bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Defined folding pattern of poly(rG) supports inherent ability to encode biological information
Authors: Kankia Nickolas , Lomidze Levan , Stevenson Skylar , Musier‐Forsyth Karin , Kankia Besik 
Published: July 2024

AbstractThe RNA World hypothesis posits that RNA can represent a primitive life form by reproducing itself and demonstrating catalytic activity. However, this hypothesis is incapable of addressing several major origin‐of‐life (OoL) questions. A recently described paradox‐free alternative OoL hypothesis, the Quadruplex (G4) World, is based on the ability of poly(dG) to fold into a stable architecture with an unambiguous folding pattern using G‐tetrads as building elements. Because of the folding pattern of three G‐tetrads and single‐G loops, dG15 is programmable and has the capability to encode biological information. Here, we address two open questions of the G4 World hypothesis: (1) Does RNA follow the same folding pattern as DNA? (2) How do stable quadruplexes evolve into the present‐day system of information transfer, which is based on Watson‐Crick base pair complementarity? To address these questions, we systematically studied the thermodynamic and optical properties of both DNA and RNA G15‐ and G3T (GGGTGGGTGGGTGGG)‐derived sequences. Our study revealed that similar to DNA sequences, RNAs adopt quadruplexes with only three G‐tetrads. Thus, both poly(dG) and poly(rG) possess inherent ability to fold into 3D quadruplex architecture with strictly defined folding pattern. The study also revealed that despite high stability of both DNA and RNA quadruplexes, they are vulnerable to single‐nucleotide substitutions, which drop the thermal stability by ~40°C and can facilitate introduction of the complementarity principle into the G4 World.
Insight from Electrochemical Analysis in the Radical Cation State of a Monopyrrolotetrathiafulvalene‐Based [2]Rotaxane
Authors: Neumann Mathias S. , Flood Amar H. , Jeppesen Jan O. 
Published: July 2024

AbstractMechanically interlocked molecules are a class of compounds used for controlling directional movement when barriers can be raised and lowered using external stimuli. Applied voltages can turn on redox states to alter electrostatic barriers but their use for directing motion requires knowledge of their impact on the kinetics. Herein, we make the first measurements on the movement of cyclobis(paraquat‐p‐phenylene) (CBPQT4+) across the radical‐cation state of monopyrrolotetrathiafulvalene (MPTTF) in a [2]rotaxane using variable scan‐rate electrochemistry. The [2]rotaxane is designed in a way that directs CBPQT4+ to a high‐energy co‐conformation upon oxidation of MPTTF to either the radical cation (MPTTF⋅+) or the dication (MPTTF2+). 1H NMR spectroscopic investigations carried out in acetonitrile at 298 K showed direct interconversion to the thermodynamically more stable ground‐state co‐conformation with CBPQT4+ moving across the oxidized MPTTF2+ electrostatic barrier. The electrochemical studies revealed that interconversion takes place by movement of CBPQT4+ across both the MPTTF•+ (19.3 kcal mol−1) and MPTTF2+ (18.7 kcal mol−1) barriers. The outcome of our studies shows that MPTTF has three accessible redox states that can be used to kinetically control the movement of the ring component in mechanically interlocked molecules.
Out‐of‐pocket costs for diagnostic testing following abnormal prostate cancer screening among privately insured men
Authors: Srivastava Arnav , Tilea Anca , Kim David D. , Dalton Vanessa K. , Fendrick A. Mark 
Published: July 2024

AbstractObjectiveProstate cancer is the most common malignancy among men and following a positive prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) screening test, patients may undergo more expensive diagnostic testing. However, testing‐related out‐of‐pocket costs (OOPCs), which may preclude patients from completing the screening process, have not been previously quantified. OOPCs for follow‐up diagnostic testing (i.e., prostate biopsy and/or magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]) in patients with private insurance undergoing prostate cancer screening were estimated.MethodsMen ages 55 to 69 years old who underwent PSA‐based prostate cancer screening from 2010 to 2020 from the IBM Marketscan database were identified. The number of patients undergoing follow‐up diagnostic testing within 12 months of screening was tabulated, dividing patients into three groups: (1) biopsy only, (2) MRI only, and (3) MRI + biopsy. Over the study period, patients with nonzero cost‐sharing and calculated inflation‐adjusted OOPCs, adding copayment, coinsurance, and deductible payments, for each group were identified.ResultsAmong screened patients (n = 3,075,841) from 2010 through 2020, 91,850 had a second PSA test and an elevated PSA level, of which 40,329 (43.9%) underwent subsequent diagnostic testing. More than 75% of these patients experienced cost‐sharing, and median OOPCs rose substantially over the study period for patients undergoing biopsy only ($79 to $214), MRI only ($81 to $490), and MRI and biopsy ($353 to $620).ConclusionsOOPCs from diagnostic testing after prostate cancer screening are common and rising. This work aligns with the recent position statement from the American Cancer Society, that payers should eliminate cost‐sharing, which may undermine the screening process, for diagnostic testing following cancer screening.
A GSO‐based multi‐objective technique for performance optimization of blockchain‐based industrial Internet of things
Authors: Zanbouri Kouros , Darbandi Mehdi , Nassr Mohammad , Heidari Arash , Navimipour Nima Jafari , Yalcın Senay 
Published: July 2024

SummaryThe latest developments in the industrial Internet of things (IIoT) have opened up a collection of possibilities for many industries. To solve the massive IIoT data security and efficiency problems, a potential approach is considered to satisfy the main needs of IIoT, such as high throughput, high security, and high efficiency, which is named blockchain. The blockchain mechanism is considered a significant approach to boosting data protection and performance. In the quest to amplify the capabilities of blockchain‐based IIoT, a pivotal role is accorded to the Glowworm Swarm Optimization (GSO) algorithm. Inspired by the collaborative brilliance of glowworms in nature, the GSO algorithm offers a unique approach to harmonizing these conflicting aims. This paper proposes a new approach to improve the performance optimization of blockchain‐based IIoT using the GSO algorithm due to the blockchain's contradictory objectives. The proposed blockchain‐based IIoT system using the GSO algorithm addresses scalability challenges typically associated with blockchain technology by efficiently managing interactions among nodes and dynamically adapting to network demands. The GSO algorithm optimizes the allocation of resources and decision‐making, reducing inefficiencies and bottlenecks. The method demonstrates considerable performance improvements through extensive simulations compared to traditional algorithms, offering a more scalable and efficient solution for industrial applications in the context of the IIoT. The extensive simulation and computational study have shown that the proposed method using GSO considerably improves the objective function and blockchain‐based IIoT systems' performance compared to traditional algorithms. It provides more efficient and secure systems for industries and corporations.
Reconfigurable fractal antennas for future wireless applications: A comprehensive review
Authors: Patel Khushbu , Behera Santanu Kumar 
Published: July 2024

SummaryReconfigurable fractal antenna (RFA) design is always necessary for the continued development of wireless communication systems as the antenna is playing a vital part in device performance. The need for efficient radiators that are compact, low‐profile, inexpensive, and low weight has attracted scientists for their research works. As a result, numerous ideas were put forward by the researchers to attempt to resolve these problems by utilizing various kinds of fractal and reconfigurable antennas as well as their combinations. However, it is challenging to have a clear and transparent review of the various works with a large variety of solutions and their uniqueness. The advanced RFA design for wireless applications is reviewed in this study together with its most recent and pertinent counterparts. In Koch RFA, bandwidths enable selective bands spanning 1–6 GHz frequency range. Further, in band RFA design, the overall bandwidth ranges from 1.45 to 4.52 GHz (103%) with low gain; on the other hand, the crescent RFA achieves 5.67 dBi peak gain. Furthermore, in polarization RFA, the ARBWs are 17.61% (2.2–2.62 GHz) and 8.69% (2.91–3.18 GHz). The Hilbert RFA operates at 0.9 and 2.45 GHz with gains of 3.1 and 7 dBi, respectively. This article investigates a comprehensive review of the requirements for RFAs for wireless applications. Furthermore, a comparative study on different reconfigurability with switching techniques, fractal geometries, various RFA design approaches to enhance device performance, and their significance is discussed. Existing research challenges and future directions are also discussed as part of this article.
Unilateral drainage and chemotherapy prolong the patency of a plastic stent placed above the sphincter of Oddi in patients with malignant hilar biliary obstruction
Authors: Tomooka Fumimasa , Kitagawa Koh , Mitoro Akira , Fujinaga Yukihisa , Nishimura Norihisa , Namisaki Tadashi , Akahane Takemi , Kaji Kosuke , Asada Shohei , Sato Shinya , Hanatani Jun‐Ichi , Mori Hitoshi , Motokawa Yuki , Iwata Tomihiro , Kachi Hiroki , Osaki Yui , Yoshiji Hitoshi 
Published: July 2024

AbstractObjectivesTo evaluate the results of inside stent therapy for unresectable malignant hilar biliary obstruction and identify factors related to stent patency duration.MethodsOf 44 patients who underwent initial inside‐stent placement above the sphincter of Oddi from April 2017 to December 2022, 42 with the resolution of jaundice (clinical success rate, 95.5%) were retrospectively analyzed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis identified factors associated with stent patency duration.ResultsUnivariate analysis revealed significant differences in the drainage method (406 days for unilateral drainage vs. 305 days for bilateral drainage of the right and left liver lobes, p = 0.022) with or without chemotherapy (406 days with vs. 154 days without, p = 0.038). Multivariate analysis (Cox proportional hazards analysis) revealed similar results, with unilateral drainage (p = 0.031) and chemotherapy (p = 0.048) identified as independent factors associated with prolonged stent patency. Early adverse events were observed in two patients (4.8%; one cholangitis, one pancreatitis).ConclusionsInside‐stent therapy was safely performed in patients with malignant hilar biliary obstruction. Simple unilateral drainage and chemotherapy may prolong stent patency.
Late Positive Potential Elicited by Monetary Reward Feedback Predicts Changes of Disordered Eating From Age 11 to Age 12 in Community‐Dwelling Girls
Authors: Liu Pan , Tan Jaron X. Y. 
Published: July 2024

ABSTRACTObjectiveEarly adolescence is marked by elevated psychopathology, including disrupted eating attitudes and behaviors. Reward processing is an identified mechanism in portending eating pathology, that is, aberrant reward responsivity may contribute to disrupted reward‐seeking behaviors (e.g., food consuming). This literature has focused on adults or mid‐to‐late adolescents, with little work done on early adolescence. We examined the linkages between reward feedback processing, indexed by event‐related potentials (ERPs), and changes of emerging disordered eating in community‐dwelling early adolescents.MethodAt T1, 115 youths (66 girls, mean/SD age = 11.00/1.16 years) completed an EEG monetary reward Doors task. Youths completed the Eating Disorder Examination‐Questionnaire Short at T1 and ~6 months (T2) and ~12 months (T3) after T1. In the ERP data, we isolated a reward positivity (RewP) and a late positive potential (LPP) via principal component analysis. We applied multilevel modeling to examine whether baseline ERPs interacted with Time in predicting disordered eating and whether these interactions varied by sex.ResultsWe found a significant Time × LPP interaction in girls but not boys. Among girls, only those with a smaller LPP toward the losses (versus wins), which might reflect suboptimal evaluation and regulatory processes in undesired situations, showed increases in disordered eating from T1 to T3.DiscussionWe provided preliminary yet novel evidence concerning the prospective associations between reward processing and changes of disordered eating in early adolescents. Future studies along this line will be critical for understanding the early mechanisms of eating pathology, identifying youths at risk, and developing prevention strategies.
Overwintering under ice: A novel observation for an Australian freshwater turtle
Authors: Dowling James , Bower Deborah S. , Nordberg Eric J. 
Published: July 2024

AbstractFrozen water bodies provide a physiological challenge to fauna by physically limiting access to atmospheric oxygen. To tolerate low temperatures, reptiles use brumation as a physiological strategy in winter. Cryptodira vary in their tolerance to freezing conditions but the extent of tolerance in pleurodirans is largely unknown. Australia's freshwater turtles inhabit warmer regions with less severe winters and have well‐developed mechanisms to cope with high temperatures and drying waterbodies, rather than extreme cold tolerance. Chelodina longicollis is a widespread Australian freshwater turtle species that tolerates high temperatures and desiccation during hot, dry periods while also undergoing brumation during winter months. Despite extensive research, limited observations exist on their behaviour during severe winter periods at the extremes of their range. In an 11‐month tracking study, we monitored adult C. longicollis, noting their movements, locations, and temperature weekly. We observed an adult female C. longicollis which, during a seven‐month period within a single creek pool, survived brumation in extreme cold water including a 15‐day period of total freezing of the surface water. After the ice melted following a rain event, the turtle was recaptured alive. This marks the first observation of brumation for an Australian chelid species under ice.
Stable body sizes in soil nematodes across altitudes: The role of intrageneric variation in community assembly
Authors: Li Teng , Li Xianping , Zheng Lingyun , Li Huixin 
Published: July 2024

AbstractAnimal body size exhibits rapid responses to environmental variations and displays considerable variability across ecological scales, significantly influencing ecological community assembly. However, our understanding of the extent of body size variation and its responses to environmental differences within soil fauna remains limited, impeding a comprehensive grasp of soil fauna's functional ecology. Here, we aim to investigate the magnitude of intrageneric body size variation and its implications for soil nematode community assembly along an altitudinal gradient. We examined soil nematode body size responses along an altitudinal gradient spanning from 3136 to 4128 m in an alpine mountain region of the eastern Tibetan Plateau. We assessed the contributions of intra‐ and intergeneric variations in body size, both within and among communities, using individual body size values. The implications of these variations for community assembly processes were determined through phenotypic variance ratios employing permutation tests. Our analyses did not reveal statistically significant correlations between altitude and the community‐weighted mean body mass, regardless of considering intrageneric trait variation (IGTV). Approximately 15% of the variation in body size among communities and a substantial 72% of the variation in body size within communities can be attributed to IGTV. Altitude did not significantly affect IGTV within or among communities. Furthermore, our results underscored the dominant role of internal filtering within the community in governing nematode community assembly, with external filtering outside the community playing a limited role within our altitudinal range. Our findings emphasize the dominant role of body size variation within communities rather than among communities, attributable to strong internal filtering processes. These findings advance our understanding of body size variation in soil nematodes across ecological scales and highlight the pivotal role of intrageneric variation in shaping the functional ecology of soil fauna.
Energy and exergy analysis of drying terebinth in a far infrared‐rotary dryer using response surface methodology
Authors: Kaveh Mohammad , Abbaspour‐Gilandeh Yousef , Nowacka Malgorzata , Kalantari Davood , El‐Mesery Hany S. , Taghinezhad Ebrahim 
Published: July 2024

AbstractWater shows a strong tendency to absorb the energy of wavelengths of 3 and 6 µm, which are in the infrared (IR) range. Therefore, IR dryers are used to dry food and fruits that have a high‐water content. Thus, modeling and optimizing energy and exergy parameters of terebinth drying in an IR–rotary drum (RD) dryer were evaluated using the response surface methodology. Independent factors included IR power and rotary rotation speed, and response factors were specific energy consumption (SEC), energy efficiency (EFF), exergy efficiency (EXEFF), specific exergy loss (EXLOSS), and exergy improvement potential (EIP). According to the obtained results, the range of EFF and EXEFF was between 28.93%–9.11% and 0.88%–6.62%, respectively. As IR power and RD speed increased, SEC (123.75–39.21 MJ/kg), EXLOSS (3.97–2.97 MJ/kg), and EIP (3.62–1.009 MJ/kg) decreased, while EFF and EXEFF increased. The results obtained in this study showed that the optimal IR drying power is 616.39 W, and the optimal rotary rotation speed is 13.46 rpm.
Fabrication of chitin‐fibrin hydrogels to construct the 3D artificial extracellular matrix scaffold for vascular regeneration and cardiac tissue engineering
Authors: Yang Pengcheng , Xie Fang , Zhu Lihang , Selvaraj Jonathan Nimal , Zhang Donghui , Cai Jie 
Published: July 2024

AbstractAs the cornerstone of tissue engineering and regeneration medicine research, developing a cost‐effective and bionic extracellular matrix (ECM) that can precisely modulate cellular behavior and form functional tissue remains challenging. An artificial ECM combining polysaccharides and fibrillar proteins to mimic the structure and composition of natural ECM provides a promising solution for cardiac tissue regeneration. In this study, we developed a bionic hydrogel scaffold by combining a quaternized β‐chitin derivative (QC) and fibrin‐matrigel (FM) in different ratios to mimic a natural ECM. We evaluated the stiffness of those composite hydrogels with different mixing ratios and their effects on the growth of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The optimal hydrogels, QCFM1 hydrogels were further applied to load HUVECs into nude mice for in vivo angiogenesis. Besides, we encapsulated human pluripotent stem cell‐derived cardiomyocytes (hPSC‐CMs) into QCFM hydrogels and employed 3D bioprinting to achieve batch fabrication of human‐engineered heart tissue (hEHT). Finally, the myocardial structure and electrophysiological function of hEHT were evaluated by immunofluorescence and optical mapping. Designed artificial ECM has a tunable modulus (220–1380 Pa), which determines the different cellular behavior of HUVECs when encapsulated in these. QCFM1 composite hydrogels with optimal stiffness (800 Pa) and porous architecture were finally identified, which could adapt for in vitro cell spreading and in vivo angiogenesis of HUVECs. Moreover, QCFM1 hydrogels were applied in 3D bioprinting successfully to achieve batch fabrication of both ring‐shaped and patch‐shaped hEHT. These QCFM1 hydrogels‐based hEHTs possess organized sarcomeres and advanced function characteristics comparable to reported hEHTs. The chitin‐derived hydrogels are first used for cardiac tissue engineering and achieve the batch fabrication of functionalized artificial myocardium. Specifically, these novel QCFM1 hydrogels provided a reliable and economical choice serving as ideal ECM for application in tissue engineering and regeneration medicine.
CD66b+/CD68+ circulating extracellular vesicles, lactate dehydrogenase and neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio can differentiate coronavirus disease 2019 severity during and after infection
Authors: Suades Rosa , Greco Maria Francesca , Prieto Paula , Padró Teresa , Devaux Yvan , Domingo Pere , Badimon Lina 
Published: July 2024

AbstractCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) has been a major public health burden. We hypothesised that circulating extracellular vesicles (cEVs), key players in health and disease, could trace the cell changes during COVID‐19 infection and recovery. Therefore, we studied the temporal trend of cEV and inflammatory marker levels in plasma samples of COVID‐19 patients that were collected within 24 h of patient admission (baseline, n = 80) and after hospital discharge at day‐90 post‐admission (n = 59). Inflammatory markers were measured by standard biochemical methods. cEVs were quantitatively and phenotypically characterized by high‐sensitivity nano flow cytometry. In patients recovered from COVID‐19 lower levels of inflammatory markers were detected. cEVs from vascular (endothelial cells) and blood (platelets, distinct immune subsets) cells were significantly reduced at day‐90 compared to admission levels, a pattern also observed for cEVs from progenitor, perivascular and epithelial cells. The best discriminatory power for COVID‐19 severity was found for inflammatory markers lactate dehydrogenase and neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio and for granulocyte/macrophage‐released CD66b+/CD68+‐cEVs. Albeit inflammatory markers were good indicators of systemic inflammatory response and discriminators of COVID‐19 remission, they do not completely reveal cell stress and organ damage states. cEVs reaching baseline pre‐infection levels at 90 days post‐infection in recovered patients discriminate parental cells affected by disease.