bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Preferences for pre‐exposure prophylaxis delivery via online pharmacy among potential users in Kenya: a discrete choice experiment
Authors: Saldarriaga Enrique M. , Chen Yilin , Montaño Michalina A. , Thuo Nicholas , Kiptinness Catherine , Terris‐Prestholt Fern , Stergachis Andy , Mugambi Melissa Latigo , Ngure Kenneth , Ortblad Katrina F. , Sharma Monisha 
Published: October 2024

AbstractIntroductionOral pre‐exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is highly effective, but coverage remains low in high HIV prevalence settings. Initiating and continuing PrEP remotely via online pharmacies is a promising strategy to expand PrEP uptake, but little is known about potential users’ preferences.MethodsWe conducted a discrete choice experiment (DCE) to assess preferences for online pharmacy PrEP services. We partnered with MYDAWA, an online pharmacy in Nairobi, Kenya. Eligibility criteria were: ≥18 years, not known HIV positive, interested in PrEP. The DCE contained four attributes: PrEP eligibility assessment (online self‐assessed, guided), HIV test type (provider administered, oral HIV self‐test [HIVST], blood‐based HIVST), clinical consultation (remote, in‐person) and user support options (text messages, phone/video call, email). Additionally, participants indicated whether they were willing to uptake their selected service. The survey was advertised on MYDAWA's website; interested participants met staff in‐person at a convenient location to complete the survey from 1 June to 20 November 2022. We used conditional logit modelling with an interaction by current PrEP use to estimate overall preferences and latent class analysis (LCA) to assess preference heterogeneity.ResultsOverall, 772 participants completed the DCE; the mean age was 25 years and 54% were female. Most participants indicated a willingness to acquire online PrEP services, with particularly high demand among PrEP‐naive individuals. Overall, participants preferred remote clinical consultation, HIV self‐testing, online self‐assessment and phone call user support. The LCA identified three subgroups: the “prefer online PrEP with remote components” group (60.3% of the sample) whose preferences aligned with the main analysis, the “prefer online PrEP with in‐person components” group (20.7%), who preferred in‐person consultation, provider‐administered HIV testing, and guided assessment, and the “prefer remote PrEP (18.9%)” group who preferred online PrEP services only if they were remote.ConclusionsOnline pharmacy PrEP is highly acceptable and may expand PrEP coverage to those interested in PrEP but not accessing services. Most participants valued privacy and autonomy, preferring HIVST and remote provider interactions. However, when needing support for questions regarding PrEP, participants preferred phone/SMS contact with a provider. One‐fifth of participants preferred online PrEP with in‐person components, suggesting that providing multiple options can increase uptake.
Computer‐Aided Design of VEGFR‐2 Inhibitors as Anticancer Agents: A Review
Authors: Uba Abdullahi Ibrahim 
Published: October 2024

ABSTRACTDue to its intricate molecular and structural characteristics, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR‐2) is essential for the development of new blood vessels in various pathological processes and conditions, especially in cancers. VEGFR‐2 inhibitors have demonstrated significant anticancer effects by blocking many signaling pathways linked to tumor growth, metastasis, and angiogenesis. Several small compounds, including the well‐tolerated sunitinib and sorafenib, have been approved as VEGFR‐2 inhibitors. However, the widespread side effects linked to these VEGFR‐2 inhibitors—hypertension, epistaxis, proteinuria, and upper respiratory infection—motivate researchers to search for new VEGFR‐2 inhibitors with better pharmacokinetic profiles. The key molecular interactions required for the interaction of the small molecules with the protein target to produce the desired pharmacological effects are identified using computer‐aided drug design (CADD) methods such as pharmacophore and QSAR modeling, structure‐based virtual screening, molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation coupled with MM/PB(GB)SA, and other computational strategies. This review discusses the applications of these methods for VEGFR‐2 inhibitor design. Future VEGFR‐2 inhibitor designs may be influenced by this review, which focuses on the current trends of using multiple screening layers to design better inhibitors.
High‐yield rice with rich nutrition and low toxicity can be obtained under potato–rice cropping system
Authors: Zhou Wei , Fan Yu , Jin Chunlian , Wang Yajun , Yan Fengjun , Wang Tao , Liu Qi , Chen Yong , Deng Fei , Lei Xiaolong , Hu Jianfeng , Tao Youfeng , Cheng Hong , Ren Wanjun 
Published: October 2024

AbstractBACKGROUNDRice is often rotated with dryland crops to produce sufficient foodstuff, as rice is the main food crop of humans. In order to verify whether under the intensive rice‐based cropping system, high yield and good quality of rice can be achieved simultaneously to ensure food security. Five long‐term paddy–upland rotations – wheat–rice (WR), rapeseed–rice (RR), garlic–rice (GR), broad beans–rice (BR) and potato–rice (PR) – were conducted from 2014 to investigate rice yield, along with the profiling of 24 elements in rice grain.RESULTSMg, Zn, Cu, As, Mo and Sb concentrations were highest in the aleurone layer, and Ag and Cd concentrations showed little variation among different parts of the rice grain. Al, Ti, V, Si, Fe and Tl concentrations in the endosperm under GR were higher, while the Se concentration under PR was the highest. Furthermore, the yield of GR and PR were higher than the other three rotations with N supplementation, and the sustainable yield index of PR and WR were larger than 0.8.CONCLUSIONWhen we consider the concentration of toxic (As, Cd and Pb) and nutrient elements (Ca, Fe, Zn, Se, Cu and Mg) in the endosperm and grain yields, PR can simultaneously achieve high yield, high nutrition and low toxicity with different nitrogen treatments. Here we provide novel insights regarding the selection of rice‐based cropping systems, focused on producing nutritious and safe rice with high grain yield. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.
High‐Performance Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry Method Development and Validation for Simultaneous Determination of Seven Nitrosamine and Azidomethyl‐Biphenyl‐Tetrazole Impurities in Losartan
Authors: Luan Nguyen Minh , Khuyen Vo Thi Kim , Tuan Nguyen Duc 
Published: October 2024

ABSTRACTNitrosamine‐related impurities (N‐nitrosomethylamino butyric acid [NMBA], N‐nitrosodiethylamine [NDEA], N‐nitrosodiisopropylamine [NDIPA], N‐nitrosomethylphenylamine [NMPA], N‐nitrosodibutylamine [NDBA], N‐nitrosodimethylamine [NDMA], and N‐nitrosoethylisopropylamine [NEIPA]) and 5‐[4'‐(azidomethyl)‐[1,1'‐biphenyl]‐2‐yl]‐2H‐tetrazole (AZBT) formed during the manufacture of sartan medicines have been classified into human mutagens and carcinogens after long‐term treatment. The study developed a simple, economical but highly sensitive procedure for the simultaneous quantification of seven nitrosamines and AZBT impurities in sartan pharmaceuticals. After extraction with methanol (MeOH) 50%, the compounds were analyzed with a reversed‐phase liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectroscopy with atmospheric‐pressure chemical ionization (APCI) mode (APCI[+] for nitrosamines and APCI[−] for AZBT), selected reaction monitoring, C18 column, gradient elution with 0.1% formic acid in water and in MeOH, respectively. The validated procedure obtained high extraction efficiency (>90%), wide linear range (0.2–50.0 ng/mL NMBA, NDEA, NDIPA, NMPA, and NDBA; 0.5–50.0 ng/mL NDMA and NEIPA; 2.0–100 ng/mL AZBT), limit of quantification < 10% of the acceptance level, recovery range of 85%–115% with relative standard deviation < 15% and minimum matrix effects for all impurities. The procedure was applied to test 16 commercial losartan samples. As a result, eight samples contained AZBT within the current regulatory limits, but no nitrosamine impurities were detected in all samples.
Stimuli‐Responsive Molecularly Imprinted Polymers: Mechanism and Applications
Authors: Li Zheng , Deng Jiaming , Ma Peirong , Bai Haoran , Jin Yuting , Zhang Yanling , Dong Alideertu , Burenjargal Munkhjargal 
Published: October 2024

ABSTRACTMolecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are very suitable for extraction, drug delivery systems, and sensors due to their good selective adsorption ability, but the difficulty of eluting templates during synthesis and the limitation of application scenarios put higher demands on MIPs. Stimuli‐responsive MIPs (SR‐MIPs) can actively respond to changes in external conditions to realize various functions, which provides new ideas for the further development of MIPs. This paper reviews the multiple response modes of MIPs, including the common temperature, pH, photo, magnetic, redox‐responsive and rare gas, biomolecule, ion, and solvent‐responsive MIPs, and explains the mechanism, composition, and applications of such SR‐MIPs. These SR‐MIPs and the resulting dual/multiple‐responsive MIPs have good selectivity, and controllability, and are very promising for isolation and extraction, targeted drug delivery, and electro‐sensor.
Does the Reclamation Period Affect the Variation of Soil Nutrients Across Different Vegetation Types in a Reclaimed Opencast Coal Mine Dump? Validated Through Three Soil Sampling Replicates
Authors: Sun Wenwu , Fan Xiang , Guan Yanjun , Zhou Wei , Bai Zhongke , Sun Tinglan 
Published: October 2024

ABSTRACTSoil reconstruction and vegetation rehabilitation play essential roles in the ecological restoration of opencast coal mining areas. The significant interaction between these two initiatives has been widely recognized, but further investigation is needed to determine whether the variations in reconstructed soil nutrients among different vegetation types are influenced by the reclamation period. By conducting three repeated soil samplings in 2013, 2017, and 2021, soil nutrient data such as available phosphorus (SAP), available potassium (SAK), total nitrogen (STN), and organic matter (SOM) under different vegetation types (cereal crops [CC], herbaceous plants [HP], arbor‐shrubs [AS], and wild grasses [WG]) on the surface of a reclaimed dump in the Pingshuo opencast coal mine on the Loess Plateau were obtained. Through descriptive statistical analysis, geostatistical analysis, two‐way analysis of variance, and geo‐detector model, this study analyzed the spatial and temporal variations in the response of reconstructed soil nutrients to different vegetation types based on different land reclamation periods. This study found that apart from SAP, spatial differences in soil nutrients were only significantly influenced by vegetation types in 2021 (p ≤ 0.05), indicating that in the early stages of reclamation (in 2013 and 2017), rehabilitated vegetation types were not sufficient to serve as the primary explanation for spatial variations in soil nutrients. However, as the reclamation period progressed, the spatial differentiation characteristics of reconstructed soil nutrients gradually became influenced by vegetation types. During the period of 2013–2017, WG represented the vegetation type exhibiting the fastest efficiency in soil nutrient restoration among SAK and STN categories. However, over the 2013–2021 timeframe, it transitioned to become the vegetation type with the slowest rate of soil nutrient recovery among SAP and SAK types. Regardless of whether in the period of 2017–2021 or 2013–2021, HP was consistently identified as the vegetation type with the quickest rate of soil nutrient restoration for the majority of nutrient categories. This highlighted the significant advantage of delineating suitable vegetation types at appropriate reclamation stages in promoting efficient soil nutrient recovery.
Microfluidic Fabrication of Gelatin‐Nano Hydroxyapatite Scaffolds for Enhanced Control of Pore Size Distribution and Osteogenic Differentiation of Dental Pulp Stem Cells
Authors: Bayram Cem , Ozturk Sukru , Karaosmanoglu Beren , Gultekinoglu Merve , Taskiran Ekim Z. , Ulubayram Kezban , Majd Hamta , Ahmed Jubair , Edirisinghe Mohan 
Published: October 2024

AbstractThe combination of gelatin and hydroxyapatite (HA) has emerged as a promising strategy in dental tissue engineering due to its favorable biocompatibility, mechanical properties, and ability to support cellular activities essential for tissue regeneration, rendering them ideal components for hard tissue applications. Besides, precise control over interconnecting porosity is of paramount importance for tissue engineering materials. Conventional methods for creating porous scaffolds frequently encounter difficulties in regulating pore size distribution. This study demonstrates the fabrication of gelatin‐nano HA scaffolds with uniform porosity using a T‐type junction microfluidic device in a single‐step process. Significant improvements in control over the pore size distribution are achieved by regulating the flow parameters, resulting in effective and time‐efficient manufacturing comparable in quality to the innovative 3D bioprinting techniques. The overall porosity of the scaffolds exceeded 60%, with a remarkably narrow size distribution. The incorporation of nano‐HAinto 3D porous gelatin scaffolds successfully induced osteogenic differentiation in stem cells at both the protein and gene levels, as evidenced by the significant increase in osteocalcin (OCN), an important marker of osteogenic differentiation. The OCN levels are 26 and 43 times higher for gelatin and gelatin‐HA scaffolds, respectively, compared to the control group.
Corrosivity Control Inside Offshore Wind Power Turbines by Combined Dehumidification and Overpressure
Authors: Troskie Benjamin , Toftegaard Rasmus , Bonnez Keld 
Published: October 2024

ABSTRACTThe contribution explores the significance of employing dry‐air technology as an efficient method for controlling and mitigating corrosion inside offshore wind turbine nacelles and towers. The article describes a dry‐air approach that curtails the necessity for costly corrosion protection measures and it explains its ability to diminish and regulate relative humidity. Additionally, it is outlined how the utilization of a dry‐air strategy results in the creation of an internal overpressure within the wind turbine structure. This overpressure effectively serves as a barrier against the ingress of moisture‐laden, salt‐infused air. Comparative site‐sensor data are presented and discussed for two dehumidification techniques. Finally, practical solutions are presented.
Enhancing the Biomimetic Mechanics of Bottlebrush Graft‐Copolymers through Selective Solvent Annealing
Authors: Umarov Akmal Z. , Collins Joseph , Nikitina Evgeniia A. , Moutsios Ioannis , Rosenthal Martin , Dobrynin Andrey V. , Sheiko Sergei S. , Ivanov Dimitri A. 
Published: October 2024

AbstractSelf‐assembled networks of bottlebrush copolymers are promising materials for biomedical applications due to a unique combination of ultra‐softness and strain‐adaptive stiffening, characteristic of soft biological tissues. Transitioning from ABA linear‐brush‐linear triblock copolymers to A‐g‐B bottlebrush graft copolymer architectures allows significant increasing the mechanical strength of thermoplastic elastomers. Using real‐time synchrotron small‐angle X‐ray scattering, it is shown that annealing of A‐g‐B elastomers in a selective solvent for the linear A blocks allows for substantial network reconfiguration, resulting in an increase of both the A domain size and the distance between the domains. The corresponding increases in the aggregation number and extension of bottlebrush strands lead to a significant increase of the strain‐stiffening parameter up to 0.7, approaching values characteristic of the brain and skin tissues. Network reconfiguration without disassembly is an efficient approach to adjusting the mechanical performance of tissue‐mimetic materials to meet the needs of diverse biomedical applications.
ALKBH5‐Mediated m6A Modification of XBP1 Facilitates NSCLC Progression Through the IL‐6–JAK–STAT3 Pathway
Authors: Liang Hengxing , Zhang Chunmin , Hu Minxin , Hu Fang , Wang Saihui , Wei Wei , Hu Wen 
Published: October 2024

ABSTRACTThe X‐box‐binding protein 1 (XBP1) is an important transcription factor during endoplasmic reticulum stress response, which was reported as an oncogene in non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumorigenesis and development. However, the regulatory mechanism of XBP1 expression in NSCLC progression was less reported. N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) RNA modification is an emerging epigenetic regulatory mechanism for gene expression. This study aimed to investigate the regulatory role of the m6A modification in XBP1 expression in NSCLC. We identified XBP1 as a downstream target of ALKBH5‐mediated m6A modification in A549 and PC9 cells. Knockdown of ALKBH5 increased the m6A modification and the stability of XBP1 mRNA, while overexpression of ALKBH5 had the opposite effect. Furthermore, IGF2BP3 was confirmed to be a reader of XBP1 m6A methylation and to enhance the stability of XBP1 mRNA. Additionally, IGF2BP3 knockdown significantly reversed the increase in XBP1 stability mediated by ALKBH5 depletion. In vivo and in vitro experiments demonstrated that ALKBH5/IGF2BP3 promotes the proliferation, migration, and invasion of NSCLC cells by upregulating XBP1 expression. In addition, we also showed that XBP1 promoted NSCLC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by activating IL‐6–JAK–STAT3 signaling. Our research suggested that ALKBH5‐mediated m6A modification of XBP1 facilitates NSCLC progression through the IL‐6–JAK–STAT3 pathway.
Assessing the biological effects of boron neutron capture therapy through cellular DNA damage repair model
Authors: Yu Chenxi , Geng Changran , Tang Xiaobin 
Published: October 2024

AbstractBackgroundBoron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is a targeted radiotherapy that relies on the 10B (n, α) 7Li reaction, which produces secondary particles with high linear energy transfer (LET), leading to a high relative biological effectiveness (RBE) in tumors. The biological effectiveness of BNCT is influenced by factors such as boron distribution and concentration, necessitating improved methods for assessing its radiobiological effects and clarifying the sensitivity of the differences in different factors to the biological effects.PurposeThis paper introduces a method to evaluate the biological effects of BNCT using the cellular repair model. This method aims to overcome some of the limitations of current evaluation approaches. The primary goal is to provide guidance for clinical treatments and the development of boron drugs, as well as to investigate the impact of the synergistic effects of mixed radiation fields in BNCT on treatment outcomes.MethodsThe approach involves three key steps: first, extending the radial energy deposition distribution of BNCT secondary particles using Geant4‐DNA. This allows for the calculation of initial DNA double‐strand breaks (DSBs) distributions for a given absorbed dose. Next, the obtained initial DSB distributions are used for DNA damage repair simulations to generate cell survival curves, then thereby quantifying RBE and compound biological effectiveness (CBE). The study also explores the synergistic effects of the mixed radiation fields in BNCT on assessing biological effects were also explored in depth.ResultsThe results showed that the RBE of boronophenylalanine (BPA) and sodium borocaptate (BSH) drugs at cell survival fraction 0.01 was 2.50 and 2.15, respectively. The CBE of the boron dose component was 3.60 and 0.73, respectively, and the RBE of the proton component was 3.21, demonstrating that BPA has a significantly higher biological impact than BSH due to superior cellular permeability. The proton dose significance in BNCT treatment is also underscored, necessitating consideration in both experimental and clinical contexts. The study demonstrates that synergistic effects between disparate radiation fields lead to increased misrepairs and enhanced biological impact. Additionally, the biological effect diminishes with rising boron concentration, emphasizing the need to account for intercellular DNA damage heterogeneity.ConclusionsThis methodology offers valuable insights for the development of new boron compounds and precise assessment of bio‐weighted doses in clinical settings and can be adapted to other therapeutic modalities.
A Fast Cross‐Chain Protocol Based on Trusted Notary Group for Metaverse
Authors: Ding Yong , Huang Weiguo , Liang Hai , Wang Yujue , Yang Changsong , Wang Huiyong 
Published: October 2024

ABSTRACTThe metaverse is a virtual environment that combines the real and digital worlds through technological and social structures. It heralds a novel paradigm in internet applications and societal engagement by weaving together diverse cutting‐edge technologies to facilitate a virtual representation of the tangible world. Within the metaverse, the facets of economy, culture, and other dimensions are fully documentable, trackable, and quantifiable, largely owing to the capabilities of blockchain technology. Nonetheless, the transactional volume within the metaverse is typically substantial, posing challenges for a singular blockchain platform in terms of efficiency and support capacity. Consequently, a multi‐blockchain infrastructure becomes essential to underpin the economic fabric of the metaverse. Enabling the collaborative operation of multiple blockchain platforms, specifically achieving the seamless transfer of value across different blockchain ecosystems, has emerged as a critical challenge. To address this challenge, this paper introduces a cross‐chain protocol predicated on a multi‐role notary system designed to facilitate inter‐blockchain value transfers. The protocol specifies the functions of different entities within the notary framework, allocating specific duties to notaries, committees, and a leader. It also promotes mutual oversight among notaries to sustain a dynamic and equitable group structure. Furthermore, an incentive mechanism is proposed to motivate committee members toward prompt and judicious decision‐making regarding votes. Based on experiments conducted on the Ethereum platform, our proposed solution exhibits a 75% reduction in transaction time compared to Ethereum's transaction confirmation time.
Knowledge and Performance on Intravenous Medication Administration to Patients: A Cross‐Sectional Observational Study Among Nurses of Nepal
Authors: Dhungana Jaya , Bajracharya Subina , Reynolds Nancy R. 
Published: October 2024

ABSTRACTAimTo evaluate knowledge and performance levels regarding intravenous (IV) medication administration to patients among nurses working in paediatric centers of Nepal.DesignA cross‐sectional descriptive observational study.MethodsEnumerative sampling method was used for participant selection from the four hospitals having paediatric units. Data were collected using knowledge survey and observational checklist on four phases of IV medication administration.ResultsOf 115 nurses, 14 (12.2%) had adequate knowledge about IV medication administration whereas none had good level and only 20 nurses (17.4%) had fair level of performance. There was a weak negative correlation between knowledge and practice scores. Nurses working 8‐h shifts had better performance than those working 6‐h shifts; however, the recommended nurse–patient ratio was not maintained in 80% of observed shifts. The findings highlight the importance of upgrading nurses' knowledge and professional competencies on medication administration to improve the quality of patient care.