bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Susceptibility Testing by the Agar Proportion Method for
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Complex
Authors: Escuyer Vincent E. , Salfinger Max 
Published: December 2024

Abstract

Antimicrobial susceptibility testing should be performed on each patient's initial
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
complex isolate, in relapse or retreatment cases and when acquired drug resistance is suspected. The modified agar proportion method is used to determine the susceptibility of
M. tuberculosis
complex, indirectly from a pure culture. Quadrant plates are used that contain either Middlebrook 7H10 agar without antimicrobial agents or 7H10 agar with antimicrobial agents at various concentrations. Agar proportion testing compares the growth of an isolate on solid agar medium with and without antimycobacterial drug. The concentrations of the drugs tested are based on the recommendations of the CLSI. The agar proportion method also allows the determination of the proportion or percentage of resistance among the tested isolates. This chapter covers proper quality control principles for analytical tests. With analytical considerations, it provides attention to common test limitations, interpretive challenges, and results reporting.
Introduction and General Considerations
Authors: Lockhart Shawn R. , Wiederhold Nathan P. 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
This part introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters. The part brings together the contributions of well‐respected mycologists, whose expertise will help laboratories become more adept at identifying fungi, recognizing the significance of an isolated organism, and performing susceptibility testing. Fungi can cause severe illness, but they are often overlooked as causes of clinical disease and often considered only after other etiologies have been ruled out. Infections range in severity from cosmetic onychomycosis to life‐threatening disseminated disease. In some fungal diseases (histoplasmosis and coccidioidomycosis), the histopathology services may provide the first diagnostic evidence of the disease while the clinical laboratory provides confirmation of the etiology using culture or molecular methods. The appearance of the fungal organism in tissue, along with patient history, risk factors, and signs and symptoms, provides the best guidance about the likely etiology, but these should be confirmed whenever possible by culture.
Risk Assessment
Authors: Buchan Blake W. 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
Working in a clinical microbiology laboratory presents a number of potential hazards in the form of exposure to infectious biological agents, dangerous chemical reagents, and both manual and automated instrumentation capable of causing bodily harm. The collection of safety policies is referred to as a biosafety manual and should be unique to each laboratory, considering the personnel, facilities, test procedures, and biological and other risks inherent to that laboratory. The development of individualized and effective safety policies requires a multistep process formally known as a risk assessment. There are several laboratory‐focused resources that provide recommendations for the design of a risk assessment, as well as important considerations for risk mitigation strategies related to common biological, chemical, and mechanical hazards. These include publications by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, NIH, and the American Society for Microbiology. The primary goal of hazard characterization is to determine if the relative risk is acceptable or unacceptable.
General Introduction to Bioterrorism and Emerging Infectious Diseases
Authors: Rowlinson Marie‐Claire 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
The primary function of the Laboratory Response Network for Biological Threats is to respond to biological threats/bioterrorism and emerging infectious diseases. This chapter focuses on laboratory preparedness for bioterrorism‐associated biological agents, the challenges posed by emerging infectious diseases serve to highlight the importance of, and the need for, maintaining an integrated network of diagnostic laboratories that are capable of providing rapid detection of both. Bioterrorism events are classified as either overt or covert. In an overt event, the agent is announced. A covert event, which is more likely to occur, is unannounced and is much more of a challenge to detect. The detection of a covert event is likely to occur at the community/sentinel laboratory level. Health care institutions, including the laboratory, should have a preparedness plan that includes the recognition of the covert form of bioterrorism or a highly pathogenic or emerging infectious disease.
White matter hyperintensities and cholinergic degeneration as Lewy body disease
Authors: Kang Sungwoo , Jeon Seun , Kim Yeoju , Jeon Su‐Hee , Choi Minsun , Lee Young‐gun , Yun Mijin , Ye Byoung Seok 
Published: December 2024

AbstractObjectiveAlthough basal forebrain (BF) cholinergic degeneration and white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) are important in neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), their relationships with dopaminergic degeneration and clinical manifestations remain unclear.MethodsA total of 407 patients with cognitive impairment meeting the diagnostic criteria for AD, DLB, or both (AD+DLB) were assessed. All participants underwent 3T MRI, dopamine transporter (DAT) positron emission tomography, neuropsychological tests, and assessments for parkinsonism, cognitive fluctuation, visual hallucination, and rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD). General linear and logistic regression models were used to investigate the relationships among BF volume, DAT uptake in the anterior caudate (DAT‐AC), WMH volumes in anterior, posterior, periventricular, and deep regions, and clinical manifestations.ResultsDAT‐AC was positively associated with BF volume and negatively associated with anterior periventricular WMH volume, but not with deep WMHs. Both deep and periventricular WMHs volumes were associated with hypertension and the number of microbleeds and lacunae. Lower BF volume and DAT‐AC were independently associated with increased risk of cognitive fluctuation and visual hallucination, whereas lower DAT‐AC was additionally associated with increased risk of RBD and greater parkinsonian severity. Both lower BF volume and DAT‐AC were independently associated with widespread cognitive impairment, whereas higher anterior periventricular WMH volume was associated with executive dysfunction.InterpretationBF cholinergic degeneration and anterior periventricular WMHs are closely associated with dopaminergic degeneration. Anterior periventricular WMHs may represent axonal alterations caused by the interplay between Lewy body‐related degeneration and vascular pathologies.
In‐Situ Construction of Solid Electrolyte Interphases with Gradient Zincophilicity for Wide Temperature Zinc Ion Batteries
Authors: Chen Zetao , Zhou Wanting , Zhao Shunshun , Lou Xinhua , Chen Shimou 
Published: December 2024

AbstractDendrite growth and parasitic side reactions on zinc (Zn) metal anode are major challenges limiting the practical application of aqueous zinc ion batteries (AZIBs), particularly under wide temperatures conditions. This study proposes a novel hydrated deep eutectic solvent based electrolyte by using ethylene glycol (EG) and SnI4, enabling AZIBs to achieve excellent cycling life from −30 to 60 °C. Spectroscopic characterizations reveal H2O molecules are effectively confined within the eutectic network due to the dual effects of Zn2+ coordination and EG hydrogen bonding, thereby weakening the free water activity and broadening the electrochemical window. Furthermore, resulting from the dissociation‐reduction of the eutectic molecules and SnI4, an organic‐inorganic hybridized solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer is formed on Zn surface with the zincophile gradient, this gradient SEI layer effectively inhibits the hydrogen evolution reactions and regulates the oriented Zn deposition. The Zn//Zn symmetric cell utilizing this electrolyte achieves remarkable cycling stability of over 7800 h at room temperature, over 6000 h at −30 °C, and 2500 h at 60 °C. This work provides insights into the new approach and formation mechanism of zincophile gradient SEI layer on Zn anode, which demonstrates significant potential for developing AZIBs with high stability under wide temperatures conditions.
Intramolecular Aggregation‐Induced Surface Coupling of Metal Nanoclusters: Structure Elucidation and Photoluminescence Manipulation
Authors: Zhu Jian , Zhao Rui , Shen Honglei , Zhu Chen , Zhou Meng , Kang Xi , Zhu Manzhou 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTThe restriction of the molecular motion has been extensively exploited in tailoring the photoluminescence (PL) of metal nanoclusters, while the activation of such a restriction at the molecular level remains highly challenging. In this work, a two‐step strategy, that is, surface activating and surface coupling, was proposed to induce the restriction of the molecular motion of nanoclusters at the molecular level, and the corresponding nanoclusters underwent emission appearance and enhancement. The peripheral phosphine ligand functionalization and alkali metal cation introduction gave rise to a series of structural‐correlated M+‐incorporated Cu14 nanoclusters (M = Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs) with a surface‐aggregation characteristic, among which the K+‐participating nanocluster displayed the strongest fluorescence intensity in both solution and crystal states. Atomic‐level structure–property correlations were investigated to rationalize the PL comparisons. Overall, this work offers a new perspective for regulating the PL of metal nanoclusters via restricting their molecular motions, hopefully providing insight into the fabrication of highly emissive metal nanoclusters and cluster‐based nanomaterials.
Automated Neuroprognostication Via Machine Learning in Neonates with Hypoxic‐Ischemic Encephalopathy
Authors: Lewis John D. , Miran Atiyeh A. , Stoopler Michelle , Branson Helen M. , Danguecan Ashley , Raghu Krishna , Ly Linh G. , Cizmeci Mehmet N. , Kalish Brian T. 
Published: December 2024

ObjectivesNeonatal hypoxic‐ischemic encephalopathy is a serious neurologic condition associated with death or neurodevelopmental impairments. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is routinely used for neuroprognostication, but there is substantial subjectivity and uncertainty about neurodevelopmental outcome prediction. We sought to develop an objective and automated approach for the analysis of newborn brain MRI to improve the accuracy of prognostication.MethodsWe created an anatomic MRI template from a sample of 286 infants treated with therapeutic hypothermia, and labeled the deep gray‐matter structures. We extracted quantitative information, including shape‐related information, and information represented by complex patterns (radiomic measures), from each of these structures in all infants. We then trained an elastic net model to use either only these measures, only the infants’ demographic and laboratory data, or both, to predict neurodevelopmental outcomes, as measured by the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development at 18 months of age.ResultsAmong those infants for whom Bayley scores were available for cognitive, language, and motor outcomes, we found sets of MRI‐based measures that could predict their Bayley scores with correlations that were greater than the correlations based on only the demographic and laboratory data, explained more of the variance in the observed scores, and generated a smaller error; predictions based on the combination of the demographic‐laboratory and MRI‐based measures were similar or marginally better.InterpretationOur findings show that machine learning models using MRI‐based measures can predict neurodevelopmental outcomes in neonates with hypoxic‐ischemic encephalopathy across all neurodevelopmental domains and across the full spectrum of outcomes. ANN NEUROL 2024
Catalytic Reductive Amination and Tandem Amination–Alkylation of Esters Enabled by a Cationic Iridium Complex
Authors: Lu Guang‐Sheng , Ruan Zhong‐Lei , Wang Yan , Lü Jin‐Fang , Ye Jian‐Liang , Huang Pei‐Qiang 
Published: December 2024

AbstractReported herein is a convenient and efficient method for one‐pot, catalytic reductive amination, as well as the first multi‐component tandem reductive amination—functionalization of bench‐stable and readily available common carboxylic esters. This method is based on the cationic [Ir(COD)2]BArF‐catalyzed chemoselective hydrosilylation of esters, followed by one‐pot acid‐mediated amination and nucleophilic addition. The reaction was conducted under mild conditions at a very low catalyst loading (0.1 mol % of Ir), which could be further reduced to 0.001 mol %, as demonstrated by a reaction at a 15 g scale. The method is highly versatile, allowing the use of esters with or without α‐protons for the N‐mono‐alkylation of primary and secondary amines to produce diverse secondary and tertiary amines, as well as α‐branched/functionalized amines. The method is highly chemoselective and tolerates a variety of functional groups such as bromo, trifluoromethyl, ester, and cyano groups. The value of the method was demonstrated by the one‐step catalytic synthesis of two bio‐relevant N‐mono‐methyl α‐amino esters and the antiparkinsonian agent piribedil, as well as by the use of two shorter chain triglycerides as alkylating feedstock.
The role of the sulfaguanidine molecular scaffold in drug design and development
Authors: Abulkhair Hamada S. 
Published: December 2024

AbstractDeveloping new molecular entities is one of the most emerging research areas in the field of Medicinal Chemistry. Over the past few years, rigorous research has been conducted on sulfaguanidine‐linked synthetic molecules because of their promising potential in several biological activities. Sulfaguanidine has been actively incorporated in the design of anticancer, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, antiparkinsonian, anti‐inflammatory, and antiviral candidates. The construction of these effective candidates has adopted many chemical approaches. A number of the prepared compounds displayed promising results that merit further investigations for the development of new medications. This review summarizes the different chemical strategies and the reported activities for sulfaguanidine‐linked synthetic molecules throughout 2020–2024.
Framework Nucleic Acids: Innovative Tools for Cellular Sensing and Therapeutics
Authors: Zhang Yihan , Li Yuting , Fang Bowen , Du Yi , Peng Pai 
Published: December 2024

AbstractAs emerging biomaterials, framework nucleic acids (FNAs) have recently demonstrated great potential in the biomedical field due to their high programmability, biocompatibility, unique structural diversity, and precise molecular design capabilities. This review focuses on the applications of FNAs in cellular sensing and disease treatment. First, we systematically introduce the applications of FNAs in cellular sensing, including their precise recognition and response to the extracellular tumor microenvironment, cell membrane proteins, and intracellular biomarkers. Subsequently, we review the potential of FNAs in disease treatment, covering their applications and development in drug delivery, regulation of cell behavior, and immunomodulation. We also discuss the limitations and potential role of FNAs in personalized medicine, precision diagnostics, and advanced therapies. The broad application of FNAs is expected to drive significant breakthroughs in future biomedical technological innovations and clinical translation.
Automation of Local Regression Model Building for Spectroscopic Data
Authors: Pell Randy J. , Ramos L. Scott , Rohrback Brian 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTThe concept of using local calibration for spectroscopic analysis has been discussed since the late 1980s. Since that time, many papers have described modifications to different aspects of the local modeling methodology. In this paper, we briefly discuss some of the modifications and describe an approach for the unattended automation of local model development. Ways to reduce calculation time are discussed. Four example spectroscopic datasets using Raman, FT‐NIR, and dispersive NIR are analyzed, and the local model prediction performance is compared to standard PLS prediction performance. Using independent prediction sets, local modeling is shown to improve prediction performance by 17% to 55%.
Physician and Patient Preferences for Oral Anticoagulation Therapy Decision Making in Atrial Fibrillation: Results From a National Best–Worst Scaling Survey in Türkiye
Authors: Kılıckesmez K. , Aras D. , Degertekin M. , Ozer N. , Hacibedel B. , Helvacioglu K. , Koc U. , Ozdengulsun B. , Dundar Ahi E. , Ergene O. 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTAtrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac dysrhythmia and a common cause of ischemic stroke. Stroke prevention with oral anticoagulation (OAC) is the cornerstone of AF management. Patients and their treating physicians may have different views on different attributes of OACs. The objective of this study was to quantify the relative importance that patients and physicians in Turkey place on different OAC attributes when making treatment decisions in AF. A cross‐sectional survey was administered to AF patients (≥ 50 years) receiving OAC and practising cardiologists, including residents with ≥ 2 years of experience in Turkey. For both patients (N = 230; 50% male) and physicians (N = 194; 74% male), the most important attributes for OAC treatment decision making in AF were “success in preventing stroke” (57% and 73.9% or overall importance, respectively) and “risk of major bleeding” (20% and 23.4%, respectively). For patients, other attributes were much less important, but not altogether unimportant: reversal agent availability (7%), monitoring (5%), food or drug interactions (3%), minor bleeding (3%), and ease of swallowing (2%). For physicians, among the other attributes, only the need for monitoring (1.3%) had a relative importance of > 1%. For all Turkish participants, efficacy and safety were found to be the most important attributes influencing OAC choice in AF with these two attributes accounting for 77% and 97.3% of overall importance for patients and physicians, respectively. Certain considerations, especially reversal agent availability and monitoring appear to be more important to patients than to physicians This is the first study to use BWS to quantify patient and physician preferences for OAC treatments in AF in Turkey.
Catalytic Oxidation of Kraft Lignin in a Trickle‐Bed Continuous Reactor
Authors: Hernandez Mañas Antonio , Vilcocq Léa , Fongarland Pascal , Djakovitch Laurent 
Published: December 2024

AbstractFor the first time, the catalytic oxidation of Kraft lignin over a solid heterogeneous catalyst was studied in a continuous lab‐scale trickle‐bed reactor. This catalytic process is able to depolymerize Kraft lignin and produce phenolic compounds of interest such as vanillin. The impact of operating conditions such as temperature, residence time, contact time, catalyst loading and lignin concentration was evaluated. The formation of vanillin, the main phenolic compound detected in reaction products, was favored at medium temperature (200 °C), short contact time (<1gcat.min.gfeed−1), high catalyst loading (32 g) and low lignin concentration (5 g.L−1). The vanillin productivity is 30 times higher in a continuous fixed bed reactor than in a batch reactor.
Enhancing Stability of Microwave‐Synthesized Cs2SnxTi1‐xBr6 Perovskite by Cation Mixing
Authors: Reyes‐Francis Emmanuel , Julián‐López Beatriz , Echeverría‐Arrondo Carlos , Rodríguez‐Pereira Jhonatan , Esparza Diego , López‐Luke Tzarara , Espino‐Valencia Jaime , Prochowicz Daniel , Mora‐Seró Iván , Turren‐Cruz Silver‐Hamill 
Published: December 2024

AbstractThe double‐perovskite material Cs2TiBr6 shows excellent photovoltaic potential, making it a promising alternative to lead‐based materials. However, its high susceptibility to degradation in air has raised concerns about its practical application. This study introduces an interesting synthesis approach that significantly enhances the stability of Cs2TiBr6 powder. We implemented a gradual cation exchange process by substituting Ti4+ with Sn4+ in the efficient microwave‐assisted synthesis method, developing a double perovskite Cs2SnxTi1‐xBr6 type. A systematic study of increasing concentration of Sn4+ in Cs2TiBr6 perovskite has been performed to analyze the effect of Sn‐doping degree on the chemical and thermal stability of the material and the optical features in both nitrogen and ambient atmospheres, significantly increasing the stability of the material in the air for over a week. Furthermore, introducing Sn4+ results in a more uniform polygonal crystal morphology of the powders and a slight band gap broadening. We show that microwave‐assisted synthesis is highly efficient and cost‐effective in producing more sustainable lead‐free perovskite materials with enhanced stability and desirable electrical characteristics. This work suggests a promising method for synthesizing perovskite materials, opening new routes for scientific research and applications.
Performance of the WID‐qEC test to detect uterine cancers in black women with abnormal uterine bleeding: A prospective observational cohort study in Ghana
Authors: Ken‐Amoah Sebastian , Redl Elisa , Domson Bright K. S. , Barrett James E. , Schreiberhuber Lena , Herzog Chiara , Arora Rupali , Jones Allison , Evans Iona , Reisel Dan , Lamptey‐Mills Esther , Nachinab Vincent B. , Pepera Theodora , Olaitan Adeola , Obiri‐Yeboah Dorcas , Akakpo Patrick K. , Widschwendter Martin 
Published: December 2024

AbstractThe burden of uterine cancer is growing and, in the US and UK, mortality rates are poorest among black women. Early detection of these cancers is critical and poor performance of ultrasound in black women may contribute to adverse outcomes. Limited data on this topic are available from Africa. We assessed whether a simple DNA methylation test, the WID‐qEC, enables detection of all epithelial uterine (endometrial and cervical) cancers in women presenting with abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) in Ghana. Among 118 women ≥40 years presenting with AUB, 106 consented to the study and a cervicovaginal sample was obtained for WID‐qEC testing. Subsequent to ultrasound assessment 102 women had a cervical or endometrial biopsy. Histopathology, ultrasound and WID‐qEC testing were analyzed and compared. Among the 102 volunteers, 8 and 15 were diagnosed with endometrial and cervical cancer (EC and CC), respectively. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) area under the curve (AUC) was 0.56 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.25–0.86) for sonographic endometrial thickness (ET) and 0.98 (95% CI 0.94–1.00) for the WID‐qEC test. Sensitivity and specificity of the prespecified ET ≥5 mm were 66.7% (95% CI 24.1–94.0) and 22.7 (95% CI 12.0–38.2) and for the prespecified WID‐qEC SUM‐PMR ≥ 0.3 were 100% (95% CI 56.1–100.0) and 76.1 (96%CI 60.9–86.9), respectively. In addition, 15 CCs were detected by the WID‐qEC test [sensitivity 100% (95% CI 74.7–100.0)]. The WID‐qEC test accurately detects both EC and CC in black women presenting with AUB.