , Famulari Antonino , Castiglioni Chiara , Bertarelli Chiara
Published: February 2025

N‐doped polymer semiconductors are of great interest in the field of organic thermoelectrics, as high‐conductive materials are still highly desired. In this framework, this paper aims to clarify whether the n‐doping of naphthalene diimide‐bithiophene copolymer, P(NDI2OD‐T2), by 1H‐benzimidazoles is a thermally activated process. The study interestingly demonstrates that a relevant change in conductivity, with an increase of more than three orders of magnitude with respect to pristine P(NDI2OD‐T2), occurs before the annealing process takes place, thus revealing that benzimidazole‐derived dopants are already active at room temperature. Moreover, despite the annealing time and temperature affecting the electrical conductivity of the system, their contribution is less relevant, with the increase of electrical conductivity limited to up to three times. The results from the electrical characterization of the samples are supported by infrared spectroscopy investigation and X‐ray analysis, revealing the marker bands of polaron and a manifest structural change between the undoped and the just‐doped P(NDI2OD‐T2) films, accompanied by only minor modifications during the annealing process. Finally, based on the results of density functional theory simulations, the conformational modifications of the 1H‐benzimidazole dopant molecules, induced by the interaction with the P(NDI2OD‐T2), are proposed as a possible mechanism explaining the effective doping at room temperature.
Laser Ultrafast Confined Alloying of Sub‐5 nm RuM (M = Cu, Rh, and Pd) Particles on Carbon Nanotubes for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction
Authors: Hu Taiping , Zhang Dongshi , He Ningning , Wei Shuxian , Kang Xingyu , Zhang Wei , Cai Yunyu , Ye Yixing , Li Pengfei , Liang Changhao
Published: February 2025

Thermodynamic immiscibility is a challenge for intermetallic alloying of sub‐5 nm Ru‐based alloys, which are excellent electrochemical catalysts for water splitting. In this study, nanosecond laser ultrafast confined alloying (LUCA) is proposed to break the immiscible‐to‐miscible transition limit in the synthesis of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) supported sub‐5 nm bimetallic RuM (M = Cu, Rh, and Pd) alloy nanoparticles (NPs). The alloying of non‐noble metal Cu with varying atomic ratios of RuCu alloys is appealing owing to the low price of Cu and cost‐effective synthesis for large‐scale practical applications. Benefiting from the synergistic alloying effect and resultant H/OH binding energy alteration, the Ru95Cu5/CNTs catalysts display excellent electrocatalytic alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity with an overpotential of 17 mV and Tafel slope of 28.4 mV dec−1 at 10 mA cm−2, and high robustness over long‐term 5000 cyclic voltammetry cycles. The performance is much better than LUCA‐synthesized CNTs‐supported Ru86Rh14, Ru89Pd11, Ru, and Cu NPs catalysts, commercial benchmark 20% Pt/C, and other mainstream Ru‐based catalysts including wet chemistry‐synthesized RuRh particles (overpotential of 25 mV, Tafel slope of 47.5 mVdec−1) and RuCu/CNTs (overpotential of 39 mV) synthesized using the flash Joule heating method, indicating the great potential of LUCA for screening new classes of HER catalysts.
Unveiling the Capacity Enhancement Mechanism of Carbon Interlayers in Lithium–Sulfur Batteries
Authors: Cheng Qian , Zhao Jia‐Jia , Chen Zi‐Xian , Bi Chen‐Xi , Sun Furong , Zhao Meng , Li Bo‐Quan , Huang Jia‐Qi
Published: February 2025

Lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries hold prominent advantages of high theoretical energy density of 2600 Wh kg−1 but suffer from insufficient sulfur conversions. Introducing carbon interlayers is an effective strategy especially in increasing the discharge capacity in coin cells. Nevertheless, the underlying capacity enhancement mechanism afforded by carbon interlayers remains unclear, hindering their further optimization and application in practical devices. Herein, different geometric configurations of carbon interlayers are designed to unveil the actual capacity enhancement mechanism. Through correlating the dead zone area of coin cells with the capacity enhancement afforded by carbon interlayers, re‐utilization of the lithium polysulfides diffused into the coin cell dead zones is identified as the primary cause while carbon interlayers are less effective in nearly dead‐zone‐free pouch cells. Therefore, carbon interlayers are more suitable as a platform for convenient and rapid activity evaluation of electrocatalysts tailored for Li–S batteries. This work re‐recognizes the working mechanism and practical applicability of carbon interlayers and guides rational employment of carbon interlayers in developing advanced Li–S batteries.
A descriptive analysis of emergency medicine residency scholarly tracks faculty workforce
Authors: Mariorenzi Amy , Beaulieu Allison , Lotterman Seth , Karalius Vytas , Awad Emad , Chung Arlene , Jordan Jaime
Published: February 2025

Background

Scholarly tracks typically consist of longitudinal subspecialty‐specific curricula and mentorship for residents. Roughly one in five emergency medicine (EM) residency programs offer scholarly tracks, allowing residents to explore a niche and develop skills to prepare them for their future careers. There is limited information on the faculty workforce that leads scholarly tracks. Our objective was to understand the workforce characteristics of EM track leaders, specifically their effort and compensation.

Methods

We performed a cross‐sectional survey study of EM scholarly track leaders who were identified by reviewing program websites and directly contacting program coordinators. Participants completed an electronic survey consisting of multiple‐choice and completion items. We calculated descriptive statistics.

Results

There were 112 of 276 (40%) track leaders who completed the survey, including 63 (57.3%) males and 47 (42.7%) females. The mean (±SD) age was 42.6 (±7.5) years. A majority (62.5%) had completed fellowship. Participants supervise a mean of 2.6 residents per year and spend a median (range) of 7.6 (4–10.7) hours per month on track activities. A total of 57.1% of participants received no compensation for their role. Nonmonetary benefits included career satisfaction (87.6%), intellectual stimulation (76.4%), departmental recognition (41.6%), and increased scholarly productivity (33.7%). Overall, 71.7% of faculty track leaders would recommend the role to a colleague.

Conclusions

This study characterizes the current EM scholarly track leader workforce in terms of demographics, activities, time and effort, and compensation. It sheds light on this key educational role and on the opportunity to provide better support to faculty track leaders. These results may inform decision making of current and would‐be scholarly track leaders as well as institutional leadership.
Self‐Reported Pesticide Application, Access to Pesticide Labels, and QR Code Use Among Agricultural H‐2A Workers, North Carolina, 2024
Authors: Asuaje Cesar , Lee Joseph G. L. , Nusrat Nowrin , Andres Lilibeth , Rivera Natalie D. , Connaughton‐Espino Tania , Janampa Paul , LePrevost Catherine E.
Published: February 2025

Background

Despite the composition of the United States' agricultural workforce and the sector's reliance on Spanish‐speaking migrant labor, pesticide labels are largely available in English only. Currently, federal regulators are considering strategies to provide pesticide label information access in Spanish via a QR code or through other electronic methods on the pesticide container. Data on access to labels and the use of QR codes among agricultural workers are limited. We provide policy‐relevant findings from surveys collected at a large agricultural worker H‐2A visa arrival hub.

Methods

In April and May 2024, we verbally administered Spanish‐language, in‐person surveys in North Carolina (n = 160). We asked questions about pesticide use, access to labels, and QR code use as well as age, gender, and seasons worked in the United States.

Results

Descriptive analyses revealed approximately 60% of workers had not used a QR code. Among participants who had used pesticides and worked for two or more seasons (42%), approximately 30% reported not having access to the label on the container.

Conclusion

The survey findings show QR‐code‐based pesticide labels will reach a subset of workers, but substantial gaps will remain.
Characterization of Stone Tool Use in Wild Groups of Critically Endangered Yellow‐Breasted Capuchin Monkeys (Sapajus xanthosternos)
Authors: Mainette Rayssa Durães , Lynch Jessica W. , Izar Patrícia , Canale Gustavo , Martins Waldney Pereira
Published: February 2025

Objectives

A hallmark of hominin evolution is the advent and diversification of stone tool use, and biological anthropologists have a particular interest in characterizing tool use behaviors in different hominin species. Robust capuchins, the genus Sapajus, are an excellent convergent model system for understanding tool use evolution, principally in the context of foraging, in terms of how they use stones to process hard fruits. However, most published studies of capuchin tool use in the wild focus on the species Sapajus libidinosus. In order to strengthen comparative analyses, it is important to do research across robust capuchin species to understand tool use capacities and variation across the genus. The first indirect evidence that reported tool use in wild S. xanthosternos was in 2009, but since that time no additional publications have described this behavior for this species. In this study we provide the first complete characterization of tool use in wild S. xanthosternos for two areas within Montes Claros, Minas Gerais state, Brazil: Santa Rosa de Lima district, and Lapa Grande State Park. We compare our findings to the stone tool use characteristics reported in wild Sapajus libidinosus and other capuchin monkey species.

Materials and Methods

In monthly surveys from January to September 2018, we walked trails through the two study areas and categorized tool use site characteristics, including anvil area, height, and perimeter; hammer stone weight; and species of fruit utilized. Additionally, we utilized camera traps at high‐use sites.

Results

We describe the tools used by S. xanthosternos at 169 sites clustered in seven Nutcracking Areas, for processing three different species of encased fruit: Macaúba (Acrocomia aculeata), Cansaçao (Cnidoscolus pubescens), and Guariroba (Syagrus oleracea). With camera traps, we directly observed tool use behavior for the first time in this species.

Discussion

Sapajus xanthosternos displayed tool use patterns very similar to those of S. libidinosus. The main difference was in regards to physical force; in our study, the mean weight of stones used by S. xanthosternos was higher than the mean reported for S. libidinosus at most field sites; however, there was no difference in hammer weight between S. libidinosus and S. xanthosternos when hammering Macaúba. We also registered the heaviest hammer stone for tool use (7.675 kg) known for the robust capuchin genus. It is clear from our study that tool use capacity and characteristics are conserved across the radiation of extant Sapajus, suggesting a possible stone tool use cognitive capacity spanning up to 3.3 million years of diversification within this genus. Unlike stone tool use occurring throughout the year for S. libidinosus, at our study sites S. xanthosternos used nutcracking tools only during the dry season.
Coordination Topology Design in Anion‐Rich Solvated Electrolytes for High‐Voltage Lithium Metal Batteries
Authors: Yi Ruowei , Xu Kui , Zhao Wenlong , Ren Zixu , Dong Qingyu , Shao Hui , Shen Yanbin , Chen Liwei
Published: February 2025

Electrolytes with anion‐rich solvated structures are promising for high‐voltage lithium metal batteries (LMBs) due to their good interfacial compatibility. Nevertheless, limited Li‐ion transport of these electrolytes has hindered their high‐rate application. Here we demonstrate that Li‐ion transport in anion‐rich solvated electrolytes could be facilitated by designing the coordination topology of anions in the solvation structure. Results show that, for a binary‐anion electrolyte, equal‐molar anions show the most expanded energy level distribution of solvation structures, thus reducing the Li‐ion transport energy barrier, and resulting in a Li‐ion conductivity even higher than that of the commercial carbonate electrolyte at a temperature range from ‐40 °C to 60 °C. More importantly, we identify a universal principle governing the Li‐ion transport enhancement driven by anion configurations: only the combination of anions with multi‐coordination sites shows facilitation in Li‐ion transport, while the combination of centrosymmetric anions with the mono‐coordination site harms it. The diversified anion‐rich solvated structures also form stable interphases on the electrodes, enabling long‐term cycling of 4.5 V LMBs at a high current density of 3.78 mA cm‐2. Overall, our findings shine new light on developing practical electrolytes for energy‐dense LMBs.
Enzyme Surface Residues Direct Encapsulation into Metal‐Organic Frameworks for Performance Regulation
Authors: Wu Mengyao , Du Yuexin , Xu Hui , Zhang Xiehaoran , MA Jialong , Li Ao , Chou Lien-Yang
Published: February 2025

In this study, we highlight the role of nitrogen‐enriched surface groups on proteins in directing topological transformations of metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs). Using a modified‐protein‐directed MOFs template synthesis (mDTS) strategy, we demonstrate that these surface modifications on cytochrome c (Cyt c) selectively induce the formation of leaf‐like zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIF‐L). This approach not only enables a structural transition from ZIF‐8 to a more open ZIF‐L framework but also substantially enhances Cyt c's catalytic activity and loading beyond traditional immobilization methods. Adjusting the concentration of surface modifier allows for precise tuning of Cyt c’s activity, allowing optimal enzyme function at specific modifier levels. Furthermore, our results reveal surface modifications of a variety of proteins can facilitate the formation of ZIF‐L, emphasizing the broad applicability of the mDTS method. This approach offers significant promise for developing highly efficient protein‐MOFs composites, offering transformative potential for industrial catalysis and biotechnological applications.
Planar Tetracoordinate Oxygen Atoms
Authors: Castillo-Toraya Gabriela , Ortíz-Chi Filiberto , Barroso Jorge , Orozco-Ic Mesias , Leyva-Parra Luiz , Merino Gabriel
Published: February 2025

Planar tetracoordinate oxygen (ptO) atoms are rare, with only a few examples confirmed to date. This study systematically investigates 515 potential structures, formulated as OXnYmq, where n + m = 4, q ranging from +2 to –2, and following the 18‐valence electron rule. High‐level ab initio calculations identified 35 global minima containing a ptO atom, predominantly stabilized by Group 13 elements. Bonding analysis reveals a spectrum of interactions, from covalent to polar ionic, and confirms high electron delocalization. The findings challenge traditional bonding paradigms, improve the understanding of ptO‐containing clusters, and propose viable ptO clusters for gas‐phase detection, advancing the study of unconventional oxygen bonding.
Safe spaces and beyond: Examining the role of LGBT+ Pride Groups in fostering ontological security and allyship within UK schools
Authors: Brett Adam
Published: February 2025

This paper explores the critical role that safe spaces, or ‘Pride Groups’, can play in developing ontological security and allyship within schools. Drawing on data collected from eight UK secondary schools and one college, the research evaluates the impact of these groups, using an innovative theoretical framework combining Meyer's minority stress model with Giddens' concept of ontological security. The research addresses a significant and notable gap in UK‐based Pride Groups literature, as these groups are more commonly studied in the US context. The findings demonstrate that such groups provide essential safe spaces, fostering personal development, emotional wellbeing and broader school inclusion. Moreover, this study adds depth to existing research by examining the logistical and ideological challenges of running Pride Groups, such as the negotiation of group membership and the tension between inclusivity and safety. These insights contribute to an original and deeper understanding of inclusive policy and practice, revealing how educational environments can be transformed into spaces of safety for LGBT+ students.
“Spot Diagnosis”: Typical Endoscopic and Histopathological Features of Pseudomelanosis duodeni
Authors: Shephard Christopher James , Baran Bulent
Published: February 2025

Pseudomelanosis duodeni is a rare yet benign endoscopic entity characterized by black‐brown pigmentation of the duodenal mucosa secondary to iron accumulation within lamina propria macrophages. Histopathological evaluation of duodenal biopsies is reliable in excluding important differential diagnoses and preventing unnecessary investigations or interventions.
Reaction Equilibria in the Hydrogen Loading and Release of the LOHC System Benzyltoluene/Perhydro Benzyltoluene
Authors: Bong Barbara , Kopp Wassja A. , Nevolianis Thomas , Mebrahtu Chalachew , Leonhard Kai , Palkovits Regina
Published: February 2025

Liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs) can store and transport hydrogen by chemical bonding. Benzyltoluene (H0‐BT) is an attractive LOHC that can take up 12 H per carrier molecule. The chemical equilibrium favors hydrogenation at lower temperatures and higher pressures. In this work, we study hydrogenation kinetics at 125–200 °C and 0.3–30 bar H2. We perform ab initio calculations of all isomers of H0‐BT and its (partially) hydrogenated forms to compute chemical equilibrium compositions. Despite hydrogenation being exothermic, full hydrogenation is thermodynamically possible almost up to the boiling temperature of the LOHC. Based on the obtained results, the tradeoff between the degree of hydrogenation and reducing the operating temperature is discussed.
Wild Foundress Queen Bumble Bees Make Numerous, Short Foraging Trips and Exhibit Frequent Nest Failure: Insights From Trap‐Nesting and RFID Tracking
Authors: Gustilo Erica Sarro , Grover William H. , Woodard S. Hollis
Published: February 2025

The overwhelming majority of research on wild bumble bees has focused on the social colony stage. Nest‐founding queens in the early season are difficult to study because incipient nests are challenging to find in the wild and the foundress queen flight period is very short relative to the entire nesting period. As a result, natural history information on foundress queens is exceedingly rare. New methodological approaches are needed to adequately study this elusive life stage. We trap‐nested wild queen bumble bees in artificial nest boxes in Gothic, Colorado and used a custom‐built radio frequency identification (RFID) system to continuously record queen foraging activity (inferred from entering and exiting the nest) for the majority of their spring flight periods. Foundress queens made frequent, short foraging trips, which tended to increase in duration over the course of the flight period. All queens who produced adult workers ceased foraging within approximately 1 week after workers emerged in the nest. We observed frequent nest failure among foundress queens: Fewer than one quarter of queens who laid eggs in nest boxes went on to produce reproductive gynes at the end of the season. We also report nest characteristics and curious phenomena we observed, including conspecific nest invasion and queens remaining outside the nest overnight. We present this trap‐nesting and subsequent RFID tracking method as a valuable, albeit resource‐intensive, path forward for uncovering new information about the elusive, incipient life stage of wild bumble bees.
Luminescent Lanthanide Complexes with Fluorinated Heterocycles as Light‐Harvesting Antennae
Authors: Kocsi Daniel , Sathyan Harsha , Eszter Borbas K.
Published: February 2025

Luminescent lanthanide complexes with two types of macrocyclic metal binding sites (tetraazacyclododecane‐1,4,7‐triacetic acid (do3a) and 1,4,7‐triazacyclononane (tacn)) were synthesized. The complexes carry fluorine‐ or trifluoromethyl‐substituted carbostyril heterocycles as light‐harvesting antennae; the key 7‐amino‐3‐trifluoromethylcarbostyril and 7‐amino‐4‐fluorocarbostyril building blocks were accessed from simple starting materials. Lanthanide complexes were characterized by paramagnetic 1H NMR spectroscopy (Eu(III) complexes), and UV‐Vis absorption and emission spectroscopy. Antenna models were also studied with cyclic voltammetry. The position of the F/CF3‐substitution had a significant impact on the emission properties of the complexes. Further emitter optimization was possible by varying the macrocycle structure and the linker between the macrocycle and the antenna. The most emissive Tb(III) complex was based on a do3a framework linked via a secondary amide to a 7‐amino‐4‐fluorocarbostyril antenna (43 % luminescence quantum yield), for Eu(III) the highest quantum yield (13 %) was obtained with a 7‐amino‐4‐trifluoromethylcarbostyril antenna attached to a tacn macrocycle via a tertiary amide. Dy(III) and Sm(III) luminescence was also sensitized by the new antennae. The quantum yields of the Sm(III) emitters were similar irrespective of substitution pattern, while those of the Dy(III) complexes varied by 10‐fold.
Chronic Postsurgical Pain Raises Risk of Dementia
Authors: Sun Mingyang , Wang Xiaolin , Lu Zhongyuan , Yang Yitian , Lv Shuang , Miao Mengrong , Chen Wan‐Ming , Wu Szu‐Yuan , Zhang Jiaqiang
Published: February 2025

Purpose

This study aimed to investigate the association between chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) and the risk of dementia, addressing a significant gap in the existing literature and highlighting potential implications for clinical practice and public health.

Patients and Methods

Utilising data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database, a propensity score‐matched cohort study was conducted involving 142,682 patients who underwent major surgery between 2004 and 2018. CPSP was defined as prolonged analgesic use post‐surgery, and dementia diagnosis was tracked until December 31, 2022. Multivariable Cox regression models were employed to calculate adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) for dementia risk in CPSP versus non‐CPSP groups.

Results

Before propensity score matching, the CPSP cohort (n = 37,438) exhibited a higher risk of dementia, with aHRs of 1.35 (95% CI: 1.30–1.40). After matching, the aHR remained elevated at 1.31 (95% CI: 1.26–1.37), indicating a significant association between CPSP and dementia risk. Subgroup analysis confirmed this association across various demographic and clinical factors, with sensitivity analysis reinforcing the robustness of the findings.

Conclusion

This study establishes CPSP as an independent predictor of dementia risk, highlighting the importance of postoperative pain management in mitigating long‐term cognitive outcomes. Approximately 30% of dementia risk post‐CPSP presents an opportunity for risk reduction through effective CPSP management strategies, emphasising the need for targeted interventions to address this critical healthcare issue.

Significance

This study provides compelling evidence that chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) significantly increases the risk of dementia, highlighting a critical and previously underexplored connection between postoperative pain and long‐term cognitive decline. By establishing CPSP as an independent predictor of dementia, our findings underscore the importance of effective pain management strategies in surgical patients, particularly to mitigate the heightened risk of dementia and improve long‐term outcomes.
Neonatal seizures: A cohort evaluation at a pediatric referral center
Authors: Amaral Joana , Silva Costa Inês , Ribeiro Joana , Costa Cármen , Palavra Filipe , Pereira Cristina , Robalo Conceição
Published: February 2025

Objective

Neonatal seizures have an incidence of 1–5/1000 newborns. Their clinical, etiology, and therapeutic characterization is a clinical challenge.

The objective of this study was to characterize neonatal seizures recorded over 6 years, considering the clinical presentation, management, and follow‐up.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of clinical, neurophysiological (video‐electroencephalogram), and imaging data of all newborns who had suspected neonatal seizures with electroencephalographic findings (paroxysmal activity, electrographic‐only seizures, and/or electroclinical seizures) was performed. The study considered all cases that occurred between January 2010 and December 2015, with the respective follow‐up equal to or longer than 7 years.

Results

Seizures were diagnosed in 85 newborns, 87.1% within the first 48 h of life. In 72.9% of suspected cases, only paroxysmal activity in the v‐EEG was recorded, in another 16.5% electrical‐only seizures were found, and in 10.6% there were electroclinical seizures. Epilepsy was diagnosed in 23.5% of cases, with 14% currently maintaining therapy. Motor sequelae occurred in 44.3% of children and 41.4% had normal neurological examination. There were also 11.4% of deaths in the neonatal period.

Significance

Neonatal seizures occur mostly in the first 48 h of life and mainly due to hypoxic–ischemic injuries. During follow‐up, we recorded epilepsy in ¼ of patients.
Techno‐Economic Evaluation of Wind and Bio‐Energy Systems for Sustainable Development: A Systematic Review
Authors: Obileke KeChrist , Mukumba Patrick
Published: February 2025

The review presents the techno‐economic analysis of renewable energy systems based on bioenergy and wind energy. Previous studies in this area of research deal with hybrid renewable energy systems, focusing on grid electrification as the most efficient solution. However, there is a need to look at the stand‐alone energy system for remote areas, usually used to power a single house or small communities. Economic metrics and indicators used in the study include investment cost, payback period, internal rate of return, net present value, and so forth. During the review, it was observed that software for technical analysis, such as the hybrid optimization model for renewable energy and clean energy management software platform, model for analytical energy demand, and matrix laboratory, are the most commonly used for techno‐economic study. Findings from the review revealed that the payback period and discount rate are less than 15 years and 10%, respectively, with a 20% internal rate of return and electricity production cost within the range of 0.0085–0.1 kWh. Notably, the levelized cost of energy for wind energy is below 10 $/kWh. Finally, policy implications and recommendations for future research for the attention and benefit of the government, policymakers, and stakeholders were also presented.
Mechanistic Study of LIDT Reduction in KH2PO4 With Yi Predicted by Density Functional Theory
Authors: Lu Xu , Hong Wei , Liu Tingyu , Li Huifang , Wang Jianghai
Published: February 2025

The defect formation energy, electronic structures, and optical properties of paraelectric phase (PE‐KDP) and ferroelectric phase (FE‐KDP) crystals with Y interstitial (Yi) defects have been investigated using density function theory. The band‐edge correction and FNV correction accurately determine the defect formation energies of the Yi defects in different charge states. The presence of transition energy levels in the band gap may indicate that the Yi defect has a significant impact on the properties of the FE‐KDP. The +3 charged Yi defects are more stable. The electronic properties in the 2p orbital mainly contribute to the defect states in the band gap, which provides the possibility of multiphoton transition of electrons. New transparent absorption bands near 3.47 eV (357 nm) and 5.66 eV (219 nm) were calculated in PE‐KDP, and the absorption bands caused by Yi defects and strong electron–phonon coupling under the FE‐KDP structure showed that the light in the wavelength bands near 5.09 eV (244 nm) and 5.79 eV (214 nm) below the phase transition temperature (123 K) damaged the KDP crystal. The distortion of atoms near the defects indicates that Yi defects may be accompanied by intrinsic defects. The calculated values are highly consistent with the critical absorption observed at 355 nm in the experiment and the new absorption weak at 230 nm produced in the crystal after low‐temperature X‐ray irradiation, which suggests that the Y defect may be the key factor affecting the laser‐induced damage threshold (LIDT) of the KDP crystal.
Treatment Patterns in Obstructive Sleep Apnea With Complete Concentric Collapse on Sleep Endoscopy
Authors: Cole Justin Thomas , Ryan Emma , Song Tian Yue , Karelsky Sveta
Published: February 2025

Objective(s)

To describe outcomes in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and intolerance of positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy who undergo drug‐induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) with findings of complete concentric collapse (CCC) at the velum.

Methods

This is a single‐institution, retrospective review of all patients undergoing DISE by the senior author between January 2013 and March 2023. Inclusion criteria were moderate to severe OSA, PAP intolerance or failure, and adequate records to determine OSA treatment status.

Results

Six hundred and eighty‐nine patients underwent DISE between the above dates. 118 patients (17%) had CCC at the velum, and 103 were included. 23 patients (22%) were successfully treated, while 80 patients (78%) remained inadequately treated. This is significantly lower than the successful treatment rate of 48% at our institution in patients without CCC at the velum (p < 0.0001). Patients with CCC pursuing surgery to either improve PAP compliance, achieve primary surgical cure, or convert to a favorable DISE collapse pattern achieved adequate treatment in 40% of cases (12 of 30, p = 0.006 vs. patients not pursuing surgery). The remainder of CCC patients continued PAP therapy alone, employed a mandibular advancement device, or did not treat their sleep apnea.

Conclusion

Patients with OSA, PAP intolerance, and CCC of the velum on DISE are more likely to remain unsuccessfully treated than those without CCC. Surgical intervention appears to confer a treatment advantage in CCC patients over continued PAP management or oral appliance therapy. Further research is needed to determine the optimal treatment for this patient population.

Level of Evidence

4.
The Significance of Subperiosteal Abscess Volume in Acute Mastoiditis
Authors: Abu‐Eta Rani , Salameh Ramez , Oron Yahav , Handzel Ophir , Muhanna Nidal , Ungar Omer Jacob
Published: February 2025

Objective

To determine whether the subperiosteal abscess (SPA) volume in acute coalescent mastoiditis (ACM) as measured in imaging studies, should influence the decision‐making process between performing mastoidectomy versus needle aspiration or incision and drainage (I&D) as the initial treatment of SPA.

Setting

Single tertiary referral center.

Patients and Methods

The records of all pediatric patients admitted with ACM between 1/2012 and 12/2023 were retrospectively reviewed. Baseline abscess volumes were measured on dedicated segmentation software for analyzing imaging findings. SPA volumes of needle aspirations were compared with those following I&D. Outcomes were compared.

Results

In total, 99 patients (median [interquartile range] age 26 [11–35] months) were enrolled. The mean ± standard deviation white blood cell (WBC) counts and C‐reactive protein (CRP) levels were 14.5 ± 7.0 K/μL and 112 ± 42 mg/dL, respectively. Fifty‐seven patients were treated by needle aspiration and 42 by I&D. Age, WBC counts, and CRP levels were similar for both groups, as were SPA volumes as seen on imaging studies 2.0 ± 1.0 cm3 for the former group and 2.0 ± 0.9 cm3 for the latter group (p = 0.955). Resolution rates were 75.4% and 76.2%, respectively (p = 0.931). Resolved SPAs after needle aspiration and I&D had similar volumes 1.7 ± 0.9 and 1.7 ± 0.7 cm3, respectively, p = 0.931.

Conclusion

Both needle aspiration and I&D are safe methods to reduce the infective and inflammatory load and provide pus for culture. Higher volumes (~3 cm3 and more) should be managed initially with cortical mastoidectomy since the risk of no improvement following needle aspiration or I&D is higher.

Level of Evidence

3.
The SUMOylated RREB1 interacts with KDM1A to induce 5‐fluorouracil resistance via upregulating thymidylate synthase and activating DNA damage response pathway in colorectal cancer
Authors: Deng Ya‐Nan , Huang Lan , Gao Shan , Sheng Zenghua , Luo Yinheng , Zhang Nan , Syed Samina Ejaz , Dai Ruiwu , Li Qiu , Fu Xianghui , Liang Shufang
Published: February 2025

Chemoresistance is one main cause of failure in colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment. The role of transcription factor Ras‐responsive element binding protein 1 (RREB1) remains unclarified in CRC chemoresistance. Herein, we reveal that RREB1 functions as an oncogene to promote cell proliferation and 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU) chemoresistance in CRC, and SUMOylation is required for RREB1 to exert its oncogenic role in CRC. RREB1 induced cell cycle arrest at the S‐phase and a decreased apoptosis rate under 5‐FU exposure. Mechanistically, the interaction of RREB1 with lysine demethylase 1A (KDM1A) elevated expression of 5‐FU targeting proteins thymidylate synthase (TS) and thymidine kinase (TK1) to maintain the nucleotide pool balance under 5‐FU treatment, and enhanced activation of Chk1‐mediated DNA damage response (DDR) pathway. The deSUMOylation of RREB1 resulted in a reduced interaction of RREB1 with KDM1A, contributing to a downregulation of TS expression and a less activation of DDR pathway. Moreover, KDM1A knockdown improved the DNA damage and reduced RREB1‐mediated resistance to 5‐FU. These findings provide new insights into RREB1‐mediated chemotherapy responses in CRC and indicate RREB1 is a potential target for overcoming 5‐FU resistance.
Field responds to HHS Kennedy's remarks about MH medications, reimbursement
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: February 2025

Recently installed Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s plans and policy proposals involving critical mental health‐related issues as the “validity” of antidepressants and antipsychotic medication, Medicare reimbursement changes and the reference to autism as a “disease,” has raised concerns in the field with some asserting a need to be at the table and ensure their voices are heard.
Maryland providers urge governor to accept CCBHC funding
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: February 2025

Maryland providers are urging Gov. Wes Moore to accept federal funding already awarded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) long‐term planning to improve access and capacity of the state's behavioral health services.
Illinois MH, SUPR merger to improve outcomes, care access
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: February 2025

Under an executive order from Illinois Gov. JB Pritzer, the Department of Mental Health and the Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery (SUPR) will consolidate with the aim of reducing administrative burdens for providers. Additionally, the merger will improve outcomes and access to care, officials stated.
Qualitative Study of a Dynamical System for Computer Virus Propagation—A Nonstandard Finite‐Difference‐Methodological View
Authors: Wacker Benjamin
Published: February 2025

In this article, we consider a nonlinear model that was originally proposed for computer virus propagation by Gan and coauthors in 2013. As our first contribution, we re‐examined and extended some analytical results regarding this dynamical system. Secondly, we reformulated it by one nonlinear, nonautonomous differential equation. Thirdly, we showed that we can use a classical Newton‐based optimization approach that converges quadratically under mild assumptions for finding the unique equilibrium state of the dynamical system. Fourthly, we proposed a nonstandard finite‐difference‐method based on nonlocal approximations for numerical discretization of our reformulation. Fifthly, we showed that our time‐discrete model possesses the same properties as the time‐continuous model, that is, that namely boundedness and nonnegativity are conserved for arbitrary time‐step sizes. Then we proved convergence towards the time‐continuous solution in the asymptotic sense of letting the time‐step size tend to zero. We finally underlined our theoretical findings by numerical experiments.
3D joint T1/T1ρ/T2 mapping and water‐fat imaging for contrast‐agent free myocardial tissue characterization at 1.5T
Authors: Crabb Michael G. , Kunze Karl P. , Littlewood Simon J. , Tripp Donovan , Fotaki Anastasia , Prieto Claudia , Botnar René M.
Published: February 2025

Purpose

To develop a novel, free‐breathing, 3D joint // mapping sequence with Dixon encoding to provide co‐registered 3D , , and maps and water‐fat volumes with isotropic spatial resolution in a single min scan for comprehensive contrast‐agent‐free myocardial tissue characterization and simultaneous evaluation of the whole‐heart anatomy.

Methods

An interleaving sequence over 5 heartbeats is proposed to provide , , and encoding, with 3D data acquired with Dixon gradient‐echo readout and 2D image navigators to enable respiratory scan efficiency. Images were reconstructed with a non‐rigid motion‐corrected, low‐rank patch‐based reconstruction, and maps were generated through dictionary matching. The proposed sequence was compared against conventional 2D techniques in phantoms, 10 healthy subjects, and 1 patient.

Results

The proposed 3D , , and measurements showed excellent correlation with 2D reference measurements in phantoms. For healthy subjects, the mapping values of septal myocardial tissue were , , and for the proposed sequence, against , , and for 2D MOLLI, 2D ‐prep bSSFP and 2D ‐prep bSSFP, respectively. Promising results were obtained when comparing the proposed mapping to 2D references in 1 patient with active myocarditis.

Conclusion

The proposed approach enables simultaneous 3D whole‐heart joint // mapping and water/fat imaging in 7 min scan time, demonstrating good agreement with conventional mapping techniques in phantoms and healthy subjects and promising results in 1 patient with suspected cardiovascular disease.
A Sparsity‐Driven Solution Method for the Cardinality Constrained Mean‐Variance Portfolio Selection Problem
Authors: Jiang Shan , Fang Shu‐Cherng , An Qi
Published: February 2025

Cardinality constrained mean‐variance (CCMV) portfolio selection problem is commonly formulated as a mixed integer quadratic program (MIQP) that can be solved by a branch‐and‐bound scheme or metaheuristics. Yet, computational efficiency remains to be a major issue. In this study, we propose a novel metaheuristic method based on the concepts of sparse recovery for solving large‐size problems. Using the relationship between investment risk and portfolio sparsity, we develop a “sparsity‐driven” binary search framework for solving the CCMV portfolio selection problem through a sequence of quadratically constrained sparse recovery problems. For computational efficiency, a sub‐one quasi‐norm minimization model is adopted to find high‐quality approximate solutions of each sparse recovery problem using a specially designed gradient‐descent based algorithm. Then, a final solution to the original CCMV portfolio selection problem is obtained by incorporating the approximate solution information to the binary search framework to solve one MIQP problem in a much more reduced size. Computational experiments using the historical stock data from the S&P's Compustat North America Database provided by Wharton Research Database Service clearly indicate the superior performance of the proposed approach in terms of quality of solutions and speed of computation. It runs orders faster than the commonly used CPLEX solver for solving large‐size problems. Comparison with the state‐of‐the‐art perspective reformulation approach in the literature shows that the proposed approach is more efficient for solving large‐size CCMV portfolio selection problems, especially for those without a diagonally dominant covariance matrix. Another experiment with a genetic‐algorithm‐based heuristic method shows that the quality of solutions found by the proposed approach outperforms that of the heuristic method.