bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Fault‐Tolerant Approach for Modular Robots through Self‐Reconfiguration
Authors: Qi Jian , Lai Mingzhu , Yang Zhiyuan , Zhao Ning , Han Kai , Sui Xin , Zhao Jie , Zhu Yanhe
Published: June 2024

Modular robots have unique advantages in handling faults and improving their robustness due to their self‐reconfiguration capacity and homogeneous interchangeability. When locked joint failure occurs in modular robots, the distribution of the failed modules will affect the manipulation capacity of the robot. In this article, a novel self‐reconfiguration method that utilizes only the remaining resources available to mitigate the damage caused by module joint failures is proposed. The key node configuration is searched by the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm, and then the collision‐free reconfiguration path is planned by the rapidly exploring random trees (RRT) algorithm. The proposed method not only handles single‐module lockup failure but can also be expanded to multi‐module lockup failures, fully improving the fault tolerance of the modular robot. The method is deployed on the hardware, and the feasibility of the algorithm is verified by self‐reconfiguration experiments containing faulty modules.
Nonreducing Sugar Scaffold Enables the Development of Immunomodulatory TLR4‐specific LPS Mimetics with Picomolar Potency
Authors: Strobl Sebastian , Zucchetta Daniele , Vašíček Tomáš , Monti Alessandro , Ruda Alessandro , Widmalm Göran , Heine Holger , Zamyatina Alla
Published: June 2024

Innate immune defense mechanisms against infection and cancer encompass the modulation of pattern recognition receptor (PRR)‐mediated inflammation, including upregulation of various transcription factors and the activation of pro‐inflammatory pathways important for immune surveillance. Dysfunction of PRRs‐mediated signaling has been implicated in cancer and autoimmune diseases, while the overactivation of PRRs‐driven responses during infection can lead to devastating consequences such as acute lung injury or sepsis. We used crystal structure‐based design to develop immunomodulatory lipopolysaccharide (LPS) mimetics targeting one of the ubiquitous PRRs, Toll‐like Receptor 4 (TLR4). Taking advantage of an exo‐anomeric conformation and specific molecular shape of synthetic nonreducing β,β‐diglucosamine, which was investigated by NMR, we developed two sets of lipid A mimicking glycolipids capable of either potently activating innate immune responses or inhibiting pro‐inflammatory signaling. Stereoselective 1,1′‐glycosylation towards fully orthogonally protected nonreducing GlcNβ(1↔1′)βGlcN followed by stepwise assembly of differently functionalised phosphorylated glycolipids provided biologically active molecules that were evaluated for their ability to trigger or to inhibit cellular innate immune responses. Two LPS mimetics, identified as potent TLR4‐specific inducers of the intracellular signaling pathways, serve as vaccine adjuvant‐ and immunotherapy candidates, while anionic glycolipids with TLR4‐inhibitory potential hold therapeutic promise for the management of acute or chronic inflammation.
Efficient Dienyl End‐Capping of Ruthenium Catalyzed Ring Opening Metathesis Polymerization with Allyl Compounds through Base‐Promoted Metallacyclobutane Decomposition
Authors: Wang Xin , Xu Yan , Wang Jianbo
Published: June 2024

Herein we demonstrate an effective and facile end‐capping technique for ring‐opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) using readily available allyl compounds as a new type of terminating agents. This new type of end‐capping reactions, which are based on the base‐promoted decomposition of ruthenocyclobutane intermediates, introduce diene moiety onto the chain end of ROMP polymers while simultaneously deactivating the ruthenium complex. These termination reactions are highly efficient, typically completing within 1 minute at 0 °C with >95 % end‐capping fidelity.
Hydrodeuteroalkylation of Unactivated Olefins Using Thianthrenium Salts
Authors: Zhang Jie , Jiao Mengjie , Lu Zheng , Lu Hongjian , Wang Minyan , Shi Zhuangzhi
Published: June 2024

Isotopically labeled alkanes play a crucial role in organic and pharmaceutical chemistry. While some deuterated methylating agents are readily available, the limited accessibility of other deuteroalkyl reagents has hindered the synthesis of corresponding products. In this study, we introduce a nickel‐catalyzed system that facilitates the synthesis of various deuterium‐labeled alkanes through the hydrodeuteroalkylation of d2‐labeled alkyl TT salts with unactivated alkenes. Diverging from traditional deuterated alkyl reagents, alkyl thianthrenium (TT) salts can effectively and selectively introduce deuterium at α position of alkyl chains using D2O as the deuterium source via a single‐step pH‐dependent hydrogen isotope exchange (HIE). Our method allows for high deuterium incorporation, and offers precise control over the site of deuterium insertion within an alkyl chain. This technique proves to be invaluable for the synthesis of various deuterium‐labeled compounds, especially those of pharmaceutical relevance.
Silver and copper screen‐printed temperature sensors on flexible substrates: The impact of ink sintering conditions and composition
Authors: Vaquero Celina , Bilbao Leire , Pérez Ana , Villaverde Haizea , Maudes Jon , Adarraga Olatz , Bustero Izaskun , Hayet Miren , Caballero Julen , Santamaria Ibai
Published: June 2024

Fully screen‐printed silver and copper temperature sensors were studied up to 100°C. The influence of the processing conditions and the composition of three silver and one copper commercial inks is analyzed in this study. The curing temperature is extremely relevant to stabilize the initial resistance of silver sensors, especially for those printed with the lowest solid content ink. All printed sensors showed good linear behavior in the range of 25–100°C (R2 > 0.999) except for those fabricated with the lowest solid content silver ink, which also displayed the highest hysteresis and drift. The temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) obtained for the copper sensors was 3.367 × 10−3 K−1 and for the three silver sensors, it ranged between 2.723 × 10−3 to 2.963 × 10−3 K−1. This TCR is higher than values reported for inkjet‐printed resistive temperature detectors. Overall, this work demonstrates that low‐cost, linear, screen‐printed temperature sensors can be successfully fabricated on flexible substrates.
Early practice makes histology masters: The use of a formative assessment quiz to prepare histology learners for a high‐stakes final examination
Authors: McTaggart Suzy , Hortsch Michael
Published: June 2024

Assessment of learners in the anatomical sciences is a complex task as it not only tests students' fact knowledge, but also the analysis of visual information. Sometimes, novice histology learners must acquire image recognition skills of microscopic structures in a short time frame. This paper describes a strategy of offering first year dental students at the University of Michigan a short, non‐grade contributing, formative assessment quiz in order to better prepare them for a high‐stakes, final summative histology examination. Data collected over 7 years indicate that students, who made use of this formative assessment opportunity, performed significantly better in their summative examination than students, who did not. Especially early practice quiz users profited most. Students, who used the practice quiz until they achieved a perfect score, also had statistically higher final examination scores. Students, who did not use the practice quiz, had a significantly lower cumulative D1‐year Grade Point Average (D1‐GPA) than students, who did, indicating that academically weaker students often underuse supporting learning resources. In general, scores from the Dental Admission Test (DAT) were weak predictors of learning success in the DENT 510 histology course. In contrast, the D1‐GPA values had a medium strength positive correlation with final histology examination scores. The major problem that was encountered with this practice quiz strategy was that many students waited until close to the day of the final examination before taking advantage of this feedback opportunity, thereby reducing its potential benefit for improving their overall learning strategy for histology.
Budget issues: COVID‐19 restrictions are the new normal
Authors: Miles David
Published: June 2024

When COVID‐19 hit the country and the world, public safety officials, myself included, quickly realized that there was going to be a significant change to public safety operations.
Phytochemical Research and Anti‐Inflammatory Activities of the Ethanol Extract from Anoectochilus Roxburghii (Wall.) Lindl
Authors: Yao Guang‐Xiao , Zhang Jian , Wu Mei , Yao Zhi‐Ren , Huang Ya‐Ping , Mu Long , Wang Lei , Pan Ke , Yin Zhi‐Qi , Song Zhe
Published: June 2024

Anoectochilus roxburghii is a well‐known and valuable traditional Chinese herb due to various medicinal and functional benefits. In‐depth investigation is necessary to discover active ingredients and expand its application. In this study, four new compounds (1–4) along with ten known compounds (5–14) were isolated from the ethanol extract of A.roxburghii. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic data interpretation. The isolates were screened for their inhibitory activities on the production of NO in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Among them, compounds 5, 6, 9, 10, 12, 13 and 14 exhibited significant anti‐inflammatory activity through inhibiting the release of NO.
Hydrosilylation of Arynes with Silanes and Silicon‐Based Polymer
Authors: Zhang Ying , Zang Zhenming , Gao Yuan , Li Wenchang , Zhu Tingshun
Published: June 2024

Benzyne derived from hexadehydrogenated Diels Alder (HDDA) reactions was found to be an efficient hydrosilylation acceptors. Various silanes can react smoothly with HDDA‐derived benzyne to give the arylation products. Lewis acid such as boron trifluoride etherate can accelerate these hydrosilylation reactions. Polyhydromethylsiloxane (PHMS), a widely used organosilicon polymer, was also successfully modified using our method. About 5 % of Si−H bonds in the polymer were inserted by benzynes, giving a functional PHMS with much more solubility in methanol and with a blue‐emitting fluorescence behavior. Mechanism research shows that the insertion of benzyne into the Si−H bond probably undergoes a synergistic pathway, which is quite different from the traditional radical‐initiated hydrosilylation or transition‐metal‐catalyzed hydrosilylation.
The Excited State Dynamics of a Mutagenic Guanosine Etheno Adduct Investigated by Femtosecond Fluorescence Spectroscopy and Quantum Mechanical Calculations
Authors: Lizondo‐Aranda Paloma , Gustavsson Thomas , Martínez‐Fernández Lara , Improta Roberto , Lhiaubet‐Vallet Virginie
Published: June 2024

Femtosecond fluorescence upconversion experiments were combined with CASPT2 and time dependent DFT calculations to characterize the excited state dynamics of the mutagenic etheno adduct 1,N2‐etheno‐2’‐deoxyguanosine (ϵdG). This endogenously formed lesion is attracting great interest because of its ubiquity in human tissues and its highly mutagenic properties. The ϵdG fluorescence is strongly modified with respect to that of the canonical nucleoside dG, notably by an about 6‐fold increase in fluorescence lifetime and quantum yield at neutral pH. In addition, femtosecond fluorescence upconversion experiments reveal the presence of two emission bands with maxima at 335 nm for the shorter‐lived and 425 nm for the longer‐lived. Quantum mechanical calculations rationalize these findings and provide absorption and fluorescence spectral shapes similar to the experimental ones. Two different bright minima are located on the potential energy surface of the lowest energy singlet excited state. One planar minimum, slightly more stable, is associated with the emission at 335 nm, whereas the other one, with a bent etheno ring, is associated with the red‐shifted emission.
A Fluorescent Organic Probe for Naked‐Eye Detection of Chloromethanes
Authors: Wang Xinhan , Li Jiawei , Chen Cheng , Wu Mingyan
Published: June 2024

An organic fluorescent probe (OFP‐TAR) with a propeller‐like structure was designed and synthesized. The photoluminescence of OFP‐TAR in solution exhibited a significant red shift with the increase of solvent polarity, enabling a transition of fluorescence emission from blue (445 nm) to yellow (540 nm). The organic thin‐film materials based on OFP‐TAR/PMMA exhibit significant color changes upon exposure to CH2Cl2, CHCl3, and CCl4, with their maximum fluorescence wavelengths measured at 445, 471, and 494 nm respectively. The device facilitates the visual detection of chloromethanes and is capable of enduring more than 7 cycles of testing. These materials can also be prepared as binary‐coded microarray data storage devices or applied in the field of anti‐counterfeiting. The quantum yields of guest‐loaded crystals CH2Cl2@OFP‐TAR, CHCl3@OFP‐TAR and CCl4@OFP‐TAR are observed as 19.13 %, 8.79 %, and 0.83 % respectively, which are consistent with the tendency of OFP‐TAR in CH2Cl2 (47.30 %), CHCl3 (34.27 %) and CCl4 (3.10 %). The fluorescence properties of OFP‐TAR, OFP‐TAR/PMMA, guest‐loaded and guest‐free crystals provided insights into the special response mechanism of OFP‐TAR towards different chloromethanes.
A High‐Entropy Intergrowth Layered‐Oxide Cathode with Enhanced Stability for Sodium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Pang Yanfei , Wang Yingshuai , Jiang Chunyu , Ding Xiangyu , Xin Yuhang , Zhou Qingbo , Chen Baorui , Liu Hongfeng , Singh Preetam , Wang Qianchen , Gao Hongcai
Published: June 2024

Layered transition metal oxides are widely considered as ideal cathode materials for SIBs. However, the existing P2 and O3 structures possess specific issues, which limit their practical applications. To address these issues, this work designed a novel intergrowth layered oxide cathode with P2 and O3 phases by implementing Cu and Ti into the structure with the formation of high‐entropy cathode materials with superior performance for SIBs. The electrochemical test results show that the optimized high‐entropy cathode with the P2/O3 intergrowth structure possesses a high initial discharge capacity of 157.85 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C, an excellent rate performance of 84.41 mAh g−1 at 10 C, and long‐term stability with capacity retention of 83.25 % after 500 cycles at 5 C. Furthermore, the analysis results of ex situ XRD and in situ XRD indicate that the adverse phase transition of P2‐O2 under high voltage is effectively suppressed. This work indicates that the integration of high‐entropy strategy with the two‐phase intergrowth structure can effectively stabilize the layered structure, suppress the slipping of transition metal layers, and improve electrochemical performance, which provides a new approach for designing high‐performance and practical layered transition metal oxide cathode materials for advanced SIBs.
Hybrid image compression algorithm based on wavelet transform and number theoretic transformation
Authors: Zhang Xiang , Wen Jiangang , Zou Yuanping , Hua Jingyu
Published: June 2024

The wavelet transform (WT) is a widely used technique for compressing images in the Internet of Things (IoT). However, its compression ratio (CR) needs further improvement when used for IoTs with low communication rates. To address this issue, we propose a lightweight image compression method that combines the WT and number theory transform (NTT). The simulations demonstrate that the proposed method surpasses traditional compression methods in terms of achieving a good balance between CR, image recovery quality, and complexity. Therefore, it is better suited for IoT applications with low transmission rate requirements.
Automatic plant disease detection using computationally efficient convolutional neural network
Authors: Rizwan Muhammad , Bibi Samina , Haq Sana Ul , Asif Muhammad , Jan Tariqullah , Zafar Mohammad Haseeb
Published: June 2024

Agricultural plants are the fundamental source of nutrients worldwide. The attack of diseases on these plants leads to food scarcity and results in a catastrophic situation. These diseases can be prevented by using manual or automatic approaches. The manual approach, where plant pathologists inspect fields, is costly, error‐prone, and time‐consuming. Alternatively, automatic approaches utilize 2D plant images processed through machine learning. The current study opts for the later approach due to its advantages in terms of speed, efficiency, and convenience. Convolutional neural network (CNN)‐based prominent models, such as MobileNet, ResNet50, Inception, and Xception, are preferred for automatic plant disease detection due to their high performance, but they demand substantial computational resources, limiting their use to a class of large‐scale farmers. The proposed study developed a novel CNN model that is suitable for small‐scale farmers. The numerical outcomes indicate that the proposed model surpassed the state‐of‐the‐art models by achieving an average accuracy of 96.86%. The proposed model utilized comparatively limited computational resources as analyzed through floating‐point operations (FLOPs), number of parameters, computation time, and model's size. Furthermore, a statistical approach was proposed to analyze a model while collectively accounting for its performance and computational complexity. It is observed from the results that the proposed model outperformed the state‐of‐the‐art techniques in terms of both average recognition accuracy and computational complexity.
Moving beyond the pathology of policies pushing species toward extinction: The case of spectacled flying foxes in Australia
Authors: Preece Noel , McGrath Chris , Kerr Maree Treadwell
Published: June 2024

The rate of extinction is increasing with little reversal of negative trends, prompting a need for conservation scientists and practitioners to rethink approaches to aid the recovery of threatened species. Many extinctions could be prevented if impediments to protecting these species were addressed effectively. This article considers how current policies and practices are failing an endangered species and how biodiversity conservation is fraught with barriers such as rhetorical adoption, policy dismantling, circumvention of legislative obligations, and the deliberate disregard of scientific evidence. These issues became evident while researching the endangered Spectacled Flying‐fox (Pteropus conspicillatus Gould 1850), which, despite over a decade of recognized decline, received little attention from authorities who could have acted to stabilize or recover its populations. Recovery plans are often the primary means used by many countries to help threatened species recover and typically fall under government responsibility for implementation. For these plans to be effective, they should be mandatory, well‐funded, and subject to stringent monitoring and reporting requirements. However, the implementation of such plans is often inconsistent, with many not meeting these criteria. The scientific basis for recovery actions is usually well‐researched, although uncertainties around outcomes remain since these actions are experimental and success is not guaranteed. The failure to implement recovery plans can be highly frustrating for conservation scientists and practitioners, often stemming from policy failures. For those involved in conservation research and practice, learning how to identify and overcome policy impediments would help to ensure the successful implementation of recovery plans. Vigilance is required to ensure that recovery teams function effectively, that recovery actions are executed, that decision‐makers are held accountable for endangering species, and that legislation includes merits review provisions to challenge poor decision‐making. Conservation scientists who monitor species of concern are often best placed to track the progress of recovery actions. When they detect insufficient action, they have a responsibility to intervene or to notify the responsible authorities. Ultimately, government policies should prioritize the protection of threatened species over economic and political interests, recognizing that extinction is irreversible and the stakes are high for biodiversity conservation.
Leveraging 5G and cloud computing for outlier detection in IoT environments: A KNN approach
Authors: Sahaaya Arul Mary S. A. , Anwar Basha H. , Mohanraj G. , Kiruthikaa R. , Saranya N.
Published: June 2024

Internet of Things (IoT) becomes a prominent sensing paradigm between the devices. Its evolution in the global digital increases extensively in various domains. For IoT application's sensors are the primary source for generating data. These collected data are subject to the identification and detection of outliers/anomalies. The massive volume of data generation makes anomaly detection a complex and challenging task. The anomalies affect the data accuracy and data quality. In this paper, the k‐NN classifier is proposed for enhancing classification accuracy. K‐NN follows a non‐parametric strategy and is one of the known classification algorithms. In the proposed system, k‐NN is utilized to perform classification or regression with estimations of their k nearest neighbors. The proposed system consists of three major processes such as data preprocessing, classification, visualization. This study explores the utilization of 5G connectivity and cloud computing infrastructure for outlier detection in IoT data streams. Leveraging the K‐Nearest Neighbors (KNN) classifier, our methodology focuses on efficiently identifying anomalies in IoT data. By integrating 5G connectivity for real‐time data transmission and cloud‐based machine learning for scalable analysis, we demonstrate a robust framework for outlier detection in IoT environments. The Experimental work with the proposed method is carried out using training and observation is tabulated with respective classes. As a result, on the three metrics, the proposed k‐NN proves its efficiency is far better than the others, with an average of 98.4% of accuracy.
Plastic bronchitis associated with human bocavirus 1 infection in children
Authors: Fei‐Zhou Zhang , Mei‐Xia Huang , Xiaofen Tao , Lei Wu , Xuan Jia , Lan‐Fang Tang
Published: June 2024

Background

Plastic bronchitis (PB) is a clinical‐pathological syndrome characterized by the abnormal accumulation of endogenous substances in the bronchial airways, causing partial or complete obstruction and resulting in impaired lung ventilation.

Methods

In this retrospective analysis, we aim to summarize the clinical manifestations, imaging characteristics, diagnostic methods, and treatment approaches to enhance clinicians' ability to detect children who are infected with human bocavirus 1 (hBoV 1) and develop PB.

Results

In the period from January 2021 to January 2024, a total of six hBoV 1 infection children were diagnosed with PB through bronchoscopy. The onset of the condition was mainly concentrated between June and December. The detection methods used included metagenomic next‐generation sequencing for pathogen identification (three cases) and respiratory pathogen nucleic acid 13‐plex detection (oropharyngeal swab) (three cases), both of which confirmed the presence of hBoV 1. Out of the six children with PB, two were girls and four were boys. Their ages ranged from 10 months to 4 years old. Common symptoms reported by all patients included fever, cough, and wheezing. Chest high‐resolution computed tomography scans revealed atelectasis in six cases, in addition to pneumonia. After the removal of the plastic bronchi via bronchoscopy, the airway obstruction symptoms in the children were relieved, and no recurrence was observed during the follow‐up period. Pathological findings indicated cellulose exudation and inflammatory cell infiltration, consistent with nonlymphatic PB.

Conclusion

When children infected with hBoV 1 exhibit persistent or worsening symptoms such as cough, fever, and wheezing despite treatment, clinicians should remain highly vigilant for the potential occurrence of PB. Bronchoscopy plays a crucial role not only in diagnosing the presence of a plastic bronchus but also in effectively treating PB.
Initiatives to improve lung and sleep health in children: Delphi consensus from the pediatrics, pulmonary, and sleep conference
Authors: DeBoer Emily M. , Smith Brandon M. , Williamson Ariel A. , Tapia Ignacio E. , Gaffin Jonathan M. , Hamlington Katharine L. , Zeeman Jacqueline M. , McLaughlin Jacqueline , Hatch Joseph , Davis Stephanie D. , Flower Kori B. , Tschudy Megan M.
Published: June 2024

Background and Objectives

The lung and sleep health of adults is heavily influenced by early factors, both genetic and environmental; therefore, optimizing respiratory health begins in childhood. Multiple barriers impede improvements in lung and sleep health for children. First, the traditional siloing between general pediatric care in the community, pediatric pulmonary and sleep subspecialty care, and the research community limits the translation of knowledge into practice. Additionally, identifying and addressing health disparities remains a challenge. The 2021 NHLBI‐sponsored workshop “Defining and Promoting Pediatric Pulmonary Health (DAP3H)” was a first step in defining critical gaps in our current healthcare system in identifying and optimizing lung and sleep health in children. The workshop identified key opportunities including measuring pulmonary function in young children, sleep‐focused outcomes, developing biomarkers, and longitudinal research cohorts. To expand on the work of DAP3H and continue initiatives to improve childhood lung and sleep health, the Pediatrics & Pulmonary Network: Improving Health Together conference was held in 2023.

Study Design

A modified Delphi process was applied to form consensus surrounding gaps, barriers, and action items, with the goal of identifying the most urgent opportnities for improving childhood lung and sleep health.

Results

Cross‐cutting foundational principles were identified as: (1) Authentic Stakeholder Collaboration & Engagement, (2) Reach & Implementation in Real World Settings, (3) Understanding Current Landscape & Resources and (4) Purposeful Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Initiatives.

Conclusions

To improve lung and sleep health in children, these principles should be the foundation for research design, development, and implementation.
The impact of screening for tuberculosis exposure in the household in children with tuberculosis disease: A difficult riddle to solve
Authors: Ozbakir Hincal , Guner Ozenen Gizem , Ergun Deniz , Kacar Pelin , Gulderen Mustafa , Yilmaz Celebi Miray , Ozer Arife , Akaslan Kara Aybuke , Bayram Nuri , Devrim İlker
Published: June 2024

Background

Tuberculosis (TB) infection is transmitted by sharing the same airway with people with active TB. Children are often not considered the source of TB bacilli, and index case investigation is carried out after diagnosis. Here, we describe the impact of the presence of a household index case on childhood TB disease.

Methods

The data of patients aged between 1 month and 18 years who were diagnosed with TB were collected. We compared patients according to whether they had an index case in the household or not.

Results

A total of 202 TB patients were enrolled, of whom 62 (30.7%) had a household index case. There was no significant difference in having a household index case between TB patients under the age of five (23.3%) and older children (33.8%) (p = .140). Pulmonary TB was present in 61.4% of the cases, and extrapulmonary TB was present in 38.6% of the cases. The rate of patients who had a household index case was significantly higher in pulmonary TB (46.8%) compared to extrapulmonary TB (5.1%) (p < .001). Pulmonary TB patients with a history of household contact were more likely to have diagnostic radiological findings (93.1%) compared to those without (75.8%) (p = .009). However, pulmonary TB patients without household contact history had a higher rate of diagnostic microbiological findings (59.1%) and constitutional symptoms (63.6%) (p = .019 and p = .013, respectively).

Conclusion

Household contact research is an important epidemiological tool. However, considering the contact rates in the household, new and more comprehensive public health programs are required to prevent the spread of childhood tuberculosis.
Non-invasive quantification of stem cell-derived islet graft size and composition
Authors: Lithovius Väinö , Lahdenpohja Salla , Ibrahim Hazem , Saarimäki-Vire Jonna , Uusitalo Lotta , Montaser Hossam , Mikkola Kirsi , Yim Cheng-Bin , Keller Thomas , Rajander Johan , Balboa Diego , Barsby Tom , Solin Olof , Nuutila Pirjo , Grönroos Tove J. , Otonkoski Timo
Published: June 2024

Aims/hypothesis

Stem cell-derived islets (SC-islets) are being used as cell replacement therapy for insulin-dependent diabetes. Non-invasive long-term monitoring methods for SC-islet grafts, which are needed to detect misguided differentiation in vivo and to optimise their therapeutic effectiveness, are lacking. Positron emission tomography (PET) has been used to monitor transplanted primary islets. We therefore aimed to apply PET as a non-invasive monitoring method for SC-islet grafts.

Methods

We implanted different doses of human SC-islets, SC-islets derived using an older protocol or a state-of-the-art protocol and SC-islets genetically rendered hyper- or hypoactive into mouse calf muscle to yield different kinds of grafts. We followed the grafts with PET using two tracers, glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor-binding [18F]F-dibenzocyclooctyne-exendin-4 ([18F]exendin) and the dopamine precursor 6-[18F]fluoro-l-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine ([18F]FDOPA), for 5 months, followed by histological assessment of graft size and composition. Additionally, we implanted a kidney subcapsular cohort with different SC-islet doses to assess the connection between C-peptide and stem cell-derived beta cell (SC-beta cell) mass.

Results

Small but pure and large but impure grafts were derived from SC-islets. PET imaging allowed detection of SC-islet grafts even <1 mm3 in size, [18F]exendin having a better detection rate than [18F]FDOPA (69% vs 44%, <1 mm3; 96% vs 85%, >1 mm3). Graft volume quantified with [18F]exendin (r2=0.91) and [18F]FDOPA (r2=0.86) strongly correlated with actual graft volume. [18F]exendin PET delineated large cystic structures and its uptake correlated with graft SC-beta cell proportion (r2=0.68). The performance of neither tracer was affected by SC-islet graft hyper- or hypoactivity. C-peptide measurements under fasted or glucose-stimulated conditions did not correlate with SC-islet graft volume or SC-beta cell mass, with C-peptide under hypoglycaemia having a weak correlation with SC-beta cell mass (r2=0.52).

Conclusions/interpretation

[18F]exendin and [18F]FDOPA PET enable non-invasive assessment of SC-islet graft size and aspects of graft composition. These methods could be leveraged for optimising SC-islet cell replacement therapy in diabetes.

Graphical Abstract
Petrogenesis of Ni-sulfide mineralisation in the ca. 3.0 Ga Maniitsoq intrusive belt, western Greenland
Authors: Maier Wolfgang D. , Muir D. D. , Barnes S-. J. , Szilas K.
Published: June 2024

The ca. 3.0 Ga Ni sulfide mineralisation at Maniitsoq, SW Greenland, is hosted by a cluster of relatively small, irregularly shaped mafic-ultramafic intrusions, typically 10s of m to a few km across, that are lodged within broadly coeval gneiss. Many of the intrusions are fault bounded and fragmented so that their original sizes remain unknown. The sulfides form disseminations and sulfide matrix breccia veins displaying sharp contacts to the host intrusives. The mineralisation has relatively high Ni/Cu, with 4–10% Ni and 1–2% Cu. Correlations between Ni and Cu with sulfide content are strong, consistent with a magmatic origin of the mineralisation. PGE contents are mostly below 0.5 ppm, and Cu/Pd is typically above primitive mantle levels, interpreted to reflect equilibration of the parent magma with segregating sulfide melt prior to final magma emplacement. Sulfide segregation was likely triggered by assimilation of crustal sulfur, as suggested by whole rock S/Se ratios of 7000–9000. The sulfide melt underwent extensive fractionation after final emplacement, caused by downward percolation of Cu-rich sulfide melt through incompletely solidified cumulates. We suggest that the exposed Maniitsoq intrusions represent the Ni-rich upper portions of magma conduits implying that there is potential for Cu-rich sulfides in unexposed deeper portions of the belt.
Combined algorithms of high-frequency topographical effects for the boundary-value problems based on Helmert's second condensation method
Authors: Ma Jian , Wei Ziqing , Zhai Zhenhe , Li Xinxing
Published: June 2024

The Helmert’s second condensation method is usually used to condense the topographical masses outside the boundary surface in the determination of the geoid and quasi-geoid based on the boundary-value theory. The condensation of topographical masses produces direct and indirect topographical effects. Nowadays, the Remove-Compute-Restore (RCR) technique has been widely utilized in the boundary-value problems. In view of spectral consistency, high-frequency direct and indirect topographical effects should be used in the Hotine-Helmert/Stokes–Helmert integral when the Earth gravitational model serves as the reference model in determining the (quasi-) geoid. Thus, the algorithms for high-frequency topographical effects are investigated in this manuscript. First, the prism methods for near-zone direct and indirect topographical effects are derived to improve the accuracies of near-zone effects compared with the traditional surface integral methods. Second, the Molodenskii spectral methods truncated to powerH4are put forward for far-zone topographical effects. Next, the "prism + Molodenskii spectral-spherical harmonic" combined algorithms for high-frequency topographical effects are further presented. At last, the effectiveness of the combined algorithms for the high-frequency topographical effects are verified in a mountainous test area.
The impact of methylene blue in colon cancer: a retrospective multicentric study
Authors: Carvalho Alexandre , Limbert Manuel , Cabral Francisco , Fareleira Ana , Duarte Alexandre , Barroca Rita , Goulart André , Leão Pedro
Published: June 2024

Introduction

Discussions about the optimal lymph node (LN) count and its therapeutic consequences have persisted over time. The final LN count in colorectal tissues is affected by a variety of variables (patient, tumor, operation, pathologist, immune response). Methylene blue (MB) intra-arterial injection is a simple and inexpensive procedure that can be used to enhance lymph node count.

Aim

Analyze whether there is a statistically significant difference between intra-arterial methylene blue injection and conventional dissection for the quantification of lymph nodes and determine if there is a variation in the quality of lymph node acquisition.

Methods and results

Between 2015 and 2022, we conducted a retrospective analysis of colon cancer specimens. Data on the tumor’s features, the number of lymph nodes, the number of lymph nodes that were positive, and other factors had been collected. The number of identified lymph nodes was highly significantly improved in the study group (P < 0.05). There is not a significant statistical difference between groups regarding the metastatic lymph node harvest. The group with injection of intra-arterial methylene blue shows a significantly decreased (P < 0.05) of the of cases with less than 12 lymph nodes recovered comparing with the control group.

Conclusion

Colon cancer specimens can be easily evaluated concerning lymph nodes using the methylene blue method. Therefore, we strongly advise this approach as a standard procedure in the histological evaluation of colon cancer specimens in order to maximize the identification of lymph nodes. However, the detection of metastatic lymph nodes was unaffected significantly.
German Cardiac Arrest Registry (G-CAR)—results of the pilot phase
Authors: Pöss Janine , Sinning Christoph , Roßberg Michelle , Hösler Nadine , Ouarrak Taoufik , Böttiger Bernd W. , Ewen Sebastian , Wienbergen Harm , Voss Fabian , Dutzmann Jochen , Tigges Eike , Voigt Ingo , Freund Anne , Desch Steffen , Michels Guido , Thiele Holger , Zeymer Uwe ,   the G-CAR Investigators
Published: June 2024

Background

In Europe, more than 300,000 persons per year experience out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Despite medical progress, only few patients survive with good neurological outcome. For many issues, evidence from randomized trials is scarce. OHCA often occurs for cardiac causes. Therefore, we established the national, prospective, multicentre German Cardiac Arrest Registry (G-CAR). Herein, we describe the first results of the pilot phase.

Results

Over a period of 16 months, 15 centres included 559 consecutive OHCA patients aged ≥ 18 years. The median age of the patients was 66 years (interquartile range 57;75). Layperson resuscitation was performed in 60.5% of all OHCA cases which were not observed by emergency medical services. The initial rhythm was shockable in 46.4%, and 29.1% of patients had ongoing CPR on hospital admission. Main presumed causes of OHCA were acute coronary syndromes (ACS) and/or cardiogenic shock in 54.8%, with ST-elevation myocardial infarction being the most common aetiology (34.6%). In total, 62.9% of the patients underwent coronary angiography; percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was performed in 61.4%. Targeted temperature management was performed in 44.5%. Overall in-hospital mortality was 70.5%, with anoxic brain damage being the main presumed cause of death (38.8%). Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (eCPR) was performed in 11.0%. In these patients, the in-hospital mortality rate was 85.2%.

Conclusions

G-CAR is a multicentre German registry for adult OHCA patients with a focus on cardiac and interventional treatment aspects. The results of the 16-month pilot phase are shown herein. In parallel with further analyses, scaling up of G-CAR to a national level is envisaged.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05142124.
Niraparib enhances antitumor immunity and contributes to the efficacy of PD-L1 blockade in cervical cancer
Authors: Chang Jie , Quan Shimin , Tian Sijuan , Wang Shirui , Li Simin , Guo Yanping , Yang Ting , Yang Xiaofeng
Published: June 2024

Purpose

With the development of immunotherapy research, the role of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) in the treatment of cervical cancer has been emphasized, but many patients still can’t receive long-term benefits from ICB. Poly ADP ribose polymerase inhibitor (PARPi) has been proved to exert significant antitumor effects in multiple solid tumors. Whether cervical cancer patients obtain better benefits from the treatment regimen of PARPi combined with ICB remains unclear.

Methods

The alteration of PD-L1 expression induced by niraparib in cervical cancer cells and its underlying mechanism were assessed by western blot and immunofluorescence and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT–PCR).The regulation of PTEN by KDM5A was confirmed using Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay and RNA interference. Analyzing the relationship between PD-L1 and immune effector molecules through searching online databases. Therapeutic efficacy of niraparib, PD-L1 blockade or combination was assessed in syngeneic tumor model. The changes of immune cells and cytokines in vivo was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and qRT–PCR.

Results

We found that niraparib upregulated PD-L1 expression and potentiated the antitumor effects of PD-L1 blockade in a murine cervical cancer model. Niraparib inhibited the Pten expression by increasing the abundance of KDM5A, which expanded PD-L1 abundance through activating the PI3K-AKT-S6K1 pathway. PD-L1 was positively correlated with immune effector molecules including TNF-α, IFN-γ, granzyme A and granzyme B based on biological information analysis. Niraparib increased the infiltration of CD8+ T cells and the level of IFN-γ, granzyme B in vivo.

Conclusion

Our findings demonstrates the regulation of niraparib on local immune microenvironment of cervical cancer, and provides theoretical basis for supporting the combination of PARPi and PD-L1 blockade as a potential treatment for cervical cancer.
Overview of mechanical degradation of aggregates, related standards, and the empirical relations of the parameters
Authors: Kuna Eszter , Bögöly Gyula
Published: June 2024

One of the main products of the mining industry is crushed stone, which is an essential material in structure construction, such as concrete aggregate, asphalt aggregate in road construction, ballast aggregate in railway construction, etc. Due to the application fields, evaluating the durability of these aggregates is required. An economical and durable design cannot be achieved without knowing the resisting capacity of the used stone materials to abrasion, crushing, impact, and disintegration – collectively known as mechanical weathering or degradation. In addition to presenting different forms of mechanical weathering of aggregates, the paper summarizes the most frequently used laboratory tests developed to determine the resistance to these stresses. It introduces various national standards emphasizing their differences and examines the possibility of test result comparability with respect to geology and practical application. The research also presents several empirical relations from the literature between the different degradation parameters. Besides that, the paper aims to give an overview of the international literature that deals with the mechanical weathering of aggregate materials by using organizing tables and comparative graphs; it tries to contribute to the organization and comparability of the existing knowledge and the results found in the literature.
Class imbalance in multi-resident activity recognition: an evaluative study on explainability of deep learning approaches
Authors: Singh Deepika , Merdivan Erinc , Kropf Johannes , Holzinger Andreas
Published: June 2024

Recognizing multiple residents’ activities is a pivotal domain within active and assisted living technologies, where the diversity of actions in a multi-occupant home poses a challenge due to their uneven distribution. Frequent activities contrast with those occurring sporadically, necessitating adept handling of class imbalance to ensure the integrity of activity recognition systems based on raw sensor data. While deep learning has proven its merit in identifying activities for solitary residents within balanced datasets, its application to multi-resident scenarios requires careful consideration. This study provides a comprehensive survey on the issue of class imbalance and explores the efficacy of Long Short-Term Memory and Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory networks in discerning activities of multiple residents, considering both individual and aggregate labeling of actions. Through rigorous experimentation with data-level and algorithmic strategies to address class imbalances, this research scrutinizes the explicability of deep learning models, enhancing their transparency and reliability. Performance metrics are drawn from a series of evaluations on three distinct, highly imbalanced smart home datasets, offering insights into the models’ behavior and contributing to the advancement of trustworthy multi-resident activity recognition systems.
Quad-port 28/38 GHz Antenna with Isolation Improvement for 5G Wireless Networks
Authors: Ahmed Mai. F. , Ahmed Mohamed I. , Ibrahim Ahmed A. , Gaber Shaymaa M.
Published: June 2024

A 28/38 GHz quad-port cross-shaped antenna printed on a 0.203 mm Roger RO4003 substrate is designed and fabricated for 5G networks. The antenna consists of a rectangular patch radiator with three triangle slots to enhance the antenna's impedance matching. The four elements are arranged in a cross-shaped layout to achieve the desired compactness of 29 mm × 24.2 mm × 0.203 mm. A thin parasitic strip is inserted between the second and fourth elements to enhance the port isolation. The designed antenna is simulated by utilizing the CST simulator. The antenna achieved S11 < -10 dB at 28 / 38 GHz, with isolation ≥ 20 dB. Furthermore, the E- and H-planes within the anechoic chamber are evaluated to validate the MIMO antenna radiation patterns and gain. The MIMO parameters are calculated, simulated, tested, and its outcomes are under the standard level which confirms the MIMO diversity feature. The ECC of the structure is < 0.001, the DG ≥ 9.95 dB. and the CCL was ≤ 0.2 bit/s/Hz across the dual working band.
The potential protective effect of Camellia Sinensis in mitigating monosodium glutamate-induced neurotoxicity: biochemical and histological study in male albino rats
Authors: Abdelhamid Walaa G. , Mowaad Noha A. , Asaad Gihan F. , Galal Asmaa F. , Mohammed Sarah S. , Mostafa Olfat E. , Sadek Doaa R. , Elkhateb Lobna A.
Published: June 2024

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the sodium compound derived from glutamic acid. Excessive daily ingestion of MSG leads to elevated amounts of glutamic acid in the bloodstream, which can be detrimental to brain structures. Camellia sinensis, often known as green tea (GT), is a rich source of essential hexogen antioxidants that are necessary for the body. Thirty-two adult male albino rats were divided into four groups (n = 8). Group 1 served as a control -ve group. Group 2 was given GT (1.5 ml/rat/day). Group 3 was given MSG (600 mg/kg/day). Group 4 was given MSG (600 mg/kg/day) and GT (1.5 ml/rat/day). All treatments were given orally for 28 days. MSG administration resulted in significant neurotoxicity in rats that was revealed by the significant reduction of serum concentration of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and nitric oxide (NO), and the significant elevation of total antioxidant capacity (TAC) accompanied by the significant reduction of levels of serum monoamines (dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine) and histological changes in the hippocampus area CA1, dentate gyrus, and cerebellar cortex and positive immunohistochemical staining of glial fibrillary acidic proteins (GFAP) and calretinin. Administration of GT with MSG counteracted the MSG-mediated oxidative stress by significantly increasing serum concentrations of GPX and NO and significantly decreasing concentrations of TAC. Furthermore, GT significantly increased levels of serum monoamines (dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine). Moreover, it ameliorated the histological changes, GFAP, and calretinin immunostaining in brain tissues. It is envisaged that GT will serve as a viable protective choice for the inclusion of the neurotoxicity treatment procedure.