bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of a Uniform Magnetic Field on Twisted Graphene Nanoribbons
Authors: Soares Camila C. , Obispo Angel E. , Jirón Vicente Andrés G. , Castro Luis B. 
Published: March 2023

AbstractIn the present work, the relativistic quantum motion of massless fermions in a helicoidal graphene nanoribbon under the influence of a uniform magnetic field is investigated. Considering a uniform magnetic field (B) aligned along the axis of helicoid, this problem is explored in the context of Dirac equation in a curved space‐time. As this system does not support exact solutions due to considered background, the bound‐state solutions and local density of states (LDOS) are obtained numerically by means of the Numerov method. The combined effects of width of the nanoribbon (D), length of ribbon (L), twist parameter (ω), and B on the equations of motion and LDOS are analyzed and discussed. It is verified that the presence of B produces a constant minimum value of local density of state on the axis of helicoid, which is possible only for values large enough of ω, in contrast to the case for already studied in the literature.
Fluidized bed roasting modifying the microstructure of cocoa nibs and improving cocoa butter quality
Authors: Peña‐Correa Ruth Fabiola , Mogol Burçe Ataç , Fogliano Vincenzo 
Published: March 2023

AbstractThe extraction of butter from cocoa seeds involves various processing steps that weaken the lipid‐storing cell walls of cocoa cotyledons. Roasting is particularly critical, making cocoa nibs porous and brittle. In this study, the degree of disruption of the microstructure of cocoa nibs, and the quality and aroma profile of cocoa butter, were evaluated using two roasting techniques, forced convective oven, and fluidized bed. Fluidized bed roasting, recognized for its energy efficiency and low‐carbon footprint, was 12 times faster than oven roasting. This technique allowed a rapid release of steam when parenchyma cell walls were still in a glassy state, while oven roasting caused gradual physical modification allowing the cell wall to become more elastic. Consequently, small pores expanded and coalesced to produce larger pores. X‐ray tomographic analysis showed a total porosity in unroasted cocoa nibs of 8.5 ± 2.0% (vol/vol), which was doubled upon oven roasting and triplicated upon fluidized bed roasting. The higher porosity in fluidized‐bed‐roasted nibs was reflected in the lowest densities and highest cocoa butter yield. Cocoa butter obtained from fluidized‐bed roasted cocoa showed a higher presence of pyrazines and 3‐methylbutanal, and a lower concentration of hydroperoxides, thus enhancing the chocolate flavor and quality. In this paper, we proved that the pore structure of cocoa nibs is a key quality descriptor of roasting processing, and we concluded by quality considerations that fluidized bed roasting technique should be preferred for cocoa nibs roasting over conventional roasting.
Multi‐Dimensional Topological Fermions in Electrides
Authors: Meng Weizhen , Zhang Xiaoming , Jiang Jiayu , Li Zihan , Liu Ying , Dai Xuefang , Liu Guodong 
Published: March 2023

AbstractTopological electrides have attracted extensive attention in various fields, for example, electrocatalysis, spintronics, electron emitters, etc., due to their non‐trivial topological surface states and unique electronic properties. It is well known that topologically protected nontrivial surface states are not broken by external perturbations and further exhibit high carrier mobility and high electron density on some specific surfaces. In addition, electrides usually possess a lower work function due to the presence of approximately loose excess electrons. In this case, topological electrides not only build a bridge between topological materials and electrides, but also couple various excellent properties of these two materials. Since the concept of topological electrides was first proposed, several novel types of topological electrides have been reported in the last few years. Therefore, it is necessary to give a comprehensive review of these topological electrides. In this review, the history of the development of topological electrides and their current status is systematically summarized. In addition, relevant insights into the challenges and opportunities facing topological materials are provided.
Modulating and optimizing Pluronic F‐68 concentrations and feeding for intensified perfusion Chinese hamster ovary cell cultures
Authors: Wei Zhaohui , Xia Yang , Su Yuning , Quan Yufen , Sun Liuliu , Wang Shanshan , Zhu Fangjian , Chen Zhenzhen , Tian Jun , Wang Wei‐Chun , Zhou Weichang , Yu Haiyang 
Published: March 2023

AbstractPerfusion culture is often performed with micro‐sparger to fulfill the high oxygen demand from the densified cells. Protective additive Pluronic F‐68 (PF‐68) is widely used to mitigate the adverse effect in cell viability from micro‐sparging. In this study, different PF‐68 retention ratio in alternating tangential filtration (ATF) columns was found to be crucial for cell performance of different perfusion culture modes. The PF‐68 in the perfusion medium was found retained inside the bioreactor when exchanged through ATF hollow fibers with a small pore size (50 kD). The accumulated PF‐68 could provide sufficient protection for cells under micro‐sparging. On the other hand, with large‐pore‐size (0.2 μm) hollow fibers, PF‐68 could pass through the ATF filtration membranes with little retention, and consequently led to compromised cell growth. To overcome the defect, a PF‐68 feeding strategy was designed and successfully verified on promoting cell growth with different Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell lines. With PF‐68 feeding, enhancements were observed in both viable cell densities (20%–30%) and productivity (~30%). A threshold PF‐68 concentration of 5 g/L for high‐density cell culture (up to 100 × 106 cells/mL) was also proposed and verified. The additional PF‐68 feeding was not observed to affect product qualities. By designing the PF‐68 concentration of perfusion medium to or higher than the threshold level, a similar cell growth enhancement was also achieved. This study systematically investigated the protecting role of PF‐68 in intensified CHO cell cultures, shedding a light on the optimization of perfusion cultures through the control of protective additives.
Racial disparities in cancer care, an eyeopener for developing better global cancer management strategies
Authors: Bharmjeet  , Das Asmita 
Published: March 2023

AbstractBackgroundIn the last few decades, advancements in cancer research, both in the field of cancer diagnostics as well as treatment of the disease have been extensive and multidimensional. Increased availability of health care resources and growing awareness has resulted in the reduction of consumption of carcinogens such as tobacco; adopting various prophylactic measures; cancer testing on regular basis and improved targeted therapies have greatly reduced cancer mortality among populations, globally. However, this notable reduction in cancer mortality is discriminate and reflective of disparities between various ethnic populations and economic classes. Several factors contribute to this systemic inequity, at the level of diagnosis, cancer prognosis, therapeutics, and even point‐of‐care facilities.Recent FindingsIn this review, we have highlighted cancer health disparities among different populations around the globe. It encompasses social determinants such as status in society, poverty, education, diagnostic approaches including biomarkers and molecular testing, treatment as well as palliative care. Cancer treatment is an active area of constant progress and newer targeted treatments like immunotherapy, personalized treatment, and combinatorial therapies are emerging but these also show biases in their implementation in various sections of society. The involvement of populations in clinical trials and trial management is also a hotbed for racial discrimination. The immense progress in cancer management and its worldwide application needs a careful evaluation by identifying the biases in racial discrimination in healthcare facilities.ConclusionOur review gives a comprehensive evaluation of this global racial discrimination in cancer care and would be helpful in designing better strategies for cancer management and decreasing mortality.
Mouse Models for Atopic Dermatitis
Authors: Sakamoto Keiko , Nagao Keisuke 
Published: March 2023

AbstractAtopic dermatitis (AD) is a multifactorial disease with underlying barrier disruption and altered microbial flora, resulting in dry skin and eczematous inflammation with persistent pruritis. Mouse models have been heavily used to investigate AD pathophysiology. Among various AD mouse models, AD‐like inflammation induced by topical calcipotriol, a vitamin D3 analog referred to as MC903 in experimental settings, is a versatile model that can be applied to any strain of mice, which can be used for immunologic and morphologic studies. Herein, we provide basic protocols for the topical application of MC903 and approaches to assess phenotypes. After inducing AD‐like inflammation, the skin is harvested for flow cytometry analysis, as well as for histologic and immunofluorescence microscopy analyses. The combination of these approaches enables accurate characterization of the degree of inflammation, type of inflammatory infiltrate, and localization of immune infiltrates. Published 2023. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.Basic Protocol 1: Application of MC903 and gross phenotype assessmentBasic Protocol 2: Processing skin for flow cytometry analysisSupport Protocol: Skin immune cell surface staining and flow cytometry analysisBasic Protocol 3: Harvesting skin for histologic analysisBasic Protocol 4: Immunofluorescence staining to identify immune cell infiltrates
Microglial Phagocytosis/Cell Health High‐Content Assay
Authors: Mason Emily R. , Soni Disha M. , Chu Shaoyou 
Published: March 2023

AbstractWe report a microglial phagocytosis/cell health high‐content assay that has been used to test small molecule chemical probes and support our drug discovery projects targeting microglia for Alzheimer's disease therapy. The assay measures phagocytosis and cell health (cell count and nuclear intensity) simultaneously in 384‐well plates processed with an automatic liquid handler. The mix‐and‐read live cell imaging assay is highly reproducible with capacity to meet drug discovery research needs. Assay procedures take 4 days including plating cells, treating cells, adding pHrodo‐myelin/membrane debris to cells for phagocytosis, staining cell nuclei before performing high‐content imaging, and analysis. Three selected parameters are measured from cells: 1) mean total fluorescence intensity per cell of pHrodo‐myelin/membrane debris in phagocytosis vesicles to quantify phagocytosis; 2) cell counts per well (measuring compound effects on proliferation and cell death); and 3) average nuclear intensity (measuring compound induced apoptosis). The assay has been used on HMC3 cells (an immortalized human microglial cell line), BV2 cells (an immortalized mouse microglial cell line), and primary microglia isolated from mouse brains. Simultaneous measurements of phagocytosis and cell health allow for the distinction of compound effects on regulation of phagocytosis from cellular stress/toxicity related changes, a distinguishing feature of the assay. The combination of cell counts and nuclear intensity as indicators of cell health is also an effective way to measure cell stress and compound cytotoxicity, which may have broad applications as simultaneous profiling measurements for other phenotypic assays. © 2023 The Authors. Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.This article was corrected on 06 April 2023. See the end of the full text for details.Basic Protocol: Microglial phagocytosis/cell health high‐content assay protocolSupport Protocol: Procedures to isolate myelin/membrane debris from mouse brain and label with pHrodo
Deriving spatially explicit direct and indirect interaction networks from animal movement data
Authors: Yang Anni , Wilber Mark Q. , Manlove Kezia R. , Miller Ryan S. , Boughton Raoul , Beasley James , Northrup Joseph , VerCauteren Kurt C. , Wittemyer George , Pepin Kim 
Published: March 2023

AbstractQuantifying spatiotemporally explicit interactions within animal populations facilitates the understanding of social structure and its relationship with ecological processes. Data from animal tracking technologies (Global Positioning Systems [“GPS”]) can circumvent longstanding challenges in the estimation of spatiotemporally explicit interactions, but the discrete nature and coarse temporal resolution of data mean that ephemeral interactions that occur between consecutive GPS locations go undetected. Here, we developed a method to quantify individual and spatial patterns of interaction using continuous‐time movement models (CTMMs) fit to GPS tracking data. We first applied CTMMs to infer the full movement trajectories at an arbitrarily fine temporal scale before estimating interactions, thus allowing inference of interactions occurring between observed GPS locations. Our framework then infers indirect interactions—individuals occurring at the same location, but at different times—while allowing the identification of indirect interactions to vary with ecological context based on CTMM outputs. We assessed the performance of our new method using simulations and illustrated its implementation by deriving disease‐relevant interaction networks for two behaviorally differentiated species, wild pigs (Sus scrofa) that can host African Swine Fever and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) that can host chronic wasting disease. Simulations showed that interactions derived from observed GPS data can be substantially underestimated when temporal resolution of movement data exceeds 30‐min intervals. Empirical application suggested that underestimation occurred in both interaction rates and their spatial distributions. CTMM‐Interaction method, which can introduce uncertainties, recovered majority of true interactions. Our method leverages advances in movement ecology to quantify fine‐scale spatiotemporal interactions between individuals from lower temporal resolution GPS data. It can be leveraged to infer dynamic social networks, transmission potential in disease systems, consumer–resource interactions, information sharing, and beyond. The method also sets the stage for future predictive models linking observed spatiotemporal interaction patterns to environmental drivers.
Prior choice and data requirements of Bayesian multivariate hierarchical models fit to tag‐recovery data: The need for power analyses
Authors: Deane Cody E. , Carlson Lindsay G. , Cunningham Curry J. , Doak Pat , Kielland Knut , Breed Greg A. 
Published: March 2023

AbstractRecent empirical studies have quantified correlation between survival and recovery by estimating these parameters as correlated random effects with hierarchical Bayesian multivariate models fit to tag‐recovery data. In these applications, increasingly negative correlation between survival and recovery has been interpreted as evidence for increasingly additive harvest mortality. The power of these hierarchal models to detect nonzero correlations has rarely been evaluated, and these few studies have not focused on tag‐recovery data, which is a common data type. We assessed the power of multivariate hierarchical models to detect negative correlation between annual survival and recovery. Using three priors for multivariate normal distributions, we fit hierarchical effects models to a mallard (Anas platyrhychos) tag‐recovery data set and to simulated data with sample sizes corresponding to different levels of monitoring intensity. We also demonstrate more robust summary statistics for tag‐recovery data sets than total individuals tagged. Different priors led to substantially different estimates of correlation from the mallard data. Our power analysis of simulated data indicated most prior distribution and sample size combinations could not estimate strongly negative correlation with useful precision or accuracy. Many correlation estimates spanned the available parameter space (−1,1) and underestimated the magnitude of negative correlation. Only one prior combined with our most intensive monitoring scenario provided reliable results. Underestimating the magnitude of correlation coincided with overestimating the variability of annual survival, but not annual recovery. The inadequacy of prior distributions and sample size combinations previously assumed adequate for obtaining robust inference from tag‐recovery data represents a concern in the application of Bayesian hierarchical models to tag‐recovery data. Our analysis approach provides a means for examining prior influence and sample size on hierarchical models fit to capture–recapture data while emphasizing transferability of results between empirical and simulation studies.
Ecosystem engineers in the extreme: The modest impact of marmots on vegetation cover and plant nitrogen and phosphorus content in a cold, extremely arid mountain environment
Authors: Chibowski Piotr , Zegarek Marcin , Zarzycka Aleksandra , Suska‐Malawska Małgorzata 
Published: March 2023

AbstractBurrowing mammals strongly impact plant communities. One of the main effects is accelerating nutrient cycling and thus promoting plant growth. This mechanism is well‐studied in grasslands and alpine habitats, but less is known about this phenomenon in arid, cold mountain environments. We studied ecosystem engineering by long‐tailed marmots (Marmota caudata) by measuring the content of plant nitrogen and phosphorus, as well as nitrogen stable isotopes in plant biomass and marmot feces in a distance gradient up to 20 m from marmot burrows in an extremely arid glacier valley in Eastern Pamir, Tajikistan. We also captured aerial images of the area inhabited by marmots to study the spatial distribution of vegetation. There was a weak relationship between the presence of burrows and vegetation cover on soil not covered by burrow material. Burrow mounds were not colonized by plants, as opposed to other studies, where mounds are often microhabitats that enhance plant diversity. A significant increase in N and P in aboveground green plant biomass in the proximity of burrows was found in one out of six studied plant species. Contrary to our expectations, stable N isotopes did not give further insight into N routing. We assume that plant growth is strongly limited by water availability, which prevents them from utilizing the local increase in nutrients, certainly provided by marmot activity. The results are contrary to numerous studies, which showed that the role of burrowing animals as ecosystem engineers increases with increasing abiotic stress, including aridity. This shows a lack of this type of study at the end of the gradient of abiotic factors.
Prevalence of transthyretin amyloidosis among heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction in Japan
Authors: Naito Takanori , Nakamura Kazufumi , Abe Yukio , Watanabe Hiroyuki , Sakuragi Satoru , Katayama Yusuke , Kihara Hajime , Okizaki Atsutaka , Kawai Yusuke , Yoshikawa Masaki , Takaishi Atsushi , Fujio Hideki , Otsuka Hiroaki , Ogura Soichiro , Ito Hiroshi ,   ATTR‐HFpEF registry investigators
Published: March 2023

AbstractAimsHeart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), which is caused by wide various conditions, has become a major public health problem. Transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR‐CM), which is thought to be an underdiagnosed disease, can cause HFpEF. Non‐invasive diagnosis using 99mTechnetium (Tc)‐pyrophosphate (PYP) scintigraphy enables accurate diagnosis of ATTR‐CM. The aim of this study was to clarify the prevalence and characteristics of ATTR‐CM among Japanese patients with HFpEF.Methods and resultsThis study was a multicentre, prospective, observational study conducted in Japan. We enrolled 373 patients with HFpEF [left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction ≥50%] aged ≥65 years who were admitted to the department of cardiology from September 2018 to January 2022. A 99mTc‐PYP scintigraphy scan was performed during admission in all eligible patients. Cardiac 99mTc‐PYP retention was graded according to a previously reported visual scale ranging from 0 to 3 points. The scan was considered positive when it revealed moderate‐to‐severe 99mTc‐PYP uptake (Grade 2–3) in both ventricles. Patients were divided into ATTR‐CM and non‐ATTR‐CM patients according to positive (Grade 2–3) or negative (Grade 0–1) 99mTc‐PYP scintigraphy, respectively. Medical history, blood tests, electrocardiogram, echocardiography, and magnetic resonance imaging in the two groups of patients were compared. Among the 373 patients with HFpEF, 53 patients (14.2%; 95% confidence interval: 10.7–17.7) showed positive uptake on 99mTc‐PYP scintigraphy. An endomyocardial biopsy was performed in 32 patients and confirmed amyloidosis in all cases. There were no significant differences between the two groups in age, severity of heart failure as assessed by the New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classification, renal function values, left ventricular ejection fraction, and tricuspid regurgitant pressure gradient (ATTR‐CM, n = 53 vs. non‐ATTR‐CM, n = 320). Patients in the ATTR‐CM group had a higher N‐terminal pro‐brain natriuretic peptide level [2314 (1081–3398) vs. 900 (415–1828), P < 0.001], higher sensitive troponin T level (0.074 ± 0.049 vs. 0.035 ± 0.038, P < 0.001), and higher mean LV maximal wall thickness [12.5 (11–14) vs. 10.5 (9.5–11.5), P < 0.001].ConclusionsATTR‐CM is an underdiagnosed disease with a significant prevalence in Japanese patients with HFpEF. This study showed that results of examinations for ATTR‐CM patients appear to be worse than those for non‐ATTR‐CM patients, but clinical severities of heart failure as assessed by the NYHA functional classification are similar in ATTR‐CM and non‐ATTR‐CM patients, and the clinical overlap between ATTR‐CM and non‐ATTR‐CM is high.
Experimental study on the effect of load and air+gas/fuel ratio on the performances, emissions and combustion characteristics of diesel–LPG fuelled single stationary ci engine
Authors: Tchato Yotchou Giovani Vidal , Issondj Banta Nelson Junior , Kabini Karanja Samuel , Ngayihi Abbe Claude Valery 
Published: March 2023

AbstractDue to the issue of combustion stability when using natural gas and the problem of knocking when using both natural gas and hydrogen, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is then a good candidate to use for the dual‐fuel concept since it has been proven to be a good solution to limit the pollutants and the excessive use of fossil resources in the aim to support and advance the African Union's and UN's sustainable development goals. In this paper, the effect of load as well as the air + gas/fuel ratio on the performance, emission, and combustion characteristics of a dual‐fuel diesel–LPG engine, single‐cylinder, four‐stroke, direct injection diesel engine with a rated power of 3.5 kW at a speed of 1500 rpm has been carried out. Experiments have been performed in dual‐fuel mode for a range of loads from 0 to 12 kg and a range of volume flow of LPG from 1 to 5.5 L/min, and the results were compared with those obtained from the single‐fuel mode. Results show that the dual‐fuel mode gives better performance and fewer pollutants than the single‐fuel mode. For example, at low load, Brake thermal efficiency, the indicated thermal efficiency, and mechanical efficiency increased by 83.79%, 24.36%, and 41.77%, respectively, and by 57.48%, 19.84%, and 24.37% at high load when we moved from the single‐fuel mode to the dual‐fuel mode. The smoke, carbon monoxide, and NOx decreased by 24.3%, 94.2%, and 96.2% respectively at low load and by 62.3%, 89.8%, and 91.4% at high load. And, no knocking came up during this research compared to natural gas or hydrogen dual‐fuel engines.