bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Asian koel rapidly locates host breeding in novel nest sites
Authors: Nahid Mominul Islam , Ranke Peter S. , Liang Wei
Published: April 2024

Avian brood parasites depend upon locating host nests to lay their eggs. However, how brood parasites locate host nests and select the nests for parasitism remains poorly studied. Here, we examined how a non‐evicting brood parasite, the Asian koel (Eudynamys scolopaceus) were able to locate host nests in locally novel nest sites. We provided a set of novel nest sites (i.e., nestboxes, n = 100) to the common myna (Acridotheres tristis), a regular host of the Asian koel, at a field site in Central Bangladesh. We found that common myna quickly utilized the novel breeding sites (n = 99 nests across 59 boxes) and similarly, 21.2% of these nests were parasitized by the Asian koel. Unsurprisingly, none of the inactive nest boxes were parasitized, neither were empty nests of common myna (i.e., either predated or fledged clutches, thus lack of parental activity, n = 83). Our results provide an experimental demonstration of the Asian koel ability to rapidly locate nests in locally novel nest sites, potentially facilitated by close monitoring of host activity and behavior around the nest site. However, the underlying mechanisms for this rapid adjustment to novel nest sites remain unresolved.
Effects of natural flood management woody dams on benthic macroinvertebrates and benthic metabolism in upland streams: Importance of wood‐induced geomorphic changes
Authors: Lo Ho Wen , Klaar Megan , Smith Mark , Woulds Clare
Published: April 2024

Natural Flood Management (NFM) aims to reduce flood hazard by working with nature and is gaining prominence worldwide. One particular NFM technique involves the use of channel‐spanning woody dams that maintain a clearance height above baseflow. These dams function by increasing channel roughness during high flows and by forcing excessive water onto the floodplain. Whether these dams provide additional benefits to nature remains unclear. While there are many existing studies on natural in‐stream wood structures, very few have documented the impact of NFM woody dams in particular. This study adopted a multidisciplinary approach and a Before–After Control–Impact (BACI) research design to assess whether NFM woody dams installed in a small upland catchment had driven changes in benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages and benthic metabolic activities through the geomorphic changes that they had created. Statistical results indicate that macroinvertebrate density, richness, and diversity did not show any difference between stream reaches with and without NFM woody dams. The metrics were generally not related to grain‐size parameters and volumes of sediments eroded or deposited. However, individual genera such as Baetis and Rhithrogena became more dominant in the control reach towards the end of the study period, likely due to the higher flow velocities and coarser sediments there resulting from the lack of flow resistance in the absence of NFM woody dams. Rates of benthic respiration (but not rates of photosynthesis) were consistently significantly higher in woody dam reaches than in control reaches, likely due to the presence of patches of finer sediments in the former.
The riverbank vegetation for mitigating the adverse effects of sediment dredging
Authors: Arora Sukhjeet , Kumar Bimlesh
Published: April 2024

Sediment dredging has been an ever‐growing issue, especially in developing nations with high demand for concrete filler material. River systems are adversely affected by sediment mining, resulting in decreased stability of the riverbed and riverbanks. Nature‐based solutions for riverbank erosion have been a research topic that has led to the proposal of vegetation on the riverbanks. However, little is known about the extent of riverbank vegetation required to negate the devastating effects of sediment mining because dense vegetation severely affects the flow structure and becomes a waste trap. This experimental study uses sparsely dense, flexible, and bladed vegetation to study the annulment effects of vegetation against the existing mining pit. Near‐bed turbulence and sediment transport have increased in the test section in the presence of a mining pit. The increase in near‐bed streamwise and transverse Reynolds shear stresses helped us understand the increased sediment movement in streamwise and lateral directions. The morphology of the test section showed increased riverbed erosion at the beginning of the test segment. The entire cross‐section was levelled at the end of the test section, and aggradation was downstream of the test segment. In contrast, in the vegetated riverbank case, the initial profile of the bank was almost unchanged for the same discharge of flow and upstream sand pit. The sparse vegetation overperformed the intended negation effects. This study establishes that sparse vegetation would perform better in maintaining the channel morphology, which otherwise in dense vegetation would have faced a high erosion rate in the main channel while giving the same protection to the riverbanks.
Synthesis of 2,3‐Diarylindanones and 2‐Arylindenes from Trisubstituted α,β‐Unsaturated Esters Derived from Highly Strained 2,3‐Diarylcyclopropenones by Ring Opening with Coumarin Derivatives
Authors: Sahoo Tanmoy , Sankaram G. Siva , Madhu Myadari , Sridhar B. , Reddy B. V. Subba
Published: April 2024

A novel strategy has been developed for the synthesis of 2,3‐diarylindanones and 2‐arylindenes through the formation of trisubstituted α,β‐unsaturated esters by the ring opening of 2,3‐diarylcyclopropenones in the presence of a catalytic amount of TPP under mild reaction conditions. Initially, PPh3 activates the diarycyclopropenone to generate the phosphonium adduct, which simultaneously reacts with 4‐hydroxycoumarins to afford α,β‐unsaturated esters instead of Wittig olefination. Subsequently, these α,β‐unsaturated esters undergo a smooth Friedel–Crafts‐type cyclization with arenes in the presence of AlCl3 to give a new series of 2,3‐diarylindanones in good to excellent yields. Additionally, the reduction of α,β‐unsaturated esters with NaBH4 followed by acid‐catalyzed cyclization of the resulting allylic alcohols afforded 2‐arylindenes in good yields. This is the first report on the use of α,β‐unsaturated esters as precursors for the synthesis of diarylindanones and arylindenes.
Atropisomeric Properties of 5N‐Benzoyl‐1,5‐benzodiazepin‐2‐ones: Substituent Effects on Rotation around the Ar−N(CO) Axis
Authors: Funaki Kaoru , Tabata Hidetsugu , Inyaku Hiromi , Mori Mizuki , Tasaka Tomohiko , Takahashi Hideyo , Natsugari Hideaki , Oshitari Tetsuta
Published: April 2024

5N‐Benzoyl‐1,5‐benzodiazepin‐2‐ones with various substituents were synthesized and their atropisomeric properties were analyzed. For the rotational isomers (E/Z) based on the amide bond [N−C(=O)], the E‐isomers were preferentially formed regardless of the substituents. Atropisomers (aR/aS) due to the Ar−N(CO) (sp2‐sp2) axis were isolated using chiral HPLC, and the rotational barrier (ΔG≠) in thermal isomerization was measured. The rotation barrier about the Ar−N(CO) axis was affected by both the substituents at the C6‐position and the p‐substituents on the benzoyl group. The substituents at C6 (R1) caused both steric and electronic effects. On the other hand, the p‐substituents (R2) on the benzoyl group caused electronic effects: the electron‐donating group (EDG) lowered the ΔG≠ value, whereas the electron‐withdrawing group (EWG) raised it. The ΔG≠ values were linearly correlated with the magnitude of the electronic effect (Hammett σ constants) of functional groups (R2). The EDG causes an increase in the electron density on the carbonyl moiety in the amide, which may disturb the planarity of the amide bond, resulting in a decrease in the ΔG≠ value.
Effect of Tether Length on endo/exo Stereoselectivity in Alkene–Arene meta‐Photocycloaddition Reactions towards the Aphidocolin/Stemodin Scaffolds
Authors: Alshammari Aljazy A. A. , Boyd Joseph W. , Greaves Nicola , Kettle Jason G. , McKendrick John E. , Parker Lewis G. , Russell Andrew T. , Sani Abubakar , Smith Christopher D.
Published: April 2024

Intramolecular alkene‐arene meta‐photocycloadditions are powerful transformations that use the enhanced reactivity of photoexcited benzene rings to facilitate addition of an alkene 1,3 across donor groups and form complex three‐dimensional fused‐ring systems from readily accessible starting materials. Intramolecular examples have traditionally been restricted to three‐membered tethers, with cycloaddition resulting from exo‐conformation. However, by judicious tether design we have demonstrated that a four‐membered tether can also proceed in good yield; interestingly, via an endo exciplex (1.2 : 1) enabling access to both natural product skeletons and interesting scaffolds for medicinal chemistry research.
Prognostic impact of erythropoietin‐stimulating agent use during front‐line chemotherapy in patients with ovarian cancer: A Korean multicenter cohort study
Authors: Shim Seung‐Hyuk , Yang Eun‐Jung , Jang Eun Bi , Lee Seungjun , Kim Hee Seung , Shin Yoon‐Kyung , Lee Shin‐Wha , Chang Chi‐Son , Song Heekyoung , Lee Sung Jong , Kim Jeeyeon , Chang Suk‐Joon , Lim Myong Cheol , Choi Chel Hun
Published: April 2024

Objective

To evaluate whether treatment with erythropoiesis‐stimulating agents (ESAs) for chemotherapy‐induced anemia affects progression‐free survival (PFS) in patients receiving front‐line chemotherapy following surgery for ovarian cancer (OC).

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed all consecutive patients who received front‐line chemotherapy after surgery between 2013 and 2019 at six institutions. The patients were divided according to the use of ESAs during front‐line chemotherapy. The primary endpoint was PFS. The secondary endpoint was the occurrence of thromboembolism. Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was used to compare survival between matched cohorts.

Results

Overall, 2147 patients (433 receiving ESA and 1714 for no‐ESA) were identified, with a median follow‐up of 44.0 months. The ESA group showed a significantly higher proportion of stage III/IV disease (81.8% vs 61.1%; P < 0.001) and postoperative gross residual disease (32.3% vs 21.2%; P < 0.001) than the no‐ESA group. In the multivariable Cox regression analysis, the use of ESAs did not affect PFS (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.03; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.89–1.20; P = 0.661). The incidence of thromboembolism was 10.2% in the ESA group and 4.6% in the no‐ESA group (adjusted odds ratio, 6.58; 95% CI: 3.26–13.28; P < 0.001). When comparing the well‐matched cohorts after PSM, PFS did not differ between the ESA (median PFS 23.5 months) and no‐ESA groups (median PFS 22.2 months) (P = 0.540, log‐rank test).

Conclusions

The use of ESAs during front‐line chemotherapy did not negatively affect PFS in patients with OC after surgery but increased the risk of thromboembolism.
Into the Wild Paradox and the Merchandising of Christopher McCandless
Authors: Savoye Daniel Ferreras
Published: April 2024

The story of Christopher McCandless, whose body was found in the back of an abandoned bus on a remote Alaskan trail after he starved to death for 113 days, has generated a great variety of narratives, both textual and cinematographic, which have progressively substituted reality in order to favor spectacularization. This essay retraces the steps of the process by which an alleged rejection of modern consumerism has become itself a consumer product, paradoxically participating in the very lifestyle it was supposed to condemn.
Sylvanas Windrunner of the World of Warcraft, Hillary Clinton, and the Rhetoric of Female Leadership
Authors: Poster Carol
Published: April 2024

In 2016, Hillary Clinton was nominated as the first female presidential candidate of a major party in a United States election and Sylvanas Windrunner was appointed as the first female Warchief of the Horde in the fictional land of Azeroth in which the popular MMORPG World of Warcraft is set. This article is a rhetorical analysis of how authority and ethos were constructed by, respectively, Lady Sylvanas and Garrosh Hellscream in the World of Warcraft and Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump in the 2016 United States election. As well as investigating issues of race and gender, it explores how these four figures deploy what Richard Weaver has termed “charismatic” and “ultimate” terms to establish the legitimacy of their actions and positions.
A Review of H. Peter Steeves' Beautiful, Bright, and Blinding: Phenomenological Aesthetics and the Life of Art
Authors: Aramini Marc
Published: April 2024

A review of H. Peter Steeves' book on the phenomenology of beauty and art as a living and ever‐changing interplay between object and observer, across a broad range of cultural and artistic media. Grounded in a wide variety of examples, the book does an excellent job of contextualizing the complex and ever‐changing nature of aesthetic appreciation.
Harmonic and anharmonic vibrational computations for biomolecular building blocks: Benchmarking DFT and basis sets by theoretical and experimental IR spectrum of glycine conformers
Authors: Xu Ruiqin , Jiang Zhongming , Yang Qin , Bloino Julien , Biczysko Malgorzata
Published: April 2024

Advanced vibrational spectroscopic experiments have reached a level of sophistication that can only be matched by numerical simulations in order to provide an unequivocal analysis, a crucial step to understand the structure‐function relationship of biomolecules. While density functional theory (DFT) has become the standard method when targeting medium‐size or larger systems, the problem of its reliability and accuracy are well‐known and have been abundantly documented. To establish a reliable computational protocol, especially when accuracy is critical, a tailored benchmark is usually required. This is generally done over a short list of known candidates, with the basis set often fixed a priori. In this work, we present a systematic study of the performance of DFT‐based hybrid and double‐hybrid functionals in the prediction of vibrational energies and infrared intensities at the harmonic level and beyond, considering anharmonic effects through vibrational perturbation theory at the second order. The study is performed for the six‐lowest energy glycine conformers, utilizing available “state‐of‐the‐art” accurate theoretical and experimental data as reference. Focusing on the most intense fundamental vibrations in the mid‐infrared range of glycine conformers, the role of the basis sets is also investigated considering the balance between computational cost and accuracy. Targeting larger systems, a broad range of hybrid schemes with different computational costs is also tested.
Immunohistochemistry of the nasal cavity‐associated lymphoid tissue in the dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba, Meyen 1833)
Authors: Miller Anthea , Lombardo Giorgia Pia , Guerrera Maria Cristina , Messina Emmanuele , Marino Sebastian , Pellicanò Filippo , Kotanska Magdalena , Pergolizzi Simona , Alesci Alessio , Lauriano Eugenia Rita
Published: April 2024

The striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) is a medium‐sized pelagic dolphin with a single external nasal opening (blowhole) located in the rostral and dorsal regions of the skull. The nasal cavity is divided into three sections: the olfactory, respiratory, and vestibular areas. The surface epithelium lining the regio vestibularis is the first tissue in the nose to be directly affected by environmental antigens. Cetaceans have a significant amount of mucosa‐associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) located throughout their bodies. The lymphoid tissue found in the nasal mucosa is known as nose‐ or nasopharynx‐associated lymphoid tissue (NALT). NALT has not yet been studied in dolphins, but it has been identified and documented in humans and laboratory rodents. This study utilized toll‐like receptor 2 (TLR2), CD4, Langerin/CD207, and inducible nitric oxide synthase to characterize, for the first time, immune cells in the mucosal regio vestibularis of the S. coeruleoalba nasal cavity using confocal microscopy immunofluorescence techniques. The findings revealed scattered immune cells immunoreactive to the tested antibodies, present in both the epithelial tissue lining the nasal cavity vestibulum and the underlying connective tissue. This study enhances our comprehension of the immune system of cetaceans.

Research Highlights

This study provides new insights into NALT in S. coeruleoalba.

This research deepens the knowledge of the skin of cetaceans.
Temperature regulates sex determination and growth in the paralichthid flatfish California halibut
Authors: MacNamara Ruairi , Mankiewicz Jamie L. , Salger Scott A. , Stuart Kevin , Borski Russell J. , Godwin John , Drawbridge Mark
Published: April 2024

California halibut (Paralichthys californicus) is a candidate species for aquaculture and stock enhancement. These applications rely on sex control, either to maximize the production of faster growing females or to match sex ratios in the wild. Other paralichthids exhibit temperature‐dependent sex determination (TSD), but the presence and pattern of TSD is not well defined in California halibut. Juvenile California halibut were cultured at three distinct temperatures (15°C, 19°C, and 23°C) through the developmental period presumed to be thermosensitive based on findings from congeners. Sex ratios were quantified in each treatment using phenotypic sex identification techniques applied early (molecular biomarkers; 51–100 mm total length [TL]) and late (visual examination of the gonads; ≥100 mm TL) in the juvenile phase. Both techniques indicated similar sex determination trends at each temperature, with overall sex ratios assessed as 49.9% male at 15°C, 74.5% male at 19°C, and 98.2% male at 23°C. Growth rates were highest at 23°C and lowest at 15°C, with intrinsically fast‐ and slow‐growing individuals at all temperatures. At 15°C and 19°C, females comprised a higher proportion among the fast growers than they did among the slow growers. These data show that California halibut exhibit TSD, with temperatures of 19°C and 23°C masculinizing fish while 15°C appears to produce a 1:1 sex ratio. This study will help optimize sex ratios and growth in hatcheries through thermal manipulation. Furthermore, the developed biomolecular tools and identified temperature thresholds will be important in future work to understand the influence of global warming on wild population demographics.
Research progress in Fc‐effector functions against SARS‐CoV‐2
Authors: Gao Rongyuan , Feng Chenchen , Sheng Zizhang , Li Feng , Wang Dan
Published: April 2024

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) pandemic has caused more than 676 million cases in the global human population with approximately 7 million deaths and vaccination has been proved as the most effective countermeasure in reducing clinical complications and mortality rate of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection in people. However, the protective elements and correlation of protection induced by vaccination are still not completely understood. Various antibodies with multiple protective mechanisms can be induced simultaneously by vaccination in vivo, thereby complicating the identification and characterization of individual correlate of protection. Recently, an increasing body of observations suggests that antibody‐induced Fc‐effector functions play a crucial role in combating SARS‐CoV‐2 infections, including neutralizing antibodies‐escaping variants. Here, we review the recent progress in understanding the impact of Fc‐effector functions in broadly disarming SARS‐CoV‐2 infectivity and discuss various efforts in harnessing this conserved antibody function to develop an effective SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccine that can protect humans against infections by SARS‐CoV‐2 virus and its variants of concern.
Reduced partial shading effect and enhancement of performance metrics using a Fibonacci based algorithm
Authors: Tatabhatla Venkata Madhava Ram , Agarwal Varun , Agarwal Anshul , Singh Asheesh Kumar
Published: April 2024

Partial shading within arrays diminishes power output, induces hotspots, and compromises module integrity, thereby impacting system performance. The presence of bypass diodes further exacerbates these issues by introducing non‐convexities in power curves, leading to additional power losses. To solve this problem, a new reconfiguration technique named Fibonacci Random Number Generator is proposed in this work which minimizes the effects of shading on the panels. The proposed methodology swiftly reduces current discrepancies between PV array rows by reshuffles the panels in an array to disperse the shade better using a mathematical formula resulting in increased power output and smoother power curves during partial shading events. The effectiveness of the proposed method is measured in terms of GMPP, row current calculations, power loss (PL), mismatch losses (ML), execution ratio (ER), fill factor (FF), and capacity factor (CF) for four distinctive shading conditions. Validation of results in software and hardware platforms showcase the applicability of proposed approach in real‐time environments. Results indicate significant average power improvements of 25.49%, 15.47%, and 9.29% compared to existing popular reconfigurations like Skyscraper, Ken‐Ken, and Chaotic baker map. The proposed method stands out as a potent tool for optimizing PV arrays within real‐world systems grappling with partial shading issues.
Excessive intragastric alcohol administration exacerbates hepatic encephalopathy and provokes neuronal cell death in male rats with chronic liver disease
Authors: Tamnanloo Farzaneh , Chen Xiaoru , Oliveira Mariana M. , Tremblay Mélanie , Rose Christopher F.
Published: April 2024

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is defined as decline in neurological function during chronic liver disease (CLD). Alcohol is a major etiological factor in the pathogenesis of fibrosis/cirrhosis and has also been documented to directly impact the brain. However, the role of alcohol in the development of HE in CLD remains unclear. Here, we investigated the impact of excessive alcohol administration on neurological deterioration in rats with CLD. Starting day 7 post‐BDL surgery, rats were administered alcohol twice daily (51% v/v ethanol, 3 g/kg, via gavage) for 4 weeks. Motor coordination was assessed weekly using rotarod and anxiety‐like behavior was evaluated with open field and elevated plus maze at 5 weeks. Upon sacrifice, brains were collected for western blot and immunohistochemical analyses to investigate neuronal integrity and oxidative stress status. Alcohol worsened motor coordination performance and increased anxiety‐like behavior in BDL rats. Impairments were associated with decreased neuronal markers of NeuN and SMI311, increased apoptotic markers of cleaved/pro‐caspase‐3 and Bax/Bcl2, increased necroptosis markers of pRIP3 and pMLKL, decreased total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and increased 4‐hydroxynonenal (4‐HNE)modified proteins in the cerebellum of BDL‐alcohol rats when compared to respective controls. Immunofluorescence confirmed the colocalization of cleaved caspase‐3 and pMLKL in the granular neurons of the cerebellum of BDL‐alcohol rats. Excessive alcohol consumption exacerbates HE which leads to associated apoptotic and necroptotic neuronal loss in the cerebellum of BDL‐alcohol rats. Additionally, higher levels of 4‐HNE and decreased TAC in the cerebellum of BDL‐alcohol rats suggest oxidative stress is the triggering factor of apoptotic and necroptotic neuronal loss/injury.
Transcriptional regulation of the yersiniabactin receptor fyuA gene by the ferric uptake regulator in Klebsiella pneumoniae NTUH‐K2044
Authors: Yu Qian , Li Hailin , Du Ling , Shen Lifei , Zhang Jiaxue , Yuan Lingyue , Yao Huang , Xiao Hong , Bai Qunhua , Jia Yan , Qiu Jingfu , Li Yingli
Published: April 2024

The ferric uptake regulator (Fur) is a global regulator that influences the expression of virulence genes in Klebsiella pneumoniae. Bioinformatics analysis suggests Fur may involve in iron acquisition via the identified regulatory box upstream of the yersiniabactin receptor gene fyuA. To observe the impact of the gene fyuA on the virulence of K. pneumoniae, the gene fyuA knockout strain and complementation strain were constructed and then conducted a series of phenotypic experiments including chrome azurol S (CAS) detection, crystal violet staining, and wax moth virulence experiment. To examine the regulatory relationship between Fur and the gene fyuA, green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter gene fusion assay, real‐time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐qPCR), gel migration assay (EMSA), and DNase I footprinting assay were used to clarify the regulatory mechanism of Fur on fyuA. CAS detection revealed that the gene fyuA could affect the generation of iron carriers in K. pneumoniae. Crystal violet staining experiment showed that fyuA could positively influence biofilm formation. Wax moth virulence experiment indicated that the deletion of the fyuA could weaken bacterial virulence. GFP reporter gene fusion experiment and RT‐qPCR analysis revealed that Fur negatively regulated the expression of fyuA in iron‐sufficient environment. EMSA experiment demonstrated that Fur could directly bind to the promoter region of fyuA, and DNase I footprinting assay further identified the specific binding site sequences. The study showed that Fur negatively regulated the transcriptional expression of fyuA by binding to upstream of the gene promoter region, and then affected the virulence of K. pneumoniae.
Exploring genetic variants in congenital monosaccharide‐disaccharide metabolism: Carrier ratios and phenotypic insights
Authors: Akcan Mehmet Berkay , Silan Fatma
Published: April 2024

Objectives

Adverse food reactions, often underestimated, encompass congenital monosaccharide‐disaccharide metabolism disorders, yielding diverse outcomes such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, bleeding disorders, and even death. This study retrospectively scrutinized genetic variants linked to these disorders in a cohort subjected to whole‐exome sequence analysis (WES), determining carrier frequencies and genotype‐phenotype correlations.

Methods

Data from 484 patients, were retrospectively analyzed using a gene panel (ALDOB, FBP1, GALE, GALK1, GALM, GALT, LCT, SLC2A2, SLC5A1, SI) for congenital monosaccharide‐disaccharide metabolism disorders. WES was performed on patients using the xGen Exome Research Panel v2 kit, utilizing Next Generation Sequence Analysis (NGS). The study encompassed pathogenic, likely pathogenic, and variant of uncertain significance (VUS) variants.

Results

Among 484 patients (244 female, 240 male), 17.35% carried 99 variants (67 distinct) in the analyzed genes. Pathogenic/likely pathogenic allele frequency stood at 0.013, while VUS allele frequency was 0.088. Notably, 44% (37/84) of patients harboring mutations manifested at least one relevant phenotype. Carriage frequencies ranged from 1:25 (SI gene) to 1:968 (GALE gene), with the estimated disease frequency spanning from 1:2500 to 1:3748000.

Conclusions

Our study underscores clinical manifestations in heterozygous carriers of recessive genetic disorders, addressing gaps in carrier frequencies and phenotypic effects for congenital monosaccharide‐disaccharide metabolism disorders. This knowledge can improve these conditions' diagnosis and management, potentially preventing adverse food reactions and their associated complications.
Backside bonding for extremely narrow bezel at the bottom of flexible displays
Authors: Lee Donghyun , Lee Jaehak , Seo Dongkyun , Jung Yangho , Lee Hyunsup , Kong Donghwan , Song Sijoon
Published: April 2024

We developed a novel method to minimize the bezel of flexible displays through backside bonding of a chip on film, resulting in the bezel width of less than 500 μm as compared to 1000 μm of conventional displays. The metal embedded in polyimide (MEP) layer is placed between the first and second polyimide (PI) substrates and connected to the metal lines of the backplane via the MEP contact (M‐CNT) hole. Subsequently, the nonconductive film (NCF) bonding and intense pulsed light sintering are performed using conductive ink. Conductive ink as the interconnect material capable of low‐temperature sintering is applied to avert thermal degradation and crack. At a high temperature (65°C) and humidity (90% relative humidity), the contact resistance was a drivable level for the display after 240 h. The normalized strain in the M‐CNT hole and MEP area were less than 0.4, indicating the absence of cracks during the NCF bonding. These results demonstrated that the backside bonding method was suitable for extremely narrow bezels of the next‐generation flexible displays.
Regular dynamics in a quadratic model
Authors: Jamilov Uygun
Published: April 2024

In the present paper, we consider a convex combination of non‐Volterra quadratic stochastic operators defined on a finite‐dimensional simplex depending on a parameter
and study their trajectory behaviors. We showed that in the case
depending on the parameter
and an initial point, the trajectories of such operator converge to a fixed point. For
, any trajectory of the operator converges to the center of the simplex.
FNIRS based study of brain network characteristics in children with cerebral palsy during bilateral lower limb movement
Authors: Xie Ping , Nie Zichao , Zhang Tengyu , Xu Gongcheng , Sun Aiping , Chen Tiandi , Lv Yan
Published: April 2024

Background

Motor dysfunctions in children with cerebral palsy (CP) are caused by nonprogressive brain damage. Understanding the functional characteristics of the brain is important for rehabilitation.

Purpose

This paper aimed to study the brain networks of children with CP during bilateral lower limb movement using functional near‐infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and to explore effective fNIRS indices for reflecting functional brain activity.

Methods

Using fNIRS, cerebral oxygenation signals in the bilateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC/RPFC) and motor cortex (LMC/RMC) were recorded from fifteen children with spastic CP and seventeen children with typical development (CTDs) in the resting state and during bilateral lower limb movement. Functional connectivity matrices based on phase‐locking values (PLVs) were calculated using Hilbert transformation, and binary networks were constructed at different sparsity levels. Network metrics such as the clustering coefficient, global efficiency, local efficiency, and transitivity were calculated. Furthermore, the time‐varying curves of network metrics during movement were obtained by dividing the time window and using sparse inverse covariance matrices. Finally, conditional Granger causality (GC) was used to explore the causal relationships between different brain regions.

Results

Compared to CTDs, the connectivity between RMC‐RPFC (p = 0.017) and RMC‐LMC (p = 0.002) in the brain network was decreased in children with CP, and the clustering coefficient (p = 0.003), global efficiency (p = 0.034), local efficiency (p = 0.015), and transitivity (p = 0.009) were significantly lower. The standard deviation of the changes in global efficiency of children with CP during motion was also greater than that of CTDs. Using GC, it was found that there was a significant increase in causal strength from the RMC to the RPFC (p = 0.04) and from the RMC to the LMC (p = 0.042) in children with CP during motion. Additionally, there were significant negative correlations between the PLV of LMC‐RMC (p = 0.002) and the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) and between the GMFCS and the clustering coefficient (p = 0.01).

Conclusions

During rehabilitation training of the lower limbs, there were significant differences in brain network indices between children with CP and CTDs. The indicators proposed in this paper are effective at evaluating motor function and the real‐time impact of rehabilitation training on the brain network and have great potential for application in guiding clinical motor function assessment and planning rehabilitation strategies.
The mechanism of granite breaking by electric pulse under high temperature and high pressure environment
Authors: Liu Weiji , Zhou Xin , Zhu Xiaohua
Published: April 2024

High‐voltage electric pulse drilling technology has the advantages of high rock‐breaking efficiency, and low rock‐breaking energy consumption, which is one of the most promising rock‐breaking methods in geothermal drilling. However, there is insufficient understanding of the mechanism of high‐voltage electric pulse breaking of HDR under high‐temperature and high‐pressure environments (HTHP). In this paper, a numerical simulation model of electric breakdown under HTHP is constructed, and the whole process of high voltage electric pulse rock‐breaking and plasma channel generation is realized from the seven‐field coupling of circuit field, current field, magnetic field, breakdown field, heat transfer field, solid mechanics field and flow field. The temperature changes in the rock during the electric pulse rock‐breaking process were comprehensively analyzed, and the effects of different initial rock temperatures (200°C, 300°C, 400°C) and surrounding pressure conditions (30, 60, 90 MPa) on the high‐voltage electric pulse rock breaking law were considered. It is found that the thermal conductivity of the rock shows an increasing and then decreasing trend as the initial temperature of the rock increases, and that the thermal conductivity has a tendency to guide the development of plasma channels, and the radius of the plasma channels increases with the increase of the initial temperature of the rock. The heat transfer generated by high‐voltage electric pulse rock breaking is mainly in conduction, and the distribution shape of conduction heat is similar to the shape of the breakdown channel. The research in this paper can provide theoretical and technical guidance for developing electric pulse rock‐breaking technology.
Promoting penicillin allergy de‐labeling for children attending a hematology clinic
Authors: Barker Patricia , Carias Delia Charest , Jacobs Timothy , Carpiniello Philip , Takemoto Clifford , Lieberman Jay , Adderson Elisabeth
Published: April 2024

Background

Up to 10% of children are reported to be allergic to penicillin, but many allergy labels are unverified and may require formal testing. Inaccurate drug allergy labels are associated with a range of adverse clinical outcomes. Patients with hematological disorders may experience frequent and severe infections; those who have been incorrectly labeled penicillin allergic may benefit from allergy de‐labeling (ADL) efforts to facilitate access to beta‐lactam antibiotics. We developed a multidisciplinary, pharmacist‐driven process that enabled non‐allergist trained providers to assess and de‐label penicillin allergies in a pediatric hematology center.

Methods

Volunteers, including physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, and pharmacists, were trained in skin testing and oral challenge procedures. Patients were identified by review of electronic medical records for penicillin or penicillin‐derivative allergy. Patient and family interviews were conducted in cases where a true penicillin allergy was deemed uncertain based on chart review. If allergy could not be de‐labeled by chart review or interview alone, patients were offered skin and/or oral challenge testing.

Results

Fifty‐nine patients were initially labeled as penicillin allergic. Allergy labels of 11 (19%) were removed by chart review only, and 15 (25%) after conducting interviews. A total of two (3%) patients were ineligible due to contraindications, and five (9%) declined participation. Twenty‐six patients (44%) underwent allergy testing (50% skin testing, 50% oral challenge) of which 23 (88%) were negative.

Conclusions

ADL was possible in most patients previously identified as penicillin allergic. Testing was well tolerated with no serious adverse effects.
Extraction, modeling and impact analysis of porosity defects formed in the CFRTP/Al6061 laser direct joining process
Authors: Zhang Boyu , Sun Kai , Zhou Hongyan , Zhang Canbao , Gao Dunlin
Published: April 2024

This study focuses on the influence laws of porosity defects on the performance of the joint formed in the CFRTP/Al6061 laser direct joining process. Image extraction and finite‐element modeling methods are introduced to investigate the porosity defects, so that the model of joint with porosity defects of real characteristics is established. With the model, the failure process of the joints formed under different laser direct joining processes are analyzed, and the change law of the maximum failure displacement and the maximum failure load of the joints are revealed. The maximum error is within 17%. Results suggest that if and only if the porosity defects are distributed in the zone of the joint with the biggest stress under load, the defects will significantly decrease the maximum failure load of the joint; otherwise, the porosity defects will facilitate the cracking propagation process after the joint failure, thereby decreasing the maximum failure displacement.

Highlights

Porosity defects are identified from CFRTP background by image extraction.

Local porosity is defined to illustrate the real distribution of defects.

Joints with defects distributed by real characteristics are modeled.

Max failure load hinges on relative position of defects and max stress zone.

Porosity defect quantity influences cracking propagation rate after failure.
Idiopathic polyhydramnios and postnatal outcomes of children: The role of exome sequencing
Authors: Grausz Noémie , Senat Marie‐Victoire , Colmant Claire , Boizard Anne , Benachi Alexandra , Bouchghoul Hanane
Published: April 2024

Objectives

The objective of our study was to evaluate the long‐term outcome of children born from a pregnancy complicated by idiopathic polyhydramnios. The secondary objective was to investigate factors associated with adverse outcomes.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study in two prenatal diagnosis centers between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2020. Inclusion criteria were pregnancies with a diagnosis of idiopathic polyhydramnios, defined by a deepest pocket greater than 8 cm, no detectable abnormality at ultrasound and a negative amniotic fluid assessment including karyotype, chromosomal microarray, biochemical assays (electrolytes and digestive enzymes), and viruses (parvovirus B19 and cytomegalovirus). One‐year outcomes of these children were collected. The primary endpoint was adverse postnatal outcome, defined by at least one of the following criteria: stillbirth, neonatal death, or serious and incurable condition diagnosed in the first year of life.

Results

Of the 245 women referred for isolated polyhydramnios, 73 were diagnosed with idiopathic polyhydramnios after prenatal investigations. The mean age at follow‐up of children was 28 months (95% CI 20−36). An adverse outcome occurred in 25% of cases (18/73), with one stillbirth, two neonatal deaths, and 15 severe conditions diagnosed postnatally, including a rate of monogenic disorders of 8.2% (6/73). Pediatric follow‐up was normal for 75% of the children (55/73), including a rate of 9% (5/55) of curable conditions. Repeated amnioreduction was independently associated with an adverse outcome.

Conclusion

Pregnant women with polyhydramnios should be informed of the increased risk of 25% of perinatal mortality and serious conditions diagnosed after birth.
Comparing survival in trial‐ versus routine‐care advanced urothelial cancer patients on immune checkpoint blockade
Authors: Wang Lucy S. , Hubbard Rebecca A. , Mamtani Ronac
Published: April 2024

Purpose

Although recent trials involving first‐line immune checkpoint inhibitors have expanded treatment options for patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma (aUC) who are ineligible for standard cisplatin‐based chemotherapy, there exists limited evidence for whether trial efficacy translates into real‐world effectiveness for patients seen in routine care. This retrospective cohort study compares differences in overall survival (OS) between KEYNOTE‐052 trial participants and routine‐care patients receiving first‐line pembrolizumab monotherapy.

Methods

A routine‐care patient cohort was constructed from the Flatiron Health database using trial eligibility criteria and was weighted to balance EHR and trial patient characteristics using matching‐adjusted indirect comparisons.

Results

The routine‐care cohort was older, more likely to be female, and more often cisplatin‐ineligible due to renal dysfunction. ECOG performance status was comparable between the cohorts. Median OS was 9 months (95% CI 7–16) in the weighted routine‐care cohort and 11.3 months (9.7–13.1) in the trial cohort. No significant differences between the Kaplan–Meier OS curves were detected (p = 0.76). Survival probabilities were similar between the weighted routine‐care and trial cohorts at 12‐, 24‐, and 36‐ months (0.45 vs. 0.47, 0.31 vs. 0.31, 0.26 vs. 0.23, respectively). Notably, routine care patients had modestly lower survival at 3 months compared to trial participants (0.69 vs. 0.83, respectively).

Conclusion

Our results provide reassurance that cisplatin‐ineligible aUC patients receiving first‐line immunotherapy in routine care experience similar benefits to those observed in trial patients.
Synthesis of adhesion promoter for lead frame bonding and application of epoxy composite materials
Authors: Kim Eun ji , Kim Jung Soo , Kim Hae Chan , Kwon Miyeon , Chang Young‐Wook , Kim Dong Hyun
Published: April 2024

Polymer adhesion promoters were formulated to improve the adhesion strength of lead frame/epoxy composites. The poly(itaconic acid‐co‐acrylamide) (IAcAAM) was synthesized via free radical polymerization to improve the interfacial adhesion between Ni and Cu lead frames and epoxy composites. IAcAAM was synthesized by setting itaconic acid (IA) and acrylamide (AAM) at molar ratios of 7:3, 5:5, and 3:7. The interfacial adhesion mechanism was investigated by introducing IAcAAM with three different comonomer molar ratios. The adhesion strength between EMC and Cu and Ni substrates to which each IAcAAM was applied was measured using a universal testing machine, and the effect of IAcAAM with various IA:AAM molar ratios on the surface energy of EMC was closely studied. As a result, the adhesion properties of Ni lead frame/epoxy composite and Cu lead frame/epoxy composite were improved as small amounts of all IAcAAM samples were added to the epoxy mixture. We confirmed that IAcAAM with an appropriate molar ratio can be used in the EMC process and has the potential to increase the adhesion of epoxy composites and metal lead frames.

Highlights

A polymeric adhesive promoter was synthesized to enhance the adhesion strength of lead frame/epoxy composites.

Poly(itaconic acid‐co‐acrylamide) (IAcAAM) was copolymerized from itaconic acid and acrylamide for this purpose.

The adhesion strength of lead frame/epoxy composites was compared for different IAcAAM monomer contents and with a commercial adhesive promoter.

IAcAAM showed superior adhesion strength in the Ni lead frame/epoxy composite material.

The highest adhesion strength was achieved at a monomer composition of 5:5.
Silver Dendrite‐Coated Silicon Pyramid Substrate as Surface‐Enhanced Raman Scattering Probe for Detecting Glucose
Authors: Do Thuy Chi , Nguyen Thuy Van , Bui Huy , Pham Thanh Binh , Hoang Thi Hong Cam , Loan Nguyen Thu , Vu Duc Chinh , Pham Van Hai , Pham Van Hoi
Published: April 2024

Raman spectroscopy offers a rapid and nondestructive method for qualitatively and quantitatively analyzing the molecular structure of substances. Herein, a facile and cost‐effective approach for the preparation of three‐dimensional (3D) surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates is proposed, in which pyramid structures are fabricated using silicon anisotropic wet etching and silver dendrites are decorated on these silicon pyramid (PSi) substrates by immersing them in a mixture of hydrofluoric acid and silver nitrate for several minutes. The 3D SERS substrates, based on PSi coated with Ag dendrites, reveal high‐performance SERS enhancement (with an analytical enhancement factor reaching 3.54 × 1010) and can detect rhodamine 6G (R6G) in the presence of chemical enhancer (lithium chloride) at low concentrations down to 10−11 m. For glucose detection, 2‐thienylboronic acid is employed to faciliate glucose attachment to the substrate surface, achieving a detection limit as low as 10−6 m. The substrate exhibits good repeatability with a relative standard deviation of 11.223%, as well as reusability and long‐term stability for detection. The results also highlight the excellent sensitivity of the PSi‐based SERS substrate, which is expected to be instrumental in biochemical analysis and holds significant potential for developing noninvasive glucose sensor for diabetic patients using saliva samples.
Top‐Down Preparation and Magnetic Properties of MnSe2 Nanoparticles
Authors: Liang Lindong , Yu Jian , Xu Wenjie , Ke Shaoqiu , Liu Chengshan , Nie Xiaolei , Zhu Wanting , Wei Ping , Zhao Wenyu , Zhang Qingjie
Published: April 2024

Nanostructured transition metal dichalcogenide MnSe2 has attracted much attention due to its fascinating magnetic properties. In this article, a series of MnSe2 nanoparticles with different particle sizes are successfully prepared by a facile top‐down method of solid‐state reaction combined with ball milling, and the effects of ball milling on the phase composition, microstructure and magnetic properties of the MnSe2 are systematically studied. The results show that pure MnSe2 microparticles are obtained by the solid‐state reaction, however, partial MnSe2 is decomposed after ball milling for 16 h. The average particle size of the MnSe2 gradually decreases with the increase of milling time. MnSe2 nanoparticles with average particle size approximately 65 nm are obtained after milling for 40 h. After milling, the antiferromagnetic MnSe2 nanoparticles exhibit weak ferromagnetic characteristics due to the surface effect and the microstrain induced by ball milling. The residual magnetization (Mr) and coercivity (Hc) of the sample gradually increase as the particle size decreases. The Mr and Hc of the sample milled for 40 h reach 70.13 × 10−4 emu g−1 and 67.47 Oe, respectively.