bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
In-vitro Antimicrobial Activity of the Combined Effect of Kalanchoe crenata and Vernonia amygdalina on Salmonella Species
Authors: Effah-Yeboah Emmanuel , Agyapong Asare Emmanuel , Balali Gadafi Iddrisu , Aboagye Vincent , Sarpong Kofi , Taufiq Mohammed , Bawah Abdul-Malik 
Published: December 2021

Introduction: The breakthrough in the treatment of pathogenic diseases was the unearthing of naturally occurring antipathogenic agents or antibiotics. There have been upsurges in antibiotic-resistant strains of clinically important pathogens, which made way to the emergence of new-fangled bacterial strains that are multi-resistant. The major aim of scientists is to develop new antibiotics or other therapeutic strategies at a pace greater than that at which bacteria are developing resistance. The development of resistance to first-line antimicrobial therapies made way to recommendations for combination therapies for the treatment of some infections and some of this form of chemotherapy seems to be very successful.
Objectives: This research was carried out to determine the effect of Kalanchoe crenata extracts on Salmonella typhi load. Also, to assess the potency of the extract of Vernonia amygdalina on Salmonella typhi and finally to ascertain the effect of the combined extract of Kalanchoe crenata and Vernonia amygdalina on Salmonella typhi.
Methods: In this research, Salmonella typhi was exposed to a crude extract of Kalanchoe crenata and Vernonia amygdalina and also the combination of the two extracts. Agar wells diffusion method was employed.
Results: The combined effect was not sensitive to the Salmonella strain. The Salmonella strain was resistant to V. amygdalina than to K. crenata. K. cranata had the strongest activity against S. typhi with its highest zone of growth inhibition of 20 mm and lowest zone of inhibition of 7 mm while V. amygdalina produced a consistent zone of growth inhibition of 5-6 mm; The combined effect produced a zone inhibition diameter only at the 100 mg/ml with a zone of inhibition value of 14 mm. The subsequent lower concentrations did not show any activity against the microbes. At P-value = 0.05 two-way ANOVA statistics exhibited significant differences amongst the effects produced by the different extracts, though there were no substantial differences in the effects produced by the various concentrations.
Conclusion: The Salmonella strain was resistant to V. amygdalina than to K. crenata. At P-value = 0.05 there was a substantial difference in the sensitivity of the bacteria to the different extracts.
Molecular Characterization of Fungi Associated with Dump Site Soil
Authors: Ogbuji N. G. , Ataga A. E. , Tari-Ukuta P. M. , Olisedeme C. J. 
Published: December 2021

Aims: A study was conducted to identify fungal species isolated from dumpsite soil in University of Port Harcourt using molecular techniques.
Methodology: Molecular methods for determining the species of a fungus based on the amplification and sequencing of the internal subscribed spacer (ITS) region of the fungal rRNA operon using molecular markers was applied. Soil sample was collected from a dumpsite in the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. Isolation of fungi associated with the dumpsite soil was carried out using spread plate method. Fungal genomic DNA was extracted using Quick-DNA Fungal/Bacterial Miniprep kit. The ITS1-2 gene of the isolates was amplified by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) using the primer pair; ITS4 and ITS5.
Results: The sequences of the amplified ITS region were blasted against known sequences on the National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed the species identity of the fungal isolates to be: Aspergillus fumigatus, Trichoderma harzianum, Aspergillus felis, Aspergillus templicola, Aspergillus flavipes, Aspergillus fumigatus and Cunninghamella binariae. Phylogenetic analysis was carried out to ascertain the relationship between the isolates and other closely-related isolates on GenBank. Isolates 2 (Trichoderma harzianum) and 7 (Cunninghamella binariae), 3 (Aspergillus felis) and 6 (Aspergillus fumigatus), and 4 (Aspergillus templicola) and 5 (Aspergillus flavipes) were found to be more closely related to each other.
Conclusion: The molecular techniques employed successfully identified the organisms to the species level as these techniques are based on the genetic constitution of organisms. The result obtained from this study will complement the information on the fungal organisms associated with dumpsite soil.
Foreign Body in the Anterior Chamber Presenting as Inflammatory Mass on the Iris
Authors: Arvinth Rajgopal , Zahari Mimiwati , Reddy Sagili Chandrasekhara 
Published: December 2021

A 40-year- old male factory worker presented to our eye clinic with left eye pain, redness and blurring of vision, associated with history of an injury sustained while hammering a nail into the wall three days ago. He had mild symptoms at the onset of the injury. Slit lamp examination of left eye showed a small, self-sealed laceration corneal wound at the temporal limbus and a smooth, well defined, oval mass on the iris in the anterior chamber in the lower temporal quadrant. Rest of the anterior segment and fundus were normal. X-ray orbits showed no intraocular foreign body in the left eye. In view of clinical suspicion, we proceeded with a CT scan of orbits which showed the presence of a small metallic foreign body in the anterior chamber of left eye. After giving topical antibiotic, cycloplegic, and corticosteroid eye drops along with systemic antibiotics for three days, we planned surgical removal of the mass in the anterior chamber. After the mass was removed, we noted a small metallic foreign body embedded within the fibrin mass. The same treatment was continued postoperatively. The left eye became white and quiet, and vision improved to 6/6 with above treatment. The key learning point presented is that when the history is suggestive of intraocular foreign body, even though the X-ray orbits does not show the foreign body one has to get CT scan of orbits done to rule out its presence, especially when there is inflammatory mass in the anterior chamber as seen in our case.
Antioxidant Potentials of Pentaclethra macrophylla Seed (Ugba) on Mercury Toxicity Induced Hepatic, Renal and Testicular Oxidative Stress in Male Albino Rats
Authors: Nwahiri J. D. , Tamuno-Emine D. G. , Nwachuku E. O. , Bartimaeus E. S. 
Published: December 2021

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant potentials of Pentaclethra macrophylla seed (Ugba) on mercury-induced hepatic, renal and testicular oxidative stress in male Albino Rats.
Study Design: This study is an experimental study.
Place and Duration of Study: Department of Animal and Environmental Biology Animal House, Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Nigeria, between January 2019 and January 2021.
Methodology: Thirty-six (36) adult male albino rats weighing approximately 135±1.5g were purchased from the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. They were housed in plastic suspended cages, placed in well-ventilated conditions and provided with rat diet and water, and acclimatized for two weeks. Fresh matured seeds of Pentaclethra macrophylla (African oil bean seed) were sourced locally from markets in Imo state, Nigeria. The maceration technique was used to carry out an ethanolic extract of the plant seed. Mercury chloride salt was purchased from Port Harcourt. A standard dose of 3.0mg/kg body weight of mercury chloride obtained from acute toxicity study dose determination was administered to the rats for 30 days after they were divided into six groups of six rats per group. After 30 days, all the animals were weighed, anesthetized using chloroform. Tissue samples of liver, kidney, and testis were collected and homogenized in phosphate-buffered saline and stored at 40C for determination of oxidative stress assessment. Malondialdehyde, Reduced Glutathione (GSH), Catalase Activity, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, Glutathione Peroxidase Activity were analyzed using the homogenized sample. Data were expressed as mean ±SD, and the statistical analysis was performed with the SPSS statistics 23.0, and p values less than .05 were considered statistically significant.
Results: The results showed that there were significant increases (P<.05) in the liver, kidney, and testicular MDA and significant decreases (p<.05) in SOD, CAT, GSH, and GPx activities in group 2 rats versus control. However, after treatment with different concentrations of Pentaclethra macrophylla, MDA activity significantly decreased (P<.05), while SOD, CAT, GPx, and GSH significantly increased (P<.05).
Conclusion: The results obtained from the study showed that mercury chloride has the potential to cause liver, kidney, and testicular toxicity to adult male albino rats, and this toxicity was exerted majorly through oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation. However, treatment with Pentaclethra macrophylla seed extract ameliorated oxidative stress.
The Effect of Public Health Measures during the COVID-19 Pandemic on Smoking Dependence & Passive Smoking
Authors: Aljohani Mohammed Mater , Alluqmani Abdullah Yussef , Alrehaili Eyas Abdulqader , Almohammadi Mohammed Naji , Alahmadi Hisham Abdullah , Mohamed Khalid Gaffer 
Published: December 2021

Background: According to increasing concern about the COVID-19 pandemic and the risk of smoking this study was conducted to find the effect of health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic on smoking dependence & passive smoking.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in September 2020, by using a valid and reliable questionnaire, the data were analyzed by using SPSS, version 20 software.
Results: The study showed 16.9% of participants increased their nicotine use and 12.4% decreased their nicotine use. Despite no significant change in smoking dependence, we found that smokers who used to smoke more than 30 cigarettes per day before the quarantine increased by two folds. In addition, we found that smokers who awaken at night sometimes to have cigarettes before quarantine had increased markedly by 50% during quarantine. Furthermore, smokers who had an extreme urge to smoke over the week before the quarantine have elevated markedly during the quarantine from 31 smokers to 60. Also, over 35.2 % of surveyed individuals experienced a rise in smoking desire during the quarantine.
Regarding passive smoking, the surveyed individuals reported a generally slight decline in exposure to secondhand smoking. However, the number of exposed individuals to smoking for more than 8 hours increased by 27%.
Conclusion: During the lockdown, individuals smoked marginally more cigarettes compared to the periods before the lockdown with no significant change in smoking dependence. There was a slight decline in exposure to secondhand smoking. However, the number of exposed individuals to household smoking for more than 8 hours had been increased.
Outcomes of Importance to Patients Living With Cutaneous Chronic Graft-vs-Host Disease
Authors: Baumrin Emily , Cronholm Peter F. , Kearney Matthew D. , Mengesha Mlka , Cesar Laura G. , Keddem Shimrit , Schapira Marilyn M. , Lee Stephanie J. , Loren Alison W. , Gelfand Joel M. 
Published: January 2025

ImportanceCutaneous chronic graft-vs-host disease (GVHD) is independently associated with morbidity and mortality after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant. However, the health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) domains that are most important to patients are poorly understood.ObjectiveTo perform a concept elicitation study to define HRQOL in cutaneous chronic GVHD from the patient perspective and to compare experiences of patients with epidermal vs sclerotic disease.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsA single-center qualitative analysis from open-ended, semistructured interviews and free-listing terms conducted between April and September 2023. Participants were 18 years or older with a diagnosis of active cutaneous chronic GVHD, purposefully sampled for epidermal and sclerotic disease features, with ongoing sampling until thematic saturation.Main OutcomesHRQOL domains and codes from patient perspectives of living with cutaneous chronic GVHD were identified by inductive analysis of semistructured interviews. Smith salience index (Smith S) score, a measure of saliency for each list term, was calculated from free-listing terms from deidentified patient interviews.ResultsA total of 31 adults with cutaneous chronic GVHD (median [IQR] age, 61.1 [52.9-68.7] years) participated in interviews; 17 participants (54.8%) were male and 14 (45.2%) were female. Nine participants (29.0%) had epidermal, 13 (41.9%) sclerotic, and 9 (29.0%) a combination of disease types. The study identified 40 codes of importance grouped within 5 HRQOL domains: skin changes and symptoms, social functioning, psychological and emotional functioning, physical functioning, and general health perceptions. The most frequent symptoms were dry skin (n = 20 [65%]), tight skin (n = 19 [61%]), itch (n = 15 [48%]), and discoloration (n = 14 [45%]), which were seen in all disease subtypes. Impairment in social functioning was noted by all participants. Psychological and emotional functioning, including frustration (Smith S score, 0.32) and worry or concern (Smith S score, 0.12), and symptoms including discomfort (Smith S score, 0.20) were the most salient to patients. Individual and environmental factors, such as social comparison, illness comparison with cancer, anatomic location of disease involvement, and disease duration, affected the relationship between skin changes and symptoms and downstream functioning and general health perceptions.Conclusions and RelevanceThis qualitative analysis demonstrated the direct relationship between cutaneous chronic GVHD and HRQOL domains and identified codes not represented in existing GVHD- and dermatology-specific patient-reported outcome measures. These results can guide patient-reported outcome development and instrument selection for clinical trials and improve clinical decision-making.
Clinical Perspectives on the Pathophysiology of Facial Synkinesis
Authors: Rail Benjamin , Henn Dominic , Wen Y. Edward , Tavares-Ferreira Diana , Rozen Shai M. 
Published: January 2025

ImportanceFacial synkinesis refers to pathologic cocontraction and baseline hypertonicity of muscles innervated by the facial nerve, commonly attributed to the aberrant regeneration of nerve fibers following injury. The pathomechanism and optimal treatment of facial synkinesis remain unclear. The goal of this review is to highlight current understanding of the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, assessment, and treatment of facial synkinesis.ObservationsResearch into the epidemiology and risk factors of facial synkinesis is limited due to a lack of large databases tracking patients with facial palsy, inherent selection bias, and the wide range of symptom severity. Misguided nerve regeneration, polyneuronal innervation, and cortical changes are implicated in the development of synkinesis, and a better understanding of these mechanisms is required to develop new treatments. The clinical presentation of facial synkinesis varies considerably among patients, and important prognostic questions regarding timing of onset and progression of symptoms remain incompletely answered. Current management options for facial synkinesis include noninvasive modalities, chemodenervation, myectomy, and selective neurectomy. Potential new treatments for facial synkinesis are being investigated in animal models, but few have been tested in humans.Conclusions and RelevanceThe treatment of facial synkinesis is currently hindered by limitations in clinical research and understanding of pathomechanism. Current studies predominantly yield level 4 evidence or lower. The development of large datasets of patients with facial palsy and the translation of basic science evidence to humans will facilitate the advancement of new treatments.
Twisted GeS Nanowire with Engineered Stacking Order and Tunable Composition
Authors: Wu Qi , Pan Xuan , Zhao Weiwei , Gao Yuan , Zhao Dawei , Yan Shancheng , Li Taotao , Miao Feng , Fei Zaiyao , Shi Yi 
Published: January 2025

AbstractOne‐dimensional (1D) nanoarchitectures crafted from van der Waals (vdWs) layered crystals with unconventionally stacking orders have demonstrated novel and inspiring properties. Recently, helical germanium sulfide (GeS) crystals with discretely twisted structures are grown, inducing interlayer twist. Here, 1D twisted nanowires with engineered stacking order and bandgap are further prepared. Due to the axial screw dislocation, the crystallized GeS layers rotate to form twisted nanowires during the vapor−liquid−solid (VLS) process. Moreover, substitutional alloying of germanium selenide (GeSe) not only allows for a tunable bandgap, but also preserves the intrinsic twist in the alloy nanowires. Unlike normal nanowires, the pronounced second harmonic generation (SHG) signal definitely confirms broken inversion symmetry caused by the atypical stacking order. Enhanced photoelectronic properties are observed in these twisted GeS nanowires. The findings present significant opportunities for future electronics and optoelectronics applications by harnessing 1D vdWs nanoarchitectures with engineered stacking order and composition‐controlled bandgaps.
Lattice Plainification and Intercalation Advances Power Generation and Thermoelectric Cooling in n‐type Bi2(Te, Se)3
Authors: Peng Jiayi , Liu Dongrui , Bai Shulin , Wen Yi , Liang Huiqiang , Su Lizhong , Qian Xin , Wang Dongyang , Gao Xiang , Ding Zhihai , Cao Qian , Pei Yanling , Qin Bingchao , Zhao Li‐Dong 
Published: January 2025

AbstractBismuth telluride (Bi2Te3) has been the only commercialized material in thermoelectric cooling and waste heat recovery. However, the inferior performance for n‐type Bi2(Te, Se)3 largely restricts the practical applications. In this study, additional Ag atoms are introduced utilizing lattice plainification strategy to enhance electrical performance. Observations indicate that Ag atoms situate in the van der Waals layers, acting as n‐type dopants to increase carrier concentration, bonding with adjacent Te as intercalating atoms to form electron transport channels, while also suppressing the formation of Te vacancies to boost carrier mobility, substantially favoring carrier transport. Consequently, Bi2Te2.79Se0.21I0.004+0.3%Ag achieves an excellent room‐temperature ZT of ≈1.1, while Bi2Te2.79Se0.21I0.004 + 0.4%Ag demonstrates a higher average ZT of ≈1.1 at 300–523 K. Furthermore, a full‐scale thermoelectric cooler using optimized Bi2Te2.79Se0.21I0.004+0.3%Ag combined with commercial p‐type Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 has achieved a maximum cooling temperature difference (ΔTmax) of ≈68.3 K at 300 K and a larger ΔTmax of ≈84.8 K at 343 K. Additionally, the Bi2Te2.79Se0.21I0.004 + 0.4%Ag/Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3‐based power generator realizes a conversion efficiency of ≈6.0% under a ΔT of ≈240 K. These results outperform commercial Bi2Te3‐based devices, illustrating the effectiveness of lattice plainification for Bi2Te3‐based thermoelectrics.
Traps, Tail States and Their Consequences on the Open‐circuit Voltage in Organic Solar Cells
Authors: Krebs Tobias , Göhler Clemens , Kemerink Martijn 
Published: January 2025

AbstractAll that remains to reliably beat the 20% efficiency hurdle in organic solar cells are the relatively low open‐circuit voltages (VOC). A still‐needed step toward solving this problem is to shed light on the mechanisms behind these losses, and herein it is focused on understanding the roll‐off of VOC at low temperatures, which has been linked to various detrimental processes. Here, a light intensity sweep is added to the temperature‐dependent measurements and the resulting trends are compared with a kinetic analytical model that not only incorporates all previously suggested explanations for the temperature dependence of VOC, but, importantly, also includes carrier density contributions to the electron and hole mobilities by treating the density of states (DOS) of the active layer as a two‐level system. It is found that this description is sufficient to quantitatively explain VOC roll‐off in terms of charges getting trapped in intrinsic tail states of the Gaussian DOS without having to assume the presence of extrinsic traps.
Solvent Effects in the Reactions of Alkenes with gem‐Bis(triflyl)ethylene
Authors: Yanai Hikaru , Sano Reon , Hoshikawa Shoki , Matsumoto Takashi 
Published: January 2025

AbstractThe reaction modes in the reactions of several alkenes with Tf2C=CH2 (Tf=CF3SO2) have been controlled by the reaction solvents. For example, although the reaction with allylsilanes selectively produced normal allylation products in MeCN, gem‐bis(triflyl)cyclopentanes were formed in toluene. In particular, a selective formation of the (3+2) cycloadducts was achieved by using sterically hindered allylsilanes. We also found notable solvent effects in the reaction with simple alkenic hydrocarbons. That is, in hot toluene, the Alder ene reaction of the alkenes with Tf2C=CH2 smoothly proceeded to give the corresponding (E)‐alkenes bearing a superacidic bis(triflyl)methyl group.
Synthesis, DFT Calculations, and Molecular Docking Study of New Aggregation‐Induced Emission Lumiogens Based on Thieno[2,3‐d]pyrimidine Moiety
Authors: Mohamed Manar Kh. , Mohammed Ahmed A. K. , Aly Morsy M. M. , Gaber Abdel‐Aal M. , Saddik Abdelreheem A. 
Published: January 2025

AbstractThe discovery of novel Aggregation‐Induced Emission (AIE) systems based on heterocyclic compounds holds significant potential. In this study, a series of new AIE systems based on thieno[2,3‐d]pyrimidine moiety synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic analyses. These compounds exhibited weak emission in DMSO solution but displayed strong solid‐state fluorescence at λmax=556, 527, 527, and 515 nm for compounds 7 a, 7 b, 7 c, and 7 e respectively. Additionally, compound 10 exhibited emission at 480 nm in DMSO, which was red‐shifted to 490 nm in the solid state. Furthermore, the AIE behavior for these compounds was investigated in different DMSO/H2O fractions. Compounds 7 a–c, 7 e, and 10 exhibits a typical AIE behavior since these compounds showed weak fluorescence intensity in pure DMSO but sharply increased while the water content reached 80 % in the case of compounds 7 a–c, and 7 e, and 90 % in compound 10. Moreover, Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations supported the role of molecular packing and intermolecular interactions in modulating the luminescence properties. Molecular docking studies suggested the potential of these AIE compounds as anticancer agents. Compound 7 a exhibits a strong binding affinity of −9.6 kcal/mol for CDK‐2 compared with abemaciclib, palbociclib, and ribociclib drugs, indicating its potential as a potent CDK‐2 inhibitor.