Arylidenemalononitriles as Versatile Synthons in Heterocyclic Synthesis

Background: Objective: Objective: biological science.: Background: Arylidenemalononitriles are valuable synthons for the construction of a variety of novel complex heterocyclic motifs, fused heterocycle derivatives and spirocyclic compounds. They are versatile chemical intermediates and have increasing applications in industry, agriculture, medicine, Objective: The aim of this review is to highlight the preparation methods and reactions of arylidenemalononitriles in the synthesis of various heterocyclic compounds. Conclusion: n this review, we have presented the application of arylidenemalononitriles to construct a variety of heterocycles. Various catalysts for the preparation of arylidnemalononitriles have been described.

Irreversible and Self-Healing Electrically Conductive Hydrogels Made of Bio-Based Polymers

Electrically conductive materials that are fabricated based on natural polymers have seen significant interest in numerous applications, especially when advanced properties such as self-healing are introduced. In this article review, the hydrogels that are based on natural polymers containing electrically conductive medium were covered, while both irreversible and reversible cross-links are presented. Among the conductive media, a special focus was put on conductive polymers, such as polyaniline, polypyrrole, polyacetylene, and polythiophenes, which can be potentially synthesized from renewable resources. Preparation methods of the conductive irreversible hydrogels that are based on these conductive polymers were reported observing their electrical conductivity values by Siemens per centimeter (S/cm). Additionally, the self-healing systems that were already applied or applicable in electrically conductive hydrogels that are based on natural polymers were presented and classified based on non-covalent or covalent cross-links. The real-time healing, mechanical stability, and electrically conductive values were highlighted.

A Retrospective Analysis of Serous Effusions Based on the Newly Proposed International System for Reporting Serous Fluid Cytopathology: A Report of 3633 Cases in an Oncological Center

Background: The International System for Reporting Serous Fluid Cytopathology (TIS) was recently proposed. We retrospectively applied TIS recommendations for reporting the cytological diagnosis of serous effusions and reported our experience.Methods: All the serous effusions from January 2018 to September 2021 were retrieved from the database. Recategorization was performed using the TIS classification, the risk of malignancy (ROM) was calculated for each TIS category, and the performance evaluation was carried out among different samples (pleural, peritoneal and pericardial effusions) and preparation methods (conventional smears, liquid-based preparations and cell-blocks). Results: A total of 3633 cases were studied, 17 (0.5%) were diagnosed as ND, 1100 (30.3%) as NFM, 101 (2.8%) as AUS, 677 (18.6%) as SFM, and 1738 (47.8%) as MAL. The ROM for the categories were found to be 38.5%, 28.6%, 52.1%, 99.4% and 100%, respectively. The ROM for SFM was significantly higher than that for AUS (P < 0.001), while the difference between the ROMs for the IVa and IVb was insignificant. The sensitivity, negative predictive value(NPV) and diagnostic accuracy of liquid-based preparations were all superior to conventional smears and cell-blocks in detecting abnormalities. Using three preparation methods simultaneously had the highest sensitivity, NPV and diagnostic accuracy.Conclusion: Serous effusion cytology has a high specificity and positive predictive value(PPV), and the TIS is a user-friendly reporting system. Liquid-based preparations could improve the sensitivity of diagnosis, and it is best to use three different preparation methods simultaneously for serous effusion cytologic examination.

Using synthetic chromosome controls to evaluate the sequencing of difficult regions within the human genome

Background Next-generation sequencing (NGS) can identify mutations in the human genome that cause disease and has been widely adopted in clinical diagnosis. However, the human genome contains many polymorphic, low-complexity, and repetitive regions that are difficult to sequence and analyze. Despite their difficulty, these regions include many clinically important sequences that can inform the treatment of human diseases and improve the diagnostic yield of NGS. Results To evaluate the accuracy by which these difficult regions are analyzed with NGS, we built an in silico decoy chromosome, along with corresponding synthetic DNA reference controls, that encode difficult and clinically important human genome regions, including repeats, microsatellites, HLA genes, and immune receptors. These controls provide a known ground-truth reference against which to measure the performance of diverse sequencing technologies, reagents, and bioinformatic tools. Using this approach, we provide a comprehensive evaluation of short- and long-read sequencing instruments, library preparation methods, and software tools and identify the errors and systematic bias that confound our resolution of these remaining difficult regions. Conclusions This study provides an analytical validation of diagnosis using NGS in difficult regions of the human genome and highlights the challenges that remain to resolve these difficult regions.

Ancient DNA Methods Improve Forensic DNA Profiling of Korean War and World War II Unknowns

The integration of massively parallel sequencing (MPS) technology into forensic casework has been of particular benefit to the identification of unknown military service members. However, highly degraded or chemically treated skeletal remains often fail to provide usable DNA profiles, even with sensitive mitochondrial (mt) DNA capture and MPS methods. In parallel, the ancient DNA field has developed workflows specifically for degraded DNA, resulting in the successful recovery of nuclear DNA and mtDNA from skeletal remains as well as sediment over 100,000 years old. In this study we use a set of disinterred skeletal remains from the Korean War and World War II to test if ancient DNA extraction and library preparation methods improve forensic DNA profiling. We identified an ancient DNA extraction protocol that resulted in the recovery of significantly more human mtDNA fragments than protocols previously used in casework. In addition, utilizing single-stranded rather than double-stranded library preparation resulted in increased attainment of reportable mtDNA profiles. This study emphasizes that the combination of ancient DNA extraction and library preparation methods evaluated here increases the success rate of DNA profiling, and likelihood of identifying historical remains.

Glycerol Hydrogenolysis to 1,2-Propanediol over Novel Cu/ZrO2 Catalysts

Glycerol is the main by-product of biodiesel production; its upgrading to more valuable products is a demanding issue. Hydrogenolysis to 1,2-propanediol is one of the most interesting processes among the possible upgrading routes. In this study, we propose novel copper/zirconia catalysts prepared by advanced preparation methods, including copper deposition via metal–organic framework (MOF) and support preparation via the sol–gel route. The catalysts were characterized by N2 physisorption, X-ray diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy, H2-TPR and NH3-TPD analyses and tested in a commercial batch reactor. The catalyst prepared by copper deposition via MOF decomposition onto commercial zirconia showed the best catalytic performance, reaching 75% yield. The improved catalytic performance was assigned to a proper combination of redox and acid properties. In particular, a non-negligible fraction of cuprous oxide and of weak acid sites seems fundamental to preferentially activate the selective pathway. In particular, these features avoid the overhydrogenolysis of 1,2-propanediol to 1-propanol and enhance glycerol dehydration to hydroxyacetone and the successive hydrogenation of hydroxyacetone to 1,2-propanediol.

Machine Learning and data mining tools applied for databases of low number of records

The use of data mining and machine learning tools is becoming increasingly common. Their usefulness is mainly noticeable in the case of large datasets, when information to be found or new relationships are extracted from information noise. The development of these tools means that datasets with much fewer records are being explored, usually associated with specific phenomena. This specificity most often causes the impossibility of increasing the number of cases, and that can facilitate the search for dependences in the phenomena under study. The paper discusses the features of applying the selected tools to a small set of data. Attempts have been made to present methods of data preparation, methods for calculating the performance of tools, taking into account the specifics of databases with a small number of records. The techniques selected by the author are proposed, which helped to break the deadlock in calculations, i.e., to get results much worse than expected. The need to apply methods to improve the accuracy of forecasts and the accuracy of classification was caused by a small amount of analysed data. This paper is not a review of popular methods of machine learning and data mining; nevertheless, the collected and presented material will help the reader to shorten the path to obtaining satisfactory results when using the described computational methods

Progress of Semi-Solid Processing of Alloys and Composites in China

Following the rapid growth of the automotive and communication industries, components with high quality and low cost are eagerly desired in China. Various technologies have been developed in China to meet the demand, while semi-solid processing (SSP) of alloys and composites is one of the most successfully developed and practically applied technologies. The major SSP applied in China is the rheocasting in terms of the Swirled Enthalpy Equilibration Device (SEED) process. In this review, we start with a brief reviewing some common slurry preparation methods and recent innovations of the SEED process. Subsequently, we describe the general situation and some recent examples of successful development and applications of SSP in China. Lastly, the future directions in SSP of alloys and composites are highlighted in this frontier research field at the end of this review.