bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Soil quality variation and its driving factors within tropical forests on Hainan Island, China
Authors: Sun Rui , Lan Guoyu , Yang Chuan , Wu Zhixiang , Chen Bangqian , Fraedrich Klaus 
Published: March 2023

AbstractSoil quality is a critically important component of soil within ecosystems, and our understanding of soil quality variation and its driving factors in tropical forests is limited. This study collected soil samples at 0–20 cm depths from two typical tropical forests (tropical rainforest and rubber plantation) on Hainan Island, China's largest tropical island, during dry and rainy seasons. A soil quality index (SQI) using principal component analysis was applied to measure soil quality based on 21 soil properties. The soil properties' spatial and seasonal changes and their driving factors were simultaneously collected for a holistic analysis of the ecosystems. The results were summarized as follows: (i) The SQI of the rubber plantation decreased by 26.48% compared to the tropical rainforest on the island, while four soil properties investigated (soil pH, total phosphorus, cellulose decomposition, and actinomycetes) increased. (ii) The SQI of different soil types in the two tropical forests displayed an apparent discrepancy. Within the same soil type, the SQI of tropical rainforests showed no obvious differences, while there was a notable spatial discrepancy among rubber plantations in dispersed geographical positions belonging to varied climatic zones. (iii) The SQI of the tropical rainforest was significantly higher in the wet season than in the dry season. In contrast, there were no significant differences between the two seasons for rubber plantations, indicating that soil quality in the tropical rainforest was more sensitive to seasonal changes than soil quality in rubber plantations. Overall, we concluded that except for land use and soil type, spatial variability and seasonal pattern also played essential roles in soil quality on the tropical island. The results from the SQI are expected to provide novel information regarding the sustainable use of tropical forests on Hainan Island.
Perspectives on pain in Down syndrome
Authors: Shaikh Ammara , Li Yun‐Qing , Lu Jie 
Published: March 2023

AbstractDown syndrome (DS) or trisomy 21 is a genetic condition often accompanied by chronic pain caused by congenital abnormalities and/or conditions, such as osteoarthritis, recurrent infections, and leukemia. Although DS patients are more susceptible to chronic pain as compared to the general population, the pain experience in these individuals may vary, attributed to the heterogenous structural and functional differences in the central nervous system, which might result in abnormal pain sensory information transduction, transmission, modulation, and perception. We tried to elaborate on some key questions and possible explanations in this review. Further clarification of the mechanisms underlying such abnormal conditions induced by the structural and functional differences is needed to help pain management in DS patients.
High level of thyroid peroxidase antibodies as a detrimental risk of pregnancy outcomes in euthyroid women undergoing ART: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Zhang Sudan , Yang Mingdong , Li Teng , Yang Min , Wang Wei , Chen Yunqing , Ding Yu , Liu Jianxin , Xu Xiaohui , Zhang Jian , Wang Zheng , Liu Jiane 
Published: March 2023

AbstractThyroid autoimmunity (TAI) triggered by genetic and epigenetic variation occurs mostly in women of reproductive age. TAI is described mainly by positivity of anti‐thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPO‐Ab) and/or thyroglobulin antibody (TG‐Ab). TPO‐Ab, but not TG‐Ab, was suggested to be associated with pregnancy outcome in euthyroid women undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART), but their results are conflicting. This meta‐analysis was performed to decide whether the presence of TPO‐Ab—in a concentration dependent manner—correlates with the success of ART. A systematic literature search was performed in the PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE databases for relevant articles published from January 1999 to April 2022, and these studies focused on the effect of TAI on pregnancy outcomes of women who underwent in vitro fertilization, intracytoplasmic sperm injection and intrauterine insemination and met the inclusion criteria: (i) the studies were prospective or retrospective study; (ii) all patients undergoing ART were tested for thyroid‐related antibodies; (iii) the assessed ART outcomes included miscarriage rate (MR) or delivery rate (DR). The exclusion criteria were: (i) female congenital uterine malformation, chromosomal diseases and other infectious diseases; (ii) overt hypothyroidism or pre‐existing thyroid disease; (iii) thrombus tendency. We divided the included patients into three groups according to the TPO‐Ab threshold they defined: (i) TPO‐Ab (−), threshold <34 IU/mL; (ii) TPO‐Ab‐34, threshold >34 IU/mL; (iii) TPO‐Ab‐100, threshold >100 IU/mL. We then extracted necessary relevant data, including MR and DR. Egger's test was used to evaluate the risk of publication bias. This meta‐analysis included a total of 7 literatures involving 7466 patients with TAI (−) and 965 patients with TAI (+) and revealed that there was no significant difference between group TPO‐Ab‐34 and group TPO‐Ab (−) in MR [risk ratio (RR): 0.61 (0.35, 1.08), p = 0.09] and DR [RR: 0.97 (0.83, 1.13), p = 0.69]. By contrast, compared to TPO‐Ab (−) group, TPO‐Ab‐100 patients showed markedly higher MR [RR: 2.12 (1.52, 2.96), p = 0.0046], and lower DR [RR: 0.66 (0.49, 0.88), p < 0.0001] with high degree of statistical significance. This meta‐analysis suggests that, for euthyroid patients, high level of TPO‐Ab (>100 IU/mL) could adversely influence the pregnancy outcome of ART.
A mesh‐based partitioning algorithm for decreasing conservatism in solving bilinear matrix inequality problems
Authors: Javanmardi Hamidreza , Dehghani Maryam , Mohammadi Mohsen , Hesamzadeh Mohammad Reza 
Published: March 2023

SummaryIn this paper, a mesh‐based partitioning algorithm (MBPA) to solve bilinear matrix inequality (BMI) problems is proposed, where the main idea is to divide the solution space of a non‐convex BMI problem into smaller parts in the form of Simplexes through meshing the space. In each simplex, only the concave part of BMI constraints is approximated by piecewise affine matrix (PAM), which eventually leads to a convex sub‐problem. After that, the feasible solution can be easily obtained in each simplex through the linear matrix inequality (LMI) optimization. Although the proposed MBPA exploits PAM approximation, it relaxes several restrictive conditions used in other methods, so, it can be used as an effective approach for solving BMI problems. Various numerical examples on systems from COMPleib library to design static output feedback controller are provided to validate the proposed MBPA. Simulation results reveal the satisfactory performance of MBPA in several examined problems and provide acceptable performance compared to other existing BMI solution algorithms. Comparing the percentage of superiority of MBPA with some existing prominent BMI algorithms in several control problems including spectral abscissa optimization problems, and optimization problems for the closed‐loop systems of COMPleib show that the proposed algorithm is more successful than the previous ones.
Understanding Barriers to Timely Diagnosis and Intervention Among Immigrant Children With Hearing Loss
Authors: Jaradeh Katrin , Liao Elizabeth N. , Chehab Lara Z. , Tebb Kathleen P. , Florentine Michelle M. , Bellfort‐Salinas Silvia , Chan Dylan K. 
Published: March 2023

AbstractObjectiveIdentify the age at diagnosis and intervention of immigrant and/or non‐English‐speaking children with hearing loss (HL) and risk factors associated with delays. Identify barriers for non‐English‐speaking caregivers of deaf/hard‐of‐hearing children.Study DesignSequential mixed methods.SettingTertiary care center in an urban city.MethodsThe analysis includes descriptive statistics, and 1‐way and 2‐way analysis of variance of the retrospective chart review. The quantitative study demonstrated foreign‐born experienced disparities, so we conducted semistructured interviews on a subset of non‐English‐speaking families in the cohort that was then thematically analyzed using a human‐centered design strategy.ResultsWe divided 532 children into 3 groups: US‐born with English as the preferred language (N = 294), US‐born and non‐English language preferred (N = 173), and foreign‐born (N = 67). The laterality of HL and pure‐tone averages were similar among the groups (p = .972 and .071, respectively). Age at diagnosis and time to the intervention were significantly different (39.7, 31.5, 75.8 months, p < .001 and 24.6, 29.2, 48.9 months, p = .001, respectively). Ages at diagnosis and intervention were associated with birthplace (p = .005, p = .0005, respectively) but not preferred language (p = .667, p = .343, respectively). Included in the qualitative interviews were Mandarin‐ (n = 5), Arabic‐ (n = 4), and Spanish‐speaking families (n = 3). Insights revealed participants' quest for anticipatory guidance and social support, the consequences of cultural stigma, and the complexity of caring for a child with HL in an immigrant family.ConclusionForeign‐born children with HL have significant delays in diagnosis and intervention compared to US‐born children. For non‐English‐speaking parents, the diagnosis of HL presents challenges beyond that of the immigrant experience.
Efficacy of Pneumococcal Vaccine on Otitis Media: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Wannarong Thanakrit , Ekpatanaparnich Pichamon , Boonyasiri Adhiratha , Supapueng Orawan , Vathanophas Vannipa , Tanphaichitr Archwin , Ungkanont Kitirat 
Published: March 2023

AbstractObjectiveTo assess the effect of the pneumococcal vaccine (PCV) toward the surgical management and complications of otitis media.Data SourcesMEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, Scopus, and clinicaltrial.gov.Review MethodsA systematic search was performed using a combination of keywords and standardized terms about PCV and surgical management or complications of otitis media. Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses guidelines, studies were screened by 3 independent reviewers. Risk of bias assessment, followed by meta‐analysis in only randomized‐controlled trials was conducted. Vaccine efficacy (VE) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were reported.ResultsOf the 2649 abstracts reviewed, 27 studies were included in the qualitative analysis and were categorized into 6 outcomes: tympanostomy tube insertion, otitis media with effusion (OME), mastoiditis, spontaneous tympanic membrane (TM) perforation, recurrent acute otitis media (AOM), and severe AOM. Fifteen studies were included in the meta‐analysis to evaluate the rate of tympanostomy tube insertion, OME, and recurrent AOM. PCV was significantly more effective in lowering the rate of tympanostomy tube insertion (VE, 22.2%; 95% CI, 14.6‐29.8) and recurrent AOM (VE, 10.06%; 95% CI, 7.46‐12.65) when compared with the control group, with no significant difference in reducing the incidence of OME. The qualitative analysis revealed that PCV had efficacy in preventing severe AOM and spontaneous TM perforation but the effect on mastoiditis remained unclear.ConclusionThe PCV was effective in reducing the rate of tympanostomy tube insertion and the incidence of recurrent AOM with a nonsignificant effect in preventing OME in children.
Dynamic assessment of serum chromogranin A and treatment response with abiraterone acetate in metastatic castration‐resistant prostate cancer
Authors: Lewis Akeem R. , Costello Brian A. , Quevedo Fernando , Pagliaro Lance C. , Sanhueza Cristobal , Weinshilboum Richard M. , Kalari Krishna R. , Wang Liewei , Kohli Manish , Tan Winston , Giridhar Karthik V. 
Published: March 2023

AbstractObjectiveElevated serum chromogranin A (CGA) is associated with intrinsic or treatment‐related neuroendocrine differentiation (NED) in men with metastatic castration‐resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Fluctuations in serum CGA during treatment of mCRPC have had conflicting results. We analyzed the impact of (i) rising serum CGA and (ii) baseline CGA/PSA ratio during treatment to identify associations with abiraterone acetate (AA) therapy.MethodsBetween June 2013 and August 2015, 92 men with mCRPC were enrolled in a prospective trial with uniform serum CGA processing performed before initiating abiraterone acetate/prednisone (AA/P) and serially after 12 weeks of AA/P treatments. Serum CGA was measured using a homogenous automated immunofluorescent assay. Patients receiving proton pump inhibitors or with abnormal renal function were excluded due to possible false elevations of serum CGA (n = 21 excluded), therefore 71 patients were analyzed. All patients underwent a composite response assessment at 12‐weeks. Kaplan–Meier estimates and Cox Regression models were used to calculate the association with time‐to‐treatment failure analyses and overall survival.ResultsAn increase in chromogranin was associated with a lower risk of treatment failure (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.52, p = 0.0181). The median CGA/PSA ratio was 7.8 (2.6–16.0) and an elevated pretreatment CGA/PSA ratio above the median was associated with a lower risk of treatment failure (HR: 0.54 p value = 0.0185). An increase in CGA was not found to be associated with OS (HR: 0.71, 95% CI: 0.42–1.21, p = 0.207). An elevated baseline CGA/PSA ratio was not associated with OS (HR: 0.62, 95% CI: 0.37–1.03, p = 0.062). An increase in PSA after 12 weeks of treatment was associated with an increased risk of treatment failure (HR: 4.14, CI: 2.21–7.73, p = < 0.0001) and worse OS (HR: 2.93, CI: 1.57–4.45, p = < 0.0001).ConclusionsWe show that an increasing chromogranin on AA/P and an elevated baseline CGA/PSA in patients with mCRPC were associated with a favorable response to AA/P with no changes in survival. There may be limited clinical utility in serum CGA testing to evaluate for lethal NED as AA/P did not induce lethal NED in this cohort. This highlights that not all patients with an increasing CGA have a worse OS.
Peroxiredoxin 1 transfer during mating protects eupyrene sperm against oxdative stress in Grapholita molesta
Authors: Cheng Jie , Zhu Lin , Zhu Fang , Zhao Peng , Li Qiong‐Xi , Lu Zi‐Hang , Zhang Song‐Dou , Li Zhen , Liu Xiao‐Xia 
Published: March 2023

AbstractBACKGROUNDEach Grapholita molesta female only copulates once during its lifetime and thus must maintain the viability of stored eupyrene sperm for male reproductive success. The male ejaculate comprises abundant accessory gland proteins produced by the male accessory gland (AG), and many of which are major effectors for sperm storage and maintenance.RESULTSHere, we reported that an antioxidant protein, peroxiredoxin 1 (GmolPrx1), secreted by the male AG, is essential for protecting eupyrene sperm from oxidative stress and maintaining their quality during storage in the female bursa copulatrix (BC). Our data showed that GmolPrx1 is highly expressed in the AG of sexually mature males. The GmolPrx1 protein is localized to the cytoplasm of AG cells and delivered to the female BC during mating. Knockdown of GmolPrx1 strongly decreased the fertility of mated females. Additionally, we evaluated oxidative status in the spermatophore of females and found that the content of hydrogen peroxide increased significantly after mating with GmolPrx1 knockdown males. Finally, the quality assessment of eupyrene sperm demonstrated that the plasma membrane integrity, acrosome integrity, and DNA integrity were all severely impaired in the spermatophore of females after mating with GmolPrx1 knockdown males, which may contribute to the fertility decline in males.CONCLUSIONOur current data demonstrated that activities of eupyrene sperm stored in females can be significantly impaired by enhanced oxidative stress through knocking down of GmolPrx1 in males. Our finding thus may further lay new foundations for the control of G. molesta through suppressing their populations by manipulating male reproductive genes. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
Air‐ and Moisture Robust Surface Modification for Ni‐Rich Layered Cathode Materials for Li‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Embleton Tom James , Yun Jeongsik , Choi Jae‐Hong , Kim Jongho , Choi Sumyeong , Lee Chaewon , Son Yoonkook , Oh Pilgun 
Published: March 2023

AbstractThe mainstream of high‐energy cathode development is focused on increasing the Ni‐ratio in layered structured cathode materials. The increment of the Ni portion in the layered cathode material escalates not only the deliverable capacity but also the structural degradation. High‐Ni layered cathodes are highly vulnerable to exposure to air that contains CO2 and H2O, forming problematic residual lithium compounds at the surface. In this work, a novel air‐ and moisture robust surface modification is reported for LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 (NCM811) via the sol‐gel coating method that selectively coats the internal surface area of the polycrystalline morphology secondary particles. Bare‐, Li2SnO3‐coated and LiCoO2‐coated NCM811 are exposed to different ambient environments (air, hot‐air, and moisture‐air) to systematically investigate the correlation between the internal/external coating morphology and performance degradations. The LiCoO2‐coated NCM811s exhibit high‐capacity retention after exposure to all environments, due to the internal surface coating that prevents the penetration of harmful compounds into the polycrystalline NCM811. On the other hand, the Li2SnO3‐coated NCM811s exposed to the ambient environments show gradual capacity fading, implying the occurrence of internal degradation. This paper highlights the impact of the internal degradation of polycrystalline NCM811 after environmental exposure and the correct coating mechanisms required to successfully prevent it.
Hydrogen‐Rich Pyrolysis from Ni‐Fe Heterometallic Schiff Base Centrosymmetric Cluster Facilitates NiFe Alloy for Efficient OER Electrocatalysts
Authors: Zhou Fanglei , Gan Meixing , Yan Dafeng , Chen Xueli , Peng Xu 
Published: March 2023

AbstractBinary metal nickel‐iron alloys have been proven to have great potential in oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysis, but there are still certain challenges in how to construct more efficient nickel‐iron alloy electrocatalysts and maximize their own advantages. In this work, a heterometallic nickel‐iron cluster (L = C64H66Fe4N8Ni2O19) of Schiff base (LH3 = 2‐amino‐1,3‐propanediol salicylaldehyde) is designed as a precursor to explore its behavior in the pyrolysis process under inert atmosphere. The combination of TG‐MS, morphology, and X‐ray characterization techniques shows that the Schiff base ligands in the heterometallic clusters produces a strong reductive atmosphere during pyrolysis, which enable the two 3d metals Ni and Fe to form NiFe alloys. Moreover, Fe2O3/Fe0.64Ni0.36@Cs carbon nanomaterials are formed, in which Fe2O3/Fe0.64Ni0.36 is the potential active material for OER. It is also found that the centrosymmetric structure of the heterometallic Schiff base precursor is potentially related to the formation of the Fe2O3/Fe0.64Ni0.36 alloy@carbon structures. The Fe2O3/Fe0.64Ni0.36@C‐800 provides 274 mV overpotential in 1 m KOH solution at 10 mA cm−2 in OER. This work provides an effective basis for further research on Schiff base bimetallic doping‐derived carbon nanomaterials as excellent OER electrocatalysts.
Atomically Dispersed Fe/N4 and Ni/N4 Sites on Separate‐Sides of Porous Carbon Nanosheets with Janus Structure for Selective Oxygen Electrocatalysis
Authors: Liu Xinghuan , Zhao Fei , Jiao Long , Fang Tianwen , Zhao Zeyu , Xiao Xiangfei , Li Danya , Yi Ke , Wang Rongjie , Jia Xin 
Published: March 2023

AbstractDual single atoms catalysts have promising application in bifunctional electrocatalysis due to their synergistic effect. However, how to balance the competition between rate‐limiting steps (RDSs) of reversible oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and fully expose the active centers by reasonable structure design remain enormous challenges. Herein, Fe/N4 and Ni/N4 sites separated on different sides of the carbon nanosheets with Janus structure (FeNijns/NC) is synthesized by layer‐by‐layer assembly method. Experiments and calculations reveal that the side of Fe/N4 is beneficial to oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the Ni/N4 side is preferred to OER. Such Janus structure can take full advantage of two separate‐sides of carbon nanosheets and balance the competition of RDSs during ORR and OER. FeNijns/NC possesses superior ORR and OER activity with ORR half‐wave potential of 0.92 V and OER overpotential of 440 mV at J = 10 mA cm−2. Benefiting from the excellent bifunctional activities, FeNijns/NC assembled aqueous Zn–air battery (ZAB) demonstrates better maximum power density, and long‐term stability (140 h) than Pt/C+RuO2 catalyst. It also reveals superior flexibility and stability in solid‐state ZAB. This work brings a novel perspective for rational design and understanding of the catalytic mechanisms of dual single atom catalysts.
Ho‐Ion‐Polymer/Graphene Heterojunctions Toward Room‐Temperature Ferromagnets
Authors: Xia Wenlai , Li Chenjian , Zhang Shixian , Wang Xuelin , Wang Shan , Yang Quanling , Li Wei , Xiong Chuanxi , Huang Jing , Wang Qing 
Published: March 2023

AbstractOrganic ferromagnetic materials offer great promise for spintronic devices, carbon‐based chips, and quantum communications, but remain as a challenging issue due to their low saturation magnetization and/or unsustainable ferromagnetic properties. To date, magnetic ion polymers have displayed paramagnetism without exception at room‐temperature. In this study, it is reported for the first time that, owing to the structural restriction and charge exchange of Ho ion by polymer/graphene π–π stacking heterojunctions, holmium ion polymer composites exhibited typical hysteresis lines of ferromagnetic materials at room temperature. The room‐temperature ferromagnetic ion polymer composite presented the highest saturation magnetization value of 3.36 emu g−1 and unprecedented sustainable ferromagnetism, compared to reported room‐temperature organic ferromagnetic materials. Accordingly, prepared ferromagnetic composites also achieved impressive wave absorption properties, with a maximum reflection loss of as much as −57.32 dB and a broad absorption bandwidth of 5.05 GHz. These findings may promote the development of room‐temperature organic ferromagnetic materials.
A Paradigm Shift from 2D to 3D: Surface Supramolecular Assemblies and Their Electronic Properties Explored by Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Spectroscopy
Authors: Xie Rongbin , Hu Yi , Lee Shern‐Long 
Published: March 2023

AbstractExploring supramolecular architectures at surfaces plays an increasingly important role in contemporary science, especially for molecular electronics. A paradigm of research interest in this context is shifting from 2D to 3D that is expanding from monolayer, bilayers, to multilayers. Taking advantage of its high‐resolution insight into monolayers and a few layers, scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/STS) turns out a powerful tool for analyzing such thin films on a solid surface. This review summarizes the representative efforts of STM/STS studies of layered supramolecular assemblies and their unique electronic properties, especially at the liquid–solid interface. The superiority of the 3D molecular networks at surfaces is elucidated and an outlook on the challenges that still lie ahead is provided. This review not only highlights the profound progress in 3D supramolecular assemblies but also provides researchers with unusual concepts to design surface supramolecular structures with increasing complexity and desired functionality.