bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Health‐related quality of life of patients with multiple myeloma: A real‐world study in China
Authors: Li Xiaozhe , Liu Junru , Chen Meilan , Gu Jingli , Huang Beihui , Zheng Dong , Li Juan
Published: September 2020

Purpose

This study aimed to assess the health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) of Chinese patients with different stages of multiple myeloma (MM) who received various treatments and identify the factors associated with a lower quality of life in China.

Methods

A cross‐sectional, anonymous questionnaire was distributed to adults with MM. The measures of quality of life included the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) quality of life questionnaire (QLQ)‐C30, QLQ‐myeloma‐specific module 20 (MY20), and EuroQoL EQ‐5D. The data, including patient factors, difficulties experienced during the diagnosis and treatment processes, psychosocial factors and disease‐ or treatment‐related effects, were collected.

Results

Four hundred and thirty patients with MM were recruited from all 27 provinces of China, and their average age was 55.7 years. Many variables were significantly associated with the HRQOL of the patients with MM. In the multivariate analyses, performance status, psychosocial factors, disease phase, and an early diagnosis were significantly associated with the HRQOL. In the subgroup analysis, the HRQOL of the patients who underwent autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) was significantly higher than that of the non‐ASCT patients. Treatment‐related toxicities had a significant impact on the quality of life of the patients with MM, and 91.5% of the patients intended to stop the maintenance treatment.

Conclusions

The quality of life of patients with MM in China is affected by patient factors, difficulties experienced during the diagnosis and treatment processes, psychosocial factors, and disease‐ or treatment‐related effects. Efforts should be exerted to improve the overall quality of life of these patients in China.
A mediation analysis to explain socio‐economic differences in bladder cancer survival
Authors: Russell Beth , Hemelrijck Mieke V. , Gårdmark Truls , Holmberg Lars , Kumar Pardeep , Bellavia Andrea , Häggström Christel
Published: September 2020

Introduction

This study aims to disentangle heterogeneity in the survival of bladder cancer (BC) patients of different socioeconomic status (SES) by identifying potential mediators of the relationship.

Methods

The Bladder Cancer Database Sweden (BladderBaSe) was used to select patients diagnosed between 1997 and 2014 with Tis/Ta‐T4 disease. The education level was used as a proxy for SES. Accelerated failure time models were used to investigate the association between SES and survival. Mediation analysis was used to investigate potential mediators of the association also accounting for interaction.

Results

The study included 37 755 patients from the BladderBaSe. Patients diagnosed with both non‐muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) and muscle‐invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) who had high SES were found to have increased overall and BC‐specific survival, when compared to those with low SES. In the NMIBC patients, Charlson Comorbidity Index was found to mediate this relationship by 10% (percentage of the total effect explained by the mediator) and hospital type by 4%. The time from referral to TURBT was a considerable mediator (14%) in the MIBC patients only.

Conclusions

Mediation analysis suggests that the association between SES and BC survival can be explained by several factors. The mediators identified were not, however, able to fully explain the theoretical causal pathway between SES and survival, therefore, future studies should also include the investigation of other possible mediators to help explain this relationship further. These results highlight the importance of standardization of clinical care across SES groups.
Real‐time suturing simulation for virtual reality medical training
Authors: Yu Peng , Pan Junjun , Qin Hong , Hao Aimin , Wang Haipeng
Published: September 2020

At present, virtual reality (VR) ‐based medical simulators provide an efficient and cost‐effective alternative without exposing risk to the traditional training approaches. As an essential and indispensable task in fundamental surgical skills training, the research of suturing simulation still remains insufficient in the field of virtual surgery. In this paper, we present a real‐time suturing simulation framework which can handle the complex interactions between surgical instruments and soft tissue. The simulation consists of two stages: external interaction and internal coupling. External interaction involves the interplay between needle/suture and the soft tissue, which are both deformed by position‐based dynamics (PBD) with different constraints. At the internal coupling stage, once the force exceeds a threshold, the needle tip will puncture and penetrate into the soft tissue and generate a path. To guarantee the needle/suture accurately following the path inside the soft tissue, we propose a novel coupling method by matching and generating the constraints among needle, suture, and penetration path. We have applied this suturing simulation into a VR laparoscopic surgery simulator with haptic force. Our experimental results demonstrate that our approach can achieve real‐time performance with a high degree of visual realism and haptic fidelity.
Resolving hand‐object occlusion for mixed reality with joint deep learning and model optimization
Authors: Feng Qi , Shum Hubert P. H. , Morishima Shigeo
Published: September 2020

By overlaying virtual imagery onto the real world, mixed reality facilitates diverse applications and has drawn increasing attention. Enhancing physical in‐hand objects with a virtual appearance is a key component for many applications that require users to interact with tools such as surgery simulations. However, due to complex hand articulations and severe hand‐object occlusions, resolving occlusions in hand‐object interactions is a challenging topic. Traditional tracking‐based approaches are limited by strong ambiguities from occlusions and changing shapes, while reconstruction‐based methods show a poor capability of handling dynamic scenes. In this article, we propose a novel real‐time optimization system to resolve hand‐object occlusions by spatially reconstructing the scene with estimated hand joints and masks. To acquire accurate results, we propose a joint learning process that shares information between two models and jointly estimates hand poses and semantic segmentation. To facilitate the joint learning system and improve its accuracy under occlusions, we propose an occlusion‐aware RGB‐D hand data set that mitigates the ambiguity through precise annotations and photorealistic appearance. Evaluations show more consistent overlays compared with literature, and a user study verifies a more realistic experience.
Ovarian cancer derived PKR1 positive exosomes promote angiogenesis by promoting migration and tube formation in vitro
Authors: Zhang XiaoYan , Sheng YouMing , Li BingWei , Wang Qin , Liu XueTing , Han JianQun
Published: September 2020

Cancer cell derived exosomes play important roles in cancer progression and modulation of the tumour microenvironment. This study aims to investigate the role of prokineticin receptor 1 (PKR1) positive exosomes on angiogenesis. In the present study, PKR1 expression in tumour samples from ovarian cancer patients were examined firstly. Then, two ovarian cancer cell lines, namely A2780 and HO‐8910 cells, were used to isolate and obtain the PKR1 positive exosomes from the serum free medium. The function analysis of PKR1 positive exosomes on angiogenesis was conducted by cell proliferation and migration assay, tube formation analysis, and tumour volume assay. The results showed that PKR1 expression was down regulated in tumour samples of ovarian cancer patients compared with adjacent normal tissues. The intracellular expression of PKR1 could be detected in A2780 and HO‐8910 cells. And, the isolated exosomes from the serum free medium were confirmed by transmission electron microscopic and NTA analysis, as well as the co‐presence of PKR1 with exosome marker CD63. The function analysis of PKR1 positive exosomes on angiogenesis demonstrated the uptake of PKR1 positive exosomes by human umbilical vein endothelial cells through immunofluorescence staining. The angiogenesis assays in vitro indicated that PKR1 positive exosomes promoted migration and tube formation of HUVECs but not proliferation. The endogenous PKR1 was also verified to help to enhance migration and promote tube formation of vascular endothelial cells, which might involved in the phosphorylation of STAT3. Additionally, The tumour volume from exosomes treated A2780 tumour‐bearing mice was significantly increased compared with the control group, accompanied with the induced PKR1 expression and phosphorylation of STAT3 level.

Significance of the Study

This study proved the important role of PKR1 positive exosomes released from ovarian cancer cells on promoting angiogenesis. The data indicated that PKR1 derived from ovarian cancer cells could act as an important tumour associated antigen and biomolecular factor for cellular communication in tumour microenvironment.
The “Carbonyl Story” and Beyond; Experiences, Lessons and Implications
Authors: Alberto Roger
Published: September 2020

The complex [99mTc(OH2)3(CO)3]+ has become a versatile building block in radiopharmaceutical chemistry, applied by many groups worldwide. However, despite widespread efforts, only one compound has made it right the way through clinical trials. Along the way from its discovery to its development into an eventual product, the author experienced issues that he would handle differently in retrospect. In this article, these experiences are turned into “lessons” that might be helpful for young researchers finding themselves in similar situations. Beside issues with patenting and company strategies, the carbonyl story has provided scientific implications beyond its own story, and insights from which any future 99mTc‐based chemistry for radiopharmacy or molecular imaging might benefit.
Structural Cues for Understanding eEF1A2 Moonlighting
Authors: Carriles Alejandra A. , Mills Alberto , Muñoz‐Alonso María‐José , Gutiérrez Dolores , Domínguez Juan M. , Hermoso Juan A. , Gago Federico
Published: September 2020

Spontaneous mutations in the EEF1A2 gene cause epilepsy and severe neurological disabilities in children. The crystal structure of eEF1A2 protein purified from rabbit skeletal muscle reveals a post‐translationally modified dimer that provides information about the sites of interaction with numerous binding partners, including itself, and maps these mutations onto the dimer and tetramer interfaces. The spatial locations of the side chain carboxylates of Glu301 and Glu374, to which phosphatidylethanolamine is uniquely attached via an amide bond, define the anchoring points of eEF1A2 to cellular membranes and interorganellar membrane contact sites. Additional bioinformatic and molecular modeling results provide novel structural insight into the demonstrated binding of eEF1A2 to SH3 domains, the common MAPK docking groove, filamentous actin, and phosphatidylinositol‐4 kinase IIIβ. In this new light, the role of eEF1A2 as an ancient, multifaceted, and articulated G protein at the crossroads of autophagy, oncogenesis and viral replication appears very distant from the “canonical” one of delivering aminoacyl‐tRNAs to the ribosome that has dominated the scene and much of the thinking for many decades.
The protective effects of umbilical cord‐derived endothelial colony forming cells on hepatic veno‐occlusive disease
Authors: Chen Lulu , Zhang Jingjing , Liu Xin , Yao Mingkang , Zhang Hao
Published: September 2020

Hepatic veno‐occlusive disease (HVOD) characterized by endothelial cell dysfunction is one of the serious complications after hematopoietic stem‐cell transplantation or chemotherapeutic drug application. The mortality of HVOD patients with multiorgan dysfunction is as high as 80%. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate whether the infusion of human umbilical cord‐derived endothelial colony forming cells (hUC‐ECFCs) could mitigate HVOD injury and investigate the underlying mechanism. We found that the expression of chemokine C–X–C chemokine ligand 12 (CXCL12) was markedly increased in the livers of HVOD mice. Meanwhile, hUC‐ECFCs infusion could significantly ameliorate liver injury in HVOD mice, which was accompanied by hUC‐ECFCs recruitment in the liver, reduced liver pathological alterations, and decreased serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activity. Besides, CXCL12‐induced migration in hUC‐ECFCs was partly impeded by chemokine receptor type 7 (CXCR7) silence or CXCR4 blockage. In conclusion, our results demonstrated that hUC‐ECFCs could mitigate HVOD through homing to the injured liver via the CXCL12‐CXCR4/CXCR7 signaling pathway.
Phenotypic drift in metastatic progression of breast cancer: A case report with histologically heterogeneous lesions that are clonally related
Authors: Kutasovic Jamie R. , McCart Reed Amy E. , Sokolova Anna , Jayanthan Janani , Da Silva Leonard , Simpson Peter T. , Lakhani Sunil R.
Published: September 2020

Breast cancer metastasis to the stomach is rare; invasive lobular carcinoma has a predilection to spread to the gastrointestinal system and is morphologically similar to primary diffuse gastric carcinoma. This case highlights heterogeneous metastatic progression and that documentation of heterogeneity is important for informing future treatment strategies and prognostication.
Cyclic Peptides as Drugs for Intracellular Targets: The Next Frontier in Peptide Therapeutic Development
Authors: Buckton Laura K. , Rahimi Marwa N. , McAlpine Shelli R.
Published: September 2020

Developing macrocyclic peptides that can reach intracellular targets is a significant challenge. This review discusses the most recent strategies used to develop cell permeable cyclic peptides that maintain binding to their biological target inside the cell. Macrocyclic peptides are unique from small molecules because traditional calculated physical properties are unsuccessful for predicting cell membrane permeability. Peptide synthesis and experimental membrane permeability is the only strategy that effectively differentiates between cell permeable and cell impermeable molecules. Discussed are chemical strategies, including backbone N‐methylation and stereochemical changes, which have produced molecular scaffolds with improved cell permeability. However, these improvements often come at the expense of biological activity as chemical modifications alter the peptide conformation, frequently impacting the compound's ability to bind to the target. Highlighted is the most promising approach, which involves side‐chain alterations that improve cell permeability without impact binding events.
A Simple Method for Synthesizing Highly Active Amorphous Iridium Oxide for Oxygen Evolution under Acidic Conditions
Authors: Salimi Payam , Najafpour Mohammad Mahdi
Published: September 2020

Water splitting for hydrogen production has been recognized as a promising approach to store sustainable energy. The performance of this method is limited by the oxygen‐evolution reaction. Herein, an approach for synthesizing a highly active oxygen‐evolving catalyst by a one‐step, low‐cost, environmentally friendly, and easy‐to‐perform method is presented, which works by using iridium metal as the anode at a relatively high potential. The obtained IrOx/Ir interface showed an overpotential of 250 mV at 10 mA cm−2 in 0.1 m HClO4 and remained stable under electrochemical conditions. The IrOx that was mechanically separated from the surface of IrOx/Ir metal after operation showed a threefold increase in activity compared to the current benchmark IrO2 catalyst. Various characterization analyses were used to identify the structure and morphology of the catalyst, which suggested nanosized, porous, and amorphous IrOx on the surface of metallic Ir. This synthetic approach can inspire a variety of opportunities to design and synthesize efficient metal oxide‐based electrocatalysts for sustainable energy conversion and utilization.
Phosphorescent Trinuclear Pt–Ir–Pt Complexes: Insights into the Photophysical and Electrochemical Properties and Interaction with Guanine Nucleobase
Authors: Das Bishnu , Borah Sakira Tabbasum , Ganguli Sagar , Gupta Parna
Published: September 2020

In this study we have analysed the comparative photophysical and electrochemical properties of two isomeric heterotrinuclear PtII–IrIII–PtII complexes 3 and 6 and the four corresponding intermediate isomeric homonuclear cyclometalated iridium(III) complexes 1, 2, 4 and 5. The isomerisation originates from positional differences in the formyl, di‐2‐picolylamine and Pt–di‐2‐picolylamine moieties appended to cyclometalated or ancillary ligands. The interaction of 5′‐GMP with the trinuclear complexes 3 and 6 shows that platinum centres appended to the cyclometalated ligand in 3 facilitate the binding of two 5′‐GMP units per PtII centre in preference to a single 5′‐GMP unit per PtII centre as observed in 6. The 1:2 and 1:1 PtII–5′‐GMP binding patterns probably arise from the convenient arrangements of the Pt–di‐2‐picolylamine units in different planes in complex 3, which is absent in complex 6.
Electrochemical Reduction of CO2 at Coinage Metal Nanodendrites in Aqueous Ethanolamine
Authors: Hossain M. Nur , Ahmad Syed , da Silva Iranaldo Santos , Kraatz Heinz‐Bernhard
Published: September 2020

Electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 into usable chemicals is a promising path to address climate change and energy challenges. Herein, we demonstrate the synthesis of unique coinage metal (Cu, Ag, and Au) nanodendrites (NDs) via a facile galvanic replacement reaction (GRR), which can be effective electrocatalysts for the reduction of CO2 in an ethanolamine (EA) solution. Each metal ND surface was directly grown on glassy‐carbon (GC) substrates from a mixture of Zn dust and the respective precursor solution. The electrocatalytic activities of the synthesized ND surfaces were optimized for CO2 reduction in EA solution by varying their composition. It was determined that a 0.05 mol fraction of EA exhibited the highest catalytic activity for all metal NDs. Linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques showed that metal‐ND electrodes possessed higher current densities, lower onset potentials and lower charge‐transfer resistances for CO2 reduction than their smooth polycrystalline electrode counterparts, indicating improved CO2 reduction catalytic activity. It was determined, using FTIR and NMR spectroscopy, that formate was produced as a result of the CO2 reduction.
Cyclic Bis‐alkylidene Complexes of Titanium and Zirconium: Synthesis, Characterization, and Reaction
Authors: Zhang Yongliang , Wu Botao , Zhong Mingdong , Zhang Wen‐Xiong , Xi Zhenfeng
Published: September 2020

Transition‐metal alkylidenes have exhibited wide applications in organometallic chemistry and synthetic organic chemistry, however, cyclic Schrock‐carbene‐like bis‐alkylidenes of group 4 metals with a four‐electron donor from an alkylidene have not been reported. Herein, the synthesis and characterization of five‐membered cyclic bis‐alkylidenes of titanium (4 a,b) and zirconium (5 a,b) are reported, as the first well‐defined group 4 metallacyclopentatrienes, by two‐electron reduction of their corresponding titana‐ and zirconacyclopentadienes. DFT analyses of4 ashow a four‐electron donor (σ‐donation and π‐donation) from an alkylidene carbon to the metal center. The reaction of4 awithN,N′‐diisopropylcarbodiimide (DIC) leads to the [2+2]‐cycloaddition product 6. Compound4 areacted with CO, affording the oxycyclopentadienyl titanium complex 7. These reactivities demonstrate the multiple metal–carbon bond character. The reactions of4 aor5 awith cyclooctatetraene (COT) or azobenzene afforded sandwich titanium complex 8or diphenylhydrazine‐coordinated zirconacyclopentadiene9, respectively, which exhibit two‐electron reductive ability.
A Stable Primary Phosphane Oxide and Its Heavier Congeners
Authors: Horký Filip , Císařová Ivana , Štěpnička Petr
Published: September 2020

(Ferrocenylmethyl)phosphane (1) oxidation with hydrogen peroxide, elemental sulfur and grey selenium produced (ferrocenylmethyl)phosphane oxide 1O, sulfide 1S and selenide 1Se, respectively, as the first isolable primary phosphane chalcogenides lacking steric protection. At elevated temperatures, compound 1O disproportionated into 1 and (ferrocenylmethyl)phosphinic acid. In reactions with [(η6‐mes)RuCl2]2, 1O underwent tautomerization into a phosphane complex [(η6‐mes)RuCl2{FcCH2PH(OH)‐κP}], whereas 1S and 1Se lost their P‐bound chalcogen atoms, giving rise to the phosphane complex [(η6‐mes)RuCl2(FcCH2PH2‐κP)] (Fc=ferrocenyl, mes=mesitylene). No tautomerization was observed in the reaction of 1O with B(C6F5)3, which instead produced a Lewis pair FcCH2P(O)H2‐B(C6F5)3. Phosphane oxide 1O added to C=O bonds of aldehydes and ketones and even to cumulenes PhNCE (E=O and S). However, both PH hydrogens were only employed in the reactions with aldehydes and cyanates.
A Water‐Soluble Peptoid that Can Extract Cu2+ from Metallothionein via Selective Recognition
Authors: Ghosh Pritam , Maayan Galia
Published: September 2020

Selective binding of Cu2+ in water medium by a synthetic chelator is a promising therapeutic approach towards the treatment of various diseases including cancer. Chelation of Cu2+ is well exercised, however water‐soluble synthetic chelators that can selectively bind Cu2+ from a pool of competing metal ions at very high excess and/or can extract Cu2+ from a protein are hardly reported. Herein we describe the design and synthesis of an acetylated peptoid—N‐substituted glycine trimer—that incorporates a picolyl group at the N‐terminal, a non‐coordinating but structurally directing bulky chiral phenylethyl group at the C‐terminus and a modified 2,2′‐bipyridine group (PCA‐Nspe), which selectively binds Cu2+ to form a water‐soluble complex. We further demonstrate that the selectivity of PCA‐Nspe to Cu2+ is thermodynamically driven, leading to specific binding of Cu2+ in an aqueous solution containing up to 60‐fold excess of other biologically relevant metal ions such as Zn2+, Co2+, Mn2+, Ca2+, Mg2+, K+ and Na+. Based on spectroscopic data and DFT calculations of PCA‐Nspe as well as of a control peptoid having an achiral benzyl group instead of the phenylethyl side chain, we could suggest that the chiral and bulkier phenylethyl group at the C‐terminus controls the preorganization of the two ligands, and this might play a role in the selectivity of PCA‐Nspe. Significantly, we show that PCA‐Nspe can extract Cu2+ from the natural copper binding protein metallothionein.
Bioinspired Divergent Oxidative Cyclization from Strictosidine and Vincoside Derivatives: Second‐Generation Total Synthesis of (−)‐Cymoside and Access to an Original Hexacyclic‐Fused Furo[3,2‐b]indoline
Authors: Dou Yingchao , Kouklovsky Cyrille , Vincent Guillaume
Published: September 2020

The second‐generation synthesis of (−)‐cymoside as well as the formation of a new hexacyclic‐fused furo[3,2‐b]indoline framework is reported. After a Pictet–Spengler condensation between secologanin tetraacetate and tryptamine, the course of the cyclization of the 7‐hydroxyindolenine intermediate, generated by oxidation with an oxaziridine, depended on the stereochemistry of the 3‐position. The 3‐(S)‐strictosidine stereochemistry delivered efficiently the scaffold of cymoside via intramolecular coupling with the C16–C17 enol ether, while the 3‐(R)‐vincoside stereochemistry directed towards the reaction with the C18–C19 terminal alkene and the formation of the unexpected caged compound.
Structural Expansion of Chalcogenido Tetrelates in Ionic Liquids by Incorporation of Sulfido Antimonate Units
Authors: Peters Bertram , Krampe Chloé , Klärner Julian , Dehnen Stefanie
Published: September 2020

Multinary chalcogenido (semi)metalate salts exhibit finely tunable optical properties based on the combination of metal and chalcogenide ions in their polyanionic substructure. Here, we present the structural expansion of chalcogenido germanate(IV) or stannate(IV) architectures with SbIII, which clearly affects the vibrational and optical absorption properties of the solid compounds. For the synthesis of the title compounds, [K4(H2O)4][Ge4S10] or [K4(H2O)4][SnS4] were reacted with SbCl3 under ionothermal conditions in imidazolium‐based ionic liquids. Salt metathesis at relatively low temperatures (120 °C or 150 °C) enabled the incorporation of (formally) Sb3+ ions into the anionic substructure of the precursors, and their modification to form (Cat)16[Ge2Sb2S7]6[GeS4] (1) and (Cat)6[Sn10O4S20][Sb3S4]2 (2 a and 2 b), wherein Cat=(C4C1C1Im)+ (1 and 2 a) or (C4C1C2Im)+ (2 b). In 1, germanium and antimony atoms are combined to form a rare noradamantane‐type ternary molecular anion, six of which surround an {GeS4} unit in a highly symmetric secondary structure, and finally crystallize in a diamond‐like superstructure. In 2, supertetrahedral oxo‐sulfido stannate clusters are generated, as known from the ionothermal treatment of the stannate precursor alone, yet, linked here into unprecedented one‐dimensional strands with {Sb3S4} units as linkers. We discuss the single‐crystal structures of these uncommon salts of ternary and quaternary chalcogenido (semi)metalate anions, as well as their Raman and UV‐visible spectra.
Ecologic Potential for Flexible Methanol Production from Steel Mill Off‐gases
Authors: Sadlowski Matthias , van Beek Mathias
Published: September 2020

Methanol production is one promising way to minimize the ecological impact of the conventional steelmaking process. This synthesis needs additional hydrogen, preferably produced from a green power source. In this paper, the influence of different power supply scenarios, gas storage volumes, and hydrogen production capacities on the overall carbon saving potential – defined as carbon binding ratio – from a flexible methanol production case will be investigated. A mixed‐integer linear programming model with rolling horizon is used to calculate the optimal production plan.
Ultrathin 3 V Spinel Clothed Layered Lithium‐Rich Oxides as Heterostructured Cathode for High‐Energy and High‐Power Li‐ion Batteries†
Authors: Dai Liqin , Li Ning , Chen Lai , Su Yuefeng , Chen Cheng‐Meng , Su Fangyuan , Bao Liying , Chen Shi , Wu Feng
Published: September 2020

Main observation and conclusion

In an attempt to overcome the drawbacks of high‐capacity layered lithium‐rich cathodes xLi2MnO3·(1–x) LiMO2 (0 < x < 1, M = Mn, Ni, and Co), the spinel clothed layered heterostructured materials, x’Li4Mn5O12·(1–x’) Li[Li0.2Mn0.55Ni0.15Co0.1]O2 (x’ = 0.01, 0.03, 0.05) have been proposed and synthesized as high‐performance cathode materials for high‐energy and high‐power Li‐ion batteries. Based on the characterizations of X‐ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman scattering spectroscopy, it is indicated that ultrathin 3 V spinel Li4Mn5O12 has been successfully clothed on the layered lithium‐rich cathode. Electrochemical tests demonstrate the sample 0.01Li4Mn5O12·0.99 Li[Li0.2Mn0.55Ni0.15Co0.1]O2 with an ultrathin clothing layer of spinel phase, exhibits the highest reversible capacity of 289.4 mAh g–1 and maintains 259.8 mAh g–1 after 80 cycles at 0.1 C rate. Meanwhile, it delivers outstanding rate discharge capacities of 229.4 mAh g–1 at 1 C, 216.8 mAh g–1 at 2 C and 184.4 mAh g–1 at 5 C as well as alleviated voltage fade. It is believed the ultrathin clothing spinel layer plays a vital role in the modification of the materials kinetics, and structural and electrochemical stability of the heterostructured cathode.
Robust estimation of mean squared prediction error in small‐area estimation
Authors: Wu Ping , Jiang Jiming
Published: September 2020

The nested‐error regression model is one of the best‐known models in small area estimation. A small area mean is often expressed as a linear combination of fixed effects and realized values of random effects. In such analyses, prediction is made by borrowing strength from other related areas or sources and mean‐squared prediction error (MSPE) is often used as a measure of uncertainty. In this article, we propose a bias‐corrected analytical estimation of MSPE as well as a moment‐match jackknife method to estimate the MSPE without specific assumptions about the distributions of the data. Theoretical and empirical studies are carried out to investigate performance of the proposed methods with comparison to existing procedures.
Exploring Non‐Coding RNAs in RNAcentral
Authors: Sweeney Blake A. , Tagmazian Arina A. , Ribas Carlos E. , Finn Robert D. , Bateman Alex , Petrov Anton I.
Published: September 2020

Non‐coding RNAs are essential for all life and carry out a wide range of functions. Information about these molecules is distributed across dozens of specialized resources. RNAcentral is a database of non‐coding RNA sequences that provides a unified access point to non‐coding RNA annotations from >40 member databases and helps provide insight into the function of these RNAs. This article describes different ways of accessing the data, including searching the website and retrieving the data programmatically over web APIs and a public database. We also demonstrate an example Galaxy workflow for using RNAcentral for RNA‐seq differential expression analysis. RNAcentral is available at https://rnacentral.org. © 2020 The Authors.

Basic Protocol 1: Viewing RNAcentral sequence reports

Basic Protocol 2: Using RNAcentral text search to explore ncRNA sequences

Basic Protocol 3: Using RNAcentral sequence search

Basic Protocol 4: Using RNAcentral FTP archive

Support Protocol 1: Using web APIs for programmatic data access

Support Protocol 2: Using public Postgres database to export large datasets

Support Protocol 3: Analyze non‐coding RNA in RNA‐seq datasets using RNAcentral and Galaxy
Improving the Yield and Rate of Acid‐Catalyzed Deconstruction of Lignin by Mechanochemical Activation
Authors: Patel Darpan H. , Marx Dominik , East Allan. L. L.
Published: September 2020

Lignin is a potential biomass feedstock from plant material, but it is particularly difficult to economically process. Inspired by recent ball‐milling results, state‐of‐the‐art quantum mechanochemistry calculations have been performed to isolate and probe the purely mechanochemical stretching effect alone upon acid‐catalyzed deconstruction of lignin. Effects upon cleavage of several exemplary simple ethers are examined first, and with low stretching force they all are predicted to cleave substantially faster, allowing for use of milder acids and lower temperatures. Effects upon an experimentally known lignin fragment model (containing the ubiquitous β‐O‐4 linkage) are next examined; this first required a mechanism refinement (3‐step indirect cleavage, 1‐step side reaction) and identification of the rate‐limiting step under zero‐force (thermal) conditions. Mechanochemical activation using very low stretching forces improves at first only yield, by fully shutting off the ring‐closure side reaction. At only somewhat larger forces, in stark contrast, a switch in mechanism is found to occur, from 3‐step indirect cleavage to the direct cleavage mechanism of simple ethers, finally strongly enhancing the cleavage rate of lignin. It is concluded that mechanochemical activation of the common β‐O‐4 link in lignin would improve the rate of its acidolysis via a mechanism switch past a low force threshold. Relevance to ball‐milling experiments is discussed.
Dinuclear Rhenium Complexes with a Bridging Helicene‐bis‐bipyridine Ligand: Synthesis, Structure, and Photophysical and Chiroptical Properties
Authors: Saleh Nidal , Kundu Debsouri , Vanthuyne Nicolas , Olesiak‐Banska Joanna , Pniakowska Anna , Matczyszyn Katarzyna , Chang Victoria Y. , Muller Gilles , Williams J. A. Gareth , Srebro‐Hooper Monika , Autschbach Jochen , Crassous Jeanne
Published: September 2020

By attaching pyridine groups to a diaza[6]helicene, a helical, bis‐ditopic, bis‐N N‐coordinating ligand can be accessed. Dinuclear rhenium complexes featuring this bridging ligand, of the form [{Re(CO)3Cl}2(N N−N N)], have been prepared and resolved to give enantiopure complexes. These complexes are phosphorescent in solution at room temperature under one‐ and two‐photon excitation. Their experimental chiroptical properties (optical rotation, electronic circular dichroism and circularly polarized emission) have been measured. They show, for instance, emission dissymmetry factors of c.a. ±3x10−3. Quantum‐chemical calculations indicate the importance of stereochemistry on the optical activity, pointing towards further design improvements in such types of complexes.
Four innovative calibration algorithms for capacitive mismatch in 18‐bit redundant split SAR ADC
Authors: Fan Hua , Lei Peng , Feng Quanyuan
Published: September 2020

Four calibration algorithms based on the order statistics about capacitive mismatch are proposed for successive approximation register (SAR) analog‐to‐digital converter (ADC). An 18‐bit split capacitive SAR ADC architecture with redundant bits was used to verify the four calibration algorithms proposed. The main dynamic parameters of the SAR ADC were simulated in MATLAB by 500 Monte‐Carlo runs with a standard deviation of 0.1% (σ0/C0 = 0.001). And the simulation results of sorting and regrouping method II (SRGII) show that a 21.64‐dB enhancement of spurious‐free dynamic range (SFDR) and a 3.33‐bit improvement of effective number of bits (ENOB) have achieved respectively, whereas the simulation results of sorting and re‐exchanging method I (SREI) show that a 21.64‐dB enhancement of SFDR and a 3.34‐bit improvement of ENOB have achieved, respectively
A case of mammary myofibroblastoma diagnosed with cytomorphological, cell block and immunohistochemistry findings
Authors: Bağlan Tolga , Karabörk Ayça , Yavuz Metin , Genç Volkan
Published: September 2020

Myofibroblastoma (MFB) is a rare benign spindle cell tumor originating from myofibroblasts in the breast stroma. MFB typically presents as a slow‐growing, well‐circumscribed, solitary mass ranging from 1 to 4 cm in size. It has been reported in adults, and frequently seen in older males and in postmenopausal females. The lesion is composed of stromal cells showing fibroblastic and myofibroblastic differentiation at the morphological, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural levels. To date, the literature includes only about 24 MFB cases confirmed via fine‐needle aspiration and cytological evaluation. Here, we present a patient with MFB that was diagnosed via conventional smear slides and cell block, in addition to immunohistochemical analysis.
The dynamics of epidermal stratification during post‐larval development in zebrafish
Authors: Rangel‐Huerta Emma , Guzman Aida , Maldonado Ernesto
Published: September 2020

Background

The epidermis, as a defensive barrier, is a consistent trait throughout animal evolution. During post‐larval development, the zebrafish epidermis thickens by stratification or addition of new cell layers. Epidermal basal stem cells, expressing the transcription factor p63, are known to be involved in this process. Zebrafish post‐larval epidermal stratification is a tractable system to study how stem cells participate in organ growth.

Methods

We used immunohistochemistry, in combination with EdU cell proliferation detection, to study zebrafish epidermal stratification. For this procedure, we selected a window of post‐larval stages (5‐8 mm of standard length or SL, which normalizes age by size). Simultaneously, we used markers for asymmetric cell division and the Notch signaling pathway.

Results

We found that epidermal stratification is the consequence of several events, including changes in cell shape, active cell proliferation and asymmetrical cell divisions. We identified a subset of highly proliferative epidermal cells with reduced levels of p63, which differed from the basal stem cells with high levels of p63. Additionally, we described different mechanisms that participate in the stratification process, including the phosphorylation of p63, asymmetric cell division regulated by the Par3 and LGN proteins, and expression of Notch genes.
Small differences in root distributions allow resource niche partitioning
Authors: Kulmatiski Andrew , Beard Karen H. , Holdrege Martin C. , February Edmund C.
Published: September 2020

Deep roots have long been thought to allow trees to coexist with shallow‐rooted grasses. However, data demonstrating how root distributions affect water uptake and niche partitioning are uncommon.

We describe tree and grass root distributions using a depth‐specific tracer experiment six times over two years in a subtropical savanna, Kruger National Park, South Africa. These point‐in‐time measurements were then used in a soil water flow model to simulate continuous water uptake by depth and plant growth form (trees and grasses) across two growing seasons. This allowed estimates of the total amount of water a root distribution could absorb as well as the amount of water a root distribution could absorb in excess of the other rooting distribution (i.e., unique hydrological niche).

Most active tree and grass roots were in shallow soils: The mean depth of water uptake was 22 cm for trees and 17 cm for grasses. Slightly deeper rooting distributions provided trees with 5% more soil water than the grasses in a drier season, but 13% less water in a wetter season. Small differences also provided each rooting distribution (tree or grass) with unique hydrological niches of 4 to 13 mm water.

The effect of rooting distributions has long been inferred. By quantifying the depth and timing of water uptake, we demonstrated how even small differences in rooting distributions can provide plants with resource niches that can contribute to species coexistence. Differences in total water uptake and unique hydrological niche sizes were small in this system, but they indicated that tradeoffs in rooting strategies can be expected to contribute to tree and grass coexistence because 1) competitive advantages change over time and 2) plant growth forms always have access to a soil resource pool that is not available to the other plant growth form.
N‐docosahexaenoyl ethanolamine (synaptamide) has antinociceptive effects in male mice
Authors: Paton Kelly F. , Shirazi Rahau , Vyssotski Mikhail , Kivell Bronwyn M.
Published: September 2020

Background

N‐docosahexaenoyl ethanolamine (DHEA; also known as synaptamide) binds to both the cannabinoid‐1 and 2 (CB1 and CB2) cannabinoid receptors and has anti‐inflammatory properties in vitro. However, the in vivo effects of DHEA remain unknown. Therefore, this study was designed to understand the effects of DHEA in models of pain and inflammation in mice.

Methods

The intraplantar formaldehyde assay, hot water tail withdrawal assay and hotplate model were used to assess the antinociceptive properties of DHEA in mice. The mechanism of action was studied by antagonising the cannabinoid receptors, transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) ion channel, peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptors (PPARs) and G‐protein receptor 55 (GPR55).

Results

N‐docosahexaenoyl ethanolamine (2–10 mg/kg) reduced the levels of nociceptive and inflammatory pain‐related behaviour over 60 min in the intraplantar formaldehyde assay via both intraperitoneal and local intraplantar administration. The area under the curve analysis showed the overall antinociceptive effects of DHEA (10 mg/kg) were not modulated by pre‐treatment with antagonists for the cannabinoid receptors, TRPV1ion channel, PPARα, PPARγ or GPR55. However, the time‐course analysis showed that within the early inflammatory phase, antagonism of the CB2 receptor, PPARα and PPARγ led to a partial reversal of the antinociceptive effects of DHEA. In the hot water tail withdrawal and hotplate models of thermal nociception, DHEA (2–10 mg/kg) did not have any antinociceptive effects.

Conclusions

N‐docosahexaenoyl ethanolamine reduced the level of formaldehyde‐induced nociceptive and inflammatory pain‐related behaviour; however, was not active in thermal nociceptive models. This study highlights the potential of DHEA for the treatment of acute inflammatory pain.

Significance

This study shows that both intraperitoneal and intraplantar administration of DHEA reduces the level of formaldehyde‐induced nociceptive and inflammatory pain.
Hybrid Anodes of Lithium Titanium Oxide and Carbon Onions for Lithium‐Ion and Sodium‐Ion Energy Storage
Authors: Shim Hwirim , Arnold Stefanie , Budak Öznil , Ulbricht Maike , Srimuk Pattarachai , Presser Volker
Published: September 2020

This study demonstrates the hybridization of Li4Ti5O12 (LTO) with different types of carbon onions synthesized from nanodiamonds. The carbon onions mixed with a Li4Ti5Ox precursor for sol–gel synthesis. These hybrid materials are tested as anodes for both lithium‐ion battery (LIB) and sodium‐ion battery (SIB). Electrochemical characterization for LIB application is carried out using 1 m LiPF6 in a 1:1 (by volume) ethylene carbonate and dimethyl carbonate as the electrolyte. For lithium‐ion intercalation, LTO hybridized with carbon onions from the inert‐gas route achieves an excellent electrochemical performance of 188 mAh g−1 at 10 mA g−1, which maintains 100 mAh g−1 at 1 A g−1 and has a cycling stability of 96% of initial capacity after 400 cycles, thereby outperforming both neat LTO and LTO with onions obtained via vacuum treatment. The performance of the best‐performing hybrid material (LTO with carbon onions from argon annealing) in an SIB is tested, using 1 m NaClO4 in ethylene/dimethyl/fluoroethylene carbonate (19:19:2 by mass) as the electrolyte. A maximum capacity of 102 mAh g−1 for the SIB system is obtained, with a capacity retention of 96% after 500 cycles.
A novel framework for conditional simulation of fully nonstationary spatially varying ground motion field
Authors: Rodda Gopala Krishna , Basu Dhiman
Published: September 2020

Existing procedures for conditionally generating the spatially varying ground motion (SVGM) through the coherency‐based methods can be broadly categorized into two approaches: (i) cross‐spectral density (CSD)‐based procedures and (ii) auto‐spectral density (ASD)‐based procedures (reported by the authors elsewhere). CSD‐based procedures consider only the phase variability, whereas ASD‐based procedures account for phase as well as the amplitude variability. However, the ASD‐based framework and most of the CSD‐based frameworks simulate the stationary SVGM, and nonstationarity is imparted through the uniform modulation, ignoring the temporal variation of the frequency content. This paper proposes an evolutionary power spectral density (EPSD)‐based framework for the simulation of nonstationary SVGM. This framework is developed in two steps. First, a new methodology based on Hilbert transform is proposed to compute the nonstationary ground motion given the EPSD, modulating functions, and phase. Second, the ASD‐based framework reported by authors elsewhere is extended to account for the EPSD, and the associated nonstationary ground motion is simulated using the proposed methodology. Nonstationary ground motions thus simulated are assessed against SMART1 array recordings. The close resemblance between the simulated accelerogram and the recorded data indicates that the proposed EPSD based framework accounts not only for the phase and amplitude variabilities but also for the nonstationarity.
Effectiveness and influencing factors of online education for caregivers of patients with eating disorders during COVID‐19 pandemic in China
Authors: Guo Lei , Wu Mengting , Zhu Zhuoying , Zhang Lei , Peng Sufang , Li Wei , Chen Han , Fernández‐Aranda Fernando , Chen Jue
Published: September 2020

Objective

The goals were twofold: To estimate the depression and anxiety levels among caregivers of patients with eating disorders (ED) in China during the COVID‐19 pandemic when compared with a control group, and to assess whether an online education program was effective in decreasing the anxiety and depression of the caregivers of patients with ED, and associated factors.

Method

Caregivers of patients with ED (n = 254) and a comparison group of non‐ED caregivers (N = 254) were recruited at baseline. Additionally, caregivers of patients with ED were invited into a free 4‐week online education program, with an additional online group as support. Depression and anxiety levels were assessed at baseline and after the intervention.

Results

Caregivers of patients with ED showed significantly higher levels of depression and anxiety than the comparison group of non‐ED caregivers. The online education program showed no significant effect on decreasing depression and anxiety levels of caregivers of patients with ED overall. Caregivers who had older loved ones and not living with them were more likely to decrease their depression levels. Caregivers of patients with longer illness duration were less likely to decrease their anxiety levels.

Discussion

These results showed that caregivers of ED patients suffered more serious psychological distress during the pandemic. A more structured and intensive online intervention with a limited number of participants might be required to address caregivers' distress in post‐COVID‐19 China.
Dietary Habits and Personal Care Product Use as Predictors of Urinary Concentrations of Parabens in Iranian Adolescents
Authors: Hajizadeh Yaghoub , Kiani Feizabadi Ghasem , Feizi Awat
Published: September 2020

Despite the widespread use of parabens as antimicrobial preservatives in personal care products (PCPs) and foodstuffs, recent studies show that exposure to parabens could result in endocrine disruption. The urinary methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, and butylparaben among 100 adolescents and their relationships with using 19 personal care and 18 food products were evaluated. Urinary paraben concentrations were significantly higher in the high-user group (8–19 products) compared to both low (0–3 products) and middle (4–7 products) user groups. The frequency of PCP use was associated with higher urinary levels of 4 parabens, and the frequency of food product use was associated with higher urinary methylparaben and ethylparaben. The use of mouthwash was associated with higher levels of methylparaben, ethylparaben, and propylparaben. Users of makeup base had higher methylparaben and propylparaben, users of eye makeup had higher propylparaben, and users of body wash, sunscreen, and lotion had higher urinary propylparaben than nonusers. Consumers of dairy products had significantly higher urinary methylparaben, propylparaben, and butylparaben, and cookie consumers had higher urinary methylparaben and ethylparaben, than nonusers. Consumers of canned foods and chips/snacks had higher methylparaben, and consumers of sauces and jams had higher ethylparaben than nonconsumers. The findings show that certain types of foods and personal care products could be important sources of paraben exposure. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:2378–2388. © 2020 SETAC