bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Body composition parameters were associated with response to abiraterone acetate and prognosis in patients with metastatic castration‐resistant prostate cancer
Authors: Ke Zhi‐Bin , You Qi , Xue Yu‐Ting , Sun Jiang‐Bo , Chen Jia‐Yin , Liu Wen‐Qi , Wei Yong , Zheng Qing‐Shui , Li Xiao‐Dong , Xue Xue‐Yi , Xu Ning
Published: February 2023

Objective

To investigate the predictive value of body composition parameters for biochemical response to abiraterone acetate (AA) in metastatic castration‐resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients with prior chemohormonal therapy.

Methods

We retrospectively evaluated the clinicopathologic information of 132 mCRPC cases receiving AA treatment after chemohormonal therapy at hormone‐sensitive stage from July 2018 to June 2021. All patients were divided into AA responders and non‐responders according to the biochemical response to AA (prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) reduction ≥50% than pretreatment). Multivariate Logistic analysis was used to determine the independent predictors and develop predictive model of biochemical response to AA. Cox regression analysis was utilized to investigate the prognostic factors for time to biochemical progression (TTBP), radiological progression‐free survival (rPFS), failure‐free survival (FFS), and overall survival (OS) after AA treatment.

Results

There were 57 AA responders and 75 AA non‐responders. Periprostatic fat area/prostate area (PPFA/PA) was decreased and skeletal muscle index (SMI) was increased in AA responders compared with AA non‐responders. Multivariable logistic analysis demonstrated that ADT duration ≥12 months, bone metastasis only, high SMI and low PPFA/PA were independent predictors of biochemical response to AA treatment. The FFS, TTBP, rPFS, and OS of patients with lower SMI or higher PPFA/PA was decreased compared with that of patients with higher SMI or lower PPFA/PA, respectively. Combining SMI, PPFA/PA, ADT duration and metastatic sites performed well in differentiating AA responders from non‐responders.

Conclusions

High SMI and low PPFA/PA could predict biochemical response to AA treatment and preferable prognosis in mCRPC patients with prior chemohormonal therapy at hormone‐sensitive stage.
Maintaining tooth‐implant distance following root amputation of a compromised adjacent tooth: A clinical case report
Authors: Lander Bradley , Rascon Allison , Sourvanos Dennis , Fiorellini Joseph , Neiva Rodrigo
Published: February 2023

Background

Edentulous sites with limited horizontal tooth‐implant distance pose a challenge to clinicians. This case report describes root amputation of an adjacent compromised molar to maintain an optimal tooth‐implant distance

Methods and Results

A 41‐year‐old female was referred for extraction and implant placement to replace her left, maxillary second premolar (#13), which had been diagnosed with a vertical root fracture. Extraction and ridge preservation of #13 was completed without complication. The 4‐month postsurgical clinical examination revealed a narrow mesial‐distal distance (5.69 mm) of the edentulous space (#13), which was influenced by the degree of divergence of the mesial buccal root of tooth #14. Cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT) analysis verified a periapical lesion on the mesial‐buccal root of tooth #14. The amputation of the endodontically compromised mesial‐buccal root of #14 was treatment planned to provide space and facilitate placement of a standard diameter implant without compromising the implant or adjacent teeth. Crestal bone levels were verified and maintained at the 1 year postoperative follow‐up.

Conclusion

The findings of the case report demonstrate how root amputation of a compromised molar is an alternative solution for managing spatial limitations in contemporary implant dentistry. More studies are required to assess the reliability and long‐term success of this approach.

Key points

Why is this case new information?

There is insufficient evidence on the long‐term efficacy of narrow‐diameter implants. Clinical treatment guidelines are not sufficiently available.

This paper presents an alternative approach to managing a specific scenario where mesial‐distance distance is limited using root amputation of an adjacent compromised tooth.

What are the keys to successful management of this case?

Comprehensive diagnosis and stringent case selection

Multidisciplinary treatment planning

Evidence‐based decision making

What are the primary limitations to success in this case?

Very specific clinical application; adjacent compromised tooth

Long‐term follow up is required
Comparison between Chemoenzymatic and Bienzymatic Cascades Leading to Morita–Baylis–Hillman Adducts
Authors: Li Yinuo , Bao Cuiyu , Sun Zhoutong , Zhang Wuyuan , Yuan Bo
Published: February 2023

Chemoenzymatic and bienzymatic cascades offer advantages including increasing diversity of reactions and saving time and operational costs. Herein the oxidation of benzylic alcohols to the corresponding aldehydes coupled with the Morita−Baylis−Hillman (MBH) reactions in biocatalytic compatible potentially ‘green’ conditions has been exemplarily evaluated. One‐pot cascades avoiding the use of reactive aldehyde intermediates are described and compared, including a sequential chemoenzymatic cascade with a variant of galactose oxidase (GOase M3–5) and 1,4‐Diazabicyclo [2.2.2] octane (DABCO), a concurrent dual‐enzyme cascade with GOase M3–5 and a variant of the computationally designed enzyme MBHase (BH32.14), and finally a whole cell biotransformation with the co‐expression modules of the two enzymes. All of the cascades were performed on a diverse range of substrates (12–19 examples), affording moderate to high conversions (up to 93 %) and isolated yields (up to 80 %). The bienzymatic cascades offer optically active products in up to 91 % ee. Key factors affecting the chemoenzymatic and the bienzymatic cascades were highlighted, and the advantages and challenges were compared.
A Selective Excited‐State Intramolecular‐Proton‐Transfer (ESIPT) Sensor for Copper(II) Based on Chelation‐Enhanced Quenching and “Off‐On” Detection of Amino Acids
Authors: Devasia Jyothis , Joy Francis , Nizam Aatika
Published: February 2023

We report the synthesis of 2‐(4,5‐diphenyl‐1H‐imidazole‐2‐yl)phenol (TPI‐9) as an interesting fluorescent molecule displaying Excited‐State Intramolecular‐Proton‐Transfer (ESIPT) with stokes shift of 120 nm. Phenolic compounds with the ability to form intramolecular hydrogen bonds and subsequent proton transfer are known as ESIPT fluorophores. Proton accepting ability can increase significantly by tailoring electron‐donating groups. With the assistance of an environment‐friendly organocatalyst, 10‐camphor sulfonic acid (10‐CSA), TPI‐9 was synthesized to introduce substituents with electron‐donating abilities to develop an efficient ESIPT mechanism. Factors influencing the emission, such as solvent, pH, and metal ions, are investigated. Quenching of fluorescence by Cu2+ through chelation enhancement quenching effect with a high selectivity allowed the establishment of a Cu2+ sensor with an LoD of 0.57 ppm and a ratiometric estimation with an LoD of 0.73 ppm. Metal binding (2 : 1) stoichiometry and quenching constant (0.0072 mol−1s−1) are calculated from Job's and Stern‐Volmer plots. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations are in accordance with the experimental results. Competitive replacement of TPI‐9 by amino acids restores ESIPT, consequently, the fluorescence. Thus, an “off‐on” fluorescence sensor for amino acid estimation is developed under 1 minute incubation. A linear relationship between amino acid concentration and fluorescence intensity is in 0‐20 μg/mL range, and the LoD is less than 2.2 μg/mL.
Enrichment of high‐purity nervonic acid ethyl ester from Acer truncatumBunge seed oil by combination method of urea inclusion and molecular distillation
Authors: Wang Jie , Zheng Shuai , Gao Yingxi , Shi Jiayi , Zhou Zhiyong , Ren Zhongqi
Published: February 2023

Acer truncatum Bunge is a type of maple that is unique to China. Its fruit setting rate and seed oil content are both high. The oil is mainly composed of C16–C24 fatty acids and contains 5%–7% nervonic acid (NA). NA and its derivatives can delay ageing and prevent and treat disorders such as senile dementia and Alzheimer's disease. The content of NA ethyl ester prepared by the seed oil of A. truncatum Bunge is 5.84%. We report a new process for the enrichment of NA ethyl ester by urea inclusion (UI) and molecular distillation (MD), with the aim of obtaining highly pure NA ethyl ester. First, based on the difference in fatty acid ethyl ester saturation and carbon chain length, unwanted compounds such as oleic acid ethyl ester, linoleic acid ethyl ester, and sterol were removed by one‐stage UI, the content of NA ethyl ester was increased to 18.69%. The oil in the UI compound was used as a feed, and differences in the mean molecular free paths between the components were exploited to separate the C16–C20 fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) by two‐stage MD. The total content of C16–C20 FAEEs decreased to 3.69% and the purity of NA ethyl ester increased to 47.47%. A new purification process of UI‐MD‐UI was established and NA ethyl ester could be purified to 91.8%. The combination of MD and UI has an important reference value for the industrialization of producing high‐purity NA ethyl ester.
Discovery of Highly Potent CRBN Ligands and Insight into Their Binding Mode through Molecular Docking and Molecular Dynamics Simulations
Authors: Yan Jian , Zheng Zhibing
Published: February 2023

Cereblon (CRBN) is a substrate receptor of E3 ubiquitin ligase as well as the target of thalidomide and lenalidomide, plays a vital role in endogenous protein degradation. In this article, two series of compounds with novel structure were designed, synthesized and evaluated against CRBN. YJ1b, designed based on our previous finding, shown strong binding affinity toward CRBN (IC50=0.206 μM) by forming a salt bridge interaction with amino acid residue Glu377 of CRBN, it was 13‐fold compared with that of lenalidomide (IC50=2.694 μM) in TR‐FRET assay. YJ2c and YJ2h, two analogs of YJ1b, also exhibit high binding affinity toward CRBN (IC50=0.211 μM and IC50=0.282 μM, respectively). While, molecular docking and 100 ns molecular dynamic simulation studies were conducted to insight into the unique binding mode of YJ1b, YJ2c and YJ2e toward CRBN. The new compounds with special binding mode in this article may serve for the further optimization and discovery of novel high potent CRBN ligands.
Histidinal‐Based Potent Antimalarial Agents
Authors: Meena Chhuttan L. , Hingamire Tejashri , Gupta Tanya , Deshmukh Bhagyashree , Karmodiya Krishanpal , Joshi Rakesh , Shanmugam Dhanasekaran , Sanjayan Gangadhar J.
Published: February 2023

Herein we report the synthesis and evaluation of peptide‐histidinal conjugated drug scaffolds, which have the potential to target the hemoglobin‐degrading proteases falcipain‐2/3 from the human malaria parasite. Scaffolds with various substitutions were tested for antimalarial activity, and compounds8 g,8 h, and15exhibited EC50 values of ∼0.018 μM, ∼0.069 μM, and ∼0.02 μM, respectively. Structure‐based docking studies on falcipain‐2/3 proteases (PDB:2GHU and PDB:3BWK) revealed that compounds8 g,8 h, and15interact strongly with binding sites of falcipain‐2/3 in a substrate‐like manner. In silico ADME studies revealed that the molecules of interest showed no or minimal violations of drug‐likeness parameters. Further, phenotypic assays revealed that compound8 gand its biotinylated version inhibit hemoglobin degradation in the parasite food vacuole. The identification of falcipain‐2/3 targeting potent inhibitors of the malaria parasite can serve as a starting point for the development of lead compounds as future antimalarial drug candidates.
Ru(II) Complexes with Enaminone Structures for Rapid Sterilization of Staphylococcus aureus and MRSA with Little Accumulation of Drug Resistance
Authors: Jian Yao , Peng Yatong , Zhou Wanpeng , Xu Yunli , Li Chao , Wang Xuesong , Zhou Qianxiong
Published: February 2023

Drug‐resistant bacteria, such as methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), pose a serious threat to human life. Therefore, there is urgent need to develop antibiotics with new chemical structures and antibacterial mechanisms, especially those that elicit little drug resistance after long‐term use. Herein we synthesized three novel ruthenium complexes (Ru1−Ru3) containing the enaminone structures for the first time. At a concentration of 5 μM, Ru1−Ru3 can lead to a CFU reduction of about 5 log units towards S. aureus and MRSA. Interestingly, Ru3 displayed rapid bactericidal effects and could decrease the CFU numbers of both pathogens by 5 log units within 40 min. The control compounds (Ru4 and Ru5) without the enaminone structures displayed very poor antibacterial activity under the same conditions. Moreover, S. aureus did not show apparent drug resistance towards Ru3 after 20 passages incubation with a sublethal concentration. These results highlight the critical role of enaminone structures for antibacterial applications.
Machine learning and deep learning in medicine and neuroimaging
Authors: Sánchez Fernández Iván , Peters Jurriaan M.
Published: February 2023

Artificial intelligence is the science and engineering of machines that can mimic human intelligence. Machine learning is the subfield of artificial intelligence in which computers have the ability to learn and iteratively improve their performance without being explicitly programmed. Deep learning algorithms learn by processing the data with increasing levels of abstraction in each layer. We present a narrative review of the relevant literature with a particular focus on deep learning for image classification and image segmentation in neuroimaging. For the first time in history, computers can automatically perform some clinically relevant tasks at the level, or even above the level, of the relevant medical specialists. A turning point in machine learning occurred in the 2010s as a result of (1) the multiple technical improvements that machine learning has been accumulating over several decades, (2) the exponential increase in computing power, and (3) the wide availability of very large databases with millions of observations and thousands of variables. Machine learning is starting to be successfully applied to several areas of medicine, including predictive analytics, decision support, natural language processing of free‐text notes, and automatic interpretation of electrophysiological recordings. Among all the applications of machine learning in medicine, deep learning for computer vision is the one that has enjoyed the greatest success. The emphasis of this review is the application of convolutional neural networks for image classification and for image segmentation in neuroimaging. Machine learning and deep learning are increasingly integrated into the clinical workflow and applied in neuroimaging interpretation. Natural language processing is likely to gain increasing importance in medicine in the near future. Complex decision‐making that mimics human thinking with reinforcement learning is still far away on the horizon.
A Systematic Study on the Redox Potentials of Phenazine‐Derivatives in Aqueous Media: A Combined Computational and Experimental Work
Authors: de la Cruz Carlos , Sanz Roberto , Suárez Anisley , Ventosa Edgar , Marcilla Rebeca , Mavrandonakis Andreas
Published: February 2023

Phenazines are an emerging class of organic compounds that have been recently utilized in aqueous redox flow batteries, a promising technology for large‐scale energy storage. A virtual screening based on density functional theory calculations is used to investigate the redox potentials of around 100 phenazine derivatives in aqueous media containing various electron‐donating or electron‐withdrawing groups at different positions. The calculations identify the crucial positions that should be functionalized with multiple hydroxy groups to design new anolytes. The combined experimental–computational methodology reported herein guides the development of a new molecule with a record low reversible redox potential as a potential anolyte for aqueous redox flow batteries.
Ru‐Catalyzed Direct Asymmetric Reductive Amination of Bio‐Based Levulinic Acid and Ester for the Synthesis of Chiral Pyrrolidinone
Authors: Chakrabortty Soumyadeep , Zheng Shasha , Kallmeier Fabian , Baráth Eszter , Tin Sergey , de Vries Johannes G.
Published: February 2023

Direct asymmetric reductive amination of bio‐based levulinic acid (LA) to the enantioenriched 5‐methylpyrrolidinone is achieved by using a readily available chiral Ru/bisphosphine catalyst with excellent enantioselectivity (up to 96 % ee) and high isolated yield (up to 89 %). Methyl levulinate (ML), a byproduct from the industrial production of 2,5‐furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), can be used instead of LA with similar reactivity and selectivity. Mass spectrometry and isotope labelling studies indicate that the chiral lactam is formed via imine‐enamine tautomerization/cyclization followed by asymmetric hydrogenation of the cyclic enamide.
Spreading the Landscape of Dual Ion Batteries: from Electrode to Electrolyte
Authors: Liu Meiqi , Zhang Wei , Zheng Weitao
Published: February 2023

Invited for this month′s cover is the group of Weitao Zheng at the Jilin University. The image shows the working mechanism of dual‐ion batteries (DIBs). The Review itself is available at 10.1002/cssc.202201375.
Synthesis and anti‐HIV activity of non‐nucleoside reverse‐transcriptase inhibitor DB02 phosphate derivatives based on water‐soluble optimization
Authors: Wang Jing‐Bo , Ma Meng‐Di , Lu Nan , Yang Yu‐Zhuo , Yang Jin‐Xuan , Li Yi‐Ming , Xie Cong‐Qiang , Ma Ning‐Yu , Luo Rong‐Hua , Wang Yue‐Ping , Yang Liu‐Meng , Zhang Hong‐Bin , Zheng Yong‐Tang , He Yan‐Ping
Published: February 2023

To improve the water solubility of anti‐human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) agent DB02, an excellent non‐nucleoside reverse‐transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) obtained in our previous efforts, we designed and synthesized four phosphate derivatives of DB02 based on the molecular model of DB02 with RT. Here, the antiviral activity of these four derivatives was detected, leading to the discovery of compound P‐2, which possessed a superior potency to the lead compound DB02 against wild‐type HIV‐1 and a variety of HIV‐resistant mutant viruses significantly. Furthermore, the water solubility of P‐2 was nearly 17 times higher than that of DB02, and the pharmacokinetic test in rats showed that P‐2 demonstrate significantly improved oral bioavailablity of 14.6%. Our study showed that the introduction of a phosphate ester group at the end of the C‐2 side chain of DB02 was beneficial to the improvement of its antiviral activity and pharmacokinetic properties, which provided a promising lead for the further development of S‐DACOs type of NNRTIs.
Does the skin heat up before it breaks down in diabetic foot ulceration?
Authors: aan de Stegge Wouter B. , Van Netten Jaap J. , Bus Sicco A.
Published: February 2023

Aims

Most diabetic foot ulcers are caused by tissue stress from being ambulatory in people without protective sensation. These ulcers are suggested to be preceded by local skin temperature increase due to inflammation of the underlying tissue, a so‐called hotspot. Evidence to support this mechanism of ulcer development is meagre at best. We investigated if foot ulcers are preceded by increased skin temperature in people with diabetes and foot ulcer history.

Material and Methods

Participants measured temperature at 6–8 plantar foot locations each day for 18 months and identified a hotspot with a temperature difference >2.2°C between corresponding foot locations for two consecutive days.

Results

Twenty‐nine of 151 participants developed a non‐traumatic ulcer while adhering to temperature measurements. In the 2 months prior to ulceration, 8 (28%) had a true hotspot (i.e. at/adjacent to the ulcer location) and the hotspot was on average no longer present 9 days before ulceration. Seven (24%) participants had a false hotspot (i.e. at another location) and 14 (48%) had no hotspot.

Conclusions

The skin of the majority of the ulcers does not heat up before it breaks down or, when it does, not directly before breakdown, questioning the foot temperature increase—uslcer association.
Distribution patterns and drivers of nonendemic and endemic glires species in China
Authors: Meng Lei , Zhou Lizhi
Published: February 2023

Spatial patterns and determinants of species richness in complex geographical regions are important subjects of current biogeography and biodiversity conservation research. Glires are small herbivorous mammal species with limited migratory ability that may serve as an indicator of biodiversity and ecosystems. Herein, we aimed to evaluate how multiple ecological hypotheses could explain the species richness patterns of glires in China. Initially, we constructed a mapping grid cell operating units of 80 × 80 km2 which covered China's land mass and mapped the distribution ranges of the 237 glires species that had recorded. The glires taxa were separated into three response variables based on their distribution: (a) all species, (b) nonendemic species, and (c) endemic species. The species richness patterns of the response variables were evaluated using four predictor sets: (a) hydrothermal characteristics, (b) climatic seasonality, (c) habitat heterogeneity, and (d) human factors. We performed regression tree analysis, multiple linear regression analysis, and variation partitioning analyses to determine the effects of predictors on spatial species patterns. The results showed that the distribution pattern of species richness was the highest in the Hengduan Mountains and surrounding areas in southwest China. However, only a few endemic species adapted to high‐latitude environments. It was found that there are differences about the determinants between nonendemic and endemic species. Habitat heterogeneity was the most influential determinant for the distribution patterns of nonendemic species richness. Climatic seasonality was the best predictor to determine the richness distribution pattern of endemic species, whereas this was least affected by human factors. Furthermore, it should be noted that hydrothermal characteristics were not strong predictors of richness patterns for all or nonendemic species, which may be due to the fact that there are also more species in some areas with less precipitation or energy. Therefore, glires are likely to persist in areas with characteristics of high habitat heterogeneity and stable climate.
Temperature is positively associated with tree mortality in California subalpine forests containing whitebark pine
Authors: Young Derek J. N. , Slaton Michèle R. , Koltunov Alexander
Published: February 2023

Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis Engelm.) is a keystone high‐elevation tree species occurring across much of western North America, yet it has been listed as threatened under the US Endangered Species Act due to rapid population declines and extensive ongoing pressures from white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola), mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae), and increasing temperature and aridity associated with climate change. Past research has shown that whitebark pine mortality is more likely in hotter and drier sites, but no broad‐extent analyses spanning multiple ecoregions have directly quantified the relationship between mortality probability and its environmental drivers at a fine spatial scale. To address this gap, we used spatially continuous high‐resolution (30 m) maps of mortality in California produced by a remote sensing‐based change detection algorithm, and we developed generalized additive models to explain this mortality variability using relevant biophysical variables. We found that maximum daily temperature was strongly positively associated with mortality intensity and that mortality was also generally more intense in sites with greater solar exposure (e.g., south‐facing slopes). Our results support the interpretation that as climate warms and aridity increases, populations in “trailing edge” (i.e., hot, dry) sites are most vulnerable. The environmental relationships we quantify will aid in identifying the locations and environments with the greatest risk of future mortality as well as those likely to serve as refugia.
Toward data‐ and mechanistic‐driven volcano plots in electrocatalysis
Authors: Exner Kai S.
Published: February 2023

The present application note summarizes an advanced methodology that allows for deriving potential‐dependent volcano curves for energy storage and conversion processes. The conventional approach relies on the combination of density functional theory calculations and scaling relations for a single mechanistic pathway as well as a discussion of electrocatalytic activity by means of the potential‐determining step, determined at the equilibrium potential of the reaction. Herein, it is illustrated how several reaction mechanisms can be factored into the volcano curve and how the rate‐determining step based on the descriptor Gmax(U) can be derived by a rigorous thermodynamic analysis of adsorption free energies fed by a data‐inspired methodology.
Lab‐Scale Demonstration of By‐Product Utilization in an Integrated Power‐to‐Liquid Process Applying Co‐Electrolysis
Authors: Herz Gregor , Gallwitz Michael , Näke Ralf , Megel Stefan , Jahn Matthias , Reichelt Erik
Published: February 2023

High‐temperature electrolysis has been shown to be a promising technology for the so‐called Power‐to‐Liquid processes. However, to reach the full potential of high‐temperature electrolysis regarding process efficiency, by‐product recirculation and heat utilization are of vital importance. Herein, the possibility to perform internal reforming of by‐products within the electrolyzer to again obtain syngas can be advantageous. This mode of operation is demonstrated in electrolysis lab tests on cell and stack level, showing the ability to convert methane. However, the recycled gaseous product stream from a Fischer–Tropsch synthesis is much broader in its composition and longer‐chained hydrocarbons may lead to issues such as carbon formation, thermal stress, and catalytic stability. Herein, the Power‐to‐Liquid process, consisting of high‐temperature co‐electrolysis and Fischer–Tropsch synthesis, is implemented in a laboratory‐scale plant to study the possibility of internally reforming by‐products within the electrolyzer. Herein, the importance of by‐product recirculation is highlighted by the results of the investigation, as it allows for a significant increase in carbon efficiency and subsequently in energetic efficiency, but especially the potential of high‐temperature electrolysis for integrated process concepts applying internal reforming.
Controlling Oxygen Reduction Reaction Activities of Ag@Pt Core–Shell Nanoparticles Via Tuning of Ag in the Surface Layer
Authors: Aksoy Dilan , Karakaya Cüneyt , Balkan Timuçin , Savaci Umut , Turan Servet , Metin Önder , Kaya Sarp
Published: February 2023

Herein, the effect of Pt shell thickness and Ag content in the surface layer on the oxygen reduction reaction activities of Ag@Pt core@shell nanoparticles (NPs) is discussed. Ag@Pt NPs are synthesized via the seeded‐growth method, where colloidal Ag NPs are first synthesized and used as seeds for the growth of Pt. Electrochemical activity measurements in alkaline media show a remarkable dependency between the Ag content in the shell and the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity, where the overpotentials required for −1.0 mA cm−2 drop gradually, that is, 0.72, 0.77, and 0.80 V
RHE for Ag@Pt‐25, Ag@Pt‐35, and Ag@Pt‐45, respectively. Tafel analysis also confirms this dependency with 73.5 mV dec−1 for Ag@Pt‐25, 71.3 mV dec−1 for Ag@Pt‐35, and 68.8 mV dec−1 for Ag@Pt‐45. A combination of the high‐resolution transmission electron microscope, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X‐Ray diffraction analysis shows an increase of the Pt shell thickness. It is shown that the absence of Pt‐H adsorption/desorption peaks in cyclic voltammetry of Ag@Pt NPs is correlated with Ag in the surface layer, which plays an important role in the ORR activity due to the blockage of Pt(111) terrace sites. Rate‐limiting first‐electron transfer to oxygen is facilitated by decreasing Ag amount at the surface.
Ash‐Free Porous Carbon as the Negative Additive of Lead‐Acid Batteries and Supercapacitors
Authors: Wu Lei , Cao Jing , Rao Yanzhao , Yang Yali , Zhou Shengquan , Chen Zhengyang
Published: February 2023

Herein, a simple method to prepare porous carbon that inhibits hydrogen evolution is used, which has enormous advantages for both capacitors and lead‐acid batteries. The quantitative filter paper spongy porous carbon (SQFPC) is successfully synthesized by the two‐step method. SQFPC displays a porous, spongy structure with a large specific surface area (1847 m2 g−1). In electrochemical tests, SQFPC exhibits high specific capacitance (244 F g−1 at 1 A g−1) and a capacitance retention rate of 72.5% at 40 A g−1. In addition, the capacity of the battery with 0.5 wt% SQFPC is improved by 57.6% at a discharge rate of 0.1C, and the cycle life under the high‐rate partial state of charge is 9.3 times that of the blank battery. The enhanced battery performance is related to the unique structure and surface functional groups of carbon, which speed up ion movement inside the battery and provide active sites for lead deposition.
A Comparative Study of Polycrystal/Single‐Crystal LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 in All‐Solid‐State Li‐Ion Batteries with Halide‐Based Electrolyte under Low Stacking Pressure
Authors: Liu Hao-Wen , Parthasarathi Senthil-Kumar , Thi Shiki , Weng Yu-Ting , Bolloju Satish , Chen Chia-Chin , Jeng Ru-Jong , Wu Nae-Lih
Published: February 2023

Composite cathodes consisting of a LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 (NCM) cathode and brittle Li3InCl6 (LIC) solid‐state electrolyte (SSE) are assessed for all‐solid‐state Li‐ion battery (ASSLIB) applications under a low stacking pressure (coin‐cell configuration: ≈2.0 MPa). Herein, an investigation is conducted to understand how the internal particle morphologies of the polycrystal (PC‐)/single‐crystal (SC‐) NCM cathode materials affect the internal cracking within the composite electrodes and thereby electrode performance. Extensive debonding between NCM and LIC takes place even at a very low current density (0.03C) with high voltage (4.4 V), but substantially narrower/shorter debonding gaps are observed for SC‐NCM as compared with PC‐NCM (wider/lengthier) due to their different particle sizes. High current rates (e.g., 0.1C) bring about greater strain rates in PC‐NCM particles, resulting in widespread microcracking along the grain boundaries between primary particles and consequently creating “dead zones” that are isolated from the ionic and electronic conduction pathways. Although SC‐NCM shows microcracking within the agglomerates, individual NCM crystals remain in close contact with the SSEs because of noticeably fewer grains in the agglomerations than in the PC‐NCM secondary particles. A low‐pressure SC‐NCM ASSLIB is demonstrated with good cycle stability comparable with that of a liquid‐electrolyte cell even under stressful currents.
Effect of ground motion processing and filtering on the response of rocking structures
Authors: Elmorsy Medhat , Vassiliou Michalis F.
Published: February 2023

With growing interest in rocking structures, it is important to quantify the effects of ground motion processing schemes on rocking response. To this end, this paper studied the influence of different ground motion correction schemes and parameter values on the rocking displacement spectrum. When the problem is treated on an individual ground motion basis, then it seems that ground motion correction does have an influence on the rocking response, especially for more slender blocks. This influence is larger for causal filtering. However, no specific trend related to the cut off period of the filter can be observed (at least for cut off periods longer than or equal to 10 s) or on the type of the recording device (analog or digital). On the other hand, when treating the problem statistically (by comparing the statistics of the response due to sets of ground motion, not a single ground motion), the effect is significantly reduced: The processing schemes do not induce any significant bias to the rocking response and the motion‐to‐motion variability seems more important than the ground motion correction method. This conclusion applies to both analog and digital records, both causal and acausal filters, and to all near field pulse like, near field no pulse like, and far field records.
A deep learning model for online doctor rating prediction
Authors: Kulshrestha Anurag , Krishnaswamy Venkataraghavan , Sharma Mayank
Published: February 2023

Predicting doctor ratings is a critical task in the healthcare industry. A patient usually provides ratings to a few doctors only, leading to the data sparsity issue, which complicates the rating prediction task. The study attempts to improve the prediction methodologies used in the doctor rating prediction systems. The study proposes a novel deep learning (DL) model for online doctor rating prediction based on a hierarchical attention bidirectional long short‐term memory (ODRP‐HABiLSTM) network. A hierarchical self‐attention bidirectional long short‐term memory (HA‐BiLSTM) network incorporates a textual review's word and sentence level information. A highway network is used to refine the representations learned by BiLSTM. The resulting latent patient and doctor representations are utilized to predict the online doctor ratings. Experimental findings based on real‐world doctor reviews from Yelp.com across two medical specialties demonstrate the proposed model's superior performance over state‐of‐the‐art benchmark models. In addition, robustness analysis is used to strengthen the findings.
Cross‐sectional return dispersion and stock market volatility: Evidence from high‐frequency data
Authors: Niu Zibo , Demirer Riza , Suleman Muhammad Tahir , Zhang Hongwei
Published: February 2023

This paper investigates whether the cross‐sectional variance (CSV) of stock returns and its asymmetric components contain incremental information to predict stock market volatility under a high‐frequency, heterogeneous autoregressive (HAR) model framework. We present novel evidence that CSV is a powerful predictor of future realized volatility, both in‐ and out‐of‐sample, even after controlling for the well‐established predictors obtained from intraday data. Further analysis suggests that distinguishing between positive and negative CSV components in the forecasting model enhances the predictive capability of volatility models at all out‐of‐sample forecasting horizons, with the asymmetric HAR‐type‐ACSV model consistently outperforming all alternative HAR‐type variations. We argue that the asymmetries in the predictive relation between CSV and volatility are largely driven by the disagreement among market participants that spikes during bad times. Finally, economic analysis shows that incorporating CSV in the forecasting model can generate sizeable economic gains for a mean–variance investor, suggesting that out‐of‐sample predictive ability of CSV can be exploited in forward looking investment strategies to enhance investment returns.
Bioactivity and health effects of garlic essential oil: A review
Authors: Huang Lei , Liu Zhenxin , Wang Jing , Fu Jiaolong , Jia Yonglu , Ji Lilian , Wang Taoyun
Published: February 2023

Garlic (Allium sativum L.), the underground bulb of the Allium plant in the family Liliaceae, is a common and popular spice that has historically been used to prevent and treat many different diseases such as pain, deafness, diarrhea, tumors, and other healthy problems. Garlic essential oil contains a variety of organosulfur compounds, such as the most representative diallyl disulfides (DADS) and diallyl trisulfides (DATS), which have attracted great interest in medicine, food, and agriculture because of their rich biological activities. This paper reviews the research progress on the composition and bioactivities of garlic essential oil mixtures and the bioactivity of some typical monomeric sulfides in garlic essential oil. The active mechanisms of representative sulfides in garlic essential oil were analyzed, and the applications of garlic essential oil in functional food, food additives, and clinical treatment were discussed. Combined with the current research status, the limitations and development direction of garlic essential oil in the study of molecular mechanism were discussed, which is of great significance to the development of garlic essential oil as a natural and safe alternative medicine for treatment.
Vanillin‐Derived Thermally Reprocessable and Chemically Recyclable Schiff‐Base Epoxy Thermosets
Authors: Subramaniyan Sathiyaraj , Bergoglio Matteo , Sangermano Marco , Hakkarainen Minna
Published: February 2023

The paradigm shift from traditional petroleum‐based non‐recyclable thermosets to biobased repeatedly recyclable materials is required to move toward circular bioeconomy. Here, two mechanically and chemically recyclable extended vanillin‐derived epoxy thermosets are successfully fabricated by introduction of Schiff‐base/imine covalent dynamic bonds. Thermoset 1 (T1) is based on linear monomer 1 (M1) with two alcohol end groups and one imine bond, while thermoset 2 (T2) is based on branched monomer 2 (M2) with three alcohol end‐groups and three imine‐groups. Thermosets are obtained by reaction of monomer 1 (M1) and monomer 2 (M2) with trimethylolpropane triglycidyl ether. The structure of the monomers and thermosets is confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic techniques. Both thermosets exhibit good thermal and mechanical properties and they are stable in common organic solvents. Furthermore, they can be thermally reprocessed through compression molding with good recovery of the mechanical properties. Last but not least, the fabricated thermosets can be rapidly and completely chemically recycled to water‐soluble aldehydes and amines by imine hydrolysis at room temperature in 0.1 m HCl solution. This is promising for development of future materials with multiple circularity by different routes.
Real‐world clinical outcome and safety of adjuvant therapy in stage III melanoma patients: Data from two Academic Italian Institutions
Authors: De Falco Vincenzo , Suarato Gabriella , Napolitano Rossella , Argenziano Giuseppe , Famiglietti Vincenzo , Amato Annarita , Servetto Alberto , Bianco Roberto , Formisano Luigi , Terrano Vincenzo , Esposito Alfonso , Giugliano Maria Cristina , Ciardiello Davide , Ciardiello Fortunato , Napolitano Stefania , Troiani Teresa
Published: February 2023

Adjuvant immunotherapy (IO) and targeted therapy (TT) have improved relapse‐free survival (RFS) in patients with stage III melanoma, although about 25% of them relapse within a year. However, real‐world data on treatment efficacy and safety as well as management of treatment recurrences are still limited. We retrospectively analyzed 113 patients with stage III melanoma who received at least one cycle of anti‐PD‐1 (nivolumab or pembrolizumab) or dabrafenib + trametinib as adjuvant therapy. Most of patients included into the analyses harbor BRAV600E mutation (66.4%) and had a stage IIIC melanoma (63.7%). Immunotherapy was administered in 48.7% of patients, whereas targeted therapy in 51.3% At data cut‐off, median RFS was not reached with 12‐ and 24‐months RFS of 81% and 64%, respectively. No new adverse events were registered. Thirty patients (26.5%) relapsed, mainly at distant sites. Patient treated with IO recurred mostly during adjuvant treatment (ON‐treatment) while patients treated with TT relapsed at the end of treatment (OFF‐treatment). At relapse, surgery, radiotherapy and systemic therapy were used alone or in combination. Among patients who started a first‐line therapy, an excellent response switching to a different treatment was observed. Real‐world outcomes and safety of adjuvant treatment for resected stage III melanoma appear comparable to clinical trials data. Moreover, management of recurrences depends on type of relapse (loco‐regional vs distant) and timing (during vs OFF treatment). Furthermore, patients who relapse after adjuvant TT respond well to subsequent anti‐PD1 based therapy.
Proteome‐Wide Fragment‐Based Ligand and Target Discovery
Authors: Forrest Ines , Parker Christopher G.
Published: February 2023

Chemical probes are invaluable tools to investigate biological processes and can serve as lead molecules for the development of new therapies. However, despite their utility, only a fraction of human proteins have selective chemical probes, and more generally, our knowledge of the “chemically‐tractable” proteome is limited, leaving many potential therapeutic targets unexploited. To help address these challenges, powerful chemical proteomic approaches have recently been developed to globally survey the ability of proteins to bind small molecules (i. e., ligandability) directly in native systems. In this review, we discuss the utility of such approaches, with a focus on the integration of chemoproteomic methods with fragment‐based ligand discovery (FBLD), to facilitate the broad mapping of the ligandable proteome while also providing starting points for progression into lead chemical probes.
Quantifying investor narratives and their role during COVID‐19
Authors: Borup Daniel , Hansen Jorge Wolfgang , Liengaard Benjamin Dybro , Montes Schütte Erik Christian
Published: February 2023

This paper elicits and quantifies narratives from open‐ended surveys sent daily to US stockholders during the first wave of the COVID‐19 pandemic. Using textual analysis, we extract 13 narratives and measure their prevalence over time. A validation analysis confirms the behavioral and economic relevance of the retrieved narratives. Moreover, we find that the narratives contain predictive information for future excess stock and bond returns, and this predictability remains when controlling for contemporaneous information stemming from news and social media. Finally, we find evidence that political identity is reflected in the narrative tone.
Identifying and interpreting the factors in factor models via sparsity: Different approaches
Authors: Despois Thomas , Doz Catherine
Published: February 2023

This paper considers different approaches for identifying the factor structure and interpreting the factors without imposing their interpretation via restrictions: sparse PCA and factor rotations. We establish a new consistency result for the factors estimated by sparse PCA. Monte Carlo simulations show that our methods accurately estimate the factor structure, even in small samples. We apply them to large datasets about international business cycles and the US economy. For each empirical application, they identify the same factor structure, offering a clear economic interpretation. These exploratory methods can in particular justify or complement approaches that impose the factor structure a priori.
Students' educational drive and ethnic capital
Authors: Iqbal Karamat , Modood Tariq
Published: February 2023

Class has been central to European sociology and especially to sociology of education. Class origins (through one's parents) do indeed largely determine one's educational attainments and through them, with further support from one's class origins, determine one's class destination. And the cycle continues in one's own children. However, class does not affect all ethnic groups in the same manner, given that different groups bring different resources to any given situation, in this case, education, through their ethnic capital. Ethnic capital is the social capital that may be distinctive to a particular ethnic group and so can vary across groups. It can motivate, support and channel the behaviour of members of a group. This article focuses on the ethnic capital of one set of parents and the wider community. It is based on qualitative research undertaken with a small group of British Kashmiris who have been educationally successful. The investigation explored the contribution of their parents and the wider community to their education: how the parents and the wider family communicated their expectations on education and the support and encouragement they provided to the young people. The findings showed that in a socioeconomically disadvantaged context the ethnic capital of the parents and the community can be a driving factor in their children's education.
Southern Multilateralism: India's engagement with Africa and the emergence of a multiplex world order
Authors: Roy Indrajit
Published: February 2023

This paper delineates the characteristics of an emerging Southern multilateralism to argue against pessimistic narratives of anarchy and disorder as well as optimistic narratives that celebrate the resilience of the Liberal International Order (LIO). It does this by staging a conversation between a top‐down International Relations literature that explores the contours of global order and a bottom‐up international development literature that investigates the changing role of the Global South in world politics. By highlighting the continuities and discontinuities of Southern multilateralism with it, the paper illustrates the ways in which Southern Multilateralism both challenges the LIO and supports it. The perspective of Southern Multilateralism suggests that countries in the Global South insist on sharing global responsibility with prevailing institutions of liberal multilateralism, neither seeking to overthrow it nor to be co‐opted within it. A subsidiary argument of the paper is that Southern Multilateralism is not homogenous: To that end, it attends to the richness of Southern Multilateralism by directing attention to variations within it. In line with the theme of the Special Issue, this paper focuses on two cases that involve India's presence on the African continent.
Contested concept, competing narratives, and coercive policy intervention: A study of government intervention in the illegal artisanal mining sector in Ghana
Authors: Adobor Henry
Published: February 2023

This research presents the findings of a study on the outcomes of policy intervention for eradicating illegal artisanal mining in Ghana. Using theories of everyday resistance and discourse, the study explored how actor motivations, choices, and behaviour affected the outcome of the government's attempt to eradicate illegal artisanal mining. Driven by the necessity for survival, illegal miners asserted their agency and developed strategies of covert resistance to undermine government intervention. Our data reveal a dynamic interplay between the government's use of discourse to frame illegal mining as a criminal activity and the miners' deployment of “weapons of the weak” and counter‐narratives to mount covert resistance to the government's attempt to stop illegal mining. Using cynicism, evasive action, and survival discourses as well as playing on the government's ambivalence and doubts about its commitment to a long‐drawn‐out fight, the resilience of miners seemed to have paid off in the end as the government failed to achieve its major objective.