bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Revisión actual del contexto legal y ético de la experimentación con embriones humanos
Authors: Guerrero Franco Juan José , Hernández López Antonio , Guardiola Cutillas Alicia , Guzmán Almansa Miriam
Published: December 2021

En este estudio se pretende hacer una revisión de la situación actual de la experimentación con embriones humanos. El derecho comparativo entre distintos países revela tres posturas legislativas principales: permisiva, restrictiva y prohibitiva. En cuanto a las influencias, se comenta el estatuto del embrión desde el punto de visto religioso y sociopolítico. Además, se abordan problemas éticos y dilemas actuales asociados, comenzando con el famoso Caso Brüstle y culminando con los últimos estudios de células quiméricas. La disparidad de posiciones legales y sociales, junto con los nuevos avances tecnológicos, deja en evidencia la necesidad de un consenso internacional que marque los límites de los ensayos con embriones y aclare la identidad del estatuto del embrión.

This study is aimed to review the current situation regarding experimentation with human embryos. Comparative law among different countries reveals three main legislative positions: permissive, restrictive and prohibitive. In regard to influences, the status of the embryo is discussed from the religious and sociopolitical point of view. In addition, ethical issues and current dilemmas associated are broached, beginning with the famous Brüstle Case and culminating with the latest chimeric cell studies. The disparity of legal and social positions, together with new technological advances, highlights the need for an international consensus that defines the limits of embryo testing and clarifies the identity of the status of the embryo.
Molecular docking analysis of phytocompounds from Acacia farnesiana with protein targets linked to bronchitis
Authors:   Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, Mysuru, Karnataka 570015, India, Beelagi Mallikarjun S
Published: December 2021

Acute bronchitis is a lower respiratory tract lung infection that causes bronchial inflammation. The known protein drug targets are peptidoglycan D, Dtranspeptidase, and DNA topoisomerase 4 subunit A for bronchitis linked infections. These are the membrane associated macromolecules which takes a major role in the formation of cell wall membrane by synthesising the cross-linked peptidoglycan. Therefore, it is of interest to design molecules with improved binding features with these protein targets. Hence, we document the molecular docking analysis data of four phytocompounds from Acacia farnesiana having optimal binding features with these targets linked to bronchitis for further consideration.
Understanding the Impact of the Pain Experience on Aboriginal Children's Wellbeing: Viewing through a Two-Eyed Seeing Lens
Authors: Latimer Margot , Simandl Danielle , Finley Allen , Rudderham Sharon , Harman Katherine , Young Shelley , MacLeod Emily , Hutt-MacLeod Daphne , Francis Julie
Published: December 2021

Pain is a universal experience all humans share but can be unique in how it is expressed. The pain experience is influenced by several dynamic factors, including family, community and culture. When it comes to pain expression children are among the most vulnerable often due to difficulty conveying their discomfort. Childhood pain can have significant physical and developmental effects that can last into adulthood. These negative health outcomes may be more pronounced in Aboriginal children given (a) the high prevalence of painful conditions, (b) potential cultural differences in pain expression, (c) the lack of culturally relevant reliable pain assessment approaches; (d) the subsequent shortcomings in pain care resulting in persistent pain (e) impact on wellbeing and untreated childhood pain. Standardized pain scales are based on Western ways of interpreting pain and may not capture the complexities of this experience through Indigenous understandings. Integration of both Western and Indigenous knowledge is accomplished when employing a Two-Eyed Seeing approach which utilizes the best of both Indigenous and Western knowledge. We want to establish reliable means for Aboriginal children to convey pain and hurt from a holistic perspective. By using a Two-Eyed Seeing lens to examine these issues, we hope to learn how to improve health care encounters, reduce hurt and enrich the wellbeing of Aboriginal children.
The Practice of Implementing ML Service into an Internet Business Application
Authors: Osipovs Pavels
Published: December 2021

Currently, there are a large number of articles describing the theoretical aspects of development in the field of machine learning. However, the experience of their practical application in real systems is described much less often. Basically, authors describe the efficiency, accuracy, and other performance metrics of the resulting solution, but everything stops at the prototype stage. At the same time, how the trained model will behave not on test data, but in real conditions, can be very different from the indicators obtained at the development stage. This article describes the experience of the implementation and real use of a classification service based on machine learning techniques.
Automated System for Restaurant Services
Authors: Deksne Liva , Kempelis Arturs , Sniedzins Toms , Kozlovskis Armands
Published: December 2021

The study proposes a smart restaurant system and analyses its benefits to be able to determine system potential advantages in restaurants. Service time is one of the main criteria that can be improved to enhance the speed of the customer service as well as to increase the number of restaurant visitors. To develop the system, solutions found in scientific literature, software and their different architectures are analysed. It has been found out that it is possible to decrease the average restaurant service load time by 52.76 %. Two hypotheses have been proposed for further research in order to determine how a smart restaurant service system can increase chef’s efficiency and how the use of different algorithms can decrease chef’s workload during peak hours.
NFC-Blockchain Based COVID-19 Immunity Certificate: Proposed System and Emerging Issues
Authors: Ishengoma Fredrick
Published: December 2021

Vaccine requirements are becoming more mandatory in several countries as public health experts and governments become more concerned about the COVID-19 pandemic and its variants. In the meantime, as the number of vaccine requirements grows, so does the counterfeiting of vaccination documents. Fake vaccination certificates are steadily growing, being sold online and on the dark web. Due to the nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a need of robust authentication mechanisms that support touch-less technologies like Near Field Communication (NFC). Thus, in this paper, a blockchain-NFC based COVID-19 Digital Immunity Certificate (DIC) system is proposed. The vaccination data are first encrypted by the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) algorithm on Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS) and then uploaded to the blockchain. The proposed system is based on the amalgamation of NCF and blockchain technologies which can mitigate the issue of fake vaccination certificates. Furthermore, the emerging issues of employing the proposed system are discussed with future directions.
A SYSTEM FOR MEASUREMENTS OF 3D SCANNED ORTHODONTIC STUDY MODELS
Authors: Arapović Savić Marijana , Savić Mihajlo , Arbutina Adriana , Umićević Davidović Mirjana , Mirjanić Vladan
Published: December 2021

Plaster dental casts represent an important item in the process of diagnosis, therapy planning and documenting, both in orthodontics, as well as other areas of dentistry. Dental casts allow us to track occlusal contacts before the therapy as well as the changes during the growth and therapy. Although they do possess many positive features, due to the rapid advancements in technology, their negative sides have became more prominent leading to the more widespread use of digital 3D models as their replacement. In this paper, we present a web based system that allows us, after the casts have been scanned, to produce easily usable digital models, to store them and perform measurements on them. Performed measurements are suitable for futher processing and analysis.
MAGNETORESISTIVE RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY
Authors: Obradović Slobodan , Milošević Borivoje , Davidović Nikola
Published: December 2021

For decades, the memory hierarchy was determined based on latency, bandwidth, and cost between processors, random access memory (RAM), and secondary memory. Although the gap between the processor and RAM has been dampened by fast cache memory, the gap between RAM and secondary memory has remained challenging, expanding to 12 size range in 2015 and continuing to expand by around 50% per year. The rapid development of nanotechnology has triggered a new field in the organization of memory space. For more than a decade, FRAM - ferro random access memory has been in use, which keeps data in the form of a polarization of the ferroelectric crystal that does not lose polarization after the power is turned off. The real revolution is expected in the use of magnetic resonance random access memory (MRAM), which represents data storage technology using magnetic moments, not electric charges. Unlike conventional RAM chips, data in MRAM are not stored as an electrical charge, but with magnetic storage elements. The advantage of this memory is energy independence, that is, the storage of recorded data and the absence of power supply. MRAM has similar properties as SRAM, similar to the density of the record as dynamic RAM (DRAM), with much less consumption, and in relation to flash, it is much faster and with time does not degrade its performance. Theoretically, there is no limit to the number of read and write, so new memories could last unlimited. The paper will discuss this new type of memory organization.
ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY AS A TOOL FOR TESTING BIOMEDICAL SAMPLES AND ELIMINATION PROBE ARTIFACTS
Authors: Petrov Ljubiša , Matija Lidija
Published: December 2021

One of the most perspective available techniques for investigation of the composition, structure and properties of materials, is scanning probe microscopy (SPM), respectively its components scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). This technique is used in multidisciplinary research in the field of medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, material science, etc., for study of biological samples, chemical compounds, pharmaceutical products, artificial tissues, implantology materials, and all other materials that have nanotechnological impact on application in these scientific fields. This is because the probes have not perfect size and geometry, which leads to the appearance of artifacts. They are defined as characteristics that appear on the image and are not present on the sample. These effects caused by convolutions between the probe and sample can be corrected to a certain extent by mathematical manipulation of topographic data. The methodology used in this paper is based on algebra of sets, and basic tools of mathematical morphology. Mathematical algorithms for the „blind reconstruction“ of the tip were used, and then in order to detect the parts of the sample surface which is not available in real-time scanning deconvolution was applied. The limit of the real probe tip is calculated from the image, using the morphological limitations inherent in the recording process. The result acuired as an image of the reconstructed surface out of the used images, with the reconstruction of the real tip. The presented results are clear proof of the usability of atomic force microscopy as a technique for imaging of biological materials on nano-level, and the applied algorithms increase the usability of the images in terms of a better conclusion based on precise numerical data taken from the processed images.
MONTE CARLO SIMULATIONS OF A POLYMER CHAIN MODEL ON EUCLIDEAN LATTICES
Authors: Živić Ivan , Marčetić Dušanka , Elezović Hadžić Sunčica
Published: December 2021

We studied the critical properties of flexible polymers, modelled by self-avoiding random walks, in good solvents and homogeneous environments. By applying the PERM Monte Carlo simulation method, we generated the polymer chains on the square and the simplecubic lattice of the maximal length of N=2000 steps.We enumerated approximately the number of different polymer chain configurations of length N,and analysed its asymptotic behaviour (for large N), determined by the connectivity constant μ and the entropic critical exponent γ. Also, we studied the behaviour of the set of effective critical exponents 휈푁, governing the end-to-end distance of a polymer chain of length N. We have established that in two dimensions 휈푁monotonically increases with N, whereas in three dimensions itmonotonically decreases when Nincreases. Values of 휈푁, obtained for both spatial dimensions have been extrapolated in the range of very long chains.In the end, we discuss and compare our results to those obtained previously for polymers on Euclidean lattices.
A SHORT SUMMARY OF PAST AND RECENT ACTIVITIES ON PROTECTION FROM RADON EXPOSURE CARRIED OUT BY THE ITALIAN NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF HEALTH
Authors: Ampollini Marco , Bochicchio Francesco , Antignani Sara , Caccia Barbara , Caprio Mario , Carpentieri Carmela , Di Carlo Christian , Nuccetelli Cristina , Pozzi Silvia , Valentini Stefano , Venoso Gennaro
Published: December 2021

The Italian National Institute of Health (Istituto Superiore di Sanità ‒ ISS) has a long experience of activities concerning protection from radon exposure (measuring techniques, surveys in dwellings and other environments, public information, training courses, epidemiological studies and risk evaluation, etc.) with the first activities dating back to the eighties. On the basis of this expertise, the ISS has also contributed to radon policies and regulations, in particular to the development of the first Italian National Radon Action Plan (INRAP) in 2002 and its coordination in the following years, as well as to international regulations and recommendations. Many activities have been carried out with significant collaborations not only with Italian agencies and institutes, but also with some other countries as well as with international organizations (e.g. WHO). In this paper, a short summary of the past activities carried out by the ISS on several radon issues is presented. Moreover, some of the recent and current activities and projects are shortly described, taking into account the requirements of the Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom, including design of radon surveys, quality of both active and passive measurements, evaluation of actual public exposure, and cost-effectiveness evaluations.
LONG-TERM MEASUREMENTS OF EQUILIBRIUM EQUIVALENT RADON AND THORON PROGENY CONCENTRATIONS IN REPUBLIC OF SRPSKA DWELLINGS
Authors: Ćurguz Zoran , Stojanovska Zdenka , Mishra Rosaline , Sapra Balvindar K. , Yarmoshenko Ilia V. , Kolarž Predrag , Mirjanić Dragoljub Lj. , Janićijević Aco , Žunić Zora S.
Published: December 2021

The long–term measurements of radon and thoron equilibrium equivalent concentrations (EERC and EETC) were carried out the first time in Republic of Srpska in 25 schools of its capital Banja Luka and in its wider surroundings. After this successful survey, the measurements continued using the same type of the LR 115 nuclear track detectors, i.e., Direct Radon Progeny Sensors/Direct Thoron Progeny Sensors (DRPS/DTPS), and they were deployed in the 36 dwellings nearby the investigated schools. The detectors were exposed for one year period at 15–20 cm distance from the walls. The EERC and EETC were found to vary in the range from 6.3 to 14.4 Bq/m3and from 0.10 to 1.1 Bq/m3, with geometric mean 9.3 and 0.36, respectively. The same variance of EER and EET concentrations, measured in living and bedrooms of buildings built with different construction materials as well at different floors have been obtained. The insignificant correlations between EERC and EETC, show that these concentrations appeared to be independent in investigated dwellings. The calculated ratio of EETC to EERC ranged from 0.01 to 0.16 with the geometric mean of 0.04. The aim of this study is to give possible scientific contribution considering the explanation of EERC and EETC behavior in an indoor environment.
RADON IN NIŠKA BANJA SPA WATERS
Authors: Radonjić Ivana S. , Pavlović Tomislav M. , Mirjanić Dragoljub Lj. , Marić Anđelina
Published: December 2021

The most numerous investigations of radon concentration in waters in Serbia were conducted in Niška Banja spa. Niška Banja spa is considered an area with high natural radioactivity. The appearance of radon in water is due to the leaching of soil in which 226Ra nuclei decompose. The passage of groundwater through radium-rich rocks results in the collection of radium decay products, including radon 222Rn. This paper presents the results of several studies which measured radon concentrations in the waters of Niška Banja spa. There are three thermal springs in Niška Banja spa: „Glavno vrelo“, „Suva banja” and „Školska česma”. The radon concentration in the waters of Niška Banja spa was found to be generally about 0.4-570·103 Bq/m3. According to the available data in the literature, the highest measured radon concentration in the waters of Niška Banja spa is 1463.4·103 Bq/m3.
PROPERTIES OF THE HAND MIXED PMMA BASED CEMENT FOR BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS
Authors: Živić Fatima , Grujović Nenad , Pelemiš Svetlana , Adamović Dragan
Published: December 2021

This paper presents insights into the recent trends in development of PMMA bone cements considering their improvements for applications in clinical practice. Experimental investigation of hand mixed PMMA bone cement was realized, aiming to determine mechanical behavior of the material during nanoindentation. Standard multi-cycle indentation tests were applied, with maximum load of 15 N and immediate load relaxation down to 5 N, with sharp Vickers indenter. Indentation curves were obtained and analyzed as the function of the normal load vs penetration depth, for three different numbers of cycles (100, 200 and 300 cycles) and different indentation positions on the sample surface. Resulting indents were analyses from the aspect of the final material structure and its subsequent mechanical behavior. Agglomeration of PMMA beads was observed in the final hardened cement in some surface zones, thus indicating non-homogenous material structure. Changes in the number of cycles did not show significant influence on the mechanical response of the sample. However, sites with agglomerated PMMA beads showed significantly different indentation curves, thus indicating that hand-mixing of PMMA bone cement can produce non-homogenous final material structure.
BIOMEDICAL POTENTIAL OF SELECTED MUSHROOM SPECIES
Authors: Stanojković Tatjana , Kosanić Marijana
Published: December 2021

The aim of this study was to determine neuroprotective, antioxidant, antimicrobial and cytotoxic potential of acetone extracts of Coprinus comatus and Coprinopsis picacea mushrooms. The neuroprotetive activity was tested against acetylcholinesterase enzyme using the Ellman method. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by free radical scavenging ability, superoxide anion radical scavenging activity and reducing power. The total phenol content was examined using Folin-Ciocalteu reagent. The antimicrobial potential was determined by a microdilution method against 12 microorganisms. The cytotoxic activity was tested using MTT method on the Hela, A549 and LS174 cells. Our results indicate that C. comatus expressed a stronger neuroprotective effect (the percentage of inhibition of acetylcholinesterase was within the range 19.66-51.73%) than C. picacea. In antioxidant effect C. comatus had more potent free radical scavenging activity (IC50 = 276.69 μg/mL) and superoxide anion radical scavenging activity (IC50 = 39.40 μg/mL), while reducing power was relatively similar for both species. The total amount of phenols for C. comatus and C. picacea was 50.57 and 50.20 μg PE/mg of dry extracts, respectively. In antimicrobial activity, C. picacea showed a better effect with MIC values from 0.1 to 7.5 mg/mL. Finally, C. picacea expressed stronger cytotoxicity toward A549 and LS174 cells, while C. comatus was more active against Hela cell.
IMPACT OF CREATINE MONOHYDRATE ON BODY MASS OF SWIMMERS
Authors: Grahovac Goran , Guzina Bojan , Trivun Milomir , Pašić Goran
Published: December 2021

The subject of the research is impact of creatine monohydrate on a mass of swimmers. The test was performed on a sample of 60 swimmers among members of the Academic Swimming Club „22. April“ divided into two groups aged between 21 and 25. All respondents are male and in good health. The respondents belonging to this population are at the zenith of morphological and motor development and are well motivated to advance in swimming. The measurement was carried out at the end of May and half of June 2008 at the premises of the Recreation Center Srpske Toplice (water temperature 28°C). The respondents were measured for body mass at baseline and after 21 days of taking creatine. The main objective of the paper is to determine whether taking creatine for three weeks shows significant differences in a mass gain of swimmers. The results of the research show that the differences in body mass between the two measurements have statistical significance.
РЕФЛЕКСИЈЕ ИМИЏА БиХ НА ЊЕНУ ЕКОНОМСКУ ПЕРСПЕКТИВУ
Authors: Ђерић Бранко , Балотић Горан , Млинаревић Предраг
Published: December 2021

Имиџ представља слику у очима јавности о једној земљи, односно држави до које се долази на бази масе примљених порука, како оних позитивних, тако и негативних. Тренутно, имиџ БиХ, дакле наша позиција и статус у свијести потрошача и потенцијалних пословних парт-нера у свијету је врло лош. Први корак у измјени тог стања је стварање одговарајуће стратегије која ће промијенити такав имиџ и поправити га у очима јавности. Јачањем позитивног имиџа земље повећаће се и конкурентска предност производа и произвођача и националне привреде у цјелини. Осим тога, стварање атрактивног инвестиционог амбијента привући ће значајне СДИ, које су најкраћи пут подизања рејтинга и привлачности једне земље, односно њеног економског развоја и просперитета.
Emerging Role of Prenatal Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Diagnosis of Placental Adhesion Disorders and its Relation with Intraoperative Findings- A Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Gupta Saryu , Sibia Preetkanwal , Kaur Sarabhjit , Gambhir Puneet
Published: December 2021

Introduction: Placental Adhesion Disorders (PADs) aka Placenta Accreta Spectrum (PAS) of disorders are a common cause of postpartum haemorrhage, which in turn is an avoidable cause of significant maternal morbidity and mortality. The exponential increase in the prevalence of PADs worldwide primarily ascribed to increasing percentage of caesarean section deliveries therefore contributes significantly to potentially life-threatening obstetrical emergencies. Accurate prenatal diagnosis of PAD is hence fundamental for patient management and prognostication. Imaging plays an indispensable role in the antenatal diagnosis of PAD thereby translating to improved maternal outcomes. Aim: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of prenatal Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in predicting abnormal invasive placentation and to associate MRI findings with intraoperative findings. Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted between March 2019 to March 2020. Pregnant females with clinically and/or sonographically suspected PAD and having major risk factors of PAD {Lower Segment Caesarean Section (LSCS) in previous and placenta previa in present gestation} were subjected to dedicated placenta protocol MRI examination. The placental morphology, localisation and adhesion suggestive features were evaluated in detail. Descriptive statistical analysis was done for final assessment. Results: A total of 27 study participants, with mean age of 28±2.15 years, showed MRI findings compatible with PAD. Placenta previa complete (66.67%); was the dominant subtype observed in the study. In terms of degree of invasion, placenta accreta in 44.44% (n=12) was predominantly observed on preliminary MRI based assessment. The most reliable MRI features predictive of placental invasion in the present study (seen in 100% cases of PAD) included T2 dark intraplacental bands, heterogenous intraplacental signal intensity, disorganised intraplacental vascularity, myometrial thinning, loss of the uteroplacental interface and maternal neovascularity. In one case, MRI erroneously over-diagnosed increta as percreta. The overall diagnostic performance of these MRI parameters was with sensitivity, specificity, Positive Predictive Value (PPV) and Negative Predictive Value (NPV) of 100%, 95%; 87.5% and 100% in those with placenta percreta compared to 94.12%, 100.00%, 100% and 95% for the placenta accreta or increta cases, respectively. Conclusion: MRI has high diagnostic accuracy in detection of PADs among the high-risk patients. Dedicated placenta protocol prenatal MRI should hence be incorporated in diagnostic work- up of all high-risk patients of PAD for reaping benefits of timely management, planning and saving lives.
МОДЕЛИРОВАНИЕ ТОПОЛОГИЧЕСКОЙ НЕРАВНОМЕРНОСТИ СЛОЕВ, ОСАЖДАЕМЫХ ИЗ ГАЗОВОЙ ФАЗЫ НА МИКРОРЕЛЬЕФНУЮ ПОДЛОЖКУ, "Электронная техника. Серия 3. Микроэлектроника"
Authors: Евдокимов В.Л.
Published: December 2021

Предложена модель формирования профиля слоев в траншее и на гребенчатой структуре кристаллов субмикронных интегральных схем. Модель учитывает скорость поверхностной диффузии адсорбированного реагента в соотношении со скоростью его превращения в конечный продукт. Дано уравнение показателя конформности, аппроксимирующее для различных типов слоев зависимость от энергии активации химической реакции и температуры осаждения. Представлены аналитические выражения и оценки профилей для одиночной траншеи и регулярной рельефной структуры, учитывающие эффект загрузки и геометрический фактор доставки реагента.
Preparation of Glass Fiber/Poly(Ether Ether Ketone) Composite Foam with Improved Compressive Strength and Heat Resistance
Authors: Liang Liubo , Jiang Botao , Wu Tonghua , Ma Youmei , Zhang Shuling , Wang Guibin
Published: December 2021

Glass fiber/poly(ether ether ketone) (GF/PEEK) composite foams with improved compressive strength and heat resistance can be successfully prepared using a simple and environmentally friendly supercritical carbon dioxide (sc‐CO2) foaming technology. The cell morphologies of the foams can be controlled by adjusting the GF content and foaming parameters, including the saturation temperature, saturation time, saturation pressure, and depressurization rate. With a foam density of 0.55 g cm−3, the PEEK‐based composite foam having 30% GF content has a 10% compressive strength of 11.07 MPa, and its density varies negligibly up to 330.0 °C. The GF/PEEK composite foams having high GF contents show significantly better properties than those having low GF contents as a result of the supporting and strengthening effect of the GF in the PEEK cell walls. The GF/PEEK composite foams also show good corrosion resistance. As a result of these properties, the GF/PEEK composite foams are promising high‐performance materials for use in extreme environments.
Continuous Carbon Channels Enable Full Na‐Ion Accessibility for Superior Room‐Temperature Na–S Batteries
Authors: Wu Can , Lei Yaojie , Simonelli Laura , Tonti Dino , Black Ashley , Lu Xinxin , Lai Wei‐Hong , Cai Xiaolan , Wang Yun‐Xiao , Gu Qinfen , Chou Shu‐Lei , Liu Hua‐Kun , Wang Guoxiu , Dou Shi‐Xue
Published: December 2021

Porous carbon has been widely used as an efficient host to encapsulate highly active molecular sulfur (S) in Li–S and Na–S batteries. However, for these sub‐nanosized pores, it is a challenge to provide fully accessible sodium ions with unobstructed channels during cycling, particularly for high sulfur content. It is well recognized that solid interphase with full coverage over the designed architectures plays critical roles in promoting rapid charge transfer and stable conversion reactions in batteries, whereas constructing a high‐ionic‐conductivity solid interphase in the pores is very difficult. Herein, unique continuous carbonaceous pores are tailored, which can serve as multifunctional channels to encapsulate highly active S and provide fully accessible pathways for sodium ions. Solid sodium sulfide interphase layers are also realized in the channels, showing high Na‐ion conductivity toward stabilizing the redox kinetics of the S cathode during charge/discharge processes. This systematically designed carbon‐hosted sulfur cathode delivers superior cycling performance (420 mAh g−1 at 2 A g−1 after 2000 cycles), high capacity retention of ≈90% over 500 cycles at current density of 0.5 A g−1, and outstanding rate capability (470 mAh g−1 at 5 A g−1) for room‐temperature sodium–sulfur batteries.
Plasmon‐Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity of Organic Heterostructure for Indoor‐Light Antibacterial Therapy
Authors: Jiao Hui‐Feng , Guo Jiaxu , Cui Yuying , Yu Xin , Liao Yunfei , Ying Yiran , Li Zhongan , Yao Kai , Huang Haitao
Published: December 2021

Semiconductor nanomaterials with photocatalytic activity have been considered as potential antibacterial materials against bacterial infection. Noble metal nanoparticles have been developed with semiconductors to promote their photocatalytic activities; however, the incorporation of noble metal NPs brings the risk of toxicity from the heavy metal species, especially for the widely used Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs). Herein, an all‐organic chloridized g‐C3N4/perylene‐3,4,9,10‐tetracarboxylic diimide (Cl‐CNPD) heterostructure is chosen as a platform, in which the chloridized g‐C3N4 provides bonding sites for uniform loading of AgNPs to prepare a plasmonic antibacterial nanocomposite. Benefiting from the in situ implanting approach, plasmon‐induced light manipulation from the homodispersed AgNPs enables the nanocomposites to produce more reactive oxygen species (ROS), resulting in an antibacterial efficacy up to 96.1 ± 1.4% and 91.5 ± 1.8% against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) under simulated sunlight (20 mW cm−2) and indoor light (5 mW cm−2) irradiation within 20 min, respectively, much higher than that of the organic heterostructure. Moreover, the strong interaction between the AgNPs and Cl‐CNPD not only guarantees negligible toxicity by minimizing Ag leakage, but also shows high durability with unchanged efficacy after challenging bacteria up to five times repeatedly. Therefore, this confined plasmonic‐based antibacterial nanocomposite shows great potential as a safe therapeutic system for wound disinfection.
Spatial characteristics of carbon and nitrogen reserves in the black soils of China
Authors: Wang Jingfa , Ba Zhidan , Song Chunwei , Du Huishi
Published: December 2021

Soil total carbon (STC) and total nitrogen (TN) play important roles in providing essential nutrients for vegetation growth, improving soil structural properties, dissipating organic pollutants, and reflecting the fertility of black soils. Based on 1,057 soil samples collected 0 to 20 cm below the surface, geostatistical analysis was used to explore the spatial distribution and factors influencing STC, TN, and C/N ratios in the study area, which is a typical black soil area in northeast China measuring 83,439.04 km2. The soil sampling points were based on randomness and accessibility, spaced 1.25 km apart. The average STC and TN contents and C/N ratios in typical black soil areas of northeast China were 19.25 and 1.88 g kg–1 and 10.07, respectively, and the STC and TN were significantly higher than the national averages (13.26 and 1.32 g kg–1, respectively). The spatial distribution showed a decreasing trend from northeast to southwest, and the nucleation density of STC and TN was highest in the central part and decreased to the north and south. The STC and TN contents and C/N ratio were highest in clayey soil and were 46.11 and 4.23 g kg–1 and 11.39, respectively. The sandy soils had the lowest STC, TN, and C/N ratios. The distribution of STC and TN content is governed by multiple factors, such as human activities, soil type, climate, topography, soil acidity and alkalinity, and land use changes. This study provides the benchmark needed for the development and conservation of China's black soil resources.
Online product quality estimator based on true dew point curve for control of crude distillation units
Authors: Brambilla Alessandro
Published: December 2021

Operational excellence for Distillation Units and particularly for Crude Distillation Units is achieved by tight control of product quality which is usually estimated by inferential models. This article is focused on a novel approach leading to calculate an appropriate input to the inferential model strictly related to the characteristics of real feed to the column rectifying section where the separation of products occurs. The calculation simplicity based on usually available plant measurements is an additional feature of the proposed approach. This article introduces the definition of a novel curve characterizing hydrocarbon streams: the True Dew Point curve (TDP), whose name recalls the strong relationship with True Boiling Point curve (TBP). Inferential results obtained with the TDP curve have been performed adopting an approximation of the rectifying feed TDP curve with the assumption that any more accurate TDP curve description would give better results. Inferential validation has been carried out comparing the estimations with two different approaches: one based on model input derived from the crude feed TBP curve, assuming that is known and considering these results as benchmark, the other based on a pilot tray temperature (assuming available) as model input for each product. A general database has been built running rigorous simulation models of an atmospheric fractionator, with variations of most operating parameters affecting the distillation ASTM 95% quality chosen as product specification. This article suggests the way to solve problems deriving from high nonlinearity of feed TBP curves, showing the application of TDP methodology to a vacuum fractionator. An application to real laboratory and plant data of atmospheric fractionator is also shown.
One‐Pot Biocatalytic In Vivo Methylation‐Hydroamination of Bioderived Lignin Monomers to Generate a Key Precursor to L‐DOPA
Authors: Galman James L. , Parmeggiani Fabio , Seibt Lisa , Birmingham William R. , Turner Nicholas J.
Published: December 2021

Electron‐rich phenolic substrates can be derived from the depolymerisation of lignin feedstocks. Direct biotransformations of the hydroxycinnamic acid monomers obtained can be exploited to produce high‐value chemicals, such as α‐amino acids, however the reaction is often hampered by the chemical autooxidation in alkaline or harsh reaction media. Regioselective O‐methyltransferases (OMTs) are ubiquitous enzymes in natural secondary metabolic pathways utilising an expensive co‐substrate S‐adenosyl‐l‐methionine (SAM) as the methylating reagent altering the physicochemical properties of the hydroxycinnamic acids. In this study, we engineered an OMT to accept a variety of electron‐rich phenolic substrates, modified a commercial E. coli strain BL21 (DE3) to regenerate SAM in vivo, and combined it with an engineered ammonia lyase to partake in a one‐pot, two whole cell enzyme cascade to produce the l‐DOPA precursor l‐veratrylglycine from lignin‐derived ferulic acid.
A Mechanistically Inspired Halenium Ion Initiated Spiroketalization: Entry to Mono‐ and Dibromospiroketals
Authors: Ashtekar Kumar Dilip , Gholami Hadi , Moemeni Mehdi , Chakraborty Ankush , Kiiskila Lindsey , Ding Xinliang , Toma Edmond , Rahn Christopher , Borhan Babak
Published: December 2021

Employing halenium affinity (HalA) as a guiding tool, the weak nucleophilic character of alkyl ketones was modulated by the templating effect of a tethered 2‐tetrahydropyranyl(THP)‐protected alcohol towards realizing a bromenium ion initiated spiroketalization cascade. Addition of ethanol aided an early termination of the cascade by scavenging the THP group after the halofunctionalization stage, furnishing monobromospiroketals. Alternatively, exclusion of ethanol from the reaction mixture biased the transient oxocarbenium towards α‐deprotonation that precedes a second bromofunctionalization event thus, furnishing dibrominated spiroketals. The regio‐ and stereoselectivity exploited in the current methodology provides a novel and rapid access to the dibrominated spiroketal motifs exhibited by several natural products.
Modulating the Excited State Chirality of Dynamic Chemical Reactions in Chiral Micelles
Authors: Yang Xuefeng , Jin Xue , Zhou Lili , Duan Pengfei , Fan Yaxun , Wang Yilin
Published: December 2021

Chirality generation and transfer is not only of critical importance in resolving the origin of biological homochirality, but also is of great significance for exploring the chirality‐related functionalities in nanomaterials and supramolecular systems. Although modulating the ground state chirality in chiral nanomaterials has been widely demonstrated, it remains a big challenge to steer the excited state chirality (circularly polarized luminescence, CPL). Herein, we present a kind of chiral spherical micelles constructed by chiral cationic gemini surfactants, whose surfaces and cavities could co‐assemble with hydrophilic and hydrophobic emitters concurrently. Subsequently, the hydrophilic and hydrophobic emitters could be endowed with CPL activity in the aqueous phase. Additionally, the cavities of such micelles can be regarded as the powerful chiral confined space, which could effectively modulate the excited state chirality of dynamic chemical reactions, enabling color‐adjustable CPL emission.
Sensitive Quantification of MicroRNA in Blood through Multi‐amplification Toehold‐Mediated DNA‐Strand‐Displacement Paper‐Spray Mass Spectrometry (TSD‐PS MS)
Authors: Yang Yanmei , Wang Weiqing , Liu Huimin , Tong Lili , Mu Xiaoyan , Chen Zhenzhen , Tang Bo
Published: December 2021

Accurate quantification of disease‐signature microRNAs (miRNAs) in biomedical samples is in high demand for clinical diagnosis but still challenging because of the low abundance of miRNAs and complicating interferences in the milieus. Here, we report a multi‐amplification strategy based on paper‐spray mass spectrometry (PS MS) for the analysis of miRNAs in blood. A toehold‐mediated DNA‐strand‐displacement reaction (TSD) is employed to amplify the signal chain and to ensure the specificity. The signal chain is then cleaved by UV light to release signal molecules for detection. Moreover, the paper spray method can efficiently filter out interfering substances in the blood and further enhance the sensitivity of detection. This concept is successfully demonstrated in the prototypical detection of the cancer biomarker miRNA‐141 in blood and serum. The proposed TSD‐PS MS approach provides an efficient method for the sensitive detection of oligonucleotides at low concentration in complicated milieus.
A newly developed layered model to analytically predict the piezoelectric property of polymeric foams: Cellular geometry consideration
Authors: Daryadel Mahsa , Azdast Taher
Published: December 2021

Piezoelectric property refers to the ability of materials to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy and vice versa. The development of science and technology and their orientation towards digital life will increase the need to use this property more and more. Polymeric foams are one of the materials that show high piezoelectric property. So far, only layered model has been proposed to predict the piezoelectric property of these materials. But to the best knowledge of the authors, there is no comprehensive research to investigate the accuracy of this model. Therefore, in this study, the obtained theoretical results from the layered model are compared to the experimental results and the accuracy of this model is investigated. Also, the presented solution by other authors to improve the accuracy of this model is studied. Finally, a new approach is developed to predict piezoelectric property of polymeric foams. The results show that the presented approach in this study increases the accuracy of the layered model compared to previous approaches. Considering the cellular structure of the polymeric foam as hexagonal geometry, the error is obtained 0.2%. Furthermore, the effect of different structural parameters on the maximum remnant charge density is investigated.
Decreased carboxylesterase expression associated with increased susceptibility to insecticide in Mythimna separata
Authors: Liu Yan , Li Shuangyu , Yang Hongjia , Chen Yaru , Fan Dong
Published: December 2021

Carboxylesterases are one of the three major types of detoxification enzyme in insects. In this study, we screened 12 full‐length carboxylesterase cDNA sequences from the oriental armyworm Mythimna separata; they were named MsCarE1–MsCarE12 and registered in GenBank with accession numbers MK440541–MK440552. Treatment of fourth instar larvae of M. separata with the LD50 of the insecticide chlorantraniliprole increased the expression levels of MsCarE3 and MsCarE4, while treatment with the LD50 of lambda‐cyhalothrin significantly increased the expression levels of MsCarE5 and MsCarE10. Spatiotemporal expression detection showed that MsCarE3, MsCarE4, MsCarE5, and MsCarE10 were expressed at different developmental stages and in different tissues of M. separata and their expression levels were different. Induction using a high dose of chlorantraniliprole resulted in lower expression of MsCarE3 and MsCarE4. LD50 of lambda‐cyhalothrin induced higher expression of MsCarE5 and MsCarE10, while LD70 induced higher MsCarE10 expression at 3, 6, and 12 h after treatment. RNA interference successfully inhibited the expression of MsCarE3, MsCarE4, MsCarE5, and MsCarE10, to different degrees at different time points. Silencing of MsCarE5, or MsCarE5 and MsCarE10 simultaneously changed carboxylesterase activity and increased the susceptibility of M. separata larvae to lambda‐cyhalothrin. This study provides a new method to increase the insect susceptibility to insecticide.
Therapeutic Effect of Cyclin‐Dependent Kinase 4/6 Inhibitor on Dermal Fibrosis in Murine Models of Systemic Sclerosis
Authors: Yamamoto Akio , Saito Tetsuya , Hosoya Tadashi , Kawahata Kimito , Asano Yoshihide , Sato Shinichi , Mizoguchi Fumitaka , Yasuda Shinsuke , Kohsaka Hitoshi
Published: December 2021

Objective

One of the histologic characteristics of systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an increased number of dermal myofibroblasts, and transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) plays a crucial role in the promotion of myofibroblast differentiation from fibroblasts, leading to dermal fibrosis. This study was undertaken to 1) examine whether inhibition of the cell cycle with a cyclin‐dependent kinase 4/6 (CDK4/6) inhibitor suppresses the proliferation of fibroblasts and their differentiation into myofibroblasts, and 2) assess the therapeutic effects of a CDK4/6 inhibitor, administered as monotherapy or in combination with a TGFβ receptor (TGFβR) inhibitor, on dermal fibrosis in murine models of SSc.

Methods

Fibroblasts obtained from the skin of patients with SSc were cultured in the presence or absence of TGFβ. The effects of palbociclib, a CDK4/6 inhibitor, on fibroblast proliferation and TGFβ‐induced differentiation into myofibroblasts were examined using bromodeoxyuridine uptake assays as well as immunofluorescence and immunoblotting analyses. Murine models of HOCl‐ and bleomycin‐induced dermal fibrosis were used to study the effect of a CDK4/6 inhibitor on dermal fibrosis, with the CDK4/6 inhibitor treatment administered as monotherapy or in combination with galunisertib, a TGFβR inhibitor.

Results

Addition of a CDK4/6 inhibitor to the cell cultures suppressed the proliferation of human dermal SSc fibroblasts and their TGFβ‐induced differentiation into myofibroblasts, without inhibiting canonical and noncanonical TGFβ signals. In murine models of dermal fibrosis, treatment of mice with a CDK4/6 inhibitor decreased dermal thickness and collagen content, as well as dermal fibroblast proliferation and the numbers of myofibroblasts. Combination therapy with the CDK4/6 inhibitor and TGFβR inhibitor resulted in additive antifibrotic effects. Mechanistically, the CDK4/6 inhibitor suppressed the expression of cellular communication network 2 and cadherin‐11, which are proteins that have important roles in the development and progression of fibrosis.

Conclusion

Results of this study demonstrate the therapeutic effect of a CDK4/6 inhibitor on dermal fibrosis when administered as monotherapy or in combination with a TGFβR inhibitor. CDK4/6 inhibitors, including palbociclib used in the present study, may represent novel agents for the treatment of SSc, which, if used in combination with a TGFβR inhibitor, might result in increased efficacy.
Reimagining systematic anatomy: The conclusion of the quartet
Authors: Neumann Paul E.
Published: December 2021

The central dogma of systematic anatomy is the well‐known hierarchy of anatomical structures: body‐systems‐organs‐tissues‐cells. This schema omits extracellular matrix and extracellular fluids, which account for a significant proportion of body mass, and distorts the meanings of the terms system, organ and tissue in anatomy. These faults are partially due to oversimplification, presumably intended for educational purposes, and confusion of anatomy's organ systems with physiological systems. A revised schema of the hierarchy of systematic anatomy is presented that is more complete and more consistent with the long history of anatomy.
Enhanced Immunostimulatory Activity of Covalent DNA Dendrons
Authors: Kawamoto Yusuke , Liu Wen , Yum Ji Hye , Park Soyoung , Sugiyama Hiroshi , Takahashi Yuki , Takakura Yoshinobu
Published: December 2021

The present study focused on the design and synthesis of covalent DNA dendrons bearing multivalent cytosine‐phosphate‐guanine oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG ODNs) that can stimulate the immune system through the activation of TLR9. These dendrons were synthesized using branching trebler phosphoramidite containing three identical protecting groups that enabled the simultaneous synthesis of multiple strands on a single molecule. Compared with linear ODNs, covalent DNA dendrons were found to be more resistant to nuclease degradation and were more efficiently taken up by macrophage‐like RAW264.7 cells. Cellular uptake was suggested to be mediated by macrophage scavenger receptors. The covalent DNA dendrons composed of multivalent immunostimulatory branches enhanced the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines TNF‐α and IL‐6 from RAW264.7 cells, and 9‐branched DNA dendrons showed the highest enhancement. Given their enhanced efficacy, we expect covalent DNA dendrons to be useful structures of oligonucleotide medicines.