bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Portably and Visually Sensing Cytisine through Smartphone Scanning Based on a Post‐Modified Luminescence Center Strategy in Zinc‐Organic Frameworks
Authors: Li Xiang‐Shuai , Zhao Jian , Jiao Zhuo‐Hao , Zhao Xin‐Yuan , Hou Sheng‐Li , Zhao Bin 
Published: February 2024

AbstractCytisine (CTS) is a useful medicine for treating nervous disorders and smoking addiction, and exploring a convenient method to detect CTS is of great significance for long‐term/home medication to avoid the risk of poisoning, but it is full of challenges. Here, a modified metal–organic framework sensor Tb@Zn‐TDA‐80 with dual emission centers was prepared using a post‐modified luminescence center strategy. The obtained Tb@Zn‐TDA‐80 can serve as a CTS sensor with high sensitivity and selectivity. To achieve portable detection, Tb@Zn‐TDA‐80 was further fabricated as a membrane sensor, M−Tb@Zn‐TDA‐80, which displayed an obvious CTS‐responsive color change by simply dropping a CTS solution onto its surface. Benefiting from this unique functionality, M−Tb@Zn‐TDA‐80 successfully realized the visual detection and quantitative monitoring of CTS in the range of 5.26–52.6 mM by simply scanning the color with a smartphone. The results of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and theoretical computation illustrated that the high sensing efficiency of Tb@Zn‐TDA‐80 for CTS was attributed to the N−H⋅⋅⋅π and π⋅⋅⋅π interactions between the ligand and CTS. And luminescence quenching may result from the intramolecular charge transfer. This study provides a convenient method for ensuring long‐term medication safety at home.
Effect of Intrinsic Ferroelectric Phase Transition on Hydrogen Evolution Electrocatalysis
Authors: Wang Fengmei , Ju Lin , Wu Binglan , Li Shuhui , Peng Jian , Chen Yetao , Getaye Sendeku Marshet , Wang Kairui , Cai Yuchen , Yi Jun , Yang Ying , Wang Zhenxing , Sun Xiaoming 
Published: February 2024

AbstractHeterogeneous electrocatalysis closely relies on the electronic structure of the catalytic materials. The ferroelectric‐to‐paraelectric phase transition of the materials also involves a change in the state of electrons that could impact the electrocatalytic activity, but such correlation remains unexplored. Here, we demonstrate experimentally and theoretically that the intrinsic electrocatalytic activity could be regulated as exampled by hydrogen evolution reaction catalysis over two‐dimensional ferroelectric CuInP2S6. The obvious discontinuity in the overpotential and apparent activation energy values for CuInP2S6 electrode are illustrated during the ferroelectric‐to‐paraelectric phase transition caused by copper displacement around Tc point (318 K), revealing the ferroelectro‐catalytic effect on thermodynamics and kinetics of electrocatalysis. When loading Pt single atom on the CuInP2S6, the paraelectric phase one showed an improved hydrogen evolution activity with smaller apparent activation energy over the ferroelectric phase counterpart. This is attributed to the copper hopping between two sulfur planes, which alternate between strong and weak H adsorption at the Pt sites to simultaneously promote H+ reactant adsorption and H2 product desorption.
Catechol‐Siderophore Mimics Convey Nucleic Acid Therapeutics into Bacteria
Authors: Pals Mathijs J. , Wijnberg Luuk , Yildiz Çağlar , Velema Willem A. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractAntibacterial resistance is a major threat for human health. There is a need for new antibacterials to stay ahead of constantly‐evolving resistant bacteria. Nucleic acid therapeutics hold promise as powerful antibiotics, but issues with their delivery hamper their applicability. Here, we exploit the siderophore‐mediated iron uptake pathway to efficiently transport antisense oligomers into bacteria. We appended a synthetic siderophore to antisense oligomers targeting the essential acpP gene in Escherichia coli. Siderophore‐conjugated PNA and PMO antisense oligomers displayed potent antibacterial properties. Conjugates bearing a minimal siderophore consisting of a mono‐catechol group showed equally effective. Targeting the lacZ transcript resulted in dose‐dependent decreased β‐galactosidase production, demonstrating selective protein downregulation. Applying this concept to Acinetobacter baumannii also showed concentration‐dependent growth inhibition. Whole‐genome sequencing of resistant mutants and competition experiments with the endogenous siderophore verified selective uptake through the siderophore‐mediated iron uptake pathway. Lastly, no toxicity towards mammalian cells was found. Collectively, we demonstrate for the first time that large nucleic acid therapeutics can be efficiently transported into bacteria using synthetic siderophore mimics.
Encephaloduroarteriosynangiosis Procedure: A Treatment Option for Patients With Moyamoya Disease
Authors: Karasin Beth , Boyce Marissa , Kleban Monica , Hancock Jonathan , Rizzo Gina , Hardinge Tara , Eskuchen Lauren , Watkinson Johanna , Gold Elizabeth 
Published: February 2024

ABSTRACTMoyamoya disease is a progressive cerebrovascular disorder for which there is no cure. It is characterized by narrowing of and occlusions in the blood vessels that supply the brain, which causes a fine vascular network to develop to serve as collateral pathways. Moyamoya disease can lead to a reduction of blood flow to the brain and increase the risk of stroke. Patients with moyamoya disease may present with ischemic or hemorrhagic complications. Treatment options may involve medical management or surgical revascularization (indirect, direct, or a combined approach). The encephaloduroarteriosynangiosis procedure is a form of indirect revascularization in which a portion of the superficial temporal artery is moved from the scalp to the brain surface. Regardless of the approach, the goal of revascularization is to improve blood flow to the affected area to prevent additional infarcts; the encephaloduroarteriosynangiosis procedure is a viable option to help prevent additional neurologic decline.
Clinical Issues — March 2024
Authors: Jones Emily 
Published: February 2024

THIS MONTH
Exoskeleton use in the OR
Key words: exoskeleton, exosuit, ergonomics, musculoskeletal injury, fatigue and pain.
The Revised National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Lifting Equation
Key words: ergonomic risk, Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation (RNLE), lifting index (LI), load, lifting task.
Surgical smoke safety during transurethral resection of the prostate procedures
Key words: surgical smoke, smoke evacuation, transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), vaporization, resectoscope.
Preventing accidental dislodgement of tubes, drains, and catheters
Key words: patient transfer, dislodgement, catheters, tubes, drains.
Using disposable food packaging materials as printing, embedding, and sectioning media in the plant anatomy lab
Authors: Angeles Guillermo , Madero‐Vega Carolina 
Published: February 2024

AbstractPremiseDuring the COVID‐19 pandemic lockdown, all laboratory work was suspended, and we were obliged to work from home, causing delays in our research. As the disruption to supply chains made it difficult to obtain our regular lab supplies, we were obliged to search for substitutes. We became familiar with a plastic material known as biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) that is widely used in the food industry for wrapping or storing fruits, vegetables, and meat. BOPP is easily dissolved in organic solvents such as xylenes, acetone, or thinner, but these reagents are very toxic, flammable, and can cause nausea in some users. After testing several alternatives, we found a polyurethane remover that proved to be an effective and relatively harmless BOPP solvent.Methods and ResultsBy dissolving thin slices of BOPP in a polyurethane solvent, we obtained a clean fluid that we used to obtain leaf surface prints that could be mounted on microscope slides with a coverslip. This fluid produced excellent bark and wood sections and can be used to obtain wood or charcoal surface prints. Our attempts to use it as a mounting medium were unsuccessful.ConclusionsBOPP dissolved in a polyurethane remover is a handy, versatile resource for plant microtechniques. In addition to its economic advantages, it is useful in terms of reducing plastic pollution.
A Computational Perspective on the Reactivity of π‐spacers in Self‐Immolative Elimination Reactions
Authors: Padula Daniele 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThe controlled release of chemicals, especially in drug delivery, is crucial, often employing “self–immolative” spacers to enhance reliability. These spacers separate the payload from the protecting group, ensuring a more controlled release. Over the years, design rules have been proposed to improve the elimination process's reaction rate by modifying spacers with electron–donating groups or reducing their aromaticity. The spacer design is critical for determining the range of functional groups released during this process. This study explores various strategies from the literature aimed at improving release rates, focusing on the electronic nature of the spacer, its aromaticity, the electronic nature of its substituents, and the leaving groups involved in the elimination reaction. Through computational analysis, I investigate activation free energies by identifying transition states for model reactions. My calculations align qualitatively with experimental results, demonstrating the feasibility and reliability of computationally pre–screening model self–immolative eliminations. This approach allows proposing optimal combinations of spacer and leaving group for achieving the highest possible release rate.
Stimuli‐triggered Self‐Assembly of Gold Nanoparticles: Recent Advances in Fabrication and Biomedical Applications
Authors: Zhao Yan , Cui Chaoxiang , Fan Guohua , Shi Haibin 
Published: February 2024

AbstractGold nanoparticles have been widely used in engineering, material chemistry, and biomedical applications owing to their ease of synthesis and functionalization, localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), great chemical stability, excellent biocompatibility, tunable optical and electronic property. In recent years, the decoration and modification of gold nanoparticles with small molecules, ligands, surfactants, peptides, DNA/RNA, and proteins have been systematically studied. In this review, we summarize the recent approaches on stimuli‐triggered self‐assembly of gold nanoparticles and introduce the breakthrough of gold nanoparticles in disease diagnosis and treatment. Finally, we discuss the current challenge and future prospective of stimuli‐responsive gold nanoparticles for biomedical applications.
Interdependencies in Electrode Manufacturing: A Comprehensive Study Based on Design Augmentation and Explainable Machine Learning
Authors: Haghi Sajedeh , Chen Yao , Molzberger Annika , Daub Rüdiger 
Published: February 2024

AbstractElectrode manufacturing, as the core of battery cell production, is a complex process chain with a large number of interrelated parameters. An in‐depth understanding of the processes, their relevant parameters, and the resulting effects on intermediate and final product properties can accelerate the transition toward quality‐oriented, efficient battery cell production. Given the complexity of the process chain, data‐driven models have emerged as promising solutions for analyzing the existing interdependencies. The accuracy and effectiveness of these models significantly depend on the quality and comprehensiveness of the underlying data. With a low‐quality dataset, there is an increased risk of drawing inaccurate conclusions or generating misleading results. This article aimed to demonstrate a use case for the evaluation and enhancement of historical datasets to provide a statistically robust foundation for the development of machine learning models. The study was based on pilot‐scale anode manufacturing and covered variations in the coating, drying, and calendering processes. The key intermediate product and process parameters were used to predict two primary target variables: adhesion strength and discharge capacity at different C‐rates. To gain a better understanding of the analyzed interdependencies, explainable machine learning methods were adopted.
Epistemic misalignments in microbiome research
Authors: Boem Federico , Suárez Javier 
Published: February 2024

AbstractWe argue that microbiome research should be more reflective on the methods that it relies on to build its datasets due to the danger of facing a methodological problem which we call “epistemic misalignment.” An epistemic misalignment occurs when the method used to answer specific scientific questions does not track justified answers, due to the material constraints imposed by the very method. For example, relying on 16S rRNA to answer questions about the function of the microbiome generates epistemic misalignments, due to the different temporal scales that 16S rRNA provides information about and the temporal scales that are required to know about the functionality of some microorganisms. We show how some of these exist in contemporary microbiome science and urge microbiome scientists to take some measures to avoid them, as they may question the credibility of the field as a whole.
Nonparametric analysis of delayed treatment effects using single‐crossing constraints
Authors: Henderson Nicholas C. , Nam Kijoeng , Feng Dai 
Published: February 2024

AbstractClinical trials involving novel immuno‐oncology therapies frequently exhibit survival profiles which violate the proportional hazards assumption due to a delay in treatment effect, and, in such settings, the survival curves in the two treatment arms may have a crossing before the two curves eventually separate. To flexibly model such scenarios, we describe a nonparametric approach for estimating the treatment arm‐specific survival functions which constrains these two survival functions to cross at most once without making any additional assumptions about how the survival curves are related. A main advantage of our approach is that it provides an estimate of a crossing time if such a crossing exists, and, moreover, our method generates interpretable measures of treatment benefit including crossing‐conditional survival probabilities and crossing‐conditional estimates of restricted residual mean life. Our estimates of these measures may be used together with efficacy measures from a primary analysis to provide further insight into differences in survival across treatment arms. We demonstrate the use and effectiveness of our approach with a large simulation study and an analysis of reconstructed outcomes from a recent combination therapy trial.
An evaluation of training components necessary to teach staff members to conduct an intensive pediatric feeding intervention
Authors: Clark Ronald J. , Wilder David A. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractIn applied behavior analysis, parents or other caregivers are often trained to implement an intervention after the intervention has been demonstrated effective when implemented by professionals. However, training novice staff members to conduct specific behavioral interventions has received less attention. This is particularly true in the context of training staff to implement interventions to treat food refusal. In the current study, we implemented three levels of training to evaluate the level of intensity required to train staff members (i.e., behavior technicians, Registered Behavior Technicians®, and Board‐Certified Behavior Analysts®) to implement a feeding protocol with a role play partner. Only one participant met the mastery criteria following the first training phase, which included written instructions and video modeling. Following 72 h of exposure to the instructional materials, we provided participants an opportunity to ask clarifying questions about the procedure (second training phase). Only one participant met mastery in this phase. Three other participants required in vivo feedback and modeling (third training phase) to master the protocol. We discuss clinical implications and future research directions.
Engineering cannabinoid production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Schmidt Christina , Aras Marco , Kayser Oliver 
Published: February 2024

AbstractPhytocannabinoids are natural products with highly interesting pharmacological properties mainly produced by plants. The production of cannabinoids in a heterologous host system has gained interest in recent years as a promising alternative to production from plant material. However, the systems reported so far do not achieve industrially relevant titers, highlighting the need for alternative systems. Here, we show the production of the cannabinoids cannabigerolic acid and cannabigerol from glucose and hexanoic acid in a heterologous yeast system using the aromatic prenyltransferase NphB from Streptomyces sp. strain CL190. The production was significantly increased by introducing a fusion protein consisting of ERG20WW and NphB. Furthermore, we improved the production of the precursor olivetolic acid to a titer of 56 mg L−1. The implementation of the cannabinoid synthase genes enabled the production of Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinolic acid, cannabidiolic acid as well as cannabichromenic acid, where the heterologous biosynthesis of cannabichromenic acid in a yeast system was demonstrated for the first time. In addition, we found that the product spectrum of the cannabinoid synthases localized to the vacuoles of the yeast cells was highly dependent on extracellular pH, allowing for easy manipulation. Finally, using a fed‐batch approach, we showed cannabigerolic acid and olivetolic acid titers of up to 18.2 mg L−1 and 117 mg L−1, respectively.
Implications of carbon catabolite repression for Aspergillus‐based cell factories: A review
Authors: Wang Zhen‐Dong , Wang Bao‐Teng , Jin Long , Ruan Hong‐Hua , Jin Feng‐Jie 
Published: February 2024

AbstractCarbon catabolite repression (CCR) is a global regulatory mechanism that allows organisms to preferentially utilize a preferred carbon source (usually glucose) by suppressing the expression of genes associated with the utilization of nonpreferred carbon sources. Aspergillus is a large genus of filamentous fungi, some species of which have been used as microbial cell factories for the production of organic acids, industrial enzymes, pharmaceuticals, and other fermented products due to their safety, substrate convenience, and well‐established post‐translational modifications. Many recent studies have verified that CCR‐related genetic alterations can boost the yield of various carbohydrate‐active enzymes (CAZymes), even under CCR conditions. Based on these findings, we emphasize that appropriate regulation of the CCR pathway, especially the expression of the key transcription factor CreA gene, has great potential for further expanding the application of Aspergillus cell factories to develop strains for industrial CAZymes production. Further, the genetically modified CCR strains (chassis hosts) can also be used for the production of other useful natural products and recombinant proteins, among others. We here review the regulatory mechanisms of CCR in Aspergillus and its direct application in enzyme production, as well as its potential application in organic acid and pharmaceutical production to illustrate the effects of CCR on Aspergillus cell factories.
Biosynthesis of the antioxidant γ‐glutamyl‐cysteine with engineered Yarrowia lipolytica
Authors: Do Diem , Guruk Mümine , Kus‐Liśkiewicz Małgorzata , Damblon Christian , Arguelles‐Arias Anthony , Erten Huseyin , Fickers Patrick 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThe dipeptide γ‐glutamylcysteine (γ‐GC), the first intermediate of glutathione (GSH) synthesis, is considered as a promising drug to reduce or prevent plethora of age‐related disorders such as Alzheimer and Parkinson diseases. The unusual γ‐linkage between the two constitutive amino acids, namely cysteine and glutamate, renders its chemical synthesis particularly challenging. Herein, we report on the metabolic engineering of the non‐conventional yeast Yarrowia lipolytica for efficient γ‐GC synthesis. The yeast was first converted into a γ‐GC producer by disruption of gene GSH2 encoding GSH synthase and by constitutive expression of GSH1 encoding glutamylcysteine ligase. Subsequently genes involved in cysteine and glutamate anabolism, namely MET4, CYSE, CYSF, and GDH1 were overexpressed with the aim to increase their intracellular availability. With such a strategy, a γ‐GC titer of 464 nmol mg−1 protein (93 mg gDCW−1) was obtained within 24 h of cell growth.
The choice of ultra‐low attachment plates impacts primary human and primary canine hepatocyte spheroid formation, phenotypes, and function
Authors: Xing Chen , Kemas Aurino , Mickols Evgeniya , Klein Kathrin , Artursson Per , Lauschke Volker M. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractOrganotypic three‐dimensional liver spheroid cultures in which hepatic cells retain their molecular phenotype and functionality have emerged as powerful tools for preclinical drug development. In recent years a multitude of culture systems have been developed; however, a thorough side‐by‐side benchmarking of the different methods is lacking. Here, we compared the performance of ten different 96‐ and 384‐well microplate types to support spheroid formation and long‐term culture. Specifically, we evaluated differences in spheroid formation kinetics, viability, functionality, expression patterns, and their utility for hepatotoxicity assessments using primary human hepatocytes (PHH) and primary canine hepatocytes (PCH). All 96‐well plates enabled formation of PHH liver spheroids, albeit with differences between plates in spheroid size, geometry, and reproducibility. Performance of different 384‐wells was less consistent. Only 6/10 microplates supported the formation of PCH aggregates. Interestingly, even if PCH aggregates in these six microplates were more loosely packed than PHH spheroids, they maintained their function and were compatible with long‐term pharmacological and toxicological assays. Overall, Corning and Biofloat plates showed the best performance in the formation of both human and canine liver spheroids with highest viability, most physiologically relevant phenotypes, superior CYP activity and lowest coefficient of variation in toxicity assays. The presented data constitutes a valuable resource that demonstrates the impacts of current ultra‐low attachment plates on liver spheroid metrics and can guide evidence‐based plate selection. Combined, these results have important implications for the cross‐comparison of different studies and can facilitate the standardization and reproducibility of three‐dimensional liver culture experiments.