bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Polyhexamethylene guanidine hydrochloride‐functionalized wound dressings: Physical, mechanical and biological evaluations
Authors: Babaahmadi Masoud , Yeganeh Hamid 
Published: July 2023

AbstractThe objective of the present study is fabrication of wound dressing membranes with effective antibacterial activity, good biocompatibility with fibroblast cells, appropriate mechanical properties in both dry and wet states to potentially provide physical protection to wounds at different stages of healing, and the ability to maintain an optimum moist environment over the wounded area. To achieve this, a new silane functional polyhexamethylene guanidine hydrochloride was synthesized and utilized as a crosslinker for a polymeric matrix consisting of poly(vinyl alcohol) and gelatin. Thin monolayer films of the resulting polymeric networks were characterized and subjected to different physical and biological assays. The tensile test results indicated that the prepared dressing membranes exhibit good tensile strength in both dry (44 MPa) and hydrated (700 KPa) states. The fluid handling capacity of the dressings was found to be in the range of 2.23 to 2.29 g 10−1 m−2 day−1, which is appropriate for treating wounds with “light” to “moderate” exudate levels. The MTT assay showed excellent biocompatibility, evidenced by high fibroblast cells viability cultured directly over dressings (over 70%) or cultured in media containing the leachates extracted from the dressings (over 90%). Moreover, the dressings exhibited potent antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (87% killing) and Escherichia coli (99% killing) bacterial strains.
Enhancing information on stage at diagnosis for childhood cancer in Africa
Authors: Liu Biying , Abraham Natasha , Chitsike Inam , Sylvie Couitchéré Guéi Line , Kambugu Joyce , Stévy Nsimba Makouanzi Alda , Pondy Angèle Hermine Ongotsoyi , Renner Lorna , Parkin Donald Maxwell 
Published: July 2023

AbstractBackground/purposeStage at diagnosis is an important metric in treatment and prognosis of cancer, and also in planning and evaluation of cancer control. In sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA), for the latter, the only data source is the population‐based cancer registry (PBCR). For childhood cancers, the 'Toronto Staging Guidelines' have been developed to facilitate abstraction of stage by cancer registry personnel. Although the feasibility of staging using this system has been shown, there is limited information on the accuracy of staging.MethodsA panel of case records of six common childhood cancers was established. A total of 51 cancer registrars from 20 SSA countries staged these records, using Tier 1 of the Toronto guidelines. The stage that they assigned was compared with that decided by two expert clinicians.ResultsThe registrars assigned the correct stage for 53%–83% of cases (71% overall), with the lowest values for acute lymphocytic leukaemia (ALL), retinoblastoma and non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), and the highest for osteosarcoma (81%) and Wilms tumour (83%). For ALL and NHL, many unstageable cases were mis‐staged, probably due to confusion over the rules for dealing with missing data; for the cases with adequate information, accuracy was 73%–75%. Some confusion was observed over the precise definition of three stage levels of retinoblastomas.ConclusionsA single training in staging resulted in an accuracy, for solid tumours, that was not much inferior to what has been observed in high‐income settings. Nevertheless, some lessons were learned on how to improve both the guidelines and the training course.
Children's Oncology Group's 2023 blueprint for research: Behavioral science
Authors: Embry Leanne , Bingen Kristin , Conklin Heather M. , Hardy Steven , Jacola Lisa M. , Marchak Jordan Gilleland , Paltin Iris , Pelletier Wendy , Devine Katie A. 
Published: July 2023

AbstractAs survival rates for childhood cancer have improved, there has been increasing focus on identifying and addressing adverse impacts of cancer and its treatment on children and their families during treatment and into survivorship. The Behavioral Science Committee (BSC) of the Children's Oncology Group (COG), comprised of psychologists, neuropsychologists, social workers, nurses, physicians, and clinical research associates, aims to improve the lives of children with cancer and their families through research and dissemination of empirically supported knowledge. Key achievements of the BSC include enhanced interprofessional collaboration through integration of liaisons into other key committees within COG, successful measurement of critical neurocognitive outcomes through standardized neurocognitive assessment strategies, contributions to evidence‐based guidelines, and optimization of patient‐reported outcome measurement. The collection of neurocognitive and behavioral data continues to be an essential function of the BSC, in the context of therapeutic trials that are modifying treatments to maximize event‐free survival, minimize adverse outcomes, and optimize quality of life. In addition, through hypothesis‐driven research and multidisciplinary collaborations, the BSC will also begin to prioritize initiatives to expand the systematic collection of predictive factors (e.g., social determinants of health) and psychosocial outcomes, with overarching goals of addressing health inequities in cancer care and outcomes, and promoting evidence‐based interventions to improve outcomes for all children, adolescents, and young adults with cancer.
Daily steps, walking tests, and functioning in chronic stroke; comparing independent walkers to device‐users
Authors: Levin Chedva , Bachar‐Kirshenboim Yishai , Rand Debbie 
Published: July 2023

AbstractBackground and PurposeCommunity mobility post‐stroke is important for gaining independence in daily activities. Walking devices can facilitate mobility, but it remains unclear whether individuals who use a walking device walk as many daily steps as those who do not require a device. It is also unclear whether these groups differ in their independence in daily living. This study aimed (1) to compare daily steps, walking tests, and independence in basic and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) six months post‐stroke between individuals who walk independently and individuals who use a walking device, (2) within each group to assess correlations between daily steps and walking tests, independence in basic and IADL.MethodsThirty‐seven community‐dwelling individuals with chronic stroke; 22 participants used a walking‐device and 15 participants walked independently. Daily steps were calculated as a 3‐day mean by hip accelerometers. Clinical walking tests included the 10‐m‐walk‐test, Timed Up & Go and ‘Walking While Talking’. Daily living was assessed using the Functional‐Independence Measure and the IADL questionnaire.ResultsDaily steps of the device‐users were significantly lower than the independent‐walkers (195–8068 versus 147‐14010 steps/day) but independence in daily living was not significantly different. Different walking tests correlated with daily steps for device‐users and independent‐walkers.ConclusionsThis preliminary investigation in chronic stroke revealed that device‐users walk significantly fewer daily steps but are as independent in daily living as independent‐walkers. Clinicians should differentiate between individuals with and without a walking device and the use of different clinical walking tests to explain daily steps should be considered. Further research is needed to assess the impact of a walking device post‐stroke.
Parenting in place: Young children's living arrangement and migrants' sleep health in South Africa
Authors: Madhavan Sangeetha , Kim Seung Wan , White Michael , Gomez‐Olive Xavier 
Published: July 2023

AbstractMigration research tends to treat childrearing as a secondary role for migrants. By prioritising the economic objectives of migration, most models present migrants as either delaying childbearing or, if they have young children, not living with them. However, migration has become increasingly feminised, the types of mobility more varied, while the returns to migration remain uncertain at best. At the same time, norms around childrearing are shifting, and the capacity of kin to take care of children may be weakening. In such contexts, migrants may not want to or be able to be separated from their children. Confronting such difficult decisions and their consequences may be reflected in poor sleep health for the migrant parent. We draw on data from the Migration and Health Follow‐Up Study (MHFUS) in South Africa to examine the following questions: (i) To what extent is children's coresidence associated with sleep health for migrant parents? (ii) Do effects vary by sex of migrant? and (iii) Do effects vary by location of migrant? Results from propensity score matching confirm that migrants who coreside with all their young children are more likely to experience healthy sleep compared to those who have nonresident or no young children. However, stratified analysis shows that these effects are only significant for women and those not living in Gauteng province. The value of these findings is underscored by the need for research on the well‐being of migrant parents who are negotiating multiple agendas in economically precarious and physically insecure destinations.
Leading beyond regulatory approval: Opportunities for statisticians to optimize evidence generation and impact clinical practice
Authors: Devenport Jenny , Schacht Alexander ,   The Launch & Lifecycle Special Interest Group within PSI
Published: July 2023

AbstractThe role and value of statistical contributions in drug development up to the point of health authority approval are well understood. But health authority approval is only a true ‘win’ if the evidence enables access and adoption into clinical practice. In today's complex and evolving healthcare environment, there is additional strategic evidence generation, communication, and decision support that can benefit from statistical contributions. In this article, we describe the history of medical affairs in the context of drug development, the factors driving post‐approval evidence generation needs, and the opportunities for statisticians to optimize evidence generation for stakeholders beyond health authorities in order to ensure that new medicines reach appropriate patients.
IVM of human immature oocytes for infertility treatment and fertility preservation
Authors: Chian Ri‐Cheng , Li Jian‐Hua , Lim Jin‐Ho , Yoshida Hiroaki 
Published: July 2023

AbstractBackgroundThousands of healthy babies are born from in vitro maturation (IVM) procedures, but the rate of efficiency differs with the source of immature oocytes obtained. Recently, there are different IVM protocols proposed for infertility treatment and fertility preservation.MethodsBased on the literature, the clinical application for IVM of immature oocytes was summarized.Main findings (Results)Immature oocytes may be retrieved from women after priming with or without the use of follicular stimulation hormone (FSH), human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) or a combination of both FSH and hCG. Successful pregnancy rates with IVM technology seem to be correlated with the number of immature oocytes obtained. With the source and culture course of immature oocytes, there are various IVM protocols. IVM of immature oocytes is profoundly affected by the culture conditions, but no breakthrough has been made by improving the IVM medium itself. Thus, the clinical application of IVM technology continues to evolve.ConclusionIVM technology is a useful technique for infertile women and fertility preservation. Mild stimulation IVF combined with IVM of immature oocytes is a viable alternative to the conventional stimulation IVF cycle treatment as it may prove to be an optimal first‐line treatment approach.
Spatial assessment on influence of land use and population density in the achievement score of sustainable development target 11.1
Authors: Venkatesh Baskaran , Velkennedy R 
Published: July 2023

AbstractThe United Nations (U.N.) has declared the present decade a “decade of action” to accelerate the phase of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) endorsed in 2015. These 17 goals are intended to protect the earth's environment, eradicate poverty and inequality, and guarantee that everyone lives in peace, harmony, and prosperity. Target 11.1 for safe and affordable housing from SDG 11: Sustainable cities and community is a crucial target for most developing nations. This target addresses the slums and informal settlements, which indicate inequalities in the urbanized city. The proportion of the population living in slum dwellings and informal settlements was the indicator to measure the achievement level of the target. The study area to assess the target is Tirunelveli City municipal corporation from southern India. The field survey was conducted in all 55 wards to locate and count the population of slums and informal settlements and to map the spatial variation of target scores among the wards. The spatial assessment was performed by comparing the attributes of population density and land use classes (water, built area, and bare land) with the achievement score of target 11.1 for each ward. With an overall score of 90.08, this city has no significant relation with population density (R2 = 0.07) and relevant land use classes (R2 = 0.05) at the ward level. The spatial tool, weighted mean centre, has concluded that slum settlements appeared randomly and dispersed throughout Tirunelveli without any pattern.
Environmental information disclosure, environmental innovation, and firms' growth performances: The moderating role of media attention
Authors: Liao Zhongju , Liu Ping , Bao Ping 
Published: July 2023

AbstractEnvironmental innovation not only promotes the harmonious development of the economy and the environment, but also has an influence on firms' growth. Based on institutional theory and reputation theory, this study constructs a model of the relationship among environmental information disclosure, environmental innovation, and firms' growth performances along the path of institution — behavior — performance. By selecting the panel data of 200 heavily polluting firms listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen A‐share markets from 2014 to 2018 as the research sample, this study examines the role of environmental information disclosure in firms' environmental innovation and growth performances, as well as the moderating role of media attention. The results revealed that environmental information disclosure had a positive effect on firms' growth performances, and that eco‐product and eco‐process innovations played mediating roles in the relationship between environmental information disclosure and firms' growth performances. In addition, media attention positively moderated the influence of environmental information disclosure on firms' eco‐product innovations. This study contributes to the research on the antecedents of environmental innovation, and provides guidance for improving the environmental information disclosure system and for enhancing the level of firms' performance.
Directional Catalytic Conversion of Biomass Carbohydrates into High Added‐value Levulinates with Bifunctionalized Metal‐supported Carbon‐based Catalyst
Authors: Fan Teng , Zhang Ronghua , Feng Junfeng , Pan Hui 
Published: July 2023

AbstractCarbon solid acid catalysts play a very important role in the high value‐added utilization of biomass and its derivatives. A series of carbon‐based solid acids catalysts were prepared by high‐temperature carbonization, hydrothermal sulfonation and metal impregnation using cellulose as the carbon source. The prepared catalysts were characterized by XRD, Raman, SEM‐EDX, BET, FT‐IR, XPS, ICP‐OES and the total acid density of the catalyst was tested by acid‐base titration. The experimental and characterization results showed that the large pore size, suitable specific surface area and acid density were the main reasons for the good catalytic performance of the catalyst 300‐AC‐Cr‐SO3H. Under the optimal reaction conditions, the conversion of glucose was 99.6 % and the yield of the products methyl levulinate and levulinic acid was 43.1 %. The study of the intermediates revealed that glucose is preferentially converted to methyl glucoside in methanol solution. In addition, the catalyst maintains good stability after three cycles.
Thermodynamics of Dimethyl Carbonate and Ethylene Carbonate Generation During the Conversion of Syngas to Ethylene Glycol
Authors: Song Can , Zhao Lihong , Yan Jie , Liang Xu , Liu Guoji , Jiang Yuanli 
Published: July 2023

AbstractDespite recent progress in the coal‐to‐ethylene glycol (EG) technology, some indicators show that the obtained products are still different from those produced by the petroleum route method. Therefore, it is of great significance to improve the thermodynamic performance of the system to obtain an enhanced process technology. In this paper, thermodynamic data related to uncommon substances in coal‐to‐EG reactions were estimated using the Benson group contribution method, and the values of the reaction enthalpy, Gibbs free energy, and the equilibrium constant of each reaction in the system were calculated. We systematically analyzed the temperature influence on the main product, DMO (dimethyl oxalate), and the main by‐product, DMC (dimethyl carbonate), in the DMO synthesis reaction and the influence of the DMC content on the spontaneous formation of EC (ethylene carbonate) in the DMO hydrogenation reaction. The obtained results demonstrated that elevated temperatures are favorable for the generation of DMC. In the DMO hydrogenation reaction, the mass fraction of DMC should be less than 0.05678 % when the feeding proportion is based on industrial data. When pure DMO is fed, the mass fraction of DMC should be less than 0.0335 %. Finally, no special treatment is required for EC separation in these cases.
Intelligent Colorimetric Sensor for Discriminative Detection of Pd2+/Pd0 and PPh3 at Different Wavelength Readouts
Authors: Kaur Navdeep , Kour Rasdeep , Kaur Satwinderjeet , Singh Prabhpreet 
Published: July 2023

AbstractIn this report, we presented our results on a recognition of multiple analytes using trisubstituted PDI‐based chemosensor DNP in 50 % HEPES buffered‐CH3CN solution. Upon addition of Pd2+ or Pd0, DNP showed near IR ratiometric changes (A759nm/A560nm) with detection limit of 283 nM and 190 nM, respectively. These spectroscopic changes are associated with color change from violet to light yellow (de‐propargylation). The de‐propargylation reaction of DNP is faster in the presence of Pd2+ than Pd0. Upon addition of PPh3, DNP resulted in appearance of new bands at 615 and 698 nm with decrease of absorbance intensity at 560 nm with detection limit of 349 nM. Two isosbestic points at 504 nm and 600 nm was observed. This change is associated with color changes from violet to blue. DNP coated TLC‐strips can be used for the detection of 4×10−4 M Pd0 and PPh3. We have demonstrated the practical application of DNP (i) for the detection of Pd0 in live A549 cells and (ii) for detection of Pd2+/Pd0 in simulated urine (10 %) samples with recovery of (>98±5 %).
Design and Synthesis of Isobavachalcone Derivatives as Potential Dihydroorotate Dehydrogenase Inhibitors
Authors: Zhang Wen , Zhu Fuli , Huang Yi , He Xiangli , Li Jie , Huang Jin , Ma Lei 
Published: July 2023

AbstractDihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) inhibitors have been reported to exhibit multi‐therapeutic potential due to their various pharmacological effects. As a result, the design and development of novel DHODH inhibitors is both necessary and an intriguing topic. Previous studies have demonstrated that Isobavachalcone, a natural compound isolated from Psoralea corylifolia, can efficiently inhibit the DHODH activity. Three primary series, designated A, B and C, were designed and synthesized based on the lead compound Isobavachalcone. The inhibitory activities of these compounds were evaluated using the Orotate Production Assay method, and the corresponding structure‐activity relationship (SAR) were thoroughly examined. Additionally, the interactions between the best active compounds and the DHODH protein were analyzed through a molecular docking study. These findings suggest that these derivatives have the potential to be promising candidates for the development of a new family of DHODH inhibitors.
Catalyst‐ and Solvent‐Free Room Temperature Synthesis of α‐Aminophosphonates: Green Accomplishment of the Kabachnik–Fields Reaction
Authors: Gábor Dóra , Pollák Patrik , Volk Balázs , Dancsó András , Simig Gyula , Milen Mátyás 
Published: July 2023

AbstractA catalyst‐ and solvent‐free room temperature method has been elaborated for the three‐component (carbonyl compounds, primary or secondary amines and phosphites) Kabachnik–Fields synthesis of α‐aminophosphonates. First, we have studied some parameters that potentially influence the course of the reaction using benzaldehyde, aniline and diethyl phosphite. In order to extend the reaction under the new reaction conditions, we then carried out 3 series of experiments always varying one of the three reagents. In general, with a few exceptions, good yields were obtained, although in some cases long reaction times were required.
Coupling Single‐Atom Sites and Ordered Intermetallic PtM Nanoparticles for Efficient Catalysis in Fuel Cells
Authors: Zhou Fangyao , Ruan Yaner , Zhu Mengzhao , Gao Xiaoping , Guo Wenxin , Liu Xiaokang , Wang Wenyu , Chen Min , Wu Geng , Yao Tao , Zhou Huang , Wu Yuen 
Published: July 2023

AbstractThe design of an efficient catalytic system with low Pt loading and excellent stability for the acidic oxygen reduction reaction is still a challenge for the extensive application of proton‐exchange membrane fuel cells. Here, a gas‐phase ordered alloying strategy is proposed to construct an effective synergistic catalytic system that blends PtM intermetallic compounds (PtM IMC, M = Fe, Cu, and Ni) and dense isolated transition metal sites (M‐N4) on nitrogen‐doped carbon (NC). This strategy enables Pt nanoparticles and defects on the NC support to timely trap flowing metal salt without partial aggregation, which is attributed to the good diffusivity of gaseous transition metal salts with low boiling points. In particular, the resulting Pt1Fe1 IMC cooperating with Fe‐N4 sites achieves cooperative oxygen reduction with a half‐wave potential up to 0.94 V and leads to a high mass activity of 0.51 A  mgPt−1 and only 23.5% decay after 30 k cycles, both of which exceed DOE 2025 targets. This strategy provides a method for reducing Pt loading in fuel cells by integrating Pt‐based intermetallics and single transition metal sites to produce an efficient synergistic catalytic system.
Managing data replication and distribution in the fog with FReD
Authors: Pfandzelter Tobias , Japke Nils , Schirmer Trever , Hasenburg Jonathan , Bermbach David 
Published: July 2023

SummaryThe heterogeneous, geographically distributed infrastructure of fog computing poses challenges in data replication, data distribution, and data mobility for fog applications. Fog computing is still missing the necessary abstractions to manage application data, and fog application developers need to re‐implement data management for every new piece of software. Proposed solutions are limited to certain application domains, such as the IoT, are not flexible in regard to network topology, or do not provide the means for applications to control the movement of their data. In this paper, we present FReD, a data replication middleware for the fog. FReD serves as a building block for configurable fog data distribution and enables low‐latency, high‐bandwidth, and privacy‐sensitive applications. FReD is a common data access interface across heterogeneous infrastructure and network topologies, provides transparent and controllable data distribution, and can be integrated with applications from different domains. To evaluate our approach, we present a prototype implementation of FReD and show the benefits of developing with FReD using three case studies of fog computing applications.