Multivessel Coronary Artery Disease Presenting as a False-Negative Nuclear Stress Test: A Case of Balanced Ischemia.

Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) is fundamental to comparing coronary vessel perfusion levels and guides in identifying ischemic areas. However, false negatives, such as balanced ischemia, are important considerations in interpreting these results. In this case report, we describe a 77-year-old female who presented with cardiac chest pain with normal laboratory results, electrocardiogram, and imaging. However, given her history and risk factors, left heart catheterization was performed, which showed triple vessel coronary artery disease.

Tailoring Bi2Se3 Topological Insulator for Visible-NIR Photodetectors with Schottky Contacts Using Liquid Phase Exfoliation.

Layered semiconductors of the V-VI group have attracted considerable attention in optoelectronic applications owing to their atomically thin structures. They offer thickness-dependent optical and electronic properties, promising ultrafast response time, and high sensitivity. Compared to the bulk, 2D bismuth selenide (Bi2Se3) is recently considered a highly promising material. In this study, 2D nanosheets are synthesized by prolonged sonication in two different solvents, such as N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and chitosan-acetic acid solution (CS-HAc), using the liquid-phase exfoliation (LPE) method. X-ray diffraction confirms the amorphous nature of exfoliated 2D nanosheets with maximum peak intensity at the same position (015) crystal plane as that obtained in its bulk counterpart. SEM confirms the thin 2D nanosheet-like morphology. Successful exfoliation of Bi2Se3 nanosheets up to five layers is achieved using CS-HAc solvent. The as-synthesized 2D nanosheets in different solvents are employed to fabricate the photodetector. At minimum selected power density, the photodetector fabricated using exfoliated ultrathin 2D nanosheets exhibits the highest range of responsivity, varying from 15 to 2.5 mA/W, and detectivity ranging from 2.83 × 109 to 6.37 × 107. Ultrathin 2D Bi2Se3 nanosheets have fast rise and fall times, ranging from 0.01 to 0.12 and 0.01 to 0.06 s, respectively, at different wavelengths. Ultrathin Bi2Se3 nanosheets have improved photodetection parameters as compared to multilayered nanosheets due to the high surface to volume ratio, reduced recombination and trapping of charge carrier, improved carrier confinement, and faster carrier transport due to the thin layer.

Unpacking the optimistic mindset of business students towards entrepreneurship.

Entrepreneurial ventures are established in large numbers in China. The success rate of these entrepreneurial ventures is lower than that of new startups. Mismanagement and a lack of creative skills among entrepreneurs are cited as reasons for entrepreneurial failure in China. The current study investigates the impact of entrepreneurial networking and new venture intention on entrepreneurial success in China, with psychological capital and entrepreneurial optimism serving as moderators. 483 responses were collected from business students in China for data analysis. The findings of the study reveal that the impact of entrepreneurial networking and new venture intention on entrepreneurial success in China, with the moderating role of psychological capital and entrepreneurial optimism, is significant. The theoretical framework of this research has novelty as it introduces new moderating relationships of psychological capital and entrepreneurial optimism in the model of entrepreneurial success. Practically, this study has revealed that entrepreneurial success can be achieved with entrepreneurial networking, entrepreneurial optimism, psychological capital, and new venture intention. The directions of this research point out additional gaps in the literature that scholars should discuss in subsequent studies.

Lanthanide Phosphonates and Phosphates in Molecular Magnetism.

Phosphonate and phosphate ligands have historically received less attention when compared to the widely prevalent carboxylate ligand system. Phosphonates possess multiple donating sites, often leading to the formation of larger aggregates with limited solubility. Conversely, the P-O bond within phosphates is highly susceptible to hydrolysis, resulting in the precipitation of insoluble compounds, particularly when interacting with lanthanide metal ions. However, over the past few decades, various synthetic approaches have emerged for the preparation and characterization of lanthanide complexes involving both phosphonate and phosphate ligands. Consequently, researchers have delved into exploring the magnetic properties of these complexes, such as their potential as single molecule magnets (SMMs) and their ability to exhibit a magnetocaloric effect (MCE). This review will encompass an examination of the crystal structures and magnetic characteristics of lanthanide complexes featuring phosphonate and phosphate ligands.

Unmasking the Unforeseen: A Case of Radiological Tension Empyema Mimicking a Traumatic Hemothorax.

We present a case of a previously fit and well 28-year-old male who presented to the emergency department with respiratory distress and hypoxia four days after an alleged assault and blunt-force trauma to the chest wall. Initial clinical assessment and imaging suggested a likely diagnosis of delayed massive hemothorax associated with mediastinal shift. However, upon chest drain insertion, a large amount of pus was unexpectedly drained, leading to an immediate improvement in symptoms and restoration of mediastinal anatomy on repeat imaging. Our case illustrates that, although rare, empyemas can reach a significant volume before detection; they are capable of producing radiological and clinical intrathoracic tension configuration and can mimic hemothorax in the setting of trauma.

Field induced single ion magnet behavior in CoII complexes in a distorted square pyramidal geometry.

We report three CoII-based complexes with the general formula [CoII(L)(X)2] by changing the halide/pseudo-halide ions [X = NCSe (1SeCN); Cl (2Cl) and Br (3Br)]. The obtained τ5 and CShM values confirm a distorted square pyramidal geometry around the CoII ion in all these complexes. In these three complexes, the central CoII ion is situated above the basal plane of the square pyramidal geometry. The extent of distortion from the ideal SPY-5 geometry differs upon changing the coordinating halide/pseudo-halide ion in these complexes. This essentially results in the alteration of the anisotropic parameter D and hence impacts the magnetic properties in these complexes. This phenomenon has been corroborated with the aid of theoretical investigations. All these complexes display field-induced SIM behaviour with magnetic relaxation occurring through a combination of processes depending on the applied dc magnetic field values and dilution.

A Review of Solar-Coupled Phase Change Materials in Buildings.

Buildings use a significant percentage of the total energy consumed worldwide. Striving for energy conservation within buildings is of prime concern for researchers. Hence, scientists are aggressively exploring new energy storage and supply methods to reduce exorbitantly fluctuating energy demands and increase the share of renewable energy in building energy consumption. Solar systems that incorporate phase change materials (PCMs) for thermal storage have significant potential to serve in this context. These systems are not yet able to endure the significant energy demands, but they are being continually improved. The aim of this paper is to explore the existing solar PCM systems that are being studied or that are installed for use in indoor heating/cooling. As per the outcome of this systematic review, it has been observed that when coupled with solar thermal energy, the configuration of PCMs can either use passive or active techniques. Passive techniques are usually less efficient and more costly to implement in a building structure, resulting in active heat exchangers being widely implemented with better technical and economic results. At the same time, it has been observed that for most domestic buildings, organic PCMs with phase change temperatures of up to 42 °C and thermal conductivities of up to 0.56 W/m.K are most suitable for integration in solar thermal energy production. Hybrid systems are also commonly used for larger commercial buildings, in which the solar PCM system (SPCMS) provides a fraction of the total load. Additionally, the Stefan number is the most common technical parameter that is used to assess this performance, along with the effective thermal conductivity of the PCM after using enhancement techniques. The key economic indicator is annual savings per year, with most SPCMSs having a payback period of between 6 to 30 years. This review provides designers and researchers with key insights in terms of formulating a basis in the domain of coupling PCMs with solar thermal energy, especially within non-industrial buildings.

Greening for greater good: investigating the critical factors for customer satisfaction with sustainable e-banking.

This study investigated the impact of efficiency, reliability, responsiveness, safety, and security on customer satisfaction with sustainable e-banking. The study used a quantitative methodology, with data collected from customers of commercial banks in South Punjab, Pakistan. A Likert scale questionnaire was used to collect cross-sectional data. A sample of 350 was analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) for testing descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and regression results. The study's results revealed that efficiency, reliability, responsiveness, safety, and security significantly impacted customer satisfaction with e-banking services. Efficiency and reliability were the most crucial factors influencing customer satisfaction, followed by safety, security, and responsiveness. The research findings have important implications for commercial banks, as they highlight the critical role of these factors in the development of sustainable e-banking practices. Overall, the study provides valuable insights for commercial banks seeking to improve their e-banking services and ensure customer satisfaction. Commercial banks can enhance their competitiveness and achieve sustainable growth in the highly competitive e-banking sector by prioritizing efficiency, reliability, responsiveness, and safety and security.

An Overview of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) Pathogenesis, Classification, and Management.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune disease with multisystem involvement. It is multifactorial and involves epigenetic, genetic, ecological, and environmental factors. Primarily it leads to activation of both innate and adaptive immunity, which consequently leads to autoreactive B cell activation by T cells and leads to immune complexes deposition in tissues leading to an autoimmune cascade that may be limited to the single organ or can cause a widespread systemic involvement. SLE is heterogeneous in presentation, with a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations ranging from clinically mild self-resolving symptoms to severe life-threatening organ involvement. Clinical and serological heterogeneity are critical features in SLE, posing a significant challenge in its diagnosis. Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) are the telltale serological marker in more than 95% of SLE patients. The improved set of European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) classification enabled accurate diagnosis of SLE. The treatment focuses on remission, preventing organ damage, and improving the overall quality of life.

Reverse Offset Printed, Biocompatible Temperature Sensor Based on Dark Muscovado.

A reverse-offset printed temperature sensor based on interdigitated electrodes (IDTs) has been investigated in this study. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were printed on a glass slide in an IDT pattern by reverse-offset printer. The sensing layer consisted of a sucrose film obtained by spin coating the sucrose solution on the IDTs. The temperature sensor demonstrated a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) with an exponential decrease in resistance as the temperature increased. This trend is the characteristic of a NTC thermistor. There is an overall change of ~2800 kΩ for the temperature change of 0 °C to 100 °C. The thermistor is based on a unique temperature sensor using a naturally occurring biocompatible material, i.e., sucrose. The active sensing material of the thermistor, i.e., sucrose used in the experiments was obtained from extract of Muscovado. Our temperature sensor has potential in the biomedical and food industries where environmentally friendly and biocompatible materials are more suitable for sensing accurately and reliably.

Exchange-driven slow relaxation of magnetization in NiII2LnIII2 (LnIII = Y, Gd, Tb and Dy) butterfly complexes: experimental and theoretical studies.

The tetranuclear NiII2LnIII2 complexes, [{L'2{Ni(MeOH)(µ-OAc)}2(µ3-MeO)2Ln2}, LnIII = YIII (1), GdIII (2), TbIII (3), and DyIII (4)], were prepared using a Schiff base ligand, H3L [H3L = 3-{(2-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzylidene)amino}-2-(2-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-2,3-dihydroquinazolin-4(1H)-one, where {L'}3- is the deprotonated open structure of H3L]. X-ray crystallographic analysis of 1-4 revealed that all the complexes crystallized in the orthorhombic (Pbcn) space group, and possessed an isostructural tetranuclear butterfly or defect dicubane like core. Direct current magnetic susceptibility measurements performed on 2-4 revealed that all these complexes show an intramolecular ferromagnetic exchange coupling. Well resolved zero-field out-of-phase signals in ac magnetic susceptibility measurements were observed only in the case of 3 (Ueff = 13.4 K; τ0 = 4.1(7) × 10-7 s). This was attributed to the comparatively strong NiII-TbIII magnetic exchange coupling. DFT and ab initio calculations were carried out on 1-4 to ascertain the nature of the ferromagnetic NiII-LnIII (JNi-Ln) and LnIII-LnIII (JLn-Ln) interactions. Magnetic anisotropy and magnetic relaxation mechanisms were discussed in detail for 3 and 4. Theoretical studies provide a rationale for the slow relaxation of magnetization in 3.

Stibonic acids and related stibonate-phosphonate clusters: Synthesis, characterization and bioactivity evaluation.

The reaction of 4-(azobenzene)phenylstibonic acid with t-butylphosphonic acid led to the isolation of the tetranuclear oxo-hydroxo antimony cluster of formulae [(4-azobenzene-C6H4Sb)4(OH)4(tBuPO3)6] (C1). The reaction of (p-t-butyl phenyl stibonic acid with phenyl phosphonic acid resulted in the isolation of complex with formulae [(p-t-BuC6H4Sb)4(O)2(PhPO3)4(PhPO3H)4] (C2). Based upon the initial results from docking studies, parent stibonic acids, t-butyl-phenylstibonic acid, p-isopropylphenylstibonic acid, 4-azobenzenephenylstibonic acid, and the derived tetranuclear organoantimonate-phosphonate clusters were screened against different cancer cell lines, various Gram-positive and Gram-Negative bacteria and mycobacteria for possible bioactivity profile.

Arthralgia In A Young Patient: Presentation Of Lofgren Syndrome.

Lofgren syndrome an acute form of sarcoidosis constitutes erythema nodosum, bilateral hilar adenopathy and arthralgia or arthritis. Here we present a case of a 28 years old young male patient who is a shopkeeper and farmer by profession admitted to inpatient department with chief complaints of bilateral painful nodules on his shins, low grade fever and pain multiple joints on both sides of the body. Suspicion of the Lofgren syndrome was made upon initial evaluation and patient was admitted to inpatient care facility for necessary comprehensive workup. Radiological findings were consistent with bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy and patient was diagnosed with Lofgren syndrome. Patient was started on non-steroidal inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) with close observation for improvement in response to treatment. After one weak of treatment in hospital, patient was discharged home when his symptoms started to resolve.

Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis Secondary to Metronidazole.

Hypersensitivity reactions occur when a host exhibits an inappropriate or exaggerated response to allergens. Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) are examples of such exaggerated responses to various drugs or illnesses. Both conditions affect the skin and mucosal surfaces of the oral cavity, urethra, and conjunctiva to varying degrees. TEN involves more than 30% of the total body surface area as opposed to SJS with less than 10% involvement. Skin biopsy is considered the gold standard for diagnosis; however, obtaining appropriate clinical context at presentation with the history of a potential offending drug can help diagnose the condition in situations where skin biopsy is not feasible. Metronidazole has been rarely reported as the offending agent for TEN/SJS with only two previously reported cases in the literature. We present the third case of TEN secondary to metronidazole and discuss the potential mechanism of action of metronidazole along with its common side effects. Our case adds to the existing literature of this rare clinical presentation and highlights the importance of the judicious use of metronidazole in clinical practice.

Ta2 Ni3 Se8 : 1D van der Waals Material with Ambipolar Behavior.

In this study, high-purity and centimeter-scale bulk Ta2 Ni3 Se8 crystals are obtained by controlling the growth temperature and stoichiometric ratio between tantalum, nickel, and selenium. It is demonstrated that the bulk Ta2 Ni3 Se8 crystals could be effectively exfoliated into a few chain-scale nanowires through simple mechanical exfoliation and liquid-phase exfoliation. Also, the calculation of electronic band structures confirms that Ta2 Ni3 Se8 is a semiconducting material with a small bandgap. A field-effect transistor is successfully fabricated on the mechanically exfoliated Ta2 Ni3 Se8 nanowires. Transport measurements at room temperature reveal that Ta2 Ni3 Se8 nanowires exhibit ambipolar semiconducting behavior with maximum mobilities of 20.3 and 3.52 cm2 V-1 s-1 for electrons and holes, respectively. The temperature-dependent transport measurement (from 90 to 295 K) confirms the carrier transport mechanism of Ta2 Ni3 Se8 nanowires. Based on these characteristics, the obtained 1D vdW material is expected to be a potential candidate for additional 1D materials as channel materials.

Bioprocess development for scalable production of cultivated meat.

Traditional farm-based products based on livestock are one of the main contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. Cultivated meat is an alternative that mimics animal meat, being produced in a bioreactor under controlled conditions rather than through the slaughtering of animals. The first step in the production of cultivated meat is the generation of sufficient reserves of starting cells. In this study, bovine adipose-derived stem cells (bASCs) were used as starting cells due to their ability to differentiate towards both fat and muscle, two cell types found in meat. A bioprocess for the expansion of these cells on microcarriers in spinner flasks was developed. Different cell seeding densities (1,500, 3,000, and 6,000 cells/cm2 ) and feeding strategies (80%, 65%, 50%, and combined 80%/50% medium exchanges) were investigated. Cell characterization was assessed pre- and postbioprocessing to ensure that bioprocessing did not negatively affect bASC quality. The best growth was obtained with the lowest cell seeding density (1,500 cells/cm2 ) with an 80% medium exchange performed (p < .0001) which yielded a 28-fold expansion. The ability to differentiate towards adipogenic, osteogenic, and chondrogenic lineages was retained postbioprocessing and no significant difference (p > .5) was found in clonogenicity pre- or postbioprocessing in any of the feeding regimes tested.

Assembling Homometallic Sb6 and Heterometallic Ti4Sb2 Oxo Clusters.

Isolation and structural characterization of novel organoantimony(V)-based oxo clusters are reported. (RSb)4(OH)4(t-BuPO3)6 and (RSb)2(O)(t-BuPO3H)6 independently in the presence of pyridine under solvothermal conditions afford the hexanuclear organoantimonate clusters [(RSb)6(µ3-O)2(µ2-O)6(t-BuPO3)4], where R = p-i-PrC6H4 (1), p-ClC6H4 (2). Further, reaction of organostibonate phosphonate with Ti(OiPr)4 in the presence of pyridine under solvothermal conditions afforded the mixed-metal titanium stibonate hexanuclear clusters [(RSb)2Ti4(µ3-O)2(µ2-O)2(t-BuPO3)4(µ-OCH3)4(OCH3)4], where R = p-i-PrC6H4 (3), p-ClC6H4 (4). Band gap measurements were performed on 1-4. They reveal a remarkable reduction in the band gap on moving from the heavier main-group-based oxo cages (1 and 2) to the titanium-incorporated oxo cages (3 and 4).

Bismuth and Titanium Phosphinates: Isolation of Tetra-, Hexa- and Octanuclear Clusters.

The reaction of organobismuth precursors with trityl-H-phosphinic acid in varying reaction conditions afforded colorless crystals, whose single crystal X-ray characterization revealed the formation of monomer {(Ph3Bi)[(Ph3C)(H)PO2]2}·3/2(CH3CN)2.1/2H2O (1) and butterfly shaped tetranuclear cluster Bi4(µ3-O)2[(Ph3C)(H)(PO2)]8·2CH2Cl2·1/2CH3CN.2H2O (2). The reaction of titanium isopropoxide with two different phosphinic acids trityl-H-phosphinic acid and cycP(O)(OH) led to isolation of cubane type octahedral complex {Ti8(µ2-O)8(µ2-OH)4[(Ph3C)(H)PO2]12}[3C7H8] (3) and hexanuclear complex Ti6(µ2-cycPO2)9(µ2-O)6(µ2-OH)3·4CH3CN·4H2O (4) respectively.

Pronounced Impact of p-Type Carriers and Reduction of Bandgap in Semiconducting ZnTe Thin Films by Cu Doping for Intermediate Buffer Layer in Heterojunction Solar Cells.

Stabilized un-doped Zinc Telluride (ZnTe) thin films were grown on glass substrates under vacuum using a closed space sublimation (CSS) technique. A dilute copper nitrate solution (0.1/100 mL) was prepared for copper doping, known as an ion exchange process, in the matrix of the ZnTe thin film. The reproducible polycrystalline cubic structure of undoped and the Cu doped ZnTe thin films with preferred orientation (111) was confirmed by X-rays diffraction (XRD) technique. Lattice parameter analyses verified the expansion of unit cell volume after incorporation of Cu species into ZnTe thin films samples. The micrographs of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to measure the variation in crystal sizes of samples. The energy dispersive X-rays were used to validate the elemental composition of undoped and Cu-doped ZnTe thin films. The bandgap energy 2.24 eV of the ZnTe thin film decreased after doping Cu to 2.20 eV and may be due to the introduction of acceptors states near to valance band. Optical studies showed that refractive index was measured from 2.18 to 3.24, whereas thicknesses varied between 220 nm to 320 nm for un-doped and Cu doped ZnTe thin film, respectively, using the Swanepoel model. The oxidation states of Zn+2, Te+2, and Cu+1 through high resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses was observed. The resistivity of thin films changed from ~107 Ω·cm or undoped ZnTe to ~1 Ω·cm for Cu-doped ZnTe thin film, whereas p-type carrier concentration increased from 4 × 109 cm-2 to 1.4 × 1011 cm-2, respectively. These results predicted that Cu-doped ZnTe thin film can be used as an ideal, efficient, and stable intermediate layer between metallic and absorber back contact for the heterojunction thin film solar cell technology.

A scaled-down model for the translation of bacteriophage culture to manufacturing scale.

Therapeutic bacteriophages are emerging as a potential alternative to antibiotics and synergistic treatment of antimicrobial-resistant infections. This is reflected by their use in an increasing number of recent clinical trials. Many more therapeutic bacteriophage is being investigated in preclinical research and due to the bespoke nature of these products with respect to their limited infection spectrum, translation to the clinic requires combined understanding of the biology underpinning the bioprocess and how this can be optimized and streamlined for efficient methods of scalable manufacture. Bacteriophage research is currently limited to laboratory scale studies ranging from 1-20 ml, emerging therapies include bacteriophage cocktails to increase the spectrum of infectivity and require multiple large-scale bioreactors (up to 50 L) containing different bacteriophage-bacterial host reactions. Scaling bioprocesses from the milliliter scale to multi-liter large-scale bioreactors is challenging in itself, but performing this for individual phage-host bioprocesses to facilitate reliable and robust manufacture of phage cocktails increases the complexity. This study used a full factorial design of experiments approach to explore key process input variables (temperature, time of infection, multiplicity of infection, agitation) for their influence on key process outputs (bacteriophage yield, infection kinetics) for two bacteriophage-bacterial host bioprocesses (T4 - Escherichia coli; Phage K - Staphylococcus aureus). The research aimed to determine common input variables that positively influence output yield and found that the temperature at the point of infection had the greatest influence on bacteriophage yield for both bioprocesses. The study also aimed to develop a scaled down shake-flask model to enable rapid optimization of bacteriophage batch bioprocessing and translate the bioprocess into a scale-up model with a 3 L working volume in stirred tank bioreactors. The optimization performed in the shake flask model achieved a 550-fold increase in bacteriophage yield and these improvements successfully translated to the large-scale cultures.