bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inverse Design of Dual‐Band Optically Transparent Metasurface Absorbers with Neural‐Adjoint Method
Authors: Li Zhichen , Xu Jing , Zhang Lin , Li Yiwen , Yang Ruisheng , Fu Quanhong , Zhang Fuli , Fan Yuancheng
Published: May 2023

Massive applications of microwave technology have led to a large amount of electromagnetic pollution, which seriously interferes with the normal operation of communication systems in people's daily life. Optically transparent metasurface absorber is emerging as a promising candidate for solving this problem in some specific scenarios. When designing multiband metasurface absorbers, the coupling within the cell structure generally prevents the independent modulation of the absorption effect in each band. The rapid development of deep learning provides a new way for designing high‐performance metasurface. Here, a forward network model is built to predict the absorption spectrum of the metasurface absorber. In the network model, 1D (one‐dimensional) inverse convolution is used as the upsampling layer, which enables the network model to have a good prediction on small data sets while avoiding overfitting on large data sets. Based on the network model, a dual‐band optically transparent metasurface absorber is also designed by employing the neural‐adjoint (NA) method. The results taking advantage of deep learning method for high‐efficiency design of metasurface absorbers without considering the coupling effect, have shown great capability to optimize the absorption efficiency of different frequency bands independently, which may provide an alternative way to design other multiband microwave devices.
Postsynthetische Photochemische Modifizierung und 2D Strukturierung von Zr‐MOF Dünnfilmen mit Benzophenon Linkermolekülen
Authors: Hindricks Karen D. J. , Schaate Andreas , Behrens Peter
Published: May 2023

Für die Herstellung von MOF‐basierten Bauteilen der nächsten Generation ist die Verfügbarkeit hochgradig anpassungsfähiger Materialien in geeigneten Formen entscheidend. In dieser Arbeit stellen wir Dünnfilme eines Metall‐organischen Gerüstes (MOF) mit photoreaktiven Benzophenon‐Brückenmolekülen vor. Kristalline, orientierte und poröse Filme des Zirkonium‐basierten bzpdc‐MOF (bzpdc=Benzophenon‐4‐4′‐dicarboxylat) können über direktes Wachstum auf Silizium‐ oder Glassubstraten hergestellt werden. Durch eine anschließende photochemische Modifizierung der Zr‐bzpdc‐MOF‐Filme lassen sich verschiedene Eigenschaften mittels kovalenter Anbindung von Modifizierungsreagenzien postsynthetisch einstellen. Neben der Modifizierung mit kleinen Molekülen sind auch grafting‐from Polymerisationsreaktionen möglich und in einer weiteren Ausbaustufe sogar die 2D‐Strukturierung und das Fotoschreiben definierter Strukturen; z.B. durch einen fotolithographischen Ansatz, der den Weg zu mikro‐strukturierten MOF‐Oberflächen ebnet.
Polycation‐Regulated Electrolyte and Interfacial Electric Fields for Stable Zinc Metal Batteries
Authors: Peng Mengke , Tang Xiannong , Xiao Kang , Hu Ting , Yuan Kai , Chen Yiwang
Published: May 2023

Zn metal as one of promising anode materials for aqueous batteries but suffers from disreputable dendrite growth, grievous hydrogen evolution and corrosion. Here, a polycation additive, polydiallyl dimethylammonium chloride (PDD), is introduced to achieve long‐term and highly reversible Zn plating/stripping. Specifically, the PDD can simultaneously regulate the electric fields of electrolyte and Zn/electrolyte interface to improve Zn2+ migration behaviors and guide dominant Zn (002) deposition, which is veritably detected by Zeta potential, Kelvin probe force microscopy and scanning electrochemical microscopy. Moreover, PDD also creates a positive charge‐rich protective outer layer and a N‐rich hybrid inner layer, which accelerates the Zn2+ desolvation during plating process and blocks the direct contact between water molecules and Zn anode. Thereby, the reversibility and long‐term stability of Zn anodes are substantially improved, as certified by a higher average coulombic efficiency of 99.7 % for Zn||Cu cells and 22 times longer life for Zn||Zn cells compared with that of PDD‐free electrolyte.
Postsynthetic Photochemical Modification and 2D Structuring of Zr‐MOF Thin Films Containing Benzophenone Linker Molecules
Authors: Hindricks Karen D. J. , Schaate Andreas , Behrens Peter
Published: May 2023

For the fabrication of next‐generation MOF‐based devices the availability of highly adaptable materials in suitable shapes is crucial. Here, we present thin films of a metal–organic framework (MOF) containing photoreactive benzophenone units. Crystalline, oriented and porous films of the zirconium‐based bzpdc‐MOF (bzpdc=benzophenone‐4‐4′‐dicarboxylate) are prepared by direct growth on silicon or glass substrates. Via a subsequent photochemical modification of the Zr‐bzpdc‐MOF films, various properties can be tuned postsynthetically by covalent attachment of modifying agents. Apart from the modification with small molecules, also grafting‐from polymerization reactions are possible. In a further extension, 2D structuring and photo‐writing of defined structures is also possible, for example by using a photolithographic approach, paving the way towards micro‐patterned MOF surfaces.
Newly synthesised Schiff base metal complexes, characterisation, and contribution as enhancers of colon cancer cell apoptosis by overexpression of P53 protein
Authors: Abd El‐Hamid Sherif M. , Sadeek Sadeek A. , Mohammed Soha F. , Ahmed Fatma M. , El‐Gedamy Mohammed S.
Published: May 2023

Fluoroquinolones emerged as one of potent therapeutic agents, targeting DNA‐signalling pathways. Thus, efforts were spent to create novel quinolones for optimizing their antimicrobial and anticancer properties. Therefore, the new compoundN,N′‐phenylene (bis1‐cyclopropyl‐7‐(4‐ethylpiperazin‐1‐yl)‐6‐fluoro‐1,4‐dihydroquinoline‐3‐carboxylic acid) (H2Enro‐o‐phdn) in addition to its related chelates‐contained metals were synthesised and described by spectroscopic, physical methods and thermal analyses. The reaction between H2Enro‐o‐phdn and trivalent La(III), Y(III), and Fe(III) and tetravalent Zr(IV) chloride with molar ratio 1:1 (M:H2Enro‐o‐phdn) yielded the production of chelates. The infrared results elucidate the binding mode of H2Enro‐o‐phdn by means of azomethine nitrogen and carboxylato oxygen atoms as tetradentate. The thermal analyses assured the proposed formula as well as existence of coordinated and latticed H2O molecules. Kinetic parameters for investigated metal complexes were quantified utilisation Horowitz–Metzger in addition to Coats–Redfern methods. Regarding antibacterial efficacy, Y(III) and Fe(III) complexes showed a robust inhibitory activity towards negative‐gram stained (Escherichia coliandSalmonella typhi) and positive‐Gram stained (Staphylococcus aureusand “spore‐forming”Bacillus cereus) strains. Then, we further tested the cytotoxicity of the complexes against the survival of colon‐cancer cells line (CT26). In this regard, in the descending order, Fe(III) > Zr(IV) > La(III) complexes possessed a powerful antitumour activity with IC50values 6.38, 5.36, and 4.03 μM, respectively, compared with the anticancer drug‐reference cisplatin (16.77 μM). To understand the precise mechanism behind the tumour cell death, Western‐blotting analysis was conducted, to monitor the changes in levels of pro‐apoptotic “P53” protein after drug‐treatment. Results indicated that H2Enro‐o‐phdn with higher covalency metals, like La(III) and Zr(IV) complexes, had the highest upregulation of P53 expression in a threefold to fourfold compared cisplatin, paving the way for a novel P53‐based colon‐cancer therapies.
Photostable Organic Two‐photon Dyes with Ultrahigh Brightness for Long‐term Fluorescence Imaging
Authors: Chen Ruizhe , Pan Yonghui , Wu Zizi , Jia Mingxuan , Miao Xiaofei , Lu Xiaomei , Fan Quli , Hu Wenbo
Published: May 2023

Developing photostable two‐photon dyes with high brightness and negligible photocytotoxicity is of key importance in fluorescence imaging but remains a huge challenge. Here, a two‐photon dye with ultrahigh brightness and photostability is demonstrated for high‐performance long‐term two‐photon fluorescence imaging. By terminated donor engineering, the designed DBD shows a higher two‐photon absorption cross‐section (δ, 418 GM vs 329 GM) and photoluminescence quantum yield (ΦPL, 62.74% vs 54.63%) than its counterpart DBA. As a consequence, two‐photon fluorescence brightness (δ×ΦPL) of DBD exhibits a 10‐folded enhancement (262 GM vs 19 GM) in comparison with typical Coumarin 307 dye. More importantly, DBD displays ultrahigh photostability and negligible photobleaching under 10 min femtosecond laser irradiation, which stands in marked contrast to Coumarin 307. Furthermore, femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy ascribes this ultrahigh photostability and negligible photobleaching to the inefficient intersystem crossing. With these merits, DBD can be used long‐term two‐photon fluorescence imaging in vitro.
Impact of assimilating wind retrievals from high‐frequency radar on COAMPS forecasts in the Chesapeake Bay
Authors: Blaylock Brian K. , Tyndall Daniel P. , Muscarella Philip A. , Brunner Kelsey
Published: May 2023

Wind retrievals from high‐frequency radars (HFRs) provide high‐density, hourly wind estimates over the ocean near the coast. These wind retrievals are a promising new source of near‐surface wind estimates in coastal regions where it is difficult to deploy large networks of buoys and where scatterometers cannot observe because of land contamination. In addition to improving ocean monitoring, these wind retrievals are also useful in numerical weather prediction. The wind estimates are retrieved from the HFR Doppler spectra in conjunction with the Simulating WAves Nearshore (SWAN) model, HFR forward model, and HFR adjoint model. In this work, wind retrievals were generated from three Coastal Ocean Dynamics Applications Radar (CODAR) SeaSonde HFR sites located near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay in August 2017 and assimilated in the Coupled Ocean/Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System® (COAMPS) model. The impact of the assimilated HFR wind retrievals on near‐surface weather forecasts is measured with adjoint‐derived forecast sensitivity observation impact (FSOI) and a comparison to forecasts from a data‐denial observing system experiment (OSE). The FSOI measurement indicates the HFR winds had neutral impact on the 12‐h forecast while the OSE comparison suggests a small improvement in the 10‐m u and v winds at lead times up to 36 h. Compared to a similar study in the Southern California Bight, the small impact on the forecast seen in this Chesapeake Bay study could be related to there being a smaller number of wind retrievals in a smaller region during a period where the HFR wind retrievals were already similar to the background wind field. We suggest that HFR wind retrievals used for numerical weather prediction may be more beneficial when generated for long swaths of coastlines rather than small, isolated areas.
Endogenously produced hyaluronan contributes to the regulation of peritoneal adhesion development
Authors: Kocurkova Anna , Kerberova Michaela , Nesporova Kristina , Lehka Katerina , Sandanusova Miriam , Simek Matej , Velebny Vladimir , Kubala Lukas , Ambrozova Gabriela
Published: May 2023

Peritoneal adhesions are postsurgical fibrotic complications connected to peritoneal inflammation. The exact mechanism of development is unknown; however, an important role is attributed to activated mesothelial cells (MCs) overproducing macromolecules of extracellular matrix (ECM), including hyaluronic acid (HA). It was suggested that endogenously‐produced HA contributes to the regulation of different fibrosis‐related pathologies. However, little is known about the role of altered HA production in peritoneal fibrosis. We focused on the consequences of the increased turnover of HA in the murine model of peritoneal adhesions. Changes of HA metabolism were observed in early phases of peritoneal adhesion development in vivo. To study the mechanism, human MCs MeT‐5A and murine MCs isolated from the peritoneum of healthy mice were pro‐fibrotically activated by transforming growth factor β (TGFβ), and the production of HA was attenuated by two modulators of carbohydrate metabolism, 4‐methylumbelliferone (4‐MU) and 2‐deoxyglucose (2‐DG). The attenuation of HA production was mediated by upregulation of HAS2 and downregulation of HYAL2 and connected to the lower expression of pro‐fibrotic markers, including fibronectin and α‐smooth muscle actin (αSMA). Moreover, the inclination of MCs to form fibrotic clusters was also downregulated, particularly in 2‐DG‐treated cells. The effects of 2‐DG, but not 4‐MU, were connected to changes in cellular metabolism. Importantly, the inhibition of AKT phosphorylation was observed after the use of both HA production inhibitors. In summary, we identified endogenous HA as an important regulator of peritoneal fibrosis, not just a passive player during this pathological process.
Clustering psychopathology in male anabolic–androgenic steroid users and nonusing weightlifters
Authors: Jørstad Marie Lindvik , Scarth Morgan , Torgersen Svenn , Pope Harrison Graham , Bjørnebekk Astrid
Published: May 2023

Introduction

Prior research has demonstrated that personality disorders and clinical psychiatric syndromes are common among users of anabolic–androgenic steroids (AAS). However, the prevalence, expression, and severity of psychopathology differ among AAS users and remain poorly understood. In this study, we examine the existence of potential clinically coherent psychopathology subgroups, using cluster procedures.

Methods

A sample of 118 male AAS users and 97 weightlifting nonusers was assessed using the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory‐III (MCMI‐III), measuring personality disorders and clinical syndromes. Group differences in MCMI‐III scales were assessed using Wilcoxon‐Mann–Whitney tests and Fisher's exact test. Agglomerative hierarchical clustering was used to identify clusters based on MCMI‐III scale scores from the whole sample.

Results

AAS users displayed significantly higher scores on all personality disorder (except narcissistic) and clinical syndrome scales compared to nonusing weightlifters. The clustering analysis found four separate clusters with different levels and patterns of psychopathology. The “no psychopathology” cluster was most common among nonusing weightlifters, while the three other clusters were more common among AAS users: “severe multipathology,” “low multipathology,” and “mild externalizing.” The “severe multipathology” cluster was found almost exclusively among AAS users. AAS users also displayed the highest scores on drug and alcohol dependence syndromes.

Conclusions

AAS users in our sample demonstrated greater psychopathology than the nonusing weightlifters, with many exhibiting multipathology. This may pose a significant challenge to clinical care for AAS users, particularly as there appears to be significant variation in psychopathology in this population. Individual psychiatric profiles should be taken into consideration when providing treatment to this group.

Significant Outcomes

As a group, AAS users displayed markedly greater psychopathology than nonusing weightlifters.

Multipathology was common among AAS users.

Four different subgroups of personality profiles were identified with distinct patterns of pathology and severity.

Limitations

The cross‐sectional nature of the study precludes inferences about causality.

The study is limited by possible selection bias, as participants choosing to be involved in research may not be entirely representative for the group as a whole.

The study is vulnerable to information bias, as the results are based on self‐report measures and interviews.
Customer perceived quality of life in provider value cocreation: The mediating role of customer value cocreation and the moderating role of customer emotions
Authors: Islam Shahidul , Muhamad Nazlida , Rokonuzzaman Md , Iyer Pramod , Leong Vai Shiem
Published: May 2023

This study aims to investigate the association between service provider value cocreation (PVCC) and customer perceived quality of life (QOL) in a healthcare service context. This study also examines the mediating role of customer value cocreation (CVCC) and the moderating role of customer emotions using a conditional process framework. To examine the conceptual model, data were collected through an online survey of 441 healthcare customers. The hypotheses were tested using covariance‐based structural equation modeling (CB‐SEM) and PROCESS macro. The results show that PVCC positively influences both CVCC and QOL. The effect of CVCC on QOL is positive and significant. CVCC plays a mediating role in the link between PVCC and QOL. In addition, the absence of negative emotion serves as a moderator in improving perceived QOL. Evaluating value cocreation efforts allows service providers to understand their readiness for supportive value cocreation practices. Service providers must also focus on customers' roles in the value cocreation process. In addition, handling customers' emotions should be of particular interest to frontline service providers, because it augments a positive value cocreation practice beneficial to CVCC and QOL enhancement. This study contributes to the value cocreation literature by proposing a framework that combines the value cocreation of service providers and customers in enhancing QOL. This study also explicates and validates the complex role of value cocreation and emotion in the healthcare service context. The theoretical and managerial implications are also presented.
Quantum Computing for Molecular Biology**
Authors: Baiardi Alberto , Christandl Matthias , Reiher Markus
Published: May 2023

Molecular biology and biochemistry interpret microscopic processes in the living world in terms of molecular structures and their interactions, which are quantum mechanical by their very nature. Whereas the theoretical foundations of these interactions are well established, the computational solution of the relevant quantum mechanical equations is very hard. However, much of molecular function in biology can be understood in terms of classical mechanics, where the interactions of electrons and nuclei have been mapped onto effective classical surrogate potentials that model the interaction of atoms or even larger entities. The simple mathematical structure of these potentials offers huge computational advantages; however, this comes at the cost that all quantum correlations and the rigorous many‐particle nature of the interactions are omitted. In this work, we discuss how quantum computation may advance the practical usefulness of the quantum foundations of molecular biology by offering computational advantages for simulations of biomolecules. We not only discuss typical quantum mechanical problems of the electronic structure of biomolecules in this context, but also consider the dominating classical problems (such as protein folding and drug design) as well as data‐driven approaches of bioinformatics and the degree to which they might become amenable to quantum simulation and quantum computation.
The α‐WC(0001) Surface as a Hydrogen Sponge: A First Principle Study of H2Dissociation and Formation of Low and High Coverages
Authors: Jimenez‐Orozco Carlos , Flórez Elizabeth , Rodriguez Jose A.
Published: May 2023

Tungsten carbide (WC) displays a Pt‐like behavior in catalysis, applied in hydrogenation processes. Numerous theoretical studies have modeled the behavior and use of adsorbed hydrogen without obtaining a general picture, missing basic links between H2dissociation and generation of high surface coverage (ΘH>0.5 ML). Here, the capability of C‐ and W‐terminations of the α‐WC(0001) surface is analyzed to dissociate several H2molecules to produce coverages, ΘH, ranging from low to very high values (0.13<ΘH<2.00 ML). Density functional theory and anab initioatomistic thermodynamic were used to achieve the conditions for H2dissociation. The WC−C surface has higher capacity to dissociate H2molecules than WC−W. However, both surfaces can reach full surface coverage, ΘH=1 ML, at mild ambient conditions, T=300 K and P=1 atm, and even up to 500 K at low and high pressures. The H‐adatoms on WC−W are more labile than on WC−C. The binding of adsorbates is hindered at high ΘH, implying a need to modulate ΘHaccording to the application. The results give the basis to understand the capabilities of WC‐based catalysts in hydrogenation‐related reactions, with the advantage of WC being a hydrogen reservoir at mild practical catalytic conditions.
A novel graph transformation strategy for optimizing SpTRSV on CPUs
Authors: Yılmaz Buse
Published: May 2023

Sparse triangular solve (SpTRSV) is an extensively studied computational kernel. An important obstacle in parallel SpTRSV implementations is that in some parts of a sparse matrix the computation is serial. By transforming the dependency graph, it is possible to increase the parallelism of the parts that lack it. In this work, we present a novel graph transformation strategy to increase the parallelism degree of a sparse matrix and compare it to our previous strategy. It is seen that our transformation strategy can provide a speedup as high as .
Drug‐Induced Liver Injury with Commonly Used Antibiotics in the All of Us Research Program
Authors: Gu Shaopeng , Rajendiran Govarthanan , Forest Kennedy , Tran Tam C. , Denny Joshua C. , Larson Eric A. , Wilke Russell A.
Published: May 2023

Antibiotics are a known cause of idiosyncratic drug‐induced liver injury (DILI). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the five most commonly prescribed antibiotics in the United States are azithromycin, ciprofloxacin, cephalexin, amoxicillin, and amoxicillin‐clavulanate. We quantified the frequency of acute DILI for these common antibiotics in the All of Us Research Program, one of the largest electronic health record (EHR)‐linked research cohorts in the United States. Retrospective analyses were conducted applying a standardized phenotyping algorithm to de‐identified clinical data available in the All of Us database for 318,598 study participants. Between February 1984 and December 2022, more than 30% of All of Us participants (n = 119,812 individuals) had been exposed to at least 1 of our 5 study drugs. Initial screening identified 591 potential case patients that met our preselected laboratory‐based phenotyping criteria. Because DILI is a diagnosis of exclusion, we then used phenome scanning to narrow the case counts by (i) scanning all EHRs to identify all alternative diagnostic explanations for the laboratory abnormalities, and (ii) leveraging International Classification of Disease 9th revision (ICD)‐9 and ICD 10th revision (ICD)‐10 codes as exclusion criteria to eliminate misclassification. Our final case counts were 30 DILI cases with amoxicillin‐clavulanate, 24 cases with azithromycin, 24 cases with ciprofloxacin, 22 cases with amoxicillin alone, and < 20 cases with cephalexin. These findings demonstrate that data from EHR‐linked research cohorts can be efficiently mined to identify DILI cases related to the use of common antibiotics.
Chemically Defined Production of Tri‐Lineage Human iPSC‐Derived Cardiac Spheroids
Authors: Arzt Madelyn , Pohlman Stephany , Mozneb Maedeh , Sharma Arun
Published: May 2023

Cardiac spheroids derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC‐cardiac spheroids) represent a powerful three‐dimensional (3D) model for examining cardiac physiology and for drug toxicity screening. Recent advances with self‐organizing, multicellular cardiac organoids highlight the capability of directed stem cell differentiation approaches to recapitulate the composition of the human heart in vitro. Using hiPSC‐derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC‐CMs), hiPSC‐derived endothelial cells (hiPSC‐ECs), and hiPSC‐derived cardiac fibroblasts (hiPSC‐CFs) is advantageous for enabling tri‐cellular crosstalk within a multilineage system and for generating patient‐specific models. Chemically defined medium containing factors needed to simultaneously maintain hiPSC‐CMs, hiPSC‐ECs, and hiPSC‐CFs is used to produce the spheroid system. In this article, we present protocols to illustrate the methods for conducting small‐molecule‐mediated differentiations of hiPSCs into cardiomyocytes, endothelial cells, and cardiac fibroblasts, as well as to assemble the fully integrated cardiac spheroids. © 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Basic Protocol 1: Maintenance and expansion of hiPSCs

Basic Protocol 2: Differentiation of hiPSCs into cardiomyocytes

Basic Protocol 3: Differentiation of hiPSCs into vascular endothelial cells

Basic Protocol 4: Differentiation of hiPSCs into cardiac fibroblasts

Basic Protocol 5: Production of hiPSC‐derived cardiac spheroids
The promise and limits of moral exemplars for intergroup conflict resolution and reconciliation
Authors: Bilewicz Michał , Čehajić‐Clancy Sabina
Published: May 2023

Stories about moral exemplars can provide crucial information about the moral heterogeneity of social groups involved in the conflict. This article addresses the role of moral exemplars narratives in changing perceptions of violent historic intergroup conflicts. We propose that two central outcomes of such interventions make them potentially an effective approach for improving intergroup relations in situations of violent intergroup conflict: (1) facilitation of intergroup contact and (2) increasing reconciliatory attitudes. Although most of the existing research on moral exemplars is focused on their positive outcomes, we suggest that moral exemplars might also have destructive consequences: they could be misused to gain an advantage in an intergroup conflict and might stress the immorality of the non‐helping majority. By integrating these two possibilities, we propose a curvilinear model of the effects of moral exemplars narratives in post‐conflict reconciliation and resolution of violent conflicts.
Maize leaf rolling and its response to drying soil and evaporative demand
Authors: Echarte Laura , Sinclair Thomas R. , Jafarikouhini Nahid
Published: May 2023

Leaf rolling is an adaptive mechanism associated with water deficiencies; however, the physiological processes and environmental factors contributing to leaf rolling are not fully understood. The objective of this study was to examine (i) a possible relationship between the degree of leaf rolling and soil water content and (ii) the possible influence of vapor pressure deficit (VPD) on the degree of leaf rolling. Leaf rolling was measured on maize (Zea mays L.) plants grown in pots and subjected to various soil drying and atmospheric VPD treatments. The experimental results indicated that (i) high VPD by itself does not readily induce leaf rolling, and (ii) leaf rolling was observed in proportion to the extent of soil drying. The values of the fraction of transpirable soil water thresholds for the decline in normalized transpiration rate and for the initiation of plant leaf rolling were sensitive to environmental conditions (VPD and temperature). With soil drying, leaf rolling was initiated slightly after the initiation of a decrease in the transpiration rate.
Design of compact fractal patch antenna for X/Ku/K‐band applications
Authors: Sood Mamta , Rai Avinash
Published: May 2023

This paper presents a fractal‐based compact new monopole antenna for wideband applications. The miniaturization has been achieved by incorporating Minkowski and Koch‐snowflake fractals. The proposed antenna design is etched on top of Rogers RT/5880 dielectric material with a dimension of
 mm2. The antenna is designed, analyzed, fabricated, and tested in the laboratory. The proposed geometry operates over a 8.62–22.40 GHz with fractional bandwidth (FBW) of 88.84% and VSWR is less than 2. The proposed monopole antenna exhibits nearly omnidirectional radiation patterns over the entire resonating band with a gain of 1–2.91 dBi and a radiation efficiency of more than 60.5%. Also, the measured results of the prototype make an excellent agreement with the simulated counterpart. Further, the antenna gives good time‐domain characteristics. Therefore, the proposed miniaturized antenna can be used in X/Ku/K‐band applications.
Azole derivatives inhibit wildtype butyrylcholinesterase and its common mutants
Authors: Sari Suat , Önder Seda , Akkaya Didem , Sabuncuoğlu Suna , Zengin Merve , Barut Burak , Karakurt Arzu
Published: May 2023

Azoles, which have been used for antifungal chemotherapy for decades, have recently been of interest for their efficacy against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE). There is little known about the potential of azoles against BChE, however there is none regarding their inhibitory effects against mutants of BChE. In the current study, an azole library of 1‐aryl‐2‐(1H‐imidazol‐1‐yl)ethanol/ethanone oxime esters were tested against AChE and BChE, which yielded derivates more potent than the positive control, galantamine, against both isoforms. Kinetic analyses were performed for wildtype and mutant (A328F and A328Y) inhibition for the two most potent BChE inhibitors, pivalic and 3‐bezoylpropanoic acid esters of 2‐(1H‐imidazol‐1‐yl)‐1‐(2‐naphthyl)ethanol, which were found to have great affinity to the wildtype and mutant BChE types with Ki values as low as 0.173 ± 0.012 µM. The compounds were identified to show linear competitive or mixed type inhibition. Molecular modeling confirmed these kinetic data and provided further insights regarding molecular basis of BChE inhibition by the active derivatives. Thus, current study suggests new azole derivatives with promising cholinesterase inhibitory effects and reveals the first set of information to promote our understanding for the inhibitory behavior of this class against the mutant BChE forms.
The importance of multi‐year studies and commercial yield metrics in measuring pollinator dependence ratios: A case study in UK raspberries Rubus idaeus L.
Authors: Ryan Imogen C. , Shutt Jack D. , Dicks Lynn V.
Published: May 2023

The benefit of pollinators to crop production is normally calculated using “pollinator dependence ratios,” which reflect the proportion of yield lost (here reported as a value between 0 and 1) in the absence of pollinators; these ratios are quantified experimentally using pollinator exclusion experiments. Pollinator dependence ratio estimates can vary considerably for a single crop, creating large, frequently overlooked, uncertainty in economic valuations of pollinators. The source of this variation is usually unclear. We experimentally measured the pollinator dependence ratio of two UK commercial cultivars of raspberry Rubus idaeus L., using a range of yield metrics—fruit set, marketable fruit set, fruit weight, and marketable fruit weight—over 3 years (2019–2021), to quantify the effects of yield metric, interannual variation, and cultivar on pollinator dependence ratio estimates. We found a difference in the pollinator dependence ratio for fruit set of 0.71 between 2019 and 2020, showing the importance of carrying out exclusion studies over multiple years. Averaged over multiple years and two cultivars, the dependence ratio was 0.68 measured using marketable fruit set and 0.64 using marketable fruit weight. Imposing a quality threshold (size and shape) below which fruits would not be of commercial value (marketable fruit set/weight) dramatically increased both the pollinator dependence ratio and subsequent economic valuations of pollination service derived from it. Our study shows that, for raspberry, estimates of the pollinator dependence ratio, and therefore, the economic value of insect pollinators, are highly sensitive to the choice of yield metric and can change between years and cultivars. Many economic decisions about pollinator management, at farm, regional and national scales rely on estimates of pollinator dependence. We, therefore, recommend that for estimating pollinator dependence ratios, pollinator exclusion studies are conducted over three or more years and use yield metrics that incorporate quality criteria linked to actual market values and commercial thresholds.
Correlates of early reproduction and apparent fitness consequences in male Soay sheep
Authors: Chapman Elisabeth G. , Pilkington Jill G. , Pemberton Josephine M.
Published: May 2023

Life history trade‐offs are ubiquitous across species and place constraints on the timing of life history events, including the optimal age at first reproduction. However, studies on lifetime breeding success of male mammals are rare due to sex‐biased dispersal and the requirement for genetic paternity inferences. We studied the correlates and apparent fitness consequences of early life reproduction among males in a free‐living population of Soay sheep (Ovis aries) on St Kilda, Scotland. We investigated the factors associated with early breeding success and the apparent consequences of early success for survival and future reproduction. We used genetic paternity inferences, population data, and individual morphology measurements collected over 30 years. We found that individuals born in years with low‐density population size had the highest early life breeding success and singletons were more likely to be successful than twins. Individuals that bred successfully at 7 months were more likely to survive their first winter. For individuals that survived their first winter, early breeding success was not associated with later breeding success. As individual heterogeneity affects breeding success, we believe that variation in individual quality masks the costs of early reproduction in this population. Our findings provide no evidence for selection for delayed age at reproduction in male Soay sheep.
Quantitative analysis of surface‐wave propagation in the Mexico City Valley
Authors: Meza‐Fajardo Kristel C. , Papageorgiou Apostolos S.
Published: May 2023

The Mexico City basin is an extreme example of an alluvial geological structure that induces long duration and large amplification on ground motions. Researchers have established that the seismic wavefield within the Mexico City basin is composed primarily of surface waves. In the present work, we present a quantitative analysis of the surface‐wave field propagating in the Mexico City basin and generated by thrust‐ and normal‐faulting events. Surface waves are identified and extracted from three‐component ground motion recordings using a technique that exploits the polarization of ground motion. The spatial analysis of the extracted waves clearly shows that the basin response, is strongly dominated by low‐frequency ( to ) Love waves. For all seismic events considered, we found that the identified Love waves can reach amplitudes three times larger as compared to Rayleigh waves. Our analysis indicates that surface wave amplification (as defined in the present work) increases with the 1D fundamental resonant site‐period T1, and appears to be independent of earthquake magnitude. We also quantify the mean delay time of the central frequency f0 of the extracted waves. We found that the of Love waves is spatially more coherent as compared to that of Rayleigh waves. The parameter T1 appears to be a good “proxy” of surface wave effects. This is manifested by a reciprocal relation that was established between T1 and the frequency f0 of the extracted Love waves. Equally important, the latter reciprocal relation turns out to be independent of earthquake magnitude.
Characteristics of reduced‐fat mayonnaise prepared by oleaster as a fat replacer and natural antioxidant
Authors: Roshandel Zahra , Zibaei Rezvan , Abdolmaleki Khadije
Published: May 2023

Due to the disadvantages of consuming fat and synthetic preservatives, the demand to reduce them in lipid‐based products like mayonnaise is increasing. In the current research, there were two goals, the first one was studying the effect of using oleaster flour in different concentrations (4%, 6%, and 8%) as a natural preservative, whereas the second one was studying the effect of oleaster as different fat replacement (FR) levels (10%, 20%, 30%, and 40%) on the physicochemical, antioxidant, and the rheological properties and stability of reduced‐fat mayonnaise samples. Given results showed that with increasing the oleaster concentration, the antioxidant property increased significantly. The peroxide value after 60 days of storage for the 30% FR 8 was 2.01%, compared to the control sample without antioxidant and with TBHQ, which were 10% and 2.68%, respectively. The highest stability index (100%) was observed in the 30% FR and 40% FR samples. In terms of rheological characteristics, the 30% FR 8 oleaster showed the highest viscosity and the lowest frequency dependency. It can be concluded that oleaster has a high potential to be used in the formulation of low‐fat mayonnaise as a fat replacer.
Operation optimization of cold‐end system of direct air‐cooled units considering the effect of environmental wind
Authors: Zhu Xingrong , Zhan Jianyong
Published: May 2023

An air‐cooled island can significantly alter the heat transfer performance of an air‐cooled condenser due to the reflow of hot air caused by environmental wind. This can result in a considerable deviation between the backpressure calculated by traditional air‐cooled condenser models and the actual value. To address the issue, a research study was conducted on a 600‐MW direct air‐cooled unit. Numerical simulation methods were used to obtain the corresponding air flow rates and fan inlet air temperatures for each air‐cooled heat exchanger, which were then combined to establish a backpressure calculation model. From the above model, the backpressure prediction model and unit net output of full conditions were established using a backpropagation neural network. Therefore, taking the net output as the optimization objective, a genetic algorithm was used to compute the optimal backpressure and optimal fan speed in off‐design situations. Compared with traditional calculation approaches, the model produces backpressure predictions that were closer to the actual situation under the effect of ambient wind. The results indicate that both the optimal backpressure and fan speed were positively correlated with the exhaust flow and ambient temperature. It has been observed that when a unit was affected by different wind directions, the effect of the forwarding wind on the backpressure was smaller than that of other wind directions, especially under high‐load conditions. Moreover, the fan group operates close to full capacity under high‐temperature and high‐load conditions. Therefore, considering the influence of ambient wind, the obtained optimal backpressure and fan speed under variable working conditions were more realistic.
Biological research on the occurrence and development of multiple myeloma and its treatment
Authors: Wu Yue , Shi Xiangjun , Yao Xinchen , Du Xinru
Published: May 2023

Introduction

To review the pathogenesis and treatment of multiple myeloma (MM). MM is a hematological malignancy with abnormal plasma cell proliferation in bone marrow. Due to the emergence of drug resistance, MM is still an incurable malignancy, which requires further exploration of pathogenesis and effective therapeutic targets.

Methods

In this paper, the method of literature review is adopted to obtain the information about MM. Based on the literature, comprehensive and systematic review is made.

Results

MM is a complex pathophysiological process with great heterogeneity, mainly reflected in genomic instability and bone marrow microenvironment. At present, the treatment of MM has made great progress, proteasome inhibitors and immunomodulatory drugs are widely used in clinic. Allogeneic stem cell transplantation may be the only promising cure for MM, and its high transplant‐related mortality limits its clinical application.

Conclusions

The future of MM treatment lies in the development of more targeted therapies, novel immunotherapies, and a better understanding of the disease's molecular and genetic basis.
Efficacy of diet restriction with or without probiotic for treatment of patients with IBS‐D: Phase I−II clinical trial
Authors: Zhao Xian‐Shu , Shi Li‐Jun , Ning Bao‐Li , Zhao Zhi‐Ming , Li Xiao‐Xue , Zhu Meng‐Hua , Zhang Ya‐Bing , Fu Jun
Published: May 2023

Background and Aim

Diet is a major contributor to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and is also a powerful tool for treatment of IBS. This study compared two diets and explored the effectiveness of the diets when combined with a probiotic for treatment of IBS‐D patients.

Methods

Phase I, patients were randomized into groups; control, cold/spicy/fried restricted diet (CSF res diet), IgG positive restricted diet (IgG res diet), and a combination both diets (CSF + IgG res diet). Phase II, patients were randomized into IgG res diet + placebo and IgG res diet + probiotic. Both interventions were 12 weeks in duration. Symptom Severity Scale (IBS‐D‐SSS) and IgG titer were assessed at the beginning and the end of the study.

Results

Totals of 214 and 167 patients completed the two parts of the study, respectively. After intervention, IBS‐D‐SSS and TIgG grade were significantly improved compared to baseline, with results similar to the control group. In general, there were decreases in IBS‐D‐SSS and TIgG grade that were significantly different among the groups. There were exceptions; no differences were observed for IBS‐D‐SSS between the IgG res diet and CSF + IgG res diet, or TIgG grade between the CSF res diet, IgG res diet, and CSF + IgG res diet. However, the CSF res diet and IgG res diet had a synergistic effect that decreased IBS‐D‐SSS and TIgG titer, with a greater contribution by the IgG res diet. Therefore, we evaluated the IgG res diet with either placebo or probiotic and found that IBS‐D‐SSS and TIgG grade decreased from baseline. There was a significant decrease in IBS‐D‐SSS with the probiotic but TIgG grade was not significantly different between the IgG diet + placebo and IgG diet + probiotic diet.

Conclusions

Both the CSF res diet and IgG res diet improved IBS symptoms and demonstrated synergy, although the IgG res diet had a greater contribution. Further, when intolerant foods cannot be eliminated from a diet, avoiding uncooked, cold, spicy, fried, and alcoholic foods is a superior choice. The IgG res diet combined with Bifidobacteria was the best dietary choice and may function though a non‐IgG pathway.
HIV and inflammatory markers are associated with persistent COVID‐19 symptoms
Authors: Kamanzi Patrick , Mulundu Gina , Mutale Keagan , Mumba Chibamba , Ngalamika Owen
Published: May 2023

Background

A proportion of COVID19 survivors may present with long‐COVID, which is persistent symptoms lasting four or more weeks post SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. These symptoms may be mild to severe, and may affect different organ‐systems of the body.

Aims

The main objective of this study was to determine the demographic, clinical and immunological factors associated with long COVID.

Materials & Methods

We conducted a nested case control study, with a total of 94 study participants initially included, and 64 participants matched for age and sex for biomarker analyses.

Results

32/94 (34.1%) of all the participants had long COVID. Respiratory symptoms were the most common (59.5%) followed by the musculoskeletal symptoms (28.1%). HIV was an independent predictor of long COVID (adjusted odds ratio = 2.7; p = .037). In all the 64 matched cases and controls, IFN‐β was significantly higher among controls than cases. After stratifying by HIV, IL6 was significantly higher among cases than controls in the HIV‐ group (2.06 vs. 0.81 pg/mL; p = .02). On the other hand, IFN‐β was significantly higher among controls than cases in the HIV+ group (251 vs. 0 pg/mL; p = .01).

Conclusion

HIV infection is a risk factor for long COVID, and inflammatory markers associated with long COVID may be slightly different for HIV− and HIV+ individuals.
Pan‐cancer efficacy and safety of anlotinib plus PD‐1 inhibitor in refractory solid tumor: A single‐arm, open‐label, phase II trial
Authors: Qin Bao‐Dong , Jiao Xiao‐Dong , Wang Zhan , Liu Ke , Wu Ying , Ling Yan , Chen Shi‐Qi , Zhong Xue , Duan Xiao‐Peng , Qin Wen‐Xing , Xue Lei , Guo Zhen‐Hong , Zang Yuan‐Sheng
Published: May 2023

The combination of immunotherapy and antiangiogenic agents for the treatment of refractory solid tumor has not been well investigated. Thus, our study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a new regimen of anlotinib plus PD‐1 inhibitor to treat refractory solid tumor. APICAL‐RST is an investigator‐initiated, open‐label, single‐arm, phase II trial in patients with heavily treated, refractory, metastatic solid tumor. Eligible patients experienced disease progression during prior therapy without further effective regimen. All patients received anlotinib and PD‐1 inhibitor. The primary endpoints were objective response and disease control rates. The secondary endpoints included the ratio of progression‐free survival 2 (PFS2)/PFS1, overall survival (OS) and safety. Forty‐one patients were recruited in our study; 9 patients achieved a confirmed partial response and 21 patients had stable disease. Objective response rate and disease control rate were 22.0% and 73.2% in the intention‐to‐treat cohort, and 24.3% and 81.1% in the efficacy‐evaluable cohort, respectively. A total of 63.4% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 46.9%‐77.4%) of the patients (26/41) presented PFS2/PFS1 >1.3. The median OS was 16.8 months (range: 8.23‐24.4), and the 12‐ and 36‐month OS rates were 62.8% and 28.9%, respectively. No significant association was observed between concomitant mutation and efficacy. Thirty‐one (75.6%) patients experienced at least one treatment‐related adverse event. The most common adverse events were hypothyroidism, hand‐foot syndrome and malaise. This phase II trial showed that anlotinib plus PD‐1 inhibitor exhibits favorable efficacy and tolerability in patients with refractory solid tumor.
Ovarian epithelioid malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor with EWSR1‐CREM fusion: A case report and literature review
Authors: Li Sijian , Hong Ruping , Wang Xiaoxue , Yang Jiaxin
Published: May 2023

Epithelioid malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (EMPNST) is a rare soft tissue sarcoma. The authors report the first case of EMPNST arising in the ovary (OEMPNST). A 7‐year‐old child underwent left salpingo‐oophorectomy due to tumor rupture and the pathology suggested a juvenile granulosa cell tumor (JGCT). Six cycles of bleomycin, etoposide, and carboplatin were administrated. A second surgery was applied due to relapse 4 months after the last cycle of chemotherapy, and the pathology revealed JGCT with extensive abdominopelvic seedings even after interinstitutional consultation in two hospitals. Next‐generation sequencing demonstrated EWSR1 exon12‐CREM exon6 fusion with neurofibromatosis‐2 gene deletion, and no mutation was detected in either FOXL2 or DICER1. However, pathology consultation in two other hospitals suggested the diagnosis of OEMPNST, and additional immunohistochemical (IHC) staining revealed positive H3K27me3. Nonetheless, she was treated with nine courses of chemotherapy but experienced a second recurrence of extensive abdominal metastases approximately 3 months after ceasing chemotherapy. Neither elevated tumor makers nor abnormal sex hormones level was noted since the initial presentation. Repeated cytoreductive surgery was conducted and IHC staining showed expression of SOX10, S‐100, INI‐1, and α‐inhibin in tumor tissue. A final diagnosis of OEMPNST with EWSR1‐CREM fusion was established, indicating that the probability of OEMPNST could not be excluded when treatment for JGCT showed poor response. A comprehensive evaluation including biological characteristics, morphology, IHC staining, and molecular features is vital in the differential diagnosis between JGCT and OEMPNST.