bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chiral Analysis of the Key Intermediates of Tenofovir Alafenamide Fumarate
Authors: Li Man , Zhou Ting , Zhang Qing-Wen
Published: March 2023

(R)-Tenofovir phenyl ester ((R)-1) and (R)-tenofovir diphenyl ester ((R)-2) are key intermediates for the practical synthesis of tenofovir alafenamide fumarate, which is a mainstay antiretroviral for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B and HIV-1 infections. This article deals with the chiral analysis of (R)-1 and (R)-2 against their respective optical impurity (S)-tenofovir phenyl ester ((S)-1) and (S)-tenofovir diphenyl ester ((S)-2) using a polysaccharide-coated chiral stationary phase (CSP) by normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). To this end, a chiral synthetic strategy for (S)-2 was efficiently executed capitalizing on a classical Mitsunobu reaction to stereospecifically invert the configuration of chiral carbon in readily accessible (R)-HPA ((R)-4) to deliver (S)-HPA ((S)-4), from which (S)--tenofovir ((S)-3) was in turn prepared and further transformed into (S)-2. With reference substance (S)-2 in hand, a chiral analytical method for (R)-2 using Chiralpak AD-H as CSP by normal-phase HPLC has been developed and validated. The validation results indicated that this chiral analytical method has been achieved with satisfactory separation effect, high sensitivity, and good precision and accuracy, and thus can be deployed for the determination of optical impurities in samples of (R)-1 (via derivation to (R)-2) and (R)-2.
Does Additional Review of Initial Radiographs by Musculoskeletal Specialists Limit Additional Advanced Imaging in Suspected Hip Fractures?
Authors: Miller Andrew S. , Vattigunta Saisanjana , Sharma Sribava , Ahmed Abdulaziz F. , Jenkins Sabrina G. , Thakkar Savyasachi , Srikumaran Uma
Published: March 2023

Patients with suspected fractures of the hip usually require significant time and resources for care, sometimes including advanced imaging. Optimizing care may improve patient outcomes and reduce the financial burden of hip fractures. Few studies have investigated approaches to reduce the utilization of additional imaging to diagnose hip fractures. The objective of this study was to determine if the utilization of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging can be reduced for suspected hip fracture patients via additional review of initial hip radiographs by musculoskeletal specialists. This may aid imaging referral guidelines for patients with a clinical suspicion of a hip fracture and reduce the amount of costly additional imaging. A retrospective multicenter study was conducted of hip fracture patients from five hospitals in an academic health system from 2015 to 2018. The study included initial radiographs of 108 patients, all of which were considered inconclusive at the time of service by radiologist reports and subsequently diagnosed with a hip fracture after receiving additional imaging. Four musculoskeletal specialists were asked to evaluate if the radiographs were positive for hip fracture, negative for hip fracture, or required additional imaging. A positive hip fracture was correctly identified by musculoskeletal specialists from the initial radiograph in 37 to 50% of cases. There was no statistically significant difference between reviewers of different levels of training in identifying hip fractures (p = 0.19) or ordering additional imaging (p = 0.235). There was a moderately positive interclass correlation across reviewers who correctly identified a hip fracture (interclass correlation coefficients [ICC] = 0.59, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.45–0.70), as well as reviewers who requested additional imaging (ICC = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.25–0.60). Review of initial radiographs by musculoskeletal specialists could reduce the utilization of additional advanced imaging by up to 50% in patients with a suspected hip fracture. This is a level III evidence study.
Generalized modeling elucidates complex ecosystem networks
Authors: Thompson Avery
Published: March 2023

Analysis reveals stability conditions despite uncertain observational data
Mechanism for self-compensation in heavily carbon doped GaN
Authors: Shen Zhaohua , Yang Xuelin , Wu Shan , Huang Huayang , Yan Xiaolan , Tang Ning , Xu Fujun , Wang Xinqiang , Ge Weikun , Huang Bing , Shen Bo
Published: March 2023

Heavy carbon (C) doping is of great significance for semi-insulating GaN in power electronics. However, the doping behaviors, especially the atomic configurations and related self-compensation mechanisms, are still under debate. Here, with the formation energy as the input parameter, the concentrations of C defects with different atomic configurations are calculated by taking the configurational entropy into account. The result shows that the concentrations of tri-carbon complexes (CNCiCN, where Ci refers to interstitial carbon) and dicarbon complexes (CNCGa) cannot be neglected under heavy doping conditions. The concentration of CNCiCN can even exceed that of CN at sufficiently high doping levels. Especially, we suggest that it is the tri-carbon complex CNCiCN, instead of the commonly expected CGa, that acts as the self-compensation centers in semi-insulating GaN under heavy C doping conditions. The results provide a fresh look on the long-standing problem about the self-compensation mechanisms in C doped GaN.
Optimization of configuration of corrugated airfoil using deep reinforcement learning and transfer learning
Authors: Noda T. , Okabayashi K. , Kimura S. , Takeuchi S. , Kajishima T.
Published: March 2023

An optimization method combining deep reinforcement learning (DRL) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was developed, and its effectiveness and limitations are investigated. As a target to apply the method, an optimization problem to find geometry parameters of the wavy airfoil that maximizes the lift–drag ratio is set. Twin delayed deep deterministic policy gradient (TD3) is adopted as the DRL algorithm. The CFD code based on the standard scheme for viscous incompressible flows is used for the calculation of the lift–drag ratio. The neural networks learn a policy for improving the lift–drag ratio by changing the geometry parameters of the airfoil at the fixed angle of attack (AoA) of 0° and successfully achieve a maximum lift–drag ratio: the obtained final shape is almost the same as that acquired by the gradient method. However, when the global optimal solution is near the penalized region, the DRL has the disadvantage of tending to fall into local optima. The effects of several parameters of DRL, such as the reward function and the number of sample points in random exploration, are investigated. Moreover, by using a trained neural network at an AoA of 0°, a converged solution can be obtained more quickly for an AoA different from those of the trained case if an appropriate reward function is set. This indicates the possibility of transfer learning.
Exploring the hardness and high-pressure behavior of osmium and ruthenium-doped rhenium diboride solid solutions
Authors: Hu Shanlin , Pangilinan Lisa E. , Turner Christopher L. , Mohammadi Reza , Kavner Abby , Kaner Richard B. , Tolbert Sarah H.
Published: March 2023

Rhenium diboride (ReB2) exhibits high differential strain due to its puckered boron sheets that impede shear deformation. Here, we demonstrate the use of solid solution formation to enhance the Vickers hardness and differential strain of ReB2. ReB2-structured solid solutions (Re0.98Os0.02B2 and Re0.98Ru0.02B2, noted as “ReOsB2” and “ReRuB2”) were synthesized via arc-melting from the pure elements. In-situ high-pressure radial x-ray diffraction was performed in the diamond anvil cell to study the incompressibility and lattice strain of ReOsB2 and ReRuB2 up to ∼56 GPa. Both solid solutions exhibit higher incompressibility and differential strain than pure ReB2. However, while all lattice planes are strengthened by doping osmium (Os) into the ReB2 structure, only the weakest ReB2 lattice plane is enhanced with ruthenium (Ru). These results are in agreement with the Vickers hardness measurements of the two systems, where higher hardness was observed in ReOsB2. The combination of high-pressure studies with experimentally observed hardness data provides lattice specific information about the strengthening mechanisms behind the intrinsic hardness enhancement of the ReB2 system.
Textural landscapes of VOC-sensitive chiral liquid crystal-based materials
Authors: Ramou Efthymia , A. Roque Ana Cecília
Published: March 2023

Liquid crystal-based materials, in which liquid crystal molecules are confined and ordered in compartments, are dynamic materials yielding a variety of optical textures that can be tuned as a response to physical and chemical stimuli. While nematic and smectic-based gel materials have been reported as dynamic optical sensors to report volatile organic compounds (VOCs), chiral systems are less explored despite having the potential to yield extremely rich optical landscapes. Here, we report for the first time the confinement of chiral liquid crystal formulations by an interface formed by ionic liquid molecules. The resultant self-assembled ionic liquid/liquid crystal droplets are simultaneously immobilized on a gelatin matrix. The droplets feature a rich variety of unique topological states. We explored, by means of polarizing optical microscopy, the various droplet optical textures and categorized them with regard to their relative chirality parameter. We further investigated their optical response in the presence of gas analytes and discussed their potential utilization as dynamic liquid crystal-based optical VOC sensors. The newly generated soft materials with semi-selective VOC sensing capabilities can be further utilized in arrays of liquid crystal-based gas sensors for the analysis of complex gas samples using artificial olfaction approaches.
Epitaxial growth of the candidate ferroelectric Rashba material SrBiO3 by pulsed laser deposition
Authors: Verdierre G. , Gauquelin N. , Jannis D. , Birkhölzer Y. A. , Mallik S. , Verbeeck J. , Bibes M. , Koster G.
Published: March 2023

Among oxides, bismuthates have been gaining much interest due to their unique features. In addition to their superconducting properties, they show potential for applications as topological insulators and as possible spin-to-charge converters. After being first investigated in their bulk form in the 1980s, bismuthates have been successfully grown as thin films. However, most efforts have focused on BaBiO3, with SrBiO3 receiving only little attention. Here, we report the growth of epitaxial films of SrBiO3 on both TiO2-terminated SrTiO3 and NdO-terminated NdScO3 substrates by pulsed laser deposition. SrBiO3 has a pseudocubic lattice constant of ∼4.25 Å and grows relaxed on NdScO3. Counter-intuitively, it grows with a slight tensile strain on SrTiO3 despite a large lattice mismatch, which should induce compressive strain. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy reveals that this occurs as a consequence of structural domain matching, with blocks of 10 SrBiO3 unit planes matching blocks of 11 SrTiO3 unit planes. This work provides a framework for the synthesis of high quality perovskite bismuthates films and for the understanding of their interface interactions with homostructural substrates.
Phase transition, optical, and elastic properties of a new hybrid organic–inorganic perovskite: [(R)-(+)-3-aminoquinuclidine]KI3
Authors: Li Kai , Li Zhi-Gang , Zhang Baozhu , Chen Yong-Qiang , Cao Huaqiang , Li Wei
Published: March 2023

A new hybrid organic–inorganic perovskite, (R-3AQ)KI3 [R-3AQ2+ = (R)-(+)-3-aminoquinuclidine], has been synthesized and comprehensively characterized by experimental approaches and density functional theory calculations. Our experimental results demonstrate that (R-3AQ)KI3 has a typical perovskite structure and exhibits a reversible order–disorder phase transition at temperatures of 457 and 443 K on heating and cooling, respectively. Under ultraviolet irradiation, a clear yellowish-green emission peaked at 556 nm was observed for (R-3AQ)KI3. The calculated electronic structure shows that (R-3AQ)KI3 possesses a typical direct bandgap with a value of 3.74 eV and its valence band maximum and conduction band minimum primarily arise from the I-5p and I-5s orbitals, respectively. In addition, the elastic calculations indicate that (R-3AQ)KI3 displays a relatively large structure stiffness, relatively small elastic anisotropy, and fairly low acoustic velocity, owing to the rigid K–I bonds and the strong hydrogen bond interactions between the [KI3]2− perovskite framework and R-3AQ2+ cations. These results suggest that the mechanical robustness of this multifunctional (R-3AQ)KI3 makes it a good candidate material for sensing applications.
Stances toward translation training and the discipline
Authors: Aiello Jacqueline , Latorraca Rossella
Published: March 2023

Increased attention to professionalism and realism in translation classes at university has resulted in the development of a wide range of approaches to foster future translators’ construction of knowledge and identity pertaining to their upcoming professional career and community. This paper centres on a professionalizing seminar that shared these aims. Employing corpus, stance and discourse analysis, it examines the retrospective reports written by the future translators who participated in the seminar to unveil beliefs on their experience of the seminar, their university training, their perceived competence, and their present and future identities as translators. The results of the study suggest, on the one hand, that participants perceived that the seminar fostered awareness of the professional domain of translators, heightened cognizance of their skills, and gave them authentic practice as translators and, on the other, participants perceived lacunae in their training and gaps in their competences, with potential implications on their (perceived) employability.
Audiovisual mediation through English intralingual and interlingual subtitling
Authors: Iaia Pietro Luigi
Published: March 2023

This paper reports on a case study implemented at the University of Salento and, partially, at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, concerning the use of subtitles as a didactic tool to develop intercultural communication skills. This study examines the intralingual and interlingual translations of the reportage Fortress Italia: Capsized in Lampedusa, about migrant arrivals in Italy and Europe. Although the video is of interest to international viewers, the lack of proper subtitling may undermine its accessibility to non-native English speakers. On the one hand, subtitles do not appear when Standard English is used, so the comprehension of those utterances depends on the receivers’ listening skills; on the other hand, the official retextualizations are characterized by formal register and editorial additions that may affect their readability. For these reasons, an alternative rendering was commissioned to a number of undergraduate and postgraduate students of Translation and Interpreting, in order to enquire into new areas of adoption of English as an International Language and as a Lingua Franca. The analysis of the selected corpus of extracts will pinpoint the strategies of lexical and structural simplification and condensation, along with the selection of specific verb tenses and aspects, which are expected to enhance the envisaged recipients’ understanding of the video’s message. Since these features of English are actively selected, by the subjects that were involved in this research, so as to foster cross-cultural communication between the authors and viewers of the news report, this study contends that specific lingua-franca uses can be activated when subtitling multimodal texts. Hence, the notion of ‘audiovisual mediation’ will be introduced in order to label an approach to audiovisual translation aiming to: (i) make the illocutionary force accessible and acceptable to the envisaged, international audience; and (ii) overcome the conventional associations between dubbing and domestication, and subtitling and foreignization.
On communicating extruded aluminium surface quality along the supply chain – a customer approach to sustainable surfaces
Authors: Rebeggiani S , Bergman M , Rosén B-G , Eriksson L
Published: March 2023

Today, far too many products are scrapped due to surface related issues, products with perfect function but with minor surface blemishes. The complaints are often offset by goodwill commitments from suppliers at great cost to them and delivery delays and lead time costs for customers. The reason is that the industry relies on several non-standardized classification systems for surface quality that are based on various combinations of and designations for surface defects, assessed by visual inspections at a defined distance to determine the severity of any detected surface deviations. These similar classification systems provide far too much scope for subjective and non-repeatable assessments causing communication problems between customer and producer at all stages in the supply chain. To challenge this situation, a common toolbox to communicate, describe and define surface quality should be developed, i.e. a standardisation of surface quality assessment including various effects and defects with a jointly established nomenclature and evaluation parameters. This work presents the first step of a research project bringing together 11 suppliers and OEMs along the supply chain, from the delivery of raw aluminium to finished alumina profiles included in consumer products. The final goal of the project is to develop an ‘objective classification of visual requirements’ on alumina profiles towards increased sustainability and decreased material wastage. Presented result is a common terminology with links to the process chain, surface defect geometry and visual appearance aiming at making the communication between producers and buyers of the aluminium profiles clearer and more unambiguous when it comes to specification and requirements of profile surfaces in each of the supply-chain links. Future work will add measurable parameters specifying surface quality.
Printed soft skin electrodes for seamless bio-impedance measurements
Authors: Levit Bara , Krebsbach Peter , Bar-Haim Chen , Hernandez-Sosa Gerardo , Hanein Yael
Published: March 2023

Bio-impedance measurements are widely used to assess various physiological parameters. Contemporary skin electrodes for bio-impedance measurements are cumbersome and novel electrode designs are needed to allow fast and easy placement, long-term stability and user comfort. This investigation introduces dry, printed, bio-compatible electrode arrays, made of screen-printed carbon and inkjet-printed PEDOT:PSS that measure bio-impedance non-invasively and stably. Two contact impedance measurements yield the lowest normalized values of soft electrodes reported to date. Four contact bio-impedance measurements from the radial, ulnar, common carotid and superficial temporal arteries were performed, demonstrating the ability to capture blood pulsation in different areas with small form factor. Owing to the unique properties of the printed electrodes reported here, we were able to demonstrate for the first time blood pulsation in the face, continuous blood pulsation measurement during simultaneous muscle activation and signal stability over many hours.
Evaluation and optimization of ecological compensation fairness in prefecture-level cities of Anhui province
Authors: Wang Sufeng , Li Shourong , Jiao Jianling
Published: March 2023

Scientific evaluation and continuous optimization of the fairness of ecological compensation are conducive to improving the effect of air pollution control. However, relevant research in this field is in its infancy. Based on the data on urban-scale PM2.5 concentration and ecological compensation from the third quarter of 2018 to the fourth quarter of 2020, this study takes 16 prefecture-level cities in Anhui Province as the research area and uses the Granger causality test to determine the PM2.5 overflow paths of each city. Moreover, using 2020 as an example, the PM2.5 spillover effect of each city is calculated, and the haze Gini coefficient of Anhui Province is obtained. According to the empirical results, the ecological compensation policy for PM2.5 control in Anhui Province is in a relatively equal fairness range (0.295). On this basis, combined with the scatter diagram of ecological compensation and spillover effect, it is suggested to reduce the ecological compensation of five cities, including Maanshan and Xuancheng, while the ecological compensation of the remaining 11 cities should be increased. Two feasible optimization schemes, i.e., annual adjustment and regular adjustment, are proposed for environmental regulators to choose.
Development and validation of explainable machine learning models for risk of mortality in transcatheter aortic valve implantation: TAVI risk machine scores
Authors: Leha Andreas , Huber Cynthia , Friede Tim , Bauer Timm , Beckmann Andreas , Bekeredjian Raffi , Bleiziffer Sabine , Herrmann Eva , Möllmann Helge , Walther Thomas , Beyersdorf Friedhelm , Hamm Christian , Künzi Arnaud , Windecker Stephan , Stortecky Stefan , Kutschka Ingo , Hasenfuß Gerd , Ensminger Stephan , Frerker Christian , Seidler Tim
Published: March 2023

Aims

Identification of high-risk patients and individualized decision support based on objective criteria for rapid discharge after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) are key requirements in the context of contemporary TAVI treatment. This study aimed to predict 30-day mortality following TAVI based on machine learning (ML) using data from the German Aortic Valve Registry.

Methods and results

Mortality risk was determined using a random forest ML model that was condensed in the newly developed TAVI Risk Machine (TRIM) scores, designed to represent clinically meaningful risk modelling before (TRIMpre) and in particular after (TRIMpost) TAVI. Algorithm was trained and cross-validated on data of 22 283 patients (729 died within 30 days post-TAVI) and generalisation was examined on data of 5864 patients (146 died). TRIMpost demonstrated significantly better performance than traditional scores [C-statistics value, 0.79; 95% confidence interval (CI)] [0.74; 0.83] compared to Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) with C-statistics value 0.69; 95%-CI [0.65; 0.74]). An abridged (aTRIMpost) score comprising 25 features (calculated using a web interface) exhibited significantly higher performance than traditional scores (C-statistics value, 0.74; 95%-CI [0.70; 0.78]). Validation on external data of 6693 patients (205 died within 30 days post-TAVI) of the Swiss TAVI Registry confirmed significantly better performance for the TRIMpost (C-statistics value 0.75, 95%-CI [0.72; 0.79]) compared to STS (C-statistics value 0.67, CI [0.63; 0.70]).

Conclusion

TRIM scores demonstrate good performance for risk estimation before and after TAVI. Together with clinical judgement, they may support standardised and objective decision-making before and after TAVI.
G-matrix stability in clinally diverging populations of an annual weed
Authors: Henry Georgia A , Stinchcombe John R
Published: March 2023

How phenotypic and genetic divergence among populations is influenced by the genetic architecture of those traits, and how microevolutionary changes in turn affect the within-population patterns of genetic variation, are of major interest to evolutionary biology. Work on Ipomoea hederacea, an annual vine, has found genetic clines in the means of a suite of ecologically important traits, including flowering time, growth rate, seed mass, and corolla width. Here we investigate the genetic (co)variances of these clinally varying traits in two northern range-edge and two central populations of I. hederacea to evaluate the influence of the genetic architecture on divergence across the range. We find (1) limited evidence for clear differentiation between Northern and Southern populations in the structure of G, suggesting overall stability of G across the range despite mean trait divergence and (2) that the axes of greatest variation (gmax) were unaligned with the axis of greatest multivariate divergence. Together these results indicate the role of the quantitative genetic architecture in constraining evolutionary response and divergence among populations across the geographic range.
The effects of selfing on multi-step adaptation
Authors: Xu Kuangyi
Published: March 2023

Macroevolutionary studies have estimated higher extinction rates of self-compatible lineages than self-incompatible ones. A leading explanation is that selfing may prevent adaptation, since models show that selfing can inhibit the fixation of adaptive alleles at a single locus (1-step adaptation). However, adaptation often involves changes at multiple loci (multi-step adaption), but the effects of selfing remain unclear because selfing increases homozygosity, which affects selection intensity, the effective population size, and the effective recombination rate. By modeling using population genetic models, I investigate the effects of selfing on adaption requiring fixation of 2 adaptive alleles, I show that intermediate selfing rates generally promote adaption, by increasing the fixation probability of the double-mutant haplotype once it is generated. In constant-sized populations, selfing increases the rate of adaptation through the fixation of new mutations even when both alleles are dominant. In demographically declining populations, the rescue probability rises sharply as the selfing rate increases from zero, but quickly drops to be low when it approaches 1.0. These findings are at odds with the hypothesis that higher extinction rates of self-compatible lineages result from reduced adaptive potential but may help explain why some studies have failed to detect relaxation of selection in selfers and also the prevalence of mixed-mating systems.
Early diversification of avian limb morphology and the role of modularity in the locomotor evolution of crown birds
Authors: Eliason Chad M , Proffitt James V , Clarke Julia A
Published: March 2023

High disparity among avian forelimb and hind limb segments in crown birds relative to non-avialan theropod dinosaurs, potentially driven by the origin of separate forelimb and hind limb locomotor modules, has been linked to the evolution of diverse avian locomotor behaviors. However, this hypothesized relationship has rarely been quantitatively investigated in a phylogenetic framework. We assessed the relationship between the evolution of limb morphology and locomotor behavior by comparing a numerical proxy for locomotor disparity to morphospace sizes derived from a dataset of 1,241 extant species. We then estimated how limb disparity accumulated during the crown avian radiation. Lastly, we tested whether limb segments evolved independently between each limb module using phylogenetically informed regressions. Hind limb disparity increased significantly with locomotor disparity after accounting for clade age and species richness. We found that forelimb disparity accumulated rapidly early in avian evolution, whereas hind limb disparity accumulated later, in more recent divergences. We recovered little support for strong correlations between forelimb and hind limb morphology. We posit that these findings support independent evolution of locomotor modules that enabled the striking morphological and behavioral disparity of extant birds.
Digest: Parks aren’t just for us: city parks as archipelagos for the study of rapid evolution
Authors: Murphy Leah , Maguire Billie
Published: March 2023

Can city parks provide adequate environments for studying rapid evolution? Jackson et al. (2022) found divergent selection is contributing to significant rates of phenotypic divergence across city populations of the eastern water dragon (Intellagama lesueurii), suggesting city green spaces may be ideal for the study of rapid evolution in urban populations.
Characterization of S-layer proteins produced by lactobacilli isolated from Romanian artisan fermented products
Authors: Grosu-Tudor Silvia-Simona , Angelescu Iulia-Roxana , Brînzan Alexandru , Zamfir Medana
Published: March 2023

Aims

To characterize S-layer proteins produced by four lactobacilli isolated from Romanian artisan fermented products.

Methods and results

Four lactobacilli strains have been shown to produce S-layer proteins, both under optimal and stressfull conditions. The presence of S-layer proteins was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. Removal of S-layer proteins caused a loss of the bacterial resistance to stress conditions and of the autoaggregation ability. Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis identified peptides corresponding to Slp M sequence in case of Levilactobacillus brevis 403, and peptides corresponding to Slp A sequence in case of Lactobacillus helveticus 34.9. The analysis confirmed molecular masses of ∼51 and 48 kDa, respectively, for the two proteins, and gave information about their pI, of about 9.4–9.6. A specific PCR amplification was obtained for the genome of Lact. helveticus 34.9 with slpA primers, and the amplicon sequence was 95.31% identical to slpA gene.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that certain environmental stress conditions can induce the S-layer production, which helps the producing cells to survive under unfavorable conditions.
Chemical Characteristics and Comparison of Schizonepetae Herba and Schizonepetae Herba Carbonisata by Combination of GC–MS and UHPLC–MS Strategies
Authors: Xiaoying Ding , Hao Shenghui , Li Hengyang , Wang Tao , Li Wenjie , Guan Shengjiang , Zheng Yuguang , Guo Long , Zhang Dan
Published: March 2023

Background

Schizonepetae Herba (SH, Jingjie) and Schizonepetae Herba Carbonisata (SHC, Jingjie Tan) are two different forms of the same herbal material, with SHC being the processed product of SH. The different clinical efficacies of SH and SHC may be caused by changes in their chemical compositions. Despite this, there have been few studies that have reported on the comparative identification of SH and SHC. Therefore, the aims of this experiment are to investigate the differential changes of non-volatile and volatile components before and after SH processing.

Objectives

To establish combination strategies for identifying the chemical markers in SH and SHC using ultra-HPLC–quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC–Q-TOF-MS) and headspace gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (HS-GC–MS).

Methods

UHPLC–Q-TOF-MS and HS-GC–MS methods was utilized to comprehensively discriminate between SH and SHC. To identify chemical markers, principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) were performed on 14 batches of SH and SHC.

Results

A total of 71 non-volatile compounds and 81 volatile compounds were tentatively identified in SH and SHC. Among these, 14 non-volatile compounds and 18 volatile oils were found to be potential characteristic markers that can differentiate between SH and SHC.

Conclusion

The present work provides valuable information for understanding the chemical differences between SH and SHC. The results obtained from this research may serve as a scientific foundation for comprehensively revealing the mechanisms involved in the carbonizing processing method of stir-frying SH.

Highlights

The chemical changes that occur before and after carbonizing SH were investigated using integrated methods based on LC–MS and GC–MS, and chemical markers in SH and SHC were identified.
American Indian Casinos and Native American Self-Identification
Authors: Antman Francisca M , Duncan Brian
Published: March 2023

This paper links Native American racial self-identification with the rise in tribal gaming across the United States. We find that state policy changes allowing tribes to open casinos are associated with an increase in the probability that individuals with American Indian ancestors will self-identify as Native American and a decrease in the probability that individuals with no American Indian ancestry will self-identify as Native American. Moreover, we find that the magnitudes of the impacts are increasing in the strength of American Indian ancestral ties. Similar results hold when causal identification comes from American Indian casino openings across states over time and suggestive evidence shows stronger impacts if casinos are likely to pay per capita dividend payments to their members. These results are consistent with a conceptual framework in which we tie racial identification to economic motivations as well as social stigma associated with affiliating with a racial group for those without documented ancestral ties. Our results underscore the importance of economic incentives and social factors underlying the individual choice of racial identity.
Monoclonal Antibody Use for Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Pediatric Patients: A Multicenter Retrospective Study
Authors: Sherman Gilad , Lamb Gabriella S , Sharma Tanvi S , Lloyd Elizabeth C , Nagel Jerod , Dandam Nada N , Oliveira Carlos R , Sheikha Hassan S , Anosike Brenda I , Lee Philip , Vora Surabhi B , Patel Karisma , Sue Paul K , Rubbab Beenish , Yarbrough April M , Ganapathi Lakshmi , Nakamura Mari M
Published: March 2023

Monoclonal antibodies for COVID-19 are authorized in high-risk patients aged ≥12 years, but evidence in pediatric patients is limited. In our cohort of 142 patients treated at seven pediatric hospitals between 12/1/20 and 7/31/21, 9% developed adverse events, 6% were admitted for COVID-19 within 30 days, and none received ventilatory support or died.
Is it time to reconsider Henry V?
Authors: Merriam Thomas
Published: March 2023

The average word length of the verse sections of Henry V is greater than that of the prose sections. Contrary to the assumption that word length primarily reflects literary medium (prose–verse), a more extended examination reveals that differences in word length can also reflect differences in authorship. Since 1998, a variety of stylistic analyses have pointed in the same direction: the verse of Henry V is not generally by Shakespeare who wrote the play’s prose.
Assertion and Certainty
Authors: Dinges Alexander
Published: March 2023

Assertions have a curious relationship to certainty. On the one hand, it seems clear that we can assert many everyday propositions while not being absolutely certain about them. On the other hand, it seems odd to say things like ‘p, but I am not absolutely certain that p’. In this paper, I aim to solve this conundrum. I suggest a pretense theory of assertion, according to which assertions of p are proposals to act as if the conversational participants were absolutely certain of p. I suggest that this explains why absolute certainty is not required to make assertions, while it is still problematic to voice your uncertainties once you have made an assertion. By voicing your uncertainties, you thwart your very own proposal to act as if everybody was absolutely certain.
Development of a β-TOF detector: An enhancement of the α-TOF detector for use with β-decaying nuclides
Authors: Niwase Toshitaka , Xian Wenduo , Wada Michiharu , Rosenbusch Marco , Chen Sidong , Takamine Aiko , Liu Jiajian , Iimura Shun , Hou Dongsheng , Yan Shuxiong , Ishiyama Hironobu , Miyatake Hiroari , Nishimura Shunji , Kaji Daiya , Morimoto Kouji , Hirayama Yoshikazu , Watanabe Yutaka X , Kimura Sota , Schury Peter , Wollnik Hermann
Published: March 2023

Previously, we developed an α-TOF detector for correlated measurements of atomic masses and decay properties of radioactive isotopes using a multi-reflection time-of-flight mass spectrograph, and successfully demonstrated α-decay-correlated mass measurements of heavy and superheavy nuclides. In this work, we develop a β-TOF detector, an improvement upon the α-TOF detector, to extend this technology to β-decaying nuclides. Online commissioning with 81Ga yielded a measured half-life of 1.44(31) s, in agreement with the previous literature, and confirmed the efficiency of detecting a decay-correlated event to be consistent with the solid angle limitation.
Percutaneous Techniques
Authors: Akoh Craig C.
Published: March 2023

Percutaneous reduction and fixation of calcaneus fractures is an alternative to open treatment. The percutaneous technique allows for the restoration of calcaneal anatomy while mitigating wound complications. Operative treatment utilizing the percutaneous technique should be performed within 2 weeks of injury to allow for adequate mobilization of the fracture fragments during surgery. Preoperative assessment includes assessing patient comorbidities, skin check, and radiographic assessment of the fracture pattern. There is a learning curve for assessing the indirect reduction of the articular surface with intraoperative fluoroscopy. Postoperative care includes edema control and early ankle range of motion.

Level of Evidence: Diagnostic Level V. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Blood pressure measurement modalities and indexed left ventricular mass in men with low-risk hypertension confirmed by ambulatory monitoring
Authors: Lacy Peter S. , Jedrzejewski Dawid , McFarlane Ewan , Williams Bryan
Published: March 2023

Background:

Blood pressure (BP) measurement modalities such as ambulatory monitoring (ABPM) and noninvasive central aortic systolic pressure (CASP), have been reported to improve prediction of hypertension-mediated organ damage (HMOD) compared with conventional clinic BP. However, clinic BP is often confounded by poor measurement technique and ‘white-coat hypertension’ (WCH). We compared prediction of cardiac MRI (cMRI)-derived left ventricular mass index (LVMI) by differing BP measurement modalities in young men with elevated BP, confirmed by ABPM.

Methods:

One hundred and forty-three treatment-naive men (<55 years) with hypertension confirmed by ABPM and no clinical evidence of HMOD or cardiovascular disease (37% with masked hypertension) were enrolled. Relationships between BP modalities and cMRI-LVMI were evaluated.

Results:

Men with higher LVMI (upper quintile) had higher clinic, central and ambulatory SBP compared with men with lower LVMI. Regression coefficients for SBP with LVMI did not differ across BP modalities (r = 0.32; 0.3; 0.31, for clinic SBP, CASP and 24-h ABPM, respectively,P < 0.01 all). Prediction for high LVMI using receiver-operated curve analyses was similar between measurement modalities. No relationship between DBP and LVMI was seen across measurement modalities.

Conclusion:

In younger men with hypertension confirmed by ABPM and low cardiovascular risk, clinic SBP and CASP, measured under research conditions, that is, with strict adherence to guideline recommendations, performs as well as ABPM in predicting LVMI. Prior reports of inferiority for clinic BP in predicting HMOD and potentially, clinical outcomes, may be due to poor measurement technique and/or failure to exclude WCH.
Oral Ibuprofen is Associated With Reduced Likelihood of Early Bleb Failure After Trabeculectomy in High-Risk Glaucoma Patients
Authors: Sim Jackie Jia Lin , Man Ryan Eyn Kidd , Foo Reuben Chao Ming , Huang Olivia S. , Betzler Bjorn Kaijun , Husain Rahat , Ho Ching Lin , Boey Pui Yi , Perera Shamira A. , Low Jin Rong , Aung Tin , Lamoureux Ecosse L. , Wong Tina T.
Published: March 2023

Précis:

Individuals prescribed ibuprofen after trabeculectomy have better postoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) control and a higher chance of bleb survival despite being at a higher risk of scarring.

Purpose:

To investigate the effects of early adjunctive oral ibuprofen treatment on IOP and bleb failure in eyes at high risk of scarring.

Methods:

In these retrospective analyses, 288 eyes of 273 patients (mean ± SD age: 68.56 ± 10.47 y; 32.60% females) with primary glaucoma who underwent trabeculectomy/phacotrabeculectomy at the Singapore National Eye Centre between April 2020 and April 2021 with a follow-up duration ≥1 year were included. Of these, 77 (26.7%) eyes deemed to be at high risk of scarring were administered oral ibuprofen ≥3 months postoperatively (mean ± SD ibuprofen administration duration: 4.08 ± 2.28 wk). Participant’s IOPs at baseline and at postoperative weeks 1, 2–3; and months 1, 2, 3, 6, and 12 were recorded. Bleb failure was defined as 2 consecutive IOP readings of >21, >18, and >15 mm Hg, and/or requiring remedial postoperative laser or surgery.

Results:

The ibuprofen group experienced significantly greater postoperative IOP reductions at week 1 [mean difference, 95%CI: −2.89 (−5.22, −0.56) mm Hg] and month 1 [−2.29 (−4.53, −0.05) mm Hg]; and substantially lower odds of bleb failure at the >18 mm Hg [odds ratio, 95% CI: 0.39 (0.20–0.79)] and >15 mm Hg [0.52 (0.29–0.94)] thresholds, compared with the non-ibuprofen group. No differences in adverse ocular hypotony events were observed.

Conclusion:

Early adjunctive oral ibuprofen administered to individuals at high risk of posttrabeculectomy scarring is associated with greater IOP reductions and reduced likelihood of bleb failure. Our results suggest that oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may be a safe way of improving trabeculectomy survival in high-risk eyes.
Plugged Dilated Follicles on the Back
Authors: Jacob Sharon E. , Ashouri Diana
Published: March 2023

Teledermatology is a term to describe the provision of dermatologic medical services through telecommunication technology. This is a case of multiple plugged dilated follicles.
Validation of MELD 3.0 scoring system in East Asian patients with cirrhosis awaiting liver transplantation
Authors: Yoo Jeong-Ju , Chang Jong-In , Moon Ji Eun , Sinn Dong Hyun , Kim Sang Gyune , Kim Young Seok
Published: March 2023

Recently, a new predictive model that jointly considers the Model of End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) 3.0 and albumin has been proposed. This study investigated the performance of the MELD 3.0 score in predicting the 3-month survival of East Asian patients with cirrhosis compared with the other MELD-based scores. Validation was performed with the retrospective data of 2153 patients in South Korea who were listed for liver transplantation (LT). Discrimination and calibration analyses were performed using the MELD-based scores as an independent variable. On average, patients had the original MELD score of 18.70 ± 9.65. Alcohol (39.99%) and chronic HBV (38.55%) were the 2 main etiologies. The MELD 3.0 with albumin showed slightly better discrimination [c-index = 0.738, incremental AUC (iAUC) = 0.719] compared with the MELD 3.0 without albumin (c-index = 0.737, iAUC = 0.715), MELD-Na (c-index = 0.730, iAUC = 0.707), or the original MELD (c-index = 0.718, iAUC = 0.687) for predicting 3-month survival but not significantly different compared with prior models. Likewise, in the stratified analysis according to the strata of MELD, although the performance of MELD 3.0 was better throughout all the MELD strata than MELD original, there was no statistical difference in performance. The MELD 3.0 with albumin reclassified 22.61% of cases classified by the original MELD to higher MELD score categories, and there was no significant difference in the reclassification rate between males and females. The predictive power of the MELD-based system is lower in Asian populations than in western countries. Nonetheless, the MELD 3.0 score with albumin was significantly better in predicting the short-term prognosis of East Asian patients on the LT waitlist than the current allocation system, original MELD.
Factors influencing body weight one year after bariatric surgery
Authors: Azhri Afnan Sameer , Almuqati Asma , Azzeh Firas , Alamro Nuha , Azhar Wedad , Qadhi Alaa , Ghafouri Khloud
Published: March 2023

The significant outcome of bariatric surgery (BS) is weight loss, which may be affected by many factors, such as initial body weight before surgery, sex, and dietary intake. Moreover, rapid weight loss is associated with an increased incidence of postsurgical cholelithiasis. To investigate the observed weight loss outcomes during the first year after BS, we investigated the factors that may influence weight loss and to detect the efficacy of prophylactic ursodeoxycholic acid against gallstone formation. This was a retrospective cohort study of all patients with morbid obesity who underwent BS in the hospital and completed a 1-year follow up. Patients with a previous BS or a history of cholecystectomy before BS were excluded. Data were extracted from the medical records at multiple postoperative intervals. There was significant weight loss in terms of percentage of excess weight loss and reduction in body mass index postoperative. A significant correlation was found between the percent of excess weight loss and age, initial body mass index, and initial weight, but there was no significant correlation with sex or type of surgery. The incidence of postoperative cholecystectomy is almost negligible. A significant association was found between age and weight loss after BS. ursodeoxycholic acid is an effective prophylaxis to decrease the incidence of cholecystectomy after BS.
Acquired crizotinib-resistant pulmonary adenocarcinoma and subsequent primary gallbladder cancer: A case report
Authors: Zhang Min , Chen Ruilin , Zheng Suqun , Wang Zhen
Published: March 2023

Rationale:

Proto-oncogene-oriented targeted therapy has limited benefits in elderly patients with multiple primary tumors.

Patient concerns:

A woman with anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive lung adenocarcinoma developed acquired resistance after 3 years of targeted therapy with crizotinib.

Diagnoses:

Diagnosis of unexpected subsequent primary gallbladder tumor.

Interventions:

Lenvatinib was administered therapeutically. Meanwhile, next-generation sequencing results before and after crizotinib treatment were analyzed by comparing the tumor-driving mutation genes with bioinformatics methods.

Outcomes:

The patient died of ascites and liver failure. Furthermore, bypass activation was found to be the main reason for acquired drug resistance for this patient, and the abnormal expression of tumor suppressor genes and senescence-related genes was the likely cause of the second primary tumor.

Lessons:

A bioinformatic comparison of pre- and post-treatment sequencing in elderly oncology patients is of interest.

Conclusions:

For diagnosing, precision bioinformatics analysis and repeat biopsy are equally valuable. For therapy, potential therapy such as p53 gene replacement therapy and CAR-T therapy need to be practiced for senescence-related conditions.