bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Robust, Ultrafast and Reversible Photoswitching in Bulk Polymers Enabled by Octupolar Molecule Design
Authors: Fang Long , Lin Ziwei , Zhang Yang , Ye Bin , Li Jing , Ran Qishan , Wang Xiaotong , Yang Meijia , Yuan Zhongke , Lin Xiaofeng , Yu Dingshan , Chen Xudong , Li Quan 
Published: February 2024

AbstractImproving the photoswitching rate and robustness of photochromic molecules in bulk solids is paramount for practical applications but remains an on‐going challenge. Here, we introduce an octupolar design paradigm to develop a new family of visible light organic photoswitches, namely multi‐branched octupolar Stenhouse Adducts (MOPSAs) featuring a C3‐symmetrical A3‐(D‐core) architecture with a dipolar donor–acceptor (D–A) photochrome in each branch. Our design couples multi‐dimensional geometric and electronic effects of MOPSAs to enable robust ultrafast reversible photoswitching in bulk polymers. Specifically, the optimal MOPSA (4 wt %) in commercial polyurethane films accomplishes nearly 100 % discoloration in 6 s under visible light with ∼ 100 % thermal‐recovery in 17.4 s at 60 °C, while the acquired kinetics constants are 3∼7 times that of dipolar DASA counterpart and 1∼2 orders of magnitude higher than those of reported DASAs in polymers. Importantly, the MOPSA‐doped polymer films sustain 500 discoloration/recovery cycles with slow degradation, superior to the existing DASAs in polymers (≤30 cycles). We discover that multi‐dipolar coupling in MOPSA enables enhanced polarization and electron delocalization, promoting the rate‐determining thermal cyclization, while the branched and non‐planar geometry of MOPSA induces large free volume to facilitate the isomerization. This design can be extended to develop spiropyran or azobenzene‐based ultrafast photochromic films. The superior photoswitching performance of MOPSAs together with their high‐yield and scalable synthesis and facile film processing inspires us to explore their versatile uses as smart inks or labels for time‐temperature indicators, optical logic encryption and multi‐levelled data encryption.
Standardization of ALEX index for the ecological quality assessment under European Framework Directives in Mediterranean sensitive habitats affected by biological invasions
Authors: Piazzi Luigi , Castriota Luca , Livi Silvia , de Biasi Anna Maria , Pacciardi Lorenzo , Pertusati Marco , Pretti Carlo , Gennaro Paola 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
This paper aims at providing a standardized procedure to assess the ecological quality of Mediterranean marine habitats in relation to biological invasions by macroalgae through the employment of the ALEX index.
Available data from previous ALEX applications were used to optimize the sampling design and to propose a standardized procedure. The procedure was applied to the main Mediterranean sensitive habitats, coralligenous reefs and meadows of the endemic seagrass Posidonia oceanica, at two sites in the north‐western Mediterranean Sea.
A total of 73 native macroalgal taxa and four introduced taxa (the Chlorophyta Caulerpa cylindracea and the turf forming Rhodophyta Acrothamnion preissii, Womersleyella setacea and Asparagopsis spp.) were identified. Coralligenous reefs exhibited a higher abundance of both C. cylindracea and introduced turf species, while P. oceanica meadows were mostly affected by W. setacea and A. preissii.
The application of ALEX for different years on coralligenous reefs highlighted the consistency of the index over time in the absence of further invasions.
The use of ALEX index with other ecological quality indices showed similar patterns in both habitats. The concurrent assessment of the ecological quality of ecosystems by generic indices and the level of invasion through ALEX index may be a useful approach for answer to requirements of the European Directives and to plan even more complete and effective conservation programmes.
Catalytic pyrolysis of lignocellulosic and algal biomass using NaOH as a catalyst
Authors: Ram Shri , Ku Xiaoke , Vasudev Vikul 
Published: February 2024

AbstractIn this work, the pyrolysis of barley straw (BS) and brown algae (BA) mixed with NaOH as a catalyst was compared. Four different catalyst‐to‐biomass mass ratios (i.e., 6:100, 8:100, 10:100, and 12:100) and five pyrolysis heating rates were examined. The kinetic parameters (e.g., the activation energy and pre‐exponential factor) were evaluated using the Friedman method and kinetic models. For noncatalytic pyrolysis, the average activation energies for BS and BA samples were 139.71 and 183.19 kJ mol−1, respectively. However, the addition of catalyst generally increased the average activation energy of BS samples but decreased that of BA samples. The enthalpy change and Gibbs free energy change revealed that both catalytic and noncatalytic pyrolysis processes were nonspontaneous and endothermic, and the inclusion of catalyst increased the average entropy change of the BS samples but decreased that of the BA samples. Char and biochar yields after pyrolysis were also analyzed quantitatively. These observations provide insight into the differences in catalytic pyrolysis between lignocellulosic and algal biomass species.
Methods of biotechnology Biotech BioBrawl: A competition‐based learning approach to biotechnology
Authors: Skiados Nicholas , Rehman Rabeea Summer , Riley Megan , Schroeder Kersten T. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractBiotechnology students entering the workforce often struggle in their application of textbook knowledge to build the solutions that we see in science and health fields today. Some students may be naive to what a job in the biotechnology industry can encompass. Students should graduate having a firm grasp of the prospects of their field and have the confidence to begin contributing to the growth of the industry. For this, it is necessary for students to be able to start practising applications in their coursework before they graduate. A competition titled “Biotech BioBrawl” was incorporated in the University of Central Florida's Methods in Biotechnology (MCB4721C/MCB5722C) course agenda during the semester of Fall 2021. This competition challenged students to harness innovation and applied science in a group setting that led to the development and pitch of an original idea to a panel of judges with various biotechnology industry experiences.
Gas Evolution as a Tool to Study Reaction Kinetics Under Biomimetic Conditions
Authors: Meeus Eva J. , Laan Petrus C. M. , Ham Rens , de Bruin Bas , Reek Joost N. H. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThe field of bioorthogonal chemistry is rapidly growing, presenting successful applications of organic and transition metal‐catalysed reactions in cells and living systems (in vivo). The development of such reactions typically proceeds through many iterative steps focused on biocompatibility and fast reaction kinetics to ensure product formation. However, obtaining kinetic data, even under simulated biological (biomimetic) conditions, remains a challenge due to substantial concentrations of salts and biomolecules hampering the use of typically employed solution‐phase analytical techniques. In this study, we explored the suitability of gas evolution as a probe to study kinetics under biomimetic conditions. As proof of concept, we show that the progress of two transition metal‐catalysed bioorthogonal chemical reactions can be accurately monitored, regardless of the complexity of the medium. As such, we introduce a protocol to gain more insight into the performance of a catalytic system under biomimetic conditions to further progress iterative catalyst development for in vivo applications.
Asymmetric Synthesis of Dihydrospirotryprostatin B via a Silica Gel‐Mediated Cyclization of Tryptamine‐Ynamide
Authors: Han Changhong , Yang Lu , Yao Kaizong , Zhang Sen , Fu Jiayue , Sun Hanyang , Xu Hongsheng , Lin Bin , Cheng Maosheng , Liu Yongxiang 
Published: February 2024

Comprehensive SummaryAn asymmetric synthesis of dihydrospirotryprostatin B was achieved in 15 steps (8 purifications) from L‐tryptophan. The main feature of our synthetic strategy is the efficient construction of spirocyclic oxindole intermediate containing a chiral quaternary carbon center, involving the silica gel‐mediated cyclization of tryptamine‐ynamide and oxidation under neat conditions.
Evaluation of the Effects of Meal Type and Acid‐Reducing Agents on the Pharmacokinetics of Cilofexor, a Selective Nonsteroidal Farnesoid X Receptor Agonist
Authors: Weber Elijah J. , Younis Islam R. , Wang Lulu , Xiao Deqing , Barchuk William T. , Othman Ahmed A. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractCilofexor is a nonsteroidal farnesoid X receptor agonist being developed in combination with firsocostat/semaglutide for the treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. This phase 1 study evaluated the effects of food and acid‐reducing agents (ARAs) on the pharmacokinetics of cilofexor (100‐ or 30‐mg fixed‐dose combination with firsocostat) in healthy participants. Cohorts 1 (n = 20, 100 mg) and 2 (n = 30, 30 mg) followed a 3‐period, 2‐sequence crossover design and evaluated effects of light‐fat and high‐fat meals. Cohort 3 (n = 30, 100 mg fasting) followed a 2‐period, 2‐sequence crossover design and evaluated the effects of a 40‐mg single dose of famotidine. Cohort 4 (n = 18, 100 mg) followed a 3‐period, 2‐sequence crossover design and evaluated the effects of a 40‐mg once‐daily regimen of omeprazole administered under fasting conditions or following a light‐fat meal. Administration with light‐fat or high‐fat meals resulted in no change and an ∼35% reduction in cilofexor AUC, respectively, relative to the fasting conditions. Under fasting conditions, famotidine increased cilofexor AUC by 3.2‐fold and Cmax by 6.1‐fold, while omeprazole increased cilofexor AUC by 3.1‐fold and Cmax by 4.8‐fold. With a low‐fat meal, omeprazole increased cilofexor exposure to a lesser extent (Cmax 2.5‐fold, AUC 2.1‐fold) than fasting conditions. This study suggests that caution should be exercised when cilofexor is administered with ARAs under fed conditions; coadministration of cilofexor (100 or 30 mg) with ARAs under fasting conditions is not recommended with the current clinical trial formulations.
Gender‐differentiated preference for sweetpotato traits and their drivers among smallholder farmers: Implications for breeding
Authors: Namirimu Josephine , Okello Julius Juma , Kizito Andrew Muganga , Ssekiboobo Agnes M. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractTo improve sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L.) productivity, several improved high‐yielding varieties have been developed by breeders. However, many farmers still grow low‐yielding landraces. Farmers choose varieties to grow based on their preference for the attributes of those varieties. Varietal preferences have been shown to differ between males and females. This study assessed farmer preferences for sweetpotato traits and the factors that drive the choice of most preferred traits. It used a uniquely large data set collected through personal interviews with male and female sweetpotato growers. The study employed multinomial probit regression to examine the drivers of trait preference. It finds a higher preference for production‐oriented traits among farmers in general and especially older ones. This is, however, lower among more educated farmers who mainly prefer risk‐averting traits, and those growing local varieties who mainly prefer quality traits. Hence, alongside production‐oriented traits, other traits critical for the acceptance of new varieties by farmers in their respective contexts should not be ignored.
Alzheimer's disease biomarker utilization at first referral enhances differential diagnostic precision with simultaneous exclusion of Creutzfeldt‐Jakob disease
Authors: Wang Zitianyu , Lewis Victoria , Stehmann Christiane , Varghese Shiji , Senesi Matteo , McGlade Amelia , Ellett Laura J. , Doecke James D. , Eratne Dhamidhu , Velakoulis Dennis , Masters Colin L. , Collins Steven J. , Li Qiao‐Xin 
Published: February 2024

AbstractMost suspected Creutzfeldt‐Jakob disease (CJD) cases are eventually diagnosed with other disorders. We assessed the utility of investigating Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarkers and neurofilament light (NfL) in patients when CJD is suspected. The study cohort consisted of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples referred for CJD biomarker screening wherein amyloid beta 1‐42 (Aβ1‐42), phosphorylated tau 181 (p‐tau181), and total tau (t‐tau) could be assessed via Elecsys immunoassays (n = 419) and NfL via enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA;n = 161). In the non‐CJD sub cohort (n = 371), 59% (219/371) had A+T– (abnormal Aβ1‐42 only) and 21% (79/371) returned A+T+ (abnormal Aβ1‐42 and p‐tau181). In the 48 CJD subjects, a similar AD biomarker profile distribution was observed. To partially address the prevalence of likely pre‐symptomatic AD, NfL was utilized to assess for neuronal damage. NfL was abnormal in 76% (25/33) of A+T– subjects 40 to 69 years of age, 80% (20/25) of whom had normal t‐tau. This study reinforces AD as an important differential diagnosis of suspected CJD, highlighting that incorporating AD biomarkers and NfL at initial testing is worthwhile.
Individual behaviour, growth, survival and vulnerability to hunting in a large mammal
Authors: Cusson Pier‐Oliver , Pelletier Fanie 
Published: February 2024

AbstractHumans have exploited wild animals for thousands of years. Recent studies indicate that harvest‐induced selection on life‐history and morphological traits may lead to ecological and evolutionary changes. Less attention has been given to harvest‐induced selection on behavioural traits, especially in terrestrial systems. We assessed in a wild population of large terrestrial mammals whether decades of hunting led to harvest‐induced selection on trappability, a proxy of risk‐taking behaviour. We investigated links between trappability, horn growth and survival across individuals in early life and quantified the correlations between early‐life trappability and horn growth with availability to hunters and probability of being shot. We found positive among‐individual correlations between early‐life trappability and horn growth, early‐life trappability and survival and early‐life horn growth and survival. Faster growing individuals were more likely to be available to hunters and shot at a young age. We found no correlations between early‐life trappability and availability to hunters or probability of being shot. Our results show that correlations between behaviour and growth can occur in wild terrestrial population but may be context dependent. This result highlights the difficulty in formulating general predictions about harvest‐induced selection on behaviour, which can be affected by species ecology, harvesting regulations and harvesting methods used. Future studies should investigate mechanisms linking physiological, behavioural and morphological traits and how this effects harvest vulnerability to evaluate the potential for harvest to drive selection on behaviour in wild animal populations.
The transformative potential of experimentation as an environmental governance approach: The case of the Dutch peatlands
Authors: Van Den Ende Mandy A. , Hegger Dries L. T. , Mees Heleen L. P. , Driessen Peter P. J. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractGovernance of societal transformations toward sustainability is needed to address the fundamental system failures responsible for environmental problems. Possible transformation pathways range from radical shifts to more incremental change. Experimentation is seen as a form of incremental change, but its actual transformative potential is debated. The transformative potential of experimentation is especially questionable for environmental problems characterizing a “creeping crisis” because this problem type is not particularly a lever for social change. Our empirical research contributes to this debate by systemically evaluating the significance (degree of change) and sufficiency (reach of change) of experiments relating to an environmental problem characterizing a creeping crisis that appears to be predominantly governed through experimentation: land subsidence in Dutch peatlands. We found that experiments have indeed proved to be significant for local regime actors because most have tested technical innovations that kept the overall land use system intact. However, experimentation was less significant in terms of reflecting the complexity of environmental problems; that would require a more diverse set of technical, social, legal, and planning experiments from which the strategy most suitable for specific landscape contexts could be determined. We also found signs of accumulation of outcomes, but whether this eventually initiates transformative change or creates a technological lock‐in can only be determined with longitudinal research. To enhance the transformative potential of experimentation, particularly as a governance approach for creeping crises, attention must be paid to actor and institutional features since they shape experiments. Hence, we conclude with design principles for transformative experimentation.
Tricuspid annular disjunction with varying degrees of tricuspid regurgitation in the setting of Takotsubo syndrome
Authors: Gaylard Benjamin , Montaño‐Krawczuk Angela , Haugaa Kristina , Bäck Magnus 
Published: February 2024

AbstractTricuspid annular disjunction (TAD) is concomitant in approximately half of mitral annular disjunction (MAD) cases. Here we report a case of echocardiographically isolated TAD detected during Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) complicated by a transient aggravation of tricuspid regurgitation. An 87‐year‐old female was admitted at the emergency department with ST segment elevation. Coronary angiography findings were consistent with TTS. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) showed a left ventricular apical aneurysm with incidental finding of TAD with ‘torrential’ tricuspid regurgitation. Importantly, no concomitant MAD was detected on TTE. No significant arrhythmias were detected on telemetry surveillance. Follow up TTE showed improvement in left ventricular function with reduced regional wall abnormalities. TAD was still present although the tricuspid regurgitation had reduced to ‘moderate’. The patient was discharged home after 23 days of hospital stay. The present case illustrates the need of further investigations into TAD and its clinical implications for acute TR in TTS.
Adverse childhood experiences, low self‐esteem, and salient stimulus response in eating disorders
Authors: Lagan Sarah , Shott Megan E. , Frank Guido K. W. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractBackgroundAdverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are elevated in individuals with eating disorders (EDs), but how the neurobiology of EDs and ACEs interact is unclear.MethodsWomen 18–45 years old with anorexia nervosa (AN, n = 38), bulimia nervosa (BN, n = 32), or healthy controls (n = 60) were assessed for ACEs and ED behaviours and performed a taste‐conditioning task during brain imaging. Mediation analyses tested relationships between ACE score, self‐esteem, and ED behaviours.ResultsACE scores were elevated in EDs and correlated positively with body mass index (p = 0.001), drive for thinness (p = 0.001), and body dissatisfaction (p = 0.032); low self‐esteem mediated the relationship between ACEs and body dissatisfaction, drive for thinness, and bulimia severity. ACE scores correlated negatively (FDR‐corrected) with unexpected, salient stimulus receipt in AN (substantia nigra) and BN (anterior cingulate, frontal and insular cortex, ventral striatum, and substantia nigra). When ACE scores were included in the model, unexpected stimulus receipt brain response was elevated in EDs in the anterior cingulate and ventral striatum.ConclusionsACEs attenuate unexpected salient stimulus receipt response, which may be a biological marker for altered valence or hedonic tone perception in EDs. Low self‐esteem mediates the relationships between ACEs and ED behaviours. Adverse childhood experiences should be assessed in biological studies, and their effects targeted in treatment.
Energetic/exergetic study of Kalina and refrigeration bottoming cycles on different solar‐driven organic Rankine cycles
Authors: Dehghan Masood , Akbari Ghasem , Montazerin Nader , Maroufi Arman 
Published: February 2024

AbstractCombination of different power cycle scenarios is of prime importance in achieving maximum energy utilization from solar‐driven multigeneration systems. To fulfill such objective, the present article proposes a novel energy distribution system, leveraging a combination of direct‐fed organic Rankine cycle (ORC) and a bottom‐cycled arrangement of Kalina cycle system (KCS) and double‐effect absorption refrigeration cycle (DEARC) within a parabolic trough solar collector powered trigeneration system. The study explores three different ORC configurations: simple ORC; ORC equipped with internal heat exchanger (ORC‐IHE) and regenerative ORC (RORC). It is shown that although higher efficiencies are achievable from a larger portion of PTSC energy absorbed by the ORC, the ORC energy absorption is limited by ORC evaporator temperature differences, and there is unused energy that can be recovered by the KCS, based on the proposed energy system. The results indicate that the addition of bottoming KCS leads to a considerable increase in the exergy efficiency of ORC, ORC‐IHE and RORC‐based systems by 11.7%, 30.7% and 32.6%, respectively. The impact of different ORC configurations, key ORC parameters and various organic working fluids on the energetic/exergetic efficiencies is also examined to find the optimal configuration. In terms of overall energetic/exergetic efficiencies, the highest performance belongs to ORC (78.4%/30.4%) while the lowest energetic and exergetic efficiencies belong to ORC‐IHE and RORC, respectively (56.3% and 25.65%). On the basis of a comparative study with the available literature, these values are higher than what is already reported for similar solar‐driven multigeneration systems. Appropriate thermal match and lower exergy destruction in the KCS, and bottoming cycle arrangement of the DEARC are the main reasons for such enhanced performance. This research not only contributes valuable insights into efficient solar‐driven systems but also sets a new benchmark for performance metrics in the existing literature.