bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Ballot Initiatives on Voter Turnout in the American States
Authors: TOLBERT CAROLINE J. , GRUMMEL JOHN A. , SMITH DANIEL A.
Published: March 2007

With few exceptions, voter turnout continues to decline in the United States. Although normative theorists, journalists, and defenders of participatory democracy frequently suggest that citizen-initiated ballot measures can increase voter turnout, previous research has not supported this claim. Yet, in the past 25 years, usage of direct democracy has exploded in the United States. Using pooled time series data for the 50 states over a 26-year period (1970-1996), we find that the presence and usage of the initiative process is associated with higher voter turnout in both presidential and midterm elections. The disparity in turnout rates between initiative and noninitiative states has been increasing over time, estimated at 7% to 9% higher in midterm and 3% to 4.5% higher in presidential elections in the 1990s. Our analysis suggests that the initiative process can and does play a positive role in increasing electoral participation.
Television News and Issue Salience
Authors: Iyengar Shanto
Published: March 2007

This article tests the agenda-setting hypothesis with regard to national television news in 1974 and 1976. The results indicate a modest degree of overlap between news coverage and viewer perceptions of issue salience. Diachronic correlations, however, suggest that the causal direction of the relationship is unclear. Contrary to the hypothesis, the agenda- setting relationship is not increased among frequent viewers of television news. Exami nation of the salience rankings of each network's audience also fails to support the hy pothesis. Finally, the agenda-setting relationship is found to be totally unaffected by a battery of control variables including media usage, partisanship, politicization, and atti tudes toward the media. In concluding it is suggested that the overlap between issue sa lience and news coverage reflects the sensitivity of both variables to "real world" cues. It is recommended that longitudinal research be utilized to permit examination of issue sa lience as a function of both media content and individual-level variables.
The Ideological Content of Presidential Communications
Authors: Goggin Malcolm L.
Published: March 2007

This article examines the widespread belief that American presidents tailor their political message to suit the predispositions of their audiences. Some 69 of Lyndon B. Johnson's and 62 of Ronald Reagan's communications, as reproduced in Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States, are coded for content and assigned an ideology score; the audiences for each of these presidential communications are also categorized according to ideological predisposition. I expected to find Reagan, the ideologue, to be more consistent in message content than Johnson, the pragmatist. Yet both were nearly equal in the degree to which their messages were inconsistent. When the two presidents varied the content of their rhetoric, it accorded with the predispositions of their audiences, yet each varied his messages along a different dimension. When combined with findings of an earlier study, which concluded that Johnson had a penchant for tailoring Viet Nam messages to his audiences, it is argued that situation and beliefs are in a "push-pull" relationship, depending on the nature of the content of the presidential communication. When a "position" issue such as Viet Nam is at stake, the situation is likely to be more influential and presidential behavior more calculated; and when a "core" issue like freedom or equality is the subject of presidential rhetoric, beliefs are likely to be more important and presidential behavior more habitual.
The Decline in Partisanship
Authors: Cotter Patrick R.
Published: March 2007

This study examines four explanations associated with the rationalistic or cognitive model of party identification for the decline in partisanship. The results of the study show that several factors affect the number of Independents within the electorate. Some of these factors have different effects on the partisanship of younger and older, and Northern and Southern citizens. Other factors have a more general influence on partisanship. Perceptions of the importance or relevance of parties, especially as a means for making electoral choices, affect the level of partisanship among all population groups examined. Evaluations of the Democratic and Republican parties affect the partisanship of both younger and older Northerners, but not Southerners.
Characteristics of Administrative Decisions About Regulatory Form
Authors: Cook Brian J.
Published: March 2007

Attempts to reform regulation by introducing economic incentives raise questions about how admimstrative agencies choose regulatory forms. The Environmental Protection Agency's emissions trading program provides one of the few opportunities to explore such questions. Analysis of data from interviews with individuals who participated in developing the program reveals that professional background, support for key environmentalist values, and political ideology played varying roles in shaping policymakers' decisions about air pollution regulatory form. One possible argument that links these factors is that professional paradigms and social movements provide the conceptual schema for ideologically based decisions about regulatory form. The potential role of ideology in administrative decisions about regulatory form points to further avenues for research on administrative policymaking.
The Politics of Demon Rum
Authors: Meier Kenneth J. , Johnson Cathy M.
Published: March 2007

This article examines state efforts to regulate alcohol consumption and the effectiveness of that regulation on policy outcomes. The politics of alcohol is examined as a function of the political demands of the alcohol production industry, the alcohol consumption industry, reformist/ religious groups, and other state political forces. Efforts to regulate alcohol consumption are predicted well by this model. Efforts to explain drunk driving law changes are not. Restrictions on alcohol sales have a direct impact on alcohol consumption and an indirect impact on heavy drinking. Efforts to limit drunk dnving, with one exception, have no impact on the relative level of drunk driving. The lack of policy impact is attributed to the politics of policy adoption.
Gender Differences in Foreign Policy Attitudes
Authors: Fite David , Genest Marc , Wilcox Clyde
Published: March 2007

Although a number of studies have reported gender differences on attitudes toward the use of force in foreign policy, several recent studies have reported that gender is a weak and non- significant predictor of foreign policy attitudes. The authors find that gender differences are significant even after a variety of demographic controls and that gender is among the most important demographic predictors of foreign policy attitudes. Gender differences have widened in scope over time and now include both foreign policy goals and tools. These differences are largest among the youngest cohorts. The determinants of women's and men's foreign policy attitudes, however, are essentially the same.
Constituents' Evaluations of U.S. House Members
Authors: Ripley Randall B. , Patterson Samuel C. , Maurer Lynn M. , Quinlan Stephen V.
Published: March 2007

Legislative representation entails a degree of bonding between representatives and represented, demonstrated when constituents evaluate the performance of their representative favorably. Why are some constituents more favorable toward their representative than others? This analysis draws on previous research to construct and test a model of constituent evaluation. The data come from interviews conducted in 1988 with 1,013 Ohioans, who were asked to evaluate their member of the U.S. House of Representatives. The analysis relies on ordinary least squares regression. The results underscore the powerful role of partisanship in the nexus of constituents and their representatives.
Testing Theories of State Hazardous Waste Regulation
Authors: Davis Charles , Feiock Richard
Published: March 2007

This research reassesses the conclusions reached by Williams and Matheny in their analysis of state and industry spending for hazardous waste regulation. Using updated and in some cases reconfigured indicators for hazardous waste expenditures, the authors affirmed earlier findings pertaining to the link between industry influence and regulatory spending decisions. However, they also concluded that the market failure thesis provided a better explanation of state hazardous waste decision making than the original research and that the socialization of cost thesis was less useful in accounting for interstate variation in pollution control expenditures.
The Freshman Effect and Voting Alignments
Authors: Dudley Robert L.
Published: March 2007

This article examines a frequently cited feature of judicial behavior known as the "freshman effect." Recent studies of contemporary justices have concluded that, contrary to the freshman effect hypothesis, newly appointed justices quickly join existing voting blocs. The failure of the empirical evidence to support the original hypothesis has led investigators to speculate on the changes on and off the Supreme Court that may have led to the decline of the freshman effect. By examining the voting behavior of the justices from 1922 to 1953, this article argues that the decline of the freshman effect is more apparent than real. The discrepancy between recent studies and the original hypothesis is clearly the result of methodological differences.
Economics, Politics, and Policy Change
Authors: Krause George A.
Published: March 2007

The regulatory politics literature contains two competing theories of policy change in the area of economic regulation: economic/technological change and the politics of ideas. This article focuses on the salient topic of commercial banking regulation as a laboratory for testing these propositions with regard to policy outcomes. The qualitative and empirical findings indicate that the instability facing the commercial banking industry comes from a combination of policy change as well as general and industry economic conditions. The author argues here, however, that policy change—in the form of deregulation—beginning with the passage of the Depository Institutions Deregulation and Monetary Control Act (DIDMCA) of 1980 appears to serve as the most important explanation for this instability. Furthermore, the results of this study suggest that this policy change does reflect politics (and not economics), thus suggesting that recent commercial banking instability has largely been due to a combination of new ideas and the changing ideological composition of relevant congressional banking subcommittee members during the 1970s.
Justices as Representatives
Authors: Hall Melinda Gann
Published: March 2007

This study demonstrates that state supreme court justices are influenced by their specific electoral backgrounds and experiences, as well as general electoral conditions, when voting to uphold or overturn death sentences in the capital murder cases before their courts. Although previous research has established that electoral forces affect justices' decisions not to dissent, this article suggests that electoral variables also influence justices' decisions about who actually wins or loses the cases. On the basis of a probit analysis of death penalty votes in four supreme courts (Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, and Texas) from 1983 through 1988, this study finds that single-member districts, narrow vote margins, being at the end of a term, and experience with electoral politics are associated with support for the death penalty, the position favored by the voters in these states. In addition, the model reveals that prosecutorial experience, term length, and murder rates within states also affect support for the death penalty. Most basically, the goals of judicial actors include personal as well as policy considerations, and the pursuit of these goals is promoted or inhibited by particular types of institutional arrangements.
The Role of Ideology and Political Sophistication in the Structure of Foreign Policy Attitudes
Authors: Sulfaro Valerie A.
Published: March 2007

Public opinion researchers have long believed that Americans' attitudes on foreign policy issues fail to demonstrate the level of structure and stability that is present in attitudes on domestic issues. Several recent studies have challenged this view, claiming that mass orientations toward foreign policy are coherent and rational but are structured differently than attitudes on other issues. Using data from the 1984 and 1988 American National Election Studies, I find that some members of the public evaluate foreign policy issues using the same ideological yardsticks as they do for domestic issues, while others exhibit less structured evaluations of both issue areas I conclude that arguments suggesting that foreign policy attitudes have a unique organizational structure are unnecessarily complex. A more parsimonious model provides a similar degree of explanatory power and accounts for foreign and domestic policy attitudes equally well.
A Model Program: Exercise Intervention for Cancer Rehabilitation
Authors: Schneider C.M. , Dennehy Carolyn A. , Roozeboom Michelle , Carter Susan D.
Published: March 2007

Recent advances in cancer detection and treatment have re sulted in an increase in the survival rate of individuals diagnosed with cancer. The increased survival rate brings new challenges for increasing the quality of life for cancer survivors. Debilitating side effects can result from the cancer itself and the cancer treatment. The negative effects lead to decreased functional (work) capacity, increased fatigue, and debilitating muscular weakness. There have been very positive benefits seen from the use of individualized prescriptive exercise intervention in alleviating these cancer treatment related symptoms. The role of exercise intervention as a complementary therapy is just emerging. Studies have shown that exercise decreases the amount of fatigue, improves functional capacity, increases immune function, and leads to improved quality of life. The effects of cancer and cancer treatments require that an exercise intervention program be well based in sound scientific principles. The exercise inter vention needs to be carefully structured and controlled. All patients should be assessed and reassessed to evaluate progress. A cancer exercise specialist should closely monitor the exercise regime. Exercise should involve a whole-body approach that emphasizes all areas of fitness. Exercise therapy for cancer patients is a new and exciting area that will con tinue to grow as medical professionals realize the necessity for post-cancer treatment intervention to improve quality of life.
Comparison of Partial Body Weight-Supported Treadmill Gait Training Versus Aggressive Bracing Assisted Walking Post Stroke
Authors: Kosak Marc C. , Reding Michael J.
Published: March 2007

Purpose: To test the hypothesis that partial body weight-supportcd treadmill training (PBWSTT) provides more effective gait training than an equally supportive but less physiologic aggressive bracing assisted walking (ABAW) program.

Methods: Following informed consent, patients participating in an inpatient re habilitation program with significant leg weakness and need for at least moderate as sistance for walking, without orthostatic hypotension, symptomatic dyspnea, or angina pectoris were randomized to receive PBWSTT vs. ABAW. PBWSTT was provided by a commercially available, overhead motorized hoist attached to a parachute-type body harness, which provided partial support of the patient's weight over a treadmill. Ther apists assisted with weight shifting, leg advancement, and foot placement as needed. ABAW included aggressive early therapist-assisted ambulation using knee-ankle com bination bracing and hemi-bar if needed. Treatment sessions of up to 45 minutes per day, five days per week were given as tolerated for the duration of the inpatient stay or until patients could walk over-ground unassisted. All patients had an additional 45- minute session of functionally oriented physical therapy each day with or without brac ing as judged appropriate by the patient's individual therapist.

Results: Fifty-six patients a mean age of 71 ±1 SEM were enrolled 40 ± 3 days post stroke. Although die outcome of the two groups as a whole did not differ, a subgroup with major hemispheric stroke defined by the presence of hemiparesis, hemianopic vi sual deficit, and hemihypesthesia who received more than 12 treatment sessions showed significantly better over-ground endurance (90 ± 34 vs. 44 ± 10 meters) and speed scores (12 ± 4 vs. 8 ± 2 meters/minute) for PBWSTT vs. ABAW, respectively.

Conclusions: PBWSTT and ABAW are equally effective gait training techniques except for a subset of patients with major hemispheric stroke who are difficult to mo bilize using ABAW alone.
Physiological Responses to Two Wheelchair-Racing Exercise Protocols
Authors: Cooper Rory A. , Baldini Fred D. , Boninger Michael L. , Cooper Rosemarie
Published: March 2007

Objective: This study investigated the blood lactate accumulation during two wheelchair-racing protocols. During exercise, energy is required, which causes me tabolism to increase and blood lactate to accumulate. Proper training can reduce the amount of blood lactate accumulation and increase tolerance to blood lactate accu mulation during aerobic exercise. Methods: Eleven male wheelchair elite track ath letes with a spinal cord injury were tested to determine their blood lactate response to speed and resistance workouts. A computer-monitored wheelchair dynamometer was used during all exercise tests. The order of the test (e.g., speed or resistance work- out) was randomized. Blood pressure and blood samples were taken immediately be fore and after completion of each exercise test. Results: The difference between the blood lactate concentrations before and after testing were 8 56 ± 4.42, and 11.67 ± 4.69 mM for the resistance and speed tests, respectively. Conclusions: Our results showed that the blood lactate responses were significantly different for the resistance and speed workouts. Key Words: Wheelchair racing—Exercise—Fitness—Spinal cord injury—Fitness.
Correlation of Coextruded Barrier Sheet Properties With Packaged Food Quality
Authors: Bonis Laszlo J.
Published: March 2007

Shelf life in food packaging is related to the sterilization process, the food product itself and to the type of barrier container.

Heat sterilization to achieve various degrees of freedom from pathogenic micro organisms in food has been known and practiced for centuries. However, renewed interest has surfaced mainly due to "aseptic packaging"—the separate sterilization of food and the container using various methods and systems for forming/filling/sealing under sterile conditions.

In order to prevent reinfection, the container must be made of a material resisting penetration of such organisms. The container also has to provide suitable resistance to penetration of the container by other substances. Thus aseptic packaging requires that containers be made of barrier material to resist such deleterious microorganisms and preserve the food.

Correlating these plastic barrier materials to the required shelf life for packaged food quality is most economically accomplished through coextrusion.
The Racialised Somatic Norm and the Senior Civil Service
Authors: Puwar Nirmal
Published: March 2007

One of the central ways in which institutional racism is perpetuated is through the designation of the somatic norm. However, although the classed and gendered nature of the somatic norm underlying somataphobic representations of the universal `individual' have been both theoretically and substantially explored, the racial character of this embodied being has received scant attention. This paper introduces race to the wider debates on the embodied nature of the political `individual', before analysing the specific ways in which an institution that is deemed to be at the absolute apex of disembodied, neutral professionalism - the British senior civil service - is naturalised as the domain for white men. The somatic norm underlying the representation of the impartial senior civil service is brought to the fore in this paper by discussing the location of black senior civil servants, whose presence helps us to highlight the synchronic relationship between racialised bodies and elite spaces in the body politic. These `Space Invaders' disturb the racialised nature of these spaces whilst at the same time adhering to the assimilative pressure of the somatic norm. An engagement with the interview accounts of black senior civil servants allows us to grasp some idea of what it is like for them to coexist in a place that is built on a `racial contract' which has demarcated spaces in accordance with racialised corporealities. As matter out of place these `different' bodies generate disorientation, undergo the burden of invisibility and abide by the racialised and classed informal rules of behaviour, particularly those of the legitimate language. All of which problematises the notion of `difference' in organisations as entailing much more than the mere existence of `different' bodies, on the basis of race or gender.
The impact of emotionally evocative information on interpreting accuracy in a mock asylum interview
Authors: Morrison Louisa , Given‐Wilson Zoe , Memon Amina
Published: March 2024

In asylum interviews, interpreters often relay emotionally evocative information. This study compared interpreting accuracy of emotionally evocative and neutral information. Twenty‐eight Arabic‐English interpreters participated in a mock asylum interview held via videoconferencing. They interpreted between an English interviewer and a Sudanese‐Arabic applicant who performed a scripted interview including neutral and emotionally evocative responses. Pre‐interview, interpreters completed a secondary traumatic stress measure. English interpretations of the Arabic neutral and emotionally evocative responses were recorded, transcribed and coded for interpreting errors. Emotionally evocative responses were interpreted 4%–8% less accurately than neutral responses, which was a significant medium to large effect. Secondary traumatic stress did not moderate differences in interpreting accuracy between conditions.
Cluster synchronization of stochastic two‐layer networks with infinite distributed delays via delayed pinning impulsive control
Authors: Zhang Chuan , Wei Junchao , Wang Fei , Liang Yi
Published: March 2024

The cluster synchronization problem of stochastic two‐layer networks with infinite distributed delays is concerned. Firstly, we study the cluster synchronization of the first layer (leader‐layer) network with the average state of each cluster of sets as synchronization target. Secondly, we design a delayed pinning impulsive controller to synchronize the second layer (follower‐layer) network to the first layer network in a mean square cluster sense. Based on stochastic impulsive analysis and Lyapunov stability theory, some sufficient conditions for cluster synchronization are obtained. Finally, the effectiveness of the theoretical results is verified through numerical simulations.
Nalmefene study: A faster alternative to naloxone
Authors: Knopf Alison
Published: March 2024

In the first head‐to‐head study of nalmefene nasal spray (OPVEE is the trade name) vs. naloxone to reverse opioid overdose conducted in volunteers, researchers found that nalmefene worked faster than a 4 milligram (mg) dose of naloxone. It worked much faster, in fact, 2.7 mgs of OPVEE reversed respiratory depression within five minutes, compared to 20 minutes for 4 mgs of naloxone. The study, “Reversal of Opioid‐Induced Respiratory Depression in Healthy Volunteers: Comparison of Intranasal Nalmefene and Intranasal Naloxone,” was published March 11 in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. The opioid that was given to the volunteers was remifentanil, a synthetic opioid.
Utah gets license for masters in addiction counseling
Authors: Knopf Alison
Published: March 2024

It took two years of work and a 50‐page report, but Richard Nance got Utah to create a new Office of Professional License Review to be the screening arm of the Division of Professional Licensure. Any new license had to go through an application and review process, he told ADAW. “We were the first,” said Nance, former president of the Association of Utah Substance Abuse Professionals (AUSAP). “In 2023, I had my senator run the [Medication Aide Certified] MAC license bill, but the head of the Senate Business and Labor Committee refused to allow it a committee hearing because it ‘hadn't been through the OPLR process.’ There wasn't an OPLR process yet. Once it was created, I spent the summer of 2023 writing the application and working with the OPLR people to fix errors in the process,” Nance said.
NIAAA/NIDA animal study: Diet drug may help treat AUD
Authors: Knopf Alison
Published: March 2024

Researchers at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and collaborators from The Scripps Research Institute, have found that semaglutide (brand name for the injection drug is Wegovy) — a gut hormone that promotes a feeling of fullness and thus promotes weight loss — can help reduce alcohol consumption and binge‐like drinking. The research is based on a rodent model. Published in the June 2023 issue of the journal JCI Insight, the study adds to growing preclinical evidence that the glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) system plays a role in alcohol and other substance use disorders, and that GLP‐1 receptor agonists show potential for treating people with alcohol use disorder (AUD).
CPDD election results
Authors: Knopf Alison
Published: March 2024

The College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) has a new president‐elect: Wendy Lynch Ph.D., of the University of Virginia School of Medicine. The results of the 2024 Officers and Board of Directors election also included new board members Cecelia Bergeria Ph.D. of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Bethea “Annie” Kleykamp Ph.D. of the University of Maryland, Aron Lichtman Ph.D. of Virginia Commonwealth University, and Judith Tsui M.D. of the University of Washington.
n‐Type Organic Mixed Ionic‐Electronic Conductors for Organic Electrochemical Transistors
Authors: Dai Haojie , Yue Wan
Published: March 2024

n‐Type organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) are fundamental building blocks of biosensors and complementary circuits along with p‐type. Yet, their development has been lagging behind their p‐type counterparts since first emergence in 2016. The key component of an OECT is the channel material, which is an organic mixed ionic‐electronic conductor (OMIEC), that dictates the function and performance of the OECT via interactions with electrolyte ions. OMIECs of OECTs are benchmarked by the product of charge‐carrier mobility (μ) and volumetric capacitance (C*), μC*. Significant progress is made for the development of novel n‐type OMIECs, with best μC* now reaching 180 F cm−1 V−1 s−1. This review elucidates such material development progress of n‐type OMIECs with emphases on the underlying molecular design strategies and structure‐property relationships. Furthermore, the operational stability of channel materials and the applications of n‐type OECTs are also discussed to offer readers a comprehensive view of the field. Finally, current limitations are discussed along with outlook.
Additive Manufacturing of Fiber‐Reinforced Zirconia‐Toughened Alumina Ceramic Matrix Composites by Material Extrusion‐Based Technology
Authors: Hadian Amir , Duckek Jannis , Parrilli Annapaola , Liersch Antje , Clemens Frank
Published: March 2024

Material extrusion‐based additive manufacturing becomes interesting to fabricate oxide ceramic matrix composites. Herein, 0–30 vol% alumina fibers are added to zirconia‐toughened alumina powder mixture and extruded into filaments. Shrinkage and mechanical properties of filaments and 3D‐printed samples are investigated. Thermomechanical analysis is conducted on filaments with and without fiber content indicating lower shrinkage in the direction of fiber alignment during the sintering process. The flexural strength of the extruded filaments and printed bars is measured through a 4‐point bending test. Filaments containing 15 vol% fiber exhibit the highest flexural strength of 110 MPa, with additional fiber content leading to a reduction in flexural strength. Using Weibull calculation, it is observed that printed bars without fibers result in significantly lower bending strength in comparison to the filaments because of the presence of printing failures. Bars with 10 vol% fibers, printed with 0° infill orientation achieve the same mechanical properties as the filaments, even though in microcomputed tomography gaps between printed lines and voids between raster lines can be observed. These results demonstrate that fiber reinforcement of ceramics offers a great potential to avoid the reduction of mechanical properties by printing defects.
Cation‐Induced Deep Reconstruction and Self‐Optimization of NiFe Phosphide Precatalysts for Hydrogen Evolution and Overall Water Splitting
Authors: Nie Jianhang , Shi Jinghui , Huang Tao , Xie Meng‐Yuan , Ouyang Zhen‐Yang , Xian Ming‐Hua , Huang Gui‐Fang , Wan Hui , Hu Wangyu , Huang Wei‐Qing
Published: March 2024

Surface reconstruction that produces real active species for catalytic reactions generally occurs during electrocatalytic water splitting, but overcoming the reconstruction level‐mass activity‐stability trade‐off is a grand challenge. A cation‐doping in conjunction with a geometrical topology strategy is proposed to concurrently realize deep reconstruction and self‐optimization of FeNi phosphide nanoarrays during an electrochemical activation process. The doped Zn cation induces a deep reconstruction of FeNiP@Fe2P precatalyst by continuously dissolving Fe2P and re‐depositing as amorphous FeOOH that solders Ni2P nanoparticles, forming small ultra‐thin nanosheets with abundant amorphous‐crystalline interfaces for structural stability. Moreover, multichannel topology exhibits an unusual ability to optimize their morphology via finally evolving into multi‐microchannel tubular nanoarrays comprising of interconnected‐nanosheets with a very loose structure for enhanced electrolyte permeability, mass transfer, and accessibility of active sites. The reconstructed Zn‐Ni2P/FeOOH superstructure catalysts reach 10 mA cm−2 current density at an ultra‐low overpotential of 11 mV for hydrogen evolution reactions (HER). Impressively, when assembled as a two‐electrode cell with Zn‐FeNiP@Zn‐Fe2P as anode and Zn‐Ni2P/FeOOH as cathode, it delivers current densities of 10 mA cm−2 at a record low cell voltage of 1.40 V. This strategy provides a novel avenue to promote reconstruction for achieving high catalytic performance.
Bioinspired Sonodynamic Nano Spray Accelerates Infected Wound Healing via Targeting and Disturbing Bacterial Metabolism
Authors: Qian Xin , Lu Teliang , Huang Chongquan , Zheng Dengwen , Gong Gencheng , Chu Xiao , Wang Xiaolan , Lai Huahao , Ma Limin , Jiang Le , Sun Xiaodan , Ji Xiongfa , Li Mei , Zhang Yu
Published: March 2024

Bacterial infections pose a major concern for the medical community, especially regarding wound healing. Traditional passive antibiotic therapies can be cytotoxic and lead to bacterial resistance, posing a continuing challenge to treat. Based on precision therapy, a novel targeted‐delivery nanosystem is developed to efficiently eliminate bacteria and promote bacteria‐infected wound healing. Macrophage membranes pre‐activated by Staphylococcus aureus (MMSa) are prepared. In doing so, Toll‐like receptors (TLRs), a typical pathogen‐associated molecular pattern (PAMP), are significantly higher than normal macrophage membranes (MM0). Subsequently, MMSa are coated onto ultrasound‐triggered piezocatalytic nano‐barium titanate (BaTiO3, BTO) surfaces, and these two components are assembled to form a novel targeting delivery nanosystem, namely BTO@MMSa. The in vitro and in vivo results demonstrate that the biocompatible BTO@MMSa nanosystem can target infected areas and rapidly generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) to kill bacteria under ultrasound (US) irradiation, as well as accelerate wound healing. Furthermore, prokaryotic RNA‐seq transcriptomics reveals that changes in bacterial membrane function and substance, and energy metabolism are responsible for the targeted antibacterial ability of BTO@MMSa with US. Compared to widely reported unselective antibacterial agents, this novel targeted delivery nanosystem has potential for precise bacterial infection treatment by using macrophage membrane functions.
Synergistic Densification in Hybrid Organic‐Inorganic MXenes for Optimized Photothermal Conversion
Authors: Xu Tong , Tan Shujuan , Li Shaoxiong , Chen Tianyu , Wu Yue , Hao Yilin , Liu Chengyan , Ji Guangbin
Published: March 2024

Optimizin the efficient light‐trapping in the photothermal conversion by enhancing localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) is crucial in improving light‐heat‐conversion efficiency of Ti3C2Tx MXene. However, its susceptibility to oxidation makes it prone to oxides formation, diminishing its metallic properties and significantly reducing the LSPR effect. This work synthesizes a kind of air‐stable hybrid Ti3C2Tx MXenes by a synergistic densification strategy that incorporates sulfhydryl‐bonding between organic and inorganic parts by reacting Ti3C2Tx MXene with thiocarboxylic acids. The resultant shortening of electron transport pathways, enhanced charge density, and the generation of additional electronic states around the Fermi level collectively contribute to an augmented LSPR effect. Additionally, the hybrid Ti3C2Tx MXenes also demonstrate high‐temperature resistance and reduced water interactions. These combined effects substantially elevate photothermal conversion efficiency through thiocarboxylic acids modification, reaching a photothermal evaporation rate of 1.77 kg m−2 h−1 with 94.56% efficiency in hybrid Ti3C2Tx MXenes. The approach paves the way for the design and development of a three‐in‐one strategy for photothermal conversion.
Engineered Metal‐Loaded Biohybrids to Promote the Attachment and Electron‐Shuttling between Enzymes and Carbon Electrodes
Authors: Rodriguez‐Abetxuko Andoni , Romero‐Ben Elena , Ontoria Aitor , Heredero Marcos , Martín‐García Beatriz , Kumar Krishan , Martín‐Saldaña Sergio , Conzuelo Felipe , Beloqui Ana
Published: March 2024

The inorganic content and the catalytic performance pose metal‐loaded enzyme nanoflowers as promising candidates for developing bioelectrodes capable of functioning without the external addition of a redox mediator. However, these protein‐inorganic hybrids have yet to be successfully applied in combination with electrode materials. Herein, the synthesis procedure of these bionanomaterials is reproposed to precisely control the morphology, composition, and performance of this particular protein‐mineral hybrid, formed by glucose oxidase and cobalt phosphate. This approach aims to enhance the adherence and electron mobility between the enzyme and a carbon electrode. The strategy relies on dressing the protein in a tailored thin nanogel with multivalent chemical motifs. The functional groups of the polymer facilitate the fast protein sequence‐independent biomineralization. Furthermore, the engineered enzymes enable the fabrication of robust cobalt‐loaded enzyme inorganic hybrids with exceptional protein loads, exceeding 90% immobilization yields. Notably, these engineered biohybrids can be readily deposited onto flat electrode surfaces without requiring chemical pre‐treatment. The resulting bioelectrodes are robust and exhibit electrochemical responses even without the addition of a redox mediator, suggesting that cobalt complexes promote electron wiring between the active site of the enzyme and the electrode.
Conformable Shear Mode Transducers from Lead‐Free Piezoelectric Ceramic Coatings: An Innovative Ultrasonic Solution for Submerged Structural Health Monitoring
Authors: Yin Jie , Wong Voon‐Kean , Xu Qinwen , Subhodayam Percis Teena Christopher , Yousry Yasmin Mohamed , Shashidhara Acharya , Zhou Jie , Luo Ping , Lim Poh Chong , Wei FengXia , Lim David Boon Kiang , Sun Chengliang , Yao Kui
Published: March 2024

Shear mode‐guided ultrasonic waves are highly regarded for submerged or subterranean structural health monitoring (SHM), owing to their non‐dispersive feature and minimized acoustic energy loss when in contact with liquid or solid. High‐performance shear mode ceramic ultrasonic transducers with robustness and cost‐effectiveness are highly demanded for underwater or underground SHM applications, especially in harsh environments. However, the implementation of discrete shear mode piezoelectric ceramic ultrasonic transducers is hindered by the inconsistency with manual installation, lack of conformability on curved surfaces, and unreliable acoustic coupling between the transducers and the structure. Here, direct‐write conformable shear mode ultrasonic transducers made from piezoelectric lead‐free ceramic coatings, which are in situ produced on steel structures by a scalable thermal spray process, are proposed. The obtained lead‐free lithium‐doped potassium sodium niobate (KNN‐LN) ceramic coatings exhibit a high effective shear piezoelectric strain coefficient (d24, f) above 60 pm V−1 in a broad frequency range from 100 Hz to 200 kHz. The resulting conformable shear mode KNN‐LN ceramic coating transducers successfully showcase the functions of exciting and detecting stable shear mode ultrasonic wave signals with operation temperature exceeding 200 °C and demonstrate reliable capability in defect detection in both air and liquid environments.
Modulating and Accelerating Photolysis of Photoactivatable [2.2]Paracyclophane Aryl Azide in Supramolecular Host for Bioimaging
Authors: Qiu Xujun , Pohl Eric , Cai Qianyu , Seibert Jasmin , Li Yuting , Leopold Sonja , Fuhr Olaf , Meier Michael A. R. , Schepers Ute , Bräse Stefan
Published: March 2024

Photolysis of aryl azides offers a versatile approach to achieve more sophisticated functionalization, for instance in the field of chemical biology. In this study, a photoactivatable aryl azide named Pcp‐Az is presented that forms three distinct emissive molecules after irradiation. Computational studies unveiled that the photolysis of Pcp‐Az in aqueous medium undergoes different reaction channels, leading to the three mentioned distinct products. When the photoreaction is performed using the supramolecular host cucurbit[8]uril(CB8) for Pcp‐Az, the reaction is found to be tuned and accelerated. Finally, the potential application of the photoproducts are showcased in bioimaging, and also the time‐dependent photoactivating imaging.
Robust Gradient Hydrogel‐Loaded Nanofiber Fleshy Artificial Skin Via A Coupled Microfluidic Electrospinning‐Reactive Coating Strategy
Authors: Li Qing , Chen Rong , Cui Tingting , Bai Yuting , Hu Jie , Yu Jiafei , Wang Gefei , Chen Su
Published: March 2024

Skin regeneration attracts tremendous interest due to the important role of skin for human protection and beauty. Thus, methods allowing artificial skin to be carried out in a controllable fashion are potentially important for wound healing, which involves an intersection of materials, medicine, biology, and other disciplines. Herein, aiming at a new general methodology for fleshy materials, a new hydrogel‐loaded hydrophobic–hydrophilic nanofiber fleshy artificial skin is designed and fabricated. The gradient hydrogel‐loaded nanofiber artificial skin integrates both advantages of nanofiber and hydrogel, exhibiting fleshy feature (comparability to real skin in terms of appearance, texture, and function), excellent air permeability, compatibility, and good mechanical and antibacterial property. Interestingly, the efficient transport channels are formed throughout the hydrogel‐loaded nanofiber structure, which is beneficial for water absorption and transfer. These advantages enable the establishment of a moist and favorable microenvironment; thus, greatly accelerating wound healing process. This work couples microfluidic electrospinning with reactive coating technique, which is in favor of material design and fabrication with controllable and uniform structures. The hydrogel‐loaded nanofiber fleshy artificial skin shows comparability to real skin in terms of beauty, texture, and function, which would definitely provide new opportunities for the further optimization and upgrading of artificial skin.
Enhanced Plastic Stability: Achieving High Performance in a Al6xxx Alloy Fabricated by Additive Manufacturing
Authors: Hu Zhiheng , Gao Shubo , Mikula Jakub , Shen Xiaojun , Seet Hang Li , Quek Siu Sin , Zhou Kun , Nai Sharon Mui Ling
Published: March 2024

Additive manufacturing (AM) facilitates the creation of materials with unique microstructural features and distinctive phenomena as compared to conventional manufacturing methods. Among the various well‐fabricated AM alloys, aluminum alloys garner substantial attention due to their extensive applications in the automotive and aerospace industries. In this work, an Al6xxx alloy is successfully fabricated with outstanding performance. A nucleation agent is introduced to diminish the susceptibility to cracking during the AM process, thereby inducing a heterogeneous microstructure in this alloy. However, the introduction of ultrafine grains induces plastic instability, evidenced by the presence of Lüders band. This work investigates the evolution of the Lüders band and the strategy to reduce their undesirable effect. The heterogeneity destabilizes the band propagation and thus deteriorates the ductility. Through a T6 heat treatment, the local Lüders strain decreases from 10.0% to 6.2%, leading to a substantial enhancement in plastic stability. With the increase in grain growth and the enlargement of coarse grain regions, the mismatch between the local and macroscopic Lüders strain disappears. Importantly, the strength and the thermal conductivity are concurrently increased. The findings demonstrate the significance of ensuring plastic stability to achieve improved strength‐ductility trade‐off in AM alloys with heterogeneous microstructures.
Electroacoustic Responsive Cochlea‐on‐a‐Chip
Authors: Hu Yangnan , Xing Jiayue , Zhang Hui , Pang Xinyi , Zhai Yabo , Cheng Hong , Xu Dongyu , Liao Menghui , Qi Yanru , Wu Danqi , Zhang Bin , Cheng Lin , Chu Bo , Zhang Chen , Zhao Yuanjin , Chai Renjie
Published: March 2024

Organ‐on‐chips can highly simulate the complex physiological functions of organs, exhibiting broad application prospects in developmental research, disease simulation, as well as new drug research and development. However, there is still less concern about effectively constructing cochlea‐on‐chips. Here, a novel cochlear organoids‐integrated conductive hydrogel biohybrid system with cochlear implant electroacoustic stimulation (EAS) for cochlea‐on‐a‐chip construction and high‐throughput drug screening, is presented. Benefiting from the superior biocompatibility and electrical property of conductive hydrogel, together with cochlear implant EAS, the inner ear progenitor cells can proliferate and spontaneously shape into spheres, finally forming cochlear organoids with good cell viability and structurally mature hair cells. By incorporating these progenitor cells‐encapsulated hydrogels into a microfluidic‐based cochlea‐on‐a‐chip with culture chambers and a concentration gradient generator, a dynamic and high‐throughput evaluation of inner ear disease‐related drugs is demonstrated. These results indicate that the proposed cochlea‐on‐a‐chip platform has great application potential in organoid cultivation and deafness drug evaluation.
A Nature‐Derived, Hetero‐Structured, Pro‐Healing Bioadhesive Patch for High‐Performance Sealing of Wet Tissues
Authors: Liu Shilin , Xiang Yangfan , Liu Zekun , Li Lan , Dang Ruyi , Zhang Huicong , Wei Feng , Chen Yuqin , Yang Xiang , Mao Mengjie , Zhang Yu Shrike , Song Jinlin , Zhang Ximu
Published: March 2024

Tissue adhesives are promising alternatives to sutures and staples to achieve wound closure and hemostasis. However, they often do not work well on tissues that are soaked in blood or other biological fluids, and organs that are typically exposed to a variety of harsh environments such as different pH values, nonhomogeneous distortions, continuous expansions and contractions, or high pressures. In this study, a nature‐derived multilayered hetero‐bioadhesive patch (skin secretion of Andrias davidianus (SSAD)‐Patch) based on hydrophilic/hydrophobic pro‐healing bioadhesives derived from the SSAD is developed, which is designed to form pressure‐triggered strong adhesion with wet tissues. The SSAD‐Patch is successfully applied for the sealing and healing of tissue defects within 10 s in diverse extreme injury scenarios in vivo including rat stomach perforation, small intestine perforation, fetal membrane defect, porcine carotid artery incision, and lung lobe laceration. The findings reveal a promising new type of self‐adhesive regenerative SSAD‐Patch, which is potentially adaptable to broad applications (under different pH values and air or liquid pressures) in sutureless wound sealing and healing.
Glycocalyx‐Mimicking Nanoparticles with Differential Organ Selectivity for Drug Delivery and Therapy
Authors: Kim Dohyeon , Whang Chang‐Hee , Hong Jungwoo , Prayogo Monica Celine , Jung Wonsik , Lee Seojung , Shin Hocheol , Kim Yujin , Yu Jiyoung , Kim Min Joong , Kim Kyunggon , Lee Hee‐Seung , Jon Sangyong
Published: March 2024

Organ‐selective drug delivery is expected to maximize the efficacy of various therapeutic modalities while minimizing their systemic toxicity. Lipid nanoparticles and polymersomes can direct the organ‐selective delivery of mRNAs or gene editing machineries, but their delivery is limited to mostly liver, spleen, and lung. A platform that enables delivery to these and other target organs is urgently needed. Here, a library of glycocalyx‐mimicking nanoparticles (GlyNPs) comprising five randomly combined sugar moieties is generated, and direct in vivo library screening is used to identify GlyNPs with preferential biodistribution in liver, spleen, lung, kidneys, heart, and brain. Each organ‐targeting GlyNP hit show cellular tropism within the organ. Liver, kidney, and spleen‐targeting GlyNP hits equipped with therapeutics effectively can alleviate the symptoms of acetaminophen‐induced liver injury, cisplatin‐induced kidney injury, and immune thrombocytopenia in mice, respectively. Furthermore, the differential organ targeting of GlyNP hits is influenced not by the protein corona but by the sugar moieties displayed on their surface. It is envisioned that the GlyNP‐based platform may enable the organ‐ and cell‐targeted delivery of therapeutic cargoes.