bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Bruceine D inhibits the growth of Spodoptera litura by inducing cell apoptosis in the midgut via an oxidative burst
Authors: Mao Genlin , Lu Wei , Xu Yuhui , Liu Huan , Xu Hanhong , Zeng Jiwu 
Published: February 2024

AbstractBACKGROUNDSpodoptera litura is one of the most harmful lepidoptera pests in China, and is difficult to control due to its strong resistance to the current frequently used insecticide species. The requirement to develop pesticides with novel toxicology mechanisms to control S. litura is urgent. The quassinoid of bruceine D display outstanding systemic properties and strong insecticidal activity against S. litura, which possess notable application potential for integrative management of S. litura, but the mechanism of toxicity remains unclear.RESULTSIn this study, we found that bruceine D exerts potent growth inhibitory activity against S. litura, disrupting the ecdysone and juvenile hormone titers, and causing long‐term adverse effects. Association analysis between transcriptomics and metabolomics suggested that bruceine D affected the digestion and absorption capacity of S. litura larvae by inducing a strong oxidative stress response and cell apoptosis in the intestine. Further analysis demonstrated that bruceine D can inhibit the activities of digestive and antioxidant enzymes and induce malondialdehyde (MDA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) overaccumulation in the midgut. Moreover, the protein level of Bax, cleavage caspase 3, and cytochrome c expressed in cytoplasm (cyto) were up‐regulated by bruceine D, while Bcl‐2 and cytochrome c expressed in mitochondria (mito) were down‐regulated. In addition, there was a noticeable increase in caspase‐3 protease activity. Histopathological observations revealed that bruceine D damages the structure of midgut epithelial cells and activates lysosomes, which subsequently disrupts the midgut tissue.CONCLUSIONOverall, our findings suggested that bruceine D induced excessive ROS accumulation in midgut epithelial cells. The resulting cell apoptosis disrupted midgut tissue, leading ultimately to reduced nutrient digestion and absorption in the midgut and the inhibition of larval growth. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.
Younger age at initiation of subcutaneous treprostinil is associated with better response in pediatric Group 1 pulmonary arterial hypertension
Authors: Kochanski Justin J. , Feinstein Jeffrey A. , Ogawa Michelle , Ritter Victor , Hopper Rachel K. , Adamson Gregory T. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractChildren with severe Group 1 pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) have an unpredictable response to subcutaneous treprostinil (TRE) therapy, which may be influenced by age, disease severity, or other unknown variables at time of initiation. In this retrospective single‐center cohort study, we hypothesized that younger age at TRE initiation, early hemodynamic response (a decrease in pulmonary vascular resistance by ≥30% at follow‐up catheterization), and less severe baseline hemodynamics (Rp:Rs < 1.1) would each be associated with better clinical outcomes. In 40 pediatric patients with Group I PAH aged 17 days−18 years treated with subcutaneous TRE, younger age (cut‐off of 6‐years of age, AUC 0.824) at TRE initiation was associated with superior 5‐year freedom from adverse events (94% vs. 39%, p = 0.002), better WHO functional class (I or II: 88% vs. 39% p = 0.003), and better echocardiographic indices of right ventricular function at most recent follow‐up. Neither early hemodynamic response nor less severe baseline hemodynamics were associated with better outcomes. Patients who did not have a significant early hemodynamic response to TRE by first follow‐up catheterization were unlikely to show subsequent improvement in PVRi (1/8, 13%). These findings may help clinicians counsel families and guide clinical decision making regarding the timing of advanced therapies.
Pulmonary artery wave intensity analysis in pulmonary hypertension associated with heart failure and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction
Authors: Yim Ivan H. W. , Parker Kim H. , Drury Nigel E. , Lim Hoong Sern 
Published: February 2024

AbstractWave intensity analysis (WIA) uses simultaneous changes in pressure and flow velocity to determine wave energy, type, and timing of traveling waves in the circulation. In this study, we characterized wave propagation in the pulmonary artery in patients with pulmonary hypertension associated with left‐sided heart disease (PHLHD) and the effects of dobutamine. During right heart catheterization, pressure and velocity data were acquired using a dual‐tipped pressure and Doppler flow sensor wire (Combowire; Phillips Volcano), and processed offline using customized Matlab software (MathWorks). Patients with low cardiac output underwent dobutamine challenge. Twenty patients with PHLHD (all heart failure with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction) were studied. Right ventricular systole produced a forward compression wave (FCW), followed by a forward decompression wave (FDW) during diastole. Wave reflection manifesting as backward compression wave (BCW) following the FCW was observed in 14 patients. Compared to patients without BCW, patients with BCW had higher mean pulmonary artery pressure (28.7 ±  6.12 vs. 38.6 ± 6.5 mmHg, p = 0.005), and lower pulmonary arterial capacitance (PAC: 2.88 ± 1.75 vs. 1.73 ± 1.16, p = 0.002). Pulmonary vascular resistance was comparable. Mean pulmonary artery pressure of 34.5 mmHg (area under the curve [AUC]: 0.881) and PAC of 2.29 mL/mmHg (AUC: 0.833) predicted BCW. The magnitude of the FCW increased with dobutamine (n = 11) and correlated with pulmonary artery wedge pressure. Wave reflection in PHLHD is more likely at higher pulmonary artery pressures and lower PAC and the magnitude of reflected waves correlated with pulmonary artery wedge pressure. Dobutamine increased FCW but did not affect wave reflection.
Relative economic value of global ensemble prediction system of NCMRWF, India, for extreme weather events
Authors: Shanker Gauri , Sarkar Abhijit , Mamgain Ashu , Bhatla R. , Prasad V. S. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractAn ensemble prediction system quantifies the uncertainty in the forecast by a numerical weather prediction model and helps in decision‐making. The global ensemble prediction system (NEPS‐G) of NCMRWF, India, has 1 control and 22 perturbed ensemble members. In the present study, the relative economic value of NEPS‐G forecast has been investigated based on a simple decision‐analytic model. Temperature at 850 hPa (T850), maximum surface temperature (Tmax) and precipitation (rf) over the Indian domain have been studied. Ensemble mean forecast offers a larger value to the users than the control forecast. For rare extreme events, the area under the curve (T‐AUC) of a relative operating characteristic (ROC) obtained using the trapezoidal approximation for 22‐member NEPS‐G (NEPS‐22) is significantly smaller than the area under the curve (Z‐AUC) of the full ROC obtained using binormal model and Z‐transformation. As a result, the discrimination ability and relative economic value of NEPS‐G are underestimated. A method (SUB‐EM) which subdivides the lowest probability category into several subcategories and uses ensemble mean forecast as the secondary decision variable to enhance T‐AUC and improve relative economic value of NEPS‐G has been investigated. Tmax > 45°C and rf > 65 mm·day−1 have been considered as extreme events. The impact of increasing the number of perturbed ensemble members from 22 to 33 (NEPS‐33) by running additional 11 perturbed members from 0000 UTC initial condition has also been investigated and compared with the results obtained using SUB‐EM. SUB‐EM offers larger economic value to the users with small cost–loss ratio (α) without engaging any extra computational resources. An experiment is also carried out to study the impact of using different ensemble summary statistics as a secondary decision variable. Ensemble Maximum provides maximum value and benefits the largest range of users.
A new estimation approach based on phi‐divergence measures for one‐shot device accelerated life testing
Authors: Castilla Elena 
Published: February 2024

AbstractOne‐shot device testing data are used only once and they get destroyed when tested. As these products usually have large mean times to failure under normal operating conditions, accelerated life tests are commonly used to infer their lifetime distribution. While much work has been done to determine the maximum likelihood estimates (MLEs) of model parameters for one‐shot device accelerated life testing, the efficiency of these methods may not be guaranteed for small to moderate sample sizes. In this paper, we develop new estimators and confidence intervals based on phi‐divergences, we show that they outperform the conventional MLE under different lifetime distributions and present an example to illustrate all the inferential methods developed here.
Absolute stabilization of switched Lurie systems with dwell time via dynamic output feedback
Authors: Zhao Wenxiu , Sun Yuangong 
Published: February 2024

AbstractIn this article, we study the absolute stabilization of switched Lurie system via dynamic output feedback, where the nonlinearity is unknown and is restricted in a sector. In most works, the nonlinearity is assumed to be known exactly or is restricted in a bounded sector. Here, we consider the most general case with unbounded sector. With the help of switched time‐varying Lyapunov–Lurie function, a dynamic output feedback controller with time‐varying control gain is presented. On this basis, sufficient conditions for absolute stabilization are derived in the framework of mode‐dependent minimum dwell time and mode‐dependent range dwell time. It turns out that this time‐varying control strategy can solve the absolute stabilization of switched Lurie systems that all subsystems are not stabilizable. Moreover, the stability criteria in terms of linear matrix inequality we derived can be easily checked via Matlab toolbox. Finally, the effectiveness of presented methods is verified by several numerical examples.
Short‐term effects of Storm Daniel on Salmo farioides (Karaman, 1938) in a high‐gradient stream
Authors: Vardakas Leonidas , Koutsikos Nicholas , Dimitriou Elias , Vavalidis Theocharis , Kouraklis Petros , Kalogianni Eleni 
Published: February 2024

AbstractClimate change is expected to increase the magnitude, frequency, and intensity of extreme natural phenomena such as droughts and floods. These events can have devastating impacts on aquatic biota, thus there is a dire need to assess species' natural dynamics and to incorporate them into species' conservation actions and flood management decisions. In September 2023, an extreme meteorological event (Storm Daniel) occurred over the eastern Mediterranean, causing unprecedented high flooding events in many streams and rivers of central Greece. Almost 2 months after the event, we investigated the effects of the storm on Salmo farioides in a high‐altitude stream (Kraniotiko stream, Acheloos river basin) by comparing pre‐flood (June and August 2023) with post‐flood (October 2023) data on fish population abundances and size structure. Our results provide direct evidence that the population of S. farioides was almost wipedout from the investigated stream, as post‐flood fish densities were 9.3% of the pre‐flood data (August) densities. Small‐sized individuals (6–10 cm) were extirpated, indicating a 99% decrease during the post‐flood period, totally reversing the increasing trend observed from June to August (pre‐flood period). In conclusion, the profound and rapid decline observed in the population of S. farioides following the extreme flooding event highlights the urgent need for proactive conservation measures and adaptive management strategies to safeguard vulnerable aquatic species in the face of escalating climate‐related challenges.
A New Theranostic Platform Against Gram‐Positive Bacteria Based on Near‐Infrared‐Emissive Aggregation‐Induced Emission Nanoparticles
Authors: Yu Feiyan , Zhong Yan , Zhang Bing , Zhou Yu , He Mubin , Yang Yang , Wang Qianqian , Yang Xi , Ren Xiuyun , Qian Jun , Zhang Hong , Tian Mei 
Published: February 2024

AbstractInfections induced by Gram‐positive bacteria pose a great threat to public health. Antibiotic therapy, as the first chosen strategy against Gram‐positive bacteria, is inevitably associated with antibiotic resistance selection. Novel therapeutic strategies for the discrimination and inactivation of Gram‐positive bacteria are thus needed. Here, a specific type of aggregation‐induced emission luminogen (AIEgen) with near‐infrared fluorescence emission as a novel antibiotic‐free therapeutic strategy against Gram‐positive bacteria is proposed. With the combination of a positively charged group into a highly twisted architecture, self‐assembled AIEgens (AIE nanoparticles (NPs)) at a relatively low concentration (5 µm) exhibited specific binding and photothermal effect against living Gram‐positive bacteria both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, toxicity assays demonstrated excellent biocompatibility of AIE NPs at this concentration. All these properties make the AIE NPs as a novel generation of theranostic platform for combating Gram‐positive bacteria and highlight their promising potential for in vivo tracing of such bacteria.
Photodynamic Therapy Derived Personalized Whole Cell Tumor Vaccine Prevents Postsurgery Tumor Recurrence and Metastasis
Authors: Yang Chunyu , Jiang Yitong , Zhang Kaixin , Zhu Xianqi , Li Jianlin , Yu Haiwang , Chen Jiawei , Gu Xinggui , Gan Zhihua , Yu Qingsong 
Published: February 2024

AbstractIn order to avoid the time‐consuming and laborious identification of tumor‐specific antigens (TSAs) during the traditional vaccine fabrication process, a versatile photodynamic therapy (PDT)‐based method is developed to construct a whole‐tumor antigen tumor vaccine (TV) from surgically resected tumor tissues for personalized immunotherapy. Mucoadhesive nanoparticles containing small‐molecular photosensitizer are fabricated and directly co‐incubated with suspended tumor cells obtained after cytoreduction surgery. After irradiation with a 405 nm laser, potent immunogenic cell death of cancer cells could be induced. Along with the release of TSAs, the as‐prepared TV could activate safe and robust tumor‐specific immune responses, leading to efficient suppression of postsurgery tumor recurrence and metastasis. The as‐prepared TV cannot only be applied alone through various administration routes but also synergize with immunoadjuvant, chemotherapeutics, and immune checkpoint blockers to exert more potent immune responses. This work provides an alternative way to promote the clinical translation of PDT, which is generally restricted by the limited penetration of light. Moreover, the versatile strategy of vaccine fabrication also facilitates the clinical application of personalized whole‐cell tumor vaccines.
Enhancing Neuronal Cell Uptake of Therapeutic Nucleic Acids with Tetrahedral DNA Nanostructures
Authors: Martins Ana S. G. , Reis Sara D. , Benson Erik , Domingues Marco M. , Cortinhas João , Vidal Silva Joana A. , Santos Sofia D. , Santos Nuno C. , Pêgo Ana P. , Moreno Pedro M. D. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThe successful translation of therapeutic nucleic acids (NAs) for the treatment of neurological disorders depends on their safe and efficient delivery to neural cells, in particular neurons. DNA nanostructures can be a promising NAs delivery vehicle. Nonetheless, the potential of DNA nanostructures for neuronal cell delivery of therapeutic NAs is unexplored. Here, tetrahedral DNA nanostructures (TDN) as siRNA delivery scaffolds to neuronal cells, exploring the influence of functionalization with two different reported neuronal targeting ligands: C4‐3 RNA aptamer and Tet1 peptide are investigated. Nanostructures are characterized in vitro, as well as in silico using molecular dynamic simulations to better understand the overall TDN structural stability. Enhancement of neuronal cell uptake of TDN functionalized with the C4‐3 Aptamer (TDN‐Apt), not only in neuronal cell lines but also in primary neuronal cell cultures is demonstrated. Additionally, TDN and TDN‐Apt nanostructures carrying siRNA are shown to promote silencing in a process aided by chloroquine‐induced endosomal disruption. This work presents a thorough workflow for the structural and functional characterization of the proposed TDN as a nano‐scaffold for neuronal delivery of therapeutic NAs and for targeting ligands evaluation, contributing to the future development of new neuronal drug delivery systems based on DNA nanostructures.
Comprehensive Overview of Controlled Fabrication of Multifunctional Fluorescent Carbon Quantum Dots and Exploring Applications
Authors: Yang Lijuan , An Yibo , Xu Dazhuang , Dai Fan , Shao Shillong , Lu Zhixiang , Liu Gang 
Published: February 2024

AbstractIn recent years, carbon dots (CDs) have garnered increasing attention due to their simple preparation methods, versatile performances, and wide‐ranging applications. CDs can manifest various optical, physical, and chemical properties including quantum yield (QY), emission wavelength (Em), solid‐state fluorescence (SSF), room‐temperature phosphorescence (RTP), material‐specific responsivity, pH sensitivity, anti‐oxidation and oxidation, and biocompatibility. These properties can be effectively regulated through precise control of the CD preparation process, rendering them suitable for diverse applications. However, the lack of consideration given to the precise control of each feature of CDs during the preparation process poses a challenge in obtaining the requisite features for various applications. This paper is to analyze existing research and present novel concepts and ideas for creating CDs with different distinct features and applications. The synthesis methods of CDs are discussed in the first section, followed by a comprehensive overview of the important properties of CDs and the modification strategy. Subsequently, the application of CDs and their requisite properties are reviewed. Finally, the paper outlines the current challenges in controlling CDs properties and their applications, discusses potential solutions, and offers suggestions for future research.
Hematite Hollow‐Sphere‐Array Photoanodes for Efficient Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting
Authors: Yang Rongge , Xiao Shuang , Zhang Jingnan , Tang Songtao , Xu Ruimei , Tong Yexiang 
Published: February 2024

AbstractConstructing 3D nanophotonic structures is regarded as an effective method to realize efficient solar‐to‐hydrogen conversion. These photonic structures can enhance the absorbance of photoelectrodes by the light trapping effect, promote the charge separation by designable charge transport pathway and provide a high specific surface area for catalytic reaction. However, most 3D structures reported so far mainly focused on the influence of light absorption and lacked a systematic investigation of the overall water splitting process. Herein, hematite hollow‐sphere‐array photoanodes are fabricated through a facile hydrothermal method with polystyrene templates. Validating by simulations and experiments, the hollow sphere array is proved to enhance the efficiency of light harvesting, charge separation and surface reaction at the same time. With an additional annealing treatment in oxygen, a photocurrent density of 2.26 mA cm−2 at 1.23 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode can be obtained, which is 3.70 times larger than that with a planar structure in otherwise the same system. This work gains an insight into the photoelectrochemical water splitting process, which is valuable for the further design of advancing solar driven water splitting devices.
Forked Vein Structure W/WO3−x with Dual Active Sites in W and Oxygen Vacancies to Enhance Methylene Self‐Coupling for Efficient Conversion of Methane to Ethylene
Authors: Li Huimin , Sun Zhe , Lei Chengkun , Kang Wenxiang , Ma Lin , Shen Qianqian , Jia Husheng , Xue Jinbo , Zhu Yongfa 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThe directional conversion of methane to ethylene is challenging due to the dissociation of the C─H bond and the self‐coupling of methyl intermediates. Herein, a novel W/WO3−x catalyst with the fork vein structure consisting of an alternating arrangement of WO3−x and W is developed. Impressively, the catalyst achieves an unprecedented C2H4 yield of 1822.73 µmol g−1 h−1, with a selectivity of 82.49%. The enhanced catalytic activity is ascribed to the multifunctional synergistic effect induced by oxygen vacancies and W sites in W/WO3−x. Oxygen vacancies provide abundant coordination of unsaturation sites, which promotes the adsorption and activation of CH4, thus reducing the dissociation energy barrier of the C─H bond. The CH2 coupling barrier on the metal W surface is significantly lower compared to WO3, so CH2 can migrate to the W site for coupling. Importantly, the W/WO3−x with high periodicity provides multiple ordered local microelectric fields, and CH2 intermediates with dipole moments undergo orientation polarization and displacement polarization driven by the electric field, thus enabling CH2 migration. This work opens a new avenue for the structural design and modulation of photocatalysts, and provides new perspectives on the migration of methylene between multiple active sites.
GeV4S8: a Novel Bimetallic Sulfide for Robust and Fast Potassium Storage
Authors: Chen Wen , Hu Keyan , Zheng Hongshun , Pan Youtan , Lv Zhuoran , Tu Xueyang , Zheng Chong , He Tianwei , Huang Fuqiang , Dong Wujie 
Published: February 2024

AbstractPotassium‐ion batteries (PIBs) have attracted much attention due to their low production cost and abundant resources. Germanium is a promising alloying‐type anode with a high theoretical capacity for PIBs, yet suffering significant volume expansion and sluggish potassium‐ion transport kinetics. Herein, a rational strategy is formulated to disperse Ge atoms into transition metal V−S sulfide frameworks to form a loosely packed and metallic GeV4S8 medium. The theoretical prediction shows that GeV4S8 is conducive to the adsorption and diffusion of K+. The V−S frameworks provide fast ion/electron diffusion channels and also help to buffer the volume expansion during K+ insertion. In situ and ex situ characterizations manifest that KGe alloy clusters are constrained and dispersed by potassiated VS2 topological structure during discharging, and revert to the original GeV4S8 after charging. Consequently, as a novel anode for PIBs, GeV4S8 provides a high specific capacity of ≈400 mAh g−1 at 0.5 C, maintaining 160 mAh g−1 even at 12.5 C and ≈80% capacity after 1000 cycles at 5 C, superior to most of the state‐of‐the‐art anode materials. The proposed strategy of combining alloy and intercalation dual‐functional units is expected to open up a new way for high‐capacity and high‐rate anode for PIBs.