bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Does a consumer co‐designed infographic increase knowledge of physical activity after total knee joint replacement? A randomised controlled trial
Authors: Hawke Lyndon J. , Shields Nora , Dowsey Michelle M. , Choong Peter F. M. , Taylor Nicholas F.
Published: October 2023

Purpose

To determine if a consumer co‐designed infographic increased knowledge of physical activity and self‐efficacy for exercise after total knee joint replacement surgery.

Methods

Forty‐four adults with primary knee joint replacement surgery were recruited from a public and a private hospital in Melbourne, Australia. Participants were randomly allocated to an experimental or control group. The experimental group received a consumer co‐designed infographic. All participants received usual care. Primary outcome measures were knowledge of physical activity and self‐efficacy for exercise. Outcomes were administered at baseline, week 1 and week 6. Semi‐structured interviews with experimental group participants explored the acceptability, implementation and efficacy of the infographic.

Results

There were no between‐group differences for knowledge of physical activity at week 1 (MD −0.02 units, 95% CI −0.9 to 0.9) or week 6 (MD 0.01 units, 95% CI −0.9 to 0.9). Self‐efficacy for exercise increased at week 1 (MD 14.2 units, 95% CI 2.9–25.4) but was not sustained. Qualitative data showed that the infographic was embraced by some participants but not by others.

Conclusions

A consumer co‐designed infographic did not improve knowledge of physical activity but may have had a short‐term positive effect on self‐efficacy for exercise after knee joint replacement. Trial registration ACTRN12621000910808.
Barriers and facilitators of evidence‐based physiotherapy practice in Iran: A qualitative study
Authors: ShahAli Shabnam , Kajbafvala Mehrnaz , Fetanat Sadaf , Karshenas Fahimeh , Farshbaf Marzieh , Hegazy Fatma , Shahabi Saeed
Published: October 2023

Background

To facilitate evidence‐based practice (EBP) in physiotherapy in Iran and guide future improvements, it is crucial to identify what barriers and facilitators exist in the current system from the physiotherapist's perspective. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the barriers and facilitators of EBP in physiotherapy in Iran.

Methods

This qualitative study was conducted using a phenomenological approach from January to July 2023 in Iran. The sampling process started with a purposive approach, and then an attempt was made to identify and interview more potential samples with the snowball approach. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the collected qualitative data.

Results

44 individuals, including 37 physiotherapists and seven faculty members, participated in this study. Several barriers and facilitators to evidence‐based physiotherapy practice in Iran were found and then put into three themes: (1) individual factors, (2) practice environment factors, and (3) extra‐organisational factors. The most common barriers were time/workload pressures, financial incentives, lack of motivation, weakness in English, managers' pressures, inadequate awareness among patients, infrastructure limitations, poor economic situation, Internet restrictions, inappropriateness of the educational curriculum, difficult access to scientific research, and lack of insurance coverage for up‐to‐date therapies.

Conclusions

Although most of the participants had a very positive view of physiotherapy based on scientific evidence, various obstacles have prevented this approach from being well implemented in Iran. Therefore, it is necessary to move towards minimising the existing barriers at the individual, practice environment, and extra‐organisational levels by adopting effective multilateral policies.
The complexity of the timetable‐based railway network design problem
Authors: Friesen Nadine , Sander Tim , Büsing Christina , Nachtigall Karl , Nießen Nils
Published: October 2023

Because of the long planning periods and their long life cycle, railway infrastructure has to be outlined long ahead. At the present, the infrastructure is designed while only little about the intended operation is known. Hence, the timetable and the operation are adjusted to the infrastructure. Since space, time and money for extension measures of railway infrastructure are limited, each modification has to be done carefully and long lasting and should be appropriate for the future unknown demand. To take this into account, we present the robust network design problem for railway infrastructure under capacity constraints and uncertain timetables. Here, we plan the required expansion measures for an uncertain long‐term timetable. We show that this problem is NP‐hard even when restricted to bipartite graphs and very simple timetables and present easier solvable special cases. This problem corresponds to the fixed‐charge network design problem where the expansion costs are minimized such that the timetable is conductible. We model this problem by an integer linear program using time expanded networks. To incorporate the uncertainty of the future timetable, we use a scenario‐based approach. We define scenarios with individual departure and arrival times and optional trains. The network is then optimized such that a given percentage of the scenarios can be operated while minimizing the expansion costs and potential penalty costs for not scheduled optional trains.
FTO variation and early frontostriatal brain development in children
Authors: Thapaliya Gita , Kundu Poorbita , Jansen Elena , Naymik Marcus A. , Lee Richard , Bruchhage Muriel Marisa Katharina , D'Sa Viren , Huentelman Matthew J. , Lewis Candace R. , Müller Hans‐Georg , Deoni Sean C. L. ,   RESONANCE consortium, Carnell Susan
Published: October 2023

Objective

Common obesity‐associated genetic variants at the fat mass and obesity‐associated (FTO) locus have been associated with appetitive behaviors and altered structure and function of frontostriatal brain regions. The authors aimed to investigate the influence of FTO variation on frontostriatal appetite circuits in early life.

Methods

Data were drawn from RESONANCE, a longitudinal study of early brain development. Growth trajectories of nucleus accumbens and frontal lobe volumes, as well as total gray matter and white matter volume, by risk allele (AA) carrier status on FTO single‐nucleotide polymorphism rs9939609 were examined in 228 children (102 female, 126 male) using magnetic resonance imaging assessments obtained from infancy through middle childhood. The authors fit functional concurrent regression models with brain volume outcomes over age as functional responses, and FTO genotype, sex, BMI z score, and maternal education were included as predictors.

Results

Bootstrap pointwise 95% CI for regression coefficient functions in the functional concurrent regression models showed that the AA group versus the group with no risk allele (TT) had greater nucleus accumbens volume (adjusted for total brain volume) in the interval of 750 to 2250 days (2–6 years).

Conclusions

These findings suggest that common genetic risk for obesity is associated with differences in early development of brain reward circuitry and argue for investigating dynamic relationships among genotype, brain, behavior, and weight throughout development.
A shape parameter insensitive CRBFs‐collocation for solving nonlinear optimal control problems
Authors: Seleit Ahmed E. , Elgohary Tarek A.
Published: October 2023

In this work, we introduce a Coupled Radial Basis Functions collocation (CRBFs‐Coll) approach for solving optimal control problems. CRBFs are real‐valued Radial Basis Functions (RBFs) augmented with a conical spline. They show insensitivity to the shape parameter resulting in robust behavior in function approximation. The method is applied to classical nonlinear optimal control problems: Zermelo's problem, a Duffing oscillator with various boundary conditions, and a nonlinear pendulum on a cart problem. The nonlinear optimal control problem is solved by deriving the necessary conditions for optimality followed by collocation using CRBFs as basis functions for approximating the two‐point boundary value problem (TPBVP). The resulting system of nonlinear algebraic equations (NAEs) is then solved using a standard solver. Unlike existing methods that rely on nodal distributions that are denser at the boundaries to obtain a solution, the present CRBFs‐Coll approach is capable of solving the optimal control problem on uniform nodes without the need for interpolation. The present CRBFs‐Coll approach is shown to be simple to implement and provides accurate results over an equidistant nodal distribution while maintaining a continuous representation of the control and states.
AI Model Versus Clinician Otoscopy in the Operative Setting for Otitis Media Diagnosis
Authors: Suresh Krish , Wu Michael P. , Benboujja Fouzi , Christakis Barbara , Newton Alice , Hartnick Christopher J. , Cohen Michael S.
Published: October 2023

Prior work has demonstrated improved accuracy in otitis media diagnosis based on otoscopy using artificial intelligence (AI)‐based approaches compared to clinician evaluation. However, this difference in accuracy has not been shown in a setting resembling the point‐of‐care. In this study, we compare the diagnostic accuracy of a machine‐learning model to that of pediatricians using standard handheld otoscopes. We find that the model is more accurate than clinicians (90.6% vs 59.4%, P = .01). This is a step towards validation of AI‐based diagnosis under more real‐world conditions. With further validation, for example on different patient populations and in deployment, this technology could be a useful addition to the clinician's toolbox in accurately diagnosing otitis media.
A Study of the Diagnostic Value of the Sign and Symptom Questionnaires for Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Disease
Authors: Zhang Chun , Liu Zhi , Liu Lianlian , Li Jinrang , Wang Xiaoyu , Ju Jun , Wang Jiasen , Zhao Jing , Yu Leilei
Published: October 2023

Objective

To investigate the diagnostic value of symptom questionnaires, sign questionnaires, and the combination of 2 questionnaires for laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPRD).

Study Design

Prospective, single‐centered.

Setting

Seventy‐seven patients who were hospitalized in the Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery from October 2022 to April 2023 were included.

Methods

Included patients completed the RSS, RSI, RSA, and RFS questionnaires and underwent 24‐hour hypopharyngeal‐esophageal multichannel intraluminal impedance‐pH monitoring (HEMII‐pH). The RSS, RSI, RSA, RFS, RSS+RSA, RSS+RFS, RSI+RSA, RSI+RFS, and RSI+RFS diagnostic value were compared using Cohen's k test and receiver operating characteristic analysis.

Results

Based on the 24 hours HEMII‐pH results, 52 patients had LPRD, and 25 patients did not have LPRD. The Kappa values of RSS, RSI, RSA, RFS, RSS+RSA,2 RSS+RFS, RSI+RSA, and RSI+RFS with the 24 hours HEMII‐pH monitoring results were 0.565, 0.442, 0.318, 0.431, 0.517, 0.631, 0.451, and 0.461, respectively. The RSS+RFS questionnaire had the highest AUC of 0.836 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.762‐0.909) and the RSA questionnaire had the lowest AUC (AUC = 0.665, 95% CI 0.560‐0.790). The sensitivity of RSS was the highest (98%), the specificities of RSS+RFS and RSI+RFS were the highest (96%), and the specificity of RSS was the lowest (52%). RSS+RFS had a sensitivity of 75%, second only to RSS and RFS (76%).

Conclusion

Among the 8 methods, the RSS combined with the RFS had the highest concordance with 24 hours HEMII‐pH monitoring results and AUC values when screening for LPRD.
Pump Restoration Depends on Proper Maintenance
Authors: Barkey Justin
Published: October 2023

Pumping accounts for most of the energy consumed in water supply operations. To ensure efficient pump operation, it's crucial that water utilities create a maintenance and repair (or overhaul) program that provides reliability and necessary redundancy.
Deferiprone versus deferoxamine for transfusional iron overload in sickle cell disease and other anemias: Pediatric subgroup analysis of the randomized, open‐label FIRST study
Authors: Hamdy Mona , El‐Beshlawy Amal , Veríssimo Mônica P. A. , Kanter Julie , Inusa Baba , Williams Suzan , Lee David , Temin Noemi Toiber , Fradette Caroline , Tricta Fernando , Ebeid Fatma S. E. , Kwiatkowski Janet L. , Elalfy Mohsen S.
Published: October 2023

Background

Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) who are chronically transfused often, require iron chelation therapy. There are limited data that allow for comparison of the efficacy and safety of the iron chelator deferiprone versus deferoxamine in children with SCD.

Methods

This post hoc analysis of the phase 3b/4, randomized, open‐label FIRST (Ferriprox in Patients with IRon Overload in Sickle Cell Disease Trial) study (NCT02041299) included patients 17 years and younger with SCD or other anemias receiving deferiprone or deferoxamine.

Results

Overall, 142 patients were evaluated; mean ages were 10.5 and 11.7 years in the deferiprone and deferoxamine groups, respectively. At 12 months: mean change from baseline in liver iron concentration was −3.3 mg/g dry weight (dw) with deferiprone and −3.4 mg/g dw with deferoxamine (p = .8216); relative mean change (coefficient of variation %) in log cardiac T2* magnetic resonance imaging was 1.02 (21.8%) with deferiprone and 0.95 (19.5%) with deferoxamine (p = .0717); and the mean (standard error) change in serum ferritin levels was −133.0 (200.3) μg/L with deferiprone and −467.1 (244.1) μg/L with deferoxamine (p = .2924). The most common deferiprone‐related adverse events (AEs) were upper abdominal pain (20.2%), vomiting (13.8%), pyrexia (9.6%), decreased neutrophil count (9.6%), increased alanine aminotransferase (ALT; 9.6%), and increased aspartate aminotransferase (AST; 9.6%). All cases of increased ALT, increased AST, and neutropenia resolved, most without intervention.

Conclusions

This post hoc analysis of pediatric patients from FIRST corroborated previous findings in adults that deferiprone is comparable to deferoxamine in reducing iron overload. No new safety concerns were observed. Deferiprone is an oral chelation option that could improve adherence and outcomes in children.
Nylon 66 fibers coated with environmentally friendly dopamine‐modified adhesives and their interfacial adhesion with neoprene rubber
Authors: Liu Ruiyin , Yan Zepei , Liu Ming , Lu Hanbing , Han Xiaoyun , Su Luyao , Zhao Shugao , Wang He
Published: October 2023

Considering the toxicity of traditional resorcinol‐formaldehyde‐latex (RFL) dipping solution used to prepare fiber‐ reinforced rubber composites, a novel eco‐friendly dopamine (DA)‐supported dipping system was developed in this study. Based on the interactions between DA, glycerol triglycidyl ether (GTE), and m‐xylylenediamine (MXDA), the dipping solution successfully coated the surface of the nylon‐66 (PA66), and the resulting GTE/DA/MXDA/latex‐treated PA66 (PA66‐GDML) possessed better thermal stability than untreated PA66. The interfacial adhesion between PA66 and neoprene was significantly improved by using the appropriate interfacial layer and the synergistic effect during co‐vulcanization. The adhesive strength between PA66‐GDML and neoprene was comparable to that obtained in an RFL system, especially when the ratio of GTE/DA/MXDA was 5:1:2.

Highlights

An eco‐friendly dopamine‐supported dipping system was developed.

The dipping solution (GTE/DA/MXDA) could successfully coat nylon 66 fibers.

Treated nylon 66 possessed better thermal stability than untreated nylon 66.

The adhesive strength was comparable to that obtained in a RFL system.

The new dipping system shows great potential to replace RFL system.
Silicon‐linked polyethylene glycol‐polyethylene terephthalate (PEG‐PET) nanostructures loaded with Eu3+‐complexes for hybrid luminescent PET materials
Authors: Peng Yao , Wang Yao , Dan Yingdi , Li Zengkun , Sun Quankai , Wang Yanxin , Wang Wei , Du Zhonglin , Huang Linjun , Kipper Matt J. , Belfiore Laurence A. , Tang Jianguo
Published: October 2023

In this work, innovative hybrid poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) materials with strong luminescence were successfully synthesized by doping PET with silicon‐linked poly(ethylene glycol)‐PET copolymer nanostructures either with (Si‐PEG‐PET) or with (ETP@Si‐PEG‐PET) luminescent Eu3+‐complexes. The chemical properties and nanostructures of the hybrid materials were characterized by Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy. PET composites ranging from 0.25 to 4 wt% silicon additive were prepared by the melt blending method. The crystal properties, mechanical properties, and fluorescence properties of the composites were systematically studied by differential scanning calorimetry, x‐ray diffractometry, tensile testing, and fluorescence spectrometry. When the addition of Si‐PEG‐PET or ETP@Si‐PEG‐PET was 0.75 wt%, the relative crystallinity and maximum tensile strength increase substantially. Moreover, the fluorescence intensity of hybrid luminescent PET materials is the strongest at 0.75 wt% loading. ETP@Si‐PEG‐PET not only endows PET polyester with stronger fluorescence properties and mechanical properties but also acts as an effective nucleation additive for PET.

Highlights

Silicon‐linked poly(ethylene glycol)‐poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PEG‐PET) nanostructures generate hybrid luminescent PET materials.

ETP@Si‐PEG‐PET improves the crystallization rate and crystallinity of PET.

The composite with 0.75% addition showed the best fluorescence performance.

Three‐dimensional‐grid structure of ETP@Si‐PEG‐PET enhances the mechanical property of PET.
Biocomposite‐based fibrous scaffolds of natural rubber/polyhydroxybutyrate blend reinforced with 45S5 bioglass aiming at biomedical applications
Authors: Silva Michael J. , Dias Yasmin J. , Zaszczyńska Angelika , Robles Jaqueline Rojas , Abiade Jeremiah , Kowalczyk Tomasz , Kołbuk Dorota , Sajkiewicz Paweł Ł. , Yarin Alexander L.
Published: October 2023

The solution blow spinning technique was used to fabricate a new biocomposite fibrous mat consisting of natural rubber (NR) and polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) bioblend, with various loads of 45S5 bioglass (BG) particles. According to SEM analysis, NR fibers exhibited ribbon‐like morphologies, whereas the addition of PHB resulted in improved fiber formation and a reduction in their diameter. In NR‐PHB/BG biocomposites with varying BG loadings, typical thermal degradation events of PHB (stage i) and NR (stage ii) were observed. In comparison with pure PHB, the TG/DTG curves of NR‐PHB/BG specimens revealed a lower stage i degradation peak. Such an outcome is possibly due to the fact that PHB in the NR‐PHB fibers is located predominantly at the surface, that is, PHB is more susceptible to thermal degradation. The NR‐PHB/BG biocomposite possessed an increased stiffness due to the addition of PHB and BG, resulting in an increased stress and a decreased strain at rupture compared to the pure NR and NR‐PHB mats. DMA analysis revealed two well‐defined regions, above and below the glass transition temperature (Tg), for the storage modulus (E') of the NR‐PHB/BG specimens. The values of E' were in both regions for NR‐PHB/BG specimens increased at higher BG content. The measured tanδ = E″/E' was used to determine the Tg value for all specimens, with Tg found to be in the −49 to −46°C range. Finally, NR‐PHB/BG biocomposite fibrous were proven noncytotoxic by in‐vitro testing on fibroblasts. These biocomposites enhanced cell growth, holding great promise for tissue engineering applications.

Highlights

Solution blow spinning technique was used to produce three‐phase biocomposite specimens.

NR‐PHB/BG fibrous mat specimens with a diameter of 9–10 μm were obtained.

Although high BG loads are applied to the NR‐PHB/BG specimens, they remain elastic and flexible.

Fibrous biocomposite mats enhance cell growth and possess great potential for tissue engineering.
An individual segmented trajectory approach for identifying opioid use patterns using longitudinal dispensing data
Authors: Xu Stanley , Narwaney Komal J. , Nguyen Anh P. , Binswanger Ingrid A. , McClure David L. , Glanz Jason M.
Published: October 2023

Purpose

The aim of this study is to use electronic opioid dispensing data to develop an individual segmented trajectory approach for identifying opioid use patterns. The resulting opioid use patterns can be used for examining the association between opioid use and drug overdose.

Methods

We retrospectively assembled a cohort of members on long‐term opioid therapy (LTOT) between January 1, 2006 and June 30, 2019 who were 18 years and older and enrolled in one of three health care systems in the US. We have developed an individual segmented trajectory analysis for identifying various opioid use patterns by scanning over the follow‐up and finding distinct opioid use patterns based on variability measured with coefficient of variation and trends of milligram morphine equivalents levels.

Results

Among 31, 865 members who were on LTOT between January 1, 2006 and June 30, 2019, 58.3% were female, and the average age was 55.4 years (STD = 15.4). The study population had 152 557 person‐years of follow‐up, with an average follow‐up of 4.4 years per enrollment per person (STD = 3.4). This novel approach identified up to 13 distinct patterns including 88 756 episodes of “stable” pattern (42.1%) with an average follow‐up of 11.2 months, 29 140 episodes of “increasing” pattern (13.8%) with an average follow‐up of 6.0 months, 13 201 episodes of ≤10% dose reduction (6.3%) with an average follow‐up of 10.4 months, 7286 episodes of 11%–20% dose reduction (3.5%) with an average follow‐up of 5.3 months, 4457 episodes of 21%–30% dose reduction (2.1%) with an average follow‐up of 4.0 months, and 9903 episodes of >30% dose reduction (4.7%) with an average follow‐up of 2.6 months.

Conclusions

A novel approach was developed to identify 13 distinct opioid use patterns using each individual's longitudinal dispensing data and these patterns can be used in examining overdose risk during the time that these patterns are ongoing.
Synergistic effect between molybdenum back contact and CIGS absorber in the degradation of solar cells
Authors: Debono Adèle , L'Hostis Hortense , Rebai Amelle , Mysliu Erlind , Odnevall Inger , Schneider Nathanaelle , Guillemoles Jean‐François , Erbe Andreas , Volovitch Polina
Published: October 2023

The stability of molybdenum (Mo) back contact and Cu (InxGa(1‐x)Se2(CIGS) absorber layers interfaces relevant for CIGS‐based solar cells was investigated using accelerated aging test, considering humidity and temperature daily variations as well as atmospheric pollution. Different configurations of sputtered Mo and co‐evaporated CIGS layers deposited on soda lime glass with or without ALD‐Al2O3 encapsulation were investigated. They were exposed for 14 days to 24 h‐cycles of temperature and humidity (25°C at 85% RH and 80°C at 30% RH) with and without solution of the pollutant salts (NaCl, Na2SO4, and (NH4)2SO4) deposited as drops on the sample to mimic marine, industrial, and rural atmospheric conditions, respectively. ALD‐Al2O3 encapsulation failed to protect the samples against the pollutants regardless of configuration. The evolution of the films was characterized by Raman spectroscopy, grazing incidence X‐ray diffraction, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy. Unencapsulated Mo degraded forming a mixture of oxides (MoO2, MoO3, and Mo8O23). Unencapsulated CIGS on glass substrates was not altered, whereas dark spots were visible at the surface of Mo/CIGS configurations. Further characterization evidenced that even though the Mo layer was buried, its corrosion products were formed on top of CIGS. Mo corrosion products and copper selenide, Cu2‐xSe, were identified in dark spots. Their formation and evolution were further investigated by in situ Raman spectroscopy. A speculative mechanism explaining the interplay of molybdenum and CIGS layers during aging is proposed. In place of Mo oxides, detected on the open surface of bare Mo, soluble molybdates are expected in confined environment where alkalinity locally increases. The molybdate ions may then react with sodium ions accumulated at the grain boundaries of CIGS, forming Na2MoO4. The latter could form Na2Mo2O7 during drying because of pH decrease by atmospheric CO2 adsorption. High pH in confined zone, combined with relatively high temperature, is also believed to lixiviate gallium into soluble tetragallates [Ga (OH)4]2−, which could precipitate into Ga2O3 with pH decrease leaving Ga depleted Cu2‐xSe.
Larvae of Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say) resistant to double‐stranded RNA (dsRNA) remain susceptible to small‐molecule pesticides
Authors: Mishra Swati , Moar William , Jurat‐Fuentes Juan Luis
Published: October 2023

BACKGROUND

Implementation of resistance management tools is crucial for the continued efficacy of insect control technologies. An important aspect of insect resistance management (IRM) is the combined or sequential use of different modes‐of‐action to reduce selection pressure and delay evolution of resistance. This is especially important for insect pests with established ability to develop resistance to insecticides, such as the Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata, CPB). A new class of insecticides, based on double‐stranded RNA (dsRNA) activating the gene silencing RNA‐interference (RNAi) pathway, are currently under review for regulatory approval and commercial use in the USA against CPB. However, there is no information available on the potential for cross‐resistance between RNAi insecticides and other classes of insecticides used against CPB. Herein, we aim to fill this knowledge gap by capitalizing on the availability of a CPB strain highly resistant to dsRNAs and test its susceptibility to diverse small‐molecule insecticide classes compared to reference dsRNA‐susceptible CPB strains.

RESULTS

Differences in activity were observed among the four insecticides tested, with abamectin demonstrating highest activity against all three strains of CPB. However, no differences were observed among the dsRNA‐resistant and susceptible CPB strains for any of the tested compounds. Overall, these results demonstrate lack of cross‐resistance to commonly used chemical insecticides in the dsRNA‐resistant strain of CPB.

CONCLUSION

These data support the use of these different insecticide classes along with RNAi‐based insecticides as part of an effective insect resistance management framework aimed at delaying resistance in CPB. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
The protective effects of curcumin against cigarette smoke‐induced toxicity: A comprehensive review
Authors: Fanoudi Sahar , Alavi Mohaddeseh Sadat , Mehri Soghra , Hosseinzadeh Hossein
Published: October 2023

Cigarette smoking (CS) is a crucial modifiable risk of developing several human diseases and cancers. It causes lung, bladder, breast, and esophageal cancers, respiratory disorders, as well as cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Because of these adverse health effects, continual efforts to decrease the prevalence and toxicity of CS are imperative. Until the past decades, the impacts of natural compounds have been under investigation on the harmful effects of CS. Turmeric (Curcuma longa), a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant that belongs to the Zingiberaceae family, is the main source of curcumin. This review is an attempt to find out the current knowledge on CS's harmful effects and protective potential of curcumin in the pulmonary, liver, brain, gastrointestinal, and testis organs. According to the present review, simultaneous consumption of curcumin and CS can attenuate CS toxicities including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, gastrointestinal toxicity, metabolic diseases, testis injury, and neurotoxicity. Moreover, curcumin suppresses carcinogenesis in the skin, liver, lungs, breast, colon, and stomach. Curcumin mediates these protective effects through antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, anti‐apoptotic, and anti‐carcinogenicity properties.
A down‐up chain with persistent labels on multifurcating trees
Authors: Sørensen Frederik
Published: October 2023

In this article, we propose to study a general notion of a down‐up Markov chain for multifurcating trees with labeled leaves. We study in detail down‐up chains associated with the ‐model of Chen et al. (Electron. J. Probab. 14 (2009), 400–430.), generalizing and further developing previous work by Forman et al. (arXiv:1802.00862, 2018; arXiv:1804.01205, 2018; arXiv:1809.07756, 2018; Random Struct. Algoritm. 54 (2020), 745–769; Electron. J. Probab. 25 (2020), 1–46.) in the binary special cases. The technique we deploy utilizes the construction of a growth process and a down‐up Markov chain on trees with planar structure. Our construction ensures that natural projections of the down‐up chain are Markov chains in their own right. We establish label dynamics that at the same time preserve the labeled alpha‐gamma distribution and keep the branch points between the smallest labels for order time steps for all . We conjecture the existence of diffusive scaling limits generalizing the “Aldous diffusion” by Forman et al. (arXiv:1802.00862, 2018; arXiv:1804.01205, 2018; arXiv:1809.07756, 2018.) as a continuum‐tree‐valued process and the “algebraic ‐Ford tree evolution” by Löhr et al. (Ann. Probab. 48 (2020), 2565–2590.) and by Nussbaumer and Winter (arXiv:2006.09316, 2020.) as a process in a space of algebraic trees.
The survival‐incorporated median vs the median in the survivors or in the always‐survivors: What are we measuring? and Why?
Authors: Xiang Qingyan , Bosch Ronald J. , Lok Judith J.
Published: October 2023

Many clinical studies evaluate the benefit of a treatment based on both survival and other continuous/ordinal clinical outcomes, such as quality of life scores. In these studies, when subjects die before the follow‐up assessment, the clinical outcomes become undefined and are truncated by death. Treating outcomes as “missing” or “censored” due to death can be misleading for treatment effect evaluation. We show that if we use the median in the survivors or in the always‐survivors as estimands to summarize clinical outcomes, we may conclude that a trade‐off exists between the probability of survival and good clinical outcomes, even in settings where both the probability of survival and the probability of any good clinical outcome are better for one treatment. Therefore, we advocate not always treating death as a mechanism through which clinical outcomes are missing, but rather as part of the outcome measure. To account for the survival status, we describe the survival‐incorporated median as an alternative summary measure for outcomes in the presence of death. The survival‐incorporated median is the threshold such that 50% of the population is alive with an outcome above that threshold. Through conceptual examples and an application to a prostate cancer treatment study, we show that the survival‐incorporated median provides a simple and useful summary measure to inform clinical practice.
A spatio‐temporal Dirichlet process mixture model for coronavirus disease‐19
Authors: Park Jaewoo , Yi Seorim , Chang Won , Mateu Jorge
Published: October 2023

Understanding the spatio‐temporal patterns of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) is essential to construct public health interventions. Spatially referenced data can provide richer opportunities to understand the mechanism of the disease spread compared to the more often encountered aggregated count data. We propose a spatio‐temporal Dirichlet process mixture model to analyze confirmed cases of COVID‐19 in an urban environment. Our method can detect unobserved cluster centers of the epidemics, and estimate the space‐time range of the clusters that are useful to construct a warning system. Furthermore, our model can measure the impact of different types of landmarks in the city, which provides an intuitive explanation of disease spreading sources from different time points. To efficiently capture the temporal dynamics of the disease patterns, we employ a sequential approach that uses the posterior distribution of the parameters for the previous time step as the prior information for the current time step. This approach enables us to incorporate time dependence into our model in a computationally efficient manner without complicating the model structure. We also develop a model assessment by comparing the data with theoretical densities, and outline the goodness‐of‐fit of our fitted model.
3D‐Printed TiO2 Electrode as a Viable Alternative for Photoelectrocatalytic Purification of Water
Authors: Tedesco Gustavo C. , Joll Cynthia A. , Ela Wendell P. , Pivrikas Almantas , Henry David J.
Published: October 2023

A commercial pure titanium (cp‐Ti) powder was used to produce a photoelectrode substrate via 3D‐printing and a commercial titanium foil (Ti‐foil) was used as substrate for direct comparison. TiO2 nanotubes were prepared on both Ti substrates via electrochemical anodization. Characterisation of electrodes showed similar results in all aspects analysed: morphology, absorbance, crystallinity, and photo‐current response. The efficiency of photoelectrocatlytic treatment of methylene blue dye (MB) in water with a single‐chip UVA‐LED was identical. The cp‐Ti/TiO2 electrode achieved 93±4 % removal of MB after 210 min, when combined with a four‐chip UVA‐LED. The cp‐Ti photoelectrode was also tested for the first time for photoelectrocatalytic treatment of benzothiazole (BTH). The highest degradation of BTH (98±2 %, 120 min) was also achieved using the four‐chip UVA‐LED. This study supports further development of 3D‐printed electrodes, maximizing the potential for the creation of novel electrodes for use in PEC technologies for abatement of organic pollutants.
A Facile and Fast Synthesis of Barium Molybdate Nanoparticles: Effects of PH and Surfactant
Authors: Sarılmaz Adem
Published: October 2023

Barium molybdate (BaMoO4) is one of the materials used extensively in electronic and optical devices. Although there are many synthesis methods in the literature, a route for facile synthesis of nano‐BaMoO4 has been ignored. In this study, BaMoO4 nanoparticles were produced by the co‐precipitation method at room temperature within a short time. The effects of ammonia solutions and surfactants on the morphology of the particles were investigated. Various properties of these materials were characterized by XRD, SEM‐EDX, elemental mapping, TEM, and UV‐Vis analysis methods. Also, the crystal structure parameters and the compatibility of these values with the theoretical calculations were determined by Rietveld refinement. From the HR‐TEM image, the interplanar spacing was calculated as 3.2 Å. It was determined from these analyses that BaMoO4 particles with optical band gaps varying between 3.80 and 3.95 eV were produced in nano and micrometer sizes. It has been demonstrated by this study that the pH of the synthesis solution and the type of surfactant have significant effects on the morphological and optical properties of the materials.
Preparation and Utilization of a Comb‐Like Polycarboxylate Dispersant for Organic Pigment
Authors: Cao Xinjie , Cai Zhenyu , Huang Yifei , Wang Danlei , Zhang Lei , Huang Kai
Published: October 2023

As a novel form of carboxylate comb‐like copolymers, SAM‐(m)PEG was prepared by polymerizing styrene (S), acrylic (A), and maleic anhydride (M) to obtain a random copolymer labeled SAM. SAM was then esterified using either polyethylene glycol (PEG) or methyl PEG (mPEG), a waterborne polymer dispersant for dispersing and stabilizing C.I. Pigment Yellow 180 (PY 180). The structures of SAM‐(m)PEG and the ground suspension of PY 180 were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), a nanoparticle size analysis, and viscometry. The effects of different branch chains, synthetic formulas, and grinding conditions on the dispersibility of SAM‐(m)PEG were evaluated. In addition, the optical properties of the pigments were investigated after ultrafine grinding. The adsorption mechanism between the SAM‐(m)PEG dispersants and PY 180 particles is also discussed. SAM‐PEG6002 outperformed the other SAM‐(m)PEG dispersants owing to its excellent dispersion and stability. When used as the dispersant, the average particle size (Z‐average) of PY 180 after grinding was 264.6 nm, and the particle size distribution became narrow (PDI=0.089). Moreover, SAM‐PEG6002 effectively maintained the color performance of the pigment, and the product was successfully applied to the pigment coating. Therefore, SAM‐PEG6002 is an effective waterborne polymer dispersant for organic pigments.
Effect of a single session of yoga and meditation on stress reactivity: A systematic review
Authors: Mandlik Gandhar V. , Siopis George , Nguyen Binh , Ding Ding , Edwards Kate M.
Published: October 2023

This systematic review synthesises the evidence for the effectiveness of a single session of yoga or its components including meditation and breathing techniques in reducing acute stress reactivity in healthy adults. Following the PRISMA guidelines, we searched Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane, CINAHL, and PsycINFO on 30th July 2023 for randomised controlled or crossover trials of yoga components and reporting physiological and/or psychological outcome measure(s) related to stress reactivity. Risk of bias (ROB) was assessed using the Cochrane ROB 2 tool. Data were synthesised narratively. Twenty‐one out of 28 eligible studies (n = 2574) relating to 31 interventions (meditation [n = 22], breathing [n = 4] and yoga [n = 5]) reported outcomes in favour of the intervention. Stress reactivity was reported to be reduced by 71% of studies measuring physiological outcomes and 65% of studies measuring psychological outcomes. These studies show that a single session of yoga components is effective in reducing acute stress reactivity in adults and could be recommended for stress management. Future studies with larger populations and a more equal representation of genders and age groups are warranted.
Profiles of resilient psychosocial function during three isolated ski expeditions in the High Arctic
Authors: Smith Nathan , Bostock Louisa , Barrett Emma C. , Sandal Gro M. , Jones Marc V. , Wuebker Robert
Published: October 2023

To successfully complete a Polar expedition individuals and teams must respond resiliently to the environmental, psychological, and social demands they face. In this study we examined profiles of resilient function in seven people from three expeditions in the High Arctic. Using a structured daily diary, participants reported on experiences of physical health (morning and evening), affect, team cohesion, performance, and potential explanatory factors including sleep, demand appraisals, events, and coping strategies. Notable intra‐ and inter‐individual variability was observed in daily reports and all profiles could be interpreted as representing resilient function. A number of significant relationships were found between markers of resilient physical and psychosocial function and potential explanatory variables. For example, there was much more daily variability in an individual's reporting of positive affect than prior research might imply, and what prior research designs could capture. Further, while negative affect tended to remain low and stable, our findings reveal that even minor and infrequent increases in negative emotions were significantly associated with other variables in the network. Finally, across the expedition period individual coping resources consistently exceeded demands, suggesting that individuals viewed the expedition as a challenge and not a threat. More broadly, these findings inform efforts to monitor, and maintain resilience when operating in Polar and other extreme settings.
Highly Reversible Molecular Photoswitches with Transition Metal Dichalcogenides Electrodes
Authors: Chen Li‐Chuan , Shi Jie , Lu Zhi‐Xing , Lin Rong‐Jian , Lu Tai‐Ge , Zou Yu‐Ling , Liang Qing‐Man , Huang Ruiyun , Shi Jia , Xiao Zong‐Yuan , Zhang Yanxi , Liu Junyang , Yang Yang , Hong Wenjing
Published: October 2023

The molecule‐electrode coupling plays an essential role in photoresponsive devices with photochromic molecules, and the strong coupling between the molecule and the conventional electrodes leads to/ the quenching effect and limits the reversibility of molecular photoswitches. In this work, we developed a strategy of using transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) electrodes to fabricate the thiol azobenzene (TAB) self‐assembled monolayers (SAMs) junctions with the eutectic gallium‐indium (EGaIn) technique. The current‐voltage characteristics of the EGaIn/GaOx//TAB/TMDCs photoswitches showed an almost 100% reversible photoswitching behavior, which increased by ∼28% compared to EGaIn/GaOx//TAB/AuTS photoswitches. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations showed the coupling strength of the TAB‐TMDCs electrode decreased by 42% compared to that of the TAB‐AuTS electrode, giving rise to improved reversibility. our work demonstrated the feasibility of 2D TMDCs for fabricating SAMs‐based photoswitches with unprecedentedly high reversibility.
Modulating the Coordination Environment of Carbon‐Dot‐Supported Fe Single‐Atom Nanozymes for Enhanced Tumor Therapy
Authors: Han Yu , Ge Kun , Zhao Ying , Bottini Massimo , Fan Dehui , Wu Wenchang , Li Luwei , Liu Fengsong , Gao Shutao , Liang Xing‐Jie , Zhang Jinchao
Published: October 2023

Herein, carbon dot (CD)‐supported Fe single‐atom nanozymes with high content of pyrrolic N and ultrasmall size (ph‐CDs‐Fe SAzyme) are fabricated by a phenanthroline‐mediated ligand‐assisted strategy. Compared with phenanthroline‐free nanozymes (CDs‐Fe SAzyme), ph‐CDs‐Fe SAzyme exhibit higher peroxidase (POD)‐like activity due to their structure similar to that of ferriporphyrin in natural POD. Aberration‐corrected high‐angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF‐STEM) and X‐ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (XAFS) analyses show that metal Fe is dispersed in ph‐CDs‐Fe SAzyme as single atoms. Steady‐state kinetic studies show that the maximum velocity (Vmax) and turnover number (kcat) of H2O2 homolytic cleavage catalyzed by ph‐CDs‐Fe SAzyme are 3.0 and 6.2 more than those of the reaction catalyzed by CDs‐Fe SAzyme. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations show that the energy barrier of the reaction catalyzed by ph‐CDs‐Fe SAzyme is lower than that catalyzed by CDs‐Fe SAzyme. Antitumor efficacy experiments show that ph‐CDs‐Fe SAzyme can efficiently inhibit the growth of tumor cells both in vitro and in vivo by synergistic chemodynamic and photothermal effects. Here a new paradigm is provided for the development of efficient antitumor therapeutic approaches based on SAzyme with POD‐like activity.
Dynamic diselenide bond‐enabled liquid crystal elastomer‐based two‐way shape memory aerogels with weldability and closed‐loop recyclability
Authors: Wang Meng , Li Jingshu , Yang Hong
Published: October 2023

Two‐way shape memory polymeric aerogels (2W‐SMPAs), with the ability to undergo reversible shape deformation in response to external stimuli, have extensive application in diverse fields such as actuators, sensors, robotics, and other relevant domains. In this study, we introduce a novel approach for fabricating a 2W‐SMPA material based on liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) incorporating dynamic diselenide bonds. The aerogel exhibits liquid crystal phases, excellent compressibility and shape stability, and the mesogens are uniaxial‐oriented along the stretching direction. By capitalizing on the dynamic diselenide bonds, the LCE‐based aerogel demonstrated remarkable reprogrammability, weldability, and recyclability through thermal reorganization. The shape‐programmed aerogel sample exhibits reversible shrinking deformation during the heating and cooling cycles, ultimately achieving a maximum shrinkage ratio of 26.1%. Moreover, the LCE‐based aerogel's porous structure and monodomain orientation effectively enable the adsorption of the photothermal dye DR1 and facilitated the reversible photothermal‐induced shape deformation when exposed to 520 nm light irradiation. These findings reveal the potential application of this innovative LCE‐based aerogel material, enabled by dynamic diselenide bonds, in various areas including control devices, soft actuators, and other diverse fields.
All‐Thermally Evaporated Blue Perovskite Light‐Emitting Diodes for Active Matrix Displays
Authors: Zhu Jiaxing , Li Jinghui , Huang Yuanlong , Liu Nian , Sun Liang , Shen Zixi , Yang Chaoqun , Liu Fanxin , Song Boxiang , Luo Jiajun , Tang Jiang
Published: October 2023

With the rapid progress of perovskite light‐emitting diodes (PeLEDs), the large‐scale fabrication of active matrix PeLED displays (AM‐PeLEDs) is gaining increasing attention. However, the integration of high‐resolution PeLED arrays with thin‐film transistor backplanes remains a significant challenge for conventional spin‐coating techniques. Here, the demonstration of large‐area, blue‐emitting AM‐PeLEDs are demonstrated using a vacuum deposition technique, which is regarded as the most effective route for organic light‐emitting diode displays. By the introduction of an in situ passivation strategy, the defects‐related nonradiative recombination is largely suppressed, which leads to an improved photoluminescence quantum yield of vapor‐deposited blue‐emitting perovskites. The as‐prepared blue PeLEDs exhibit a peak external quantum efficiency of 2.47% with pure‐blue emission at 475 nm, which represents state‐of‐the‐art performance for vapor‐deposited pure‐blue PeLEDs. Benefiting from the excellent uniformity and compatibility of thermal evaporation, the 6.67‐inch blue‐emitting AM‐PeLED display with a high resolution of 394 pixels per inch is successfully demonstrated. The demonstration of blue‐emitting AM‐PeLED display represents a crucial step toward full‐color perovskite display technology.
Evaluating growth in Macrospondylus bollensis (Crocodylomorpha, Teleosauroidea) in the Toarcian Posidonia Shale, Germany
Authors: Johnson Michela M. , Amson Eli , Maxwell Erin E.
Published: October 2023

The study of how organisms grow is a fundamental aspect of palaeontology. Growth in teleosauroids is poorly understood and little studied, especially in an ontogenetic sense. We investigate growth rates of the most common and abundant teleosauroid, Macrospondylus bollensis, in which a large sample of multiple body sizes is available from the Posidonienschiefer Formation (Posidonia Shale) of southwestern Germany. We perform linear regression analyses on 62 specimens of Macrospondylus (16 juveniles, 7 subadults and 39 adults) using 21 cranial and postcranial measurements. Our results show that juvenile, subadult and adult individuals have near‐isometric or isometric growth throughout much of the body. Notably, we find that in Macrospondylus: (1) the femur grows at a faster rate than the skull and hindlimb zeugopodium; (2) the forelimb and hindlimb grow at the same rate; and (3) there is distinct ontogenetic signal in the growth of the orbit and supratemporal fenestra. We also find that limb scaling in Macrospondylus is somewhat comparable to that seen in the extant gavialids Gavialis gangeticus and Tomistoma schlegelii. Last, we examine evolutionary allometry in skull length relative to body size in Crocodylomorpha using femoral length as a proxy, which shows a near‐isometric trend. Non‐thalattosuchian crocodylomorphs (with the exception of one pholidosaurid and one dryosaurid taxon) are differentiated from thalattosuchians due to their shorter skulls, as previously suggested, but the scaling relationship with femur length remains unchanged.