bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Septo-Optic Dysplasia
Authors: Leonhardt Erin E. , Tan-Sinn Phil-Ann
Published: November 2005

Septo-optic dysplasia (de Morsier syndrome) is a rare intracranial malformation characterized by the absence of the septum pellucidum with optic disk hypoplasia. Associated clinical symptoms include hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction and varying degrees of visual impairment. Although the exact etiopathology is unknown, some researchers postulate that septo-optic dysplasia is the result of a vascular disruption sequence, an environmental anomaly, an autosomal-recessive inheritance, or a genetic abnormality. The associated intracranial malformations with septo-optic dysplasia are agenesis of the corpus callosum, schizencephaly, and lobar holoprosencephaly. To detect septo-optic dysplasia and its associated anomalies, sonographers must scan beyond the routine axial views in utero as well as the standard, neonatal axial, coronal, and sagittal views.
Subnanometer-sized Gold Clusters with Dual Molecular Receptors: Synthesis and Assembly in One-dimensional Arrangements
Authors: Negishi Yuichi , Tsunoyama Hironori , Yanagimoto Yasushi , Tsukuda Tatsuya
Published: November 2005

Subnanometer-sized gold clusters protected by thiolated β-cyclodextrin (HS-β-CD) were successfully isolated using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Thermogravimetric measurements reveal that two β-CD ligands are bound to the Au clusters. One-dimensional assemblies of the β-CD-modified gold clusters are formed through binding interactions with ferrocene dimers.
Presidential Address 2004: The Humanities in a Posthumanist World
Authors: Scholes Robert
Published: November 2005

Are we in a posthumanist world? who knows? clever thinkers from Nietzsche and Henry Adams to Foucault and Lyotard have been giving us this message. And if we are in such a world, how can there be a place for the humanities in it? Plodding along behind those brilliant minds, I shall try to puzzle out the situation of the humanities at a practical or pedagogical level, by looking at what some humanists have been saying about the humanities recently and then considering briefly the history of humanism and humanistic education. After that, I shall make some modest proposals about what is to be done.
The Dark Wood of Postmodernity (Space, Faith, Allegory)
Authors: Brown Bill
Published: November 2005

As a way of restaging certain questions about postmodernity (is it marked by rupture or repetition, or is it all illusory?), this essay imagines Fredric Jameson's iconic disorientation at the Bonaventure Hotel as a reenactment of Dante's crisis in the selva oscura. That imaginative act allows one to see how a nonmodern measure makes postmodernism visible (the concept of “cognitive mapping,” for instance, derives from Kevin Lynch's appreciation of the urban fabric of Florence). And it allows one to perceive how Jameson's response to our contemporary condition assumes a Dantean cast, becoming an incorporative act of totalizing, manifest stylistically and conceptually, that deploys allegory to trans-code phenomena into the terms of the dominant system. To what degree does the internalization of such a hermeneutic enterprise (a medieval Christian legacy) render religion as such imperceptible, compelling us to perceive acts committed in the name of Islam as merely a displacement of (proper) politics?
Recovering Chicano/a Literary Histories: Historiography beyond Borders
Authors: Martín-Rodríguez Manuel M.
Published: November 2005

This article underscores the need to reconstruct Mexican American literary historiography by locating and analyzing pre–Chicano/a movement critical sources. Consideration of how Mexican Americans saw their literature at different junctures in the past will ensure that we do not impose our own aesthetic and political criteria as we reinterpret older texts. I analyze a 1959 literary history of New Mexico and Colorado in order to explore how a recovery of this particular text would intervene in current debates in the field of Chicana/o studies, most prominently the tension between nationalism and regional studies, on the one hand, and transnationalism, on the other. My analysis demonstrates that Mexican Americans and Chicanos/as have shared literary tastes and cultural capital with other Latinas/os and Latin Americans and that consequently Chicano/a literary history should be a discipline that goes beyond borders.
The Transatlantic Mysteries of Paris: Chester Himes, Surrealism, and the Série noire
Authors: Eburne Jonathan P.
Published: November 2005

This essay examines Chester Himes's transformation, in 1957, from a writer of African American social protest fiction into a “French” writer of Harlem crime thrillers. Instead of representing the exhaustion of his political commitment, Himes's transformation from a “serious” writer of didactic fiction into an exiled crime novelist represents a radical change in political and literary tactics. In dialogue with the editor and former surrealist Marcel Duhamel, Himes's crime fiction, beginning withLa reine des pommes(nowA Rage in Harlem), invents a darkly comic fictional universe that shares an affinity with the surrealist notion of black humor in its vehement denial of epistemological and ethical certainty. Rejecting the efforts of Richard Wright and the existentialists to adopt an engaged form of political writing, Himes's crime fiction instead forges a kind of vernacular surrealism, one independent of the surrealist movement but nevertheless sharing surrealism's insistence on the volatility of written and political expression.
Photography, War, Outrage
Authors: Butler Judith
Published: November 2005

The phenomenon of “embedded reporting” seemed to emerge with the invasion of iraq in march 2003. it is defined as the situation in which journalists agree to report only from the perspective established by military and governmental authorities. They traveled only on certain trucks, looked only at certain scenes, and relayed home only images and narratives of certain kinds of action. Embedded reporting implies that this mandated perspective would not itself become the topic of reporters who were offered access to the war on the condition that their gaze remained restricted to the established parameters of designated action. I want to suggest that embedded reporting has taken place in less explicit ways as well: one example is the agreement of the media not to show pictures of the war dead, our own or their own, on the grounds that that would be anti-American. Journalists and newspapers were denounced for showing coffins of the American war dead shrouded in flags. Such images should not be seen because they might arouse certain kinds of sentiments; the mandating of what could be seen—a concern with regulating content—was supplemented by control over the perspective from which the action and destruction of war could be seen. Another implicit occurrence of embedded reporting is in the Abu Ghraib photographs. The camera angle, the frame, the posed subjects all suggest that those who took the photographs were actively involved in the perspective of the war, elaborating that perspective and even giving it further validity.
Recreational Marijuana Legalization and Workplace Injuries Among Younger Workers
Authors: Li Ling , Liang Yang , Sabia Joseph J. , Dave Dhaval M.
Published: February 2024

This case-control study uses state-by-year workplace injury data to assess recreational marijuana legalization adoption and workplace injuries among younger workers aged 20 to 34 years.
Use and Utility of Patient After‐Visit Instructions at a University Rheumatology Outpatient Clinic: Status and Randomized Prospective Pilot Intervention Study
Authors: Joseph Dijo , Hu Rong , Min Robert , Jolly Meenakshi , Hassan Sobia
Published: February 2024

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of after‐visit instructions (AVIs) in an academic rheumatology clinic and assess the impact of standardized AVIs (sAVIs) and teach‐back (TB) on comprehension of health information.

Methods

A retrospective review of adult patients seen between October 1 and 8, 2021, at the rheumatology clinic collected data on patient demographics, clinical features, and the presence, content, and readability of AVIs. During a subsequent prospective proof‐of‐concept study, routinely scheduled patients seen at the rheumatology clinic were randomized into three groups: control (received standard of care), received sAVIs only, and received sAVIs plus TB. Patients completed a health literacy questionnaire, satisfaction survey, and a one‐ to two‐week postvisit telephone survey to assess AVI comprehension.

Results

Out of 316 retrospective patient visits, 82 (25.9%) received AVIs. Among 210 of 316 patients (66.5%) with management changes, 76 (36.1%) received AVI, with 74.2% of the instructions considered concordant with the provider's note. Use of AVIs was higher with management changes, new patient visits, and medical trainee/teaching clinics. AVIs were written at a median 6.8 grade level. A total of 75 patients completed the prospective study: 31 (41.3%) were in the control group, 19 (25.3%) were in the group that received sAVIs only, and 25 (33.3%) were in the group that received AVIs with TB. There were no differences in overall postvisit survey comprehension/retention scores among the three patient groups evaluated.

Conclusion

Although a lack of AVI use was identified, implementation of sAVIs did not appear to impact patient retention or comprehension of discharge health information.
Watchdog: Customs medical officer tried to procure fentanyl lollipops
Authors: Enos Gary
Published: February 2024

Judging from concerns expressed in a whistleblower's report released this month, the federal agency responsible for stemming the flow of illegal drugs into the United States is struggling to manage narcotics oversight within its own confines.
Researchers again call on HHS to legitimize CM
Authors: Knopf Alison
Published: February 2024

Contingency management (CM) is the only proven treatment for stimulant use disorder. It is based on paying people money for staying off of stimulants, but the reward has to be much bigger than the $75 a year allowed under federal law (see CM, only effective treatment for stimulants, on the ropes as methamphetamine surges, ADAW June 8, 2020; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adaw.32742). Last week, top researchers again called on the federal government to pay attention to this problem, raising the cap. Methamphetamine‐involved deaths increased from 545 in 1999 to 32,353 in 2021. Of the more than 100,000 illicit drug deaths in 2021, two‐thirds involved fentanyl, but almost half of the fentanyl‐involved deaths included the co‐use of methamphetamine, cocaine or other stimulants.
Two‐Alloys‐Layer Modified Current Collector toward the Efficient Plating/Stripping of Sodium in Ester‐Based Electrolyte
Authors: Jin Fan , Wang Ruijie , Wang Bo , Zhang Zekun , Wang Lei , Yang Jing , Li Cheng , Zhang Nan , Bao Changyuan , Wang Dianlong , Liu Huakun , Dou Shixue
Published: February 2024

Sodium metal anode is considered the most promising alternative to lithium due to its cost‐effectiveness and widespread availability. To realize its practical applications, numerous strategies have been devised in metallic Na and electrolyte to enhance the cycle life. However, the improvements in 2D current collector in ester‐based electrolyte remain limited. Herein, a two‐alloys‐layer modified current collector (Na15Sn4/Cu6Sn5/Cu) has been constructed through electrodeposition and sodiation processes. The Na15Sn4/Cu6Sn5 alloys‐layer guarantees the dense plating of Na and establishes a credible connection between Na and substrate. The failure of sodium anode is attributed to the depletion of ester‐based electrolyte resulting from their side reactions, which could be mitigated on Na15Sn4 surface. Thus, the asymmetric cell, containing merely 100 µL electrolyte, achieves efficient Na plating/stripping for 110 times with an average Coulombic efficiency of 94.9%, which is superior than those reported using excessive fluorine‐rich electrolytes. The full cell consisting of an anode with 3 mAh cm−2 of Na on Na15Sn4/Cu6Sn5/Cu and a Na3V2(PO4)3 cathode demonstrates a capacity retention rate of 96% after 200 cycles at 1.0 C. By improving the Coulombic efficiency solely through the modified copper foil, this work provides a new route for the practical application of Na anode in ester‐based electrolytes.
A Bionic Thermosensitive Sustainable Delivery System for Reversing the Progression of Osteoarthritis by Remodeling the Joint Homeostasis
Authors: Tong Min‐Ji , Song Meng‐Xiong , Liu Zhe , Yu Wei , Wang Chen‐Zhong , Cai Chuan‐Dong , Zhang Ying‐Kai , Zhang Yue‐Qi , Wang Li‐Peng , Zhu Zhen‐Zhong , Yin Xiao‐Fan , Yan Zuo‐Qin
Published: February 2024

Although the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA) is unclear, inflammatory cytokines are related to its occurrence. However, few studies focused on the therapeutic strategies of regulating joint homeostasis by simultaneously remodeling the anti‐inflammatory and immunomodulatory microenvironments. Fibroblast growth factor 18 (FGF18) is the only disease‐modifying OA drug (DMOAD) with a potent ability and high efficiency in maintaining the phenotype of chondrocytes within cell culture models. However, its potential role in the immune microenvironment remains unknown. Besides, information on an optimal carrier, whose interface and chondral‐biomimetic microenvironment mimic the native articular tissue, is still lacking, which substantially limits the clinical efficacy of FGF18. Herein, to simulate the cartilage matrix, chondroitin sulfate (ChS)‐based nanoparticles (NPs) are integrated into poly(D, L‐lactide)‐poly(ethylene glycol)‐poly(D, L‐lactide) (PLEL) hydrogels to develop a bionic thermosensitive sustainable delivery system. Electrostatically self‐assembled ChS and ε‐poly‐l‐lysine (EPL) NPs are prepared for the bioencapsulation of FGF18. This bionic delivery system suppressed the inflammatory response in interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β)‐mediated chondrocytes, promoted macrophage M2 polarization, and inhibited M1 polarization, thereby ameliorating cartilage degeneration and synovitis in OA. Thus, the ChS‐based hydrogel system offers a potential strategy to regulate the chondrocyte‐macrophage crosstalk, thus re‐establishing the anti‐inflammatory and immunomodulatory microenvironment for OA therapy.
Giant X‐Ray Circular Dichroism in a Time‐Reversal Invariant Antiferromagnet
Authors: Okamoto Jun , Wang Ru‐Pan , Chu Yen‐Yi , Shiu Hung‐Wei , Singh Amol , Huang Hsiao‐Yu , Mou Chung‐Yu , Teh Sukhito , Jeng Horng‐Tay , Du Kai , Xu Xianghan , Cheong Sang‐Wook , Du Chao‐Hung , Chen Chien‐Te , Fujimori Atsushi , Huang Di‐Jing
Published: February 2024

X‐ray circular dichroism, arising from the contrast in X‐ray absorption between opposite photon helicities, serves as a spectroscopic tool to measure the magnetization of ferromagnetic materials and identify the handedness of chiral crystals. Antiferromagnets with crystallographic chirality typically lack X‐ray magnetic circular dichroism because of time‐reversal symmetry, yet exhibit weak X‐ray natural circular dichroism. Here, the observation of giant natural circular dichroism in the Ni L3‐edge X‐ray absorption of Ni3TeO6 is reported, a polar and chiral antiferromagnet with effective time‐reversal symmetry. To unravel this intriguing phenomenon, a phenomenological model is proposed that classifies the movement of photons in a chiral crystal within the same symmetry class as that of a magnetic field. The coupling of X‐ray polarization with the induced magnetization yields giant X‐ray natural circular dichroism, revealing typical ferromagnetic behaviors allowed by the symmetry in an antiferromagnet, i.e., the altermagnetism of Ni3TeO6. The findings provide evidence for the interplay between magnetism and crystal chirality in natural optical activity. Additionally, the first example of a new class of magnetic materials exhibiting circular dichroism is established with time‐reversal symmetry.
Modular Protein Fibers with Outstanding High‐Strength and Acid‐Resistance Performance Mediated by Copper Ion Binding and Imine Networking
Authors: Wang Mengyao , Yang Zhenyue , Jia Bo , Qin Dawen , Liu Yawei , Wang Fan , Sun Jing , Zhang Hongjie , Li Jingjing , Liu Kai
Published: February 2024

Engineered protein fibers are promising biomaterials with diverse applications due to their tunable protein structure and outstanding mechanical properties. However, it remains challenging at the molecular level to achieve satisfied mechanical properties and environmental tolerance simultaneously, especially under extreme acid conditions. Herein, the construction of artificial fibers comprising chimeric proteins made of rigid amyloid peptide and flexible cationic elastin‐like protein (ELP) module is reported. The amyloid peptide readily assembles into highly organized β‐sheet structures that can be further strengthened by the coordination of Cu2+, while the flexible ELP module allows the formation of imine‐based crosslinking networks. These double networks synergistically enhance the mechanical properties of the fibers, leading to a high tensile strength and toughness, overwhelming many reported recombinant spidroin fibers. Notably, the coordination of Cu2+ with serine residues could stabilize β‐sheet structures in the fibers under acidic conditions, which makes the fibers robust against acid, thus enabling their successful utilization in gastric perforation suturing. This work highlights the customization of double networks at the molecular level to create tailored high‐performance protein fibers for various application scenarios.
High‐Performance Mesoporous Catalysts of Ultrasmall Hexagonal Thiospinel Nanocrystals for Visible‐Light Hydrogen Evolution
Authors: Andreou Evangelos K. , Vamvasakis Ioannis , Armatas Gerasimos S.
Published: February 2024

Semiconductor nanocrystals are at the frontier of energy conversion research owing to their tunable optoelectronic attributes and versatile surface activities. Here high‐surface‐area mesoporous frameworks comprising linked CdIn2S4 nanocrystals as efficient catalysts are presented for visible‐light‐driven hydrogen production. X‐ray total scattering analysis discloses hexagonally‐structured CdIn2S4 thiospinel nanoparticles forming the porous structure. Further analytic results indicate that these newly‐made ensembles possess an open‐up architecture that is highly conductive and susceptible to modification. Through appropriate selection of the synthesis conditions, it is demonstrated that the present synthetic protocol is general, allowing the preparation of porous materials from thiospinel nanoparticles with various sizes and compositions. This study shows that coupling of CdIn2S4 mesostructures and Ni2P nanosheets substantially expedites the kinetics of water photo‐splitting by effectively reinforcing the separation of photogenerated carriers at the interfaces. Thus, mesoporous Ni2P/CdIn2S4 heterojunctions instigate a remarkable improvement in the hydrogen generation rate (≈29.3 mmol h−1 gcat−1), presenting an apparent quantum yield of 61.7% at 420 nm monochromatic light. A combination of electrochemical and spectroscopic studies unveils a pertinent mechanistic link between the charge‐transfer dynamics and intrinsic photochemical activity in these nanostructures.
Wearable Sweat Management Technologies
Authors: Wei Lei , Li Zhen , Dai Zongxian , Ding Lihua , Wei Hongjian , Li Jun , Zhu Hui , Zhu Yong
Published: February 2024

The aging population and increasing prevalence of diseases among younger individuals have heightened the pressing demand for wearable health monitoring devices among the general public. In comparison to self‐health monitoring at physical signal level, wearable biochemical monitoring can provide more comprehensive and insightful information regarding one's own health status. Wearable sweat‐sensing technologies hold great potential for non‐invasive and continuous biochemical monitoring, and have emerged as a focal point of wearable health monitoring research. The effective management of sweat, encompassing convenient induction, reliable collection, and efficient flow control and storage, is fundamental in wearable sweat sensing. To elucidate the research progression in these aspects, this review first summarizes sweat secretion mechanisms, induction method, and sampling mode. Additionally, detailed summaries and discussion on sweat sampling and transport modes are provided. Furthermore, within the context of epidermal microfluidics, the technologies on sweat flow control and storage management based on microvalves are discussed. Lastly, current commercialization and key challenges are summarized.
Radiative‐Recombination Thermodynamics in Boron‐Doped Diamond
Authors: Cheng Lu , Wu Yanlin , Zheng Wei
Published: February 2024

Boron‐doped diamond is a wide‐bandgap semiconductor with excellent semiconductor properties, which is widely utilized in various applications. Till now, the thermodynamic rules governing the carrier transitions in this material have not been fully understood. In this research, the different luminescence behaviors of boron‐doped diamond under 193 nm pulse laser with high‐ and low‐ power density excitation are analyzed. Under high‐power density excitation (@≈63 kW cm−2), the emission intensity of excitons is nearly ten times higher than that of defect luminescence. Conversely, under low‐power density excitation (@≈1.4 kW cm−2, different emission peaks exhibit similar intensities, indicating a competitive relationship among them. Based on experimental and theoretical analyses, the difference is attributed to the thermodynamic distribution of carriers at varying excitation powers. Specifically, high excitation power brings an independent behavior of each emission peak, and the exciton emission is described by a phonon‐assisted radiation model; different from that, the competition among different emission centers under the condition of low excitation power cannot be neglected, and now the thermodynamic evolution of each emission peak is described by a carrier trapping‐dissociation model.
A responsive supramolecular hydrogel with robust mechanical properties for actuator and strain sensor
Authors: Huang Yuekai , Dong Zhixian , Wu Mali , Lei Caihong
Published: February 2024

Responsive hydrogels hold great promise for applications such as biological tissue engineering, controlled drug release, soft actuators, and intelligent sensors. However, the design and construction of robust responsive hydrogels using a simple method remains a significant challenge. Herein, a non‐covalently crosslinked responsive hydrogel was constructed by introducing carboxyl‐Zr4+ metal coordination to the hydrophobic association network of P(AA‐co‐LMA) hydrogel through a facile one‐pot polymerization method. The incorporation of multiple reversible interactions, including hydrogen bonding, metal coordination, and hydrophobic association, resulted in a responsive hydrogel with exceptional mechanical strength (≈2.92 MPa), outstanding flexibility (elongation>1000%), and rapid response to pH alterations. Furthermore, the hydrogel also presented good ionic conductivity due to the abundant movable ions, as well as high sensitivity and stability. As application demonstrations, the supermolecular hydrogel had been successfully used in actuating and strain sensing. This work establishes an effective design strategy for creating tough and multifunctional responsive hydrogel.
Rational design of an iminocoumarin‐based fluorescence probe for peroxynitrite with high signal‐to‐noise ratio
Authors: Huang Zejian , Shi Lei , Liu Huihong , Zhou Zu‐Kun , Xiang Hua , Gong Shengzhao , Mao Guojiang , Shao Guang , Yang Sheng
Published: February 2024

As a high reactive oxygen species (ROS) and a reactive nitrogen species (RNS), peroxynitrite anion (ONOO−) is widely present in organisms and plays influential roles in physiological and pathological processes. It is of great significance to develop effective fluorescent probes for imaging peroxynitrite variation in living systems. Herein we present a novel fluorescent probe TQC0 for monitoring ONOO− based on the iminocoumarin platform, and this probe was synthesized by the knoevenagel condensation between a dihydropyridine‐salicylaldehyde derivative and 2‐benzothiazole‐acetonitrile, and subsequently masked with the boronate moiety. The obtained probe TQC0 exhibited a high signal‐to‐noise ratio (206‐fold) and a quick ‘turn‐on’ response (about 10 min) with great selectivity and sensitivity. Furthermore, the probe TQC0 was successfully applied for imaging ONOO− in living cells with low cytotoxicity.
Exploring a Solvent Dependent Strategy to Control Self‐Assembling Behavior and Cellular Interaction in Laminin‐Mimetic Short Peptide based Supramolecular Hydrogels
Authors: Kashyap Shambhavi , Pal Vijay Kumar , Mohanty Sweta , Roy Sangita
Published: February 2024

Self‐assembled hydrogels, fabricated through diverse non‐covalent interactions, have been extensively studied in regenerative medicines. Inspired from bioactive functional motifs of ECM protein, short peptide sequences have shown remarkable abilities to replicate the intrinsic features of the natural extracellular milieu. In this direction, we have fabricated two short hydrophobic bioactive sequences derived from the laminin protein i. e., IKVAV and YIGSR. Based on the substantial hydrophobicity of these peptides, we selected a co‐solvent approach as a suitable gelation technique that included different concentrations of DMSO as an organic phase along with an aqueous solution containing 0.1 % TFA. These hydrophobic laminin‐based bioactive peptides with limited solubility in aqueous physiological environment showed significantly enhanced solubility with higher DMSO content in water. The enhanced solubility resulted in extensive intermolecular interactions that led to the formation of hydrogels with a higher‐order entangled network along with improved mechanical properties. Interestingly, by simply modulating DMSO content, highly tunable gels were accessed in the same gelator domain that displayed differential physicochemical properties. Further, the cellular studies substantiated the potential of these laminin‐derived hydrogels in enhancing cell‐matrix interactions, thereby reinforcing their applications in tissue engineering.
Understanding the Reverse Water Gas Shift Reaction over Mo2C MXene Catalyst: A Holistic Computational Analysis
Authors: Dolz Daniel , De Armas Raúl , Lozano‐Reis Pablo , Morales‐García Ángel , Viñes Francesc , Sayós Ramón , Illas Francesc
Published: February 2024

Pristine Mo2C MXene has been proposed as an heterogeneous catalysis of the reverse water gas shift (RWGS) reaction. The present computational study aims at understanding its catalytic performance and reaction mechanisms tackling its thermodynamics, kinetics, and surface dynamic effects, combining Gibbs free energy profiles gained by density functional theory (DFT), mean‐field kinetics by microkinetic modeling, and rare‐event steps by kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC). The RWGS endergonicity goes for the use of high temperatures and reactants partial pressures to make the reaction exergonic. Gibbs free energy profiles show a preference for redox mechanism, whereas microkinetic simulations favor a low‐temperature preference of formate mechanism. The kMC reveals simultaneous operating redox and formate pathways, where surface coverage disfavors redox favoring the formate pathway. A peak performance is found at 700 K, in line with reported experiments, where the formation of surface O2* is found to be key, acting as a reservoir for O* adatoms while freeing surface sites upon O2* formation. Even though high turnover frequencies are predicted, the system could benefit from swing operando conditions, alternating CO production steps with H2 reduction regeneration steps, and/or ways to reduce the surface O2* and so to have more active catalytic sites.
Advancements, Challenges, and Pathways to Sustainable Biofuel Production
Authors: Din Muhammad Imran , Ameen Saba , Hussain Zaib , Khalid Rida
Published: February 2024

The discovery of new energy sources plays a vital role to fulfil the needs of energy and depletion of fossil fuel sources. An inclusive review of all available technologies for the synthesis of biofuels from biomass is presented. Amongst the innovative biomass conversion technologies, thermochemical technology encompasses significant potential practices and is required for expansion. Universally, biofuels are gaining importance due to the depletion of non‐renewable fuel sources in transport and industries by equivalent work proficiencies. The reaction mechanism thoroughly explores all aspects associated with reaction conditions, types of reactor, and products. Biomass thermochemical conversion technologies will be influential in producing sustainable biofuels.
Metal‐Organic Framework Based Sensors for Benzene Vapor
Authors: Li Wen‐Bin , Liang Gang , Chen De‐Jian , Ye Jia‐Wen , Liu Jie‐Wei , Li Jing , Shao Huai‐Yu , Mo Zong‐Wen , Chen Xiao‐Ming
Published: February 2024

Sensing of benzene vapor is a hot spot due to the volatile drastic carcinogen even at trace concentration. However, achieving convenient and rapid detection is still a challenge. As a sort of functional porous material, metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) have been developed as detection sensors by adsorbing benzene vapor and converting it into other signals (fluorescence intensity/wavelength, chemiresistive, weight or color, etc.). Supramolecular interaction between benzene molecules and the host framework, aperture size/shape and structural flexibility are influential factors in the performance of MOF‐based sensors. Therefore, enhancing the host‐guest interactions between the host framework and benzene molecules, or regulating the diffusion rate of benzene molecules by changing the aperture size/shape and flexibility of the host framework to enhance the detection signal are effective strategies for constructing MOF‐based sensors. This concept highlights several types of MOF‐based sensors for the detection of benzene vapor.
Understanding the Electronic and Structural Effects in ORR Intermediate Binding on Anion‐Substituted Zirconia Surfaces
Authors: Sinha Sukanya , Vegge Tejs , Winther Kirsten T. , Hansen Heine Anton
Published: February 2024

For oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), the surface adsorption energies of O and OH* intermediates are key descriptors for catalytic activity. In this work, we investigate anion‐substituted zirconia catalyst surfaces and determine that adsorption energies of O and OH* intermediates is governed by both structural and electronic effects. When the adsorption energies are not influenced by the structural effects of the catalyst surface, they exhibit a linear correlation with integrated crystal orbital Hamiltonian population (ICOHP) of the adsorbate‐surface bond. The influence of structural effects, due to the re‐optimisation slab geometry after adsorption of intermediate species, leads to stronger adsorption of intermediates. Our calculations show that there is a change in the bond order to accommodate the incoming adsorbate species which leads to stronger adsorption when both structural and electronic effects influence the adsorption phenomena. The insights into the catalyst‐adsorbate interactions can guide the design of future ORR catalysts.
Energy‐Saving Electrochemical Hydrogen Production Coupled with Biomass‐Derived Isobutanol Upgrading
Authors: Du Ruiqi , Zhao Siqi , Zhang Kaizheng , Chen Yuxin , Cheng Yi
Published: February 2024

The widespread application of electrochemical hydrogen production faces significant challenges, primarily attributed to the high overpotential of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in conventional water electrolysis. To address this issue, an effective strategy involves substituting OER with the value‐added oxidation of biomass feedstock, reducing the energy requirements for electrochemical hydrogen production while simultaneously upgrading the biomass. Herein, we introduce an electrocatalytic approach for the value‐added oxidation of isobutanol, a high energy density bio‐fuel, coupled with hydrogen production. This approach offers a sustainable route to produce the valuable fine chemical isobutyric acid under mild condition. The electrodeposited Ni(OH)2 electrocatalyst exhibits exceptional electrocatalytic activity and durability for the electro‐oxidation of isobutanol, achieving an impressive faradaic efficiency of up to 92.4 % for isobutyric acid at 1.45 V vs. RHE. Mechanistic insights reveal that side reactions predominantly stem from the oxidative C−C cleavage of isobutyraldehyde intermediate, forming by‐products including formic acid and acetone. Furthermore, we demonstrate the electro‐oxidation of isobutanol coupled with hydrogen production in a two‐electrode undivided cell, notably reducing the electrolysis voltage by approximately 180 mV at 40 mA cm−2. Overall, this work represents a significant step towards improving the cost‐effectiveness of hydrogen production and advancing the conversion of bio‐fuels.
Fine needle aspiration of human lymph nodes reveals cell populations and soluble interactors pivotal to immunological priming
Authors: Provine Nicholas M. , Al‐Diwani Adam , Agarwal Devika , Dooley Kyla , Heslington Amelia , Murchison Andrew G. , Garner Lucy C. , Sheerin Fintan , Klenerman Paul , Irani Sarosh R.
Published: February 2024

Lymph node (LN) fine needle aspiration (LN FNA) represents a powerful technique for minimally invasive sampling of human LNs in vivo and has been used effectively to directly study aspects of the human germinal center response. However, systematic deep phenotyping of the cellular populations and cell‐free proteins recovered by LN FNA has not been performed. Thus, we studied human cervical LN FNAs as a proof‐of‐concept and used single‐cell RNA‐sequencing and proteomic analysis to benchmark this compartment, define the purity of LN FNA material, and facilitate future studies in this immunologically pivotal environment. Our data provide evidence that LN FNAs contain bone‐fide LN‐resident innate immune populations, with minimal contamination of blood material. Examination of these populations reveals unique biology not predictable from equivalent blood‐derived populations. LN FNA supernatants represent a specific source of lymph‐ and lymph node‐derived proteins, and can, aided by transcriptomics, identify likely receptor–ligand interactions. This represents the first description of the types and abundance of immune cell populations and cell‐free proteins that can be efficiently studied by LN FNA. These findings are of broad utility for understanding LN physiology in health and disease, including infectious or autoimmune perturbations, and in the case of cervical nodes, neuroscience.
Recent advances in Fe‐N‐C single‐atom site coupled synergistic catalysts for boosting oxygen reduction reaction
Authors: Srinivas Katam , Chen Zhuo , Yu Hesheng , Liu Dawei , Ou Jian Zhen , Zhu Ming‐qiang , Chen Yuanfu
Published: February 2024

Metal–air batteries, fuel cells, and electrochemical H2O2 production currently attract substantial consideration in the energy sector owing to their efficiency and eco‐consciousness. However, their broader use is hindered by the complex oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) that occurs at cathodes and involves intricate electron transfers. Despite the significant ORR performance of platinum‐based catalysts, their high cost, operational limitations, and susceptibility to methanol poisoning hinder broader implementation. This emphasizes the need for efficient non‐precious metal‐based ORR electrocatalysts. A promising approach involves utilizing single‐atom catalysts (SACs) featuring metal–nitrogen–carbon (M‐N‐C) coordination sites. SACs offer advantages such as optimal utilization of metal atoms, uniform active centers, precisely defined catalytic sites, and robust metal–support interactions. However, the symmetrical electron distribution around the central metal atom of a single‐atom site (M‐N4) often results in suboptimal ORR performance. This challenge can be addressed by carefully tailoring the surrounding environment of the active center. This review specifically focuses on recent advancements in the Fe‐N4 environment within Fe‐N‐C SACs. It highlights the promising strategy of coupling Fe‐N4 sites with metal clusters and/or nanoparticles, which enhances intrinsic activity. By capitalizing on the interplay between Fe‐N4 sites and associated species, overall ORR performance improved. The review combines findings from experimental studies and density functional theory simulations, covering synthesis strategies for Fe‐N‐C coupled synergistic catalysts, characterization techniques, and the influence of associated particles on ORR activity. By offering a comprehensive outlook, the review aims to encourage research into high‐efficiency Fe single‐atom sites coupled synergistic catalysts for real‐world applications in the coming years.
Ethical Challenges of Advances in Vaccine Delivery Technologies
Authors: Caplan Arthur L. , Ferguson Kyle , Williamson Anne ,   The Ethics and Policy Working Group on New Vaccine Delivery Technologies
Published: February 2024

Strategies to address misinformation and hesitancy about vaccines, including the fear of needles, and to overcome obstacles to access, such as the refrigeration that some vaccines demand, strongly suggest the need to develop new vaccine delivery technologies. But, given widespread distrust surrounding vaccination, these new technologies must be introduced to the public with the utmost transparency, care, and community involvement. Two emerging technologies, one a skin‐patch vaccine and the other a companion dye and detector, provide excellent examples of greatly improved delivery technologies for which such a careful approach should be developed in order to increase vaccine uptake. Defusing fears and conspiracy mongering must be a key part of their rollout.
Intestinal Motility after Massive Small Bowel Resection in Conscious Canines: Comparison of Acute and Chronic Phases
Authors: Uchiyama Masanori , Iwafuchi Makoto , Matsuda Yukio , Naitoh Masafumi , Yagi Minoru , Ohtani Satoshi
Published: February 2024

To evaluate intestinal function after 80% massive distal small bowel resection (MSBR), we continuously monitored interdigestive and postprandial bowel motility using bipolar electrodes and/or contractile strain gauge force transducers in conscious beagle dogs before and at 2‐4 weeks (acute postoperative phase; acute phase) and 8‐13 months (chronic postoperative phase; chronic phase) after the surgery. Fasting duodenal migrating myoelectric (or motor) complexes (MMC) occurred at longer intervals in the acute phase after 80% MSBR than in control beagles. Intervals between duodenal MMC in the chronic phase were similar to those found in control beagles. MMC arising from the duodenum were often interrupted before the jejunum above the anastomosis in the acute phase, and a slight recovery of propagation frequency to the jejunum above the anastomosis was observed in the chronic phase. However, duodenal MMC did not migrate smoothly to the terminal ileum in both groups. In the acute phase, the velocity of duodenal MMC propagation was slowed in every intestinal segment, including the duodenum and the jejunum above the anastomosis, and had not recovered even long after the operation. The duration of the postprandial period without duodenal MMC was prolonged significantly in the acute phase postoperatively. Although it shortened in the chronic phase, it still remained significantly longer than in controls. These findings suggest that changes in gut motility after MSBR tend to compensate for the shorter intestine and maintain small bowel absorption early postoperatively. However, these compensatory changes decrease over the long term, and their adaptive contributions to increased intestinal absorption may decrease as well.
Immune Response to Hepatitis B Virus Vaccine in 1‐Year‐Old Preterm and Term Infants
Authors: Belson A. , Reif S. , Peled Y. , Bujanover Y.
Published: February 2024

The recent mass immigration to Israel from the former U.S.S.R. and Ethiopia has significantly increased the hepatitis B virus (HBV) carrier rate. Since January 1992, all newborns in Israel have been routinely immunized against HBV. The same routine of vaccination has been used for premature and term newborns. The aim of the present study was to investigate the immune status against HBV in term and preterm infants at the age of 1 year. All infants were vaccinated at day 1 and at 1 and 6 months with Engerix. Hepatitis B antigen antibody (Ab) serum titers were determined at the age of 1 year. All infants had detectable Ab titers (responders); 92.5% had protective titers (>10 mIU/ml), out of which 26.5% were low responders (<100 mIU/ml) and 65% were high responders (>100 mIU/ml). There was no significant difference in immune responses between term and preterm infants.
Total Energy Expenditure and Patterns of Activity in 8‐10‐Year‐Old Obese and Nonobese Children
Authors: Maffeis C. , Zaffanello M. , Pinelli L. , Schutz Y.
Published: February 2024

Total energy expenditure (TEE) and patterns of activity were measured by means of a heart rate (HR)‐monitoring method in a group of 8‐10‐year‐old children including 13 obese children (weight, 46 ± 10 kg; fat mass: 32 ± 9%) and 16 nonobese children (weight, 31 ± 5 kg; fat mass, 18 ± 5%). Time for sleeping was not statistically different in the two groups of children (596 ± 33 vs. 582 ± 43 min; p = NS). Obese children spent more time doing sedentary activities (400 ± 129 vs. 295 ± 127 min; p < 0.05) and less time in nonsedentary activities (449 ± 126 vs. 563 ± 135 min; p < 0.05) than nonobese children. Time spent in moderate or vigorous activity—i.e., time spent at a HR between 50% of the maximal O2 uptake (peak VO2) and 70% peak VO2 (moderate) and at a HR ≥70% peak VO2 (vigorous)—was not statistically different in obese and nonobese children (88 ± 69 vs. 52 ± 35 min and 20 ± 21 vs. 16 ± 13 min, respectively; p = NS). TEE was significantly higher in the obese group than in the nonobese group (9.46 ± 1.40 vs. 7.51 ± 1.67 MJ/day; p < 0.01). The energy expenditure for physical activity (plus thermogenesis) was significantly higher in the obese children (3.98 ± 1.30 vs. 2.94 ± 1.39 MJ/day; p < 0.05). The proportion of TEE daily devoted to physical activity (plus thermogenesis) was not significantly different in the two groups, as shown by the ratio between TEE and the postabsorptive metabolic rate (PMR): 1.72 ± 0.25 obese vs 1.61 ± 0.28 non‐obese. In conclusion, in free‐living conditions obese children have a higher TEE than do nonobese children, despite the greater time devoted to sedentary activities. The higher energy cost to perform weight‐bearing activities as well as the higher absolute PMR of obese children help explain this apparent paradox.
Recognition and Treatment of Venous Malformations of the Rectum
Authors: Keljo David J. , Yakes Wayne F. , Andersen John M. , Timmons Charles F.
Published: February 2024

Venous malformations of the rectum are uncommon lesions that present complex management problems (1‐6). The vast majority of these lesions present with rectal bleeding in infancy or childhood. Many cases have been treated as colitis for years before the correct diagnosis was made. The correct diagnosis has generally been based on gross appearance, confirmed subsequently by plain radiographs and angiography. Heroic surgical intervention has been the only repeatedly reported “cure” in the literature. One patient has been reported who did well for 20 years with sclerosis of the hemorrhoidal vein at surgery followed by intermittent transrectal sclerotherapy (7,8). Another patient would appear to have had long‐term success with radiation therapy (9‐11). We report four new cases of venous malformations of the rectum and results to date of a new therapeutic option with transcutaneous ethanol sclerotherapy in two of these patients. A discussion of alternate methods of treatment is included.
Absorption of Nutrients from an Energy‐Dense Diet Liquefied with Amylase from Germinated Wheat in Infants with Acute Diarrhea
Authors: Rahman M. Mujibur , Mitra A. K. , Mahalanabis D. , Wahed M. A. , Khatun M. , Majid N.
Published: February 2024

Background

Addition of a small amount of amylase rich flour (ARF) to a thick porridge instantly liquefy the porridge and increase the energy intake even by sick children. The present study examined the absorption of macronutrients and calorie from an energy dense diet liquefied with ARF in children aged 6‐11 months with acute watery diarrhea.

Methods

After adequately hydrated with oral rehydration fluid over a period of 24 hours, children were randojmly assigned to receive either an ARF treated liquefied porridge (test diet) or a porridge diluted with water (control diet). A 72‐hour metabolic balance was performed to determine the absorption of carbohydrate, fat, protein, and calorie.

Results

Thirteen infants received the test diet, and 15 infants received the control diet. The intake of protein (g/kg/d), carbohydrate (g/kg.d), fat (g/kg.d) and calorie (kJ/kg.d) were 1.97, 20.6, 4.3 and 548 respectively in the test group and those in the control group were 1.12, 13.3, 2.8 and 356. The stool loss of protein, carbohydrate and fat were comparable in the two groups. The absorption coefficient (%) of carbohydrate, fat and energy were 69.6, 61.3 and 65.4 in the test group and were 73.2, 58.6 and 66.7 in the control group. The coefficient of absorption of protein was significantly higher in the test group (37.7% vs. 21.7%). The mean (95% CI) nitrogen balance (g/kg.d) in the test and control groups were 0.064 (0.026, 0.102) and ‐0.029 (‐0.055, 0.003) respectively.

Conclusions

The results suggest that energy dense diet liquefied with ARF was well absorbed in children with acute diarrhea and there was a positive nitrogen balance that may have a positive impact in preventing weight loss during acute illness.
Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis in Arab Children: Report of Four Cases and Literature Review
Authors: Kagalwalla A. F. , Altraif I. , Shamsan L. , Omojola M. , Khan H. , Kagalwalla Y. A.
Published: February 2024

Background:

The prevalence of primary sclerosing cholangitis, a rare progressive liver disorder, is increasing with the advent of endoscopic retrograde cholangiography in the investigation of children with obscure liver disease. The etiology of primary sclerosing cholangitis is not known, clinical presentation is variable, treatment is only of limited success and long‐term studies on prognosis in children are incomplete. Primary sclerosing cholangitis has not been described in Arab children.

Methods:

To describe detailed clinical, laboratory, histologic and radiological features in 4 children with primary sclerosing cholangitis identified over a 2‐year period at a tertiary referral center in Riyadh Saudi Arabia.

Results:

Four children, all females, between the ages of 4 and 11 years with primary sclerosing cholangitis are identified. The diagnosis was suggested by the histology and confirmed by the characteristic cholangiographic findings. Clinical findings were itching in all 4 children, hepatomegaly in 3 and splenomegaly in 4 patients. Three of 4 patients had portal hypertension and 2 of these three variceal hemorrhage. Antinuclear and smooth muscle antibodies were negative in all four patients. None had clinical manifestations of chronic inflammatory bowel disease but microscopic colitis was documented in all 4 patients.

Conclusions:

Primary sclerosing cholangitis is present in Arab children with a prevalence rate of 5% in our study population.