bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Un acercamiento a los fundamentos y aplicaciones de la nanotecnología
Authors: Balandrán Quintana René Renato , Mendoza Wilson Ana María
Published: October 2021

La nanotecnología consiste en la comprensión, manipulación y aprovechamiento de las propiedades que tienen los materiales en la nanoescala, es decir, en dimensiones que se encuentran en el rango de 1 a 100 nm, para desarrollar productos con utilidad práctica. En la década de 1990 inició la revolución nanotecnológica gracias a una mejor comprensión de las propiedades de la materia en la nanoescala. Estas propiedades novedosas se derivan de una gran área superficial e incluyen una mayor reactividad química, depresión de las temperaturas de fusión, alta resistencia mecánica, elevada conductividad eléctrica, efectos ópticos inusuales, entre otras. La nanotecnología permite el desarrollo de materiales innovadores con aplicaciones en todas las ramas de la industria. Destacan las industrias biomédica, farmacéutica, electrónica, química, alimentaria, agrícola, de la construcción, textil, cosmética, de deportes y manufacturera. A pesar de estar presente en artículos de uso cotidiano, la sociedad tiene percepciones erróneas sobre la nanotecnología, principalmente debido a la desinformación. La presente comunicación tiene como objetivo informar objetivamente sobre el concepto de nanotecnología a través de presentar, de una manera sencilla, los fundamentos de esta disciplina y ofrecer ejemplos de aplicaciones reales.
تعريف مُسبب مرض العفن السُخامي على الأشجار في محيط جامعة عمر المختار – البيضاء -ليبيا
Authors: عبدالرواف إيمان جبريل , الجالي زهرة ابراهيم , الوحش كاملة عبد الرحيم
Published: October 2021

أُجريت الدراسة خلال الموسم 2017-2018 بهدف تعريف مُسبب مرض العفن السُخامي على أوراق بعض النباتات في محيط الجامعة شملت التين، الزيتون والدفلة، اللوز، الخروب، الكافور، الإكليل، الصبار النجمي، الورد البلدي، البزرومية ونباتات أخرى، حيث جرت زيارات أسبوعية لجمع العينات الورقية، وفحصها لمُلاحظة وجود المرض والحشرات المُرافقة، كما تم عزل مُسبب المرض على الوسط الغذائي آجار البطاطس والسكروز Potato sucrose Agar (PSA)، وتعريفه بناءً على صفاته المزرعية، والشكلية، واختبار قُدرته على إصابة النسيج النباتي. أثبتت الدراسة وجود المرض على أشجار الزيتون والتين والدفلة مرافقاً لوجود الحشرات الماصة، في حين خلت بقية النباتات من الإصابة عدا الصبار النجمي، وبعض الحشائش. كانت أعلى نسبة وشدة إصابة بالمرض (75.5% و69%) سُجلت على أشجار الزيتون يليها الدفلة ثم التين.  نتائج العزل أثبتت تسجيل الفطر Alternaria alternata على الأوراق، فيما برهنت نتائج اختبار القدرة على إصابة نسيج النبات عدم ظهور أي أعراض مرضية على الأوراق المعداة اصطناعياً.
Sistem Informasi Geografis Pariwisata Kabupaten Karo Menggunakan Google Maps Berbasis Web
Authors: Munthe Henra , Pakpahan Sorang
Published: October 2021

Karo Regency is one of the areas in North Sumatra Province that has the potential to become a tourism area, with the Vision "Realizing Karo Tourism that is advanced, Modern environmentally friendly and highly competitive by maintaining karo cultural values through the broadest participation of the community and business world to increase Regional Original Revenue "The Karo District Government has promoted through mass media such as newspapers, pamphlets, distributing brochures and promoting through blogs. However, this method is not enough to inform tourism extensively towards domestic tourists and foreign tourists. The design and manufacture of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Tourism is expected to be able to display tourist maps of Karo Regency in the form of a degital map, which can be accessed by tourists. In the Design of Web-Based Karo Tourism Geographic Information System carried out by collecting data, observing and interviewing the Secretary of the Office at the Karo District Tourism and Culture Office and designing tourism maps displayed in this system using Google Maps, the software used in building this application is PHP (Personal Home Page) as a programming language, MySQL as a database server, Macromedia Dreamweaver 8 as the Design Editor. Karo Regency's geographic tourism information system is a system that provides information to tourists about the location of tourist attractions and tourism support facilities in Karo District.
Comércio Eletrônico: Uma Análise da Aplicabilidade de Modelos de Qualidade de Software
Authors: Gomes Luiz Alberto Ferreira , Côrtes Mario Lúcio
Published: October 2021

O rápido desenvolvimento do comércio eletrônico está provocando a evolução das técnicas de desenvolvimento de software. Formalmente, se conhece muito pouco sobre os impactos deste movimento sobre a qualidade de software. Este artigo apresenta os resultados preliminares de uma pesquisa cujo objetivo é analisar a aplicabilidade de modelos de qualidade de software no desenvolvimento de aplicações para comércio eletrônico. A análise é baseada na percepção de vários autores na literatura e de dados coletados em entrevistas com gerentes de projeto de organizações brasileiras de comércio eletrônico.
Qualidade Websites Bancários Um Estudo de Caso
Authors: Lima Alberto Sampaio , da Silva Filho José Bezerra , Belchior Arnaldo Dias
Published: October 2021

Os Bancos são instituições financeiras que trabalham com uma clientela muito variada, necessitando prestar um serviço eficiente a todo custo. De acordo com a Federação Brasileira das Associações de Bancos (FEBRABAN), os investimentos nas áreas de informática e de telecomunicações são crescentes e colocaram o sistema bancário brasileiro entre os mais modernos do mundo. O cliente destas instituições cada vez mais procura formas alternativas de atendimento fora do ambiente tradicional de trabalho dos Bancos, que são as agências e postos tradicionais. Este trabalho desenvolveu uma metodologia para avaliação da usabilidade de interfaces de websites bancários, que foi validada através de uma pesquisa de campo. Como resultado, obteve-se algumas diretrizes e orientações para o desenvolvimento de websites corporativos para o sistema bancário.
(Re)construção de Interfaces de Usuário a partir da Lógica de Construção de Sistemas, Modelos Conceituais e Processo de Reflexão Humana
Authors: Furtado Elizabeth Sucupira , Barbosa David Falcão , de Oliveira Kênia G. , Carvalho Alécio
Published: October 2021

Dentre os fatores considerados durante a avaliação da qualidade de um Sistema Interativo (SI), destaca-se a usabilidade, que diz respeito à capacidade do SI de ser fácil de usar e aprender. Durante esta avaliação, problemas de usabilidade são geralmente encontrados. Este artigo descreve uma estratégia de reconstrução (redesign) de interfaces de usuário, que integra três áreas: Educação, Engenharia de Software (ES) e Interação Humano-Computador (IHC). Mais especificamente, são considerados estudos sobre o processo de reflexão humana, a forma lógica de realizar especificações funcionais a partir de objetos de saída (como: campos de relatórios, objetos de interação de interfaces de usuário) e os modelos conceituais usados para expressarem a interatividade do usuário com um SI.
PBR: Transferência de Tecnologia Baseada em Pacotes de Experimentação
Authors: Höhn Erika , Maldonado José Carlos , Mendonça Manoel , Fabbri Sandra , Villas Boas André Luiz , Tambascia Cláudia , de Freitas Mirian Ellen , Pagliuso Priscila
Published: October 2021

Este artigo caracteriza um processo de transferencia de tecnologia, do âmbito acadêmico para o industrial, utilizando como mecanismo o processo de experimentação com base em pacotes de laboratório. A técnica envolvida é a técnica de leitura PBR ( ́ Perspective-Based Reading). O modelo de compartilhamento do conhecimento no contexto de experimentação e o paradigma de melhoria da experimentação são abordados durante o processo de transferência. Este trabalho ressalta a necessidade e as contribuições obtidas na cooperação entre a indústria e a academia.
A qualidade do processo de desenvolvimento de software a partir da gestão de projetos: um estudo de caso
Authors: Bezerra Cicero Aparecido
Published: October 2021

A qualidade é percebida em três dimensões: no projeto, no processo e no produto. Estas três dimensões, quando combinadas, contribuem para a qualidade total do produto. Vários estudos têm sido realizados no sentido de mensurar a qualidade do produto final, que é facilmente perceptível pelo usuário. Em relação a produtos de software, quando as necessidades do cliente não são atendidas, nada mais pode ser feito no sentido de manter sua expectativa com a qualidade, há não ser reparos no software, acarretando retrabalho e consumo extra de recursos. Neste sentido, torna-se natural focar a atenção também em aspectos existentes durante o processo de desenvolvimento, mas precisamente na gestão do projeto, visto sua persistência em todas as fases da engenharia de software. O presente artigo avalia os resultados da implantação de gestão de projetos em uma pequena software-house, sob a ótica dos engenheiros de software, nos aspectos de produtividade, controle, satisfação e inovação, fatores considerados integrantes da qualidade de processo. Esta avaliação é efetuada em dois momentos distintos, com a intenção de verificar sua continuidade, ou se trata apenas de mais uma abordagem passageira que não agrega valor ao produto final.
Modelo de Referência e Método de Avaliação para Melhoria de Processo de Software - versão 1.0 (MR-MPS e MA-MPS)
Authors: Weber Kival Chaves , Araújo Eratóstenes , Machado Cristina Angela Filipak , Scalet Danilo , Salviano Clênio Figueiredo , Rocha Ana Regina Cavalcanti da
Published: October 2021

Este artigo descreve um Modelo de Referência de Processo e um Modelo de Avaliação de Processo, denominados MR-MPS e MA-MPS, que estão sendo desenvolvidos no Projeto MPS.BR – melhoria de processo do sofware Brasileiro. O MR-MPS e o MA-MPS foram criados de acordo com a realidade brasileira e visam tanto a plena compatibilidade com o CMMI como a conformidade com as normas ISO/IEC 12207 e ISO/IEC 15504. O Modelo MPS é descrito em três documentos: guia geral, guia de avaliação e guia de aquisição. Este artigo também apresenta os primeiros resultados do projeto. O Modelo MPS tem um grande potencial de replicabilidade em muitas cidades no Brasil e em outros países com características similares no que se refere ao setor de software, como na América Latina.
Desenvolvimento Distribuído de Software: um Modelo de Classificação dos Níveis de Dispersão dos Stakeholders
Authors: Prikladnicki Rafael , Lopes Leandro , Audy Jorge Luis N. , Evaristo Roberto
Published: October 2021

O objetivo deste artigo é propor um modelo de classificação dos níveis de dispersão dos stakeholders envolvidos em projetos de desenvolvimento distribuído de software. Para isto, propõem-se alguns critérios para a definição dos níveis de dispersão. O modelo de classificação proposto é parte resultante de uma dissertação de mestrado e foi aplicado em dois estudos de caso, cujos resultados são apresentados e discutidos. Estes estudos de caso compreendem uma organização multinacional que desenvolve projetos com equipes distribuídas em diversos países em mais de um continente. Esta pesquisa é caracterizada como exploratória, com estudo de caso como método de pesquisa principal. Como resultado, apresenta-se o modelo proposto, discutindo suas vantagens e a sua representação.
Promovendo Melhorias na Comunicação e Colaboração em uma Plataforma de Gestão de Conhecimento através de Recomendações
Authors: Silva Edeilson M. , Costa Ricardo A. , Godoy Neto Mario , Oliveira Robson , Meira Silvio
Published: October 2021

A presente pesquisa propõe modificações para o a.m.i.g.o.s., uma rede social baseada na web (Web Based Social Network - WBSN). Esta WBSN é usada como ferramenta de comunicação e cooperação dos colaboradores do C.E.S.A.R. - um Instituto de Inovação de Produtos de Software do Recife. Estas modificações estão voltadas para melhorias no sistema automatizado de recomendações do a.m.i.g.o.s. As recomendações possibilitam a filtragem de informações relevantes para cada usuário do sistema. Em conseqüência disso, a comunicação e a colaboração no C.E.S.A.R. tendem a expressivas melhorias.
Introdução a Modelagem de Processos de Negócio: Teoria e Prática
Authors: Ralha Célia , Pak Albert
Published: October 2021

O objetivo principal deste minicurso é introduzir conceitos e uma prática preliminar de modelagem de processos de negócio para alunos e profissionais ligados a área de computação. Um processo de negócio é um fluxo contínuo de atividades relacionadas a um objetivo da organização e que agrega valor aos seus produtos. O conhecimento e formas de representação dos processos através da atividade de modelagem são fundamentais para responder crescente demanda por produtos e serviços de qualidade, estabelecendo o nível desejado de competitividade no mercado. Este minicurso pretende apresentar uma introdução sobre a teoria e o desenvolvimento metodológico na prática de modelagem de processos, como técnica importante para melhorar a aderência entre os modelos de negócio desenvolvidos nas organizações e os processos de desenvolvimento de software, orientados ao tratamento da informação e do conhecimento.
CASIA : A Context-Aware Service Identification Aligned to Business
Authors: Silva Michel da , Azevedo Leonardo , Santoro Flavia Maria
Published: October 2021

Organizations use services to support the implementation of their business process. Service requirements are identified at design time. However, due to changes in the business processes, a service might no longer comply with those requirements. Hence it is needed to adapt the application that implements the process to consume other services which best fit its needs. This paper describes an approach for automatic and flexible identification of services that are more appropriate to meet the context of a specific process instance. An example of application of the proposal is conducted in order to demonstrate its applicability.
Provimento de Informações sobre Transporte Público Urbano para Empresas Concessionárias: Simulação e Avaliação Apoiada por um Sistema Multi-agentes
Authors: Silveira Thiago Lopes Trugillo , Pasin Marcia
Published: October 2021

O monitoramento e planejamento por empresas concessionárias são elementos chave na tarefa de provisão de transporte público com qualidade. De fato, algumas ferramentas computacionais e simuladores desempenham este papel e auxiliam humanos nas tarefas de melhoramento e gestão de transporte. No entanto, soluções existentes são tipicamente proprietárias, com custo proibitivo para muitas cidades, ou então não são fáceis de usar por não-especialistas. Este trabalho apresenta a implementação e avaliação de uma simulação apoiada por um sistema multi-agentes para modelar os componentes de transporte urbano coletivo (como fluxo, vias, veículos, pedestres, paradas de ônibus). A ferramenta pode ser facilmente operada por não-especialistas e foi avaliada experimentalmente usando como cenário uma cidade de médio porte, considerando variações de fluxo do período de diferentes jornadas completas.
Collaboration-Aware Hit Song Analysis and Prediction
Authors: Silva Mariana O. , Moro Mirella M.
Published: October 2021

We propose tackling the Hit Song Prediction problem through a multimodal form with songs’ features fused together. Specifically, we describe songs from three feature modalities: music, artist and album. Initially, we identify collaboration profiles in a success-based musical network, unveiling how professional connections can significantly impact their success. Then, we use time series and the Granger Causality test for assessing whether there is a causal relationship between collaboration profiles and artists’ popularity. Finally, we model the Hit Song Prediction problem as two distinct tasks: classification and placement. The former is a classical binary classification model and directly applies our fusion strategies. The latter is a modeling approach that ranks a song relative to a given chart, predicts hit songs, and provides comparative popularity information of a set of songs. Furthermore, we emphasize collaboration artists’ profiles as important features when describing their songs. Overall, our empirical studies confirm the effectiveness of our method that fuses heterogeneous data for both tasks.
O Problema de Escassez de Matchings em Recomendações nos Domínios de Recrutamento
Authors: Cardoso Alan , Mourão Fernando , Rocha Leonardo
Published: October 2021

Candidates and job vacancies may remain for long periods without real opportunities in Recommendation Systems (RSs) for online recruitment. We refer to these scenarios as the Matching Scarcity Problem (MaSP). We formalize the MaSP and propose a strategy to identify candidates and vacancies suffering from it. We also propose five heuristics, which suggest changes in CVs and jobs descriptions, to mitigate the MaSP. The best heuristic was able to reduce up to 50% the number of CVs and jobs suffering from MaSP.
Anti-virulence Therapy Against Bacterial Infections: Mechanisms of Action and Challenges
Authors: Ghazaei Ciamak
Published: October 2021

Context: The unprecedented rise in antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections is a challenging dilemma, urging the development of novel and effective antibiotics for the treatment of such infections. Anti-virulence therapy is a promising solution in this regard. Unlike antibiotics, these drugs could lower the selective evolutionary pressure on a bacterial population and target the virulence factor rather than the growth pathways, thereby targeting and repressing the propagation of antibiotic resistance and virulence genes in bacteria. The present study aimed to investigate anti-virulence therapy against bacterial infections, as well as the mechanisms of action and challenges. Evidence Acquisition: This literature review discusses the issues of antibiotic resistance developed in bacterial infections, the difficulties in antibiotic treatment, the mechanisms involved in anti-virulence therapy, and the approved anti-virulence drug therapeutics. Results: We outlined the success in overcoming antibiotic resistance by using anti-virulence therapy as an alternate treatment option, while also discussing the drawbacks associated with their use and safety against bacterial infections. Conclusions: According to the results, anti-virulence therapy combined with antibiotic treatment is effective in the treatment of several bacterial infections.
Association between IL-1B (-511)/IL-1RN (VNTR) polymorphisms and type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Jiao Juan , Wang Zhaoping , Guo Yanfei , Liu Jie , Huang Xiuqing , Ni Xiaolin , Gao Danni , Sun Liang , Zhu Xiaoquan , Zhou Qi , Yang Ze , Yuan Huiping
Published: October 2021

Interleukin-1 (IL-1) plays an essential role in the immune pro-inflammatory process, which is regarded as one of many factors in the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Several case-control studies have illustrated the association of the IL-1B (-511) (rs16944, Chr 2:112,837,290, C/T Intragenic, Transition Substitution) and IL-1RN (VNTR) (gene for IL-1 receptor antagonist, IL-1RA, 86 bp tandem repeats in intron 2) polymorphisms with T2DM risk. However, the results were inconsistent and inconclusive. We performed a meta-analysis (registry number: CRD42021268494) to assess the association of the IL-1B (-511) and IL-1RN (VNTR) polymorphisms with T2DM risk. Random-effects models were applied to calculate the pooled ORs (odds ratios) and 95% CIs (confidence intervals) to test the strength of the association in the overall group and subgroups stratified by ethnicity, respectively. Between-study heterogeneity and publication bias were evaluated by the Q-test, I2 statistic, Harbord test, and Peters test accordingly. Sensitivity analyses were also performed. A total of 12 publications evaluating the association of IL-1B (-511) and IL-1RN (VNTR) polymorphisms with the risk of T2DM development were included. The meta-analysis showed that IL-1RN (VNTR) was related to the increasing development of T2DM risk in the recessive model (OR = 1.62, 95% CI [1.09–2.42], Phet = 0.377, Pz = 0.018) and in the homozygous model (OR = 2.02, 95% CI [1.07–3.83], Phet = 0.085, Pz = 0.031), and the IL-1RN 2* allele was found a significant association with evaluated T2DM risk in all ethnicities (OR = 2.08, 95% CI [1.43–3.02], Phet < 0.001, Pz < 0.001) and in EA (OR = 2.01, 95% CI [1.53–2.66], Phet = 0.541, Pz < 0.001). Moreover, stratification by ethnicity revealed that IL-1B (-511) was associated with a decreased risk of T2DM in the dominant model (OR=0.76, 95% CI [0.59–0.97], Phet = 0.218, Pz = 0.027) and codominant model (OR = 0.73, 95% CI [0.54–0.99], Phet = 0.141, Pz = 0.040) in the East Asian (EA) subgroup. Our results suggest that the IL-1RN 2* allele and 2*2* homozygous polymorphism are strongly associated with increasing T2DM risk and that the IL-1B (-511) T allele polymorphism is associated with decreasing T2DM risk in the EA subgroup.
Regulation of Molecular Orientations of A–D–A Nonfullerene Acceptors for Organic Photovoltaics: The Role of End‐Group π–π Stacking
Authors: Zheng Wenyu , Liu Jianchuan , Guo Yuan , Han Guangchao , Yi Yuanping
Published: October 2021

Increasing horizontal and face‐on orientations of the active molecules in organic solar cells is critical to improve light absorption, charge mobility, and exciton diffusivity for high photovoltaic efficiency. However, how to effectively control the molecular orientations is challenging and still unclear. Here, the molecular self‐assembly and orientation formation are elucidated for a series of acceptor–donor–acceptor (A–D–A) small‐molecule acceptors (SMAs) by atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. The results indicate that the A–D–A molecules tend to assemble via the end‐group π–π stacking at the liquid–vapor interfaces during solvent evaporation, which is beneficial to enhance horizontal and face‐on orientations. Remarkably, the order of both horizontal and face‐on orientations in the films shows a good linear correlation with the number of π–π stacking among all the A–D–A SMAs. The π–π stacking is found to be cooperatively controlled by both the end‐group π–π interaction and side‐chain steric hindrance. This work provides the rationalization for the different molecular orientations in a wide range of A–D–A SMAs and is useful to improve the horizontal and face‐on orientations for high‐performance organic photovoltaics.
Delivery of MiR335‐5p‐Pendant Tetrahedron DNA Nanostructures Using an Injectable Heparin Lithium Hydrogel for Challenging Bone Defects in Steroid‐Associated Osteonecrosis
Authors: Li Donghai , Yang Zhouyuan , Luo Yue , Zhao Xin , Tian Meng , Kang Pengde
Published: October 2021

Corticosteroids‐induced Dickkopf‐1 (DKK1) upregulation and Wnt signaling inhibition result in bone metabolism disorder and steroid‐associated osteonecrosis (SAON). Implanting biomaterials to regulate the Wnt pathway is a promising method to repair challenging bone defects associated with SAON. Here, tetrahedral DNA nanostructures (TDNs) are fabricated as gene carriers to deliver MiR335‐5p, which targets DKK1 translation. Heparin lithium hydrogel (Li‐hep‐gel) is synthesized to act as a lithium and MiR@TDNs delivery agent. Finally, the repair effects on challenging bone defect in SAON using a MiR@TDNs/Li‐hep‐gel composite are assessed in vivo. The results reveal that MiR@TDNs are absorbed by bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and increase cell viability and reduce apoptosis. Moreover, MiR@TDNs promote alkaline phosphatase expression and calcium nodular deposition, decrease lipid droplet expression of BMSCs, and improve vascular endothelial growth factor secretion and vascular‐like structure formation in vitro. After MiR@TDNs/Li‐hep‐gel is implanted into the SAON model, the internal bone defect of osteonecrosis is repaired with a large area of new bone accompanied with neovascularization and reduced empty lacunae. In conclusion, MiR@TDNs/Li‐hep‐gel can provide dual delivery of lithium and MiR@TDNs, which synergistically upregulate the Wnt signaling pathway, enhancing bone regeneration in challenging bone defects, and can be potentially used in SAON repair.
A Predictive Theory for Domain Walls in Oxide Ferroelectrics Based on Interatomic Interactions and its Implications for Collective Material Properties
Authors: Samanta Atanu , Yadav Suhas , Gu Zongquan , Meyers Cedric J. G. , Wu Liyan , Chen Dongfang , Pandya Shishir , York Robert A. , Martin Lane W. , Spanier Jonathan E. , Grinberg Ilya
Published: October 2021

Domain walls separating regions of ferroelectric material with polarization oriented in different directions are crucial for applications of ferroelectrics. Rational design of ferroelectric materials requires the development of a theory describing how compositional and environmental changes affect domain walls. To model domain wall systems, a discrete microscopic Landau–Ginzburg–Devonshire (dmLGD) approach with A‐ and B‐site cation displacements serving as order parameters is developed. Application of dmLGD to the classic BaTiO3, KNbO3, and PbTiO3 ferroelectrics shows that A–B cation repulsion is the key interaction that couples the polarization in neighboring unit cells of the material. dmLGD decomposition of the total energy of the system into the contributions of the individual cations and their interactions enables the prediction of different properties for a wide range of ferroelectric perovskites based on the results obtained for BaTiO3, KNbO3, and PbTiO3 only. It is found that the information necessary to estimate the structure and energy of domain‐wall “defects” can be extracted from single‐domain 5‐atom first‐principles calculations, and that “defect‐like” domain walls offer a simple model system that sheds light on the relative stabilities of the ferroelectric, antiferroelectric, and paraelectric bulk phases. The dmLGD approach provides a general theoretical framework for understanding and designing ferroelectric perovskite oxides.
3D Porous Fused Aromatic Networks for High Performance Gas and Iodine Uptakes
Authors: Ahmad Ishfaq , Noh Hyuk‐Jun , Yu Soo‐Young , Jeon Jong‐Pil , Sun Qikun , Mahmood Javeed , Baek Jong‐Beom
Published: October 2021

Porous organic networks (PONs) are an emerging class of organic materials with 2D and 3D architectures formed by covalent bonds between light elements, such as C, H, N, O, and B. Extensive efforts have been devoted to synthesizing thermally “stable” 3D PONs to realize their practical applications. Here, the design and synthesis are reported for two new 3D PONs with fused aromatic structures. The PONs structures are constructed by the double condensation reaction between tetrapodal octaamine and pyrenetetraketone (PTK) or hexaketocyclohexane (HKH) to produce PTK‐PON (P‐PON) or HKH‐PON (H‐PON), respectively. The prepared nitrogen‐rich PONs show good thermal stabilities with specific surface areas of 873 m2 g−1 (P‐PON) and 741 m2 g−1 (H‐PON). Because of their relatively narrow pore dimensions (1.29 and 0.78 nm, respectively), the synthesized PONs exhibit high adsorption performance for small molecules such as carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrogen (H2), methane (CH4), and iodine (I2).
Soft Plasmonics: Design, Fabrication, Characterization, and Applications
Authors: Fu Runfang , Lu Yan , Cheng Wenlong
Published: October 2021

Plasmonic nanostructures are important building blocks in modern nanoscience and nanotechnology. Significant research efforts have been directed toward developing solution‐based or rigid‐substrate‐supported metallic nanostructures for novel applications in biophotonics, sensing, energy, and medicine. In parallel, there has been an increasing interest in the fabrication of plasmonic nanostructures on elastomeric substrates and exploring the impact of mechanical deformation including bending, torsion, and stretching on the collective plasmonic resonance properties. This burgeoning field may be defined as soft plasmonics (or soft mechanoplasmonics), analogous to soft electronics. This review describes the recent progress in the design, fabrication, characterization, properties, and applications of soft plasmonics. Soft plasmonics are expected to afford complementary features and functions to the field of soft electronics, enabling applications that are difficult or impossible to achieve with traditional rigid plasmonic structures, such as conformal attachment or integration with soft biological systems for real‐time sensing, actuation, and close‐loop feedback.
MoSe2 Nanoflowers for Highly Efficient Industrial Wastewater Treatment with Zero Discharge
Authors: Lee Jyun‐Ting , Mathur Shaurya , Shen Sophia , Wu Jyh‐Ming , Chen Jun
Published: October 2021

Water pollution is one of the leading causes of death and disease worldwide, yet mitigating it remains a challenge. This paper presents an efficient new strategy for the processing of wastewater utilizing an accessible redox reaction with MoSe2 nanoflowers, which shows a strong oxidizing ability and permits the decomposition of dye molecules in dark environments without the need for an external power source. This reaction can treat wastewater at a decomposition rate above 0.077 min−1, even when interacting with organic pollutants at concentrations up to 1500 ppm. Theoretical calculations by Dmol3 simulation elucidates that the reactions proceed spontaneously, and the kinetic constant (kobs) for this redox reaction with 10 ppm RhB dye is 0.53 min−1, which is 65 times faster than the titanium dioxide photocatalytic wastewater treatment. More importantly, the residual waste solution can be further utilized as a precursor to reconstruct the MoSe2 nanoflowers. To demonstrate the effectiveness and reusability, the treated effluent is directly used as the sole source of irrigated water for plants with no adverse effect. This method offers an eco‐friendly and more accessible way to treat industrial wastewater with zero‐discharge.
Recursive filtering for mobile robot localization under an energy harvesting sensor
Authors: Lu Yanyang , Shen Bo , Shen Yuxuan
Published: October 2021

In this paper, the localization problem of the mobile robot (MR) with an energy harvesting sensor (EHS) is studied. A specific situation is regarded, which is that the MR equips with an EHS who owns the capacity for absorbing the energy from the surroundings. When the sensor energy is sufficient, the sensor can send its measurement to the filter. Otherwise, the sensor energy‐induced measurement missing phenomenon will occur. For the sake of acquiring the measurement missing rate, the relationship between the amount of the sensor energy and its probability distribution is derived recursively at each time instant. The purpose of this paper is to seek out a feasible solution to the addressed MR localization (MRL) problem (MRLP) by devising the desired time‐varying filter. Firstly, in the presence of the sensor energy‐induced measurement missing phenomenon, an upper bound (UB) for the filtering error (FE) covariance (FEC) is acquired recursively. Then, the acquired UB is minimized by characterizing the desired filter gain adequately. Finally, a simulation is conducted to testify the availability of the proposed MRL algorithm (MRLA).
First‐line sorafenib sequential therapy and liver disease etiology for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma using inverse probability weighting: A multicenter retrospective study
Authors: Shimose Shigeo , Hiraoka Atsushi , Nakano Masahito , Iwamoto Hideki , Tanaka Masatoshi , Tanaka Takaaki , Noguchi Kazunori , Aino Hajime , Ogata Kei , Kajiwara Masahiko , Itano Satoshi , Yokokura Yoshinori , Yamaguchi Taizo , Kawano Hiroshi , Matsukuma Norito , Suga Hideya , Niizeki Takashi , Shirono Tomotake , Noda Yu , Kamachi Naoki , Okamura Shusuke , Kawaguchi Takumi , Koga Hironori , Torimura Takuji
Published: October 2021

Background and Aims

Sequential therapy with molecular‐targeted agents (MTAs) is considered effective for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. This study purposed to evaluate the efficacy of sequential therapy with sorafenib (SORA) as a first‐line therapy and to investigate the therapeutic impact of SORA in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) or nonalcoholic steato hepatitis (NASH)‐related HCC.

Methods

We evaluated 504 HCC patients treated with SORA (Study‐1). The times of administration for sorafenib from 2009 to 2015, 2016 to 2017, and 2018 and later were defined as the early‐, mid‐, and late‐term periods, respectively. Among them, 180 HCC patients treated with SORA in addition to MTAs in the mid‐ and late‐term periods were divided into groups based on disease etiology (NAFLD or NASH [n = 37] and viral or alcohol [n = 143]), and outcomes were compared after inverse probability weighting (IPW) (Study‐2).

Results

Overall survival (OS) of HCC patients who received sequential MTA therapy after first‐line SORA was significantly longer. The median survival times (MST) were 12.6 versus 17.6 versus 17.4 months in the early‐term group, mid‐term group, and the later‐time group (early vs. mid, p = 0.014, early vs. later. p = 0.045), respectively. (Study‐1). In Study‐2, there was no significant differences in OS between the Virus/alcohol group and the NAFLD/NASH group in patients who received sequential therapy (MST was 23.4 and 27.0 months p = 0.173, respectively). The NAFLD or NASH, female sex, albumin‐bilirubin (ALBI) grade 2b, and major Vp (Vp3/Vp4) were significant factors for OS treated with SORA.

Conclusions

Sequential therapy with SORA as the first‐line treatment improved the prognosis of unresectable HCC patients and was effective regardless of HCC etiology.
Atypical presentation of cardiomyopathy in a case of maternal mortality that was demonstrated as hypovolemic shock
Authors: Mashak Banfsheh , Hashemnejad Maryam , Fakehi Maliheh , Heidary Zohreh , Mirmajidi Roghayyeh , Ghaemi Marjan
Published: October 2021

Periconceptional and prenatal care should be continued even during COVID‐19 pandemics. Indeed, prevention and intervention programs for managing heart failure with aggressive resuscitation and invasive monitoring help to provide the best outcomes in cardiomyopathies. PPH may be associated with cardiac diseases and the resuscitation measures need modification to prevent maternal mortality.
Breathing‐Assisted Selective Adsorption of C8 Alkyl Aromatics in Zn‐Based Metal–Organic Frameworks
Authors: Lee Jihyun , Kim Younghoon , Son Younghu , Kim Hyehyun , Choi Yong Nam , D'Alessandro Deanna , Rao Purna Chandra , Yoon Minyoung
Published: October 2021

Invited for the cover of this issue are Purna Chandra Rao, Minyoung Yoon and co‐workers at Kyungpook National University, Gachon University, POSTECH, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute and the University of Sydney. The image depicts how single C8 isomers are selectively isolated from a mixture. Read the full text of the article at 10.1002/chem.202102640.
Development of impedance measurement of lithium ion batteries electrode using terahertz chemical microscope
Authors: Shimizu Masashi , Yamanaka Ryoji , Teranishi Takashi , Wang Jin , Sakai Kenji , Tsukada Keiji , Kiwa Toshihiko
Published: October 2021

In recent years, with the spread of electric vehicles, improvement in the performance of lithium ion batteries has been required. Evaluation of the active material is important because the performance of the lithium ion battery is affected by the movement of lithium ions at the electrode active material‐electrolyte interface. In this study, we fabricated a lithium ion battery with the sensing plate, which is a potential sensor, attached to the positive electrode, and evaluated lithium ion battery with a terahertz chemical microscope (TCM). As a result, we succeeded in measuring the potential distribution of the positive electrode during charging and discharging, and the local impedance.
Death of a child and the risk of heart failure: a population‐based cohort study from Denmark and Sweden
Authors: Wei Dang , Li Jiong , Janszky Imre , Chen Hua , Fang Fang , Ljung Rickard , László Krisztina D.
Published: October 2021

Aims

We aimed to investigate whether the death of a child, one of the most severe stressors, is associated with the risk of heart failure (HF).

Methods and results

We conducted a population‐based cohort study involving parents of live‐born children recorded in the Danish and Swedish Medical Birth Registers during 1973–2016 and 1973–2014, respectively (n = 6 717 349). We retrieved information on child death, HF diagnosis and sociodemographic characteristics of the parents from several nationwide registries. We performed Poisson regression models to estimate incidence rate ratios (IRR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for HF in relation to bereavement. A total of 129 829 (1.9%) parents lost at least one child during the follow‐up. Bereaved parents had a 35% higher risk of HF than the non‐bereaved (IRR 1.35, 95% CI 1.29–1.41; p < 0.001). The increased HF risk was observed not only when the child died due to cardiovascular or other natural causes, but also when the loss was due to unnatural causes. The association tended to be U‐shaped when we categorized the exposed parents by the number of remaining live children at loss or by the age of the deceased child.

Conclusion

We found that the death of a child was associated with an increased risk of HF. The finding that not only cardiovascular and other natural deaths, but also unnatural deaths were associated with HF suggests that stress‐related mechanisms may contribute to the development of HF.
SLAMF7 selectively favors degranulation to promote cytotoxicity in human NK cells
Authors: Gutierrez‐Guerrero Arturo , Mancilla‐Herrera Ismael , Maravillas‐Montero Jose L. , Martinez‐Duncker Ivan , Veillette Andre , Cruz‐Munoz Mario E.
Published: October 2021

NK cells play an important role in immunity by recognizing and eliminating cells undergoing infection or malignant transformation. This role is dependent on the ability of NK cells to lyse targets cells in a perforin‐dependent mechanism and by secreting inflammatory cytokines. Both effector functions are controlled by several cell surface receptors. The Signaling Lymphocyte Activation Molecule (SLAM) family of receptors plays an essential role in regulating NK cell activation. Several studies have demonstrated that SLAMF7 regulates NK cell activation. However, the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which SLAMF7 influences NK effector functions are unknown. Here, we present evidence that physiological ligation of SLAMF7 in human NK cells enhances the lysis of target cells expressing SLAMF7. This effect was dependent on the ability of SLAMF7 to promote NK cell degranulation rather than cytotoxic granule polarization or cell adhesion. Moreover, SLAMF7‐dependent NK cell degranulation was predominantly dependent on PLC‐γ when compared to PI3K. These data provide novel information on the cellular mechanism by which SLAMF7 regulates human NK cell activation. Finally, this study supports a model for NK cell activation where activated receptors contribute by regulating specific discrete cellular events rather than multiple cellular processes.
Ethnocultural diversity of immigrants' personal social networks, bicultural identity integration and global identification
Authors: Bobowik Magdalena , Benet‐Martínez Verónica , Repke Lydia
Published: October 2021

There is some evidence that ethnocultural diversity encourages superordinate levels of categorisation, such as feeling identified with people globally. A remaining question is what type of engagement with diversity facilitates this link and why. We use immigrants' personal social network data and examine the link between global identification and ethnocultural diversity among closer relationships (i.e. strong network contacts, such as friendships) and more distant ones (i.e. weak contacts, including neighbours and acquaintances). Furthermore, following exposure to diversity, individuals may internalise more than one culture and differ how they integrate their multiple cultural socialisation into the self (i.e. vary in their degree of bicultural identity integration). We thus test whether relational ethnocultural diversity is linked to a stronger global identification through either cultural blendedness (i.e. combining two cultures) or harmony (i.e. perceiving two cultures as compatible). Relying on a culturally diverse community sample of 216 immigrants residing in Barcelona (53% female, Mage = 31 years, SD = 10.4), we found that ethnocultural diversity among strong (but not weak) contacts was associated with stronger global identification and that this association is mediated by cultural harmony (but not blendedness). These results attest to the link between having ethnoculturally diverse close social relationships and superordinate identification.
“Silence Signals Consent”: A Review of The Civically Engaged Classroom
Authors: Scarbrough Burke
Published: October 2021

A review of Mary Ehrenworth, Pablo Wolfe, and Marc Todd's The Civically Engaged Classroom: Reading, Writing, and Speaking for Change (Heinemann, 2021). The review focuses on the book's multifaceted rationale for engaging pressing social issues in the classroom, including how civic engagement promotes a deep engagement with key facets of literacy pedagogy. It also describes the book's numerous tangible pedagogical resources. It ends by acknowledging the sometimes contentious local context for the important work that the authors are calling for.
Efficiency and preference for alternative activities during schedule thinning with functional communication training
Authors: Simmons Christina A. , Salvatore Giovanna L. , Zangrillo Amanda N.
Published: October 2021

Functional communication training is an effective treatment for decreasing socially reinforced destructive behavior (Carr & Durand, 1985). Clinicians frequently use multiple schedules to thin the reinforcement schedule (Hanley et al., 2001). Individuals are often taught to wait for functional reinforcers without alternative programmed stimuli. However, concurrently available items and activities are often accessible in the natural environment. In this study, we taught 4 participants a functional communication response to access functional reinforcers. We implemented a multiple schedule during schedule thinning, comparing a control condition (nothing available during SΔ intervals) to separate conditions with items/activities (moderately preferred tangible items, attention, demands) noncontingently available during SΔ intervals. After reaching the terminal schedule in one condition, therapists assessed participant preference across SΔ conditions. For all participants, the terminal schedule was reached with alternative items and activities, and participant preference corresponded with the most efficient schedule thinning condition. Therapists also indicated preference for alternative items/activities.
The Influence of Obesity, Ovariectomy, and Greenshell Mussel Supplementation on Bone Mineral Density in Rats
Authors: Siriarchavatana Parkpoom , Kruger Marlena C , Miller Matthew R , Tian Hong (Sabrina) , Wolber Frances M
Published: October 2021

Obesity is considered to impair long‐term health by disturbing multiple physiological functions. However, it remains a controversial issue as to whether obesity has beneficial or detrimental effects on bone health in postmenopausal women. The aims of this study were to investigate the relationships between obesity and bone mineral density (BMD) under conditions of ovarian hormone deficiency in an animal model and to evaluate the potential health benefits of Greenshell mussel (GSM) on bone health. A total of 144 adult female Sprague–Dawley rats were fed from age 12 weeks on one of four diets (normal [ND]; ND + GSM; high fat/high sugar [HF/HS]; HF/HS + GSM; n = 36 per diet). At age 20 weeks, after a dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan, 12 of the rats on each diet underwent ovariectomy (OVX) and the remaining rats were left intact. Twelve of the intact rats in each diet group were culled at age 26 weeks (short‐term cohort). The remaining rats were culled at age 48 weeks (long‐term cohort). Rats were DXA scanned before cull, then various fat pads were dissected. The results revealed that HF/HS rats and OVX rats dramatically increased body weight and fat deposition in correlation with leptin. In the long‐term cohort, vertebral spine BMD rapidly declined after OVX. At termination, the OVX rats had decreased plasma bone turnover markers of CTX‐1 and TRAP when compared with sham rats. Significantly higher BMD was found in OVX rats fed the HF/HS diet compared with ND, but this difference was not recapitulated in intact rats. BMD of right femur was significantly increased 5% to 10% by GSM in the short‐term cohort. The data demonstrated that obesity can be beneficial by increasing BMD in OVX rats, and this may extrapolate to postmenopausal women as adipocyte‐produced estrogen may slightly compensate for the reduction in ovarian hormones. Finally, the data showed that GSM may be beneficial to bone health by increasing BMD accrual. © 2021 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Local perturbations of periodic systems. Chemisorption and point defects by GoGreenGo
Authors: Popov Ilya V. , Kushnir Timofei S. , Tchougréeff Andrei L.
Published: October 2021

We present a software package GoGreenGo—an overlay aimed to model local perturbations of periodic systems due to either chemisorption or point defects. The electronic structure of an ideal crystal is obtained by worldwide‐distributed standard quantum physics/chemistry codes, and then processed by various tools performing projection to atomic orbital basis sets. Starting from this, the perturbation is addressed by GoGreenGo with use of the Green's functions formalism, which allows evaluating its effect on the electronic structure, density matrix, and energy of the system. In the present contribution, the main accent is made on processes of chemical nature, such as chemisorption or doping. We address a general theory and its computational implementation supported by a series of test calculations of the electronic structure perturbations for benchmark model solids: simple, face‐centered, and body‐centered cubium systems. In addition, more realistic problems of local perturbations in graphene lattice, such as lattice substitution, vacancy, and “on‐top” chemisorption, are considered.
Evaluating the experiences of individuals with personal health risks identified through expanded carrier screening
Authors: Brown Emily M. , Grinzaid Karen A. , Ali Nadia , Mehta Nikita , Hardy Melanie W.
Published: October 2021

Expanded carrier screening (ECS) is used to identify individuals and couples at risk for having children with recessive or X‐linked genetic conditions; however, personal health risks (PHR) can also be identified through this testing. There is limited data on how genetic counseling regarding PHR from ECS is perceived by the individual, or how they use this information. This study quantitatively surveyed individuals identified with these risks between September 2013 and March 2020. The 30‐item survey included the validated Genomics Outcome Scale Short Form, the validated Genetic Counseling Satisfaction Scale, and original questions. Survey topics included pre‐test knowledge of the possibility of discovering PHR through testing, satisfaction with pre‐test education that addresses potential risks, perceived severity of PHR, empowerment by and understanding of information, anxiety levels related to their PHR, perceived genetic counseling support, and satisfaction with telehealth. A total of 416 completed surveys were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and linear and logistic regressions. The majority of participants were satisfied or extremely satisfied with pre‐test education (n = 328; 78.8%) and telehealth (n = 329; 79.1%). However, more participants who were aware of the possibility of identifying PHR through ECS prior to testing were satisfied with pre‐test education compared to those who were not aware. Additionally, a lack of prior awareness of PHR was associated with lower empowerment scores (p = .004). Those who were highly satisfied with genetic counseling were more likely to feel empowered and understand the information presented (p = .001). The majority of individuals used their PHR information following their results appointment (n = 391; 94.0%). The results of this study suggest that receiving PHR information was useful and was positively influenced by both pre‐test education and the genetic counseling process.