bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Sarcopenia as an important determinant for adverse outcomes in patients with pyogenic liver abscess
Authors: Liu Li , Liu Shaohua , Hao Meng , Hu Song , Yu Tian , Yang Yunkai , Liu Zhelong 
Published: October 2023

Background
Low muscle mass/sarcopenia has been associated with poor prognosis in many diseases, but its clinical significance in pyogenic liver abscess (PLA) remains unclear. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between muscle mass and prognosis of patients with PLA.

Methods
A total of 154 adult patients with PLA hospitalized at Tongji Hospital (Wuhan, Hubei, China) between October 2011 and June 2021 were included in this retrospective analysis. Muscle-fat related indicators were measured by computed tomography (CT) images at the third lumbar vertebra (L3) level. The data of patients between the sarcopenia group and non-sarcopenia group were compared. Multivariate logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed.

Results
The skeletal muscle index (SMI) was independently associated with adverse outcomes (95% CI [0.649–0.954], P = 0.015) of PLA in multivariate logistic regression analysis. This conclusion held true in sex-specific subgroup analysis. ROC analysis indicated that SMI may predict adverse outcomes in both male (area under the ROC curve [AUC], 0.718; cut-off, 52.59; P < 0.001) and female (AUC, 0.714; cut-off, 38.39; P = 0.017) patient populations.

Conclusions
Sarcopenia serves as an independent risk factor for poor prognosis in PLA and patients with sarcopenia may be more prone to adverse outcomes.
CmHem, a hemolin-like gene identified from Cnaphalocrocis medinalis, involved in metamorphosis and baculovirus infection
Authors: Han Guangjie , Li Chuanming , Zhang Nan , Liu Qin , Huang Lixin , Xia Yang , Xu Jian 
Published: October 2023

Background
As a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily, hemolins play a vital role in insect development and defense against pathogens. However, the innate immune response of hemolin to baculovirus infection varies among different insects.

Methods and results
In this study, the hemolin-like gene from a Crambidae insect, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis, CmHem was cloned, and its role in insect development and baculovirus infection was analyzed. A 1,528 bp contig as potential hemolin-like gene of C. medinalis was reassembled from the transcriptome. Further, the complete hemolin sequence of C. medinalis (CmHem) was cloned and sequenced. The cDNA of CmHem was 1,515 bp in length and encoded 408 amino acids. The deduced amino acid of CmHem has relatively low identities (41.9–62.3%) to various insect hemolins. However, it contains four Ig domains similarity to other insect hemolins. The expression level of CmHem was the highest in eggs, followed by pupae and adults, and maintained a low expression level at larval stage. The synthesized siRNAs were injected into mature larvae, and the CmHem transcription decreased by 51.7%. Moreover, the abdominal somites of larvae became straightened, could not pupate normally, and then died. Infection with a baculovirus, C. medinalis granulovirus (CnmeGV), the expression levels of CmHem in the midgut and fat body of C. medinalis significantly increased at 12 and 24 h, respectively, and then soon returned to normal levels.

Conclusions
Our results suggested that hemolin may be related to the metamorphosis of C. medinalis. Exposure to baculovirus induced the phased expression of hemolin gene in the midgut and fat body of C. medinalis, indicated that hemolin involved in the immune recognition of Crambidae insects to baculovirus.
Rural-urban disparity in students’ academic achievement in mathematics in BTR, Assam in the 21st century
Authors: Ahmed Eusob Ali , Karim Mohammad Rezaul , Banerjee Munmun 
Published: October 2023

As a result of its practical value in routine tasks and transactions, mathematics is regarded as a subject of utmost importance in people's lives. The researcher used a non-experimental quantitative research design focusing on a survey design in this study. The primary objective of the investigation is to investigate the school location to indicate the rural-urban prediction regarding academic achievement in Mathematics of senior secondary level schools in Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) of Assam State, India. The overall population of the study amounted to four thousand twenty eight (4028) Grades tenth and two thousand six hundred thirty three (2633) Grade twelfth learners sampled from upper secondary schools of BTR in Assam. Research hypotheses were developed and put to the test. The data was analysed by using the statistical technique like descriptive statistics and t-test to determine the nature of achievement. The findings of the result revealed that there is a substantial mean difference in academic achievement in mathematics between boys and girls, students from rural and urban schools, rural school boys and urban school boys, and rural school girls and urban school girls in the tenth grade as well as twelfth grade.
A Retrospective Analysis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a Tertiary Healthcare Facility in Jos, North Central Nigeria
Authors: Dahal Abednego Samuel , Cosmas Nanma Tongnan , Okolo Mark Ojogba 
Published: October 2023

Background: Tuberculosis remains a major health problem in developing countries. The GeneXpert Mycobacterium tuberculosis and rifampicin resistance (MTB/RIF) assay is a new test in many communities in Nigeria that is revolutionizing Mycobacterium tuberculosis control by contributing to the rapid diagnosis of tuberculosis and rifampicin resistance.
Aim: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and rifampicin resistance at North-Central Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory (NCTBRL) in Jos, North-Central Nigeria.
Study Design: Retrospective examination of hospital records.
Place and Duration of Study: North-Central Tuberculosis Research Laboratory (NCTBRL) Jos, North-Central Nigeria between January and December 2019.
Methodology: This was a retrospective study of archival records of 2719 patients screened for Mycobacterium tuberculosis and rifampicin resistance using GeneXpert MTB/RIF assay. The samples comprised of sputum, ascitic fluid, gastric lavage, pleural fluid, abscesses, cerebrospinal fluid, urine, pericardial fluid and synovial fluid, from patients with suspected pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) or Extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB). The results obtained were analyzed using SPSS version 26.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) statistical software.
Results: Overall, 212(7.8%) of the total samples received were positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis, with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) accounting for the majority of the cases. Male patients accounted for 59.9% of the cases compared to 40.1% in females. The infection was more among the age group 15-47 years and less common among the 0-14 age group. Rifampicin resistance MTB was detected in 2.3% of the cases, while 90.6% and 7.1% were sensitive and indeterminate to rifampicin respectively.
Conclusion: The prevalence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) was 7.8% with rifampicin-resistant of 2.3%. Appropriate diagnosis, treatment, and effective surveillance of MTB infections could reduce the incidences of rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis among the study population.
Source-Sink Relationsionship Studies in Multicapsule Genotypes of Sesame
Authors: Rajkumar B. , Ramya K. T. , Eswari K. B. , Pasala Ratna Kumar 
Published: October 2023

A study was conducted to determine the source and sink relationship in multicapsule genotypes of sesame. Thirty-six multicapsule genotypes along with two single capsule genotypes as checks were used in this study. Data on source characters such as number of leaf axils, leaf area, SPAD chlorophyll, photosynthetic rate, plant height, stem girth was recorded at capsule formation stage. Similarly, data on sink related characters such as number of flowers per axil, number of capsules per axil, capsule length, breadth, seed weight, seed yield per plant, and oil content were recorded. There were 1 to 3 capsules per axil, genotypes, SC-500-1, PI-154298, JCS-1020, exhibited 3 capsules at every axil. The results indicated the source characters such as number of leaf axils per plant was significantly positively correlated with seed yield per plant, leaf area was significantly positively correlated with number of flowers per main stem, total capsule number per main stem and seed weight of the right capsule in the bunch of the capsules. SPAD chlorophyll was positively associated with, number of flowers per axil, number of capsules per axil and seed yield per plant. Photosynthetic rate was significantly associated with total number of capsules per main stem of the plant, oil content and test weight. There were 7 principal components which explained 80 of the variation presents in the genotypes. Characters such as number of flowers per axil, number of leaf axils per plant, number of capsules per axil in the main stem and capsule length, weight, seed weight of left and right capsules contributed for the variation. Variation in these characters distributed the genotypes across the axis in the PCA biplot. Genotypes such as SC-500, PI-154298 exhibited high capsules number per plant, capsules per axil, capsule length and capsule seed weight. This study indicated that the genotypes showing more than 1 capsules per axil have high leaf area, stem girth. These genotypes are potential source for utilization in yield improvement programmes.
Design process of the Memorial Cathedral for World Peace (1954), Hiroshima, by Togo Murano (Part 2): Formal manipulations observed in the design of Xavier Hall (1949)
Authors: Tomioka Yoshito , Tabata Chikako 
Published: October 2023

AbstractXavier Hall, a timber structure designed as an auditorium, and believers' hall by Togo Murano Architect Office, were partially completed in 1949 on the property of Nobori‐cho Catholic Church in Hiroshima, widely known as the Memorial Cathedral for World Peace. The building is important to understand the design process of the cathedral because it had a fundamental influence on the planning of the religious complex as a whole. For this paper, based on a chronological analysis of sketches and drawings relevant to the building, morphological analysis was performed through three problem‐solving studies to reveal the architect's design thinking and strategy.
Selective Nitridation of Ceramic Open Cell Foams for Efficient Photothermal Heating
Authors: Oyedepo Olapeju Grace , Rezwan Kurosch , Maas Michael 
Published: October 2023

AbstractThis study presents the synthesis of ceramic open cell foams as a new platform for photothermal energy conversion based on the inert structural ceramic alumina and the plasmonic transition metal nitride TiN. TiO2precursor grains inside the mixed ceramic matrix are converted to TiN via the molten salt synthesis route. Photothermal measurements using an 850 nm LED as a light source show that the ceramic foams with only ≈5% TiN in the alumina matrix showed a 34% increased efficiency in converting light to heat compared to flat ceramic discs of the same composition. The TiN content in the flat discs does not affect the heat conversion efficiency, indicating that the available surface area and the material's ability to trap and direct light to the plasmonic nanostructures are the most important parameters for its photothermal activity. These results show the feasibility of synthesizing mixed ceramics based on inert materials like alumina and transition metal nitrides. Applications in solar heating, water evaporation, and related use cases of photothermal energy conversion can be realized with improved performance over 2D materials. Particularly processes that are based on continuous flow like solar thermal heating or photothermal catalysis will benefit from this new material platform.
Marching Toward Long‐Wavelength Narrowband Emissive Multi‐Resonance Delayed Fluorescence Emitters for Organic Light Emitting Diodes
Authors: Keerthika P. , Konidena Rajendra Kumar 
Published: October 2023

AbstractOver the past decade, thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitters have garnered tremendous impetus because of their ability to harvest 100% excitons for the light emission in organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). However, despite their superior external quantum efficiencies (> 35%), the broad emission spectra with associated full‐width‐at‐half maximum (FWHM > 70 nm) present a limiting factor that must be solved. Recently, multiple‐resonance TADF (MR‐TADF) materials based on the heteroatom doped polyaromatic hydrocarbons have gained astonishing attention owing to their remarkable narrowband emission (FWHM < 30 nm). However, emission of the majority of reported MR‐TADF emitters falls in the blue/green region, which inevitably jeopardizes their application in full‐color OLEDs. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop the new molecular designs for expanding the color‐gamut of MR‐TADF emitters, i.e., λem > 550 nm without compromising the narrowband emission. To the best of current knowledge, no detailed reviews focusing on the different design strategies for producing long‐wavelength (> 550 nm) MR‐TADF emitters have been reported to date. To this end, a review highlighting the recent design advances for constructing long‐wavelength MR‐TADF emitters is presented, and their photophysics and OLED performance is discussed. Finally, the current status and future prospects of long‐wavelength MR‐TADF materials are discussed.
Advancing Cancer Immunotherapy: The Potential of mRNA Vaccines As a Promising Therapeutic Approach
Authors: Goyal Falak , Chattopadhyay Anandini , Navik Umashanker , Jain Aklank , Reddy P. Hemachandra , Bhatti Gurjit Kaur , Bhatti Jasvinder Singh 
Published: October 2023

AbstractmRNA vaccines have long been recognized for their ability to induce robust immune responses. The discovery that mRNA vaccines may also contribute to antitumor immunity has made them a promising therapeutic approach against cancer. Recent advances in understanding of immune system are precious in developing therapeutic strategies that target pathways involved in tumor survival and progression, leading to the most reliable therapeutic strategies in cancer treatment history. Among all traditional cancer treatments, cancer immunotherapies are less toxic and more effective, even in advanced or recurrent stages of cancer. Recent advancements in genomics and machine learning algorithms give new insight into vaccine development. mRNA vaccines are designed to interfere with stimulator of interferon genes (STING) and tumor‐infiltrating lymphocytes pathways, activating more CD8+ T‐cells involved in destroying tumor cells and inhibiting tumor growth. A stronger immune response can be achieved by incorporating immunological adjuvants alongside mRNA. Nonformulated or vehicle‐based mRNA vaccines, when combined with adjuvants, efficiently express tumor antigens through antigen‐presenting cells and stimulate both innate and adaptive immune responses. Codelivery with additional immunotherapeutic agents, such as checkpoint inhibitors, further enhances the efficacy of mRNA vaccines. This article focuses on the current clinical approaches and challenges to consider when developing mRNA‐based vaccine technology for cancer treatment.
Regional Tau Deposition Reflects Different Pathways of Subsequent Neurodegeneration and Memory Decline in Cognitively Normal Older Adults
Authors: Chen Xi , Toueg Tyler N. , Harrison Theresa M. , Baker Suzanne L. , Jagust William J. 
Published: October 2023

ObjectiveTau pathology is recognized as a primary contributor to neurodegeneration and clinical symptoms in Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study aims to localize the early tau pathology in cognitively normal older people that is predictive of subsequent neurodegeneration and memory decline, and delineate factors underlying tau‐related memory decline in individuals with and without β‐amyloid (Aβ).MethodsA total of 138 cognitively normal older individuals from the Berkeley Aging Cohort Study underwent 11C‐Pittsburgh Compound‐B (PiB) positron emission tomography (PET) to determine Aβ positivity and 18F‐Flortaucipir (FTP) PET to measure tau deposition, with prospective cognitive assessments and structural magnetic resonance imaging. Voxel‐wise FTP analyses examined associations between baseline tau deposition and longitudinal memory decline, longitudinal hippocampal atrophy, and longitudinal cortical thinning in AD signature regions. We also examined whether hippocampal atrophy and cortical thinning mediate tau effects on future memory decline.ResultsWe found Aβ‐dependent tau associations with memory decline in the entorhinal and temporoparietal regions, Aβ‐independent tau associations with hippocampal atrophy within the medial temporal lobe (MTL), and that widespread tau was associated with mean cortical thinning in AD signature regions. Tau‐related memory decline was mediated by hippocampal atrophy in Aβ‐ individuals and by mean cortical thinning in Aβ+ individuals.InterpretationOur results suggest that tau may affect memory through different mechanisms in normal aging and AD. Early tau deposition independent of Aβ predicts subsequent hippocampal atrophy that may lead to memory deficits in normal older individuals, whereas elevated cortical tau deposition is associated with cortical thinning that may lead to more severe memory decline in AD. ANN NEUROL 2024;95:249–259
Influence of annealing‐induced phase separation on the shape memory effect of graphene‐based thermoplastic polyurethane nanocomposites
Authors: Valim Fernanda Cabrera Flores , Oliveira Gustavo Peixoto , de Paiva Lucilene Betega , Amurin Leice Gonçalves , Santillo Chiara , Lavorgna Marino , Andrade Ricardo Jorge Espanhol 
Published: October 2023

AbstractThermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) is a multiblock copolymer that exhibits an attractive shape memory effect (SME). Its morphology consists of a soft segment (SS), which corresponds to the polyol or a long‐chain diol, while the hard segment involves the intercalation of a diisocyanate and a chain extender. Due to the distinct thermodynamic parameters of each monomer, these segments are not miscible with each other, resulting in a phase‐separated structure in their morphology. This structure is characterized by the formation of soft and hard domains (SD and HD), respectively. When incorporating 0.1 wt% of graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) or 0.1 wt% of multilayer graphene oxide (mGO) into the TPU matrix using solution casting process, a contribution to the phase separation of these domains is observed. This phenomenon becomes even more pronounced when graphene‐based nanocomposites are subjected to annealing at 110°C for 24 hours, indicating a good interaction between the GO and GNP with the HD and SS, respectively. After annealing, the nanocomposites (TPU + GNP and TPU + mGO) exhibit improved performance in SME, as evidenced by an approximately 9% increase in the shape recovery ratio compared to the nonannealed TPU. Additionally, all nanocomposites maintained a high strain during SME programming, surpassing that of pure TPU, both before and after annealing. This suggests a direct influence of the graphene‐based nanoparticles on the shape memory effect.
Reaction Induced Conformational Change in Polyindole: Polyindole/PVA Film as Biomimetic Sensors of Temperature and Electrical Energetic Conditions
Authors: Rajan Lijin , Shabeeba Aranhikundan , Sidheekha Madari Palliyalil , Ismail Yahya A. 
Published: October 2023

AbstractConducting polymers can mimic the sensing characteristics of biological muscles through utilizing their unique electrochemical reactions. As these reactions occur, alterations in composition prompt changes in biomimetic properties, such as shifts in volume, brought about by the insertion of anions and solvent molecules, resulting in conformational movements. Similar to biological muscles, these electrochemical reaction senses the working variables affecting the reaction rate, through the same two connecting wires. The influence of working temperature and electrical energetic condition on the conformational movements of polyindole manifested as the cooperative actuation of the polymer chain is verified here using a polyindole‐coated polyvinyl alcohol (PIN/PVA) film. Cyclic voltammetric (CV) studies revealed that the extent of reaction of polyindole varies linearly with temperature and scan rate. The logarithmic dependence of redox charge obtained from coulovoltammogram with inverse of temperature further proved the temperature sensing characteristics and the influence of temperature on the cooperative actuation of the film. The conformational relaxation increases as the temperature increases through hosting higher number of counter anions with the solvent molecule. The extension of the redox reaction was found to decrease as the scan rate increases. The double logarithmic relation between the consumed redox charge and the scan rate has proved that the electrical energetic condition can influence the conformational movement in a reversible manner. It is also verified from Chronopotentiometric (CP) studies that the consumed electrical energy during the reaction varies linearly with the change in temperature. The results suggest that the PIN/PVA film can act as a biomimetic macro molecular sensor of working temperature and electrical energetic condition as biological muscles do.
Facile and Efficient Production of Biomass‐Derived Isosorbide Dioxides via Epoxidation Using In situ‐generated DMDO under Ultrasonication
Authors: Hong Seungmin , Kim Kyung‐An , Ryu Yeonkyeong , Lee Wonjoo , Kim Younghoon , Cha Hyun Gil 
Published: October 2023

AbstractHerein, we present a facile synthetic process for producing biomass‐derived isosorbide (ISB) dioxides using dimethyl dioxirane (DMDO) as an efficient oxidizing agent, which was generated in situ from acetone and KHSO5. To achieve high conversion and product yield, the KHSO5 concentration, KHSO5 flow rate, and reaction temperature were optimized. Under the optimal conditions, rapid and efficient epoxidation using the in situ‐generated DMDO was observed under ultrasonication, yielding the desired product within 35 min at 0 °C. This study offers a convenient and efficient method for generating biomass‐derived ISB building blocks, which have significant potential for the fabrication of bioplastics.
Multiplicity adjustments for the Dunnett procedure under heterokcedasticity
Authors: Tamhane Ajit C. , Xi Dong 
Published: October 2023

AbstractWe give a simulation‐based method for computing the multiplicity adjusted p‐values and critical constants for the Dunnett procedure for comparing treatments with a control under heteroskedasticity. The Welch–Satterthwaite test statistics used in this procedure do not have a simple multivariate t‐distribution because their denominators are mixtures of chi‐squares and are correlated because of the common control treatment sample variance present in all denominators. The joint distribution of the denominators of the test statistics is approximated by correlated chi‐square variables and is generated using a novel algorithm proposed in this paper. This approximation is used to derive critical constants or adjusted p‐values. The familywise error rate (FWER) of the proposed method is compared with some existing methods via simulation under different heteroskedastic scenarios. The results show that our proposed method controls the FWER most accurately, whereas other methods are either too conservative or liberal or control the FWER less accurately. The different methods considered are illustrated on a real data set.