bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Developments in the Construction of Benzo[b]Thiophenes from 2‐Alkynylthioanisoles by Electrophilic and Radical Cyclization Reactions
Authors: Shang Tianbo , Ma Chao , Xie Mengyu , Gao Yuzhen , Cai Tao 
Published: November 2024

AbstractBenzo[b]thiophene moieties are important skeletons which have been widely found in many natural products, pharmaceuticals, as well as functionalized materials. 2‐Alkynylthioanisoles, a class of bifunctional compounds bearing methylthio and alkynyl groups, are easily accessible from Pd‐catalyzed Sonogashira coupling between 2‐halothioanisoles and terminal alkynes, which have been widely employed as synthons in the construction of benzo[b]thiophenes through an electrophilic or a radical pathway. This review summarizes the related developments with a particular focus on the reaction mechanism. We hope it will help in future research in this area and believe that with the discovery of new catalytic systems, the industrial synthesis of benzo[b]thiophenes from 2‐alkynylthioanisoles will be achieved soon.
Convergent Synthesis of Antitumor Aplysiatoxin Derivatives Based on a Combination of Ring‐Closing and Cross Metathesis
Authors: Aoki Mako , Takarada Hiroto , Maki Jumpei , Kobayashi Takumi , Tsukano Chihiro , Irie Kazuhiro 
Published: November 2024

AbstractWe investigated a convergent synthesis of aplysiatoxin analogs based on a combination of ring‐closing and cross metathesis. The route provided four analogs (3 a–d) with different side chains to determine the CH/π interaction with protein kinase C (PKC)‐C1 domains. Biochemical evaluation revealed that a naphthol moiety did not improve binding to PKC−C1 domains, suggesting that the hydrogen bonding of the hydroxy group with the PKC−C1 domains may be more important than the CH/π interaction.
A biochronological date of 3.6 million years for “Little Foot” (StW 573, Australopithecus prometheus from Sterkfontein, South Africa)
Authors: Thackeray Francis 
Published: November 2024

AbstractA debate has developed with regard to geological ages of hominin fossils attributed to Australopithecus africanus and Australopithecus prometheus in South African Plio‐Pleistocene cave deposits. For the Sterkfontein caves (Members 2 and 4), cosmogenic nuclide isochron (10Be/26Al) dating has yielded age estimates ranging from 3.4 to 3.7 million years ago (Ma). However, biochronological approaches using nonhominin primates suggest an alternative age range between 2 and 2.6 Ma. Based on a new method of hominin biochronology, Thackeray and Dykes have recognized that Sterkfontein Member 4 has a mean age of 2.76 Ma associated with a wide range (circa 2.0–3.5 Ma). In this study, the Sterkfontein skull and skeleton (StW 573), nicknamed “Little Foot” from Member 2 and attributed to A. prometheus, is reassessed. A regression model applied to estimate its age provides a hypothesized date of 3.6 Ma, which compares favorably with the existing cosmogenic dates.
Improvement and Optimisation of Green Ultrasound‐Assisted Extraction for Sinapic Acid Content and Lipase Inhibition From Caucasian Whortleberry (Vaccinium arctostaphylos L.) by Box–Behnken Design
Authors: Sener S. O. , Shaha S. , Kanbolat S. , Badem M. , Balkabak B. , Halil S. , Ulas Colak N. , Ozgen U. , Sevim D. 
Published: November 2024

ABSTRACTCaucasian whortleberry (Vaccinium arctostaphylos L.) is a beneficial natural source for obesity due to its rich content of phenolic compounds. It has been shown that phenolic compounds have antiobesity properties through a variety of molecular mechanisms. The goal of the current study was to identify the optimal conditions of green ultrasonic extraction (UAE) for Caucasian whortleberry via phenolic compounds and lipase inhibition. The experimental design was carried out using the response surface methodology (RSM) based on the Box–Behnken design (BBD) to detect optimum conditions of ultrasonic extraction. Three levels of three independent variables were incorporated into the BBD: ethanol concentration, temperature and time. RP‐HPLC analysis was utilised to quantify the phenolic content, and the spectroscopic method was used to evaluate the lipase inhibitions. Quadratic response surface models were suggested according to the results of the BBD model adequacy test (p < 0.0001) performed by multiple regression analysis. The data showed that the sinapic acid concentration and lipase inhibition are significantly impacted by the extraction conditions. The optimal conditions for sinapic acid content and lipase inhibition were detected as 100% ethanol concentration, 60°C and 60 min. The highest sinapic acid content (13.66 mg/g dry extract) and lipase inhibition level (IC50 = 66.22 μg/mL) with desirability of 0.8583 resulted under optimal conditions. In comparison with the conventional extraction method, optimal conditions resulted in a notable rise of 57.01% for sinapic acid content and a substantial increase of 53.12% for lipase inhibitory effect. These optimal conditions mediated more sinapic acid content and lipase inhibitor activity can be suggested for the development of food supplements or herbal medicine with Caucasian whortleberry.
Anti‐depression molecular mechanism elucidation of the phytochemicals in edible flower of Hemerocallis citrina Baroni
Authors: Zhao Ruohan , Luo Jinhai , Kim Chung Sookja , Xu Baojun 
Published: November 2024

AbstractThe edible flower of Hemerocallis citrina Baroni, commonly known as “Huang Huacai” in China, has anti‐depressant effects. However, targets and molecular mechanisms of Hemerocallis citrina Baroni edible flowers (HEF) in depression treatment are still unclear. The potential anti‐depression targets in HEF were identified by the intersecting results from typical drug databases. The network construction and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis were carried out for core targets. The molecular docking was conducted to predict the binding affinity between the active components and the central targets. The intersecting results indicated that there were 24 active components in HEF, with 449 anti‐depression targets identified. After screening through degree centrality (DC), betweenness centrality (BC), and closeness centrality (CC), 166 core targets were determined. Tumor protein 53 (TP53) and interleukin 6 (IL‐6) had the highest degree values. The results of GO enrichment analysis associated with anti‐depression revealed that the biological processes were negative regulation of osteoclast differentiation and positive regulation of phosphorus metabolic process. KEGG enrichment analysis results revealed that pathways, such as the phosphatidylinositol 3‑kinase‐protein kinase B (PI3K‐Akt) signaling pathway and mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, were primarily associated with anti‐depression. Molecular docking results indicated that the top 10 active ingredients in HEF could bind to the central targets. This study applied network pharmacology to unveil the potential anti‐depressive mechanisms of HEF, providing a theoretical basis for further exploration of the effective components in H. citrina edible flower parts.
Phytochemical Profiling and Therapeutic Potential of Thyme (Thymus spp.): A Medicinal Herb
Authors: Waheed Marwa , Hussain Muhammad Bilal , Saeed Farhan , Afzaal Muhammad , Ahmed Aftab , Irfan Rushba , Akram Noor , Ahmed Faiyaz , Hailu Gebremichael Gebremedhin 
Published: November 2024

ABSTRACTThymol is a phenol monoterpene that is naturally derived from cymene and is an isomer of carvacrol. It constitutes a significant portion (10%–64%) of the essential oils found in thyme (Thymus vulgaris L., Lamiaceae), a medicinal plant renowned for its therapeutic properties. Wild thyme is native to the Mediterranean region and has been used in cooking and medicine for a long time. In contemporary contexts, both thymol and thyme offer diverse functional applications in the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industries. Thymol has attracted scientific interest for its potential therapeutic applications in pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals. Studies have explored its efficacy in treating respiratory, nervous, and cardiovascular disorders, highlighting its promising role in diverse therapeutic interventions. Additionally, this compound demonstrates antimicrobial, antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, anti‐inflammatory, and antispasmodic properties. It also shows potential as a growth enhancer and has immunomodulatory properties as well. Other discussed aspects include thymol toxicity, bioavailability, metabolism, and distribution in animals and humans. This review summarizes the most significant data regarding the beneficial effects of thyme bioactive compounds and their applications as a food preservative while taking into account the thyme plant extract and its essential oil.
Exploring Genetic Association of Tea Intake With Allergic Diseases Among European Population: A Bidirectional Mendelian Randomization Study
Authors: Zhang Jinjin , Liu Yuhan , Zhang Jiawei , Zeng Fei , Wu Yuqing , Zhang Xuexue , Zhang Daying , Zhu Mengye 
Published: November 2024

ABSTRACTPrevious observational studies focused on the association of tea intake and allergic diseases. However, it is not known whether these associations are causal. We used a bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) study to assess the causal relationship of tea intake with the risk of allergic diseases, such as atopic dermatitis (AD), allergic rhinitis (AR), and allergic asthma (AA). Single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) which had genetic statistical significance with tea intake were used as instrumental variables (IVs). We employed heritable IVs of tea intake from the UK Biobank, which included 447,485 samples. Sensitivity analyses were further performed using MR Egger and MR‐PRESSO. Inverse variance weighted (IVW) method was used as the main approach. In this MR study, 40 independent SNPs were selected for tea intake. The MR analysis revealed that an increase in genetically predicted tea intake was associated with a lower risk of AD (OR = 0.709, 95% CI = 0.546–0.919, p = 0.009). Furthermore, we observed a causal effect of genetically predicted tea intake on the risk of AA (OR = 0.498, 95% CI = 0.320–0.776, p = 0.002). However, no significant causal relationship was found between genetically predicted tea intake and AR (OR = 1.008, 95% CI = 0.998–1.017, p = 0.115). Our MR analysis suggested that increased tea intake may reduce the risk of AD and AA in European population. This suggests that tea intake is likely a trigger or a prevention strategy for AD and AA.
Real‐World Use of Trazodone in Older Persons in Long Term Care Setting: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Coin Alessandra , Malara Alba , Noale Marianna , Trevisan Caterina , Devita Maria , Abbatecola Angela Marie , Gareri Pietro , Del Signore Stefania , Bellelli Giuseppe , Fumagalli Stefano , Monzani Fabio , Mossello Enrico , Volpato Stefano , Zia Gianluca , Antonelli Incalzi Raffaele ,   the GeroCovid Observational Working Group
Published: November 2024

ABSTRACTBackgroundTrazodone, an antidepressant drug is also largely used in several medical contexts. Insomnia, behavioral disorders, and anxiety may be underlying symptoms for prescribing trazodone. This cross‐sectional study aims to identify reasons for trazodone prescription, assess the efficacy, as well as identify any related side effects in older persons living in long term care facilities (LTCFs).MethodsOlder adults aged ≥ 60 years, at risk of or affected with Covid‐19 and enrolled in the GeroCovid Observational study from LTCFs, and using trazodone were included. A structured questionnaire was administered to treating physicians regarding reasons for trazodone prescription, discontinuation, possible adverse events and benefits.ResultsThirty‐seven out 74 LTCFs participating in both the GeroCovid and GeroCovid Vax studies completed the questionnaire regarding trazodone use. Of the 427 participants included in this study analysis, we found that 43% had diagnoses of dementia and depression, 33% had dementia, no behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) and no depression, 14% had dementia with BPSD and no depression, and < 11% had only depression. The main reasons for trazodone prescription included agitation, insomnia, depression and anxiety. Trazodone use was reported as partially or totally effective in more than 90% of participants using the drug. Falls were the most frequent adverse event (30% of participants).ConclusionsOur data suggest that trazodone behaves as an eclectic antidepressant that, in the clinical practice, may also be used for BPSD and insomnia, especially in older people with dementia.
Pain‐Discriminating Information Decoded From Spatiotemporal Patterns of Hemodynamic Responses Measured by fMRI in the Human Brain
Authors: Song Yingchao , Wang Xiuzhi , Su Qian , Zhao Rui , Zhang Juan , Qin Wen , Yu Chunshui , Liang Meng 
Published: November 2024

ABSTRACTFunctional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has been widely used in studying the neural mechanisms of pain in the human brain, primarily focusing on where in the brain pain‐elicited neural activities occur (i.e., the spatial distribution of pain‐related brain activities). However, the temporal dynamics of pain‐elicited hemodynamic responses (HDRs) measured by fMRI may also contain information specific to pain processing but have been largely neglected. Using high temporal resolution fMRI (TR = 0.8 s) data acquired from 62 healthy participants, in the present study we aimed to test whether pain‐distinguishing information could be decoded from the spatial pattern of the temporal dynamics (i.e., the spatiotemporal pattern) of HDRs elicited by painful stimuli. Specifically, the peak latency and the response duration were used to characterize the temporal dynamics of HDRs to painful laser stimuli and non‐painful electric stimuli, and then were compared between the two conditions (i.e., pain and no‐pain) using a voxel‐wise univariate analysis and a multivariate pattern analysis. Furthermore, we also tested whether the two temporal characteristics of pain‐elicited HDRs and their spatial patterns were associated with pain‐related behaviors. We found that the spatial patterns of HDR peak latency and response duration could successfully discriminate pain from no‐pain. Interestingly, we also observed that the Pain Vigilance and Awareness Questionnaire (PVAQ) scores were correlated with the average response duration in bilateral insula and secondary somatosensory cortex (S2) and could also be predicted from the across‐voxel spatial patterns of response durations in the middle cingulate cortex and middle frontal gyrus only during painful condition but not during non‐painful condition. These findings indicate that the spatiotemporal pattern of pain‐elicited HDRs may contain pain‐specific information and highlight the importance of studying the neural mechanisms of pain by taking advantage of the high sensitivity of fMRI to both spatial and temporal information of brain responses.
Exploring Trismus Management in Australia: A Mixed Methods Evaluation of Surveys and Interviews With Health Professionals
Authors: Charters Emma , Venchiarutti Rebecca , Dunn Masako , Clark Jonathan 
Published: November 2024

ABSTRACTObjectiveThis study evaluates how health care professionals manage trismus in Australia and identifies facilitators and barriers experienced by clinicians in routine patient care.MethodsA mixed‐methods approach was used to evaluate the experience of clinicians. Medical, nursing, and allied health practitioners in Australia were invited to participate if they had treated patients with trismus in the last 5 years. Participants completed an investigator‐designed survey and were invited to participate in a semi‐structured audio‐recorded interview to explore practice in more depth. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative data were analyzed thematically using an inductive, data‐driven approach.ResultsFifty‐six clinicians (38 speech pathologists, 9 physiotherapists, 7 medical doctors, 1 nurse, and 1 osteopath) completed the survey, 12 of which also participated in an interview. The most common assessment tool was a commercially available measurement tool (Therabite or Orastretch), the most common treatment approach was stacked tongue depressors, and the most common exercise regimen was a 30‐ s stretch 25 times per day. Common barriers to trismus management included the high cost of devices, lack of clinical experience, and lack of training opportunities outside their institution. Clinician‐perceived facilitators were different modes of information provision and time to consider the exercise instructions and rationale. Several clinicians relied on telehealth to reach patients in remote locations and improve efficiency.ConclusionA range of clinicians treat trismus arising from a variety of conditions. Training opportunities are critical for clinicians to develop and extend their skills in assessing and treating trismus.Impact StatementThe morbidity associated with trismus, and the absence of a clinical guideline or consensus document warrants careful consideration as to the translation of evidence into the clinical context.
Canine dilated cardiomyopathy. Part 1: screening, diagnosis and management of preclinical DCM
Authors: Davis William , Crosland Andrew , Dukes‐McEwan Joanna 
Published: November 2024

Background: Canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a disease of the myocardium classically characterised by progressive eccentric hypertrophy (dilation) and systolic dysfunction of typically the left ventricle; however, DCM can also manifest as electrical abnormalities resulting in arrhythmic forms of the disease. The aetiology is idiopathic and there is often a genetic basis, which explains its over‐representation in certain breeds. Preclinical DCM describes the usually protracted period where an individual dog experiences structural changes over several years, or an arrhythmia (in specific breeds) that meet criteria for diagnosis without outward clinical signs of disease. Detection of this phase is crucial to facilitate early intervention with medical treatment, close monitoring and prognostication. Clinical DCM describes progression to congestive heart failure; the management of this will be discussed in the second part of this series, to be published in a subsequent issue of In Practice.Aim of the article: This article discusses case selection for DCM screening, including the utility of cardiac biomarkers. It outlines the echocardiographic diagnostic criteria for preclinical DCM, as well as the identification of arrhythmias that may be primary in nature or associated with the presence of cardiac remodelling. The medical management of preclinical DCM and associated arrhythmias is also discussed.
Positive welfare in dairy cows: role of the vet
Authors: Russell Alison , Randall Laura , Green Martin , Thompson Jake 
Published: November 2024

Background: The livestock industry should ensure positive welfare for animals within its care, over and above the five freedoms. It is important that the general public approves of conditions that livestock inhabit for them to continue to purchase these products and feel positive in doing so. As custodians of animal health and welfare, veterinary clinicians must be equipped to advocate for improvements to welfare, as well as conventional herd health and individual case approaches. The environment an animal inhabits will impact its heath and production, but improvements to living conditions will also support positive welfare. Assessment of the environment is an essential step to identify areas to improve in the system; this will allow for subsequent advances in overall living conditions.Aim of the article: This article provides an overview of positive welfare and assessment in dairy cows and guides production animal vets on how to undertake evaluations on farm. It also informs practitioners on developments in the research of positive welfare in dairy cows and discusses how positive welfare opportunities can be provided on farms.
Simulating the exploration of the optimal irrigation of spring wheat in drought areas based on SWAP model
Authors: Jin Jianxin , Ding Yimin , Sun Boyan , Li Saiju , Guo Zheng , Zhu Lei 
Published: November 2024

AbstractWater scarcity and low irrigation efficiency are the main factors causing yield losses in spring wheat in arid areas. To propose optimised irrigation scheduling for spring wheat in the arid areas of Ningxia, China, we first calibrated the SWAP (soil–water–atmosphere–plant) model and then utilised the well‐tested SWAP model during three typical rainfall years to evaluate the 542 irrigation schemes. The results showed that the model performed well in simulating the plant height, leaf area index (LAI) and biomass of spring wheat under different water stress conditions. The R2 values of the above three crop growth indicators were all greater than 0.89, and the normalised root mean square error (NRMSE) was less than 18% in the validation period. Additionally, the model achieved a high degree of accuracy in simulating the soil water content, evapotranspiration and yield, with RMSEs of 2%, 31 mm, and 326 kg/ha, respectively. The total irrigation amounts of 290, 320 and 350 mm with five, six and six irrigation times in the wet, average, and dry years, respectively, could achieve relatively high yields as well as improved water use efficiency (WUE) and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE). The results can provide useful information for the efficient utilisation of irrigation water resources in arid areas.
Deep learning‐based reconstruction on intensity‐inhomogeneous diffusion magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Zhu Zaimin , Wang He , Liu Yong , Zong Fangrong 
Published: November 2024

AbstractBackgroundUltra high field diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) provides diffusion‐weighted (DW) images with a high signal‐to‐noise ratio, but increases inhomogeneity, which affects the accuracy of dMRI metric reconstruction. Current methods for correcting inhomogeneity rarely consider the accuracy of the reconstructed dMRI metrics. Deep learning models for reconstructing metrics from dMRI signals typically assume that DW images have a homogeneous intensity. To address these challenges, we propose a deep learning model capable of directly reconstructing high‐accuracy dMRI metric maps from inhomogeneous DW images.MethodsAn attention‐based q‐space inhomogeneity‐resistant reconstruction network (qIRR‐Net) is proposed for the voxel‐wise reconstruction of diffusion tensor imaging and diffusion kurtosis imaging metrics. A training procedure based on data augmentation and consistency loss is introduced to ensure that the reconstruction results of qIRR‐Net are not affected by signal inhomogeneity. The 3T and 7T dMRI data from the Human Connectome Project are used for model training, testing, and evaluation.ResultsOn the 3T dMRI data with simulated inhomogeneity, qIRR‐Net improves the peak signal‐to‐noise ratio by 5.39 and the structural similarity index measure by 0.18 compared with weighted linear least‐squares fitting. On the 7T dMRI data, the metric maps reconstructed by qIRR‐Net not only exhibit clearer tissue structures but also demonstrate greater stability compared with the weighted linear least‐squares results.ConclusionsThe proposed qIRR‐Net enables the accurate reconstruction of dMRI metrics from inhomogeneous DW images. This approach could potentially be expanded to obtain multiple artifact‐free metric maps from ultrahigh field dMRI for neuroscience research and neurology applications.