bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Profitability and Market Outlets of Smallholder Garri Producers in Ondo State, Nigeria
Authors: Aturamu O. A. , Akinbola A. E. , Omosehin O. O. , Oguntuase D. T.
Published: May 2021

Aims: To ascertain the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents, identify the market outlets available in the area, estimate the profitability of garri processors, determine factors influencing the choice of market outlet employed by the processors, and identify the main constraints faced in processing garri in the area.

Study Design: Primary data were used for this study and sourced through a well-structured questionnaire.

Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out among garri producers in Ondo State, Nigeria, between June and November, 2020.

Methodology: A multistage sampling procedure was used to select 120 respondents, while descriptive statistics, budgetary technique, and multinomial logit (MNL) regression were used for the data analysis.

Results: The results revealed that female (63.3%) dominated the enterprise, and about 81.6% of them were married. The average age was 49 years old, and many (80%) of them were literate. The result established three main market outlets and they are: producer gate (43.3%), open market (20.0%), and middlemen (36.7%). The result of budgetary technique revealed that the venture is profitable given the values of gross margin and profit as 82,972.58 and 71,694.68, respectively. The value (2.37) of return on investment, indicating that about 2.37 was realized for every naira spent. The result of MNL affirmed that marital status, education, experience and profit accrued were the significant factors influencing the choice of market outlet in the area. It was unveiled that price fluctuations, poor road network and high cost of transportation were the main constraints faced by the garri processors in the area.

Conclusion: The policy implication is that garri production business is viable, therefore it is capable to reduce hunger and poverty if properly managed with functioning and organized market outlets and structure.
Effect of Sources, Split and Foliar Application of KCl and KClO3 on Availability and Uptake of Phosphorus in Aerobic Rice
Authors: Babu P. Anji , Hattab K. Omar , Aruna L. , Mohan R.
Published: May 2021

Aim: To investigate the effect of KCl and KClO3 as sources of potassium in aerobic rice with four types of split doses and two levels of foliar applications of potassium.

Study Design: The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design with three replications.

Place and Duration of Study: Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru College of Agriculture and Research Institute, Karaikal, Puducherry.

Methodology : The rice variety PMK 4 was tested with two sources of potassium viz., Potassium chloride (KCl) and Potassium chlorate (KClO3), four types of split application viz., K control (S1), basal with no split (S2), two splits (S3) and three splits (S4) along with foliar application treatments viz., no foliar (F1) and foliar spray (F2).

Results: The results of a field experiment revealed that the two splits of potassium increased the available P at the active tillering stage and harvest stage. Whereas, three splits increased the available P at panicle imitation and flowering stage. The KCl recorded higher available P at panicle initiation and harvest stages. The high phosphorus uptake was recorded in panicle initiation and flowering stages by three splits application of potassium. In grain also, especially the three splits through KClO3 recorded higher P uptake.

Conclusion: The split applications tested in this investigation influenced the available phosphorus status in soil and phosphorus uptake. Increase in splits of potassium increased the P uptake. This result is in agreement with the results of Mitra et al. [1] who observed a significant increase in the uptake of N, P, K and S by increased level of K in Kharif rice.
Effect of Different Levels of Phosphorus, Phosphorus Solubilising Bacteria and Farmyard Manure on Nutrient Content and Uptake by Bt-Cotton
Authors: Rushi K. V. S. L. Raj , Rani P. Prasuna , Prasad P. R. K. , Kumar P. Anil
Published: May 2021

Aim: To determine the effect of integrated use of inorganic phosphorus along with phosphorus solubilising bacteria and farmyard manure on nutrient Content and uptake in Bt-Cotton.

Study Design: The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with three replications.

Place of Study: At College Farm, Agricultural College, Bapatla, Guntur district.

Methodology: After the preliminary layout, the Tulasi-BG II hybrid of cotton was used as a test crop, with a spacing of 90 cm x 60 cm in the experimental site. Plant samples were collected at 45, 90 DAS, and harvest. Plant samples were shade dried and kept in hot air oven at 75°C until a constant weight was obtained. Samples were powdered and then analysed using standard chemical procedures.

Results: The uptake of macronutrients viz., N, P, and K was markedly influenced by the treatments with maximum values recorded by the treatment that received 60 kg P2O5 ha-1 + FYM + PSB. Their uptake significantly differed with increase in dose of phosphorus applied at all growth stages. Combined use of 60 kg P2O5 ha-1 + FYM + PSB resulted in a significant increase in uptake of all micronutrients (Zn, Cu, Mn, and Fe) at all stages except Cu at 90 DAS.

Conclusion: Application of phosphorus combined with FYM and PSB not only reduce inorganic phosphorus fertilization but also enhance the uptake of nutrients and plant nutrient content by providing favourable conditions for plant growth. Application of 30 kg P2O5 ha-1+ PSB + FYM was found to be on a par with addition of only 60 kg ha-1P2O5. Hence the P dose can be reduced to half by integrating with PSB and FYM.
Effect of Weed Management Practices and Fertilizer Levels on Crop Nutrient Uptake and Weed Nutrient Removal in the Hybrid Rice
Authors: Nagarjuna Polagani , Singh R. S. , Varalakshmi P. , Babu Y. N. Mohan
Published: May 2021

Aim: Comparative evaluation of weed management practices and fertilizer levels on crop nutrient uptake and weed nutrient removal in the hybrid rice.

Study Design: The experiment was laid out in split-plot design with weed management in main-plot and fertilizer levels in sub-plot and was replicated thrice.

Place and Duration of Study: Experiment was performed during the kharif period of 2017 at the Research Farm, TCA, Dholi, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Samastipur (BIHAR).

Methodology: The experiment was performed with twelve treatments in a split plot design. The main plot comprised four different weed management practices and under the sub-plot there were three fertilizer levels. Rice hybrid “ARIZE-6444” was taken as the test variety. Observations of the crop and weeds during the experimental duration were recorded at regular intervals, to assess the probable relationship between growth attributes and the final yield. The significance of the treatment impact was examined by the F test.

Results: Among weed management practices, maximum uptake by rice with respect to nitrogen (152.85 Kg/ha), phosphorous (45.79 Kg/ha) and potassium (187.13 Kg/ha) and minimum removal by weed regarding nitrogen (1.30 Kg/ha), phosphorous (0.54 Kg/ha) and potassium (1.85 Kg/ha) was recorded in treatment hand weeding twice which was observed statistically at par with Bispyribac-sodium @ 25 g/ha + Pyrazosulfuron @ 25 g/ha at 25 DAT.

Among fertilizer levels, application of 150 per cent RDF registered the highest portion of nitrogen (130.52 Kg/ha), phosphorous (40.40 Kg/ha) and potassium (164.49 Kg/ha) uptake by rice crop and nutrient removal through weeds is nitrogen (10.65 Kg/ha), phosphorous (4.84 Kg/ha) and potassium (15.59 Kg/ha) of, and respectively.

Conclusion: Among different weed management practices combined application of Bispyribac-sodium @ 25 g/ha + Pyrazosulfuron @ 25 g/ha at @) DAT or hand weeding twice (20 and 40 DAT) was found effective in controlling weeds and increase in the quality and quantity of rice. Among fertilizer levels application of 125% RDF was found effective in increase in the yield, nutrient content of the crop and substantially reduction of nutrients removed by weed in rice field.
A Review on Molecular Docking
Authors: Dnyandev Khemnar Manisha , Babasaheb Galave Vishal , Chandrashekhar Kulkarni Vaishali , Chandrakant Menkudale Amruta , Vasant Otari Kishor
Published: May 2021

Molecular docking is computational modeling of structure complexes formed by two or more interacting molecule. The goal of molecular docking is prediction of three dimensional structure of interest. Molecular docking software mostly used in drug improvement. Molecules and effortless entrance to structural databases has befallen essential mechanism. Molecular Docking provide a collection of expensive tools for drug design and analysis. Simple prophecy of molecules and easy way in to structural databases has become essential components on the desktop of the medicinal chemist. The most important application of molecular docking is virtual screening. A variety of docking programs were residential to imagine the three dimensional structure of the molecule and docking gain can also be analyze with the assist of dissimilar computational methods. Molecular docking is a key tool in structural molecular biology and computer-assist drug design. Docking can be worn to execute virtual screening on large libraries of compounds, rank the results, and suggest structural hypotheses of how the ligands reduce the target, which is precious in lead optimization.
Validation of virtual water phantom software for pre‐treatment verification of single‐isocenter multiple‐target stereotactic radiosurgery
Authors: Calvo‐Ortega Juan‐Francisco , Greer Peter B. , Hermida‐López Marcelino , Moragues‐Femenía Sandra , Laosa‐Bello Coral , Casals‐Farran Joan
Published: May 2021

The aim of this study was to benchmark the accuracy of the VIrtual Phantom Epid dose Reconstruction (VIPER) software for pre‐treatment dosimetric verification of multiple‐target stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). VIPER is an EPID‐based method to reconstruct a 3D dose distribution in a virtual phantom from in‐air portal images. Validation of the VIPER dose calculation was assessed using several MLC‐defined fields for a 6 MV photon beam. Central axis percent depth doses (PDDs) and output factors were measured with an ionization chamber in a water tank, while dose planes at a depth of 10 cm in a solid flat phantom were acquired with radiochromic films. The accuracy of VIPER for multiple‐target SRS plan verification was benchmarked against Monte Carlo simulations. Eighteen multiple‐target SRS plans designed with the Eclipse treatment planning system were mapped to a cylindrical water phantom. For each plan, the 3D dose distribution reconstructed by VIPER within the phantom was compared with the Monte Carlo simulation, using a 3D gamma analysis. Dose differences (VIPER vs. measurements) generally within 2% were found for the MLC‐defined fields, while film dosimetry revealed gamma passing rates (GPRs) ≥95% for a 3%/1 mm criteria. For the 18 multiple‐target SRS plans, average 3D GPRs greater than 93% and 98% for the 3%/2 mm and 5%/2 mm criteria, respectively. Our results validate the use of VIPER as a dosimetric verification tool for pre‐treatment QA of single‐isocenter multiple‐target SRS plans. The method requires no setup time on the linac and results in an accurate 3D characterization of the delivered dose.
Dosimetry with a clinical linac adapted to FLASH electron beams
Authors: Szpala Stanislaw , Huang Vicky , Zhao Yingli , Kyle Alastair , Minchinton Andrew , Karan Tania , Kohli Kirpal
Published: May 2021

Purpose

To assess dosimetric properties and identify required updates to commonly used protocols (including use of film and ionization chamber) pertaining to a clinical linac configured into FLASH (ultra‐high dose rate) electron mode.

Methods

An 18MV photon beam of a Varian iX linac was converted to FLASH electron beam by replacing the target and the flattening filter with an electron scattering foil. The dose was prescribed by entering the MUs through the console. Fundamental beam properties, including energy, dose rate, dose reproducibility, field size, and dose rate dependence on the SAD, were examined in preparation for radiobiological experiments. Gafchromic EBT‐XD film was evaluated for usability in measurements at ultra‐high dose rates by comparing the measured dose to the inverse square model. Selected previously reported models of chamber efficiencies were fitted to measurements in a broad range of dose rates.

Results

The performance of the modified linac was found adequate for FLASH radiobiological experiments. With exception of the increase in the dose per MU on increase in the repetition rate, all fundamental beam properties proved to be in line with expectations developed with conventional linacs. The field size followed the theorem of similar triangles. The highest average dose rate (2 × 104 Gy/s) was found next to the internal monitor chamber, with the field size of FWHM = 1.5 cm. Independence of the dose readings on the dose rate (up to 2 × 104 Gy/s) was demonstrated for the EBT‐XD film. A model of recombination in an ionization chamber was identified that provided good agreement with the measured chamber efficiencies for the average dose rates up to at least 2 × 103 Gy/s.

Conclusion

Dosimetric measurements were performed to characterize a linac converted to FLASH dose rates. Gafchromic EBT‐XD film and dose rate‐corrected cc13 ionization chamber were demonstrated usable at FLASH dose rates.
Effect of auto flash margin on superficial dose in breast conserving radiotherapy for breast cancer
Authors: Wang Lu , Qiu Gang , Yu Jianhe , Zhang Qunhui , Man Li , Chen Li , Zhang Xiaoxiao , Ren Qun , Xu Hongxia , Hua Xiaolong
Published: May 2021

Purpose

To investigate the dose‐effect of Auto Flash Margin (AFM) on breast cancer's superficial tissues based on the Treatment Planning System (TPS) in the breast‐conserving radiotherapy plan.

Methods

A total of 16 breast‐conserving patients with early stage breast cancer were selected, using the X‐ray Voxel Monte Carlo (XVMC) algorithm. Then, every included case plan was designed using a 2 cm‐AFM (the value of AFM is 2 cm) and N‐AFM (without AFM). Under the condition of ensuring the same configuration of #MU and collimator, the absorbed dose after a simulated inspiratory motion was calculated again using the new plan center, which moved backward to the linac source. The dose difference between the measurement points between AFM and N‐AFM groups was compared.

Results

In the dose results, PTVV50Gy of the AFM group was superior to that of the N‐AFM group, PTVD2%, PTVDmean, Lung_IpsiV20Gy, Lung_IpsiDmean, and BodyDmax. Also, the dose results of the N‐AFM group were significantly higher than those of the AFM group. However, there was no significant difference between Lung_ContraV5Gy, HeartDmean, and Breast_ContraV10Gy in the two groups. In the collimator alignments at the same angle between groups, the AFM group formed an apparent air region outside the collimator compared with the N‐AFM group. In the XVMC algorithm feature parameter, the AFM group had less #MU, higher QE, and slightly longer optimization time. The #segments of both groups were close to the 240 control points preset by the plan. The validation results of EBT3 film in both groups were more significant than 95%, meeting the clinical plan's application requirements. The difference in film results between groups was mainly reflected in the dose distribution at the near‐source. 4DCT was used to summarize the maximum and minimum inspiratory motion distances of 7.31 ± 0.45 and 3.42 ± 0.91 mm respectively.

Conclusions

These results suggest that the AFM function application could significantly reduce the possibility of insufficient tumor target caused by inspiratory motion and ensure sufficient tumor target exposure.
Adaptive sliding mode control with guaranteed performance based on monitoring and barrier functions
Authors: Rodrigues Victor Hugo Pereira , Hsu Liu , Oliveira Tiago Roux , Fridman Leonid
Published: May 2021

This paper proposes a new adaptive sliding mode control approach via output feedback for a class of nonlinear systems. The sliding‐mode based controller can deal with parametric uncertainties and (un)matched disturbances with unknown upper bounds. Finite‐time convergence of the tracking error to a predefined neighborhood of the origin of the closed‐loop system is proved with guaranteed transient and steady‐state performance. Basically, the novelty of our result lies on combining two important adaptation tools: monitoring and barrier functions. The adaptation process is divided into two stages, where an appropriate monitoring function allows for the specification of performance criteria during the transient phase, while the barrier function ultimately confines the tracking error within a small residual set in steady state. Simulation results including an application to Anti‐lock Braking System illustrate the advantages of the proposed adaptive control strategy.
Tissue Regeneration through Cyber‐Physical Systems and Microbots
Authors: Kumar Prasoon , Mirza Khalid Baig , Choudhury Kaushik , Cucchiarini Magali , Madry Henning , Shukla Pratyoosh
Published: May 2021

Tissue engineering is a systematic approach of assembling cells onto a 3D scaffold to form a functional tissue in the presence of critical growth factors. The scaffolding system guides stem cells through topological, physiochemical, and mechanical cues to differentiate and integrate to form a functional tissue. However, cellular communication during tissue formation taking place in a reactor needs to be understood properly to enable appropriate positioning of the cells in a 3D environment. Hence, sensors and actuators integrated with cyber‐physical system (CPS) may be able to sense the tissue microenvironment and direct cells/cellular aggregates to an appropriate position, respectively. This can facilitate better cell‐to‐cell communication and cell–extracellular matrix communication for proper tissue morphogenesis. Advancements are made in the field of smart scaffolds that can morph cells/cellular aggregates after sensing the cellular microenvironment in a desired 3D architecture by providing appropriate cues. Recent scientific developments in the additive manufacturing technology have enabled the fabrication of smart scaffolds to create structural and functional tissue constructs. Sensors/actuators, cyber‐systems, smart materials, and additive manufacturing put together is expected to lead to improved tissue‐engineered medical products. The present review aims to highlight the possibilities of advancement of BioCPS for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
Strategies Toward Efficient Blue Perovskite Light‐Emitting Diodes
Authors: Ren Zhenwei , Wang Kai , Sun Xiao Wei , Choy Wallace C. H.
Published: May 2021

Substantial progress has been made in blue perovskite light‐emitting diodes (PeLEDs). In this review, the strategies for high‐performance blue PeLEDs are described, and the main focus is on the optimization of the optical and electrical properties of perovskites. In detail, the fundamental device working principles are first elucidated, followed by a systematical discussion of the key issues for achieving high‐quality perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) and quasi‐2D perovskites. These involve ligand optimization and metal doping in enhancing the carrier transport and reducing the traps of perovskite NCs, as well as the perovskite phase modulation and defect passivation in improving energy transfer and emission efficiency of quasi‐2D perovskites. The strategies for efficient 3D mixed‐halide perovskite and lead‐free perovskite blue LEDs are then briefly introduced. After that, other strategies, including effective charge transport layer, efficient perovskite emission system, and effective device architecture for high light outcoupling efficiency, are further discussed to boost the blue PeLED performances. Meanwhile, the testing standard of blue PeLED lifetime is suggested to enable the direct comparisons of the device operational stability. Finally, challenges and future directions for blue PeLEDs are addressed.
HtrA3‐Mediated Endothelial Cell–Extracellular Matrix Crosstalk Regulates Tip Cell Specification
Authors: Guo Yaru , Ma Siqin , Xu Mingming , Wei Yan , Zhang Xuehui , Huang Ying , He Ying , Heng Boon Chin , Chen Lili , Deng Xuliang
Published: May 2021

Angiogenesis is critical in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Once initiated, outgrowing capillaries are spearheaded by specialized endothelial cells (ECs) termed tip cells. Specification of tip cells from ECs during angiogenesis is greatly influenced by the surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM). However, the crosstalk between ECs and the ECM in tip cell specification is poorly understood. Here, this study shows that the high‐temperature requirement A3 (HtrA3) protein is deeply involved in this process. Specifically, HtrA3 is upregulated in the frontal area of tissue repair and cancer progression through VEGFR2 activation by VEGF in ECs. Secreted HtrA3 degrades the surrounding Collagen IV, which provides space for tip cell morphogenesis and exposes integrin β1‐related ligands. Integrin β1‐ligand binding activates PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling, which subsequently suppresses the Notch signaling pathway, eventually promoting tip cell specification. Moreover, local administration of exogeneous recombinant HtrA3 in rat cranial bone defects significantly increases blood vessel formation. Conversely, injection of HtrA3 siRNA decreases developmental retinal angiogenesis. These data show that HtrA3 mediated crosstalk between ECs and the ECM enhances tip cell specification of ECs. Hence, HtrA3 can act as a therapeutic agent for improving angiogenesis in situations in need, as well as serve as a therapeutic target for pathological angiogenesis.
Surface Hydrophobicity Modulates the Key Characteristics of Cancer Spheroids through the Interaction with the Adsorbed Proteins
Authors: Lee Minseok , Kim Yesol , Yu Seung Jung , Lee Sun Young , Son Jin Gyeng , Lee Tae Geol , Cho Youngbin , Shin Jennifer H. , Lee Eunjung , Im Sung Gap
Published: May 2021

Three‐dimensional in vitro cancer models have emerged as a promising tool for various cancer‐related applications. However, the limited availability of the in vitro model capable of adequately recapitulating the active interactions between the cancer cells and the surrounding tumor microenvironment (TME) hampers their use for therapeutic applications. Here, it is demonstrated that the proteins adsorbed on the culture substrate significantly influence the characteristics of the cancer cells, thereby suggesting that the modulation of cell–protein interaction can be a powerful tool to construct an advanced cancer model. A series of polymers are prepared for the precise control of the surface hydrophobicity of the culture plate. Cancer cells cultured on the polymers exhibit distinct morphological transitions ranging from monolayer to spheroids with entirely different characteristics depending on the surface hydrophobicity. The poly (cyclohexyl methacrylate) surface of the highest hydrophobicity tested in this study strongly attracts albumin from the media for enhanced adsorption and induces conformational changes in albumin upon binding, leading to the formation of spheroid with the most enriched tumorigenic properties. It is believed that this finding can provide new insights when selecting the experimental strategy to appropriately mimic the complex interplay between the cancer cells and the TME.
pH‐Sensitive, Cerebral Vasculature‐Targeting Hydroxyethyl Starch Functionalized Nanoparticles for Improved Angiogenesis and Neurological Function Recovery in Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Yang Hang , Luo Yan , Hu Hang , Yang Sibo , Li Yanan , Jin Huijuan , Chen Shengcai , He Quanwei , Hong Candong , Wu Jiehong , Wan Yan , Li Man , Li Zifu , Yang Xiangliang , Su Ying , Zhou Yifan , Hu Bo
Published: May 2021

Angiogenesis, an essential restorative process following ischemia, is a promising therapeutic approach to improve neurological deficits. However, overcoming the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and effective drug enrichment are challenges for conventional drug delivery methods, which has limited the development of treatment strategies. Herein, a dual‐targeted therapeutic strategy is reported to enable pH‐sensitive drug release and allow cerebral ischemia targeting to improve stroke therapeutic efficacy. Targeted delivery is achieved by surface conjugation of Pro‐His‐Ser‐Arg‐Asn (PHSRN) peptides, which binds to integrin α5β1 enriched in the cerebral vasculature of ischemic tissue. Subsequently, smoothened agonist (SAG), an activator of sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling, is coupled to PHSRN‐HES by pH‐dependent electrostatic adsorption. SAG@PHSRN‐HES nanoparticles can sensitively release more SAG in the acidic environment of ischemic brain tissue. More importantly, SAG@PHSRN‐HES exerts the synergistic mechanisms of PHSRN and SAG to promote angiogenesis and BBB integrity, thus improving neuroplasticity and neurological function recovery. This study proposes a new approach to improve the delivery of medications in the ischemic brain. Dual‐targeted therapeutic strategies have excellent potential to treat patients suffering from cerebral infarction.
Hybrid Poly(AMPS‐CS)‐Au Microneedle Arrays to Enrich Metabolites from Skin for Early Disease Diagnosis
Authors: Tang Yuyin , Li Su , Hu Linyu , Sun Xuetong , Zhang Bei , Ji Wenwen , Ma Lijuan , Qian Wenhui , Kang An , Zhu Dong
Published: May 2021

Recently, some metabolites in skin interstitial fluid (SIF) have become emerging re×sources for early disease diagnosis. However, their low level in SIF and difficulty to sampling are the biggest obstacle to further potential application. Here, a swellable microneedle array patch (MNAP) with high mechanical strength is presented, and the rapid enrichment of positively charged metabolites is achieved. The MNAP is fabricated by poly (chondroitin sulfate‐acrylamido‐2‐methylpropane sulfonic acid)‐gold nanoparticles (GNPs) composites via a micro‐molding. The negatively charged copolymer hydrogel not only enrich positively charged metabolites, but also provide swellable capacity. The in situ synthesis of GNPs in the process of copolymerization make the GNPs cross‐link to the hydrogel, which further enhance the MNAP mechanical strength and enrichment efficiency for positively charged metabolites. By using the MNAP, around 5 mg SIF in 10 min from the high fat/cholecalciferol/methimazole‐induced atherogenesis rat is extracted and 23 metabolites including 13 quaternary ammonium cationic compounds can be detected and quantified by using a LC‐QTOF‐MS. Dysregulated L‐carnitine and choline metabolism are discovered a week earlier in the SIF than in the serum, achieving early diagnosis of the metabolism syndrome disease. This MNAP also helps users complete home sampling for early disease diagnosis and monitoring.
Advances in Application of Azobenzene as a Trigger in Biomedicine: Molecular Design and Spontaneous Assembly
Authors: Cheng Hong‐Bo , Zhang Shuchun , Qi Ji , Liang Xing‐Jie , Yoon Juyoung
Published: May 2021

Azobenzene is a well‐known derivative of stimulus‐responsive molecular switches and has shown superior performance as a functional material in biomedical applications. The results of multiple studies have led to the development of light/hypoxia‐responsive azobenzene for biomedical use. In recent years, long‐wavelength‐responsive azobenzene has been developed. Matching the longer wavelength absorption and hypoxia‐response characteristics of the azobenzene switch unit to the bio‐optical window results in a large and effective stimulus response. In addition, azobenzene has been used as a hypoxia‐sensitive connector via biological cleavage under appropriate stimulus conditions. This has resulted in on/off state switching of properties such as pharmacology and fluorescence activity. Herein, recent advances in the design and fabrication of azobenzene as a trigger in biomedicine are summarized.
Boosting the Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Activity for D–π–A Conjugated Microporous Polymers by Statistical Copolymerization
Authors: Shu Chang , Han Changzhi , Yang Xiye , Zhang Chong , Chen Yu , Ren Shijie , Wang Feng , Huang Fei , Jiang Jia‐Xing
Published: May 2021

Recently, great progress has been achieved in the design and preparation of conjugated organic polymer photocatalysts for hydrogen generation. However, it is still challenging to develop an organic polymer photocatalyst with high photoconversion efficiency. Rational structure design of organic polymer photocatalysts holds the key point to realize high photocatalytic performance. Herein, a series of donor–π–acceptor (D–π–A) conjugated organic copolymer photocatalysts is developed using statistical copolymerization by tuning the feed molar ratio of pyrene (donor) to dibenzothiophene‐S,S‐dioxide (acceptor) units. It reveals that the photocatalytic activity of the resulting copolymers is significantly dependent on the molar ratio of donor to acceptor, which efficiently changes the polymer structure and component. When the monomer feed ratio is 25:75, the random copolymer PyBS‐3 of 10 mg with Pt cocatalyst shows a high hydrogen evolution rate of 1.05 mmol h−1 under UV/Vis light irradiation using ascorbic acid as the hole‐scavenger, and an external quantum efficiency of 29.3% at 420 nm, which represents the state‐of‐the‐art of organic polymer photocatalysts. This work demonstrates that statistical copolymerization is an efficient strategy to optimize the polymer structure for improving the photocatalytic activity of conjugated organic polymer catalysts.
Digital Electrochemistry for On‐Chip Heterogeneous Material Integration
Authors: Bao Bin , Rivkin Boris , Akbar Farzin , Karnaushenko Dmitriy D. , Bandari Vineeth Kumar , Teuerle Laura , Becker Christian , Baunack Stefan , Karnaushenko Daniil , Schmidt Oliver G.
Published: May 2021

Many modern electronic applications rely on functional units arranged in an active‐matrix integrated on a single chip. The active‐matrix allows numerous identical device pixels to be addressed within a single system. However, next‐generation electronics requires heterogeneous integration of dissimilar devices, where sensors, actuators, and display pixels sense and interact with the local environment. Heterogeneous material integration allows the reduction of size, increase of functionality, and enhancement of performance; however, it is challenging since front‐end fabrication technologies in microelectronics put extremely high demands on materials, fabrication protocols, and processing environments. To overcome the obstacle in heterogeneous material integration, digital electrochemistry is explored here, which site‐selectively carries out electrochemical processes to deposit and address electroactive materials within the pixel array. More specifically, an amorphous indium‐gallium‐zinc oxide (a‐IGZO) thin‐film‐transistor (TFT) active‐matrix is used to address pixels within the matrix and locally control electrochemical reactions for material growth and actuation. The digital electrochemistry procedure is studied in‐depth by using polypyrrole (PPy) as a model material. Active‐matrix‐driven multicolored electrochromic patterns and actuator arrays are fabricated to demonstrate the capabilities of this approach for material integration. The approach can be extended to a broad range of materials and structures, opening up a new path for advanced heterogeneous microsystem integration.
From Fundamental Understanding to Engineering Design of High‐Performance Thick Electrodes for Scalable Energy‐Storage Systems
Authors: Wu Jingyi , Zhang Xiao , Ju Zhengyu , Wang Lei , Hui Zeyu , Mayilvahanan Karthik , Takeuchi Kenneth J. , Marschilok Amy C. , West Alan C. , Takeuchi Esther S. , Yu Guihua
Published: May 2021

The ever‐growing needs for renewable energy demand the pursuit of batteries with higher energy/power output. A thick electrode design is considered as a promising solution for high‐energy batteries due to the minimized inactive material ratio at the device level. Most of the current research focuses on pushing the electrode thickness to a maximum limit; however, very few of them thoroughly analyze the effect of electrode thickness on cell‐level energy densities as well as the balance between energy and power density. Here, a realistic assessment of the combined effect of electrode thickness with other key design parameters is provided, such as active material fraction and electrode porosity, which affect the cell‐level energy/power densities of lithium–LiNi0.6Mn0.2Co0.2O2 (Li–NMC622) and lithium–sulfur (Li–S) cells as two model battery systems, is provided. Based on the state‐of‐the‐art lithium batteries, key research targets are quantified to achieve 500 Wh kg–1/800 Wh L–1 cell‐level energy densities and strategies are elaborated to simultaneously enhance energy/power output. Furthermore, the remaining challenges are highlighted toward realizing scalable high‐energy/power energy‐storage systems.
Directional Metastable Wetting Evolution of Droplets on Artificial Patterned Microcavity Surfaces
Authors: Xu Wenshuai , Liu Yu , Xiao Boya , Jiang Heng , Chen Meng , Wang Yuren
Published: May 2021

Controllable wetting transition on artificial microtextured surfaces has significant applications in many industrial fields. In this work, the droplet spreading and the directional wetting transition are investigated on the substrate surface with the patterned microcavities. The results show that the macroscopic inward wetting transition from the periphery to the center of the droplet strongly depends on the mesoscopic sequential transition from Cassie to Wenzel state in the microcavities on the substrate surfaces. The semiquantitative relationship between sagging depth of meniscus in the microcavities and the droplet spreading velocity is set up by utilizing scaling‐law analysis in terms of mechanical equilibrium of the meniscus. This finding is expected to help to clarify the issues on the mechanism and main affecting factors of the wetting transition on the patterned surface.
Electronic and Structural Transitions of LaAlO3/SrTiO3 Heterostructure Driven by Polar Field‐Assisted Oxygen Vacancy Formation at the Surface
Authors: Song Kyung , Min Taewon , Seo Jinsol , Ryu Sangwoo , Lee Hyungwoo , Wang Zhipeng , Choi Si‐Young , Lee Jaekwang , Eom Chang‐Beom , Oh Sang Ho
Published: May 2021

The origin of 2D electron gas (2DEG) at LaAlO3/SrTiO3 (LAO/STO) interfaces has remained highly controversial since its discovery. Various models are proposed, which include electronic reconstruction via surface‐to‐interface charge transfer and defect‐mediated doping involving cation intermixing or oxygen vacancy (VO) formation. It is shown that the polar field‐assisted VO formation at the LAO/STO surface plays critical roles in the 2DEG formation and concurrent structural transition. Comprehensive scanning transmission electron microscopy analyses, in conjunction with density functional theory calculations, demonstrate that VO forming at the LAO/STO surface above the critical thickness (tc) cancels the polar field by doping the interface with 2DEG. The antiferrodistortive (AFD) octahedral rotations in LAO, which are suppressed below the tc, evolve with the formation of VO above the tc. The present study reveals that local symmetry breaking and shallow donor behavior of VO induce the AFD rotations and relieve the electrical field by electron doping the oxide heterointerface.
A Photovoltaic Self‐Powered Gas Sensor Based on All‐Dry Transferred MoS2/GaSe Heterojunction for ppb‐Level NO2 Sensing at Room Temperature
Authors: Niu Yue , Zeng Junwei , Liu Xiangcheng , Li Jialong , Wang Quan , Li Hao , Rooij Nicolaas Frans de , Wang Yao , Zhou Guofu
Published: May 2021

Traditional gas sensors are facing the challenge of low power consumption for future application in smart phones and wireless sensor platforms. To solve this problem, self‐powered gas sensors are rapidly developed in recent years. However, all reported self‐powered gas sensors are suffering from high limit of detection (LOD) toward NO2 gas. In this work, a photovoltaic self‐powered NO2 gas sensor based on n‐MoS2/p‐GaSe heterojunction is successfully prepared by mechanical exfoliation and all‐dry transfer method. Under 405 nm visible light illumination, the fabricated photovoltaic self‐powered gas sensors show a significant response toward ppb‐level NO2 with short response and recovery time and high selectivity at room temperature (25 °C). It is worth mentioning that the LOD toward NO2 of this device is 20 ppb, which is the lowest of the reported self‐powered room‐temperature gas sensors so far. The discussed devices can be used as building blocks to fabricate more functional Internet of things devices.
Sowing Silver Seeds within Patterned Ditches for Dendrite‐Free Lithium Metal Batteries
Authors: Wang Hua , Hu Pei , Liu Xueting , Shen Yue , Yuan Lixia , Li Zhen , Huang Yunhui
Published: May 2021

The interfacial instability of lithium (Li) metal is one of the critical challenges, which hinders the application of rechargeable Li metal batteries (LMBs). Designing facile and effective surface/interface is extremely important for practical LMBs manufacturing. Here, a highly stable Li anode with silver nanowires sowed in the patterned ditches via a simple calendaring process is developed. The remarkably increased electroactive surface area and the superior lithiophilic Ag seeds enable Li stripping/plating mainly inside the ditches. Benefitting from such unique structural design, the ditches‐patterned and Ag‐modified composite Li anode (D‐Ag@Li) achieves excellent cyclability under 2 mA cm−2 / 4 mAh cm−2 over 360 h cycling with low nucleation overpotential of 16 mV. Pairing with the D‐Ag@Li anode, the full cells with LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 and LiFePO4 (LFP) cathodes achieve long cycle life with 94.2% retention after 2000 cycles and 74.2% after 4000 cycles, respectively. Moreover, ultrasonic transmission mapping shows no gas generation for the LFP pouch full cell pouch cell based on D‐Ag@Li over prolonged cycling, demonstrating the feasibility and effectiveness of the authors' strategy for LMBs.
Impact of Acceptor Quadrupole Moment on Charge Generation and Recombination in Blends of IDT‐Based Non‐Fullerene Acceptors with PCE10 as Donor Polymer
Authors: Khan Jafar I. , Alamoudi Maha A. , Chaturvedi Neha , Ashraf Raja S. , Nabi Mohammed N. , Markina Anastasia , Liu Wenlan , Dela Peña Top Archie , Zhang Weimin , Alévêque Olivier , Harrison George T. , Alsufyani Wejdan , Levillain Eric , De Wolf Stefaan , Andrienko Denis , McCulloch Iain , Laquai Frédéric
Published: May 2021

Advancing non‐fullerene acceptor (NFA) organic photovoltaics requires the mitigation of the efficiency‐limiting processes. Acceptor end‐group and side‐chain engineering are two handles to tune properties, and a better understanding of their specific impact on the photophysics could facilitate a more guided acceptor design. Here, the device performance, energetic landscape, and photophysics of rhodanine and dicyanovinyl end‐capped IDT‐based NFAs, namely, O‐IDTBR and O‐IDTBCN, in PCE10‐based solar cells are compared by transient optical and electro‐optical spectroscopy techniques and density functional theory calculations. It is revealed how the acceptors’ quadrupole moments affect the interfacial energetic landscape, in turn causing differences in exciton quenching, charge dissociation efficiencies, and geminate versus non‐geminate recombination losses. More precisely, it is found that the open circuit voltage (VOC) is controlled by the acceptors’ electron affinity (EA), while geminate and non‐geminate recombination, and the field dependence of charge generation, rely on the acceptors’ quadrupole moments. The kinetic parameters and yields of all processes are determined, and it is demonstrated that they can reproduce the performance differences of the devices’ current–voltage characteristics in carrier drift‐diffusion simulations. The results provide insight into the impact of the energetic landscape, specifically the role of the quadrupole moment of the acceptor, beyond trivial considerations of the donor–acceptor energy offsets.
Role of surgical resection and its alternative local therapy for pulmonary metastasis of colorectal cancer
Authors: Ogawa Hiroomi , Yajima Toshiki , Sohda Makoto , Shirabe Ken , Saeki Hiroshi
Published: May 2021

We reviewed surgical and alternative treatments for pulmonary metastasis of colorectal cancer, focusing on recent reports. The standard treatment for pulmonary metastasis of colorectal cancer is pulmonary resection, if resectable, despite the fact that the metastasis is hematogenous to distant organs. Guidelines in several countries, including Japan, have described pulmonary resection as a useful option because of the favorable long‐term prognosis reported in various studies pertaining to pulmonary resection. The indications for pulmonary resection have been reviewed in several studies; additionally, the number of metastases, pretreatment carcinoembryonic antigen value, and disease‐free interval from the primary resection to pulmonary recurrence have been proposed. However, no consensus has been reached to date. Contrastingly, recent advances in chemotherapy have remarkably improved the outcome of distant metastases, indicating that it is time to reconsider the significance of local treatment, including pulmonary resection. In addition to surgical resection, minimally invasive therapies, such as stereotactic body radiation therapy and radiofrequency ablation have been developed as local treatments for pulmonary metastases, and their long‐term results have been reported. Prospective controlled trials and large‐scale data analyses are needed to determine the best local treatment for pulmonary metastases and to find the appropriate indication for each treatment.
Social aging in male and female Barbary macaques
Authors: Rathke Eva‐Maria , Fischer Julia
Published: May 2021

Aging brings about notable changes in sociality, with an increasing focus on essential partners in both humans and nonhuman primates. Several studies have shown that older nonhuman primates have fewer social partners and shift their types of interactions. The majority of these studies, however, involved only female individuals. Much less is known about the trajectory of social aging in males. We collected 2180 h of focal observation data in a large age‐heterogeneous sample of 34 male and 50 female Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus; age range 5–30 years) living in two social groups at the outdoor enclosure at La Forêt des Singes in Rocamadour (France). To track age‐related changes in social engagement of both sexes, we used classical behavioral and social network analysis to measure age‐related variation in the number of partners, the frequency of affiliative interactions, and the position in the social network (eigenvector centrality and local clustering coefficient). We found that females were more central in most social network metrics than males, that is, had more social partners and were more engaged in affiliative interactions than males. We did not find notable sex differences with age: both sexes showed a similar decline in social activity and energy‐demanding activities like jumping or running. Our results thereby extend our knowledge of older nonhuman primates' social life and emphasize that age can have a similar impact on female and male social behavior.
Optimal preventive maintenance for reparable networks
Authors: Memari Maryam , Zarezadeh Somayeh , Asadi Majid
Published: May 2021

Nowadays, networks (systems) appear in many areas of science and technology. One of the most important strategies to reduce the likelihood of the failure of an operating network is preventive maintenance (PM). In this article, we propose some optimal PM models for a network consisting of n, n ≥ 1, links (components). The criteria of interest are the “cost function” of renewing the network and “stationary availability” of the network during its mission. In the first part of the article, we consider the case that the network is formed of identical components while in the second part, we deal with the case that the network is built up from several nonidentical groups of components. In both parts, we utilize the PM under some partial information about the status of the network at a time t. The results of the article are developed using the notions of signature and survival signature. To interpret the proposed models, the results are illustrated numerically and graphically for two networks.
Effect of vitamins and metal ions on productivity and charge heterogeneity of IgG1 expressed in CHO cells
Authors: Gangwar Neelesh , Mishra Rishabh , Budholiya Niharika , Rathore Anurag S.
Published: May 2021

Recombinant monoclonal antibodies have emerged as the most successful modality of biotherapeutics. They are primarily expressed in Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells. It is well known that post‐translational modifications (PTM) contribute significantly to heterogeneity with respect to charge, glycosylation, and size. These attributes in turn impact stability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of the biotherapeutic product. Cell culture media components are known to significantly contribute to both cellular productivity as well as post‐translational modifications. Thus, it is highly desirable to understand how media components affect product quality.

This study aims to explore the impact of vitamins and metal ions on protein expression and post‐translational modifications specifically charge heterogeneity. Biotin, choline chloride, D‐calcium pantothenate, folic acid, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine hydrochloride vitamins and Fe, Cu, Mg, Co, Zn, Mn, Ni metal ions were examined in this study. The results indicate that pyridoxine enhances productivity while Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn, and biotin impact charge heterogeneity. While, Fe, Mn and Ni enhance production of the acidic variants, Cu and biotin inhibit it. Zn reduces formation of basic variants while biotin enhances it.

The results from this investigation could be used for process control so as to get consistent charge variant profile, in particular for biosimilars.
Inhibition of microRNA‐129–2‐3p protects against refractory temporal lobe epilepsy by regulating GABRA1
Authors: Wang Guan‐Yu , Luan Zhi‐Lin , Che Ning‐Wei , Yan De‐Bin , Sun Xiao‐Wan , Zhang Cong , Yin Jian
Published: May 2021

Background

Accumulating evidence demonstrates that certain microRNAs play critical roles in epileptogenesis. Our previous studies found microRNA (miR)‐129–2‐3p was induced in patients with refractory temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). In this study, we aimed to explore the role of miR‐129–2‐3p in TLE pathogenesis.

Method

By bioinformatics, we predicted miR‐129–2‐3p may target the gene GABRA1 encoding the GABA type A receptor subunit alpha 1. Luciferase assay was used to investigate the regulation of miR‐129–2‐3p on GABRA1 3’UTR. The dynamic expression of miR‐129–2‐3p and GABRA1 mRNA and protein levels were measured in primary hippocampal neurons and a rat kainic acid (KA)‐induced seizure model by quantitative reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), Western blotting, and immunostaining. MiR‐129–2‐3p agomir and antagomir were utilized to explore their role in determining GABRA1 expression. The effects of targeting miR‐129–2‐3p and GABRA1 on epilepsy were assessed by electroencephalography (EEG) and immunostaining.

Results

Luciferase assay, qPCR, and Western blot results suggested GABRA1 as a direct target of miR‐129–2‐3p. MiR‐129–2‐3p level was significantly upregulated, whereas GABRA1 expression downregulated in KA‐treated rat primary hippocampal neurons and KA‐induced seizure model. In vivo knockdown of miR‐129–2‐3p by antagomir alleviated the seizure‐like EEG findings in accordance with the upregulation of GABRA1. Furthermore, the seizure‐suppressing effect of the antagomir was partly GABRA1 dependent.

Conclusions

The results suggested GABRA1 as a target of miR‐129–2‐3p in rat primary hippocampal neurons and a rat kainic acid (KA) seizure model. Silencing of miR‐129–2‐3p exerted a seizure‐suppressing effect in rats. MiR‐129–2‐3p/GABRA1 pathway may represent a potential target for the prevention and treatment of refractory epilepsy.