bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Application and reduction of a nonlinear hyperelastic wall model capturing ex vivo relationships between fluid pressure, area, and wall thickness in normal and hypertensive murine left pulmonary arteries
Authors: Haider Mansoor A. , Pearce Katherine J. , Chesler Naomi C. , Hill Nicholas A. , Olufsen Mette S.
Published: January 2024

Pulmonary hypertension is a cardiovascular disorder manifested by elevated mean arterial blood pressure (>20 mmHg) together with vessel wall stiffening and thickening due to alterations in collagen, elastin, and smooth muscle cells. Hypoxia‐induced (type 3) pulmonary hypertension can be studied in animals exposed to a low oxygen environment for prolonged time periods leading to biomechanical alterations in vessel wall structure. This study introduces a novel approach to formulating a reduced order nonlinear elastic structural wall model for a large pulmonary artery. The model relating blood pressure and area is calibrated using ex vivo measurements of vessel diameter and wall thickness changes, under controlled pressure conditions, in left pulmonary arteries isolated from control and hypertensive mice. A two‐layer, hyperelastic, and anisotropic model incorporating residual stresses is formulated using the Holzapfel–Gasser–Ogden model. Complex relations predicting vessel area and wall thickness with increasing blood pressure are derived and calibrated using the data. Sensitivity analysis, parameter estimation, subset selection, and physical plausibility arguments are used to systematically reduce the 16‐parameter model to one in which a much smaller subset of identifiable parameters is estimated via solution of an inverse problem. Our final reduced one layer model includes a single set of three elastic moduli. Estimated ranges of these parameters demonstrate that nonlinear stiffening is dominated by elastin in the control animals and by collagen in the hypertensive animals. The pressure–area relation developed in this novel manner has potential impact on one‐dimensional fluids network models of vessel wall remodeling in the presence of cardiovascular disease.
(Pyridin‐2‐ylmethyl)triel Derivatives as Masked Frustrated Lewis Pairs. Interactions and CO2‐Sequestration
Authors: Ferrer Maxime , Alkorta Ibon , Elguero Jose , Oliva‐Enrich Josep M.
Published: January 2024

The isolated (pyridin‐2‐ylmethyl)triel derivatives (triel=B, Al and Ga) show an intramolecular N⋅⋅⋅Tr triel bond as shown by compounds found in the Cambridge Structural Database and DFT calculations. The possibility to use them as masked frustrated Lewis pairs (mFLP) has been explored theoretically concerning their reaction with CO2. The adduct formation proceeds in two steps. In the first one, the (pyridin‐2‐ylmethyl)triel derivatives break the intramolecular N⋅⋅⋅Tr bond assisted by CO2 and in the second step the adduct is formed with Tr−O and N−C covalent bonds. The corresponding energy minima and transition states (TS) of the reaction have been characterized and analyzed. The distortion/interaction model analysis of the stationary points indicates that the whole process can be divided in two parts: reorganization of the mFLP in the first steps of the reaction while the reaction with CO2 (associated to the distortion of this molecule) is more important in the formation of the final adduct. In all cases studied, the final products are more stable than the starting molecules that combine with reasonable TS energies indicating that these reactions can occur.
Through‐space scalar spin‐spin coupling: from rigid intramolecular cases to short‐lived van der Waals complexes
Authors: Saielli Giacomo
Published: January 2024

We will discuss, with the help of few selected examples, how the concept of through‐space scalar spin‐spin coupling between non covalently bonded nuclei has evolved in recent years. We will first present systems where ‘no covalent bond’ actually means that the two atoms are separated by a large number of bonds; then we will see cases where it is referred to true van der Waals dimers, but with the two atoms somehow constrained in their positions; we will finish with the most recent examples of liquids and even gaseous mixtures with full translational degrees of freedom in a regime of intermolecular/interatomic fast exchange.
The associations of grief‐related rumination with prolonged grief and posttraumatic stress symptoms: A longitudinal study of bereaved after the 2011 terror attack in Norway
Authors: Thimm Jens C. , Kristensen Pål , Aulie Ingebjørg Fossberg , Larsen Ida Marie , Johnsen Iren
Published: January 2024

After the sudden and violent death of a loved one, many bereaved experience symptoms of prolonged grief (PG) and posttraumatic stress (PTS). The present study investigated the cross‐sectional and longitudinal associations of grief‐related rumination with PG and PTS symptoms among bereaved parents and siblings after the Utøya terror attack in Norway on 22 July 2011 (N = 110, Mage = 43.2 years, 59.1% female). Participants' responses on the Rumination Scale, the Inventory of Complicated Grief and the Impact of Event Scale‐Revised 28, 40 and 102 months after the loss were analysed. Cross‐sectionally and longitudinally, grief‐related rumination was positively and strongly linked with PG and PTS symptoms. When controlling for the baseline levels of PG and PTS symptoms and demographics of the sample, grief‐related rumination predicted PG symptoms after 12 months but not after 74 months. Further, grief‐related rumination predicted significantly the PTS symptoms of avoidance after 12 and 74 months and hyperarousal after 74 months beyond sample demographics and baseline symptoms. The results suggest that grief‐related rumination is an important factor in PG and PTS symptoms after traumatic bereavement.
Water droplet energy harvesting
Authors: Lin Zhiming , Yang Zhengbao
Published: January 2024

Harnessing abundant kinetic water energy in diverse forms of river flows, ocean waves, tidal currents, raindrops, and others, is highly attractive to ease the energy crisis and satisfy the demands of scattered sensor network nodes in the Internet of things. Among them, raindrops, widely and ubiquitously distributed in nature and ambient living life, have been extensively explored and regarded as significant renewable energy carriers. Extensive efforts have been made to investigate droplet‐based electricity nanogenerators in fundamental mechanism, performance, and applications for achieving sustainable energy demands of the rapidly developing society over the past decade. In this review, we introduce the remarkable progress in this field and discuss the fundamental mechanisms of droplet energy harvesting technology for achieving high‐power generation. More significantly, a systematic review of droplet energy harvesting in different two‐phase interfaces, including liquid–solid, liquid–liquid, and liquid–gas interfaces, is provided. Finally, this survey reveals that droplet‐based electricity generators present vast potential in the power supply. At the same time, several development challenges and prospective solutions are discussed to spur future technological advancements.
Synthesis and Twin Polymerization of Si(OCH2py)4 for Nitrogen‐containing Carbon Materials
Authors: Scharf Sebastian , Notz Sebastian , Pfefferkorn Kai , Rüffer Tobias , Formánek Petr , Hübner René , Selyshchev Oleksandr , Madeira Teresa I. , Zahn Dietrich R. T. , Lang Heinrich
Published: January 2024

The synthesis and twin polymerization (TP) of Si(OCH2py)4 (3 a, py=2‐cC5H4N; 3 b, py=3‐cC5H4N; 3 c, py=4‐cC5H4N) is discussed. The solid state structures of 3 b, c were confirmed by single‐crystal X‐ray crystallography showing non‐conventional H‐bonding, forming 2D chains (3 b) or 3D networks (3 c). Thermally induced TP of 3 a–c and their simultaneous polymerization with 2,2‘‐spiro‐bi[4H‐1,3,2‐benzodioxasiline] (4) is described. The resulting hybrid materials were characterized by 1H, 13C{1H}, and 29Si{1H} CP MAS NMR spectroscopy confirming the transformation of the SiOCH2 moieties into CH2 groups enabling the formation of the respective polymers. These results were supported by HAADF‐STEM studies, displaying micro‐structuring. Nitrogen‐containing porous carbon materials C_1–C_3 show surface areas of 1300 and 1700 m2 g−1, large pore volumes between 0.6–1.2 cm3 g−1, and nitrogen contents of up to 3.1 at‐%. X‐ray photoemission spectroscopy reveal that pyrrolic, pyridine, and pyridone nitrogen atoms are present. If equimolar amounts of 3 a–c and 4 are simultaneously polymerized in the presence of [Pd(OAc)2] (5), then the Pd nanoparticle‐decorated material Pd@C_3 (900 m2 g−1) was obtained, which showed k values of −0.083 and −0.066 min−1 in the reduction of methylene blue and methyl orange, proving the accessibility of the Pd NPs.
Synthesis and Characterization of Dearomatized Pyridine‐Derived Alkyl‐Amido‐tert‐Butylphosphine Iron(II) Complexes
Authors: Gunasekera Parami S. , Paul Sanchita , MacMillan Samantha N. , Lacy David C.
Published: January 2024

Neutral three‐coordinate iron alkylidenes of the form PN−Fe=CHR have been proposed as viable candidates for alkene metathesis. Indeed, during the final stages of preparing this current study, a separate report disclosed that dearomatized PN−Fe‐alkyl complexes are active precatalysts for ring‐opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of norbornene implicating PN−Fe=CHR species as possible intermediates. In yet another separate report, we prepared Zn analogues of PN−Fe‐alkyl complexes and herein provide an account for the synthesis, characterization, and reactivity of some new iron complexes with the same tBu substituted PN platform.
A New Design and Embedded Implementation of a Low‐Cost Maximum Power Point Tracking Charge Controller for Stand‐Alone Photovoltaic Systems
Authors: Chtita Smail , Motahhir Saad , El Ghzizal Abdelaziz
Published: January 2024

This article presents a low‐cost maximum power point tracking (MPPT) charge controller designed to efficiently charge solar batteries using a simple and robust MPPT method, while providing protection against over‐currents and over‐voltages. The proposed MPPT approach utilizes a modified Incremental Conductance (INC) algorithm adapted to low‐cost embedded controllers, as it avoids all the mathematical division calculations typically used in the conventional INC algorithm. It also introduces a modified step size based only on photovoltaic (PV) power change to enhance tracking accuracy and convergence speed. Furthermore, to reduce the stress and switching losses of DC–DC converter, a feedback control with two proportional and integral (PI) compensators is also used to control both the PV voltage and to protect the battery from over‐currents using PV power limitation technique. Simulation results, carried out under MATLAB/Simulink, demonstrate the good performance of the proposed control scheme regarding any variations in atmospheric conditions, both for the MPPT control and for the battery charge control. Finally, a processor‐in‐the‐loop (PIL) test using a low‐cost Arduino MKR ZERO board is also performed to verify the hardware implementation of the proposed method. PIL results are in totally accordance with MATLAB/Simulink simulation results, which further proves the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Adsorption of hydrocarbon pollutants from wastewater using Cu‐ and Zn‐loaded activated carbon derived from waste tires
Authors: Ahmad Waqas , Muhammad Taj , Ahmad Imtiaz , Khan Mumtaz , Nazneen Shahla
Published: January 2024

Petroleum refinery effluents contain hazardous aromatic and polyaromatic hydrocarbons that causes environmental degradation, that is, water, land, and air pollution; therefore, it should be properly treated before its discharge into environment. Adsorption serves an efficient route to treatment of refinery wastewater; but the high production cost and selectivity of the modern adsorbent used limits their industrial scale application. On the other hand, activated carbon due to desirable adsorption characteristics and low cost seems to hold the promise if properly modified to improve its efficiency. In this study, Cu and Zn impregnated on activated carbon (AC) derived from waste tires was used for adsorption of hydrocarbon pollutants from wastewater. AC was prepared from scrap tires through thermal pyrolysis, followed by chemical activation with KOH. Cu and Zn were loaded on AC through wet impregnation method. Initial batch mode adsorption experiments were carried out using aniline and phenol as model hydrocarbons, which indicated that maximum adsorption of aniline and phenol over Zn/AC and Cu/AC occurs in 10 min contact time, temperature 30°C, pH 6, 100 ppm initial concentration, and adsorbent dose of 0.1 g/10 mL. The removal of hydrocarbon pollutants from real refinery wastewater was also investigated under optimized conditions. Results show that the COD of the refinery wastewater decreased from 963 to 73 mg/L in case of Cu/AC (92% removal) and 78 mg/L in case of Zn/AC (91% removal), respectively. The adsorbent showed many folds reusability, and in first cycle, the removal efficiency of phenol and aniline was observed to be above 95%, whereas in second, third and fourth cycles, the removal percentage was 85%, 80%, and 70%, respectively.
Evapotranspiration and surface energy fluxes across Europe, Africa and Eastern South America throughout the operational life of the Meteosat second generation satellite
Authors: Barrios J. M. , Arboleda A. , Dutra E. , Trigo I. , Gellens‐Meulenberghs F.
Published: January 2024

The exchange of energy and water fluxes between the Earth's surface and the atmosphere is crucial to a series of processes that impact human life. Noteworthy examples are agriculture yields, water availability, intensity and extent of droughts and the ability of ecosystems to provide services to society. The relevance of these processes has motivated the Satellite Application Facility on Land Surface Analysis (LSA SAF) programme to set up an operational framework to estimate—among other variables—evapotranspiration (ET) and surface energy fluxes (SEF) on the basis of observations by the Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) satellite. The LSA SAF programme has recently launched the reprocessing of the ET and SEF datasets on the basis of the most recent version of the algorithm and homogenous forcing datasets. This article features the resulting ET/SEF dataset, a Data Record that encompasses the period from the start of the operational life of the MSG satellite (2004) till 2020 and covers the field of view of the MSG satellite (i.e. Europe, Africa and Eastern South America). Details on the algorithm and the datasets driving the ET/SEF estimates are also provided as well as a quality assessment.
Negotiating structural barriers to environmental collaborations in doctoral programmes
Authors: Lait Joshua , Hayes Hannah , Hayes Sylvia , Auster Roger , Fox Ellie , Timmins Madeleine , Bauchot Augustin
Published: January 2024

This commentary reflects on the experiences of a cohort of human and physical geographers in enacting environmental collaborations during their doctoral studies. The authors identify three key structural barriers encountered whilst attempting a collaborative approach: (1) doctoral funding priorities, (2) doctoral resourcing and (3) assessing doctoral collaboration. The authors discuss how the negotiation of these encounters came to frame their understanding of collaborative approaches to environmental knowledge creation. Competitive application processes for doctoral studentships can encourage the overpromising of the impact of planned environmental collaboration, potentially co‐opting the voices of partners/communities to satisfy doctoral funding requirements. Given insufficient funding of collaborations, the authors argue that this overpromising of doctoral research's impact can later result in difficult trade‐offs between undertaking additional commitments at the expense of the career progression of the doctoral student, contributing to educational inequalities and scaling‐back the initial plans at the cost of collaborators encountering environmental crises. The trade‐off is further problematised by institutional assessment procedures that do not adequately recognise the more nuanced contributions of environmental collaborations and a prevailing culture promoting peer‐review publishing. Overall, the commentary argues that these barriers help to reproduce inequalities in the distribution of voice in environmental scholarship, undermining efforts to democratise environmental knowledge creation in doctoral research. The authors call for specific structural reforms of doctoral programmes to help address these challenges and support a broader resistance to the inadequate resourcing and evaluation of environmental collaborative research in UK higher education.
Evaluating emergency service response to COVID‐19: A scoping review
Authors: Waring Sara , Bromley Caitlin , Giles Susan
Published: January 2024

Introduction

The issue of how emergency services (police, fire, ambulance, local authorities) respond to pandemics has received greater research focus recently in relation to the COVID‐19 outbreak, which saw agencies going beyond usual roles to support communities for prolonged periods. A critical appraisal is needed of this published evidence to take stock of what is known about the effectiveness of emergency service response to Covid‐19.

Method

A scoping review of scientific and grey literature identified 17 qualitative (N = 9), quantitative (N = 6), or mixed methods (N = 2) studies from across the UK and internationally that focus on the effectiveness of emergency service response to the Covid‐19 outbreak. A narrative review was conducted using an interpretive approach. Papers were read, summarised, and then sorted into inductive themes that addressed some aspect of the review question. Eight critical themes emerged from the narrative review.

Results

Across countries, emergency services were required to quickly adapt working practices to reduce spread of infection, support partner agencies facing unprecedented demands, and make effective use of limited resources. Use of technology, access to timely, accurate and relevant information, strong leadership, prior experience, and emergency training were critical to this. However, most research is descriptive rather than evaluative.

Conclusions

Overall, findings highlight the need for further research that examines what mechanisms facilitate and hinder emergency response to pandemics. This scoping review provides a knowledge framework for informing future research that can support emergency services in preparing for events of national and international significance.
Essential elements for a nationwide remote pharmacy trainee mentoring program: An opinion of the Ambulatory Care Practice and Research Network of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy
Authors: Wheeler Sarah E. , McDanel Deanna , Kiser Katie , Majerczyk Daniel , Nguyen Julie Ha , Crannage Erica F. , Smith Taylor , Lipari Melissa
Published: January 2024

Mentorship is vital for pharmacy trainees to develop professional skills and networks. This paper aims to share the development and implementation of a national remote mentorship program for pharmacy trainees within the American College of Clinical Pharmacy Ambulatory Care Practice and Research Network. We offer recommendations for developing a similar program within organizations emphasizing the program's framework as a resource for similar initiatives. The following key recommendations are proposed to enhance mentorship programs: (1) Program flexibility for tailored interactions; (2) Effective mentor–mentee matching through comprehensive data collection; and (3) Strong, early communication to maintain participant engagement. These strategies are crucial for successfully developing remote mentorship programs in professional pharmacy organizations, as evidenced by limited reports in the current literature.
Investigation of cadmium adsorption factors from water by synthesis of chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol/modified FDU‐12 nanocomposite
Authors: Esmaeili Iman , Soltanolkottabi Fariba , Hosseini Firuzeh , Jafari Hojat
Published: January 2024

Chitosan (CTS) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) are two environmentally friend polymers. In this research, methacrylate‐modified FDU‐12 (FDU‐12‐NH2) nanoparticle was synthesized. It was used in the preparation of CTS/PVA/FDU‐12‐NH2 (2%, 5% w) composites. Fourier transfer infrared spectroscopy, nitrogen adsorption/desorption, and transmission electron microscopy techniques were applied for the characteristics of the composites. Then, the produced composites were used as the adsorbents to remove cadmium (II) from the aqueous solutions. The optimal conditions of the Cd (II) adsorption factors were achieved. The different isotherms and kinetic models were applied to obtain the equilibrium adsorption information. The results indicated that Freundlich isotherm was the best isotherm model. Also, the kinetic model followed the pseudo‐second‐order. The maximum adsorption capacities were found 125 and 200 mgg−1 of the adsorbents by the Langmuir model. The results showed that the synthesized nanocomposite exhibited a good adsorbent for cadmium metal in the aqueous solution.
MCP‐5 suppresses osteoclast differentiation through Ccr5 upregulation
Authors: Kim Jung Ha , Kim Kabsun , Kim Inyoung , Seong Semun , Koh Jeong‐Tae , Kim Nacksung
Published: January 2024

Human monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 (MCP‐1) in mice has two orthologs, MCP‐1 and MCP‐5. MCP‐1, which is highly expressed in osteoclasts rather than in osteoclast precursor cells, is an important factor in osteoclast differentiation. However, the roles of MCP‐5 in osteoclasts are completely unknown. In this study, contrary to MCP‐1, MCP‐5 was downregulated during receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand (RANKL)‐induced osteoclast differentiation and was considered an inhibitory factor in osteoclast differentiation. The inhibitory role of MCP‐5 in osteoclast differentiation was closely related to the increase in Ccr5 expression and the inhibition of IκB degradation by RANKL. Transgenic mice expressing MCP‐5 controlled by Mx‐1 promoter exhibited an increased bone mass because of a decrease in osteoclasts. This result strongly supported that MCP‐5 negatively regulated osteoclast differentiation. MCP‐5 also prevented severe bone loss caused by RANKL.
Hemodynamic force dictates endothelial angiogenesis through MIEN1‐ERK/MAPK‐signaling axis
Authors: Cheng Lin , Shi Huiyu , Du Lingyu , Liu Qiao , Yue Hongyan , Zhang Huaiyi , Liu Xiaoheng , Xie Jing , Shen Yang
Published: January 2024

It is well‐recognized that blood flow at branches and bends of arteries generates disturbed shear stress, which plays a crucial in driving atherosclerosis. Flow‐generated fluid shear stress (FSS), as one of the key hemodynamic factors, is appreciated for its critical involvement in regulating angiogenesis to facilitate wound healing and tissue repair. Endothelial cells can directly sense FSS but the mechanobiological mechanism by which they decode different patterns of FSS to trigger angiogenesis remains unclear. In the current study, laminar shear stress (LSS, 15 dyn/cm2) was employed to mimic physiological blood flow, while disturbed shear stress (DSS, ranging from 0.5 ± 4 dyn/cm2) was applied to simulate pathological conditions. The aim was to investigate how these distinct types of blood flow regulated endothelial angiogenesis. Initially, we observed that DSS impaired angiogenesis and downregulated endogenous vascular endothelial growth factor B (VEGFB) expression compared to LSS. We further found that the changes in membrane protein, migration and invasion enhancer 1 (MIEN1) play a role in regulating ERK/MAPK signaling, thereby contributing to endothelial angiogenesis in response to FSS. We also showed the involvement of MIEN1‐directed cytoskeleton organization. These findings suggest the significance of shear stress in endothelial angiogenesis, thereby enhancing our understanding of the alterations in angiogenesis that occur during the transition from physiological to pathological blood flow.
More the merrier: Effects of plural brand names on perceived entitativity and brand attitude
Authors: Gupta Tanvi , Chen Shirley (Shuo) , Mohanty Smaraki
Published: January 2024

This research finds evidence for a plural name advantage on brand attitude. Six studies, including two archival datasets with real market brands and four experiments using fictitious brands, show that brands with plural names (e.g., Dunkin' Donuts) are associated with more favorable brand attitude than brands with singular names (e.g., Dunkin' Donut). This plural brand name advantage is driven by perceptions of brand entitativity emerging from the collective reading of plural entities. However, the positive effect of plural brand names on brand attitude is attenuated in the case of premium brands. This research has practical implications for brand name strategy and makes a theoretical contribution by bringing attention to the under‐researched space of morphology in brand name linguistics.
Unveiling Anoikis‐related genes: A breakthrough in the prognosis of bladder cancer
Authors: Jiang Shen , Yang Xiping , Lin Yang , Liu Yunfei , Tran Lisa Jia , Zhang Jing , Qiu Chengjun , Ye Fangdie , Sun Zhou
Published: January 2024

Background

Bladder cancer (BLCA) is a prevalent malignancy worldwide. Anoikis remains a new form of cell death. It is necessary to explore Anoikis‐related genes in the prognosis of BLCA.

Methods

We obtained RNA expression profiles from the The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus databases for dimensionality reduction analysis and isolated epithelial cells, T cells and fibroblasts for copy number variation analysis, pseudotime analysis and transcription factor analysis based on R package. We integrated machine‐learning algorithms to develop the artificial intelligence‐derived prognostic signature (AIDPS).

Results

The performance of AIDPS with clinical indicators was stable and robust in predicting BLCA and showed better performance in every validation dataset compared to other models. Mendelian randomization analysis was conducted. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) sites of rs3100578 (HK2) and rs66467677 (HSP90B1) exhibited significant correlation of bladder problem (not cancer) and bladder cancer, whereasSNP sites of rs3100578 (HK2) and rs947939 (BAD) had correlation between bladder stone and bladder cancer. The immune infiltration analysis of the TCGA‐BLCA cohort was calculated via the ESTIMATE (i.e. Estimation of STromal and Immune cells in MAlignantTumours using Expression data) algorithm which contains stromal, immune and estimate scores. We also found significant differences in the IC50 values of Bortezomib_1191, Docetaxel_1007, Staurosporine_1034 and Rapamycin_1084 among the high‐ and low‐risk groups.

Conclusions

In conclusion, these findings indicated Anoikis‐related prognostic genes in BLCA and constructed an innovative machine‐learning model of AIDPS with high prognostic value for BLCA.
Raw starch degrading alkaline α‐amylase from Geobacillus kaustophilus TSCCA02: Production, characterization, and its potential for application as a detergent additive
Authors: Phonlamai Ausawadee , Kingkaew Thananya , Prajanket Pradabrat , Sakdapetsiri Chatsuda , Krajangsang Sukhumaporn , Kitpreechavanich Vichien , Lomthong Thanasak
Published: January 2024

Geobacillus kaustophilus TSCCA02, a newly isolated strain from cassava (Manihot esculenta L.) rhizosphere soil in Thailand, showed maximum raw starch degrading enzyme (RSDE) activity at 252.3 ± 9.32 U/mL with cassava starch and peptone at 5.0 and 3.0 g/L, respectively. 16 S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequencing and phylogenetic tree analyses indicated that the TSCCA02 strain was closely related to G. kaustophilus. The crude RSDE had optimal activity at 60°C and pH 9.0. This enzyme degraded various kinds of starch including potato starch, cassava starch, rice flour, corn starch, glutinous rice flour, and wheat flour to produce sugar syrup at 60°C, as confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thin‐layer chromatography (TLC), and Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The major end products of starch hydrolysis were maltose and maltotriose with a small amount of glucose, confirming this enzyme as an α‐amylase. The enzyme improved the washing efficiency of cotton fabric with commercial detergent. Results indicated the potential of alkaline α‐amylase produced from a new isolate of G. kaustophilus TSCCA02 for application as a detergent additive on an industrial scale.
Target‐guided isolation and purification of cyclooxygenase‐2 inhibitors from Meconopsis integrifolia (Maxim.) Franch. by high‐speed counter‐current chromatography combined with ultrafiltration liquid chromatography
Authors: Li Aijing , La Mencuo , Wang Yao , Chen Tao , Mian Ruisha , He Fangfang , Li Yulin , Zou Denglang
Published: January 2024

Meconopsis integrifolia (Maxim.) Franch. is used extensively in traditional Tibetan medicine for its potent anti‐inflammatory properties. In this study, six cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) inhibitors were purified from M. integrifolia using high‐speed counter‐current chromatography guided by ultrafiltration liquid chromatography (ultrafiltration‐LC). First, ultrafiltration‐LC was performed to profile the COX‐2 inhibitors in M. integrifolia. The reflux extraction conditions were further optimized using response surface methodology, and the results showed that the targeted COX‐2 inhibitors could be well enriched under the optimized extraction conditions. Then the six target COX‐2 inhibitors were separated by high‐speed countercurrent chromatography with a solvent system composed of ethyl acetate/n‐butanol/water (4:1:4, v/v/v. Finally, the six COX‐2 inhibitors, including 21.2 mg of 8‐hydroxyluteolin 7‐sophoroside, 29.6 mg of 8‐hydroxyluteolin 7‐[6′''‐acetylallosyl‐(1→2)‐glucoside], 42.5 mg of Sinocrassoside D3, 54.1 mg of Hypolaetin 7‐[6′′′‐acetylallosyll‐(l→2)‐3′′‐acetylglucoside, 30.6 mg of Hypolaetin 7‐[6′′′‐acetylallosyll‐(l→2)‐6′′‐acetylglucoside and 17.8 mg of Hypolaetin were obtained from 500 mg of sample. Their structures were elucidated by 1H‐NMR spectroscopy. This study reveals that ultrafiltration‐LC combined with high‐speed counter‐current chromatography is a robust and efficient strategy for target‐guided isolation and purification of bioactive molecules. It also enhances the scientific understanding of the anti‐inflammatory properties of M. integrifolia but also paves the way for its further medicinal applications.
Simultaneous determination of sinomenine and its metabolites desmethyl‐sinomenine and sinomenine N‐oxide in rat plasma by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: He Ning , Fan Ali , Wu Dongmei , Yu Hongyan , Wang Kun , Jiao Weijie , Zhao Xu
Published: January 2024

Sinomenine is an active ingredient extracted from herb medicine, which has been prescribed to treat rheumatoid arthritis in clinics. The present work was to develop a simple method to simultaneously determine sinomenine and its metabolites desmethyl sinomenine and sinomenine N‐oxide in rat plasma by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Precursor‐to‐product transitions for detection were m/z 330.2 > 239.1 for sinomenine, m/z 316.2 > 239.1 for desmethyl‐sinomenine, m/z 346.2 > 314.1 for sinomenine N‐oxide and m/z 286.2 > 153.2 for morphine (internal standard), respectively. During the validation and sample quantification, an excellent linear calibration range was observed for all the analytes with correlation coefficients more than 0.999 (r > 0.99). The extraction recovery was more than 85%. No significant matrix effect and carryover were observed. The precision was less than 6.45%, whereas accuracy ranged from –4.10% to 7.23%. The validated method has been successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study of sinomenine, desmethyl sinomenine, and sinomenine N‐oxide in rat plasma after oral administration of sinomenine at a single dose of 5 mg/kg. The results suggested that sinomenine was rapidly metabolized into its metabolite desmethyl sinomenine and sinomenine N‐oxide.
A Proof‐of‐Concept Computer Vision Approach for Measurement of Tympanic Membrane Perforations
Authors: Nwosu Obinna , Suresh Krish , Knoll Renata , Lee Daniel J. , Crowson Matthew G.
Published: January 2024

Objective

Size, an important characteristic of a tympanic membrane perforation (TMP), is commonly assessed with gross estimation via visual inspection, a practice which is prone to inaccuracy. Herein, we demonstrate feasibility of a proof‐of‐concept computer vision model for estimating TMP size in a small set of perforations.

Methods

An open‐source deep learning architecture was used to train a model to segment and calculate the area of a perforation and the visualized tympanic membrane (TM) in a set of endoscopic images of mostly anterior and relatively small TMPs. The model then computed relative TMP size by calculating the ratio of perforation area to TM area. Model performance on the test dataset was compared to ground‐truth manual annotations. In a validation survey, otolaryngologists were tasked with estimating the size of TMPs from the test dataset. The primary outcome was the average absolute error of model size predictions and clinician estimates compared to sizes determined by ground‐truth manual annotations.

Results

The model's average absolute error for size predictions was a 0.8% overestimation for all test perforations. Conversely, among the 38 survey respondents, the average clinician error was a 11.0% overestimation (95% CI, 5.2–16.7%, p = 0.003).

Conclusions

In a small sample of TMPs, we demonstrated a computer vision approach for estimating TMP size is feasible. Further validation studies must be done with significantly larger and more heterogenous datasets.

Level of Evidence

N/A Laryngoscope, 134:2906–2911, 2024
Silibinin, a potential fasting mimetic, inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma by triggering extrinsic apoptosis
Authors: Xiao Biying , Jiang Yanyu , Yuan Shuying , Cai Lili , Xu Tong , Jia Lijun
Published: January 2024

Fasting, without inducing malnutrition, has been shown to have various beneficial effects, including the inhibition of tumor initiation and progression. However, prolonged fasting poses challenges for many cancer patients, particularly those in intermediate and terminal stages. Thus, there is an urgent need for the development of fasting mimetics which harness the protective effects of fasting but more suitable for patients. In this study, we first highlighted the pivotal role of silibinin in AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway and may serve, as a potential fasting mimetic via screening hepatoprotective drugs. Further metabolic analysis showed that silibinin inhibited the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels, glucose uptake and diminished glycolysis process, which further confirmed that silibinin served as a fasting mimetic. In addition, fasting synergized with silibinin, or used independently, to suppress the growth of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in vivo. Mechanistically, silibinin upregulated death receptor 5 (DR5) through AMPK activation, and thus promoting extrinsic apoptosis and inhibiting HCC growth both in vitro and in vivo. Inhibition of AMPK using small interfering RNA (siRNA) or compound C, an AMPK inhibitor, significantly attenuated the upregulation of DR5 and the apoptotic response induced by silibinin. These findings suggest that silibinin holds promise as a fasting mimetic and may serve as an adjuvant drug for HCC treatment.
A genetic variant in the MAST1 gene is associated with mega‐corpus‐callosum syndrome with hypoplastic cerebellar vermis, in a fetus
Authors: Yi Sheng , Tang Xianglian , Chen Fei , Wang Linlin , Chen Junjie , Yang Zuojian , Huang Minpan , Yi Shang , Huang Limei , Yang Qi , Yang Shuihua , Pan Pingshan , Qin Zailong , Luo Jingsi
Published: January 2024

Background

Mega‐corpus‐callosum syndrome with cerebellar hypoplasia and cortical malformations is a rare neurological disorder that is associated with typical clinical and imaging features. The syndrome is caused by pathogenic variants in the MAST1 gene, which encodes a microtubule‐associated protein that is predominantly expressed in postmitotic neurons in the developing nervous system.

Methods

Fetal DNA from umbilical cord blood samples and genomic DNA from peripheral blood lymphocytes were subjected to whole‐exome sequencing. The potential causative variants were verified by Sanger sequencing.

Results

A 26‐year‐old primigravid woman was referred to our prenatal center at 25 weeks of gestation due to abnormal ultrasound findings in the brain of the fetus. The brain abnormalities included wide cavum septum pellucidum, shallow and incomplete bilateral lateral fissure cistern, bilateral dilated lateral ventricles, hyperplastic corpus callosum, lissencephaly, and cortical dysplasia. No obvious abnormalities were observed in the brainstem or cerebellum hemispheres, but the cerebellum vermis was small. Whole‐exome sequencing identified a de novo, heterozygous missense variant, c.695T>C(p.Leu232Pro), in the MAST1 gene and a genetic diagnosis of mega‐corpus‐callosum syndrome was considered.

Conclusion

This study is the first prenatal case of MAST1‐related disorder reported in the Chinese population and has expanded the mutation spectrum of the MAST1 gene.
Semiclassical states for fractional Schrödinger equations with critical nonlinearities
Authors: Du Jia‐Lu , Dai Ting‐Ting , Ou Zeng‐Qi , Lv Ying
Published: January 2024

In this paper, we consider the following fractional Schrödinger equation

where
is a parameter,
is the fractional Laplacian and
is a superlinear and subcritical nonlinearity. Under a local condition imposed on the potential function, combining the penalization method and the concentration‐compactness principle, we prove the existence of a positive solution for the above equation.
On the Ulam stabilities of nonlinear integral equations and integro‐differential equations
Authors: Tunç Osman , Tunç Cemil , Petruşel Gabriela , Yao Jen‐Chih
Published: January 2024

In this research, two systems of nonlinear Volterra integral equation and Volterra integro‐differential equation were considered. New results in sense of Ulam stabilities in relation to these two systems were proved on a finite interval. The proof of the results on the Ulam stabilities of that classes of the equations are based on the nonlinear alternative related to Banach's contraction principle. The outcomes of this research give new contribution to the theory of Ulam stabilities.
Dynamical behaviors of stochastic eco‐epidemic predator–prey model with Allee effect in prey and Lévy jump
Authors: He Xueqing , Liu Ming , Xu Xiaofeng
Published: January 2024

In this paper, the dynamical behaviors of a stochastic eco‐epidemic predator–prey model with Lévy jump and Allee effect for prey population are investigated. First, the existence and uniqueness of the global positive solution are built. Then, the long‐term behaviors of the prey and predator populations are obtained. Furthermore, we demonstrate the stochastic ultimate boundedness of all species and the ergodic stationary distribution without Lévy jump. Finally, numerical examples are provided to support the theoretical analysis results.
An improved impedance space for extended hybrid continuous mode power amplifiers
Authors: Hao Peng , Shen Ce , You Fei
Published: January 2024

Extended hybrid continuous mode expands the design bandwidth of the power amplifier (PA) by sacrificing drain efficiency. To balance the performance of drain efficiency and bandwidth, this letter limits the range of relevant parameters of its impedance space through theoretical analysis. An improved high‐efficiency load impedance space is proposed. Through the improved high‐efficiency impedance space, a PA operating at 0.8–2.2 GHz is designed, with a drain efficiency of more than 55% and an output power of more than 38.2 dBm, which verifies the design goals of broadband and high efficiency.
An ultra‐wideband polarization‐insensitive optically transparent band‐notched absorber
Authors: Zhu Min , Wang Yi , Wang Lingling , Huo Feifei , Wang Xuedao , Cao Qunsheng
Published: January 2024

In this paper, a polarization‐independent optical transparent absorber with a notch band has been designed, fabricated, and experimented. The proposed structure is composed of three layers made of indium tin oxide (ITO) films with different surface resistances separated by polydimethylsiloxane substrates, which can realize ultra‐wideband absorption. The absorber presents two discrete absorption bands in the frequency range of 3.65–28.82 and 37.72–43.69 GHz, and reflective behavior from 31 to 36.57 GHz. Compared with existing notched band absorbers, this proposed structure has obvious advantages such as structure stability, polarization insensitivity, simple structure, and ultra‐wide absorption bandwidth up to 155%. The prototype was fabricated and a reasonable agreement was obtained between the simulated and measured results.
Pedicle screw path planning for multi‐level vertebral fixation
Authors: Zhao Jingwei , Zhang Yunxian , Zhan Shi , Zhang Qi , Wang Dan , Peng Fan , Cui Shangqi , Wang Binbin , Shi Zhe , He Da , Liu Bo , Yang Zhi
Published: January 2024

Background

For the spinal internal fixation procedures, connecting rods to the pedicle screws are commonly used in all spinal segments from the cervical to sacral spine. So far, we have only seen single vertebral screw trajectory planning methods in literatures. Joint screw placements in multi‐level vertebrae with the constraint of an ipsilateral connecting rod are not considered.

Purpose

In this paper, a screw trajectory planning method that considers screw‐rod joint system with both multi‐level vertebral constraints and individual vertebral safety tolerance are proposed.

Methods

The proposed method addresses three challenging constraints jointly for multi‐level vertebral fixation with pedicle screws. First, a cylindrical screw safe passage model is suggested instead of a unique mathematical optimal trajectory for a single pedicle. Second, the flexible screw cap accessibility model is also included. Third, the connecting rod is modeled to accommodate the spine contour and support the needed gripping capacity. The retrospective clinical data of relative normal shape spines from Beijing Jishuitan hospital were used in the testing. The screw trajectories from the existing methods based on single vertebra and the proposed method based on multi‐level vertebrae optimization are calculated and compared.

Results

The results showed that the calculated screw placements by the proposed method can achieve 88% success rate without breaking the pedicle cortex and 100% in clinical class A quality (allow less than 2 mm out of the pedicle cortex) compared to 86.1% and 99.1%, respectively, with the existing methods. Expert evaluation showed that the screw path trajectories and the connecting rod calculated by the new method satisfied the clinical implantation requirements.

Conclusions

The new screw planning approach that seeks an overall optimization for multi‐level vertebral fixation is feasible and more advantageous for clinical use than the single vertebral approaches.
Open questions on lower urinary tract infections: Results of a Delphi consensus study
Authors: Iacovelli Valerio , Ficarra Vincenzo , Maestroni Umberto Vittorio , Tutolo Manuela , Finazzi Agrò Enrico
Published: January 2024

Background and Objective

This is a Delphi study that aims to explore expert consensus regarding open questions in current literature evidence on lower urinary tract infections (UTIs). This manuscript deals with adults and analyzed the most recent guidelines and meta‐analysis on the topic.

Methods

A panel of leading urologists and urogynaecologists participated in a consensus‐forming project using a Delphi method to reach consensus on gray zone issues on recurrent lower UTIns (rUTIs), asymptomatic bacteriuria (AB) in pregnant women, and catheter‐associated UTIs (CAUTI) in adults. All the panelists were invited to participate the four phases consensus. Consensus was defined as ≥75% agreement. An ordinal scale (0–10) was used. A systematic literature review was analyzed for diagnostic workup and prevention of rUTIs, AB, and CAUTI.

Results

In total, 37 experts participated. All panelists participated in the four phases of the consensus process. Consensus was reached if ≥75% of the experts agreed on the proposed topic. Online meetings and a face‐to‐face consensus meeting was held in Milan in March 2023. Formal consensus was achieved for 12/13 items.

Conclusions

This manuscript is a Delphi survey of experts that showed interest on some debated points on rUTIs, AB in pregnancy, and prevention of CAUTI. There is still little data on nonantibiotic prevention of UTIs and CAUTI; quite old studies have been reported on AB in pregnancy. The emerging problem of antibiotic resistance is relevant and nonantibiotic prophylaxis may play a role in its prevention.
Early pseudoprogression and progression lesions in glioblastoma patients are both metabolically heterogeneous
Authors: Ungan Gülnur , Pons‐Escoda Albert , Ulinic Daniel , Arús Carles , Ortega‐Martorell Sandra , Olier Ivan , Vellido Alfredo , Majós Carles , Julià‐Sapé Margarida
Published: January 2024

The standard treatment in glioblastoma includes maximal safe resection followed by concomitant radiotherapy plus chemotherapy and adjuvant temozolomide. The first follow‐up study to evaluate treatment response is performed 1 month after concomitant treatment, when contrast‐enhancing regions may appear that can correspond to true progression or pseudoprogression. We retrospectively evaluated 31 consecutive patients at the first follow‐up after concomitant treatment to check whether the metabolic pattern assessed with multivoxel MRS was predictive of treatment response 2 months later. We extracted the underlying metabolic patterns of the contrast‐enhancing regions with a blind‐source separation method and mapped them over the reference images. Pattern heterogeneity was calculated using entropy, and association between patterns and outcomes was measured with Cramér's V. We identified three distinct metabolic patterns—proliferative, necrotic, and responsive, which were associated with status 2 months later. Individually, 70% of the patients showed metabolically heterogeneous patterns in the contrast‐enhancing regions. Metabolic heterogeneity was not related to the regions' size and only stable patients were less heterogeneous than the rest. Contrast‐enhancing regions are also metabolically heterogeneous 1 month after concomitant treatment. This could explain the reported difficulty in finding robust pseudoprogression biomarkers.
Photoluminescence lifetime stability studies of β‐diketonate europium complexes based phenanthroline derivatives in poly(methyl methacrylate) films
Authors: Essahili Othmane , Ouafi Mouad , Ilsouk Mohamed , Lakbita Omar , Duhayon Carine , Mahi Lhassane , Moudam Omar
Published: January 2024

In this work, five phenanthroline derivatives substituted with different methyl groups have been selected to synthesize β‐diketonate‐based europium complexes to check the influence of the substitutions on the degradation effect of those complexes in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) films. The photophysical properties of Eu(III) complexes, including absorbance, excitation, and emission have been carefully investigated in solution, solid‐state, and doped in PMMA film. In all these states, the complexes exhibit an impressive red emission at 614 nm with a high photoluminescence quantum yield of up to 85 %. The films have been exposed under outdoor, indoor, and dark storage stability lifetime conditions for 1200 hours. The photoluminescence measurements recorded every 400, 800, and 1200 hours demonstrated that the film containing europium complex with phenanthroline ligand substituted by a high number of methyl groups (Eu(TTA)3L5) showed good photoluminescent stability in indoor and dark conditions, and exhibited better resistance to degradation in outdoor conditions compared to other complexes. This study has proved that phenanthroline ligands could be tuned chemically leading to better stability of those types of complexes in films which can be end‐used for future stable optoelectronic devices such as luminescent solar concentrators.