bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Standards for the development and methodology of the 2023 IWGDF guidelines
Authors: Bus Sicco A. , Monteiro‐Soares Matilde , Game Fran , van Netten Jaap J. , Apelqvist Jan , Fitridge Robert , Senneville Eric , Schaper Nicolaas C. ,   IWGDF Editorial Board
Published: May 2023

Aims

Diabetes‐related foot disease is a major source of patient burden and societal costs. Investing in evidence‐based international guidelines on diabetes‐related foot disease is important to reduce this burden and costs, provided the guidelines are focused on outcomes important to key stakeholders and are evidence‐based and properly implemented.

Materials and Methods

The International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot (IWGDF) has published and updated international guidelines since 1999. The 2023 updates were made using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment Development and Evaluation evidence‐to‐decision framework. This concerns formulating relevant clinical questions and important outcomes, conducting systematic reviews of the literature and meta‐analyses where appropriate, completing summary of judgement tables, and writing recommendations that are specific, unambiguous and actionable, along with their transparent rationale.

Results

We herein describe the development of the 2023 IWGDF Guidelines on the prevention and management of diabetes‐related foot disease, which consists of seven chapters, each prepared by a separate working group of international experts. These chapters provide guidelines related to diabetes‐related foot disease on prevention; classification of diabetes‐related foot ulcer, offloading, peripheral artery disease, infection, wound healing interventions, and active Charcot neuro‐osteoarthropathy. Based on these seven guidelines, the IWGDF Editorial Board also produced a set of practical guidelines. Each guideline underwent extensive review by the members of the IWGDF Editorial Board as well as independent international experts in each field.

Conclusions

We believe that the adoption and implementation of the 2023 IWGDF guidelines by healthcare providers, public health agencies, and policymakers will improve the prevention and management of diabetes‐related foot disease, and subsequently reduce the worldwide patient and societal burden caused by this disease.
Microenvironmental signals shaping NK‐cell reactivity in cancer
Authors: Balzasch Bianca M. , Cerwenka Adelheid
Published: May 2023

Since the postulation of the “missing‐self” concept, much progress has been made in defining requirements for NK‐cell activation. Unlike T lymphocytes that process signals from receptors in a hierarchic manner dominated by the T‐cell receptors, NK cells integrate receptor signals more “democratically.” Signals originate not only the downstream of cell‐surface receptors triggered by membrane‐bound ligands or cytokines, but are also mediated by specialized microenvironmental sensors that perceive the cellular surrounding by detecting metabolites or the availability of oxygen. Thus, NK‐cell effector functions are driven in an organ and disease‐dependent manner. Here, we review the latest findings on how NK‐cell reactivity in cancer is determined by the reception and integration of complex signals. Finally, we discuss how this knowledge can be exploited to guide novel combinatorial approaches for NK‐cell‐based anticancer therapies.
Migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees: Different labels for immigrants influence attitudes through perceived benefits in nine countries
Authors: Graf Sylvie , Rubin Mark , Assilamehou‐Kunz Yvette , Bianchi Mauro , Carnaghi Andrea , Fasoli Fabio , Finell Eerika , Gustafsson Sendén Marie , Shamloo Soraya Elizabeth , Tocik Jaroslav , Lacko David , Sczesny Sabine
Published: May 2023

The world is witnessing the highest level of displacement of people on record. Public discourse often uses labels to describe people on the move such as ‘migrants’, ‘asylum seekers’, or ‘refugees’ interchangeably. A preregistered study in nine countries (Australia, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Italy, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom; N = 2844) tested experimentally the effect of these three labels on attitudes towards immigrants and immigration policies. We found a significant difference between the label ‘migrant’ and both ‘asylum seeker’ and ‘refugee’ on the social distance scale. Participants were happier if migrants, rather than asylum seekers and refugees, were their neighbours, friends, or partners. The effect was mediated by perceived benefits, but not threats, whereby migrants were perceived to bring more benefits to receiving societies than asylum seekers and refugees. To increase the acceptance of immigrants, speakers may consider specifying the given group and emphasize benefits that immigrants bring to receiving societies.
An improved method for signal de‐noising based on multi‐level local mean decomposition
Authors: Tang Chao , Chen Heng , Jiang Yonghua , Jiao Weidong , Sun Jianfeng , Xu Cui , Wang Chen , Xia Haicheng
Published: May 2023

The product functions (PFs) extracted by local mean decomposition (LMD) of the noisy signal contain obvious energy‐concentrated pulses. As a result, the conventional amplitude threshold filtering used in wavelet transform (WT)‐based and empirical mode decomposition (EMD)‐based de‐noising methods is no longer applicable. To address this issue, an improved signal de‐noising method is proposed by using the multi‐level local mean decomposition (ML‐LMD), the superposition and recombination (SR) of high‐order PFs, the outlier detection, and waveform smoothing (OD‐WS) to remove noise by eliminating the pulse components. The proposed method's superior noise reduction performance is demonstrated through theoretical analysis and experimental verification. Compared to well‐known methods like WT‐based and EMD‐based de‐noising, the results show that the proposed method has significant comparative advantages in reducing noise in rolling bearing signals.
Association between dietary niacin intake and cognitive function in the elderly: Evidence from NHANES 2011–2014
Authors: Shen Xia , Yang Long , Liu Yuan Yuan , Jiang Lei , Huang Jian Feng
Published: May 2023

Recent studies have shown an inconsistent association between dietary niacin and cognitive function. And this remains unclear in the American outpatient population. The aim of this study was to assess whether there is an association between dietary niacin and cognitive performance in an older American population aged ≥60 years. A total of 2523 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011–2014 were enrolled. Cognitive function was assessed by the CERAD Word Learning (CERAD‐WL) test, the CERAD Delayed Recall (CERAD‐DR) test, the Animal Fluency test (AFT), and the Digit Symbol Substitution test (DSST). Cognitive impairment that meets one of the four scoring conditions listed above is defined as low cognitive function. Dietary niacin intake was obtained from 2 days of a 24‐h recall questionnaire. Based on the quartiles of dietary niacin intake, they were divided into four groups: Q1 (<15.51 mg), Q2 (15.51–20.68 mg), Q3 (20.69–26.90 mg), and Q4 (>26.91 mg). The stability of the results was assessed using multifactorial logistic regression, restricted cubic spline (RCS) models, and sensitivity stratified analysis. More than half of the participants had cognitive impairment (52.52%). In the fully adjusted model, niacin was associated with a significantly reduced risk of cognitive impairment in Q3 and Q4 compared with the Q1 group (OR: 0.610, 95% CI: 0.403, 0.921, p = .022; OR: 0.592, 95% CI: 0.367, 0.954, p = .034). Meanwhile, niacin was negatively associated with poor cognition as assessed by the CERAD‐WL test, CERAD test, AFT, and DSST. An L‐shaped dose–response relationship between dietary niacin and cognitive function was observed in all participants (nonlinear p < .001). There were also interactions that existed in populations with different carbohydrate intakes and cholesterol intakes (p for interaction = .031, p for interaction = .005). These findings provide new evidence for the potential role of dietary niacin intake on cognitive function in the elderly.
Compulsory education reform and child mortality in Peru
Authors: Bui Thao
Published: May 2023

The government of Peru amended its constitution to increase compulsory education from six to 11 years in 1993. This constitutional amendment provides a natural experiment to investigate the impact of maternal education on child mortality. Exploiting differences in the reform exposure by age, I find that mothers who were exposed to the reform were less likely to experience the death of a child. There is also evidence that the reform caused a decline in infant mortality. These results are not driven by the age difference between mothers who were treated by the reform and those who were not treated. Additional analyses reveal that the reform increased age at first birth, decreased desired fertility, reduced smoking, and improved economic opportunities for women. The results demonstrate that compulsory schooling may be a useful policy tool to improve women's education, which can, in turn, enhance the survival of their children.
Multi‐level effects of human resource bundles on the performance of aging employees
Authors: Pahos Nikolaos , Galanaki Eleanna , van der Heijden Beatrice I. J. M.
Published: May 2023

Previously, scholars have studied the need for implementing different human resource (HR) configurations that foster aging employees' outcomes, but there is a lack of evidence at the group level. Using the framework of Social Exchange Theory, coupled with the Selection, Optimization, and Compensation theory, we examine associations between bundles of HR practices, age (measured both as calendar age and proportion of an aging workforce), and performance, at both the individual and group levels. First, the outcomes of our multi‐level analysis show that bundles of maintenance‐enhancing HR practices are positively related to performance at both levels, whereas bundles of growth‐enhancing HR practices associate with performance only at the group level. Second, age relates positively to performance, both at the individual and group levels. At the group level, there is an inverted U‐shaped relationship between the proportion of an aging workforce and group performance, such that a group's performance benefits from the participation of older employees up to a maximum proportion of 56%. Finally, age negatively moderates the association between growth‐enhancing HR bundles and performance at both the individual and group levels. Results highlight the value of older employees for working organizations, and the importance of adopting HR practices that consider maintenance and growth‐related needs across the life‐span, while also providing useful theoretical and practical implications for Human Resource Development scholars and professionals.
Mutational evolution after chemotherapy‐progression in metastatic colorectal cancer revealed by circulating tumor DNA analysis
Authors: Kim Sheehyun , Cha Yongjun , Lim Yoojoo , Roh Hanseong , Kang Jun‐Kyu , Lee Kyung‐Hun , Kim Min Jung , Park Ji Won , Ryoo Seung‐Bum , Kim Hwang‐Phill , Jeong Seung‐Yong , Park Kyu Joo , Han Sae‐Won , Kim Tae‐You
Published: May 2023

Emerging new mutations after treatment can provide clues to acquired resistant mechanisms. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) sequencing has enabled noninvasive repeated tumor mutational profiling. We aimed to investigate newly emerging mutations in ctDNA after disease progression in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Blood samples were prospectively collected from mCRC patients receiving palliative chemotherapy before treatment and at radiological evaluations. ctDNA from pretreatment and progressive disease (PD) samples were sequenced with a next‐generation sequencing panel targeting 106 genes. A total of 712 samples from 326 patients were analyzed, and 381 pretreatment and PD pairs (163 first‐line, 85 second‐line and 133 later‐line [≥third‐line]) were compared. New mutations in PD samples (mean 2.75 mutations/sample) were observed in 49.6% (189/381) of treatments. ctDNA samples from later‐line had more baseline mutations (P = .002) and were more likely to have new PD mutations (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 2.27, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.40‐3.69) compared to first‐line. RAS/BRAF wild‐type tumors were more likely to develop PD mutations (adjusted OR 1.87, 95% CI: 1.22‐2.87), independent of cetuximab treatment. The majority of new PD mutations (68.5%) were minor clones, suggesting an increasing clonal heterogeneity after treatment. Pathways involved by PD mutations differed by the treatment received: MAPK cascade (Gene Ontology [GO]: 0000165) in cetuximab and regulation of kinase activity (GO: 0043549) in regorafenib. The number of mutations revealed by ctDNA sequencing increased during disease progression in mCRC. Clonal heterogeneity increased after chemotherapy progression, and pathways involved were affected by chemotherapy regimens.
Synthesis and Chemiexcitation of a Distinct Chemiluminescent Luminophore based on a Curcumin Scaffold
Authors: Tannous Rozan , Gutkin Sara , Baran Phil S. , Shabat Doron
Published: May 2023

Natural fluorogenic dyes are composed of unique molecular structures that could be harnessed for the design of new chemiluminescent luminophores. Here we demonstrated how to simply transform an emissive curcumin scaffold into a novel chemiluminescent luminophore. An appropriate bromo‐curcumin intermediate was synthesized as a substrate for a Stille cross‐coupling reaction with an adamantyl‐stannane reagent. This late‐stage functionalization afforded in one step a curcumin enolether precursor that can then be oxidized with singlet oxygen to produce a curcumin chemiluminescent luminophore. This curcumin dioxetane luminophore produced an intense light signal with an emission spectrum that correlates with its curcumin scaffold. This is the first example of a chemiluminescent luminophore that is based on the emissive nature of the curcumin molecular structure. We expect that the method described herein would be useful for the synthesis of new chemiluminescent luminophores by transforming other known emissive dyes into dioxetane precursors via the Stille cross‐coupling approach.
Physiological signal analysis in exercise fatigue detection application based on deep learning
Authors: Wang Yongzhi , Li Ruifang , Zhang Yunyun , Cui Chunhai
Published: May 2023

This paper proposes a physiological signal analysis method in exercise fatigue detection application based on deep learning models to provide fast and accurate feedback for the player's physical status and better assist the player to perform exercise. We adopt the deep neural network as backbone model and design following strategies in our proposed method to process and extract features in signals. First, we preprocess the physiological signal, including noise reduction and segmentation. Second, we use a deep learning model to design a feature extraction method, which uses an autoencoder to label and feature the signal. Third, we perform motion fatigue detection on the fused signal features based on a long short‐term memory network model. The results prove that the method proposed has good performance.
Data mining based network intrusion detection method in the environment of IoT
Authors: Wu Guihua , Xie Lijing
Published: May 2023

With the rapid development of Internet of Things (IoT) and Internet technology, the network is becoming more and more important and strict. The IoT networks that access to a large number of devices make network intrusion more convenient. However, because the traditional network intrusion detection methods have the problems of low detection rate and high false alarm rate, this paper proposes a network intrusion detection method based on data mining. Firstly, a pre‐processing model is established to process the initial data. Then, according to the characteristics of network behavior, a new feature subset selection process is designed. Based on the above data mining and analysis process, a dynamic detection generation rule matching with data mining is set to detect abnormal network intrusion traffic. Then, the network intrusion detection based on data mining is completed. The experimental results show that, compared with other methods, the network intrusion detection method based on data mining has higher network intrusion detection rate and lower false alarm rate, which is helpful to improve the detection accuracy.
Reducing face touching through haptic feedback: A treatment evaluation against fomite‐mediated self‐infection
Authors: Virues‐Ortega Javier , Pérez‐Bustamante Pereira Agustín , Martin Neil , Moeyaert Mariola , Krause Peter A. , Tarifa‐Rodriguez Aida , Trujillo Carolina , Sivaraman Maithri
Published: May 2023

Fomite‐mediated self‐infection via face touching is an understudied transmission pathway for infectious diseases. We evaluated the effect of computer‐mediated vibrotactile cues (presented through experimental bracelets located on one or both hands of the participant) on the frequency of face touching among eight healthy adults in the community. We conducted a treatment evaluation totaling over 25,000 min of video observation. The treatment was evaluated through a multiple‐treatment design and hierarchical linear modeling. The one‐bracelet intervention did not produce significantly lower levels of face touching across both hands, whereas the two‐bracelet intervention did result in significantly lower face touching. The effect increased over repeated presentations of the two‐bracelet intervention, with the second implementation producing, on average, 31 fewer face‐touching percentual points relative to baseline levels. Dependent on the dynamics of fomite‐mediated self‐infection via face touching, treatment effects could be of public health significance. The implications for research and practice are discussed.
Electrophoretic deposition of gentamicin and chitosan into titanium nanotubes to target periprosthetic joint infection
Authors: Della Fara Greta , Markovics Adrienn , Radice Simona , Hamilton John L. , Chiesa Roberto , Sturm Andreas , Angenendt Katja , Fischer Alfons , Wimmer Markus A.
Published: May 2023

Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) occurs in 1%–2% of primary total hip and knee arthroplasties; the rate can reach 20% in individuals at risk. Due to the low local bioavailability of systemic antibiotics and possible off‐target effects, localized drug delivery systems are of great importance. Our aim was the electrophoretic deposition (EPD) of gentamicin and chitosan in Titanium (Ti) nanotubes to establish a local, prolonged antibiotic delivery. Nanotubes were created on Ti wire with a two‐step anodization process. For drug deposition, EPD and the air‐dry methods were compared. For a prolonged drug release, gentamicin and crosslinked chitosan were deposited in a two‐step EPD process. Drug release was quantified by fractional volume sampling. The Ti wires were tested against Staphylococcus aureus by agar dilution and liquid culture methods. MC3T3‐E1 osteoblastic cell viability was determined with trypan blue. Nanotubes were characterized by a 100 nm diameter and 7 μm length. EPD allowed a higher amount of gentamicin deposited than the air‐dry method. Drug deposition was controllable by adjusting the voltage and duration of the EPD process. The crosslinked chitosan layer allowed diffusion‐driven release kinetics for up to 3 days. Gentamicin‐loaded Ti wires significantly inhibited bacterial growth and resulted in a larger inhibition zone compared to unloaded wires. Twenty‐four hours of incubation with loaded wires did not have a significant effect on osteoblast viability. Gentamicin‐loaded Ti nanotubes represent a promising approach for PJI prevention, as well as a valuable preclinical tool for the investigation of localized drug delivery systems created on Ti surface.
Adsorptive capacity and kinetic studies of PK216 resin for the extraction of Pr, Gd, and Dy rare earth elements
Authors: Hidayah Nur Nadiatul , Roslan Nurul Asmawati , Osazuwa Osarieme Uyi , Cuong Nguyen Van , Zainal Abidin Sumaiya
Published: May 2023

BACKGROUND

The removal of rare earth elements (REE) ions from aqueous solutions is a challenging task, and it requires a cost‐effective and readily available adsorbent material with excellent performance. In this study, PK216 resin was utilized for the adsorption kinetics and mechanism studies of REE ions owing to its outstanding performance, low cost, and easy availability.

RESULTS

The findings revealed that higher loading resulted in increased adsorption capacity, while pH and temperature adjustments had minimal effects on the adsorption process, which remained constant within the pH range of 1–6 and a temperature range of 25–85 °C. Moreover, the thermodynamic parameters showed that the adsorption reaction for praseodymium (Pr) and gadolinium (Gd) was spontaneous and exothermic, whereas for dysprosium (Dy) it was endothermic due to its high hydration enthalpy. This characteristic nature of Dy requires additional energy from the surroundings to dissociate from the aqueous phase and proceed to the PK216 resin surface compared to Pr and Gd. The Langmuir model and pseudo‐second‐order reaction were found to be the fitting models for the adsorption process on PK216 resin. Additionally, the chemisorption of Pr, Gd, and Dy resulted in monolayer coverage. The diffusion process was found to be intraparticle and film diffusion, as it fitted the Boyd kinetic model as opposed to the Weber–Morris intraparticle model.

CONCLUSION

The results indicate that higher loading enhances the adsorption capacity, and the Langmuir model and pseudo‐second‐order reaction are the most suitable models for the adsorption process on PK216 resin. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry
Enhancement of gluconic acid production by Aspergillus niger from by‐products as glucose source using pressurized air conditions
Authors: Fernandes Sílvia , Dias Bruna , Belo Isabel , Lopes Marlene
Published: May 2023

BACKGROUND

The profitable production of gluconic acid (GA), an organic acid extensively used in the food and beverages industries, relies on the use of cheap and available substrates with high sugar content. The high oxygen demand for the microbial conversion of glucose to GA is still a bottleneck of industrial production in conventional stirred‐tank reactors. Therefore, in this study, for the first time, the effect of increased air pressure up to 4 bar on GA production and sugar consumption in batch and step‐wise fed‐batch cultures in sugarcane molasses (ScM) and grape must (GM) medium was studied.

RESULTS

ScM and GM, by‐products of the agro‐food industry, proved to be adequate feedstocks to replace pure glucose in GA batch production by Aspergillus niger MUM 92.13. A threefold improvement in GA productivity was obtained in batch experiments carried out at 4 bar with ScM and GM compared to those at 1 bar. Furthermore, the addition of two pulses of ScM, under pressurized conditions, increased the GA production, reaching a final concentration of 140 g L−1.

CONCLUSION

This work proved that the use of total air pressure up to 4 bar is an effective approach to enhance GA productivity using ScM and GM as substrates in batch and step‐wise fed‐batch cultures. Also, this study provides a novel strategy for developing a biotechnological bioprocess for GA production by A. niger from low‐cost and sugar‐rich by‐products performed in pressurized stirred tank reactors. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).
Visible‐light photocatalytic membranes based on heterostructured Fe3O4‐doped g‐C3N4/TiO2 catalysts
Authors: Wang Long , Zhao Liu‐Lin , He Qin‐Yuan , Shao Dan‐Dan , Sun Shi‐Peng , Cao Xue‐Li
Published: May 2023

BACKGROUND

Desalination membranes have been widely in demand for separating dyes and salts. However, dyes are easily adsorbed on/in the membranes, deteriorating membrane performance. Coupling photocatalysis and membrane separation might be a promising strategy for efficiently alleviating membrane fouling. Aiming at the defects of single catalyst, this work constructed photocatalytic membranes based on heterostructured Fe3O4‐doped g‐C3N4 (FeCN)/TiO2 catalysts by successively filtrating FeCN aqueous dispersion and titanium butoxide/isopropanol solution on the hydrolyzed polyacrylonitrile substrate.

RESULTS

The H‐bonds among TiO2, FeCN and substrate lead to excellent load stability of the photoresponsive layer. Due to the low‐potential conduction band and high conductivity of Fe3O4 and the low‐potential conduction band of TiO2 in FeCN/TiO2, electrons can be more easily transferred to guarantee the high separation efficiency of electrons and holes. Hence the membrane not only exhibited superior permeability (104 L m−2 h−1 bar−1) and dye desalting performance (Coomassie brilliant blue R250 rejection of >98.80% and NaCl rejection of <7.00%), but also displayed highly efficient and stable dye photodegradation.

CONCLUSION

The degradation efficiency surpassed that reported in the literature in comparable circumstances, and the recovery rate of permeability still reached 89.12% after three fouling–photodegradation cycles. This work provides new opportunities for designing high‐efficiency self‐cleaning membranes to solve membrane fouling based on low‐cost materials. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).
Semantic segmentation of retinal exudates using a residual encoder–decoder architecture in diabetic retinopathy
Authors: Manan Malik Abdul , Jinchao Feng , Khan Tariq M. , Yaqub Muhammad , Ahmed Shahzad , Chuhan Imran shabir
Published: May 2023

Exudates are a common sign of diabetic retinopathy, which is a disease that affects the blood vessels in the retina. Early detection of exudates is critical to avoiding vision problems through continuous screening and treatment. In traditional clinical practice, the involved lesions are manually detected using photographs of the fundus. However, this task is cumbersome and time‐consuming and requires intense effort due to the small size of the lesion and the low contrast of the images. Thus, computer‐assisted diagnosis of retinal disease based on the detection of red lesions has been actively explored recently. In this paper, we present a comparison of deep convolutional neural network (CNN) architectures and propose a residual CNN with residual skip connections to reduce the parameter for the semantic segmentation of exudates in retinal images. A suitable image augmentation technique is used to improve the performance of network architecture. The proposed network can robustly segment exudates with high accuracy, which makes it suitable for diabetic retinopathy screening. A comparative performance analysis of three benchmark databases: E‐ophtha, DIARETDB1, and Hamilton Ophthalmology Institute's Macular Edema, is presented. The proposed method achieves a precision of 0.95, 0.92, 0.97, accuracy of 0.98, 0.98, 0.98, sensitivity of 0.97, 0.95, 0.95, specificity of 0.99, 0.99, 0.99, and area under the curve of 0.97, 0.94, and 0.96, respectively.

Research Highlights

The research focuses on the detection and segmentation of exudates in diabetic retinopathy, a disease affecting the retina.

Early detection of exudates is important to avoid vision problems and requires continuous screening and treatment.

Currently, manual detection is time‐consuming and requires intense effort.

The authors compare qualitative results of the state‐of‐the‐art convolutional neural network (CNN) architectures and propose a computer‐assisted diagnosis approach based on deep learning, using a residual CNN with residual skip connections to reduce parameters.

The proposed method is evaluated on three benchmark databases and demonstrates high accuracy and suitability for diabetic retinopathy screening.
Single Breath‐Hold MR Elastography for Fast Biomechanical Probing of Pancreatic Stiffness
Authors: van Schelt Anne‐Sophie , Gottwald Lukas M. , Wassenaar Nienke P.M. , Runge Jurgen H. , Sinkus Ralph , Stoker Jaap , Nederveen Aart J. , Schrauben Eric M.
Published: May 2023

Background

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) stromal disposition is thought to influence chemotherapy efficacy and increase tissue stiffness, which could be quantified noninvasively via MR elastography (MRE). Current methods cause position‐based errors in pancreas location over time, hampering accuracy. It would be beneficial to have a single breath‐hold acquisition.

Purpose

To develop and test a single breath‐hold three‐dimensional MRE technique utilizing prospective undersampling and a compressed sensing reconstruction (CS‐MRE).

Study Type

Prospective.

Population

A total of 30 healthy volunteers (HV) (31 ± 9 years; 33% male) and five patients with PDAC (69 ± 5 years; 80% male).

Field Strength/Sequence

3‐T, GRE Ristretto MRE.

Assessment

First, optimization of multi breath‐hold MRE was done in 10 HV using four combinations of vibration frequency, number of measured wave‐phase offsets, and TE and looking at MRE quality measures in the pancreas head. Second, viscoelastic parameters delineated in the pancreas head or tumor of CS‐MRE were compared against (I) 2D and (II) 3D four breath‐hold acquisitions in HV (N = 20) and PDAC patients. Intrasession repeatability was assessed for CS‐MRE in a subgroup of healthy volunteers (N = 15).

Statistical Tests

Tests include repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA), Bland–Altman analysis, and coefficients of variation (CoVs). A P‐value <.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

Optimization of the four breath‐hold acquisitions resulted in 40 Hz vibration frequency, five wave‐phases, and echo time (TE) = 6.9 msec as the preferred method (4BH‐MRE). CS‐MRE quantitative results did not differ from 4BH‐MRE. Shear wave speed (SWS) and phase angle differed significantly between HV and PDAC patients using 4BH‐MRE or CS‐MRE. The limits of agreement for SWS were [−0.09, 0.10] m/second and the within‐subject CoV was 4.8% for CS‐MRE.

Data Conclusion

CS‐MRE might allow a single breath‐hold MRE acquisition with comparable SWS and phase angle as 4BH‐MRE, and it may still enable to differentiate between HV and PDAC.

Level of Evidence: 2

Technical Efficacy Stage: 2
Amino acids induced modulations in linear PEO‐PPO‐PEO triblock copolymer microstructures and its exploration in prototypical drug solubilization
Authors: Chakrabarti Chitralekha , Kakkad Hiral , Desai Sunil , Ray Debes , Aswal Vinod K. , Pillai Sadafara A.
Published: May 2023

This manuscript explains the effect of biologically important additives on the micellar behavior of an ethylene oxide‐propylene oxide (PEO101‐PPO56‐PEO101) based linear block copolymer, Poloxamer 407.The effect of common pharmaceutical excipients and three vital amino acids viz. alanine, glycine, and lysine (Ala, Gly, and Lys) is examined with the help of cloud point (CP), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and small angle neutron scattering (SANS) techniques. The drug solubilization ability for the copolymer was checked for two model drugs Quercetin (QCT) and Ibuprofen (IBU) with the help of high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in the presence/absence of additives such as Ala, Gly, and Lys. The observed results reveal that higher amino acid concentrations, favor the solubilization of drug which can potentially benefit the use of these biocompatible copolymers in pharmaceutical and biopharma industries.
No association between MTHFR gene C677T/A1298C polymorphisms, serum folate, vitamin B12, homocysteine levels, and prostate cancer in an Algerian population
Authors: Mouhoub‐Terrab Rima , Chibane Abdel Aziz , Khelil Malika
Published: May 2023

Background

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is an important enzyme involved in folate and homocysteine metabolism, which are necessary for DNA methylation and nucleotide synthesis. Genetic polymorphisms that reduce MTHFR activity have been linked to several diseases, including prostate cancer. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether MTHFR polymorphisms, along with serum levels of folate, vitamin B12, and homocysteine, are associated with prostate cancer risk in the Algerian population.

Methods

A total of 106 Algerian men with newly diagnosed prostate cancer and 125 healthy controls were included in this case‐control study. The MTHFR C677T and A1298C polymorphisms were analyzed using PCR/RFLP and Real‐Time PCR TaqMan® assays, respectively. Serum levels of folate, total homocysteine, and vitamin B12 were measured using an automatic biochemistry analyzer.

Results

We found no significant differences in the genotype frequency of A1298C and C677T between prostate cancer patients and controls. Moreover, serum levels of folate, total homocysteine, and vitamin B12 were not significantly associated with prostate cancer risk (p > 0.05). However, age and family history were identified as significant risk factors (OR = 1.178, p = 0.00 and OR = 10.03, p = 0.007, respectively).

Conclusion

Our study suggests that MTHFR C677T and A1298C, as well as serum levels of folate, total homocysteine, and vitamin B12, are not associated with prostate cancer risk in the Algerian population. However, age and family history are significant risk factors. Further studies with a larger sample size are required to confirm these findings.
Novel Inhibitors of androgen receptor's DNA binding domain identified using an ultra‐large virtual screening
Authors: Radaeva Mariia , Morin Helene , Pandey Mohit , Ban Fuqiang , Guo Maria , LeBlanc Eric , Lallous Nada , Cherkasov Artem
Published: May 2023

Androgen receptor (AR) inhibition remains the primary strategy to combat the progression of prostate cancer (PC). However, all clinically used AR inhibitors target the ligand‐binding domain (LBD), which is highly susceptible to truncations through splicing or mutations that confer drug resistance. Thus, there exists an urgent need for AR inhibitors with novel modes of action. We thus launched a virtual screening of an ultra‐large chemical library to find novel inhibitors of the AR DNA‐binding domain (DBD) at two sites: protein‐DNA interface (P‐box) and dimerization site (D‐box). The compounds selected through vigorous computational filtering were then experimentally validated. We identified several novel chemotypes that effectively suppress transcriptional activity of AR and its splice variant V7. The identified compounds represent previously unexplored chemical scaffolds with a mechanism of action that evades the conventional drug resistance manifested through LBD mutations. Additionally, we describe the binding features required to inhibit AR DBD at both P‐box and D‐box target sites.
Negative Regulation of Innate Immune Signaling by Components of the Button Mushroom Agaricus bisporus
Authors: O'Sullivan Michele , Dempsey Elaine , Case Sarah , Hackett Emer E. , Ledwith Anna E. , Prendeville Hannah , O'Brien Tara , Lewis Faye , Murphy Dearbhla M. , Yadav Supriya , Wilson Jude , Corr Sinead C. , Sheedy Frederick J.
Published: May 2023

Scope: Mushrooms are valued as an edible and medical resource for millennia. As macrofungi, they possess conserved molecular components recognized by innate immune cells like macrophages, yet unlike pathogenic fungi, they do not trigger the immune system in the same way. That these well‐tolerated foods both avoid immuno‐surveillance and have positive health benefits, highlights the dearth of information on the interactions of mushroom‐derived products with the immune system.

Methods and results: Using powders produced from the common white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus, it is observed that pre‐treatment of mouse and human macrophages with mushroom powders attenuates innate immune signaling triggered by microbial ligands like LPS and  β‐glucans, including NFκB activation and pro‐inflammatory cytokine production. This effect of mushroom powders is observed at lower doses of TLR ligands, suggesting a model of competitive inhibition whereby mushroom compounds bind and occupy innate immune receptors, precluding activation by microbial stimuli. This effect is preserved following simulated digestion of the powders. Moreover, in vivo delivery of mushroom powders attenuates the development of colitis in a DSS‐mouse model.

Conclusion: This data highlights an important anti‐inflammatory role for powdered A. bisporus mushrooms, which can be further utilized to develop complementary approaches to modulate chronic inflammation and disease.
An Advanced Color Model for Evaluating New Display Technologies
Authors: Hellwig Luke , Stolitzka Dale
Published: May 2023

Understanding chromatic stimuli's brightness using experienced color range can help scientists and consumers predict the perceptual attributes of electronic displays.
How NanoLED Will Enable Next‐Generation Displays
Authors: Ishida Takeshi , Nakanishi Yohei , Iwata Noboru , Izumi Makoto
Published: May 2023

NanoLED's promising performance is attracting many researchers looking toward technology and applications that may revolutionize displays.
Reducing BMI below the obesity threshold in adolescents treated with once‐weekly subcutaneous semaglutide 2.4 mg
Authors: Kelly Aaron S. , Arslanian Silva , Hesse Dan , Iversen Aske Thorn , Körner Antje , Schmidt Signe , Sørrig Rasmus , Weghuber Daniel , Jastreboff Ania M.
Published: May 2023

Objective

The aim of this study was to examine how improvement in BMI with the glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonist semaglutide translated to changes in BMI category in a post hoc analysis of the double‐blind, phase 3a randomized controlled Semaglutide Treatment Effect in People with obesity (STEP) TEENS trial.

Methods

Adolescents with obesity received once‐weekly subcutaneous semaglutide 2.4 mg or placebo plus lifestyle intervention, which comprised counseling in healthy nutrition and a goal of 60 minutes of moderate‐ to high‐intensity physical activity per day. Achievement of an improvement in BMI category and attainment of normal‐weight or overweight BMI by week 68 were analyzed using logistic regression models.

Results

In the overall population, 44.9% of participants receiving semaglutide achieved weight reduction resulting in reclassification to a normal‐weight or overweight BMI category versus 12.1% receiving placebo at week 68 (odds ratio: 22.7; 95% CI: 7.6–67.9). The proportion of semaglutide‐treated participants in obesity class III decreased from 37.3% to 13.6% but increased with placebo. The odds ratio for achieving an improvement of at least one BMI category was significantly greater with semaglutide versus placebo (23.5; 95% CI: 9.9–55.5); an improvement of at least one BMI category was seen in 73.7% of participants receiving semaglutide compared with 19.0% of participants receiving placebo.

Conclusions

Semaglutide was highly effective in reducing BMI category. While on treatment, most trial participants' BMI improved by at least one category, and >40% reached a category below the obesity threshold.
Pathogenic variants inPIK3CAare associated with clinical phenotypes of kaposiform lymphangiomatosis, generalized lymphatic anomaly, and central conducting lymphatic anomaly
Authors: Grenier Jeremy M. , Borst Alexandra J. , Sheppard Sarah E. , Snyder Kristen M. , Li Dong , Surrey Lea F. , Al‐Ibraheemi Alyaa , Weber David R. , Treat James R. , Smith Christopher L. , Laje Pablo , Dori Yoav , Adams Denise M. , Acord Michael , Srinivasan Abhay S.
Published: May 2023

Complex lymphatic anomalies are debilitating conditions characterized by aberrant development of the lymphatic vasculature (lymphangiogenesis). Diagnosis is typically made by history, examination, radiology, and histologic findings. However, there is significant overlap between conditions, making accurate diagnosis difficult. Recently, genetic analysis has been offered as an additional diagnostic modality. Here, we describe four cases of complex lymphatic anomalies, all withPIK3CAvariants but with varying clinical phenotypes. Identification ofPIK3CAresulted in transition to a targeted inhibitor, alpelisib. These cases highlight the genetic overlap between phenotypically diverse lymphatic anomalies.
Synthesis of microcrystalline cellulose from abaca nonfluorescent flower pistil and its twill weaved fiber‐polyester composites: Viscoelastic, fatigue, and mechanical properties
Authors: Gandhimathi G. , Nagabhooshanam N. , Sambath S. , Sivaraman R. , Murthy K. V. S. R.
Published: May 2023

The development of microcrystalline cellulose from banana flower pistil and its twill weaved woven abaca polyester composites were studied in this research. The aim of this research was to explore the viscoelastic, fatigue, and mechanical behavior of surface‐treated twill weaved abaca fiber and unsaturated polyester incorporating banana flower pistil cellulose particles for various composite combinations. Hand layup process was used to construct the bio‐composite laminates, which were then tested in accordance with american society for testing and materials (ASTM) standards. The maximum tensile strength and modulus, flexural strength and modulus, Izod impact strength, as well asinter laminar shear strength (ILSS) values by addition of 3.0 vol% of cellulose were about 124 MPa, 4.48 GPa, 163 MPa, 5.36 GPa, 5.33 J/m2, and 27 MPa respectively, whereas composite having 5.0 vol% of cellulose gave better hardness of 82 shore‐D. Incorporation of cellulose by 3.0 vol% with 50 vol% of abaca fiber increases fatigue life counts up to 35,480, 29,039, 24,802, and 18,247 for 25%, 50%, 70%, and 90% of ultimate tensile strength (UTS) respectively. On comparing all other composite combinations, the composite containing 3.0 vol% of cellulose shows the highest storage modulus of up to 5.6 GPa and the lowest loss factor of 0.38. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) fractography shows the improved adhesion between fiber and matrix due to the silane treatment on cellulose and abaca fiber. These novel functional materials could be employed in a large range of applications, including industrial, automobile, electronic and household equipment.
Conceptualizing a resilience research framework at The National Institutes of Health
Authors: Brown LaVerne , Cohen Barbara , Costello Rebecca , Brazhnik Olga , Galis Zorina
Published: May 2023

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) have recently gathered internal and external input towards a shared understanding of resilience in the wide context of human health and the biomedical sciences that would help accelerate advances in human health and its maintenance. This shared view is that resilience refers in general to a system's capacity to recover, grow, adapt, or resist perturbation from a challenge or stressor. Over time, a system's response to a challenge might show varied degrees of reactions that likely fluctuate in response to the type of challenge (internal and/or external), severity of the challenge, the length of time exposed to the challenge, other external factors and/or biological factors (innate and/or external). We have embarked on this special issue as an opportunity to explore commonalities amongst viewpoints on the science of resilience covered by the various NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices (ICOs) with respect to the characterization of various systems, stressors, outcomes measures and metrics, and interventions and/or protective factors that are shared within each domain and across multiple domains. Here, resilience is characterized broadly by four areas of scientific study: molecular/cellular, physiologic, psychosocial and spiritual, and environmental/community resilience. Each area or domain provides general frameworks for designing studies that may help advance the science of resilience within the context of health maintenance. This special issue will also acknowledge the remaining gaps that impede advancement of the science of resilience and offer considerations for potential next steps towards addressing the research gaps.
Emotion regulation styles and Adolescent adjustment following a COVID‐19 lockdown
Authors: Scharf Nitzan , Benita Moti , Benish‐Weisman Maya
Published: May 2023

This study explored the effect of emotion regulation styles ‐ integrative emotion regulation (IER), suppressive emotion regulation, and dysregulation—on adolescents' psychosocial adjustment following a Covid‐19‐related lockdown. 114 mother‐adolescent dyads were surveyed after lockdown and at two additional time points (three and six months later). Adolescents were aged 10–16 years, 50.9% females. Adolescents reported on their emotion regulation styles. Mothers and adolescents reported on adolescents' well‐being (depressive symptoms, negative and positive emotions) and social behaviour (aggression and prosocial behaviour). Results of multilevel linear growth models showed IER predicted optimal well‐being and social behaviour reported by both mothers and adolescents at baseline and a self‐reported reduction in prosocial behaviours over time. Suppressive emotion regulation predicted reduced self‐reported well‐being after lockdown, evident in higher levels of negative affect and depressive symptoms and reductions in mother‐reported prosocial behaviour over time. Dysregulation predicted reduced well‐being and impaired social behaviour after lockdown, reported by both mothers and adolescents, and a reduction in self‐reported depressive symptoms over time. Results suggest adolescents' adjustment to lockdown was affected by their habitual emotion regulation styles.
Solar‐Driven Production Of Hydrogen Peroxide And Benzaldehyde In Two‐Phase System By An Interface‐Engineered Co9S8‐CoZnIn2S4 Heterostructure
Authors: Li Linqian , Huo Xiaobing , Chen Shipeng , Luo Qiang , Wang Wei , Wang Yifan , Wang Ning
Published: May 2023

Coupling the photoproduction of solar fuel and value‐added chemicals is highly attractive, as it maximizes the utilization of incident sunlight and the economic value of photocatalytic reactions. Constructing intimate semiconductor heterojunction for these reactions is highly desirable due to accelerated charge separation at the interfacial contact, but is challenged by material synthesis. Here, an active heterostructure bearing intimate interface, consisting of discrete Co9S8 nanoparticles anchored on cobalt doped ZnIn2S4 using a facile in situ one‐step strategy, can drive photocatalytic co‐production of H2O2 and benzaldehyde from a two‐phase water/benzyl alcohol system with spatial product separation is reported. The heterostructure yields a high production amount of 49.5 and 55.8 mmol L−1 for H2O2 and benzaldehyde under visible‐light soaking, respectively. The synchronous elemental Co doping and intimate heterostructure establishment substantially improve the overall reaction kinetics. Mechanism studies reveal that H2O2 generated in the aqueous phase undergoes photodecomposition forming hydroxyl radical, which is subsequently transferred into the organic phase to oxidize benzyl alcohol into benzaldehyde. This study offers fertile guidelines for creating integrated semiconductors and broadens the avenue toward the coupled production of solar fuels and industrially important chemicals.
Superlithiation Performance of Pyridinium Polymerized Ionic Liquids with Fast Li+ Diffusion Kinetics as Anode Materials for Lithium‐Ion Battery
Authors: Wang Yeji , Yang Gege , Wang Gaolei , Min Yuxin , Zhou Le , Yang Chaofan , Huang Junjie , Dai Guoliang
Published: May 2023

Polymerized ionic liquids (PILs) with super ion diffusion kinetics have aroused considerable attention in rechargeable batteries, which are very promising to solve the problem of the slow ion diffusion kinetics in organic electrode materials. Theoretically, PILs incorporated redox groups are very suitable as anode materials to realize “superlithiation” performance, achieving high lithium storage capacity. In this study, redox pyridinium‐based PILs (PILs‐Py‐400) have been synthesized through trimerization reactions by pyridinium ionic liquids with cyano groups under an appropriate temperature (400 °C). The positively charged skeleton, extended conjugated system, abundant micropores, and amorphous structure for PILs‐Py‐400 can boost the utilization efficiency of redox sites. A high capacity of 1643 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1 (96.7% of the theoretical capacity) has been obtained, indicating intriguing 13 Li+ redox reactions in per repeating unit of one pyridinium ring, one triazine ring, and one methylene. Moreover, PILs‐Py‐400 exhibit excellent cycling stability with a capacity of around 1100 mAh g−1 at 1.0 A g−1 after 500 cycles, and the capacity retention is 92.2%.