bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Calcium Folate Nanoparticles as Dual‐Functional Neural Inducing Factors to Promote the Differentiation of Neural Stem Cells into Cholinergic Neurons
Authors: Wang Liang , Zhou Wenjuan , Yang Hongru , Liu Feng , Kong Ying , Wang Wenhan , Zhao Hang , Ma Wenjun , Sang Yuanhua , Yi Fan , Liu Hong , Liu Chao , Hao Aijun , Qiu Jichuan
Published: March 2023

Alzheimer's disease (AD) features the loss of cholinergic neurons in the mesopontine area. There is no available approach to repair the damaged cholinergic neurons. Neural stem cell (NSC)‐based therapy is a promising strategy for the treatment of AD. However, it is a challenge to direct the NSCs to specifically differentiate into cholinergic neurons. Herein, calcium folate (CaFO) nanoparticles are synthesized through a facile nanoprecipitation approach for promoting the differentiation of NSCs into functional cholinergic neurons. After uptake by NSCs, the CaFO nanoparticles are distributed in the lysosomes (pH< 5.5) and can be decomposed into Ca2+ and folic acid in the acidic environment. The Ca2+ can accelerate the differentiation rate of NSCs while the folic acid can direct the NSCs to differentiate into cholinergic neurons. The in vitro experiments demonstrate that under the stimulation of CaFO nanoparticles, the NSCs differentiate into functional cholinergic neurons within 5 d. Animal experiments prove that the CaFO nanoparticles also promote the neuronal differentiation of NSCs in vivo, leading to the improvement in the cognitive memory ability of AD mice. This study provides a new strategy to induce the quick differentiation of NSCs into functional cholinergic neurons, which is promising for the treatment of AD.
Tough, Resorbable Polycaprolactone‐Based Bimodal Networks for Vat Polymerization 3D Printing
Authors: Samson Kerr DG , Hidalgo‐Alvarez Veronica , Dargaville Tim R , Melchels Ferry PW
Published: March 2023

Vat polymerization allows for the accurate and fast fabrication of personalized implants and devices. While the technology advances rapidly and more materials become available, the fabrication of flexible yet tough resorbable materials for biomedical applications remains a challenge. Here, a formulation that can be 3D printed with high accuracy using vat polymerization, yielding materials that are tough, degradable, and non‐toxic is presented. This unique combination of properties is obtained by combining a long‐chain polycaprolactone macromonomer with a small molecule cross‐linker. A wide range of properties is achieved by tuning the ratio of these components. The use of benzyl alcohol as a non‐volatile, benign solvent enables fabrication on a low‐cost desktop 3D printer, with an exposure time of 8 s per 50‐micron layer. The 3D‐printed networks are tough and elastic with a tensile strength of 11 MPa at 116% elongation at break. Cells attach and proliferate on the networks with a viability of >91%. The networks are fully degradable to soluble products. This new 3D printable material opens up a range of opportunities in biomedical engineering and personalized medicine.
Reconciling Mass Loading and Gravimetric Performance of MnO2 Cathodes by 3D‐Printed Carbon Structures for Zinc‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Yang Hao , Wan Yi , Sun Kang , Zhang Mengdi , Wang Chongze , He Zhengqiu , Li Qiang , Wang Ning , Zhang Yunlong , Hu Han , Wu Mingbo
Published: March 2023

To promote the real application of zinc‐ion batteries (ZIBs), reconciling the high mass loading and gravimetric performance of MnO2 electrodes is of paramount importance. Herein, the rational regulation of 3D‐printed carbon microlattices (3DP CMs) enabling an ultrathick MnO2 electrode with well‐maintained gravimetric capacities is demonstrated. The 3DP CMs made of graphene and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are fabricated by direct ink 3D printing and subsequent high‐temperature annealing. 3D printing enables a periodic structure of 3DP CMs, while the thermal annealing contributes to high conductivity and defective surfaces. Due to these structural merits, uniform electrical field distribution and facilitated MnO2 deposition over the 3DP CMs are permitted. The optimal electrode with MnO2 loaded on the 3DP CMs can achieve a record‐high specific capacity of 282.8 mAh g−1 even at a high mass loading of 28.4 mg cm−2 and high ion transfer dynamics, which reconciles the loading mass and gravimetric performance. As a result, the aqueous ZIBs based on the 3DP CMs loaded MnO2 afford an outstanding performance superior to most of the previous reports. This study reveals the essential role of interaction between active materials and current collectors, providing an alternative strategy for designing high‐performance energy storage devices.
Adaptive Magnetoactive Soft Composites for Modular and Reconfigurable Actuators
Authors: Zhang Zenghao , Heron John T. , Pena‐Francesch Abdon
Published: March 2023

Magnetoactive soft materials, typically composed of magnetic particles dispersed in a soft polymer matrix, are finding many applications in soft robotics due to their reversible and remote shape transformations under magnetic fields. To achieve complex shape transformations, anisotropic, and heterogeneous magnetization profiles must be programmed in the material. However, once programmed and assembled, magnetic soft actuators cannot be easily reconfigured, repurposed, or repaired, which limits their application, their durability, and versatility in their design. Here, magnetoactive soft composites are developed from squid‐derived biopolymers and NdFeB microparticles with tunable ferromagnetic and thermomechanical properties. By leveraging reversible crosslinking nanostructures in the biopolymer matrix, a healing‐assisted assembly process is developed that allows for on‐demand reconfiguration and magnetic reprogramming of magnetoactive composites. This concept in multi‐material modular actuators is demonstrated with programmable deformation modes, self‐healing properties to recover their function after mechanical damage, and shape‐memory behavior to lock in their preferred configuration and un‐actuated catch states. These dynamic magnetic soft composites can enable the modular design and assembly of new types of magnetic actuators, not only eliminating device vulnerabilities through healing and repair but also by providing adaptive mechanisms to reconfigure their function on demand.
Bottling Liquid‐Like Minerals for Advanced Materials Synthesis
Authors: Gindele Maxim B. , Nolte Sina , Stock Katharina M. , Kebel Kristina , Gebauer Denis
Published: March 2023

Materials synthesis via liquid‐like mineral precursors has been studied since their discovery almost 25 years ago, because their properties offer several advantages, for example, the ability to infiltrate small pores, the production of non‐equilibrium crystal morphologies or mimicking textures from biominerals, resulting in a vast range of possible applications. However, the potential of liquid‐like precursors has never been fully tapped, and they have received limited attention in the materials chemistry community, largely due to the lack of efficient and scalable synthesis protocols. Herein, the “scalable controlled synthesis and utilization of liquid‐like precursors for technological applications” (SCULPT) method is presented, allowing the isolation of the precursor phase on a gram scale, and its advantage in the synthesis of crystalline calcium carbonate materials and respective applications is demonstrated. The effects of different organic and inorganic additives, such as magnesium ions and concrete superplasticizers, on the stability of the precursor are investigated and allow optimizing the process for specific demands. The presented method is easily scalable and therefore allows synthesizing and utilizing the precursor on large scales. Thus, it can be employed for mineral formation during restoration and conservation applications but can also open up pathways toward calcium carbonate‐based, CO2‐neutral cements.
Second Harmonic Generation in van der Waals Heterostructure of Centrosymmetric ReS2 and Graphene
Authors: Wang Jing , Zhang Mingwen , Han Nannan , Luo Zheng‐Dong , Chen Xiaoqing , Liu Yan , Zhao Jianlin , Gan Xuetao
Published: March 2023

Van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures of two‐dimensional (2D) materials promise exotic properties beyond the reach of existing material systems and open unprecedented opportunities for device applications. Here, it is demonstrated that vdW stacking of centrosymmetric ReS2 and graphene into heterostructure could induce strong second harmonic generation (SHG), though there is not any SHG from the individual ReS2 or graphene. It could be attributed to the interfacial charge transfer in the heterostructure. With the distorted 1T crystal structure of ReS2 and electrostatic screening effect, the charge transfer gives rise to non‐uniform charge distribution across the ReS2's atomic layers, resulting in the broken centrosymmetry for the second‐order hyperpolarizability. At the specific pump wavelength of 1550 nm, the strength of the induced SHG in a trilayer ReS2/graphene vdW heterostructure is approximately twice of that from a monolayer MoS2. This work reveals vdW stacking is a simple and efficient method for inducing SHG in 2D materials with centrosymmetry, which could be considered as another unique attribute of 2D materials. It also indicates that SHG spectroscopy is a valid technique for probing charge transfer and distribution in heterostructures of 2D materials.
Tunable Water‐Based Meta‐Lens
Authors: Yao Jin , Chen Mu Ku , Lin Rong , Tsai Din Ping , Luk Kwai‐Man
Published: March 2023

Water, the source of life, is a more abundant, low‐cost, and environment‐friendly candidate material for tunable meta‐devices compared to conventional approaches in the microwave region. Wavefront shaping can be flexibly manipulated by adjusting the shapes and temperature of water‐based meta‐atoms, but individual control of each meta‐atom is complicated and inconvenient, especially for continuous tunability. Here, we propose a design strategy based on the phase compensation mechanism to continuously tune the properties of water‐based meta‐lenses at 5 GHz. Integrated‐resonant units (IRUs) with coupled water pillars are carefully designed to effectively tailor the balance between polarization conversion efficiency and phase compensation. By changing the filling height of water in the designed meta‐lens from 10 to 60 mm, the focal length can be tuned from 228 to 424 mm. The off‐axis focusing of the meta‐lens is also demonstrated in which the deflection angle is adjustable from around 0° to 5°. This work will pave the way for designing tunable water‐based meta‐devices and facilitating their applications in microwave imaging systems.
Ab Initio Prediction of Ultra‐Wide Band Gap BxAl1−xN Materials
Authors: Milne Cody , Biswas Tathagata , Singh Arunima K.
Published: March 2023

Ultra‐wide bandgap (UWBG) materials are poised to play an important role in the future of power electronics. Devices made from UWBG materials are expected to operate at higher voltages, frequencies, and temperatures than current silicon and silicon‐carbide‐based devices and can even lead to significant miniaturization of such devices. In the UWBG field, aluminum nitride and boron nitride have attracted great interest; however, the BxAl1−xN alloys are much less studied. In this work, using first‐principles simulations combining density‐functional theory and the cluster expansion method, the crystal structure of BxAl1−xN alloys is predicted. Seventeen ground state structures of BxAl1−xN with formation energies between 0.11 and 0.25 eV atom‐1 are found. All of these structures are found to be dynamically stable. The BxAl1−xN structures are found to have predominantly a tetrahedral bonding environment; however, some structures exhibit sp2 bonds similar to hexagonal BN. This work expands knowledge of the structures, energies, and bonding in BxAl1−xN which aids their synthesis, the innovation of lateral or vertical devices, and discovery of compatible dielectric and Ohmic contact materials.
A phase II study of sintilimab, anlotinib, and pegaspargase sandwiched with radiotherapy as first‐line therapy in patients with newly diagnosed, stage I–II extranodal natural‐killer/T‐cell lymphoma
Authors: Sun Peng , Li Yajun , Li Cong , Ren Kexing , Wang Yu , Yang Hang , Jiang Wenqi , Zou Liqun , Yang Haiyan , Zhou Hui , Li Zhi‐Ming
Published: March 2023

Novel highly effective and low‐toxicity combination therapy for localized extranodal natural‐killer/T‐cell lymphoma (ENKTL) remains a clinically unmet need. This phase II trial (NCT03936452) investigated the efficacy and safety of sintilimab, anlotinib, and pegaspargase sandwiched with radiotherapy as first‐line treatment in patients with newly‐diagnosed stage I–II ENKTL. The patients received sintilimab 200 mg plus pegaspargase 2500 U/m2 on day 1 and anlotinib 12 mg once daily on days 1–14 for three 21‐day cycles, followed by intensity‐modulated radiotherapy and another three cycles of systemic therapy. The primary endpoint was the complete response rate (CRR) after six treatment cycles. The secondary endpoints included progression‐free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), CRR after two cycles, overall response rate (ORR) after six cycles, duration of response (DOR), and safety. Between May 2019 and July 2021, 58 patients were enrolled. The CRR was 55.1% (27/49) after two cycles and 87.8% (43/49) after six cycles. The ORR was 87.8% (43/49; 95% CI, 75.2–95.4) after six cycles. After a median follow‐up of 22.5 months (95% CI, 20.4–24.6), the median PFS, OS, and DOR were not reached. The 2‐year PFS, OS, and DOR rates were 87.6% (95% CI, 78.8–97.4), 97.9% (95% CI, 94.0–100), and 91.1% (95% CI, 83.2–99.8), respectively. Grade 3–4 treatment‐related adverse events occurred in 41.4% (24/58) of patients, with the most common being hypertension (15.5%), hypertriglyceridemia (8.6%), oral mucositis (6.9%), and anemia (5.2%). No treatment‐related deaths occurred. First‐line sintilimab, anlotinib, and pegaspargase sandwiched with radiotherapy demonstrated promising efficacy in treatment‐naïve early‐stage ENKTL patients with a favorable safety profile.
Coronaviruses Use ACE2 Monomers as Entry‐Receptors
Authors: Eiring Patrick , Klein Teresa , Backes Simone , Streit Marcel , Jungblut Marvin , Doose Sören , Beliu Gerti , Sauer Markus
Published: March 2023

The angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) has been identified as entry receptor on cells enabling binding and infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) via trimeric spike (S) proteins protruding from the viral surface. It has been suggested that trimeric S proteins preferably bind to plasma membrane areas with high concentrations of possibly multimeric ACE2 receptors to achieve a higher binding and infection efficiency. Here we used direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (dSTORM) in combination with different labeling approaches to visualize the distribution and quantify the expression of ACE2 on different cells. Our results reveal that endogenous ACE2 receptors are present as monomers in the plasma membrane with densities of only 1–2 receptors μm−2. In addition, binding of trimeric S proteins does not induce the formation of ACE2 oligomers in the plasma membrane. Supported by infection studies using vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) particles bearing S proteins our data demonstrate that a single S protein interaction per virus particle with a monomeric ACE2 receptor is sufficient for infection, which provides SARS‐CoV‐2 a high infectivity.
Designing Breathing Air‐electrode and Enhancing the Oxygen Electrocatalysis by Thermoelectric Effect for Efficient Zn‐air Batteries
Authors: Zheng Xuerong , Cao Yanhui , Wang Haozhi , Zhang Jinfeng , Zhao Menghan , Huang Zhong , Wang Yang , Zhang Li , Deng Yida , Hu Wenbin , Han Xiaopeng
Published: March 2023

The sluggish kinetics and mutual interference of oxygen evolution and reduction reactions in the air electrode resulted in large charge/discharge overpotential and low energy efficiency of Zn‐air batteries. In this work, we designed a breathing air‐electrode configuration in the battery using P‐type Ca3Co4O9 and N‐type CaMnO3 as charge and discharge thermoelectrocatalysts, respectively. The Seebeck voltages generated from thermoelectric effect of Ca3Co4O9 and CaMnO3 synergistically compensated the charge and discharge overpotentials. The carrier migration and accumulation on the cold surface of Ca3Co4O9 and CaMnO3 optimized the electronic structure of metallic sites and thus enhanced their intrinsic catalytic activity. The oxygen evolution and reduction overpotentials were enhanced by 101 and 90 mV, respectively, at temperature gradient of 200 °C. The breathing Zn‐air battery displayed a remarkable energy efficiency of 68.1 %. This work provides an efficient avenue towards utilizing waste heat for improving the energy efficiency of Zn‐air battery.
Supercharged CO2 Photothermal Catalytic Methanation: High Conversion, Rate, and Selectivity
Authors: Zhu Xianglin , Zong Huibin , Pérez Camilo J. Viasus , Miao Honghai , Sun Wei , Yuan Zhimin , Wang Shenghua , Zeng Guixin , Xu Hui , Jiang Zaiyong , Ozin Geoffrey A.
Published: March 2023

To overcome the thermodynamic and kinetic impediments of the Sabatier CO2 methanation reaction, the process must be operated under very high temperature and pressure conditions, to obtain an industrially viable conversion, rate, and selectivity. Herein, we report that these technologically relevant performance metrics have been achieved under much milder conditions using solar rather than thermal energy, where the methanation reaction is enabled by a novel nickel‐boron nitride catalyst. In this regard, an in situ generated HOB⋅⋅⋅B surface frustrated Lewis's pair is considered responsible for the high Sabatier conversion 87.68 %, reaction rate 2.03 mol gNi−1h−1, and near 100 % selectivity, realized under ambient pressure conditions. This discovery bodes well for an opto‐chemical engineering strategy aimed at the development and implementation of a sustainable ‘Solar Sabatier’ methanation process.
Strong Metal‐Support Interactions through Sulfur‐Anchoring of Metal Catalysts on Carbon Supports
Authors: Yin Peng , Yan Qiang‐Qiang , Liang Hai‐Wei
Published: March 2023

In supported metal catalysts, the supports would strongly interact with the metal components instead of just acting as a carrier, which greatly affects both of their synthesis and catalytic activity, selectivity, and stability. Carbon is considered as very important but inert support and thus hard to induce strong metal‐support interaction (SMSI). This mini‐review highlights that sulfur—a documented poison reagent for metal catalysts—when doped in a carbon supports can induce diverse SMSI phenomenon, including electronic metal‐support interaction (EMSI), classic SMSI, and reactive metal‐support interaction (RMSI). These SMSI between metal and sulfur‐doped carbon (S−C) supports enables the catalysts with extraordinary resistance to sintering at high temperatures of up to 1100 °C, which allows the general synthesis of single‐atom, alloy cluster, and intermetallic compound catalysts with high dispersion and metal loading for a variety of applications.
Ligand‐Mediated Revival of Degraded α‐CsPbI3 to Stable Highly Luminescent Perovskite
Authors: Ghorai Arup , Mahato Somnath , Singh Sudarshan , Bose Shaona , Roy Baidyanath , Jeong Unyong , Kumar Ray Samit
Published: March 2023

Although α‐CsPbI3 is regarded as an attractive optical luminophore, it is readily degraded to the optically inactive δ‐phase under ambient conditions. Here, we present a simple approach to revive degraded (“optically sick”) α‐CsPbI3 through “medication” with thiol‐containing ligands. The effect of different types of thiols is systematically studied through optical spectroscopy. The structural reconstruction of degraded α‐CsPbI3 nanocrystals to cubic crystals in the presence of thiol‐containing ligands is visualized through high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy and supported by X‐ray diffraction analysis. We found that 1‐dodecanethiol (DSH) effectively revives degraded CsPbI3 and results in high immunity towards moisture and oxygen, hitherto unreported. DSH facilitates the passivation of surface defects and etching of degraded Cs4PbI6 phase, thus reverting them back to the cubic CsPbI3 phase, leading to enhanced PL and environmental stability.
Structural, vibrational, optical, and anticancer properties of Hyphaene thebaica‐reduced nano‐lanthanum oxide (La2O3)
Authors: Mohamed Hamza Elsayed Ahmad , Khalil Ali Talha , Hkiri Khaoula , Ayaz Muhammad , Usman Asad , Sadiq Abdul , Ullah Farhat , Khan Muhammad Arif , Islam Arshad , Ovais Muhammad , Maaza Malik
Published: March 2023

Phytoextracts modulated synthesis of nano‐scaled spherical lanthanum oxide nanoparticles (La2O3 NPs) are reported using the aqueous extracts of Hyphaene thebaica as a bioreducing and chelating agent. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) pattern revealed sharp peaks and single‐phase purity. The Debye–Scherrer approximation indicated an average crystallite size of 37 nm, whereas W‐H plot revealed a crystallite size of 59 nm, complemented by the high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR‐TEM). The infrared spectroscopy revealed characteristic La‐O band at 426 and 648 cm−1. K‐M function revealed the bandgap of 5.6 eV, whereas broad intense emission peaks between 345 and 750 nm. The Raman spectra revealed peaks at 182, 325, 384, and 491 cm−1. Elemental composition was confirmed using energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDS) spectrum, and the spotty rings from selected area electron diffraction (SAED) indicated the crystalline nature of the HT‐La2O3 NPs. In addition, the HT‐La2O3 NPs were investigated for in vitro antioxidant, anticancer, antiangiogenic, and cytotoxic potentials. DPPH free radical scavenging activity was highest, that is, 49.54 ± 0.88% at 1000 μg/mL. MTT assay on MCF‐7 and 3T3 cell lines revealed a median lethal concentration of 114 and 43 μg/mL, respectively. The antiangiogenic effect examined by chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay indicated inhibition of 57.14 ± 0.96% at 1000‐μg/mL concentration with an IC50 of 551 μg/mL. IC50 for the brine shrimp lethality assay was 314.2 μg/mL. Our study indicates cytotoxicity of HT‐La2O3 NPs, and it further concluded that HT‐La2O3 NPs were more potent against 3T3 cells as compared with MCF‐7 cells. Further research on the biological synthesis and anticancer studies are recommended for the large‐scale applications of the La2O3 NPs.
Evaluation of rheological behavior of asphalt mixtures modified with triblock polymers grafted maleic anhydride and montmorillonite clay
Authors: Vargas Maria de los Angeles , Sanchez‐Solis Antonio , Vargas Miguel Angel , Manero Octavio
Published: March 2023

This work presents an investigation of the incorporation of maleic anhydride (MAH)‐grafted triblock copolymers and montmorillonite clay (Mt) as modifiers of asphalt. A series of unmodified copolymers styrene‐butadiene‐styrene (SBS), styrene‐isoprene‐styrene (SIS), or styrene‐ethylene/butylene‐styrene (SEBS) with clay were prepared by direct mixing of all components. Subsequently, they were compared with their grafted‐MAH copolymer counterparts. The asphalt blends were characterized with respect to their rheological, morphological, and physical properties. Experimental results revealed that SBS and SIS grafted‐copolymer composites increase the softening point by 1.5%–7%, while the penetration decreases by 2%–15% in comparison to the homologous nongrafted polymers. The improvement can be directly linked to the continuous network polymer in the asphalt blends. The combined use of styrene‐isoprene‐styrene‐g‐MAH (SIS‐g‐MAH) copolymer and clay impart higher elastic behavior than that of the other blends. G′ increases about 95% in comparison to that of SIS/Mt, while the complex viscosity is three decades larger in the low frequencies region. Elevated rutting resistance temperature (>100°C), tanδ <5, reveals a solid‐like behavior with no Newtonian plateau. SEBS‐g‐MAH/Mt presents diminished rheological properties with respect to those of SEBS/Mt due to poor dispersion and agglomeration of clay particles in the polymer and asphalt matrix.
Does sorting by color using visible and high‐energy violet light improve classification of taxa in honey bee pollen pellets?
Authors: Bailey Charlie P. , Sonter Carolyn A. , Jones Jeremy L. , Pandey Sabu , Haberle Simon , Santos Karen C. B. S. , Absy Maria L. , Rader Romina
Published: March 2023

Premise

Pollen collected by honey bees from different plant species often differs in color, and this has been used as a basis for plant identification. The objective of this study was to develop a new, low‐cost protocol to sort pollen pellets by color using high‐energy violet light and visible light to determine whether pollen pellet color is associated with variations in plant species identity.

Methods and Results

We identified 35 distinct colors and found that 52% of pollen subsamples (n = 200) were dominated by a single taxon. Among these near‐pure pellets, only one color consistently represented a single pollen taxon (Asteraceae: Cichorioideae). Across the spectrum of colors spanning yellows, oranges, and browns, similarly colored pollen pellets contained pollen from multiple plant families ranging from two to 13 families per color.

Conclusions

Sorting pollen pellets illuminated under high‐energy violet light lit from four directions within a custom‐made light box aided in distinguishing pellet composition, especially in pellets within the same color.
Design, Synthesis, Docking Study of Pyrazolohydrazinopyrimidin‐4‐one Derivatives and Their Application as Antimicrobials
Authors: Alolayan Ruba A. , Ali Ahmed Elkanzi Nadia , Hrichi Hajer , Bakr Rania B.
Published: March 2023

New series of pyrazoles 4a–c and pyrazolopyrimidines 5a–f had been constructed. The newly synthesized compounds were assessed for their antimicrobial activity towards E. coli and P. aeruginosa (gram –ve bacteria), B. subtilis and S. aureus (gram +ve bacteria) and A. flavus and C. albicans (representative of fungi). The pyrazolylpyrimidine‐2,4‐dione derivative 5b is the most active candidate against B. subtilis (MIC=60 μg/mL) and P. aeruginosa (MIC=45 μg/mL). Regarding antifungal potential, compound 5f was the most effective against A. flavus (MIC=33 μg/mL). Similarly, compound 5c displayed strong antifungal activity towards C. Albicans (MIC=36 μg/mL) in reference to amphotericin B (MIC=60 μg/mL). Finally, the novel compounds had been docked inside dihydropteroate synthase (DHPS) to suggest the binding mode of these compounds.
Evaluation of Photocatalysis Based on Ozone/Goethite/Ultraviolet C for Caffeine Degradation
Authors: Venecia-Nuñez José David , Ramírez-Parra Leidy Tatiana , Lara-Ramos Jose Antonio , Machuca-Martinez Fiderman , Colina-Márquez José Ángel , Mueses Miguel Angel
Published: March 2023

Caffeine is found in significant concentrations in the environment due to bioaccumulation and high resistance to conventional and biological treatments. It has critical effects on aquatic species and human health. Intensification of photocatalysis based on ozone (O3)/ultraviolet (UV) radiation type C/goethite (GHT) was applied in the degradation and mineralization of caffeine in solution by using a heterogeneous stirred‐tank photoreactor with artificial light. O3 dose and GHT charge were established as perturbation variables, and the effects of speed of agitation, pH, initial caffeine concentration, and UV light were evaluated before intensification to find the best conditions. With the O3/UV/GHT process, a degree of degradation of ca. 99.97 % for caffeine in water was reached in less than 20 min. The degree of mineralization achieved was 38.02 %.
The Anode Materials for Lithium‐Ion and Sodium‐Ion Batteries Based on Conversion Reactions: a Review
Authors: Xu Hao , Li Huijun , Wang Xiaomin
Published: March 2023

Due to its characteristics of not being constrained by the lattice structure and cation size, electrochemical conversion reaction is becoming an increasingly prominent type of electrochemical reaction. Lithium‐ion batteries can achieve superior performance by utilizing conversion reactions, Moreover, Sodium‐ion batteries are expected to become alternatives to lithium‐ion because of the plentiful sodium resources. This review discusses the most current developments and unmet needs in anode materials based on conversion reactions of Lithium‐ion and sodium‐ion batteries, as well as various synthesis techniques, morphological characteristics, and electrochemical properties.
A Cytoplasm‐Specific Fluorescent Ligand for Selective Imaging of RNA G‐Quadruplexes in Live Cancer Cells
Authors: Zheng Bo‐Xin , Long Wei , She Meng‐Ting , Wang Yakun , Zhao Dong , Yu Jie , Siu‐Lun Leung Alan , Hin Chan Ka , Hou Jinqiang , Lu Yu‐Jing , Wong Wing‐Leung
Published: March 2023

The development of site‐specific, target‐selective and biocompatible small molecule ligands as a fluorescent tool for real‐time study of cellular functions of RNA G‐quadruplexes (G4s), which are associated with human cancers, is of significance in cancer biology. We report a fluorescent ligand that is a cytoplasm‐specific and RNA G4‐selective fluorescent biosensor in live HeLa cells. The in vitro results show that the ligand is highly selective targeting RNA G4s including VEGF, NRAS, BCL2 and TERRA. These G4s are recognized as human cancer hallmarks. Moreover, intracellular competition studies with BRACO19 and PDS, and the colocalization study with G4‐specific antibody (BG4) in HeLa cells may support that the ligand selectively binds to G4s in cellulo. Furthermore, the ligand was demonstrated for the first time in the visualization and monitoring of dynamic resolving process of RNA G4s by the overexpressed RFP‐tagged DHX36 helicase in live HeLa cells.
CEO turnover, stakeholder management, and dynamics between corporate social responsibility and firm performance
Authors: Qiao Yankuo
Published: March 2023

Focusing on the CEO transition period, this paper documents that the variation of CSR is highly associated with the fluctuation of firm performance. Moreover, it is found that the strong association is undermined for the CEO transition period during which ample variations of value relevant firm policies take place. Furthermore, the empirical evidence suggests that CEOs whose predecessors relinquish power involuntarily are more likely to adjust CSR activities for the purpose of optimal stakeholder management. The paper presents a heuristic and parsimonious model to guide the empirical investigation and conducts a system of simultaneous equations to ameliorate the endogenous nexus of firm performance, CEO turnover and CSR adjustment. The results are also robust to a battery of additional checks.
Ionic Liquid Modified Electrocatalysts: a STEM‐EDX Approach for Identification of Local Distributions within Ionomer Containing Catalysts Layers
Authors: Brunnengräber Kai , Jeschonek Katharina , George Michael , Zhang Gui‐Rong , Etzold Bastian J. M.
Published: March 2023

Driven by the transition to a CO2‐neutral energy economy, research on polymer electrolyte fuel cells gained much interest during the last decade, with researchers trying to overcome the sluggish kinetics of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) limiting their performance. Modification of existing ORR catalysts with small amounts of ionic liquids (IL) represents an innovative approach to altering the catalytic activity and stability. ILs are supposed to take effect by modifying the local microenvironment at electrochemical interfaces. Nevertheless, a thorough understanding about the local distribution of ILs over solid catalysts is still lacking, hindering the IL modification strategy to be a generic approach to rationally modulating the catalytic performance of a catalyst. In this study we employed STEM‐EDS spectral imaging to locate the IL distribution on the catalyst in presence of NafionTM. To overcome the difficulties associated with low energy STEM‐EDS we setup a sophisticated data processing routine based on machine learning.
Equivalent doses for anticancer agents used in pediatric oncology: A literature review and evaluation of a novel approach for conversion factors
Authors: Ressing Meike , Becker Cornelia , Müller Christian , Mahmoudpour Seyed Hamidreza , Calaminus Gabriele , Langer Thorsten , Erdmann Friederike , Voigt Mathias , Kaiser Melanie , Kaatsch Peter , Blettner Maria , Spix Claudia
Published: March 2023

Background

Epidemiological research on late effects of therapy shows the necessity to aggregate chemotherapy agents to substance classes. This requires using conversion factors by substance classes.

Aims

The aim of this study was to identify previously used conversion factors from the literature, to present a novel approach for additional factors, and to compare these approaches.

Methods and Results

A literature review was performed, which identified two main principles of deriving conversion factors: effect‐equivalence and equimolar. Thirty‐five articles presenting effect equivalence‐based factors in the widest sense were found in the literature. Ten articles presented the equimolar approach which can be applied to almost all chemotherapy substances. Based on a comprehensive list of treatment protocols used in German pediatric oncology, we derived alternative conversion factors from typical doses. We compared the conversion factors using Pearson correlation coefficients and linear regression. At least two types of conversion factor were available for each of the 49 substances included. The equivalent effect‐based and the typical dose‐based factors were highly correlated with a regression coefficient close to 1. The equimolar factors are independent.

Conclusions

For substances for which no conversion factor based on some type of effect equivalence has been published so far, a factor based on a typical doses‐approach may be used in epidemiological late effects research. Doses aggregated based on the equimolar approach may not be compatible with doses aggregated based on equivalent effects.
Secure communication using multilevel authentication strategy in Internet of Drones
Authors: Perumalla Subhadra , Chatterjee Santanu ,  Siva Kumar A.P.
Published: March 2023

The Internet of Drones (IoD) is a layered network or platform that controls and coordinates the drones. The unmanned aerial vehicles also called as drones are objects that utilized in Internet of Things (IoT) smart devices. The security is the major problem in the architecture for IoD. Hence, a multilevel authentication method is devised in this article to enable secure communication in IoD. The analysis of security is depending on four stages, such as pre‐deployment, user registration, login phase, and authentication phase. The drones are registered in the IoD infrastructure in the pre‐deployment phase. Then, the users registration with the drone is done in user registration phase, which is executed to register the users with the drone for accessing the information in real‐time via the user. Then, the user communicates with the server is done in the login phase, and at last, the authentication of drones, servers, and the users are done in authentication phase to offer secured communication. The devised approach attains the maximum performance with a delay, throughput, and packet loss of 0.099 s, 62.855 bps, and 2.52012 s, respectively.
Solvent‐Free Synthesis of S,N‐Doped Carbon Dots for Extended Visible‐Light‐Induced Oxidase‐Mimicking Activities and Antimicrobial Applications
Authors: Kaushal Neha , Jain Apeksha , Kumar Ajay , Sarraf Sonu , Basu Aviru Kumar , Raje Chaaya Iyengar , Saha Avishek
Published: March 2023

Photo‐oxidase nanozymes are emerging enzyme‐mimicking materials that produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) upon light illumination and subsequently catalyze the oxidation of the substrate. Carbon dots are promising photo‐oxidase nanozymes due to their biocompatibility and straightforward synthesis. Carbon dot‐based photo‐oxidase nanozymes become active for ROS generation under UV or blue light illumination. In this work, sulfur and nitrogen doped carbon dots (S,N‐CDs) were synthesized by solvent‐free, microwave assisted technique. We demonstrated that sulfur, nitrogen doping of carbon dots (band gap of 2.11 eV) has enabled photo‐oxidation of 3,3,5,5′‐tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) with extended visible light (up to 525 nm) excitation at pH 4. The photo‐oxidase activities by S,N‐CDs produce Michaelis–Menten constant (Km) of 1.18 mM and the maximum initial velocity (Vmax) as 4.66×10−8 Ms−1, under 525 nm illumination. Furthermore, visible light illumination can also induce bactericidal activities with growth inhibition of Escherichia coli (E. coli). These results demonstrate that S,N‐CDs can increase intracellular ROS in the presence of LED light illumination.
An Updated Guide to Robust Statistical Methods in Neuroscience
Authors: Wilcox Rand R. , Rousselet Guillaume A.
Published: March 2023

There is a vast array of new and improved methods for comparing groups and studying associations that offer the potential for substantially increasing power, providing improved control over the probability of false positives, and yielding a deeper and more nuanced understanding of data. These new techniques effectively deal with four insights into when and why conventional methods can be unsatisfactory. But for the non‐statistician, this vast array of techniques for comparing groups and studying associations can seem daunting. This article briefly reviews when and why conventional methods can have relatively low power and yield misleading results. The main goal is to suggest guidelines regarding the use of modern techniques that improve upon classic approaches such as Pearson's correlation, ordinary linear regression, ANOVA, and ANCOVA. This updated version includes recent advances dealing with effect sizes, including situations where there is a covariate. The R code, figures, and accompanying notebooks have been updated as well. © 2023 The Authors. Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
DDC‐OMDC: Deadline‐based data collection using optimal mobile data collectors in Internet of Things
Authors: Wala Tanuj , Kumar Rajeev , Chauhan Naveen , Sharma Ajay K.
Published: March 2023

Mobile data collectors (MDCs) are very efficient for data collection in internet of things (IoT) sensor networks. These data collectors collect data at rendezvous points to reduce data collection latency. It is paramount to determine these points in an IoT network to collect data in real time. It is important to consider IoT network characteristics to collect data on a specific deadline. First, the disconnected IoT sensor network is a real challenge in IoT applications. Second, it is essential to determine optimal data collection points (DCPs) and MDCs simultaneously to collect data in real time. In this study, Deadline‐based Data Collection using Optimal Mobile Data Collectors (DDC‐OMDC) scheme is proposed that aims to collect data in a disconnected network with the optimal number of mobile data collectors in a specific deadline for delay‐intolerant applications. DDC‐OMDC works in two phases. In the first phase, the optimal number of MDCs is determined to collect data at the optimal data collection points to guarantee one‐hop data collection from each cluster. The optimal mobile data collectors are determined using optimal DCPs, data collection stopping time, and a specific deadline. In the second phase, the optimal data collection trajectory is determined for each MDC using the nearest neighbor heuristic algorithm to collect data in real time. The simulation results show that the proposed scheme outperforms in collecting data in real time and determines optimal mobile data collectors and optimal data collection trajectory to collect data in a specific deadline for delay‐intolerant applications.
A case of multiple glucagonomas with no clinical manifestations of excess glucagon despite hyperglucagonemia
Authors: Amano Shogo , Suenaga Shigeyuki , Hamamoto Kaori , Yada Shoko , Tsuyama Takanori , Shinoda Shuhei , Tanaka Yuya , Takemoto Yoshihiro , Harada Eijiro , Tanabe Katsuya , Asahara Shunichiro , Hoshii Kazunobu , Takami Taro
Published: March 2023

Herein we report the case of a patient with multiple glucagonomas that have been precisely described with endoscopic ultrasound. A 36‐year‐old woman was referred to our hospital for computed tomography investigation of multiple pancreatic masses. Physical examination was unremarkable; on contrast‐enhanced computed tomography, mass lesions were evident in the head, body, and tail of the pancreas. The mass in the pancreatic head was poorly demarcated and exhibited a faint contrast effect, the one in the pancreatic body was a cystic lesion, and the one in the pancreatic tail was hypervascular. Blood investigations showed that serum glucagon was abnormally high at 7670 pg/ml; glucose tolerance was not impaired. There was no family history that suggested multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 or von Hippel‐Lindau disease. Endoscopic ultrasound revealed that there were additional masses, which were scattered isoechoic to hyperechoic lesions a few millimeters in size. Ultrasound‐guided fine needle biopsy of the lesion in the pancreatic tail resulted in a diagnosis of a neuroendocrine tumor. Based on these pathologic findings, we performed a total pancreatectomy. A large number of nodules with tumor cells were evident in all cut surfaces of the surgical specimen. Immunostaining was positive for chromogranin A and glucagon, and glucagonoma was therefore diagnosed. It is conceivable that attenuated glucagon action could have contributed to the development of the multiple glucagonomas.
Range‐wide occupancy trends for the Mojave desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)
Authors: Kissel Amanda M. , Wallace Bryan , Anderson Jesse , Dickson Brett G. , Van Neste Kristen , Landau Vincent , Averill‐Murray Roy C. , Allison Linda J. , Fesnock Amy
Published: March 2023

Data from long‐term monitoring programs, such as the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) line distance sampling (LDS) program for Mojave desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii), are increasingly being used in new ways to elucidate trends in population dynamics. We used the USFWS LDS data in a novel way to generate range‐wide predictions of occupancy, colonization, and local extinction rates from 2001 to 2018. We developed a dynamic occupancy model to answer fundamental questions posed by Bureau of Land Management personnel regarding how G. agassizii are distributed across the landscape over space and time. We transformed the LDS data into detection/nondetection data and constructed a Bayesian dynamic occupancy model using several time‐varying (e.g., temperature, precipitation, normalized difference vegetation index, fire, and a proxy for invasive grasses) and static covariates (e.g., soil properties, topography, distance to roads, distance to urban areas) hypothesized to influence G. agassizii occupancy dynamics. We estimated that over the entire time series (2001–2018) the probability of G. agassizii occupancy is declining in over one quarter (26%) of the range, largely in the northeastern part of the range, but that from 2011 to 2018, 77% of the range has a declining trend. Drawing on these model outputs, we developed an interactive, web‐based tool for exploring trends in dynamic occupancy across the species range, allowing users to focus on areas of management interest or concern.
Infection intensity shapes specialization and beta diversity of haemosporidian–bird networks across elevations
Authors: Rodríguez‐Hernández Karla , Álvarez‐Mendizábal Paulina , Chapa‐Vargas Leonardo , Escobar Federico , Dáttilo Wesley , Santiago‐Alarcon Diego
Published: March 2023

Host–parasite distribution and interactions depend on geography, evolutionary associations, species composition, and their response to environmental variables. In this sense, host specificity as a key parasite's life history trait may determine parasite community composition but can be difficult to identify in nature. The haemosporidian–avian host communities of tropical mountain systems offer an opportunity to better understand how network interactions influence parasite–host specialization. By using frequency (i.e., prevalence) and interaction intensity (i.e., number of parasites per infected host) data, we calculated two quantitative indices to evaluate haemosporidian host specialization at both community (H2′) and haemosporidian lineages and bird species levels (d′). Additionally, we evaluated alpha (SI) and beta diversity (βWN) of haemosporidian–bird interactions along four distinct elevations (representing different vegetation types) in Central Veracruz, Mexico. We recorded 607 birds from 88 species in two sampling years, registering 78 haemosporidian cytochrome b lineages by PCR in 125 positive samples from 38 bird species. Haemosporidian–bird interactions showed high specialization and modular network structure for each vegetation type. The degree of specialization and modularity was stronger when considering interaction intensity (i.e., parasitemia). Species‐level specialization was higher for birds than for haemosporidians at the two vegetation types with highest interaction richness (i.e., pine–oak forest and tropical deciduous forest). There were high interaction beta diversity values (~1) among vegetation types, reflecting turnover in both avian and parasite communities. Our findings suggest that vegetation type (proxy for the local environmental conditions) constrains the distribution of hosts and parasites, and that intraspecies infection intensity plays an important role in the transmission dynamics and interactions of the haemosporidian community.
Less fuel for the next fire? Short‐interval fire delays forest recovery and interacting drivers amplify effects
Authors: Braziunas Kristin H. , Kiel Nathan G. , Turner Monica G.
Published: March 2023

As 21st‐century climate and disturbance dynamics depart from historic baselines, ecosystem resilience is uncertain. Multiple drivers are changing simultaneously, and interactions among drivers could amplify ecosystem vulnerability to change. Subalpine forests in Greater Yellowstone (Northern Rocky Mountains, USA) were historically resilient to infrequent (100–300 year), severe fire. We sampled paired short‐interval (<30‐year) and long‐interval (>125‐year) post‐fire plots most recently burned between 1988 and 2018 to address two questions: (1) How do short‐interval fire, climate, topography, and distance to unburned live forest edge interact to affect post‐fire forest regeneration? (2) How do forest biomass and fuels vary following short‐interval versus long‐interval severe fires? Mean post‐fire live tree stem density was an order of magnitude lower following short‐interval versus long‐interval fires (3240 vs. 28,741 stems ha−1, respectively). Differences between paired plots were amplified at longer distances to live forest edge. Surprisingly, warmer–drier climate was associated with higher seedling densities even after short‐interval fire, likely relating to regional variation in serotiny of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia). Unlike conifers, density of aspen (Populus tremuloides), a deciduous resprouter, increased with short‐interval versus long‐interval fires (mean 384 vs. 62 stems ha−1, respectively). Live biomass and canopy fuels remained low nearly 30 years after short‐interval fire, in contrast with rapid recovery after long‐interval fire, suggesting that future burn severity may be reduced for several decades following reburns. Short‐interval plots also had half as much dead woody biomass compared with long‐interval plots (60 vs. 121 Mg ha−1), primarily due to the absence of large snags. Our results suggest differences in tree regeneration following short‐interval versus long‐interval fires will be especially pronounced where serotiny was high historically. Propagule limitation will also interact with short‐interval fires to diminish tree regeneration but lessen subsequent burn severity. Amplifying driver interactions are likely to threaten forest resilience under expected trajectories of a future fire.