bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Molecular characterization of the cytochrome P450 enzyme CYP18A1 in Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata
Authors: Zhang Yu‐Xing , Tan Qiao , Jin Lin , Li Guo‐Qing 
Published: April 2024

AbstractIn insects, the expression of 20E response genes that initiate metamorphosis is triggered by a pulse of 20‐hydroxyecdysone (20E). The 20E pulse is generated through two processes: synthesis, which increases its level, and inactivation, which decreases its titer. CYP18A1 functions as an ecdysteroid 26‐hydroxylase and plays a role in 20E removal in several representative insects. However, applying 20E degradation activity of CYP18A1 to other insects remains a significant challenge. In this study, we discovered high levels of Hvcyp18a1 during the larval and late pupal stages, particularly in the larval epidermis and fat body of Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata, a damaging Coleopteran pest of potatoes. RNA interference (RNAi) targeting Hvcyp18a1 disrupted the pupation. Approximately 75% of the Hvcyp18a1 RNAi larvae experienced developmental arrest and remained as stunted prepupae. Subsequently, they gradually turned black and eventually died. Among the Hvcyp18a1‐depleted animals that successfully pupated, around half became malformed pupae with swollen elytra and hindwings. The emerged adults from these deformed pupae appeared misshapen, with shriveled elytra and hindwings, and were wrapped in the pupal exuviae. Furthermore, RNAi of Hvcyp18a1 increased the expression of a 20E receptor gene (HvEcR) and four 20E response transcripts (HvE75, HvHR3, HvBrC, and HvαFTZ‐F1), while decreased the transcription of HvβFTZ‐F1. Our findings confirm the vital role of CYP18A1 in the pupation, potentially involved in the degradation of 20E in H. vigintioctopunctata.
RNAi efficiency is enhanced through knockdown of double‐stranded RNA‐degrading enzymes in butterfly Papilio xuthus
Authors: Shu Qian , Liu Gui‐chun , He Jin‐wu , Hu Ping , Dong Zhi‐wei , Zhao Ruo‐ping , Zhang Hong‐rui , Li Xue‐yan 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThe efficiency of RNA interference (RNAi) has always limited the research on the phenotype innovation of Lepidoptera insects. Previous studies have found that double‐stranded RNA‐degrading enzyme (dsRNase) is an important factor in RNAi efficiency, but there have been no relevant reports in butterflies (Papilionoidea). Papilio xuthus is one of the important models in butterflies with an extensive experimental application value. To explore the effect of dsRNase in the RNAi efficiency on butterflies, six dsRNase genes (PxdsRNase 1–6) were identified in P. xuthus genome, and their dsRNA‐degrading activities were subsequently detected by ex vivo assays. The result shows that the dsRNA‐degrading ability of gut content (<1 h) was higher than hemolymph content (>12 h). We then investigated the expression patterns of these PxdsRNase genes during different tissues and developmental stages, and related RNAi experiments were carried out. Our results show that different PxdsRNase genes had different expression levels at different developmental stages and tissues. The expression of PxdsRNase2, PxdsRNase3, and PxdsRNase6 were upregulated significantly through dsGFP injection, and PxdsRNase genes can be silenced effectively by injecting their corresponding dsRNA. RNAi‐of‐RNAi studies with PxEbony, which acts as a reporter gene, observed that silencing PxdsRNase genes can increase RNAi efficiency significantly. These results confirm that silencing dsRNase genes can improve RNAi efficiency in P. xuthus significantly, providing a reference for the functional study of insects such as butterflies with low RNAi efficiency.
Assessment of fragment docking and scoring with the endothiapepsin model system
Authors: Herbst Carina , Endres Sara , Würz Rebecca , Sotriffer Christoph 
Published: April 2024

AbstractFragment‐based screening has become indispensable in drug discovery. Yet, the weak binding affinities of these small molecules still represent a challenge for the reliable detection of fragment hits. The extent of this issue was illustrated in the literature for the aspartic protease endothiapepsin: When seven biochemical and biophysical in vitro screening methods were applied to screen a library of 361 fragments, very poor overlap was observed between the hit fragments identified by the individual approaches, resulting in high levels of false positive and/or false negative results depending on the mutually compared methods. Here, the reported in vitro findings are juxtaposed with the results from in silico docking and scoring approaches. The docking programs GOLD and Glide were considered with the scoring functions ASP, ChemScore, ChemPLP, GoldScore, DSXCSD, and GlideScore. First, the ranking power and scoring power were assessed for the named scoring functions. Second, the capability of reproducing the crystallized fragment binding modes was tested in a structure‐based redocking approach. The redocking success notably depended on the ligand efficiency of the considered fragments. Third, a blinded virtual screening approach was employed to evaluate whether in silico screening can compete with in vitro methods in the enrichment of fragment databases.
Potential impact of Aeroclipper observations targeting tropical cyclone in the Western Pacific
Authors: Hattori Miki , Bellenger Hugo , Duvel Jean‐Philippe , Enomoto Takeshi 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThe Aeroclipper is a new balloon device that can be attracted and captured by tropical cyclones (TC) and perform continuous in situ measurements at the air–sea interfaces. To estimate the potential effect of Aeroclipper observations on the analysis of TCs, virtual Aeroclipper observations targeting TC Haima (October 2016) were synthesized using an idealized surface pressure distribution and best track data and were assimilated using an ensemble data assimilation system. Results show that the assimilation of Aeroclipper measurements may provide a more accurate representation of the TC pressure, wind, and temperature in analyses. This also leads to improved precipitation around the Philippines. The ensemble spread shows that the Aeroclipper measurement assimilation has an impact on the analyses that extends into the tropics from the early stages of TC development. These impact signals propagate westward with easterly waves and eastward with large‐scale convective disturbances. Although the underlying mechanisms need to be further examined and tested using real Aeroclipper measurements, the present study shows that these balloons could provide valuable observations to improve the precision of analyses in presence of a TC. This is a first step toward a study of the impact of the Aeroclipper measurement on TC forecast.
Technical teacher training program for engineering integration in K‐12 education
Authors: Bal Sezen , Sarıkaş Ali , Yayla Ayşe , Başpınar Ulvi , Altınay Selçuk , Baba Ahmet F. , Erdal Hasan , Korkmaz Hayriye 
Published: April 2024

AbstractEngineering can enhance students' theoretical knowledge and practical application skills when integrated into K‐12 education. This approach encourages students to contemplate technology and engineering in more depth. Field programmable gate array (FPGA) technology training is becoming increasingly important, especially for vocational high school technical teachers. This study focuses on providing FPGA technology training to these vocational and technical teachers. The aim is to improve their theoretical understanding of FPGA digital design and practical application skills. By incorporating the latest technology into their courses, educators can offer students in‐depth learning and practical experience in electronic engineering and digital design. The training program covered the basics of FPGA, its applications, and how it can benefit vocational high schools in laboratory environments. A total of 34 technical teachers participated in the training program. The effectiveness of the program was evaluated through pre‐ and posttraining questionnaires. The results showed that most of the questionnaire items were statistically and practically significant and varied according to the teachers' department, teaching experience, and level of education.
Validation of the BCIS CHIP Score in chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention
Authors: Rempakos Athanasios , Alexandrou Michaella , Mutlu Deniz , Choi James W. , Poommipanit Paul , Khatri Jaikirshan J. , Young Laura , Jefferson Brian , Gorgulu Sevket , Jaffer Farouc A. , Chandwaney Raj , Davies Rhian , Benton Stewart , Alaswad Khaldoon , Azzalini Lorenzo , Kearney Kathleen E. , Krestyaninov Oleg , Khelimskii Dmitrii , Dattilo Philip , Reddy Niranjan , Abi‐Rafeh Nidal , Elguindy Ahmed , Goktekin Omer , Rangan Bavana V. , Mastrodemos Olga C. , Al‐Ogaili Ahmed , Sandoval Yader , Burke Nicholas M. , Brilakis Emmanouil S. , Basir Mir B. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractBackgroundThe complex high‐risk indicated percutaneous coronary intervention (CHIP) score is a tool developed using the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society (BCIS) database to define CHIP cases and predict in‐hospital major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events (MACCE).AimTo assess the validity of the CHIP score in chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).MethodsWe evaluated the performance of the CHIP score on 8341 CTO PCIs from the Prospective Global Registry for the Study of Chronic Total Occlusion Intervention (PROGRESS‐CTO) performed at 44 centers between 2012 and 2023.ResultsIn our cohort, 7.8% (n = 647) of patients had a CHIP score of 0, 50.2% (n = 4192) had a CHIP score of 1–2, 26.2% (n = 2187) had a CHIP score of 3–4, 11.7% (n = 972) had a CHIP score of 5–6, 3.3% (n = 276) had a CHIP score of 7–8, and 0.8% (n = 67) had a CHIP score of 9+. The incidence of MACCE for a CHIP score of 0 was 0.6%, reaching as high as 8.7% for a CHIP score of 9+, confirming that a higher CHIP score is associated with a higher risk of MACCE. The estimated increase in the risk of MACCE per one score unit increase was 100% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 65%–141%). The AUC of the CHIP score model for predicting MACCE in our cohort was 0.63 (95% CI: 0.58–0.67). There was a positive correlation between the CHIP score and the PROGRESS‐CTO MACE score (Spearman's correlation: 0.37; 95% CI: 0.35–0.39; p < 0.001).ConclusionsThe CHIP score has modest predictive capacity for MACCE in CTO PCI.
Deactivation mechanism for water splitting: Recent advances
Authors: Jia Yansong , Li Yang , Zhang Qiong , Yasin Sohail , Zheng Xinyu , Ma Kai , Hua Zhengli , Shi Jianfeng , Gu Chaohua , Dou Yuhai , Dou Shixue 
Published: April 2024

AbstractHydrogen (H2) has been regarded as a promising alternative to fossil‐fuel energy. Green H2 produced via water electrolysis (WE) powered by renewable energy could achieve a zero‐carbon footprint. Considerable attention has been focused on developing highly active catalysts to facilitate the reaction kinetics and improve the energy efficiency of WE. However, the stability of the electrocatalysts hampers the commercial viability of WE. Few studies have elucidated the origin of catalyst degradation. In this review, we first discuss the WE mechanism, including anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and cathodic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Then, we provide strategies used to enhance the stability of electrocatalysts. After that, the deactivation mechanisms of the typical commercialized HER and OER catalysts, including Pt, Ni, RuO2, and IrO2, are summarized. Finally, the influence of fluctuating energy on catalyst degradation is highlighted and in situ characterization methodologies for understanding the dynamic deactivation processes are described.
Activating Ru in the pyramidal sites of Ru2P‐type structures with earth‐abundant transition metals for achieving extremely high HER activity while minimizing noble metal content
Authors: El‐Refaei Sayed M. , Russo Patrícia A. , Schultz Thorsten , Chen Zhe‐Ning , Amsalem Patrick , Koch Norbert , Pinna Nicola 
Published: April 2024

AbstractRational design of efficient pH‐universal hydrogen evolution reaction catalysts to enable large‐scale hydrogen production via electrochemical water splitting is of great significance, yet a challenging task. Herein, Ru atoms in the Ru2P structure were replaced with M = Co, Ni, or Mo to produce M2−xRuxP nanocrystals. The metals show strong site preference, with Co and Ni occupying the tetrahedral sites and Ru the square pyramidal sites of the CoRuP and NiRuP Ru2P‐type structures. The presence of Co or Ni in the tetrahedral sites leads to charge redistribution for Ru and, according to density functional theory calculations, a significant increase in the Ru d‐band centers. As a result, the intrinsic activity of CoRuP and NiRuP increases considerably compared to Ru2P in both acidic and alkaline media. The effect is not observed for MoRuP, in which Mo prefers to occupy the pyramidal sites. In particular, CoRuP shows state‐of‐the‐art activity, outperforming Ru2P with Pt‐like activity in 0.5 M H2SO4 (η10 = 12.3 mV; η100 = 52 mV; turnover frequency (TOF) = 4.7 s−1). It remains extraordinarily active in alkaline conditions (η10 = 12.9 mV; η100 = 43.5 mV) with a TOF of 4.5 s−1, which is 4x higher than that of Ru2P and 10x that of Pt/C. Further increase in the Co content does not lead to drastic loss of activity, especially in alkaline medium, where, for example, the TOF of Co1.9Ru0.1P remains comparable to that of Ru2P and higher than that of Pt/C, highlighting the viability of the adopted approach to prepare cost‐efficient catalysts.
Energy Barriers and Gap Between Two Excited States in a Dual‐Emissive Carborane
Authors: Zhao Xueyuan , Zhang Xinning , Li Xin , Wu Lin , Ji Lei 
Published: April 2024

AbstractA thorough understanding of the internal conversion process between excited states is important for the designing of ideal multiple‐emissive materials. However, it is hard to experimentally measure both the energy barriers and gaps between the excited states of a compound. For a long time, it is dubious if what was measured is the energy gap or barrier between two excited states. In this paper, we designed 1‐(pyren‐2’‐yl)‐9,12‐di(p‐tolyl)‐o‐carborane (2), which shows dual‐emission in solution. Temperature‐dependent fluorescence measurements show that the two emission bands in hexane are corresponding to two different excited states. The ratio of the emission bands is controlled by thermodynamics at higher temperatures and by kinetics at lower temperatures. Thus, the energy barrier and energy gaps between the two excited states of 2 can be experimentally estimated.
Association between Life's Essential 8 score and high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein: A cross‐sectional study from NHANES 2015−2018
Authors: Li Jianan , Zhang Jie , Su Dan , Lin Sanru , Huang Yujie , Wu Shujing , Xu Demin 
Published: April 2024

AbstractBackgroundEarlier studies showed a negative correlation between life's simple 7 (LS7) and high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hs‐CRP), but no association has been found between life's essential 8 (LE8), an improved version of LS7, and hs‐CRP.HypothesisThis study investigated the association between LE8 and hs‐CRP utilizing data from the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey.MethodsA total of 7229 adults were incorporated in our study. LE8 was scored according to American Heart Association guidelines, and LE8 was divided into health behaviors and health factors. Serum samples of the participants were used to measure hs‐CRP. To investigate the association between LE8 and hs‐CRP, weighted linear regression, and restricted cubic spline were utilized.ResultsAmong 7229 participants, the average age was 48.03 ± 16.88 years, 3689 (51.2%) were females and the median hs‐CRP was 1.92 (0.81−4.49) mg/L. In adjusted weighted linear regression, a negative correlation was observed between the LE8 score and hs‐CRP. Compared with the low LE8 score, the moderate LE8 score β was −0.533 (−0.646 to −0.420), and the high LE8 score β was −1.237 (−1.376 to −1.097). Health behaviors and health factors were also negatively associated with hs‐CRP. In stratified analyses, the negative correlation between LE8 and hs‐CRP remained consistent across subgroups.ConclusionThere was a negative correlation between LE8 as well as its sub‐indicator scores and hs‐CRP. Maintaining a positive LE8 score may be conducive to lowering the level of hs‐CRP.
Esterification of Cyclic N6‐Threonylcarbamoyladenosine During RNA Sample Preparation
Authors: Bessler Larissa , Sirleaf Jason , Kampf Christopher J. , Frankowska Katarzyna , Leszczyńska Grażyna , Opatz Till , Helm Mark 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThe continuous deciphering of crucial biological roles of RNA modifications and their involvement in various pathological conditions, together with their key roles in the use of RNA‐based therapeutics, has reignited interest in studying the occurrence and identity of non‐canonical ribonucleoside structures during the past years. Discovery and structural elucidation of new modified structures is usually achieved by combination of liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) at the nucleoside level and stable isotope labeling experiments. This approach, however, has its pitfalls as demonstrated in the course of the present study: we structurally elucidated a new nucleoside structure that showed significant similarities to the family of (c)t6A modifications and was initially considered a genuine modification, but subsequently turned out to be an in vitro formed glycerol ester of t6A. This artifact is generated from ct6A during RNA hydrolysis upon addition of enzymes stored in glycerol containing buffers in a mildly alkaline milieu, and was moreover shown to undergo an intramolecular transesterification reaction. Our results demand for extra caution, not only in the discovery of new RNA modifications, but also with regard to the quantification of known modified structures, in particular chemically labile modifications, such as ct6A, that might suffer from exposure to putatively harmless reagents during the diverse steps of sample preparation.
Impact of left atrial wall motion assumptions in fluid simulations on proposed predictors of thrombus formation
Authors: Kjeldsberg Henrik A. , Albors Carlos , Mill Jordi , Medel David Viladés , Camara Oscar , Sundnes Joakim , Valen‐Sendstad Kristian 
Published: April 2024

AbstractAtrial fibrillation (AF) poses a significant risk of stroke due to thrombus formation, which primarily occurs in the left atrial appendage (LAA). Medical image‐based computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations can provide valuable insight into patient‐specific hemodynamics and could potentially enhance personalized assessment of thrombus risk. However, the importance of accurately representing the left atrial (LA) wall dynamics has not been fully resolved. In this study, we compared four modeling scenarios; rigid walls, a generic wall motion based on a reference motion, a semi‐generic wall motion based on patient‐specific motion, and patient‐specific wall motion based on medical images. We considered a LA geometry acquired from 4D computed tomography during AF, systematically performed convergence tests to assess the numerical accuracy of our solution strategy, and quantified the differences between the four approaches. The results revealed that wall motion had no discernible impact on LA cavity hemodynamics, nor on the markers that indicate thrombus formation. However, the flow patterns within the LAA deviated significantly in the rigid model, indicating that the assumption of rigid walls may lead to errors in the estimated risk factors. In contrast, the generic, semi‐generic, and patient‐specific cases were qualitatively similar. The results highlight the crucial role of wall motion on hemodynamics and predictors of thrombus formation, and also demonstrate the potential of using a generic motion model as a surrogate for the more complex patient‐specific motion. While the present study considered a single case, the employed CFD framework is entirely open‐source and designed for adaptability, allowing for integration of additional models and generic motions.
Effect of Microhydration in Tuning the Photophysical Behavior of a Luminescent DNA Probe Revealed by Non‐Adiabatic Dynamics
Authors: Lognon Elise , Burger Alain , Dumont Elise , Monari Antonio 
Published: April 2024

AbstractWe report non‐adiabatic dynamics, performed in the surface hopping formalism, of 2‐thienyl‐3‐hydroxychromone, an environment‐dependent luminescent organic DNA probe. In particular we have shown that the first shell solvent water molecules undergo a rather complex reorganization upon light excitation. This involves also the triggering of a water‐mediated proton transfer process which leads to the formation of the tautomeric structure. The presence of this solvent‐mediated transfer mechanism globally diminishes the intersystem crossing efficiency, and hence the population of the triplet state manifold, as compared to the non‐solvated systems. Our results also point out the non‐innocent role of solvent networks in tuning complex photophysical processes, while opening competitive relaxation channels.
Exploring Advanced Oxygen Reduction Reaction Electrocatalysts: The Potential of Metal‐Free and Non‐Pyrolyzed Covalent Organic Frameworks
Authors: Martínez‐Fernández Marcos , Segura José L. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractOxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysis is an area of increasing interest for the in‐situ production of H2O2 or the development of energy‐related devices such as hydrogen fuel cells. Although pyrolyzed catalysts still offer the best performances to date with reference to the organic‐based catalysts, metal‐free and non‐pyrolyzed covalent organic frameworks (COFs) stands out as promising alternatives candidates due to their favourable characteristics such as crystallinity, porosity, and organic composition, allowing the study of structural‐property relationships. Herein, we present the design principles and recent advances in COFs‐based ORR electrocatalysts, demonstrating how composition influences the activity and electronic pathway of the oxygen reduction process.
Conformal ultra‐miniaturized frequency selective surface for medical shielding applications
Authors: Viswanathan Lavanya , Kanagasabai Malathi , Mohammed Gulam Nabi Alsath 
Published: April 2024

SummaryThis article presents a novel wearable frequency selective surface (FSS) for shielding the communication link of implantable devices with the external environment. The proposed shield blocks a dual‐band frequency operating at 404 MHz and 2.45 GHz in the medical implant communication service (MICS) and industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) bands. The two distinct stop bands provide a high‐frequency band ratio of 6.02 in an ultra‐miniaturized physical form factor of 0.024λo × 0.024λo, with at least 76.96% miniaturization when compared to the existing art. Each of the unit cells is imprinted on a conformal 50 μm polyester substrate in a symmetrical configuration. The polyester adheres with jean to realize its compatibility with wearable applications. The designed shield system offers a low profile of only 0.00146λo. By suppressing the grating lobe, the proposed shield achieves a high angular stability of 80° and polarization insensitivity of 90° in both transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) modes. The FSS is fabricated and measured results validate its performance. To evaluate the physical insight, an equivalent circuit model (ECM) analysis is done. To ensure durability, the proposed shield system is tested with Amitech SDR04.