bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enrichment Strategies for Efficient CO2 Electroreduction in Acidic Electrolytes
Authors: Xu Meng , Deng Taojiang , Liu Li‐Xia , Han Xiguang
Published: September 2023

Electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) has been recognized as an appealing route to remarkably accelerate the carbon‐neutral cycle and reduce carbon emissions. Notwithstanding great catalytic activity that has been acquired in neutral and alkaline conditions, the carbonates generated from the inevitable reaction of the input CO2 with the hydroxide severely lower carbon utilization and energy efficiency. By contrast, CO2RR in an acidic condition can effectively circumvent the carbonate issues; however, the activity and selectivity of CO2RR in acidic electrolytes will be decreased significantly due to the competing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Enriching the CO2 and the key intermediates around the catalyst surface can promote the reaction rate and enhance the product selectivity, providing a promising way to boost the performance of CO2RR. In this review, the catalytic mechanism and key technique challenges of CO2RR are first introduced. Then, the critical progress of enrichment strategies for promoting the CO2RR in the acidic electrolyte is summarized with three aspects: catalyst design, electrolyte regulation, and electrolyzer optimization. Finally, some insights and perspectives for further development of enrichment strategies in acidic CO2RR are expounded.
Recent Progress in All‐Solution‐Processed Organic Solar Cells
Authors: Xu Yixuan , Wang Qian , Zou Wentao , Zhang Xu , Sun Yanna , Kan Yuanyuan , Cai Ping , Gao Ke
Published: September 2023

Comprehensive Summary

All‐solution‐processed organic solar cells (OSCs) (from the bottom electrode to the top electrode) are highly attractive thanks to their low cost, lightweight and high‐throughput production. However, achieving highly efficient all‐solution‐processed OSCs remains a significant challenge. One of the key issues is the lack of high‐quality solution‐processed electrode systems that can replace indium tin oxide (ITO) and vacuum‐deposited metal electrodes. In this paper, we comprehensively review recent advances in all‐solution‐processed OSCs, and classified the devices as the top electrode materials, including silver nanowires (AgNWs), conducting polymers and composite conducting materials. The correlation between electrode materials, properties of electrodes, and device performance in all‐solution‐processed OSCs is elucidated. In addition, the critical roles of the active layer and interface layer are also discussed. Finally, the prospects and challenges of all‐solution‐processed OSCs are presented.
Click Chemistry and Targeted Degradation: A Winning Combination for Medicinal Chemists?
Authors: Pasieka Anna , Diamanti Eleonora , Uliassi Elisa , Laura Bolognesi Maria
Published: September 2023

Click chemistry is universally recognized as a powerful strategy for the fast and precise assembly of diverse building blocks. Targeted Protein Degradation (TPD) is a new therapeutic modality based on heterobifunctional small‐molecule degraders that provides new opportunities to medicinal chemists dealing with undruggable targets and incurable diseases. Here, we highlight how very recently the TPD field and that of click chemistry have merged, opening up the possibility for fine‐tuning the properties of a degrader, chemically assembled through a “click” synthesis. By reviewing concrete examples, we want to provide the reader with the insight that the application of click and bioorthogonal chemistry in the TDP field may be a winning combination.
Unraveling the intricate relationship: Influence of microbiome on the host immune system in carcinogenesis
Authors: Garg Saksham , Sharma Nikita , Bharmjeet  , Das Asmita
Published: September 2023

Background

Cancer is an outcome of various disrupted or dysregulated metabolic processes like apoptosis, growth, and self‐cell transformation. Human anatomy harbors trillions of microbes, and these microbes actively influence all kinds of human metabolic activities, including the human immune response. The immune system which inherently acts as a sentinel against microbes, curiously tolerates and even maintains a distinct normal microflora in our body. This emphasizes the evolutionarily significant role of microbiota in shaping our adaptive immune system and even potentiating its function in chronic ailments like cancers. Microbes interact with the host immune cells and play a part in cancer progression or regression by modulating immune cells, producing immunosuppressants, virulence factors, and genotoxins.

Recent Findings

An expanding plethora of studies suggest and support the evidence of microbiome impacting cancer etiology. Several studies also indicate that the microbiome can supplement various cancer therapies, increasing their efficacy. The present review discusses the relationship between bacterial and viral microbiota with cancer, discussing different carcinogenic mechanisms influenced by prokaryotes with special emphasis on their immunomodulatory axis. It also elucidates the potential of the microbiome in transforming the efficacy of immunotherapeutic treatments.

Conclusion

This review offers a thorough overview of the complex interaction between the human immune system and the microbiome and its impact on the development of cancer. The microbiome affects the immune responses as well as progression of tumor transformation, hence microbiome‐based therapies can vastly improve the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapies. Individual variations of the microbiome and its dynamic variability in every individual impacts the immune modulation and cancer progression. Therefore, further research is required to understand these underlying processes in detail, so as to design better microbiome‐immune system axis in the treatment of cancer.
Global minimizers of a large class of anisotropic attractive‐repulsive interaction energies in 2D
Authors: Carrillo José A. , Shu Ruiwen
Published: September 2023

We study a large family of Riesz‐type singular interaction potentials with anisotropy in two dimensions. Their associated global energy minimizers are given by explicit formulas whose supports are determined by ellipses under certain assumptions. More precisely, by parameterizing the strength of the anisotropic part we characterize the sharp range in which these explicit ellipse‐supported configurations are the global minimizers based on linear convexity arguments. Moreover, for certain anisotropic parts, we prove that for large values of the parameter the global minimizer is only given by vertically concentrated measures corresponding to one dimensional minimizers. We also show that these ellipse‐supported configurations generically do not collapse to a vertically concentrated measure at the critical value for convexity, leading to an interesting gap of the parameters in between. In this intermediate range, we conclude by infinitesimal concavity that any superlevel set of any local minimizer in a suitable sense does not have interior points. Furthermore, for certain anisotropic parts, their support cannot contain any vertical segment for a restricted range of parameters, and moreover the global minimizers are expected to exhibit a zigzag behavior. All these results hold for the limiting case of the logarithmic repulsive potential, extending and generalizing previous results in the literature. Various examples of anisotropic parts leading to even more complex behavior are numerically explored.
OpenFAM: Programming disaggregated memory
Authors: Singhal Sharad , Crasta Clarete Riana , Abdulla K Mashood , Barmawer Faizan , Bhat Gautham , Rao Ramya Ahobala , P N Soumya , Rajak Rishi Kesh K
Published: September 2023

High performance computing (HPC) clusters are increasingly handling workloads where working data sets cannot be easily partitioned or are too large to fit into local node memory. In order to enable HPC workloads to access memory external to the node, HPE has defined a programming API (OpenFAM) for developing applications that use large‐scale disaggregated memory. In this paper we describe an open‐source reference implementation of OpenFAM that can be used on scale‐up machines, traditional HPC clusters, as well as emerging disaggregated memory architectures. We demonstrate the efficiency of the implementation using micro‐benchmarks on InfiniBand and Slingshot‐based clusters.
Pair Distribution Function from Liquid Jet Nanoparticle Suspension using Femtosecond X‐ray Pulses
Authors: Støckler Lise Joost , Christensen Rasmus Stubkjær , Kløve Magnus , Bertelsen Andreas Dueholm , Borup Anders Bæk , Krause Lennard , Takahashi Seiya , Fujita Tomoki , Kasai Hidetaka , Inoue Ichiro , Nishibori Eiji , Iversen Bo Brummerstedt
Published: September 2023

X‐ray scattering data measured on femtosecond timescales at the SACLA X‐ray Free Electron Laser (XFEL) facility on a suspension of HfO2 nanoparticles in a liquid jet were used for pair distribution function (PDF) analysis. Despite a non‐optimal experimental setup resulting in a modest Qmax of ~8 Å−1, a promising PDF was obtained. The main features were reproduced when comparing the XFEL PDF to a PDF obtained from data measured at the PETRA III synchrotron light source. Refining structural parameters such as unit cell dimension and particle size from the XFEL PDF provided reliable values. Although the reachable Qmax limited the obtainable information, the present results indicate that good quality PDFs can be obtained on femtosecond timescales if the experimental conditions are further optimized. The study therefore encourages a new direction in ultrafast structural science where structural features of amorphous and disordered systems can be studied.
Gel Biopolymer Electrolytes Based on Saline Water and Seaweed to Support the Large‐Scale Production of Sustainable Supercapacitors
Authors: Santa‐Cruz Larissa A. , Mantovi Primaggio S. , Loguercio Lara F. , Galvão Rhauane A. , Navarro Marcelo , Passos Saulo T. A. , Neto Brenno A. D. , Tavares Fabiele C. , Torresi Roberto M. , Machado Giovanna
Published: September 2023

Climate change and the demand for clean energy have challenged scientists worldwide to produce/store more energy to reduce carbon emissions. This work proposes a conductive gel biopolymer electrolyte to support the sustainable development of high‐power aqueous supercapacitors. The gel uses saline water and seaweed as sustainable resources. Herein, a biopolymer agar‐agar, extracted from red algae, is modified to increase gel viscosity up to 17‐fold. This occurs due to alkaline treatment and an increase in the concentration of the agar‐agar biopolymer, resulting in a strengthened gel with cohesive superfibres. The thermal degradation and agar modification mechanisms are explored. The electrolyte is applied to manufacture sustainable and flexible supercapacitors with satisfactory energy density (0.764 Wh kg−1) and power density (230 W kg−1). As an electrolyte, the aqueous gel promotes a long device cycle life (3500 cycles) for 1 A g−1, showing good transport properties and low cost of acquisition and enabling the supercapacitor to be manufactured outside a glove box. These features decrease the cost of production and favor scale‐up. To this end, this work provides eco‐friendly electrolytes for the next generation of flexible energy storage devices.
Lie hypergraph and chaos‐based privacy preserving protocol for wireless sensor networks in IoT environment
Authors: Sridharan Supriya , Rajendran Sujarani , Venkatraman Swaminathan
Published: September 2023

Wireless sensor networks (WSN) are innately resource restrained and beneficial in a wide range of applications, including smart homes, e‐health care, law, military systems, disaster management, and emergency reprieve. These applications are linked to various devices that may communicate with one another through the internet, typically known as Internet of Things (IoT). The application of WSN plays an integral role in the IoT infrastructure. In a WSN, sensors are haphazardly placed in environments where the data transmission is challenged by privacy concerns. This paper proposes a methodology termed Lie hypergraph and chaos‐based secure routing (LH‐CSR) to perform an energy‐efficient routing with secure data transmission in WSN. In the first phase, the deployed sensor nodes are transformed into a hypergraph from which cluster head (CH) is elected by hypergraph transversal property, and for secure routing, the route is formed by the Lie commutators of the Lie algebra of upper triangular matrices. The second phase emphasizes privacy preservation by introducing the novel chaotic map formulation to process the key generation. The encryption and decryption processes are maintained by key generation to prevent data loss during retrieval. In this way, the data are retained confidentially with minimal computational overhead. The performance of the LH‐CSR is evaluated through a simulation, which shows that it outperforms over compared protocols in terms of cryptographic time, network lifetime, packet delivery ratio, end‐to‐end delay, and throughput.
Long‐term impact of angiotensin receptor‐neprilysin inhibitor based on short‐term treatment response in heart failure
Authors: Park Hyuk Kyoon , Park Jong Sung , Kim Myeong Seop , Lee Eunkyu , Choi Hyohun , Park Yoon Jung , Park Bo Eun , Kim Hong Nyun , Kim Namkyun , Bae Myung Hwan , Lee Jang Hoon , Park Hun Sik , Cho Yongkeun , Jang Se Yong , Yang Dong Heon
Published: September 2023

Aims

The long‐term effect of angiotensin receptor–neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI) remains uncertain in patients who have experienced improvements in left ventricular (LV) systolic function or significant LV reverse remodelling following a certain period of treatment. It is also unclear how ARNI performs in patients who have not shown these improvements. This study aimed to assess the impact of prolonged ARNI use compared with angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs)/angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) in patients with and without significant treatment response after 1 year of heart failure (HF) treatment.

Methods and results

The present study enrolled patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) who were treated with either ARNI or ACEIs/ARBs within 1 year of undergoing index echocardiography. After 1 year of treatment, patients were reclassified into the following groups: (i) patients with HF with improved ejection fraction and persistent HFrEF and (ii) patients with and without LV reverse remodelling based on the follow‐up echocardiography. The effect of ARNI versus that of ACEIs/ARBs in each group was assessed from the time of categorizing into new groups using the composite event of all‐cause mortality and HF hospitalization. A total of 671 patients with HFrEF (age, 66.4 ± 14.1 years; males, 66.8%) were included, and 133 (19.8%) composite events of death and rehospitalization for HF were observed during the follow‐up (median follow‐up, 44 [interquartile range, 34–51] months). ARNI had a significantly lower event rate than ACEIs/ARBs in patients with HF with improved ejection fraction (7.0% vs. 30.4%, P = 0.020) and those with persistent HFrEF (17.6% vs. 49.7%, P < 0.001). Irrespective of whether patients exhibited LV reverse remodelling (15.8% vs. 31.1%, P = 0.001) or not (15.0% vs. 54.9%, P < 0.001), ARNIs were associated with a significantly lower event rate than ACEIs/ARBs.

Conclusions

Regardless of significant treatment response measured by either LVEF or LV reverse remodelling after 1 year of treatment, the extended utilization of ARNI demonstrated a more favourable prognosis than that of ACEIs/ARBs in patients with HFrEF.
Cognitive transitions based on functional status in older adults with heart failure: a population‐based study
Authors: Morris Kensuke , Takegami Misa , Teramoto Kanako , Murata Shunsuke , Nakatsuka Kiyomasa , Ogata Soshiro , Nishimura Kunihiro
Published: September 2023

Aims

Cognitive impairment and functional status are both important determinants of poor outcomes in heart failure (HF). However, little is known about how functional status impacts the changes in cognitive status during the disease course. This study aimed to describe the cognitive transitions in patients with HF and assess the relationship of these transitions to functional status, which was assessed by the dependency of activities of daily living (ADL).

Methods and results

This retrospective cohort study included 1764 patients with an International Classification of Diseases‐10 code of HF (≥65 years, mean age 82.3 ± 7.9 years, 39% male) from a long‐term care and medical insurance database from Nobeoka city, a rural city of south‐western Japan. Cognitive status at baseline and 6, 12, 18, and 24 month time points was collected, and participants were stratified based on ADL status at baseline. Generalized estimating equations and multi‐state modelling were used to examine associations between ADL dependency and cognitive changes/mortality. Transition probabilities were estimated using multi‐state modelling. At baseline, there were 1279 (73%) and 485 (27%) patients with independent and dependent ADL, respectively. In overall patients, 1656 (93.9%) patients had normal/mild cognitive status and 108 (6%) patients had a moderate/severe cognitive status at baseline. The majority [104 (96%) patients] of patients with moderate/severe cognitive status at baseline had dependent ADL. In patients with moderate/severe cognitive status, the number of patients with dependent ADL always outnumbered that of the independent ADL throughout the follow‐up. Multi‐state modelling estimated that patients with dependent ADL and normal/mild cognitive status at baseline had 47% probability of maintaining the same cognitive status at 24 months, while the probability of maintaining the same cognitive status was 86% for those with independent ADL. Patients with normal/mild cognitive status in the dependent ADL group at baseline had a higher risk of experiencing a transition to moderate/severe cognitive status at any time point during 24 months compared with those with independent ADL [hazard ratio 5.24 (95% confidence interval 3.47–7.90)].

Conclusions

In older patients with HF, the prevalence of cognitive impairment was always higher for those with reduced functional status. Despite having a normal/mild cognitive status at baseline, patients with dependent ADL are at high risk of experiencing cognitive decline over 24 months with substantially less chance of maintaining their cognitive status. ADL dependency was an important risk factor of cognitive decline in patients with HF.
Incidence, mortality, and predictors of acute kidney injury in patients with heart failure: a systematic review
Authors: Ru Song‐Chao , Lv Shu‐Bin , Li Zhi‐Juan
Published: September 2023

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common in patients with heart failure (HF), but studies have been inconsistent about the incidence of AKI in patients with HF. We conducted a meta‐analysis to examine the incidence of AKI and its impact on mortality in patients with HF. We also looked at inpatient variables that could predict the development of AKI to identify potential risk factors, so that these can be used as a starting point for intervention and prevention in this group. The Embase, Medline, PubMed, Cochrane libraries, and Web of Science databases were used for searching articles from the inception of the database to October 2022. The EndNote software was used for screening. Meta‐analysis was performed using Stata 16.0 software to combine effect sizes. A total of 37 studies were included. Of all the 3 533 583 patients with HF, 774 887 had AKI, with a pooled incidence of 33% [95% confidence interval (CI): 32–35%]. The incidence rate of AKI in acute HF and chronic HF was 36% (95% CI: 31–40%) and 30% (95% CI: 24–35%), respectively. Eleven studies found that AKI patients had higher in‐hospital mortality than non‐AKI patients [risk ratio (RR): 3.65; 95% CI: 3.04–4.39, P < 0.001]. Mortality was assessed in five studies, and it was found that mortality remained high at 1‐year follow‐up after onset of AKI (RR: 1.85, 95% CI: 1.54–2.22, P < 0.001). Fifteen admission variables were included and analysed in 13 studies. The combined results showed that diabetes, hypertension, history of chronic kidney disease, chronic HF systolic, age, N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide, creatinine > 1.0 mg/dL, index estimated glomerular filtration rate < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2, blood urea nitrogen > 24 mg/dL, intravenous dobutamine, and serum albumin were predictor factors for HF patients with AKI (P < 0.05). In this meta‐analysis, AKI occurred in approximately 33% of HF patients during hospitalization and the risk of dying in the hospital was tripled. Even during 1‐year long‐term follow‐up, the risk of death remained high, and multiple inpatient variables showed that HF patients tended to have AKI. Early intervention and treatment are important to reduce the incidence of AKI and improve the prognosis.
Do unique names fit people for creative work? Implications for job recruitment, name change, and product evaluation
Authors: Bao Han‐Wu‐Shuang , Lu Huanhua , Luo Yu L. L.
Published: September 2023

Unique names have commonly been viewed as undesirable. However, our studies (total N = 6049) suggest the opposite: unique names are perceived as favourable to creativity in occupational contexts. Generally, people held a perception that unique‐named individuals are more creative (albeit less likable) and therefore more suitable for jobs requiring greater creativity (Studies 1–2). Accordingly, participants tended to select candidates with more unique names for creative positions (Study 3) and recommend more unique names to workers in creative jobs for a name change (Study 4). Furthermore, real‐world archival data revealed that artists (typical creative professions) tended to adopt more unique new names, which was replicated cross‐culturally in American, British, and Chinese samples (Study 5), and that Chinese movie directors with more unique names received higher evaluations for the movies they directed (Study 6). Our findings demonstrate a novel form of name stereotype and its behavioural manifestations and real‐world consequences.
Social identity emergence in attitude interactions and the identity strengthening effects of cumulative attitude agreement
Authors: O'Reilly Caoimhe , Maher Paul J. , Smith Elaine M. , MacCarron Pádraig , Quayle Michael
Published: September 2023

The social identity approach asserts that self‐categorization is fluid and created anew in context. Despite this, research often conceptualizes identities as being based on static categories. In this article, we assess: how attitudes may be relevant attributes used to categorize the self and others, and therefore have the potential to foster social identification; how such categories/identities can be updated with new attitudinal information; and how attitudes have greater impact when socially expressed. Across three preregistered computer‐mediated interactive experiments (N = 3087), involving attitudes relating to the Ukraine‐Russia conflict of 2022, we find, identities can be updated with the introduction of new attitudes in interaction; cumulative attitude congruence strengthens identification; attitudinal interaction strengthens opinion‐based group identification and activism intentions, and ingroups can strategically align their attitudes. We conclude that to fully understand identity formation, we must acknowledge the fluidity of self‐categories and resultant identities, in line with the original specifications of the social identity approach.
The role of specialization in increasing farmers' income: Horizontal or vertical?
Authors: Chen Xi , Zhao Limei , Liu Kai
Published: September 2023

Based on the theory of division of labor and specialization, this article attempts to address the problem of “splitting horizontal and vertical division of labor” by innovatively integrating horizontal specialization, vertical specialization, and farmers' income into a unified analytical framework. Using the data for 416 chicken farmers in four districts and counties of Guangdong Province as the sample, the theoretical framework proposed in this article is tested by constructing multiple linear regression models and structural equation models. The results are as follows: Both vertical and horizontal specialization can bolster the income of farmers, but they have different specific mechanisms of action. Vertical specialization promotes agricultural income through the mediating effect of horizontal specialization. It is evident that the discussion of horizontal specialization of farmers should not be separated from the conditions of vertical specialization. The policy effect of emphasizing horizontal specialization alone may be limited. Especially for those farmers who are limited by their own endowments and objective conditions to increase their horizontal specialization level and production scale in the short term, it is more important to promote their vertical specialization level.
Energy attenuation behavior on propane–air premixed combustion on account of nonmetallic spherical spacers in confined space with two perforated plates
Authors: Dai Huwei , Yao Dasuo , Yu Yangyang , Zhang Junhong , Wang Dan
Published: September 2023

Energy attenuation behavior on propane premixed combustion on account of nonmetallic spherical spacers (NSSs) was investigated in a constant volume combustion bomb with two accelerative perforated plates. The flame evolution process is captured by a photography device with schlieren. Energy attenuation effects of NSSs were explored on flame propagation, overpressures, and pressure oscillation. Normal combustion accomplished with flame acceleration, jet autoignition, deflagration, and weak detonation is observed, respectively. NSSs show a good energy attenuation effect on propane normal combustion, jet autoignition, and deflagration evolution behavior, however, during the evolution of weak detonation, the attenuation effect is relatively weak. The mean velocities difference, as well as explosion overpressure decay rate caused by NSSs, decreases from (45.70 m/s and 26.48%) to (2.70 m/s and 18.15%) when the initial pressure increases from 0.1 to 0.5 MPa, namely, attenuation effect of NSSs on propane explosion decreases with increasing initial pressure.
Deep learning‐based method for solving seepage equation under unsteady boundary
Authors: Li Daolun , Shen Luhang , Zha Wenshu , Lv Shuaijun
Published: September 2023

Deep learning‐based methods for solving partial differential equations have become a research hotspot. The approach builds on the previous work of applying deep learning methods to partial differential equations, which avoid the need for meshing and linearization. However, deep learning‐based methods face difficulties in effectively solving complex turbulent systems without using labeled data. Moreover, issues such as failure to converge and unstable solution are frequently encountered. In light of this objective, this paper presents an approximation‐correction model designed for solving the seepage equation featuring unsteady boundaries. The model consists of two neural networks. The first network acts as an asymptotic block, estimating the progression of the solution based on its asymptotic form. The second network serves to fine‐tune any errors identified in the asymptotic block. The solution to the unsteady boundary problem is achieved by superimposing these progressive blocks. In numerical experiments, both a constant flow scenario and a three‐stage flow scenario in reservoir exploitation are considered. The obtained results show the method's effectiveness when compared to numerical solutions. Furthermore, the error analysis reveals that this method exhibits superior solution accuracy compared to other baseline methods.
Institutional agents’ perspectives of institutional support for undocumented and DACA community college students
Authors: Muñoz Susana M. , Almeida Joél Orozco , Fraile Brian Jimenez
Published: September 2023

Given that community colleges enroll most of the undocumented and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students across the nation, there is an economic and moral imperative to understand how the sociopolitical environment has shifted educational opportunities for undocumented and DACA students. This paper unveils how institutional agents use their agency to shape the college community college experiences of undocumented and DACA students. Findings include institutional agents’ perspectives on navigating challenges, resistance, and virtues in the current sociopolitical climate. Recommendations are discussed to enhance humanizing and holistic institutional support for DACA and undocumented college students, as well as a proposed undocuservingness framework.

Practical Takeaways

It is important for insititutional agents to use legal and racial consciouness to better serve undocumented and DACA students.

Hispanic Serving Community Colleges need to unpack servingness within the context of supporting undocumented and DACA students
A computational model to uncover the biophysical underpinnings of neural firing heterogeneity in dissociated hippocampal cultures
Authors: Dhyani Vaibhav , George Kevin , Gare Suman , Venkatesh K. V. , Mitra Kishalay , Giri Lopamudra
Published: September 2023

Calcium (Ca2+) imaging reveals a variety of correlated firing in cultures of dissociated hippocampal neurons, pinpointing the non‐synaptic paracrine release of glutamate as a possible mediator for such firing patterns, although the biophysical underpinnings remain unknown. An intriguing possibility is that extracellular glutamate could bind metabotropic receptors linked with inositol trisphosphate (IP3) mediated release of Ca2+ from the endoplasmic reticulum of individual neurons, thereby modulating neural activity in combination with sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ transport ATPase (SERCA) and voltage‐gated Ca2+ channels (VGCC). However, the possibility that such release may occur in different neuronal compartments and can be inherently stochastic poses challenges in the characterization of such interplay between various Ca2+ channels. Here we deploy biophysical modeling in association with Monte Carlo parameter sampling to characterize such interplay and successfully predict experimentally observed Ca2+ patterns. The results show that the neurotransmitter level at the plasma membrane is the extrinsic source of heterogeneity in somatic Ca2+ transients. Our analysis, in particular, identifies the origin of such heterogeneity to an intrinsic differentiation of hippocampal neurons in terms of multiple cellular properties pertaining to intracellular Ca2+ signaling, such as VGCC, IP3 receptor, and SERCA expression. In the future, the biophysical model and parameter estimation approach used in this study can be upgraded to predict the response of a system of interconnected neurons.
Structural biomarker‐based Alzheimer's disease detection via ensemble learning techniques
Authors: Shukla Amar , Tiwari Rajeev , Tiwari Shamik
Published: September 2023

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a degenerative neurological disorder with incurable characteristics. To identify the substantial solution, we used a structural biomarker (structural magnetic resonance imaging) to see the neurostructural changes in the different regions of the brain of AD, mild cognitive impairment, and cognitive normal subjects. In this study, we detected the AD and their subtypes by using the traditional machine learning and ensemble learning models. It is also identified the relative impact score of various cortical and subcortical regions of AD and their subtypes. Experimental study contains two levels of classification: binary and multiclass. The Ensemble_LR_SVM model in binary classification has 99% accuracy in detection. Random forest model in the multiclass has 82% of accuracy. In the cortical‐subcortical analysis, the right hemisphere's parahippocampal and entorhinal regions were discovered to be the most influential. Similarly, the inferior temporal and isthmus cingulate regions had a significant influence in the left hemisphere.
Means testing and Social Security in the United States
Authors: Bagchi Shantanu
Published: September 2023

This paper uses a heterogeneous‐agent overlapping‐generations model to examine the fiscal and distributional consequences of introducing a means test in US Social Security. I find that a means test, that is, conditioning benefit payments on a household's earnings or assets, leads to a higher implicit tax on old‐age resources, but has desirable distributional effects. A 75% cut in the benefits to households with earnings of more than 200% of the median leads to a 2.3% reduction in the overall size of Social Security, but has almost no effect on average dollar benefits. In contrast, a fiscally comparable payroll tax cut leads to an across‐the‐board decline of 2% in the average dollar benefits, despite an increase in capital and labor. A fiscally comparable delay in the benefit eligibility age increases benefits for all, but negatively affects capital and labor. Finally, an asset‐based means test causes a decline of 1% in the average dollar benefits, but has a large negative effect on capital and the accidental bequests left behind by deceased households.
Poricoic acid A induces mitophagy to ameliorate podocyte injury in diabetic kidney disease via downregulating FUNDC1
Authors: Wu Yuwen , Deng Haohua , Sun Jiazhong , Tang Jun , Li Xin , Xu Yancheng
Published: September 2023

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a devastating complication of diabetes mellitus (DM) and is the most prevalent chronic kidney disease (CKD). Poricoic acid A (PAA), a component isolated from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Poria cocos, has hypoglycaemic and anti‐fibrosis effects. However, the role of PAA in DKD remains largely unclear. To mimics an in vitro model of DKD, the mouse podocyte MPC5 cells were treated with high glucose (25 mM; HG) for 24 h. CCK‐8 and flow cytometry assays were conducted for assessing MPC5 cell viability and apoptosis. Meanwhile, streptozotocin (STZ) was used to induce experimental DKD in mice by intraperitoneal injection. PAA notably inhibited the apoptosis and inflammation, reduced the generation of ROS, and elevated the MMP level in HG‐treated MPC5 cells. Moreover, PAA obviously reduced blood glucose and urine protein levels, inhibited renal fibrosis in DKD mice. Meanwhile, PAA markedly increased LC3 and ATG5 levels and declined p62 and FUNDC1 levels in HG‐treated MPC5 cells and in the kidney tissues of DKD mice, leading to the activation of cell mitophagy. Furthermore, the downregulation of FUNDC1 also inhibited apoptosis, inflammation, and promoted mitophagy in HG‐treated MPC5 cells. As expected, the knockdown of FUNDC1 further enhanced the protective role of PAA in MPC5 cells following HG treatment, indicating that induction of mitophagy could attenuate podocyte injury. Collectively, PAA could exert beneficial effects on podocyte injury in DKD by promoting mitophagy via downregulating FUNDC1. These findings suggested that PAA may have great potential in alleviating kidney injury in DKD.
Novel hydrazones derived from anthranilic acid as potent cholinesterases and α‐glycosidase inhibitors: Synthesis, characterization, and biological effects
Authors: Tokalı Feyzi Sinan , Taslimi Parham , Taskin‐Tok Tugba , Karakuş Ahmet , Sadeghian Nastaran , Gulçin İlhami
Published: September 2023

N‐substitued anthranilic acid derivatives are commonly found in the structure of many biologically active molecules. In this study, new members of hydrazones derived from anthranilic acid (1−15) were synthesized and investigated their effect on some metabolic enzymes such as acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), and α‐glycosidase (α‐Gly). Results indicated that all the molecules exhibited potent inhibitory effects against all targets as compared to the standard inhibitors, revealed by IC50 values. Ki values of compounds for AChE, BChE, and α‐Gly enzymes were obtained in the ranges 66.36 ± 8.30–153.82 ± 13.41, 52.68 ± 6.38–113.86, and 2.13 ± 0.25–2.84 nM, respectively. The molecular docking study was performed for the most active compounds to the determination of ligand–enzyme interactions. Binding affinities of the most active compound were found at the range of –9.70 to –9.00 kcal/mol for AChE, –11.60 to –10.60 kcal/mol for BChE, and −10.30 to −9.30 kcal/mol for α‐Gly. Molecular docking simulations showed that the novel compounds had preferential interaction with AChE, BChE, and α‐Gly. Drug‐likeness properties and ADMET (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity) analyzes of all synthesized compounds (1−15) were estimated and their toxic properties were evaluated as well as their therapeutic properties. Moreover, molecular dynamics simulations were carried out to understand the accuracy of the most potent derivatives of docking studies.
Interorganizational collaboration in a trauma‐informed community: A network analysis of cohesion and change
Authors: LeBeau Kelsea , King Lindsey , Vacca Raffaele
Published: September 2023

Strengthening interorganizational collaboration is critical to mitigate the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and improve community health. We examined change in interorganizational collaboration around ACEs within Peace4Tarpon's network and investigated factors influencing collaboration. We conducted a community‐wide social network analysis among 32 trauma‐informed organizations in 2016 and 2018, using network analysis methods to examine interorganizational cohesion (density, transitivity, triad census) over time, and multiple regression quadratic assignment procedure to investigate factors influencing collaboration. Network cohesion measures indicated small increases in collaboration level and greater network cohesion over time. Conducting ACEs screenings was a significant factor (b = 0.237; p < 0.01) predicting likelihood of interorganizational collaboration in 2016. No assessed ACEs practices predicted collaboration in 2018, suggesting variables assessed predicted a small proportion of variance in collaboration change. Results provide a foundation for understanding how ACEs/trauma‐informed practices influence collaboration and highlight implications of interorganizational collaboration. Peace4Tarpon's 2‐year progress provides insights for other trauma‐informed communities.
Predicting body mass in Ruminantia using postcranial measurements
Authors: Wimberly Alexa N.
Published: September 2023

Size plays an important role in mammalian ecology. Accurate prediction of body mass is therefore critical for inferring aspects of ecology in extinct mammals. The unique digestive physiology of extant ruminant artiodactyls, in particular, is suggested to place constraints on their body mass depending on the type of food resources available. Therefore, reliable body mass estimates could provide insight into the habitat preferences of extinct ruminants. While most regression equations proposed thus far have used craniodental predictors, which for ungulates may produce misleading estimates based on indirect relationships between tooth dimensions and size, postcranial bones support the body and may be more accurate predictors of body mass. Here, I use phylogenetically informed bivariate and multiple regression techniques to establish predictive equations for body mass in 101 species of extant ruminant artiodactyls based on 56 postcranial measurements. Within limb elements, stepwise multiple regression models were typically preferred, though bivariate models often received comparable support based on Akaike's information criterion scores. The globally preferred model for predicting mass is a model including both proximal and distal width of the humerus, though several models from the radioulna received comparable support. In general, widths of long bones were good predictors, while lengths and midshaft circumferences were not. Finally, I show that where the best elements for prediction are unavailable for fossil taxa, selection of the model with lowest percent prediction error for the lowest level clade to which the fossil can be assigned could be a productive and novel way forward for predicting mass and subsequently aspects of ecology in fossil mammals.
A geometric morphometric analysis of variation in Australian frog ilia and taxonomic interpretations
Authors: Farman Roy M. , Archer Michael , Hand Suzanne J.
Published: September 2023

Anurans including frogs and toads exhibit an ilium that is often regarded as taxonomically diagnostic. The ilium, one of the three paired bones that make up the pelvic girdle, has been important in the fossil record for identifying anuran morphotypes. Osteological collections for Australian frogs are rare in herpetological museums, and skeletonizing whole‐bodied specimens requires destroying soft tissue morphology which is valuable to anuran specialists working on living species. Computed tomography scans provide the opportunity to study anuran osteology without the loss of soft tissues. Our study, based on microcomputed tomography scans of extant Australian frogs from the public repository Morphosource and from museum collections focuses on the morphological differences between Australian frogs at the familial and generic levels using geometric morphometrics to compare the diagnostic shape of the ilium. Principal component analysis (PCA) and canonical variate analysis (CVA) were conducted to assess differences in the ilium between supraspecific groups of Australian frogs. The canonical variates analysis accurately predicted group membership (i.e., the correct family) with up to 76.2% success for cross‐validated predictions and 100% of original group predictions. While the sample was limited to familial and generic level analyses, our research shows that ilial morphology in Australian frogs is taxonomically informative. This research provides a guide for identifying Australian anurans, including fossils, as well as new information relevant to considerations about their phylogenetic relationships, and the potential use of the fossil record to enhance efforts to conserve threatened living frog species.
Assessment of Complex Flow Patterns in Patients With Carotid Webs, Patients With Carotid Atherosclerosis, and Healthy Subjects Using 4D Flow MRI
Authors: El Sayed Retta , Park Charlie C. , Shah Zahraw , Nahab Fadi B. , Haussen Diogo C. , Allen Jason W. , Oshinski John N.
Published: September 2023

Background

Carotid webs (CaWs) are fibromuscular projections in the internal carotid artery (ICA) that cause mild luminal narrowing (<50%), but may be causative in up to one‐third of seemingly cryptogenic strokes. Understanding hemodynamic alterations caused by CaWs is imperative to assessing stroke risk. Time‐Average Wall Shear Stress (TAWSS) and Oscillatory Shear Index (OSI) are hemodynamic parameters linked to vascular dysfunction and thrombosis.

Purpose

To test the hypothesis: “CaWs are associated with lower TAWSS and higher OSI than mild atherosclerosis or healthy carotid bifurcation.”

Study Type

Prospective study.

Population

A total of 35 subjects (N = 14 bifurcations with CaW, 11F, age: 49 ± 10, 10 mild atherosclerosis 6F, age: 72 ± 9, 11 healthy 9F, age: 42 ± 13).

Field Strength/Sequence

4D flow/STAR‐MATCH/3D TOF/3T MRI, CTA.

Assessment

4D Flow velocity data were analyzed in two ways: 1) 3D ROI in the ICA bulbar segment (complex flow patterns are expected) was used to quantify the regions with low TAWSS and high OSI. 2) 2D planes were placed perpendicular to the centerline of the carotid bifurcation for detailed analysis of TAWSS and OSI.

Statistical Tests

Independent‐samples Kruskal–Wallis‐H test with 0.05 used for statistical significance.

Results

The percent surface area where low TAWSS was present in the ICA bulb was 12.3 ± 8.0% (95% CI: 7.6–16.9) in CaW subjects, 1.6 ± 1.9% (95% CI: 0.2–2.9) in atherosclerosis, and 8.5 ± 7.7% (95% CI: 3.6–13.4) in healthy subjects, all differences were statistically significant (ƞ2 = 0.3 [95% CI: 0.05–0.5], P‐value CaW vs. healthy = 0.2). OSI had similar values in the CCA between groups (ƞ2 = 0.07 [95% CI: 0.0–0.2], P‐value = 0.5), but OSI was significantly higher downstream of the bifurcation in CaW subjects compared to atherosclerosis and normal subjects. OSI returned to similar values between groups 1.5 diameters distal to the bifurcation (ƞ2 = 0.03 [95% CI: 0.0–0.2], P‐value = 0.7).

Conclusion

Lower TAWSS and higher OSI are present in the ICA bulb in patients with CaW when compared to patients with atherosclerotic or healthy subjects.

Evidence Level

2

Technical Efficacy

Stage 2
Risk of cytomegalovirus diseases among coronavirus disease survivors: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Zhang Bin , Tsai Ya‐Wen , Wu Jheng‐Yan , Liu Ting‐Hui , Chuang Min‐Hsiang , Hsu Wan‐Hsuan , Huang Po‐Yu , Lai Chih‐Cheng
Published: September 2023

This study was aimed at investigating the risk of cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease among coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) survivors. In this retrospective cohort study, we used the TriNetX research network to identify adults with and without COVID‐19 between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022. Propensity score matching was used to match the patients with and without COVID‐19. The primary outcome was the risk of CMV disease during the 90‐day follow‐up period. Two matched cohorts comprising 2 501 634 patients with balanced baseline characteristics were created using propensity score matching. During the follow‐up period, patients with COVID‐19 had a higher risk of CMV disease than those without COVID‐19 (hazard ratio [HR], 2.55; 95% confidence interval: 2.01–3.23). The higher risk of CMV disease in the COVID‐19 cohort compared with that of the non‐COVID‐19 cohort remained unchanged in the subgroup analyses by sex (men: HR, 1.85 [1.38–2.47]; women: HR, 2.31 [1.63–3.27]), age (18–64 years: HR, 2.21 [1.71–2.85]; ≥65 years: HR, 1.97 [1.20–3.25]), obesity (HR, 1.54 [1.04–2.30]), diabetes mellitus (HR, 1.50 [1.08–2.08]), cancer (HR, 3.10 [1.95–4.92]), glucocorticoid use (HR, 3.14 [2.45–4.02]), transplantation (HR, 1.38 [1.08–1.77]), and unvaccinated status (HR, 2.37 [1.82–3.08]). In conclusion, COVID‐19 can increase the risk of CMV disease. Clinicians should be aware of the risk of CMV disease in patients with COVID‐19.
Periodontal disease and risk of atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Leelaviwat Natnicha , Kewcharoen Jakrin , Poomprakobsri Kiddee , Trongtorsak Angkawipa , Del Rio‐Pertuz Gaspar , Abdelnabi Mahmoud , Benjanuwattra Juthipong , Navaravong Leenhapong
Published: September 2023

Background

We conducted a study to evaluate the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) and atrial flutter (AFL) in periodontal disease (PD) patients.

Methods

Cohort studies that evaluate the risk of AF or AFL in PD patients were included. The risk was expressed in the pooled odd ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results

A total of four cohort studies were included. We found that patients with PD have a significantly higher risk of AF/AFL compared to those without PD with the pooled OR of 1.33 (95% CI 1.29–1.38; p = 0.357, I2 = 3.0%).

Conclusions

PD increases the risk of AF and AFL.