bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cu(I) Coordination Compounds Conjugated to Au Nanorods for Future Applications in Drug Delivery: Insights in Molecular, Electronic and Cu Local Structure in Solid and Liquid Phase
Authors: Lopez Alberto , Amatori Simone , Olivieri Elena , Venditti Iole , Iucci Giovanna , Meneghini Carlo , Bertelà Federica , Del Bello Fabio , Quaglia Wilma , Pellei Maura , Santini Carlo , Battocchio Chiara
Published: March 2024

In the framework of the design, synthesis and testing of a library of copper complexes and nanostructured assemblies potentially endowed with antitumor and antiviral activity and useful for several applications, from drugs and related delivery systems to the development of biocidal nanomaterials, we present the detailed spectroscopic investigation of the molecular and electronic structure of copper‐based coordination compounds and of a new conjugated system obtained by grafting Cu(I) complexes to gold nanorods. More in detail, the electronic and molecular structures of two Cu complexes and one AuNRs/Cu‐complex adduct were investigated by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), synchrotron‐induced XPS (SR‐XPS) and near edge X‐ray absorption spectroscopy (NEXAFS) in solid state, and the local structure around copper ion was assessed by X‐ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) both in solid state and water solution for the AuNRs/Cu‐complex nanoparticles. The proposed multi‐technique approach allowed to properly define the coordination geometry around the copper ion, as well as to ascertain the molecular structures of the coordination compounds, their stability and modifications upon interaction with gold nanoparticles, by comparing solid state and liquid phase data.
A new class of active impedance source inverter with low voltage stress on semiconductors
Authors: Ranjbarizad Vida , Babaei Ebrahim
Published: March 2024

In this paper, a new group of active impedance source inverters, along with a suitable control method based on the pulse width modulation (PWM) technique, is presented. The purpose of these inverters is to reduce the voltage stress on capacitors, diodes, and switches compared to other topologies. Using the proposed control method to produce the gate pulse of the switches, all operating modes of one of the proposed inverters, in two different operations (synchrony and asynchrony), to calculate boost factor and critical inductance in the boundary condition, are analyzed. Furthermore, all equations of voltage and current of components to design the suitable amounts of capacitors and inductors are calculated. Then, the comparative analysis from different points of view, such as boost factor, total voltage blocked by diodes and switches, and voltage stresses on capacitors between the proposed topology and conventional structures to examine the advantages and disadvantages, is done. Also, the losses and efficiency of the proposed topology at different loads are fully given. Finally, a prototype of the proposed topology is designed, and its experimental results are provided to check the performance and correctness of the obtained equations in different operating modes.
Analysis and design of voltage‐source parallel resonant class E frequency multiplier
Authors: Li Tian , Li Mingyu , Dai Zhijiang , Pang Jingzhou , Shi Weimin , Jin Yi
Published: March 2024

In this paper, the analysis and design process of the voltage‐source parallel resonant class E frequency multiplier with a 50% duty ratio is proposed. The proposed circuit adopts two series resonant filters for reducing the interference of harmonics to the output waveform and achieves zero‐voltage switching (ZVS) and zero‐voltage derivation switching (ZVDS) conditions. The design equations for the proposed circuit are given in detail. The new type class E frequency multiplier can operate at lower transistor voltage stress, higher operating frequency, and larger output power. Meanwhile, the volume and weight of the measured circuit are greatly decreased compared to the conventional class E frequency multiplier. To demonstrate the analysis process, the circuit operating at 1 MHz is fabricated and measured. Compared to the traditional class E frequency multiplier, the transistor peak voltage is reduced by 47.9%, the diameter of the resonant inductor core is decreased by 56.2%, and the measured efficiency can reach 95.1%. The theoretical and simulated results are all agreed with the experimental results.
A phase I study of docetaxel plus synthetic lycopene in metastatic prostate cancer patients
Authors: Lilly Michael B. , Wu Chunli , Ke Yu , Chen Wen‐Pin , Soloff Adam C. , Armeson Kent , Yokoyama Noriko N. , Li Xiaotian , Song Liankun , Yuan Ying , McLaren Christine E. , Zi Xiaolin
Published: March 2024

Purpose

Our preclinical studies showed that lycopene enhanced the anti‐prostate cancer efficacy of docetaxel in animal models. A phase I trial (NCT0149519) was conducted to identify an optimum dose of synthetic lycopene in combination with docetaxel (and androgen blockade [androgen deprivation therapy, ADT]), and to evaluate its effect on the safety and pharmacokinetics of docetaxel in men with metastatic prostate cancer.

Methods

Subjects were treated with 21‐day cycles of 75 mg/m2 docetaxel (and ADT), plus lycopene at 30, 90 or 150 mg/day. A Bayesian model averaging continual reassessment method was used to guide dose escalation. Pharmacokinetics of docetaxel and multiple correlative studies were carried out.

Results

Twenty‐four participants were enrolled, 18 in a dose escalation cohort to define the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), and six in a pharmacokinetic cohort. Docetaxel/ADT plus 150 mg/day synthetic lycopene resulted in dose‐limiting toxicity (pulmonary embolus) in one out of 12 participants with an estimated probability of .106 and thus was chosen as the MTD. Lycopene increased the AUCinf and Cmax of plasma docetaxel by 9.5% and 15.1%, respectively. Correlative studies showed dose‐related changes in circulating endothelial cells and vascular endothelial growth factor A, and reduction in insulin‐like growth factor 1R phosphorylation, associated with lycopene therapy.

Conclusions

The combination of docetaxel/ADT and synthetic lycopene has low toxicity and favourable pharmacokinetics. The effects of lycopene on biomarkers provide additional support for the toxicity‐dependent MTD definition.

Highlights

The maximum tolerated dose was identified as 150 mg/day of lycopene in combination with docetaxel/ADT for the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer patients.

Small increases in plasma exposure to docetaxel were observed with lycopene co‐administration.

Mechanistically significant effects were seen on angiogenesis and insulin‐like growth factor 1 signalling by lycopene co‐administration with docetaxel/ADT.
PROM2 overexpression induces metastatic potential through epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition and ferroptosis resistance in human cancers
Authors: Paris Justine , Wilhelm Claire , Lebbé Celeste , Elmallah Mohammed , Pamoukdjian Frédéric , Héraud Audrey , Gapihan Guillaume , Walle Aurore Van De , Tran Van Nhan , Hamdan Diaddin , Allayous Clara , Battistella Maxime , Van Glabeke Emmanuel , Lim Kah Wai , Leboeuf Christophe , Roger Sébastien , Falgarone Géraldine , Phan Anh Tuan , Bousquet Guilhem
Published: March 2024

Introduction

Despite considerable therapeutic advances in the last 20 years, metastatic cancers remain a major cause of death. We previously identified prominin‐2 (PROM2) as a biomarker predictive of distant metastases and decreased survival, thus providing a promising bio‐target. In this translational study, we set out to decipher the biological roles of PROM2 during the metastatic process and resistance to cell death, in particular for metastatic melanoma.

Methods and results

Methods and results: We demonstrated that PROM2 overexpression was closely linked to an increased metastatic potential through the increase of epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) marker expression and ferroptosis resistance. This was also found in renal cell carcinoma and triple negative breast cancer patient‐derived xenograft models. Using an oligonucleotide anti‐sense anti‐PROM2, we efficaciously decreased PROM2 expression and prevented metastases in melanoma xenografts. We also demonstrated that PROM2 was implicated in an aggravation loop, contributing to increase the metastatic burden both in murine metastatic models and in patients with metastatic melanoma. The metastatic burden is closely linked to PROM2 expression through the expression of EMT markers and ferroptosis cell death resistance in a deterioration loop.

Conclusion

Our results open the way for further studies using PROM2 as a bio‐target in resort situations in human metastatic melanoma and also in other cancer types.
Pyridazine and pyridazinone derivatives: Synthesis and in vitro investigation of their anti‐inflammatory potential in LPS‐induced RAW264.7 macrophages
Authors: Osman Eman O. , Khalil Nadia A. , Magdy Alaa , El‐Dash Yara
Published: March 2024

New pyridazine and pyridazinone derivatives 3a–g, 4a–f, 6a, and 6b were designed and synthesized. Cell viability of all compounds was established based on the viability of lipopolysaccharide‐induced RAW264.7 macrophage cells determined via the MTT assay. In vitro inhibition assays on human COX‐1 and COX‐2 enzymes were conducted to probe the newly synthesized compounds' anti‐inflammatory activity. The half maximal inhibitory concentration values for the most active compounds, 3d, 3e, and 4e towards COX‐2 were 0.425, 0.519, and 0.356 µM, respectively, in comparison with celecoxib. The newly synthesized compounds' ability to inhibit the production of certain proinflammatory cytokines, such as inducible nitric oxide synthase, tumor necrosis factor‐α, interleukin‐6, and prostaglandin‐E2, was also estimated in lipopolysaccharide‐induced macrophages (RAW264.7 cells). Compounds 3d and 3e were identified as the most potent cytokine production inhibitors. The results of molecular modeling studies suggested that these compounds were characterized by a reasonable binding affinity toward the active site of COX‐2, when compared to a reference ligand. These results might be taken into consideration in further investigations into new anti‐inflammatory agents.
Stochastic emulation with enhanced partial‐ and no‐replication strategies for seismic response distribution estimation
Authors: Yi Sang‐ri , Taflanidis Alexandros A.
Published: March 2024

Modern performance earthquake engineering practices frequently require a large number of time‐consuming non‐linear time‐history simulations to appropriately address excitation and structural uncertainties when estimating engineering demand parameter (EDP) distributions. Surrogate modeling techniques have emerged as an attractive tool for alleviating such high computational burden in similar engineering problems. A key challenge for the application of surrogate models in earthquake engineering context relates to the aleatoric variability associated with the seismic hazard. This variability is typically expressed as high‐dimensional or non‐parametric uncertainty, and so cannot be easily incorporated within standard surrogate modeling frameworks. Rather, a surrogate modeling approach that can directly approximate the full distribution of the response output is warranted for this application. This approach needs to additionally address the fact that the response variability may change as input parameter changes, yielding a heteroscedastic behavior. Stochastic emulation techniques have emerged as a viable solution to accurately capture aleatoric uncertainties in similar contexts, and recent work by the second author has established a framework to accommodate this for earthquake engineering applications, using Gaussian Process (GP) regression to predict the EDP response distribution. The established formulation requires for a portion of the training samples the replication of simulations for different descriptions of the aleatoric uncertainty. In particular, the replicated samples are used to build a secondary GP model to predict the heteroscedastic characteristics, and these predictions are then used to formulate the primary GP that produces the full EDP distribution. This practice, however, has two downsides: it always requires minimum replications when training the secondary GP, and the information from the non‐replicated samples is utilized only for the primary GP. This research adopts an alternative stochastic GP formulation that can address both limitations. To this end, the secondary GP is trained by measuring the square of sample deviations from the mean instead of the crude sample variances. To establish the primitive mean estimates, another auxiliary GP is introduced. This way, information from all replicated and non‐replicated samples is fully leveraged for estimating both the EDP distribution and the underlying heteroscedastic behavior, while formulation accommodates an implementation using no replications. The case study examples using three different stochastic ground motion models demonstrate that the proposed approach can address both aforementioned challenges.
ID factors regulate the ability of Müller glia to become proliferating neurogenic progenitor‐like cells
Authors: Taylor Olivia B. , Patel Snehal P. , Hawthorn Evan C. , El‐Hodiri Heithem M. , Fischer Andy J.
Published: March 2024

The purpose of this study was to investigate how ID factors regulate the ability of Müller glia (MG) to reprogram into proliferating MG‐derived progenitor cells (MGPCs) in the chick retina. We found that ID1 is transiently expressed by maturing MG (mMG), whereas ID4 is maintained in mMG in embryonic retinas. In mature retinas, ID4 was prominently expressed by resting MG, but following retinal damage ID4 was rapidly upregulated and then downregulated in MGPCs. By contrast, ID1, ID2, and ID3 were low in resting MG and then upregulated in MGPCs. Inhibition of ID factors following retinal damage decreased numbers of proliferating MGPCs. Inhibition of IDs, after MGPC proliferation, significantly increased numbers of progeny that differentiated as neurons. In damaged or undamaged retinas inhibition of IDs increased levels of p21Cip1 in MG. In response to damage or insulin+FGF2 levels of CDKN1A message and p21Cip1 protein were decreased, absent in proliferating MGPCs, and elevated in MG returning to a resting phenotype. Inhibition of notch‐ or gp130/Jak/Stat‐signaling in damaged retinas increased levels of ID4 but not p21Cip1 in MG. Although ID4 is the predominant isoform expressed by MG in the chick retina, id1 and id2a are predominantly expressed by resting MG and downregulated in activated MG and MGPCs in zebrafish retinas. We conclude that ID factors have a significant impact on regulating the responses of MG to retinal damage, controlling the ability of MG to proliferate by regulating levels of p21Cip1, and suppressing the neurogenic potential of MGPCs.
Converting laundry work of women in underdeveloped countries from risk of musculoskeletal disorders to a sustainable intervention: A design with holistic approach
Authors: Avcıoğlu Banu Ç. , Başak Hüdayim
Published: March 2024

More than half of the population in impoverished areas around the world, which lack sufficient energy and water, do not have washing machines. Due to a lack of resources and economic reasons, the mechanical task of modern washing machines requiring electrical energy can only be done through hand washing. Additionally, water fetching and laundry work are predominately assigned to women due to socio‐cultural dynamics in disadvantaged areas. The repetitive motions involved in washing over extended periods of time, coupled with awkward body positions, often lead to musculoskeletal disorders in women. This study aims to improve women's work safety and living conditions through a product design for laundry washing. First, the ergonomic risk associated with women's body postures while washing clothes on the floor was evaluated to better understand the impact of the intervention and rapid upper extremity assessment (RULA) method was used for this purpose. Subsequently, the design process for a manual washing product, which operates without electricity, can handle bulk laundry and facilitates easier and more ergonomic work instead of directly scrubbing clothes, was initiated as a remedial intervention. Recognizing that laundry work is a multidimensional experience in women's lives beyond its ergonomic aspects, a holistic design methodology was adopted, incorporating various design approaches to create concepts that better integrate with the lives of woman users. Insights gained from these design approaches were then combined with the conceptual design method to generate design proposals. At the end of the study, the developed manual washing machine design performed improved RULA analysis scores and biomechanical loading outcomes compared to hand washing.
Impact of entropy generation and temperature gradient heat source on Couette flow in a permeable magnetic field
Authors: Varma Nadimpalli Udaya Bhaskara , Ramaprasad Jupudi Lakshmi , Balamurugan Kuppareddy Subramanyam
Published: March 2024

This research paper focused on investigating the influence of various factors on steady Couette flow beneath a permeable bed. Factors studied included aligned magnetic field, thermal radiation, temperature gradient heat source, viscous dissipation, and Joules dissipation. The momentum and energy equations governing flow and heat transmission were analytically solved to predict the generation of entropy. The findings were visually presented through graphical representations, which effectively demonstrated the effect of these factors on the fluid's velocity, temperature, entropy production, and Bejan number. In addition, the shear stress and rate of heat transfer coefficient at the channel walls were computed and their behavior was documented in tables to provide further insights.
Association between helminth infection and allergic disorders among children in Batu, Ethiopia
Authors: Walelign Sosina , Tesfaye Mheret , Tasew Geremew , Desta Kassu , Tsegaye Aster , Taye Bineyam
Published: March 2024

Background

Helminths are potent immunomodulators and in their chronic infection state they may protect against allergy‐related disease and atopy. However, they are also known for inducing allergic conditions. This study aimed to assess the association between helminths,  atopy and allergic conditions.

Methods

A total of 461 school children participated in this cross‐sectional study. Data on allergic symptoms and a range of confounding variables was gathered from parents via an interviewer‐led questionnaire. Skin sensitization to house dust mite and cockroaches was analyzed, and a stool sample was collected for helminth analysis. Serum total Immunoglobulin E using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay and eosinophil count were also measured.

Results

Overall sensitivity to both allergens was 2.4%. Self‐reported allergic outcomes in the last 12 months for the 461 participants had been : wheezing 3.7%, asthma 2.2%, eczema 13.2% and hay fever 6.9%. Overall, the prevalence of helminth infection was 11.9% (53/444). A borderline significant association was found between atopy and any allergy symptoms (odds ratio [OR]: 3.32, 95% confidence interval [95% CI: 0.99, 11.1], p = .052). There was no significant association between helminths and atopy (OR: 0.64 [95% CI: 0.29, 1.41], p = .268) and also between helminths and allergic symptoms (OR: 0.64 [95% CI: 0.29, 1.41], p = .268). Bivariate analysis showed keeping an animal in the house increases the risk of atopy while maternal and paternal history of allergy increases the risk of developing allergic symptoms in the children.

Conclusion and clinical relevance

This study found a non‐significant inverse association between helminths infection and atopy and allergic disorders, likely due to reduced statistical power, resulting in a lower prevalence of atopy and allergic conditions. A high powered longtitudinal study is necessary to explore the casuality and potential therapeutic benefits of helminths for allergic disorders.
Computerized diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis from x‐ray images using combined texture features: Data from the osteoarthritis initiative
Authors: Messaoudene Khadidja , Harrar Khaled
Published: March 2024

The prevalence of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) cases has witnessed a significant increase on a global scale in recent years, emphasizing the need for automated diagnostic computer systems to aid in early‐stage osteoarthritis (OA) diagnosis. The accurate characterization of knee KOA stages through feature extraction poses significant research challenges due to the complexity of identifying relevant attributes. In this study, the development of a KOA diagnostic system is presented, leveraging a combination of Gabor, and Tamura parameters using the Canonical Correlation Analysis algorithm. Two feature selection algorithms, namely Principal Component Analysis and Relief, were employed for KOA classification. Furthermore, various classifiers, including K‐Nearest Neighbors, AdaBoost, Bagging, and Random Forest, were used to assess the proposed feature extraction approach. The diagnostic system was assessed using a dataset comprising 688 x‐ray images sourced from the OA initiative (OAI) dataset, consisting of 344 images from healthy subjects (Grade 0) and 344 images from pathological patients (Grade 2). To mitigate overfitting, a 10‐fold cross‐validation method was utilized. The experimental results indicate that the combination of Tamura and Gabor parameters with the Random Forest classifier achieved remarkable performance in KOA diagnosis, yielding an accuracy of 94.59%, and an area under the curve of 98.3%. Notably, the combined Gabor and Tamura models exhibited superior performance compared to individual models, as well as existing techniques reported in the literature.
Investigating the compatibility of an irrigation decision support system with water rights and allocation in a selected irrigation network
Authors: Dehghanisanij Hossein , Emami Somayeh , Nourjou Amir , Rezaverdinejad Vahid
Published: March 2024

It is necessary to use different planning models, including decision support systems (DSSs), to allocate water resources. For this purpose, in this study, an irrigation decision support system (IDSS) was developed to improve irrigation management in the farming fields of Mahabad Plain located to the south‐east of Lake Urmia. Next, the compatibility of the IDSS with the conditions of the Mahabad irrigation and drainage network, water and soil resources, meteorological data and soil moisture (SM) were investigated. The statistical indices of coefficient of determination (R2), root mean square error (RMSE), normalized root mean square error (NRMSE), Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (EF) and Wilmot agreement (d) were used to evaluate the adaptability of the IDSS. The results showed that the IDSS has reasonable compatibility with soil and water resources, crop yield and meteorological data. Irrigation scheduling provided by the IDSS led to a 13.9% reduction in water consumption and a 6.7% increase in crop yield. The IDSS estimated minimum and maximum temperature and sunshine hours to a satisfactory degree and relative humidity with an acceptable degree (NRMSE = 0.72–0.77) compared to regional synoptic station data. The performance of the IDSS in simulating SM is ranked from good to well (NRMSE = 0.75–0.83). The results indicate that the IDSS has a sufficient performance in estimating meteorological and soil moisture data with R2 = 0.90, RMSE = 4.65, NRMSE = 0.78, EF = 0.76 and d = 0.80. In addition, the IDSS provides the optimal irrigation schedule by considering the ability to deliver water from the irrigation and drainage network to the third‐grade canal and agricultural fields as the upstream condition.
High pre‐Delta and early‐Omicron SARS‐CoV‐2 seroprevalence detected in dried blood samples from Kinshasa (D.R. Congo)
Authors: de Aguirre Paula Martínez , Carlos Silvia , Pina‐Sánchez Manuel , Mbikayi Samclide , Burgueño Eduardo , Tendobi Céline , Chiva Luis , Holguín África , Reina Gabriel
Published: March 2024

Studies on the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic in sub‐Saharan Africa have yielded varying results, although authors universally agree the real burden surpasses reported cases. The primary objective of this study was to determine SARS‐CoV‐2 seroprevalence among patients attending Monkole Hospital in Kinshasa (D.R. Congo). The secondary objective was to evaluate the analytic performance of two chemiluminescence platforms: Elecsys® (Roche) and VirClia® (Vircell) on dried blood spot samples (DBS). The study population (N = 373) was recruited in two stages: a mid‐2021 blood donor cohort (15.5% women) and a mid‐2022 women cohort. Crude global seroprevalence was 61% (53.9%–67.8%) pre‐Delta in 2021 and 90.2% (84.7%–94.2%) post‐Omicron in 2022. Anti‐spike (S) antibody levels significantly increased from 53.1 (31.8–131.3) U/mL in 2021 to 436.5 (219.3–950.5) U/mL in 2022 and were significantly higher above 45 years old in the 2022 population. Both platforms showed good analytic performance on DBS samples: sensitivity was 96.8% for IgG (antiN/S) (93.9%–98.5%) and 96.0% (93.0%–98.0%) for anti‐S quantification. These results provide additional support for the notion that exposure to SARS‐CoV‐2 is more widespread than indicated by case‐based surveillance and will be able to guide the pandemic response and strategy moving forward. Likewise, this study contributes evidence to the reliability of DBS as a tool for serological testing and diagnosis in resource‐limited settings.
Functionally aligned total knee arthroplasty: A lateral flexion laxity up to 6 mm is safe!
Authors: Nixon Jeremy , Tadros Baha John , Moreno‐Suarez Ignacio , Pretty William , Collopy Dermot , Clark Gavin
Published: March 2024

Purpose

Loose flexion gaps are associated with poor functional outcomes and instability in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The effect of a trapezoidal flexion gap in a functionally aligned TKA remains unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a larger lateral flexion gap in a robotic‐assisted (RA), functionally aligned (FA) and cruciate‐retaining (CR) TKA on clinical outcomes.

Methods

Data from 527 TKA in 478 patients from 2018 to 2020 were collected. All patients underwent an RA (MAKO, Stryker), FA and CR TKA. Gap measurements were collected intraoperatively. Patient‐reported outcome measures (PROMs), pain Visual analogue score (VAS) and range of motion were collected postoperatively. Patients were also asked about the ease of stair ascent and descent and kneeling on a 5‐point scale. The minimum follow‐up was 2 years. Patients were stratified into three groups based on lateral flexion laxity.

Results

At 2 years postoperatively, the group with a looser gap (3–6 mm) had higher mean PROMs when compared with the group with a gap of 2–3 mm. There were no differences detected in any other outcomes at 2 years. A total of 70.9% of patients in the group with a 3–6 mm gap reported being able to walk down a flight of stairs 'easily', compared with 56.7% in the 2–3 mm group and 54% in the <2 mm group (p = 0.04).

Conclusion

The study shows that a loose lateral flexion gap in functionally aligned CR TKA does not adversely affect outcomes in the short term.

Level of Evidence

Level III, retrospective cohort study.
Influence of cryogenic turning strategies on the surface morphology and resulting wear behavior of metastable AISI 347 austenitic stainless steel
Authors: Zhu T. , Smaga M. , Thielen S. , Hotz H. , Kirsch B. , Aurich J. C. , Sauer B. , Koch O. , Beck T.
Published: March 2024

Cryogenic turning of metastable austenitic stainless steels can improve wear resistance of the resulting surface due to the phase transformation of γ‐austenite into α’‐ and/or ϵ‐martensite in the near surface layer. By using a cryogenic two‐step turning process, the amount of deformation‐induced α’‐martensite in the subsurface regime can be further increased. To determine the influence of the implemented and optimized two‐step turning strategy on the tribological properties of countersurfaces for radial shaft seals, an evaluation of wear behavior of the shaft seal countersurface as well as microstructural analyses in subsurface regime is presented and compared to the cryogenic single step turning process. The results show that not only the integral phase transformation in the overall subsurface region, but also the local phase distribution plays an important role when it comes to the surface performance in tribological applications.
Suppression of Mixing of Metastable Zincblende Phase in GaN Crystal Grown on ScAlMgO4 Substrates by Radio‐Frequency Plasma‐Assisted Molecular Beam Epitaxy
Authors: Deura Momoko , Wada Yuichi , Fujii Takashi , Araki Tsutomu
Published: March 2024

ScAlMgO4 (SAM) substrates have attracted significant attention as template substrates for fabricating bulk GaN crystals. Radio‐frequency plasma‐assisted molecular beam epitaxy (RF‐MBE) is preferred for the growth of the first GaN layer. However, the metastable zincblende (ZB) phase is mixed on the SAM substrate with a smaller terrace width, coupled with lower growth temperatures in MBE. Herein, the time evolution of GaN growth on SAM substrates is investigated to elucidate the mechanism underlying ZB mixing. ZB‐GaN is generated as stacking faults during the coalescence of the initially grown wurtzite‐ (WZ‐) GaN islands on adjacent SAM terraces, owing to the extraordinarily large step height close to three bilayers of WZ‐GaN. Therefore, high‐temperature growth on a SAM substrate with wider terraces suppresses the generation of the ZB phase in the initial growth stage. ZB‐GaN also decreases with an increase in the growth time. Based on these results, a 940 nm‐thick GaN layer is grown at 750 °C on the SAM substrate with a terrace width of 820 nm. A pure WZ‐GaN layer from the GaN/SAM interface with a flat surface with a root mean square value of below 1 nm and a dislocation density of 7.3 × 109 cm−2 is obtained.
Traditional Chinese medicine for gastric cancer: An evidence mapping
Authors: Dai Zelei , Tan Chenfeng , Wang Jun , Wang Qin , Wang Ying , He Ying , Peng Yalan , Gao Mingyou , Zhang Yonggang , Liu Lei , Song Ningying , Li Nian
Published: March 2024

As a complementary and alternative therapy, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been playing a significant role in gastric cancer treatment. Data from individual systematic reviews have not been comprehensively summarized, and the relationship between certain interventions and outcomes are ill‐defined. This study aimed to analyze the advantages of TCM interventions for gastric cancer by the method of evidence mapping. We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Scientific Journals Database, and Wanfang Database for systematic reviews of TCM treating gastric cancer up to December 31, 2023. We used Excel, Endnote 20, and Python software for the analysis of incorporated studies. We assessed the quality of included SRs by AMSTAR‐2 and performed evidence mapping including 89 SRs, 1648 RCTs and 122,902 patients, identifying 47 types of interventions and 39 types of outcomes. From a visual overview, we displayed that most SRs reported beneficial effects in improving short‐ and long‐term survival, myelosuppression, and immune function, even though the quality of evidence was generally low. The benefits of Brucea javanica Oil Emulsion Injection, ShenQiFuZheng Injection, XiaoAiPing, Astragalus‐Containing TCM and Guben Xiaoji Therapy were found the most solid in corresponding aspects. Our findings suggest that although more rigorous clinical trials and SRs are needed to identify the precise effectiveness, integrating such evidence into clinical care of gastric cancer is expected to be beneficial.
Feasibility and safety of robotic liver resection for huge (≥10 cm) hepatocellular carcinoma in a single centre: A propensity score‐matched single‐surgeon study
Authors: Wu Shurui , Boyuan Liu , Zeng Tao , Ma Ben , Lin Zhaoyi , Hu Minggen
Published: March 2024

Background

The applicability of robot‐assisted resection for huge hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) of ≥10 cm remains contentious with limited available data.

Methods

This retrospective analysis involved 337 patients who underwent robotic liver resection for HCC by a single surgeon. Propensity score matching (PSM) was employed to compare perioperative indicators between patients with regular and huge HCC.

Results

The regular HCC group exhibited a shorter median operative duration than the huge HCC group. The IWATE criteria revealed higher scores in the huge HCC group than in the regular HCC group. No significant differences were observed between the two groups in Pringle time, drainage tube removal, duration of hospital stays, blood loss volume, blood product transfusion, margin status, conversion rate to open surgery, bile leakage, in‐hospital mortality, and reoperation rate.

Conclusion

Robotic liver resection is feasible for huge HCC, with effective perioperative risk management potentially improving outcomes for subsequent minimally invasive surgeries.
Did court dismiss emotional‐distress claim?
Authors: Lyerly Eric
Published: March 2024

Upon joining the Northwestern University cheerleading team, a female student‐athlete signed an agreement stating she would be present when coaching staff required her to attend an event. The cheerleader claimed the head coach ordered all female cheerleaders to attend fundraisers and alumni events in cheer uniforms that left most of their bodies exposed. The coach allegedly told cheerleaders they should prioritize (1) keeping fans and alumni happy and (2) appearing as fun girls even if they were touched inappropriately.
Conformal Conversion of Polyphosphazene@Sb2MoO6 Nanowires to N/S‐Doped/Carbon‐Coated SbPO4/MoOx for High‐performance Lithium Storage
Authors: Zhang Qingmiao , Wang Hongkang , Yao Tianhao , Lu Xuan , Li Chao , Qiu Yao , Zhang Peijuan , Wang Daquan , Chen Yu , Meng Lingjie
Published: March 2024

Alloy‐type antimony (Sb) and conversion‐type molybdenum (Mo) anodes have attracted extensive attention in the application of lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) owing to their high theoretical capacity. In this study, Sb2MoO6 nanowires are prepared via a hydrothermal method and assessed their thermal behavior upon heat treatment, observing an intriguing transformation from nanowire to Sb2O3/MoOx nanosheets. To enhance structure stability, the Sb2MoO6 nanowires are successfully coated with a polyphosphazene layer (referred to as PZS@Sb2MoO6), which not only preserved the nanowires form but also yielded N/S co‐doped carbon‐coated SbPO4/MoOx (NS‐C@SbPO4/MoOx) nanowires following annealing in an inert environment. This composite benefits from the stable PO43− anion that serve as a buffer against volume expansion and form a Li3PO4 matrix during cycling, both of which substantially bolster ion transport and cycle endurance. Doping with heteroatoms introduces numerous oxygen vacancies, augmenting the number of electrochemically active sites, and carbon integration considerably enhances the electronic conductivity of the electrode and alleviates the volume‐change‐induced electrode pulverization. Employed as anode materials in LIBs, the NS‐C@SbPO4/MoOx electrode exhibits remarkable cycling performance (449.8 mA h g−1 at 1000 mA g−1 over 700 cycles) along with superior rate capability (394.2 mA h g−1 at 2000 mA g−1).
Multiscale Structured Trimetal Oxide Heterojunctions for Urinary Metabolic Phenotype‐Dependent Screening of Early and Small Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Shi Fangying , Ning Liuxin , Sun Nianrong , Yao Qunyan , Deng Chunhui
Published: March 2024

Developing a standardized screening tool for the detection of early and small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) through urinary metabolic analysis poses a challenging yet intriguing research endeavor. In this study, a range of intricately interlaced 2D rough nanosheets featuring well‐defined sharp edges is fabricated, with the aim of constructing diverse trimetal oxide heterojunctions exhibiting multiscale structures. By carefully engineering synergistic effects in composition and structure, including improved adsorption, diffusion, and other surface‐driven processes, the optimized heterojunctions demonstrate a substantial enhancement in signal intensity compared to monometallic or bimetallic oxides, as well as fragmented trimetallic oxides. Additionally, optimal heterojunctions enable the extraction of high‐quality urinary metabolic fingerprints using high‐throughput mass spectrometry. Leveraging machine learning, discrimination of HCC patients from high‐risk and healthy populations achieves impressive performance, with area under the curve values of 0.940 and 0.916 for receiver operating characteristic and precision‐recall curves, respectively. Six crucial metabolites are identified, enabling accurate detection of early, small‐tumor, alpha‐fetoprotein‐negative HCC (93.3%–97.3%). A comprehensive screening strategy tailored to clinical reality yields precision metrics (accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score) exceeding 95.0%. This study advances the application of cutting‐edge matrices‐based metabolic phenotyping in practical clinical diagnostics.
Boosting Oxygen Reduction Reaction Selectivity in Metal Nanoparticles with Polyoxometalates
Authors: Quirós‐Díez Eugenia Pilar , Herreros‐Lucas Carlos , Vila‐Fungueiriño José Manuel , Vizcaíno‐Anaya Lucía , Sabater‐Algarra Yolanda , Giménez‐López María del Carmen
Published: March 2024

The lack of selectivity toward the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in metal nanoparticles can be linked to the generation of intermediates. This constitutes a crucial constraint on the performance of specific electrochemical devices, such as fuel cells and metal–air batteries. To boost selectivity of metal nanoparticles, a novel methodology that harnesses the unique electrocatalytic properties of polyoxometalates (POM) to scavenge undesired intermediates of the ORR (such as HO2−) promoting selectivity is proposed. It involves the covalent functionalization of metal nanoparticle's surface with an electrochemically active capping layer containing a new sulfur‐functionalized vanadium‐based POM (AuNP@POM). To demonstrate this approach, preformed thiolate Au(111) nanoparticles with a relatively poor ORR selectivity are chosen. The dispersion of AuNP@POM on the surface of carbon nanofibers (CNF) enhances oxygen diffusion, and therefore the ORR activity. The resulting electrocatalyst (AuNP@POM/CNF) exhibits superior stability against impurities like methanol and a higher pH tolerance range compared to the standard commercial Pt/C. The work demonstrates for the first time, the use of a POM‐based electrochemically active capping layer to switch on the selectivity of poorly selective gold nanoparticles, offering a promising avenue for the preparation of electrocatalyst materials with improved selectivity, performance, and stability for ORR‐based devices.
Assessing Macroeconomic Effects of a Carbon Tax as a Tipping Intervention in Economies Undergoing Coal Phase-Out: The Cases of Poland and Greece
Authors: Frankowski Jan , Sokołowski Jakub , Michas Serafeim , Mazurkiewicz Joanna , Kleanthis Nikos , Antosiewicz Marek
Published: March 2024

Introducing carbon taxation could accelerate systemic change towards a decarbonised future. In this book chapter, we aim to test to which extent this policy can be considered a tipping intervention that can encourage fast green technological innovation and infrastructure development in coal and carbon-intensive regions (CCIRs) and how this policy affects the sectoral structure of the economy. We use a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model (ΜΕΜΟ) to assess the impacts of implementing a carbon tax on GDP and unemployment in Poland and Greece. These two countries are currently phasing out coal. Our results show that carbon tax implementation significantly affects the macroeconomic indicators and may also lead to considerable labour market effects on sectors other than mining, such as the light industry and construction in Greece and energy-intensive and advanced manufacturing industries in Poland. We also discuss funding and recycling revenue mechanisms that could enable the successful implementation of a carbon tax. We conclude that it would be more reasonable to treat carbon tax as an additional political tool that must be combined with other interventions coordinated with an overall broader full-system transformation narrative rather than a single tool that can determine or ex-ante detect any future tipping point.
The INNODIA Type 1 Diabetes Natural History Study: a European cohort of newly diagnosed children, adolescents and adults
Authors: Marcovecchio M. Loredana , Hendriks A. Emile J. , Delfin Carl , Battelino Tadej , Danne Thomas , Evans Mark L. , Johannesen Jesper , Kaur Simranjeet , Knip Mikael , Overbergh Lut , Pociot Flemming , Todd John A. , Van der Schueren Bart , Wicker Linda S. , Peakman Mark , Mathieu Chantal ,   on behalf of the INNODIA consortium
Published: March 2024

Aims/hypothesis

Type 1 diabetes is an heterogenous condition. Characterising factors explaining differences in an individual’s clinical course and treatment response will have important clinical and research implications. Our aim was to explore type 1 diabetes heterogeneity, as assessed by clinical characteristics, autoantibodies, beta cell function and glycaemic outcomes, during the first 12 months from diagnosis, and how it relates to age at diagnosis.

Methods

Data were collected from the large INNODIA cohort of individuals (aged 1.0–45.0 years) newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, followed 3 monthly, to assess clinical characteristics, C-peptide, HbA1c and diabetes-associated antibodies, and their changes, during the first 12 months from diagnosis, across three age groups: <10 years; 10–17 years; and ≥18 years.

Results

The study population included 649 individuals (57.3% male; age 12.1±8.3 years), 96.9% of whom were positive for one or more diabetes-related antibodies. Baseline (IQR) fasting C-peptide was 242.0 (139.0–382.0) pmol/l (AUC 749.3 [466.2–1106.1] pmol/l × min), with levels increasing with age (p<0.001). Over time, C-peptide remained lower in participants aged <10 years but it declined in all age groups. In parallel, glucose levels progressively increased. Lower baseline fasting C-peptide, BMI SD score and presence of diabetic ketoacidosis at diagnosis were associated with lower stimulated C-peptide over time. HbA1c decreased during the first 3 months (p<0.001), whereas insulin requirement increased from 3 months post diagnosis (p<0.001).

Conclusions/interpretation

In this large cohort with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes, we identified age-related differences in clinical and biochemical variables. Of note, C-peptide was lower in younger children but there were no main age differences in its rate of decline.

Graphical Abstract
Productivity costs of schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders by friction cost and human capital methods: The Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966
Authors: Majuri Tuomas , Nerg Iiro , Huikari Sanna , Rissanen Ina , Jääskeläinen Erika , Miettunen Jouko , Korhonen Marko
Published: March 2024

Purpose

Psychotic disorders are associated with substantial productivity costs; however no previous studies have compared these between schizophrenia spectrum (SSD) and other psychotic disorders (OP). The human capital method (HCM) and the friction cost method (FCM) are the two most common approaches to assess productivity costs. The HCM focuses on employees’ perspectives on the costs, whereas the FCM demonstrates employers’ perspectives. Studies comparing these methods when estimating the productivity costs of psychoses are lacking.

Methods

Utilizing the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 with linkages to national registers, we compared the adjusted productivity costs of SSD (n = 216) and OP (n = 217). The productivity costs were estimated from ages 18 to 53 including projections to statutory retirement age using the FCM and HCM.

Results

When estimated via the HCM, productivity losses were higher for SSD (€193,940) than for OP (€163,080). However, when assessed using the FCM, costs were significantly lower for SSD (€2,720) than for OP (€4,430). Productivity costs varied by sex and various clinical and occupational factors.

Conclusion

This study highlights how productivity costs vary by psychosis diagnosis. These differences should be noted when planning interventions. The low FCM estimates indicate the need of interventions before or during the early phases of psychoses. From a societal perspective, interventions are needed, particularly for those with highest HCM productivity losses, such as males with SSD. Besides psychiatric services, the roles of social services, employment agencies and occupational health care should be considered when helping individuals with psychoses to working life.
Hyperspectral image dynamic range reconstruction using deep neural network-based denoising methods
Authors: Cheplanov Loran , Avidan Shai , Bonfil David J. , Klapp Iftach
Published: March 2024

Hyperspectral (HS) measurement is among the most useful tools in agriculture for early disease detection. However, the cost of HS cameras that can perform the desired detection tasks is prohibitive-typically fifty thousand to hundreds of thousands of dollars. In a previous study at the Agricultural Research Organization’s Volcani Institute (Israel), a low-cost, high-performing HS system was developed which included a point spectrometer and optical components. Its main disadvantage was long shooting time for each image. Shooting time strongly depends on the predetermined integration time of the point spectrometer. While essential for performing monitoring tasks in a reasonable time, shortening integration time from a typical value in the range of 200 ms to the 10 ms range results in deterioration of the dynamic range of the captured scene. In this work, we suggest correcting this by learning the transformation from data measured with short integration time to that measured with long integration time. Reduction of the dynamic range and consequent low SNR were successfully overcome using three developed deep neural networks models based on a denoising auto-encoder, DnCNN and LambdaNetworks architectures as a backbone. The best model was based on DnCNN using a combined loss function of $$\ell _{2}$$

ℓ
2

and Kullback–Leibler divergence on images with 20 consecutive channels. The full spectrum of the model achieved a mean PSNR of 30.61 and mean SSIM of 0.9, showing total improvement relatively to the 10 ms measurements’ mean PSNR and mean SSIM values by 60.43% and 94.51%, respectively.