bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CO2‐Mediated Hydrogen Energy Release‐Storage Enabled by High‐Dispersion Gold‐Palladium Alloy Nanodots
Authors: Luo Rui , Qiao Panzhe , Zeng Mengqi , Deng Xinyue , Wang Hui , Hao Weiju , Fan Jinchen , Bi Qingyuan , Li Guisheng , Cao Yong
Published: November 2024

Developing and fabricating a heterogeneous catalyst for efficient formic acid (FA) dehydrogenation coupled with CO2 hydrogenation back to FA is a promising approach to constructing a complete CO2‐mediated hydrogen release‐storage system, which remains challenging. Herein, a facile two‐step strategy involving high‐temperature pyrolysis and wet chemical reduction processes can synthesize efficient pyridinic‐nitrogen‐modified carbon‐loaded gold‐palladium alloy nanodots (AuPd alloy NDs). These NDs exhibit a prominent electron synergistic effect between Au and Pd components and tunable alloy−support interactions. The pyridinic‐N dosage in carbon substrate improves the surface electron density of the alloy catalyst, thus regulating the chemical adsorption of FA molecules. Specifically, the engineered Au3Pd7/CN0.25 demonstrates an outstanding room‐temperature FA dehydrogenation efficiency, achieving ≈100% conversion and an initial turnover frequency (TOF) of up to 9049 h−1. The versatile AuPd alloy NDs also show the ability to convert CO2, one of the products of FA dehydrogenation, into FA (formate) with a 90.8% yield under mild conditions. Moreover, in‐depth insights into the unique alloyed microstructure, structure‐activity relationship, key intermediates, and the alloy‐driven five‐step reaction mechanism involving the rate‐determining step of C─H bond cleavage from critical *HCOO species via D‐labeled isotope, in situ infrared spectroscopy, and theoretical calculations are investigated.
Spin‐Orbit Coupling Driven Magnetic Response in Altermagnetic RuO2
Authors: Song Jeongkeun , Lee Seung Hun , Kang San , Kim Donghan , Jeong Ji Hwan , Oh Taekoo , Lee Sangjae , Lee Suyoung , Lee Sangmin , Ahn Kyo‐Hoon , Lee Kwan‐Woo , Kim Miyoung , Noh Tae Won , Yang Bohm‐Jung , Kim Changyoung
Published: November 2024

The recent prediction of the new magnetic class, altermagnetism, has drawn considerable interest, fueled by its potential to host novel phenomena and to be utilized in next‐generation spintronics devices. Among many promising candidates, rutile RuO2 is a prototypical candidate for realizing the prospects of altermagnetism. However, the experimental studies on RuO2 are still in the early stages. In this study, the magnetic responses in RuO2 film are investigated by the Planar Hall effect (PHE). By rotating the external field (Hext), the PHE exhibits twofold behaviors. Moreover, the planar Hall conductivity shows a nonlinear response to the Hext. These observed features in PHE resemble those in ferromagnet and topologically nontrivial systems, suggesting the field‐induced magnetic response in rutile antiferromagnet. The work provides a strategy for detecting intriguing magnetic responses in altermagnetic materials, promoting further research in altermagnet‐based spintronics and novel phenomena.
How Do the Morphology and Crystal Facet of CeO2 Determine the Catalytic Activity toward NO Removal?
Authors: Chen Weibin , Feng Long , Ma Bingbing , Zhang Xuan , Zhong Ruiqin , Zou Ruqiang
Published: November 2024

Cerium oxide (CeO2) exhibits application potential for the selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides (NOx) with NH3 (NH3‐SCR). The crystal facets and morphology of CeO2 have a vital impact on the catalytic performance of NH3‐SCR. However, the precise influence mechanisms on SCR activity remain elusive. In this work, CeO2 is successfully synthesized with three distinct crystal facets and nine diverse morphologies. This investigation involves a comprehensive blend of theoretical analysis and experiments, to gain profound insights into the underlying mechanisms governing the SCR catalytic activity concerning morphology and crystal facets. By closely integrating density functional theory (DFT) calculations, Ab initio thermodynamic analysis, SCR catalytic activity experiments, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy experiments, it is discovered that the concentration of surface‐active oxygen (O*) plays a pivotal role in determining the catalytic activity of CeO2 in SCR reactions, as opposed to factors like specific surface area or oxygen defect concentration. This experimental‐theoretical joint study provides design principles of CeO2 catalysts for NO removal.
Therapeutic Glypican‐3 CRISPR Genome‐Editing Using UltraLarge Porous Silica Nano‐Depot for the Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Lee Sanghee , Lee Sian , Lee Hyojin , Kim Seongchan , Kim Dong‐Hyun
Published: November 2024

Glypican‐3 (GPC3) is a key diagnostic marker and therapeutic target in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), interacting with Wnt and Hippo/YAP pathways related to cancer proliferation. Modulating GPC3 gene expression can induce liver cancer cell death by disrupting growth factor signaling, cell adhesion, and metabolic regulation. This study presents the development of a non‐viral ultralarge porous CRISPR‐Cas9 silica nano‐depot to perform targeted GPC3 genome editing for the treatment of HCC. The synthesized ultralarge porous silica nano‐depot (UPSND) encapsulates substantial CRISPR‐Cas9‐ribonucleoprotein complexes with a remarkable 98.3% loading efficiency. The UPSND‐mediated GPC3 CRISPR‐Cas9 therapy significantly suppresses cancer cell proliferation by modulating the Wnt and Hippo/YAP pathways. The efficiency of GPC3 gene deletion is observed to be 5.1‐fold higher than that of commercial lipid‐based GPC3 CRISPR‐Cas9 in both human and murine genes, with minimal off‐target effects. In vivo systemic administration of GPC3 Cas9‐RNP@UPSND resulted in preferential accumulation within hepatic tissues in orthotopic HCC mouse models, leading to complete tumor eradication and enhancing T‐cell tumor‐infiltration. Furthermore, the GPC3 CRISPR‐Cas9@UPSND treatment exhibits superior anti‐proliferative efficacy in tumor‐growth prevention compared to Codrituzumab, as evidenced by the analysis of Ki67 and GPC3 expression, along with serum GPC3 levels. These findings underscore the translational potential of the non‐viral UPSND nanoplatform‐based CRISPR GPC3 genome editing, offering a promising targeted therapeutic strategy for HCC treatment.
Dimensionality Reduction for Data Analysis With Quantum Feature Learning
Authors: Sihare Shyam R.
Published: November 2024

To improve data analysis and feature learning, this study compares the effectiveness of quantum dimensionality reduction (qDR) techniques to classical ones. In this study, we investigate several qDR techniques on a variety of datasets such as quantum Gaussian distribution adaptation (qGDA), quantum principal component analysis (qPCA), quantum linear discriminant analysis (qLDA), and quantum t‐SNE (qt‐SNE). The Olivetti Faces, Wine, Breast Cancer, Digits, and Iris are among the datasets used in this investigation. Through comparison evaluations against well‐established classical approaches, such as classical PCA (cPCA), classical LDA (cLDA), and classical GDA (cGDA), and using well‐established metrics like loss, fidelity, and processing time, the effectiveness of these techniques is assessed. The findings show that cPCA produced positive results with the lowest loss and highest fidelity when used on the Iris dataset. On the other hand, quantum uniform manifold approximation and projection (qUMAP) performs well and shows strong fidelity when tested against the Wine dataset, but ct‐SNE shows mediocre performance against the Digits dataset. Isomap and locally linear embedding (LLE) function differently depending on the dataset. Notably, LLE showed the largest loss and lowest fidelity on the Olivetti Faces dataset. The hypothesis testing findings showed that the qDR strategies did not significantly outperform the classical techniques in terms of maintaining pertinent information from quantum datasets. More specifically, the outcomes of paired t‐tests show that when it comes to the ability to capture complex patterns, there are no statistically significant differences between the cPCA and qPCA, the cLDA and qLDA, and the cGDA and qGDA. According to the findings of the assessments of mutual information (MI) and clustering accuracy, qPCA may be able to recognize patterns more clearly than standardized cPCA. Nevertheless, there is no discernible improvement between the qLDA and qGDA approaches and their classical counterparts.
Preparation and crystallographic and energetic characterization of energetic‐ionic cocrystals comprising triazole derivatives‒oxidizer
Authors: Inoue Kazuki , Nakamura Miku , Matsumoto Shinya , Okada Ken , Kumasaki Mieko
Published: November 2024

Six new energetic‐ionic cocrystals were prepared and their crystal structures were identified as 1,2,4‐triazole (TA)/sodium perchlorate (SP)(TA:SP = 1:1; TA/SPⅠ and 6:5; TA/SPⅡ), 3‐amino‐1,2,4‐triazole (3ATA)/SP (3ATA:SP = 1:1), 4‐amino‐1,2,4‐triazole (4ATA)/SP nonhydrate (4ATA:SP = 9:6), 4ATA/SP hydrate (4ATA:SP:H2O = 2:2:3), and 4ATA/SP methanol solvate (4ATA:SP:methanol = 1:1:1). Sealed cell‐differential scanning calorimetry revealed that TA/SPⅡ melted at 180 °C, whereas TA/SPⅠ decomposed without melting. To evaluate the influence of cocrystallization on the energetic characteristics of the azole and oxidizer couple, TA/SPⅡ, 3ATA/SP, and 4ATA/SP cocrystals, along with mixtures of the respective parent materials, were examined in friction, impact sensitivity, and deflagration tests. TA/SPⅡ and 3ATA/SP showed higher friction and impact sensitivities than the mixture of the respective parent materials, whereas 4ATA/SP and the mixture of 4ATA and SP exhibited similar friction sensitivity. However, the cocrystal, 4ATA/SP showed lower impact sensitivity than the 4ATA+SP mixture. The deflagration test revealed that the three cocrystals burned faster than the mixture of the parent materials.
Approach-to-Criticality Experiment
Authors: Pyeon Cheol Ho , Chiba Go , Endo Tomohiro , Watanabe Kenichi
Published: November 2024

In nuclear reactors, sustainable fission chain reactions by neutrons are realized without any neutron supply from external sources. In other words, nuclear reactors are systems to generate energy and to utilize radiation rays such as neutrons through properly controlling sustainable fission chain reactions. Based on this consideration, the first step to study nuclear reactors would be to know or understand which conditions in geometry, composition, size, etc. are required to make reactors in a critical state, how reactors can reach a critical state, and how reactors behave during approaching to a critical state. For these objectives, the approach-to-criticality experiment, in which a subcritical reactor is made approaching to a critical state, is carried out. This experiment is fundamental and mandatory, and it is generally carried out prior to other nuclear reactor experiments. In the approach-to-criticality experiment at KUCA, fuel plates made of nuclear materials such as uranium are loaded in a reactor core. Neutron flux level in the core is measured at several different subcritical states, number of fuel plates to be added at the next state is determined according to the measurement results obtained at the present state, and finally the reactor reaches a critical state. This experiment is also carried out as preparation for the subsequent experiments such as the control rod calibration experiment. The critical state in which the effective neutron multiplication factor $$k_{{{\text{eff}}}}$$

k
eff

of the core is unity can be clearly defined in theory or numerical simulation. On the other hand, in actual reactors, it is quite difficult to distinguish the critical state from the slightly subcritical or supercritical state when the reactor power is low. If the reactor power is increased, a deviation from the critical state can be clearly observed in the detector signal on the reactor power. One of the purposes of this experiment is to deepen the understanding of the critical state through the actual use of nuclear reactors.
The 10 top prescribed medicines in Germany from 1985 to 2022: pharmacological analysis
Authors: Schröder Lennart , Seifert Roland
Published: November 2024

For many years, pharmaceutical expenditure has been the second largest cost item for statutory health insurance funds (SHI) in Germany after hospital costs. Since prescriptions and expenditure on medicines play such a major role in the German healthcare system, the question arises as to what causes changes in prescriptions. To answer this question, the prescribing trends for the top 10 drugs in 2022 were analyzed over a period of 38 years, from 1985 to 2022. The prescribed defined daily doses (DDD) and the costs per defined daily dose for the 10 medicines were taken from the Arzneiverordnungsreport (AVR) from 1986 to 2023, and the changes in prescribing behavior and their causes were analyzed. The ten most important medicines in 2022, accounting for over 41% of all prescribed daily doses, were ramipril, candesartan, pantoprazole, amlodipine, atorvastatin, levothyroxine, torasemide, simvastatin, bisoprolol, and metoprolol. There are many different reasons for an increase in prescriptions, such as the introduction of generics, a positive study, or a price reduction. Further reasons for an increase in prescriptions are an extension of the indication or the recall of a competing medicine. A change in guidelines or the increasing treatment of laboratory values without clinical symptoms can also lead to an increase in prescriptions. There are also many different reasons for a drop in prescriptions, such as the generic launch of a competitor medicine or a positive study for a competitor medicine. Other reasons for a drop in prescriptions are a negative study or a discussion about the use of a drug. Sometimes, the reasons for prescription changes are also irrational. Overall, this is the most comprehensive long-term analysis of drug prescriptions in Germany. Our data is helpful for predicting drug prescriptions and for preventing future drug shortages not only in Germany but also worldwide.
New fluorogenic triacylglycerols as sensors for dynamic measurement of lipid oxidation
Authors: Handke Maria , Beierlein Frank , Imhof Petra , Schiedel Matthias , Hammann Simon
Published: November 2024

Lipids are major constituents of food but are also highly relevant substructures of drugs and are increasingly applied for the development of lipid-based drug delivery systems. Lipids are prone to oxidative degradation, thus affecting the quality of food or medicines. Therefore, analytical methods or tools that enable the degree of lipid oxidation to be assessed are of utmost importance to guarantee food and drug safety. Herein, we report the design, synthesis and application of the first-in-class fluorogenic triacylglycerols that enable dynamic monitoring of lipid oxidation via straightforward fluorescence readout. Our fluorogenic triacylglycerols can be used in both aqueous and lipid-based environments. Furthermore, we showed that the sensitivity of our fluorescent tracers towards oxidation could be tuned by incorporating either saturated or unsaturated acyl chains in their triacylglycerol core structure. With this, we provide a first proof of principle for the applicability of fluorescently labelled triacylglycerols as tracers to monitor the dynamics of lipid oxidation, thus paving the way for novel discoveries in the area of lipid analytics.

Graphical Abstract
The Boltzmann-Grad Limit of the Lorentz Gas in a Union of Lattices
Authors: Palmer Matthew , Strömbergsson Andreas
Published: November 2024

The Lorentz gas describes an ensemble of noninteracting point particles in an infinite array of spherical scatterers. In the present paper we consider the case when the scatterer configuration $${{\mathcal {P}}}$$
P
is a fixed union of (translated) lattices in $${\mathbb {R}}^d$$

R

d

, and prove that in the limit of low scatterer density, the particle dynamics converges to a random flight process. In the special case when the lattices in $${{\mathcal {P}}}$$
P
are pairwise incommensurable, this settles a conjecture from Marklof and Strömbergsson (J Stat Phys 155:1072–1086, 2014). The proof is carried out by applying a framework developed in recent work by Marklof and Strömbergsson (Mem AMS 294, 2024), and central parts of our proof are the construction of an admissible marking of the point set $${{\mathcal {P}}}$$
P
, and the verification of the uniform spherical equidistribution condition required in Marklof and Strömbergsson (Mem AMS 294, 2024). Regarding the random flight process obtained in the low density limit of the Lorentz gas, we prove that it can be reconstructed from the corresponding limiting flight processes arising from the individual commensurability classes of lattices in $${{\mathcal {P}}}$$
P
. We furthermore prove that the free path lengths of the limit flight process have a distribution with a power law tail, whose exponent depends on the number of commensurability classes in $${{\mathcal {P}}}$$
P
.
Fungus Fighters: Wood Ants (Formica polyctena) and Their Associated Microbes Inhibit Plant Pathogenic Fungi
Authors: Jensen Ida Cecilie , Schramm Andreas , Offenberg Joachim
Published: November 2024

Plant diseases cost the global economy billions of US dollars every year. The problem has mainly been addressed by using chemical pesticides, but recently, the use of ants has shown promising effects against plant pathogens. However, the mechanisms accounting for these effects have not yet been determined. One possible explanation is antimicrobial microorganisms associated with ants. Through controlled laboratory experiments, we investigated the inhibitory effects of wood ants (Formica polyctena) and their associated microorganisms against economically important plant pathogenic fungi. All live ants, extracts from crushed ants, and extracts from washed ants significantly inhibited the apple brown rot (Monilinia fructigena) while yielding the growth of other microbes. Furthermore, all investigated wood ants transferred microorganisms to their surroundings within 10 s when walking across a surface. We isolated the most dominant microorganisms deposited by walking ants and from washed ant extracts (i.e., strains likely found on the surface of ants), resulting in four bacterial cultures and one yeast. Two of these isolates, strain I3 (most closely related to Pseudomonas sichuanensis and P. entomophila) and strain I1b (most closely related to Bacillus mycoides), showed inhibitory effects against apple brown rot and apple scab (Venturia inaequalis), while strain I3 also inhibited gray mold (Botrytis cinerea) and Fusarium head blight (Fusarium graminearum). These results suggest that wood ants have potential as biological control agents against commercially relevant plant pathogens, and that their inhibitory effect might be at least partially caused by antibiotic compounds produced by their associated microorganisms.
Diagnostic performance of dual-energy computed tomography in detecting anterior cruciate ligament injuries: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Valizadeh Parya , Jannatdoust Payam , Pahlevan-Fallahy Mohammad-Taha , Bagherieh Sara , Adli Paniz , Amoukhteh Melika , Hassankhani Amir , Matcuk George R. , Gholamrezanezhad Ali
Published: November 2024

Objective

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are common and lead to significant physical limitations. While MRI is the diagnostic gold standard, its use is restricted in acute trauma cases due to contraindications and longer imaging times. Dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) has emerged as a potential alternative. This meta-analysis evaluates the diagnostic accuracy of DECT for ACL injuries.

Materials and methods

Following PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive literature search was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase for studies published up to June 2024. Studies that provided diagnostic accuracy data for DECT in ACL ruptures were included. Metrics of diagnostic accuracy were aggregated using a bivariate random effects model.

Results

The meta-analysis, which included five studies with a total of 191 patients, found that DECT had a pooled sensitivity of 88.1% (95% CI, 78.0–93.9%) and a specificity of 82.0% (95% CI, 62.0–92.7%) for diagnosing ACL ruptures, with an AUC of 0.92 (95% CI, 0.72–0.96). For complete ruptures, sensitivity was 83.2% (95% CI, 68.2–92.0%), and specificity was 94.9% (95% CI, 92.2–96.7%), with an AUC of 0.96 (95% CI, 0.81–0.98). In acute/subacute settings, sensitivity was 89.4% (95% CI, 76.8–95.6%), and specificity was 82.1% (95% CI, 56.2–94.2%), with an AUC of 0.93 (95% CI, 0.71–0.97).

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that DECT is a valuable diagnostic tool for ACL injuries, particularly as an adjunct or alternative when MRI is unavailable or contraindicated, enabling timely and accurate diagnosis.
Patient-reported performance status and postoperative complications in elective colorectal cancer surgery
Authors: Pardes Helin Yikilmaz , Dohrn Niclas , Dolin Troels Gammeltoft , Gögenur Ismail , Klein Mads Falk
Published: November 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the concordance between patient-reported performance status (prPS) and surgeon-reported performance status (srPS), and to assess the correlation between srPS and prPS and postoperative complications following elective colorectal cancer surgery. Not all patients are deemed suitable for undergoing a surgical procedure. We aimed to assess whether prPS can aid the surgeons’ decision-making prior to surgery.

Methods

In this retrospective study, 524 patients undergoing colorectal cancer surgery were included. prPS were collected via questionnaires, while 30-day postoperative complications were obtained from the Danish Colorectal Cancer Group (DCCG) database. To evaluate the agreement between prPS and srPS, linearly weighted kappa statistics were applied. Rank-biserial correlation analysis was used to calculate the correlation between prPS and srPS with postoperative complications.

Results

In total, there was an approximate 71% concordance between the assessments. Around 17% of the patients rated themselves with a higher PS status than the surgeons, while 13% of the patients rated themselves with a lower PS. Overall postoperative complications, minor surgical complications, and medical complications were all significantly correlated to both srPS and prPS, while only srPS was correlated with major surgical complications. Neither srPS nor prPS were correlated with overall surgical complications (major and minor collapsed).

Conclusion

The agreement between prPS and srPS is poor and in nearly one-third of the cases, disagreement occurs. Overall, both prPS and srPS were correlated to postoperative complications, with srPS demonstrated a slightly higher correlation.
Identification and functional characterization of multiple haemadins and an oligomeric decorsin in the Asian land leech Haemadipsa interrupta
Authors: Müller Christian , Sponholz Dana , Tolksdorf Céline , Rauch Bernhard H. , Kvist Sebastian
Published: November 2024

Haematophagous leeches rely on a broad variety of bioactive compounds to secure a sufficient blood meal from their vertebrate prey. Both the primary (platelet aggregation) and secondary (blood coagulation) haemostasis are the main targets of action. The platelet aggregation inhibitor decorsin was first described in the North American leech, Macrobdella decora Say, 1824, whereas the bivalent thrombin inhibitor hirudin was originally identified in the European medicinal leech, Hirudo medicinalis Linnaeus, 1758. Hirudin blocks both the catalytic site and the fibrinogen-binding site (exosite I) of thrombin. Haemadin of the Indian land leech Haemadipsa sylvestris Blanchard, 1894, is also a highly efficient bivalent thrombin inhibitor but blocks exosite II of thrombin. So far, only the archetypal form of haemadin from H. sylvestris has been purified and functionally characterized, and two putative haemadins have been identified in the salivary transcriptome of Haemadipsa interrupta Moore, 1835, a terrestrial leech inhabiting mainly the Malayan peninsula. Here, we describe the identification of ten additional putative haemadins in the transcriptomic data set of H. interrupta, first generated by another study. Furthermore, we identified a putative oligomeric decorsin, which represents the first finding of this anticoagulant in a haemadipsid leech. Both the putative decorsin and a selection of haemadins were expressed, purified, and functionally characterized. The putative haemadins displayed a broad spectrum of thrombin-inhibitory potencies, whereas the putative oligomeric decorsin was indeed a weak inhibitor of platelet aggregation.
An exploration of the connection between COVID-19 and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in European countries
Authors: Pourshir Sefidi Niloufar , Mooney Peter
Published: November 2024

Aim

This study aims to extend the research on the connection between COVID-19 and cardiovascular disease (CVD) by exploring this link at a macro level across the continent of Europe. We aim to highlight the virus’s detrimental effects on heart health at both country and continental levels.

Subject and methods

Utilizing data from the SHARE survey, we investigated the heart health impacts of COVID-19 on individuals aged 50 and over in 26 European countries. A Bayesian hierarchical logistic regression (BHLR) model was employed to assess country-level and continent-level effects, enabling us to account for geographical variations and estimate the overall continental impact.

Results

Our findings indicate a 20% average increase in CVD risk post-COVID-19 infection, associated with other risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, chronic lung disease, and elevated BMI. Hypertension was particularly notable as a significant risk factor.

Conclusions

This study provides a comprehensive overview of how COVID-19 interacts with cardiovascular health risks across Europe. It reveals significant variability in the virus’s impact on heart health across different countries compared to the overall effect observed at the continental level. These insights contribute to a broader understanding of COVID-19’s implications for public health policy and individual risk management in the context of cardiovascular health.
Evaluating the appropriateness and the factors associated with sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors prescribing in a Middle Eastern country: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Zaghloul Nancy , Awaisu Ahmed , Mahfouz Ahmed , Ali Zainab , Alyafei Sumaya , Elewa Hazem
Published: November 2024

Background

Sodium glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) are a novel class of oral antidiabetic drugs (ADDs). Studies evaluating the appropriateness of SGLT2is prescribing, and the factors associated with their initiation in the Middle East region are lacking.

Aim

This study aimed to evaluate the appropriateness of prescribing SGLT2is based on indication, dosing, and contraindication and determine the factors associated with their initial prescribing.

Method

In this cross-sectional study, a cohort of 650 patients newly prescribed SGLT2is (n = 400) and/or any other oral ADDs (n = 250) during 2020 were included. Data were extracted from an electronic medical record system. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted to investigate factors associated with prescribing SGLT2is.

Results

SGLT2is were prescribed for appropriate indication in 400 patients (100%), while inappropriately prescribed in relation to contraindication and dosing in 14 patients (3.5%). Male patients were more likely to be prescribed SGLT2is (odds ratio [OR], 1.69; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02–2.82). Patients with a baseline glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) above 7% and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) were more likely to be prescribed SGLT2is (OR, 3.22; 95% CI, 1.84–5.64) and (OR, 2.18; 95% CI, 1.05–4.52), respectively. Patients receiving metformin (OR, 7.56; 95% CI, 4.46–12.80), sulfonylureas (OR, 2.30; 95% CI, 1.16–4.56), and dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors (OR, 3.43; 95% CI, 2.00–5.87) were more likely to be prescribed SGLT2is.

Conclusion

SGLT2is were found to be typically prescribed for the appropriate indication. Among the most important factors associated with prescribing SGLT2is are having uncontrolled HbA1c, history of ASCVD, and using other ADDs.
Biotic aspects of suspended solid reduction in sedimentation ponds
Authors: Skrzypczak Andrzej , Tandyrak Renata
Published: November 2024

The reduction of suspended solids is an important aspect of water management, especially in the mining industry. The ecological potential of sedimentation ponds has been identified, but many aspects of the coexistence of ecological and technological functions of these reservoirs are still unresolved. The aim of the study was to determine the effectiveness of suspended solid reduction in an open pit mine drainage system under the influence of biotic factors, including fish, taking into account the hydrochemical background. The dynamics of biotic factors and the sedimentation process were identified using the normalized total suspended solid reduction index (TE) and the trophic group status (TGS) indices of planktivorous, benthivorous, and carnivorous fish. The hydrochemical background in both ponds provided similar habitat conditions for biota and suspended solid reduction. Although a moderately trophic ecosystem has developed, the typical relationship between water transparency (SDD) and chlorophyll a concentration characteristic of natural waters was not observed. The sedimentation complex was found to be highly effective in reducing total suspended solids by 89–93%. Spatial variation of sedimentation rates was related to the ichthyobiotic factor, mainly to the biomass of bentophages and the status of this trophic group in the fish community. Stable relationships in the structure of the ichthyofauna with a balanced proportion of planktivorous fishes favored the sedimentation process. The results obtained are part of the development of research on the possibility of combining the technological function of artificial ponds with other applications and ecological benefits for industrialized areas.
Variable toxicity of inorganic mercury compounds to Artemia elicited by coexposure with dissolved organic matter
Authors: Gade Christoph , von Hellfeld Rebecca , Mbadugha Lenka , Paton Graeme
Published: November 2024

The chemical behavior of mercury (Hg) and its interactions with naturally occurring ligands shape its environmental fate and impact. The neurotoxic properties of Hg are widely known and studied both in vitro and in vivo. However, there continues to be limited information on the influence of chelation with large organic ligands on the toxicity to marine macro-organisms. This work examined the effect of Hg complexed with various types of dissolved organic matter (DOM) on the mortality and hatching success of Artemia sp. nauplii under varying marine media conditions. The results confirmed both, an alleviating as well as additive, DOM-specific, effect on mortality. DOM coexposure resulted in a compound specific decreased or increased toxicity in comparison with single exposure in artificial seawater, with LC50 values ranging from 2.11 to 62.89 µM. Hatching success under conditions of Hg exposure was almost two orders of magnitude more sensitive than toxicity in hatched individuals. Elevated DOM concentrations had no statistically significant impact on hatching success with computed EC50 values ranging from 196 to 324 nM.

Graphical abstract
Cognitive aging and reserve factors in the Metropolit 1953 Danish male cohort
Authors: Mehdipour Ghazi Mostafa , Urdanibia-Centelles Olalla , Bakhtiari Aftab , Fagerlund Birgitte , Vestergaard Mark Bitsch , Larsson Henrik Bo Wiberg , Mortensen Erik Lykke , Osler Merete , Nielsen Mads , Benedek Krisztina , Lauritzen Martin
Published: November 2024

Identifying early predictors of cognitive decline and at-risk individuals is essential for timely intervention and prevention of dementia. This study aimed to detect neurobiological changes and factors related to cognitive performance in the Metropolit 1953 Danish male birth cohort. We analyzed data from 582 participants, aged 57–68 years, using machine learning techniques to group cognitive trajectories into four clusters differentiating high- and low-performing groups. These clusters were then evaluated with MRI, EEG, and lifestyle/familial risk factors to identify predictors of cognitive decline. Low education and occupation, alcohol consumption, and type 2 diabetes were associated with lower cognitive performance. Declines in neocortical volume and increases in frontotemporal alpha and temporoparietal gamma activity preceded clinical symptoms of cognitive decline. Neocortical atrophy and disruptions in network activity were prominent in lower-performing groups, with higher education and IQ scores and a lower prevalence of lifestyle factors moderating cognitive decline.
Continued fractions and Hardy sums
Authors: Lägeler Alessandro
Published: November 2024

The classical Dedekind sums s(d, c) can be represented as sums over the partial quotients of the continued fraction expansion of the rational $$\frac{d}{c}$$

d
c

. Hardy sums, the analog integer-valued sums arising in the transformation of the logarithms of $$\theta $$
θ
-functions under a subgroup of the modular group, have been shown to satisfy many properties which mirror the properties of the classical Dedekind sums. The representation as sums of partial quotients has, however, been missing so far. We define non-classical continued fractions and prove that Hardy sums can be expressed as a sums of partial quotients of these continued fractions. As an application, we prove that the graph of the Hardy sums is dense in $$\textbf{R}\times \textbf{Z}$$

R
×
Z

.
Two scientific perspectives on nerve signal propagation: how incompatible approaches jointly promote progress in explanatory understanding
Authors: Holland Linda , de Regt Henk W. , Drukarch Benjamin
Published: November 2024

We present a case study of two scientific perspectives on the phenomenon of nerve signal propagation, a bio-electric and a thermodynamic perspective, and compare this case with two accounts of scientific perspectivism: those of Michela Massimi and Juha Saatsi, respectively. We demonstrate that the interaction between the bio-electric perspective and the thermodynamic perspective can be captured in Saatsi’s terms of progress in explanatory understanding. Using insights from our case study, we argue that both the epistemic and pragmatic dimensions of scientific understanding are important for increasing explanatory understanding of phenomena. The epistemic dimension of understanding is important for increasing the number of actually answered what-if-things-had-been-different questions about a phenomenon, the pragmatic dimension for pointing out the potentially answerable what-if questions that have been overlooked or purposefully neglected thus far. Exposing the limitations of the acquired understanding within a particular perspective can be achieved by criticizing the assumptions that have been adopted to make models of the perspective intelligible, but that are considered problematic from a rival perspective.
Exploring the Potential of Syngas Fermentation for Recovery of High-Value Resources: A Comprehensive Review
Authors: Neto Alvaro S. , Wainaina Steven , Chandolias Konstantinos , Piatek Pawel , Taherzadeh Mohammad J.
Published: November 2024

Synthesis gas (syngas) fermentation represents a promising biological method for converting industrial waste gases, particularly carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) from industrial sources (e.g. steel production or municipal waste gasification), into high-value products such as biofuels, chemicals, and animal feed using acetogenic bacteria. This review identifies and addresses key challenges that hinder the large-scale adoption of this technology, including limitations in gas mass transfer, an incomplete understanding of microbial metabolic pathways, and suboptimal bioprocess conditions. Our findings emphasize the critical role of microbial strain selection and bioprocess optimization to enhance productivity and scalability, with a focus on utilizing diverse microbial consortia and efficient reactor systems. By examining recent advancements in microbial conditioning, operational parameters, and reactor design, this study provides actionable insights to improve syngas fermentation efficiency, suggesting pathways towards overcoming current technical barriers for its broader industrial application beyond the production of bulk chemicals.
Commutativity and spectral properties for a general class of Szász–Mirakjan–Durrmeyer operators
Authors: Abel Ulrich , Acu Ana Maria , Heilmann Margareta , Raşa Ioan
Published: November 2024

In this paper we present commutativity results for a general class of Szász–Mirakjan–Durrmeyer type operators and associated differential operators and investigate their eigenfunctions.
Web3
Authors: Huang Ken , Yang Youwei , Zhang Fan , Chen Xi , Zhu Feng
Published: November 2024

Web3 is a new frontier of internet architecture emphasizing decentralization and user control. This text for MBA students and industry professionals explores key Web3 concepts, starting from foundational principles and moving to advanced topics like blockchain, smart contracts, tokenomics, and DeFi. The book takes a clear, practical approach to demystify the tech behind NFTs and DAOs as well as the complex regulatory landscape. It confronts challenges of blockchain scalability, a barrier to mainstream adoption of this transformative technology, and examines smart contracts and the growing ecosystem leveraging their potential. The book also explains the nuances of tokenomics, a vital element underpinning Web3's new economic model. This book is ideal for readers seeking to stay on top of emerging trends in the digital economy.
Cultural Stereotype and Its Hazards
Authors: Takano Yohtaro
Published: November 2024

Although it is widely believed that Japanese people are typical collectivists compared to individualistic Westerners, this view is not supported by empirical research. Employing 'Japanese collectivism' as a case example, this book explores how the dichotomous view of cultures was established and investigates how cultural stereotypes exacerbate emotional conflicts between human groups. Drawing on empirical findings, it theoretically analyses the properties of cultural stereotype to reveal the hazards associated with stereotyping nations or ethnicities. Students and researchers from numerous disciplines, including psychology, anthropology, sociology, political science, and economics, will gain fresh insights from this reconceptualization of culture.
Explanatory Reasoning and Informativeness
Authors: McCain Kevin , Poston Ted
Published: November 2024

Bas van Fraassen has argued that explanatory reasoning does not provide confirmation for explanatory hypotheses because explanatory reasoning increases information and increasing information does not provide confirmation. We compare this argument with a skeptical argument that one should never add any beliefs because adding beliefs increases information and increasing information does not provide confirmation. We discuss the similarities between these two arguments and identify several problems with van Fraassen’s argument.
Formation and development of the stopping vortex ring in starting jets
Authors: Zhu Jianwei , Zhang Guoqing , Yu S.C.M. , Gao Lei , Zhao Ruijia
Published: November 2024

The formation mechanism for the stopping vortex ring (SVR) and its effects on the development of starting jets have been systematically investigated. The radial inward flow near the nozzle exit, arising from the pressure difference caused by the deceleration of starting jets, is considered to be the main contributing factor to the formation of the SVR. The formation process can generally be divided into (i) the rapid accumulation stage (

$t_d^*\leq 1$

) and (ii) the development stage (

$t_d^*>1$

), where

$t_d^*$

is the formation time defined by the duration of the deceleration stage. For starting jets with different

$(L/D)_d$

, the final circulation value and circulation growth rate of the SVR can be scaled by

$[(L/D)_d]^{-0.5}$

and

$[(L/D)_d]^{-1.5}$

, respectively. Here

$(L/D)_d$

represents the stroke ratio during the deceleration stage. Analysing the temporal evolution of fluid parcels in the vicinity of the nozzle exit reveals that SVR entrains fluid from both inside and outside of the nozzle. Additionally, the influence of the SVR on the leading vortex ring and the trailing jet has been examined, with particular attention to its effects on the propulsive performance of the starting jet. The SVR affects the profiles of axial velocity and gauge pressure at the nozzle exit, thereby enhancing the generation of total thrust during the deceleration stage. Analysis has shown that depending on the deceleration rate, SVR can enhance the average velocity thrust by at least

$10\,\%$

and compensate for up to a

$60\,\%$

reduction in pressure thrust due to deceleration.
The 2.5-dimensional turbulence in shear-thinning jets
Authors: Amor Christian , Soligo Giovanni , Mazzino Andrea , Rosti Marco E.
Published: November 2024

The dimensional transition in turbulent jets of a shear-thinning fluid is studied via direct numerical simulations. Our findings reveal that under vertical confinement, the flow exhibits a unique mixed-dimensional (or 2.5-dimensional) state, where large-scale two-dimensional and small-scale three-dimensional structures coexist. This transition from three-dimensional turbulence near the inlet to two-dimensional dynamics downstream is dictated by the level of confinement: weak confinement guarantees turbulence to remain three-dimensional, whereas strong confinement forces the transition to two dimensions; the mixed-dimensional state is observed for moderate confinement and it emerges as soon as flow scales are larger than the vertical length. In this scenario, we observed that the mixed-dimensional state is an overall more energetic state, and it shows a multi-cascade process, where the direct cascade of energy at small scales and the direct cascade of enstrophy at large scales coexist. The results provide insights into the complex dynamics of confined turbulent flows, relevant in both natural and industrial settings.
The Global Network of Liberty: Toward a New Framework for Understanding the History of Political Concepts
Authors: YIN SHOUFU
Published: November 2024

This article contends that liberty was already a globally connected concept during the late Middle Ages, and the Euro-American Enlightenment conception of liberty was only one of the many products of the global medieval legacies. Developing a network approach to concepts and applying it to primary sources in ten languages across Afro-Eurasia, I map how thinkers from different parts of the world contributed to the formation of the network. Recognizing this global network of liberty allows researchers to rediscover overlooked conceptualizations of liberty—as evidenced by examples of the Mongol Empire and its translingual politics with/in Europe, Persia, and China. Once innovations in specific contexts are placed back into the global network, revealed are global patterns of valorizing liberty, considering it either essential to possess or warranting caution. Both the findings and methodologies presented here prompt scholars to revisit the foundations of modern political thought from a global standpoint.
Structure, relationships and diversity in the community of aphids and aphidophagous species in alfalfa
Authors: Nikolova Ivelina
Published: November 2024

There is a need for comprehensive research on the species structure and the population dynamics of the most common aphidophagous species. A critical factor of the effectiveness of aphid biocontrol is the ratio of beneficial polyphagous (generalist) to oligo- or monophagous (specialist) species within the various trophic groups. Aphids' population density and environmental conditions influence the development and potential feeding of useful insects. The present study aimed to determine the community structure, relationships and diversity between aphids and their aphidophagous species in alfalfa fields using the following methods: sweeping with an entomological net, the quadratic method, coloured sticky board method, route survey method and visual observations. Research on the structure of the aphid–aphidophagous community revealed that aphidophagous species belong to three groups: (1) polyphagous predatory bugs from the families Anthocoridae and Nabidae, (2) oligophagous and polyphagous predators from the families Coccinellidae, Syrphidae and Chrysopidae; and (3) monophagous and oligophagous parasitoids, primarily from the families Aphidiidae and Ichneumonidae. From mid-May to June, there was a sufficiently large potential for aphidophagous species (Coccinellidae, Syrphidae, Chrysopidae, Anthocoridae and Nabidae) to control aphids, while in September, predatory ladybirds from the Coccinellidae family were the main biological control agents. Coccinellidae (Coleoptera) exhibited the highest values of diversity, dominance and richness indices among insect groups in the aphid–aphidophagous community. The existence of diverse aphidophagous species in alfalfa fields suggests that these predators can complement each other, leading to effective biological control of aphids. The synergy among different predator species holds promise for enhancing the overall efficacy of integrated pest management strategies.
Long-term fertilization strategies for improving productivity, profitability and water-use efficiency of soybean–wheat cropping systems
Authors: Panday Suresh Chandra , Parihar Manoj , Meena Rajendra Prasad , Choudhary Mahipal , Meena Vijay Singh , Mondal Tilak , Khati Priyanka , Singh Ashish Kumar , Bisht Jaideep Kumar , Kant Lakshmi , Pattanayak Arunava , Singh R. D.
Published: November 2024

In order to recognize the best nutrient supply options for profitable and sustainable production systems, observations were recorded from 2001 to 2020 (20 years) in a long-term fertilizer experiment initiated in 1995–96 with soybean–wheat cropping systems (SWCSs) under irrigated conditions. The experiment comprised of seven treatments including control, organic, inorganic and their combinations. A combined use of 10 Mg farmyard manure (FYM)/ha (M) along with 120 kg N/ha provided statistically (P < 0.05) similar yield and economic benefits to the M + NPK and also provided a positive yield trend (30.0 and 16.2 kg/ha/year) and net return (14.7 and 5.81 US$/ha/year) over the year in both wheat and soybean, respectively. The combined use of organic and chemical fertilizers, provided 32–41% higher production efficiency than their individual use. In contrast, long-term chemical fertilization provided a negative yield trend in both the crops with the highest reduction in sole N-fertilized plots ranged from −39 to −42 kg/ha/year. Water-use efficiency ranged from 3.20 to 12.3 kg/ha/mm in soybean–wheat rotation and increased almost 1.74–3.15 times in wheat and 1.30–1.80 times in soybean due to fertilizer application. A similar trend was observed for water-expense efficiency and remain closely associated with fertilization practice. Long-term chemical fertilizers declined the yield potential of the studied crops while their conjoint application with FYM in the winter season considered as an input efficient approach to sustain the overall productivity and profitability of SWCSs.