bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Energy‐efficient and cost‐effective separation model for solvent recovery from colloidal lignin particles dispersion
Authors: Khalati Elham , Bangalore Ashok Rahul Prasad , Oinas Pekka 
Published: October 2022

AbstractColloidal lignin particles (CLPs) are potentially one of the sustainable alternatives for petroleum‐based feedstock. CLPs address the heterogeneity of lignin by enhancing its homogeneous dispersion in aqueous phases. The main production steps are dissolving lignin in tetrahydrofuran, diluting the solution with ethanol, forming CLPs through self‐assembly after encountering water, recovering solvents, and finally drying CLPs. In this process, solvent recovery plays an important role in mitigating environmental problems. However, the formation of azeotropes makes the separation process energy‐intensive and costly. In this work, two separation methods, evaporation and distillation, are modelled in Aspen Plus® and compared based on their total annual costs (TACs). Sizing and cost estimations are conducted based on vendor quotations and using design and economic analyzer tools. Results show that distillation reduces costs by up to 37% compared to evaporation. Accordingly, as the main separation unit, distillation parameters are optimized based on the minimum TAC. For further assessment of the increase in the rate of costs by reaching nearly pure products, extractive distillation is simulated and examined. Results show that using an entrainer to enhance the tetrahydrofuran concentration from 88 to 99.5 wt.% substantially increases the TAC by over 50%. Finally, based on the results, the desired solvent recovery model is finalized by employing the rate‐based approach. Currently, studies with a focus on the techno‐economic assessment of pilot‐scale separation units are limited, and the developed model offers a good basis for designing optimal solvent recovery units, related to processes where lignin is dissolved, prior to commercialization.
Clinical review: The suggested management pathway for urticaria in primary care
Authors: Ryan Dermot , Tanno Luciana K. , Angier Elizabeth , Clark Evangéline , Price David , Zuberbier Torsten , Maurer Marcus 
Published: October 2022

AbstractBackgroundUrticaria is a common condition presenting both as acute and chronic disease within primary care. To those without specialist training it is poorly understood from the points of view of diagnosis and management. It causes a considerable disease burden to sufferers with marked impact on quality of life.Purpose of this reviewThe recent publication of the EAACI/GA²LEN/EuroGuiDerm/APAAACI Guideline for the Definition, Classification, Diagnosis and Management of Urticaria guideline prompted us to take this excellent resource and re‐configure its findings and recommendations to a non‐specialist audience with particular reference to the needs of the primary care team.
An interdisciplinary approach to characterize peanut‐allergic patients—First data from the FOOD@ consortium
Authors: Worm Margitta , Alexiou Aikaterina , Höfer Veronika , Birkner Till , Jeanrenaud Alexander C. S. N. , Fauchère Florent , Pazur Kristijan , Steinert Carolin , Arnau‐Soler Aleix , Banerjee Priyanka , Diefenbach Andreas , Dobbertin‐Welsch Josefine , Dölle‐Bierke Sabine , Francuzik Wojciech , Ghauri Ahla , Heller Stephanie , Kalb Birgit , Löber Ulrike , Marenholz Ingo , Markó Lajos , Scheffel Jörg , Potapenko Olena , Roll Stephanie , Lau Susanne , Lee Young‐Ae , Braun Julian , Thiel Andreas , Babina Magda , Altrichter Sabine , Forslund Sofia Kirke , Beyer Kirsten 
Published: October 2022

BackgroundPeanut allergy is a frequent cause of food allergy and potentially life‐threatening. Within this interdisciplinary research approach, we aim to unravel the complex mechanisms of peanut allergy. As a first step were applied in an exploratory manner the analysis of peanut allergic versus non‐allergic controls.MethodsBiosamples were studied regarding DNA methylation signatures, gut microbiome, adaptive and innate immune cell populations, soluble signaling molecules and allergen‐reactive antibody specificities. We applied a scalable systems medicine computational workflow to the assembled data.ResultsWe identified combined cellular and soluble biomarker signatures that stratify donors into peanut‐allergic and non‐allergic with high specificity. DNA methylation profiling revealed various genes of interest and stool microbiota differences in bacteria abundances.ConclusionBy extending our findings to a larger set of patients (e.g., children vs. adults), we will establish predictors for food allergy and tolerance and translate these as for example, indicators for interventional studies.
Comparison of aprepitant versus desloratadine for EGFR‐TKI‐induced pruritus: A randomized phase 2 clinical trial
Authors: Zhou Ting , Zhang Yaxiong , Ma Yuxiang , Ma Wenjuan , Wu Xuan , Huang Lu , Feng Weineng , Zhou Huaqiang , Liu Jiaqing , Zhao Hongyun , Zhang Li , Yang Yunpeng , Huang Yan 
Published: October 2022

AbstractBackgroundPruritus is one of the most common and challenging side effects of epidermal growth factor receptor‐tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR‐TKIs) and has impaired patients' quality of life and treatment compliance. Our study evaluated the efficacy and safety of aprepitant in managing EGFR‐TKIs–related pruritus.MethodsThis randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study was conducted between December 2016 and August 2020 in China. Patients were eligible if they were 18 years or older and had histologically confirmed locally advanced or metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with first onset of moderate to severe pruritus during EGFR‐TKI treatment.ResultsA total of 130 eligible patients were randomly assigned to aprepitant (n = 65) or desloratadine (n = 65) groups. The median (interquartile range [Q1, Q3]) age was 63 (54, 70) years, and 79 (60.8%) were women. Mean visual analog scale scores at baseline were 6.35 (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.89–6.82) in the aprepitant group and 5.94 (95% CI, 5.56–6.32) in the desloratadine group. After 1 week of treatment, 33 (53.2%) patients responded to aprepitant, which was significantly higher than that of 14 (23.7%) patients responded to desloratadine (p = .001). Moreover, patients in the aprepitant group had a significantly shorter response time than patients in the desloratadine group (mean [days], 13.39 [95% CI, 11.08–15.70] vs. 16.67 [95% CI, 14.19–19.13], p = .04). The most frequent drug‐related adverse events in aprepitant group and desloratadine were constipation and dry mouth, and all adverse events were grade 1–2.ConclusionsTo the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to prospectively present that aprepitant elicited a better and faster response and mild toxicity for managing EGFR‐TKI induced pruritus than desloratadine.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02646020.
Improving lung cancer detection using faster region‐based convolutional neural network aided with fuzzy butterfly optimization algorithm
Authors: Sinthia P. , Malathi M. , K. Anitha , Suresh Anand M. 
Published: October 2022

SummaryLung cancer is the most deadly type of cancer and it is caused by genetic variations in lung tissues. Other causes of lung cancer are alcohol, smoking, and threatening gas exposures. The diagnosis of lung cancer is an intricate task and early detection of lung cancer can help to get the exact treatment in advance. The application of a computer‐aided diagnosis process helps to predict lung cancer earlier, nonetheless, it does not provide better accuracy. The overfitting nature of features and dimensionality of lung cancer can prevent it from obtaining maximum accuracy. Hence, we proposed a novel faster region convolutional neural network (RCNN) based fuzzy butterfly optimization algorithm (FBOA) to achieve better prediction accuracy and effectiveness. The proposed Faster RCNN can provide better positioning of lung cancer swiftly and effectively and the FBOA approach can be used to perform two‐stage classification. The fuzzy rules used in the FBOA can be utilized to find the severity of the lung cancer and differentiate the Benign stage and Malignant stage effectively. The experimental analyses are performed in MATLAB simulation. The preprocessing of images is performed by different tools from MATLAB and is to format the images as required. The cancer imaging archive (TCIA) dataset is utilized to analyze the performance of the proposed method and compared with various state‐of‐art works. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated by using different evaluation metrics such as precision, recall, F‐measure, and accuracy and attained 99, 98, 99, and 97% respectively. Thus, our proposed method outperforms all the other approaches.
Modified micromarsupialization technique as an alternative primary treatment for ranulas: A case series in a resource‐challenged economy
Authors: Elnager Mutassim , Udeabor Samuel E. , Elfadeel Abosofyan S. A. , Onwuka Chidozie I. , Hamid Mashail M. M. , Alsubaie Yassin M. A. 
Published: October 2022

AbstractObjectivesRanula is one of the commonest salivary gland cysts that mostly occur due to mucus extravasation from the sublingual salivary gland. Treatment of this lesion is still somewhat shrouded in controversy and varies from conservative treatment to surgical excision of the causative gland.Materials and methodsThis was a case series in quasi‐experimental design that evaluated the outcome and complications of the modified micromarsupialization technique as a newly introduced treatment at our center for simple sublingual ranula over a 2‐year period.ResultsTwenty patients were treated by the modified micromarsupialization technique and followed up for 1 year. There was complete resolution following this technique in 17 patients (85%) with no evidence of recurrence or complications, whereas 2 patients (10%) showed partial resolution and the remaining 1 patient (5%) showed a failure and recurrence. The age of the patient, the size of the ranula, and the retention of sutures throughout the study period did not significantly affect the treatment outcome.ConclusionsThe modified micromarsupialization technique was a simple and effective treatment that should be used as a primary treatment option for simple ranulas and we recommend it to be the first‐choice treatment before surgical excision of the sublingual gland, especially in a resource‐challenged economy like ours.
Corporate social responsibility and chief executive officer wrongdoing: A fraud triangle perspective
Authors: Zhu Chunling , Zeng Ruixin , Wang Ruxi , Xiao Yihui 
Published: October 2022

AbstractAlthough corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities may facilitate firms to meet stakeholders' demands and gain legitimacy, there is little understanding of whether and how they may bring in harmful consequences such as chief executive officer (CEO) wrongdoing. We developed a framework to explore how CSR activities lead to CEO wrongdoing based on the fraud triangle of pressure, opportunity, and rationalization. Using a sample of 530 listed firms in China that issued CSR reports between 2011 and 2018, we found a positive relationship between CSR participation and CEO wrongdoing. We also found that this positive relationship is strengthened by firms' internal capability to gain profit and their risk orientation. Our study contributes to the CSR literature by examining the potential dark side of CSR activities, and by bridging stakeholder theory and CEO wrongdoing literature.
Energy‐Resolved Mass Spectrometry as a Tool for Identification of Lignin Depolymerization Products
Authors: Dong Xueming , Mayes Heather B. , Morreel Kris , Katahira Rui , Li Yanding , Ralph John , Black Brenna A. , Beckham Gregg T. 
Published: October 2022

AbstractLignin is the largest source of bio‐based aromatic compounds in nature, and its valorization is essential to the sustainability of lignocellulosic biorefining. Characterizing lignin‐derived compounds remains challenging due to the heterogeneity of this biopolymer. Tandem mass spectrometry is a promising tool for lignin structural analytics, as fragmentation patterns of model compounds can be extrapolated to identify characteristic moieties in complex samples. This work extended previous resonance excitation‐type collision‐induced dissociation (CID) methods that identified lignin oligomers containing β–O–4, β–5, and β–β bonds, to also identify characteristics of 5–5, β–1, and 4–O–5 dimers, enabled by quadrupole time‐of‐flight (QTOF) CID with energy‐resolved mass spectrometry (ERMS). Overall, QTOF‐ERMS offers in‐depth structural information and could ultimately contribute to tools for high‐throughput lignin dimer identification.
P‐Induced Permeation of Nickel into WO3 Octahedra to Form a Synergistic Catalyst for Urea Oxidation**
Authors: Xu Wenjuan , Zhu Lin , Sun Zejun , Xue Huichun , Guo Liutao , Feng Yanru , Li Chengrui , Li Hong , Wang Yiming , Liang Qionglin , Sun Hong‐bin 
Published: October 2022

AbstractSmall‐molecule induction can lead to the oriented migration of metal elements, which affords functional materials with synergistic components. In this study, phosphating nickel foam (NF)‐supported octahedral WO3 with phosphine affords P‐WO3/NF electrocatalyst. Ni is found to form Ni−P bonds that migrate from NF to WO3 under the induction of P, resulting in the complex oxides W1.3Ni0.24O4 and Ni2P2O7 in the particle interior and nickel phosphide on the octahedral grain surface. The catalytic activity of P‐WO3/NF in the urea oxidation reaction (UOR) is improved by synergistic action of the components in the synthesized hybrid particles. A current density of 10 mA cm−2 can be reached at a potential of 1.305 V, the double layer capacitance of the catalyst is significantly increased, and the electron transfer impedance in catalytic UOR is reduced. This work demonstrates that small‐molecule induction is suitable for constructing co‐catalysts with complex components in a simple protocol, which provides a new route for the design of highly efficient urea oxidation electrocatalysts.
A high step‐up DC‐DC converter based on coupled inductor and diode‐capacitor with improved voltage gain and efficiency, and reduced voltage stress for photovoltaic systems
Authors: Hajiabadi Mostafa Karimi , Mosallanejad Ali , Salemnia Ahmad 
Published: October 2022

AbstractThis paper proposes a nonisolated high step‐up dc‐dc converter, which optimally integrates coupled inductor, and diode‐capacitor and provides superior features such as high gain, high efficiency, and low voltage stresses on power switches. Moreover, the common ground between the input and output of the proposed converter makes it appropriate for photovoltaic systems. It consists of two power switches, one inductor, one coupled inductor (CI), four diodes, and four capacitors. The power switches are exposed to low voltage stresses and are selected from low voltage ratings and low on‐resistance semiconductors. The topology, operating principle, complete steady‐state and ac small‐signal models, loss model, and design criterion are presented and described in detail. Also, the proposed topology is compared with other previous topologies. In order to evaluate the performance of the proposed converter, a 400 V/400 W experimental prototype has been designed and built. Experimental results validate the theory and show the converter produces high gain (14.25 times in the full‐load condition tested) and operates with high efficiency (94.9% in the full‐load condition).
Can immune gene silencing via dsRNA feeding promote pathogenic viruses to control the globally invasive Argentine ant?
Authors: Felden Antoine , Dobelmann Jana , Baty James W. , McCormick Joseph , Haywood John , Lester Philip J. 
Published: October 2022

AbstractPest control methods that can target pest species with limited environmental impacts are a conservation and economic priority. Species‐specific pest control using RNA interference is a challenging but promising avenue in developing the next generation of pest management. We investigate the feasibility of manipulating a biological invader's immune system using double‐stranded RNA (dsRNA) in order to increase susceptibility to naturally occurring pathogens. We used the invasive Argentine ant as a model, targeting the immunity‐associated genes Spaetzle and Dicer‐1 with dsRNA. We show that feeding with Spaetzle dsRNA can result in partial target gene silencing for up to 28 days in the laboratory and 5 days in the field. Dicer‐1 dsRNA only resulted in partial gene knockdown after 2 days in the laboratory. Double‐stranded RNA treatments were associated with significant gene expression disruptions across immune pathways in the laboratory and to a lower extent in the field. In total, 12 viruses and four bacteria were found in these ant populations. Some changes in viral loads in dsRNA‐treated groups were observed. For example, Linepithema humile Polycipivirus 2 (LhuPCV2) loads increased after 2 days of treatment with Spaetzle and Dicer‐1 dsRNA treatments in the laboratory. After treatment with the dsRNA in the field, after 5 days the virus Linepithema humile toti‐like virus 1 (LhuTLV1) was significantly more abundant. However, immune pathway disruption did not result in a consistent increase in microbial infections, nor did it alter ant abundance in the field. Some viruses even declined in abundance after dsRNA treatment. Our study explored the feasibility of lowering a pest's immunity as a control tool. We demonstrate that it is possible to alter immune gene expression of pest species and pathogen loads, although in our specific system the affected pathogens did not appear to influence pest abundance. We provide suggestions on future directions for dsRNA‐mediated immune disruption in pest species, including potential avenues to improve dsRNA delivery as well as the importance of pest and pathogen biology. Double‐stranded RNA targeting immune function might be especially useful for pest control in systems in which viruses or other microorganisms are prevalent and have the potential to be pathogenic.
Floristic composition and turnover analysis in Dahomey Gap and the surrounding sub‐humid Togolese mountain minor forest refuges: Importance for biogeography and biodiversity conservation in sub‐Saharan Africa
Authors: Adjossou Kossi , Kokou Kouami , Deconchat Marc 
Published: October 2022

AbstractThe origin of Dahomey Gap (DG) flora is one of the central biogeographical questions in sub‐Saharan, which has been addressed in several studies. However, floristic evidence based on representative samples from the DG seems to be lacking in the scientific debate. The present study was conducted to fill this gap. Specifically, we assessed Togolese mountain riparian forests as minor forest refugia, examined their contribution to larger sub‐Saharan forest refugia, and discussed the significance of these findings for biogeography and biodiversity conservation. Southwest Togo, West Africa, and sub‐Saharan Upper Guinea Region Floristic data were collected in riparian forests through an intensive botanical inventory (n = 198; 50 × 10 m2). A comparative analysis was performed based on the floristic evidence related to forest refuges. The results showed significantly high species richness (868 species) and a high gamma and beta diversity associated with spatial turnover patterns. They also showed a high affinity between the study forests and large sub‐Saharan forest refugia. Riparian forests share about 60% of their current species richness with large sub‐Saharan forest refugia and contained refuge bio‐indicator species. The floristic evidence, consistent with those of other studies, suggests that Togolese mountains would have very ancient origins and have experienced paleoclimatic events. The studied riparian would have served as refuges during recurrent climatic episodes. Our results support the minimal forest fragmentation hypothesis (network of refugia along rivers). However, they seem to be incompatible with the idea that the DG flora may be essentially a relic of the early Holocene. In sub‐Saharan Africa, where maintaining a vast area of natural forest is difficult due to human pressure, efforts to preserve maximum species diversity should include a focus on the conservation of minor forest refuges, particularly in sub‐humid mountain riparian zone.
Diverse diets and low‐fiber, low‐tannin foraging preferences: Foraging criteria of Tibetan macaques (Macaca thibetana) at low altitude in Huangshan
Authors: Li Bowen , Li Wenbo , Liu Chao , Yang Peipei , Li Jinhua 
Published: October 2022

AbstractNutrient composition and food availability determine food choices and foraging strategies of animals, while altitude and geographical location affect species distribution and food availability. Tibetan macaques (Macaca thibetana) have sophisticated foraging strategies as the largest species in Macaca. They are important in understanding the ecological evolution of the entire genus. However, the mechanism of food selection in Tibetan macaques at low altitudes remains unclear. In this study, we researched a wild Tibetan macaques group (Tianhu Mountain Group, 29 individuals) living in a low‐altitude area around Mt. Huangshan, Anhui Province, China. We used instantaneous scan sampling to observe these macaques' foraging behavior from September 2020 to August 2021. We recorded the dietary composition and food availability, compared the nutrient content of staple food and non‐food items, and analyzed the role of key nutrients in food selection. We found that Tibetan macaques forage on 111 plants belonging to 93 genera and 55 families. The food types included fruits (52.5%), mature leaves (17.0%), bamboo shoots (14.4%), young leaves (6.3%), flowers (4.5%), others (2.1%), stems (1.9%), and tender shoots (1.3%). Tibetan macaques forage for a maximum of 76 plant species during spring. However, dietary diversity was highest during summer (H′ = 3.052). Monthly fruit consumption was positively correlated with food availability. Staple foods are lower in fiber, tannin, and water than non‐foods. In addition, the time spent foraging for specific foods was negatively correlated with the fiber and tannin content of the food. The results showed that Tibetan macaques' foraging plant species and food types were diverse, and their foraging strategies varied seasonally. Our findings confirmed the effect of nutrients on food choice in Tibetan macaques. We highlighted the important role of fiber and tannin in their food choices and suggested that the foraging behavior of Tibetan macaques is highly flexible and adaptive.